LIVE REVIEW: Girls @ Manning Bar, Sydney 08/12/10
written by Chris Familton First up were Step-Panther, an up and coming Sydney band who just keep getting better. Their songs have shifted from bratty punk origins to now include surf melodies, 60s pop sounds and a Ramones-like approach to telling street stories. Their song Jimmy should be a smash hit and their casual demeanor should gain them a bucket load of fans. Deep … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Girls @ Manning Bar, Sydney 08/12/10
ALBUM REVIEW: Philip Selway | Familial
written by Chris Familton In the wake of solo outings by fellow Radioheads Thom and Jonny we are now graced with the intimate musings of drummer Philip Selway. His minimal compositions impress in that they don’t sound like a drummer trying to be a guitarist or an attention seeking singer. Instead he chooses to create moods in stark settings with affairs of the heart and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Philip Selway | Familial
LIVE REVIEW: Belles Will Ring @ Gaelic, 26/11/10
written by Chris Familton Magnetic Heads opened the evening with some wonderfully constructed songs. The influence of Talking Heads hovers over the group at times, not just in aspects of their sound but also in the tone of Des Miller’s voice when he hits the higher notes. When he stays low he has a kindred spirit in Jack Ladder and Bryan Ferry. They’ve developed a … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Belles Will Ring @ Gaelic, 26/11/10
ALBUM REVIEW: Brian Eno | Small Craft On A Milk Sea
written by Chris Familton Brian Eno surprised many when it was announced that this album would be coming out on the Warp label with its focus on forward thinking electronica. Hearing it makes the move the perfect fit as this is an album of stern electronica with flashes of dissonance and a certain sci-fi film quality to many of the tracks. Eno, with collaborators Jon … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Brian Eno | Small Craft On A Milk Sea
ALBUM REVIEW: Straight Arrows | It’s Happening
written by Chris Familton Straight Arrows have been fine tuning their ramshackle sound for a couple of years now and finally have an album to show for it. Their other releases have been 7 inches that have all been snapped up, something that has enhanced their reputation as the next great garage band to slouch forth from the Sydney suburbs. Owen Penglis and the rest … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Straight Arrows | It’s Happening
MP3: Motown Meltdown Vol. 2
Great concept, great results… check out this free album of Motown songs stretched, chopped, looped and distressed. In the words of label Gigante Sound: The Motown Meltdown series is born from a special collection of discs called the Motown Master Recordings Karaoke by Singing Machine. Each of these extraordinary discs contains “8 classic hits by the original artists”. These are the ORIGINAL classic Motown recordings … Continue reading MP3: Motown Meltdown Vol. 2
ds…twenty five – our favourite releases of 2010
That’s it then, 2010 done and dusted and although it wasn’t the best year ever for new music there were some damn fine records released. This year we’re seeing an even more eclectic mix of flavours coming through from witch house, minimal electronica, americana, experimental and the all encompassing indie tag. Have a look at what we loved through the year, click on the covers … Continue reading ds…twenty five – our favourite releases of 2010
ON TOUR: Stone Temple Pilots head down under…
Stone Temple Pilots will visit Australia and NZ in March 2011 as part of their reunion tour. Hopefully they make it as Scott Weiland has apparently had a few incidents and encounters since the band reconvened last year. Mar 16, 2011 Challenge Stadium, Perth – All Ages Mar 19, 2011 Festival Hall, Melbourne – All Ages Mar 20, 2011 Hordern Pavilion, Sydney – All Ages … Continue reading ON TOUR: Stone Temple Pilots head down under…
NEWS: listen to a preview from Jamie Hutchings’ new album…
Jamie Hutchings has a new album in the can and due for release in March 2011. Avalon Cassettes will be out on Laughing Outlaw Records via Inertia and hopefully also as a limited vinyl pressing. Hutchings toured Europe earlier this year and you can check out some stills shot by brother Scott on the tour and hear the stark and haunting New Vagabond over here… Continue reading NEWS: listen to a preview from Jamie Hutchings’ new album…
NEWS: Ride’s Nowhere gets the deluxe treatment…
On the 21st of December, in what will probably be the last of a number of great reissues in 2010 (Bowie’s Station To Station, Teardrop Explodes Kilimanjaro, Frankie’s Welcome To The Pleasuredome and Iggy & James Williamson’s Kill City) Rhino have seen fit to release the deluxe version of Ride’s classic album Nowhere on its 20th anniversary. Nowhere came at the crossroads of British guitar … Continue reading NEWS: Ride’s Nowhere gets the deluxe treatment…
LIVE REVIEW: Femi Kuti @ Metro, Sydney 20/11/10
written by Chris Familton Afrobeat has undergone somewhat of a renaissance in circles outside the normal purveyors of world music. In particular there have been some stellar compilations on the Soundways label that have exposed many unsung heroes of afrobeat and its various versions of psychedelic, disco, rock and funk. The figurehead of the genre was Nigeria’s Fela Kuti who reigned supreme in the 70s, … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Femi Kuti @ Metro, Sydney 20/11/10
NEWS: Earth have a new album coming…
Pretty damn excited to wake up on this friday morning to the news that Earth have a new record in the can and will be releasing it in February via Southern Lord. Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light: I was produced and recorded at Avast Studios in Seattle,Washington by Stuart Hallerman (notable engineer behind Earth 2), featuring the following line-up. Adrienne Davies – trap kit and percussives … Continue reading NEWS: Earth have a new album coming…
Doubtful Sounds 