American rapper, singer, songwriter and music producer Smino hit up the Metro Theatre in Sydney last night as part of his current Australian tour, one which has him also appearing at Laneway Festival. Joining Smino for the evening was Melbourne rising star Kaiit. Our photographer Belinda Hedges was there to capture all the action.
Now at the ripe old age of 70, Larry Sloman, better known around the industry as Ratso, is gearing to release his debut album. The New York author has been a key player for some of the biggest names in history over the past few decades, from working with both Anthony Kiedis and Peter Criss…
Last month, LPX traversed the country playing Falls Festival and a couple of sideshows in what was the New York artist’s Australian debut under that guise. Real name Lizzy Plapinger, she had previously visited our shores as part of the genre-bending, indie-pop duo MS MR. Now she’s smashing it on her own, with a completely independent…
I’ve been a country music fan for over ten years and I’d never attended the legendary Tamworth Country Music Festival until this year. Blasphemy, you say! But better late than never, right? I didn’t know what to expect; I thought I’d hate it (at least subconsciously anyway) but I was pleasantly surprised to love every…
Melbourne based singer Harmony Byrne’s debut recording “Demise” is a sensitive and stirring track that clocks in at seven and a half minutes. Part gospel, soul, blues and psychedelic, the ex-Mormon church singer wails and cries before transitioning to spoken word poetry before returning to soaring and powerful peaks. It isn’t hard to imagine a…
The Courtyard Sessions will be returning to Sydney’s Seymour Centre this week, kicking off 8 nights of free music under the setting sun, in the Seymour’s leafy courtyard. Courtyard Sessions’ free gigs at dusk have become a staple in the city’s live music scene since launching in 2012, known for the diversity and energy of programming –…
If you’ve been following the UK and London jazz scene at all over the last couple of years, you’ll already be familiar with Theon Cross, having made a name for himself as part of the Mercury Award nominated, and award-winning quartet Sons of Kemet. He’s also a permanent fixture in South London-based collective Steam Down. …
It is no secret that music and travel go hand in hand. The concept of place is the perfect muse for musicians, since a real depth of emotion can be linked to a geographical location or experience. English singer-songwriter George Ezra, who is no stranger to travelling, gave a truly memorable performance to a buzzing audience…
The Laneway Festival hit Sydney for the 14th time on Sunday, and it was a triumphant day. Brilliant sunshine and outstanding performances from the local and overseas acts graced Callan Park. Amongst the many highlights were Mitski, Courtney Barnett, The Smith Street Band, Parquet Courts, Camp Cope, Middle Kids and bringing home the finale for…
Whelp, this year’s Super Bowl could have definitely turned out better. The game’s finishing score unfortunately became the lowest overall points scored in Super Bowl history (13-3) since 1948’s game between The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals (7-0), even surpassing that of Miami’s win over Washington (14-7) in 1973. At halftime, the New England Patriots were leading…
The classic “if it ain’t broke” phrase will always apply to The Prodigy and their exemplary live experience. The genre-bending rave that the UK trio have been tweaking and perfecting for decades makes for one of the most explosive, frenetic and intense live music experiences one can have. That’s always been the case. And it’s…
The minds behind cult favourite Mary’s Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham are opening a new live music venue as they take over and reimagine the former site of The Basement into Mary’s Underground. The venue, which has hosted everyone from Slum Village to Prince during its 45 year history, will very much continue as a…
In prepping their third EP, Bodies, for release later this month, Melbourne indie rockers The Avenue have lifted the lid on their new single “suburbs.cities.towns”. Given the wide acclaim for Names, their sophomore EP released last year, we’re expecting this one to really take off, thanks to it’s poppy The 1975 vibe and perfect marriage…
The line – up for So Pop read like the best of the Nineties – Lou Bega, Eiffel 65, Blue, Vengaboys, Aqua – it was the soundtrack of my High School years. Nostalgia hung heavy in the air as the first act of the night, Mr President, took to the stage. By the time B*WITCHED captivated…
The Prodigy returned to Melbourne for the first time in four years, and blew the roof off Melbourne Arena. Photo gallery by Rebecca Houlden.
The sun was shining as Laneway Festival took over the Sydney College of the Arts for another year. Arriving at 4pm in an effort to protect myself from the blistering sun, Camp Cope were playing tacks like “Lost: Season One” on the newly named Dr Martens stage, to a strong crowd; though there did feel…
Well, we’ve made it into 2019 and have put 2018 behind us, and in this new year, music is still going strong. We’ve recently been through Triple J‘s Hottest 100, where the top spot was rightfully stolen by Ocean Alley‘s song “Confidence”, beating the insanely popular “Sicko Mode” (Travis Scott, featuring Drake, Swae Lee and Big Hawk) by two…
Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion was a chorus women and men alike, diving their voices down an octave as they tried to be one with the holistic round sound of George Ezra on Thursday night. Kicking off the sold-out evening was Brisbanite Eves Karydas, who’s had an impressive 12 months of climbing up the support act ladder….
Kyoto band Zahatorte are a genre-defying trio who blend old-world European cafe sounds with the undeniably Japanese penchant for perfectionism. They’ll be coming to Australia next month for the first time, and before we show them our own country, we asked them to share with us their nine favourite secret hangouts in their hometown. So…
“Death (or S.F.?)” is the new single from Twain, and the second single from the new EP New Miami Sounds, a collection of unreleased songs from the sessions that birthed 2017 album Rare Feeling. Twain is an indie folk project led by Mat (or Mt.) Davidson, who’s also spent time playing in both The Low…
English rock band, Nothing But Thieves, are heading Down Under next month for a mini-tour after a busy 2018 of touring and festivals, even finding the time to release a new EP What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way. Ahead of their dates in Perth, Adelaide and the Central Coast, which mark…
Technically, this excellent Theophilius London collaboration with Tame Impala guru Kevin Parker (collectively, Theo Impala) has been available in the less ethical corners of the internet for a few years now. “Whiplash” has long been a treasured deep cut for fans of both the New York rapper and Fremantle rocker, and now it seems the…
With a career that already spans half a decade, the evolution of American indie duo, Girlpool, is second to none. For five years, Harmony Trividad and Cleo Tucker have composed music that captures your attention and implores you to listen by tugging at your heartstrings rather than invading your personal space and screaming in your face….
Currently touring Australia for the first time with Ziggy Alberts, UK rising star Nathan Ball has just dropped a brand new single “Call It Love”, and its one that fans of singer/songwriters like Ziggy, Passenger or Kim Churchill need to get their ears around. Hell, if you like music at all then this is probably…
After 25 five years in the music industry you are either on the way of becoming a legend – if not already one – or awkwardly trying to keep up with what popular music has become in 2019. Somehow, The Dandy Warhols manage to do both at the same time. At their turn of the…
“North” is the new single from Brisbane Indie-pop artist Tara Simmons, who sadly passed away earlier this month following a battle with cancer. We at the AU have known and been covering Tara for the better part of the last decade, and couldn’t be more devastated by her passing. Tara has left us some music to enjoy…
Maggie Rogers isn’t an artist in a hurry. She doesn’t have to be. When you’re making music as pure as what occurs on Heard It in a Past Life, you can take as long as you need; the music listening public will wait for you. In saying that, it feels like Heard It in a…
Florence + The Machine played to nearly thirty thousand people at Sydney’s The Domain this past weekend, and if you’re going to take anything away from this review let it be this: Florence Welch is so much better than all of us, in every facet possible. There’s no two ways about it. It’s as simple…
With Ocean Alley taking out the Hottest 100 over the long weekend, we’re excited to (finally) bring you the AU review’s own favourite tracks of 2018, with an eclectic mix of songs from Australia and around the world that we loved over the calendar year. 40. Tropical Fuck Storm – You Let My Tyres Down…
Client Liason provided an excellent night of dancing and entertainment at the Melbourne Zoo, supported by Kira Peru. Photos by Rebecca Houlden.
