This album opens with one of my most played songs of the year and closes with one of my favourite duets of the year. Floating in at number 13 is Sydney-based Tonight Alive with their latest album Underworld.

Unfortunately there hasn't been as much Rock music in my library this year and I'm still not completely sure as to why. However, quality over quantity and in this case, quality's definitely won out. I've had some back and forth with Tonight Alive over the past 6 years as both a fan and a critic, but this album has firmly cemented my love for them.  

I remember listening to their single "Disappear (feat. Lynn Gunn)" for the first time on BBC Radio 1, in the car somewhere and I can't tell you how my face lit up as the opening riffs rang out. After being disappointed with their last record Limitless, hearing this single made me so hopeful for the Tonight Alive that I absolutely adored back in 2013. Another top play for me this year, hearing Lynn and Jenna duet together kicked goals that I didn't even know I was holding onto. This is easily one of my favourite moments on the album and this comes alongside so many others. "Book Of Love", "The Other", "Just For Now" and "Waiting For The End" stand out the most to me right now but with every listen something new jumps out that makes me smile.

I have to tip my hat to Dave Petrovic of course. After his work producing The Other Side in 2013, and now putting his hand to Underworld; I'd say that it's no coincidence that I love this album just as much. Jenna's found a way to tug at my heartstrings at least once on every album they've released and this one is no different. Lyrically they are able to articulate simple young adult sadness in the most relatable ways. Although there's a weight to this album, every time I listen through and belt it out I know I'll be smiling inside and out.

Have a look at the album that took the lucky number 13 spot last year here.

Dropping in a new discovery at number 27 this year in the form of Aussie Punk band - Camp Cope - and their second studio album How To Socialise & Make Friends.

I came across Camp Cope earlier this year after they had provided Falls Festival in Australia with some critique about their less-than-diverse line-up. An issue that we definitely still see a lot of worldwide today, however the lack of male/female diversity was particularly stark on this line-up. Seeing their take on it, I agreed and eventually had a listen to some of their music. Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich's galloping bassline on "The Opener" caught my attention straight away and lead singer Georgia Maq's hilariously sarcastic lyrics and very distinctive vocals cemented my interest. I can't even tell you how many times I've returned to this single since - it's up there in my Top 5 opening tracks of the year.

Camp Cope aren't concerned with sounding polished or polite - all the kinds of things that people associate with trying to socialise and make friends - Camp Cope push these to the side in favour of telling hard truths and not compromising themselves for anybody's comfort. The brutal honesty and expressively simple instrumentals all serve to bring clear moments of catharsis and emotion before the album's heartfelt closer "I've Got You" (written about the passing of Georgia's father). In a lot of ways this album feels like a debut record for the trio, and not just because it's the first album of theirs that I'd heard, but because it gives a real candid look into the lives and experiences of the group both individually and as one.

My favourite singles at the moment are "The Opener", "The Face of God", "Sagan-Indiana", and "UFO Lighter". The way in which Georgia almost talk-sings the lyrics at points easily brings the listener into the conversation of her mind. In an age where lyrics can often get lost behind splashy production and animated instrumentals, it's the first time in a while I've been able to listen and resonate with this many lyrics on first listen alone. I'm hoping for nothing less than onwards and upwards for Camp Cope so if you don't know, get to know.

Here's the very different album that took the number 27 spot last year.

Sliding in at number 29 is Shame with Songs of Praise. The post-punk outfit have made quite the name for themselves this year and after listening to this stellar debut, it's no surprise at all.

I'd heard a lot of good things about Shame before even listening to a song of theirs. So as soon as I saw them on the line up for Laneway Festival in Melbourne at the beginning of this year I made sure that I was there to check them out and form my own opinion. They definitely lived up to the hype, and then some. Charlie Steen is without a doubt one of the most powerful and charismatic frontmen that I've seen perform this year. the band as a whole have an amazing chemistry but Charlie's emotive yet at the same time "give no f***s" attitude whilst performing quickly bring the whole crowd up in a collective sea of mirth. All of this and it's only their debut.

Hailing from South London, the same neighbourhood that birthed bands like The Clash and Fat White Family, Shame deliver their lyrics - loudly and adamantly - to give the listener a look into their lives, their minds and their habits. Shame's use of repeated phrases and mantras throughout brought me back to Savages in their beginnings but a thought that ran across my mind often whilst listening to Songs of Praise is that they sound like a more mature Drenge (particularly on songs like "Concrete" and "Gold Hole"). It's been a couple of years now since I've been able to listen to and truly appreciate music in that vein as they all just seemed to fall into the same pot, and so Shame being able to set themselves apart in this genre made me admire them all the more. Their punchy lyrics and thumping drums could easily fill up any tent or stadium.

"The Lick" "Tasteless" and "Friction" stood out from the pack most for me - each adding a level of danceability to the rest of the fast-paced record. A far cry from the old school British TV programme Songs of Praise, Shame's offering replaces the slight hum of angelic children's choirs and pastors sermons with the snarling spit of young men's shouts and barks. This isn't an album that you'll be forgetting any time soon and if you get the opportunity to see them live at any point - grab it with both hands.

Have a look at what just slipped into the Top 30 last year here.

I've been away from my laptop for the past month back in Melbourne, hence the overly lengthy break in posts. However, whilst I've been away in Australia I've come across and been introuced to quite a few new discoveries that I'm stoked to bring over to the UK with me. There's so much quality new talent coming from Australia, and this is just the tiniest snippet of what I found out about there.

CLOWNS
Luckily for me whilst I was in Melbourne, Foo Fighters were on tour. If you've been following this blog for any amounth of time you're probably aware of my love for Foo Fighters and so obviously there was no wat I was going to pass up seeing them; which brings us to Clowns. Hailing from Melbourne themselves they brought this "take notice" attitude to stage and backed it up with some serious, serious tunes. The lead singer's stage presence was electric and to be able to shine through on a bill supporting both Weezer and Foo Fighters, you've got to be doing something right.


SAMPOLOGY 
A friend of mine told me about a DJ set that was happening at Melbourne Museum and even before I'd even heard about the DJs playing I was onboard. After having a look at the bill and having a listen to Sampology's tracks on Spotify I was even more excited about the show. His beats reminded me of so many different things I've been vibing with these past couple of years (mt. Marcy and Kaytranada to name a couple), and they translated 10 times better live.

 


TOTAL GIOVANNI 
Next up on the very same bill for that show was Total Giovanni. My friend let me know that they were a pretty big deal and so I had to really do my research with this one. They took a little bit longer for me to get into if I'm honest. Their beats had a nostalgia attached to them that I couldn't quite get my head around at first, but nonetheless I could never get past a funky beat, and they do funky well.




MALLRAT 
Towards the end of my trip I went to St Kilda Festival to check out some of Australia's upcoming and established talent. Unfortunately (as is alway the case with festivals), I didn't get to make it to all the sets I was hoping to, however a friend of mine strongly recommended checking out Mallrat. I didn't get to see the set but I definitely did my research and loved what I heard. Next time, I see her name on a line up, I know who I'm choosing to see.




HELLIONS
After doing a little bit of browsing at 24hundred, I'd seen a few bands' names pop up a fair amount - Tonight Alive (whom we know and love), Violent Soho, and of course, Hellions. I made a mental note of the names I hadn't listened to before and vowed to check them out. Before I could even think twice about it, I'd struck up a conversation with somebody who turned out to be a pretty big Hellions fan. After listening through some of their material it brought back those ADTR, Dangerkids-esque riffs I haven't heard in so long and refreshed it for me. Definitely want to see these guys live as soon as possible.

If you've been following my blog, you'll already know how much I adore Florence and the Machine (exhibits A, B and C), but I have to say this time seeing them live I was surprisingly, considerably underwhelmed. There were several contributing factors to be honest but here goes...

First up was Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders. I'd never heard anything about them before this show, and so didn't know what to expect. As a band they weren't my cup of tea but on the one hand I could see why they'd been chosen to support. The set definitely improved as it went along - the first song was terrible in my opinion, heavily due to the addition of techno/electronic keys (I have nothing against them but these sounded annoying). The second song was more bearable but less engaging - a strong case of background music syndrome. The third song "Her Hands" however was really good! This got my hopes up for the rest of the set. The next song - "Reputation Amputation" piqued my interest simply because of the name - it did slightly fall short of my expectations but I feel like QOTSA could've given it the kick up the butt that it needed. As a whole I don't think I'll be keeping track of them in the future but perhaps they'll pop up elsewhere and re-engage me.

Now for the main event. Thoroughly ruined by the choice of venue and surprisingly so because Sidney Myer Music Bowl aesthetically is gorgeous but for a performer like Florence and the Machine, it was guaranteed to leave the majority of the crowd (including me) feeling left out. Those in the standing area behind the barriers were so disconnected from the stage and the performance that I might as well have been watching it on TV at home. Big kudos to the girl who jumped the barriers and ran into the crowd - I hope that security never caught you. At one point during the set Florence even ran out into the crowd and stood on the barrier to try and engage those standing. I'm sure that those seated in front had a different experience to myself and this definitely taught me a lesson about forking out for the more expensive ticket in the future. Bigger anthems like "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)", "Shake It Out" and "Dog Days Are Over" managed to stretch their way over the barrier and get a few people moving but some of the newer songs that I was really looking forward to seeing live like "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful", "What Kind Of Man" and "Delilah", unfortunately didn't quite affect me in the way that I'd hoped and expected. This has in no way affected my views of fatm as artists, I was just a little disappointed that I wasn't more connected to the show itself. There's definitely always next time.

Overall Rating - 6/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I actually came to this show on a bit of a whim - a friend of mine was visiting and we wanted to go to a show but didn't want to pay too much, and here's where we ended up...

The first band up, Kondakova, were surprisingly great! Not that I was expecting them to be terrible but I just wasn't really expecting anything. They have huge potential. They needed a little development in terms of stage presence but being their second gig ever playing in the set up they were in - they played really well. Good instrumentalists, solid song-writers, and a very professional feel about them, especially being younger artists. I really look forward to hearing more of these boys in the future, and maybe even seeing them over on UK shores.

On the other hand, the second band - Jarrow - were pretty underwhelming. The band as a whole had terrible stage presence. All except the lead singer who really carried the band. The drummer looked liked he'd rather be a thousand other places and on top of that he was a little sloppy so it just came across as lazy. The band as a whole though had some real gems - Mac DeMarco/Jamie T type vibes - but this just didn't translate too well on stage. I need to give their studio recorded material a listen or maybe even see them in more of a festival environment because I think there's something there, it just wasn't coming across well on stage.

Before coming to the show I managed to listen to one When We Were Small (now called Soft Corporate) track ("Untied") and I liked the sound of it - I wasn't buzzing but I liked the sound. After seeing them live though, I was definitely buzzing! They have some amazing tracks in their arsenal. At the very least, they have a EPs worth of songs behind them. The only problem which I've been finding with Indie bands is that they always sound like other bands. WWWS reminded me most of Kins, Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, Los Campesinos and Spring Offensive. If you like any of the bands that I just mentioned, definitely check these guys out. I feel like if this band was from the UK or the US they would already have quite a big underground following - we really need to get some people out to Australia to manage all of this hidden talent.

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I never thought that I'd be writing a gig review about D'Banj, but when in Australia I suppose haha. Whilst in Australia I attended a celebration for Nigerian Independence Day in October and it wasn't until I arrived that I found out that D'Banj had been scheduled to play. Growing up in a Nigerian household I had definitely heard some of his material before and have enjoyed it in the past but his probably most well known track would be "Oliver Twist". When I thought of that track, I knew it was just going to be one huge party.

First up supporting him was a singer called IYO. She hopped on stage with plenty of energy, a huge stage presence and an image to back it up. However, nothing about her set really held my attention - everything just sort of 'happened'. Although there weren't many stand out moments or distinctive songs that I thought were better than the last, I do however know that she got the crowd psyched up and had people actually discussing her performance afterwards. Something that not many people had done with some of the prior showcases earlier on in the night. I don't think I'd pay to see her again but overall it was an enjoyable set.

When D'Banj stepped on stage the crowd really lit up. There's no disputing the fact that his beats make you want to move. In terms of the set I don't think that there was anything professional to it or even organised, but it really was just one huge party. D'banj came out and just had fun on stage, got the crowd engaged and hyped and provided a good end to the festivities. Had he had a full band behind him - this really could've been a performance! However, backed by solely the instrumental track playing out of speakers, this dampened the potential. Finally of course, "Oliver Twist" was so hyped that he had to play it twice - and it was just as entertaining the second time. Overall it wasn't the most spectacular performance and the material wasn't especially intricate or varied but it was a fun night filled with good vibes.

Overall Rating - 6/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

Whilst I was living in Australia for 6 months, as quiet as I was on the blog, I was still out and about heading to gigs and festivals. I didn't get to write about them at the time but I did however make notes, so over the next few months I'll be posting reviews of ALL of the shows and festivals that I attended whilst I was out there. Hopefully as I'm out in Germany for the next 6 months I'll be able to keep the pace going with gig and festival reviews because there is a whole HEAP to look forward to in 2016...

I'd been meaning to properly listen to Circa Survive for the longest time now and if it wasn't for the fact that I hadn't been to a show in so long and PVRIS were supporting; I probably wouldn't have made the clever decision to get a ticket.

After seeing PVRIS in Birmingham earlier this year here and now here in Melbourne, they've cemented their place as one of my favourite live bands this year. Whether they play a full set or just a couple songs, you're guaranteed a good time. Time and time again, they prove to me that they're one of the most exciting things in music of late. As always, singles "White Noise", "St Patrick" and "My House" stirred a huge crowd reaction. I don't know why I hadn't anticipated it but "Holy" got a reaction that was on par if not even more raucous  - great jam, but now I think I appreciate it even more. To top off the incredibly fun set, a crowd fan gifted the band with an adorable penguin teddy, Spencer. 

Now Circa Survive. For a band so reluctant to call it a "show", they sure knew how to put one on! Starting off the festivities with "Child of the Desert" is not what I expected after taking a crash course in Circa Survive before the gig. Either way, it perfectly set the tone.The crowd really moved as the band did - swayed when they had to sway, jumped when they had to jump - it was such a huge collective experience. As frontman Anthony appropriately stated, it was a "shared hallucination". Anthony all together was one of the most theatrical frontmen I've ever seen on stage. Super erratic but captivating to say the least. "Schema" was probably my favourite track of the night. When they came back on for their encore, the band switched instruments, starting off with an improv track called "Sex Dungeon" with some hilarious lyrics which Anthony swore PVRIS wrote. Then after the impromptu laughs, they ended perfectly with "Get Out" - what a strong setlist! The perfect way to start off my list of live shows in Melbourne!

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

I definitely owe an apology and a bit of an explanation! So sorry that I haven't posted in over a month - with exams going on the posts were slowing down, I wasn't really making it to shows and as part of my course at University I had to search for an internship. Which brings me to my reason for not posting - I'm currently working an internship in Australia!

I'll be here for 6 months so posts are going to be a little bit slower until I get back to the UK but I already have some shows lined up, a plethora of amazing albums (released and unreleased) and a surprising amount of new discoveries! Will attempt to get them out as quickly as possible so please bear with me.

If you like looking at pictures of cities and landscapes, feel free to take a look at my Instagram. I'll be updating while I'm away. Hope you're all having fun in the music world! Greetings from Oz...