The Soft Pack are gearing up for the release of their self-titled debut album in March and to celebrate and whet your appetite they are offering up a free download of the brilliant Answer To Yourself which sounds like a glorious cross between The Saints and The Strokes. It rolls like a lazy summer afternoon with plenty of snarl and bite to get your head … Continue reading NEWS: THE SOFT PACK new album out soon…
Ahead of the release in March of his debut solo album The Black Book Of The Universe Simon Carter and band take over the Oxford Art Factory for a month of Thursdays. Lock it in… Continue reading NEWS: SIMON CARTER residency @ OAF, Sydney…
Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit and Black Gold from the USA have been announced today as the final international additions to the Laneway Festival. Joining them will be local acts: The Salvadors (Adelaide only) http://www.myspace.com/thesalvadors1 The Frowning Clouds (Melbourne only) www.myspace.com/thefrowningclouds Fergus Brown (Sydney only) www.myspace.com/fergusbrown Young Revelry (Perth only) www.myspace.com/youngrevelry Comic Sans (Brisbane only) www.myspace.com/comicsansmusic The White Goods (Sydney only) http://www.myspace.com/thewhitegoodsmusic Continue reading NEWS: Final LANEWAY Additions…
Tragically we got the terrible news yesterday about the death of Jay Reatard who at the age of 29 had released 22 full length albums and played more than 1000 shows. The last few years saw him sign to Matador and release the brilliant Matador Singles ’08 and last year’s Watch Me Fall that we rated as the 4th best album of 09. From his … Continue reading NEWS: Tribute to Jay Reatard
New Zealand’s Ruby Suns have a new album Fight Softly due out at the start of March and here is the first aural peek at how it will sound. Cranberry is described in their own words as… “’Cranberry’ captures a day trip to Cranberry Lake, a dream of a swimming-hole 90 minutes from Seattle on Fidalgo Island. The former is beat-buzzed bedroom R&B swathed in … Continue reading NEWS: 1st song from new RUBY SUNS album…
2009 was as strong a year as we have had in the last decade and 2010 is looking just as promising. Here is a rundown of anticipated releases coming in the next few months… JANUARY VAMPIRE WEEKEND – Contra – Jan 12th SPOON – Transference – Jan 19th CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG – IRM – Jan 19th EELS – End Times – Jan 19th BEACH HOUSE – … Continue reading UPCOMING RELEASES
Not strictly a new band as they’ve been around for a couple of years but The Snowdroppers hit my radar this week as the support for Seasick Steve at The Metro. Awesome stage prescence backed up by great songs… here’s an excerpt from my gig review for The Dwarf… The Snowdroppers were one of those little known support acts that impresses and leaves a lasting … Continue reading NEWS: New band alert… The Snowdroppers
Finally Chris Cornell has seen the light of day after his pile of shit last solo album that had so many shaking their heads in dismay. After the rest of the band re-united last year in Seattle for a show featuring Tad singing on a couple of songs the rumours have been rife that the Seattle metallers would get back together again. “The 12-year break … Continue reading NEWS: SOUNDGARDEN reunite…
A beautiful tribute to Vic from Kristin Hersh… What this man was capable of was superhuman. Vic was brilliant, hilarious and necessary; his songs messages from the ether, uncensored. He developed a guitar style that allowed him to play bass, rhythm and lead in the same song — this with the movement of only two fingers. His fluid timing was inimitable, his poetry untainted by … Continue reading R.I.P VIC CHESNUTT
Portishead have released a new song Chase The Tear with all earnings going towards Amnesty International’s human rights work. Its a magical piece of Kraftwerk sounding electronica with Gibbons’ distinctive moans and wails hovering over the music. You can purchase the track HERE but at this stage it doesn’t look like Australia or New Zealand are on the list… more about “AIUK : Portishead track“, … Continue reading NEWS: PORTISHEAD release new song for Amnesty Intl…
For those of you in Tasmania, you can pick up a copy of the fantastic summer issue of A Fine Line, one of the great Australian streetpress magazines. For the rest of us, take a holiday in Tassie or download a pdf version from HERE. Of course this is some shameless self-promotion as it features my writing alongside many other great music writers. The latest … Continue reading NEWS: A FINE LINE (Summer Issue)
Doubtful Sounds 