We listen to a lot of music here at Tone Deaf HQ, and we’re the first to admit we’re perhaps a little biased towards sounds of the Australian variety. We do make the best music in the world, after all.
In honouring our favourite Aussies, we’ve once again compiled a list of the most outstanding local releases you should be listening to right now – whether they’re smaller indies acts or big-name essentials, these are the newest Australian records you should be adding to your ‘must-listen’ list.
Let’s get started.
ALTA – Sincere EP
The Melbourne Duo have taken the next step in their musical careers after the success of their 2015 EP Awake For Days. Sincere shows that ALTA are staying true to their sound with large bass driven sounds and grooves that will put you into an electro-trance, this record is perfect for dancing and relaxing.
Jack Grace – River EP
Jack Grace’s latest record River blends heavy electric sounds with gospel themes, leaving the audience in an state of awe. River was recorded all within a year in Australia, the UK and US, a huge feat for a record of this caliber. Coming of the back of his sensational BIGSOUND 2016 performance, Grace’s debut EP is a must have. Jack Grace will be heading south for Panama Festival, so if you’re in Tassie for the festival make sure to see him.
Birds of Tokyo – BRACE
“When we were writing and recording we kept talking about how we wanted to make a really dark and intense rock record that would be great to play live,” says frontman Ian Kenny of the band’s new collection of brooding, foreboding tracks, which sound like Muse, Tool, and The Cure trapped in an elevator, seeing who can best sum up the world’s malaise with music. In other words, BOT nailed it.
CORIN – Virtuality EP
Virtuality is a truly unique record. With tones designed to construct a jagged landscape that creates no traditional song structure, it achieves the artistic aims of the record. Created to invoke dystopic images of a world where technology is overrunning humanity. Produced solely on two synths, Virtuality is a record to get your hands on.
Woodes – Woodes EP
Coming off the back of her two singles ‘The Thaw’ and ‘Rise’, Woodes’ self titled EP is a relaxing indie/electro-folk record set to add a bit of chill your afternoons. The EP embodies an alter ego of Woodes who is strong and brave. These character traits can definitely be heard in the record as the EP deals with solitude, change and fear. Woodes is also embarking on an East Coast tour in later November, so make sure to catch her live also.
Big Smoke – Time Is Golden
Time Is Golden comes at a depressingly sad moment for Big Smoke, following the band’s singer and songwriter Adrian Slattery passing away. Recorded during Slattery’s rounds of chemotherapy, the band still managed to finish the record coming together and quitting their day jobs to give Slattery all the help he could get finishing the album. However, it isn’t a sad album; descried by Slattery as a “story of living and all that it entails”. With blissful melodies and slow jazz infused sections, Time Is Golden is a stunning album with a hint of 1970-80s folk.
The Tambourine Girls – The Tambourine Girls
Following up their 2014 EP The End of Time, The Tambourine Girls has released a record with psychedelic folk tones, and the first single of the record ‘Police’ proving to be a crowd favourite racking up hundreds of thousands of listens on Spotify, The Tambourine Girls debut album is sure to keep you listening on repeat.
Empire of the Sun – Two Vines
Another album cover that looks like a a Star Wars prequel poster, another single that’s destined for car commercials worldwide, and yet another collection of songs that shimmer, sparkle, and do all sorts of other shiny things. On Two Vines, Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore remind us that a house built on schtick doesn’t hold up for long without a foundation of great songs propping it up.
Tkay Maidza – TKAY
She first caught our attention by demanding we stomp our feet like a brontosaurus. The catchy, clubby little ditty would’ve been a mere novelty hit resigned to the annals of Hype Machine history if not for the fact that the young Maidza is one of the most poised and genuinely talented artists to come along in a long time. TKAY doesn’t expand her sonic palette past ‘Brontosaurus’ that much, but none of it is forgettable.
Lossless – Lossless
When you have a pairing like HTML Flowers and Oscar Key Sung you know right away that whatever they come out of the lab with is going to be quirky, ironic, genre-blending blog candy. That’s certainly true of their self-titled debut album, but what makes Lossless such a rewarding and charming listen is the fact that neither artist is trying to please anyone but themselves. Not blogs and not even listeners – how ironic.
