by Chris Familton Of the recent spate of reunions, Dinosaur Jr’s was one of the most unlikely, but over three albums it’s proven to be one of the most successful. From the cyclical soloing and piano on opener Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know to the sleepy sway of Stick A Toe In and the rapid-fire riffs of Pierce The Morning Rain, the quota of simple ideas executed … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Dinosaur Jr. | I Bet On Sky
by Chris Familton Since the days when bands like Fugazi, Nirvana and Jesus Lizard ruled the underground of American rock, before death and hiatus cut them short, there’s been a relative sparsity of sonically like-minded bands taking up the mantle set by those and many other acts. Melvins are still carving a unique path and bands like Harvey Milk and Pissed Jeans are promising inheritors … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: METZ | METZ
by Chris Familton With a reputation born mainly from their sweat and swagger live shows, The Jim Jones Revue have finally captured some of that frantic magic on their third and best album The Savage Heart. Breathing new life into purist rock n roll isn’t an easy task when you consider the originators of the genre and the huge number of the bands over the … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Jim Jones Revue | The Savage Heart
by Chris Familton It is always a pleasure to visit the ornate surroundings of Sydney’s State Theatre with its outlandish detailing and proclivity for gold and chandeliers. It creates a certain mood and atmosphere and definitely lends a sense of occasion to whichever band is gracing its stage. UK’s Dark Horses had the opening honours and, with quite a different sound to Beck, they played … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Beck @ State Theatre, Sydney (14/11/12)
by Chris Familton Featuring Charlie Horse bassist Craig Beck on guitar and vocals, Rushing Dolls have a big strong sound that relies on 90s rock dynamics and impassioned vocals from the school of Placebo but they lacked a stage presence that might otherwise make their songs more believable and enjoyable. They build melody into their rock and there were some flashes of where they might … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Charlie Horse @ The Factory Floor, Sydney (03/11/12)
by Chris Familton The key to The Datsuns’ longevity and relevance in the present is their ability to filter and process the best of the past and inject it with some enthusiasm and energy. Fifth studio album Death Rattle Boogie released 10 years to the day since their acclaimed self-titled debut – is no exception, finding them in ruthlessly efficient form. Spread around the world and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Datsuns | Death Rattle Boogie
Charlie Horse are currently playing East Coast shows to celebrate their well-received debut album, I Hope I’m Not A Monster, even though the recording of their next one is already underway. We discussed the creative process, the music industry and more with guitarist Paul McDonald and singer Crystal Rose. How have the rehearsals been going for this run of album release shows? PM – We’ve tried … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Charlie Horse
by Chris Familton Regardless of how straight Thurston Moore’s 2012 solo album sounds the sonic provocateur is always one step away from experimental music and the sculpting of sound rather than song. Though his set would prove to be more of the latter Moore balanced things with the support act, Marco Fusinato who is known as much for his art as his music. Armed with … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Thurston Moore @ The Hi-Fi, Sydney (26/10/12)
by Chris Familton Jonny Telafone kicked things off with his kid on overload performance that rivals Donny Benet for its tongue in cheek pastiche, kitchen sink electro and synth pop cheesiness. There is no doubt that Telafone is a great performer even if he is just singing over Suicide-tinged backing tracks from his laptop but with song titles like Make Your Pussy Cum and his … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Twerps @ Goodgod Small Club, Sydney (11/08/12)
by Chris Familton Jochen Gutsch is a prolific Sydney composer and one-man band with thirteen releases to his name since 2003. I call him a composer because his music is rooted in ambitious ideas with a multitude of elements fighting for space amid his instrumental soundscapes. There is also an overwhelming magpie eclecticism to Hinterlandt that can be both glorious and maddening as he chases … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Hinterlandt | Cartography
by Chris Familton Melbourne’s Pony Face opened the evening and proved to be just as enigmatic and hard to pin down as they sound on record. The trio operate in the realm of dark atmospheric rock and showed they have a great handle on space and dynamics with songs that worked up often gentle and sometimes frantic moods. Their bassist was fascinating to watch as … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Lee Ranaldo @ OAF, Sydney (20/10/12)
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
Doubtful Sounds 