Alternative/indie | Musicosity

Alternative/indie

Marlin's Dreaming

"Our jam room looks over a sweet ass beach," Marlin's Dreaming frontman Semisi says, hinting at the origins of the sparkling, laid-back music he's been cooking up with his charismatic New Zealand bandmates.

Mixing bits and pieces of indie, psychedelic, and surf rock, Marlin's Dreaming is making the kind of music that's chilled-out and calming, while incorporating enough flashes of energy to keep you moving. True to the band's name, I imagine this stuff sounding the best after a nap on the beach.

Their debut single "Cheeky Kids" is an immediately enjoyable slice of summer-ready psychedelic pop that feels as fluid and unforced as its inception. "We sort of just jammed this one a lot over the summer before recording," Semisi explains. "Nothing fancy. Just jammed it ‘till it felt like it was at a vibey point."

​After meeting at a surf shop in Dunedin, New Zealand where Semisi worked for years, the group's founding members got to work on their debut album, Lizard Tears. And they got help from a couple industry veterans to shape their ideas into reality. Lizard Tears was produced by Justyn Pilbrow (The Neighbourhood) and mixed by Jeff Ellis (Frank Ocean, SWMRS, Kali Uchis).​

"It was really cool to work with humans that have achieved so much in their careers," Semisi says. "Definitely puts everything into perspective. We are just plankton in a big sea of big fishes."

What came out from the process was a consistently solid project from top-to-bottom, dotted with sneaky gems like the blissful one-two punch of "Danish Girl" and "Sally and the Tyre" waiting at the back half of the album.

Describing a thoroughly New Zealand experience as the ideal setting to hear this thing for the first time, Semisi says, "You just got home from a huge day of laying drains in South Dunedin, and you’re just ready for some feet up and a Speights (New Zealand beer). Jump onto Apple, Spotify, or whatever platform you listen to music on, and flick on Lizard Tears. It'll lift the spirits and also mellow you out."

Watch their new video for "Floating" below and continue for our email interview with singer/songwriter Semisi. Lizard Tears is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify (or find it at the bottom of this page).

Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys

Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys have been kicking the dust off their heels since 2015. This has led them beyond the borders of their home county (Inner-West Sydney), around Australia and on two tours to the US. On top of their own sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne over the last couple of years they have also appeared at numerous Festivals including Boogie Festival, Meadow Fest, Festival of the Sun, Out On The Weekend, Ninchfest, Riverboats and Tamworth Country Music Festival.

The band released their debut album “Late Night Essentials” at the end of 2020. The record was named Album of the Week on FBi Radio and 2SER and, following a launch tour in 2021, they were named Best Live Act in NSW at the National Live Music Awards. In Australia they have also supported the likes of Orville Peck, The Nude Party, Tony Joe White, Hurray For The Riff Raff and The Felice Brothers.

2023 has shaped up to be a big year with the band hitting the road with Texan blues and Americana artist Charley Crockett on his first Australian tour at shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Following that will be the release of the second Caitlin Harnett & the Pony Boys album with an extensive tour behind it. Get ready once again to dance, laugh, cry, hear the unfiltered Caitlin stories first-hand and experience the joy in the room at one of their gigs. Giddy Up!a

“Her voice is like Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval was jerked out of a long sleep.” The Guardian

“Lush, Americana-style folk tunes, jangling guitar and a whole lot of honesty.”Sydney Morning Herald

“It’s quintessential Caitlin Harnett, vocals that soar with heart and hold the same sense of intimacy as the greats, all set against a backdrop of modern Americana.” NME

“Harnett wants to make you smile; she doesn’t want you to cry in your beer, but rather slam it down and and boogie.”Newcastle Herald

“In particular circles around Sydney the name Caitlin Harnett is spoken in revered tongues, like the whispered password to a music scene Illuminati. Learn the handshake, feel the twang and order a round.” Dave Ruby Howe, Triple J

“Their newest release will warm your heart while gently slicing it in two – our favourite type of ditty.” RUSSH Magazine

“Lead singer Caitlin Harnett fills the void that is a distinct lack of alt-country in Sydney’s music scene. Whether you’re in the big smoke or by the water, this track is bound to become an instant addition to your summer playlist.”FBi Radio

“The Sydney-sider’s single “Make You Feel Blue’ is knock-your-socks-off material. Has there been a sad song thats made us happier in recent times? Probably not.” Meadow Fest.

“One of the finest slices of country soul you’ll hear this year. A gorgeous mood with that voice that hangs heavy in the air and dips into all the right forlorn corners.” Post To Wire

Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys

The Seven Ups

The Seven Ups are the soundtrack to the dancefloor at the end of the world.

Based in Melbourne, Australia and lead by guitarist Trent Sterling, The Seven Ups sound draws together a vast array of influences, taking hints from Funk, Spiritual Jazz, Afrobeat, Psychedelia and Krautrock

In 2023 the band released their fifth studio album, A Free Blowing Wind, via Northside Records. The new album is a deep dive in to the lesser-known-places of instrumental music, journeying from deep groove, to ambient and mellow Soul and onwards to long-playing psychedelic jams.

The Seven Ups music has been featured in Wax Poetics (USA), album of the week (thrice!) on PBS fm, Eastside fm and Beat magazine, top 10 on RRR, top 10 on KEXP (USA) and continues to receive airplay on BBC Radio, KEXP, Triple J, and community radio around the country.

The band has appeared at festivals including Meredith Music Festival (VIC), Womadelaide (SA), Blues on Broadbeach (QLD), Strawberry Fields (NSW), Luminate Festival (NZ) Rainbow Serpent (VIC), Falls Festival (VIC), Bleach Festival (QLD), Global Beats (WA), White Night (VIC), Moomba (VIC), Subsonic (NSW), Bello Winter Festival (NSW), St Kilda Festival (VIC) and more. Other career highlights for the band so far have included opening for Charles Bradley (USA), The Budos Band (USA), Remi (AUS), Babylon Circus (FRA) and The Bamboos (AUS), as well as a string of raucous residencies at Melbourne venues, frequent Australian east coast tours.

"I've been playing this little monster to death on my (BBC) 6 music show. It's raw, it's gritty, it's tough as nails." - Craig Charles, BBC Radio 2 & 6

“Makes us remember how much we can love instrumental music.” - Wax Poetics USA

"As tight as they need to be, and as loose as you want them to be." - DJ Miss Goldie, PBS fm

"Hugggeeee big band sound!!" - Rosie Beaton, Triple J

“The septet lay down super tight but silky instrumental funk that's rich in narrative and momentum.” - Juno Records, UK

“The Seven Ups are damn near one of the most mesmerising acts playing around Melbourne at the moment.” - Alex Callan Forte Magazine

“The diversity in their sound was downright impressive, moving from the horn driven funk of last year’s Drinking Water LP to the newer, overdriven psych rock guitar sounds. Though they set the stage up for the more famous psychedelic rock of Pond that followed, in my opinion The Seven Ups stole the show from the Perth four piece.” - Beat Magazine (on Meredith Music Festival 2018)

PASIFLOREZ

Pasiflorez is a fluid 4 piece which was conceived in Byron Bay in late 2019. Their floral persuasions allow a transparent excursion to a realm of sonic bliss. Drawing vibrance from all things Psychedelia, Surf & Soul the band echoes an elegantly curious display of Dreamy Psych-Rock. Enter their dreams through your ears, close your eyes & absorb the colours.

Old Mervs

Best mates since the age of 5, Henry and David grew up together on farms in Kojonup, a tiny town approximately halfway between Perth and Albany, converting an old stable into their first jam space.

The two piece are stoked to announce their latest single, 'Be There'.

“This was a song that I had been sitting on for almost a year before we took it to the studio,” says David. “It started off as a pretty slow mellow tune that was probably a reflection of the time I was writing it, being winter and stuck in the house for long periods of time. In the studio we naturally tried to make it more upbeat and more of a song we’d like to play live. That’s kind of been our goal for most of the song writing we do.”

Recorded with Dave Parkin at Blackbird studios in Perth, Henry says Parkin's history & the results of this recording speak for themselves.

“The studio environment with Parko was something else, and that in itself was a huge factor in the recording process & what we got out of it."

The FAR OUTS

Brisbane’s garage rockers The FAR OUTS (with members of Grand Atlantic and Sacred Shrines) announce the release of their debut album “The FAR OUTS” this July 7th on Rebel Waves Records and Ripple Music, and unveil the video for “Last Night” via The Sleeping Shaman today!

The FAR OUTS began as a side project to Brisbane’s Grand Atlantic, as an outlet for songs that didn’t quite fit the band’s format but still desperately needed a place to party. With influences ranging from the likes of The Kinks, The Sonics and The Easybeats, the group quickly established a reputation for their 60’s influenced Garage Rock – featuring blistering riffs, catchy choruses and drums akimbo.

Lebanon Hanover

Lebanon Hanover are a British-German post-punk duo formed in 2010 in Sunderland, England. The band consists of Swiss vocalist and guitarist Larissa Iceglass and British vocalist, bassist and synthesist William Maybelline. The group is signed to Greece's Fabrika Records and has released six studio albums to date.

Hot Mulligan

NEW MELBOURNE SHOW ADDED!

Michigan Midwesterners Hot Mulligan announce they will make their long-awaited trip to Australian shores in March 2024 for their first ever string of Australian shows. Joining them will be Nashville special guests and fellow first time visitors Free Throw.

Hot Mulligan have a way of manifesting things into existence, whether it's name dropping Michelle Branch and Mark Hoppus in song titles and netting responses from both (only one got the joke) or, true to their word, becoming synonymous with the newest wave of pop-punk and emo.

Since forming in Lansing, Michigan in 2014, the college friends have ascended from basements to buzz band on the back of two beloved albums out via No Sleep Records, 2018's Pilot and 2020's you'll be fine.

Now, bolstered by 140 million Spotify streams, a sold-out nationwide headlining tour, support slots for the likes of The Wonder Years and New Found Glory and headlines in Alternative Press and Rock Sound, the band's third LP out via Wax Bodega, Why Would I Watch, cements their evolution as one of the most versatile and profoundly moving bands in the underground.

Produced by longtime collaborator Brett Romney, Why Would I Watch is Hot Mulligan at their loudest, their poppiest, and, ultimately, their most poignant: twinkly Midwestern emo guitars and mathy, synthy-heavy rhythms, Sanville's sandpaper vocals and indelible melodies, the lighting-in-a-bottle kinetic energy of Long Island ca. 2001 updated for newer generations.

Free Throw join the festivities equipped with four albums under their wing. Their fourth and latest full length, Piecing It Together soundtracked a reality where the quintet grapple with hard truths. After three prior albums and a decade of hard work, including countless performances worldwide, the members have a fresh perspective on life.

The band is through obsessing over what comes next and romanticising the moments that have already passed. Instead, Free Throw is making music about the present and how seeking balance in our lives is far more meaningful work than the endless pursuit of whatever is deem to be 'enough.' The latest album finds the men of Free Throw abandoning childhood notions of success and happiness through a thorough exploration of personal fulfillment. Piecing It Together is an exploration of self-acceptance, and Free Throw invites everyone to join.

Neil Frances

There’s something you need to know: There is no Neil Frances.

OK, sort of. Neil Frances is not a solo artist, it’s the name of a duo comprised of Sydney-born Jordan Feller and Southern California native Marc Gilfry. And to help you remember that Neil Frances is not a person, the duo has named its forthcoming debut LP, due out in 2022, There Is No Neil Frances.

Feller and Gilfry met in 2012 and formed the group in 2016, having both relocated to LA from London and New York, respectively, in pursuit of new projects. Feller began his music career back home in Australia as a hip-hop obsessed, self-taught electronic music DJ, while Gilfry grew up in a musically-inclined household and played and sang in multiple bands. With Gilfry’s inherent knack for hooks and melodies and Feller’s encyclopedic sonic recall ability and vast knowledge of production, the pair hit it off and began to develop their brand of beat-driven popinfused with a more organic warmth than most modern music. Putting special emphasis on their enthralling live sets — always performed live with a multi-piece band and never relying on playback — the group quickly developed a reputation as a must-see stage artist.

Soon their reputation as a diverse act with a wide range of talents began to build among listeners of all kinds. “I think there’s a lot of diversity in the people who listen to our songs and come out to our shows, and we feel like that’s the result of something intentional,” Gilfry says. “Jordan and I always wanted to use our music to build a tent big enough for anyone and everyone.”

Steadily building from the ground up since the beginning, the duo has been hard at work on the music for the new album since just before the pandemic took hold but have been heading toward this pinnacle for even longer. The 2018 debut EP, Took A While, with its blend of psychedelic rhythms, vibe-y, infectious grooves, and a raw, funky spirit put the act firmly on the map and propelled them to tour slots with established acts like Jungle, SG Lewis and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

A number of single releases, remixes, and featured guest spots on their tracks helped implement their fluidity and embracing of a changing modern pop landscape. And now, There Is No Neil Frances is set to expand their reach with its sense of
undeniable groove and sunny outlook grounded in realness. The songs on the LP cut to the heart of what makes Neil Frances who they are and, for the first time, are bound by a common, cohesive thread. The album loosely tells the story of an insect aspiring to find its place in a utopian dreamscape — a story perhaps best appreciated while in the moment at a NF gig, or in a hazy, red-tinted room with your favorite beverage at hand.

The band explains, “Our new album is about self-realization and becoming the person that you dream of. The concept is that we are insects on earth who ascend into outer space to become divas at a galactic ball.” “It’s Like A Dream” is the “set it off” track, a grade-A jam to blast at full volume and get the weekend started in the spirit of Kylie Monogue, Robyn, Amber, and Jessie Ware. “On A Dark Night” sets the tone for the rest of the record with its smoother-than-silk chorus.

“I Can Feel The Pressure” sends us back to the 90s R&B-meets-indie world, while “We’re Falling Up” channels Italo-Disco and flexes a sense of what the band calls “dance music with DHM”: deep hidden meaning, borrowing a phrase from the great Nile Rodgers. Masters at wearing their influences on their sleeves with out being overly referential or obvious, “Everyday With You” is a powerhouse anthem driven by a Bobby Caldwell sample that captures the communal spirit that came from the early days of lockdown when the pandemic forced us all to bubble up. Utilizing vintage drum machines such as the Roland 808 and Drumtraks, and effects processors like the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, as well as a myriad of synthesizers and keyboards, the songs experiment within a very defined realm: to be sure, you know a Neil Frances song when you hear it.

“With an album, you have to be able to zoom out and see the bigger picture, and it gives you the chance to show personality and tell a bit more of a story,” Feller says. “We’ve created a journey here. And we know now more than ever what we’re good at and what we love about creating music.”

Radio Free Alice

Get ready to be blindsided - your new favourite band in 2023 is going to be these four Melbourne-based 21 year olds. Radio Free Alice's angular sound feels fresh and immediate – guitars with clean tones and clever notes, melodic bass lines, urgent drumbeats, the occasional sax, and an operatic swagger that should have been honed in a New York art school rather than in the land of Oz.

Already selling out shows in their home town and across the east coast, Radio Free Alice combine an unlikely set of influences that includes ‘80s titans like Talking Heads, The Cure, The Smiths and The Sunny Boys, alongside more recent reference points like Parquet Courts, Ought and The Strokes.

With their unconventional sound, Radio Free Alice has clearly hit a nerve early, with their debut single ‘Square’ racking up over 120K streams online and capturing the attention of some of the most sought after tastemakers in the Australian music industry at triple j.

Their self-titled debut EP came out in 2023, and was supported by shows with Royel Otis, The Snuts, Django Django as well as appearances at SXSW Sydney and an invitation to The Great Escape UK. Expect more releases to come in 2024, as well as a special vinyl release of the debut EP!