Street Chant are another one of those bands that I’ve heard of, heard the praise, seen the name everywhere yet never quite got around to experiencing for myself.
I know. It’s jaded recluses such as myself killing the music industry for the ever struggling, underrated locals, but in the words of a misquoted adage it’s “better late than sorry”.
But I am sorry. Sorry I never jumped on the Street Chant wagon earlier. But if you’re like me, late to the party, then Hauora is a good place to start.
This is what your kids should be listening to on Spotify. This should be babysitting them on free-to-air music television. I mean look at them. This band are pretty much the epitome of cool. Like, are they even trying?
And listen to them. It’s a band that would be everywhere if the capital T “Theys” and “Thems” of the music industry could only find a way to merchandise, monetize, syndicate and suck the life from these Indie darlings.
The album is straight into it. No messing about. Poppy Punk and caustic Grunge coloured with hues from a range of nostalgic influences and shaded with rapturous post-melancholic disillusion.
This music is amazing, and I’m sure the band knows it, yet Hauora isn’t an ego stroking exercise; songs express their feelings then move on to the next moment without dwelling on time fillers like extravagant guitar solos or atonal vocal flourishes.
It’s like an upmarket no frills brand. I think that’s what I like about Hauora so much. In the age of pissing about, this album is short, sharp and to the point.
There’s some kind of meaning here, even if the meaning is in the post-cathartic tremblings of a band after completing a record such as this.
Street Chant is Emily, Billie and Alex (The DHDFD's), who formed back in 2009 with Mikey Sperring (The Drab Doo Riffs) on drums; and came to the attention of the underground with the pop-grunge nugget Scream Walk, which was featured on Real Groove's Awesome Feeling II CD.
Sperring was replaced by Brown, they changed their name from Mean Street and things really kicked off...
The massive track Yr Philosophy was arguably the biggest local single of 2010. Street Change have toured NZ with their spiritual antecedents The 3Ds and were hand-picked to play around Australia with The Dead Weather.