When he hits the central tangled and tumbling guitar riff, JW Francis sounds like the lovechild of The Strokes, Real Estate and Talking Heads on this smart earworm of an art rock single. ‘Lofi’ is the second of three singles he’s released in 2019. Check out the others too – ‘Is That The One’ in particular is excellent. Francis was born in Tulsa Oklahoma, raised … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: JW Francis – Lofi
We posted another Charcoal Burners track earlier this year and this one also hits the spot with its warm buzz and jangle of guitars, interlaced with piano (that reminded us of Able Tasmans). I like that they reference the sound of the song in its title, you can definitely hear both bands that they mention, more so their Dunedin counterparts. I’d also throw in a … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Charcoal Burners – The Verlaines and Husker Du
“A stream-of-consciousness ramble of a day living in the inner-west” Hooks and riffs abound with laidback verve and hypnotic charm on this new single from Blue Mountains, NSW resident CJ Stranger. That’s the nom de plume of songwriter and guitarist Cameron James Henderson and on this track he hits a sweet spot between The War On Drugs and Kurt Vile with a cool blend of … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: CJ Stranger – Strange One
Underground Lovers A Left Turn Rubber Records ★★★★ Underground Lovers are back with their ninth studio album, their third since they reactivated after a hiatus through the first decade of the 21st century. That return showed they were still in fine form with their blend of psychedelic indie rock and electronica and they’ve again produced a strong album that brings those elements together in perfect … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Underground Lovers – A Left Turn
ACUA are a post-punk band from Cologne who sit somewhere in the sweet spot between the aforementioned genre and the more hypnotic side of dream-pop, shoegaze and indie rock. ‘Keep Spinning’ is the their latest single and finds the fairly new band blending synths and guitars into a really nice sound (reminiscent of RIDE), balanced between drift and drive, where texture is everything. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: ACUA – Keep Spinning
‘Being Human’, by Manchester songwriter and producer Caoilfhionn Rose (pronounced Keelin) is one of those tracks that combines mystery, beauty, lush production and a voice that possesses effortless melodic qualities. It comes from her debut LP Awaken, out now on Gondwana Records. Mixing pastoral folk, light psychedelia and indie sensibilities the song is a good reflection of the overall strength of Awaken as an album. Recommended! Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human
Australian band Easy Street throw a Dylan-like urging vocal and some loose-limbed exuberance into the musical blender on this new track ‘Get On’. It’s one of those songs that feels purpose-built for the fast approaching warmer months. Hailing from Sydney, the quintet have a great carefree and melodic, garage psychedelia going on in their sound. We’re looking forward to hearing more from the band. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Easy Street – Get On
You know when you hear something that sounds so familiar, the sum of their influences but you can’t nail them down to any degree of specificity? That was how felt on hearing this track from German band Mofer. It’s steeped in the history of post-punk, with the anguish-tinged, staring-at-the-horizon vocal, that Stephen Morris-like drumming and guitars that skate across the surface of the song. It … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Mofer – Sometimes
“A really nice, new English indie guitar tune” I thought to myself when I first heard ‘Heaven Moves’ by Dear Boy. I was wrong though! The band hail from Los Angeles and they’re starting to gain some attention with their mix of English jangly post-punk and pop-tinged melodies. They recently finished a run of dates with James and Psychedelic Furs which gives a further idea … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Dear Boy – Heaven Moves
“Molly Ringwald was my saviour…” Gothic guitar pop with a post-punk twist is the order of the day on this new track from Vanessa Van Ness, a Melbourne-based guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer from Venice Beach, Los Angeles. There’s a roll call of influential women in the song, over a minimal backing of guitar and percussion. ‘True True Shot’ has a really nice mantra-like quality … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Vanessa Van Ness – True True Shot
Music is about mood and the way it sonically hits the ears, heart and mind just as much as it’s about the stories and ideas conveyed by the lyrics. The appeal of Chastity Belt’s new self-titled album lies in both elements but it’s the overall sound and the warm dreaminess that billows out of the speakers that provides the strongest appeal and connection point. All … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Chastity Belt – Chastity Belt
J.R. is the moniker of Ontario songwriter Julianna Riolino and her group that includes musicians who have worked with Daniel Romano. ‘PAL’ is a light and bouncy slice of indie country rock that wins due to her great melodies that she builds into the song’s two and half minutes. It reminded me a bit of Margaret Glaspy. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: J.R. – PAL
Doubtful Sounds 