ALBUM REVIEW: Palma Violets | 180
by Chris Familton Palma Violets fight a gallant fight and show flashes of exciting talent but ultimately this feels like a band trading on raw energy and still finding their songwriting feet. 180 is one of those albums that comes laden with tabloid music press hype so it was always going to be hard to live up to those constructed expectations, especially on one’s debut … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Palma Violets | 180
ALBUM REVIEW: Kurt Vile | Wakin On A Pretty Daze
by Chris Familton Kurt Vile’s last LP Smoke Ring For My Halo made good all the promise he had showed in flashes on his earlier albums and so, with expectation hanging heavy in the air he has gone and taken that template, tightened its sound and expanded its possibilities on the superb 69 minute Wakin On A Pretty Daze. Ten minute opener Wakin On A … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Kurt Vile | Wakin On A Pretty Daze
LIVE REVIEW: Public Image Ltd @ The Enmore Theatre, Sydney (10/04/13)
by Chris Familton With a sound comprised of vocals, guitar, bass and two keyboards Death Mattel swung wildly between urgent 90s electro pop and punk with impassioned, earnest vocals to a closing track that was easily the pick of the bunch. Its subtle snaking keyboard melody showed that an understated approach suits them best but they failed to ignite much response from the arriving crowd. … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Public Image Ltd @ The Enmore Theatre, Sydney (10/04/13)
NEW MUSIC: Beaches | Send Them Away
Melbourne quartet Beaches return with their second album She Beats, out May 3rd on the ever excellent Chapter Music label. Their debut was a brilliant mix of bittersweet psychedelic rock woth shades of krautrock and jangly guitar pop. They’ve refined that mix even further on their new single Send Them Away which sounds very reminiscent of New Zealand’s The Bats. I’m really looking forward to … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Beaches | Send Them Away
NEW MUSIC: Footy | Sea Home
Footy are an experimental electric piano duo out of Melbourne who are about to release their debut album Mobile Cemetery on May 3rd via The Lost And Lonesome Recording Co. label. The album can be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl HERE. Here is the shimmery, aquatically pulsing Sea Home for your listening pleasure… Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Footy | Sea Home
ALBUM REVIEW: PVT | Homosapien
by Chris Familton PVT have seemingly been a band in transition for their last couple of albums. Primarily that sense of flux has arisen from the necessity of a name change to avoid conflict with another Pivot and also due to the nature of the evolution of their songwriting and the increased focus on the vocals of Richard Pike, one of the defining aspects, for … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: PVT | Homosapien
LIVE REVIEW: Robert Plant & The Sensational Shape Shifters @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (28/03/13)
by Chris Familton Everyone heading to the Sydney Entertainment Centre would have been sure of one thing – that they were about to experience arguably the greatest rock vocalist of the last forty years. For many there would have also been doubts about whether they were going to get a trip down Led Zeppelin memory lane or whether Robert Plant would be exploring his fascination … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Robert Plant & The Sensational Shape Shifters @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (28/03/13)
NEW MUSIC: Iron & Wine | Joy
Following the swampier sounds of the last Iron & Wine album Sam Beam seems to have head for more soul-infused pastures from what we’ve heard of the new LP Ghost On Ghost. Here is the first video to come from the album for the song Joy. The album is out now via Nonesuch Records. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Iron & Wine | Joy
NEW MUSIC: The Murlocs | Rattle The Chain
I caught these guys playing at the Nuggets event at the Sydney Town Hall during the Sydney Festival earlier this year and I was damn impressed with The Murlocs’ bluesy take on garage rock. It was white hot, ramshackle RnB soaked rock n roll and they seem to have bottled some of the essence of that sound on their new single Rattle The Chain. It … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: The Murlocs | Rattle The Chain
NEW MUSIC: Courtney Barnett | Avant Gardener
On the back of one our favourite songs of 2012, History Eraser, Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett has issued the new track Avant Gardener that relates the onset of an allergic reaction amid the mundane chores of day to day life. Lyrically Barnett does amazing things here and on her other releases with her mix of observation and wit and it sets the bar high for … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Courtney Barnett | Avant Gardener
NEWS: Kirin J Callinan announces solo LP
Sydney’s Kirin J Callinan has announced that his solo LP Embracism will be released on June 28th via Siberia Records / Terrible Records in partnership with XL Recordings. The album was produced by Kim Moyes of The Presets and mixed in the home studio of Christ Taylor (CANT, Grizzly Bear) who runs the Terrible Records label. It also features a rhythm section of Jack Ladder and … Continue reading NEWS: Kirin J Callinan announces solo LP
LIVE REVIEW: Endless Boogie @ Goodgod Small Club, Sydney (27/03/13)
by Chris Familton Bruce!, a name so good it warrants an exclamation mark, hail from the Wollongong area and brought some of their no-frills rock up to the big smoke. They played hard, fast and exceptionally tight rock and showed their record collections are probably populated with albums by bands like Misfits (who they covered), Clutch and Queens of the Stone Age. Having three vocalists … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Endless Boogie @ Goodgod Small Club, Sydney (27/03/13)
Doubtful Sounds 