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.
Good Morning – Glory (Solitaire)
Melbourne guitar pop crew Good Morning have been floating around, playing shows and dropping deliciously sunny indie rock tunes for a little while now (including an EP in 2014), but their new EP(‘Morning Glory’ – get it?) sees them really come into their own as a band.
The six track release is a woozy trip into the psyche of one of the best pop songwriting collectives in Melbourne. Managing to be both laid back and dreamy while still being completely entertaining, this release makes us hungry for a longer release which we hope isn’t too far on the horizon.
The Vacant Smiles – You’re Not Really Here (Independent)
Garage surf-brats The Vacant Smiles dropped a semi-surpise LP mid-Januaray and it’s everything we’ve come to love and expect from the four piece. Twangy suft guitar, garage rock drums melt into a more classic 90s punk ethos.
Recorded at home over 2014 and 2015, mixed by Lee Nania at Coastal Recordings and mastered by Nicholas Di Lorenzo at Panorama Mastering it’s the band’s live energy captured onto record; it’s hyper, manic, addictive and completely loveable.
ESESE + SKOMES – SKOMES>ESESE (Independent)
We got pretty excited mid January when we heard ‘In My Feelings’ (feat. Baro) the opening track from SKOMES.ESESE, the collaborative EP between producer Skomes and ESESE co-founders, Hancoq and Hudson James Jr. and there’s good reason for our excitement because the entire four track EP slays.
It’s pretty clear that the two upcoming rappers bring out the best in each other with their dichotic yet cohesive chemistry. Lazy (in the best way) and smooth, it’s a journey into just how these upcoming Aussie hip hop kings are simultaneously becoming world class artists while managing to look like they’re barely lifting a finger.
Ecca Vandal – End Of Time (Dew Process)
“Whenever there are expectations, or whenever there is a formula set, that’s the time to change direction,” explains Ecca Vandal. “That is essentially the essence of this – pivoting whenever anyone senses there’s a trend, or challenging myself to go in a different direction.”
That ethos is exactly what this surprise EP (dropped last Friday) embodies. Featuring the family sounds of one-two punch ‘End of Time’ and previous single ‘Battle Royal’ as well as three new cuts – ‘Truth 2 Trade’, ‘Divided’, and ‘Running At People Exiting’. Together, the songs make up one of the most ferocious EPs to come out of Australia in a long time.
Robert Muinos – You Are Alone (Independent)
Straying from the Americana influences of Muinos’ debut release, You Are Alone sees the talented singer songwriter take a more straightforward approach, which at times delves into worlds that are at times painfully autobiographical and brutally bare.
Recorded in a tiny underground studio underneath a mirror shop in Fortitude Valley with legendary producer Magoo, this five track release reflects a marked maturation for Muinos, substituting additional instrumentation and layered production with gut-punching emotional complexity.
The Citradels – Are They Still Here? (Psychic Ric Records)
One of Melborune’s most underrated, underground psych-rock crews The Citradels are gearing up to unleash their brand new album Are They Still Here? (out via Psychic Ric Records) and it’s a corker.
After five days in the empty, eerie and potentially asbestos ridden factory drinking crappy beer and recording in isolation the album was done. It’s all in a week’s work for the band, who have released six albums in just three years – as well as three EPs (which they released from 2010 – 2013). Are They Still Here? sees The Citradels prove that you don’t have to sacrifice quality for quantity.
