Two years after their phenomenally successful debut, Moonfire, Boy and Bear return with Harlequin Dreams. Anyone who wondered whether the Sydney indie-folk outfit would succumb to the dreaded second album syndrome will be satisfied within the opening bars, announcing that the lads’ entrance to the scene was no fluke. The catchy opening track and first…
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Naming your band after a less than stellar AFL team may seem like a strange, even unwise move. Particularly in a country that draws some of it’s deepest battle lines with football scarves. But once you’ve heard Ornithology, the debut EP from The Adelaide Crows, you’ll be hard pressed to think of a more appropriate…
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I used to work in a fast food sushi chain in an airport. I wasn’t good at it, and I resented having to wear a flame retardant uniform despite not working with fire. Apart from stuffing myself with illicit handfuls of sushi rice, the best part about that job was the puzzling company radio station…
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There was a time when Fun Machine was Canberra’s best kept secret. Not anymore, it seems, with the four-piece carting their sex-pop (plus glitter, lycra, facepaint) up and down the country for a series of shows promoting their new single, Naked Body. Naked Body sends a pretty clear message: celebrate yourself, because you’re beautiful. It’s…
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Calling the boys of Busy Kingdom busy is both obvious and a little cringeworthy. Bad writing aside, there’s no getting around it. Busy Kingdom is a busy band. The four-piece from Melbourne have spent the last two years shoring up local gig spots, and are entirely deserving of the fan-base they can now call their…
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Put the words female and rapper together, and more often than not, minds will turn to either Azealia Banks or Nicki Minaj. But the oft-overlooked fact is that there are female rappers everywhere, flying the flag for ladies in hip hop without the antics of their mainstream counterparts. From party hip hop to socially…
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If you’re a fan of cabaret-rock, and have ever wondered what would happen if Ben Folds Five and The Dresden Dolls did the nookie, then look no further. The result of this tryst would be The Great Imposter, a Melbourne-based, piano-led, cabaret-rock troupe, arriving on the scene with their debut EP Find Structure Through the…
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Aphir’s debut release, Invirtue, opens with a looped vocal hook coupled with a sample of the static generated by a vinyl record stylus – the only non-human, non-sung element the listener hears until the E.P.’s closing track. It’s clear at the outset that the focus of these songs are the layers upon layers of rich,…
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‘WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYAAABBAAAAAHHHHHYAAAAAA MOOOBOOBEEECHEEMAHHBAHHHHhh’ If the above jumble doesn’t conjure in your mind the image of red and orange bursting through the day break to light the Pride Lands of the African Savannah, there are only two possible explanations. 1. You haven’t seen Disney classic, The Lion King (what?), or (much more likely), 2. my written rendition…
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Jessica Paige’s recently released album, Don’t Trust Me, has the opposite effect of its title. Listen to it once, and you trust Jessica completely, as her observations about life and love ring so true. Jessica found her musical legs by busking on the streets of Melbourne, and this has clearly kept her grounded, with…
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Through popular culture we create and reiterate our notions of gender and sexuality in society. Sorry to get all Sociology 101 on you, but when I saw the hit ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke soar to number one, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of messages are being sent here in terms of gender…
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In June 2013, Sigur Rós released their seventh studio album, Kveikur. I’ll spare you the history lesson, but essentially, Sigur Rós and especially the band’s lead singer, Jónsi Birgisson, are producing some of the most creative music today. In my mind, I equate what both Sigur Rós and Jónsi in his solo career are doing as…
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As part of The Morals, a Canadian indie-folk group, female vocalist, Hollie Hobby sings with an emotional intensity rarely seen in today’s music. Her vocal style is best described as Florence and the Machine-like in intensity, yet still containing all of the beautiful nuances of Feist. However, make no mistake; Hollie Hobby is still her…
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Helena Vestergaard: sometimes actress, sometimes musician and always really, really ridiculously good-looking. The Melbourne-born artist has managed to squeeze a hell of a life into 19 years, from working with filmmaker Kai Neville in Dear Suburbia to acting in obscure Korean commercials. What initially drew you to acting? Ever since I was a child…
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