written by Chris Familton Warp Records continue their foray into non-electronic acts with this debut release from Brooklyn natives My Best Fiend. In Ghostlike Fading may be made by a bunch of Americans but it has a decidedly English sound and mood. The songs swell and churn, wander and slow-burn with winding narratives that make the album feel a lot longer than its 47 minutes. … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: My Best Fiend | In Ghostlike Fading
written by Chris Familton After the recent and strange happenings in the life of Sinead O’Connor (alleged suicide attempts, advertised marriage and subsequent divorce) one could be forgiven for expecting a new album to be a train wreck from an artist on the slide. Remarkably the opposite is true as How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? is as strong as anything she … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Sinead O’Connor | How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?
written by Chris Familton Dirty Three are a band that sound like they are both falling apart and implicitly intertwined at the same time. Their music can reach peaks of ache and despair and create moments of such tenderness and emotional resonance that it is hard to think of any other group that possesses such abilities. They inhabit a netherworld between jazz, post rock, folk … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Dirty Three | Toward The Low Sun
written by Chris Familton Merging the experimental and avant-garde with more traditional song form is a skill that few musicians manage to pull off successfully. Peter Broderick is one who has proven he can straddle the conceptual fence with his forays into classical composition, soundtracks, traditional folk and contemporary indie guitar-based music. Though he has released many recordings in the interim, the cumbersomely titled http://www.itstartshear.com … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Peter Broderick | http://www.itstartshear.com
written by Chris Familton It has been one hell of a long break between drinks for Mark Lanegan and the follow-up to 2004’s Bubblegum, though one could never accuse the man of resting on his laurels in the intervening years. As prolific a collaborator as they come, Lanegan has worked with Queens of the Stone Age, The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins, Soulsavers and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Mark Lanegan Band | Blues Funeral
written by Chris Familton Piers Twomey is a Sydney musician who until now has spent time playing with bands like Grun, Quiet Titans and The Fragments. Stepping out on his own he has turned the spotlight onto a dozen indie folk songs with varying degrees of success. There are austere and whimsical sounds at work on Strange Advice that frame Twomey’s intimate songs primarily concern … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Piers Twomey | Strange Advice
written by Chris Familton Sometimes an album has its way with you, works its way inside your head and your heart, takes up residence and begs you relentlessly to keep coming back for more. The debut album from Sydney songwriter Suzy Connolly does just that and though for her the words mean something else, the line in the opening track Gold sums it up – … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Suzy Connolly | Night Larks
written by Chris Familton Lawrence English’s music is never merely a collection of musical pieces or songs in the traditional sense. The sound artist sculpts his audio work based on concepts, themes and source material that while it is isn’t essential to be familiar with, greatly enhances the listening experience. The Peregrine is English’s homage to the writing of J.A. Baker and specifically his book … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Lawrence English | The Peregrine
written by Chris Familton The Bats are about to celebrate 30 years as a band in 2012 and one that can still boast the original line-up. Not many groups can lay claim to that milestone yet the New Zealand quartet have quietly gone about crafting a considerable body of work that has never taken drastic directional changes or seen them seeking to box above their … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Bats | Free All The Monsters
written by Chris Familton Jane’s Addiction cemented their place in music history with their seminal albums Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual, both over 20 years ago. Since then they’ve made a few attempts to reignite the band and re-capture some of that magic with only limited success. 2003’s Strays had moments of brilliance but too often lost focus and cohesion. When they re-connected … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Jane’s Addiction | The Great Escape Artist
written by Chris Familton Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound has unfairly garnered a reputation as an eccentric, quirky individual and musician. Sure he jumps around stylistically, likes obtuse forms and shapes in his music and he can be a prickly interview subject but when you get into the music he is hardly charting new territories. His work with Deerhunter is decidedly indie rock … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Atlas Sound | Parallax
written by Chris Familton It is somewhat unavoidable when it comes to making comparisons between the new Dick Diver and Twerps albums as both have been released at the same time on Melbourne’s Chapter Music and both share a style that strongly echoes the music being made in New Zealand and particularly Dunedin in the 1980s. Variously the ghost of The Bats, The Clean, The … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Dick Diver | New Start Again
Doubtful Sounds 