Local Artists:

Acid Kat: Dirty Skin Head (Single) (Indie)
- Huge stoner blues smasher from this Brisbane duo. It proves once again, as if any more evidence was needed, that duos massively overcompensate in the volume department. There’s not a single thing I don’t like about this and the vocals would make Lemmie’s leathery old corpse shed a tear. (Chris Cobcroft)

Balloons Kill Babies: HTFK (Single) (Indie)
- Instrumental rock so often just gets blanket labelled 'post-rock'. Brisbane's BKB certainly have the intensity to be a post-rock band, but this is the kind of post-rock somebody like Mark Of Cain would make. A bit atmospheric, a bit metal, a bit hardcore and all played at you with a hard, steely gaze. (Chris Cobcroft)

Bloodletter: DEMO CASSETTE (Lost In Fog)
- This has been floating around for a little while, but it’s worth casting a backward glance over it. Something of a supergroup (featuring members of 100%, Dreamtime, Manhunt and others). It’s less post-punk than it is urgent, driving alt-rock. As such -this sounds good now- but if you were to go all Garbage on it, give it the lush studio treatment, that’d let this shadowy moth really unfold its ashen wings. (Chris Cobcroft)

Feeding Fauna: We Take The Corners Fast (Single) (Indie)
- The first single from the forthcoming album by the Gold Coast based artist. It's a multi-faceted thing, folding synthesiser into yearning, heartland rock. Every now and then it has a faint echo of The Go Betweens, but more often this comes from the same place as the likes of Liz Stringer and Ainslie Wills. (Chris Cobcroft)

Geowulf: Get You (Single) (37 Adventures / [PIAS] / Inertia)
- Delightfully percussive and sweetly melodic, this single from Noosa via Europe is a joy. The duo, having relocated to London and explored parts of Europe, have stylishly tamed the amount of eclectic elements that they’re incorporating in their glittery dream pop and it is a really fun time. (Nick Rodwell)

Isabel: Patterns (single) (Natural Accidental)
- Isabel is a local artist from Brizzie. She creates minimalist beats with a neo-soul twist. The latest single Patterns has a soulful, r'n'b sound with hints of jazz - and it's captivating to listen to. This song is sure to get stuck in your head. (Bianca Reck)

The Oyster Murders: Shake Your Hand (Single) (Indie)
- Dark and heavy indie-rock that dips its toes into dub and synthesisers before getting serious and slowly loping towards a large and menacing climax. Way brooding; any album that this comes from must be quite alarming - I look forward to finding out. (Chris Cobcroft)

Sacred Shrines: Trail To Find (Single) (White Label)
- Another great big, woozy slice of psych rock from the Brisbane band that trucks it in bulk. A warm, purring wall of noise, but if it feels overwhelming, the propulsive speed it moves at should keep you on track, even as the phasers try and throw you over the side. A classic sound. (Chris Cobcroft)

Small World Experience: Crash Crush (Single) (Tenth Court)
- Wonderfully wistful harmonies carry this thoughtful and jangly single, ahead of the new album. Not like other jangle-pop bands and certainly nothing like any other pop bands out there right now, SWE are ageing like well-cellared wine and it's producing something unique. Like wine, if wine could be described as 'moving'. Also it has an alarmingly manipulative cat video. (Chris Cobcroft)

Tabrill: Sans (Single) (Indie)
- This local electronic producer has been crafting left-field music for a couple of years now and the dedication to the craft is showing. His latest single is a positively effervescent slice of joy with glitches and chiptune blips punctuating an uplifting vocal sample. Get lifted. (Nick Rodwell)

Tai Sui: Celestia (Single) (Indie)
- A radio only taste of the new record (so, sorry, no stream). I kinda love this, which is kinda ridiculous. A hard-rock, rap-metal, nu-metal extravaganza, with lyrics that channel the mythology of Sun Ra. It should be the uncoolest echo of the '90s ever, but from the opening, visceral burst of bass to Alexis' crushing rapping, to the rainbow burst harmonies of the choruses. This space oddity isn't even a hot mess, I just straight up love this. I don't think anyone can bring back nu-metal / rap-metal, but if I had to back one band to try right now - this'd be it. (Chris Cobcroft)

Australian Artists:

The Ahern Brothers: Comb That River (Single) (Indie)
- The Ahern Brothers is the coming together of individual songwriters Steve Grady and Josh Rennie-Hynes. The result is this beautifully gentle exploration of wandering whimsy. Their harmonies and simple acoustic accompaniment is really quite soothing and transportative. (Nick Rodwell)

Baker Boy: Cloud 9 (Single) (Indie)
- Active Hip-Hop performer Baker Boy has released an outstanding single. Rapping largely in Yolngu Matha, the language of his birthplace in Arnhem land, his pride, resilience and skill as an MC is on full display. The guy goes in hard and I believe him when he says we can’t stop him. This is Killer Mic-level righteous. (Nick Rodwell)

Boat Show: Suss (Single) (Indie)
- Perth bringing the fire here. Fuzz, dualing vocals, a screeching guitar solo and sneering suspicion amount to a powerfully fun piece of Garage punk. (Nick Rodwell)

Citizen Kay: These Kicks (Ft. Georgia B.) (Single) (Indie)
- Citizen Kay has been workin’ on it for a while now and his experience shows with this single These Kicks. It’s the freshest he has sounded as neo-soul grooves knock with a disco flair - If you’re feelin’ that Joey Bada$ vibe, jump on this. (Nick Rodwell)

Duneeater: One Eyed Samurai (Single) (Indie)
- Big mess of stoner from these Melbournian fuzz-lords. They're not so high that they can't pull of some pretty great rhythmic change-ups in their shred-a-thon. This doesn't break the mould, but it does show you exactly how stoner should be done. (Chris Cobcroft)

Erasers: Fault Lines (Single) (Pouring Dream)
- Erasers are a Perth duo, gifting us with, well, at two slabs of ten minutes this isn't a single I suppose, but it is worth your time. To begin with, Fault Lines is amorphous ambient music, heavy on the synth, paired with a distant female voice. It's not got the choral layering of Julianna Barwick, but they still have quite a lot in common, which can hardly be a bad thing. After that the electronic beats push in, unfaulteringly, krautishly and we're in the territory of folks like Moon Duo, Peaking Lights and Fabulous Diamonds. This is quietly, unassumingly -and because of that- all the more impressively accomplished. (Chris Cobcroft)

Horace Bones: Stranger Danger (Single) (Thirds)
- With pungent whiffs of The Stooges and a lax sense of Cramps-spook, Melbourne’s Horace Bones have a spiky single on their hands. It’s an invitation for all those who are lost and looking, encouraging you to disregard your childhood education on the matter. BUT, if it sounds this fun maybe I will jump in that van. (Nick Rodwell)

Howlite: Gothic Romance (Single) (Indie)
- Soft but rich indie rock from the Melbourne trio. Barely rising above a murmur it still manages to build powerfully, wringing every bit of the all to embraceable pain from broken love. (Chris Cobcroft)

Hot Spoke: Calm Down (Single) (Universal)
- Sydney band Hot Spoke have released their new single Calm Down and it's an absolute gem. Sounding like a melancholy version of Coldplay's Yellow, Calm Down is full of intensity. With a menacing distorted guitar that comes and goes, Hot Spoke have created a brilliant pop-rock song. (Jonathan Cloumassis)

Kilbey Kennedy: Glow and Fade (Single) (Golden Robot)
- Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy have come together again as create Kilbey Kennedy. If you're a fan of Pink Floyd then you'll love this ambient, psych rock, steeped in Australian rock history. The song is worth the listen for the interesting melodic blends of vocals and atmospheric sounds that build up to one big head trip. (Bianca Reck)

Leo James: Event Horizon (Berceuse Heroique)
- Like yourself a bit of nu-disco? Well, the guy formerly known as Canyons has just put out some under his solo project, Leo James. The three track EP, Event Horizon, is all kinds of lush electronics, with a dash of a saxophone sexy realness and one twenty minute ambient number. (Luke Doig)

Mookhi: Lacunae (Single) (Indie)
- The latest slice of instrumental downtempo from the Sydney producer's EP is another characteristically wistful but surprisingly pacey affair. Jazzy and orchestral samples are sutured into what sounds like the soundtrack to an action montage from a Miazaki movie. There's both sadness and wonder in this stylish number. (Chris Cobcroft)

New Lovers: Performance (Dinosaur City)
- Post-punk with a fine sense of melodrama and the synths and all the rest of those new wave affectations. Despite all the post-punk revival going around there's strangely little that recalls the theatre of Adam And The Ants or The Damned. New Lovers, you have your niche and you are filling it deliciously. (Chris Cobcroft)

The New Savages: I've Lost My Girl (single) (Indie / The Same Tune)
- The country-blues of The New Savages is complex and finely realised, but undeniably the thing which will grab you is the deep, dark voice of Milan Milutinovic. It's rich and beautiful and the perfect vehicle for a song full of despair and sexy darkness. (Chris Cobcroft)

Rachel Maria Cox: Emotionally Untidy (Single) (Sad Grrrls Club)
- Rachel Maria Cox can tell a relateable Aussie story, a bit like Courtney Barnett, but packs a bit more of the leather-clad rock god in their stylistic arsenal. I guess that makes this a bit like Camp Cope and, I suppose it might also mean they'll be storming up a certain yoof broadcasters charts? Who can say. (Chris Cobcroft)

School Damage: The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down (Single) (Chapter)
- The new record from this project -that features members of Chook Race and Ausmuteants- feels, perhaps unsurprisingly given its components like all sorts of things. It's a bit punk, it's a bit jangle, it's a bit cutesy c86 pop. If it were bubblegum it'd have some weird, grown-up flavour like, I dunno, negroni or amaretto sour. Huh, now I want amaretto sour bubblegum. (Chris Cobcroft)

Spike Fuck: Greatest Hits (Suicide Party) (Single) (Bad Blood)
- Spike Fuck's new number has its Beefheart-esque country-roots sugared-up with some lovely pedal-steel from The Triffids' Graham Evil Lee. It could probably do with it, not because the music is sub-par -it's as lushly realised as always- but because -again, as always- the lyrics are hard as hell. A bitter pill with lots of sugar and a shot of rye. (Chris Cobcroft)

Take Your Time: Love At First Sight (Single) (Healthy Tapes)
- Never let pride get in the way of enjoying music. This is a Kylie Minogue cover and I think that it’s gorgeous. With elements of deep-house and acid jazz, this duo from Melbourne are a class act. So slick. (Nick Rodwell)

Tired Minds: LOOM (Art As Catharsis)
- If there is one label I can rely on for consistency it’s Art As Catharsis and their unwavering delivery of fresh post-hardcore. Newcastle’s Tired Minds serve up some seriously disarming and disorientating noise, that will go from sludge to severed fingers in a flick and I can’t get enough. (Nick Rodwell)

Trouble Peach: I Don't Want To Know / Hija Comunista (Indie)
- Trouble Peach's new release, made up of original song I Don't Want To Know and Neutral Milk Hotel (Spanish translated) cover Communist Daughter, is an absolute gem. With a voice as distinctive as Jeff Mangum's, Dan Hawkins sings unrestrained on I Don't Want To Know, a pop song redolent of early work by The Shins. Although Spanish cover, Hija Comunista, might lack the lyrical weight of the English original, it makes up for it with mournful violin and electric guitar that oscillate throughout. (Jon Cloumassis)

Violet: (wo)man (Single) (Indie)
- As the title suggests (wo)man is a play on the gender anthem and was penned by Sydney solo producer and vocalist Violet. Hovering over a dark electronic vibe, Violet sarcastically repeats that she is a "bitch" throughout, adding to the strength of this number. It's not everyday that you get a track with this much dark power, so soak it up and ooze it out. (Luke Doig)

Overseas Artists:

Alex G: Proud (Single) (Domino / EMI)
- Philadelphia artist Alex G's new single Proud gets stuck in your head after the first listen. The paragon of a catchy tune, the confluence of basic acoustic guitar, bass and drums with complex piano trills keep the song simple and solid. 'Proud' is a toe-tapping alt-country belter. (Jon Cloumassis)

All We Are: Animal (Single) (Double Six / Domino / EMI)
- The UK has contributed a lot to dance music and its surrounding cultures. Even UK rock acts get in on the act: The Music, Kasabian et al.. Liverpudlian trio All We Are get in on the dance-rock kick with this single without getting lost in it, retaining a healthy sense of grit and experimentation. (Nick Rodwell)

ColdCut & On-U Sound: Outside The Echo Chamber (Ahead Of Our Time / Inertia)
- Back in the day Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound used to release records with a street date marked as exactly ten years in the future. You see what they were doing there, yeah? So you can’t help but think that Coldcut were thinking of them when they started their new Ahead Of Our Time label. Intentional or not, this collaboration between the UK’s most sampletastic beatmasters and the dubby, reggae, dancehall, roots, ragga of On-U (and all their many musical friends) is pretty great. Diverse and highly listenable, this feels like the most natural thing Coldcut have done since they came back. (Chris Cobcroft)

Demen: Nektyr (Kranky)
- This Swedish solo artist -Irma Orm- really sculpts the darkness. The ambient echoes roil and eddy around quite a lot of different sounds, not least of which is Irma's slow, deep and sonorous voice. It's sometimes hard to recognise what's emerging from the murk, but most of Nektyr swims around between dark ambient and neofolk, melding the sounds between those two extremes into all sorts of edifices; some quietly beautiful, others huge, imposing, terrifying. This is a nuanced and extremely well realised record. (Chris Cobcroft)

Duke Garwood: Blue (Single) (Heavenly / Mushroom)
- There is a distinct sense of sobering acceptance in Duke Garwood’s single Blue. The London based songwriter draws on similar themes of defeat and resilience like later Mark Lanegan, it’s low-key, remorseful and very affecting. (Nick Rodwell)

KWAYE: Cool Kids (Single) (MOAG / Warner)
- London-Zimbabwean smoothy KWAYE brings a certain something to his neo-soul and it’s much more interesting than most of his contemporaries. A fan of both D’Angelo and John Legend, he combines the brains of the former with the slickness of the latter. This new single has a liquid-silk sheen atop the quietly chugging electro-funk engine that moves it - really nice. (Chris Cobcroft)

Offa Rex: The Queen Of Hearts (Single) (Nonesuch / Warner)
- The intricate and knowledgeable indie-rock of The Decemberists blends perfectly with English folky Olivia Chaney. The Queen Of Hearts is a coyly regal bit of folk-revival-rock, driven by harpsichord and over which Chaney's voice rides like she were the faerie queene. Goddamn haunting. (Chris Cobcroft)

Tori Forsyth: Kings Horses (Single) (The Same Tune)
- Hunter Valley country artist Tori Forsyth has a voice with a lot of different colours: there's twang, syrupy sweetness, husky smoke and an underlying richness and power too. The track has a similar ability to surprise: the acoustic strummer opening up into a fiery, electrified chorus. Sits on the border between alt-country and the stuff actual country people like and, for once, I think it might appeal to everyone concerned. (Chris Cobcroft)

Washed Out: Get Lost (Single) (Pod / Inertia)
-The southern states of the US are on that disco house tip if Georgian Washed Out’s single is anything to go by. Get Lost rides on that same lo-fi house of Sam Weston’s Never Been In Love EP. It’s a step up from his woozy synth-pop of the past but it’s exceptionally dance-worthy. (Nick Rodwell)

Wilma Archer feat. Amber Marks: Like A Hunger (Single) (Domino / EMI)
- Hand claps, a rubbish bass and Amber Marks is all it takes for this single from UK composer / producer Wilma Archer, to carry you away. Its electro-RnB flair has such a gentle and joyous energy it has me searching for a rooftop to twirl on. (Nick Rodwell)

Yoko-Zuna: YES FT. HEAVY & LARZRANDA (Single) (Loop)
- This 4-piece from Auckland have me nodding. Such a straight knock to this single, their woozy trip-hop is hard. It stomps around with tripped out guitars and horns and couple of tight feature verses. For real, just press play. (Nick Rodwell)