Easy To Love is the new autumn offering by Sydney four piece The Jezabels, another prominent track off the band’s second EP She’s So Hard (November 2009). Trailing the infectious first single ‘Hurt Me’, Easy To Love further cements the band’s signature drum/guitar shuffle, highlighting the effective dynamics of a well-placed silence, filled with the haunting and harmoniously sweet backing vocals of keyboardist Heather Shannon. Continue reading The Jezabels New Single – Easy To Love
Category Archives: cd
CD Review: An Horse – Rearrange Beds
Review: Lauren Sherritt
Rearrange Beds recalls in lurid, dreamlike detail memories of adolescent youth; of mistimed love, desperation and a need for just a little bit of control, and as the debut album for Australian two piece An Horse it acts as a solid showcase of the band’s notable talents. It’s honest, edgy and just a little bit off centre and will speak to anybody who remembers that baffling and awkward experience that is emerging into adulthood.
Continue reading CD Review: An Horse – Rearrange Beds
CD Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
Review: Lana Harris
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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club burst from the deep south of the USA and appeared on the music scene at around the same time as we were all worrying about the millennium bug. They were often touted as being ‘the band to take rock forward into the new millennium’ and with this expectation yapping at their heels they crossed the century border.
A decade on, BRMC are still making rock records, their most recent offering entitled Beat the Devil’s Tattoo. The band’s sound has since acquired other labels and modifiers including garage rock, |
swamp rock, blues, country, indie pop and psych-garage. Elements of stoner rock appear in Beat The Devil’s Tattoo too, the characteristic fuzzy guitars and drawling lyrics of the genre weaved with a 70’s rock vibe. Nowhere is this more prevalent than on tracks ‘War Machine’ and ‘Aya’, droning slow burners bloated with distorted guitars that alternatively smoulder and blister. Continue reading CD Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
CD Review: The Medics – This Boat We Call Love
Review: Lana Harris
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Thinking about Cairns, music is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. And when the brain cells do get around to firing in the melodic direction, the image drawn most frequently is that of cover bands playing ‘Down Under’ to hopelessly intoxicated backpackers. So it’s good to know that there are original, independent muso’s inhabiting the tourist Mecca, artists who can battle the salty humidity and lure of cheap pink drinks to produce a unique contribution to the Australian music scene.
The artists in question are known as The Medics, a four-piece emotive indie outfit with an arrangement of electric and |
acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion and vocals. Their contribution is their second EP This Boat We Call Love. Continue reading CD Review: The Medics – This Boat We Call Love
The Chemical Brothers – New Album ‘Further’ Released 4 June 2010
It starts with what sounds like an alien morse code transmission; Earth bound signals bouncing off the side of orbiting space debris. Snatches of voices found out in the ether cut through the machine fog, drifting across burbling analogue equipment lovingly kept working long after supposed sell-by date. By the time the click and thump of snare and bass drum arrive, the sounds are all-encompassing, swirling around you with dizzying, disorientating effect. Noises come untethered by constraints of volume, seemingly leaping from the speakers with a life of their own. For a band used to dealing in psychedelics, this time round The Chemical Brothers have really pushed the proverbial envelope. Continue reading The Chemical Brothers – New Album ‘Further’ Released 4 June 2010
Music Review: Field Music – Measure
Review: Duncan McKimm
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Following the brilliance of Tones of Town, it appeared Field Music were entering a possibly terminal hiatus due to the Brewis brothers’ aversion to touring and their seemingly disparate musical desires. However, a couple of excellent solo projects in the form of School of Language (David’s baby) and The Week That Was (Peter’s) appear to have not only brought the focus back to Field Music, but also added some excitement to the flagship band. Maybe the critical success of the two side-projects and the removal of tour pressure during this time (which the brothers hate) reinvigorated the old girl – but whatever it was, she’s sounding fantastic. |
CD Review: Cate Le Bon – Me Oh My
Review: Lauren Sherritt
Welsh singer songwriter Cate Le Bon’s quiet, haunting tunes featured on her debut album Me Oh My will follow you for a long time after the CD finishes playing. Filled with melancholy lyrics, soft repetitive choruses and a darkly ever present awareness of mortality, this album is about as far away from pop as you could get.
Cate’s claim that she only ever writes songs in the dark is indeed accounted for in the lyrics on Me Oh My. Phrases such as “I fought the night and the night fought me/Knocked on the door and used its key” (Me Oh My), “Eyes so bright they just steal the night” (Eyes So Bright) and “It’s just baby I’m headed for the black” (Sad Sad Feet) pepper the album, which holds a resigned heaviness for its entire length.
Continue reading CD Review: Cate Le Bon – Me Oh My
Ebony Bones! – Bone Of My Bones : CD Review
Review: Lauren Sherritt
It’s difficult to describe what exactly the phenomenon of Ebony Bones’ music is like, only safe to say that listening to it is an experience like not many others. This is perhaps why the first track on her new album Bone of My Bones begins with a deep, rumbling introduction stating simply that “this is the sounds of Ebony Bones!.” What I can say is that it’s intense, it’s unique, and if for some reason you’re opposed to having a good dance about the house; be careful, because this record is overwhelmingly movement inspiring.
It’s hard to believe that this psychedelic, carnivalesque album was produced mainly by Miss Bones herself in her small London bedroom.
Continue reading Ebony Bones! – Bone Of My Bones : CD Review
CD Review: John Butler Trio – April Uprising
Review: Lana Harris
  – Click here for John Butler Trio at iTunes |
John Butler and his newly revised trio (bringing Nicky Bomba to drums/ percussion and Byron Luiters to bass) have made every effort to make April Uprising an accessible folk rock record. Single ‘One Way Road’ was available for free download from several media outlets last year, on top of being the summer promo track on a certain digital sports channel, which guaranteed the single reached new ears. The Trio have also value added the LP by including a poster, environmentally friendly sized lyrics booklet and free trucker’s hat to those who buy the physical CD rather than download. |
Continue reading CD Review: John Butler Trio – April Uprising
CD Review: Carry Nation – Like a River Does
Review: Victoria Nugent
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Brisbane solo artist Carry Nation’s debut album Like A River Does is the perfect soundtrack for lazy summer days spent in contemplation, with its rich, full sound and intimate lyrics. Built around the foundation of the voice and guitar of Brisbane songwriter Jessie Warren, the recording sees her joined by bass, string and percussion players, with their music making the ideal accompaniment for Warren’s strong and honest vocals.
Warren began playing guitar at sixteen, writing her first song at seventeen, and playing her first show at the Verve Cafe at eighteen. |
Continue reading CD Review: Carry Nation – Like a River Does
THE BLACK RYDER sign deals in Japan & USA + Supporting THE CULT on their National Tour!
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Since releasing their debut album ‘Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride’ in November last year, The Black Ryder have been busy gearing up for it’s international release, this month signing deals in Japan and the USA.
In Japan the album will be released through Vinyl Junkie recordings and in the USA through cool indie label ‘Mexican Summer’, home to artists such as Wooden Shjips, Dungen, and The Tallest Man On Earth, to name but a few. The Black Ryder will head to the US for shows later in the year in support of the release. |
Angus & Julia Stone – NEW ALBUM ‘DOWN THE WAY’ #1 ARIA CHART DEBUT
HIGHEST SELLING NEW ALBUM IN 2010 and RECORD BREAKING DIGITAL SALES!
– Angus & Julia Stone available at iTunes
As Sydney siblings Angus & Julia Stone make their way around the country on a sold out national tour, their sophomore album ‘Down The Way’ has debuted on the National ARIA album chart at #1, with more than double the sales of the number 2 album this week.
In fact, the First Week digital sales are so strong they have broken the record for 1st week digital sales by an Australian Artist, putting them in the league of Coldplay and Pink for opening week digital sales.
Continue reading Angus & Julia Stone – NEW ALBUM ‘DOWN THE WAY’ #1 ARIA CHART DEBUT
CD Review: Rotting Christ – ‘AEALO’
Review: Ben Hosking
 – Buy: Rotting Christ at iTunes |
Rotting Christ is, for the uninitiated, a very strange beast upon first listen. Credited as being one of the progenitors of the second wave of Black Metal (BM) at the dawn of the 1990s, the band has amassed a sizeable and remarkable body of work spanning some 11 releases.
What sets Rotting Christ apart from their contemporaries is their ability to seamlessly inject their Greek heritage into the music. This is done largely within the accepted construct of the BM rule book and without a hint of cliché or pastiche. |
CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited”
Review by: Lauren Sherritt
Bec Plath’s debut solo EP Unrequited is the kind that sells live gig tickets. To put it plainly, this young woman has guts, a trait she showcases most beautifully on the record. With an honesty so often lacking in modern day song writing, Plath bravely explores to a remarkable extent the story of her life and herself throughout Unrequited, and compels the listener to come along for the journey.
Continue reading CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited”
The Optimen – to release 2nd album “The Out Of Money Experience”
Brisbane’s The Optimen are proud to announce the impending release of their sophomore outing The Out Of Money Experience – out nationally on Saturday April 10 through Red Tape Entertainment/Inertia.
It’s been a long wait for fans for The Optimen’s follow up to their 2005 Boomtown, the band taking time to work on their label Red Tape as well as other projects. Receiving strong triple J play on the hip hop show in particular and community radio nationwide, first single Fire Fighters heralded their return late last year, and finally they’ve arrived with The Out Of Money Experience due in April.
Continue reading The Optimen – to release 2nd album “The Out Of Money Experience”