skybelly – vella (Album Review)
Melburnian psychedelic rock band Skybelly sound like they’re playing from a dive bar somewhere in the multi-verse. The group is fronted by artist Sara Nelson, a highly expressive singer with a flair for adding colour to her already flavourful songs with peculiar vocal deliveries and personifications. The project’s sophomore album,Continue Reading
Johnny Wilkins – Heartleaf (Album Review)
Heraclitus of Ephesus was a Greek philosopher known for espousing the view that change is central to existence. Phrases as “change is the only constant” can be attributed to him, and it’s hard to argue with such a principled thought rooted in observation. This theme of change as anContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 21 May 2023: Twin Bridges, Ari Árelíus, Neil Foster, missing scenes, Unclean Architect
Photo by Matthew Moloney Twin Bridges – Come Out / On alternative There’s a sweeping urgency to “Come Out / On”, the recent single from cellist and songwriter Twin Bridges. Originally from New Mexico and currently based in Portland, Oregon, the current musical project unfolded during the pandemic, when friendsContinue Reading
The Screaming Pope – Correct Picture Color (Album Review)
Bostonian electronic music producer George Bolton started the musical project The Screaming Pope just before Covid hit. By operating around steadfast drums, whimsical virtual instrumentation, and a desire to create motivating atmospheres that are also downbeat, Bolton has etched a niche corner for himself in the electronic music world.Continue Reading
Single Reviews: 17 May 2023: Evelyn Cools, Buck St. Thomas, Tuelo, MOONRiiVR, Flavio Lemelle
Photo by Tibor Krizsak Evelyn Cools – Control country Evelyn Cools is a singer songwriter operating on the more alternative side of country. Cools’s recent single, “Control”, is about embracing the fear of letting go, and is a sweeping testament to her ability to craft relatable and accessible songs twinged inContinue Reading
Doris – Storm Doris (Album Review)
While the London-based group Doris were “born out of a stormy night,” there’s an energizing quality to their precision-sharp blend of shoegaze and dream pop. The ensemble is composed of three core members; lead vocalist Romy Jo, who sings with a dulcet sweetness that floats over strong foundations of rock,Continue Reading
M.Krebs – Peggy Lee (Album Review)
M.Krebs are an alternative rock band composed of Spencer Moody, Brian Yeager, and Jeff Alvarez. While the trio has just released their debut album, the inebriating and insightful Peggy Lee, their CV is full of chops, with members having played in groups such as Triumph Of Lethargy Skinned Alive ToContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 16 May 2023: The Rabbitts, YuMe, Scott William Urquhart and Constant Follower, Raays, icoro
Photo by Sasha Matveeva The Rabbitts – Sunrise indie folk Norvician duo The Rabbitts have added a heavy-handed serving of the fantastical to their otherwise 60s psychedelic folk stylings on “Sunrise”, a track taken from their second album, Love. The sweet fingerpicking and haunted melodies are complemented by folksy-cum-mediaeval mandolin, birdsong,Continue Reading
Cheree – Factory (EP Review)
Oaklander noise merchants Cheree come out guns blazing on their debut EP, Factory. Replete with face-melting guitar lines, sinisterly impassioned vocals, and industrial sounds held together with mechanistic programmed drums, the four-piece deal with visceral anti-capitalist sentiments, shoved down the listener’s throat with the kind of raw intensity thatContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 10 May 2023: Felix Rösch, Eyesore & The Jinx, Sergio Díaz De Rojas, Dead Actors, Friendship Commanders
Photo by Zsófia Fehér Felix Rösch – Vienna neoclassical While strolling around a snow-covered Vienna during lockdown, Berlin-based pianist and composer Felix Rösch was having some profound thoughts. Relayed here in the recent single, “Vienna”, Rösch takes melodrama to new heights, with strings that ruminate around a mournful ostinato as fluttery electronicsContinue Reading