The Laurels are back with a new single/video, ‘Sound System’, their first with new member Kat Harley (Mezko) on bass and vocals. As usual they’re working that hazy and fascinating space between genres that they’ve always navigated so well. Indie rock with art-pop melodies filtered through shoegaze and psych. This time round the song has a distinctly futuristic sheen to it, in keeping with its … Continue reading NEW MUSIC: The Laurels – Sound System
THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHEDELIA & BREAKBEATS The Laurels have re-emerged from the studio with an adventurous take on their brand of psych rock that takes influence from both Primal Scream and Public Enemy. Singer and guitarist Luke O’Farrell takes Chris Familton inside the creation of Sonicology. “I went a bit nuts, we all went a bit crazy in the studio working on these songs “ … Continue reading INTERVIEW: The Laurels
Melbourne Cans made the trip up to Sydney with their soulful, shuffling and shaking sound. There was a lo-fi backbeat to their songs, somewhere between the 80s Postcard Records sound and a woollier Royal Headache. Keyboards took the songs out of straight strum and sing territory, adding a psychedelic feel which worked well. Terza Madre have been gathering a slow buzz and reputation. They are … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Witch Hats, The Laurels, Terza Madre, Melbourne Cans @ Red Rattler Theatre, Sydney (19/08/16)
Sydney band The Laurels are back with a brand new single, the first off their forthcoming new LP Sonicology, due out October 14th via Rice Is Nice Records. Reentry finds the band exploring more groove and more psychedelia with shades of Primal Scream and a baggy Manchester vibe in its loping rhythm. Continue reading NEW MUSIC: The Laurels – Reentry
On Saturday July 20th Carriageworks in Sydney will host At First Sight which is being billed as a ‘vinyl romance’ style festival with 11 bands and more than 10 DJs soundtracking the day while you peruse the record bins of record stores, labels and private sellers. This is a killer line-upof bands that you are unlikely to see all on the same festival stage. Great … Continue reading NEWS: The ‘At First Sight’ record fair and festival is fast approaching….
by Chris Familton In a rare use of the Sydney Town Hall for rock n roll, Sydney Festival honoured both the original and seminal 1972 Nuggets 60s garage rock compilation and its recent Australian tribute Antipodean Interpolations of the First Psychedelic Era. The night was a chance for six of those bands to play short sets that gave a snapshot of their own Nuggets-spirited sound. … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: Nuggets: Antipodean Interpolations @ Paradiso at Town Hall (25/01/13)
We’ve been hanging for this one for a while now but finally Sydney’s The Laurels have announced their album will be released via Rice Is Nice Records in the second half of 2012. Featuring Luke O’Farrell (vocals/guitar/loop sampler), Piers Cornelius (vocals/guitar), Conor Hannan (bass) and Kate Wilson (drums) they released to much acclaim the Wandering Star 7″ (2009) and the Mesozoic EP (2011) to much acclaim as well … Continue reading NEWS: New label, album and single for The Laurels
written by Chris Familton Newcomers DCM (Wolfmother’s Chris Ross and Daniel Stricker of the Midnight Juggernauts) set up their keyboards and effect units on the dancefloor in front of the stage and opened the evening with some glorious kraut-tinged electronica that was the perfect sonic calm before the storm to come. They showed a nice balance between pseudo ambient washes of sounds and some harder … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: WOODEN SHJIPS @ OAF, SYDNEY (24/03/12)
So many people are starting to base their listening on songs these days, such is the reduction in attention spans, the proliferation of YouTube browsing and the ease of compiling ones own playlists featuring the best stuff you want to hear. Separate to my Top 50 LPs of 2011 I’ve also put together a list of songs that caught my ears and became hard to … Continue reading Favourite Songs of 2011
Finally Sydney psych shoegazers The Laurels get round to releasing their debut EP after playing a ton of gigs over the last few years. Definitely one of the best live bands on the Sydney scene they deserve to get a lot more attention from the release of Mesozoic on July 8th. Continue reading LISTEN: The Laurels | Black Cathedral
written by Chris Familton Three shades of psychedelia were the order of the night at OAF as part of The Lovetones brief Australian tour before they venture back to the East and West Coasts of the USA. Up and coming six-piece The Prayer Circle kicked things off with their swirling shoegaze sound that time warps us back to the 80s and that time when the … Continue reading LIVE REVIEW: The Lovetones @ OAF, Sydney 23/09/10
with The Laurels, Songs + Dead Farmers, 25th April 2009 … Kris Buscombe’s voice ranges from a Mark E Smith rant to a Fugazi scream and it plays a big part in their masterful display of discordant melody. Witch Hat succeed because they can bludgeon and caress you and that magic mix is what makes bruised music beautiful. read the full review over at FasterLouder… Continue reading REVIEW: WITCH HATS @ Annandale Hotel
Doubtful Sounds 