By A Web Design
By A Web Design
LA SERA
Sees The Light
Hardly Art
Katy Goodman is best known for the part she plays in lo-fi garage rockers Vivian Girls (where she goes by the name Kickball Katy), yet her lesser known project Le Sara is arguably a far more palatable listen.
The Brooklyn native recorded Sees The Light in California and it certainly has that west coast feel about it.
THE CAIROS
Colours Like Features
Island Records
The Cairos have been edging onto the scene steadily for the past few years, and have just released third EP Colours Like Features. Super-producer Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Boy & Bear) took the Brisbane trio under his wing for this record, and the band has emerged with a polished, indie pop sound.
THE TEMPER TRAP
The Temper Trap
Liberation Music
Festival darlings The Temper Trap are back with an album that looks like it will go down a treat on the big stages for its memorable anthems and atmospheric sound.The album is a versatile mix ranging from Coldplay-esque to indie quirky.
SILVERSUN PICKUPS
Neck Of The Woods
Dangerbird
LA alternative rockers Silversun Pickups are back with their third record Neck Of The Woods, a step down a more experimental path with roomier sounds whilst still maintaining their trademark reverb and distortion.
First single off the record Skin Graph is the most catchy track on Neck Of The Woods with frontman and guitarist Brian Aubert’s signature vocals penetrating the rock-heavy tune.
MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS
Electra Heart
Atlantic / 679 Recordings
Fame has been demystified enough for us to know that the adage “Fake it till you make it” does not go far enough. As a culture, we watch celebrities with such scrutiny, we understand that making it isn’t even half the battle – keeping it is what separates the stars from the starlets.
LISA MITCHELL
Spiritus
Warner Music Australia
Lisa Mitchell is one of the great survivors from Australian Idol, the show that has turned into career suicide for most people who were involved. Instead of shitting in her own nest, she has taken time to find an audience and is all the better for the gestation.
GOSSIP
A Joyful Noise
Sony
Since Standing In the Way Of Control pushed Gossip out of punk clubs on to NME covers, the band has been caught between their countercultural roots and the pressure to build on their success. Music For Men was a decent compromise, but A Joyful Noise might be the point where the run stops.
THE WALKMEN
Heaven
Inertia
Heaven might just be The Walkmen’s best record yet. Yes, you read that right: Heaven isn’t just the equal of the band’s critically acclaimed 2004 record, Bows + Arrows, it might be better.
MYSTERY JETS
Radlands
Rough Trade
If you take a peek at Mystery Jets’ album art for Radlands you’ll see it’s full of holiday snaps from their time in Austin, where most of the album was recorded. From the photos of their wooden house, Lucky Charm cereal, cactus and guns, you know this album is their American record.
KYNAN TAN
Rætina
Listen / Hear
There is a decidedly digital logic at play on Rætina, the debut album from local composer/producer Kynan Tan. Once sound becomes digital it becomes data and thus endlessly repeatable and malleable.
