Sam Newton has been steadily building a cache of songs across three albums and with each new release he seems to find a more intuitive and direct line to his muse. Stare Into The Dark peels back the layers to expose the gentle core of his songwriting, some wonderful instrumental touches and plenty of space … Continue reading
Margo Price, Courtney Marie Andrews Factory Theatre, Marrickville NSW 16th October 2018 Thanks to the good taste of tour promoters Love Police, October is the time of year when Sydney gets a handful of sideshows in the wake of the Out On The Weekend festival in Melbourne. This year the pick of the crop was … Continue reading
It was huge weekend in NSW with the launch of the Take Me To Town: An Australian Alternative Country Compilation launched in Newcastle, Sydney and Cronulla over three consecutive nights. It was a real thrill to see plenty of people turn out across the weekend to support and celebrate the release of what we feel … Continue reading
Halfway, The Aerial Maps, Hoolahan @ Sly Fox, Sydney 17th August 2018 Halfway are hometown heroes in Brisbane but that success hasn’t always translated to other cities such as Sydney when it has come to live shows. Thankfully the occasion of the launch of their new album Rain Lover and the chance to see them at … Continue reading
Bob Dylan @ ICC Theatre, Sydney 18th August 2018 There’s a dire warning before Bob Dylan takes the stage at the ICC Theatre – “filming and photography will not be tolerated, please turn off your electronic devices”. It’s a sign that Dylan is either still extremely protective of his image and his art or those newfangled contraptions (phones) … 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
Sydney trio The High Ceilings have released a new single, the precursor to a full length album they’ve been working on, with the majority recorded in a community hall on the South Coast of NSW. ‘Poppy Won’ has a wonderful blend of the slacker delivery of Dylan, the weary, ragged strum and melancholic vibe of Neil … Continue reading
Deer Tick, The Smoking Flowers, Justin & The Cosmics @ The Lansdowne, March 27th 2018 The swagger and rock hit early with Nashville’s Justin & The Cosmics laying down some primal leather and denim-clad rock ’n’ roll. The brothers Collins led the charge on guitar and vocals, the latter showing a fine line in deadpan banter, middle … Continue reading
Hurray For The Riff Raff, Slow Dancer @ Factory Theatre, March 26th 2018 Back for the first time since their Newtown Social Club show in 2014, Hurray For The Riff Raff were upsized to the much larger Factory Theatre, an overly ambitious punt by the promoter given that their profile hasn’t risen greatly in the intervening years. … Continue reading
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit + Deer Tick @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney 25/03/18 Sitting right at the nexus of Americana and southern rock is Jason Isbell. Since his tour of duty in Drive By-Truckers and through his subsequent breakthrough solo career, he’s found that sweet spot between the heartbreaking balladeer and the guitar shreddin’ … Continue reading
It’s been a long time coming but Sydney band Not Good With Horses are set to release their debut album Faultlines on March 29th, via Compadre Music Co. They’ve just released the video for the second single “What’s Done Is Done’, a smouldering, snaking groove, richly ornamented with some subtle and evocative guitar interplay and … 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
It may seem a tad peculiar that a band from the Inner West of Sydney could breathe genuine spirit and authenticity into Mexican-infused country music but Dusty Ravens have done just that on their second album. Low Down Jimmy is the sound of desert dust, desperate souls, sin and salvation – all bathed in mood-heavy instrumentation. … Continue reading
Traveller, The Deslondes, Andy Golledge @ Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney, Oct 20th, 2017 In previous years, gigs like this Out On The Weekend sideshow would most likely have taken place at the sadly departed Newtown Social Club, so it was nice to see a good sized venue like Marrickville Bowling Club being used for international shows, … Continue reading
Son Volt, Jason Walker, Fallon Cush @ Factory Theatre, Oct 18th, 2017 Locals Fallon Cush had a short opening slot but they made the most of it, showcasing songs from their brand new album Morning and making a strong case for them being the most in-form country-rock band in Sydney at the moment. Cascading melodies and harmonies … Continue reading
