By A Web Design
By A Web Design
LEIGH CARRIAGE
Mandarin Skyline
Vitamin
It is not often today that one hears poetic lyrics that compliment the melody, however, on this occasion Australian singer/composer Leigh Carriage has hit the trifecta, voice, words and music.
JOSH RITTER
The Beast In Its Tracks
Warner
Josh Ritter is the type of musician that other songwriters fawn over. While being popular amongst your peers generally means you don’t sell many records (in Ritter’s case this is likely true) what it doesn’t mean for Ritter is that his songs are shit.
BILLY BRAGG
Tooth & Nail
Cooking Vinyl/Universal
Billy Bragg has always been known as the bard from Barking who wrote the songs with the leftist bent. What people tend to forget is that it is not all ‘power in the union’ with Bragg as he has written his fair share of cracking love songs. Tooth & Nail is Bragg’s attempt to let his love light shine.
UNDERGROUND LOVERS
Weekend
Rubber Records
Underground Lovers were one of the most universally loved and lauded Australian bands of the ‘90s with their hybrid of guitar pop and electronica. The band wound down activities around the time that band leader Vincent Giarruso turned his hand to filmmaking for the revered Mallboy.
DEAD OWLS
Small Talk
Gun Fever
Small Talk is the debut EP from Perth two-piece, Dead Owls. From your faithful correspondent’s perspective, they’re on a hiding to nothing on two fronts. Their name contains the words ‘Dead’ and ‘Owls’ and they also don’t have a bass player. Not to worry, however, as this a nice chunk of indie rock, with a power-pop slant.
SUGARPUSS
Psychotic Teenage Supermodels
Independent
According to Urban Dictionary, Sugarpuss is “the cutesy nickname Logan Echolls gives to Veronica Mars (off the CW’s mystery/detective show aptly named for the character) in the episode Ruskie Business.”
SIMONE & GIRLFUNKLE
Hurry, Harry
Firestarter Distribution
Bridget Turner is the kitsch mastermind behind glitter and glamour party band Boys Boys Boys and clearly has too many songs in her head for just the one stage. Turner joined up with Gabrielle Lammers to form the folk duo Simone & Girlfunkle, who have made a steady evolution into the sophisticated pop band who reside on the debut, Hurry, Harry.
THE GROWL
What Would Christ Do??
Independent/MGM
On their first album, The Growl have undertaken a subterranean exploration of all that is dingy and dark. The result? An incredible, diverse debut.
SUEDE
Bloodsports
Warner Music
There’s no denying that Suede’s first album in 11 years will not be to everyone’s taste, it’s hopelessly mired in the era in which these flashboys first made their mark - the early Britpop ‘90s. Having said that, it’s just bloody, deliciously, fucking glorious.
THE STROKES
Comedown Machine
RCA/Sony
When The Strokes first arrived on the scene their rise was about as meteoric as humanly possible. A debut album that was untouchable at the time was augmented with a live show that brimming with energy and vibe.
