Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 17 July 2020. FIKA is the latest recording from crossover ensemble Elysian Fields. In the weeks prior to the Covid-19 lockdown Elysian Fields, Australia’s only electric viola da gamba ensemble, was deep in rehearsal. Comprising stars of Australia’s jazz,…
The debut of NZ band The Beths, Future Me Hates Me, was one of the musical bright spots of 2018, making it onto a lot of music critics’ ‘best of’ lists. We hear a continuation of the band’s bright power pop, and the smart songwriting by lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes, along with the supportive vocal…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 10 July 2020. Don’t Waste Your Anger, the fifth studio album from Melbourne six piece The Smith Street Band is out now. The album was set in motion a little over two years ago when the band, with the…
Phoebe Bridgers’ solo sophomore album arrives amid a growing demand for the young indie rock singer/songwriter. After the release of her debut, Stranger in the Alps in 2017, Bridgers formed the group Boygenius with Julian Baker and Lucy Dacus, releasing and EP in ’18 and then touring. In early ’19, the duo of Bridgers and…
Living in New York is an expensive exercise for an arts student, and yet there is one person in Nat’s class who seems to have it all together as everyone else is scrounging for a buck. The world of Sugar Daddies, and their lovely young Sugar Babies, is at first oddly appealing to read of…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 3 July 2020. Folk darlings Mandolin Orange didn’t think they would ever release a live album. It didn’t make sense for a band that loved to tour and play. While it might sound silly now, they couldn’t figure out…
In the near future, a child is created using the DNA of three parents; mother Stacey, father Isaac, and a long deceased ancestor of mankind. This child will not be able to hold a passport, live a normal life, or even be issued with a birth certificate. She is Fauna. Stacey and Isaac, a young…
Avoiding the sophomore album slump is a monumental task for any group that had a successful debut, like Melbourne-based band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Hope Downs (2018) had the college jangle at times like R.E.M., which then combined with the raw rock of The Replacements. This guitar indie rock was a breathe of fresh air…
This long “lost” Neil Young album was recorded late in 1974, two years after his classic solo, commercial breakout album, Harvest, which contained some of Young’s best known and loved songs – “Heart of Gold,” “Are You Ready for the Country,” “Old Man,” “Alabama,” and “The Needle and the Damage Done.” Somewhat overwhelmed by his…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 26 June 2020. Victorian outfit Beans are a quintet who seamlessly blur the lines between majestic, OTT rock ‘n’ roll and rhythmic, bass-driven groove. After sharing singles ‘Stride’, ‘Avalon’ and most recently ‘Melt’, (all of which garnered support from…
