The fivesome Clock Hands Strangle are based a little further north, in Melbourne, but have increasingly ventured outside their hometown, recently playing in Miami for an in-store at Sweat. We should be seeing more of this band after the release of its forthcoming full-length, Distaccati. And to whet your appetite, the quintet has just put out a four-song EP, Live at WMSE, 
"Desert Music," presented here in a live version, is a slow-burner, beginning with some indie rock noodling but finally building to an ecstatic, psychedelic crescendo. "Distaccati," the upcoming album's title track, is built on rollicking acoustic guitars and slightly obtuse, but urgent-sounding vocals.
The band once toured Florida with Canadian post-rockers Do Make Say Think, and fans of that band's layered, circling compositions will find much to love in Clock Hands Strangle. (The shifting, stretched song structure, as well as frontman Todd's adenoidal elisions also sometimes remind me a bit of early Piebald and company).
Still young and still working at getting on the state's radar, Clock
Hands Strangle are pretty unexpected from Central Florida, and
already boast songwriting and musicianship that sounds festival-ready.
No joke. Check out the MP3s below. Live at WMSE is available for purchase now through Chocolate Lab Records, and Distaccati is due out on the same label in stores and digitally on June 16.
MP3: Clock Hands Strangle - "Desert Music (live)"
MP3: Clock Hands Strangle - "Distaccati"
