Palm Springs
Alt country
The Steve Miller Band, Harmony and Palm Springs have all supported The Drones in recent months. Erica Dunn appears in all three bands, and she sings backing vocals on The Drones’ latest LP, Feelin Kinda Free. In Palm Springs, Dunn stands front and centre, presiding over folk and country songs that veer from rollicking to solemn and intimate. The band’s latest EP, Flowers in a Vase, was recorded at The Drones’ TFS studios with guitarist Dan Luscombe behind the desk.
Thursday June 30 – The Old Bar – Melbourne, VIC
Thomston
Electronic pop
Auckland songwriter/producer Thomston makes melodic alt pop that wears its heart on its sleeve. Some of the melodic sequences aren’t too dissimilar to Drake, but Thomston adopts a tone of vulnerability rather than the kind of haughty self-deprecation that fills Drake songs.
Thursday June 30 – Newtown Social Club – Sydney, NSW
Nice Biscuit
Jangle pop
At the risk of making trite cultural observations, the term biscuit can cause mass confusion in conversations between Australians, Americans and Britons. For us, biscuits could be cookies or crackers. For Brits, biscuits are cookie-like and a great match for tea. For Americans, a biscuit is never a cookie, but a quick bread akin to a scone. Confusing, right? Anyway, Nice Biscuit are a new band with a loose indie pop sound and vocal hooks reminiscent of ‘60s garage rock.
Friday July 1 – The Foundry – Brisbane, QLD
Teeth & Tongue
Indie pop
Teeth & Tongue’s new single Dianne is a charging synth pop tune. On first listen you’d swear you’ve heard it before. There are hints of The Kills, Duran Duran, and even a bit of Sparks. No complaints here.
Friday July 1 – Northcote Social Club – Melbourne, VIC
Post War
Indie pop
I recently read an article pointing out how few wars there are now compared to any other time in modern history, and that things such as homicide, rape, battering and child abuse have all been steadily declining for a few decades. No reason to grow complacent in the fight for equality and justice, but it’s nice to recognise that humans have at least made some progress. On another note, Post War are an alt-rock band from Adelaide prone to sections of noodling guitar and crescendo-ing song structures.
Friday July 1 – Grace Emily Hotel – Adelaide, SA
Claire Anne Taylor
Alt-soul
The PigSty festival comes to Lower Belford in rural NSW this weekend. A bunch of heavy rock bands dominate the lineup, while Claire Anne Taylor will be bringing smoky neo-soul with an uplifting lilt.
Saturday July 2 – Dashville – Lower Belford, NSW
Michael Plater
Indie rock
Picture a Sunday morning after a two-day bender, where you’re feeling absolutely horrible. You haven’t got a clue why you’d put yourself in such a painful physical position, and you’re not sure how to get back on an even keel. But then someone hands you a beer and insists it’s just what you need. Fast forward a couple of hours and you look around to realise, “Hang on – are we all drunk again?” Michael Plater has a dour folk number called ‘We’re All Drunk Again’ that’ll provide some answers when Monday morning comes along.
Saturday July 2 – Hotel Metro – Adelaide, SA
Childsaint
Indie rock
Perth indie rock quartet Childsaint cite Warpaint and Sharon Van Etten as stylistic touchstones, and the influence is patent. Melodies are tinted with melancholy, guitars are liable to swell and crash, and the song structures are familiar yet not by-numbers.
Saturday July 2 – The Bird – Perth, WA
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Kangaroo Skull
Electronic
I grew up in the bush. I remember retrieving a kangaroo skull at a young age and being super excited yet somewhat spooked. Rohan Rebeiro’s Kangaroo Skull project creates a similar sensation. The beats bang hard, but this isn’t dance floor, make-out fodder. It’s infected by too many mutated and sinister sounds for that.
Sunday July 3 – Shadow Electric Bandroom – Melbourne, VIC
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Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife
Alt-country
This weekend marks the release of Tracy McNeil’s new LP Thieves. The record owes debt to the likes of Neil Young, The Allman Brothers and contemporary acts like Dawes. But despite the stylistic semblance, McNeil’s personality shines through enough to avoid sounding like a thief.
Sunday July 3 – Marrickville Bowling Club – Sydney, NSW
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