BONNIE MERCER
Experimental/Drone
Former Grey Daturas member Bonnie Mercer has a thing for filthy guitar feedback. In her capable hands, what some consider an intrusive technical malfunction turns into a viscerally potent and seriously hypnotic weapon.
Thursday October 29 – The Tote – Melbourne, VIC
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LUCIANBLOMKAMP
Downtempo Pop
Old mate Lucian makes downtempo, moody electronica that tugs at the heartstrings whilst staying quite aloof. His latest single, ‘From Afar’, is his most accessible thus far but nowhere near ingratiating.
Thursday October 29 – Black Bear Lodge – Brisbane, QLD
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BABAGANOUJ
Indie Pop
Brisbane’s Babaganouj have been at it for a few years, producing jangly indie pop with a hint of party vibes. Agreeable, but not quite a sonic blitz. However, on their latest offering, ‘Hit Song’, the ’Nouj waste no time dawdling and deliver a straight-up summer belter.
Friday October 30 – The Foundry – Brisbane, QLD
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C.W. STONEKING
Hokum/Boogaloo
A stalwart of the old-timey Americana renaissance, C.W. Stoneking is faithful to the customs of ragtime, swing, trad jazz and blues, but by no means conservative. His lyrics are often shockingly irreverent and his live shows are a straight-up knockout.
Friday October 30 – Manning Bar – Sydney, NSW
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DIANAS
Guitar Pop
It’s enchanting stuff, the work of Perth trio Dianas. Angular guitar lines interweave with dream-soaked vocals, the instrumentation often engaging in a cumulative build towards the point of sensory saturation. But the locus of melody prevents it from being disorienting.
Friday October 30 – The Bird – Perth, WA
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UNFOLDING VOSTOKS
Alternative/Sci-Fi
Here we go: excellent instrumental sci-fi sounds from straight outta Hobart. Unfolding Vostoks, it’s a bit of silly name. Really, the music’s a bit silly too. Not throwaway silly – it’s well crafted and positively engaging – but silly in the sense it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is indeed an asset.
Friday October 30 – Brisbane Hotel – Hobart, TAS
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FANNY LUMSDEN
Country
After 2012’s Autumn Lawn EP with backing band The Thrillseekers, Tallimba’s very own Fanny Lumsden stayed disconcertingly quiet. That is until returning in September with the long-player Small Town Big Shot (sans Thrillseekers). She’s still perched on a trad-leaning alt-country wagon, but she’s never sounded so assured.
Friday October 30 – The Basement – Sydney, NSW
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MOJO JUJU
Rhythm ‘N’ Soul
Mojo Juju is still riding high on the triumphs of her second solo LP Seeing Red/Feeling Blue, and so she bloody should be. Using her blues and soul roots as a point of departure, Seeing Red introduced dance grooves, electronic flourishes and plain-spoken ballads into the Juju repertoire.
Saturday October 31 – Jive – Adelaide, SA
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LEURE
Laptop Wave/Electronic Pop
Leure generates several slight permutations on simple pop ideas and compounds them within single compositions. It’s a formula that could very easily be dizzying, but she manages to temper the giddy spirit of discovery with concise production.
Sunday November 1 – Mojos – Perth, WA
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ARA KOUFAX
Electronic/Dance
Forget your everyday hang-ups, the productions of Melbourne duo Ara Koufax are liable stick a smile on your face. The pair (also of Naysayer and Gilsun) work with flittering vocal samples, easy-going house beats, stabilising sub bass and paddy synths to give off a sense of life that’s akin to the smell of morning dew.
Sunday November 1 – Howler – Melbourne, VIC
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