Music

An essential part of a memorable festival is rain and mud. Throw in a violent electrical storm, and you have Bingo. Thus, Adelaide’s 2025 Harvest Rock Festival is memorable for this and many more reasons. A severe thunderstorm on midday Saturday meant that a shelter in place warning was issued. Rundle Street pubs were filled…

Pop-punk favourite Taylor Acorn has finally dropped her debut LP, Poster Child – her first release since signing to Fearless Records last month. Across 12 tracks and a short but sweet 37-minute runtime, Acorn delivers an album that is sharp, emotional, anthemic, and so damn fun. Opening track “People Pleaser” immediately sets the tone with…

Fans of UK post-punk/alt-rock band, Savages, will know Jehnny Beth from her time as their dynamic front woman. Others may know the French singer/songwriter from her numerous collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, including Trentemøller, Gorillaz, and Julian Casablancas, to name but a few. Released at the end of August, Beth’s second solo album…

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard turned Fed Square into a spontaneous early-night rave, playing a surprise free DJ set that drew thousands into the city centre. Blending their usual psych-rock chaos with pulsing electronic tracks, the set felt loose, loud, and communal, a reminder of why Melbourne loves them still after all this time….

I close my eyes halfway through one of Neil Finn’s good-humoured stretches of crowd banter and can almost swear Rhys Darby was the new lead for Crowded House. The fearless frontman has always charmed with his relatable sense of humour, often quipping with his brother Liam between the band’s many classics. But something about these pop-up…

Halloween is a week away; but we’ve resisted going all spooky with our playlist update this week. We’ve got ten more tracks for you, including two we hosted exclusive premieres for earlier in the week. Melbourne’s Gordon’s Grandson takes home our Track of the Week with his new single “6pm” – a hazy, romantic ode…

Today on the AU review, we’re thrilled to premiere “Kaleidoscope”, the luminous new single from Naarm/Melbourne indie-pop artist Isabelle Skye. The track marks a stunning follow-up to her 2024 debut single “Fairy Dust”, further cementing her place as one of the most intriguing new voices in Australia’s alt-pop landscape. True to its name, “Kaleidoscope” glimmers…

Atlanta punk powerhouse Upchuck are heading to Australia for the very first time, bringing their explosive live show to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne Blending raw punk fury with elements of garage rock, rap, and chaos, Upchuck have carved out a reputation as one of the most vital and unfiltered voices in the new American punk…

Last week, Central Coast artist Darcy Piltz released his latest single “Wishing Your Life Away”, a heartfelt blend of grunge, pop-punk and coming-of-age reflection. It now comes with a brilliantly DIY visual to match, and we’re thrilled to be premiering the video ahead of its general release on Friday. The track, mixed and produced by Toby…

Following the electrifying announcement last week that global superstar Kesha will headline the inaugural Mighty Hoopla Sydney on Saturday, February 21st, 2026 on the famous Bondi Beach, the UK’s iconic celebration of pop and queer culture has just dropped its second wave of performing artists — and the lineup is nothing short of fabulous. Joining the party will be Becky Hill;…

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Conan Gray has announced his highly anticipated 2026 Wishbone World Tour with special guest Esha Tewari, in support of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album Wishbone (Republic Records). The 42-city global run kicks off February 19th, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, bringing Conan’s next era to life across North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, and New…

On Saturday night, Brisbanites poured into the Brisbane Entertainment Centre as the season’s first summer storm rolled overhead. The forecourt descended into semi-chaos as hundreds of fans battled the pelting rain at the open-air entrances. However, not even the rain could dampen the excitement for American phenom Teddy Swims. The musician’s meteoric rise has been…

Royel Otis opened their national tour with a sold-out Melbourne show at Margaret Court Arena, marking a huge moment for the Australian duo as one of their biggest shows yet. Fresh off the release of LP Hickey, they moved through favourites like “i hate this tune”, “Sofa King”, and “Murder on the Dancefloor” to a…

Alt-rock trailblazers Garbage will return to Australia this December for a run of exclusive headline theatre shows, marking their first visit since 2016. The tour will see the band perform in Melbourne, Adelaide and at the iconic Sydney Opera House. Led by the inimitable Shirley Manson, Garbage have spent nearly three decades redefining alternative rock…

In 2015, The AU Review’s John Goodridge interviewed Kiss founder Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley after the release of his 2014 solo album Space Invader. We stumbled upon it while thumbing through our extensive archives and are now publishing it in tribute to the pioneering musician, who sadly passed away on 16th October 2025, aged 74. Read…

All Time Low return with their tenth studio album, Everyone’s Talking, out today. The title alone feels loaded in all the right ways, coming after a few turbulent years that saw the band face some scrutiny- this record marks a reset and reclamation in their journey. The colourful album cover features the band in bright…

Jehnny Beth has always thrived on duality- ferocity and tenderness, precision and chaos, control and release. With You Heartbreaker, You, her latest album released on August 29, those contradictions find their balance. Recorded with longtime collaborator and creative partner Johnny Hostile at their studio in France, this record has been described as ‘cathartic’- but for…

As we hit the mid-point of October, this week we have added ten new tracks to our Discovery Playlist, on both Apple Music and Spotify, including two songs we premiered earlier in the week. Our track of the week is “Stay In Your Lane” from the fabulous Courtney Barnett. This new track signals the start…

Little more than 18 months after their breakout debut album, The Last Dinner Party return with another instant classic, the soaring rock-opera From the Pyre. After initially coming out of nowhere with the singles from Prelude to Ecstasy (including “Sinner”, “Nothing Matters” and “My Lady of Mercy”), the majority British act wowed crowds and critics…

Freak Slug made her Melbourne debut at The Night Cat as part of her first Australian tour, following the release of her breakout album I Blow Out Big Candles. The Manchester artist brought her bedroom-pop energy to an intimate, packed room, moving through tracks like Sexy Lemon and Radio with warmth and chaotic charm. Eloise…

The countdown to the debut album continues for Brisbane’s alt-rock singer/songwriter John Drake, with “Descending Love” as the next single to be released. We’re pumped today to be premiering this gorgeous new song, driven by a dream that love was just around the corner, ahead of its release on Friday. John Drake’s ‘Descending Love’ is…

Anyone who has visited the Sphere in Las Vegas will tell you that it’s one of the most impressive places on the planet to see a live concert. Indeed, with a 270 degree screen on the inside, and a landscape-altering 360 degree screen on the outside, there is no place like it. The venue opened…

Melbourne-based R&B singer-songwriter Laura Adeline continues to impress with her silky-smooth delivery and bountiful feel-good vibes. She has mastered the art of finding strength from the most vulnerable of times. Laura has taken grief and betrayal and turned them into a gorgeous, breezy, uplifting salve—the irresistible “As I See”—which will be released this Friday. We are…

Since hitting the scene as a fresh faced teenager, RUEL has continued to kick goals. He’s on the cusp of releasing his sophomore album,  Kicking My Feet, due out on October 17th. To mark the occasion he’s released a new single “Wild Guess” which has the tonal textures and influences of LA, to where he’s…

Baltimore’s hardcore band Turnstile are set to make their return to Australia this summer on The Never Enough Tour with four massive shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. Turnstile formed in Baltimore’s underground scene with their acclaimed 2021 album Glow On cementing their status as leaders of a new generation. With tracks like “Blackout”…

UK punk-rap agitators Sleaford Mods are returning to Australia in April 2026 for a run of headline shows on their No War No Death tour, the first time back since 2023. Armed with their trademark mix of razor-sharp social commentary and minimalist electronic beats, Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn will bring their latest single “Megaton”…

Shoeys, crowd surfers, and circle pit after circle pit after circle pit. Only Zebrahead could bring this much chaos to a Sunday night in Brisbane. Support came from the Thomas Nicholas Band – yes, that Thomas Nicholas – delivering a slice of late 90s/early 2000s skate pop punk that wouldn’t be out of place on…

Good Things is almost upon us, and with perhaps the most ambitious lineup we’ve seen in years. In case you’ve been living under a rock- Tool and Weezer headline, joined by Garbage, All Time Low, All American Rejects, Machine Head, Knocked Loose, New Found Glory, Goldfinger and many more. With the festival rapidly approaching, we’ve…

The First Annual Liberty Ball took place at Sydney’s Liberty Hall, featuring incredible international and local artists. Headlining the night was  Nashville-based American singer Nikki Lane and her band. Nikki has that cool vintage Americana twang sound with raspy vocals and absolutely killed it. On the outdoor stage were Laid Back Country Pickers all the…

A little over a year since the release of his Sincere LP, R&B singer Khalid has decidedly changed his tune from those airy, harmonic rhythms to a more pop-forward, liberating sound with After The Sun Goes Down, a confident, at times sexually charged collection of beats that leans into an almost Y2K sense of sound….