Homebake Incentive 2008 Grand Final

I know I've gone on about this competition, quite a bit, but if you're looking for a sample of rising talent in Sydney, you won't find much better. The grand final will be held over two nights, at The Hopetoun Hotel, with 4 bands playing per night. Here's a quick overview of who made it to the final 8:

Night 1 - Monday 3rd Nov

Jordy Lane
Jordy Lane's music has two very distinct sides. There's the warm, soft and downright gorgeous side, seen on tracks like Gallileo, and then there's the erratic, often-confronting electronic side. I'm not sure if he's found the right balance yet, but already he's produced some impressive music. Here's a track that showcases both his sides.

The Neighbours

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Songs For Surgery
Songs For Surgery may only just be starting out, but I can already sense big things. Their demos already show they can deliver in a variety of styles, including fast-paced, edgy rock, melodic indie riffs and even slower, building songs. On stage, this translates to a great show. They've been picked up by a highly regarded Sydney engineer and will be putting out some tracks soon. Look forward to them.

Sunny Afternoon

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Papa Vs Pretty
You can't talk about Papa Vs Pretty without mentioning the amazing talents of Tom. This guy can write, he can sing, he can play guitar, he can play keyboards and he can do them all insanely well. You have to come see them just to see him in action. As a band, they have an incredibly mature sound for a bunch of high school kids. It's a dark style of rock, with the occasional electronic flavouring. Though I wish they would move away from their Joy Division cover (which is actually good) because they have such excellent original material.

Citizen No. 1

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Sui Zhen
Sui Zhen speicalises in mega-cute pop music. Her delicate vocals and soft instrumentation can be deceiving because she can also be quite powerful. When joined by her band, the sound is a lot fuller and together they produce a fun-filled show that will have you smiling without fail.

Heat

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Night 2 - Tuesday Nov 4

Seekae
Seekae make instrumental electronic music. Such a fact would normally put them well out of band competition chances and beyond my personal interests. And yet in this case, neither is true. Seekae's music has a certain charm about it. It's like a warmer, friendlier version of Pivot. When Seekae are on the ball, they're outstanding. But they still have some improving to do, because when they're not on, they can be pretty boring.

Yurai

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The Statics
As far as raw energy goes, The Statics take the cake. The enigmatic Pat Delohery, with his wild on-stage persona and sudden falsetto outburts, really manages to bring the band alive. Their music, which a is mix of sloppy, Pavement-esque rock and electric dynamism, always entertains.

Space Unicorn

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Deep Sea Arcade
Deep Sea Arcade's quirky blend of pop music has been working wonders in and around Sydney. Through a steady supply of shows they've managed to build a decent following and gain fairly widespread respect. It's no surprise though. This is intelligently layered music, moving in such strange and foreign ways. It's truly worthy of the title 'unique'.

Crouch End

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Elana Stone Band
Elana Stone is the only one here that I'm still yet to see. As such, I can't really offer much of an opinion. But the two things I do know, that she is the sister of Jake Stone and has an incredible voice, have me very intrigued.

Beautiful Sound

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Predictions

Most Likely: Papa Vs Pretty
If I was organising Homebake, this is the band I'd want most out of these 8. Their youth and their energetic set make an instantly lovable combo that would undoubtedly win over early arrivers. They've already played Parklife so they're no strangers to the festival scene.

Most Deserving: Deep Sea Arcade
Deep Sea Arcade's music is like nothing else. It's a little bizarre but its also awesome. They put meticulous thought into the sounds of their guitars and vocals and the result is some highly addictive music. It's unsuspecting, but there's definitely an audience out there. If anyone deserves a big break, it's these guys.

Left-field Chance: Seekae
It really depends on the tastes of who's judging, but if Seekae put on a stellar show, I have this niggling feeling that they could sneak through. When done right, their music is the sort that everybody loves. It's got character, it's got direction, and of course, its got plenty of cool sounds.

Download all 8 tracks