Music

Bat For Lashes shares haunting new single “In God’s House”

Natasha Khan, who more commonly goes by Bat For Lashes, has shared her new single “In God’s House”, following the release of single “I Do” which debuted only a few weeks ago. Both releases will appear of Khan’s forthcoming album The Bride which is scheduled for a July release. The Bride is said to follow…

Read more

Violent Femmes and Angélique Kidjo highlight a ripping first night of WOMADELAIDE 2016!

The first night of WOMADELAIDE 2016, much like its predecessors, has exceeded expectations. Tens of thousands filled Botanic Park in Adelaide to enjoy a night of world class music. Hazmat Modine kicked things off with some very impressive instrument mastery that flowed its way through Blues, Folk, Fusion and Jazz. And as the crowd built,…

Read more

Aussies at SXSW: Spotlight on 2016 Showcase Artist Julia Jacklin!

Well, we’re days away from SXSW kicking off now and we’re still finding out  more about the talent set to make their Austin debuts next week. One such artist we’re looking forward to seeing out there is Sydney’s Julia Jacklin who, off the back of her latest single “Pool Party”, has been generating a considerable amount of buzz…

Read more

Cherie Currie (California) on her upcoming Australian tour and new material!

In welcome news for fans of classic rock, legendary Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie recently announced a debut five-stop Australian tour in May. Having waited nearly forty years for the opportunity to see the iconic “Cherry Bomb” singer in the flesh, Australian audiences should go wild for the rocker who, as a 15 year-old in 1975,…

Read more

Album Review: The Franklin Electric – This Is How I Let You Down (2015 LP)

This Is How I Let You Down is Montreal-based alternative folk-pop band The Franklin Electric’s debut album. The band is headed up by Jon Matte on vocals, piano and trumpet, with Liam Killen on drums and vocals, Alexis Messier on guitar, and Martin Desrosby on bass. Matte is also the songwriter, plus he produced the…

Read more

Music Video of the Day: Julia Jacklin “Pool Party” (2016)”

Julia Jacklin is certainly becoming an artist to watch – soon to hit SXSW for some well anticipated showcases, the Sydney artist has our radars switched on with the release of her single “Pool Party”. Her vocals are endearing in that Sharon van Etten type of way, while that striking guitar and old school vibe…

Read more

Worlds End Press announce break up and one last hurrah for Melbourne

Much loved Aussie band Worlds End Press  have announced their decision to call it a day after over a decade together. The band had worked together for many years, releasing an acclaimed self-titled debut LP in 2013 and the strong Tall Stories EP last year.  The band released a statement of their decision, assuring that…

Read more

Single of the Day: B Wise “40 Days” (2016)

Coming off of some very well received support slots earlier this year for the likes of Vince Staples and Tuka, Sydney emcee B Wise has given us a listen of some new material with single “40 Days”. Producer Nic Martin has matched B’s relaxed, melodic flow with a steady drum flow, allowing the SMAC award…

Read more

SAFIA are back with a new single and announce shows in secret locations around Australia

Electro-soul group, SAFIA have released their new single, ‘Make Them Wheels Roll.’ The new single comes after their hit, ‘Embracing Me’, and brings in the announcement of a few secret shows scattered around Australia in May. Dubbed ‘M.T.W.R. Tour’, this latest concept tour from SAFIA will see the outfit perform at creative, non-traditional venues. The shows are…

Read more

Foals have released a chilling new ballad with “Rain” ahead of Record Store Day

With Record Store Day coming up next month we should be getting some pretty great unreleased material from musicians across the globe. That drip feed has started with a chilling unreleased ballad from unstoppable UK band Foals. Titled “Rain”, the skeletal song was reportedly recorded during the What Went Down sessions, which was released last…

Read more

Single of the Day: Quintessential Doll “Beautiful Violence” (2015)

Brisbane’s Quintessential Doll has followed up her 2014 EP Let Not The Monsters Destroy Me with the huge new single “Beautiful Violence”. A solo project of songwriter and producer Steph Linsdell, Quintessential Doll‘s production draws comparisons to Homogenic-era Björk with its warping, intense beats juxtaposed alongside perfectly restrained and delicate melodies. The track was mixed by Haxx from…

Read more

Music Video of the Day: Rainbow Chan “Nest” (2016)

Rainbow Chan has proven time and time again that she is a shining light of Sydney’s interesting music set and with her debut album coming out this year, there’s no doubt we’re about to see more layers from this entertaining pop artist. Her latest single “Nest” now has a music video and it’s got everything we’ve…

Read more

Music Video Premiere: Dear Plastic “Zero” (2016)

Melbourne’s Dear Plastic have inched another step forward in preparing for the release of their anticipated sophomore EP Heaven Machine, with the release of the music video for their single “Zero” – premiering today with the AU! For those who have been following the quintet’s antics since their debut album Thieves Are Babes dropped back in 2014, “Zero”…

Read more

Courtney Barnett wins the 11th Australian Music Prize in Sydney!

This afternoon at The Basement, a jam-packed venue of artists and music industry professionals gathered to find out who would be taking away the 11th Australian Music Prize (the AMP) after a panel of judges had spent months deliberating over the hundreds of submissions to pour in. The winner, perhaps unsurprisingly for some, was Courtney Barnett,…

Read more

Nine things you must do to survive your first SXSW!

This Friday, the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film and Interactive conference and festival kicks off in Austin, Texas… then the Music Mayhem starts next Tuesday! We’re just days away from flying to the great city ourselves for the 7th consecutive year of coverage, so we thought we’d share with your our top nine festival tips in this…

Read more

William Crighton fills us in on what to expect from his Courtyard Sessions set on Friday!

The Courtyard Sessions at the Seymour Centre continue this Friday, with the free live music series seeing William Crighton, plus a special support set from Baghead, taking to the stage. The music is kicking off from 6:15pm on Friday, with Crighton performing two sets at 7:15pm and 8:15pm, respectively. Ahead of the show on Friday, Crighton recaps some highlights of…

Read more

Album Review: The 1975 – I like it when you sleep for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (2016 LP)

When British alt-pop band The 1975 came into prominence with the release of their self-titled debut album, their name became synonymous with teenage hipsters across the globe. After two years of touring and tracking their pop rock beats across the world, the band promised a reinvention in the wake of their second album – and…

Read more

Single of the Day: Bag Raiders ft. Benjamin Joseph “Checkmate” (2016)

Bag Raiders have been responsible for some certified club hits to come out of Sydney over the last however many years and this new track they’ve produced is no different. Linking up with SAFIA vocalist Benjamin Joseph on “Checkmate”, Bag Raiders have leaned towards a softer, almost delicate indie-electronica direction for the tune, but it’s got all the hallmarks of…

Read more

Six Music Films not to miss at the 2016 SXSW Film & Music Festival in Austin

This week, the SXSW festival kicks off in Austin, Texas – and as part of it, organisers have put together one of the most ambitious and impressive collections of music focused films ever seen at the festival. Under the “24 Beats Per Second” program, over a dozen music focused documentaries and films will be lighting…

Read more

Aussies at SXSW: Spotlight on 2016 Showcase Artist Lo Carmen!

She may be based in the US now, but Australian musician Lo Carmen definitely hasn’t lost any of her Australian music charm in her time away. Since her debut album release in 2002, the artist has been performing and producing music representative of not only an eclectic music taste, but a talented level of musicianship too….

Read more

Live Review: Ibeyi – Chevron Festival Gardens, Perth (04.03.16)

Ibeyi kicked off their Australian tour on Friday night, with a performance at Perth’s Chevron Festival Gardens as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. The twin sisters, Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz, gave the crowd a crash course in the Yoruba culture, beguiling and entrancing the gathered audience with their infectious enthusiasm and their soulful…

Read more

Henry Rollins making his long awaited Australian return this September!

Henry Rollins may be in Sydney tomorrow for a quick appearance (delivering a keynote address at the 11th Australian Music Prize ceremony), but fans can look forward to the iconic US musician, author, actor, spoken word performer (and everything else, really) returning to our shores for a full tour in September! The tour will be…

Read more

Tiga (Montreal) on his latest album, No Fantasy Required!

Your team at the AU got a chance to chat with Tiga about his upcoming album No Fantasy Required. Besides the album itself, we dug into nostalgia and why it’s bad, the sad farewell to David Bowie and growing up in Goa’s drug culture. This is your first album in seven years. What was the…

Read more

Live Review: Art vs. Science + KLP – The Gov, Adelaide (04.03.16)

It’s been a minute or two since Adelaide fans have had an Art vs. Science show roll through town and to be brutally honest, I was a little worried about how it would fare when I arrived at The Gov on Friday night. KLP was a few minutes off emerging for her support set and the amount of…

Read more

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis announce Australian tour dates!

Grammy winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are currently on the road through Europe with their new album This Unruly Mess I’ve Made after blazing through the US on a successful run of shows, so it’s not entirely surprising that the Seattle duo have now announced the Australian leg of their world tour for 2016! August will see Macklemore &…

Read more

Single of the Day: Yeasayer “Silly Me” (2016)

Yeasayer have given us another taste of their new material in the first official single from their 2016 album Amen & Goodbye in “Silly Me”. For fans of their early material, you’ll note that in this tune there are hints of “O.N.E”-era Yeasayer filtering through in the melodies and unashamedly warping pop sound threading it all…

Read more

Violent Soho add extra shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to meet high demand!

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Violent Soho have been selling out shows for their forthcoming WACO album quicker than you can utter a ‘Hell fuck yeah’. In less than six hours, the Brisbane rockers sold out two shows in their hometown, two Forum dates in Melbourne and their Enmore Theatre show in Sydney. SIX HOURS. To meet demand, the band have managed to fit…

Read more

Music Video of the Day: HÆLOS “Separate Lives” (2016)

HÆLOS are a trio of musicians that have kinda come to my attention in a similar way London Grammar did a few years ago. The first sounds of theirs I heard indicated that the trio were something more than just a flash in the pan Pitchfork/Stereogum favourite, there was something more in their darkly seductive percussion and…

Read more

Stumbled Upon #109 – Blank Bibles (London, UK)

  In our 109th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet the UK’s Blank Bibles, chat about meeting at university, their love of Tame Impala and get a sneak peak at their latest release, “Abigail West”. Name: Blank Bibles Website / Social Media: Facebook / Soundcloud / Instagram / Twitter Genre: Rock Members & their roles:…

Read more

Stumbled Upon #110 – Jo Kroger (New York, USA)

In our 110th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet New York’s Jo Kroger, chat about collaborating with Dalton Deschain, her diverse influences and her new EP,  The Simplest. Name: Jo Kroger Website / Social Media: Facebook / Soundcloud Genre: Acoustic Members & their roles: Jo Kroger, vocals, guitars, writing (frequent collaborator and producer on this…

Read more