Since forming in singer Thomas Mars’ garage in the late 90s, Phoenix have become global superstars thanks to a string of undeniable hits such as 1901, Lisztomania, Too Young and Entertainment. In 2009, their superb third album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Earlier this year, Phoenix unveiled their sixth record, Ti Amo, a sparkling love letter to Italy which Spin Magazine called “a big, juicy starburst of romantic synth-pop and disco.”

Ti Amo is Phoenix’s first album since 2013’s critically lauded Bankrupt!. Produced by the band and recorded at La Gaîté Lyrique (Paris) with the help of long-time collaborator Pierrick Devin, Ti Amo is  – in the band’s own words –“an album about simple pure emotions: love, desire, lust and innocence, it’s also a record about our European, Latin roots, a fantasized version of Italy: a lost paradise made of eternal Roman summers (hyper-light, hyper-clarity, pistachio gelato), juke-boxes on the beach, Monica Vitti and Marcello Mastroiani, fearless desire and Antique marble statues.

After a summer packed with acclaimed appearances at Glastonbury, Montreux Jazz Festival and Summer Sonic, and dazzling audiences at headline shows around the world, Phoenix will bring their stunning live show to Australia for their first headline shows down under in four years.

Phoenix 2018 Australian Tour
February 24 – Sydney AU – Sydney City Limits
February 26 – Melbourne AU – Margaret Court Arena
February 28 – Brisbane AU – The Tivoli
www.facebook.com/wearephoenix

Bobby Gillespie is the consummate rock & roll star. Willowy, wispy and radiating swagger, he struts around the stage, mic in hand like the genetically-engineered love child of Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison. H

is presence and ability to throw himself into a tune – spinning, sweating, hair plastered over his face, accompanied by trademark hand claps – still thrills crowds and propels PRIMAL SCREAM into a league of their own.

Primal Scream Touring Australia
February 15 – Metropolis, FREMANTLE
February 16 – HQ, ADELAIDE
February 18 – Forum, MELBOURNE
February 20 – Enmore Theatre, SYDNEY
February 21 – The Tivoli, BRISBANE
www.primalscream.net

The xx will treat audiences to their unique dreamy sound in stunning outdoor venues in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney next January, joined at all shows by special guests Kelela and Earl Sweatshirt.

The xx are Romy Madley Croft (guitar, vocals), Oliver Sim (bass, vocals) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC, production), also known as Jamie xx. Their latest Mecury prize nominated release ‘I See You’incorporates all three members’ talents into a new version of their sound, one true to their roots but richer and more varied.

“I See You pulls off the feat of managing to sound both exactly like The xx and unlike anything they have done before.”
– The Guardian ★★★★

Supporting The xx at all shows will be Kelela (USA) with her mutable hybrid of house, electro, R&B and hip hop, as well as LA rapper Earl Sweatshirt (USA) following his acclaimed 2015 album, ‘I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside’.

The xx have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket purchased will go towards local LGBT+ programs in each city of the tour. Visit plus1.org for more information on the organisation.

These are The xx’s first Australian headline shows since they embarked on their 2013 tour, which saw them sell out multiple nights in advance at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion and Melbourne’s Festival Hall. Fans are encouraged to act quickly to secure their tickets to witness The xx, one of pop’s brooding perfectionists.

The xx – I See You – Australian 2018 Tour
Melbourne – Saturday 13th January – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Brisbane – Wednesday 17th January – Riverstage
Sydney – Saturday 20th January – The Domain
www.thexx.info

Five years on from her last Australian visit, Feist’s towering live performances have gained her worldwide acclaim, with the musician swinging between whispers and wails, from luminous ballads to the unhinged guitars also heard in her work with Broken Social Scene.

Possessing a nomadic, ever-evolving spirit with echoes of Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and fellow Canadian Leonard Cohen, Feist’s recent six year sabbatical saw her side-step any pop traps set by the immense success of The Reminder and Metals, the latter of which debuted at No.9 on the Billboard Chart and was named Album of the Year by The New York Times.

To date, Feist’s music has sold over 3 million units worldwide and amassed more than 500 million streams. She’s been described as “an artist yet to disappoint” by tastemaker Consequence Of Sound, and on her November-December dates will draw from five timeless albums to mesmerise Australian audiences.

Feist Australian Tour
November 28 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
December 01 – Forum Theatre, Melbourne
December 03 – Sydney Opera House, Sydney
www.listentofeist.com

At the age of just 16, Lorde released her first album Pure Heroine (Universal), breaking into the international market and later going on to win two Grammy Awards including the coveted Album of the Year. The album peaked at #1 in over 20 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and America and featuring chart topping tracks ‘Royals’, ‘Tennis Court’ and ‘Team’.

Now 20, Lorde has truly grown in her formidable talent. Her forthcoming second studio album Melodrama (out 16 June through Universal Music) is one of the most anticipated records of the year. Produced by Lorde, the esteemed Jack Antonoff and Frank Dukes, the album was recorded between Jack’s flat and Electric Lady Studios.

Fronted by the release of three stunning songs – current single ‘Perfect Places’, ‘Green Light’ and ‘Liability’ as well as today’s surprise release ‘Sober’ – Melodrama’s tasters are critically acclaimed in the recorded and live arena. Lorde’s stunning debut performance of ‘Green Light’ on Saturday Night Live made international waves, reminding us all of her compelling vocals and stage presence.

Lorde – Melodrama World Tour
Sat 18 Nov – Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth (18+^)
Tue 21 Nov – Opera House Forecourt, Sydney (All Ages)
Wed 22 Nov – Opera House Forecourt, Sydney (All Ages)
Thu 23 Nov – Riverstage, Brisbane (All Ages)
Sat 25 Nov – Spilt Milk Festival, Canberra (18+)
Sun 26 Nov – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (All Ages)
www.lorde.co.nz

Joining Angus & Julia Stone is special guest Ruel. Quite literally the definition of ‘a natural’, at only 14 years of age Ruel has the soulful voice of a broken heart that had been smoking cigarettes and downing whiskey for the past 40 years. Discovered in 2015 by Grammy Award winning producer M-Phazes (Eminem, Kimbra, Daniel Johns, Meg Mac), Ruel would later make his introduction via featuring on the super producer’s single ‘Golden Years’. Their recent performance on triple j’s Like A Version clocked over half a million views in less than 48 hours and made it one of the highest viewed LAV’s of 2017. Executive produced by M-Phazes, Ruel’s debut EP is out later this year and it boasts a bold & unique sound for Australia’s newest musical prodigy.

‘Snow’ is the first taste of music to be unveiled from their highly-anticipated forthcoming studio album due out later this year. It brings a fresh mix of breezy rock with layered scratchy guitars, gentle organs and their signature intimate harmonic style. It’s simply stunning.

Fans get their first look at the new video for ‘Snow’ today, directed by Onil Kotain and produced by Karim Sukarno. The video is as intimate and intoxicating as the track itself and sees Angus & Julia Stone wandering through a lost doorway in the desert, finding themselves in a snow lodge party with a cruisy gang having a good time. All of which serves as a prelude to their live shows this September.

Since the duo began performing together in 2006, their story has unfolded with an almost magical magnetism that has galvanised the world. Their four albums have amassed multi-platinum sales, with their latest single release ‘Snow’ already hitting #2 most played on triple j last week, #62 on the Shazam chart (with over 8,000 shazams) and over 800,000 Spotify plays! Whilst also winning a fan base of millions over spiralling tours of the UK, Europe and North America. The band have over 5 million listeners each month who tune in to stream their music from all over the world.

Angus & Julia Stone Australian Tour
21 September 2017 – TIVOLI, BRISBANE FESTIVAL
23 September 2017 – PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE
26 September 2017 – ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY
28 September 2017 – THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE
29 September 2017 – PERTH CONCERT HALL, PERTH
www.facebook.com/AngusAndJulia

The up-tempo single is simultaneously glamorous and minimalist in its approach, revolving around a basic formula of clapping drums, a strutting bassline, bright guitar notes and cooing layers of falsetto vocals that all stand out on their own while perfectly combining in a mix that straddles the line between tender indie rock and a neo-disco jam.

LISTEN TO ‘BACK FOR ME’ HERE:

‘Back For Me’ is a side-step to ‘Dear To Me’, the duo’s synth-driven first single from Plural. Released late last year, the no less infectious single feautured a cameo from Haim on backing vocals, and was Electric Guest’s first official release since their 2012 breakout debut album, Mondo. Premiering on Stereogum, it announced their return with soulful style and a terminally chill flow that seamlessly suited the rise of Australian summer.

Recorded in their hometown of LA and, Plural is a record that finds Electric Guest’s Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton at the absolute top of their game, infusing their version of electronic r’n’b with an even more confident, adventurous spirit than even Mondo displayed. Co-produced by the duo, along with the likes of John Hill (Rihanna, Santigold, M.I.A.), Cole MGN (Nite Jewel, Ariel Punk’s Haunted Graffiti) and Lars Stalfors (HEALTH, Coldwar Kids), the album is much more than the sum of its parts – using spare instrumentation and recording techniques to produce vibrant and joyful pop music that focuses purely on the power of the band’s songwriting and performing abilites.

When it came to record Plural, Taccone admits that he forced himself to simplify and look for that joy in writing and recording that had originally inspired the band’s debut album and won them so much success.

“I just realized that working quickly and intuitively is part of the magic of making music,” says Taccone. “I think a lot of music suffers when people get into a studio and feel like the process has to be this heady thing. When you go in with expectations, it wears down the levity and the fluidity that the natural process should have. And that’s not to say there weren’t songs on this record that were puzzles we had to figure out, but making music is supposed to be fun, and it was important for us to get back to that.”

That freewheeling sense of looseness Taccone rediscovered also opened the doors to several off-the-cuff collaborations, including an impromptu collaboration with baroque pop star Joanna Newsom and the aforementioned Haim sisters. It also led to a new level of comfort both at the mixing board and behind the microphone. That relaxed, go with the flow approach permeates Plural, encouraging the listener to shed all their preoccupations, and sing or dance along with its 12 glorious tracks.

‘Back For Me’ is just a tantalising taste of what we can expect once Plural finally drops February 17.
www.facebook.com/electricguest

The song is the first taste of new music from their yet-to-be-announced forthcoming second LP to be released in 2017 via Dew Process / UMA.

The band have also revealed the details for their one and only Australian headline show to take place at Paddington Town Hall, Sydney on Thursday, January 5 – Ballot is now closed and entrants will be sent an invitation for the ticket link shortly.
www.londongrammar.com

Love You To Death is the band’s 8th studio album and once again finds the group working with producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Beck, Ellie Goulding). It is slated for release on June 3rd, with the first single ‘Boyfriend’ out now.
 

 
Boyfriend has already received rave reviews from fans and press alike. Vulture exclaims “Are there two greater pop songwriters walking this Earth than Tegan & Sara Quin? Not many. And oh baby, they’re finally back with more synth-pop perfection.” SPIN calls the track a “swirling, lushly synthesized confection (handclaps and a f**king killer chorus included),”and Rolling Stone proclaims “The synths beam and blare over thundering percussion, while Sara Quin belts the song’s charmingly cheeky and lovestruck hook.”

Tegan & Sara have been featured by Buzzfeed in a comprehensive document of the duo’s journey over their 17-year career, from their early days to indie rock success, signing to a major label and performing at the Academy Awards, right up to recording Love You to Death. In the unprecedented music profile, Tegan discloses that the album is about “how debilitating and transformative” relationships can be, including those Tegan & Sara have with each other. The album is a product of their strengthened bond and of being more comfortable with who they truly are, and Buzzfeed identifies it as their “strongest, catchiest record to date.”

Born in Calgary, Alberta and now residing in Vancouver, BC, Tegan and Sara have won 3 Juno Awards, 2 Polaris Prize nominations and a Grammy nomination.

Tegan & Sara 2016 Australian Tour
Sunday 24 July 2016 – Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay
Monday 25 July 2016 – 170 Russell, Melbourne
Tuesday 26 July 2016 – The Metro, Sydney
www.teganandsara.com

Just last month Passion Pit released album #3, Kindred (Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment Australia). Kindred is the perfect example of Passion Pit’s uplifting blend of indie pop, bursting with twists and turns that leave listeners dizzy with rapture.

Hidden in this euphoria is the contrasting darkness of Angelakos’ lyrics, which touch on themes such as depression and familial strife, proving there is more to Passion Pit’s music than its shiny, upbeat pop exterior suggests.

‘Angelakos has crafted a record which seems hopeful in the face of the world’s myriad of disappointments, obstacles, and unseen villains, buoyed by the most dynamic, expertly calibrated synth pop of his career’ – Under The Radar

‘A potent reminder of his prowess as a writer, delivered in a quick, forthright burst’ – The Line of Best Fit

‘They’ve mastered the art of pairing emotionally naked lyrics with sweet, lush synth beats’ – Rolling Stone

‘A super-dense, syrupy, glistening, orgasmic pop behemoth’ – The Music

Lifted from Kindred and currently on high rotation on triple j, ‘Lifted Up (1985)’ provides listeners with Passion Pit’s characteristically energetic tempo, while ‘Where The Sky Hangs,’ is a slower and more delicate track, exemplifying Angelakos’ maturing talent for songwriting.

Since releasing his critically acclaimed debut album Manners in 2009, Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos, has garnered widespread recognition as an incredible song writer while establishing Passion Pit’s immensely joyful and unique sound.

‘Big, ambitious, bursting-at-the-seams electro-pop brilliance’ – PopMatters

‘At its most adventurous, Manners sounds like little else—a pop record that exists in a world of its own, carving a subgenre niche which only fits their expansive, tonally decadent material’ – 9.2/10 Paste Magazine

Gossamer, Passion Pit’s second album, was met with similar praise and even greater commercial success, reaching #4 on the US Billboard Chart and #12 on the ARIA Chart.

In 2013 Angelakos and his four live band members visited Australia for Splendour In The Grass and a number of sold out headline sideshows after selling out Madison Square Garden earlier in the year. Passion Pit’s sideshows were described by Pages Digital as ‘outstandingly tight, energetic and euphoric,’ while The AU Review claimed the live show was ‘like a massive synth-pop hit of sugar directly into your veins.’

Supporting Passion Pit will be Sydney-based indie rock outfit, The Griswolds. Fresh from a 45+ date tour throughout North America alongside Walk The Moon, The Griswolds have been generating a huge level of hype at home and abroad since the release of their debut album Be Impressive (Chugg Music / MGM) in 2014.

Responsible for ‘Beware The Dog’ (#28 in this year’s triple j Hottest 100) and a slew of triple j high-rotation singles over the last few years, The Griswolds are a welcome addition to Passion Pit’s not to be missed Australian East Coast shows.

This critically lauded and truly adored artist returns to Australia to perform his positively beautiful songs to audiences in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne: do not miss out on what is sure to be a standout concert of 2015.

Passion Pit 2105 Australian Tour
Friday 21 August – Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC  (18+)
Sunday 23 August – Enmore Theatre, Sydney NSW  (All Ages)
Tuesday 25 August – The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD  (18+)
www.kindredthealbum.com