We cast the spotlight on some stellar records from last year (and a cheeky 2016 entry) from artists including Meg Mac, Calvin Harris and Jen Cloher. With 2018 already producing some equally as entertaining and moving music, we throw back to the ones that made impacts on us in 2017. Meg Mac – Low Blows (2017)…
If you were looking for an Australian equivalent of bands like The 1975, The Avenue out of Melbourne are probably it. Their melodies are equally as catchy, though the band brings a tad more rock to their output than their British counterparts – with their debut EP FACES last year, the group pulled comparisons to Catfish & The Bottlemen…
Bringing extra grunt to the already heavy Download Festival in Melbourne next month, local heroes High Tension and Make Them Suffer out of Perth have now joined the stacked line up! It’s been a minute since we’ve seen High Tenno and this huge festival gig will be the first for the band in 2018; with new music on…
Back in August last year, we introduced you to producer and musician Hansaa (aka Vinay Matta) with his song “Need To Know” – a great cut from an emerging name on the rise. Now, we’re seeing that Hansaa is continuing this good run with his latest release, a collaboration with soso, in “Nights”. Bringing in vocalist Emma Sameth for…
Ahead of the release of their fifth studio album, Sam Cromack and Jen Boyce of Ball Park Music joined us at Young Henrys in Sydney to chat about the process behind Good Mood and the lead up to its release (it’s out tomorrow!). “I really feel like this is one where everything we’ve learned has been channelled into one spot.”…
Unsettling string effects, followed by bone crunching percussion is the first punch Divide and Dissolve hit you with on their new album, Abomination. The aim and intent is clear: this is an album to challenge, to dismantle and to change perspective. The Melbourne duo have been forming for themselves a strong presence within local community and unsurprisingly,…
Here’s a guy we’ve been enjoying the sounds of recently. South African artist Jeremy Loops has been working his way to more and more acclaim with the release of his debut album Trading Change, in 2014. Taking numerous ‘Album of the Year’ awards and fast becoming a live favourite around the world, the performer is…
While out in Australia with Ben Folds, British artist Lucy Rose came by our offices in Sydney for a bit of a chat and acoustic performance – check that one out over here. During our chat, we find out more about why it’s taken so long for Lucy to make her way out to Australia…
Upon your first listen of Thunder Fox‘s latest single, “Two For One”, you’re hit with a one-two punch. Between the funk soaked bass line and those vocals courtesy of Sam Dawes, “Two For One” is delivered with a vintage flair while remaining very much in 2018. The band is heading out on the road with “Two…
Sweden’s Tove Styrke is an artist we first came across back at SXSW in 2015. First memory of her is her ballsy rendition of should-be club anthem, “Even if I’m Loud it Doesn’t Mean I’m Talking to You”. Second memory of Styrke is the presence she brought to the tiny stage – a striking performer…
Today added to the 2018 Bluesfest line up, one of our favourite artists – Leon Bridges – has also announced two select sideshows for this next trip to Australia. We first met Bridges out at the Falls Festival back in 2016, before the Texan Grammy nominee returned for Splendour in the Grass that year, bringing his acclaimed…
If you’re looking for the perfect cruisy soundtrack for your summer beach party the latest release from Above and Beyond could be just for you. The English based EDM group is already making waves on the charts within days of their latest release, Common Ground. The list of nominations and awards that they have amassed…
New York’s Miles Francis brings us some great new visuals for his tune “Deserve Your Love” – a great entry point of a song for newcomers like us, to his music. Taken from Francis’ debut EP Swimmers, “Deserve Your Love” is a cut of left field pop that highlights Francis’ excellent vocals and approach to the genre. The…
Renowned rapper artist Lil’ Wayne will be headlining a new hip-hop festival across Sydney and Melbourne this March as Jumanji Festival makes stops in Sydney and Melbourne. The inaugural event will be one of the only hip-hop focused festivals of its kind in Australia, and it’s looking like the line-up will keep growing right up…
From Amy Shark to Jaden Smith, the seventh annual showcase lineup for Pandora at SXSW is looking like a mighty good time, with diversity spanning numerous styles and sounds including indie, pop, Latin, R&B, hip hop, Americana and country. Announced today, Pandora will once again take over The Gatsby in Austin, Texas for three days…
Sydney’s modern rock heroes Middle Kids have released the first cut from their upcoming album with “Mistake”. Like previous successes “Never Start” and “Edge of Town”, the new track showcases the powerful vocals of front woman Hannah Joy with a crazy catchy chorus. It’s a tantalising tease of their upcoming album Lost Friends out May fourth. The…
Joe Casey, frontman of Detroit post-punks Protomartyr, is surprised the band has never ventured Down Under. “It seems like we should’ve gone over earlier,” he says. “Bands from Detroit have toured Australia, so we thought if they can do it, we can do it.” The band has worked hard over the last five years, touring…
Brisbane rockers DZ Deathrays’ new album opens with a throat-shredding shriek of singer and guitarist Shane Parsons. His voice becomes overwhelmed by an earth-shaking riff and drummer Simon Ridley’s explosive beats on “Shred For Summer” to the point I couldn’t quite hear the chorus’ final line. Was it “Bleed a riff from my blood” or…
Melbourne Zoo Twilights has already kicked the 2018 series into high gear, recently hosting The Cat Empire, Sunnyboys and Painters And Dockers. On Friday, the offerings continued with Ali Barter and The Preatures joining the stage to help punters start their weekend the way all weekends should be started- dancing in a park, with a…
Adelaide indie group The Montreals have returned with a bombastic new tune in “Sardines”. Following on from the success of their debut EP, The Montreals have continued finessing their style, carving their own spot out within the local Adelaide scene, and aiming higher with this new little banger. The harmonies instantly bring up memories of early-Wombats mania,…
If there was anything to take away from The Internet’s Friday night show, it was that Sydney loves The Internet and it’s reciprocal; and it isn’t just because Syd’s name is in the city’s name. The reception was nothing short of euphoric when Syd took the stage to join her bandmates. Every hand across the…
With the recent 15th Anniversary of Get Rich or Die Tryin, it was perfect timing for once-dominant rapper 50 Cent to hit Australia with a brief but welcome tour. Yes, musically 50 is nowhere near as relevant as he used to be, but even non-fans would agree that Curtis Jackson is one of the most indelible…
Django Django’s third full album since their sophomore Born Under Saturn – released back in 2015 – stirs mixed emotions for many fans and fist time listeners alike. Notably for this one, it feels like the influences behind the music aren’t as clear as songs gone past. The majority of the LP edges somewhere towards a…
Another week, another Friday Fresh Five this week featuring dream pop from Canberra’s Neko Pink and Bristol’s Swimming Girls, neo-soul from Melbourne’s Approachable Members of Your Local Community and some rock to round it out from Melbourne’s The Belafontes. Neko Pink (Canberra) Australian dream pop doesn’t get much better than this. Canberra’s Neko Pink bring…
As good as change may be, continuity and familiarity is just as great. And in some cases, it’s probably better. Here on the new Brian Fallon album, Sleepwalkers, the American artist has embraced some changes from his The Gaslight Anthem days, whilst maintaining much of what has allowed him to develop such a loyal and…
Kiama local Joe Mungovan’s has recently released his new EP Another Night, A Distance From Here across all platforms. The EP is a 7 track collection of scattered memories from the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. The songs act as a soundtrack to his recent national tour, with each…
Aussie rave kings The Presets have followed their massive comeback single “Do What You Want” with new track “14U + 14ME”, a pumping dance tune with The Presets’ signature craziness. The track opens with a slow build of manipulated vocals and rising synths, but doesn’t take long to get to the good stuff: it’s The…
On “The Strangest Thing” The War on Drugs‘ Adam Granduciel sings, “Am I just living between/ The beauty and the pain” – it’s a strong statement of the War on Drugs and their chief songwriter’s appeal. The six-member band has an innate ability to convey emotion and atmosphere. Lonesome guitars swirl around a steady beat conveying…
Melbourne’s Baby Blue have been gathering a considerable amount of acclaim over the last 12 months, cutting their teeth on the local circuit alongside the likes of Chastity Belt, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Jordie Lane, while presenting music that has been charming garage-rock fans and newcomers to the sound alike. As good music should, the…
Come February 16th & 17th, the Mountain Sounds Festival is bringing the likes of Peking Duk, Gang of Youths, Amy Shark, The Creases and Hot Dub Time Machine out to the Mount Penang Parklands for a fifth instalment, not to be missed. We want you to be down there amongst the goodness this year, so we’re giving away a double pass…
