Savages return with their second LP Adore Life, on January 22, 2016. Here’s the video clip for the new single ‘Adore’. We weren’t sold on the earlier release ‘The Answer‘ but this slower, moodier track hits the spot perfectly. Adore Life will be out via Matador Records / Remote Control Records. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Savages – Adore
Opening this evening of psych rock was Glass Skies who whipped up a hard stoner/space rock barrage of riffs and grooves for the few early arrivals. The singer/guitarist overplayed his hand with teeth and behind-the-head solos but they nailed the ‘rock’ aspect of psychedelic music convincingly. Grinding Eyes enhanced the tripped-out mood of the evening with a a sea of projected images flooding the band … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Moon Duo, Grinding Eyes, Glass Skies @ NSC, Sydney (10/12/15)
MERCURY REV, JAMES DELA CRUZ (DJ SET) @ Oxford Art Factory, 07 December 2015 Eschewing the usual opening band, the warm-up honours went to James Dela Cruz (The Avalanches) who played an eclectic hour long DJ set that stretched from Neil Young to warm techno flows and some fine turntablism skills. Mercury Rev hold a fairly unique position in music with their fantastical, dramatic sound that hits … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Mercury Rev @ OAF
The Holy Soul have been a constant on the Sydney independent music scene for over a decade with their own releases, countless gigs and collaborations with the likes of Robyn Hitchcock, Damo Suzuki (Can) and David Thomas (Pere Ubu). They should be recognised as heroes of the underground, indeed in many circles they are. This album reinforces and enhances that reputation. The Gareth Liddiard-produced Fortean … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Holy Soul – Fortean Times
It’s hard to imagine why Protomartyr aren’t more popular than they are. They’ve already captured their visceral and dystopian post punk sound across two excellent albums. The Agent Intellect continues that fine form and pushes the dynamic even further into primal rhythms with wire-brush screes of guitar and the distinctive disaffected howl and Mark E Smith-styled rant of frontman Joe Casey. The way they sonically … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
Dan Kelly has hit his finest streak of songwriting on his latest solo album. There’s a sense of pop wonderment about these songs as they diversify into all kinds of colourful shapes. Sometimes it’s dripping with sweet soul ‘(Haters’), drifting on a cloud of dream-pop (‘National Park‘) or hitting interstellar overdrive on the epic pulsing krautrock of the opening track. The psychedelic flavour of Kelly’s … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Dan Kelly – Leisure Panic
You Am I are back with their tenth studio album and they’ll be celebrating its release with a December run around the country. Porridge & Hotsauce was recorded in New York and the first single ‘Good Advices’ sees them casting an ear back to their earlier albums with its sonic bristle and heady rush that is more Red Kross meets Sonic Youth than Kinks meets Faces. … Continue reading NEWS: You Am I Announce New Album And Tour
New Zealand has always produced a high ratio of literate indie pop music, from the brightest corners of Flying Nun to Lawrence Arabia and The Phoenix Foundation. Anthony Tonnon is another in that lineage and on Successor he weaves fascinating tales of wit and tragedy without, importantly, ending up sounding twee and smug. Characters are established in all manner of situations as he sings their … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Anthonie Tonnon – Successor
When METZ hit the scene in 2012 with their debut album they felt like a breath of fresh air. Sure they were doing nothing new but they were doing mighty things with tried and true rock n roll elements. Hardcore intensity, punk attitude, post-punk rhythms and jagged, visceral riffing were all turned up to eleven and it reaffirmed that the next generation still had a … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: METZ – II
They’ve been quiet for a while now but finally Auckland trio Street Chant are back with a new song and video ahead of the release of their second LP. ‘Pedestrian Support League’ is an epic 5 minute track that ebbs and flows across wistful guitar, some great melodic basslines and some incisive observational lyrics from Emily Littler. Pedestrian Support League is a song loosely about Auckland … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Street Chant – Pedestrian Support League
Bradford Cox and Deerhunter return with a brand new track – ‘Snakeskin’ – ahead of their new LP Fading Frontier which will be released on October 16th via 4AD/Remote Control. I’m loving the upbeat groove of this first single, fun and dark at the same time. Fading Frontier 1. All The Same 2. Living My Life 3. Breaker 4. Duplex Planet 5. Take Care 6. Leather … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Deerhunter – Snakeskin
The Auckland quartet have made an auspicious start to their recording career, signing to Spunk who are releasing their debut album across Australia and New Zealand. They’re one of many acts currently making waves with a 90s flavoured sound yet theirs is a blend of influences that makes it hard to pin them down as recyclers of any one band’s sound. That is of course … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: New Gum Sarn – New Gold Mountain
Doubtful Sounds 