Sydney
Meet: We chat to Salarymen plus review their sparkling single ‘Runaway’
Out of the depths of a Sydney winter (a rather benign concept, I admit), Salarymen have released an absolutely delightful ray of sunshine in the form of the single ‘Runaway’. Infused with a dappled sunlight aura and recalling the kind of hedonistic joie de vivre epitomised by the swinging sixties in the form of Serge …
EP: Johnny Hunter – Early Trauma plus tour news
‘Early Trauma’, the new EP from Sydney’s Johnny Hunter is quite simply brilliant. It is a sweeping, cinematic and statuesque release filled with five close to perfect pop songs that have theatricality and pomp and an elegance, leavened by a satisfying post-punk gothic darkness. Bowie-esque vocals swerve into a Joy Division sombreness and Bryan Ferry …
Meet: We chat with Carl Redfern (Golden Fang) and review the new album ‘Here.Now Here.’
The sound of Golden Fang is to some extent the DNA of the wild inner west of Sydney: raw, visceral and teetering on the brink of collapse. There’s constant movement, deeply ingrained cynicism, a little bit of theatre and a lot of self-deprecatory humour. And that neatly sums up and indeed encapsulates Golden Fang’s new …
See: Juanita Stein releases video for the haunting track Snapshot, plus album news
Juanita Stein has impressive form – she was part of Sydney band Howling Bells, a band that achieved success both in its home country and in the UK with its 2006 self-titled album. Now residing in Brighton in the UK, she is set to release her third post-Howling Bells solo album,’Snapshot’, on 2 October 2020 …
Album Review: Even As We Speak – Adelphi
There is a fragile and elegant beauty in Even As We Speak‘s new album ‘Adelphi’ that leaves the listener swooning with bliss. The entire architecture of the album is built on graceful, sweet melodies expressed with a purity and naivety that is endearing and enthralling, and is yet imbued with such a sense of world …
Track: Even As We Speak – Unknown
Even As We Speak are of the most successful Australian musical exports in the late eighties, early nineties – catching the attention of the legendary John Peel and signing to the iconic Sarah Records. Recent years have seen the band reform, and the release of a new single, ‘Unknown’ fills one’s heart with gladness. Off …
Album Review: Key Out – Anthropomorphia
Key Out are proving to be one of the more exciting bands in Sydney – even the world – at the moment and this is never evident than in their new album ‘Anthropomorphia’. It is brimful of shimmering guitars and songs that seems to perfectly reflect the bright blue summer skies of Sydney. Skies that …
See: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Cameo (Video)
Following the release of their impressive second album, ‘Sideways to the New Italy’ (reviewed by me here) , one of Australia’s greatest musical exports, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (RBCF) have released a video for one of the tracks, ‘Cameo’. ‘Cameo’ is a delightful jangly track that encapsulates the definitive indie sound of number of their …
Album Review: Warmer – Wooden Box with Strings
Warmer is the project of Nature Strip’s John Encarnacao – Backseat reviewed their last EP, Past Pacific, back in 2018. More recently the other main songwriter in The Nature Strip, Pete Marley, released ‘Savoury-toothed Tiger’ under the name Marveline which I reviewed last last month. With the release of Warmer’s new album ‘Wooden Box with …
Track: Key Out – Stray
The warm fuzzy shoegaze sound of Sydney band Key Out is at the fore in their new single ‘Stray’ – a delightful shimmering piece that seems soaked in nostalgia and an air of satisfying wistfulness. Mixed and mastered by the legendary Wayne Connolly (Underground Lovers, Youth Group, You am I and Died Pretty amongst others) …