Backseat Downunder
Meet: We interview Nic Dalton, owner of Sydney’s legendary Half a Cow Records
As a reviewer, from time to time you come across small boutique labels whose enthusiasm and dedication to the music scene is utterly magnificent and completely inspiring. Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed a number of brilliant bands with one common denominator – they were all on the Half a Cow Record label. This …
Album Review: Glenn Richards (Augie March) releases gorgeous new solo album ‘FIBATTY!’
Augie March are pillar of Australia’s indie music scene and, as such, musical royalty. This year was meant to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their seminal debut album ‘Sunset Studies’, accompanied by an Australian tour. However, other events intervened, and, like many creatives, the band was left somewhat in limbo: exacerbated by the fact that …
Premiere: Warmer releases whimsical animated video for ‘Fishes Swim and Coral Grow’
Back in May I reviewed the gorgeous album ‘Wooden Box with Strings’ from Sydney’s Warmer – the solo project of the enigmatic John Encarnacao from The Nature Strip. This is an album that simply continues to grow in stature. Following the release of a single from this album, we are very pleased to premiere the …
Meet: We chat to genius songwriter Robert Scott from The Bats and review the sparkling new album ‘Foothills’
In times of uncertainty and change, there is nothing more constant and reassuring than a new album from New Zealand’s legendary The Bats. Like a guiding star in the firmament, The Bats have a steady and consistent hold in the musical pantheon – giving direction and a steady path. ‘Foothills’ is simply brilliant – it …
Track: Sunflower release summery track ‘Thin Skin’
The sunshine state of Queensland continues to provide bright sun-bleached pop wonders that capture the quintessential light that emanates from the region. Brisbane band Sunflower does just that: their new single ‘Thin Skin’ has all the hallmarks of the shimmering pop gene that runs through the blood of Queensland musicians, tempered by a thread of …
Soundtrack of Our Lives: Eilish Gilligan takes us through her fascinating musical influences, plus we review her epic EP ‘Hospital’
Melbourne’s Eilish Gilligan is a one person tour de force who has bloomed during the harsh (but ultimately very successful) lockdowns in Victoria. She has been releasing some stunning singles over the past year, undertaking fascinating live shows during lockdown through Twitch and has now released an epic self-produced EP, ‘Hospital’. This EP is a …
Track: Thomas Keating – Cold Night
Sydney singer Thomas Keating has just released an absolutely gorgeous track ‘Cold Night’ and a dazzling accompanying video for the song. Inspired by time spent in Melbourne, the song is imperial and statuesque – crisp, sparkling instrumentation flow under Keating’s melancholic and expressive vocals. Keating says: A few years ago, I moved to Melbourne for …
Track: Mansionair x NoMBe collaborate to release the cathartic dance anthem ‘Guillotine’
Sydney trio Mansionair have teamed up with Germany’s NoMBe to create the perfect riposte to the horrors of 2020 with the new single ‘Guillotine’. Rather than providing a panacea for the pain, ‘Guillotine’ perfectly captures and shines back the sense of claustrophobia and unsettling nature of the year with its languid speaking verses and the …
Track: Claudie Joy & the Joy Boys release the delicious track ‘Honey’ and announce gigs
The bleached-white dry hot heat of Western Australia positively shines though the new track ‘Honey’ by Claudie Joy & the Joy Boys. There is a languid liquidity to singer Claudia Joy’s delicate vocals: an expressive and personal look at life written as winter (if you can call it that in Western Australia) approached earlier this …
Track: Curly Blonde – Room 309
The new single from Victorian duo Curly Blonde seems somehow to have bottled some brilliant Australian sunshine into their latest track ‘Room 309’ and created a sparkling and immersive joy along the way. There’s a jangling, bubbling sound that cavorts its way out of the speakers and sets the feet moving, and yet there is …