LIVE REVIEW: Joan As Police Woman @ Factory Theatre, Sydney (2019)
Joan As Police Woman Factory Theatre 9 October As a venue, the Factory Theatre often lacks warmth and atmosphere but on this night Joan As Police Woman transformed it into a dreamy basement cabaret bar. There was no support act due to her playing two sets – another tip of the hat to the jazz bar scenario. It also gave the fans a chance … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Joan As Police Woman @ Factory Theatre, Sydney (2019)
NEW MUSIC: UK Apache with Shy FX – Original Nuttah 25
UK Apache and soundman, DJ and UK pioneer, Shy FX have released ‘Original Nuttah 25’ – a re-recorded and re-mastered seminal anthem ‘Original Nuttah’ that shook dance floors back on 1994 with its hard-hitting seminal jungle beats. It still sounds gloriously heavy and madcap. The re-mastered and re-recorded 2019 version of the all-time classic features an original vocal from actor Idris Elba, Shy FX says of ‘Original Nuttah 25’: “This record changed my life … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: UK Apache with Shy FX – Original Nuttah 25
NEW MUSIC: CJ Stranger – Strange One
“A stream-of-consciousness ramble of a day living in the inner-west” Hooks and riffs abound with laidback verve and hypnotic charm on this new single from Blue Mountains, NSW resident CJ Stranger. That’s the nom de plume of songwriter and guitarist Cameron James Henderson and on this track he hits a sweet spot between The War On Drugs and Kurt Vile with a cool blend of … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: CJ Stranger – Strange One
ALBUM REVIEW: Underground Lovers – A Left Turn
Underground Lovers A Left Turn Rubber Records ★★★★ Underground Lovers are back with their ninth studio album, their third since they reactivated after a hiatus through the first decade of the 21st century. That return showed they were still in fine form with their blend of psychedelic indie rock and electronica and they’ve again produced a strong album that brings those elements together in perfect … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Underground Lovers – A Left Turn
NEW MUSIC: ACUA – Keep Spinning
ACUA are a post-punk band from Cologne who sit somewhere in the sweet spot between the aforementioned genre and the more hypnotic side of dream-pop, shoegaze and indie rock. ‘Keep Spinning’ is the their latest single and finds the fairly new band blending synths and guitars into a really nice sound (reminiscent of RIDE), balanced between drift and drive, where texture is everything. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: ACUA – Keep Spinning
ALBUM REVIEW: Refused – War Music
Refused War Music Spinefarm/Search and Destroy ★★★½ With the band’s split in 1998, it took 14 years for them to spread their various music wings (including the excellent International Noise Conspiracy) and re-set their personal lives before reconvening for live shows and then delivering the strong comeback album Freedom in 2015. It showed they were still vital and able to conjure up fire-in-the-belly forward thinking … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Refused – War Music
NEW MUSIC: Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human
‘Being Human’, by Manchester songwriter and producer Caoilfhionn Rose (pronounced Keelin) is one of those tracks that combines mystery, beauty, lush production and a voice that possesses effortless melodic qualities. It comes from her debut LP Awaken, out now on Gondwana Records. Mixing pastoral folk, light psychedelia and indie sensibilities the song is a good reflection of the overall strength of Awaken as an album. Recommended! Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Caoilfhionn Rose – Being Human
NEW MUSIC: Alaskan Tapes – Views From Sixteen Stories
Last month, Canadian composer Alaskan Tapes (Brady Kendall) released his new album Views From Sixteen Stories. Check out the title track below, a warm, dream-like, swelling piece of music that rises and falls with a certain weightlessness. There’s sonic depth to it too. Turn up the volume and the richness of the bass tones resonate wonderfully through the track. Hit the Bandcamp link to stream and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Alaskan Tapes – Views From Sixteen Stories
NEW MUSIC: Easy Street – Get On
Australian band Easy Street throw a Dylan-like urging vocal and some loose-limbed exuberance into the musical blender on this new track ‘Get On’. It’s one of those songs that feels purpose-built for the fast approaching warmer months. Hailing from Sydney, the quintet have a great carefree and melodic, garage psychedelia going on in their sound. We’re looking forward to hearing more from the band. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Easy Street – Get On
NEW MUSIC: Mofer – Sometimes
You know when you hear something that sounds so familiar, the sum of their influences but you can’t nail them down to any degree of specificity? That was how felt on hearing this track from German band Mofer. It’s steeped in the history of post-punk, with the anguish-tinged, staring-at-the-horizon vocal, that Stephen Morris-like drumming and guitars that skate across the surface of the song. It … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Mofer – Sometimes
Michael A. Muller – Lower River
Michael A. Muller is a co-founder of Balmorhea who have released six albums over the last 13 years. ‘Lower River’ is the title track of his solo album and it’s a wonderfully immersive and hypnotic piece of ambient, droning music that hangs in the air, draped in resonating, melancholic chords. The press releases describes the track as being inspired by his own remote travels throughout … Continue reading Michael A. Muller – Lower River
NEW MUSIC: Christopher Tignor – The Resonance Canons
Christopher Tignor is a New York composer with an impressive CV. In his early days he mixed sound at CBGBs, was an assistant to La Monte Young. He gained a Masters in computer science from NYU, proceeded through Princeton’s PhD program in music composition, and was later recruited for a software engineering position at Google. He’s released nine albums and collaborated with a range of other … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Christopher Tignor – The Resonance Canons
Doubtful Sounds 