Sydney has recently received a lot of flack for its lack of nightlife, but that is easily crushed upon a wriggle into Oxford Art Factory on a weeknight. On this particular night, the lineup featured Aussie favourites Paces and Branchez supporting all-star American DJ/producer Dillon Francis. What was once underground is now familiar, when it…
Read More
Flight Facilities are a household name in Australian dance music but a never-before-seen mini documentary shows us that behind the polished performances are two good mates who make music for a living, and love it. Red Bull Media House produced Across America during the duo’s coast-spanning tour of the USA in early 2015. It is hard…
Read More
It often takes a few listens to get into a song, but there’s no denying the sweet moment of that feeling like you’ve heard a new song before. Gary Clark Jr. oozes familiar, old-school sentimentality among creative production, and his latest record The Story of Sonny Boy Slim will delight most and move many. Even…
Read More
“Do you guys want an album?” Safia’s loved vocalist Ben Woolner screamed out to a sold out Factory Theatre. In reverse career mode, the Canberra three-piece is now a household name in Australian music with just five official singles. They brought stadium level dynamics to a medium-sized venue (read: strobe lights and moving visuals) and…
Read More
“I wouldn’t wish what I went through on my worst enemy… but it’s brought you all here today.” Peter Greste knows that journalists don’t have the best reputation at the moment. He even puts them up with used car salesmen and politicians in public opinion. But all jokes aside, Greste spoke at this year’s Festival…
Read More
They’ve been coined “the next Tame Impala” and aside from sharing a home city of Perth, Methyl Ethel are experiencing a similar national hype with the former. The three-piece played to a packed room at Sydney’s Newtown Social Club, following a performance at the weekend’s Volumes Festival. Despite the crowd, they remained humble and ran their…
Read More
Ahead of the release of their highly anticipated twelvefour album, out this August, Antigone caught up with Sam Rasmussen of Melbourne band The Paper Kites to find out more about the making of the record and what the group has been up to during their time off the road. Working with the awesome Phil Ek…
Read More
Every few years, a great rock band emerges from England and comes to our shores around Splendour In the Grass. This time, it’s Wolf Alice. Their no-nonsense set put music at the forefront and a lack of theatrics complements the dysphoria in many of their tracks. In the underground Oxford Art Factory, it felt like…
Read More
Cartoons and confetti on a weeknight sound like a child’s dream and Porter Robinson’s Worlds show at the Enmore Theatre was a dream of sorts. He moved through the new record almost seamlessly with striking visuals and festival-sized effects that made it feel like there was more than one young producer up on stage. Porter…
Read More
It’s not often that a band will introduce a song by ordering the audience to dance more expressively, “not just this bopping up and down” as Phoebe from Alpine did. She momentarily turned the attention away from their colourful stage presence to the night as a whole. Despite joining fellow vocalist Lou in an uninhibited…
Read More
Hermitude seize the improvised element of a live rock show and run it through their own, and the effect is captivating. All I could think is why aren’t they performing at an overseas festival right now.* Sydney’s Enmore Theatre crowd was rowdy an hour before the duo even took to the stage, thanks to warm-up…
Read More
Fuzz rock Melbourne band Pretty City are in the middle of their ‘Triple A’ east coast tour of Australia at the moment. We talked to lead singer John-Luis Moretti on their latest music video, why they released three singles and late night snacks in Sydney. What is going on in your latest film clip for…
Read More
Ember is a regular in the Sydney club scene with a versatile style that gets people up and dancing. He travels cross country regularly to entertain crowds at the hottest party spots, and has just been nominated for an inthemix 50 People’s Choice Award. We spoke to him ahead of his Queen’s Birthday long weekend…
Read More
Photo Credit: Prudence Upton You wouldn’t think of the Sydney Opera House as a venue for an underground hip-hop party on a Sunday night, but that’s what Elefant Traks brought to the Studio as part of Vivid Festival this weekend. The Sydney-based record label presented a mix of live performances and DJ sets from old…
Read More
Photo: Daniel Boud It’s the hardest part of being an artist – letting go of your work – and Sufjan Stevens lets go all the way. In the first of his performances for Vivid 2015, he transformed the Concert Hall into a mesmerising montage of his life’s narrative. First thought when the lights came on…
Read More
As soon as Peace took to the stage in Sydney’s underground Oxford Art Factory, the space took off with an intensity of sound that made it seem like an outdoor festival. I saw Peace play the same venue two years ago and their confidence levels are now even higher, it felt like a seasoned rock…
Read More
Photo: Neil Krug After branching out from his work as Queens Of The Stone Age bassist, Michael Shuman has gone on to perform with his band Mini Mansions around the world. They are now about to play Austin Psych Fest and a few gigs with Tame Impala. Having just released their second album The Great…
Read More
Our most-loved songs are often from a heartbroken man. And while Goon has an undoubtedly autobiographic touch to it, Tobias Jesso Jr at least takes on the persona of any sad lover pining helplessly for what once was. Sure a whole album dedicated to heartbreak has its melodrama, but Jesso Jr brought his real-life experience…
Read More
To be honest, I did judge a book by its cover when it came to listening to Foster the People’s sophomore album. While I loved their catchy hooks and sing-a-long creations in Torches, what led me to pay particular attention to this release was the psychedelic touch on the album art, injected with colour, and…
Read More
With a big night before in check, Field Day offered enough dance music to keep the celebrators happy while offering a few more chilled out options for those still recovering from New Year’s Eve. Its size, slightly smaller than a regular festival, meant that it was easier to get around and criss-cross genres throughout the…
Read More
Pond has built themselves a reputation as one of Australia’s top live acts, and it’s not hard to see why, delivering a whole lot of noise on par with the depth of the album recordings. Support band Doctopus did a good job of warming up the crowd – with plenty of electric guitar, stage banter…
Read More
Cub Sport’s music has been described as ‘infectiously happy with summer pop vibes’. Their live show does just the same, carrying off a smooth-sailing performance that is surprisingly low-key. Not as in low energy (each band member pays ferocious attention to their instruments) but the night took a friendly register, only encouraged by the cosy…
Read More
Electronic music isn’t what it used to be – where there once were clear lines between house, dance and rock, Australian music has openly taken on all technology so that there is a fusion of the best parts of each genre. Melbourne’s World’s End Press and Sydney trio Movement take on big sound for a…
Read More
Big Scary have just finished touring nationally with Bernard Fanning and are soon to head to the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards, where they are up for three nominations, including best independent artist and best independent album for their latest Not Art. Big Scary have released their two albums through their own label Pieater. We…
Read More
Between these two loud live acts, Oxford Art seemed such a tight space on Saturday night. Loud in their sound but also with a high performance energy that seemed almost too intense to watch from the bar. Brisbane band Millions kicked off the show, keeping fairly quiet in between songs but gathering a big crowd….
Read More
While electronic music is doing supremely well in Australia at the moment, we can’t say that it’s always been this way. We can only dream of regularly having warehouse parties and living up to techno hotspots Paris and Berlin. With links to the underground and drug scene, it’s no surprise that the mysterious depths of…
Read More
High expectations come with buying a ticket to a live DJ set. Unlike a live band, they can’t often interrupt the music to speak to the crowd or ask for an encore. But that’s how Alison Wonderland has gathered a band of followers – with a live show that interweaves top songs of the moment…
Read More
We may seem far from a world of heightened suffering and melodramatic love affairs but the Australian reworking of French classics on Melodie Française could be the perfect soundtrack to a wine-heavy dinner party. Francophiles will love it – there is more value upon recognising the originals – but the album speaks to any music…
Read More
Editor’s Note: The following interview took place last week, before Brisbane’s Cub Scouts announced they were changing their name to Cub Sport in response to legal proceedings from Scouts Australia. It’s a pity to see this happen – but like The Preatures, PVT and DZ Deathrays before them, a slight name change might actually be…
Read More
Giraffage a.k.a. Charlie Yin took to the stage, still and unassuming, until he began playing and grooving along to his own music. He is no macbook act – working the board in real time and constructing his own soundscape. Donned in black t-shirt and gold chain, he suggests an illusion of simplicity, while dipping into…
Read More