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Dirt is sorely underappreciated as a critical ingredient in nature. Without it, the entire food chain, and the survival of humanity would be at risk. Plants grow in dirt, dirt houses bacteria that are fundamental to the inter-dependencies of the biosphere, dirt holds stuff in the ground. Dirt is good, man. And Dirt Farmer’s self-titled debut EP is even better. You can take a track like Kick It and run it up against any classic pop song and you’ll walk away with the shit-eating grin on your face of an acid-freak who’s just discovered the secret of the world while walking naked in a cornfield. Or you can reach out to the harmony-laden Beach Boys-meets-Doors pop lament of Johnny Marble and pull it close to your chest like the lover you’ve spent your adolescence yearning for. If you’re unsure, take a casual stroll into Turtles territory with Real Young and you’ll find everybody’s as happy as a pig in shit, with very good reason. If you don’t reckon Showgirl is the apex of the '60s bubblegum pop experience writ large, then you haven’t realised the importance of The Monkees as a pop cultural phenomenon. And then there’s the Louie Louie inspired three-chord garage brilliance of Honey, complete with the psychedelic guitar freak-out – this is the shit. Is there anything left to say? Probably not – and, besides, everyone’s dancing anyway. BY PATRICK EMERY Best Track: All of themIf You Like This, You’ll Like These: THE MONKEES, THE SEEDS and THE TURTLESIn A Word: Perfect - Beat
Since relocating from Albury-Wondonga to Melbourne last year, Dirt Farmer have been working hard at the gig rounds and recording their debut EP with Colin Leadbetter (Whitley, Sarah Blasko).
They’re playing the Toff this Wednesday, and even if you’re not familiar with some of the other decent demos they’ve put out, it’s still worth gallivanting over to hear this cheery tune. - Who The Hell
– Melbourne’s Dirt Farmer seem to be building up to something. After ‘Johnny Marble’ comes the follow-up single, ‘Real Young’. Recorded with Leadbetter Productions (Whitley, Sarah Blasko) for their upcoming EP, ‘Real Young’ is the sound of a band that’s “shrugged off the restraints imposed on them by society”. But never mind the press release; it’s a sweet, understated song, a pop lullaby that’s just a little bit Burrito Brothers. Singer Stu Barlow (ex-Lisa Mitchell) uses endearingly chaste soda-pop imagery (movie marathons, photobooths) to tell of an unsteady, nascent romance. Delivered in his dreamy, sad-eyed tenor, the whole thing goes down real sweet and easy. - Mess + Noise
Discography
Dirt Farmer EP
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Bio
Melbourne band Dirt Farmer are beating the imminent Winter blues and unleashing their summer-laden self-titled EP with their third single Kick It.
Kick It follows singles Johnny Marble and Real Young which garnered support from triple j, RRR, FBi, PBS, community stations across Australia, combined with many nice words said in the blogosphere.
The EP was recorded by Leadbetter Productions (Sarah Blasko, Whitley) and Timothy West, and mixed by Leadbetter Productions and Steve Schram (Little Red, The Vasco Era, Eagle & the Worm, San Cisco) and mastered by Exchange Mastering UK.
After burning their banjos in Albury, Dirt Farmer formed in March 2010 and got together to unleash their own brand of laid-back, swagger driven Alt-Country Rock ’n Roll that has seen them develop into one of the most exciting bands in the Melbourne music scene.
The past few months have also seen Dirt Farmer share the stage with the likes of Husky, Alpine, The Rubens, Caitlin Park, The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Paper Kites, Tim Hart (Boy & Bear), The Gin Club, Snakadaktal and Hayley Couper.
Here's what some nice folks have had to say about Dirt Farmer:
"Singer Stu Barlow (ex-Lisa Mitchell) uses endearingly chaste soda-pop imagery (movie marathons, photobooths) to tell of an unsteady, nascent romance. Delivered in his dreamy, sad-eyed tenor, the whole thing goes down real sweet and easy." - Darren Levin (Mess + Noise)
"This is a cute, polished lounge rock tune that unravels at a casually hip pace, Really great work from this new Melbourne 5-piece" - Simone (Beat)
“If Oh Mercy were traveling hobos, they might sound something like this. It's slightly lo-fi, but that gives this song its extra layer of personality. Awesome work”. – Dom Alessio (Triple J)
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