Is there a better artistic moniker in Australian than music than “Alien Nosejob”? Probably not. Under that name, Jake Robertson releases lots of DIY music. Lots of excellent DIY music.
Starting out his career as a musician in classic Melbourne style as a versatile member of many different bands, perhaps most notably Ausmuteants, Robertson really hit his stride musically as Alien Nosejob since 2017.
Listen to any release on Robertson’s Alien Nosejob Bandcamp page and you’ll find a DIY gem, whether he’s experimenting with punk or indie rock, jangle pop or new wave.
Robertson appreciates a strange artistic moniker but he might enjoy an unconventional album title more, with last year’s The Derivative Sounds of… Or… a Dog Always Returns to Its Vomit following 2018’s Various Fads & Technological Achievements following Death of the Vinyl Boom from that same year.
Add to that list the forthcoming Turns the Colour of Bad Shit, which will drop on September 20th via Anti Fade in Australia. (Total Punk and Drunken Sailor will release the record in the US and UK respectively.)
Said to take inspiration from “the late 70’s punk sounds of J.T. IV, Elton Motello, X-Ray Spex,” Robertson’s seventh album as Alien Nosejob was recorded in April of last year when the musician occupied friends’ Mikey and Raven’s home studio for a weekend, taking to the controls with relish.
It’s led by new single “Bird Strike”, released last week, which is packed with the musician’s signature snarl.
Powered by a mesmeric riff, Robertson’s gleefully leans into grotesque lyrical imagery, with the squealing sounds of Alannah Sawyer’s saxophone floating above his singing.
As far as opening tracks go, it’s quite the statement, but it’s a statement typical of Robertson’s musical curiosity and individuality. It’s a joy to have a musician like him consistently churning out proper DIY music like this well into the 2020s.
Alien Nosejob’s “Bird Strike” is out now. Turns the Colour of Bad Shit is out September 20th via Anti Fade (AU) / Total Punk (US) / Drunken Sailor (UK) (pre-order here).
