THE SONIC DIARY OF SUICIDE SWANS Over the last six years the QLD town of Toowoomba has been been echoing to the strains of Suicide Swans and their fascinating blend of folk, cosmic country and psychedelic rock. On their latest album La Jungla they’ve expanded their sound into new musical terrain. Kyle Jenkins is the … Continue reading
Suicide Swans are seemingly a band on a mission. The dust has barely settled on the release cycle for their excellent Augusta album of last year and they’re already releasing it’s followup – the sprawling, psych, rock and cosmic country double album that is La Jungla. Recorded live in one day in an amphitheatre, the band … Continue reading
Davey Craddock draped his debut album in Americana sounds as he wove stories about places and people, primarily in Australia. It was a superb debut and its followup, One Punch, is equally compelling whilst coming from different angles. One Punch steps back, and assesses the world with a brutal honesty. It takes stock of the … Continue reading
Marlon Williams, The Weather Station @ Metro Theatre, May 17th 2018 Five years of hard work, countless hours in airport lounges, nights on friends’ couches and in bars and clubs is paying off big time with Marlon Williams’ current Australian tour sold out in the largest venues he’s headlined to date. This time around he he’s brought … Continue reading
William Crighton’s debut album had him pegged as an Americana/gothic rock songwriter – all fire and brimstone and heart on sleeve emotion. Now, on his sophomore album, he’s expanded his stylistic palette into a whole range of sonic shades and textures. The intense and impassioned preacher is still railing from the pulpit but now you … Continue reading
Rhino have finally gone and done what plenty of people have been calling for, for a long time now – remastered reissues of the Buffalo Springfield catalogue. On June 29th they’ll release What’s That Sound? The Complete Albums Collection comprised of 5-CD and 5-LP box sets of the band’s three albums as originally issued between 1966 and … Continue reading
Melbourne quartet Pony Face have released their new single ‘Justine’, taken from their 2017 LP Deja Vu. The album drew strong reviews and found them digging deeper into their mix of brooding rock, alt-country and gothic psychedelia. ‘Justine’ finds its groove and holds it with a steady tension over four minutes. It’s all about restraint, … Continue reading
Ben Mastwyk is currently a busy gent with a run of interstate shows with Luke Elliot (USA) and today he’s sent the video clip for new single ‘This Country’ out into the world. It’s a great horn-led slice of honky tonk and country groove, matched by an equally fine video complete with gold satin jackets, … Continue reading
Ryley Walker is back with another new album, this one coming out on the Dead Oceans via Inertia Music (in Australia). Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave) recorded and mixed the album, as well as adding his shimmering synths all over it. Ryley plays electric & acoustic guitars and was joined by long-time 6-string sparring partners, … Continue reading
The enigma that is Josh T. Pearson first made his name at the helm of the epic and apocalyptic post-rock trio Lift To Experience (The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads). Following the band’s dissolution he went solo, releasing the intense Last Of The Country Gentlemen in 2011. Now, after reuniting with LTE and playing a handful of shows, … Continue reading
Marlon Williams + Archer @ Oxford Art Factory, Nov 15th 2017 With a career that continues to go from strength to strength, this was a key and fascinating moment to hear and see Marlon Williams perform songs from his forthcoming second album Make Way For Love, ahead of its February release. Archer opened the evening with a … Continue reading
Shapeshifting songwriter Daniel Romano has covered wide stylistic ground, from his post-hardcore band Attack in Black through to his run of top-notch solo albums that take in classic country, folk and psychedelic variations of the aforementioned. Now with Modern Pressure he’s consolidated his sound, corralling all those Americana variations into his consistently best album to … Continue reading
This weekend is the August instalment of Red-Eyed and Blue, the monthly session of live alt-country, folk and Americana music we curate at The Bearded Tit in Redfern, Sydney. Our last session saw a full house being serenaded by Sam Newton and gently rocked and rolled by The Singing Skies and this time round we … Continue reading
Dashville Skyline in the Belford area of the Hunter Valley, NSW is now in its third year and they’re going from strength to strength. They’ve just unveiled their full lineup for this year’s event and it looks stronger than ever with artists from across Australia plus touring acts from USA, Ireland, Netherlands and New Zealand. … Continue reading
Across eight albums, Devendra Banhart has explored all corners of folk and esoteric pop music with both authenticity and free-form eccentricity. He’s played it straight and pure, joyous and playful; all the while pushing the boundaries, from instrumental ragas to songs with artfully obtuse titles such as ‘Tit Smoking In The Temple Of Artesan Mimicry’. … Continue reading
