Track: Chakra Efendi – Morphine/Body by the Water
Chakra Efendi is a rare and unique talent: a product of the talent factory that is Queensland and with a low-fi resonance that is haunting and melancholic. Efendi (uses they/them/their pronouns) has released a double ‘A’ single. ‘Body in the Water’ comes the closest to carrying the flag of the legendary The Triffids that I’ve …
Track: Maff – Swamp
Chilean superstars of goth, Maff, are back at last with another fantastic single, ‘Swamp’. This follows on from the release of their EP ‘Melanina’ last year described by us as a sparkling, euphoric EP that has moments of pure beauty. And this euphoric beauty continues in ‘Swamp’: a scuzzy, sharp slice of pounding drums and …
Track: Bland – Steel Park (The Path)
I’ve been meaning to write about Sydney band Bland for ages and time keeps slipping by. Their new release ‘Steel Park’ is so good that I’m not going to let this one pass by without a mention. Think of the archetypal Australian indie band of yore – The Go-Betweens, Died Pretty and The Triffids and …
Album Review: Underground Lovers – A Left Turn
The sheer brilliance of Melbourne’s Underground Lovers is only matched by the incomprehensible way they have remained under the global musical radar for so long in their career. Underground Lovers were pioneers of dream pop/shoegaze along with contemporaries My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride in the late eighties/early nineties, creating a magnificent body of work …
News: The Jesus and Mary Chain announce Darklands Tour
Legendary noise pop exponents, The Jesus and Mary Chain, have just announced a swathe of gigs across Europe in March and April 2020 to play their seminal second album, ‘Darklands’, in its entirety. ‘Darklands’ essentially stripped way the wall of feedback that was at the fore in debut classic ‘Psycho Candy’ to leave exposed the …
Album Review: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ debut album, ‘The First Born is Dead’, opened with the formidable track ‘Tupelo’, a roaring, thundering peon to the birth of Elvis Presley, born to be King during an apocalyptic storm: mythologizing the King of rock’n’roll, born in chaos, born to rule. And now, decades later, ‘Ghosteen’ apocryphally begins …
Track: Barrie – Drag, plus EP and tour news
Perfect purveyors of melancholy dream pop, Barrie, are back with a new single, ‘Drag’ off their soon to be released EP ‘Happy to be Here (Ext) – a delightful extension (as the name suggests) to their album ‘Happy to be Here’ reviewed by me in April. ‘Happy to be Here’ is pure unadulterated sparkling pop, and …
Track: HAVVK – 52
The new track from HAVVK, ’52’ is a luscious fusion of dream pop landscapes and anger – a strange but very satisfying mix that perfectly captures its political intent – the deep melancholy sadness following the societal schisms caused by the 2016 Brexit vote and the anger arising from the manner it was achieved. A …
Track: Varanasi (fka Japan Suicide) – Rosemary’s Baby
After ten years under the moniker Japan Suicide, all of the members of the band have decided to cease producing music under this name and have reformed as Veranasi. It’s not just about a name change: it is a change of approach to their music highlighted by a decision to now sing exclusively in their …
Album Review: Local Authority – Negative Space
What was Valley Heat Records is now 4000 Records, but what remains is the singular dedication to the local Brisbane music scene and an obsession with the cassette. And there is no better way to launch this new face than the debut album from Local Authority, ‘Negative Space’. Local Authority is the product of Jacque …