Silent Night – Delta Goodrem & Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Considering the nightmarish past weeks Australia has endured, Christmas may prove the soothing balm some sorrow-laden hearts require. Traditionally, it is a time for disparate parties to gather together in harmony. Sydneysider Delta Goodrem and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, from Elcho Island in the Northern Territory, hail from two very different worlds, but share a rare musical ability to bring an element of the sublime to their balladry. Revive your soul with this solemn rendition of a classic Christmas carol.
Listen to Silent Night – Delta Goodrem & Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Sitting Up On Our Crane – Pond
Perth’s rock trio Pond have released a second single from their upcoming record Man It Feels Like Space Again. With its dreamy, stoner lyrics and soaring pop melodies, there are shades of The Flaming Lips and even the Beatles in Sitting Up On Our Crane. According to the band’s own blurb, the song was inspired by days in their youth spent climbing cranes in unmanned construction sites. Songwriter Jay Watson recalls: “We’d sit at the top and I’d always be afraid that we were gonna fall off, kill ourselves. That’s what that song’s about. Kind of an anxiety power ballad.”
Tore My Heart Out – Mama Kin
If you’re heading down to the Woodford Folk Festival (27 December – 1 January), be sure to catch self-declared “swampy, gypsy soul” singer Mama Kin, aka Danielle Caruana. The Fremantle songstress may share her stage name with an Aerosmith song and her bed with John Butler, but she has staked out her own corner of the blues and roots market with smouldering self-assuredness. Tore My Heart Out, from her first album, Beat and Holler, showcases her knack for a hooky melody and irrepressible chorus.
Breezeblocks – Alt-J
Alt-J’s sui generis sound is part circumstance, part skill. Circumstance saw the four members meet as students at the University of Leeds. Noise restrictions forced them to restrain use of heavy bass or loud guitars. Drummer Thom Green also suffers from a rare genetic disorder, Alport syndrome, which caused him to lose most of his hearing at six. The band’s skill lies in their marriage of trademark indie rock sounds, like lead singer Joe Newman’s jerky vocals, with jangling bells and folk-tinged riffs. Catch Alt-J in Australia playing at both Falls festival and Field Day over the new year’s celebrations.
Miracle on U Street – Wale
With the release of his latest single, Miracle on U Street, Wale reaffirms his calibre as a hip-hop artist. The rapper from Washington, DC has been in the game for a while now, and alludes to his longevity in lyrics like: “I’ve been relevant seven years, boy, this a career, facts.” Miracle on U Street features some signature pugnacious verse, dotted with references to his riches. The beats are more jazzy and percussive than hip-hop’s more standard synthesised production fare. It’s all a nice prelude to what might be coming from Wale’s upcoming LP, The Album About Nothing.
