Begin Again – Megan Washington
A somewhat bittersweet consolation, but if it takes Megan Washington lying to and cheating on her fiancé for a song like this to emerge from the ruins of her broken engagement, we’d like to strongly encourage the Australian singer-songwriter to wreak more havoc on the men in her life. Begin Again is the standout track from her recent album There There, and we can’t remember the last time we heard a power ballad delivered with such genuine raw emotion – or such a killer chorus. More songs like this Megan, and Sia will be out of a job. The accompanying video is stripped back yet riveting, featuring the interpretive acrobatics of the Australian Ballet’s Vivienne Wong and Rudy Hawkes.
• Megan Washington: I’m happy to throw myself on the fire of creativity
Sage Francis – Make ‘Em Purr
American rapper Sage Francis, currently on tour, has ended a four-year hiatus with his fifth studio album, Copper Gone. He is just as intimate on the new record as on debut Personal Journals, but it is an older, more reflective Francis that opens standout track Make ‘Em Purr: “I was a lot more comfortable being vulnerable and open / when I was younger and it wasn’t clear if I was or wasn’t joking.” Fellow rap veteran Buck 65 fills production duties with a signature languid beat, and his influence is clear – some of Francis’s rhymes could have come straight from Buck’s mouth. Francis talks about solitude and an emotional dependence on his sick cat, but by the end of the song he is optimistic about what the next decade holds: “My 20s were a roar, my 30s were a blur, my 40s I’m not so sure but I’mma make ‘em purr.”
Jane Tyrrell – The Rush
Sultry vocals? Booming drums? A touch of menace in the production? Tick, tick, tick. There’s a whiff of Lana Del Rey and Florence and the Machine in Jane Tyrrell’s solo stuff, with album Echoes in the Aviary marking her first full LP away from Australian hip-hop band the Herd. The Rush is that album’s second single and it’s a twisted and clever piece of storytelling starring two lovers driving in a car, high on self-destructive love and probably plenty of other substances as well. If you’re game to be hooked, catch Tyrrell in either Sydney (5 December, Newtown Social Club) or Melbourne (6 December, Northcote Social Club) this weekend, and witness her dark, affecting music cast a shadow across your soul.
Little Coyote – Howl
Sydney band Little Coyote make tripped-out indie rock, describing themselves as “a cheeky cosmic canine that guides people on a psychedelic journey from our world to the astral plane”. A more prosaic description might say they drop basslines that recall White Stripes, with Black Keys-esque husky vocals and a touch of falsetto thrown in for good measure. Despite their relative youth, tracks like Howl prove the band know how to pack a rock’n’roll punch, sounding both grungy and a little weird. And with effortless cool, they sound just as good live as they do blasting through your headphones. Catch them howling at the Ruby L’otel in Sydney on 6 December – dream-catcher necklaces, cowbells and all.
Andras & Oscar – Looking Back
Andras & Oscar is the musical moniker for Melbourne house music maestros Andras Fox and Oscar Key Sung. Fox’s warm, funk-infused dance beats pair nicely with the smooth and strangely pensive vocals of Key Sung. This is chillout music designed for an afternoon spent underneath palm trees, swaying to a tropical summer breeze. And with their new album Cafe Romantica picking up radio play and longlisted for the Australian Music prize, Andras & Oscar are set for a busy summer, and this Saturday kick off a national tour. In the meantime, enjoy the video for Looking Back, starring a gloomy Key Sung and a host of friends, including Fox, who each attempt to cheer the singer up.
