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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As I write this, the thudding beats of “Until The Dark” – the album closer for The Presets‘ new record Hi Viz – are still ringing out in my head. Over the course of almost seven minutes, Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes explore heavy, pulsating electronic territory that pulls each thread of the album together flawlessly. Of course, there was much…
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When you think of Biffy Clyro live you’re most likely to think of a night out which leaves you sweaty, with ringing ears and a raw throat, and possibly some sort of discombobulation at a cellular level. The Scotsmen are known for their high-energy gigs, with raucous sing alongs and lack of upper body clothing…
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I’m not ashamed to say that I find the world a frightening and desperate place of late, with its increasing loss of humanity and decency in the face of rising uncertainty and aggression. More and more it seems we’re losing sight of each other as individuals and hiding behind the safety and anonymity of our…
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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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In 1996, Dr Octagon was insane. During a time when gangsta rap reigned supreme, a concept album about a time-travelling gynaecologist from Jupiter was something from another galaxy. But the trio of rapper Kool Keith, producer Dan The Automator, and DJ Qbert created a hip-hop masterpiece with their debut album, Dr Octagonecolygyst (the group doesn’t…
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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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When sitting down to listen to new music, I’ve recently taken to making the first listen of an album a passive experience. In a time poor society, using the album as the soundtrack to your daily tasks, whether they’re mundane work tasks or other articles you’re reading and creating, having those new sounds play in…
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Maddy Jane appears to be on the precipice of success. At a time where Australian female singer-songwriters are on the up and up, the Tasmanian has continually evolved to a point where you just know she’s about to be in everyone’s ears and on everyone’s playlists. On the back of 2017’s breakout single “No Other…
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Unsettling string effects, followed by bone crunching percussion is the first punch Divide and Dissolve hit you with on their new album, Abomination. The aim and intent is clear: this is an album to challenge, to dismantle and to change perspective. The Melbourne duo have been forming for themselves a strong presence within local community and unsurprisingly,…
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If you’re looking for the perfect cruisy soundtrack for your summer beach party the latest release from Above and Beyond could be just for you. The English based EDM group is already making waves on the charts within days of their latest release, Common Ground. The list of nominations and awards that they have amassed…
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Django Django’s third full album since their sophomore Born Under Saturn – released back in 2015 – stirs mixed emotions for many fans and fist time listeners alike. Notably for this one, it feels like the influences behind the music aren’t as clear as songs gone past. The majority of the LP edges somewhere towards a…
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As good as change may be, continuity and familiarity is just as great. And in some cases, it’s probably better. Here on the new Brian Fallon album, Sleepwalkers, the American artist has embraced some changes from his The Gaslight Anthem days, whilst maintaining much of what has allowed him to develop such a loyal and…
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If you look in the dictionary for the definition of multi-talented I’m not entirely certain you wouldn’t see a picture of Nigel Powell smiling back at you. For the uninitiated, Nigel is the powerhouse drummer in The Sleeping Souls, the relentlessly touring (and recording) band for Frank Turner. He’s also from Dive Dive, and the…
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Having been in and around Australian listeners’ ears for near enough to the past four years, it’s safe to say it has been a slow burn as Tiny Little Houses have gradually built up to their debut album, the (I hope) mostly ironically titled Idiot Proverbs. If you do yourself a favour and head over…
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Arguably the world’s hardest-touring musician, Frank Turner has somehow managed to find enough spare time to collate and release a new album to see out 2017. Songbook is a double CD offering – the first CD being a celebration of some of his finest songs recorded so far in his career, and the second being ten…
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It’s no secret how much Dorset, England metalheads Electric Wizard worship Black Sabbath. There’s the surface level influence, like the slow beats, bottom-heavy riffs, and Satan-worshipping lyrics, and their name is a reference to two of their idol’s songs – “Electric Funeral” and “The Wizard”. The band has made their influence more obvious by paraphrasing…
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If you’ve been craving new Tame Impala, then this one’s for you. After two years since Currents hit home sending shockwaves through the nation, frontman Kevin Parker has decided to revisit the group’s third LP, giving fans their well needed pick-me-up. Sparing three B-sides and two remixes, Parker isn’t holding back – the EP makes up just…
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Like just about everyone else in existence, your late teens and early twenties is a time where you’re trying to find your place and struggle to work out what and who you are or want to be. While Greta Stanley admits to being in this boat, one thing she definitely has already worked out is…
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German producer Purple Disco Machine has released his debut studio album Soulmatic and it’s as full of funk and soul as can be. After working with Jamiroquai and Gorillaz, the influences are clear. The 13-track album starts with “Music in You” featuring Lorenz Rhode and is packed full of vintage disco vibes and that 70’s funk…
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I have never listened to St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) before this album, and while I feel I need to go and do that now, I am happy that MASSEDUCTION was my introduction to her music and her amazing talent. MASSEDUCTION is, quite frankly, the best thing I’ve listened to in a while. The production…
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I have been a British India fan from the start. I remember playing “Tie Up My Hands” on repeat back in 2007, and since then, I’ve followed their progress and danced in their moshpits in venues and festivals all over Sydney. To say their sixth album, Forgetting the Future is great is an understatement. Their…
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“Good evening, Wrigley Field,” Eddie Vedder welcomes as the opening guitar to 1998’s “Low Light” begins behind him. The live album was recorded over two nights in August 2016 in Vedder’s hometown of Chicago before the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians World Series and accompanies a documentary directed by Danny Clinch who previously worked with the band…
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Ever since they released their break out single “Bros”, Wolf Alice has been a band who’ve been able to create tracks that are earnest, heartfelt and easily relatable, whilst simultaneously being as aggressive and downright brilliant as you could expect from a band in their genre. Where their debut album, 2015’s fantastic My Love Is…
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It can’t be easy when you’ve been around as long as the Foo Fighters, both collectively and as the myriad of musical permutations of the individuals within the band, to come up with an album that sounds fresh and exciting but Concrete and Gold, the latest offering by the Foos, is just that. From the moment…
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Far from the days of Lauryn Hill, women are more represented in rap than ever. In some ways that’s a good thing, but unfortunately there’s a lot of undeserved stigma surrounding a large portion of the female artists of the genre. If there was going to be an artist who can break past the stigma…
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Tyler the Creator’s near decade long rap career has been sprinkled with controversy, if the term “sprinkled” really meant “completely survived by”. Tyler’s aggressive, controversial style and lyricism garnered a cult following for the Odd Future member. Tyler’s tracks involved rape, misogyny, abuse, homophobia and many other controversial topics, all of which incited riots and…
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The Belligerents’ debut album Science Fiction has landed. And you will want to get on board. The long-awaited full-length release from this Brisbane band, who have had the industry buzzing for some time, is out now through Sony. The record is full of all the grand splendour you’d hope for: driving guitars, spaced out keys,…
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It’s been seven years since Ted Leo released The Brutalist Bricks, his last solo album. For someone who released five albums in the first decade of this century, that’s a notable drop-off. It’s not like he hasn’t been busy, he released an album as The Both in 2014 with Aimee Mann and seems to spend more…
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The War on Drugs‘ Adam Granduciel has a lot to live up to with latest album, A Deeper Understanding. 2014’s Lost in the Dream received high, widespread acclaim – our review even called it a masterpiece – which means this album is given the unlucky task of upholding or exceeding the hype. A Deeper Understanding…
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