God bless the singlet-making industry, because it seemed the whole customer base was at The Future Music Festival this past weekend. An insane amount of arms and biceps were on display for everyone to see, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if any other strays from a muscle convention during the week popped on by. The music was probably a secondary thing.

This year’s Future Music Festival proved one thing to me and that is that I can’t tolerate these type of festivals anymore. I didn’t even make it through the gates at Bonython Park without being accosted by some steroid-loving dickheads who had dropped a number of pills because they were so ‘mad keen for Avicii bruv’ – a somewhat perfect omen for the rest of the day and night to follow.

“Who’s already drunk? Who’s already high? Who’s fucccccck-ing tonight!!!???”. Azealia Banks, with her locks reaching all the way to her slender legs and her pretty face supported by a petite frame, she is, in a word, shocking. As she shakes her way around the world from Harlem all the way to Melbourne, she blows away fans and haters alike with her rude ‘tude, and boy, she does not hide it. But damn. She can pull it off. Making her way around Australia playing Future Music Festival, the fiery 21-year-old rapper from New York City hit up the Palace Theatre on Thursday night.

Future Music Festival, we meet again. Although this year, it is on different turf, as I headed over from Adelaide to Perth to spend a hot summer day at Joondalup Arena due to scheduling conflicts I have with the Adelaide Festival, and my determination not to miss seeing both Bloc Party and The Stone Roses.

It was a scorching hot day in Perth when the Future Music Festival rolled in to town, but that didn't stop a huge crowd from turning out. The AU review's photographer, Kerrie Geier, was there to capture it all.

This broadcast will not be broadcasted! What?! Take off your headphones, Radio is in trouble. Also, if you haven’t seen him on the festival rounds, Flume, is touring the nation. Rita Ora, Rita who now? Well you should learn the name. And wait there’s more.

In this issue: Soundwave TV is back; Groovin the Moo Maitland sells out; Port Fairy Folk Music Festival sells out; Cancer Bats announce gig; Future Music sideshows; Fozzy to support Duff McKagan’s Loaded.

Soundwave TV returns for 2013!

This time last year we divulged our top twelve Australian artists and top five international artists to watch over the following twelve months. So we figured now was as good a time as any to have a look back and see how they all fared...

Pictured: Primal Scream.

The line up for the 2013 Future Music Festival has been released and as it promised, it's Dead Set Awesome. Past Future guests and some of the world's hottest acts in trance, electro, rock and pop will be making the journey down under for the national festival next year, raising the bar for the Future Music Festival once more.

The dates for the Future Music Festival next year are below.

Pictured: Metric by Marc Grimwade for Splendour In The Grass. Used with Permission.

Sunday is an odd day for Splendour; given the hectic run-about the first two days gave us, Sunday is a slow burn, and combining that with the tiredness accumulated just means it’s a goddamn slog, and being honest, most of the day is a big blur.

Though the 2012 event may be forever remembered as a return to the muddy Byron Bay site and a freak hail storm perhaps heralded by the loud rock of DZ Deathrays (who say their amps miraculously survived the on stage waterfall), ultimately it will be the music that we'll be talking about until the next Splendour rolls along - which we expect to be at their new, permanent, hopefully less muddy home.

To be completely honest, when Azealia Banks came out with “212” and all of a sudden became an artist not to be fucked with overnight; I didn’t really understand the hype. Sure, she’s young and fiery, and sure, she isn’t afraid of rapping the c-word freely and frequently. But is this all Banks can do? Her debut EP 1991 sees the 21 year old look to other badass ladies including MIA and Santigold in forming a fusion of rhymes and melody.