Top 25 - 31 January, 2016

1. Montaigne - In The Dark





2. Bad Pony - Zombie





3. Ecca Vandal - End of Time





4. Leisure Suite - Heavy Head (NEW)





Jo's Pick of the Week: I don’t wanna start my new year with a word I know I’ve used a little too much in years past, but my thesaurus search couldn’t come up with a word quite as accurate, so I suppose I’ll just stick with the same one everyone seems to use for them….the latest single from Leisure Suite is all sorts of dreamy, perfectly distant in the way the best chilled electronica should be, all the while managing to pull you close with every beat. This duo from Melbourne have been making little and very impressive waves since the release of their debut EP in late 2014 and this is a sweet taste of what is to come from their second EP Lay Low, due for release February 15. I promise to come up with a word other than ‘dreamy’ to describe them before then.


5. Massive Attack, Tricky and 3D - Take It There (NEW)





Matt's Pick of the Week: Massive Attack have been away for extended periods of time before, but it's crazy to think that their last album Heligoland was released back in 2010. Well, they're finally back with the Ritual Spirit EP and on track four they're recapturing the magic of their 2003 release, 100th Window. There's something about 'Take It There' that makes the song sound like it wouldn't be out of place on that collection. The beats are slightly more threatening than the pre-2000s Massive Attack and Robert Del Naja/3D's vocal segments have that borderline mesmerising/creeping me out vibe that came with the single 'Butterfly Caught', but it's the added element of trip-hop hero Tricky that makes this the finest Massive Attack release in a long time. It's actually awesome to have them back. (Matt Bond)  


6. Le Pie - Up All Night (NEW)





7. Ali Barter - Far Away





8. Flume ft. Vince Staples and Kucka - Smoke and Retribution (NEW)





9. PASSERINE - Lost In Each Other





10. Paces ft. Jess Kent - 1993 (No Chill)





11. Grimes - Kill V. Maim





12. Jess Kent - Get Down





13. Beaty Heart - Flora





14. Santigold - Chasing Shadows (NEW)





15. Gideon Bensen - Talk Talk (NEW)





16. Nicole Millar - Tremble (NEW)





17. The Jezabels - Pleasure Drive





18. Ben Abraham - You and Me





19. Private Life - Dragon (NEW)





20. Urthboy ft. Sampa The Great and Okenyo - Second Heartbeat





21. Kiiara - Say Anymore





22. Elliphant - Step Down (NEW)





23. WAAX - Holy Sick





24. Porches - Be Apart





25. Jack Colwell - C.O.A.T

Song Review - No Love Like Yours

NO LOVE LIKE YOURS

by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

Album: PersonA (out April 2016)

So we're really meant to be going with the whole strike through the 'Edward Sharpe and' part of the band's name, but I'm going to make this easy on myself for the rest of the review and just go with The Magnetic Zeros. Who are now obviously entering the 'since Prince turned himself into a symbol' phase of their career. As far as I'm concerned, they can do what they want because they're still so very good at making songs that put a smile on my face, while convincing me that love is actually a real concept and that unicorns and Eskimos are real. All of that and so much more. New track 'No Love Like Yours' continues their run of making me believe in the make-believe, with helplessly romantic lyrics and those folky/hippie vibes you can't help falling for. 

Alex Ebert, otherwise known as Edward Sharpe, is taking his name out of the equation this time around and bringing in the rest of the band to contribute as a collective to the songwriting and orchestration. The results? Not much has changed really. Everything's just as good as it's ever been and I guess that's just what happens when you're rolling around town like a cult or commune or whatever it is they're going for. Doomsday Preppers who know how to rock? Yeah... that'll do. Like I said, I don't care what The Magnetic Zeros do... as long as they keep releasing tracks like 'No Love Like Yours' that melt away the icy cold surroundings of my heart, I'll keep on loving them. Can't wait to hear that full album in April too.

Matt Bond gives 'No Love Like Yours' three and a half beers for you (and me) out of five...  

Top 25 - 24 January, 2016

Montaigne, Bad Pony, Ben Abraham + Ali Barter

1. Montaigne - In The Dark (NEW)


 

2. Ecca Vandal - End of Time





3. Bad Pony - Zombie (NEW)

4. Ali Barter - Far Away (NEW)

5. RUFUS - Say A Prayer For Me


 

6. Ben Abraham - You and Me (NEW)





7. Jess Kent - Get Down





8. WAAX - Holy Sick (NEW)





9. Porches - Be Apart





10. Paces ft. Jess Kent - 1993 (No Chill)





11. PASSERINE - Lost In Each Other (NEW)





12. The Jezabels - Pleasure Drive (NEW)





13. Merival - Kicking You Out





14. Savages - Adore





15. Kiiara - Say Anymore





16. Grimes - Kill V. Maim (NEW)





17. Jack Colwell - C.O.A.T





18. Sia - Unstoppable (NEW) 





19. Flume ft. Kai - Never Be Like You





20. Urthboy ft. Sampa The Great and Okenyo - Second Heartbeat (NEW)





21. Benji Lewis - Never Leave You Lonely





22. Courtney Barnett - Three Packs A Day





23. AlunaGeorge ft. Popcaan - I'm In Control (NEW)





24. Beaty Heart - Flora (NEW)





25. St. Lucia - Physical

Song Review - You And Me

You And Me

by Ben Abraham

Album: Sirens (due March 4, 2016)

Everyone knows I love the saddest of songs, but here I was, quietly listening and loving and thinking it was so beautiful and thinking "isn’t this clip stunningly filmed?" and "I need more fairy lights in my life...does K Mart sell fairy lights all year round?" and "he is rather handsome isn’t he?", but then I hit play again and there were some words about April through November and how hard it is to breathe now and suddenly everything took a turn for the much worse, which in my world means it took a turn for the much better, because the very saddest of songs are always my favourites.  Disguised as a sweet, simple little pop tune, Ben Abraham certainly knows how to make the sad songs take ones breath away and it's not just because I think he’s got a touch of the attractive in him, but because his way with words and those keys are phenomenal. “You belong to you and me” can be read however you feel it, but when you hear it the way Ben Abraham sings it, well, that makes it a whole different story. Take whatever you want from this tune and this clip, but I’m taking my little heart to K Mart for a while to recover, buy some fairy lights and wait patiently for the debut album Sirens, which, if this song is any indication, is going to be finding itself a special little place in my collection this year. 

 Jo Michelmore gives 'You And Me' four broken hearts out of five...

Album Review - Bloom

BLOOM

by RÜFÜS (out January 22, 2016)

Australian music's first major release of 2016 belongs to Sydney's RÜFÜS and their sophomore album Bloom. It's a pretty excellent start to the year to say the least. With the singles we've already heard from their second effort, there was little doubt the follow up to Atlas was going to win the trio the hearts of many a dance fan all over again. Bloom proves a fitting title, as RÜFÜS grow or evolve or whatever word you find fitting to explain that they've pushed themselves to create an album that's an experience unlike your standard electronic/dance fare. In the same way that Tame Impala are redefining rock and the psychedelic, RÜFÜS (Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt) find themselves doing the same for dance music on Bloom. It's not a chillout track here and party starting anthem there. It's a largely undefinable collection of songs that flow gorgeously between themselves, making repeat listens a necessity to fully explore every hidden beat and sound. Yeah, not a bad start to the year at all, right? 

"You said you don't love me like that, I'm stuck here standing in the rain, you said I don't need you like that, but I do, but I do." From the first lines of opening track 'Brighter', Lindqvist is sounding more soulful than ever on a track that you think will be a bit of a downer... until that chorus rolls around and you're clapping your hands and singing along as if you've known the track your whole life. Or that could just be me, but it will probably be you too. 95% chance it will be you too. The other 5% have never felt the warmth of the sun shining on their face and live permanently in the darkness. Many of the song titles are tied together by a sun or light theme; 'Brighter', 'Daylight', 'Until The Sun Needs To Rise' and then there's the epic closing track 'Innerbloom' and for things to bloom they need light and photosynthesis or something related to that (did not do well in science) so we'll throw that in there too. It works, because all of the tracks give off a certain sense of warmth and a drive to be something more. Particularly 'Innerbloom', which is just ridiculously good and worthy of that 'epic' word being thrown around. From small beginnings, the song grows in a way that feels organic... building and building upon itself. The songwriting is top notch too, right up to the final lines of the album, "if you want me, if you need me, I'm yours." 

There's a couple of nice surprises RÜFÜS have thrown in, none more pleasant than the duet on 'Hypnotised'. Some internet sleuthing tells me the lovely female vocalist on the track is Jon George's partner Dena, with some non-creepy Instagram stalking telling me her name is Dena Kaplan. Her vocals fit perfectly with Lindqvist's. If she was to do a Fergie/Black Eyed Peas inception thing and team up with RÜFÜS on a more permanent basis, none would be opposed. 'Hypnotised' is an album highlight, maybe even the album highlight, that wins on every level. The voices, the lyrics, the beats... the single potential is high in this one. Maybe? That honour could also be awarded to 'Until The Sun Needs To Rise', which is more than ready for radio in its own right. With Bloom, RÜFÜS exceed the high expectations they found themselves put under with the critical and commercial success of their debut. We'll hopefully be hearing a bunch of the tracks over the next twelve months on radio and you... well you should pick up a copy or digital download and give yourself a listen. You won't regret it. 

Matt Bond gives Bloom four roses (that have bloomed, get it?) out of five...

        

Top 25 - 17 January, 2016

Courtney Barnett, Paces + Flume!

1. Ecca Vandal - End of Time





2. Jess Kent - Get Down





3. Tkay Maidza - Ghost





4. Kiiara - Say Anymore





5. KILTER ft. Porsches - Want 2 (NEW)





6. Porches - Be Apart





7. Savages - Adore





8. Gang of Youths - Restraint and Release





9. Courtney Barnett - Three Packs A Day (NEW)





10. Emma Louise - Underflow





11. Jack Colwell - C.O.A.T





12. Merival - Kicking You Out (NEW)





13. Taylor Swift - Out of the Woods





14. Foxes - Amazing





15. Flume ft. Kai - Never Be Like You (NEW)





16. Benji Lewis - Never Leave You Lonely (NEW)





17. Yeasayer - I Am Chemistry





18. St. Lucia - Physical





19. RÜFÜS - Say A Prayer For Me (NEW)





20. Chvrches - Empty Threat





21. Paces ft. Jess Kent - 1993 (No Chill) (NEW)





22. The Weeknd ft. Future - Low Life





23. Sleigh Bells - Champions of Unrestricted Beauty





24. Sia - One Million Bullets





25.Chairlift - Crying In Public