Every year in March, myself and a close band of music colleagues and friends from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the iconic new music and discovery festival South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This year was set to be no different, and I was buzzing and more prepared than ever, having…
Let us introduce you to Brisbane’s Damien Johnson. The self confessed “backyard philosopher, theologian, and beer connoisseur” is a live-looping indie-hop artist from Ipswich, QLD. He also happens to be releasing his latest single, “Crowd in My Hand” tomorrow. But, before the official release, we’re bringing you this early exclusive sneak peek and premiere. “Crowd…
One of London’s latest up-and-coming indie rockers, The Valla, will be releasing their brand new single, “Ice Cream” tomorrow. Before its official release we’re stoked to bring you this exclusive first taste of the feel good track. Recorded and produced by Andy Hall Hall (Bastille), the single is the band’s first of the year, and…
Melbourne-based songwriter and synth-pop artist Seattic is back with a brand new single, “bit”. It’s his first slice of music since the release of his debut album Retrospeculation in February 2019, and we’re stoked to bring you its exclusive premiere. “bit” takes the nostalgia tinged tones of debut Retrospeculation and dials up the moodiness levels….
Last week Steve Smyth released the second single, “Yours Sincerely” off his forthcoming EP, Blood. This follows on from “Stages” which was released back in February. Steve calls Barcelona home these days, and the song was recorded in live takes in a church. He had the idea of recording Blood in a church, so wandered…
Friday saw Ben Catley release his brand new single, “Open Skies (This Splendid Sun)”. The track was recorded in collaboration with Tijuana Cartel’s trumpet player Eamon Dilworth. Today we’re pleased to premiere the uplifting and isolation busting music video that accompanies it. Filmed by surfer and filmmaker Lachlan Ross, the video captures the stunning scenery…
In such strange times, there are certain things in life that are bound to bring some kind of familiarity to what, at times, feels completely foreign. One of these things is Laura Marling, her songwriting, and the re-assuring nature of her stories. Returning with her seventh studio album, Song For Our Daughter is Laura Marling…
There are elements of M. Hofmann’s story that will be familiar to many music fans. He picked up a guitar in his early teens. He plied his trade in various band’s over the years, moving up and down the East Coast, having left his childhood home in Tasmania. Songwriting became a habit, and then he…
Indie record stores across Australia, like so many retailers, are doing it tough at the moment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The postponement of Record Store Day, often those stores biggest trading day of the year, until later in the year will only have added to the pressures. Independent record stores, along with our live…
Brisbane rockers The Rockefeller Frequency released their debut album, Chemicals, earlier in the month. The album’s creation was a DIY journey from start to finish. It’s been a few years in the making too, with the band taking some time off before reemerging in 2018. Recording took place in the band’s Basement Studios in Brisbane,…
“What’s that song playing outside?” asks Jay Som, aka Melina Duterte. The crowd at her debut Brisbane show was confused: is she referring to the grunge cover band bleeding through the windows, or the bass of the karaoke night thumping through the floorboards of The Foundry? “We should play one of those songs, too,” she…
I write this sitting in self-isolation in Toronto, Canada – as countries around the world are closing borders, scrambling to “flatten the curve” as the reality of the spread of Coronavirus sinks in. I, like too many, had been rather blasé about the whole thing – I mean I was sanitizing surfaces, washing my hands…
It’s hard to believe we’re already two months into the New Year, but already we’re discovering so much amazing new music and artists who are set to explode in the year ahead. Here’s just 20 artists you need to be looking out for in 2020… presented in alphabetical order. Badflower Badflower, a band formed in…
Throughout the many incarnations of his career, Ben Folds has continuously proven to be a class musician. From his Ben Folds Five era, to his solo records and collaborative releases furthermore, the North Carolina native is a songwriter and artist that his peers have for time after time wanted to always work with. Not afraid…
Two weeks ahead of his debut album release, Michael Dunstan has dropped his latest single, “Smoulder or Ignite“. As well as being our final glimpse of the upcoming In The Grand Scheme, it’s also a cracking folk tune. In support of the album’s launch, the Wheatbelt folk singer has also revealed details of a huge…
Last weekend on the Gold Coast, Australia voted for its Eurovision 2020 Contender. In its second year running, the Gold Coast hosted Eurovision 2020: Australia Decides live on SBS. The results ended up being neck and neck between Montaigne and Casey Donovan – but in the end, no one could stop Montaigne with her song…
London based, Sydney raised singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ed Wells has long been a friend of the AU, and today Ed is releasing his debut EP, Home, produced by Luke Gerber. Musically, the EP is a vibrant mix of modern soul and R&B, a collection of songs of which Ed has reflected on different aspects of modern life….
There are music festivals (think Laneway). There are conferences with a showcase festival that runs alongside it (think BIGSOUND). And then there are events that are in a class of their own. There’s SXSW in Austin, Texas – an event that is at such a large magnitude, there’s no way to describe it but to…
Whenever a Dave Matthews Band tour is announced in Australia – which has only been four times now in the band’s illustrious 29 year career – it’s often met with moments of confusion. A “Wait… Who?” response is vocalised, especially when the tour coincides with a headline spot on a festival like Bluesfest (which they’ll…
Bad Friday Festival just got a whole lot more badass. The Sydney institution of a festival, Bad Friday (that ironically falls on Good Friday for all you angels out there) is expanding to corrupt you one day longer. That’s right, we’ve got a Bad Friday AND Saturday on our hands. The expansion of the festival…
With the Hottest 100 voting closing today, we thought we’d take our annual look back on the best songs of 2019. And should you still have to vote, we wanted to give you some ideas on some great local music to consider including in your top ten. We’ve put the 40 songs together in a…
The new Australian startup LOUDAR.COM launched its beta website last month, promising to change the way artists and fans get paid – and we’re excited to be one of the industry partners supporting the new platform. The site has been set up by Tom Chwieduk and Mac Mikosik, two Gold Coast musicians with tech skill…
In no particular order, we asked our contributors to share their favourite gigs of 2019. Here’s what they had to say about the gigs that stood out for them in 2019: BRUCE BAKER Iggy Pop at Bluesfest (Easter Long Weekend) I’d seen him at the BDO in 2011 and was disappointed. His performance at Bluesfest…
It’s time for the AU review’s annual list of the best albums from Australia and the rest of the world for 2019. Across this list, we take you through a wide range of genres, with music that represents the exciting, vibrant time of music right now. It’s fair to say that there are some notable…
Sydney’s Bootleg Rascal are bringing the party to regional Australia! The Booty Camp: Summer Vacay Tour will hit metro and regional venues from January next year, featuring 17 emerging artists and their very own sideshow alley, packed with crowd participation games. “Touring in more remote areas has always been something close to our hearts,” says guitarist Jimmy Young. “We…
Honestly, is there any live music experience as prized in the U.S as seeing a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the first time? Sure, there’s South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, Billy Bob’s, the jazz of New Orleans, and the blues of Memphis, but none quite compare to the myth and majesty of this…
The best of the best in Australian music flocked to Sydney’s The Star to celebrate the industry’s greatest achievements for 2019. Sweeping the awards gala was Tones and I, who took home four of her eight nominations. An incredible feat for someone who was, under a year ago, busking on the streets and living out of her…
The 2019 ARIA Awards concluded with the winners and special guests making their way to the media suite for one last Q&A session before getting a photo with their very own ARIA.
I’ve always loved the theatricality of music; that indescribable feeling it can provided when presented with a bit of bombastic flair. But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a production bring so much life to its soundtrack, as David Byrne has achieved with his American Utopia show – which is currently enjoying a 16…
The countdown to Spilt Milk is on with the festival due to hit up Canberra’s Commonwealth Park next weekend and Ballarat the week after. With a massive line-up including headliner US pop sensation Khalid, Chvrches, Ocean Alley, Lime Cordiale and so so many more, it’s time to start meticulously planning your day to pack in…
