Local Artists:

Caramel Swirl (Indie)
- Add this to your burgeoning list of dreamy pscyh-pop. Local glitter drinkers, Caramel, ride sparkly clouds of falsettos and through undulating valleys of easy-going grooves like a Monkey Magic disco bumpin’ vaporwave remixes of Tame Impala. (Nick Rodwell)

Dangerpenny: Wash (Single) (Indie)
- Grunge and emo crash headlong together, sending waves of reverb crashing out in every direction as the smash into this power ballad. It's a bit indulgent, but it's hard to deny the passionate intensity Dangerpenny bring to what they do. (Chris Cobcroft)

Deafcult: Summertime (Single) (Hobbledehoy)
- Another giant slab of guitar hugeness and pop sweetness. It almost feels like Deafcult conquered this hill already, but, y’know, shoegaze and anyway it’s such a darn pleasant little hillock to climb up, why not do it again? (Chris Cobcroft)

Elko Fields: Delores pt. II (Single) (Nettwerk / Footstomp / Warner)
- Local duo, Elko Fields have returned heavier with leading single Delores Pt. II. Sludging it up into desert rock territory, Kella Vee invokes the dark story telling of Alison Mosshart’s efforts in The Dead Weather. It’s full of grit and churns over into huge riffs like the rapid unloading of shotgun slugs. (Nick Rodwell)

The Gametes: Stuck In A Turnstile (Single) (Indie)
- Local rabble The Gametes have a particularly charming single on their hands. Stuck In A turnstile is a bratty, threadbare garage tune that draws on everything from Paul Revere and The Raiders through to Nathan John Roche’s various indie exercises.(Nick Rodwell)

Golden Vessel: Shoulders Feat. Elkkle & Mallrat (Single) (Exist)
- Local groove-electrician, Golden Vessel enlists the croons of southerner Elkkle and the rhymes of local Mallrat for this downtempo, core-warming cut of r’n’b. Breathe it in again, it gets warmer with every play. (Nick Rodwell)

King Kongo: Sunset Beach (Single) (Indie)
- Gee, this is really showing off a style that you don't hear much of in Brisbane. King Kongo do like to keep it on the downlow: "like scum clogging a drainpipe King Kongo have been congealing in the underside of Brisbane for years, much to the dismay of those above." What that means, musically, is a blend of garage and surf, supercharged with fuzzy as **** guitars, rough-ass lo-fi production, lurid organ line and throat tearing vocals. On the evidence of this cut these guys are at least as good as Some Jerks at dredging up the past. (Chris Cobcroft)

Napoleonic Wars: Triple D-D_Dank (Single) (Consequential)
- If At The Drive In had a sense of humour they might sound like this. Also I never thought I'd describe a meld of post-hardcore and prog-rock as 'beautiful', I dunno, maybe Napoleonic Wars just caught me in a weak moment, but, yeah, this is beautiful dammit!!! Comedy rock rarely manages to be serious as well, but these guys have a Zappa-esque ability to turn the funny into the incredible. Insane, hilarious and awesome to behold. (Chris Cobcroft)

Australian Artists:

Eilish Gilligan: The Feeling (Single) (Teef)
- The new single from Melbourne's Eilish Gilligan has a dark, electronic feel, but it's the vocal that boldly takes centre stage with a lot of power. The rest of the track is clever, picking its way through the ubiquitous, contemporary downtempo sound before breaking into dark, but frisky house grooves. Hey this is great, the sort of thing which could find the same kind of extensive fanbase as Sarah Blasko or Bat For Lashes. (Chris Cobcroft)

Endgrain: Heavy Lifting (Single) (October)
- Simple elements: synth percussion, 808s and a couple of samples are all it takes on this snappy, syncopated, techno-ish number. To make something this paired back and yet so engaging is an example of extreme economy of means and speaks very well of the Sydney producer and the forthcoming EP. (Chris Cobcroft)

Gordi: Heaven I Know (Single) (Liberation / Mushroom)
There is a self-assured power to Gordi’s Heaven I Know which you’ll only experience if you give yourself fully to it’s rising form and resplendent sense of growth. Bold, affirming and beautiful peice of sentimental balladry. (Nick Rodwell)

Hello Satellites: Blindness (Single) (Eastmint)
- A drifting, beautiful acoustic duet between the two girls. There's an elegant reverb, but otherwise little production wizardry - everything that makes this good is in the excellent songwriting and poised performance. (Chris Cobcroft)

Plyers: God Growth (Single) (Art As Catharsis)
- I'm not sure I can pick the subtle differences between grindcore and powerviolence, but I'm pretty sure that fans of The Locust will dig Melbourne trio Plyers as they flail through wild, angular rhythms, ripped apart by distortion and scream "WHY LIVE FOREVER!!!" (Chris Cobcroft)

Pregnancy: Hard As Nails (Single) (Lost And Lonesome)
- I might just call it, Pregnancy are like the Aussie cousins of The xx, and I like it. Featuring blended lead vocals by Ashley Bundang and Zachary Denton, Hard as Nails is a modern new wave jam that actually rocks. Oh and check out the video too, just when thought it was merely a still image the band start to subtly move! (Luke Doig)

The Stevens: Pulling All The Facts Together (Single) (Chapter)
- Melbourne's The Stevens continue to bring a more '70's rocking to the jangling of the Chapter Music roster. They've got an enormous album on the way and by the sounds of this, it'll be a pretty good one. Languid but not tired, great guitar riffs roll over each other to form something complex, warm and embracing. (Chris Cobcroft)

Ziggy Ramo: Same Script (Single) (Ramo Records)
- Perth MC Ziggy Ramo isn’t afraid of real talk. Previous singles Black Face and Black Thought addressing indigenous issues in Australia. His latest, Same Script, ups the tempo and the compassion, embracing humanity over a disco tip. If you’re a fan of Goldink and/or Kaytranada, this is for you. (Nick Rodwell)

Overseas Artists:

Aisha Badru: Mind On Fire (Single) (Nettwerk / Footstomp / Warner)
- With a low-key strength, New York singer-songwriter Aisha Badru’s neo-folk is an anthem for determined women and those attracted to mental fortitude. It’s simple, clean and deeply affecting. (Nick Rodwell)

Bookworms: Appropriation Loops (A Love Story) (Break World / Redeye)
- Brooklyn producer Bookworms has gone from releasing bugger all, to releasing it all, it seems. What a range of stuff too: his new album takes in pounding techno, jazzy idm, splintery breakcore, dark ambient and shadowy, scary dub. It's all in service of the idea behind that title - the borrowing of culture and music. Bookworms sure does borrow a lot and returns it sounding quite a lot scarier than before. (Chris Cobcroft)

Chelsea Wolfe: 16 Psyche (Single) (Sargent House / Redeye)
- It's not exactly neo-folk any more, is it Chelsea Wolfe? It sounds much more like PJ Harvey diving into an ocean of shoegaze. Chelsea Wolfe keeps me guessing and as a result never, ever bores me. Can't wait for the new album. (Chris Cobcroft)

Gaythetist: Let's Jam Again Soon (Good To Die)
- Gaytheist are a bit of a hidden treasure in Portland. Smart, funny, thunderously heavy but extremely tight and with an ear for a good tune. If Jane's Addiction were a hardcore band it might sound like this. The new album is expansive, but gripping from start to finish. Seriously, if you wondered what was missing from At The Drive In's latest, try this out and see if it doesn't get your turgid bloodstream pumping again. (Chris Cobcroft)

Gogol Bordello: Saboteur Blues (Single) (Cooking Vinyl)
- I'm sure Gogol Bordello's take on Balkan hard rock doesn't need much of an introduction at this point. The new record is looking like a good one too, if this first slice is anything to go by: a thundering anthem to forgetting all the other bull**** and just going for it. (Chris Cobcroft)

Moor Mother: Moor x Jewelry: Crime Wave (Don Giovanni)
- From the depths of Chicago, Moor Mother has a really interesting voice. Investigating black experience via rap and deeply ominous electronica, it’s an intriguing afro-punk exploration. (Nick Rodwell)

Moral Straightjacket: I'll Be Your Rainbow (Ruined Smile)
- Reminds you just how much there is to emo. Channeling the legacy of Self Defence Family, this EP offers three extremely diverse, but all -of course- highly moody cuts from the Cali band. (Chris Cobcroft)

SZA: CTRL (Sony)
- We’ve been waiting for a while on SZA and her immediate label, TDE, to drop CTRL. It was worth the wait. The New Jersey based singer has written a pop record that acknowledges the likes sounds of Amy Winehouse whilst pushing pop forward like Frank Ocean. (Nick Rodwell)

Together PANGEA: Better Find Out (Single) (Nettwerk / Footstomp / Warner)
- Three-piece band from California bringing the energy in this short, heavily saturated, surf rock via skate-punk inspired track that has more than enough energy to keep your toes tapping start to finish. (Rhett Whittaker)

What Cheer? Brigade: You Can't See Inside Of ME (Don Giovanni / Redeye)
- This is a great package of works. What Cheer? Brigade are a nineteen piece brass band performing New Orleans styled jazz, this body of work also incorporates remixes of said styles. Depending on how you want to approach it, it’s a great way to gateway someone into either remixes or music of a more worldly orientation.(Nick Rodwell)

Xhin: SHIFT LTD (Midnight Shift / Central Station)
- The Singaporean producer who's well liked in Oz, lays down four business-like cuts for Singaporean label Midnight Shift. The production is deceptively simple, highly effective and really puts the tech in techno. The balance between subtly complex, pounding beats and the ambient atmosphere always holds your attention, to the point where I struggle to explain why it's so galvanizing. Well whatever, it is. (Chris Cobcroft)