Music

Austin, Texas. Not a place most people outside of North America would attribute to being one of the world’s leading cultural meccas. Not a place I ever expected to visit. But sure enough, stuck in the middle of a state known the world over for is pro-war, pro-death penalty and pro-Bush stance, is a little…

As the afternoon moved along, I next checked out the Canadian Blast BBQ in Brush Park, catching the Montreal electro-hip-hop outfit Radio Radio. Singing in Acadian French, the trio were in town promoting their third LP Belmundo Regal. Their take on hip-hop is modern and inspired, and I found myself connecting with their music through…

At the Warp Records showcase at The Pheonix, I caught the end of Pivot (pictured above and below), their set jam packed with new material. Yes boys and girls, the Sydney/Perth via London three-piece are back, and you better believe they sound better than ever. They ended the night with “O Soundtrack to my Heart”…

I ended my first day at SXSW at Emo’s Main Stage, catching the end of the only hard rock band I’d have the chance to see at the festival – New Jersey’s Dillinger Escape Plan (pictured below). Those who know me will know that they’re not my sort of band, but I felt myself sucked…

It took a great deal of effort to get me out of my bed on my second day of SXSW. After heavy drinking, eating and almost 40 hours of no sleep, I had a good deal of catching up to do. You feel bad when you sleep in at SXSW – there’s always so much…

Next-door to Sounds of Spain, a 42 below sponsored New Zealand party was pumping along, and the one woman machine that is Bachelorette was enjoying the stage. Recently supporting Animal Collective on their Australian tour, I have had the opportunity to witness Annabel Alpers in action, and was wholly impressed in the encounter. As such,…

To have the opportunity to see a great like Ray Davies is not something that comes around too often – let alone in a room with a capacity of around 1,000 people, and supported by the great band The 88. So it was to this showcase I headed to half-way through The Soft Pack’s set…

Friday brought with it one of the craziest days in my role as a journalist. I took care of many of the interviews you’ll soon be reading and watching on the AU review. Thankfully, it also happened to be stunningly beautiful weather. I began the day sitting down with An Horse by the beautiful Austin river, as…

Let’s face it, lately we’ve had more than our fair share of folk-indie cutesy type bands than we need to, and it’s become difficult to distinguish between the groups and the songs and the endless quirk that is constantly shoved down our throats by the popular culture media. Tunng are no different. They are by…

Nestled away in the hippest place in LA – Silverlake – is a little concert hall called The Echo, where on March 14th, 3 days before the start of SXSW, much of the Aussie contingency came together for the LA Aussie BBQ – 9 Hours. 1 Stage. 13 Bands. 10 Minute Changeovers. Now in its…

In advance of the release of their third LP, The Winter of Mixed Drinks (available in stores now), and their return to the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX, I had the opportunity to sit down with brothers Grant and Scott Hutchinson of Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit. Taking a seat with them in the Beach Hotel at…

Future Music Festival. A day synonymous with fluro-wearing hipsters dancing off their drug intakes on a racecourse. But it turns out it’s a pretty fun day, too! Well, that’s once you actually get into the venue. By the time I arrived at Central, lined up for the bus to get to the venue, gotten to…

With another new Mountain Goats LP under his belt (that makes, what, 17!?) – John Darnielle is bringing the Mountain Goats back down under for a highly anticapated April tour. We spoke to John in advance of this tour about the new album “The Life of the World to Come”, his love of Vegemite and…

Very few bands enjoy the luxury of success from first international single – so much success, in fact, that they would find that first single, the still stellar “Take Me Out”, hit the top of the charts and even the number one spot on the Hottest 100. Some 6 years and 3 albums later, Franz…

Following on from many years of supporting local music from afar – showcasing Aussie bands to US audiences in conjunction with SXSW – the Aussie BBQ has made its local debut, first in Melbourne last week, and now, finally, in Sydney. It was an immediate pity that the show couldn’t have been on a non-work/school…

Once one half of Lamb, Lou Rhodes has now taken a bold step forward since the group’s dissolution in 2004. Her debut album, 2006’s “Beloved One”, probably surprised many Lamb fans. Gone were the dance beats and signature trip-hop ambience; in their place was a much more organic, acoustic-based and folk-ish sound. The new musical…

It’s a rare occasion to be greeted to legends of hip hop in one of the smaller clubs in town. Sure, it might happen overseas, but not so much in Australia. Thankfully, thanks to the launch of Bitch Beer at the Trademark Hotel, the rarity occurred, with Naughty By Nature hitting the stage to a…

It’s another Saturday night at the East Brunswick Club, and the band room is packed to capacity with a bevy of music fans keen to hear the new songs the Hungry Kids of Hungary have been locked away in the studio recording. Support act Ernest Ellis may not be a name you have heard, but it’s…

The legendary UK party monster, Club NME, has finally found its way onto Australian shores, promising a night of dance mayhem with a stellar line up including the Purple Sneakers DJs, Yacht Club DJs, a special DJ set from Andy Rourke of The Smiths and the mighty Philadelphia Grand Jury. The scene was set for…

Spirits were high in the Corner band room after the success of the S.L.A.M rally and Premier Brumby agreeing to relax the ridiculous liquor licensing laws that have been shutting down iconic live music venues across the state (R.I.P The Tote). A large, happy crowd had gathered early to give our bands a proper send…

As I entered ANZ Stadium on this hot summer afternoon with Wolfmother appearing in the breeze, I couldn’t help but feel giddy about the show I was about to witness. When it comes to the legends of Rock n’ Roll, there is none that Australians holds dearer to their hearts. All the while, they’re pretty much…

If there were ever an odd choice for the opening act at a Janes Addiction concert, I think Rolo Tomassi would have to take the crown. It was the sort of “screamo” that I really can’t stand. But the irony is that the music behind the screams was actually quite good. They were a talented…

Another Saturday night at the Corner Hotel with beers flowing and an interesting mix of people treading on my toes, eager to see the bands and spastic dance their arses off. Gun Street Girls got the party started with their fun, pub rock tunes. It was fantastic to see Dave Larkin back in action, the…

On the back end of their Hottest 100 celebrations, we chat with Dan W (Drums/Vox) of Sydney’s Art vs Science, who are getting ready to board the Bacardi Express – and then go on to tour forever. Larry: It’s been but a few days since you guys received the number two spot in Triple J’s…

If you happen to be in the States around March, you’ll notice quite an influx of Aussie bands making movements around the country. This is due to the conjoined efforts of Stage Mothers and SXSW – the latter, a showcase of bands for the world to see (in Austin), and Stage Mothers, the creators of…

Your EP Panic Notes has been rated highly by music critics across the country – are you pleased with how it has been received? It’s felt great to finally have something that represents us. It seemed like we were a band for a fair while before actually recording our first EP and we seriously went…

Carus Thompson, perhaps more recognisable to some as the front man of the folk rock group Carus and the True Believers, has moved out on his own – donning the mantle of folk troubadour. He is a stalwart of the Aussie roots and folk scene, plays over 200 gigs each year and has a passionate…

Folk rock (with an extra injection of country flair) is certainly hot property in Australia. Mumford & Sons took out the Hottest 100, The Proclaimers just dominated Australia, touring alongside the B52s, Dropkick Murphys gain more fans by the day (“I’m Shipping Up to Boston” became an AFL song last year, strangely enough) and locally…

Boutique festivals are few and far between in Australia – let alone ones that involve camping! It comes with great relief, therefore, that Playground Weekender is here to create an original atmosphere and an unbeatable experience for punters. Are you ready to experience this? Are you ready to party? While I personally have never made it up…

S.L.A.M. (Save Live Australia’s Music) is a collective of Victoria’s broader musical community who have joined forces to make their voice heard as local music becomes increasingly under threat due to these ill conceived Liquor Licensing Laws. S.L.A.M. are calling on musicians and music lovers from all genres, creeds and generations to unite together to…