It’s been some time since we heard anything new from Meg Mac, but I think it’s been worth the wait. Her new single “Low Blows” is an absolute cracker.
“Low Blows” tells an intimate story, as you might expect from a track that started its life on Meg’s piano in her Melbourne bedroom.
“The song is about the need to stand up for myself – I don’t speak up or stand up for myself when I really need to,” she explained. “Since releasing it I’ve received lots of messages suggesting I’m not the only one who struggles with this.”
While it had humble beginnings, Meg recorded the track at Fort Worth’s Niles City Sound Studio. It sounds amazing, which is a great sign for the rest of Meg’s forthcoming debut album.
Kirsty Lee Akers continues to show plenty of sass with her latest single “Ain’t That Kinda Girl.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek song exploring the expectations placed on modern girls that Kirsty refuses to meet. It’s a spirited single that’s loads of fun.
The song was released while Kirsty is on a bit of a hot streak, hitting number one on the Country Music Channel (CMC) charts for her previous four successive singles. CMC named “Ain’t That Kinda Girl” its “country pick” on release, so no doubt it’s also destined for greatness!
Port Douglas muso Bobby Maguire has knocked my socks off with his new single “Breathe.”
The presser calls him an indie rocker, but there’s so much more going on here than that descriptor suggests. It’s as catchy as any pop song, but there’s a punky attitude in that heavy bassline that I really like. It’s that got that epic feel that a song by Kings of Leon or Naked and Famous might have, but it doesn’t feel derivative either.
I’m really looking forward to hearing more from this talented newcomer.
Even when winter seems to be prematurely setting in, I can always rely on San Cisco for summery vibes. The Fremantle band’s latest pop gem is “Hey, Did I Do You Wrong?” a new track lifted from LP number three, The Water.
Like everything San Cisco touches, this track is super infectious, in the best possible way. The lyrics, which explore the dissolution of a friendship, are also really relatable.
As I hear more from The Water, it’s clear it’s going to do great things when it’s released later this month.
There are few things I enjoy more than a strong female rock voice. So I’m all over “Someone,” the new single from Perth indie act Essie.
There’s a great earthy bluesiness about her brand of rock. And that voice, wow! Essie wrote the track while at university, and while it traverses familiar themes of the aftermath of a breakup, I find it so compelling.
Despite being a Perth girl, Essie has become a staple on the UK club scene. If you’re living in London, you can catch her at the Islington tonight or Vinyl Bar on May 19.
Matt Joe Gow’sSeven Years was one of my favourite albums released in 2016. So I’m thrilled to see he’s released one of the tracks from this impressive release, “Flowers in Your Hair.” Featuring guest vocals from Katya Harrop, a member of Matt Joe’s touring band, this song is a real charmer.
The video is lovely too, with Matt Joe and Katya both starring as they sing about a relationship that’s broken down. It was shot in North Melbourne last year and directed by Joanna Strong.
With a classic rock sound that hearkens back to INXS and Powderfinger comes MDRN LOVE. The Geelong quintet has just released the debut single “Bring Me Down” and it’s a cracker. Instantly accessible with a melody you’ll be humming for days, it’s the first taste of the band’s forthcoming EP.
If you like what you hear, make sure you get out and support these guys as they travel around Victoria in the coming months.
8th April 2017 – The Courthouse, Geelong
19th April 2017 – The Workers Club, Fitzroy
22nd April 2017 – The Barwon Club, Geelong
5th May 2017 – The Loft, Warrnambool
9th May 2017 – UMSU, Melbourne
20th May 2017 – The Torquay Hotel, Torquay
7th June 2017 – The Village Green Hotel, Mulgrave
I have fallen head over heels for “How Do I Know,” the latest single from Hunter Adams’ debut EP Chrysalis. The song speaks so eloquently of the pain of unrequited love and how difficult it can be to let go.
“I’d spent so long spellbound by unrequited love that I was emotionally and psychologically exhausted. I just wanted to go somewhere else, be somewhere else, love someone else,” Hunter explained in the press release. “I had appealed to my brother for comfort, who had told me that when you properly love someone, you should want their happiness above your own, even if that means letting them go.”
I need to hear more from Hunter Adams, stat. This song is amazing!
It’s not often that you hear something really different on the modern music landscape. But when you do, you can’t help but stop and pay attention. So I take my hat off to Archer, an Aussie singer-songwriter who sounds like he’s come straight from the past. There’s an intriguing old-timey feel about his blend of folk, country, and blues.
Archer’s latest single “My Little Sweet Aussie Sweetheart” reimagines Mike O’Malley’s ballad from the 1950s. The track was recorded straight to tape, which gives it that unmistakeable lo-fi feel. Archer says “It feels damn good to bring an old fair dinkum forgotten Australian love song out again. It’s a huggin’ your grandma kind of a song – livin’ and dyin’ music, somethin’ or nothin’ music.”
Archer is currently hugging plenty of grandmas as he makes his way around Australia. All women aged 65 can get free tickets to the show, in honour of the real life Aussie sweethearts out there. Archer is also stopping by nursing homes in the towns on his tour schedule to treat the seniors that can’t make it to his shows. No matter what age you are, you’ll find something to love at these shows. Bring your nan!
31 March 2017 – The Stag & Hunter, Newcastle (18+ FREE SHOW)
1 April 2017 – Django Bar, Sydney (18+)
8 April 2017 – Webb & Co, Bathurst (18+ FREE SHOW)
19 April 2017 – The Cambus Wallace, Gold Coast (18+ FREE SHOW)
20 April 2017 – Café Le Monde, Noosa (18+ FREE SHOW)
21 April 2017 – The Milk Factory, Brisbane (18+)
22 April 2017 – Bison Bar, Nambour (18+)
23 April 2017 – Paper Moon Café, Brisbane (ALL AGES)
24 April 2017 – No.5 Church St, Bellingen (18+)
26 April 2017 – Element Bar, Coffs Harbour (18+ FREE SHOW)
27 April 2017 – Tapp Bar @ Port Panthers, Port Macquarie (18+ FREE SHOW)
28 April 2017 – Hastings Hotel, Wauchope (18+ FREE SHOW)
29 April 2017 – Fox Den Café, Gloucester (18+ FREE SHOW)
30 April 2017 – Flow Bar, Old Bar (18+ FREE SHOW)
5-7 May 2017 – Los Highway Festival, Karuah (ALL AGES)
9 May 2017 – Old Bank Bar, Dubbo (18+ FREE SHOW)
12 May 2017 – Bells Milkbar, Broken Hill (18+)
18 May 2017 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide (18+)
19-21 May 2017 – Penola Arts Festival, Coonawarra (ALL AGES FREE SHOW)
24 May 2017 – The Loft, Warrnambool (18+ FREE SHOW)
26 May 2017 – Sound Recordings, Castlemaine (18+)
27 May 2017 – The Gasometer, Melbourne (18+)
Private Life is impressing all of the right people, and with tracks like new single “Lost Boy” it’s not hard to see why. The track is poetic and so heartbreaking. Lead singer Renee Anderson’s vocals are right on point on this stunning single.
The Melbourne duo has already garnered praise from international tastemakers like Pitchfork in the United States and Wonderland magazine in the United Kingdom. Could Private Life be our next big Aussie export?