Last Dinosaurs
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | INDIE
Music
Press
Zoom, the opening track, is such an irresistible surge (the clue's in the title) you'll assume it's a one-off. Really, you must stop doing that. Track two, I Can't Help You, has the rhythmic propulsion and funky poppiness of Phoenix but goes on a minute too long (we are available for editing at cut prices) whereas Sunday Night doesn't last nearly long enough with its stunning key and chord changes and scruffy take on Afrobeat worthy of Foals if not Friendly Fires. Andy is amazing – sorry for the hyperbole, but it is. "Meet me on the surface of Jupiter," they tease. We probably will. We'd also like to point out that the transition between the verse and the chorus deserves a column all its own (Shift of the Day). I Can't Decide is ragged disco, or grunge played by funk musos, and the ending is divine – they give good coda, do Last Dinosaurs. Not only that but they make you feel optimistic about guitar pop while In a Million Years gives albums a good name. - The Guardian UK
The album is a surprisingly mature and cohesive collection of songs. With incredibly slick production and the catchiest songs you’ll hear this side of 2000, In A Million Years is a strong contender for the best Australian album of the past twenty years. - The AU Review
“…the daddies of the indie-punk scene in Brisbane” - NME Magazine 27.06.12
“Zoom” itself is a punchy and powerful pop dream, highlighted by one hell of a commanding guitar riff. Great harmonies and an explosive beat complete a track destined to be a hit of the Australian Summer. - Indie Shuffle
A sold-out warehouse-themed EP launch is just about a dream for anyone looking for a good time in Brisbane, but few could predict what was to come of this night.
Opening tonight's set with the stellar track 'School Is So Easy' Last Dinosaurs gives the crowd exactly what they were waiting for and more, mixing their catchy tropically-based indie pop tunes with a range of stage props, including confetti thrown from the ceiling during the atmospheric, dance influenced 'Alps' and cardboard replicas of the alps featured on the album artwork. A mix of old and new tracks are played with the band previewing the track 'Weekend' alongside a reworking of the classic 'Hawaii' which features a remarkable crisp guitar sound against a super tight rhythm section. The crowd go wild over a cover of the Seinfeld theme which leads into triple j favourite 'As Far As You're Concerned', as well as a tremendous cover of The Cure's 'Just Like Heaven'. This is only topped the obvious favourite of the night, 'Honolulu' which features a sample of Phoenix's 'funky square dance' at the end of the track. Tonight's display is certainly an achievement for this young band; one can only hope it is only a precursor of bigger things to come.
TYLER JONES - Time Off - Brisbane, Australia
Taking their name from a Japanese band's song, this Brisbane four-piece is a talent worth keeping an eye on. When listening to the five tracks on this debut EP - the last one being instrumental - it's easy to see the strong musical background these guys have had. While being quite a young group, their lyrics have an intriguing level of maturity that is cloaked behind the youthful tunes. 'Back From The Dead' showcases their distinct alternative sound, which is not only catchy and well crafted but also shows a very promising future. They're definitely worth repeated listens.
Alberto V.S. - Scene Magazine
"The tunes are also catchy as hell, ‘Saturn’s’ layered chorus, which seems to be about the planet’s lengthy orbit, leaps out unexpectedly from a reverb-soaked soundscape. Lead single, Honolulu, is an instant favourite, a tropical sounding number that utilises some brilliant vocal inter-play and a lovely guitar hook. It looks like local record label ‘Dew Process’ has handpicked yet another success story in the form of the Last Dinosaurs. Back From The Dead is a great showcase of the infectious personality and potential of these four young Brisbane lads."
from helterishskelterish.wordpress.com, March 2010 - helterishskelterish.wordpress.com
"The tunes are also catchy as hell, ‘Saturn’s’ layered chorus, which seems to be about the planet’s lengthy orbit, leaps out unexpectedly from a reverb-soaked soundscape. Lead single, Honolulu, is an instant favourite, a tropical sounding number that utilises some brilliant vocal inter-play and a lovely guitar hook. It looks like local record label ‘Dew Process’ has handpicked yet another success story in the form of the Last Dinosaurs. Back From The Dead is a great showcase of the infectious personality and potential of these four young Brisbane lads."
from helterishskelterish.wordpress.com, March 2010 - helterishskelterish.wordpress.com
Discography
Back From The Dead EP - released 26.02.10 on Dew Process/Universal
Time & Place 7" Vinyl/ Digital - released February 4 2011 on Dew Process/Universal
Zoom single- November 14 2011 on Dew Process/Universal
In A Million Years - released March 2012 on Dew Process/Universal (Australia)
Photos
Bio
To band members Sean Caskey (21, lead vocals and guitar), Lachlan Caskey (18, lead guitar) and Dan Koyama (21, drums), life is all about the interactions you have with the people around you, and the impressions you make on public and private worlds. In A Million Years picks apart our age-old questions about human nature (How do our actions affect others? What are the best ways to be remembered? What value does loss have in helping us grow?), and pulls them back together with soaring guitar lines and toe-tapping drum beats.
Last Dinosaurs banded together in high school in 2007 with a vision to bring musicality back to live music. “There was the whole lo-fi movement, which I very much like,” says Sean. “But there were too many bands where the quirkiness of not being able to play instruments was cool.” Sean wanted to write songs that accentuated each member’s instrumental skills, and strove to create music that felt timeless, meaningful, and catchy as hell. In A Million Years is a direct result of this ambition.
Taken at surface value, In A Million Years may play like a break up album, with some of the songs pointing directly to Sean’s relationships with family, friends and girlfriends. But the overarching theme of the album is the transience of relationships, of youth, and of time. In A Million Years documents Sean’s ideas of mortality, immortality, and the tenuousness of those things that are most important to us.
While the songwriting process comes from a place of quiet introspection, it’s collaborating with friends that’s the most fulfilling part for Sean. “Dan and Lach are all really good at their instruments and they just go mental and start doing ridiculous stuff when we jam!” laughs Sean. It’s a friendship that’s grown and solidified with their music over the past four years. In 2007, Sean and Dan banded together during high school after developing a strong interest in music. Sean’s younger brother Lachlan soon joined ranks as lead guitarist. They’ve since gigged, toured, and travelled together nationally and internationally. In Tokyo (Sean, Lachlan, and Dan are half Japanese), they played shows, cycled through narrow alleyways, and fell in love with the city. While back at home, their friendship only strengthened during the recording process.
Pre production for In A Million Years started just after the Brisbane floods. With some of the band members’ houses affected, it was a relief to step away and recuperate at producer Jean-Paul Fung’s farm on the central coast of NSW. The album was then recorded at the late and legendary BJB Studios in Sydney, where Last Dinosaurs spent a quick month in the studio laying down and polishing tracks. From BJB, their recordings were shipped to the UK for mixing by Eliot James (Two Door Cinema Club; Kaiser Chiefs), who was eager to collaborate with Last Dinosaurs off the back of their EP, Back From The Dead (2010).
In A Million Years takes life’s big questions about love, loss, and preservation, and pairs them with irresistibly danceable melodies. With this debut album, Last Dinosaurs draws the band leaps and bounds closer to their goal as musicians. “My hope for the album is for listeners to have a reaction, in whatever way,” says Sean. “They might connect with what the band has expressed, or just enjoy a melody or beat… but if it makes a lasting impression on someone then I’m more than happy.”
In A Million Years is was released via Dew Process / UMA on March 2nd 2012. The band are currently working on a follow up to their debut.
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