Just a year and a half since the release of his critically acclaimed LP Transangelic Exodus, Ezra Furman has returned with Twelve Nudes, yet another incendiary and inspiring classic from the singer/songwriter/guitarist/bandleader.

“This is our punk record,” says Furman. “We made it in Oakland, quickly. We drank and smoked. Then we made the loud parts louder. I hurt my voice screaming. This was back in 2018, when things were bad in the world. The songs are naked with nothing to hide.”

“I think we curate our reactions to current news because we’re overwhelmed by how bad it is, and I noticed I was suppressing how bad I truly felt. I wanted music that gave me permission to feel how it felt to live in a broken world, which punk rock does.”

Furman’s preceding album, 2018’s Transangelic Exodus, was “an angry and fearful and pent-up reaction to events too,” he recalls. “But it was a carefully written and recorded version; we took a lot of time with edits and overdubs. I knew I wanted I make this album quickly and not spend time thinking how to play the songs. Twelve Nudes is a ‘body’ more than a ‘mind’ record - more animal than intellectual, And by affirming negativity, it gives you energy, to reject stuff. There’s more space for positivity.”

“The record is political,” says Furman, “but it offers an emotional reaction rather than being specific or partisan. One of my goals in making music is to make the world seem bigger, and life seem larger,” he concludes. “I want to be a force that tries to revive the human spirit rather than crush it, to open possibilities rather than close them down. Sometimes a passionate negativity is the best way to do that.”

Release: Bella Union/Inertia, August 23rd, 2019
Words: Bella Union

Look Me In The Eye is the incarnation of a fresh direction for Mermaidens. Laced with themes of power and control, their evolved sound is confronting, lyrically introspective and fervent at every level. 

Recorded with long-time collaborator, audio engineer James Goldsmith at Blue Barn Recording Studio, the album sees Mermaidens pushing new boundaries in a body of work that is as severe and progressive as it is vibrant and exhilarating. 

At the heart of the record lies the thematic exploration of female voices, as co-lead vocalists Gussie Larkin (guitar) and Lily West (bass), with dynamic support from Abe Hollingsworth (drums) expose embedded motifs of exterior masks, human relationships and power dynamics.

Release: Friday September 6th, 2019, Flying Nun Records
​Words: Flying Nun

Melbourne-based, feminist brat-wave band Hearts and Rockets have just released their second long player, Power, on blue 12” vinyl, digitally and via all streaming platforms. 

The 14 track album Power is anchored by Hearts and Rockets’ unmistakable driving bass lines, buzzing analogue synth and clattering 808 drum machine beats, plus the addition of chorus-drenched guitar. On Power, Kalindy and Kurt reinvent the sound they created in 2017, all mixed and mastered by their career-long collaborator Mikey Young.

Hearts and Rockets have pushed themselves beyond the hazy Heat Wave days, taking the fun and energy of their debut album Dead Beats and adding some serious pop smarts. They’re set to take it on the road for a tour in September 2019 playing Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong and Brisbane, then to Ballarat, Adelaide and Tassie in November.

Power’s effect is in its simplicity: Hearts and Rockets don’t mince words, and they don’t waste time. Their short-sharp and catchy tracks are fun, without being vapid. They’ll make you want to dance, and definitely sing along.

Release: August 23rd, 2019, Psychic Hysteria
​Words: Psychic Hysteria