We’re loving Caroline, the new single from Bad//Dreems, you should too. It rips, rolls and jangles and with parched vocals killing the chorus. Here is the new video to prove it… Continue reading VIDEO: Bad//Dreems | Caroline
by Chris Familton John Grant first came to prominence as the singer of The Czars around the turn of the century before returning with his highly regarded solo LP Queen of Denmark in 2010. Fans of that record will find some songs here that fit the same template as his solo debut but they may also be surprised by the heavy streak of retro electronica … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: John Grant | Pale Green Ghosts
by Chris Familton Ducktails is the solo project for Matt Mondanile whose regular music day job is with laid back indie guitar popsters Real Estate. As their profile has grown, so too has the level of attention Ducktails music has received as it has evolved from relatively lo-fi and fragmented beginnings to a fully fledged and comparatively slick form as evidenced by the exceptional new … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Ducktails | The Flower Lane
by Chris Familton The term ‘Flying Nun sound’ gets bandied around a lot but in truth the acts on the New Zealand label’s roster were a diverse bunch. Popstrangers released an early single on the label and have been tagged with Flying Nun references but unlike usual suspects The Bats and The Clean, Popstrangers sit firmly in darker sonic corners where Gordons, JPS Experience and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Popstrangers | Antipodes
by Chris Familton Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent) has proven to be something of a prolific and mercurial songwriter since his third album Pride caught people’s attention in 2007 with its stark and heartfelt folk songs. Since then he confessed his love for Willie Nelson before further embracing country music on Here’s To Taking It Easy. Muchacho is a shift from the musical themes of those records, … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Phosphorescent | Muchacho
Purling Hiss have just released their new album Water On Mars via Drag City/Mistletone and we’re hooked on first listen. They’ve refined the noise and boosted all the great elements of psych, pop and garage rock to produce an album that embraces all the greatness of 90s guitar music from Nirvana to Dinosaur Jr to The Lemonheads. The band come out of the same loose … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Purling Hiss | Mercury Retrograde
by Chris Familton 26 years after departing what many felt were the most important UK band of the 80s Johnny Marr is finally releasing his debut solo album after collaborations with Bernard Sumner, The The, Modest Mouse, The Cribs and others yet The Messenger defiantly signals a return to those original tumbling notes and familiar sparkling chords. The immediate thing that stands out is the … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Johnny Marr | The Messenger
by Chris Familton Popstrangers are the latest in a long line of New Zealand bands to emerge with a psychedelic and moody take on pop-tinged post punk. Their debut album Antipodes proves the band aren’t just riding on the hype of a few singles, instead it shows they have a strong idea of the sounds and ideas they want to capture, though Joel Flyger is … Continue reading INTERVIEW: Popstrangers
Melbourne is throwing up some great soul and funk bands of late, particularly the ones with a subtle strain of garage rock running through their grooves. Saskwatch have released a new single this month which was recorded by go-to-guy Mikey Young. It is out now digitally and will be followed by a 7″ vinyl release on Northside Records. Keep an eye on their Bandcamp page … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Saskwatch | I Get Lonely
by Chris Familton Pissed Jeans… how can anyone go past a name like that? As a descriptor of the band that the moniker graces it is a pretty appropriate for these Pennsylvanian miscreants who ooze bodily fluids, sordid themes and many forms of self loathing and disdain. Following on from 2009’s Hope For Men, Honeys sticks to the same template of that and previous records … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Pissed Jeans | Honeys
We’ve been talking up Bad Dreems since they first emerged and they’ve just posted a stream of their forthcoming single Caroline which is due out April 6th and is the first taste of their new EP which will be out soon. Caroline sees them hitting The Soft Pack meets Nirvana territory with a tumbling rhythm section and vocals that shift gears from ambling to shredding and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Bad Dreems | Caroline
by Chris Familton The previous night at the Bimbagden Estate winery in the Hunter Valley was a superb 2 hour show from Neil Young & Crazy Horse with only one thing missing – his full stage setup. Of course musically it didn’t matter, everything still sounded as widescreen and epic as usual but it certainly felt comforting to arrive at the Sydney Entertainment Centre to … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (10/03/13)
Doubtful Sounds 