Melbourne musician Suzie Stapleton has only just come onto our radar but it only took 30 seconds of the first song we heard to get drawn into her dark and moody sound that equally draws on gothic blues and swamp rock, mixing it all up in a contemporary rock miasma. The thing that anchors it all is her jaw dropping voice with its rich and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Suzie Stapleton | Obladi Diablo
by Chris Familton Pinback sound like they inhabit a netherworld suspended between post rock and indie guitar pop and on their new album that combination of styles and a studio sheen have resulted in a diluted collection of songs. Pinback are a fantastic live band where volume and adrenalin give their songs a grounding and a stronger backbone and though Information Retrieved isn’t bereft of … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Pinback | Information Retrieved
If It’s Catchy, It Means You Stole It is the title of a feature documentary on Sydney musician/independent record label boss Nic Dalton that is currently being put together by Jarrad Kennedy (director/producer) and Robert McCafferty (producer) for a 2013 release. Nic Dalton has played in over 65 bands, most notably The Lemonheads in the early 1990’s. Dalton also co-founded independent record label Half A Cow … Continue reading NEWS: Half A Cow film fundraiser in Sydney
We look at six songs that stand out as important moments in modern music, changing the playing field and inspiring legions of other musicians… JEFF BUCKLEY – GRACE (1994) With alternative music (as it was known at the time) in the grip of grunge and hard rock it took a sensitive young man with an angelic voice, good looks and a mesmerizing guitar style to … Continue reading FEATURE: Signposts in Modern Music
by Chris Familton The LA quartet return with their sophomore album that finds them throwing more influences into the mix while still maintaining their highly melodic indie rock sound. Strapped feels like a step up for a band that specialized in efficient garage rock dispatches and even though they have softened their rawer edges they have compensated by dialing in more expansive textures and song … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Soft Pack | Strapped
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)
New Zealand trio Popstrangers have a new album Antipodes coming out late Feb/early March (depending where you are) and they’ve done the decent thing and released the first song from it, Heaven on Soundcloud. It’s a super hooky piece of guitar pop/rock that gets gloriously woozy in the chorus and choppy in the verses. The band released some singles on Flying Nun before signing with Carpark … Continue reading LISTEN: Popstrangers | Heaven – from their new album ‘Antipodes’
This is the first instalment of an ongoing feature that will look at the inside of vinyl album sleeves. So many album covers have become iconic, instantly recognisable images and they are often the first thing that comes to mind when a record is mentioned. They create the mood, aesthetic and feel of the music presented within. In this day and age of digital immediacy … Continue reading INSIDE SLEEVE: The Cure | Standing On A Beach – The Singles
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)
Sydney independent label Popfrenzy have announced a trifecta of exciting releases in the last week. Songs have a video for their new song Alone When I’m With You from the forthcoming (early 2013) album Malabar. The song can be purchased HERE for a measly 99c. Next up is the first single on the label from Sydney band Day Ravies. Double Act follows up … Continue reading NEWS: New musical delights from the Popfrenzy label
Deep Sea Arcade round out their massive year with another single from their Outlands, a record that sounds like a whole album of singles. Granite City Girls is packed with footage from their recent tours in a suitably hazy, psych pop filtered style. The band are about to head out on a national tour to celebrate the single release: Fri 9th Nov – The Corner … Continue reading WATCH: Deep Sea Arcade | Granite City Girls
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)
Doubtful Sounds 