Wonderful news to wake up to today, Califone have a new album called villagers in the can and set for release on May 19th via Jealous Butcher Records. On the first single ‘Habsburg Jaw‘, Tim Rutili is sounding in fine form, still weaving that fascinating mix of melodic immediacy and skewed experimental pop – a sonic junk shop of the accessible and the avant garde. … Continue reading CALIFONE ANNOUNCE NEW 2023 LP AND RELEASE FIRST SINGLE
I’m a big fan of RVG, their last album Feral was one of my favourites in 2020, so having a new single in the inbox this morning was a real treat. They deliver 100% too. ‘Nothing Really Changes‘ is a glorious slow-building rock track that glistens with retro synths over a muscular rhythm section. Frontperson Romy Vager is in exultant, brooding and defiant form, nailing … Continue reading RVG RETURN WITH A STELLAR AND STRIKING NEW 2023 SINGLE
Definitive edition of their 1985 studio album Low-Life that includes the original album on 180g vinyl LP and CD – remastered. A second CD of unreleased audio, x2DVDs of live performances from 1984 & 1985, plus a hardback book. The vinyl album and CD are both wrapped in the original tracing-paper sleeve – not available since the very first pressing, and the first time ever for the … Continue reading DEFINITIVE EDITION OF NEW ORDER’S LOW LIFE OUT NEXT FRIDAY
Tristan Courtney-Prior is stepping out for the first time as a solo artist with his single ‘Elevator‘. Best known as guitarist for Sydney bands Peabody and Shearin’, Tristan takes a darker, moodier swing into post-punk rhythms and guitar shapes on this track. A stately and stentorian vocal marches the song along, distorted guitars swaying and riding the propulsive bass and drums. It’s heady, hypnotic and … Continue reading TRISTAN COURTNEY-PRIOR TAKES A DARKLY SWERVING ELEVATOR RIDE
The Fragments are an indie rock band from Sydney, originally active from 2001 to 2006, and reformed in 2022. While active, The Fragments only put out two singles! So, in 2019, they released ‘Transporter Volume I’ and ‘Transporter Volume II’, a double album compilation of music recorded in the 2000s. The two volumes are available on Bandcamp and streaming services. In 2022, the band set up a mobile recording studio in a … Continue reading SYDNEY BAND THE FRAGMENTS RETURN WITH FIRST NEW SINGLE IN NEARLY 20 YEARS
Dave Graney / Clare Moore will release their new album In A Mistly next Friday (Nov 11th) and the first single from it is the intoxicating pulse and seductive fuzz and croon of ‘Tang’. Like a wonky version of Stereolab in a psych-pop and krautrock altered dream-state, the single beautifully blends an insistent rhythmic undercurrent with Graney’s sartorial and poetic eloquence in free flow, urging … Continue reading DAVE GRANEY AND CLARE MOORE SEDUCE AND HYPNOTISE ON NEW SINGLE ‘TANG’
In little more than one and a half minutes, Italian post-punk band Leatherette create a consummate serving of post-punk imbued shoegaze. Brittle yet warm, like cascading sheets of distorted rain and melodic vocal anguish, ‘Sunbathing’ is an urgent dispatch, an existential howl and yelp over glorious harmonic noise that ends too soon, yet delivers all that’s required. The group are based in Bologna, but all … Continue reading ITALY’S LEATHERETTE CREATE A FRANTIC AND ANGULAR WASH OF DISTORTION AND MELODY ON NEW SINGLE
I’m loving the sound of this new single from Manchester quintet splint. There are shades of Black Country New Road, Sonic Youth, Courtney Barnettt and Life Without Buildings in their sound. On ‘145‘, tumbling notes, both frantic and meditative unfurl over rock drums. The whole thing builds into a brisk melancholy with the vocal of Giulia Bonometti countering and balancing the nervy electricity of the guitars. … Continue reading SPLINT CREATE A HOLISTIC POST-PUNK WORLD ON NEW SINGLE ‘145’
A great sound on this brand new single from Wellington, NZ band Hans Pucket. ‘No Drama‘ is the title track from their forthcoming new LP due out on on USA label Carpark Records on November 4th. The single brilliantly blends crunchy guitar rock with soft art-pop shapes and a widescreen indie retro-futurist aesthetic. There are strings, horns and one can pick out a faint hint … Continue reading Aotearoa’s Hans Pucket Release New Single ‘No Drama’
They’ve been recently touring American and now on the eve of a European tour, Mess Esque, the duo of Mick Turner (Dirty Three) and Helen Franzmann (McKisko), have released the first part of a new double single – ‘Armour Your Armour’ on Milk! Records. The song follows their dreamy, interzonal template of wandering rhythms (courtesy of Jim White), Mick’s gently tidal guitar musings and Helen’s … Continue reading Mess Esque Release New Single ‘Armour Your Armor’
On the new single and across the new album Like That, the Melbourne group Cool Sounds‘ usual jangle-pop sparkle has been supercharged by a disco-glam stomp, making for their most immediate record yet. Like That finds a bright pop-funk sweet spot between Ian Dury & the Blockheads, Hot Chip and 80s Francois K mixes. On this track you can also hear the enigmatic twitch and jerk of … Continue reading COOL SOUNDS RELEASE THE BREEZY FUNK OF ‘6 OR 7 MORE’
Sydney indie rock quartet Victoria have a brand new single out today called ‘Favourite Teacher‘, the follow up single to ‘Creative Frenzy’, out on Wayne Connolly’s Scenic Drive Records. The track perfectly captures that laconic, sun-dappled sound of wistful, jangly guitar pop. From The Bats, Sneaky Feelings and the latter day work of David Kilgour (The Clean) to their equals from this side of the Tasman, … Continue reading VIDEO PREMIERE: Victoria – Favourite Teacher
Doubtful Sounds 