New Zealand’s The Checks have had a pretty eventful 8 years together with Ian Broudie producing their debut album touring with R.E.M and The Hives and opening for Oasis. For a group of guys still in their early 20s they’ve already achieved more than most will in an entire career. It was surprising they were only playing to a mid-sized audience at the Annandale on … Continue reading REVIEW: THE CHECKS @ Annandale, Sydney (22/04/10)
Mogwai have teamed up with Vincent Moon and Nathanael le Scouarnec, the guys behind La Blogotheque’s Take-Away Shows, for a live film called Burning that will be out in late August this year. The film is part of a CD/DVD release alongside the live album Special Moves. There will also be a limited deluxe triple vinyl box set which will also include the dvd of … Continue reading VIDEO: Trailer for live MOGWAI film…
Justin Townes Earle is certainly doing the hard yards to grow his audience in this part of the world. This tour is his his third visit to Australia in the last 16 months and he seems to be garnering larger crowds and wider praise each time he plays here. Fresh from Bluesfest, Earle was doing a run of shows down the east coast including the … Continue reading REVIEW: JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE @ Factory Theatre, Sydney 09/04/10
Soundgarden played their first public show at Seattle’s Showbox on the weekend under the anagram NudeDragons and though the security was apparently tight there were a few determined folk who got some great audio only recordings. Chris Cornell’s voice still hits those high notes and the rest of the band sound pretty fucking great… UPDATE: check out a review of the show over HERE Continue reading NEWS: Audio from SOUNDGARDEN warm-up show…
The back story of Brightblack Morning Light involves the band living in New Mexico, off the national power grid and living and recording via solar panels. On record their music evokes that same area of the world with desert desolation and wide open spaces. How that would translate to a club environment was always going to be interesting as the band isn’t your straight up … Continue reading REVIEW: Brightblack Morning Light @ OAF, Sydney 07/04/10
New Zealand dub and reggae has experienced an explosion of activity over the last decade with acts like Fat Freddy’s Drop, Salmonella Dub, Pitch Black and Kora all contributing their own angle to it’s rhythms and rhymes. The Black Seeds are the most accessible of the bunch and with four albums (and a remix album) under their belt they have also shown longevity and proficiency. … Continue reading REVIEW: THE BLACK SEEDS @ Metro Theatre, Sydney 19/03/10
written by Razza G. I’m not sure what ‘dead weather’ is, but if it’s humid and airless then the weather is perfect for this gig at the Enmore. The carpet has never felt stickier, the beer has never been warmer or less refreshing, the crowd never sweatier, the air never swampier. The staging sets the mood, with deep blue lights and a prog/goth backdrop (brain … Continue reading REVIEW: THE DEAD WEATHER @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney 26/03/10
Sounding like Manhattan Transfer on an African safari with Talking Heads… Three months into 2010 and we’ve been graced by the presence of two of the more interesting and creatively adventurous indie bands of recent years. Grizzly Bear entranced many at their Sydney Festival shows and though a little lower on the radar, Dirty Projectors showed at the Metro what a truly unique and rewarding … Continue reading REVIEW: DIRTY PROJECTORS @ Metro, Sydney 10/03/10
reviewed for FasterLouder A fair amount of trepidation accompanies a gig like this, such is the reputation of mainman Anton Newcombe. Reports of their Gaelic Theatre show a few years ago were either frothing about Newcombe’s shambolic antics or deriding it for the lack of focus on the music. Either way it would have made for a memorable gig and it definitely didn’t deter the … Continue reading REVIEW: THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE @ Metro, Sydney 28/02/10
reviewed for FasterLouder Mastodon are one of the new breed of bands that are able to incorporate multiple strains of metal and weave them into something that resembles a progression rather than a regression of the genre. On the back of their epic album Crack The Skye they finally hit Sydney as part of the Big Day Out juggernaut and proceeded to lay waste to … Continue reading REVIEW: MASTODON @ UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney 21/01/10
In the early 00s bands from New York like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Strokes and Interpol all experienced a wealth of attention with their fresh takes on older musical genres and strong images that made them perfect fodder for magazines and marketing depts. Of those three bands YYY have managed to hold onto their mojo the longest with The Strokes burning out early (either by design … Continue reading REVIEW: YEAH YEAH YEAHS @ Hordern Pavilion, Sydney 08/01/10
There have been some recent journalistic doubting of the authenticity of Seasick Steve’s persona and the stories of his life experiences. Anyone not convinced of his right to play the blues need only witness the man live in concert where his music rightfully and righteously sets the record straight. The Snowdroppers were one of those little known support acts that impresses and leaves a lasting … Continue reading REVIEW: SEASICK STEVE @ The Metro, Sydney 04/01/10
Doubtful Sounds 