Music

BIGSOUND 2018 Day Three: Virginia Grohl parties, HANDSOME grooves, G Flip inspires, and much more

As great as BIGSOUND 2018 has been, the party had to end. The third and final day proved to be just as action-packed as the previous two, with many delegates mustering up their last ounce of energy for a day filled with workshops, connecting, and performances from Australia’s best emerging artists. The conference-side of day…

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Album Review: Skegss capture life perfectly in debut album My Own Mess (2018 LP)

Since breaking out in 2013, Skegss have been on the long path to their debut album. In the time since, the trio from Byron have released a swath of singles and multiple EPs, all growing on the previous release and helping the band evolve into something bigger. 2018 has been no different and Skegss have…

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Album Review: Hey Geronimo deliver a worthy journey in Content (2018 LP)

Brisbane based indie-rockers Hey Geronimo have just unveiled their sophomore album Content. The eleven track concept album utilises artificial intelligence to replace an exited guitarist, resulting in a convenient yet ironic effect. Self-produced, and featuring the AI dubbed ‘Alex’ on half a dozen tracks, Content is a bizarre and bold exploration into the future and the ever evolving technological landscape surrounding…

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Track of the Day: Brayden Sibbald “Float” (2018)

“Float” is the eponymous second taste of Brayden Sibbald‘s forthcoming EP, due out on September 28th, and it’s quite a good taste indeed. Following on from “Baby I Caught Myself Underwater” earlier this year, the song has big, round features to carry Brayden’s voice as it reaches into higher notes. Think Golden Vessel-meets-Jarryd James kind…

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BIGSOUND 2018 Day Two: Tape/Off broadcast riffs, Wax Chattels spew noise, and Paul Kelly takes over

After the heavy rainfall of the first day, BIGSOUND attendees finally saw that famous Brisbane sun. Most people would have rested from the late night of enjoying the best up-and-coming bands, but a mid-morning keynote talk with Aussie legend Paul Kelly made the early start worthwhile. Chatting with The Australian’s Andrew McMillen at a packed…

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Interview: Morgan Evans (Newcastle) talks going #1, coming home and what it takes to make it in America

Morgan Evans has been dubbed as an artist to watch. His debut US single ‘Kiss Somebody’ recently topped the US country charts, making him only the fourth Australian to reach such momentous feat. The Newcastle born singer-songwriter now lives in Nashville with his pop-country superstar wife, Kelsea Ballerini, and is currently back in Australia on…

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Everything you need to know about Music Matters in Singapore: complete line-up, schedule and venues revealed!

Strap yourselves in because Music Matters is about to take you on the ride of your life. With 35 astounding live acts from 18 countries taking over the stages from the 7-12 of September, be prepared to discover the sounds of tomorrow. Appearing at over 80 venues right across Singapore and with the final announcement…

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Photo Gallery: BIGSOUND’s Hear65 Singaporean Showcase introduced The Steve McQueens, Lion City legend Linying and more

Coming all the way from the hot Lion City, BIGSOUND’s comparatively chilly weather didn’t stop these four Singaporean acts from bringing the crowd. Featured in this gallery are The Steve McQueens, Charlie Lim, Linying and Intriguant:

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Live Review: Dear Seattle turned heads in Melbourne with sold out surprise gig

I’m sitting in my car. It’s about 6:07, traffic is heaving through the city and all I can think about is crashing on the couch, heating up some food and maybe chucking some Netflix on the telly. I’m exhausted, ready for the day to end but than suddenly my ears prick up. Brae Fisher is…

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Interview: Lost Picnic bound Odette (Sydney) talks about her debut To A Stranger, her influences and poetry

Last month saw Sydney-based singer-songwriter Odette embark on her first headline national tour supporting her debut album To A Stranger. The tour proved to be a massive success, with the twenty-one year old playing to sold out crowds at each stop! This week she’ll be heading out on the road again, this time supporting The Cat Empire as…

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Queensland’s High Tropics to represent Australia for Project: Aloft Star in Seoul

Marriott’s millennial brand Aloft hotels is once again kicking into high gear for their annual Project: Aloft Star, a good ol’ fashioned band comp that, for the past few years, has been uncovering and amplifying unsigned musicians from across the Asia-Pacific region. Fashioned as an “artist discovery competition”, the program is nearing its grand final…

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BIGSOUND 2018 Day One: VOIID get wonderfully snotty, Nice Biscuit make waves and more

Brisbane may be the capital of the Sunshine State, but the first day of BIGSOUND saw very little sun amongst the downpour. But the wet weather did little to dampen the excitement of the members of the Australian music industry gathered for the festivities. Everyone soldiered on through the wet weather – wearing free ponchos supplied…

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Photo Highlights: Day One of BIGSOUND 2018 feat. Alice Skye, Bugs, CLEWS and more

Day one of Brisbane’s BIGSOUND was met with pouring rain but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the night! Featured in this gallery are a few of our favourite performances from Alice Skye, Bugs, CLEWS (pictured), Voiid and The Beths:

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Track of the Day: boygenius “Stay Down” (2018)

We’re big fans of Julien Baker here at the AU, so we were stoked to hear that the Memphis singer-songwriter has teamed up with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus for a new side-project: boygenius. What initially started as a series of chance encounters, performances and a bit of pipe-dream has evolved into a forthcoming EP…

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Lauryn Hill announces Australian tour with special guest Nas

It has been two decades since Ms Lauryn Hill branched out into a solo career, releasing her seminal The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and watching it become one of the most acclaimed, awarded and influential albums of its time. She’s been busy touring it around the world for the all important 20 year anniversary, and…

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The ten greatest video game soundtracks we’d love to hear live

This year at Gamescom, the Video Games Live orchestra performed selected arrangements from the Overwatch original soundtrack. The performance was amazing, its heroic themes accompanied by some of the game’s iconic cinematic shorts. A video game soundtrack played live, particularly by a full orchestra, is something that’s only come into vogue in the last decade…

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Meet the 22 Aussies heading to Nashville for AmericanaFest 2018

The 19th annual AMERICANAFEST will take over many of Nashville’s iconic music venues later this month. Running from the 11th – 16th September the festival is a great opportunity for artists – emerging and established – to showcase their work, form international ties and win sponsors. Australia’s national music export initiative, Sounds Australia, will be…

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Live Review: Eilish Gilligan displayed her lyrical excellence at Melbourne’s Gaso on Saturday

Melbourne was again reminded of its amazing homegrown talent as the Gasometer was treated to Eilish Gilligan’s sold out performance on Saturday night. EIlish, joined by both Max Quinn and Essie Holt helped the sellout audience forget about the cold and rain with their exuberant sets and loving songwriting. The stage setup was reminiscent of…

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Track of the Day: The Montreals “Y2K” (2018)

Fresh from making waves in the Australian and international indie-pop scene, Adelaide’s The Montreals, are back with their latest offering “Y2K” – a track that’s sure to soothe you out of your midweek slump. Since first launching onto the scene in 2016 with their acclaimed debut EP Indigo Club, the eclectic South Australian quartet have…

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Aussies Abroad: Julia Jacklin joining First Aid Kit on North American Tour

Kicking off next week, Australian Singer-Songwriter Julia Jacklin is touring some massive venues across North America with Swedish sister-Duo First Aid Kit. Starting on September 9th, the two groups will play no less than 19 shows together across the States and Canada, with one of their Brooklyn dates already sold out. For those unfamiliar with…

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Album Review: Old Cities – Old Cities I (2018 EP)

Sydney based artist Old Cities’ self-titled debut EP was released on Friday, mixed and produced by the man himself, Jordi White. Old Cities I paints the last 10 years of White’s life, written and recorded around the globe, each song embellished by these distinct influences. The EP carries an anthemic design, conjuring comparisons to Coldplay, Gang of…

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Track of the Day: Sparrows “Over & Out” (2018)

From that mesmerising bounce, spun into a tribal-like dance, to the wispy vocal performance from Sydney artist Sparrows reminiscent of a vocalist like Lykke Li, “Over & Out” is a strong case for the return of euphoric dance-pop in 2018. The singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, born Jessica Nitties, has chosen to put this solid work…

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Live Review: Snowtunes was a mega festival in a winter wonderland where Aussie acts shined

It dropped to 4 degrees both nights of Snowtunes 2018, so what did the organisers do to combat the crowd getting frozen? They assembled a lineup that would be sure to have the audience dancing, rocking and partying for hours on end. With pyro and Co2 cannons for nearly every set and boasting the likes…

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Meet the Aussies heading to Reykjavík for the 20th Iceland Airwaves

Iceland Airwaves will be celebrating its 20th year in November. And some of Australia’s freshest talent have joined the massive line-up to help celebrate. Four Aussie talents have been announced to join a lineup of more than 220 acts – from 26 countries – for the cardinal Reykjavík event, which recently made news for being the…

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Five acts not to miss at BIGSOUND 2018

BIGSOUND officially kicks off in Brisbane tomorrow, and our man on the ground this year will be Tim Byrnes. Tim has narrowed down his five must-see acts for the festival. Take a look: Wax Chattels Auckland, New Zealand trio Wax Chattels play bass guitar, keyboard, and a two-piece drum kit. But with those barest of…

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Live Review: Flight Facilities bring the party of the year to Melbourne with Haiku Hands, Owl Eyes & Ric Rufio

Flight Facilities’ Wednesday night set in Melbourne was a mammoth accomplishment of lighting and sound. The duo, Hugo Gruzman and James Lyell, adorned in their now famous flight outfits, encouraged the crowd to join in on one of the biggest parties a mid-week show the city has ever seen. Accompanying them on the opening night of their…

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Hitting rock bottom to climb: Kanye West’s through lines in Ye and Kids See Ghosts

The recent Kanye West release schedule has brought happiness to skinny jean wearing hipsters, and serious hip-hop fans alike. Following the meteoric success of Pusha T’s Daytona, the focus shifted to Kanye’s solo album Ye, and his collaborative project with Kid Cudi. Ye was the first true Kanye project to come from the Wyoming era,…

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Track of the Day: Austen “Too High To Cry” (2018)

Austen, a 23 year old songwriter from Brisbane, has dropped the video for her latest single ‘Too High To Cry’ and it’s a red-hued split-screen insight into Austen’s clever writing. The song is artfully crafted to present the duality of its meaning, with the songwriter suggesting: “I wanted the video to have vulnerable and down to…

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Album Review: Hermit and the Recluse – Orpheus vs the Sirens (2018 LP)

“Devestation laced in my presentation” Ka’s delivery of this line from Orpheus, part of a collaboration project with producer Animoss, is one of the best stylistic summations of an album written in recent memory. The duo, operating under the pseudonym Hermit and the Recluse have worked together on a beautifully dark piece of music, heavily…

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