Album Reviews

Experimental bands can often be, to put it bluntly, a pretty boring spectacle to watch. But when you hear about the jaw-dropping, improvisational live shows that Nice Nice are renowned for, it’s not hard to believe that they could be an exception to that rule. Guitarist Jason Buehler and percussionist Mark Shirazi are self-described ‘musical…

It’s been too long since I’ve a) listened to music from this century and b) found myself thoroughly enjoying it. Thankfully, my hunger for exciting new music has finally been satisfied (for now) with the release of Blood Red Shoes’ latest album ‘Fire Like This’. Hailing from Brighton, UK, the two-piece have infused a delicate…

Comprised of singer, guitarist and namesake Erland Cooper, guitarist Simon Tong (The Verve) and David Nock (Paul McCartney’s The Fireman) on drums/percussion/keys and production, Erland and the Carnival are the latest buzz band to emerge from the London underbelly. And now the trio, who met at Tong’s What the Folk club night on Portobello Rd…

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…

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…

Owen Pallett is not a name you will be instantly familiar with, but you will have heard his musical fingerprints all over some of the best releases of the last couple of years. He has been in constant demand for his string arrangements; recent work includes the string arrangements for The Last Shadow Puppets, Arcade…

Decibully is a Milwaukee based folk-rock band, formed in 2001 by front man and general all-rounder William Seidel. World Travels Fast is their third major release, and their first on new label Listening Party Records. For a relatively young band, they have been heavily lauded thanks to their prior releases Sing Out America! and City…

The four years since the release of Midlake‘s sophomore record has seen an interesting shift in the broader spectrum of ‘alternative’ music, with a massive rise in a more hybridized, synthesised and crossover sound championed by groups like The Presets, MGMT and Crystal Castles. In these electro-driven times, it’s a real pleasure to find a…

One of the most defining moments in modern music occurred in August 1986, when Paul Simon released the groundbreaking Graceland LP. The majority of the album was recorded in South Africa and shot the Mbaqanga musical style into the Western mainstream. While such a style was indeed influential before this point, suddenly it became “the…

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Sydney’s Sherlock’s Daughter live for the first time, in support of Lisa Mitchell (read the review here), so was no doubt thrilled when I recently received their debut self-titled EP. But that said, I did approach the EP with a fair amount of trepidation – who was to…