Defiantly independent and creatively driven, Darren Cross is always seeking new ways to translate his ideas and influences into music. Whether it was in the heady days of indie/electro guitar punks Gerling, as a DJ and electronic music producer, as one half of folk noir duo Jep and Dep (with Jessica Cassar) or as a solo artist. Under his own name he’s released two solo … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Darren Cross
Aldous Harding has announced her new LP Designer and shared the first single/video from it – ‘The Barrel’. The new record follows her critically acclaimed 2017 album Party and was again produced by John Parish. It hits stores and online on April 26th via 4AD and Remote Control Records. Aldous Harding – Designer 1. Fixture Picture 2. Designer 3. Zoo Eyes 4. Treasure 5. The … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Aldous Harding – The Barrel
UK group These New Puritans return with ‘Inside The Rose’, the second single (and NSFW video) from their forthcoming new LP of the same name, due out March 22nd. It’s their first album in six years and saw the band record in Berlin, London and Southend-on-Sea, before mixing it in Los Angeles. The group have reverted to the original duo of brothers Jack and George … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: These New Puritans – Inside The Rose
The Beasts Still Here Bang! Records / Rocket A new album from the remaining members of the Beasts of Bourbon (under the name The Beasts) is a bittersweet thing in light of the passing of bassist Brian Hooper and more recently Spencer P. Jones. The name of the band and the album are self explanatory and though there’s enough to justify the band coming together … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Beasts – Still Here
No Age, Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Arse, Basic Human Oxford Art Factory February 14th, 2019 Almost ten years to the day that No Age last played Sydney, at the 2009 Laneway Festival, the Los Angeles duo return on the back of their critically acclaimed album of last year, Snares Like A Haircut. A fine four-band lineup had been put together for the evening and all … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: No Age @ Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Previously Kera & The Lesbians, KERA have joined up with folk musician Devendra Banhart for this beautiful slice of cosmic folk music that encourages and touts the joy and importance of communal support and resilience. It’s dreamy, heartfelt and gently soul-stirring stuff. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: KERA – Bright Future Ahead (ft. Devendra Banhart)
Blissed out hypo-indie sounds from New York drummer Alex Beckmann who records under the name MMBLR. ‘That Breeze’ is a nice mix of studio nous and songwriting. There’s a warm, bucolic mood to the song which possesses a stylistic blend of folky/trip-hop influences. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: MMBLR – That Breeze
Almanacs is the work of Honduran sound artist Wilmer Murillo. ‘Love Peak’ is the title track from his album that came out a few weeks ago and its a beautifully aqueous piece of music that drifts on a warm sonic current of synths, conjuring up all kinds of constantly morphing images that form and dissipate into the aether. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Almanacs – Love Peak
Cass McCombs Tip Of The Sphere Anti- / Cooking Vinyl Australia For a number of years, across seven albums, Cass McCombs flew under the radar for the most part. He was recognised for his work but it wasn’t until the critical acclaim and success of Mangy Love in 2016 that he went overground and found himself the talk of the indie world. That album was … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Cass McCombs – Tip Of The Sphere
Primer is the work of Michigan vocalist/producer Alyssa Midcalf who is also one half of Parts. The melancholic yet uplifting synth sound of TVI comes from her debut solo album Novelty, out March 1st on the Detroit label Young Heavy Souls. The song works so well in the way that it doesn’t rely on the synths as a retro/nostalgic tool, they’re emotive and essential to the tone and … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Primer – TVI
Kick off the week with a dose of shoegaze courtesy of North American group Sungaze. It’s the warm season in this part of the world and this track, ‘New Familiar’, suits the weather perfectly with its warm, bucolic strum, hazy and blissed-out vocal and the light-tripping rhythm section. There are touches of Ride and The Charlatans in the dreaminess of the band’s sound. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Sungaze – New Familiar
Here’s a soaring, brisk slice of indie guitar pop courtesy of UK band FUR. ‘Him & Her’ channels The Beatles, The Kinks and The Las with a light psych touch and without ever getting too coy or knowing in their references. Infectious stuff. Their self-titled EP will be released on February 14th via Nice Swan Records. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: Fur – Him & Her
Doubtful Sounds 