by Chris Familton Highly touted by the UK press and championed by The Horrors, this London quintet continue the English tradition of exploratory psychedelic rock music with mixed but generally good results. TOY aren’t beholden to a singular sound or style and that makes their debut album feel like a ranging, searching collection of songs. From the indie pop classicism of Reasons Why to the … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: TOY | TOY
It is great to see Christopher Owens remaining active and releasing his first solo album so soon after the Girls split was announced. His new album Lysandre will be released on January 14th, 2013 via Turnstile Music. According to the press release for the album: Lysandre follows Owens from San Francisco – where he’s filled with excitement after writing his band’s Album – to New York … Continue reading NEWS: Ex-Girls Christopher Owens announces solo album details
I’ve dug everything I’ve heard from Bad//Dreems (SA) so far, especially the brilliant Chills and now they’ve released a new track, Tomorrow Mountain as a stream and/or ‘name your price’ (including free) download on their Bandcamp page. It sees them heading into a darker, atmospheric place that feels more spacious but at the same time the lyrics and cavernous, slashing guitar sound conjures up feelings of dread and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Bad//Dreems release new song Tomorrow Mountain
PRESS RELEASE Before Flying Nun, before any ‘Dunedin Sound’, there was Toy Love. Now more than 30 years later, the five-piece (Chris Knox, Alec Bathgate, Paul Kean, Jane Walker and Mike Dooley) are set to receive both the New Zealand Herald Legacy Award at this year’s New Zealand Music Awards and an induction into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. To celebrate, Flying Nun … Continue reading NEWS: Flying Nun & Real Groovy Records release new Toy Love compilation LP
by Chris Familton It was only last year that Moon Duo gave us their debut album Mazes, a record which showed that though guitarist Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips) was still operating in similar terrain to his aquatic pals, the addition of Sanae Yamada’s synth textures provided plenty of new angles to discover and bliss out to. Circles takes that template and stretches and tightens it … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Moon Duo | Circles
by Chris Familton Residents of Auckland New Zealand, Cool Cult are a post punk trio who released their six track self-titled EP a few months ago and though I was impressed on first listen it is only now, coming back to it again that I’m struck by how mature and sonically engaging the songs are. Comparisons with fellow NZ’ers Die Die! Die! are inevitable as … Continue reading EP REVIEW: Cool Cult | Cool Cult
by Chris Familton Nearing a quarter of a century together and well overdue for a greatest hits compilation, Shihad have put together a 2CD collection that reinforces the claim that they are one of the greatest rock bands to come out of New Zealand. The best-of travels from their early speed metal origins on the Metallica-aping It, through their industrial and post punk influenced debut … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Shihad | The Meanest Hits
by Chris Familton Now into their third decade, Redd Kross have delivered their seventh album that has them sounding as vital and visceral a power pop band as ever. Researching The Blues has certainly been a long time coming since the band reconvened in 2006 after a decade long hiatus. The quality of songwriting shows that time was put to good use, allowing them to … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Redd Kross | Researching The Blues
Matt Purcell has released a couple of great records with his band The Blessed Curse, the most recent being this year’s excellent Mathew Street that found him incorporating folk and power pop influences into his sound. Acoustic guitar and violin are prominent throughout but it is Purcell’s songwriting that really shines through with a plethora of gloriously catchy melodies tumbling forth from his songs and … Continue reading SONIC KICKS | Matt Purcell & The Blessed Curse
Calexico have just this week released their new album Algiers and here is the video for the first single from it, Splitter. Algiers is their 8th album including 2010’s soundtrack to the film Circo. The album title comes from the neighbourhood where they worked on the album in New Orleans. Their record label ANTI- has posted an insight into the making of the record on their … Continue reading WATCH: Calexico | Splitter [Video]
Things are definitely starting to ramp up in The Rolling Stones camp with a number of recent reissues announced as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Already we’ve seen the announcement of a new retrospective documentary Crossfire Hurricane that will have a limited theatrtical release and screenings on HBO in the US and BBC in the UK as well as the release of Charlie Is … Continue reading NEWS: The Rolling Stones to release new best of, docs and reissues
EVERY WEEK WE’LL BE POSTING OUR FAVOURITE SONG OF THE WEEK. THIS WON’T NECESSARILY BE A NEW RELEASE BUT RATHER A SONG WE’VE HEARD THAT HAS STUCK IN OUR HEAD AND REFUSED TO LEAVE OR IS SIMPLY ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE TRACKS. THIS WEEK – FUGAZI’S WAITING ROOM. The year was 1989 and I was on that precipice between high school and university where the … Continue reading SONG OF THE WEEK: Fugazi | Waiting Room
Doubtful Sounds 