LIVE REVIEW: John Grant, John Murry @ Paradiso at Town Hall, Sydney (16/01/14)
Darren Sylvester opened the show with a solo set that felt a little dwarfed by the expanse of the Town Hall and the slowly arriving punters. With the aid of backing tracks he hit similar territory to 90s Suede and 80s dream pop but would be a much more interesting proposition with other musicians around him. John Murry’s The Graceless Age (2012) has been a … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: John Grant, John Murry @ Paradiso at Town Hall, Sydney (16/01/14)
LIVE REVIEW: Savages @ Metro Theatre, Sydney (05/02/14)
Savages played an intense set that successfully blended theatricality with impressive musicality. All four musicians were completely in the pocket with their respective instruments. Drum sticks were raised high like axe handles, beating out tribal disco grooves that embraced primitive physicality and literate technical nuance. Bass player Ayse Hassan moved in perfect unison with her guitar and the notes she was drawing from it, whether … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Savages @ Metro Theatre, Sydney (05/02/14)
VIDEO: The City Lights | (She’s Got) My Name and My Number
The City Lights have been our recent track of the week with (She’s Got) My Name and My Number and now they’ve gone and released a clip for the song, filmed at Sydney’s Midnight Special. The track is available as a split 7″ with The Exile Co and via their Bandcamp page. Continue reading VIDEO: The City Lights | (She’s Got) My Name and My Number
ALBUM REVIEW: Wooden Shjips | Back To Land
Wooden Shjips have been mining the same rich vein of droning, psychedelic space rock over three albums and a couple of compilations yet here, on their fourth, they show no signs of going stale as they slyly inject subtle variations into their tried and true style. If Back To Land has anything to differentiate itself from previous releases it is in the looser and lighter … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Wooden Shjips | Back To Land
NEW MUSIC: Chad VanGaalen | Where Are You?
Chad VanGaalen has a knack for writing skewed interstellar pop music that sounds both childlike and futuristic at the same time. His album Soft Airplane was a particular favourite of mine (among the four he’s released) so it’s exciting to read he has a new LP Shrink Dust coming out on April 19th via Sub Pop. PREORDER Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Chad VanGaalen | Where Are You?
NEW RELEASE: Sunnyboys debut to be reissued
NEW RELEASE: On March 14th a Deluxe Edition CD and digital version of Sunnyboys’ debut album will be released. The album has been remastered and includes 24 bonus tracks – the entire album sessions, including later b-sides Stop & Think, Guts Of Iron & Physical Jerk. Also included for the first time on CD and download are the live tracks Thrill and Why Do I … Continue reading NEW RELEASE: Sunnyboys debut to be reissued
NEWS: Slint to release remastered Spiderland box set
Slint were a band whose influence far outweighed their popularity. Their type of post-punk infused post-rock spawned many an imitator over the ensuing decades and now their most important album Spiderland is getting the reissue treatment. The Spiderland (Remastered) Box Set will be released April 15th and includes: Slint’s 1991 album, Spiderland, remastered from the original analog master tapes by Bob Weston and pressed on … Continue reading NEWS: Slint to release remastered Spiderland box set
LIVE REVIEW: Bombino @ The Spiegeltent, Sydney (09/01/14)
The Sydney Festival always provides the perfect opportunity for open-minded music fans to discover new and diverse acts and styles of music. Listening to a few conversations in the queue before the doors opened it appeared there were a quite a number of attendees with little or no knowledge of the music of Omara Moctar, otherwise known as Bombino. What they witnessed over the ensuing … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Bombino @ The Spiegeltent, Sydney (09/01/14)
LIVE REVIEW: Johnny Marr, Jep & Dep @ OAF, Sydney (07/01/14)
Jep & Dep were a curious choice as opening act, their alt-country/folk sound quite different to that of the headliner but it worked extremely well. Dep (Darren Cross, ex-Gerling) and Jep (Jessica Cassar) displayed wonderfully balanced vocal harmonies with Cross’ moodier, outlaw country delivery complementing Cassar’s folkier, more ethereal voice. They played their Cave/Kylie take on the latter’s Confide In Me and their originals showed … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Johnny Marr, Jep & Dep @ OAF, Sydney (07/01/14)
INFINITY BROKE | New video + new single
Jamie Hutchings’ new band Infinity Broke is something of a return to the noisier exploratory guitar rock that he mastered so well with Bluebottle Kiss. As well as featuring Scott Hutchings and Rueben Wills the quartet also includes Jared Harrison (Bluebottle Kiss) on drums and as they enter the final stages of pressing up vinyl copies of their debut LP they’ve just released a clip for … Continue reading INFINITY BROKE | New video + new single
LIVE REVIEW: The War On Drugs @ OAF, Sydney (06/01/14)
With friend and musical co-conspirator Kurt Vile in town shortly and getting more attention one might expect Adam Granduciel and his band The War on Drugs to fly under the radar yet they went close to selling out the Oxford Art Factory and played a show that was hypnotic and faultless. Locals Day Ravies opened the evening with a set that was tentative and underwhelming … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: The War On Drugs @ OAF, Sydney (06/01/14)
ALBUM REVIEW: T54 | In Brush Park
Noisy psych guitar pop is in abundance in New Zealand at the moment and the cream of the crop like Popstrangers, Surf City and these fine gentlemen, T54, are improving with each new release. Flying Nun is a natural home for the band as they deal equally and unassumingly in melody and adventurous sonics, soaking up the influence of their predecessors like 3Ds, JPS Experience … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: T54 | In Brush Park
Doubtful Sounds 