‘All’ Category

I had to keep reminding myself that this was only an EP, because the quality of these songs could fill an album! And that’s an album I want to hear!

Listening to the Miss Elm EP ensures you go through many states of mind before the end. Her songs are a blend of catchy beats and melodies mixed with just enough surprise to keep you on your toes.

2nd Hand a quirky and cute track, upon listening the word ‘cute’ comes to mind. (and I mean cute in a good way!) It’s one of those songs that halfway through you realize you’ve been bopping along with your head to it the whole time! Elm’s falsetto is so good at the end of this song it makes you sit up and wonder where she pulled that from!?

Another catchy, foot-tapping song is Decay Day. You think you know where this song is going and then a flute sneaks it’s way into the mix. It adds a really nice layer to this song, giving it some more dimension. This song strikes me as being a great accompaniment to tea and cake.. I can hear it playing in my local coffee shop.

Man Repellant is a more upbeat, freestyle styled song. With a keys section reminiscent of The Doors in places, I’m transported to a little Jazz club sipping a martini.

Her voice is a unique instrument. Going from quirky, almost spoken words to ethereal goddess with a crystal clear falsetto in the space of thirty seconds!!

Adelaide is Elm’s most beautiful track and sees a change of pace on this EP. It is delicate, like lace. The song gradually builds and builds until you hear Elm’s scarily high note. It keeps me coming back for more and more and I therefore declare it my favourite of Miss Elm’s.

If you like Washington, Lily Allen, Laura Marling or Kate Miller-Heidki then get onto Miss Elm! I cannot believe talent this good has not been snapped up already!

Nadia Albuino

Follow me on Twitter @Nadswashere

An esoteric and ethereal blend of vocals and bold beats, Berlin-based Seabourne is a collective of songwriters, bands and solo artists who function as the perfectly placed puzzle pieces to this mysterious music project.
Seabourne is the brainchild of established songwriter and cryptic chanteuse, Larissa Rate (KIDS AT RISK) who began experimenting with producing her own music with one objective; no rules.

Seabourne sails on the new wave of intricate outer-limits pop.

Writing with orchestral instruments (particularly horns) coupled with layers of vocals, the sound evolved into a unique universe of its own….their single Heart Shaped Pills certainly errs on the side of esoteric, quirky and intelligent pop. A perfect fit for those crazy Berliners, and currently sits in our Indie Spotlight Chart as one of our top trending tracks!
With nods to the likes of Canadian chanteuse, Grimes, Seabourne masters the combination of haunting yet accessible vocals coupled with electronic beats. Here, dark themes and caped concepts hold hands with bright melodic melodies and uplifting soundscapes.
Written in various locations around the world, Seabourne creates other-wordly soundscapes steeped as much in darkness and nostalgia as light, intelligent pop. Here, Icelandic pop holds hands with German disco, as an 80s dance sound from the UK pops it’s head in to leave the party as quickly as it arrived. Now basing themselves in Berlin, Seabourne sails on the new wave of intricate outer-limits pop and Berlin is a perfect back drop to their intelligent pop sound ‘Last Trumpet’ was the debut single from Rate, released last year and gained much airplay and a strong following. Seabourne has already start DJ’ing, collaborating and remixing the work of others, both locally and internationally.

We look forward to hearing more music on Holding Pattern from such a ground breaking artist that sees no boundaries to her music, just wonderful colours of collaborations

Here’s s a list of Seabourne’s  favourite hangouts in Berlin,  from the good folks at Posse.com

Kugelbahn- This is a live venue, bowling alley and art gallery all in one in the guts of Wedding. We played our first Berlin gig here and its generally just a great place to hang day or night.

Berghain- Not much to say about this super techno club in Berlin except that if you feel like losing yourself for 48hrs there’s no where else like it.

8MM Bar- One of the only chilled rock n roll type bars in Berlin, we like to come here and listen to our friends spin some indie tunes.

Görlitzer Park- Love this park for its trashy, grungy, absolutely anything goes vibe. Very Berlin.

No Fire No Glory- Cafe in Prenzlauer Berg that makes the best coffee in town.

Marie Antoinette- Great indie music venue in Mitte . We played a gig here with some cool bands from France when we first arrived.

Cassiopeia- Located in the badlands of Friedrichshain, it’s like mad max in a beer garden

Biesenthal- Annual music festival held in an old youth group camp site on a lake. It’s a a great place to catch some music you’ve never heard before.

Annandale Hotel - an iconic Sydney (and Australian) live music venue. Many great shows there as a punter as well as a musician. Fingers crossed it will continue.

Sydney five-piece, Cogel, released their debut self-titled EP in February 2011. With video clips for ‘Aquarium’, ‘The Bug’, and ‘Felusine’ being featured on Rage.
With the privilege of supporting Gotye in October 2011, and a new EP called ‘Nowhere Near‘ released in 2012.
Cogel are a band with an enviable past and a promising future.
Nowhere Near is diverse 5-track EP riddled with punchy hooks and memorable choruses, is an impressive release for this Independent Sydney 5-piece.
Erring between ethereal and anthemic, these five tracks flow seamlessly as a record and stand strong independently.
‘Felusine‘ already sits in our Independent Spotlight Chart at No.3 position and has been described as:
“An explosive orchestral opening track that would make Arcade Fire proud, Cogel’s Nowhere Near EP immediately captivates your attention.” – Tonedeaf
Damn straight! The first single of this impressive EP is a ball of emotion tearing through your senses, taking the listener through a wall of sound, only to ever so slightly drop you into a net of delicate violin…..Stunning!
A wonderful release and a true indication of the musicianship of this band comes from the melodic, rhythmical 2nd track of the EP ‘The Bug‘
Clearly this is a band that enjoys the intricate language of musical change and a landscape laced with the Celtic undertones of hooky violin lines.
I mean who doesn’t?!
Your quickly singing choruses and hearing influences like Deerhunter or a little Vampire Weekend poking it’s head out perhaps in tracks like “Out Of Touch”
Some beautiful harmonies linger around the title track of the EP ‘Nowhere Near‘ and an ever so slight Bon Iver flavour is conjured up….but this is different, independent, it’s organic and has a beautiful anthemic rhythm to it that leaves you pining for more.
This is where the teasing rhythm of Cogel’s ‘Habit‘ arrives at your senses tickling its way around your eardrums, where repetitive bass lines are matched with some fantastic drum licks that could be mistaken for a modern day Joy Division…I mean why not, someone’s gotta do it!
With vocals both front and back matching so effortlessly in this band we expect massive things from this Sydney 5 piece.

Here’s s a list of Cogel’s favourite nationwide hangouts from the good folks at Posse:

State Theatre, Sydney – While we’ve never played there (maybe one day..), the interior aesthetic is stunning. While it’s steeped in a rich history of opera and classical music, there have been spine tingling contemporary performances staged there over the last 5-10 years that have blown our minds.

Baxter Inn, Sydney – There have been a whole spate of novelty and themed bars popping up over the last couple of years, but this one takes the cake. A jazz and blues bar, tucked away in the basement at the back of a CBD building, this is as close to a time machine as humanity has come.

Brother Baba Budan, Melbourne – This unassuming cafe has hands-down the best coffee in Melbourne, and potentially Australia. It’s only large enough to seat about 15 customers, but their trippy soundtracks take you to your own little world whilst enjoying coffee that is out-of-this-world.

The Vanguard, Sydney – The Vanguard plays host to everything from comedy and novelty burlesque shows, to jazz, folk and blues gigs. The atmosphere inside is small enough for an intimate gig, while large enough for an energetic buzz. We’ve only ever had great shows playing there ourselves.

Ferdydurke, Melbourne – This bar has the aesthetic of a small architectural studio, with ornate wood finishings, spotlights and raised benches. It’s a challenge to find it if not for a local’s direction, but the payoff is worth it, with a great selection of lounge beats accompanying their mix of cocktails, spirits and uncommon beers.

Revolver, Sydney – If you manage to get a table here, they do the meanest cooked breakfast in Sydney. It’s always a 15-30 minute wait to be seated, but they say good things come to those who wait..

Pocket Bar, Sydney – Great for a catch up with friends, trying to impress a girl on a date, or a tasty shareplate with drinks. It’s dim, comfy, and filled with ambience.

Oxford Art Factory, Sydney – The best medium-sized venue in Sydney, without question. They host great international names and promote local talent too. Their sound can be impeccable at times, and if you’re partial to dancing, they have club nights that go late into the night.