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?
It’s been a year and a half since I heard music from Helen Shanahan. But the Perth folk singer is one of those artists that I never forgot, because what I’d heard before really spoke to me. She’s making the same impact on me now with her latest single “I Only Hide.”
It’s a deeply personal track which documents her own struggles with anxiety and desire to break through those emotions to become a better performer. The clip pairs with the song perfectly; it’s sure to resonate with anyone who’s struggled with mental illness.
“The concept was based around the idea of ‘two Helens,’” Helen explained in a press release. “ One Helen was what we called ‘outside’ Helen, and the other ‘inside’ Helen. ‘Outside’ Helen encompassed the parts of me that were positive, free and fearless. ‘Inside’ Helen showed the parts of me that felt fearful, isolated and negative. We wanted the ‘outside’ Helen to be coaxing ‘inside’ Helen out of the house and into the light.”
Thankfully Helen won’t leave us too long waiting for more new music this time. She’s got a full-length album on the way in the coming months and a nation tour to coincide with its release.
Kristy James’ new single “Push” is a really gutsy girl power anthem. In the vein of powerful country women like Miranda Lambert or Gretchen Wilson, the Newcastle singer attacks the vocals in this track about taking chances.
The glammed-up video might seem a little left-of-centre for a country artist, but Kristy felt right at home.
“In another life I spent a lot of time dancing,” she explained. “From the moment I saw Dirty Dancing I knew I had to be able to do it.”
Kristy is currently preparing to head to Nashville to write music for her sophomore EP, which should drop in August.