The Church frontman Steve Kilbey and All India Radio’s Martin Kennedy have been releasing music under the guise Kilbey Kennedy since 2009, and today the prolific pair have released album number five: Glow and Fade. I caught up with Martin Kennedy to talk about the album, which they are calling their “Magnum Opus”, its cover…
There was a song on Phoenix’s Bankrupt album called ‘Trying To Be Cool”, which is a fair description for a lot people you see at gigs. I mean, maybe they really do dress and act like that, but surely there’s an essence to their gig persona where they really are just trying to be cool….
Mikhael Paskalev is back with another sparkly number, this time in “Shotgun”. A fine return from the Norwegian pop maestro – with swirling textural vibes akin to popular Tears For Fears cuts and when his vocal kicks in, there’s hits of Passion Pit vibrancy that will instantly draw indie pop fans in. As a tune…
As we arrived in the iconic, well coloured sails for the opening night of Vivid, the excitement for the return of Seattle outfit Fleet Foxes, who were helping opening the festival, was palpable. A screen sat at the back of the stage, and a note (presumably) from the band told us they missed us (“welcome to…
The resurgence of 90s indie and/or grunge inspired rock has seen both melancholy and massive bands on the scene, some taking the genre in modern and inspired directions. New Jersey’s Trü are definitely in the latter category, their rhythmic guitars work injected with a certain shoegaze feel. “Take A Peek” is the opening track from their upcoming…
Across two continents, over the last two months, I’ve caught up with Tom Ogden, lead singer of UK rising superstars Blossoms. We first sat down at Coachella, where they played an early set, and spoke again while they were touring Europe in their own headline shows, fresh from touring the USA with Two Door Cinema…
One of our top acts to watch at this years Great Escape Festival, Kamikaze Girls have dropped the music video for their single “Deathcap”, and have cemented why they were one of our picks. The UK two piece bring their unique post riot grrrl sound and fuzz-soaked rock stronger than ever in the clip, filmed by Katie McMillan, and edited…
Zander Hawley is an American songwriter truly coming into his own with this, his debut album, When I Get Blue. Having first come across his music a few years ago (he is one half of LA’s Honeywater with Amandla Stenberg), I’ve been keeping track on Hawley’s solo releases out of Nashville since. There’s a poignancy that permeates throughout Hawley’s…
For Gold Coast artist Angie Farr, aka Old Sault, her debut EP Mostly Worried signified a great entrance to to the east coast Aussie music scene. Her single “Sleeping With Danger” established Old Sault as an artist to watch and propelled her to more success on triple j Unearthed, while her work with acclaimed producer Govinda Doyle on the EP…
You wouldn’t normally couple the words ‘dark’ and ‘euphoria’ together but somehow, when Brisbane’s Tabrill puts his touch on music, the two blend together well. Case in point, his new single, “Sans”. The song is minimalistic in delivery; the space normally occupied by vocals is instead filled with layers of dark electronic production, establishing a great…
Laura Imbruglia‘s Amateur Hour returns for a second season, bringing to screen seven episodes featuring interviews, music and more. The DIY style variety show has been filmed in Sydney and Melbourne, hosted by Imbruglia, and will be featuring the likes of Olympia, Candy Bowers, Ash Flanders and more in its new season. It’s a unique presentation and one that has…
Directed by Anthony Supreme, we head to New York City to follow Brooklyn’s SAINt JHN and his fellow Supreme-clad crew around in this, the official music video for “3 Below”. The noticeably down-temp trap-infused beat has made “3 Below” a favourite with the blogs and fans recently and now, there’s an extra attachment to the song for…
Our friends at PBS 106.7 FM are holding their annual Radio Festival right now, driving subscriptions to one of Melbourne – and Australia’s – finest community radio stations. Entirely non-for-profit, PBS relies on subscribers to champion local and underrepresented music across Melbourne and Australia and so they’re festival drive is one of the most important…
One in four performing artists have attempted or considered suicide. More than one in three performing artists, and one in four industry support workers, report mental health problems (Entertainment Assist, 2014). Think about the last band you listened to, or the last gig you went to. A four person band? At least one person from…
Indie rockers The Districts are back, dropping their second single from their upcoming LP, Popular Manipulations. “If Before I Wake” is heavy on the drone, citing influences from shoegaze to The Velvet Underground. There’s a distinct sound to these guys, touching on that 00’s indie rock vibe, with some modern finesse, all moulded by vocalist Rob Grote‘s distinctive and soaring voice. Of…
Dean Lewis is one of those artists who has an effortless charm about him. At The Great Escape this year, I was able to watch him perform twice – a proper introduction to his onstage presence – and it was undeniable, the hold the songwriter had over his audience. He’s slightly awkward, almost coy, in his…
Missed the best new tracks hand-selected by our own writers? Catch up on all the goodness, from the raucous new one by Press Club to the bubbling electronic R&B beats by Ladi6, this playlist covers all bases. Get listening now! ———- This content has recently been ported from its original home on The AU Review:…
Melbourne’s Splendidid (not a typo) have been crafting a niche for themselves in the inner North’s music scene over the last eight months. Voracious gigging has allowed the group to jam out riffs and melodies live, and flesh out their psych-soaked songs based on what the audience digs. Dom Alessio (triple j) describes their sound as “sunshine…
Musicians around Australia will have the opportunity to engage in frank discussions about mental health thanks to a just announced series Music and the Mind: Panels on Mental Health, which will tour the country throughout May and June 2017. The events, presented by the Australasian Performing Right Association (ARPA AMCOS) and Support Act, will open up discussions…
It’s hard to position Allday within the cohort of musicians that make up the Australian scene. From Adelaide to Melbourne to now, Los Angeles, the rapper still very much holds a place within the local music scene but to look at how his last year or so has rounded off, it’s evident that the Allday brand is…
Ah, The Great Escape. Snipping at the heels of its American counterpart, SXSW, the British festival – established for music discovery – has grown considerably in recent year, drawing thousands of music fans and industry professionals out to Brighton to watch hundreds of established and emerging bands from the world over showcase their sounds in a variety of…
New York duo Overcoats are JJ Mitchell and Hana Elion – two musicians who have captivated our attention recently. Their debut album YOUNG is out now – exuding excitement and charm, there have been many moments on the album that caught our attention initially but more importantly, kept it. Current single “Leave The Light On” is one such example, a…
It’s amazing to think that !!! are still going and not just still going but producing some of their most consistently strong musical output of their long career. They create music which is nearly physically impossible not to dance to, and it was with great pleasure that we got the chance to catch up with…
After some 80s inspired electronica for your ears? We’ve got you covered. Ahead of the release of their upcoming debut self titled record, Night Drive have given us a delicious first taste. https://soundcloud.com/nightdrivemusic/trapeze-artist-regrets “Trapeze Artist Regrets” will have you strutting your stuff like you’re ripe and ready for a hot fire night on the town. A steady beat, flashes…
Playing their third sold out night in a row at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, Methyl Ethel treated Melbourne punters to a delightful night of eargasms. Having just toured Europe and a string shows at Groovin The Moo around Australia, the band are no strangers to playing to big crowds. The packed out venue was…
The Great Escape wound up for another year overnight, with the beating heart of Brighton’s cultural district and city surrounds hosting one final night of eclectic and diverse live music. Over Friday and Saturday’s program, we were exposed to music from some intriguing artists out of Europe who left a remarkable impression upon us – Iceland…
Sydney’s Dear Seattle started turning heads after uploading some pretty amazing tracks to triple j unearthed, particularly with release of breakthrough single ‘Meadows’. The group deliver their gritty indie-rock and heartfelt, raw vocals in ‘Afterthought’, the video continuing from the video for ‘Meadows’. It’s an exploration of the morning after a big one, dealing with the…
We first met Circa Waves in 2014 – it was a sweaty Sydney afternoon when the Liverpudlian rockers stopped by our offices for a chat around their debut Australian appearances for Splendour in the Grass. Already, the band had generated the type of hype and momentum that helped launch bands like Catfish and The Bottlemen to popular…
For Perth’s Voyager, the release of their sixth studio album in The Ghost Mile marked a significant moment for the group. Coming off the back of a fruitful period spent writing in studio – a more collaborative effort than previous albums had seen – as well being created while weddings and general life continued to swirl around the…
Muse dropped their brand new single, “Dig Down”, overnight and the reaction has been varied. Sounding a lot like “Madness” from The 2nd Law it has a slow, pulsating bassline – possibly from Chris Wolstenholme‘s Kitara, an assumption based purely on the similarity to “Madness” – and Matt Bellamy delivers the vocals in breathy crooner…
