Posts Tagged ‘Sydney’

GORDI – ” Avant Gardener ” Courtney Barnett Cover

Posted: November 10, 2016 in MUSIC
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Gordi

Gordi is a young folk artist we’ve developed a real thing for. Growing up in the small regional town of Canowindra, the singer-songwriter first caught our attention in 2014, when we named her ‘unsigned artist of the week’ then nominated her as Next Big Thing in the FBi SMAC Awards. Fast forward to 2016 and she’s landed an international label deal with Jagjaguwar Records, released this beautiful Courtney Barnett cover, and performed with Bon Iver on Jimmy Fallon.
Gordi — 23 year old Canowindra-born Sophie Payten. It’s music that gets it both ways — ambitious big pop that doesn’t give an inch of artistic concession. Here, wistful aching and longing can almost feel like a spirited celebration. It’s expansive and elegant. The songs on the Sydney-based artist’s debut EP Clever Disguise, which came out earlier this year .

HAZEL ENGLISH – ” Control “

Posted: October 9, 2016 in MUSIC
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Oakland California-based singer Hazel English rose quietly but steadily through the ranks of the Bay Area indie scene with her evocative, sensual bedroom pop. The 25-year-old artist — who’s originally from Sydney, Australia  is somewhat mysterious. But despite her tendency to stay out of the public eye, her airy, finger-plucked sound has earned her a growing following.

Her new EP, Never Going Home, is set for release on October 7th on Marathon Records. And she’s already gearing up to tour the West Coast and parts of Europe. It’s safe to say she has a big year ahead.

After moving to Oakland in 2012, English immediately set her sights on her music career. She collaborated with popular local singer-songwriter Jackson Phillips, who makes similarly shoegaze-y, folk-inspired pop as Day Wave.

“Considering Jackson produced the EP, there are going to be parts that are reminiscent of Day Wave. But I don’t think about it like that because it’s a collaboration,”

The five songs on Never Going Home are well crafted and flow into one another. And the EP’s mellow, jangly ballads are more expressive through melody than actual lyrical content. The album is sweet, pleasing to the ear, and somewhat addictive.

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JULIA JACKLIN – ” Coming Age “

Posted: September 8, 2016 in MUSIC
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Country Or Rock And Roll: Lucky for you, She is a little bit of both. Julia Jacklin’s Nashville sound is even more surprising when you find out that she’s from Australia. Originally from the Blue Mountains, Julia Jacklin is a singer/songwriter make sure you catch her at the Bodega with the band Whitney a great double bill of talent

Debut album ‘Don’t Let The Kids Win’ is out October 7th 2016.

BLOODS – ” Bring My Walls Down “

Posted: August 26, 2016 in MUSIC
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dexter-cornelius: “ New Bloods press pic. How can they get any hawter? Am I right? ”

Three kids from the sunny shores of Sydney, Australia. Bloods have been peddling their garage-punk-pop tunes since 2011,playing alongside bands like Dum Dum Girls, Redd Kross, DZ Deathrays &more

“Raucous, gritty and energetic. Sort of like a 60s surf pop record that someone threw up on, put through a blender, melted back together again and then sprinkled some glitter over.

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New track from Bloods‘ forthcoming sophomore album.

JACK CARTY – ” Home State “

Posted: August 6, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Jack Carty writes his songs with an honesty and mindfulness learned through the sheltered valleys and close-knit communities of a rural childhood. It’s a rare thing that has allowed the poetic Brisbane-based traveller to take his quiet truths to audiences across Australia, Europe, North America and New Zealand in the five years he has been releasing music and touring.

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All instruments played and recorded by Jack Carty in his living room in Red Hill, QLD from October 2015 – January 2016.

Except: Bass and Double Bass (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 , 11) played and recorded by Gus Gardiner in his spare room (aka “Dead Rats Vest Studios”) in Drummoyne NSW // Acoustic Guitar, 12 String Guitar and Shaker on “Kindness Is A Dying Art” played by Jack Carty and Casio played by Josh Pyke. Recorded by Josh Pyke in his shed in Sydney NSW // Guitar Solo on “Berlin” played by Jordan Millar and recorded in his spare room in Kensington NSW // “Away With Me” played and recorded by Jack Carty & Jordan Millar at the shack in Hilldale NSW // Electric guitar on “The Dive” played by Jordan Millar and recorded by Jack and Jordan at the shack in Hilldale NSW. Drums (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10) played by Jack Carty and recorded at Studio Gestalt, Ashgrove QLD by Justin Boland and Jonathan Reinders // Drums on “I’m Not Sure I’m Here At All” played by Sophia Felton and recorded at Gigpiglet Studios, Surry Hills NSW by Gareth Stuckey.

Jennifer Boyce leant her beautiful voice to tracks 1 and 7 // Airling leant her beautiful voice to track 2 // Natasha Carty leant her beautiful voice to tracks 6 and 9 – all recorded by Jack in his living room. Jordan Millar lent his beautiful voice to tracks 5 and 6 – recorded by Jack and Jordan at the shack in Hilldale. Blair Dunlop leant his beautiful voice to Track 1 – recorded at Blueprint Studios Manchester by Gary Vaughan-Hadfield.

All songs written by Jack Carty except “All At Once” written by Jack Carty and Blair Dunlop.

L.U.V – ” You’ll Never Let Me Go “

Posted: May 5, 2016 in MUSIC
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Sydney duo L.U.V are today unveiling their brand new single and video ‘You’ll Never Let Me Go’ a super sweet indie pop gem and an ideal introduction to the talented songwriters.

L.U.V is comprised of sisters Maya and Vivi Mohan, aged twenty and seventeen respectively. The pair were born in Sydney before relocating to their parents’ boutique pepper farm in central South East Queensland as children.

The isolated surrounds of the farmhouse (far beyond the reach of the internet and with) worked as a catalyst for their musical discovery. The siblings passed the time sifting through their parents’ record collection to discover The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and U2 which sparked their passion for music.


Having released two previous singles ‘Take Me To The Sea’ and ‘I Can Be The Answer’, ‘You’ll Never Let Me Go’ sees L.U.V build on from their indie pop foundations to craft their most impressive work yet, check it out and if you like what you’re hearing pop by L.U.V’s Facebook page for more info on upcoming shows and releases.

Both are trained in piano from the age of six, however, it wasn’t until their late teens that Maya and Vivi began collaborating on original music together to form L.U.V. Not unlike that of other renowned sister duo Tegan & Sara – L.U.V share singing duties, taking turns to finish each other’s songs to ethereal effect.
Hitherto, L.U.V have released two previous singles, ‘Take Me To The Sea’ and ‘I Can Be The Answer’, a pair of highly ear-worming indie-pop songs with an emphasis on melody and clever lyrical content (perhaps unsurprising considering their mother is a published poet).
Their latest release ‘You’ll Never Let Me Go’ is a summery affair destined to warm your bones this winter. L.U.V have plans to announce live dates later in 2016.

GREEN BUZZARD – ” Zoo Fly “

Posted: April 10, 2016 in MUSIC
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Sydney upstarts Green Buzzard haven’t played a show yet, haven’t released any songs and haven’t any glowing album reviews to quote… yet, they’ve just been signed to Melbourne’s I Oh You, home to such rabidly successful acts as DMA’s, Violent Soho and DZ Deathrays.

To celebrate, the five-piece will be releasing their debut on a double A-side 7″ vinyl through I Oh You in Australia on 21st August and on Mermaid Avenue/Mom+Pop over in the States, which will include their first single Zoo Fly.

Having filmed their first video for Zoo Fly with Sydney director Matt Dempsey at a house in Chippendale, the band are also playing their first show

Keep an eye on these up-and-comers, because if I Oh You’s other bands are ones to go by, the label certainly have their finger on the pulse.

The JEZABELS – ” Synthia “

Posted: February 14, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Track By Track: The Jezabels Take Us Inside Their Stunning New LP

One of this country’s most loved and respected bands The Jezabels are unveiling their highly anticpated new album Synthia and as expected it’s a stunning addition to Australian music in 2016.

The band’s Hayley Mary explains the recording process “This is a record we made ourselves, at our own behest… we just had a natural momentum. We were back in Sydney [from London] in January, got together to rehearse and wrote about four songs in a week.”

She continues, “Previously I’ve shrouded myself a lot in mystery and the language of romanticism; played roles and stuff—which reflected some kind of truth about how I felt as a woman. Now I feel like I can be much more upfront…the truth about how it feels to be a woman has become a more prominent part of the general conversation in the last couple of years…these are exciting times. I think we’ve made an album that celebrates that.”

STAND AND DELIVER

“We’re gonna see more women in positions of power and responsibility, having a voice. But what we lack at times is confidence because of years of oppression. So many women I know are constantly questioning themselves and their ability. Now you can do it, the pressure’s on. Confidence is going to be key. People are listening. What do I have to say?”

MY LOVE IS MY DISEASE

“I guess that’s the female archetype of being tragic and sad and sick. Emily Dickinson… actually, there’s hundreds of them. It’s playing into the parody of being a victim, but it’s also about owning your stigma; a statement of pride about who you are with all the ailments.”

SMILE

“I forget that some men don’t know this, but men are always telling women to smile. Strangers on the street: ‘Smile, love’. I’m not here to be a flower for you. I might be going to a funeral for all you know. I’m happy for people to say what they like or think; try and hit on me, that’s fine. Just don’t tell me how to fucking feel.”

UNNATURAL

“It’s a bit of Lady Gaga moment, when she plays into the monstrous female. I feel like she takes on the stereotypes of what you expect women to be: a bit crazy, deranged, synthetic, fake, grotesque. It’s delighting in being monstrous.”

A MESSAGE FROM MY MOTHERS PASSED

“It’s being a girl and walking the streets and always feeling in danger, but doing it anyway because you refuse to live in fear. This is a bit of an ephemeral spiritual song. My grandma was a witch. Apparently. Thinking about her often gives me faith when I feel insecure or in danger. Sort of like a matriarchal figure protecting me.”

COME ALIVE

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What would you say on your deathbed? What will your regrets be? I think mine might be ‘I was scared’. So take that and act on it now. Now that, for western women at least, some of the real, tangible obstacles are being dismantled, we’ve got to approach the internal ones.”

PLEASURE DRIVE

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We’d been through a lot, and had some pretty hard times in the last couple of years. Sometimes those kinds of hard times can defeat you. For me at least, they almost did. But the other thing they can do is jolt you back into living again, reignite your zest for life. This song was about simply enjoying your life while it’s here and living in the moment. It’s not about hedonism, it’s about the necessity of enjoying your own transience.

FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

“I think it’s a song to a father figure, some masculine archetype that you want to impress, and then realising ‘Actually, I’m not impressed by you, so why am I doing this?’ I guess it’s a coming-of-age thing.”

IF YA WANT ME

“The chorus is a call to a man to liberate himself. I feel like a lot of heterosexual men feel oppressed by the inherent power they feel women have, and their desire for them. That’s why institutions have been formed to try and control women. Again, it’s all based on trivialising sex… it’s all good if you want to have sex. Women like sex too. We don’t have to form a patriarchy because you feel guilty about it.”

STAMINA

“Love, home, a man, hope… I was trying to think of all the things that people aspire to that don’t quite cut it. A couple of years ago people started talking about resilience being a life goal, instead of happiness. Happiness will come and go. I think keeping going is the aim.”

PALMS – ” Bad Apple “

Posted: February 13, 2016 in MUSIC
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Outside of Sydney, it seemed like this record was a bit ignored. Which is a huge shame, because it’s full of rock gems that span from the riff hurricane of “Bad Apple”, to the Cheap Trick-spiritual successor “Thoughts of You”, to “Sleep Too Much” a face-melter that rivals the power of The Ark of the Covenant. There were also pleasantly surprising softer moments that took Palms away from being pigeon holed as a band that could only do garage-rock. When you feel a bit shit, and needed that quick fix of heartfelt headbangers that you’re not ashamed to belt out off-key and shred an air guitar to, crank Crazy Rack. 

Their debut album, ‘Step Brothers’, came through and won my heart. I started seeing this band whenever I could – the live total has reached somewhere around 30 or something. I know I’m not alone in my enslavement  – the same heads are always gathered at Palms gigs with a beautiful consistency. What’s more, every show brings in a new tidal wive of fans, who know every word, and are even more rowdy than the last bunch. Fuck, doesn’t that just make your heart swell? Doesn’t it make you shed a goddamn tear?

In the two years since ‘Step Brothers’ was released, Palms have made some huge steps forward as a band. They’ve switched labels, moving onto Ivy League Records, and graduated from tiny pubs to support slots at the Enmore…but that love for churning out a belters that are customer-made to turn a crowd into a foaming pit of writhing bodies hasn’t moved at all. If anything, the band have indulged even more in their unwavering love for splintering solos and big choruses. If Phil Lynott were alive today, Palms would probably be his favourite band.

New single ‘Bad Apple’ from PALMS out now via Ivy League Records

GANG OF YOUTHS – ” Magnolia “

Posted: January 29, 2016 in MUSIC
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Sydney’s Gang Of Youths are one of the most thrilling and emotive live acts in music today, and if you’ve ever fallen for the pulverising, anthemic power that Arcade Fire dish out nightly when they’re on tour, then you could do worse than give them a listen.

Singer Dave Le’aupepe stars in their new video for ‘Magnolia’, a song about a heavy and somewhat heartbreaking subject matter which he’s written about in more detail on the band’s Facebook page

“June 3rd 2014, Mosely Street, Strathfield. In a state of puerile drunken delirium, reeling from having my heart fucked beyond all recognition and knowing my marriage was about to fall apart, I tried to kill myself.

“The want was gone. The care was gone and with the want and the care went the joy and the laughter and the will until all that was left was the heart, and it was tired. My friends called the police just in time to intercept me and I was taken to a clinic to detox from booze and began a process of healing and self-discovery that is still ongoing in my life today.
“I wrote a jaunty pop song called ‘Magnolia’ as part of that process as an apology to those I loved, a reaffirmation of myself and a commemoration of that moment I found myself as a jilted lover with a body full of liquor, feeling like the saddest and freest motherfucker in the cosmos…”

“It’s a claustrophobic and tense subject matter to be sure, so our brilliant, Melbourne-based director Josh Harris and I wanted to highlight the more wanton freewheeling and cathartic moments of what is at the strange euphoric heart of the song. A deep freeness, a sense of loss, a sadness; living somewhere between when the ‘want’ is gone and when every visceral desire is fierce and burning.
“After watching Singin’ In The Rain for maybe the millionth time, I figured that the sense of pathos in the track in conjunction with the pelvis-dominated, eyes-dilated, gyration-emphatic dancing and West Side Story on lower-east side drugs atmosphere in the video clip made for good drama and contrast. We wanted to highlight both the heartbreak and the fun, the urgency and poise and do it without the trite and bullshitty ‘restraint’ or ‘artiness’ that’s become, like, the recurring indie-alt-press bourgeoisie nightmare. It’s not ‘cool’ or anything, but you know. It’s fun. Dancing and smashing and burning stuff is fun.”

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