JJJJJJJJJJJ

It’s not a scene I know, but I went along to hear local band Chasing Rabbits because some mates are members and I have great respect for them. What is this style? I guess it’s “alt” or “indie”. Indie means independent (of record labels and contracts) although it has social implications but Alt is the real social category. Here’s Alex Ross, the New Yorker’s music critic, in an article on Kurt Cobain: “Alternative culture proposes that the establishment is reprehensible but that our substitute establishment can coexist with it, on the same commercial playing field. It differs from notions of counterculture insofar as no one took it seriously even at the beginning: it sold out as a matter of principle. MTV seized on [alt.] … as a way of diversifying its offering, much as soft-drink companies seek to invest in new flavors.” (Edges of pop [essay] in Listen to this / Alex Ross, London, Fourth Estate, 2010, p.222). Good writing but harsh judgement.

But back to the band. It’s music of a type you often hear on Triple J. I hear it as singer-songwriter updated to post-punk times. (Often) female voices, singing of personal and social matters but without the folksy acoustic guitars, using rockier post-punk and -funk beats and importantly no macho soloist-as-individualist-hero mentality (jazzers take note!). I hear the style frequently but the concerns and the expression are not of time and popular music seldom spreads beyond shared youths. Chasing Rabbits had some very cool, angular beats, dirty, distorted bass with great chops and even one nice bass solo that I noticed. And Caroline, who accompanies her singing on piano and I guess created the music and obviously leads the band. There were themes of interest and seriousness and there was generational irony like the Alice-in-Wonderland references and the tune that started with a leaden wedding march. It’s a woman’s world (don’t get me wrong; it’s no less for that and can be quite an education for the guys) of teacups in a storm and stage patter that even touched on Caroline’s nice red shoes. CR were playing at the CIT MIC venue, which is a training facility with excellent audio and video capabilities, so there was live video on large screens, a big PA and great mics and a big and comfy space. I would have liked the voices to be beefed up with some studio treatment from the digital desks and the piano was not the greatest sound, but the feels were good and the tunes expanded far beyond three chords and the words had a purpose. Triple J live at CIT with video and the works; TV on the radio.

Chasing Rabbits is Caroline Wallace (vocals, piano), James Luke (bass) and Chris Thwaite (drums).