Wellingtonians The Phoenix Foundation have released a second single, the title track from their forthcoming new album Give Up You Dreams. It’s a pulsing Krautrock slice of pop psychedelia with a nagging melancholic chorus. The new album is out August 7th. Preorder HERE. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: The Phoenix Foundation – Give Up Your Dreams
Blank Realm have a new record on the way, their first proper studio recorded effort, produced by Lawrence English. Illegals In Heaven is due out on September 4th via Bedroom Suck/Fire Records. Here’s the first taste of it in the single ‘River Of Longing’ – all tangled guitars, meshed and spaghetti’ing across the stereo spectrum over a frantic drumbeat. Gloriously messy and vibrant brilliance as … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Blank Realm – River Of Longing
Finally those Adelaide reprobates Bad//Dreems have gone and announced their album Dogs At Bay is complete and ready to do the business from August 21st. Produced by Mark Opitz (AC/DC, The Angels, INXS, Cold Chisel) it’s been a long time coming but it will no doubt be worth the wait given the superb singles ‘Dumb Ideas’/’My Only Friend’ and ‘Cuffed and Collared’ that have already been released from … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Bad//Dreems announce Album, Single and Tour
I’m listening to the new Love Migrate EP Shimmer Through The Night this evening and I’m damn impressed. It’s dramatic indie guitar pop music with swirling keyboards, urgent percussion and an overriding art-rock vibe. Think The Phoenix Foundation meets Blank Realm. The whole EP is recommended, here’s the first single from it – ‘Pippa’s In The Highlands’. The EP came out late last month and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Love Migrate – Pippa’s In The Highlands
Sydney’s The Snowdroppers have waited a while to finally release their new single ‘Love Letters’. The song comes from their new album Business, due out September 4th via FOUR | FOUR. Described as “four on the floor Motown-meets-punk-rock” the song is definitely a bigger, brighter, pop-fuelled sound for the band. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: The Snowdroppers – Love Letters
Ern Malley are a new band based in Melbourne, Australia who’ve just released their new single ‘White Nectarines’. It’s a sweet slice of indie guitar pop that reminds me of New Zealand band The Phoenix Foundation. It has that great mix of jangle, melancholy and swing. I hope to hear more from these guys soon. Dig it. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Ern Malley – White Nectarines
Orion had opening honours on the first of Twerps’ two sold out nights and things weren’t looking promising after half an hour of vague attempts at tuning a guitar before a note was played. Once they got things sorted they proved to be an intriguing take on 80s goth music circa Joy Division and The Cure, establishing desolate yet danceable dark grooves. The Garbage & … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Twerps, The Garbage & The Flowers, Orion @ Newtown Social Club, Sydney (08/05/15)
Matthew Mondanile’s (Real Estate) side project Ducktails can’t really be called that anymore. Now he’s on the verge of releasing his fifth solo album St. Catherine which features guest vocals from Julia Holter and James Ferraro. It follows The Flower Lane, one of our favourite albums of 2013 and Ducktails’ finest to date. Below you can hear ‘Headbanging In The Mirror.’ 1. The Disney Afternoon 2. … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Ducktails – Headbanging In The Mirror
2014 was the year that Courtney Barnett, the unassuming Melbourne resident, went overground in a big way. With multiple international jaunts, appearances on radio and TV shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and many of the top international music festivals. All of that was on the back of two killer singles (‘Avant Gardener’, ‘History Eraser’) and the subsequent The Double EP: A … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Sam Shinazzi released his new album Forever & For Now earlier this year and now he’s got a brand new clip for ‘Bones’, one of our personal favourites from the record. It’s a song that shimmers with a forlorn weariness and still bears a sense of subtle ebullience and optimism. Continue reading VIDEO: Sam Shinazzi – Bones
Though mostly born from the same sessions as last year’s River Mirrors album, these nine songs operate on a different plane. More concise and song-based, yet with a broad range of moods and levels of intensity, the quartet conjure up caustic distorted storms of guitar over measured rhythms. The spirit and intensity of Bluebottle Kiss is strongly present on both Before Before and its predecessor … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Infinity Broke – Before Before
The Phoenix Foundation were quite superb last night at Newtown Social Club in Sydney. I’ve only seen them once before and now, years later, they have a pretty hefty back catalogue to draw from across their 90 min show. In support Eden Mullholland showcased his warped pop sensibilities across jagged guitars, pulsing synth and with an impressive vocal range. Quirky indie pop capable of causing … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: The Phoenix Foundation, Eden Mulholland @ Newtown Social Club, Sydney (17/04/15)
Doubtful Sounds 