Feb 13, 2014 By Chris Tinkham Web Exclusive

There's a cinematic quality to the music of Austin folk singer/songwriter Jess Williamson that makes the seven tracks on the 26-year-old's debut LP, Native State, feel pivotal, whether she's singing in a gently aching voice over hypnotic instrumentation or howling in a falsetto during dramatic pauses. The ominous guitar notes that open the first track, "Blood Song," bring to mind a widescreen shot of a barren landscape in a western. More

Jan 29, 2014 By Laura Studarus Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

It's traditional to start the story of any band featuring a set of siblings with tales of family sing-alongs, impressive parental record collections, and mandatory music lessons. But Woman's Hour founders Fiona Jane Burgess and Will Burgess swear that there are no such events in their shared timeline.  More

Jan 24, 2014 By Mike Hilleary Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

In the summer of 2012 a song titled "All That We've Become" surfaced as an extremely limited 7" single across various U.K. record stores. Though attributed to the name Society, the track itself might have well been made by a figment of fans' imaginations, as numerous blogs and press outlets were unable to determine who was responsible for the song's pleasing mix of sampled beats and classic soul. More

Jan 22, 2014 By Chris Tinkham Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

Last May, Melbourne-based singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett earned an APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Song of the Year nomination for "History Eraser," a lyrically vivid composition that she recorded with her band and released on her own label, Milk! Records. More

Jan 17, 2014 By Laura Studarus Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

"We often play games like creating our alter-ego animals," says Phoebe Cockburn, vocalist for Melbourne-based quintet Snakadaktal. "I'm a squirrel because I like nuts a lot.... Our drummer was a sea elephant. Like a seal type of thing." More

Jan 14, 2014 By Selena Fragassi Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

The opening song on Big Scary's new album Not Art (on Barsuk) begins with a list of all the things Tom Iansek is not (a painter, a poet, a teacher, a preacher), but it is clear that the frontman of the Melbourne, Australia duo is selling himself short of his many talents—music and all. More

Jan 10, 2014 By Frank Valish Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

Google the name Chris Prudhomme and you might be surprised by what you find. Prudhomme, one half of Painted Palms, the electro-pop duo he fronts with his cousin Reese Donohue, dubiously shares a name with another more sinister character. More

Jan 08, 2014 By Paul Bridgewater Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

Euphoria and celebration feature heavily in the music of U.K. duo and recent Sub Pop signees THUMPERS, whose sound is anchored in two decades of friendship and endurance. More

Jan 06, 2014 By Tom Fenwick Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM

If you have yet to hear the captivating sound of the Cape Town natives John Wizards' eclectic self-titled debut, then you're missing out on one of the most unique and uplifting records of the year. Creating a boundless sense of joy certainly seems to have been the intention of bandleader, producer, and songwriting lynchpin of the group, John Withers-something he felt on an almost instinctual level.  More