Down Under #2

Australia is one of the major centres of culture in the world, producing a fine array of musical bands and artists akin to America and Europe. I’ve been listening to a few artists from the nation recently, and I’ve found myself really amazed at the talent coming out of Australia at the moment. If you’re on the lookout for your new favourite band or artist, you should consider some of the acts contained within this list!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Kingdom Calm

Kingdom Calm – In My Mind

Sydney band Kingdom Calm bring a touch of indie rock goodness with their tune, In My Mind. It’s actually a little heavier than you might normally expect from an indie band, containing a huge array of groovy guitar riffs. The choruses change things slightly from the more staccato sounding verses, as the track descends into an anthemic rocker. It’s great to hear a band combining a more melodic quality with a rock and roll sound, appealing across the board. The solo towards the end is also pretty killer!

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DAMIEN – Joy (In My Own Time)

I actually discovered DAMIEN’s music a little while ago, so it’s fantastic to be able to add his latest track here, Joy (In My Own Time). It’s a dark electro-pop song, starting out with what sounds like an eerie music box melody. The distorted vocals appear soon after, sounding quite eerie at times. The synths sound really great when they kick in – they’re catchy, yet they never make the track sound too mainstream, which is definitely a good thing in my book! The track has quite a unique sound, appealing to those who like their music on the more experimental side of things.

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Joel Rivendell – Touch

Touch is another electronic song, but it’s more akin to the EDM genre than anything else. The bass has a really cool sound here, positively pulsating through the music in a cool way. It’s very atmospheric as a whole, seeing different synth melodies playing across each other to create several layers within the music. The track constantly changes as it progresses, keeping your interest high throughout. The vocals are quite limited, whispering the title of the song every so often, but they actually work pretty well with what Joel Rivendell is trying to do here!

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Rory and the Reverie – Noir

Now for something different! Rory and the Reverie is a bedroom artist creating jazzy little lo-fi tunes such as the irresistibly catchy Noir, which also features CW Jones. The keyboard organ adds a really funky sound to the track, working well against the steady beat. The lead vocals are quite low, echoing well against the mellow vibes this cool new tune has. A rapping section is added in later, creating more variety within the piece. It’s quite hard to characterise in terms of genre, as there’s so much going on here, but that’s certainly a good thing when the music is this good!

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Mermaid Avenue – Embers of Fires Gone

Brisbane band Mermaid Avenue mix together Americana, alt-country and indie rock into one fantastic package, making them a band not to be missed! Embers of Fires Gone has all the hallmarks of these genres, turning them into an anthemic and nostalgic rock and roller. The chorus is particularly epic, having a singalong quality that is hard to resist! The guitar licks sound lovely in the background, tailing off every so often into their own individual motifs. The vocals are a tad raw, but there’s a wealth of emotion in there, adding more to this amazing tune.

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ANNAKYE – Too Far South

Alternative rock band ANNAKYE is here to rock your socks off with their banging new release, Too Far South. The track starts out quite slowly, with a gorgeous fingerpicked guitar melody underpinning the vocals. However, the song soon changes into a heavier sort of track, as the emotive vocals soar over the heavy riffs. I really liked the verses here – they feature chugging guitar chords, alongside a hard rock style riff that sounds really unique at the moment! This is the perfect song for anyone who likes their music on the heavier end of the spectrum.

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Alta Falls – Tried To Forget About

Tried To Forget About is possibly my favourite track on this entire list! Alta Falls has made something really catchy here – it’s a synth-pop song with an 80s vibe – just check out those synthlines! The bass has quite an electronic quality too, adding to the catchy beat alongside the drums. The vocals are also fantastic – the two-part harmonies that occasionally appear make for a really nice melodic sound. And who can forget about the chorus? Just try and listen to this without it getting stuck in your head for days!

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Savanah Solomon – The Desert

Savanah Solomon is a singer-songwriter from Moore River in Western Australia, creating lovely country/Americana ditties like The Desert. It’s a really apt title, as the music the track contains evokes suitable pictures in your mind that relate to the themes of the tune. As such, it’s very well written, with some gorgeous slide guitar motifs tailing off from the main repeated guitar melody that provides the backbone to this song. Let’s not forget about Savanah’s vocals either – they’re extremely strong and soulful, drawing you in straight away.

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Pheolix – Petals Fall

Pheolix is an up-and-coming r&b singer-songwriter from Sydney, bringing a sense of groove to this list with Petals Fall. It’s more of a modern r&b song, having quite a subtle feel when it first kicks off. Some quiet sounding drums can be heard underneath the vocals, with a lovely trickling piano melody appearing on the first chorus. The vocals are clearly the focal point of the track, and for good reason, as they’re incredibly soulful here, reaching some truly lofty heights at times. It’s great to hear r&b that’s a little different to the mainstream norm!

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Mister Co. – Make You Feel Alright

Mister Co. is a dynamic singer-songwriter husband duo from Melbourne, creating a funky pop song in the form of Make You Feel Alright. The two different vocal lines work amazingly here, having something of a call and response quality that shows you just how much this couple cares for one another! The piano is the primary instrument used, although there’s also a groovy rhythm section – the drums add quite a fast pace, perfect for dancing along to. The main selling point is the vocals and the saxophone, performing some wonderful solos throughout the piece.

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