Local:

Future Haunts: Rubicon (Indie)
- Brisbane cool dudes Future Haunts’ debut EP is set alight with sun drenched, hooky guitar runs and fuelled by punching, bossy percussion. Vocalist Ben Speight fans the flames with his slacker growl. Hotter than bitumen under bare feet on a Summer day in Brissy, Rubicon is sure to melt your heart as well as your Bubble-O-Bill. (Fiona Priddey)

Kodiak Empire: Silent Bodies (Indie)
- Caught between the hyper-tech of Animals Without Leaders and the post-hardcore stabs of At The Drive In, these Brisbane belters are striving for something huge. Kodiak Empire’s Silent Bodies is the guitarist's trifle, layers of varying textures and flavours celebrating its obscurity. A dessert that confuses but converts. (Nick Rodwell)

Magenta Voyeur: Embers (Single) (Indie)
- Magenta Voyeur have released their newest single, Embers, another cruise through time and space for the local five-piece. With wistful vocals set to the soft strumming of guitars and synths to boot, Embers paints the picture of a lonely journey through a foreign world. Definitely a song to get acquainted with. (Clare Neal)

Pleasure Symbols: Pleasure Symbols (Death Valley)
- This four-tracker by the local gothic specters collects a significant amount of older material, so there isn't much that's actually new. Still if you hadn't managed to hear it up until now, you should definitely take the opportunity.
Slow and grim but with its lo-fi synths and echoes it's also stylishly haunting: Pleasure Symbols' coldwave affectations are a better reason than you'd usually get to dress up in a black trenchcoat while your white foundation melts and your black eyeliner runs in the stifling Brisbane heat. (Chris Cobcroft)

Sampology: Thicker Than Water Feat. Tiana Khasi (Single) (Soul Has No Tempo)
- Brissie producer Sampology is releasing on the same label as soul smoothy Jordan Rakei and the vibe seems to have infected his mind. There's less of the techiness that characterised much of his previous output and instead you get warm, dance beats, some of which appear to be by live band, along with the strings and licks of Rhodes and Tiana Khasi's soulful vocal. Pair that with the running water sample running throughout and this is positively organic. Dance that doesn't sound like anything else out there right now. (Chris Cobcroft)

Tesla CØils: Emergence Of The Cosmic Monolith (Indie)
- Local cosmic duo Telsa CØils have emerged into the dark electronic scene with a retro-future synth pop banger. Like the cross between a soundtrack to the bad '80's scifi films of your youth and some gothically charged German EBM outfit, their five track EP is sure to take you on an intergalactic journey. Can't wait to hear more from these guys - that's if they don't return to their home planet first. (Olivia Shoesmith)

Zefereli: Satisfied (Single) (Indie)
- Brissy-based music makers Zefereli are back with their latest single, Satisfied. With twangy guitars, whistles and whimsical vocal layering, the track exemplifies this indie three-piece's ability to straddle the borders between country, psychadelic and indie rock with finesse. Drawing their name from the renowned and radical spanish painter, Zefereli my not be inventing cubism but none the less are carving out their own artistic mark. Make sure to catch them at their upcoming gigs, held at Black Bear Lodge and Bistroteque. (Clare Neal)

Australian Artists:

Various Artists: Plastic World Volume 1 (Plastic World)
- Plastic World is a hobby label that's been punching well above its weight. Founded by Astral People's Vic Edirisinghe and Future Classic's James McInnes, they just decided to sign exactly what they like, which turns out to be a mixture of techno-ish dance beats and exotic electro-funk. Their signings have included Tuff Sherm, Cassius Select, Dro Carey, Retiree and GL. Some pretty good bets as you can see. On this first compilation they've taken pretty much the same attitude that they apply to the rest of their label: just grabbing all the music they like and putting it out there. Some of the artists have stuff coming out on Plastic World, some don't. Some you'll know, like Gl and Sampa The Great, others you'll want to get to know. A great grab-bag of contemporary electronic sounds. (Chris Cobcroft)

Australia: Breathe In (Single) (Indie)
- Are you tired of the same old INXS songs? Do you wish Goanna would pull their fingers out and release something new? Are your family dinners filled with yearnings of yesteryear, namely '80’s Australiana? Well, have a crack at Australia - The Band. A vital recurrence of all things polished retro-pop. (Nick Rodwell)

Brutalist: Brutalist Mixtape (Good Manners)
- Brutalist is a melding of the minds of LUCIANBLOMKAMP and Seekae's John Hassell, two of Australia's most experimental electronic acts. The Brutalist Mixtape is no exception, dark and moody, drawn out expansive soundscapes, and ambient electronica that draws comparison with the likes of Shlohmo. (Ben Gibson)

BUOY: Exit (Single) (October)
- BUOY’s point of difference is refreshing. These cyclical yet broken suggestions of 2-step with lo-fi arppegiations, in her latest single, Exit, set her apart from the current onslaught of MOR vanilla downbeat. (Nick Rodwell)

Charm Of Finches: Staring At The Starry Ceiling (Indie)
- A beautiful folk-revival and roots album balancing delicate harmonies and diverse instrumentation with mature, heartfelt songwriting. The debut album from young Melbourne duo Charm Of Finches is powerful and captivating like a gentle but immersive dream. (Alyssa Bebbington)

Chris Abrahams: Shoreline (Single) (Indie)
- Necks’ pianist Chris Abrahams is preparing to release an album of solo work and as such has offered The Shoreline as an introduction. It’s a tumbling reverie of modal exploration, inquisitive and playful, worthy of your time and dedication. (Nick Rodwell)

Client Liaison: Wild Life (Single) (Dot Dash / Remote Control)
- By this point you're probably familiar with the Client Liaison formula. If not, you need to get some day-glo '80's synth-pop injected stat! As one who is pretty familiar it actually seems a bit improbable that CL's debut album is only hitting us at the end of the year. I imagine it will all sound exactly like this single and I will be just fine with that. (Chris Cobcroft)

Flyying Colours: Long Holiday (Single) (Island / Universal)
- Melbourne's Flyying Colours lay down another single off their upcoming LP Mindfullness, another helping of their characteristically both hard-hitting and dreamy shoegaze. If one likes this tune, and this one does, one indubitably likes the entirety of the Flyying Colours discography. Though there isn't much room for variation in the shoegaze genre, hopefully on the full-length LP the band can show the world they are not merely a one-trick glittering shoegaze pony. If the rest of the LP is like this, then the world will probably like it anyway. At least the people with fringes obscuring their vision. (Harry Rival Lee)

Friendships: The Roof (Single) (Dot Dash / Remote Control)
- A single from the forthcoming full-length by Melbourne production pair Nick Brown & Misha Grace. A lot of pretty oldschool things (industrial, trance, techno and more) combine to form a cut that's dark, sleek and stylish. Despite the pitch-shifted vocals this really isn't much like the sound du jour and it's the better for it. A shadowy, brooding taste of good things to come. (Chris Cobcroft)

Hau: Sleep (Single) (House Of Beige)
- An interesting and seductive blend of tribal beats and house, Sarah Corry's smokey soul vocal and Hau's rapping. It's an interesting expansion on what urban music can be. (Chris Cobcroft)

Jagwar Ma: Give Me A Reason (Single) (Future Classic)
- There's something different about you Jagwar Ma. The Sydney-siders have added a new string to their bow, tacking on a bunch of midtempo electro-funk a-la Prince or MJ. Don't worry though, the chorus heads straight back into those lush, psychedelic Madchester dance beats. Jagwar Ma's tribute to the trippy '90s continues to be so infectious I don't feel like they needed to try anything else, but it seems that anything they turn their hands to turns out just fine. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Laurels: Hit And Miss (Single) (Rice Is Nice)
- After emphasising their shoegaze roots Sydney outfit The Laurels appear to be covering all bases with this slice of Beatley sounding, spacey psych rock. It seems like their forthcoming full-length may well be quite diverse. (Chris Cobcroft)

Mouth Tooth: Memory Foam (Single) (Smooch)
- A whispery yet perfectly produced country-folk single that's the title track to the duo's forthcoming EP. Hard to say exactly what the inspiration is, there are echoes of Elliott Smith and Cat Power, but this is as much its own thing, which is good. (Chris Cobcroft)

My Disco: Severe Remixes (Temporary Residence LTD)
- A remix EP for My Disco's 2015 album, Severe, might seem a bit random at this point, but to listen to, it's worth it. Regis' rework of Our Decade occasionally lets you think there might be a reprieve from the harsh, grid-like electro, letting a breeze of vocal drone wash over, but they always return to crush you again. It's well balanced -maybe that's not the right word- by Lustmord's quarter hour of echoing drone that turns the track 1991 into an echoing necropolis. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Nature Strip: Shoes (Single) (Indie)
- The Nature Strip are a Sydney band who've been doing the rounds for a while and it shows. They claim to be influenced by early '80's new-wave and power-pop, which is certainly in there, but y'know? The easygoing charm of the vocals and their wry sense of humour reminds me quite a bit of perennial Brisbane faves Custard. Their second full-length, Presents, came out a little bit ago. Well worth checking out I'd say. (Chris Cobcroft)

Nucleust: Resistivity EP (Rockpit)
- Perth has a very rich ability to produce good metal. Nucleust is riff after riff after riff and it consistently hits hard. It’s exhausting and exhilarating. Even with the more melodic sections, they’re a force to be reckoned with. (Nick Rodwell)

Pagan: Wine & Lace (Single) (Indie)
- Just because an Aussie hardcore band is fronted by a woman is not a good enough reason to compare them to High Tension. Still Melbourne four-piece Pagan do a similarly punchy rock'n'roll and like High Tension, they sound pretty damn good. They've been touring with Totally Unicorn and it's easy to see why they got that slot. (Chris Cobcroft)

Redspencer: Fuss (Single) (Deaf Ambitions)
- Breezy synths and simple guitars will caress your stress as you learn what it sounds like give no f***s. Far away from the bittier end of nihilism, this Melbourne trio have unequivocally reproduced the sound of the great calm that is letting go. (Nick Rodwell)

Scott & Charlene's Wedding: Maureen (Single) (Bedroom Suck)
- The self-described 'slacker-pop quintet' that is Melbournian musos Scott & Charlene's Wedding are back with their newest single Maureen, via Bedroom Suck Records. Featuring some classic backyard guitar twang and balladic, if ocker-inflected lyrics, this track has arrived as a precursor to the release of band's third full-length record, the aptly named Mid Thirties Single Scene. Keep an eye on these guys over the next few months. (Clare Neal)

The Do Yo Thangs: Indecisive (Single) (HopeStreet)
- A more than generous dollop of Haiyatus Kaiyote vibes brings the second single from the One Plus One EP to life, a babaganouj of groove, funk and jazz. Unfortunately one too many (what may only be described as) theremin-synths add too much garlic to this babaganouj. Still, The Melbourne seven-piece bring the luscious melodies of the first single One Plus One, but an eccentric head-nodding funkiness, which could merit the tune a spot on any Friday afternoon drive-home playlist. (Harry Rival Lee)

The Shabbab: GARLIC (Hive Minds)
- Coming out of Tel Aviv, Beirut and Brunswick, The Shabbab make garage punk that sounds instantaneously and intriguingly different. A lot of it you can put down to frontman Shuki Rosenboim who's cartoonish voice you might be the unholy lovechild of Lux Interior and Supergrass' Gaz Coombes. His lyrics are at once politically charged and hilarious and find their perfect partner in a band that's tight and furiously energetic, all of the damn time. (Chris Cobcroft)

Shining Bird: I Can Run (Single) (Spunk)
- Watch out Jack Ladder, Shining Bird are mowing your lawn. It's admittedly a short stroll from the tongue-in-cheek '80s soft-pop-rock that SB were doing to this thoroughly soft-focus rock epic and, really, it sounds great! If you need a little more Foreigner in your life, ironically or otherwise, Shining Bird is packing heat. (Chris Cobcroft)

Taipan Tiger Girls: 2 (It)
- Abrasively lurid as it is beautiful and mesmerising, these experimental instrumentals from Melbournian noizniks Taipan Tiger Girls are some techno / post-rock of monstrous proportions. (Nick Rodwell)

Wartime Sweethearts: Figure It In, Figure It Out (Single) (Art Is Catharsis)
- Sydney's Wartime Sweethearts are a bit of a bolt out of the blue. They name-check all sorts of arty iconoclasts like Björk, St. Vincent and (presumably Bitte Orca era) Dirty Projectors. Who knows if their album -So Long Sparta- will do justice to all of that, but this single is a good start. A lush jazz vocal, you might actually think of Katie Noonan, but on a much more experimental tip, which keeps it from ever being saccharine. Neither too sweet or too experimental it maintains a rich core of vocal harmony that is, at times, achingly beautiful. (Chris Cobcroft)

Overseas:

The Album Leaf: Between Waves (Relapse)
- It's eighteen years and a whole swag of albums in for the solo project of San Diego's Jimmy LaValle. It's his first release on Relapse and you might wonder why the hell The Album Leaf's mild-mannered electronica is any where near that haunt of the heavy and strange. It sorta makes sense though: the gently evocative swells of the mid-tempo beats has a proggy, post-rock quality that you could quite easily liken to, say, 65DaysOfStatic. It's not gonna blow your head off, but, instead, brings a gently reassuring quality, like a calm projection into the astral plane. Probably more for fans of things on Ghostly International than Relapse; if you are, you'll eat this up in its entirety. (Chris Cobcroft)

The Big Moon: Silent Movie Susie (Single) (Fiction / Caroline / Universal)
- These gals have hit the nail on the head again with another excellent display of blase girl rock. A funky bass line paired with the 'I don't have time for your shit' vocals of front woman Juliette has the makings of a classic, punchy indie rock track. Girls showing everyone else how it should be done. (Olivia Shoesmith)

The Dirty Nil: Higher Power (Australian Edition) (Dine Alone)
- Holy hammering scuzz-balls of hiss Batman! Canadians, The Dirty Nil, have released a fine compendium of Rawk. All manner of tempos, songs structures and textures reside in this rough ride of purity. (Nick Rodwell)

Frank Ocean: Blond (Boys Don't Cry / Universal)
- It's been a bit hard to miss Frank Ocean's guerilla release shennanigans. His antics seem to have infuriated every corporate player he's involved with, from Apple to Universal. It's hard not to smirk as the fat-cats scramble to recoup their rapidly shrinking profits while Frank's music continues to leak all over the internet. Don't let all of this distract you from the actual music. Both Blond and the visual album Endless are Frank in fine form: warm, even ambient, soulful r'n'b and considered songwriting that brings a really human touch, one that's missing from my corporatised urban music. It took forever, but this is the follow-up to Channel Orange that everybody wanted. (Hill Folk & Chris Cobcroft)

JEFF The Brotherhood Zone (Dine Alone)
- Zone is the tenth studio album to be released by Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, aka Jeff The Brotherhood. The first and title track features a punchy kick drum and lyrics lamenting the pitfalls of being a chronic stoner. As a whole, the album is a great balance between kicked-in-the-guts punk rock and minimalist lo-fi tines, making for a surprisingly easy listen. Truly an album for hanging out in your best mate's garage. (Clare Neal)

NOTS: Inherently Low (Single) (Heavenly / Liberator)
- The history of Riot Grrrl bands is rich and wonderful, NOTS are most welcome in their contributions. Their latest is this strangled string and slippery synth melange of discontent. (Nick Rodwell)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez: Arañas el la Sombra (Ipecac / Mushroom)
- If there's one certainty with the mercurial prog-rocker Omar Rodriguez-Lopez it's that he puts out a lot of music. That's even more the case now, having cracked the seal on a bunch of unreleased stuff, contributing to a flabbergasting release schedule that should add up to twelve full-lengths by the time the year's done. The pure volume of music takes away some of the thrill, but even so this is a special record featuring -for the most part- the whole line-up of The Mars Volta, minus vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Vocally, Omar is no Cedric (who is!) and this is also a Spanish language record, but if that puts you off then I might have to snort derisively. Not every Mars Volta release was amazing, but with or without Cedric, Arañas el la Sombra would surely be near the front of the pack. (Chris Cobcroft)

Pariuh: Passed Lives' Excessive Future (Moniker)
- Lurid, electronic, lo-fi all over the shop art-pop from this Bostonian trio. Fuzzy, messy, but speedy, energetic and likeable. A bit like Animal Collective embracing The Fiery Furnaces in a big bearhug. (Chris Cobcroft)

Purling Hiss: Fever (Single) (Drag City)
- This Philadelphian rabble exports the purity distilled in the Ramones formula: hammering guitars and drums with that strained attempt at bubblegum melodies. Except, that in this modern rendition has a more gazed-out Wavves vibe. (Nick Rodwell)

Savoir Adore: The Love That Remains (Nettwerk / Footstomp)
- Brooklyn based indie band Savoir Adore have followed on nicely from their hit single Giants. Anthemic synth-pop with tight production, paired with front man Paul's soft vocals create a magical yet mature sound. A good blend of upbeat loops, ambient pads and chill vibes. (Olivia Shoesmith)