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Phil and the Tiles are a rarity, an organic and genuine reflection of their surroundings. A gang of reprobates. A collection of cynical trippers. Shitheads. They know how to get a room going on a Friday night. With a rotation of members and ethos over the last few years it seems Phil and the Tiles have landed on current lineup of Reef Williams, Vocals and poet to the masses, Matt Powell, Bass and vibe regulator, Andre Piciocchi, Drums and Italian, Charlotte Zarb, Keyboardist and sonic visionary, Hattie Gleeson, Vox/Guitarist, commander in charge and mystery man Reilly Gaynor on the Lead Guitar. With their new record 'Double Happiness' released with Legless early next year it seems things are really on the up for these fashionable young punks. Only one can imagine the true havoc this will wreak on the squares and blockheads of the world. For fans of the true shit, Germs, Sardine V, UV Race, Institute, Zounds, Crass and of course The Snakes. - Lewis Hodgson (Civic)
Our take: We last heard from Aussies Phil & the Tiles on their debut 7”, released on Anti-Fade Records, and now they’re back with their first full-length on the similarly hot Australian label Legless Records. While Phil & the Tiles sound like a contemporary Australian band, they also sound like a band who might have formed at an art school at any point since, say, 1975. They have the right influences (the Fall, the Stooges), and they clearly know what’s cool (cryptic lyrics, synthesizers, singing that’s more like fast talking, etc.) and what’s not (earnestness, soloing, pomposity). While it has that sheen of art school cool, Phil & the Tiles’ music isn’t difficult; there’s a grit to it, but they are also fond of simple, naïve-sounding melodies. These melodies might come from the guitar, the synth, or any of the multiple vocalists, overlapping and criss-crossing in ways that are a delight to untangle. At their most brooding (like “Ode to Phil”) Phil & the Tiles remind me of the post-punkier end of the contemporary Aussie spectrum with bands like Low Life and Total Control, but I’m just as fond of the more upbeat, punkier tracks like “Captain Punish.” There’s just so much music on Double Happiness, its eclectic songwriting and dense instrumentation giving it both immediate appeal and strong replay value.