backseat downunder
Track: Polymath Geoffrey O’Connor reveals another sumptuous dreamy feast with the enigmatic single ‘What A Scene (featuring Sui Zhen)
Singer/songwriter/producer Geoffrey O’Connor set my radar beeping with his release last month ‘For As Long As I Remember’, the reflective and delicate track featuring the dulcet vocals of Jonnine from the band HTRK as a duet. He has now returned with another blissful sunlit escapade, ‘What A Scene’, this time with Melbourne artist Sui Zhen stepping up to …
Track: Toby Martin (Youth Group) unveils new haunting anthem ‘Linthwaite Houdini’ with hints of Yorkshire brass, and announces new solo album ‘I Felt The Valley Lifting’
Toby Martin is the enigmatic frontman for Sydney’s iconic Youth Group (whose last album ‘Australian Halloween’ was considered by me to be a highlight release of 2019), and he has become ensconced in the village of Slaithwaite in West Yorkshire with his young family. Whereas ‘Australian Halloween’ still bled the inner west of Sydney despite …
Track: Melbourne’s Grazer unveil the dreamy atmospheric double ‘A’ side single ‘Without You’/’Visions’ and announce signing to US label Cascine
Melbourne duo Grazer have released the atmospheric double ‘A’ side single ‘Without You’ and ‘Visions’: both dreamy willowy pieces that positively float and shimmer like a distant mirage in a desert. Consisting of Mollie and Matt, with backgrounds in painting, photography and poetry, Grazer has a dream pop/shoegaze veneer over a pure pop core: dappling, bubbling …
Track: The new psychedelic and sparkling single ‘Floating In Air’ from Monet’s Pond indicates Brisbane’s musical hot spot continues to flourish.
Monet’s Pond – essentially the work of Brigette Lawrence – is adding to the flourishing and verdant music scene in Brisbane, and her new single ‘Floating in Air’ does just that: it’s an ethereal, psychedelic melange of whirling sounds and a sonic haze that seems free of gravitational pull. The swirling panoply of sound creates …
Track: New Zealand shoegaze dream pop queen T.G. Shand delivers another outstanding and sparkling track ‘Lemony’
New Zealand’s elusive T.G. Shand has delivered another gorgeous, muscular dream pop masterpiece with her new track ‘Lemony’. T.G. Shand is the work of Ōtautahi/Christchurch resident Annemarie Duff, formerly of the legendary Melbourne shoegaze band Miniatures (on the iconic Saint Marie Records label). Her single from earlier this year gave us a portent of what was to come (see …
EP Review: Jo Meares revisits the past with the luminescent ‘La Baie de Diamant’, a French language version of his earlier work, the evocative ‘Back to The World’
I’ve written before that Sydney artist Jo Meares has a voice that evokes a life lived to the fullest – tired, weary and battling the endless vicissitudes of life with a stoicism and resolve. And he expresses this in a milieu of impossible beauty and clarity of thought that sends shivers down your spine. Subtle …
Premiere: Brisbane’s enigmatic Spring Skier unveil the gorgeously evocative dream pop track ‘Don’t Forget’
We are very honoured to premiere the statuesque and elegant dream pop track ‘Don’t Forget’ from Brisbane band Spring Skier. Soaked in an astral seventies sheen with dual melodies and harmonies that recall bands like Bread, 10CC or The Corgis, this is wide, expansive music that positively sparkles. The lush instrumentation, indelible melodies and an …
Album Review: Sunshine Coast’s Swimsuit Issue reveal their true magnificence with their sterling debut ‘Burn for the Buzz’
It was only back in March that I was first introduced to Swimsuit Issue through their atomic blast of a debut single ‘Addict’. However impressive this debut was, it didn’t portend the incredible sonic versatility this band has within its canon. Indeed, there was much more to come over a series of singles that have …
Track: New Zealand French for Rabbits unveil the dreamy pop track ‘The Overflow’ and announce signing to UK independent label, Reckless Yes
‘The Overflow’ eases out of the speakers with a dreamy fugue – a soft and enchanting melody embellished with some glorious harmonies weaving in and out of the dappling notes. French for Rabbits, hailing from New Zealand’s capital Wellington, have created something that feels ever so delicate and fragile, deeply melancholic and yet floating on …
Track: Holy Holy unveil another heavenly and sparkling anthem in new track ‘The Aftergone (ft CLEWS) in the lead up to their new album.
Holy Holy are cornering the market in shimmering incandescent tracks that showcase their mastery at creating bubbling, flowing instruments matched with delicious vocals and melodies. Their new track ‘The Aftergone’ features the vocal input of uber cool sister duo CLEWS, who are establishing their own reputation in the Australian indie scene as well as musical …