The Waifs, from Australia, are one of my alltime favorite groups. They celebrated 10 years with their double live album, A Brief History. They are now on maternity leave for a year as both sisters in the band had babies on the same week in the autumn.
The Haircut is from the album, Sink or Swim, and features Waif, Donna Simpson. She writes some pretty incredible woman centered songs. Give the band a try, any song any album; they are incredible.
Sounds like Australian Folk music that center's around her piano playing (though she also plays guitar). It's quite upbeat and has lyrics I think we can all relate to. It's a beautiful song.
available on CD - Sound Of White (Warner Bros)
20 Oct 07 ·BrSoccerChic89: True, the upbeat instruments do give a nice touch. Her voice fits so well in it! 04 Dec 07 ·MoeShinola: I love this song, too! It was on a Paste Magazine comp.
That the Church's initial breakthrough song would yet become a millstone around its neck might not have been clear at the time, but one understands pretty easily why the band was anxious to escape its shadow after subsequent efforts clearly showed the tune as the building block it was. But "The Unguarded Moment" isn't a disaster at all - indeed, for a young band to come up with such a great effort early on and get some airplay and attention for it was as clear a sign as any that something really special could yet result. Marty Willson-Piper's flat out lovely introductory guitar and the sinewy blend of his and Peter Koppes' instrument on the main melody sets the tone, while the stripped down verses and quiet rhythm changes throughout give a great taste of the band's incipient ambitions and tweaking of an established formula. Steve Kilbey's quietly rueful but still clear and strong lead vocal adds a nice air of calm melancholia, while coming up with some fun lyrical images here and there ("Tell those friends with cameras for eyes�").
(AMG)