Music

A brand new week is upon us and as we hurtle towards the end of 2017, the new music is keeping on coming to tide us over. Check out new tunes from some great Aussie talent including Grenadiers, Stella Donnelly and Eves Karydas, not to mention the return of N*E*R*D and Angel Olsen‘s “Sans”. ———- This content has recently been ported…

The Perth International Arts Festival has announced the return of massive concert series Chevron Gardens at Elizabeth Quay, with dozens of local and international acts bringing the bangers to the west. The massive lineup includes UK Grime king Dizzee Rascal, Aussie rappers A.B Original and Seattle innovator Perfume Genius. The three week long party will…

Sydney experimental-punk band Rackett have snapped up the $15,000 Rockin’ the Puburbs prize. The all-female band was handpicked by a panel of judges over 300 other entrants and will tour pubs around New South Wales as a part of the massive prize. Australian Hotels Association NSW CEO John Whelan said the aim of the competition,…

Following in the footsteps of 5 Seconds of Summer and Troye Sivan, Jessica Mauboy is now the latest Aussie to be crowned the ‘Best Australian Act’ in the eyes of the MTV European Music Awards. Nominated alongside Meg Mac, Vera Blue, Illy and PNAU, Mauboy won the award after receiving the most votes lodged by fans online….

Not to be confused with fellow musician and daughter of Willie Nelson, Canadian singer songwriter Amy Nelson has long been forging her way as one of the country’s hardest touring independent artists. In Australia for shows that brought her to the east coast, Amy caught up with us in Sydney. “I came to Australia as a backpacker years and…

2017 is A.B. Original‘s year. What started as an EP’s worth collection of material written over a span of a few days by Trials and Briggs, soon turned into one of the country’s most important albums and definitely, one of the most acclaimed this year. At the South Australian Music Awards in Adelaide overnight, the group continued their…

Tigerilla and Jesse Porsches continue to rack up the accolades as their duo SUPER CRUEL continues to generate momentum, the latest nugget of a win coming in new music video for “Sicklaced”. Filmed out on the Gold Coast by the Jaen Collective, the clip takes in party nights and clear days, starring Josh Hueston and Cartia Mallan. Matching up with the upbeat club…

Adelaide’s West Thebarton have become one of the first bands to be signed to new Australian label, Domestic La La. Helmed by Violent Soho‘s James Tidswell and formed in conjunction with the Unified Group, Domestic La La is sure to soon be home to some of the country’s best emerging talent. Of West Thebarton (who have had a massive…

In the midst of restarting his current Boy Meets World tour down in Australasia, Drake took to Sydney for his first Australian show of the tour, fitting his exceptionally designed stage show into the Qudos Bank Arena where he will perform a total of three times over the next week. Foregoing any traditionally big name…

WAAX don’t do things by halves. They’re not here to fuck spiders. They’re not pissing about. And the list of Australian sayings goes on… The point is, the Brisbane legends have been hitting the live front hard over this year and it’s testament to their hard work ethic that WAAX have now become one of the…

A few months ago I happened to hear a song called ‘Location’ that was filled with soulful lyrics to a cool beat and became obsessed with a nineteen year old singer from Texas named Khalid (pronounced Kuh-Leed) who has recently blown up on our radio stations and in our charts. On Tuesday night I had…

Performing one of our favourite NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, Tank and The Bangas have been on our radar ever since. The talented New Orleans collective have today announced their debut Australian tour dates for March 2018, as well as heading to New Zealand as part of next year’s Auckland Arts Festival. Seriously though, the way this…

The long awaited sophomore album from Marlon Williams is officially on its way, with the Kiwi musician revealing more details on his forthcoming new music today. The follow up to his acclaimed self-titled debut comes in the form of Make Way For Love, due for release via Caroline Australia on February 16th. Along with news of Make Way…

Sydney is amping up for ARIA Week 2017, hitting its stride in its sixth year. From 19th, a program of gigs, conferences, showcases and special events taking place across the city. ‘Headline’ event sees Beats 1’s Zane Lowe confirmed to appear as a special keynote speaker of this year’s ARIA Masterclass on November 27th. Also on…

Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, indie group Scenic Route to Alaska have been impressing us out on their debut Australian tour. Joining us on the couch at Leadbelly in Newtown, the trio take us through their experiences on the road for Australian Music Week and other shows scattered down the east coast. “I think a lot of…

Aussie duo Vowws have been making their mark in the States as they prepare for the release of their new album Under The World in February. We’ve been listening to their new single, “Forget Your Finery” today and reckon it’s definitely worth being on your radar too. Having stepped further into the light with the formation of…

With his new album Adolescent Nature, Canadian troubadour Dylan Menzie has put his heart on his sleeve yet again. In Australia for Australian Music Week and also the Canada Down Under showcase in Sydney, the songwriter takes us through his new music, the reaction to it and where he’s going from here. “It’s a strange feeling, to…

The sun shone down strongly on Wangaratta as the numbers poured into the regional city for the 2017 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues. Any hints of rain that may have lingered on the drive out from Melbourne were done away with quickly, as the festival lasted out three sun-drenched days with international and Australian musicians…

Naomi Shore and Lindsay Pratt of Twin Peaks talk name confusion, how the band formed, koalas, Australia and the supportive Canadian governments arts’ funding ahead of their showcase at Canada Down Under at Leadbelly, Newtown. “We’re just an elaborate boob joke,” the name is explained. “The whole name ‘Twin Peaks’ is because we both have…

For Angel Olsen fans, this week is going to be a very good one. The release of Phases will see a collection of much-anticipated B-sides, rarities and demos from over what has been a glorious songwriting career. Which brings us to our choice of today, “Sans”. Originally a home demo Olsen recorded in 2015, the song is instantly…

Vancouver’s Louise Burns has been a true highlight of the recent Canada Down Under takeover that hit Sydney’s Leadbelly venue earlier this week. The songwriter has a smashing album in Young Mopes to her name and following on from her Polaris Prize nomination, Burns has already blazed through 2017 successfully, and looks forward to a bright 2018. “It’s…

Last night Newtown’s Leadbelly saw a Canadian invasion, with some of Canada’s top rock and country acts gracing the same stage that recently housed iconic Australian rockstar Nic Cester. Amy Nelson, Twin Peaks, Dylan Menzie, Louise Burns, and Scenic Route to Alaska were amongst the artists to bring the music of Canada Down Under. With big…

As someone who grew up on the music of Midnight Oil (as I think most people who came up in the 90’s did), I never thought I would be in the position to see the band perform, much less be in a professional capacity to see the band perform. But there I sat yesterday evening, six…

With a fiery new single in “Oxide” out and doing its thing, indie-pop artist Phia has returned home from a successful tour through Europe and the UK. The single, taken from Phia’s The Woman Who Counted the Stars, represents an exciting phase for Phia, who has explored a new, heavier direction with her music through it. Phia is…

JOY. has made an excellent return with new single, “Smoke Too Much”, taken from a forthcoming album we’re incredibly keen for. Threading together more captivating vocals with stellar production, “Smoke Too Much” is a vibrant tune that just pops. This is the sort of electro-pop Australia should be embracing and propelling, with artists like JOY. in the…

Monthly music series Red Bull Sound Selects has announced a new tour this month to celebrate the end of the university semester. The concert series is curated by a team if entertainment heavyweights including Dune Rats, Bloc Party and Co-Presents Festival. Each city has its own unique lineup including Remi, jazz-pop band Slum Sociable, and…

Brisbane songstress Eves Karydas is back three years after massive singles “TV” and “Electrical” as Eves the Behaviour. The new single, “There for You”, showcases the 23 year old’s ability to bring together pop harmonies, studio experimentation and thoughtful lyrics. “In many ways, “There For You” is my love letter to my life abroad,” says…

The best of West Australian music and entertainment have gathered for the WAMAwards last week as a part of WAMFest, the state’s celebration of local and international contributions to the West Australian music scene. Lo-Fi guitar pop up-and-comer Stella Donnelly won five out of her six nominations including Best EP, Best Folk Act, Best Single, Best…

It was a sad day when Brisbane indie-pop weirdos Custard threw in the towel in 1999. The band behind “Music Is Crap” and “Girls Like That (Don’t Go For Guys Like Us)” brought a lot of fun and levity to music. Now, after their 2015 reunion album Come Back, All Is Forgiven, Custard is back…

American soul heavyweight Lee Fields has announced an Australian headline tour with his six-piece band The Expressions in March 2018. The singer will perform two exclusive shows in Melbourne and Sydney while he’s here for Golden Plains Festival in Victoria and A Festival Called Panama in Tasmania. Lee Fields and The Expressions released the critically…