Local
Emerson Snowe: Emerson Snowe Plays Covers (Indie)
- Covering another musician’s song is a comprehensively complimentary endeavour for both the writer and the performer. Lo-fi curiosity Emerson Snowe has released a collection of covers with that affords a depth and respect of craft to both him and the artists he covers (Big Star, (Sandy) Alex G, The Replacements et. al). Inviting, unassuming and full of charm. (Nicholas J. Rodwell)
G Elenil: Good Time (Single) (Indie)
- After the winking at Dram with Something, G Elenil is taking another confident step into increasingly inclusive pop with Good Time. It’s a refined take and as G Elenil reveals more of herself, Good Time is a single that both sonically and conceptually breaks free and looks forward to betterment. (Nicholas J. Rodwell)
hjpierce: PEOPLE (Indie)
- This release is probably one the most interesting I've heard in years. Taking cues from everything and anything, PEOPLE is chock-full of field recordings, strange synth arpeggiations, free improvisation, mathematically precise organic drums, after hearing at least one track, you will instinctively know that Harry has a deep proficiency and appreciation for music in all of it's different incarnations, shapes and sizes. This release is for all of you out there that understand the extent to which music can be art. (Clayton Bick-Paterson)
Nice Biscuit: Captain (Single) (Break Even Recordings / Inertia)
- Perennially well-dressed alt-pop/rock locals Nice Biscuit are turning heads with this noticeably heavier offering. The first act to sign to new Sydney-based Inertia imprint Break Even Recordings, Nice Biscuit’s unmatched sense of flair and drama acts as a pair of effective (sparkly) gumboots, keeping the tune nimble and from ever actually getting bogged down in the murky, satisfying sludge below. (Liz Ansley)
Pocketmoth: Infinite Twist (Pocketmoth)
- An intriguing and sonically far-reaching compilation curated by local newcomers Pocketmoth, Infinite Twist acts as an indicato of what’s to come from the newly-minted label. And it makes quite a statement - with flawlessly intricate contributions from nine Australian electronic artists, spanning styles from ambient to hip-hop and influences from around the globe, Pocketmoth assert themselves as an incredibly valuable addition to the tapestry of Brisbane’s independent music scene. Check out local producer/artist Rahms & hip-hop artist RDGR on Right Here, Right Now last month. (Liz Ansley)
Shed: Poured Out (Single)(Indie)
- Yet another gorgeous release from an independent Brisbane group, as I listened to Shed's new single my attention was thoroughly caught by the line "and then you euthanize a feral cat / you pull a brown snake out of it's gut, / it's a real mess, all tangled up and wet", especially by how well it fit the atmosphere conveyed by the carefree guitars, the fluttering violin. Upon hearing a few well placed bends and sways of a tremolo bar in the chorus, I was sold, and I knew that this song would definitely be getting a few more spins once I got home. (Clayton Bick-Paterson)
Australian:
Camp Cope: How To Socialise & Make Friends (Poison City Records)
- Camp Cope's new album How To Socialise And Make Friends follows up their self-titled 2016 debut. Despite being recorded in just two days, it boasts a no-frills yet punchy sound providing equal space for singer/guitarist Georgia Maq’s soaring, Australian-accented vocals and the live-in-the-studio feel of the music, from Georgia’s jangly guitar, Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich’s melodic bass lines and Sarah Thompson’s shuffling, punchy drumming. Each and every song has a hook or a lyric that the listener can grab on to. The Omen is a beautifully melancholic ballad while the self-assuring tone of Animal & Real tempers the more prickly emotions that unblinkingly pepper the record. In fact, that is arguably the album’s main strength: these songs encompass the lived experience, from despair to euphoria but even in its bleakest moments there is a defiance and passion that evokes bouncing back from life’s most gruelling challenges, scarred but stronger. (Matt Thrower)
Couture: O.H.M. (Single) (Solitaire)
- Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell, two names associated with some of Australia’s more enterprising electronica have teamed up as Couture. Part garage, part deep house, the intense syncopation drives gracefully in tandem with the spattering of harmony. Their leading single is a chopped, broken and deeply satisfying cut. (Nicholas J. Rodwell)
Jaala: Horn (Single) (Bedroom Suck / Remote Control Records)
- Like Hiatus Kaiyote without the super saiyan fluoro chop, Melbourne’s Jaala has returned with her wild and wonderful approach to contemporary song. The garage charm of her previous EP Hard Hold remains but with Horn there is a new sense of power that pushes this track into greater technical and emotive heights. (Nicholas J. Rodwell)
Kwame: WOW (Single) (Indie)
- Making use of a Kalimba drumline squeeze the fruitiest possible juice out of trap elements, Western Sydney suburbs artist Kwame flexes some seriously impressive lyricism alongside his own razor-sharp production skills on WOW. Dexterous and playful it may be, but WOW packs plenty of bite - and a deservedly bombastic attitude to match. It’s also the lead single from Kwame’s Endless Conversations EP, out March 23. (Liz Ansley)
Lost Talk: SYMBOLS/SIGNALS (Indie)
- Lost Talk are such an exciting band, I feel like I'm right there watching them play when I listen to this release, just without the necessary beer being sprayed all over my self. An amazing sound akin to many older oz scuzz-grunge groups such as The Stabs, Scul Hazzards, Bird Blobs, even the Birthday Party, the exception being the frontwoman Amy, her voice seemingly powerful enough to cut you in two if you were stupid enough to cross somebody with a set of pipes this harrowing to hear.This release is interesting on so many levels, the songs written with purpose and forethought, the harsh elements are entirely necessary to let the others soar, there is never discordance purely for the sake of discordance. (Clayton Bick-Paterson)
The Native Cats: John Sharp Toro (RIP Society)
- If the last things Native Cats-ish that you heard was Peter Escott’s comparatively meditative solo record, The Long O, then John Sharp Toro will be a rather electrifying return to the fold. It’s the angular, skeletal, dissonant sound of The Native Cats, it’s also a roaring, emotive journey of self-discovery and it’s unashamedly a complex, difficult puzzle to solve. It’s been a big time for The Native Cats lately and John Sharp Toro reflects every bit of it. (Chris Cobcroft)
Tetrahedra: SOMA (Indie)
- Exploring “body, feminism and the absurd” across this delightfully wonky 20-minute audiovisual confection, cultivated in collaboration with visual artist Prue Stent, artistic directors Honey Long and Isabella Connelly, choreographer Natalie Abbott and videographer Amy Dellar. Much more than its surface bells and whistles (and clicks, and cowbell, and chimes, and claps…) SOMA EP is imbued with a maturity and stylishness that belies the band’s innate cohesiveness. With grant funding from both Creative Victoria and the Australian Council for the Arts, Tetrahedra have created a fizzing, unnerving miniverse that recalls Little Dragon on a kaleidoscopic trip. (Liz Ansley)
Overseas
french_concession: Moon Palace (Single) (Ball Of Wax)
- French_concession - residing in NZ, not France - is the ethereal solo art-pop/electro endeavour of Chinese artist Ella Chau Yin Chi, who began the project in Singapore in 2009. Harnessing regal horns, glossy synths and vocals so breathy they make Moon Palace’s chorus feel like a private invitation, French_concession’s mid-tempo cosmic dream will appeal to fans of Grimes’ most shimmering soundscapes. Unrestrained by borders in sound and theme (unsurprisingly, as she’s also resided in Hong Kong, Barcelona, Nepal and Tokyo) the track is a regal, crystalline tribute to Eastern lunar fables that French_concession hopes will enable listeners to “escape reality for a moment”. Her fifth EP will arrive sometime this year via NZ label Ball of Wax, with one single via UK-based label Chinabot. (Liz Ansley)
Janelle Monae: Make Me Feel (Single)(Warner Music/Atlantic)
- An over-accomplished polymath whose every release has been markedly sumptuous, unapologetic and idiosyncratic, Janelle Monae somehow manages to best herself in this elasticated, desperately affecting queer anthem. Released alongside the angular/excellent ’Django Jane’, the duo serve as a sampler for visual album Dirty Computer, her first in 5 years. No surprises that Prince, who featured on Monae’s 2013 LP The Electric Lady (along with Solange, Erykah Badu, Miguel and more) lay a synth groove down that ended up in Make Me Feel - though the writing is unmistakeably Monae’s, moments in its joyous exuberance feel almost like a parting wink from the Purple One. (Liz Ansley)
Mount Eerie: Tintin in Tibet (Single) (P. W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd.)
- Mount Eerie is the moniker of the legendary Phil Elverum. From Anacortes, Washington, formerly of the Microphones, he inspired a revolution in DIY recording in the early 2000's that still echoes today. Following from the emotionally crushing 'A Crow Looked At Me' just last year, Tintin in Tibet the newest single from his upcoming LP. Still shadowed of the loss of his partner, this song offers no emotional superficiality. Just the hard truth. (Fraser Coker)