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: Canada’s Joseph of Mercury releases a grief-stricken paean to lost friends in the shimmering track ‘Pretty Blonde Boy’
Gliding over a bubbling, sparkling instrumentation, Joseph of Mercury has a gorgeous vocal style that recalls bands like The Smiths or Gene – a veritable crooner with indelible style. His new single ‘Pretty Blonde Boy’ was born out of grief for the loss of two friends: Two of my oldest, closest & dearest friends, both …
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. …
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: Twin Diver delivers ‘Television’ – a brooding, prowling track with a melodic heart
There is an ominous and deliciously malevolent atmosphere in the single ‘Television’ by Twin Diver – an edgy brutality that has the raw energy of Joy Division with a crisp bubbling instrumentation highlighted by the jangling guitars and brooding rhythm section. The vocals have a disembodied chilling timbre, adding to the ethereal tone and the …
Premiere: Bandicoot exclusively reveals demonic hyperactive video for the effervescent and effortlessly cool track ‘FUZZY’
There is a wild untrammeled madness to the new single ‘Fuzzy’ by Welsh band Bandicoot that is utterly mesmerising and incandescent. There are no brakes on this particular vehicle – a doo-wop singing style infused with a gritty attitude, reverb-soaked vocals and an arched eyebrow or two: stylistic, cool and unhinged. It’s just brilliant. The …
See: Charlie Clark releases a poignant, elegiac tribute to his father in the shimmering track ‘A Bridge To Your Idol’
There is no doubt that Charlie Clark is a prodigious talent – ‘A Bridge To Your Idol’ is his second solo single over the last twelve months and both singles have been majestic pieces of sparkling indie pop, infused with a deeply personal narrative. Indeed, this track is a heartbreaking sequel to his previous release …
EP Review: Garsa unveils debut EP ‘The Unfairity’ – a collection of intimate and sparkling jewels
It was around this time last year, plunging into the uncertainty of lockdown and without a full realisation of the horrors 2020 was about to unleash, that I came across a debut single by Garsa called ‘Jimmy Sour Highs’ – a singular ray of sunshine at the time. Martin Garside is Garsa – a solo …