Photo: Carmen Juarez
"The First Big Weekend", a track from Arab Strap's debut 1996 album The Week Never Starts Around Here, tells of a big and boozy couple of days during a Glasgow summer. Backed by lo-fi acoustic guitar and a basic drum machine, Aidan Moffat, in a distinct Scottish accent, gives a rundown of the weekend events that includes pubs, watching soccer and The Simpsons, cheap cider and trying to meet girls.Though there's no Glaswegian miserablism, Sydney band Sex Tourists remind me of Arab Strap on their latest track "Wheel". Taken from their forthcoming debut album on Paradise Daily Records, the song is based around some simple drum machine beats and synth as Ewan Finley almost mutters "I may have to sit this one out". Like the music of Arab Strap it comes with a a cold loneliness that seems to be searching for something. While I'm not exactly sure that that something is, when Ewan bleats "Drink", it makes you want to sigh and take another deep draught from your pint.Sex Tourists' S/T 12" LP is available Nov 6 on Paradise Daily Records.