So this is really it this time, no more dramas in my life
He sealed it with a kiss on my lips, on my forehead and I cried...
Communication is key. Or that's what you're going to be told. At home, at school, at work. You've got to be able to communicate effectively. As Emma Louise points out on 'Talk Baby Talk', when it comes to that crazy little thing called love, all the talking in the world isn't going to save something that just ain't worth saving. Released as the second single from the upcoming sophomore album Supercry, 'Talk Baby Talk' finds Louise looking back on the history of a romantic entanglement. And if the opening lines above are any indication, a relationship that has already come to its close. From the good old days of talking long into the night about anything and everything, to those nights spent in arguments and regret, Louise's conflicted mind finds itself at a loss. Even though everything seems to have gone wrong, she's still asking herself, "why can't we just talk about it?" Of course, it's totally sad for our leading lady this, uh, conscious uncoupling... but for us, the listeners? Well, it's another spectacular outing from one of Brisbane music's finest exports and quite the follow up to 'Underflow'. Supercry is shaping up to be something truly special.
Matt Bond gives Talk Baby Talk four and a half broken heart emoji out of five...
I don’t know much about San Mei, except to say that a quick google tells me her name is Emily Hamilton, she’s from the Gold Coast and she’s released some tracks randomly over the past couple of years. A couple more clicks and every time I read about her there are mentions of NME and Indie Shuffle, which are both great, but I’m much more interested in her music than her press releases. Let me say I’m glad I read between the publicity lines and hit play on her latest track ‘Revel’, because the gorgeous, somehow dark and somehow sweetly light sounds are so charming, guitars giving an indie pop feel much bigger than a few hundred soundcloud plays and a voice deserving of an audience much bigger than her facebook likes. Artists like San Mei are the exciting ones to stumble across, because she is making sounds far beyond her current reach and they are sounds that I hope I am going to be hearing more and more of as she makes her way into our collective pop consciousness. (Jo Michelmore)
Jo Michelmore gives 'Revel' three and a half emoji fries out of five...
Band of Skulls, Remi, Alex Lahey + Little Earthquake!
1. Phebe Starr - Feel My Love
2. Band of Skulls - Killer (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: Am I psychic? Only last week I was suddenly and mysteriously struck with a thought “what happened to Band Of Skulls? Where are those guys? I love those guys!” and then bam! Two days later, what should appear in my social media feed? Those smashing guitars and drums exploded outta my phone as I manically hit play on the link to the single ‘Killer’, the first from their fourth album By Default, due later this year. I only thought about them a day ago! Did I make this song happen? How could this be? The band themselves are calling this a new era in their career, but I call this an awakening to my own psychic abilities. This is everything I love about them, dirty guitars taking the lead, the blues rock turning into rock rock and back again in between all those “got your heart got your soul got your back” words I can’t seem to get out of my head. Ok, maybe I’ll admit I’m not psychic, but there’s one thing about the future I can pretty much guarantee. I’m going to love that new album when it’s released and I’m going to spend my days until I hear that hoping that they tour again asap. (Jo Michelmore)
3. Amanda Palmer - Machete
4. Machine Age - Don't Look
5. Alex Lahey - You Don't Think You Like People Like Me (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: I don't know much about Alex Lahey. After hearing her song 'You Don't Think You Like People Like Me' on the radio last week though, I want to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Alex Lahey. "All I want is to have cleanskin wine, And watch Mulholland Drive with you." I'm hooked, right from the start. Lahey offers up killer hooks, rocking vocals and lyrics you'll find running through your mind long after you have finished listening. Like one of those movies that are super quotable but too cool for you. A really wonderful track to stumble upon (if you can call hearing it on the radio 'stumbling' upon it), 'You Don't Think You Like People Like Me' only proves that I really like Alex Lahey. And I can't wait to hear so much more from her. (Matt Bond)
Matt's Pick of the Week: What a pleasant surprise to hear something new from Amanda Palmer. Not counting her David Bowie tribute EP and the ten and half minute gorgeousness of 'A Mother's Confession', 'Machete' marks her first full band release since 2012's Theatre Is Evil. It is glorious. It is heartbreaking. It is thought provoking. And it tells a story in a way that, really, only Amanda Palmer can tell a story. Manic one moment, quiet and reflective the next... 'Machete' shows all of the brilliant sides of Palmer we've come to know and love, from the Dresden Dolls days to now. 'Machete' is a beautiful story about friendship, losing it and also celebrating it in that loss. If you'd like to know more about the story behind it, please have a read of Amanda's own words regarding 'Machete' on her site. One of the things that I've always loved about Amanda Palmer's music is that she somehow manages to make her stories so totally relatable, even when it's something so personal to her. Her tracks make you think and this time around I'm thinking about the people in my life that are really special to me and how devastated I'm going to be if I ever have to lose them before... you know. Before I kick it. "And you said, I don't know where I'm going, I just know that I'm heading, from the dead things piled up behind me." It's all kinds of beautiful and it's so nice to hear something new from one of our most favourite artists. I could talk about this for days and days. But I'll just quickly mention that the last time a song caught me off-guard and made me all damn misty eyed and had me thinking about shit like this was Palmer's own 'The Bed Song' and hear I am listening to 'Machete' and it gets to the very last line... "You don't need me hear to cut you free"... and I'm a mess. A rambling mess. And it's all Amanda Palmer's fault. And I wouldn't have it any other way. (Matt Bond)
2. Phebe Starr - Feel My Love
3. Ngaiire - Diggin
4. Ladyhawke - A Love Song (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: It seems like it was a thousand years ago that I was standing in a sweltering tent at the Big Day Out impatiently waiting for Ladyhawke to appear. That was six years ago and may as well be a thousand years ago considering the amount of singles Taylor Swift has released since then, but I digress. While the Big Day Out has now disappeared forever, thankfully Ladyhawke hasn’t, taking a break to sort some shit out (that quick summary of writing, recording and sobering is probably more complicated than that) and returned with a new song that was worth waiting the four long years we’ve waited for any new sounds from her. ‘A Love Song’ is perfectly Ladyhawke; a song you want to dance to, a song you want to sing along to and a song you want to hear over and over again. The cute animated lyric clip to match is making it very difficult to wait any longer for a new album release in June. (Jo Michelmore)
Olympia's much anticipated album Self Talk is released in just over a month and we already know it's going to be a stellar addition to the discography of 2016. Last year we were treated to the album cuts 'Tourists', 'Honey' and 'This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things'. 'Smoke Signals' is the latest single and a more than worthy follow-up to the brilliant tracks that have come before. Like those previously mentioned, 'Smoke Signals' is a song that easily works its way into your head and will have you singing along with Olympia's striking voice by the end of the first listen.
While the video is more 80s than some clips that were actually made during the decade in question, the music is far from retro. With modern touches and rock leanings, 'Smoke Signals' places Olympia's Olivia Bartley in line with contemporaries such as St. Vincent and Sharon Van Etten. Not only is that a pretty great place to be, it's something you wouldn't say aloud unless you really meant it. Not simply a good song, but one you know you won't be able to stop listening to for a long time to come... 'Smoke Signals' could be Olympia's best track yet. And it makes us want to get our hands on Self Talk even more than we already did.
Matt Bond gives 'Smoke Signals' four 'who run the world' girls emoji out of five. And a happy International Women's Day to the ladies!
Matt's Pick of the Week: Phebe Starr, how I've missed you. But you're back now and you're back with this incredible track 'Feel My Love' that is going to put smiles on faces all around the world. This is irresistible pop, the kind that runs through your entire body and makes you want to dance and have fun and do amazing things. The instant replay value is ridiculous, don't be surprised if you find yourself in a 'Feel My Love' loop for a couple of hours as you explore all the wonderful little touches that make the track as great as it is. And even though I haven't been able to stop listening to it for a few days now, I've got a feeling I'm only going to love this new one from Phebe Starr more and more as the year goes on. Hopefully this is the first of many big things coming our way from Starr this year! Oh and when that chorus hits? Too good. More please. (Matt Bond)
7. Sans Parents - Can't Stop Moving
8. The Ruiins - Eventually (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: So I’m having a little bit of trouble believing that this is the debut single from The Ruiins. No, seriously, I’ve googled over and over, looking for something, anything, anywhere to tell me where they’ve played, who they are and what else they’ve done, because there is a maturity and a simple comfortability in ‘Eventually’ that suggest they’ve been playing together a thousand years (possible exaggeration) and surely I’ve seen them and heard them somewhere before. This track is everything I love about unpretentious rock and perfect blues, doing exactly what any song I love should do, which is to take my mind away from my laptop to places I’d rather be and making me want to sway in ways only guitars know how to. If this is only their first release, I am so looking forward to hearing more from this duo from the Gold Coast. (Jo Michelmore)
9. Chris Watts - Let Go
10. Ariela Jacobs - Lost (NEW)
11. Babaganouj - Do Rite With Me Tonite
12. Little May - Remind Me
13. Hayden Calnin - Cut Love
14. Elizabeth Rose ft. Remi - Playing With Fire (NEW)
15. Bag Raiders ft. Benjamin Joseph - Checkmate (NEW)
