Thursday, October 8, 2009

Why Brisbane Rules : To The North & Quiet Steps














To The North myspace















Quiet Steps myspace


To The North and Quiet Steps are independent bands from Brisbane, Australia. Why 2 bands on one post? Well, they share a lot in common, hell they even share a bassist. They've been around since 2006(?) or maybe even earlier, don't quote me on this. During my stay in Brisbane for roughly about 3.5 years, To The North and Quiet Steps were the bands i get to see the most. They played shows pretty frequently and have played with probably almost every single other Brisbane bands as well as other national and international acts. I've seen them play with punk bands, hardcore bands, metal bands, indie bands, singer-songwriter, solo artists and anything in between as well as playing at different venues, clubs, houses and studios.

To The North plays jazzy-indie music (terrible description, but i've got nothing better) with a lot of tempo changes, clean and yet complicated guitar lines and semi-shouted vocals. If you're a fan of any Kinsella's bands, Hot Cross, Minus The Bear, This Town Need Guns or anything along those lines then you will probably enjoy them.

Quiet Steps plays a dynamic, at times sparse mid-tempo indie-punk (i know, i know) with screamed vocals. Their early stuff is more stripped down and focused while the newer songs that they've been playing seem to show more "progressive" ideas and directions. If you like Sinaloa, Suis La Lune, Tiny Hawks then this band is for you.

I won't say much more about their music because it won't do them any justice. One thing that equally as important as their music, in my opinion is their attitudes towards their music, arts, listeners, venues and the community. These things matter. These are the reasons why independent music is wonderful and for some people, more than just music. I learned about these things from Brisbane music scene, and mostly these two bands. To me they are not just friends, but also a source of inspirations.

Quiet Steps ep are still in print, so i won't post them. If you would like a copy, go contact the band on myspace since the Yellow Ghost online store page is all fucked up. Their new LP should be out really soon.

Here are some To The North goodies :

Landscapes EP
"Harms Way" (their side of split with Ohana)
Live Audio Set @ DIY Fest Ahimsa Hall (1-2-2008)
House Show video

Their new LP ...to Work and Not Feed is already out, fresh from the oven. If you like what you hear, please buy it.