The decade-old Australian pop quintet Dappled Cities are releasing their third album Zounds 9/15 on Dangerbird. In this week’s ‘Gum Drop we spoke with co-guitarist/co-vocalist Tim Derricourt and debuted the dusky, grandiose synth-rocker “Answer Is Zero.” You can learn about new math, the distance to the sun, and what it feels like for someone from Sydney to wander NYC while you take a listen to the track.

We also offered the chance to win a 16GB iPod Touch courtesy of UK synth darlings La Roux.

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The decade-old Australian pop quintet Dappled Cities are releasing their third album Zounds 9/15 on Dangerbird. We spoke with co-guitarist/co-vocalist Tim Derricourt about the dusky, grandiose synth-rocker “Answer Is Zero.”

What are we to make of the fact that after all these calculations between you and the sun (and vice versa) the “Answer Is Zero”?
Aaah, it was actually a little error on my part. The song designed to verify that the physical distance between the two characters is equal and the same, when submerged in the universe. If high-school mathematics serves me correctly, the answer should actually be one. However zero seemed to stick at the time — maybe it further alludes to the universe by making this distance infinite, like, I dunno, a hall of mirrors?

What inspired the narrative?
The narrative was inspired by a year spent in New York City — a big place far away from my hometown of Sydney, where new-formed relationships seem to always take on an extra-terrestrial flavor in one way or another. I suppose the result is Dappled’s closest thing to a love song — but it’s more a comment on love rather than a classic pine.

After a number of EPs and years of critical praise, brainy and baroque Detroit pop crew PAS/CAL is releasing a full-length: I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura is out on 7/22 on Le Grand Magistery. A ways back we posted one of its tracks “You Were Too Old For Me.” In this week’s Drop, we premiered “Glorious Ballad Of The Ignored,” another gem from the collection. We also asked main man Casimer Pascal about the song. We didn’t have room for all of his responses in the Drop itself, so we’ve reprinted them here in their entirety.

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After OKX, our 10-year cover tribute to the Radiohead classic OK Computer, we soon began narrowing the list of prospects for our next celebratory project: sifting, sorting, debating, etc. But when we realized we were approaching a decade and a half since the release of R.E.M.’s Automatic For The People (originally released 10/5/92) — surprised by that period of time as we had been by discovering it had been a full decade since OK Computer — we knew we had our next project chosen.

It’s a similar sort of awe and respect we have for Automatic, an album that stood out of step from the angsty grunge and brainy indie rock of that era; in that sense, it’s also an album out of time, and one that still affects us all here at Stereogum. Now 15 years on, and with R.E.M. showing signs of increased activity, releasing a CD/DVD set R.E.M. Live on 10/16 and working furiously and furtively on a new album expected next year, it’s an ideal moment to reflect upon and celebrate this personal, critical, and commercial favorite.

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Dappled Cities On “Try Not To Breathe”
“We chose ‘Try Not To Breathe’ because it felt like we could take it some place else from the original. It is such a balanced underplayed song on the record that we though we?d try the opposite and make something grand out of it. I love cover songs that sound nothing like the original but have references to what the original tried to do so hopefully that?s what we did.”

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The song’s called “Fire Fire Fire,” so the chances of Prometheus’s gift to man not featuring heavily in the song’s clip was minimal, though the Zippo adds a nice touch to the prehistoric campfire scene. This is the Aussie band to watch‘s first vid from the single-laden listen that is Granddance, out 6/5 on Dangerbird. Watch it at Overdrive, and know that they’re even better live.

Crowds at NYC clubs the week after SXSW are a comical spectacle; bands play to quarter-filled rooms when any other week they’d be packed, and the the people that turn up are a mix of eager-eyed, music-deprived, SouthBy holdouts and burned-out, sleep-deprived, SouthBy casualties. No need to bitch about which we were, but let it be a testament to to our need to see Australia’s Dappled Cities (it’s official: no more Fly) after missing ‘em in Austin.

The indie-pop quintet’s been building buzz down under for awhile now (two albums to their slightly-changed name), and we made ‘em a band to watch last November when Aussie friends recommended the excellent Granddance (their sophomore effort, which will be their long-overdue US debut, out on these shores this June).

The only measuring stick for the gig for us was whether we’d regret having left our couch, and by that standard Dappled Cities killed it. Would have loved it anyway, though; there’s a distinctly Shins-y vibe at play on Granddance opening tracks “Holy Chord” and “Within Hours,” but any and all Mercer-nicking is forgiven through the band’s sense of craft and their well-honed live chops. Other highlights on the night included first single “Fire Fire Fire,” “Beach Song,” “Within Hours,” and basically everything else they played. The won’t be back through the states until closer to record release in a few months, but they’re well-worth checking out, no matter your state of exhaustion. From Pianos it was on to Merc for Jamie T (post tk).

More Dappled pics and sonic treats after the jump.

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In the months since we’ve checked in with Aussie Band To Watch Dappled Cities Fly, they’ve apparently dropped the “Fly.” We wholeheartedly approve. So, the new look Dappled Cities are finally ready to try their hand with American audiences with three sets at SXSW and a summertime, States side release of their worthy, sophomore record Granddance. We figure buzz will build on these shores in the coming months, but getting Tim Goldsworthy to DFA-ify your first single is a good first step.

Dappled Cities – “Fire Fire Fire (Tim Goldsworthy/DFA Remix)” (MP3)

Hear the original and other Dappled cuts at MySpace.

Granddance sees US release 6/5 on Dangerbird.

Don’t run away! There’s a great sound beneath the head-scratching name of this Aussie indie-pop outfit. Dappled Cities Fly are making the long trip across the Pacific with TONS of down-under buzz and will release their sophomore effort Granddance on these shores early next year. Their sound will easily take hold with the blog set: quirky at times, yet totally inoffensive in that Shins-y way. In fact, “Within Hours” owes a melodic debt to Mercer, but one that isn’t so deep that that Dappled Cities can’t make a (preferrably new!) name of their own. Grab this stand-out to get ya started, and get two more at The Sandwich Club.

Dappled Cities Fly – “Within Hours” (MP3)

Granddance is out 1/03/07 on Dangerbird.