It's another list of our favourite things to hit the 4ZZZ Music Library. If you see anything you like you can request it:

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Thanks to Jesse Bellor, Ally Cole, Kelsey Doyle, Lonnie Gilroy, Katie Green, Henry Reese, Nick Rodwell, Ed Walker & Tori Zietsch for their contributions.

Australian Artists:

Various Artists: AWME 2013 Sampler CD (Indie)
- The Australian World Music Expo is billed this year as ‘4 days of the finest roots music from around the world’ and looking at that bill it makes me wonder what the hell roots music is these days. One thing I can say for sure, on the basis of this sampler, it sounds pretty good. From the lo-fi rock of Coloured Stone to the smokey-techy soul of Ngaiire, the gothic folk of The Orbweavers, the frenetic funk of The Cactus Channel, the smooth flow of Impossible Odds and the Maloya of Maya Kamaty, there’s going to be a lot worth listening to. (Chris Cobcroft)

8 Bit Love: ABC Side (Indie)
- Melbourne’s 8 Bit Love have released their ‘latest triple single wank garbage’ (or, in other words, EP), ABC Side. Vulgar, fuzzy and fun, the boys have created a collection of incredibly catchy garage tracks that lyrically address the issues of junk food and voodoo-Footscray house parties. After all, with song titles such as I’m A Slut (For Pizza Hut), they aren’t setting out to be taken too seriously. (Ally Cole)

Adalita: Trust Is Rust (Single) (Liberation / Mushroom)
- All Day Venus continues to proffer musical riches. Adalita gets her piano out and her singer-songwriter on for this one (although everything is still drowned in guitar, natch), meeting somewhere in the middle between Chrissie Hynde and Johnette Napolitano. Gritty and heartbreaking, this one’s enough to have all the drunks at the bar in tears. (Chris Cobcroft)

Angie: Parallels (Single) (Rice Is Nice)
- You may know Angie from Circle Pit, Southern Comfort, Ruined Fortune and Straight Arrows. Here she’s doing slow, droning garage that almost collides with shoegaze on one side and the happy idiocy of The Ramones on the other. (Chris Cobcroft)

Bad Vision: Bad Vision (Every Night Is A Saturday Night)
- Buzzcocky punk rock and lots of it, mixed and mastered by Mikey Young. Just what the doctor ordered if what the doctor ordered was bratty garage rock. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Bamboos: Fever In The Road (Pacific Theatre / Inertia)
- The Bamboos have said that Fever In The Road will be a ‘better’ record than their last. I’d welcome that: the guest-heavy soul-pop might have widened their audience but it didn’t feel very funky to me. This new one, by contrast has no guest list at all, relying on their heavyweight soul diva Kylie Auldist and (comparatively) new girl Ella Thompson. On initial listens it seems...less gimmicky. I mean, it’s still more soul than funk, more Motown than Stax, more sweet girl group than dancefloor vamping, but there’s also a feeling that there is more funky power in the engine room this time round than last and that’s a pleasure to hear, because it’s what made The Bamboos good in the first place. (Chris Cobcroft)

Ben Cummings: Devil’s Blood (Indie)
- A very raw acoustic release from Melbourne based singer-songwriter Ben Cummings. Self-recorded using two microphones and a $300 acoustic guitar, the songs evoke a fragility and intimacy quite unlike anything I’ve been hearing lately. The EP is simplistic, pure, lyric-based folk music, but it holds an assured power in its minimalism. (Tori Zietsch)

The Bennies: Anywhere You Wanna Go (Single) (Poison City Records)
- ‘Anywhere You Wanna Go’ is a relentless blast of fidgety ska-punk that never quite sits still. The Melbourne party outfit’s new single bounces from upbeat verses to a screaming chorus to a wild guitar solo without flinching, and, in so doing, manages to remain exciting the whole way through. (Henry Reese)

Bitch Prefect: Bird Nerds (Bedroom Suck)
- Dole-queue rock and jangle-pop might seem to be getting to be lazy catchalls for this kind of music, but few embrace these tropes harder than Bitch Prefect and they own the lifestyle trappings of old-tracky-dacks / box-of-wine / existential musings that go with them. Worthy poster-kids for everything that’s wrong with young people these days. (Chris Cobcroft)

Bodyjar: Role Model (UNFD)
- One of Australia’s most fondly remembered melodic-punk acts. Even in their hey-day their songs ached with a sensation of something lost, a nostalgia for a better time, does that only intensify now, years later? Maybe, certainly the band aren’t trying to break any new ground here. Something for a nostalgic fist-pump or two. (Chris Cobcroft)

Boys Boys Boys!: Holiday (Single) (Indie / Firestarter)
- An anthem for irresponsibility has never sounded so fun. Energetic synth pop guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a tap to your foot and a move for you to bust. (Lonnie Gilroy)

Captives: Captives (Indie)
- Tasmanian hillbillies Captives detonate somewhere between The Cramps and The Bronx, although Aaron Damon looks more like Freddie Mercury than Lux Interior. Revved up punk that’s just a little bit spooky. (Chris Cobcroft)

Client Liaison: Feelings (Single) (Indie)
- Worshiping at the feet of Tears For Fears and A-ha, Client Liaison’s latest, thoroughly inspirational single is full of crystalline synth and is really quite electrifying. It’s tongue-in-cheek inasmuch as they do it so seriously it’s kind of hilarious. In the same way, however, it’s kind of awesome. (Chris Cobcroft)

Cloud Control: Promises (Ivy League / Mushroom)
- Promises is the second single from Cloud Control’s 2013 sophomore LP, Dream Cave. Pairing their trademark male/female harmonies and psychedelic/indie-folk sound with influences picked up on tour, Cloud Control have released a track that references the sound of 2011’s Bliss Release, but doesn’t completely recreate it. Mid-paced and incredibly catchy. (Ally Cole)

Convaire: Talk In Technicolour (Single) (Future Classic)
-The energetic four-piece from Sydney showcase a diversity of sounds in their newest single Talk In Technicolour. Using big, cheesy hits of synth, Convaire can be likened to Holy Ghost and Friendly Fires. (Kelsey Doyle)

Cut Copy: We Are Explorers (Single) (Modular / Universal)
- I had thought it was all going to be ‘90s revivalism for Cut Copy on their new one, but this single reverts with a snap (and a clap track) to nu-disco / new wave. So, less Stone Roses and more Pet Shop Boys but, whatever they choose to do, still sounding like the most convincing dance-pop stars to come out of Australia in a while. (Chris Cobcroft)

Day Ravies: Tussle (Popfrenzy)
- On their debut full-length the Sydney quartet mix up the shoegaze / dreampop / indie-rock / jangle-pop sounds. With a touch of Galaxie 500, the constant recombination of sounds has a zesty but easy-going energy, something new always invading the stage and never standing a chance of being boring. (Chris Cobcroft)

Feelings: No More Good Guys (Crystal Magic)
- Lo-fi synthgaze is a collection of words that suggests things I think I might like. I reckon this collection of Sydney-siders are pushing my appreciation of DIY to its limits though. Tinny snares snap attention-grabbingly, like the extremely cheap drum machine was on stage, front and centre, but the rest of the band are so lo-fi they might well be in another room. ‘Jangly’ is a nice way of saying ‘out-of-tune’ too and Feelings are jangly in the extreme. Kinda wanna like this, but, I’m not sure if the equation adds up. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Fire Alive: Glow (Single) (Indie) - The Fire Alive sound like the sort of band who need to be experienced live to fully appreciate them. Or maybe this is just badly produced, they’re not the sort of band to benefit from lo-fi treatment. A rambunctious mixture of psych, roots and art-rock (or the illegitimate love child of Captain Beefheart, The Flaming Lips & The Mars Volta), their new single Glow, (with the spectacularly named "Slunty Goulash" as B side) is, musically, as accomplished as any intelligent rock music you'll hear. (Lonnie Gilroy & Chris Cobcroft)

Gossling: Harvest of Gold (Dew Process / Universal)
- Dark, light, sensitive and pure gold, Gossling continues to produce tracks which you can’t help but fall completely in love with. Her delicate voice combined with a beautifully perfect combo of keyboards and guitars creates yet another wonderful piece of music. (Kelsey Doyle)

Graham Panther: Promises (Single) (Indie) - With a name like Graham Panther you’ve gotta know you’re destined for rock’n’roll, right? The former Ruby-Suns member has tripped over the pond to live in Australia and has brought this single as a house-warming present. Fast paced but old-school indie-rock-pop with a slightly dancy vibe and a wry wit that should appeal to fans of the Ruby-Suns. (Chris Cobcroft)

Hamony: Diminishing Returns (Single) (Poison City)
- Harmony’s latest single delivers pretty much what you’d expect. Gruesome, lo-fi guitar noise, Tom Lyngcoln’s demented groaning and sweet close-harmonies from the band’s delightful trio of doo-wop girls. The band’s output has been subtler, of late, but if it doesn’t try to tear your face off, it is, nonetheless, most welcome. (Chris Cobcroft)

High Tension: Death Beat (Cooking Vinyl / UMA)
Deathproof PR describe the debut LP from these Melbourne hard rockers as ‘the aural equivalent of being snap kicked in the dick.’ It’s not quite that, but Death Beat certainly hits hard. The Nation Blue rhythm section brings something great, but the real hero here is vocalist Karina Utomo (Young & Restless), whose guttural, banshee-like screams are downright incredible, especially on lead single High Risk, High Rewards. Damn. (Henry Reese)

Home Travel: Frequent Flyer (Single) (M-Division)
Johann Rashid (Eastlink, Promise Land) and Will Farrier (Absolute Boys, You Beauty) are Home Travel. Slow, crashing, drum-machine and synth arpeggios given the tiniest dub treatment are a pretty simple formula, yet somehow they manage to make a track that is pretty winning. (Chris Cobcroft)

Jae Laffer: Leaving on Time (Single) (Dew Process/Universal)
- Known best as the front man and chief songwriter of the revered Perth outfit The Panics, Jae Laffer has released his stunning debut LP, When The Iron Glows Red. Leaving on Time, the album’s second single, is a prime example of acoustic-pop, pairing Laffer’s skilled song writing with his unique, warm voice. Fans of The Panics, don’t fear; Laffer’s solo effort is well on par with the band’s releases, and is well worth your time. (Ally Cole)

The Kill Devil Hills: Past and Future Ghosts
Live album featuring songs from previous records. A more intense, country skewed version of The National. Perfect if you're in the mood for a drink and a think, or if you just want to let some music wash all over you. (Lonnie Gilroy)

Kit Pop: PRTYALRM//DUKKE (Single) (Indie)
- Reclusive West Australian producer guru Kit Pop follows on the trap / wonky mastery of his recent album Seams with another lesson in the recent history of beats, serving up the leisurely banging footwork of PRTYALRM backed with the hyperactive Chicago Juke house of DUKKE. Kit Pop again proves himself thoroughly versed in urban sounds and capable of turning that knowledge into dancefloor dividends. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Leap Year: Town Crying (Single) (Hobbledehoy)
- Advance for an album coming next month by this Perth band whose brand of indie-alt. rock is dark and moody, but not heavy in a way that’s going to alienate folks. Fans of Something For Kate or The Paradise Motel might well find something to like here. (Chris Cobcroft)

Leeches: Lords Of Dullsville (Bridge Sounds)
- Gutsy punk rock out of Perth, channelling the gritty sounds of the ‘80s, think Poison Idea and Minor Threat. Ten solid, punchy, sub-two-minute songs that’ll twist your ear off. Good. (Chris Cobcroft).

Lennin Mkarthey: Lennin Mkarthey (Indie)
- They don’t even spell their name this way on the internet (Lennin McCarthy - see what they did there?), but they spelled it differently on their EP so… Splattery alt. rock / punk / hardcore, that is...actually pretty good. LM’s frontman does a pretty good impression of Mudhoney’s Mark Arm at his shriekiest and the guitar sound is full of grunt and quite tight when it wants to be. There’s a lot to like here. (Chris Cobcroft)

Lepers & Crooks: Her Kiss (Single) (Indie)
- Hard but intricate rocking, slightly glammy vox, fantasy vocals. If you loved Zeppelin's Battle Of Evermore you’ll be in hog heaven here. (Chris Cobcroft)

Lilt: Take (Single) (Indie)
- New single by the Perth r’n’b trio does the Weeknd / Oliver Tank thing, but with a female vocalist and it makes you realise how little of that there is. Weird. Will also make you feel like you're floating away on a really mellow cloud, saying goodbye to everyone you love. (Lonnie Gilroy & Chris Cobcroft)

Made in Japan: Tame All Those Thoughts (Indie)
- Tame All Those Thoughts is the sophomore album release from Sydney-based indie ambassadors, Made in Japan. Focusing on the groove and harmonic detail, Made in Japan have created a unique album full of dream-pop soundscapes, honest lyrics and danceable grooves. This is a release for fans of Parades and Last Dinosaurs. (Ally Cole)

Major Tom & The Atoms: Heroes, Villians, Boom Boom Boom! (Remedy)
- The record’s sound is like a cross between The Black Keys and The Doors, and has a very rhythm’n’blues / foot-stomping roots feel. If you love a howling sax and a strong bass line, then Heroes, Villians, Boom Boom Boom! will be right up your alley. (Kelsey Doyle)

Mere Women: Hands & Face (Single) (Indie)
- A new song from Sydney’s Mere Women, boasting a slow, dirge-like, DIY synth that, with a little more reverb, would be quite a lot like the Fab Diamonds. Well, I like the Diamonds an awful lot and I like this too. (Chris Cobcroft).

The Model School: Backwards Down The Highway (Packaged Light)
- A new full-length of dusty but heart-warming country rock from the Sydney band. Sort of like Wilco if they hadn’t changed. There’s something right and upstanding about staying the same, The Model School know it, and they’re doing it. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Morning Night: Amberola (Walking Horse / MGM)
- The Morning Night continue to meld country, psych and indie into a very listenable whole but this time round with production to equal that of indie superstars like The National. A rich and fulsome sound doesn’t work for every band, but The Morning Night don’t have that problem. (Chris Cobcroft)

Our Man In Berlin: Airhead (Single) (Indie / Firestarter)
- Our Man In Berlin, which I guess is mostly likely to be singer Hadyn Mansell, has a pretty mean falsetto which flits heavenwards into the angelic realms inhabited by Justin Vernon or Active Child’s Pat Grossi. This dreamy, reverb heavy music, however, is on more of a rock tip, albeit a super slow, soft and slick one. This is a world more impressive than the couple of tracks they released earlier this year, I hope they’ve got something left over to impress with (as much as this) when their EP comes due. (Chris Cobcroft)

Owl Eyes: Nightmixes (Wunderkind / Illusive / Mushroom)
- What happens when Australian pop darling Owl Eyes (Brooke Addamo) teams up with some of Australia’s best electronic music exports? Her new EP, Nightmixes, is where you can find out. Allowing artists such as The Aston Shuffle and Cassian to give the remix treatment to tracks from the 2013 Owl Eyes LP Nightswim, Nightmixes is an EP that not only showcases Addamo’s pop sensibilities, but some of the best electronic talent that’s going through the Australian scene right now. (Ally Cole)

Parading: Swallowing A Sunflower (Birds Love Fighting)
- Slow moving indie-psych that pushes lazily through into the fuzz of shoegaze and the sleepiness of alt-country. If it errs, it’s on the side of indie friendliness, pulling some of the southern-gothic punch a combo like this could have, but it’s still a pretty all-consumingly laidback and pleasant record. (Chris Cobcroft)

Passerine: Paris Morning (GLOVES Remix) (Single) (Indie)
- Melbourne’s Passerine get the ultra-smooth disco treatment in this glistening four-and-a-half minutes of muscular catwalk beats and cheesy synths. The remix works, suiting vocalist Phoebe Dubar’s voice surprisingly well. Alienating but compelling, the kind of tune you hear blasted out of opulent yachts. (Henry Reese)

Pataphysics: IED (Indie / MGM)
- Pataphysics’ political spitting and super-fast flow comes together with his soulful, jazzy, reggae-skank on this EP, more effectively than I’ve ever heard before. Sometimes practice makes perfect. (Chris Cobcroft)

Peak Twins: Peak Twins (Bedroom Suck Records)
- Peak Twins finally focus their efforts on a full-length of...a whole bunch of sounds. From eerily echoing folk back to 60’s soft rock, through to heavily textured shoegaze and all inflected with the PT’s offkey inspiration - there’s more to be liked here than expected and many were expecting to like it a lot already. (Chris Cobcroft)

Pretty City: Heights (Indie)
- Pretty City’s shoegaze / dreampop sound is heavy but still manages to pop fairly sweetly (especially with those falsetto vox) and doesn’t lose its trebles in the haze. That puts them very squarely in MBV and sort of in Jesus & Mary Chain territory. It won’t do much to distinguish the band from its sonic forbears (and at this point in the shoegaze re-re-re-revival that might be some sort of consideration) but they do wail pretty hard nonetheless. (Chris Cobcroft)

Primitive Calculators: The World Is Fucked (Chapter)
- Contemporarily, listening to those finely aged synth-punk-brutalists Primitive Calculators is like listening to Kirin J. Callinan with all subtlety, sweetness and grace removed. Which is to say, loud, cynical, sarcastic and ugly. Well, there’s a place for that too and Primitive Calculators have been there since 1978, bellowing about the horror of life like crazy homeless people and scaring away anyone who comes too near. (Chris Cobcroft)

Pugsley Buzzard: Poor Boy (Single) (Indie)
- Pugsley Buzzard’s bassy rumble is something like the bastard love-child of Tom Waits and Louis Armstrong, so that’s alright. Unlike either of those, his band, at least on this single, do hammond driven, piano adorned roots revival, much like The Band. Everyone of them is pretty bloody good at what they do. This cut from Pugsley’s recent record Chasin’ Aces is great. (Chris Cobcroft)

Rufflefeather: The Cute Ones (Single) (Indie)
- Smooth sounds with dreamy vocals that to me are reminiscent of the great Jeff Buckley. A pretty awesome track, can't wait to hear more from these Sydney Indie rock outfit. (Katie Green)

Russell Morris: The Very Best Of Russell Morris (Universal Music Australia)
- Melbourne’s Russell Morris, of ‘The Real Thing’ fame, has just released an 18-track retrospective of his 40+ year recording career. The man’s characteristically thin, quavery voice haunts these strangely ineffable, delicate psych-pop tunes like the ghost of Elliot Smith trapped in Brian Wilson’s studio, and the collection is an intriguing introduction to the man’s extensive body of work. (Henry Reese)

Shoop Dreams: Shoop Dreams (Indie)
- Cheap synthesiser on cheesy settings, girlish vocals of a very DIY variety and a bucket of reverb are what you’ll find in the sedately paced songs of Shoop Dreams. They call it 80’s synth-pop and in a Flying Nun or Cannanes kind of a way, it certainly is. Dorkily pleasant. (Chris Cobcroft)

Sincerely Grizzly: Us; or Optimism (Single) (Gun Fever)
- Us; or Optimism is the first taste of Sincerely Grizzly’s forthcoming debut album, Halves. A self-proclaimed ‘literature rock’ trio, the boys have produced an energetic and unpredictable rock track, with its math rock elements showing a skilled band at work. Fans of ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead and Biffy Clyro should get their hands on this track. (Ally Cole)

The Sinking Teeth: White Water (Home Surgery / Spunk)
- From Melbourne, Victoria, The Sinking Teeth are a punky / alt. rock band that have created an energetic, sweaty EP. Sounding like a mixture of Queens of the Stoneage and Japandroids. Possibly a bit safe to really excite the mental among you, but perfectly poised for a crossover. (Kelsey Doyle & Chris Cobcroft)

The Stevens: A History of Hygiene (Chapter Music)
The 24-track album features washed out vocals, messy guitars, and repetitive, simplistic riffs sliced into a miscellany of disjointed pop songs and glazed in a dirty, garage-y indie rock exterior. Listening to the album kind of makes me want to put my headphones in, curl up on my tiled floor and do nothing but stare at the ceiling. In a good way. (Tori Zietsch)

Straight Arrows: Make Up Your Mind (Single) (Rice Is Nice)
-Reverb rich garage rock with fuzzy vocals, no strike that, fuzzy everything. Maybe a bit uninspired this late in the garage craze, but it makes up for it with melody and warmth. (Katie Green and Chris Cobcroft)

The Strange: Cherry Pop / Sugar Boy (Single) (Indie)
- With the same kind of b-genre fascination as Brous, The Strange do the big Shirley Bassey soul diva deal, but on these two cuts, mixed up with dirty blues rock and dark southern rock so it’s a bit like Wanda Jackson too. Makes me want to hear a lot more. (Chris Cobcroft)

Sweets: Swagger (Single) (Shuttersnap)
- This Melbourne DJ has turned her hand to an unusual combo of synth-pop and whitey r’n’b’n’soul. Odd, but in awkwardly whitey way dances like it’s nobody’s business. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Tango Saloon: In Black And White (Single) (Romero Records / Newmarket Music)
- Eclectic Sydney gypsy-tango-jazz outfit The Tango Saloon are a few albums deep now, and new single ‘In Black And White’ represents a welcome departure for the band. Crazy tango and horror-comedy are abandoned here in favour of a dark reggae/Balkan horns combination that recalls some of the moodier moments in the Cat Empire’s back catalogue. Brooding and heartfelt. (Henry Reese)

Teeth & Tongue:Good Man (Remote Control)
- Layered vocal harmonies, programmed beats and fuzzy synths make up Teeth & Tongue’s newest single, Good Man. Jess Cornelius has written a pop song gem that, as an electro slow burner, throws a curveball when compared to 2011’s guitar-driven LP Tambourine . Teeth & Tongue’s newest album is due for release in 2014. (Ally Cole)

Telemetry Orchestra: Out Of Nowhere (Indie)
- Sydney synth-psych-pop vets Telemetry Orchestra with only their fourth ever release. The lilting psych pop is all intact, but it seems to me that the band are channeling the sweet 60s via Stereolab (without ever going krautrock). They’ve got pretty good at what they do, over the years, and there’s a lot to like here. (Chris Cobcroft)

Terminal Sound System: A Sun Spinning Backwards (Denovali Records)
- Skye Klein of Relapse signed doom duo HALO has released, round about now, a new record with a couple of his mates, as Terminal Sound System, on German label Denovali. A Sun Spinning Backwards features much that is darkly ambient, glitchy and atmospheric, but when it gets a mind to go somewhere, the rhythms are frenetic indeed, setting up a pounding post-rock of epic proportions. It’s all a bit of a tribute to classic dark sci-fi soundtracks and as such is occasionally a bit cheesy, but anything that makes me feel like I’ve seen c-beams glitter near the Tannhauser Gate is (guiltily) alright by me. (Chris Cobcroft)

Tumbleweed: Sounds From The Other Side (Shock)
- Sounds from the other side? Of What? Forty? Just kidding, the bonzes from the ‘gong have still got it, laying down a carpety immensity of stoner. Several times already I’ve heard the phrase ‘not reinventing the wheel’ in reference to this record: true, but who cares, you can still enjoy this both in and out of your gourd, which is a whole lot more than you can say for the last Sabbath record. (Chris Cobcroft)

Usurper of Modern Medicine: Motorolla Borealis (Single) (Heartless Robot Productions)
- This psychedelic-rock track skilfully avoids Insipidness, carving out layers of experimental electronic operation via signal processing and re-sampling/looping technology. Although the track has a tendency to feel overbearing at times, the solidarity of the rhythmic movements save it from appearing confused and instead conjure a sonically charismatic landscape. (Tori Zietsch)

Local Artists:

Various Artists: Compendium: Vic And The Variables (Vee Bee Songs)
- ‘Compendium’ is a career-spanning collection drawn out of the various projects of local singer-songwriter Vic Bailey. Recorded between 2000 and 2009, Bailey’s tunes range from reedy confessional country-rock (‘Ned Kelly’) to Gary Numan-esque electro (‘Electric Cars’) and even taking in relaxed Cuban jazz. A warm — if baffling — selection. (Henry Reese)

Ben Salter: Tremulous (Single) (ABC Music / Universal)
-This single is off Salter's latest release the EP European Vacation and features vocals from Christina Vi. The electronic beats (! - it’s a thing, expect more of it from him) are quivery, keeping with the songs name. Vi's vocals are a great match for Salter's and quietly haunting. (Katie Green)

Dead Wolves: Dead Wolves (Same Old)
- There should be fewer bands called “Owl-Fox-Bear-Parade-Moon-Menagerie” and substantially more featuring the word Dead somewhere in their moniker and they should certainly attempt to sound a bit more like Dead Wolves. Well, not their production, which is pretty lo-fi (and not the good kind), but their alt-rocking is ragged and raging, especially when it tips over the edge into some kind of post-hardcore savagery. Definite competition for the likes of Eleventh He Reaches London or The Smith Street Band. (Chris Cobcroft)

Dollar Bar: Paddington Workers Club (Mere Noise)
- Brisbane alt-pop stalwarts Dollar Bar lay down only their second full-length studio album. The funny, cynical fuzzmeisters have gone all-out and got Bob Weston to master this one, so now might be a good time to renew your acquaintance with some of Brisbane’s best loved rockers. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Good Ship: World Spin Round (Single) (Indie)
- A curious single which would sound right at home in in a Nick Cave pirate film, if one was to be made. (Lonnie Gilroy)

Halfway: Any Old Love (Sampler) (Plus One)
- More indie-rock with a strong country tinge, or is it the other way round? Whatever, it’s got the bittersweet appeal of both. The Brisbane stalwarts fall into a long line of bands in the style, from the Jayhawks to Wilco, Buffalo Tom, Drive By Truckers and Okkervil River. They also make a pretty strong case for their place in that canon. (Chris Cobcroft)

HeapRize: GANG SIGN$ (Dub Temple Records)
- Logan's own HeapRize does indeed do the post-Dilla thing as he says on his Bandcamp: a track like Tomoro is a pretty sweet mash of Shadow and JD. More often, however this isn't really the future, unless you're still thinking of FlyLo as the future. GANG SIGN$ channels exactly that sort of retro-futurism and could do to stray a little further from its most obvious influence. Still, it's phat and wonky even if it isn't the freshest thing you'll hear all week. (Chris Cobcroft & Henry Reese)

His Merry Men: Gold (Single) (Indie)
- Sounds like: The Cat Empire and Moloko. Tastes like: Australian Funk done right, lush horn hooks and punchy choruses. Smells like a funky piece of meat. Feels like: Friday night, dancing on the town with your girl in the early 70s...when twerking was just a bad dream, and hardcore was a dirty word. (Ed Walker)

Jeremy Neale: In Stranger Times (Create/Control)
- If you listen to one, sandy, sunny, Brisbane, indie-pop record this year (that may be all I can stomach), In Stranger Times would be a good choice. Jeremy Neale’s affinity for the sound is unquestionable, a slightly softer and friendlier echo of the garage-pop mastery of The Easybeats. Maybe Jeremy can look forward to something of their success. (Chris Cobcroft)

Jimi Beavis: You’re Much Too Young For Me (Single) (Pricewar)
- Another grinning roots-rock single from the local troubadour with a fuzzy guitar on rhythm and Jimi dextrously stroking the keys, it’s hard not to like. (Chris Cobcroft)

The John Steel Singers: Everything's a Thread (Dew Process/ Universal)
- Brisbane indie rock/pop band's new release which hopefully gives them the greater recognition they deserve. (Lonnie Gilroy)

Marville: Outgrown (Single) (Indie)
- It’s not that the guitar sound is so loud (although it’s pretty damn loud), but the leader of this female duo, Ash Kerley, seems like she took a handful of rohypnol before crawling on stage and just whispers through an unfocused haze. Sort of like a stoner version of The Breeders or a less rrrioty version of L7. A grower. (Chris Cobcroft)

Motion Picture Actress: See Water (Silo Arts)
True to its title, there is a hazy, sub-aqua feel about this local beatmaker’s debut mini-LP. Pops and clicks, glistening synths, heavy side-chain compression and celestial vocal grabs suffuse Motion Picture Actress’s jazzy brand of unbalanced bass music, which wafts pasts in a way that is effortless and a little hard to grasp. An enjoyable listen. (Henry Reese)

My Fiction: Shallow Highs (SugarRush)
- Shallow Highs is the second full-length from this local power-pop four-piece. A confident and swaggering collection, it features the familiar anthemic choruses and morass of alt-rock guitars. A strong and catchy collection that will enchant Birds Of Tokyo or Temper Trap fans. (Henry Reese)

Oh, Traveller: A Time For / Dawn / Spiderwebs (Singles) (Indie)
- Local singer-songwriter Lauren Coutts releases music as Oh, Traveller. You can tell she’s an indie-folk artist from the comma in the name. On singles ‘A Time For,’ ‘Dawn’ and ‘Spiderwebs,’ Coutts surrounds her quiet voice with syrupy reverb, sonorous piano and delicately picked acoustic guitar. The songs are ephemeral but emotive, the production inadvertently recalling Grouper, albeit Lisa Mitchell’s interpretation of Grouper. (Henry Reese)

Phia: Do You Ever (Single) (Indie)
- A very original use of the highly underrated Kalimba (An African “Thumb Piano” style instrument). Phia sounds like the production values of Owl City with the voice of Kate Miller-Heidke. She describes her style as Kalimba-looped-pop. (Ed Walker)

Primitive Motion: Worlds Floating By (Kindling / A Guide To Saints / Bedroom Suck)
- I use the sound of Peaking Lights quite a lot as a point of reference. In the case of Primitive Motion though it seems especially apropos: the psych, the reverb, the slow, long-form guitar and synth drone, melding with essentially poppy sensibilities, right down to the fact that it’s produced by a boy and girl duo. It’s nice to be able say, too, that this Brisbane pair are making music that is the equal of that which gets talked about excitedly on blogs across the world. (Chris Cobcroft)

Punxie & the Poison Pens: The Campbell Newman Song (Single) (Indie)
- I’m not sure whether Punxie & the Poison Pen’s new track, The Campbell Newman Song, is supposed to get the listener laughing or fired up politically. But either way, it’s a catchy punk track that, if anything, will get you singing ‘CAMPBELL NEWMAN, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!’ all day long. (Ally Cole)

Resin Dogs: The Beats From Down Under EP (Hydrofunk / MGM)
- Bring the party-beat back please Resin Dogs! Some old school bounce, high-speed, funky hip hop, courtesy of some old-school heroes. Plus also slow burning, downbeat soul and some nice remixes too. They clearly haven’t lost any of their energy. (Chris Cobcroft)

Ross Tyler: Hurts Like Hell (Single) (Indie)
- Time and again, we are told of the raw crucible in which the most emotional songs are born, that wordless, private pain somehow made communicable through the power of song. Few songs, however, are written with the express purpose that is on Ross Tyler’s mind. This June, Tyler and his wife underwent that ultimate trial of losing their baby son Buddy. Ross found an outlet in this song, all of whose proceeds will be donated to local charity Sands Queensland. There’s no mystery about the plaintive waltz ‘Hurts Like Hell,’ just pure heart-on-sleeve feeling, down to the gentle weep of the Mark Knopfler-style guitar solo. Think of ‘We Are The World’ turned inward and you’re getting close to both the point and the very good reason for this song. (Henry Reese)

Slip On Stereo: So Long Gravity (Indie)
- Absolutely archetypal nu-roots with an especially big summer flourish. These guys are super-tight behind charismatic young fellow Zeek Power, with a strong suit in pop and a funky twist too. I’m not a tweenage girl, so I’m not going to fall over them like they were Jack Johnson, but some folks will, and they wouldn’t be wrong to do so. (Chris Cobcroft)

StormChasers: Figurout (Single) (Indie)
- Remarkably accomplished slice of dirty, slow-funk’n’soul from this large Brisbane band. I seem to remember them being more of a nu-roots band in the past, I like this much better. The chorus especially, a melt-down of horns, fuzzy guitar and intertwining vocals snaking one over the other. Thankyou, more like this please. (Chris Cobcroft)

Tourism: A Song For You (Once Beaten Black & Blue) (Single) (Indie)
- Brisbane boys Tourism have now released their second single, A Song For You (Once Beaten Black & Blue). Thanks to Joe Wizniewski’s Derbyshire accent the band continues to sound like some English pop band of yesterday and it continues to work for them, today. The song is about domestic violence, and the band say they “wanted to get people talking about this serious issue and address our ideas for a change.” Good on you I say. (Kelsey Doyle)

New Zealand Artists:

David Dallas:Falling Into Place (Dirty Records / Dawn Raid Ent. / Duck Down Music)
- David Dallas is an odd one. On the one hand his style is a masterclass in understatement: subtle, restrained flow and almost zero braggadocio. On the other, every other sentence he’s referencing Rihanna and Wiz Khalifa, in a thick American accent no less - maybe there’s some place he’d rather be? Whatever, he probably deserves the chance. That flow of his is pretty elegant and his choice of beats is too: mostly smooth electro with an r’n’b tinge; slick without ever being rudely ostentatious. An impressive package. (Chris Cobcroft)

Popstrangers: Rats In The Palm Trees (Single) (Spunk)
- New single from the now London based, both geographically and musically wide-ranging and slightly unhinged Kiwi psych kids. They’re playing pretty nice here: psych-pop with both jangle and shoegaze undertones - pleasant indeed - you’ll have to look to the forthcoming album for the sounds of kittens being murdered. (Chris Cobcroft)

Overseas Artists:

Various Artists: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa OST (Warner Music Australia)
- Alan Partridge is back in movie form, and if this ridiculous OST is anything to go by, the great Steve Coogan is still on top of his game. Running to 41 tracks and interspersed with inane jingles and voiceovers, the record’s terminally out-of-date hits are welcomely cheesy. (Henry Reese)

Alice Russell: To Dust / I Loved You (Single) (Tru Thoughts)
- A typical Tru-Thoughts deal: two new cuts from Alice Russell, backed with numerous dance remixes. We begin with the sparse but driving soul of To Dust and move on to the similarly sparse, but slower and soon multiply layered sounds of I Loved You. The latter, particularly by its multi-level ending is good indeed. The mostly house remixes are reasonably tasteful too. Neat little package. (Chris Cobcroft)

Arcade Fire: Afterlife (Single) (EMI)
- The Montreal mega-stars seem intent on proving there’s both life after a Grammy, stewing with serious intent beneath the weight of hype surrounding their new record. This second single goes a long to bearing that out with its blend of ethereal dance rock and traumatised yearning. James Murphy’s influence can clearly be felt and it is welcome, as is the song. (Chris Cobcroft)

Arcade Fire: Reflektor (EMI)
- I was nearly overcome by the unbearable hype leading up to this record, but, well, this one may actually be worth it. There are plenty of pitfalls for a band in AF’s position, but, for starters, they sound hungry and sometimes frenzied, never bored. They haven’t disappeared up their own fundamental orifices either, although there are moments on this epic which come a little close, as they investigate the howling emptiness at the core of human existence. For the most part however, from it’s pounding, rocky opening, exemplified by first single and title track, Reflektor, to it’s dancey but ethereal back end represented in new single, Afterlife, Arcade Fire have built on success with strength and depth. (Chris Cobcroft)

Austra: Forgive Me (Single) (Domino)
Forgive Me is the new single from Toronto’s Austra. As with much of the band’s output, their otherwise straightforward electro-miasmas — like the dark underside of the ‘80s — are given life by Katie Stelmanis’ strong operatic voice. An aching slow-burner with a huge hook. (Henry Reese)

Bad Religion: Christmas Songs (Epitaph / Warner)
- Bad Religion have released, what guitarist Brett Gurewitz describes as, the most subversive album they’ve done...a Christmas album. Covering classic carols such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Come All Ye Faithful, the band are out to prove that they can perform these traditional songs with power and feeling (and heart-stopping floods of spray-on cheese). With 20% of proceeds being donated to SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), this is an album for punk rock fans to get their hands on this Christmas season. (Ally Cole)

Billy Bragg: Life's A Riot (30th Anniversary) (Cooking Vinyl)
- Despite its sparse, jagged guitar sound there’s a warmth that reaches across the years from Billy Bragg’s debut. That’s not really surprising I guess. Unadorned but full of that same big heart that has motivated Bragg throughout his career, this is a pleasure to hear again. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Caseworker: Voices Out There (Hidden Shoal)
- Dark, quiet and dreamy new record from the San Franciscan duo. Sits somewhere between Flying Nun-ish rock and the lightest touch of shoegaze. (Chris Cobcroft)

Casimer & Casimir: O Sweet Joe Pye (Single) (Brille / Pias / Mushroom)
- The Chicago duo take a distinctly tongue-in-cheek approach to...pretty much everything they do. Their tweely retro-synth-pop is no exception. Starting with shopping centre ambience it blossoms into wryly Belle & Sebastian style sounds with which there is absolutely nothing wrong. (Chris Cobcroft)

Cave: Threace (Drag City / Life Is Noise)
- On their fourth full-length Cave have followed their muse further down the hypnotic path and on into the crazy land of krautrock. Once again the sweaty, machine-like, white-man funk is, at least partially through nearly endless repetition, utterly mindbending - it’s almost like Reichian phase-music - especially on all twelve minutes of the thoroughly minimal opener, Sweaty Fingers. Very apt title, the kind of discipline it must take to produce this is, I assume, incredible. Some of the psych fuzz for which the band used to be known, lingers on in a track like Silver Headband. You’ll also get a meld of kraut with lilting cool jazz on Arrow’s Myth and some kind of dreamy soundscape as well as a diabolical pun on closer Slow Bern. I think the voodoo that Cave work is making more sense to me now than it has ever done before. (Chris Cobcroft)

Craig Handy: 2nd Line Smith (Sony)
- Cats better get ready, Craig Handy is about to have his way with renowned organist Jimmy Smith, his tunes, that is. Handy is a jazz saxophonist out of New York, so, as you'd expect his chops are cut, and he has the cats to back him. As the title suggests, plenty of bad ass second lines going on making for some funky fresh grooves. If you have any sense of groove about about you, you'll listen to this at least once. (Nick Rodwell)

Creep: Echoes (POD / Inertia)
- It’s funny, nearly every guest on the full-length by the two Laurens - Flax & Dillard (and there are a lot of guests - pretty much every track and each one a single), they all end up sounding like their own stuff. Lou Rhodes sounds like Lamb, Tricky sounds like Tricky, Nina Sky like Nina Sky. Actually, Romy xx with the dark ambience and tinny beats sounds more like Emika. It’s all darkly moody downbeat, so it kind of makes sense. It might even get a bit samey after a while, but it’s hardly bad. (Chris Cobcroft)

David Bowie: Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix By James Murphy For the DFA) (Single) (Columbia / Sony)
- Not everyone may agree, but this ten minute long meld of Bowie’s Love Is Lost with Reichian phase-music piece Clapping Music and James Murphy’s dance sensibilities makes the music nerd in me get a little bit too excited. Bowie loves wanky art-projects like this and every now and then one of them turns out to be amazing. This is one of those. (Chris Cobcroft)

DJ Nasty: Guess Who's Back (Fat Drop)
Detroit garage veteran DJ Nasty is back. This 4 track Ep has a variety of elements on offer; but ultimately, it all has that garage bounce with plenty grimey bass. DJ Nasty works his beats with house sensibilities, utilising the soft drop with proficiency. (Nick Rodwell)

Dronelock: Clusters Part 1 / Clusters Part 2 / Superstatic / Excursions (Weekend World)
- You know an EP is going to be good when it opens with a track that sounds like ‘Flood To Flood’ by Liars. In their third release for the year, prolific English duo Dronelock seem to be getting better and better. Cold techno beats and sinister industrial atmospherics combine to create something that is both smooth and dark, a little like Burial sans the warped vocals. (Henry Reese)

Ducktails: Honey Tiger Eyes (Single) (Domino / EMI)
- Real Estate’s Matt Mondanile has struck out on his own in the world, and in doing so the New Jersey popster has plumbed more psychedelic territory than that of his elite jangle-pop band. New single Honey Tiger Eyes is a slow cut of syrupy psychedelia that wafts sunnily in impressive Deerhunter fashion. I like the spacey synths and falling-downstairs Tame Impala drums. (Henry Reese)

Frankie Rose: Herein Wild (Fat Possum)
- In her latest solo album, Frankie Rose provides a blend of catchy summertime tunes, like Sorrow with a number of more nostalgic tracks. The former member of Dum Dum Girls mixes menacing synths with her angelic voice to produce the pulsing rhythms in Herein Wild. (Kelsey Doyle)

Future Of The Left: How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident (Prescriptions / Remote Control)
- After a shaky last record and some snarky words with the press, Falco and co. looked like they might have become too pissed off with everything and would just move into some provincial Welsh pub and mutter darkly over a pint for the rest of their lives. Far from it, adversity has only made them stronger as they spit out what is, arguably, the leanest and meanest record of their career. The angular and angry rock soundtrack when you just need to sit and fume at all the idiots in the world. (Chris Cobcroft)

Hailu Mergia: Hailu Mergia Remixes (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
- We’ve only just started receiving the flood of crazy ol’ African goodies unearthed by ATFA and I haven’t heard the album that these remixes by the likes of Prins Thomas and El Gunicho are struck from, but on the strength of this, veteran Ethiopian synth and accordian star seems pretty dang proficient at DIY sounding 80’s electro-funk. (Chris Cobcroft)

Hot Since 82: Shadows (Single) (One Love)
- Electro-funk and nu-disco get frisky in the shadows on this single for the Leeds producer. Dark and seductive, an anthem for the gothically minded. (Chris Cobcroft)

James Vincent McMorrow: Cavalier (Single) (Dew Process / Universal)
- I remember being pretty bored by JVM in the past, but this isn’t boring. Bringing together the synth-soul of James Blake with the synth-folk of Justin Vernon and a native talent all his own (as he soars up to high-high-Gs, that’s Mariah Carey shit). This synth-soul-folk moves into fusion territory that has been touched on by the likes of Washed Out or Active Child, but here, it’s a bit better than both. Still tinged with cheese, but with a power and poise that carries it up and over any such concerns. (Chris Cobcroft)

King Krule: Neptune Estate (Single) (XL / Remote Control)
- Amid a cloak of dark electronic magnetism, Neptune Estate is a chill, downbeat track with just enough of a hip-hop groove to pull it into the now. Undeniably charismatic. (Tori Zietsch)

Kramies: The Woodern Heart (Hidden Shoal)
- If you're in the mood to feel many different emotions simultaneously, the dream folk of Kramies will almost certainly turn you on, in a wistful kind of way. Set aside time for a re-listen though, it's definitely needed. (Lonnie Gilroy)

The KVB: Minus One (Indie)
- Combine The Horrors with DIIV and you have the shoegaze / darkwave sounds of The KVB. Mixing grinding bass synths and heavy guitars with motoric drum machine beats Minus One explores new dimensions through droning guitars and synth melodies, leaving you wanting more. (Kelsey Doyle)

Lilly Wood & The Prick: The Fight (Cartell / Inertia)
- The French indie-pop-folk duo, Lilly Wood & The Prick have produced an album of electrifying pop and folk ballads. When the pair feel energetic to really get their disco-rocking going they kinda sound like Phoenix. The Fight is a mixture of incredibly catchy tracks and bubbly tunes which you just can’t not sing along to. (Kelsey Doyle)

Lost Midas: Hyper Paradise EP (Tru Thoughts)
- LA born electrofusion producer and songwriter, Lost Midas, has captured a nice mix of electronica, pop and 80's new wave, creating a variety of sounds which you just can’t help but dance to. With only three tracks on the EP, Hyper Paradise (not to be confused with anything Hermitude related) mixes a strong sub-infused bassline with energetic FX beats. If you’re a fan of artists like Flume and Neon Indian then this EP is for you. (Kelsey Doyle)

Lupe Fiasco: Old School Love ft. Ed Sheeran (Single) (Atlantic / Warner)
- Lupe's latest single is another piece of evidence for proving him to be a big softy (bless 'im). The track is a sizably sentimental, soft-focus-reminisce on what he loves about the early days of Hip Hop over some 16th-slink and a piano-led chord progression. Ed Sheeran's vocals are entirely token, though. He is so indistinguishable that a 'nobody' could have sung it. (Nick Rodwell)

Man Without Country: Catfish (Single) (Lost Balloon / Pias / Mushroom)
- Welsh boy and girl making dreamy electro-pop that manages to find the perfect balance between pop sweetness and understatement. (Chris Cobcroft)

Minor Alps: Get There (Stop Start Music / Inertia)
- Paving the new chapter of their already accomplished careers, Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws and Juliana Hatfield have joined to create their newest band project, Minor Alps. The duo’s first LP release, Get There, is a fully collaborative effort, with lead vocals and song writing credit shared on each of the eleven tracks. Although this album feels stylistically scattered (folk-rock meets big '90's alt-rock, meets drum-machine) at times, it is intricate and ambitious, serving as a fantastic introduction to Minor Alps and what is to come. (Ally Cole)

Motörhead: Heartbreaker (Single) (UDR / Warner)
- Maybe it’s because Lemmy sounded so wrecked even to start with, that the long passage of time doesn’t seem to have made Motörhead any less badass than they were in the first place. This single off the new album, Aftershock, with it’s thickly textured but speeding guitar work and Lemmy’s messily slurring, biker from hell vox is...hell, it sounds like Motörhead, ****in’ YEAH. (Chris Cobcroft)

Morcheeba: Head Up High (Pias / Mushroom)
- Eighteen years in and despite the smokey, dangerous grooves that the London triphoppers have made their trademark, they’re hardly taking any risks. The smoothness of their sound doesn’t really work in their favour either: leaching the menace and raw power out of the blues undertones or dubby echoes. Still, they’re probably too tight to ever make a record which was bad, per se. This is going to give the faithful what they needed. (Chris Cobcroft)

MT: Alpha Romeo (Single) (Dew Process / Universal)
Michael Tomlinson was the front man of Brisbane band Yves Klein Blue, who like so many beautiful things in life, were cut down in their prime. Tomlinson has resurfaced as MT in London, where he is creating strong critical and fan buzz. Alpha Romeo is in debt to The Strokes and White Stripes, with Tomlinson's distinctive wailing vocals (every lyric sounds like it should be written with an exclamation point) and clever lyrics sealing the deal. As he sings "This is what it sounds like when two hearts break at the same time" he might as well be describing the hurt still present in Yves Klein Blue fans. Hopefully MT's upcoming album can go some way to repairing the damage. (Lonnie Gilroy)

Omar Souleyman: Wenu Wenu (Domino / EMI)
- I’ve found the crossover success of Syria’s (now) best known wedding singer...strange. I mean, it’s not like these sounds are new or anything. Dabke, as it’s known, a middle eastern folk-dance style, is Souleyman’s stock in trade and for some reason he, not it so much, has caught fire in certain artier bits of the western imagination. None of this is to say I don’t like it. As numerous reviews have attested, his collaboration with Fourtet on what amounts to his first studio record (ie not bootlegged at an actual wedding), is frisky damn dance music and if you miss every other cultural cue (as I’m pretty sure I am) there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had on that level alone. (Chris Cobcroft)

Pasta Groove: Kameta (Dubtemple Records)
- All chilled, all tasteful blends in this Filipino downbeat / wonky / exotica album. The good thing about it is that only the tracks with vocals are longer than 2 minutes; the rest will slide in and out, nice and easy, nice and quickly within that time frame. Sounds like cheap cocktails and quirky company. (Nick Rodwell)

Phantogram: Black Out Days (Single) (Barsuk / Republic / Universal)
- Single from the recent EP of large, sexy and scary synth-rock moaning and shuddering out of the New York duo. Fans of Metric will certainly find something to enjoy here. (Chris Cobcroft)

Prince: Breakfast Can Wait (Single) (Kobal Label Services)
- It's Prince...just classic, soul infused funk from the one and only Prince. It is sex in headphones. PRINCE! (Ed Walker)

Quasi: Nostalgia Kills (Single) (Domino)
- Portland garage duo Quasi have been going for 20 years, and their maturity shows in new single ‘Nostalgia Kills’. I don’t mean this in a bad way: ‘Nostalgia Kills’ ambles along at an unhurried pace, compelling and slow-burning, like early Black Keys sans the fuzzed-out craziness. (Henry Reese)

Rodney P: Success (Feat. Harleighblu & Renegade Brass Band) (Single) (Tru Thoughts)
London hip-hop veteran Rodney P’s new single ‘Success’ is a bombastic journey through the hype rulebook. Rodney flows over brassy live instrumentation and a lush soul vocal. He’s also included an instrumental version in case you wanted to go all ‘Control Response’ on his ass. (Henry Reese)

Saffronkeira & Mario Massa: Cause And Effect (Denovali)
- This pair, at least one of whom is from Sardinia, make a combination of ambient, glitch, soundscapes, field recordings, often made pleasantly tuneful by the addition of live instruments like trumpets that moan soulfully across these long cuts. They are made equally scary by those soundscapes which sound like the darkness of the yawning abyss. The duo talk themselves up by proclaiming how much more goes into this than is at first obvious. I will say that there are surprising moments, like when, over the trumpet and synth, the sound of a choir floats down like a benediction from above. Worth taking the time. (Chris Cobcroft)

San Fermin: San Fermin (Downtown / Pias / Mushroom)
- Gee, I wouldn’t mind indie-pop so much if it sounded like this more often. Brass choirs, string sections and batteries of backing vocalists give San Fermin’s self-titled debut truly baroque pretensions. The advance single Sonsick with it’s enormous white girl soul was certainly not enough to prepare the listener for the expansiveness of the seventeen tracks here. Allen Tate’s vocals for starters have the warmth of John Grant’s baritone or even Bill Callahan’s bass. The ambitious breadth of band-leader Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s record is comparable to Illinois era Sufjan Stevens, or on occasions, perhaps even material from The Age of Adz. Unexpectedly compelling. (Chris Cobcroft)

Savages: Husbands (Single) (Matador / Remote Control)
- From the highly raved about four piece all girl band from the United Kingdom, Savages yet again bring a chaotic lean post punk track. The single instantly gets you jumping and at the end of the track you’re left exhausted and wanting to hear more. (Kelsey Doyle)

Selaxon Lutberg: Simboli Accidentali (Denovali)
- Very subtle ambient drone, given much of its power thanks to the atmosphere of what sounds like old, slightly lo-fi tape. Sometimes dark and forbidding, sometimes dark and welcoming. For something - in many ways - so minimal, this record has an astounding capacity to produce sensation in the listener. (Chris Cobcroft)

Shine 2009: Older Remixes (Cascine / Modular / Universal)
- Shine 2009 have proven to be reliably cool in everything I’ve heard them do. This little swag of remixes is no different - they inspire good things in their collaborators: Mary Magdalene’s italo-house reworking is touched with an invitingly cool ambience, so very distinct from Null’s venomous electro take on the same. Enigmatic Canadian producer CFCF’s impression of Eurozone is one of the slower, funkier things I’ve ever heard from him, channeling a lot of the same cool that made the Stereo MC’s Connected such an enduring fave. All-up? Really good. (Chris Cobcroft)

Shit Robot:We Got A Love Feat. Reggie Watts (Single) (DFA / PIAS / Mushroom)
- On this track, Irish based DJ and producer Shit Robot teams up with renowned loop-pedal vocalist and comedian, Reggie Watts. The outcome is a pumping electro-house track laced with ethereal vocals from Watts that will have your body grooving and your ears tingling. (Jesse Belor)

Sigur Ros: Rafstraumer (Cyril Hahn Remix) (Single) (XL Recordings / Remote Control)
- I’ve heard a few tracks which echo the classic, ambient techno of the likes of Orbital, but Cyril Hahn’s remix of Sigur Ros’ Rafastraumer has some really BIG debts to Orbital’s Halcyon. Having said that, Orbital’s cut was pretty good and, if you’re up for a fairly four-to-the-floor remix of Sigur Ros, this is pretty sweet too. (Chris Cobcroft)

Swearin’: Dust In The Gold Sack (Single) (Wichita / Pias / Mushroom)
- Fuzz heavy, girl fronted (and with the same girl on the kit) ‘90s alt-pop with a bit of The Breeders or our own An Horse. A big, messy and sentimental introduction to their second full-length and on the basis of this, anticipated. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Men: This Way (TMI)
- Nobody does truly anal attention to musical detail the way the Swedish do (and, yes, the Japanese, too). Giving garage rock an almost scarily loving, all-over mod treatment, The Men might be from Lund but they sure don’t sound like it. I was already pretty convinced that the world didn’t need another garage band, but now I can say, definitively, that as long as The Men exist we’ll never want for anything garage, ever again. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Wave Pictures: Lisbon (Single) (Moshi Moshi / Pias / Mushroom)
- The latest single from the English rock-wits is great. A jazzy shuffle on the brushed snare is joined by David Tattersall crooning jauntily like those delightfully effete fellows from the ‘20s, a Bing Crosby or Gene Austin. Then he breaks into a big, bluesy guitar solo; unexpected but also pretty great. The melancholy but snappy love song proceeds to blend them both into a jittery, roughly unsavoury, but slick-ass little song indeed. (Chris Cobcroft)

Willis Earl Beal: Coming Through (ft Cat Power) (Single) (HXC)
- Willis Earl Beal creates a unique blues / R'n'B combo. The slow, relaxed, bluesy tempo is accompanied by strong vocals and is certainly a peaceful track for late on a Friday night. (Kelsey Doyle)