Backseat Downunder
Track: Sydney’s Abby Bella May unveils the bright and bubbly new track ‘Bindii Patch’
There’s something evocatively Australian about suffering minor multiple injuries from a Bindii patch – a prickly monstrosity that lurks in the depths of the most unprepossessing yet beckoning green lawns during the summer months. Sydney artist Abby Bella May has charmingly built this phenomena into her delightful new indie pop single ‘Bindii Patch’. This is …
Track: Wildheart release the visceral excoriating and ultimately cathartic single ‘Backburner’
While hardcore is a genre I usually don’t write about, a track like ‘Backburner’ from Brisbane band Wildheart shines with such a passion. Termed ‘melodic hardcore’ to be precise, which is a much more accessible genre, I presume, than non-melodic hardcore – what makes ‘Backburner’ so special is the deep heartfelt messages and the pure …
Track: New Zealand’s Emily C. Browning releases the slinky electro pop delight ‘I Wasn’t Into You Anyway’.
Based in Christchurch, New Zealand, Emily C. Browning, with a background in Jazz and a career playing guitars for others, has just released her first solo work – the lovely single ‘I Wasn’t Into You Anyway’. There is a smart self-deprecatory sense of humour evident in both the song and the accompanying video – Browning …
Track: Sydney electro-pop duo Micra release luscious double singles ‘Undercover Lover’ and ‘I Should’ve Listened’
Ivana Kafedjiyska and Robbie Cain together are the Sydney-based duo Micra and they have just released a luscious pair of tracks that are awash with dream pop motifs and a languid air. Centred around Kafedjiyska’s ethereal vocals and a soft and billowing synth bed, ‘Undercover Lover’ has a classic pop melody and a wistful pace. …
Track: Julia Stone’s single ‘Fire In Me’ stokes the flames ahead of new album ‘Sixty Summers’ released 30 April
Once a wanderer in the dreamy, folk wilderness, Julia Stone has well and truly shaken off the delicate gossamer of ballads past. Single Fire in Me from forthcoming album Sixty Summers is evocative, energetic and seemingly powered by electric, Goldfrapp-esque propulsion. The song was co-written with songwriter/producer Dann Hume and features a Bond-like string section …
Album Review: Brisbane’s dreamy pop exponent Cloud Tangle returns with the gloriously ambient ‘Swells’
Last year’s debut album ‘Kinds of Sadness’ by Brisbane solo artist Cloud Tangle was a sign of something special brewing in the home studios of Amber Ramsay – it was one of our favourite Australian/New Zealand releases for 2020 and indicative of a prodigious talent. Cloud Tangle is back with the album ‘Swells’ – another …
Track: Western Australian psych exponents Pond return with a blistering single ‘Pink Lunettes’ and announce tour news
The history of enigmatic Western Australian band Pond is inextricably linked with fellow mega star exports Tame Impala, with common members revolving in and out of each others bands over time. As a collective, the band has an impressive resume – eight studio albums with the release of their most critically acclaimed album to date, ‘Tasmania’ …
Track: Middle Name Dance Band show off smooth, soulful revamps on new single ‘Lovers Featuring’
Three-piece MPC, keys and bass trio Middle Name Dance Band have released more infectiously relaxed groove by smoothly reworking two tracks taken from their 2020 acclaimed Middle Name Dance Tracks Vol.2. The new 7” single features vocalised versions of Weekend Love Chant and Love Bite – the sultry, smoky resonance of singers Wallace and Natalie …
See: Sydney’s The Electorate release dreamy, enigmatic video for ‘Lost At Sea’, off last year’s brilliant debut album
The Electorate‘s brilliant debut album ‘You Don’t Have Time To Stay Lost’ was for me one of the highlights of 2020 (see my review here), and they’ve just released a video for the dynamic penultimate track ‘Lost At Sea’: a driving, thunderous piece of music that ebbs and flows like a spring tide. Indeed the …
Track: Queensland resident LT releases the dreamy pop anthem ‘Hold Ya’ and announces live dates.
Queensland artist LT (formerly Leanne Tennant) has just released an absolutely gorgeous track ‘Hold Ya’ which sparkles with a deep yearning and a celestial, anthemic chorus. LT’s vocals are an absolute delight – with a massive range and an endearing local diction. ‘Hold Ya’ is classic pop – indelible melodies and a dancing, insistent instrumentation …