by C. Familton New Zealand’s Lawrence Arabia (James Milne) set himself up as an exponent of literate pop on his second album Chant Darling and though it was a clever collection of songs there were moments when they veered into quirky territory that felt a tad contrived. He has learnt from those missteps and taken his writing and arranging to an impressive place on his … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Lawrence Arabia | The Sparrow
Melbourne’s Iowa have released a new video for Love Song, taken from their most excellent debut album Never Saw It Coming. The trio are also heading out on a run of East Coast Australian dates next month. Tour Dates: Thu Aug 16th – Sydney FBI Social (with Sounds Like Sunset, Narrow Lands & Lyyar) Fri Aug 17th – Brisbane X&Y Bar (with Tape / Off … Continue reading WATCH: Iowa | Love Song
Zola Jesus played a stellar show at the Sydney Opera House recently and continues to release videos from acclaimed Conatus album. Here is the bathed in white clip for the four to floor synth workout Seekir featuring some of the same smoke visuals that she uses heavily in her live performances. Continue reading VIDEO: Zola Jesus | Seekir
EVERY WEEK WE’LL BE POSTING OUR FAVOURITE SONG OF THE WEEK. THIS WON’T NECESSARILY BE A NEW RELEASE BUT RATHER A SONG WE’VE HEARD THAT HAS STUCK IN OUR HEAD AND REFUSED TO LEAVE. There are a ton of bands coming out of Melbourne at the moment with a distinct jangly indie guitar sound that feels lo-fi but a lot of the time isn’t. Bands … Continue reading Song of the Week: Lower Plenty | Nullarbor
by C. Familton The debut album from New Yorkers Light Asylum follows their well received In Tension EP from 2010 and finds Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello positing their songs in a colder and harsher sonic environment than that first EP. Funchess is still the absolute drawcard with her voice that can sound like any and everyone from Neneh Cherry and Grace Jones to Ian … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Light Asylum | Light Asylum
Every week we’ll be posting our favourite song of the week. This won’t necessarily be a new release but rather a song we’ve heard that has stuck in our head and refused to leave. This week we’ve chosen The Jam’s That’s Entertainment as our Song of the Week. Originally appearing on their 1980 album Sound Affects, it was never officially released as a single at … Continue reading SONG OF THE WEEK: The Jam | That’s Entertainment
BAMBINO KORESH’S LETICIA NISCHANG TAKES US THROUGH THE INSPIRATIONS FOR THEIR SONGS AND THE EXCITEMENT OF RELEASING A DEBUT ALBUM. How did the band first form and where does the name Bambino Koresh come from? Since Tom and I got together back in 2002 we always wanted to have a band to play the songs we started to write. We first thought of the name back then, while … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Bambino Koresh
Beach Pigs are a quartet of melodic noise popsters out of Auckland, New Zealand who have been making waves with their early single releases and their self-titled EP . You can order their releases direct from their label, the most excellent Arch Hill Recordings . Dahnu Graham:Vocals Daniel Kerr: Guitar Suren Unka: Drums Billy Robertson:Bass Guitar. Continue reading ds recommends: Beach Pigs
by C. Familton Opossom is essentially Kody Nielson, formerly of The Mint Chicks. When they split, his brother Ruban formed Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Kody retreated to his bedroom to write, play on and record Electric Hawaii. The album retains much of the bright energy of Nielson’s former band but it also decidedly more trippy and psychedelic, awash with an array of electronic and tropicalia … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Opossom | Electric Hawaii
by Chris Familton Julia Holter inhabits a fascinating world as a modern composer. Her music doesn’t sit comfortably in any one genre – indie, electronic, ambient or pop – but rather it straddles multiple styles, drifting between them and merely hinting at the musical references that inform her music. Ekstasis is Ancient Greek for ecstasy and specifically being ‘outside of oneself’ and in the context … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Julia Holter | Ekstasis
I’ve been on a bit of a shoe gaze vibe of late, what with the My Bloody Valentine reissues, an interview with Ride’s Mark Gardener and the excellent gig from The Horrors earlier in the year. The influence of that sound from the late 80s / early 90s is still resonating in the music of a ton of new bands and one that I’ve come … Continue reading Song Of The Week: Toy | Left Myself Behind
Light Asylum duo Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello tell Chris Familton about their formation and the philosophy behind their industrial and primitive synth based music. If you’ve heard Light Asylum’s first single Dark Allies and thought you were hearing a new song from The Sisters of Mercy you wouldn’t be alone. The deep foreboding intonations strongly resemble those of Andrew Eldritch and combined with the similarly shadowy … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Light Asylum
Doubtful Sounds 