Perth-based New Zealand songwriter Damien Binder has just released his fifth solo album Bright Side. It’s a widescreen indie pop-rock vista populated by sparkling guitar lines, the warm glow of synths and Binder’s astute take on the world around him. Damien first came to fame in the late 80s and through the 90s on the alternative rock scene in Auckland, NZ, as frontman for the … Continue reading Sonic Kicks: Damien Binder
Sydney trio The Electorate release their debut album You Don’t Have Time To Stay Lost tomorrow, via Templebear Records/MGM. It may be their debut album but the band members have a rich lineage through a raft of Australian bands including Big Heavy Stuff, Knievel, The Apartments, The Templebears, Imperial Broads, Atticus and more. The Electorate is: Eliot Fish (Bass/Vox), Josh Morris (Guitar/Vox), Nick Kennedy (Drums/Vox) Guitarist Josh … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: The Electorate
Sydney trio Wahoo Ghost have just released their debut album The Eighth Door and the brand new single ‘She Wolf’ (check out the video below). The album is high on atmospheric psychedelia that swirls around the dark poetry of Charli Rainford. Space and texture is paramount, whether it’s raw and bluesy or grainy and dream-laden. The Eighth Door is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and CD … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Wahoo Ghost
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
Peabody are now five albums deep in a career that has seen them become a stalwart of the Sydney indie rock scene over the last 24 years. Their latest, A Redder Shade Of Rust (produced by Jamie Hutchings) finds them in fine form yet again. It’s heady, poetic and a really great balance of melody, rhythm, momentum and knotty guitars. It’s dark and churning one minute, … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Peabody
On the eve of the Vivid launch show for the new LP from The Singing Skies, the main creative figure behind the band, Kell Derrig-Hall, takes us on a tour of his record collection and a few of the albums that shaped his musical life. Head In The Trees, Heart On The Ground (via Preservation Records) is Derrig-Hall’s second album and it’s quite the immersive, mesmerising and atmospheric … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: The Singing Skies
Witch Hats have a few very good albums under the collective belt but their latest, Deliverance, is hands down the best thing they’ve done. It’s a blistering set of lurching rock ‘n’ roll and in our review we said “They’re firmly in the realm of The Clash, The Drones and The Gun Club yet they’ve dug their own hook-laden hole and decorated it with all … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Witch Hats
James Harrison is a busy musical man. When he’s not writing, recording and performing solo or with bands Charm and Old Etiquettes he’s putting together great bills for tribute shows (Bowie, The Smiths, PJ Harvey). He’s about to release his debut solo LP Tales Surround The Lighthouse Lamp and to celebrate that he’s heading up the Hume to play a show at The Vanguard on Friday, April 8th … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: J M S Harrison
Earlier this year Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss, Infinity Broke) marked twenty years in music with a retrospective solo show at Camelot Lounge in Marrickville. With a such a strong back catalogue that spans both solo and band releases it was an impressive and rewarding trawl through his discography and a remarkable overview of the evolution of his songwriting craft. Hutchings chatted more than he probably ever … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Jamie Hutchings
Melbournians Deaf Wish have a new album Pain out via Sub Pop/Inertia on August 7th which finds them striking a rich vein of tangled careering avant-rock, genre-splicing its way through the history of post-punk, post-rock, no-wave and hardcore. It harnesses their propensity for tension, both its formation and release as well as the juxtaposition of atonality and dissonance that bands such as Liars, Sonic Youth, Hüsker … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Deaf Wish
Lisa Caruso has been playing plenty of gigs lately, on the back of her great 2014 EP Take A Walk. With her distinctive phrasing and soulful voice she blends folk, country, soul and sophisticated pop music into her own distinct style. Caruso has released a new clip for the single ‘My Romantic’ and kindly took the time to answer our Sonic Kicks Q&A about some … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Lisa Caruso
Sydney’s Greta Mob are picking up some great gigs at the moment (Beasts of Bourbon) and building some buzz around their music which is built on a visceral mix of Australian swamp rock and dirty post punk blues. We recently caught up with drummer Luke Millar who plugged in the memory card for Sonic Kicks and took a look at some of the albums that … Continue reading SONIC KICKS: Greta Mob
Doubtful Sounds 