Features

Gesticulations, fronted by Graham Ashton of The Shambolics and Way Cool Jnr., is seemingly in the midst of a purple patch of productivity. They have just released Threadbare, which is their second long-play album of the year, following from Sense of Purgency which dropped in April. Ashton has collaborated again with multi-instrumentalist and producer Benny…

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brigitte Bardini has just released her gorgeous debut album, Stellar Lights. It’s a collection of fourteen tracks, wonderfully diverse, showing a maturity way beyond what you would expect for a debut album. It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that Bardini produced eight of the tracks herself, and the other six were…

As a live music photographer, the pandemic and resulting lockdown has been pretty bleak. Instead of going to multiple gigs a week, and capturing the joy and essence of live music, like everyone else I’ve been confined to home counting my legs. During this extended period of reflection, one of the seasoned photographers from the…

Stella Farnan is an artist that caught our eye back in early 2020. With thoughtful lyrics, an adroit turn of phrase and superb vocals, we had her pegged as an artist to watch in 2020. Obviously that was a year to write off, but Stella popped up again early this year and we were delighted…

Today, Holy Holy released their fourth studio album, Hello My Beautiful World. Our reviewer Dylan Marshall, has declared it as “their best album yet”, and it is our Album of the Week. Guitarist and vocalist Tim Carroll is also a voracious reader, and to celebrate this latest release, Tim has written for the AU, a…

Archie Roach is a national treasure who has led an extraordinary life. As a two-year-old, he was forcibly removed from his family, as part of the “Stolen Generation”. This dislocation was to have a profound effect on Archie and his siblings, as he battled alcoholism and struggled to find his identity. He was able to…

On Friday, Sydney rockers Polish Club will release their latest album, Now We’re Cookin’. They’ve teased out some singles in the past few months including “Stop for a Minute”, “Just Talking” and the sweet ballad “No Heaven”, so it’s exciting to having the full audio smorgasbord about to drop. It’s always good to hear David…

Sydney five-piece The Sunday Estate have today released their latest EP, When You Get Home. The band has the knack of writing cracking rock songs with strong melodies, great guitars and catchy choruses. They tend to be written about themes and topics to which we can all relate, making them readily accessible. Of the tracks…

Melbourne’s multi-talented artist, Witching Hour recently released the video for “Queen of Wands”, the final track off her debut EP, Book of Shadows that dropped on the 30th July. Witching Hour is the moniker for Claire Quartz, who has put together a beautifully vivid and colourful video for the “Queen of Wands”. Claire has synaesthesia…

Toowomba alt-country band Suicide Swans released their new album, Reservations, late last week.  The album, the follow-up to last year’s Through The Years, was recorded in its entirety at By The Living Grace Studio in Brisbane. According to Frontman Kyle Jenkins the album is “an extension of the previous album… that captured the band’s love…

Singer-songwriter and ‘Gypsy Scotsman’ Colin Lillie need not worry about the curse of the second album.  Shades Of Love, out today is an assured and confident record, one that is full of heart, life, and honest, compelling songwriting. In essence, it’s what we’ve come to expect from Lillie; but equally it also displays an admirable…

Seventeen-year-old Dharawal singer-songwriter Aodhan has capped off an impressive couple of years, releasing his debut EP Flies In My Room on Friday.  His early singles caught the attention of Communion Publishing in the UK, earning him a place on their roster; whilst here in Australia he’s been racking up the plays on Triple J, not…

Brisbane hip hop artist Jacinta Lal recently released her debut EP, Divya. This is a stellar debut for the talented young artist. Divya is a collection of songs showcasing courage and power. Upbeat, fierce and showing plenty of sass and personality, with this EP Jacinta has well and truly announced herself on the local hip…

Last month, alt-pop artist San Joseph released the video for his debut single “Blink Twice”. He has certainly hit the ground running with his first track out into the world, a striking mix of acoustic guitar, a catchy soulful voice and a tune that stays in your head long after it has reached the end….

Sydney electronic duo Dust of Us recently released their latest EP, Never Had The Time. This is a collection of seven songs, imbued in moody vocals and succinct layered electronica. We were crushing on the track “Punching Bag” when it was dropped late last year, and have been keenly anticipating the release of this EP. It…

Perth continues to enhance its reputation as a creative hub, with resident rockers King Brown dropping their debut EP, Out In The Desert last month. It’s a quality collection of six tracks. It’s a bit bluesy, with some surf-rock leanings and superb story-telling. The strong vocals and searing guitars are a standout. It’s an exciting…

As we hit the half way point of 2021, there’s been an extraordinary level of great new music released week in, week out this year; especially in the months April through June. From Wolf Alice to girl in red, London Grammar, EJ Worland and Martha Marlow, the second quarter of 2021 has seen a variety…

The 2021 edition of the Barunga Festival was run over the June long weekend seemingly against all the odds. For those unfamiliar, Barunga is a small indigenous community approximately eighty km southeast of Katherine in the Northern Territory. It’s about four hours drive from Darwin. The festival weekend is the only time in the year…

Dublin-based singer-songwriter and producer Dunluvly is all set to release his new single, “Hazey”. The single, a delightful slice of dream pop, is the culmination of three years work, and we’re pleased to bring you this exclusive first listen ahead of its official release tomorrow.  The single is Dunluvly’s first since the release of his…

Brisbane artist Kyle Jenkins is back with the first of two planned solo albums: Love, Lost Love. Released at the end of April, the album is an introspective and philosophical collection of songs that deals with disappointments, disillusionment, longing, and of course, love.  The album’s fifteen tracks have been intentionally left sparse and pared back….

US and Brazilian indie duo Kid Le Chat are all set to release their brand new EP, Luck Comes Too Late this week. Ahead of its official release on Wednesday, May 5th we bring you this exclusive first listen, and a track by track walk through from the band.  Luck Comes Too Late, the group’s…

Julia Stone‘s keenly anticipated latest studio album Sixty Summers is out on Friday, teaming up with producer Thomas Bartlett and St Vincent aka Annie Clark, along with cameos from The National‘s Matt Berninger plus Hollywood stars Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover. Stone’s latest LP, which comes nine years after her previous solo album – 2012’s…

New York outfit HOKO have just released their first fully realised collection of material, HEATHEN. As they look to their home city re-opening following the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio share their favourite spots for eats, beats and treats in New York City that will serve as a guide for locals and visitors…

After being caught up in Melbourne’s lockdown, indie singer-songwriter Riley Pearce and his long-term girlfriend took two big steps: they returned to Riley’s hometown of Perth AND got a puppy. That sure sounds like love to us! It was also a great opportunity for Pearce to take his first musical deep dive into love song…

Sydney’s Inklines are tracing out their path for 2021 with the drop of their new single, “Blossom”. Following the release of their EP Bookclub, last year, the band have been generating powerful and earnest alt-rock blends and testing the lengths and limits of their sound. Leading the way on vocals and guitar is Will Tremain….

Indie outfit Pinkish Blu are officially coming in not pink, not blue, but red hot, with a new single and a list of live shows. Previously supporting the likes of The Rubens and Trophy Eyes, the Adelaide band is quickly becoming one of South Australia’s most promising acts, with their new track “Backward” being all your…

Last week saw West Australian act Camarano release their debut album, Where Am I Now?.  The album is the band’s first major release since their EP Shadow Calling in 2019. Meanwhile, they’ve been teasing the album across the last year, drip feeding us a trio of singles: “Holiday Inn”, “Give It To Me Straight”, and…

It’s impossible to work in the music industry and not feel the weight of the loss of Michael Gudinski this morning – the iconic founder of the Mushroom Group who passed away overnight at the age of 68. Myself, and the whole The AU Review team sends our love to the Gudinski family, all his…

Brisbane indie pop band Sheppard have never quite been wholly accepted by Australian audiences, despite massive world tours, top 10 hits around the globe and boasting more than 740 million streams across all platforms led by huge 2014 hit “Geronimo”. Sheppard – now a core three-piece consisting of siblings George, Amy and Emma – are…

There’s no doubt that 2020 was a gruelling year. It was especially tough for our friends in the music industry, but things are finally coming back to normal. Artists are making new music, gigs are back on – and what we’ve all been waiting for, festivals are officially allowed to run once more. The festival…