November 2, 2009 | Video | by Zolton |

Ok, so the leadsinger of this Australian band, Powerage, is barely into his teens, and already he sings like Axl Rose and Brian Johnson’s love child. Perhaps he is? They are unbelievably good, and will rip it up on stage for many years to come. For those about to rock, Powerage salutes you.

New Music / Cloud Control’s Gold Canary

October 29, 2009 | New Music | by Michelle Wilding |

Cloud Control have just unravelled a newly recorded track, Gold Canary, from their forthcoming 2010 album. It’s straight up pastoral Blue Mountains goodness. I actually heard it live earlier this year and it sounded quite rad.

New Music / Midnight Juggernauts

October 25, 2009 | New Music | by Sonya Rosendorff |

Midnight Juggernauts are another awesome Australian band. There’s something amazing going on in the land of Oz, with Empire of the Sun, Pnau, and these guys. I really wish they were coming to London to brighten up my dark, mysterious winters. Come on boys, you know you wanna!

October 7, 2009 | Video | by Kira Heuer |

Life is filled with many hidden delights that keep us warm on those days when the world seems confused and expended. One of my favorite delights is finding that new song that you play over and over again. Repeat, repeat, dancing around in your room, acting a complete fool and enjoying every moment of it. Lovers Electric is the new sound to kick off my day and keep me smiling.

Cool Websites / Dappled Cities’ Secret Playlist

August 27, 2009 | Cool Websites | by Zolton |

Australian band Dappled Cities have a new album, Wall Of Zounds, and a national tour of Australia underway. We checked in with bassist Alex Moore and asked him about the music that inspired the new recording. He started with the Mastodon song, Oblivion [listen below]: ‘I really like the new Mastodon record, Crack the Skye. This song is a real shout-out to where they are heading. It is pretty metal but also — disturbingly — 70s prog. Totally progarific’.

Cool Websites / Paul Dempsey’s Secret Playlist

June 9, 2009 | Cool Websites | by Zolton |

We asked Paul Dempsey, the frontman of Australian indie-rock band, Something For Kate, about the music that inspired his own soon to be released solo album, and he started by propping Brooklyn group TV On The Radio’s Dancing Choose: ‘This track has so much manic energy: buzzsaw synth-bass, mad shuffling drums and a rapid-fire lyrical rant that sounds like some kind of crazed public service announcement. Guaranteed to shake you from your mid-morning malaise’. Read the rest of Paul Dempsey’s Secret Playlist

New Music / The Supporters

May 5, 2009 | New Music | by Xavier Toby |

Some bands never get the respect nor the notoriety they deserve. Last year, The Supporters released a full-length album and, very quietly, it collected a swag of rave reviews. Then whenever they played gigs, they blew away whoever had the good sense to show up. Today they still play criminally small venues, and they are still totally under-appreciated. If fast, uncompromising Aussie rock is your thing, The Supporters are your band. It doesn’t come any grittier and satisfying than this.

April 27, 2009 | Video | by Mike Daly |

This beautiful clip for the Australian band Firekites consists of 1910 individual chalk drawings. It took co-directors Lucinda Schreiber and Yanni Kronenberg six-months to complete the project from start to finish. Every day, after shooting, their bodies and laptops were covered in chalk dust. Looking at the end result, though, I’m sure it was all worth it.

February 17, 2009 | Video | by Casper Johansson |

If I Know You represents one of the more opulent moments from the second album, Apocalypso, by Australian electro duo, The Presets. Built from a somber chord progression and poignant tale of bitterness and lessons learned, If I Know You echoes of lonely night drives, dancing in the forest and the feeling of gallantly marching away from a spiteful lover. To recreate the emotionally resonant atmosphere of the song on film, The Presets enlisted French director Eva Husson (who directed the acclaimed short for M83’s Kim and Jessie last year) to weave a poetic LA dream sequence of fire and dance.

New Music / The music behind the new Howling Bells album, Radio Wars

January 15, 2009 | New Music | by Zolton |

The last time I caught up with London-based, Australian band, Howling Bells, was in New York in early 2007 when they played a show at one of the many seedy Lower East Side bars. Since then, they’ve recorded a new album, the aptly named Radio Wars [listen to their song, Treasure Hunt, below], a remarkable follow-up to their 2006 self-titled debut. I checked in with guitarist Joel Stein to find out what music the four-piece had been listening to around the time the album was written: ‘The Byrds’ Eight Miles High always sounds so futuristic to me. It has one of the best guitar sounds ever and really moves me with its color and power. Every time I hear the Tortoise track, I Set My Face to the Hillside, I instantly get transported to the ocean. Beautiful! Joy Division’s Isolation is incredible. I love the intro keyboard riff, in particular (the keyboard was self-built). It expresses urgency and truth. And then there’s Neu!’s Hallogallo, a truly inspiring instrumental track that I always want to go on for longer. Its fuzzy guitars are so warm and vibrant. Perfect!’ Read frontwoman Juanita Stein’s Playlist of inspiring songs.

December 29, 2008 | Video | by Francis Andrews |

This is a fantastic piece of guitar playing. The John Butler Trio have been tearing up the roots scene Down Under for years now, and you can see why. He looks like your average nu-age folk singer-songwriter, but his obvious deep-rooted connection to the guitar — as demonstrated by his staggering sense of rhythm and chord structure — are pretty exceptional.

New Music / Children Collide interview

December 16, 2008 | New Music | by Huna Amweero |

It’s hard to find a misstep on the full-length debut from Melbourne band, Children Collide. The Long Now doesn’t sound like a first album: its mature, yet completely varied sound and lyrical concept makes it feel like something you’d expect from a band on their third or fourth album (you know, after the ‘cursed’ second album). Children Collide are most definitely in control, something that could have been lost while working with big-name producer, Dave Sardy. It’s rare that you pick up a CD and feel like the band has decided on everything, right down to the artwork that encases their killer album. We threw guitarist-singer Johnny Mackay a few questions about how they managed to wrap everything up in such a … errr … tight little package. Read more

December 7, 2008 | Video | by Huna Amweero |

I can say with an unwavering amount of conviction that kaleidoscopes are the greatest things ever invented. Well, one of them at least. Brisbane band, The John Steel Singers, take that statement and turn it into a super cool video for their song, Rainbow Kraut. I think Oliver Sacks would agree: phantom hands should always play keyboards.

New Events / On the road again with The Basics

December 2, 2008 | New Events | by Zolton |

A couple of week back we invited Aussie rockers, The Basics, to write a diary for us as they toured the deepest reaches of the vast Australian continent. This is the second half of their installments: ‘Tuesday, November 18: ‘We have an interview with the Longreach Leader newspaper today, before playing Longreach State School. It’s been a little hard to get press for this part of our tour, and understandably- no-one from the public can come to the school gigs we’re doing, and we’re not in any one town long enough to do a face to face interview that can actually go to print before we’ve moved on somewhere else. But the Longreach Leader has generously offered to do a short piece on our travels and about the Lifeline charity we’re supporting with our gigs out here. The editor of the paper is an older woman, maybe 50, with grey hair and a firm handshake. She’s straight-to-the-point. No wasting time here. What are our names? Where have we travelled? What’s the charity name? Okay, that sounds like enough. Thanks very much for your time gentlemen, and we’re out the door. It has to be the quickest interview we’ve ever done. Which is kinda nice.It means we can go to the bakery for lunch before the show today’. Read more

New Music / Long Walk Home

November 18, 2008 | New Music | by Stacey Howard |

Originally from Australia, Long Walk Home are now residing and making awesome music in Berlin. Their music is modern and alternative with a great guitarist and drummer and a touch of funky electro that makes the melodies soft and catchy.