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Phil and the Tiles formed in a Moorabbin shed, late 2019 in Melbourne’s South East; a stripped back glitter-group playing modified pop, stuck together like sticky tape and PVA glue.
Phil’s upfront with colourful ramblings, while The Tiles lay the backing down firm. Sound references may include punk staples like Magazine and The Fall, alongside modern day classics such as early UV Race, Institute, even at times, Country Teasers. Whirling, questioning ,trembling, searing and starry eyed, Phil & The Tiles draw their own line by perverse lamentations, friendships lost and found, catholic frustration and factory life repression. We have what you need to get you dancing in your own area.
Equal parts happy & sad, morbid & gratifying; it’s refreshing to hear a great young punk band just starting out and doing it right. Phil & The Tiles’ S/T 7” is the debut release from this Melbourne 6-piece, and will be available from October 28th on Anti Fade Records.
Our take: Australia’s Anti Fade Records once again thrusts their hand into the silt of Melbourne’s fertile punk scene and pulls up gold. If you’re partial to the current sounds of the Australian underground, Phil & the Tiles should be on your to-hear list because they bear an immediate resemblance to bands like the Shifters, Spiritual Mafia, and the UV Race, nailing the delicate balance of melodic appeal and arty repetition that makes those bands so irresistible. A song like “Elixir,” with its repetitive structure and cryptic lyrics, leans toward the arty end of the sound (and it’s a track you’ll love if you were partial to that Spiritual Mafia album that came out a while back), while “Nun’s Dream” represents the poppier side of the coin, with a sound that is dead ringer for the Brix era of the Fall… you could slide it right into Perverted by Language’s track listing and the only real tell would be the singers’ thick Aussie accents. So many cool records are coming out of the Australian underground that it can seem hard to keep up, but this isn’t the place where you want to get off the train… this record is too damn good. And with 4 meaty tracks, it more than justifies the import price tag.
Phil’s upfront with colourful ramblings, while The Tiles lay the backing down firm. Sound references may include punk staples like Magazine and The Fall, alongside modern day classics such as early UV Race, Institute, even at times, Country Teasers. Whirling, questioning ,trembling, searing and starry eyed, Phil & The Tiles draw their own line by perverse lamentations, friendships lost and found, catholic frustration and factory life repression. We have what you need to get you dancing in your own area.
Equal parts happy & sad, morbid & gratifying; it’s refreshing to hear a great young punk band just starting out and doing it right. Phil & The Tiles’ S/T 7” is the debut release from this Melbourne 6-piece, and will be available from October 28th on Anti Fade Records.
Our take: Australia’s Anti Fade Records once again thrusts their hand into the silt of Melbourne’s fertile punk scene and pulls up gold. If you’re partial to the current sounds of the Australian underground, Phil & the Tiles should be on your to-hear list because they bear an immediate resemblance to bands like the Shifters, Spiritual Mafia, and the UV Race, nailing the delicate balance of melodic appeal and arty repetition that makes those bands so irresistible. A song like “Elixir,” with its repetitive structure and cryptic lyrics, leans toward the arty end of the sound (and it’s a track you’ll love if you were partial to that Spiritual Mafia album that came out a while back), while “Nun’s Dream” represents the poppier side of the coin, with a sound that is dead ringer for the Brix era of the Fall… you could slide it right into Perverted by Language’s track listing and the only real tell would be the singers’ thick Aussie accents. So many cool records are coming out of the Australian underground that it can seem hard to keep up, but this isn’t the place where you want to get off the train… this record is too damn good. And with 4 meaty tracks, it more than justifies the import price tag.