Category Archives: cd

The Magic Numbers “The Runaway” – Album Review

Review: Natalie Salvo

  They say you can pick your friends but you can’t choose your family, so where does that leave a group like The Magic Numbers? The band is made of two lots of brother and sister pairings (Sean & Angela Gannon and Romeo & Michele Stodart for those playing along). They first entered the limelight back in 2005 when they released a successful eponymous debut. The following year would see “Those The Brokes” dropped with breakneck speed but it would also cause the group friction, both familial and otherwise. Now at album number three, “The Runaway”, the quartet initially had to take some time out (read: pursue side projects and make guest appearances) before they could regroup refreshed and ready.

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SYDONIA – Release new single ‘Ocean of Storms’ and announce Tour Dates


Sydonia – Sydonia 		  ” Sydonia, they’re a really amazing band, and the lead singer’s got a very unique voice. They’re really heavy but incorporate so many different vibes that it’s a little bit hard to categorize them musically. I think, too, that’s something music’s sort of lost”.
Jim Root – Slipknot/Stone Sour

It’s not uncommon for a band to claim that their sound is a hard one to pinpoint, but how many groups have members of Slipknot and Lamb Of God publicly singing your praises?

Continue reading SYDONIA – Release new single ‘Ocean of Storms’ and announce Tour Dates →

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Daniel Lee Kendall… will have you ‘Lost in the Moment’


Lost In the Moment - EP - Daniel Lee Kendall – Lost In the Moment – EP		   Daniel Lee Kendall, (DLK) a young outstanding singer songwriter from the Central Coast of New South Wales wooed crowds at the prestigious Big Sound Festival in Brisbane, that performance kicked off a short run of introductory live intimate performances by this newly discovered independent artist. The exceptionally talented singer song writer will be revealed nationwide via his debut EP ‘Lost In the Moment’ (out on Redcat Sounds via MGM on October 1st).

Discerning music lover’s ears are already primed with the title track from the EP added to the national youth broadcaster triple j last week. Daniel was Unearthed by triple j in July this year, and as part of the Unearthed program he won a spot on the popular Coaster Festival which takes place in Gosford later this month. Continue reading Daniel Lee Kendall… will have you ‘Lost in the Moment’ →

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Crow “Arcane” – LP Review

Review: Lana Harris

  Deep in the American south, legends about crossroads abound. It is said that if you stand at a crossroads and wait there until midnight, a man (or the devil in the guise of a man) will appear who will imbibe you with phenomenal guitar playing abilities (and the women, money and fame that come with it). All that for the rather reasonable cost of your soul. Nowadays we know that’s not true, because there are plenty of people who have immense amounts of money, sex and fame that got gypped on the talented part.

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Bonfire Nights “Bonfire Nights” EP Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  Bonfire Nights are relative newcomers to the Brisbane music scene, but they are truly carving out their own distinct style. Stephen Foster and Ruth Nitkiewicz took the step of joining forces musically earlier this year, with great results. This rocking duo makes music that’s a little bit different from the usual indie pop fare, with great boy girl vocal dynamics, switching with ease between slow harmonic pop and no holds barred indie rock.

“Own Worst Enemy” is pure dark rock, full of low, dirty-sounding intonations, edgy guitar riffs, a short

eerie intro and punchy vocals. “Leave Yourself Open” is slower with great harmonies between Foster and Nitkiewicz, with harmonica woven into almost hypnotic instrumentals. Continue reading Bonfire Nights “Bonfire Nights” EP Review →

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The Drums “The Drums” – EP Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
The Drums are a young band from New York City who – like The Strokes before them – received a lot of hype very early on. But as their debut EP, Summertime! And now eponymous debut album have proved, this indie pop quartet are more about basking in the sunlit glow of a California beach than being inspired by yellow cabs or shopping on fifth avenue.

The guys ooze retro cool and like Peter Hook’s bass playing in Joy Division and New Order, their sound makes an immediate impact gaining your attention quickly with its old-yet-fresh style. But it seems this quality is also the group’s pitfall because when spread out over 12 songs, it becomes too repetitively simple and the buzz does tend to wear off a little. Like summer itself, you miss it when it’s gone but after enough humid 40+ degree days you can’t wait for winter or at the very least, autumn.
Continue reading The Drums “The Drums” – EP Review →

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Black Label Society “Order of the Black” – LP Review

  Review: Lana Harris

Zakk Wylde is known as one of the metal world’s best guitar players, particularly
when talking shredding abilities. He was Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist for two decades, and didn’t let decadence overcome discipline – as well as working and touring with Ozzy, he completed an album a year from 1999-2006 with his side project, Black Label Society (BLS). BLS have their guitars firmly wedged in heavy metal/ hard rock – think Alice in Chains, a bit of Ozzy’s influence apparent in the vocals. But now Wylde’s no longer with Ozzy, and Order of the Black is the first album release by BLS in four years.

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Bec Plath “At The End of the Night” – Single Review

Review: Victoria Nugent

  This soft single is the latest release from Brisbane vocalist Bec Plath, best known for her vocals with local band The Bloodpoets. At The End of The Night follows Plath’s 2009 debut EP Unrequited, and gives a taste of what we can expect from her next EP.

The single starts with a smooth yet strong piano intro with guitar kicking in shortly before Plath’s melodious vocals. During the chorus, Plath’s vocals take on a slightly sharper edge, building in intensity before softening again for the verses. The piano remains a subtle but constant presence throughout the song, which flows effortlessly through key

changes which add to the track’s originality. Plath’s lyrics are introspective comments about living in a stressful world to which many people would be able to relate. Her vocals are imbued with both honesty and a sense of heart that makes listening seem like a deeply personal act. The music meanders for a while, almost seeming a bit lengthy, before coming to a powerful crescendo towards the end of the track, and then fading out softly. At The End of the Night is a slow-burner with a lot of emotion, and worthy addition to any compilation.

Bec Plath – At The End of the Night is available at iTunes:
Bec – Bec Plath

Related Posts:
CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited”

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Midnight Juggernauts “The Crystal Axis” – CD Review

Review: Natalie Salvo

  Batten down the hatches, the Midnight Juggernauts ‘difficult’ second album, The Crystal Axis appears to be anything but that. Instead, it uses analogue harmony walls and experimentation aplenty to craft 12 striking tracks (well 11 plus an overture) with a destination of the sun’s core. Onboard we journey via new tangents and those crazy panoramic retro screens of old.

The trio employed a lot of live experimentation to get here. The jams err on the side of prog rock and spaced-out sonic landscapes. They billeted together in a remote and isolated house on the NSW

coast with only synthesisers, keys, guitars, drums, racks of pedals and other electronic gizmos for company. The jams even found their way into the recording process and at times this adds a unique character to the music, while at other moments feels as though a bit too much fat was left on the bone.
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Junip “Fields” – Album Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
If ever there was a group that embodied the spirit of quality over quantity, then Junip’s it.

The trio – made up of José González (vocals, guitars), Elias Araya (drums) and Tobias Winterkorn (keys) – have released a few singles and EPs; taken a 5-year break (where the former toured his solo work); and are now on the verge of releasing their debut album, Fields. It took a lot of effort to get here (although it was by no means the longest spell – Guns N’ Roses anyone?) but in this case people will declare it was a labour of love well worth the wait.

González and Araya have been making music together since they were 14, having started creative life as a hardcore group. In 2010 they’ve taken a different musical route, improvising together to find song sketches and in particular, looking for beats and guitar patterns that stood out for their overall groove and melody. The result is 11 nu-folk and pop songs borne out of patience, perfectionism, inspiration and sheer bloody mindedness.
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Goodnight Owl “Goodnight Owl” – EP Review

Review: Natalie Salvo
Goodnight Owl started life in a bedroom, graduated to various recording studios and a church in Melbourne, and the result is a folktronica quartet content on blurring the lines between musical genres. Peel away the layers and you have five songs on a self-titled debut EP that have too many ambient noises and electronic beats to be strictly pop, yet also boast too many tender, heartfelt moments to be strictly the former.

The group have been likened to The Postal Service, Sigur Ros, Bon Iver and Band of Horses and they admit their music can take you in one of two directions. Like being faced with a road less travelled, on the one hand there is the promise of the embrace of the dawn while the alternative is an adventure into the dark
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HELLYEAH! “Stampede” – CD Review

Review: Ben Hosking


Hellyeah – Hellyeah		   Many metal fans were surprised to see Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott take to the drum stool again after the murder of his brother, Dimebag Darrell Abbott in 2004. He’d famously declared he’d never play again and no one really blamed him either.

However, as early as 2000, a select few members of up and coming metal groups Mudvayne and Nothingface had started making plans to form a supergroup. The initiating members recorded a demo and approached Vinnie Paul about joining. After first declining the offer, he finally joined the band 18 months later; commenting that, “Everybody had their head in the right place and that let’s-tear-the-world-a-new-ass attitude“.

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Livin’ Music SHOWCASE hits The Tempo Hotel, Brisbane – 12 September 2010

To coincide with Princess Rodeo’s ‘Alternate Colours’ single launch @ Livin’ Music SHOWCASE – The Tempo Hotel, Brisbane – 12 September 2010, we have a few copies of their CD up for grabs!… See below for details.

  Indie Brisbane is set to ROCK this September, with an assorted swag of local acts coming together to take part in the Livin’ Music SHOWCASE.

Closing out the Valley Fiesta weekend, and with a line-up that ranges from Pop-rock to Prog to Blues, this diverse event promises high energy and rocking talent across the board.

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Beyond The Banana Curtain 35th CD Launch @ The Zoo, Brisbane – Photo Gallery

Photographer: Stephen Goodwin


Photographer: Stephen Goodwin

Event: Beyond The Banana Curtain 35th CD Launch
Venue: The Zoo, Brisbane
Date: August 14, 2010
Acts: SixFtHick, Monster Zoku Onsomb!, Turnpike, Nikko

Click here to view the FULL photo gallery

Related:
Interview: Geoff Corbett talks SixFtHick (Six Ft Hick)
Photo Gallery: Six Ft Hick @ Valley Fiesta 2009

Brisbane, cd, Concert, Music, Photos

How to Destroy Angels [EP] – CD Review

Review: Ben Hosking

  It didn’t take Trent Reznor long to begin making music again after shutting the doors on Nine Inch Nails last year. In fact, news was already surfacing about his new project around the time of his marriage to Mariqueen Maandig in October of 2009. The newlyweds didn’t just join in holy matrimony – they joined in musical harmony as well, forming How to Destroy Angels (HTDA), together with programmer/producer Atticus Ross (Korn/NIN/Coheed and Cambria).

Trent is no stranger to forward-thinking when it comes to the release and promotion of his music. 2005’s ‘With Teeth’ was streamed on NIN’s

MySpace page before its release and 2007’s ‘Year Zero’ saw Reznor creating elaborate ‘alternate reality’ games that fell in line with the concept of the album and leaked several tracks into the world prior to the album’s release. ‘Ghosts I-IV’ and NIN’s final album ‘The Slip’ were both offered as free downloads on the band’s website as well as part of deluxe physical limited-edition packages with phenomenal success.
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