by Chris Familton The Men are a quartet out of Brooklyn that have quickly caught the attention of many with their no frills take on post punk and the fuzzed out end of indie rock. Open Your Heart is their second album in as many years and sees them both refining and expanding their sound with excellent results. From the outset The Men hit like … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Men | Open Your Heart
by Chris Familton Many will know Josh Tillman as the ex drummer for Fleet Foxes but for those who have followed his solo work over seven albums of stark folk music will know him better as a fine purveyor of intimate and emotional songwriting in the vein of Will Oldham, Vic Chesnutt and Damien Jurado. Now Tillman has taken lead from Oldham (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Father John Misty | Fear Fun
by Chris Familton Definitions of the word bloom include ‘the time or period of greatest beauty or artistry’ and the flowering of a plant. Both feel appropriate in terms of the title of the new album from Baltimore’s Beach House with the songs roaming through themes of living in the moment, self determination and the fleeting temporality of beauty. On Bloom, Victoria Legrand and Alex … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Beach House | Bloom
by Chris Familton Nick Cave and co aren’t known for sending out their songs for remixes but in light of the band’s recent dissolution this is perhaps a loosening of the reins, an opening of arms to collaboration and reinterpretation of songs from their 2010 swansong LP Grinderman 2. The first thing that catches the eye is the list of other artists that have contributed … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Grinderman | Grinderman 2 RMX
by Chris Familton The Wedding Present are back with their eighth full length album and somewhat of a return to the sound of their glory years in the late 80s and early 90s. The band has always revolved around main-man David Gedge, he of the strangled vocal style and love song obsessive and on Valentina he shows he still knows how to write a visceral … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Wedding Present | Valentina
by Chris Familton When news began to spread across the blogosphere that Lee Ranaldo had a new solo album coming out there would have been mixed reactions for fans of his work in Sonic Youth. Would this be a showcase for his esoteric experimental guitar-scapes (like 2008‘s Maelstrom From Drift) or a journey deeper into his poetry-laced art rock songs that pepper the many Sonic … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Lee Ranaldo | Between The Times And The Tides
by Chris Familton The boom in popularity of psych rock from Tame Impala to Wooden Shjips has well and truly filtered down to the emergence of new local acts like The Laurels and Melbourne’s Iowa. For a genre so firmly rooted in guitars and hypnotic rhythm sections there are surprisingly few bands who can take that simplistic template and create something unique and impressive from … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Iowa | Never Saw It Coming
by Chris Familton Laughing Outlaw Records have already released some fine albums in 2012 and the latest is the debut from Charlie Horse. As the name suggests they are firmly in americana and country rock territory though not of the gentle strum and folk leaning variety. Instead they are riding a more ragged and parched sound that tips its hat to the likes of The … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Charlie Horse | I Hope I’m Not A Monster
by Chris Familton Belgian band dEUS are onto their sixth album in a career that stretches twenty years, yet they have made little impact in this part of the world since their first few albums in the second half of the 90s. Back then they were one of the bands that seemed to straddle the worlds of alt rock, grunge and art rock. They shared … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: dEUS | Keep You Close
written by Chris Familton The pervasive winds of nostalgia are blowing stronger than ever across pop music and electronica yet they haven’t subjected guitar music to quite the same blatant level of shallow regeneration. Indie and rock music is always recycling and self-referencing itself of course but it takes a great band to be able to bottle the mood and atmosphere of another time. Sydney’s … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Bambino Koresh | Up And Left
written by Chris Familton Never one to shy from displaying his emotions, Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart returns with his eighth LP Always. The album title suitably sums up his continued obsessions with damaged emotions, the human body and oppression. He wraps it all up in what has become a trademark sound of dark electronica full of swoon and suffocating catharsis. The reference points of 80s … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Xiu Xiu | Always
written by Chris Familton Some bands arrive in a blaze of glory and media attention, still young and in their formative stage but with sparks flying and a need to get that initial brace of songs recorded and released. Others take their time to nurture the songs, tease them out and live within them until they feel and sound just right and have in a … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Deep Sea Arcade | Outlands
Doubtful Sounds 