So the month is January and that means Big Day Out for all. The David Kelso Allstars and I are packing the sunblock and earplugs for the trip down to this year’s event. The only plan is that there is no plan.

The only band that I consider to be a must-see is Cog, and I’m guessing the other dudes will be catching Queens of the Stone Age and Deftones among others. So I’ll be looking forward to just freestylin’ it and maybe discovering some new tunes.

This is the first article (of probably two) in which I ramble about my favourite music from 2002. I split it up because it’s long, you don’t have the attention span, and neither do I.

Ochre — Horizon (EP)

Ochre are a hard rock band in Brisbane at a time when there are a lot of hard rock bands in Brisbane. Go to one of their concerts and chances are there’ll be at least three other bands playing. Almost every aspect of their live show makes it obvious that they intend to stand out from their contemporaries.

Kim Benzie’s rubbery-faced frontman act only makes his vocals and crunching guitar riffs more impressive. Stewart Hill’s cocksure bass-slapping antics might be laughable if he weren’t genuinely good. And the video projector does add a bit of colour to the proceedings. But above all, it’s the songs themselves which give this young four-piece its growing fan base.

If Ochre are playing one of their all too rare concerts, go and see them. Run, don’t walk.

Cog — Just Visiting Part 1 (EP) and Just Visiting Part 2 (EP)

The EPs were released only months apart, and I’m not sure why they didn’t just do an album. But that is the least of the challenges that Cog’s music presents to the listener. Drawing complex soundscapes into coherent songs whilst inflecting in ways unheard of in other music, one needs to listen to the songs a few times before they start to make sense.

The easiest and laziest comparison would have to be Tool, as the songs share roughly the same sonic space and judicious use of distortion/overdrive. But Cog also embellish their tunes in ways which that band does not, with less of the gratuitous time signatures and percussion. I lack the insight required to list any more Cog soundalikes. HMV says people who bought Cog’s stuff bought absolutely nothing else.

In the end, Cog have created something unique and worthwhile, and I’m sure they’ll go places. Hopefully more than a few people will catch them on the Big Day Out later this month.