It was only upon entry to the Oxford Art Factory that the opening act revealed itself to be glitchy laptop warriors Fishing. Perhaps it was the fact they hadn't be previously advertised as playing that would explain the critically low turnout watching them play. Thankfully, the twosome didn't let this deter them from putting on a unique and highly intriguing performance of challenging experimental music that isn't quite boundary pushing but is at least picking on the boundaries and taking their lunch money. It's interesting to note that, as musicians, they mostly work within the field of button-mashing; yet nearly everything is played live – the electronic beats, samples and even the keys are triggered in the midst of the songs themselves, using sample pads as the instruments.

It certainly adds a liveliness to what can often be hunched-over-laptop pretension within experimental music, and the group are sure to get better at the live thing with their national support for the John Steel Singers coming up. Yep, this is Rex Hunt-approved goodness right here.

You may think that placing bouquets around the stage before anything else is set-up would suggest a band more concerned with aesthetics than their actual musicality. What you're not taking into consideration is the band in question is Alpine, who go on to put on such a lively and engaging performance that it could have been rotting goat skulls sprawled about the OAF stage and they still would have been the centre of attention.

The sextet are fronted by the prowling vocal duo of Lou James and Phoebe Baker, who are practically hypnotic as they move about the space, somewhat lost in the trance of the jolty indie-rock created by the other four members, themselves keeping up considerably well with their front-ladies. Although their vocals gorgeously melt into one another's, they take very different approaches to movement – James slinks about, swishing and swaying; while Baker could barely contain herself, hopping about and bouncing constantly on the balls of her feet. The catchiness of songs like “Heartlove” and “Icypoles” are also far too incessant to either ignore or deny. Simply put, if you didn't end up with a massive crush on Alpine, chances are you were watching a different band. Definitely ones to watch in the coming months.

Amazingly, for all the Frequent Flyer points they must have acquired for all the times they’ve been here this year, tonight marked the first-ever headline show for W.A.’s Tim and Jean in Sydney. Though they’ve certainly had their teething problems while warming up for everyone from Operator Please to Two Door Cinema Club, let it be known that the group’s live presence is well and truly on the way to graduating from the support slot to the in-demand headliner. Their bouncy take on synth-heavy pop has been finetuned to properly translate from the bedroom to the stage – vocalist Tim Ayre, in particular, has become a charming and capable frontman as he delivers
future chart-hits like the ridiculously catchy “Don't Stop” and the summer-love singalong of “I Could Show You.”

His prodigious partner in crime, Jean Caportorto, also threatened to steal the show at several stages of the night, purely for his constant dancing and unrelenting enthusiasm for the performance, manning several synths at a time and leading the full force of the punchy, energetic music on rapid-fire offer. The fact that Caportorto just had his birthday may not seem like anything special on its own, but the fact that he's only just turned seventeen is truly a wonder in itself. Most high-school musos can barely make it through their recital evenings, yet alone nation-wide touring – the kid's obviously onto something special.

As the expanded quartet wrapped up their set with their double-shot of best known tracks, “Veronika” and “Come Around,” it became increasingly clear that the group are well on their way to something far greater. As the crowd attentively sung and danced along, Tim & Jean secured their position as forerunners for the improvement of the year award. A tighter, more cohesive and miles more enjoyable than how they began the year, these kids from W.A.. are ready for the next big step. Let's dance.