1 2 3 4 5 Broken hearts, broken minds and broken souls are the constant themes of Soulsavers second album Broken. The dark side is explored and despairs are aired on what is a dense and (for want of a better word) ‘gothic’ album. Helmed by the English duo of Rich Machin and Ian Glover it features an enviable line-up of musicians who have all … Continue reading REVIEW: SOULSAVERS – Broken
1 2 3 4 5 Sydney’s Wifey at first glance fit neatly into a hybrid of indie and americana with their strumming guitars and violin. On the evidence of their new EP Salt Sugar Fat they are much more than that. Homing is a gloriously catchy opening track that does fit the Okkervil River tag that some have attached to them. It rolls along, comfortable … Continue reading REVIEW: WIFEY – Salt Sugar Fat EP
1 2 3 4 5 REVIEWED FOR THE DWARF. Damien Binder is a New Zealander now residing in Sydney who has been peddling his wares as a singer/songwriter for a decade now. In a prior musical life he fronted Auckland band Second Child who had were a different type of beast – louder and faster in a post punk, angular indie style. His progression to … Continue reading REVIEW: DAMIEN BINDER – While The Wind’s At Your Back
It is always interesting to see which bands get the big breaks and which don’t. Violent Soho have recently signed to Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label after he heard their debut We Don’t Belong Here, and they’ve played some showcase gigs in the USA including one exclusive performance for Rick Rubin. Talons on the other hand recently released their debut self-titled album and have been … Continue reading REVIEW: TALONS + VIOLENT SOHO @ Spectrum (29/08/09)
Reviewed for Cyclic Defrost Based in Chicago, multi-instrumentalist and composer Derrick Stembridge has taken a step back in time with this release – Facewithin. It sounds like Depeche Mode must have been a big influence on his formative musical years, such is the way in which he uses rhythm and darker synths to create these 6 tracks (plus 3 remixes). Twinkling melodies hang in the … Continue reading REVIEW: DRIFTING IN SILENCE – Facewithin
1 2 3 4 5 Reviewed for FasterLouder Indie folk bands are a dime a dozen these days. You’ve got the likes of Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer taking african pop flavours and mixing them with danceable indie and then you have the likes of Iron + Wine and Devendra Banhart who take traditional folk, add a dash of indie and create their own tweaked and … Continue reading REVIEW: THE DODOS – Time To Die
1 2 3 4 5 I first saw The Phillies (as they are affectionately known) at the Laneway Festival and they stood out early in the day as a band in sync with each other and harnessing a good slab of enthusiasm in their music and performance. Cut to the first time I heard them on the radio and the one disappointment I had was … Continue reading REVIEW: PHILADELPHIA GRAND JURY – Hope Is For Hopers
1 2 3 4 5 Reviewed for The Dwarf… Minuit have been playing their dance-pop electronica in New Zealand for over a decade now and with this their third album they have come of age musically. In saying that, not everything works on this record. First single Wayho is a promising start with its bouncing buzzing bass and off beat toms. Singer Ruth Carr intones … Continue reading REVIEW: MINUIT – Find Me Before I Die A Lonely Death .Com
1 2 3 4 5 reviewed for FasterLouder HEALTH are yet another band to step up to the plate from the semi-legendary Smell venue in Los Angeles. Their first album got the bloggers and the indie underground excited with the way they took the DIY electronic sounds and added some choreographed aggression and a hazy sheen. They straddled multiple camps of indie, electronic, experimental and … Continue reading REVIEW: HEALTH – Get Color
1 2 3 4 5 Reviewed for FasterLouder It is surprising that musicians don’t do this kind of thing more – getting together for the sake of the music, collaborating and sharing the experience of songwriting. One way to do it is the ‘supergroup’ which can either work (Them Crooked Vultures, Temple Of The Dog) or can be a turgid affair (Chickenfoot, Tinted Windows). The … Continue reading REVIEW: 7 WORLDS COLLIDE – The Sun Came Out
1 2 3 4 5 Tasmania’s Ivy St have just launched their second album Picture Machine, a grinding swagger of a record that recalls the best of post-punk and its jagged rhythms and glorious repetition. First track Instruments is just that, an instrumental introduction to the bands approach and aesthetic. Minimal and repetitive it features a looped bass and guitar that circles like a hungry … Continue reading REVIEW: IVY ST – Picture Machine
1 2 3 4 5 I’ve read a few comments about how great the name of this band is which I just don’t get. The name doesn’t fit their sound, nor does it appeal as a classic moniker for a group. Thankfully that doesn’t detract from the quality of the music, a bold and confident indie rock record that has a certain romanticism with the … Continue reading REVIEW: WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS – These Four Walls
Doubtful Sounds 