Add a little soul to your day with “The Fader,” the gorgeous new single from Melbourne’s Zillanova.
I love the way Joshua Tavares’ chocolatey vocals combine with the delicate strains of an electric guitar. The pitch-perfect backing vocals give the track an old school soul sound that instantly evokes nostalgia. However, it’s not just some Motown throwback. It sounds fresh and funky.
“The Fader” comes from Zillanova’s debut EP, which is scheduled for a February 17 release.
Sydney rock act Halfwait take us back to the 90s with its grungy new single “Fly Away.”
The track documents the struggles of making a relationship work when you’re a musician living so much of your life on the road. The song itself is a little rough around the edges, but there’s an honesty about it that I find so endearing.
“Fly Away” is the first track lifted from Halfwait’s sophomore EP Forever, which will be released shortly. We can also expect the band to return to the live scene in the coming months.
Perth band The Plastic Attraction continues its winning streak with another killer single, “No Foresight.” The follow-up to “Holding You” is an irresistible high-energy ditty which you’ll be humming for days to come.
“I’ll never forget how ‘No Foresight’ started its life,” lead singer Liam recalled in a press release. “We were at a rehearsal and Matt said he wanted to show us a new riff he’d come up with. He let loose playing what is now the chorus riff, and it was one of those moments when everyone was like ‘Yes!’ this is our next song! The track spiralled from there, with the instruments materialising very quickly”.
With the quality of their singles, hopefully it won’t be too long before we see an EP or album from these guys.
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
When I first heard Betty Who’s new single “Human Touch,” I wasn’t that impressed. It was one of those tracks I could imagine getting played on radio, but while it was catchy I found it ultimately forgettable. I didn’t really get it. It’s amazing what happens when you strip away some production though. In this acoustic version she recorded with Jarryd James, I feel like we finally get to see what this song is all about.
“I write so many of my of my songs on guitar or piano – it seemed only fitting to showcase the way this song came to be,” she explained. And having Jarryd sing it with me is a dream come true, the first time I heard his voice on the radio I knew I just had to sing with him. So I am so honoured to share this performance with him.”
“Human Touch” comes from Betty Who’s sophomore album, which will be released early next year.
Few cities have been as romanticised as New York City. Visit New York and you’ll find your muse, your true love, or at least fall hard for the city they say. Timothy Nelson muses on the mythical magic of the city in his latest single “New York (You’ll Never Be Mine).”
As always, there’s top-notch songwriting here from Timothy. Its melancholy vibe may not be ideal for the festive season, but I think it’s lovely. He worked with fellow Western Australian Julia Ngeow, who’s now based in trendy Williamsburg, on the clip which was shot in the Big Apple over three intense days. Is there any other kind in New York?
I have a lot of love for Busby Marou. They’re one of Australia’s most unassuming musical acts, but they’re stellar songwriters with harmonies that are second to none. I can’t wait to hear more of their music when their third studio album, Postcards from the Shell House, drops on February 17.
Until then we’ll just have to be content with the release of the lead single “Getaway Car.” Busby Marou isn’t a band that needs studio trickery, so it’s only fitting to bring you a stripped back version of this song recorded on Great Keppel Island, where the duo wrote and recorded much of the album. It’s an idyllic setting which is perfectly suited to Busby Marou’s laidback style of music.
You can hear more of it when Busby Marou take their new album around Queensland next year. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they announce shows around the rest of the country.
18 February 2017 – The Great Western Hotel, Rockhampton
23-25 February 2017 – The Reef Casino, Cairns
2 March 2017 – Mt Pleasant, Mackay
3 March 2017 – Magnums, Airlie Beach
4 March 2017 – Dalrymples, Townsville
9 March 2017 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
10 March 2017 – Wharf Tavern, Mooloolaba
11 March 2017 – Bay Central Hotel, Hervey Bay
Byron Bay band PLTS are in for a busy few months. Not only will they tour the country supporting The Amity Affliction in January, they’ve just announced some headlining shows in February to celebrate the release of their brand new single “Call Me Out.”
I just love this song. I fell for its relatable lyrics and catchy chorus instantly. Yet with every subsequent listen I love it a little more. Its release is a great way to close out the year for PLTS, who played Splendour, supported Columbus, and sold out their own shows along the East Coast. They’ve also generated a lot of buzz from Spotify, Triple J, FBi Radio, and other tastemakers.
You can discover what all the fuss is about when PLTS plays the following shows.
21 January 2017 – Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast
23 January 2017 – Convention Centre, Gold Coast
25 January 2017 – Ex Services Club, Coffs Harbour
26 January 2017 – Bar On The Hill, Newcastle
27 January 2017 – Waves, Wollongong
4 February 2017 – The Northern, Byron Bay
9 February 2017 – The Foundry, Brisbane
16 February 2017 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
17 February 2017 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
Montaigne shows why she was named this year’s breakthrough artist at the ARIA Awards, with another incredible single, “What You Mean to Me.” She truly is one of the most fascinating artists on the music scene at the moment, with a natural indie pop sensibility and one of the most interesting voices I’ve heard in some time.
The clip, directed by Guy Franklin and John Gavin, sees Montaigne realising her superhero fantasies.
“Guy Franklin and Pixel, have always been able to extract what’s in my heart and put it on screen! Shooting this video helped me realise my true dream: to become a parkour master,” she gushed in a press release. “My body double recently shot as stuntman on Ghost In The Shell. For the clip we put my face on his body, he got his hair shaved to my cut and everything! In the end, I got to be the video game hero I’ve always wanted to be. I want to properly be able to do what a game protagonist does physically now though. #Strongtaine2k17.”
Montaigne will pop up at the following festivals this summer.
27-29 December 2016 – Southbound, Busselton
28 December 2016 – 1 January 2017 – Beyond the Valley, Gippsland Parklands
29-31 December 2016 – Lost Paradise, Glenworth Valley
The beautiful songs from Love is a Dog just keep coming with the release of Tinpan Orange’s latest single, “See You In the Water.”
This is such a stunning song, with ethereal vocals and delicate strings. I definitely recommend taking a moment to stop what you’re doing and just listening to it, without distractions.
The Aussie trio has spent months touring, but they’re not done yet. Check out the following shows in Australia and abroad.
14 & 15 January 2017 – Illawarra Folk Festival, Wollongong
26 January 2017 – The Rocks Australia Day Festival, Sydney (FREE)
20 February 2017 – Haldern Pop, Haldern
21 February 2017 – Prinzenbar, Hamburg
22 February 2017 – Wohngemeinschaft, Köln
23 February 2017 – L’alimentation générale, Paris
25 February 2017 – Hafen 2, Offenbach/Frankfurt
26 February 2017 – Wohnzimmer Matinee, Dresden
27 February 2017 – Lido, Berlin
3 March 2017 – The Odd Fellow, Fremantle
4 & 5 March 2017 – Nannup Music Festival, Nannup
11 & 12 March 2017 – A Festival Called Panama, Golconda
24 & 25th March 2017 – Yackandandah Folk Festival, Yackandandah
26 March 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (matinee show 2pm)
Hayley Jensen shows why she recently won the Southern Stars Award for Female Rising Star title at the Mildura Country Music Festival, with her brand new single “Young Years.”
It’s a tender ballad which reveals Hayley’s reflections on time spent with an abusive partner during her late teens and early twenties. The song is so intimate and personal, yet it speaks to everyone who has ever endured emotional manipulation.
Hayley will release an EP on 3 February 2017.