Alpine

Overview

With the video for their latest single ‘Hands’ featuring half-naked, axe-wielding chicks in roller blades making out with their palms, you could say that there’s a lot to like about Melbourne six-piece Alpine. And that’s before you even get to their music. Which happens to be seriously good.

Alpine’s five track EP Zurich, released Nov 2010, features the angelic vocals of frontwomen Phoebe Baker and Lou James layered over gutsy guitar hooks. The result? Beautifully crafted melodic indie pop tunes with bite. Their hugely popular track ‘Villages’ is a perfect example of this exciting mélange of sounds, and the slightly darker and ethereal ‘Hands’ — the first cut from their debut album due out early 2012 — makes for a strong follow-up.

Alpine’s signing to Ivy League Records in 2010 sees them sitting side by side with the likes of Cloud Control, Sparkadia and Josh Pyke, just to name a few. They’ve also been the support for high-calibre bands like The Naked & Famous and SIA, and were one of the highlights at last year’s Falls Festival. This should be enough to convince you that Alpine is worth checking out this Friday Jan 20 at Oxford Art Factory, with support from Crayon Fields frontman Geoffrey O’ Connor doing his solo thing.