This is what the emergence of a pop artist looks like. On 8 April, Lyzee took the stage and melted our faces. Beyond sound, beyond even songs, Lyzee put on a show that delivered much more than a typical gig. Choreographed dancers. Synchronised lighting effects. Glow-in-the-dark fingernails. Luminescent knuckledusters. Exploding out of the shadows, Lyzee…
Well, this was a right treat. On 6 November Surface launched their new album at Bennett’s Lane. The brainchild of electric bassist Claire Cross, Surface is a six-piece jazz band with a thoroughly modern sound. This was no throwback, there was no swing to be heard. This is the jazz of now: Dramatic, expressive and…
Well, here we have it. This is what happens. On 17 June, Jennifer Kingwell showed her audience what happens when you make good on your promises. Let’s get this straight. This is pop music. Backed by little more than a string quartet. And it was every bit as expressive and emotional as you’d expect. Jennifer…
That was intense. And who cares if His Royal Badness would be proud? On Sunday 7 June, a likely crew of bandits assembled to perform deliciously unspeakable horrors to some of the greatest Prince songs. That likely crew of bandits happened to be an all-star cast of Melbourne funk, soul and pop singers. Backed by…
Pop music is a broad church. And someone’s got to lead the choir. On 9 May Jacqui Newland stepped up to the podium and counted us in… Sweeping across expansive territory, Jacqui’s particular speciality was songs infused with R&B and rock. From heartfelt ballads to high energy dance numbers. From confessions to singalongs. From an…
They didn’t have to say a single word. On 2 May Jarek launched their third album without moving their mouths. This is a mature band at work. Jarek have been at this game for years, and it shows. On stage they delivered a full run through of their album with confidence, poise and precision. Furthermore,…
This ain’t your parents’ funk. Or maybe it is, and they didn’t tell you. On 8 April six-piece funk monster Lake Minnetonka busted out some face-melting grooves. How can music from three decades ago sound so fresh? More to the point – how can it slam so hard in 2015? Well, there’s probably two answers…
Our trousers cannot repel synths of that magnitude. On 31 March Damian Tangram showed us the size of that thing. Damian Tangram is a one-man music machine. Outnumbered by keyboards and synthesisers four-to-one, he deftly switched from one to another throughout the performance. He used each of the four machines to their fullest, exploring an…
Well, finally. We have someone to show us the future of pop music. Space-Pop. The final frontier. On 26 February, Kim Boekbinder took us to the stars at The LoWow. Rocketship Boekbinder. Destination: The Heavens. This was definitely Space-Pop. And we’re not entirely sure why it’s not everywhere, because it’s utterly fabulous. And in these…
