Author: ellierobinson

Hey, hi, hello!

So I’ve been trying something new this week. Bruno has been getting rather ✨chonky✨ throughout lockdown, and Milo and I have been neglecting his usual walkies and/or trips to the dog park by proxy of my work piling up, and Milo’s study piling up. But rather than continue to watch Bruno progressively get rounder, we decided on Tuesday to take him to the park with my laptop, and have Milo supervise while I tried smashing out some work from a park bench. It wasn’t entirely optimal, but it worked – and the dogs weren’t nearly as distracting as I thought they’d be (however it was indeed extremely difficult not to spent the whole time petting them all) – so we ended up doing the same on Wednesday and Friday.

NSW also hit its 70% double-vax target on Wednesday, so we are OFFICIALLY OUT OF LOCKDOWN TOMORROW, BAYBEE! I have the day off, too, so Milo and I are heading out for breakfast at one of our favourite cafés, then to the movies (ya bitch is finally going to see Shang-Chi, and they cannot fucking wait), and then maybe to the arcade after if we’re both up to it. 

So with all of that said, here’s everything I got up to at NME this week. The highlight for this week was easily the new Gang Of Youths track, but I didn’t write the piece about that because the UK team is just too good at breaking shit-hot Aussie news. Goddamn it. I think the best thing I wrote about this week is the new Flowerkid song, “Vodka Orange Juice”. It is so powerful, emotional and cerebral. This dude just does not have it in him to write a bad song, does he? Absolute GEM of a track.

Take care. Stay safe. Eat a bagel.

TUESDAY, 05/10/21

Billy Bragg leads judging panel for 2021 Australian Music Prize

Sarah Wolfe tackles social anxiety on fiery new single ‘Killing Time’

Missy Higgins, Xavier Rudd and Birds Of Tokyo lead new SummerSalt shows in TAS and WA

Amy Shark, Mo’Ju and Lime Cordiale named ambassadors for Ausmusic T-Shirt Day 2021

WEDNESDAY, 06/10/21

Foo Fighters and Tame Impala lead 2022 edition of baseball-centric Innings Festival

Hockey Dad, Aunty Donna and Middle Kids lead inaugural Super Fun Day lineup

San Joseph bares his soul on heartrending new single ‘Everything In The Room’

Up Late channels his best and worst selves on biting new single ‘Diva’

Becca Hatch blends jungle beats with gentle balladry on new single ‘Safety’

THURSDAY, 07/10/21

Billie Eilish adds Australia and New Zealand leg to ‘Happier Than Ever’ world tour

‘Four Corners’ special to explore the “inside story” of Sony Music Australia

Milan Ring drops new single ‘Pick Me Up’, announces debut album

Totally Unicorn lament societal pressures on intense new single ‘Yeah, Coach’

Flowerkid highlights transphobia on gut-wrenching new single ‘Vodka Orange Juice’

FRIDAY, 08/10/21

Kylie Minogue is returning to Australia after 30 years in the UK

Suicidal Tendencies lose Instagram account for three weeks because of their band name

Nas shares breezy new Hit-Boy collaboration, ‘Big Nas’

The Kid LAROI is working on a project to explore his name, a nod to his mother’s Kamilaroi heritage

SATURDAY, 09/10/21

Hatchie drops smoky cover of Jennifer Paige’s 1998 hit ‘Crush’

Listen to The Belligerents’ first new song in four years, ‘Emily’

The Money War announce new EP ‘Blood’, share effervescent title track

Watch the animated music video for Hope D’s latest single, ‘Happy Hangover’

SUNDAY, 10/10/21

Watch Carly Rae Jepsen cover Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and Sade’s ‘By Your Side’

The Rock makes his white-hot rap debut on new Tech N9ne single ‘Face Off’

Hi, hey, hello!

It is a muggy Sunday morning here in Western Sydney, and I am currently buried under a veritable mountain of blankets (with a fan blasting at full power about 20cm from my face, because… contrast). September was a pretty hectic month – hence the last two NME round-ups not even having intros – but I’m currently enjoying a chill day off and mentally preparing myself for an even more insane October. 

On that note, we’re only a week out from COVID restrictions (supposedly) easing in NSW, which means I should be able to start house-hunting (and finally see Shang-Chi, holy shit) later this month! I’m just crossing my fingers in hopes that the border to Victoria opens soon too, or that we’re at least able to start applying for permits to cross it. Right now my LGA is a grey zone, which means we aren’t able to cross any interstate borders unless it is an absolute, extreme-case emergency. But hopefully that’s gonna change soon!

My highlight this week is the new track by Whatever, Forever – a pop-punk/emo/hardcore-ish outfit from my own batting grounds of Western Sydney – which landed on Friday. Five EPs down and they still won’t commit to a full-length album, but at least we’re getting new music from them at all – and fucking sick music, at that. I’ve linked “Ghost Of Me” after the jump, but in the meantime, here’s everything I got up to at NME this week:

TUESDAY, 28/09/21

Bob Dylan announces US leg of ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ world tour

Listen to Soccer Mommy and Kero Kero Bonito join forces on ‘Rom Com 2021’

Listen to Arca’s entrancing new single ‘Incendio’

Tom Grennan announces 2022 Australian tour

Muroki longs for home on bubbly new single ‘Surfin’

WEDNESDAY, 29/09/21

Converge detail collaborative album with Chelsea Wolfe, Ben Chisholm and Stephen Brodsky

Spacey Jane, Meg Mac, The Presets and more announced for QLD leg of This That 2022

Eat Your Heart Out drop idyllic film clip for ‘Pear Tree’

PLANET plead to save a doomed relationship on summery new single ‘Ship Won’t Change’

Shannen James team ups with Riley Pearce for an acoustic version of ‘Separate Ways’

THURSDAY, 30/09/21

Judge suspends Jamie Spears as Britney Spears’ conservator

The Script announce Australian ‘Greatest Hits’ tour for 2022

Ashwarya taps into romantic tension on striking new single ‘Flare’

Micra drop new tracks ‘After Dark’ and ‘Tell Me What You Need’, announce EP trilogy

KYE links up with Jerome Farah for dreamy new single ‘Tuesday’

FRIDAY, 01/10/21

LÂLKA drops dancefloor-primed new single ‘Hold Me’, announces new EP

Running Touch links up with GRAACE, Set Mo and Motez for live version of ‘Ceilings’

Keli Holiday lives it up on his lonesome with summery new single ‘December’

Between You And Me share new single ‘Butterflies’, detail second album

Client Liaison drop new video for ‘Strictly Business’, sell their “soul” as an NFT

Whatever, Forever share emotive new single ‘Ghost Of Me’, announce fifth EP

SATURDAY, 02/10/21

David Lee Roth says he’ll retire after final concerts in Las Vegas: “I’m throwing in the shoes”

Queen’s Roger Taylor says anti-vaxxers “must be ignorant and stupid”

Bootleg Rascal drop reggae remix of ‘With You’, detail massive Australian tour

Pluto Jonze drops blissful new singles ‘New Morning High’ and ‘Rumschpringe’

PS. get vaccinated or fuck off eternally.

What a week it has beeeeeeeen! Here’s everything I got up to at NME over the past week:

TUESDAY, 21/09/21

Slash posts teaser of new Guns N’ Roses song ‘Hard School’

Morgan Wallen reportedly only donated a third of his promised $500,000 to Black-led organisations

Jimmy Barnes and Matt Okine mount #ShareASong campaign for dementia awareness

WEDNESDAY, 22/09/21

Greatest Hits set their sights on the dancefloor with groovy new single ‘Spicy’

Springtime release new single ‘Will To Power’, detail self-titled debut album

Fergus James channels Bon Iver and Imogen Heap on new single ‘Slow Separation’

Private Function to play horror-themed ‘Miracle On 69th Street’ Christmas show

This That festival postponed to 2022, Queensland date to receive new line-up

THURSDAY, 23/09/21

Damon Albarn finds the beauty in darkness on new single ‘Royal Morning Blue’

Billy Corgan to sell gear played on Smashing Pumpkins albums and tours

Oh Wonder detail fourth album, ‘22 Break’, and share dazzling title track

Stepson announce rescheduled ‘Help Me, Help You’ tour for 2022

Mossy drops frenzied Kmoe remix of ‘Shade’

FRIDAY, 24/09/21

Hear St. Vincent, Fontaines D.C. and Michael Stipe cover The Velvet Underground on new tribute album

R. Kelly’s lawyer references Martin Luther King, Jr. in closing arguments of New York trial

As I Lay Dying issue statement on guitarist Nick Hipa’s departure: “We wish him the absolute best”

RedHook embrace their emo side on new single ‘Sentimental Surgery’

Listen to the title track from Azure Ryder’s new EP ‘Ladder To The Moon’

Wolfjay wrestles with extremes on luminous new single ‘Dichotomy’

SATURDAY, 25/09/21

Listen to Ocean Sleeper’s stormy new single ‘Forever Sinking’

Listen to Paris Texas’ punchy new single ‘Girls Like Drugs’

Eminem to open diner named after “Mom’s spaghetti” lyric in ‘Lose Yourself’

SUNDAY, 26/09/21

Watch Baker Boy, Stella Donnelly, John Butler and more perform at the 2021 AFL Grand Final

Courtney Love says Nirvana should have made ‘In Bloom’ the lead single from ‘Nevermind’

• 

Another week has passed, and with it a whole stack of music news! Here’s everything I got up to at NME over the past week:

MONDAY, 13/09/21

Here are all the winners from the MTV VMAs 2021

Watch Ed Sheeran perform ‘Shivers’ and ‘Bad Habits’ from the 2021 MTV VMAs

TUESDAY, 14/09/21

Courtney Barnett goes on a sonic adventure in new video for ‘Before You Gotta Go’

Every Time I Die aim for the throat on anti-capitalist anthem ‘Planet Shit’

Nicki Minaj says she will get COVID-19 vaccine “once I feel I’ve done enough research”

Parkway Drive, Polaris, Alex Lahey and more announced for 2021 Knight & Day festival

WEDNESDAY, 15/09/21

Listen to Gang Of Youths’ haunting piano version of ‘The Angel Of 8th Ave.’

Paul Kelly muses on Australia’s culture of racism in new single ‘Every Step Of The Way’

The Amity Affliction pay tribute to the late Sean Kennedy on new single ‘Like Love’

Banoffee mourns the best sex of her life on new single ‘Never Get to F*ck Any1’

Bodyjar build a conspiracy theorist in new video for ‘Get Out Of My Head’

Skeleten drops two new remixes for ‘Live In Another World’

Watch the cinematic music video for Twelve Foot Ninja’s new single ‘Over And Out’

THURSDAY, 16/09/21

Hope D trips out on explosive new single ‘Happy Hangover’

The Cat Empire announce final tour with original line-up

Wave Racer puts an upbeat spin on sad times with new single ‘Dreaming’

Johnny Hunter balance light and dark on evocative new single ‘Life’

Peking Duk, Boo Seeka and Northeast Party House to play regional QLD festival The Backyard Series

Drapht and Bodyjar join Land Of Plenty festival, rescheduled for 2022

Listen to Dominic Breen’s dizzying new single ‘Real Hard Week’

FRIDAY, 17/09/21

Scarface receives kidney transplant from son after battle with COVID-19

Josh Homme’s daughter has been granted a temporary restraining order against him

Birds Of Tokyo team up with Stand Atlantic for stirring new single ‘Superglue’

Listen to Running Touch’s steamy new single ‘Ceilings’

Close Counters release charity singles ‘In Need Of Love’ and ‘Wherever You Go’

Sarah Saint James drops biting new single ‘Heather’, co-written with Alex Lahey

SUNDAY, 19/09/21

Kanye West honours his late mother in new video for ‘Donda Chant’

The Smashing Pumpkins perform ‘Quiet’ for the first time in 27 years at Riot Fest

Los Angeles to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination at bars and nightclubs

Foxing announce UK and European tour for 2022

G’morning! Happy Tuesday!

I don’t have a whole bunch to say this time around – it’s been a really busy week so I haven’t had much time to let my mind wander anywhere else but my laptop… I did some baking yesterday which was pretty nice? Also I’d never watched any of the Matrix movies before this week (I know, I’m an uncultured watermelon) so I’ve been catching up on those before Resurrections comes out in December. I’m halfway through Reloaded and so far I feel like it and the OG ’99 movie were a lil’ overhyped, but I still still really enjoyed The Matrix nonetheless. I also just love that crusty, washed out ’90s aesthetic.

My highlight for this week was 100% The Bob’s Burgers Movie getting a new release date! I was so worried that would get pulled from the slate altogether after it got knocked back last year, but it is actually coming out for realsies I am SO FUCKING EXCITED to see it next year now! Music-wise, though, I really dug the new Moaning Lisa single. The album is fantastic!

TUESDAY, 07/09/21

Watch Chvrches play three ‘Screen Violence’ highlights on ‘CBS This Morning’

Watch Miley Cyrus cover Janis Joplin’s ‘Maybe’ at BottleRock

Klaxons keyboardist James Righton reveals his role in forming ABBA reunion band

Yumi Zouma power through their self-doubt on new single ‘Give It Hell’

Guy Sebastian says he disagrees with messaging of #VaxTheNation music industry campaign

WEDNESDAY, 08/09/21

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ unveils promotional website with 180,000 different teasers

Britney Spears’ father Jamie files petition to end her conservatorship

Baker Boy, Amy Shark, Jimmy Barnes and more announced for 2022 Great Southern Nights concert series

Ash Grunwald drops striking new single ‘I Want You To Know’, details 11th studio album

THURSDAY, 09/09/21

Angels & Airwaves tap into their slower side on emotive new single ‘Spellbound’

Triple One shake it up with trippy new single ‘Blood Rave’

Shady Nasty muse on the grind of city life in new single ‘PRETTYB0YZ’

Watch Vance Joy perform ‘Missing Piece’ on ‘The Late Late Show’

Stumps share “extended cut” of ‘All Our Friends’ with five new remixes

Jack River champions young activists on powerful new single ‘We Are The Youth’

FRIDAY, 10/09/21

Listen to Moaning Lisa’s breezy new single ‘Too Many’

Watch Debbies get drunk with the devil in new video for ‘Sinner’

90ivy drop groove-laden breakup anthem ‘Now Or Later’

Listen to Fangz get angsty on belting new single ‘I Don’t Like Me’

Fractures drops bubbly new single ‘Raspberries’, announces ‘Summer’ EP

Cyrus yearns for “real life” on dreamy new single ‘Love Online’

Listen to the Hard-Ons’ propulsive new single ‘Lite As A Feather’

SATURDAY, 11/09/21

LEGO teams up with Fender for 1,000+ piece Stratocaster set

Billy Talent recruit Rivers Cuomo for new single ‘End Of Me’, announce sixth album

Mastodon drop new single ‘Pushing The Tides’, detail ninth studio album

Members of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam leading “Sounds Of Seattle” rock camp

Gear owned by late Mazzy Star member David Roback up for sale 

Jax Jones announces UK tour dates for 2022

SUNDAY, 12/09/21

Explosions In The Sky release hypnotic new single ‘Flying’

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ sets new 2022 release date

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon say ‘The Last Duel’ is a feminist movie

Swizz Beatz says Kanye West was down to battle Drake in a ‘VERZUZ’ episode

Matt Damon fans have tracked down his secret Instagram account

My dudes, it has been a wild fortnight. I completely just spaced on posting a news roundup last week – to be fully honest, I forgot I even had this blog.

I got my second dose of Pfizer on Thursday, and it does feel really good to be fully vaccinated now. Although, I wasn’t expecting to be decked so hard by the side-effects – I had absolutely no reaction to the first dose, but the second dose gave me three full days of brutal lethargy, brain fog and soreness. But I have a much lower chance of getting COVID-19 now, and if I do somehow manage to get it, a much lower chance of dying – so at the end of the day, it’s very much worth the side-effects. We’ve been hearing stuff about some NSW businesses starting to re-open for vaccinated people, and I’m hoping that starts soon, because I am truly starting to go postal in lockdown. I also (kinda selfishly) hope cinemas are included in that suite of businesses, because I am fucking desperate to watch Shang-Chi.

Anyway, here’s everything I got up to at NME over the past couple of weeks!

TUESDAY, 24/08/21

Kanye West momentarily leaked Drake’s home address on Instagram

Judge rules Tory Lanez violated Megan Thee Stallion’s restraining order

Watch the powerful new trailer for Halsey’s IMAX film ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’

Watch Bugs erupt into a cathartic live set in ‘Decisions, Commitments & Plans’ video

Listen to Biblemami’s electrifying new single ‘Bunny’

WEDNESDAY, 25/08/21

Paramore’s Hayley Williams appears to have been given a writing credit on Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’

Woman alleges at trial that R. Kelly forced her to have sex with another man as punishment

Watch Pond tear it up in a “bootleg” recording of their full set in Fremantle

THURSDAY, 26/08/21

merci, mercy drops brutally relatable new single ‘Winnie Crush’

Bootleg Rascal set October release for new album ‘Sloppy Seconds’

Charlie Collins riffs on the frustrations of heartbreak in eruptive new single ‘Just My Luck’

Totally Unicorn slam the ‘Trust Fund Glee’ on mosh-ready new single

Meredith Music Festival cancels its 2021 event

Watch Parcels play an acoustic version of ‘Comingback’ from the idyllic Painted Hills

Amy Shark postpones remainder of ‘Cry Forever’ tour dates

Kobie Dee announces ‘Gratitude Over Pity’ EP, drops striking new single ‘About A Girl’

Between You And Me call themselves out on new single ‘Deadbeat’

FRIDAY, 27/08/21

The Weeknd, Belly and Nas join forces for powerful new track ‘Die For It’

Eminem teams up with Grip for scorching new song ‘Walkthrough!’

Listen to Big Red Machine and Taylor Swift team up on heady new track ‘Birch’

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich pays tribute to Charlie Watts: “There’s nobody above Charlie on that pyramid”

Kacey Musgraves embraces healing pains on new single ‘justified’

Dylan J and Ruel team up for smoky new single ‘Notice Me’

SATURDAY, 28/08/21

Jason Isbell covers The Rolling Stones’ hit ‘Gimme Shelter’ in memory of Charlie Watts

Angel Haze drops “woozy, dreamlike” new single, details ‘Girl With A Gun’ EP

Mark Lanegan and Joe Cardamone detail self-titled Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe album

Historic baths venue being renovated and reopened for Sound City Ipswich

London Grammar drop breathtaking orchestral version of ‘Lord It’s A Feeling’

SUNDAY, 29/08/21

Stormzy brings out Manchester City footballer Jack Grealish during Leeds Festival set

Chris D’Elia returns to stand-up, reportedly jokes about being “cancelled”

Nas calls Hit-Boy his “Quincy Jones”, talks potential third album together: “The idea has to be exciting in the first place”

The Script announce 2022 tour for UK and Europe, detail ‘Tales From The Script’ compilation

TUESDAY, 31/08/21

GoFundMe launched for Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton’s cancer treatment

Halsey calls out industry treatment over pregnancy: “My personal choice isn’t going to affect your profitability”

Drake shows off latest instalment of ‘Certified Lover Boy’ merch collaboration with Nike

Flume drops bass-inflected remix of Danny L Harle’s ‘On A Mountain’

FRIDAY, 03/09/21

Masked Wolf links up with X Ambassadors’ Sam Harris for new single ‘Razor’s Edge’

The Vanns celebrate personal wins on summery new single ‘Feels Good Now’

Broods return with intoxicating new single ‘Piece Of My Mind’

Lime Cordiale, The Veronicas, Broods and more announced for 2021 Factory Summer Festival

Teenage Dads drop ‘Cheerleader’ video, set release for ‘Club Echo’ EP

SUNDAY, 05/09/21

André 3000 issues statement after his Kanye West collaboration is leaked by Drake

Chance The Rapper, Smoko Ono, Joey Purp and Yxng Bane join forces for new single ‘Winners’

Cheryl Cole criticised for hosting R&B podcast on BBC Sounds

Somebody shat themselves in the pit during a Turnstile show in California