Music

Sidney Myer closing moments

Photo Gallery: Beyond The City Day One ft. PNAU & Spacey Jane – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Victoria (30.12.21)

After a long eighteen months away, Beyond the Valley returned in a new way; Beyond the City with the two-day event kicking off in style at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl to celebrate the ringing in 2022. With international acts out this year, it meant that BTC was able to highlight some of Australia’s growing…

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Michael Hili

Interview: Paul Kelly catches his Christmas Train, making gravy and Nina Simone

“…flour, salt, a little red wine, and don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang.” is a phrase that is ingrained in so many of us. Paul Kelly‘s “How To Make Gravy” has become synonymous with the festive season since its release in 1996. Not only that, but the 21st…

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Photo Gallery: Hiatus Kaiyote + Baro Cura x Silent Jay – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (18.12.21)

A beautiful summer night at Enmore Theatre with the return of Melbourne based Hiatus Kaiyote to Sydney on their worldwide Mood Valiant tour in all the style and colour we expect from one of the coolest bands in the world. Supported by Baro Cura x Silent Jay. Images brought to you by Pete Dovgan.  …

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The 40 Best Albums of 2021

It’s that time of year when our team of music writers and editors get together to count down the 40 best albums of the year. And while this has been no usual year, the quality of music that has been released has been incredibly high. Suffice it to say, this has been a very difficult…

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Interview: Sunshine Coast’s PHIN on “Mistakes”, songwriting and The 1975

Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter PHIN has just released latest single “Mistakes”, the first look at upcoming EP Wasting Time. With previous track “Losing My Doubts” amassing more than 30,000 Spotify streams, it’s certainly an exciting time for the young artist! “Mistakes” is a deliciously jangly slice of indie-pop exploring the beauties and burdens of young life…

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Track of the Week: Mal De Mer “Do You See Me?” (2021)

Our final Track of the Week ahead of the Christmas break comes courtesy of Perth’s Mal De Mer! The six-piece have delivered a cracking dose of indie-pop in the form of latest single “Do You See Me?“, and it’s perfect for the lazy summer days ahead of us. A eclectic mix of funk inspired bass,…

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Thunder Fox

Sounds of the hometown – the artists and producers influencing Thunder Fox

Sydney’s Thunder Fox have just released their second album, Sanctuary, and it’s truly a hotbed of creativity. Straddling genres, from gospel to RnB and everything in between, it brings out the best of the talented quintet. In the runup to its release, they dropped three singles,  “Not For Sale”, “Love You 2” and “Head In…

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Tessa Bird

Exclusive Video Premiere: Tessa Bird “If You Want Me” (2021)

Soul singer Tessa Bird has just released “If You Want Me”, the follow up to her debut single “The Heavens Did Protest” which was released in July this year. You might recognise Tessa from her performing with her sister for the past ten years in their band Sitara. She has since launched her solo career,…

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AYLA

AYLA’s power female ride along playlist

Alt-pop artist AYLA has recently released the dreamy power-pop “Ride Along”, a surging vibrant track with a celebratory theme of self-empowerment. A driving beat, infectious rhythms and vocals that effortlessly float and captivate has this track sparkling with resilience. AYLA gives us the meaning behind “Ride Along”: “’Ride Along’ is about not sitting back and…

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Interview: Mitch Galbraith from Ocean Alley on “Touch Back Down”, their Fender collab and upcoming tours

Northern Beaches psych-rock outfit Ocean Alley have soared exponentially in their decade on the forefront of local indie music. The band has become one of the country’s most prominent touring acts and their highly anticipated live shows have captured audiences all over the world. Their instant hit “Confidence” scored #1 on triple j’s Hottest 100…

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Renessco

Renessco’s 5 favourite acts to see in his hometown of Fremantle

Renessco is the solo project for Connor Minervini, who you might know through the folk-rock group The Hunting Birds. He has just dropped his debut track, the achingly beautiful “Glass House”. Renessco hails from Fremantle in Western Australia but is now resident in Melbourne. “Glass House” was written on the West Coast, and it is framed as…

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Happy Mallrat

Live Review: Mallrat + Ninajirachi – Forum Melbourne (07.12.21)

After multiple postponements, one wouldn’t be surprised if Mallrat decided to cancel her run of two shows at the Forum in Melbourne. Thankfully, she persevered and we were finally able to get a taste of her emphatic pop sounds once again at the Forum on Tuesday night. To make sure the evening started off with…

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Mallrat on stage

Photo Gallery: Mallrat + Ninajirachi – Forum Melbourne (07.12.21)

It was an exciting night back at the Forum on Tuesday as Mallrat was finally given an opportunity to see her fans after multiple postponements of the ‘Driving Music’ tour. The wait was worth it and the night was another argument in why Mallrat is such an engaging artist. Dan was there to catch all…

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Yard Act, Nick Ward and Joy Crookes: UK & Aussie acts you need to know

As the Ashes kick off and the year begins to draw to a close, I thought I’d take a moment to bring your attention to a hat-trick of acts I’ve been introduced to this year; two from England and one here at home in Australia. Yard Act (Leeds, England) Ever wondered what the love child…

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WA gets Out Of The Woods with Angus & Julia Stone, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants and more

As Western Australia prepares to open up to the rest of the country, Macro Music has announced the Out Of The Woods festival in Busselton in the state’s south-west region for April featuring Angus & Julia Stone, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants and Hot Dub Time Machine. The two-day festival, scheduled to run on…

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Interview: Middle Kids talk touring the US in a pandemic, ARIA win and Jameson House of Rounds

Sydney indie-rock trio Middle Kids have quickly become one of the country’s most prominent and adored bands, capturing hearts worldwide with their gritty pop anthems and unparalleled storytelling. And it’s been another another huge year for the band, with the release of their new album Today We’re The Greatest in March, a national tour in…

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Lisa Caruso

Track of the Week: Lisa Caruso “It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas” (2021)

Having released her stunning debut album, In Feelings, in 2020, Lisa Caruso has released her follow-up single, “It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas”. This is a tune written for those of us who might be feeling just a tad, or a lot, disaffected by the onset of Christmas. Let’s face it, for many of us, 2021…

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Basic Comfort

Exclusive EP Premiere: Basic Comfort – Visions (2021 EP)

Basic Comfort is an alternative synth-pop band heralding from Kalamazoo in the state of Michigan. We are stoked today to be premiering their latest EP, VIsions, ahead of its release on Friday. The band has been around for a while now, led by Tony Mitchell, with the lineup settling in 2019. Since then, they’ve been…

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Festival Review: Jameson House of Rounds shouts Byron Bay a day of live music

The eminent Jameson House of Rounds returned for a night of whiskey, food and music at iconic bar The Rails in Byron Bay on Saturday, 4 December – and you can bet that we were there for every bit of it. As New South Wales emerges from lockdown, Jameson House of Rounds provided a unique…

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Blackbirds FC

Exclusive Single Premiere: Blackbirds FC “Transport Planes” (2021)

Melbourne’s Blackbirds FC create beautifully layered lush sonic journeys, telling their stories with warm vocals. “Transport Planes” is the latest track to drop from the band, and we are delighted to be premiering it prior to its release on Friday. A full-length album is due early in 2022. The jangly guitars and keyboards are joyfully…

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Highline

Sydney’s Highline share their 6 favourite B-Sides

What to put on the B-side for your about to be released single? Perhaps a conundrum almost as challenging as what to call the band. There have been some memorable B-sides over the past few decades. “Green Onions” from Booker T and the MG’s was the B-Side to their track “Behave Yourself”. “God Only Knows”…

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Photo Gallery: Shining Bird+ Johnny Hunter + Bored Shorts – Factory Theatre, Sydney (01.12.21)

  It was a stellar night of music at the Factory Theatre last night. At the top of the bill was Shining Bird, on the back of their fabulous album Deadlands, which was released earlier in the year. With beautiful instrumentation and high energy, their set left us wanting more. Co-headling was the irrepressible Johnny…

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The Teskey Brothers

Album of the Week: The Teskey Brothers – Live at Hamer Hall (2021 LP)

In the two years since releasing their magical debut album, Run Home Slow, The Teskey Brothers have been incredibly busy and become overwhelmingly accomplished. Playing numerous completely sold out tours (despite the live music landscape being in complete disarray), winning awards and accolades left, right and centre, the Melbourne band has still managed to find…

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Tom Harrington

Exclusive Single Premiere: Late November “Birdbrain” (2021)

North Queensland’s Late November are a five-piece indie-rock outfit creating uplifting songs celebrating the transition into adulthood. They met in high school, and create songs that fuse their energetic math-rock riffs with soulful indie melodies. We are thrilled today to have the premiere of their latest tune, “Birdbrain”. Their material has often touched on themes…

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Masked Wolf & The Kid LAROI join BTS & Olivia Rodrigo atop Apple Music & Shazam’s 2021 Global Charts

Today Apple Music unveiled their global charts for 2021 for both their streaming services as well as Shazam, and the news is pretty remarkable for Australian artists. Topping the Shazam charts, as the #1 most Shazamed Song globally in 2021, is Australian hip hop artist Masked Wolf, for his track “Astronaut in the Ocean”. Within…

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Splendour 2022 Line-up Drops: YUNGBLUD, Glass Animals, Kacey Musgraves and more join a stacked July festival!

After a long 2021, we waited with bated breath as Splendour In The Grass expanded its line-up for 2022, with a massive announcement loaded with Australian sounds and big-hitting internationals. Previously confirmed headliners of Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, the Creator will be joined by newly announced acts, Glass Animals, YUNGBLUD, Liam Gallagher, Yeah Yeah…

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Track of the Week: Budjerah “Wash My Sorrows Away” (2021)

Budjerah is back on our radar with both a Splendour in the Grass booking and a new single – the dreamy, soulful “Wash My Sorrows Away“. Not that he was ever really off it, with the track coming after he picked up both the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the ARIA Awards…

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Tom Harrington

Exclusive Single Premiere: Tom Harrington “Be There Soon” (2021)

Victorian singer/songwriter and indie-folk balladeer Tom Harrington creates music that comforts and caresses. Following on from his debut single “Before You Go” he has been hard at work on his debut EP, and we are thrilled today to be premiering the title track, “Be There Soon”, ahead of its release on Friday, 3rd December 2021….

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Interview: Kurt Goedhart from The Butterfly Effect on “So Tired”, riffs and lockdown

As one of the country’s most iconic rock bands, The Butterfly Effect have seen and done it all in their time on the forefront of local heavy music. The Brisbane quartet’s latest single ‘So Tired’ and accompanying video is an exciting taste of their forthcoming album – the first in over a decade. We caught…

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Nate Vibrations

Melbourne’s Naté Vibrations shares his musical tastes and influences

Earlier this month Melbourne-based producer and hip hop artist Naté Vibrations dropped the summer-tinged track, “Hop Out”, and irrespective of what the weather is currently doing, this is a track to get you zinging about. From the fun jaunty opening on the keys to the driving beats and vocals, “Hop Out” is a total trip….

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