The music of English singer-songwriter Alexander James O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, has always felt like a taste test: love at first listen or not for you at all. The 26-year-old musician’s indefinable genre fusion, best described by Google as jazz, hip hop, bedroom pop, indie rock and lo-fi soft rock is arguably…
Boston Manor‘s fifth studio album, Sundiver drops this Friday, September 6th and serves as the follow-up to their 2022 release, Datura. Sundiver, produced by Larry Hibbitt and engineer Alex O’Donovan, represents a clear departure from its predecessor, with a refreshing evolution in sound and style. “Datura (Dawn)” opens the album with a serene ambiance, featuring…
This week, American indie rockers Enumclaw released their second full-length album, Home In Another Life. Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, the band’s name references the small town of 12,000 people located about 45 minutes east of Tacoma. But beyond the census details of small-town America, “Enumclaw” is a Native American word meaning “thundering noise,” a fitting…
Since their debut EP Wett Weather in 2017, Teenage Dads have been captivating audiences far and wide. Their 2018 debut album, Potpourri Lake, quickly established the Victorian quartet as a force to be reckoned with, delivering an iconic sound that truly sets them apart in the indie music scene. Not ones to rest on their…
There’s no gentle easing into the second studio album from Sydney pop punk trio, Yours Truly. TOXIC bursts forth from the speakers, delivering a swift smack in the ears with opener “Back 2 U”, and then it’s full speed ahead for the rest of the album. Strap yourselves in, kids. Given this is a new line-up,…
There has been a long and keen wait for JPEGMAFIA’s latest album. Currently, he is at his peak of popularity following 2023’s SCARING THE HOES a collab album with Danny Brown. Fans have known that this album was coming and each of its many delays have only intensified the desire to hear it. With each…
What do you get when you combine two iconic, era-defining front men who together account for nine number-one albums, millions of record sales and a staggering 38 songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100? Well, mostly the answer is a question: Why didn’t this happen sooner? The real answer to that question though, is Fanning Dempsey…
From unflattering comparisons, unassailable legacies and assumptions of unearned success, following in the footsteps of a famous parent likely requires a little bit of masochism. No doubt the privilege, access, and prestige of being the offspring of a Beatle like Julian Lennon or Zak Starkey makes things easier, but the bravery to follow in those…
It’s no debate that there is an abundance of exciting heavy bands simmering in the Brisbane scene, but few tick as many boxes as Revoid. Today, the alt-metal quartet share their highly anticipated new EP Evergrey. Featuring the singles “Everything” and “Never Mind”, this six-track project is their most refined yet. Since their 2022 debut…
There’s a certain level of magic in guitar, bass and drum bands. In a world where this set up ever so slowly fades into extinction, The Buoys and their debut album Lustre feel like it could be the catalyst for the recommencement and reemergence of classic, solid and bloody fantastic guitar rock. The Buoys’ debut…
It’s fair to say that Windwaker have become one of the most exciting and beloved heavy exports of late. The Melbourne metalcore favourites have today unveiled their highly anticipated album HYPERVIOLENCE via Cooking Vinyl Australia and Fearless Records. Featuring the singles “SIRENS”, “Fractured State of Mind” and “The Wall”, the 13-track project is the band’s…
In Hearts Wake‘s latest album, INCARNATION, marks a triumphant return for the Byron Bay natives, who first burst onto the scene with their debut album, DIVINATION, in 2012. This sixth studio album, released on July 12th, arrives in the wake of the announcement of the upcoming departure of long-time vocalist and bassist Kyle Erich. Vocalist…
Late last week saw Kasabian drop their eighth studio album, Happenings. It does feel like it’s been on the horizon for sometime, though, as the first single, “Algorithms” was released over a year ago, back in June 2023. As a Kasabian fan, I have to be honest and say that I’m still adjusting to the…
Three years after the breakthrough release of Mood Valiant in 2021, Melbourne’s own Hiatus Kaiyote return with an 11-track, genre-bending album, Love Heart Cheat Code, out now via Brainfeeder Records. Continuing their inimitable blend of neo-soul, funky jazz and psychedelia, this latest release firmly establishes the quartet as one of the most exciting, entertaining, and…
From humble beginnings uploading songs to SoundCloud while working at McDonald’s, Omar Apollo’s rise to fame has seen the artist swapping drive-throughs and bedroom demos for the Billboard charts and Grammy nominations. With the release of his sophomore album, God Said No, Apollo has put together his most cohesive and complete offering so far. With a…
As a music lover, I often find myself haunted by a persistent existential dread. I worry about the countless extraordinary songs in recorded music history that end up discarded due to artistic indifference or the constraints of genre standards and “radio-friendly” requirements. It’s a self-imposed anxiety, perhaps, but The Felice Brothers newest release, Valley of…
During Camila Cabello‘s tenure on the US talent reality series The X Factor in 2012 as a member of girl collective Fifth Harmony, at-the-time judge Demi Lovato singled her out during a performance to note that only she shined on stage. Given her mammoth success as a soloist it’s often easy to forget that Cabello…
Eight years on from their Somewhere Anywhere EP, The Mad Walls return to the psych rock scene with their debut LP Have You Heard the News? out today. Brimming with a signature blend of acid-dipped, soupy psychedelia sanded back and slapped with a lo-fi vintage varnish, there is something old and new, classic and novel…
The Story So Far is set to grace your ears today with their highly anticipated fifth album, I Want To Disappear, and what an exceptional treat it is. Formed in 2007, the band has built a reputation for infrequent but highly impactful releases, making this new album particularly special. Following the immense success of their…
New Jersey, probably unfairly, isn’t usually a name that immediately leaps out as a well-known producer of musical superstars. Yet the roster of huge hitmakers emerging from the garden state, from Frank Sinatra to Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, suggests there is certainly something in the waters of the Jersey Shore. Baptized in that water and…
Following the widespread acclaim of her debut solo record Distance in 2020, New Zealand-born, Melbourne-bred, and now Los Angeles-based indie artist Jess Cornelius is set to release her sophomore album CARE/TAKING this Friday through Tender Loving Empire. With a strong 10-song offering, CARE/TAKING continues Cornelius’s style of heavily biographical and vulnerable songwriting, with reflections on…
With so many dancefloor anthems already under her belt, it’s hard to believe that I Hear You is Peggy Gou’s debut album. The South Korean-born singer, producer and DJ has risen to undeniable prominence amongst the house music scene and beyond, with her upcoming festival appearances including Glastonbury and Primavera Sounds. The 10 tracks on…
Melbourne’s very own post-metalcore quintet RUN emerges with their sophomore EP, True Heaviness Is Time, dropping as a surprise release today. This six-track EP builds on the raw energy and emotion of their previous work, blending crushing heaviness with lush melodies. Self-produced by guitarist Lewis Noke-Edwards and mixed by the acclaimed Forrester Savell, the EP…
The metal scene is often quite paradoxical. Despite an aggressive outward-facing appearance, the scene is full of genuine, open and accepting people. With rabid grassroots support and a now growing mainstream movement backed by the financial weight of the majority share in global black t-shirt sales, it’s a haven for those who embrace the fast…
On Thursday night, Bring Me The Horizon announced the surprise release of their album, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, with only two hours’ notice before it dropped in Australia, sending fans into a frenzy. As the follow-up to 2020’s *Post Human: Survival Horror* – and the second of four albums in the POST HUMAN series –…
The terms “going viral” or “blowing up” come with a sort of stigma attached, as if an unquantifiable algorithm perseveres over undeniable talent. However, as a not-so-little folk trio out of Boston, Massachusetts contests, that’s not the whole story. Graduating from viral TikTok sensations, sharing harmony-laden covers in their dorm stairwell, to widespread acclaim following…
It isn’t an uncommon road travelled for actors to further express their creativity through the release of music. Whilst some commit to both with a certain vigour (Jennifer Lopez, Cher, etc) and others dabble with more consistent subtlety (Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe), it does feel a little out of the ordinary to switch…
The success of an artist is often difficult to predict. The continued rise of Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Phoebe Go however, feels inevitable. From her early days in Snakadakdal to her recent tenure in Two People, Go’s musical journey culminates in her excellent debut solo album Marmalade, released on Friday. As sweet as its title suggests, Marmalade…
Solo album number 10 for Frank Turner opens with “Do One” and it just might be my personal anthem by the end of all this. It’s a siren’s call to anyone who has been on the receiving end of someone else’s bullshit, with lyrics that resonate on an intimate level, cleverly wrapped in one of…
Unpeople emerges as a brilliant beacon in today’s rock scene with their debut self-titled EP, encapsulating a vibrant fusion of punk, metal, and alternative sounds. This band, comprised of former Press to Meco members Jake Crawford and Luke Caley, alongside bassist Meg Mash and drummer Richard Rayner, showcases an impressive synergy and musical craftsmanship. Each…