Dylan Carlson, he of the slow motion, distorted, drag and drone guitar soundscapes, has announced a new solo album, his first under his own name. Apart from a now quarter century of Earth albums he has also recorded under the drcarlsonalbion, releasing the soundtrack for the film Gold and a smattering of other projects. Conquistador will be released on the Sargent House label on April … Continue reading NEWS: Dylan Carlson (Earth) Announces Solo LP
This is Kyle Craft’s second album; his first set a high bar with its songs of underground heroes and misfits and now he’s taken that momentum and set one dizzying and rambunctious musical snowball in motion. Craft is still mining the same stories he relishes and excels at, singing of junkies and angels, late night bars, existential crises and the overwhelming worlds of love and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Kyle Craft – Full Circle Nightmare
Beaches go into overdrive on their new seventeen track album. It’s their magnum opus of sorts, taking everything they’ve explored on the first two albums and synthesising it into one kaleidoscopic take on all things psychedelic. The album opens with two relentlessly churning tracks that set the stage for what is to follow. It signals their intent to push further out into the sonic aether, … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Beaches – Second Of Spring
Karl Blau experienced a taste of wider critical acclaim on the back of his last album Introducing Karl Blau. The title and the fact that it was a collection of country covers was somewhat misleading, given that he’s has already released something more than 20 albums. With Out Her Space, Blau has shape-shifted into the world of avant rock, funk and soul, eschewing his lo-fi … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Karl Blau – Out Her Space
Music that is precise and austere is often tagged as being overly clinical and lacking soul – and by association, substance. It can be a fine line to tread and The Weather Station perform a balancing act on their fourth album. The self-titled affair takes a dash of Joni Mitchell, adds a splash of Beth Orton and paints it in the kind of melancholic indie with … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Weather Station – The Weather Station
Protomartyr immediately stood out from the rest of the anguished post-punk pack when they first emerged four years ago with their debut album All Passion No Technique. They went from strength to strength over their next two albums, twisting Joe Casey’s mantra rants over caustic punk, dark indie guitars and tumbling drums before arriving at their most realised set of recordings to date. Relatives In … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Protomartyr – Relatives In Descent
This is album number four for Jen Cloher and in keeping with the title and stark artwork, featuring her naked and with guitar, it is her most honest, clear-cut and autobiographical release to date. So many songwriters cloud their ideas and experiences in metaphors and diversionary tactics but Cloher goes straight for the literal and personal, detailing the trials and tribulations of extended periods apart … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin (The Drones), Lauren Hammel (High Tension) on drums and Erica Dunn (Harmony, Palm Springs) have unveiled the sound of their new band Tropical Fuck Storm. It’s a jerky, catchy post-punk song that swaggers and slithers along, sounding like it could collapse at any moment. It’s a glorious collision of chaos and euphoric rock. The debut TFS 7″ single, “Chameleon Paint” b/w … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Tropical Fuck Storm – Chameleon Paint
Boris are now 25 years into a career that has stretched from the barren expanse of doom to hazy dream pop renderings and onto avant garde soundscapes and blistering, psychedelic punk rock. They hone in on a style and explore it to its logical extreme. On Dear they again hit the heavy button but this time they go deep into the detail, exploring both heaviosity … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Boris – Dear
Artistically speaking, pop art is an apt description of the style and approach that Hollow Everdaze have near-perfected on Cartoons. A decade into their career they’re still uncovering lush, sun-kissed pop nuggets that swoon, sway and deftly swagger through 60s eccentricity, 80s/90s British indie and right up to the modernism of a band such as Spoon. There’s a wistful quality to the songs yet they … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Hollow Everdaze – Cartoons
New Zealand rock unit The Terminals have been operating under various iterations for 30 years and at the band’s core, Stephen Cogle and Peter Stapleton (with Mick El Borado) have kept the ship on course and sailing a straight line into dark and swirling post punk and psych-laden garage rock. Antiseptic finds the band on top of their game once more. If anything their music … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Terminals – Antiseptic
Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss, Infinity Broke) and Peter Fenton (Crow) have come together as The Tall Grass, which began as a live acoustic duo project before being expanded upon and sonically coloured in the studio with a wide-ranging band sound. It’s still on the laid-back vibe though – wistful, poetic, and melancholic. The sound of their other bands is still evident, particularly Hutchings with his more … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Tall Grass – Down The Unmarked Road
Doubtful Sounds 