Album Covers, Album Reviews, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, News, Pop, Psych, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Hollow Everdaze – Cartoons

Artistically speaking, pop art is an apt description of the style and approach that Hollow Everdaze have near-perfected on Cartoons. A decade into their career they’re still uncovering lush, sun-kissed pop nuggets that swoon, sway and deftly swagger through 60s eccentricity, 80s/90s British indie and right up to the modernism of a band such as Spoon. There’s a wistful quality to the songs yet they … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Hollow Everdaze – Cartoons

Doubtful SoundsJuly 21, 2017July 27, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Guitar Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Psych, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: The Terminals – Antiseptic

New Zealand rock unit The Terminals have been operating under various iterations for 30 years and at the band’s core, Stephen Cogle and Peter Stapleton (with Mick El Borado) have kept the ship on course and sailing a straight line into dark and swirling post punk and psych-laden garage rock. Antiseptic finds the band on top of their game once more. If anything their music … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Terminals – Antiseptic

Doubtful SoundsJuly 21, 2017July 21, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Electronica, Experimental, News

ALBUM REVIEW: Forest Swords – Engravings

This is Matthew Barnes’ first album on Ninja Tunes and if anyone thought that might mean a softening of his more caustic edges then they are mistaken. Primarily instrumental electronic music, the vocals that do appear are generally spliced and twisted into choirs, like machines speaking in tongues. These are digital compositions but he still retains a primitive, organic percussive base to his sound. Less … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Forest Swords – Engravings

Doubtful SoundsJuly 7, 2017July 19, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Folk, Indie Rock, Post-Rock / Instrumental, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: The Tall Grass – Down The Unmarked Road

Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss, Infinity Broke) and Peter Fenton (Crow) have come together as The Tall Grass, which began as a live acoustic duo project before being expanded upon and sonically coloured in the studio with a wide-ranging band sound. It’s still on the laid-back vibe though – wistful, poetic, and melancholic. The sound of their other bands is still evident, particularly Hutchings with his more … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Tall Grass – Down The Unmarked Road

Doubtful SoundsJune 27, 2017June 28, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Funk, Garage Rock, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Chain & The Gang – Best Of Crime Rock

With bands such as Nation Of Ulysses, Weird War and The Make-Up, Ian Sevonious has been a underground garage rock provocateur for nearly 30 years. As Chain And The Gang, he’s distilled the essence of what does, right down to it’s bare rhythmic essentials – drums, bass, guitar and vocals. They’re a highly economical and effective combo, stripped to simple gang chants, sparse riffs and grooves … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Chain & The Gang – Best Of Crime Rock

Doubtful SoundsJune 23, 2017June 23, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Post-Punk

ALBUM REVIEW: Mere Women – Big Skies

Album number three for this Sydney quartet (previously a trio). The addition of bass guitar adds another layer of rhythm and movement to their sound as they tackle the experiences of women over different generations via their dark and swirling post punk. It can be a claustrophobic listen at times, the guitar acting like mesh and gauze with its washes of distortion and clanging reverb, … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Mere Women – Big Skies

Doubtful SoundsJune 20, 2017June 23, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Guitar Rock, Indie Rock, Soul, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: The Afghan Whigs – In Spades

Greg Dulli and band return with their second album since reconvening in 2012. That first resurrection was very good but it still felt like they were feeling their way back. This time they’ve found a stronger creative line into the dark heart and soul of what made their music so compelling the first time around. In Spades is a heady concoction that takes repeat listens … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Afghan Whigs – In Spades

Doubtful SoundsJune 1, 2017June 8, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Opinion, Sonic Kicks

SONIC KICKS: The Singing Skies

On the eve of the Vivid launch show for the new LP from The Singing Skies, the main creative figure behind the band, Kell Derrig-Hall, takes us on a tour of his record collection and a few of the albums that shaped his musical life. Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground (via Preservation Records) is Derrig-Hall’s second album and it’s quite the immersive, mesmerising and atmospheric … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: The Singing Skies

Doubtful SoundsMay 30, 2017May 30, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Guitar Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Post-Rock / Instrumental, Psych, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Thurston Moore – Rock N Roll Consciousness

The Sonic Youth guitar slinger and solo artist returns with a new album, his second with his current group which includes My Bloody Valentine’s Debbie Googe, Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and guitarist James Sedwards. Familiarity with those players on-stage and in-studio pays off in spades with this confident, relaxed and expansive new record. Moore has always vacillated between skewed punk/art-pop and experimental soundscapes and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Thurston Moore – Rock N Roll Consciousness

Doubtful SoundsMay 30, 2017May 30, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Indie Rock, Post-Punk, Video

ALBUM REVIEW: British Sea Power – Let The Dancers Inherit The Party

Mercurial art-pop and post-punk auteurs British Sea Power return after a four year break (excluding soundtrack work) and they sound wholly refreshed and focused on their sixth album. There’s a cohesive sound to the rousing guitars and propulsive drumming as they take stock of the world around them and the role of the individual in it all. It’s steeped in their trademark melancholy, yet framed … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: British Sea Power – Let The Dancers Inherit The Party

Doubtful SoundsMay 30, 2017May 30, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Guitar Rock, Indie Rock, News, Video

ALBUM REVIEW: Bad//Dreems – Gutful

There’s an inauspicious start with the BD-by numbers Johnny Irony but any doubts of a sophomore slump are quickly quashed by first single Mob Rule which utilises gang chants and pub rock bar chords to rail against the narrow-minded, pack mentality sub-cultures in Australian society. That sentiment permeates much of the album, blatantly and subtly. It’s their statement of sorts and it comes at a timely … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Bad//Dreems – Gutful

Doubtful SoundsMay 19, 2017May 25, 2017Leave a comment

Album Covers, Album Reviews, Garage Rock, Guitar Rock, Post-Punk, Stream

ALBUM REVIEW: Feedtime – Gas

It’s been two decades since their last album but time and musical trends seems inconsequential to Feedtime as they return to grind out another slab of primitive and unrelenting rock. They’ve still got that leaden lurch and queasy slide guitar that shifts and shudders like a displaced iceberg in a drunken sea. Perennial underdogs, they proved immensely influential on a raft of bands, from Jesus … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Feedtime – Gas

Doubtful SoundsApril 19, 2017April 19, 2017Leave a comment