Author: Dylan Marshall

Live Review: Julia Jacklin + Olympia + Annie Hamilton – Metro Theatre, Sydney (15.03.19)

Julia Jacklin has had a massive start to 2019. With international tours and the release of her second album Crushing already in the bin, it looks like this year could be one for the record books. Returning to Sydney’s Metro Theatre almost two years since her last headline national tour, the Blue Mountains native wooed…

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Album of the Week: Stella Donnelly – Beware Of The Dogs (2019 LP)

I haven’t watched the movie School of Rock in maybe 10 years, but from memory there’s a scene where Jack Black’s character talks about sticking it to the man, as well as singing a song with lyrics “you’re not hard core, unless you live hardcore.” While Stella Donnelly may not be a middle aged man…

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Live Review: Millencolin + Goldfinger – The Roundhouse, Sydney (08.03.19)

I couldn’t tell you how many hours I would have spent listening to Millencolin as a teenager. All I can say is it was a lot. Now in my mid-twenties, I can go months without even thinking of the Swedish four piece. But my lord, when I do manage to put them on, they’re always…

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Live Review: Arctic Monkeys treat Sydney to a mixed cocktail of hits

It’s been widely reported that the opening line of Arctic Monkeys’ most recent – and divisive – album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, was about Alex Turner just wanting to be one of The Strokes. If you’re going to take away one thing about that line ( a line that very well could have been…

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Album of the Week: Julia Jacklin – Crushing (2019 LP)

It’s been a busy few years for Julia Jacklin. On the back of her all conquering debut album, Don’t Let the Kids Win, Jacklin has spent the better part of the past two years making her way round the globe, playing her tunes in just about every country and venue you could think of or…

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Album Review: Millencolin – SOS (2019 LP)

A lot has changed in the world over the past twenty-six years. The era circa 1992 was a completely different time. For one, both myself and Millencolin were in our infancy. Without listing all the other similarities between myself and the band (there aren’t any), it would remiss of me to not note how influential…

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Album Review: Maggie Rogers – Heard It in a Past Life (2019 LP)

Maggie Rogers isn’t an artist in a hurry. She doesn’t have to be. When you’re making music as pure as what occurs on Heard It in a Past Life, you can take as long as you need; the music listening public will wait for you. In saying that, it feels like Heard It in a…

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Live Review: Florence & The Machine + Jack River + Marlon Williams – The Domain, Sydney (26.01.19)

Florence + The Machine played to nearly thirty thousand people at Sydney’s The Domain this past weekend, and if you’re going to take anything away from this review let it be this: Florence Welch is so much better than all of us, in every facet possible. There’s no two ways about it. It’s as simple…

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Live Review: The Beautiful Girls + Bobby Alu + Pat Tierney – The Factory Theatre, Sydney (18.01.19)

There’s something really underrated about bands that play with as a three piece. Sure, having twelve people in your band means you can add incredible depth to your sound, but the raw basic-ness of guitar, bass and drums is something that will always manage to be magic in live setting. This is no different when…

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Live Review: Leon Bridges proves to the Sydney crowd once and for all he’s a Good Thing

Leon Bridges is a man constantly wanting to change things up. Whether it be the generation of fans he’s aiming his music at, or the type of music he’s playing, the Fort Worth musician is all about taking things down a slightly different path and hoping you come along for the ride. Returning to Sydney…

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Live Review: After more than two decades under the influence, Taking Back Sunday show Sydney how it’s done

Once upon a time, I really enjoyed Monday night shows. This was at a time when I was at uni without any real obligations. Now, I am a boring person with a desk job that gets up early for work five days a week. You’re probably thinking, why am I telling you this? There is…

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Live Review: The Vaccines show their strength at Sydney’s Metro Theatre

Kicking the year off again with another Falls Festival sideshow, I ventured on down to Sydney’s Metro Theatre to take in the goods that The Vaccines are currently delivering as part of their current Combat Sports album tour. Opening up the night were Newcastle band Vacations. Making the trip down to Sydney, the touring five-piece…

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Live Review: Current you hates past you for missing The Beths at The Lansdowne in Sydney last night

As the silly season well and truly begins to hit its straps and everyone starts to wind things up at work (he types as he sits at his work desk procrastinating a grant application due in mere hours), the tour cycles of bands touring across this brown land of ours continues to go at breakneck…

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Festival Review: Sydney leg of Paul Kelly’s Making Gravy tour diluted by a terrible weather recipe

Rain will put a dampener on just about any outdoor activity. But when it’s a summer festival, and the rain is torrential, well, that just plain sucks. Unfortunately, Mother Nature must have been upset with the Sydney crowd attending Paul Kelly’s Making Gravy and pulled a classic stitch up on those in attendance and the…

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Live Review: Stella Donnelly Finally Makes Some Friends and Brings Some Christmas Cheer to Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory (08.12.18)

This time of year is a time for everyone to wind down, get together with friends and family, and try be as merry as possible. For many people this comes in the form of parties, family get-togethers or work Christmas parties. For Stella Donnelly, it came in the form of a national tour. Hitting the…

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Why Paul Kelly’s Making Gravy Festival will be more than just Flour, Salt, a Little Red Wine and a Dollop Of Tomato Sauce

When Paul Kelly announced the inaugural Making Gravy show in 2017, little did the public know of the success the show would bring. Not only did it help everyone celebrate one of Australia’s greatest storytellers during the most festive time of the year, but it also helped accentuate the absolute strength that is the current…

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Live Review: Alex The Astronaut + Hachiku – The Factory Theatre, Marrickville (29.11.18)

Alex The Astronaut has definitely been kicking a few goals the past couple of years. From moving back to Australia, to releasing both of her EPs, to gracing the higher echelons of The Hottest 100, she has been flat chat. And in amongst all these feats, she’s still found the time to tour religiously and…

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Album Review: Gang of Youths – MTV Unplugged Live In Melbourne (2018 LP)

I remember driving to work when I first got the chance to listen to Gang of Youths’ second album, Go Farther In Lightness. As I weaved through Western Sydney, there was a noticeable difference between GFIL and its predecessor, The Positions. Even from its first listen, GFIL felt like it was built for bigger things,…

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Live Review: Jack River + Jess Kent + Annie Hamilton – Metro Theatre, Sydney (28.09.18)

While it may just be her on stage alias, the brains, vocals and stories behind Jack River is so much more. An entrepreneur, promoter and musician, Holly Rankin brought to life her musical talents and journey as the Sydney leg of her Sugar Mountain album tour made its way to a sold out Metro Theatre….

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Live Review: Wolf Alice + Waax – Metro Theatre, Sydney (23.09.18)

I vividly remember the first time I heard Wolf Alice on the radio. I was driving back from uni flicking between the presets on my car radio. I was half way through the hour long trip, driving through a main road of Western Sydney. Flicking back onto Triple J, Linda Marigliano was spruiking this new…

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Album Review: John Williamson’s 20th studio record Butcherbird (2018 LP) reinforces his status as a national treasure

When the opportunity to review the new album from Australian legend John Williamson came up, I jumped at it. I listen to his singles more than what’s probably healthy, so much so that he’s listed as one of my ‘top artists’ on my Bumble profile. I have vivid memories of myself and a friend requesting…

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Live Review: The Cat Empire + Odette – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (14.09.18)

After a balmy end to the working week, there’s almost nothing better than a quick drive to the city, a cold beer and an absolutely killer set from one of Australia’s best ever party bands. For myself, this is exactly what happened, as I ventured into Sydney’s premier live music venue, the Enmore Theatre, and…

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Live Review: City Calm Down display prowess as one of the country’s best live bands at Sydney’s Metro Theatre

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: I was quite late jumping on the City Calm Down train. I’ll happily admit that. My first real exposure to the band was at Splendour In The Grass a few years back, when they covered David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. At the time, I was…

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Live Review: The Presets harness massive energy at hometown show at the Enmore Theatre

Irrespective of their time away from the musical spotlight, The Presets will always have a place in the hearts of the Australian dance music community. And despite the best efforts of some members of the crowd to dampen the nights of others in attendance, the two-piece definitely crushed the Sydney leg of their Hi-Viz album…

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Album Review: Jack River – Sugar Mountain (2018 LP)

There’s always been a strange sense of beauty in melancholia and pain when conveyed in music. Whether it is how relatable or genuinely makes the listener empathise well beyond belief, that’s still up for debate. What definitely is known, however, is that Jack River manages to expertly pull off her debut album Sugar Mountain and…

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Live Review: Brother Brad celebrate Get Around with massive Lansdowne Hotel show

Over the past two years, Sydney act Brother Brad have been simmering away, slowly but surely concocting the tracks that, when pieced together, make up their debut EP, Get Around. Celebrating the release of the EP, the now six-piece band played to a full Lansdowne crowd, in front of friends, family and a loyal local…

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Vivid Live Review: Middle Kids deliver faultless homecoming performance at the Opera House

Leaps and bounds. Apart from being a classic Paul Kelly track, it is exactly what Middle Kids have been coming along over the past two years. While certainly not an overnight success, the steam the now four-piece from Sydney has built up in 2018 is almost unparalleled. Releasing their debut album Lost Friends less than a month…

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Live Review: The Killers execute condensed stadium rock greatness for Sydneysiders at Selina’s

I have two vivid memories of The Killers. The first was when I was twelve years old, and my brother and I were out shopping with mum during the school holidays. We both decided we wanted to buy a CD. We settled on Jack Johnson’s In Between Dreams and The Killers’ Hot Fuss. Me, being…

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Album Review: DMA’s – For Now (2018 LP)

I was out having a Thai dinner with friends recently, the day after I first sat down to listen to the second album of Sydney band DMA’s. As we sat down and ordered a vast variety of dishes for this midweek banquet, it dawned on me that this dinner I was about to pay $30…

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Album Review: Confidence Man – Confident Music For Confident People (2018 LP)

I preface this entire review by saying Confidence Man are a live band; they’re not a physical release band. There are plenty of acts that fail to live up to the hype when it comes to a live set. Then there are bands that absolutely crush the live performance. And that is exactly what Confidence…

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