REVIEW: WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – The Sparrow And The Crow

1 2 3 4 5 Indie and Americana have spawned two interesting strains of music in recent years. One school is the Eliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens and Jose Gonzales fragile acoustic wanderings that stretch back to the likes of Nick Drake. Their sound is light and emotionally driven but it doesn’t have a depth or generate a great level of connection to these ears. The … Continue reading REVIEW: WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – The Sparrow And The Crow

REVIEW: BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – Smoking Acid EP

Anton Newcombe has a long history of erratic live shows, mixed messages and a revolving door policy with bandmates. Through all the sensationalism, he keeps churning out the music – a point often unfairly overlooked by many critics of his antics. Smoking Acid is a precursor to the next full length from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and it shows Newcombe in fine psychedelic form. Recorded … Continue reading REVIEW: BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE – Smoking Acid EP

MP3: DECODER RING – Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom

Sydney’s Decoder Ring return from the wilderness of touring and recent Coldplay support with a lovely new instrumental track that you can download below. Its a smooth and breezy track that burbles with electronic mischief and a Mercury Rev/Tortoise ethereal fluidity. It reminds one of the feeling when you are cycling effortlessly down a hill on a warm summers day, unrestricted and free… The track … Continue reading MP3: DECODER RING – Let A Thousand Flowers Bloom

REVIEW: FLIPPER @ Manning Bar 13/06/09

Reunion tours are a common occurrence these days and for the most part they are performed by commercially successful bands trading on nostalgia. In that context it was a pleasant surprise to see Flipper hit Australian shores to remind people of their standing as one of the true originators of US punk and deliver what they themselves called a “true Flipper show”. Perhaps the biggest disappointment … Continue reading REVIEW: FLIPPER @ Manning Bar 13/06/09

REVIEW: CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND – Outer South

At last count, Conor Oberst has released 15 full-length albums under the guise of his various solo and band projects. At only 29 years of age, that is a mightily impressive phy to carry around, and in the Americana genre he is matched only by the equally prolific Ryan Adams. Outer South sees Oberst adding his Mystic Valley Band’s name to the album and dividing … Continue reading REVIEW: CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND – Outer South