Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 12 July 2024. Composer Helen Leach, known for her enchanting compositions that evoke rich landscapes and deep emotions, releases her album titled Diary of the Bee. This new collection features a series of rich, tonally traditional compositions. With all…
Aaron Frazer’s sophomore album, Into the Blue, updates his smooth soul sound, and shows the singer and drummer isn’t afraid to branch out. An integral member of Durand Jones & The Indications, Frazer’s first album (2021’s Introducing…) felt like a natural extension of that band’s 60s and 70s soul influence; but on Into the Blue,…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 5 July 2024. Featuring the triple j playlisted and Rolling Stone praised “Sunday Drive”, Eves Karydas steadies to embark on a new trail, burning all the tapes and moving on. Written across Stockholm and Meanjin / Brisbane, recorded in…
Christopher McVicker, under the alias Swiftumz, has been an influential figure in San Francisco’s music scene for over a decade. Simply The Best marks a significant milestone in Christopher McVicker’s musical journey with Swiftumz. The album presents a rich array of sounds, weaving together intimate, vibey bedroom ballads with sparkling, idealized pop rock. Each track…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 28 June 2024. The Felice Brothers first emerged from the Hudson Valley nearly two decades ago with a gloriously ramshackle sound that drew on everything from Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan to Walt Whitman and Flannery O’Connor. In just…
Superlatives hardly do justice to the magnificent staging of one of Disney’s all-time favourites, Beauty and the Beast, which has been revised and enhanced. The striking sets and glorious costuming set the scene for a joyful celebration of song and dance … and the Hollywood ending that everyone wants to see play out. Fast-moving advances in technology…
Pedro the Lion is the musical project of David Bazan, known for his distinctive voice and sharp songwriting. After a 15-year hiatus, Bazan revived the project in 2019 with Phoenix, followed by Havasu in 2022. The albums chronicle Bazan’s peripatetic youth, influenced by his father’s career as a music minister. The latest album, Santa Cruz,…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 21 June 2024. Lake Street Dive have pushed the possibilities of pop music as a unifying force, not only through their eclectic sound—a boldly original cross-pollination of soul, folk, jazz, classic pop, and more—the five-piece’s all-embracing ethos has also…
Few are as fearless in opening up their lives, warts and all, as is Namibian born Natalie Gamsu. The singer, actor and cabaret performer who moved to Australia in 2003 studied drama at the University of Capetown and has worked all over the world. She lifts the lid on her experiences, giving us her thoughts and feelings…
At this point, The Decemberists have a nice music history. The group formed in 2000 when Colin Meloy moved to Portland, Oregon, meeting Nate Query, Jenny Conlee, and Chris Funk. Their sound blends folk rock with complex narratives and varied instrumentation. The Decemberists produce rich, evocative arrangements; and they incorporate elements from different genres, producing…
