Author: Bruce Baker

Last night Aldous Harding returned to Sydney, playing a sold-out show at the City Recital Hall. The setlist was dominated by her latest album, the fabulous Warm Chris. There wasn’t much chat from Aldous, but it wasn’t required, with the beauty of her songs captivating the audience throughout. With a quality band behind her, including…

Last week Sydney outfit Key Out released their third album, Afterville, following on from 2020’s Anthropomorphia. Afterville is an album that should be on everyone’s playlist. Continuing on from where they left off with the last album, each track on this latest LP is a gem with lushly layered instrumentation. The vocals are warm and…

It’s always exciting when the debut recording from an artist lands in our inbox. We landed a gem this time, in the form of “Bloom” from Victoria’s Bella Deer. This time, the first song off the rank is very much the finished product. “Bloom” is a a seismic banger of a tune. We’re thrilled today…

TOBiAS is the moniker for Sunshine Coast-based singer/songwriter  Toby Robinson, and he has recently released the beautiful “Howling at the Moon”. The track is the second single to be released from his upcoming third full-length album. We are thrilled today to be given the first look at the video for a track that captures all the…

Maddy Jane ended her Bloody Finally Tour last night at Mary’s Underground in Sydney. Those who were lucky enough to be there were in for an absolute treat. It was great to hear the songs from her outstanding Island Time EP that came out earlier in the year. Her witty on-stage dry-as-a-bone banter was an…

  Dear Seattle brought the final show of their Someday tour to Crowbar in Sydney on Friday night. It was sold-out and came with a stellar undercard, with STUMPS, Horror My Friend and Sophisticated Dingo in support. The final show of a tour is often raucous with all the elements turned up to eleven, and this…

Brisbane/Meanjin-based outfit Dusty emerged onto the scene in 2021, and have been winning fans over ever since. Delivering pop with relatable lyrics, their sounds track the lives of those listening in. The highs, the lows and the in-betweens are covered with infectious hooks and beautiful melodies. Today, Dusty have dropped their debut EP, Glitter, containing…

Cone of Confusion is a Sydney-based space jazz collective. They released their debut self-titled album in 2019, and this year have teased out a couple of singles, namely “The Last Dystopian” and “The First Utopian”. We are thrilled today to be premiering their follow-up long-play record, Hominid, ahead of its release on Friday. The group…

Last month WA singer/songwriter Finn Pearson released the earnest and vulnerable “Hard to Find”, a song that we loved so much that it was our Track of the Week. Initially, he may have found his songwriting nestled amongst the traditional folk singers, but these days you find him amongst contemporary folk and indie rock. Fans…

Jessica O’Donoghue is a creative and avant-garde artist, who creates what she describes as “Post-Baroque Dramatic Pop” music. She released Rise Up, her latest album last Friday, and that label seems to fit the bill perfectly. Classically trained at Sydney University, Victorian College of the Arts and London’s Covent Garden, Jess’s career has been eclectic and…

The must be something in the water in the South Coast of Sydney. The quality of the bands to come out of there in recent years is truly outstanding. Yes, Hockey Dad was one to do the trail blazing, and in more recent times we’ve seen The Vanns, The Terrys and Chloe Dadd making inroads….

Baltimore’s Thee Windows is a trio comprised of guitarist and songwriter Dustin O’Keefe,  bassist Keegan Gore and drummer Chris Birch. Bringing their combined influences from previous projects, they have created an inspired collection of meditative thoughtful indie-rock. This Friday they release their debut album, Margin of Error, and we are delighted to be premiering it…

Manchester’s The 1975 have announced that they will be touring Australia and New Zealand in 2023. They were worthy headliners at Laneway 2020 and no doubt tickets will be in hot demand.  It was teeming down with rain in Sydney, so we are looking forward to catching them indoors this time. The band will play…

AU favourite Bec Sandridge has today released her Lost Dog EP. It’s five tracks of lush indie-pop and is as accomplished in her guitar-pop as with the electronic forays that feature as well. The EP features her latest single, “Easy To Go Bad”, a personal, intimate and brooding track, of which Bec writes: “This one’s…

Melbourne-trio The Great Emu War Casualties seem to have a stranglehold on cute and interesting names. They are about to release their latest harmony-infused banger, the sweetly titled “Bacon Rampage!”. We are thrilled to be premiering it today, ahead of its release on Friday. “Bacon Rampage!” is dreamy, addictive and a joy to listen to. With…

Jelly Oshen is a twenty-one-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Cairns, QLD. We first came across Jelly last year when we premiered the video for his song “All Alone”, and I was excited to see that he would be performing at BIGSOUND this year. I caught up with Jelly to talk about his musical journey, and why and…

Australian artist Merryn Jeann has found herself based in Marseille in France in recent times. During her time in France, she has co-founded her own label, Rescue and Return Records with French native Etienne Tricard. Recently Merryn released a four-track EP, Live At le Trabendo, which was recorded in the empty “Le Trabendo”, an iconic…

If you like your pop funky and fresh with a dash of RnB and a good dose of soul, then look no further than Perth’s Supathick. Led by the creative Christian Zappia, the band burst out of the blocks in 2020 with their EP, Dinner And A Film, and have been building their fanbase ever…

Ngaiire brought her rescheduled 3 album tour to the City Recital Hall in Sydney on Friday night. It was worth the wait, and it didn’t take long until she had most people out of their seats and dancing along. As always, she had an incredible band with her, that helped bring the good vibes. She opened…

Wollongong’s indie-pop quartet Pirra have today released Spirals, their first record since their 2017 EP, Animal Kingdom. It’s a beautiful eclectic mix of straight-out dance floor bangers as well as other tracks that may appear a little more laid back, but suck you into a jiving vortex before you know it. The creativity of the…

Isabella Manfredi recently released her debut album izzi. Isabella (Izzi), was of course the lead singer of the Australian band The Preatures, before it was disbanded. It’s a beautiful album, ingrained with love, hope and optimism, yet doesn’t shy away from some of her darker moments. It was a cathartic album for the singer/songwriter, who…

Sydney singer/songwriter Able Joseph has recently released the tender and intimate track, “Lonely LA”. It’s a heartfelt song that tells the story of a couple who are treating their journey through life as one that is navigated by them as a team, and all that entails. It follows on from his previous single, “SOLO” which…

Banjo Lucia is a singer/songwriter from Fremantle in Western Australia who is very much starting to make waves. She’s had a stellar 2022, releasing her debut EP, Peccadilloes to broad acclaim. As well as her own headline shows, Banjo has racked up some pretty great support slots, including Stella Donnelly on her national tour, San Cisco…

Virginia band Turnover have recently released “Myself in the Way”, the title track to their upcoming fifth album. The track features the vocals of Turnstile‘s Brendan Yates, and follows on from previous singles “Wait Too Long” and “Mountains Made of Clouds”. Their previous album was their 2019 record, Altogether. For those familiar with their earlier…

Hidden Pillars are a fresh and vibrant trio from North Queensland. Today they’ve released their debut EP, How Did I Get Here?. It’s an enticing mix of genres, with fuzzy guitars, blues and rock intertwined. At four tracks long, it definitely leaves you wanting more. There’s a maturity to the songwriting and musicianship here. It’s packed…

Central Queensland’s indie-country singer/songwriter Hayley Marsten is very much an artist on the rise. She burst out of the blocks in 2019 with her debut album, Spectacular Heartbreak, and since then has been winning over audiences with her poignant songs showcasing heartache, growth and discovery. Earlier this year she released “I’m Fine, Thanks”, a stunning riposte…

We’ve got just the song to get you through hump day, with the new tune from Adelaide bopsters The Tullamarines. The world can appear to be a bleak place, with the boomer generation screwing it for those coming later. “Television” reflects upon this, but with a buoyant and jolly feel to it. We’re pumped to…

Why can’t every day be like the weekend? The buzz of getting loose on the weekend is perfectly captured in “Weekend Blues”, the latest tune from Sydney’s Love Drunk Hearts. The song also reflects on the downer of waking on a Monday,  knowing that today isn’t going to mirror the fun of the last couple…

Thelma Plum brought the last leg of her Meanjin tour to the UNSW Roundhouse on Friday night. Celebrating the release of Meanjin, her third EP, it was a triumphant return to Sydney. A packed venue, with Thelma’s parents amongst the keen fans, it was a very special night indeed. Supported by Jem Cassar-Daley and GRAACE,…

The Hoodoo Gurus brought their seemingly endlessly rescheduled 40th Anniversary tour to The Hordern Pavilion last Thursday night. It was a sold-out show, with the mighty Dandy Warhols and The Buoys in support. The audience was multi-generational, reflecting on how long they have been around, and the quality of their songs over the duration of…