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OH SHIT HEY! Man it feels like the past week has just shot right the fuck by. It’s been hectic.
Literally no more than two hours after I posted the last roundup, I wound up back in hospital – this time getting stitches and a tetanus shot because I’d stepped on a shard of broken glass that just tore through my foot. Fun times, right? I truly cannot catch a break.
But it’s been a good week! It’s been a BUSY week. We send Australian Guitar #144 off to print next Friday, and munching through a full platter of assorted health crises over the past two months has led to this issue being an especially stressful one. And there’s been SO much going on in the world of new music, my shifts at NME have been go, go, go. But I’m loving it! I wrote nine pieces yesterday! The chaos is truly exciting and I hope it never ends. Karen, if by some random stroke of embarrassing luck you’ve stumbled upon this (I’m sorry), please roster me on literally every day in August. AG always goes on a lil’ semi-hiatus for the month after an issue sends, so I’ve got the time!
My highlights for this week were the new tracks by Gretta Ray and Those Who Dream – cop them both after the jump! (And if you would be so kind, please consider clicking on an ad or two! I am currently quite on the poor side and every click is a cent I can put towards a sweet, sweet sausage McMuffin).
In non-news music news, I have been absolutely rinsing the new Turnstile album this week. I got a stream of it on Wednesday so I could review for AG144, and I must have racked up at least 100 plays so far. So far it’s my third 10/10 score for this year, following Girl In Red’s If I Could Make It Go Quiet and The Small Calamities’ Moments Of Impact. We’ve decided that AG’s album reviews won’t be syndicated to the Guitar World site moving forward, so I’ll pop my review of GLOW ON here when it’s ready.
I’ve also been listening to the new Courtney Barnett album a lot – and not necessarily because I want to? Sometimes and Tell Me were my #1 albums for 2015 and 2018, respectively, but I’m having a lot of conflicted thoughts on Things Take Time. I’m revising a lot of songs in different contexts and headspaces, trying to figure out how to make them click. But for the most part, it’s falling very flat. I’m going to review it for AG, but I also want to review it for NME – I have a lot of thoughts on this record that I can’t quite cram into 120 words.
Otherwise, I’ve been super out of touch on new album releases. There’s probably a good 200 albums I need to put on my backlog at this point. I severely doubt the new Kanye LP will end up on it; not because I don’t want to listen to it – even for all his migraine-inducing headassery over the years, I cannot deny the man makes some top quality shit – but because let’s face it: the album is never coming out.
WEDNESDAY, 21/07/21
Britney Spears’ new lawyer says he is “moving aggressively” to remove singer’s father as conservator
Martin Kahan, acclaimed KISS, Rush and Bon Jovi music video director, has died at 74
Listen to Clowns’ new tongue-in-cheek love song, ‘Sarah’
Hayley Mary makes the most of isolation in new video for ‘Sullen Kink’
Katz and Fractures team up for atmospheric new single ‘Forward’
Listen to Those Who Dream’s psychotropic new single ‘Bubblegum’
THURSDAY, 22/07/21
Half of the Federal Government’s $200million RISE funding remains unspent
I Prevail announce Australian tour dates for 2022
Semantics share pummelling new single ‘Sleep At Night’
FRIDAY, 23/07/21
Coldplay shoot for the stars with their cinematic new track ‘Coloratura’
Listen to H3000’s cosmic new single ‘Flames’
Stevan amps up the vibes on emotive new single ‘Hope It’s Not’
Listen to Gretta Ray’s enthralling new double A-side, ‘Duology Three’
The Living End lead the inaugural Live At The Park festival lineup
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers yell their hearts out on fiery new single ‘AHHHH!’
Eliza & The Delusionals drop silky single ‘Save Me’, announce rescheduled Queensland shows
Hear Gretta Ray put a soul-stirring spin on a Gang Of Youths gem for Like A Version
SATURDAY, 24/07/21
Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama are turning their ‘Renegades’ podcast into a book
Atlanta officially declares July 22 to be Kanye West Day
Vince Staples celebrates the here and now in his NPR Tiny Desk (Home) concert
Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker record songs in Simlish for new Sims 4 expansion pack
Amyl And The Sniffers, Spacey Jane and Jaguar Jonze lead 2021 Wave Rock Weekender lineup
