Die! Die! Die! formed their sonic aesthetic early in their career, those waves of coruscating guitars, tumbling melodic bass-lines, pummelling drums and Andrew Wilson’s passionate punk yelp. S W I M (someone who isn’t me) hits all the same marks while also sounding wider and more worldly, no doubt informed by relentless touring. The fuzz and repetition of ‘Angel’, the hyper speed MBV sound of … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Die! Die! Die! | S W I M
Christchurch natives, now based in Wellington, Minderbender are a duo that clearly have a taste for post punk and electronic music in equal quantities. Emotions is their debut album and it successfully embraces both organic and synthetic musical sounds and revels in their primitive and direct application. The title of the album sums up its theme of twelve different human emotions from ‘Expectations’ through ‘Evasion’, … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Minderbender | Emotions
There’s always mild controversy surrounding Morrissey so when a new album rolls around it serves as a timely reminder of the man’s ability as a singer and lyricist. Here he sticks firmly to the grand indie-pop/glam rock n roll template he mastered decades ago but it now sounds more stately and controlled with flashes of Spanish guitar, horns and subtle electronica. His lyrics are as … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Morrissey | World Peace is None of Your Business
Fink, aka Fin Greenall, has been weaving his voice across electronic, folk, dub and soulful indie soundscapes as a solo artist for eight years now and on his fifth studio album he pretty much sticks to the same template which means varied and occasionally good results. He’s at his best when he ventures into darker territory like the depth charge minimalist dub of ‘White Flag’ and … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Fink | Hard Believer
New Zealand has a knack for churning out skewed indie guitar-pop music. From the heyday of the Flying Nun roster through to modern day exponents like Popstrangers there is a unifying seam of bristling, effervescent melodies colliding at interesting angles with chaotic guitars and rhythms and Beach Pigs are another gem from the same goldmine. The opener ‘Daydreamer’ sets the bar high and yet it … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Beach Pigs | Grom Warfare
Mastodon stand tall as one of the few bands that transcend the metal genre and appeal to a wide range of music fans from the indie world to classic metal-heads and those with a penchant for the more progressive and experimental end of the heavy music spectrum. On their sixth album in a dozen years they bring together all the disparate elements of their musical … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Mastodon | Once More ‘Round The Sun
Led Zeppelin have always retained a sense of myth about them and they remain intact as an iconic representation of 70s rock music. They released their first six essential albums over six years and split when drummer John Bonham died in 1980 which effectively froze them in rock n roll carbonite. Sporadic one-off live reunions and various live compilations have done little to satiate obsessive … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin III – Deluxe Editions
As the title suggests, this is album number ten for the Maryland trio and as far as marking that milestone the record is something of a summation of their musical magpie tendencies. Across eleven tracks Trans Am swing from metallic post-rock to tranced-out kosmiche and krautrock grooves, some wispy folk and strange robotic 80s post punk diversions. Most bands tend to blur and blend their … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Trans Am | Volume X
The Horrors were a band that first appeared on the music scene in 2007 like a gothic cartoon brought to life. Ridiculed in some quarters for their solemn appearance and Bauhaus/Birthday Party’isms they seemed consigned to the shadowy perimeters of popular culture, flavour of the month at best. Somehow though they clawed their way onwards and upwards through Primary Colours and Skying, bursting through the … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Horrors | Luminous
Many thought that it was well and truly the end of the line when Greg Dulli, John Curley, Rick McCollum and drummer Steve Earle went their separate ways in 2001. Their dark and mysterious chemistry felt like it had probably run its natural course yet they went out on the back of their three finest albums. It was therefore a surprise to many when The … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: The Afghan Whigs | Do To The Beast
This is Grayson Gilmour’s second album and it shows a marked advancement in poise and maturity. The drums are pulled back and instead the focus is on a rich and ornate palette of guitars and synths that provide a cinematic and immersive backdrop for his considered vocals which bring to mind fellow art-pop luminaries such as Wild Beasts, Talk Talk and Scritti Politti. This is … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: Grayson Gilmour | Infinite Life!
Take one part The Drones, one part Neil Young and a touch of raw guitar-driven soul and you’re on your way to getting to grips with the sound of this Melbourne band. Their attraction lies in the mellow/intense mood shifts of songs like Darius, the cathartic wailing angst of Dirty Bird and record’s skeletal musical bones. Seven Drummers, named for those who’ve occupied the drum … Continue reading ALBUM REVIEW: East Brunswick All Girls Choir | Seven Drummers
Doubtful Sounds 