NEW MUSIC: Pure Moods – Backwards World
Melbourne trio Pure Moods released their new album Upward Spiral late last year and this is one of the feature tracks from it, ‘Backwards World’. The song has that familiar lackadaisical Australian indie jangle and strum while also drawing a line back to Trans-Tasman bands such as The Chills. The rest of the album operates in similarly pleasing territory, ambling along in its own mellow … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Pure Moods – Backwards World
LIVE REVIEW: Moon Duo @ OAF, Sydney
MOON DUO OXFORD ART FACTORY 13/02/20 The evolution of Moon Duo has been a slow and steady one over the last decade. Originally starting as a duo of Wooden Shjips guitarist Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada, the pair have retained their minimal aesthetic and core personnel but expanded their live performance to include a drummer and most recently, a stunning light show, by Manchester-based visual … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Moon Duo @ OAF, Sydney
NEW MUSIC: Quivers – When It Breaks
We’ve dug everything we’ve heard from Quivers and this single, released toward the end of 2019 is no exception. That blend of jangly/chiming guitars, melancholy and effortless momentum. It’s like a road trip soundtracked by The Byrds and The Bats. Lovely stuff. Quivers is the lyric-driven guitar-pop project of Tasmanian Sam J Nicholson. Having moved to Melbourne, the band is rounded-out by Bella Quinlan (bass), Holly Thomas (drums) and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Quivers – When It Breaks
NEW MUSIC: Mazeppa – The Way In
Mazeppa are an Israeli psychedelic rock band who have recently released the video clip for their second single from their upcoming album. Michal Perez Noy, a Haifa musician and composer, initiated in 2017 a project to compose songs by the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. She was soon joined by Asaf Koren (guitar), Elad Bardes (bass) and Amir Noy (drums) and what started as the … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Mazeppa – The Way In
NEW MUSIC: Talk Show – Banshee
There are some really interesting new bands coming out of the UK at the moment. From Black Midi to Dry Cleaning, Shopping to Black Country, New Road. All of them are taking indie rock, post-punk and art pop and sifting in experimental elements of free-from expression. Talk Show combine post-punk rhythm and edge really nicely on this new track which comes from their forthcoming March … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Talk Show – Banshee
NEWS: Mick Harvey Announces New Soundtrack
Mick Harvey will release his first soundtrack in ten years with Waves of ANZAC / The Journey via Mute / [PIAS]on 3 April 2020. The album features two recent soundtracks to powerful subject matters recorded by Mick Harvey. The first, Waves of Anzac looks at Sam Neill’s personal family history interwoven with the history of the First World War and the ANZACs through to the modern era while the … Continue reading NEWS: Mick Harvey Announces New Soundtrack
NEW MUSIC: Musketeer – Wolves
German songwriter Musketeer has released this haunting slice of melancholia – folk-like with a gothic twist. It unfurls beautifully with a strong poetic bent. Described as a howling testament to a pack of wolves returning to Denmark (after not being sighted there for 200 years), this version of ‘Wolves’ is built around acoustic guitar and a synth – a much starker version that the drums-assisted previous … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Musketeer – Wolves
NEW MUSIC: Silverbacks – Sirens
Irish rock music has had a strong year – with albums from Fontaines D.C. and The Murder Capital particular standouts. The song ‘Sirens’ by Silverbacks also caught our ear with its Krautrock insistency, chanting vocal and guitars that splinter, chime and spark off into interesting dynamic directions. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Silverbacks – Sirens
NEW MUSIC: Ben Neill – Auricle
Working at the junction of ambient, avant garde jazz and electronica, Ben Neill has just reissued his 1995 album Green Machine, an album that received widespread critical acclaim on its original release on the Astralwerks label. The music on the album is performed on his self designed, electro-acoustic Mutantrumpet, skilfully navigating a netherworld between organic and synthetic composition and playing. This track ‘Auricle’ is the perfect … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Ben Neill – Auricle
NEW MUSIC: Space Church – The Ambassador
Space Church hail from the south east of England and they’ve been trading in a type of mellow and moody post rock/math rock sound over a few releases now. Their latest is Tuff Ambassador, from which this slinky slice of tugging, teasing and interweaving paths and rhythms comes – ‘The Ambassador’. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Space Church – The Ambassador
NEW MUSIC: Fly My Pretties – Quiet Girl
New Zealand collective Fly My Pretties have been a live proposition up until recently when they entered the studio to record new imaginings of tracks from their back catalogue. The Studio Recordings Part One involved 25 contributors over a 12 month period – including Barnaby Weir (The Black Seeds) accompanied by Anna Coddington, Bailey Wiley, A Girl Named Mo, Hollie Smith, LA Mitchell (Terrible Sons), Lisa Tomlins, … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Fly My Pretties – Quiet Girl
FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2019
Another fine year of music (isn’t it always?!) and one where we found ourselves heading in multiple directions with the kind of things we were seeking out and listening to. From metal to ambient, electronic to country music – there were aural gems to be discovered across the musical spectrum in 2019. Here then are 50 of our favourite albums from the year. The ones … Continue reading FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2019
Doubtful Sounds 