Declan Murphy
Declan Murphy is the music buyer at Readings St Kilda.
Reviews
Make Way for Love by Marlon Williams
Many moons ago, I was privileged enough to witness a very intimate gig at the sorely missed Pure Pop records in St Kilda by a then unknown, fresh-faced Kiwi ex-pat by the name of Marlon Williams. Th…
Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes
It’s been six quiet years between drinks for Fleet Foxes fans and it’s fair to say the fans are thirsty. After one listen to the long awaited album Crack-Up, it’s clear that those years have not been…
Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
‘The comedy of man starts like this: our brains are way too big for our mothers’ hips.’ The opening line to the epic title track on Father John Misty’s new album suggests Joshua Tillman has something…
Universal Themes by Sun Kil Moon
2014 was quite the year for former Red House Painter Mark Kozelek. After quietly releasing the subdued masterpiece Benji in March, he later became involved in a very public spat and somewhat spiteful…
Melbourne’s Women Of Soul
To celebrate what will be the fifth anniversary of their annual concerts this year, the Melbourne Women of Soul collective have put together a fantastic album of all original tracks written exclusive…
Gon' Boogaloo by CW Stoneking
It’s been six long years since we were last afforded a glimpse into the weird and wonderful world of Australian bluesman, supreme yarn-spinner and tall tale teller C.W. Stoneking. I’ve been shipwreck…
Single Mothers by Justin Townes Earle
It’s been quite the turbulent 32-year journey for JT Earle, who is surely one of modern Americana’s brightest shining talents. After several stints in rehab it seemed, at times, that the burden of an…
Give the People What They Want by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Album number five from the inimitable Ms Jones and her Dap- Kings was slated for release last August, though these plans were put on hold when Jones was diagnosed with cancer in June. With the cancer…
Post Tropical by James Vincent McMorrow
Young Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow burst onto the musical landscape in 2010 with his stunning debut album Early in the Morning, an effort entirely performed and self-recorded over a…
Trouble Will Find Me by The National
Trouble Will Find Me is the highly anticipated sixth album from Ohio-by-way-of-Brooklyn band The National.
After topping many critics’ best-of lists for 2010 and finally achieving relative commercia…
Minute By Minute by The James Hunter Six
Minute by Minute is British soul man James Hunter’s first record since 2008’s fantastic The Hard Way. It’s also his first to be recorded in America. In a very astute move, Hunter has chosen Daptone m…
I See Seaweed by The Drones
It’s practically impossible to do justice to the music of the nation’s finest band in a mere 80 words or so.
I See Seaweed is The Drones’ first record in more than four years, making it something of…
Forever Endeavour by Ron Sexsmith
There are few songwriters who leave one scrambling for superlatives, and Canadian troubadour Ronald Eldon Sexsmith is one such musician. Here is a man who apparently dreams up a couple of genius melo…
Flying Fish by Chris Wilson
Flying Fish is the latest offering from blues trailblazer and national treasure Chris Wilson. This man has been delivering blisteringingly good records for many a year now and this is certainly no ex…
The Jazz Age by Bryan Ferry
In keeping with his eclectic output over recent years, Bryan Ferry has chosen to revisit some of his many classic songs and give them a jazz makeover. The aim was to give these a Duke-Ellington-circa…
The Soul of Melbourne
What do you get when you gather together tracks from the cream of Melbourne’s soul/funk acts and slather them all over one record? Well sir, you get The Soul of Melbourne.
These 18 scorching sides w…
One Day I’m going to Soar by Dexys
It’s been 26 years since Kevin Rowland and Dexy’s Midnight Runners last released a record. Now they are back, having dropped the Midnight Runners, and who would’ve predicted they would return in such…
Blak & Blu by Clark Gary Jr
Hailing from Texas, Gary Clark Jr. is certainly the man of the moment.
Having first picked up the guitar at the tender age of seven, and been mentored by some of the very best in the business, some …
Expecting Company? by Henry Wagons
Beloved local hero Mr Wagons’ solo debut traverses the dark terrain of the deserted country back-roads of the soul in some style.
Along for the ride, amongst others, are such luminaries as Alison Mo…
The Sound of the Life of the Mind by Ben Folds Five
The Sound of the Life of the Mind is the first album of new music from Ben Folds Five in 13 years, making it something of an event for fans.
With first single ‘Do It Anyway’ already doing the rounds…
Lonerism by Tame Impala
These young Perth boys blew our tiny minds with their masterful 2010 debut Innerspeaker, which created quite a splash overseas and earned them rave reviews from the likes of Noel Gallagher and Paul W…
The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers
After 2009’s wonderful I & Love & You, North Carolina’s Avett Brothers have once again joined forces with producer Rick Rubin for their new album The Carpenter.
The first single ‘Live & Die’ sets th…
Shields by Grizzly Bear
Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear became the indie darlings of 2009 with Veckatimest, an admittedly glorious record that makes the release of Shields hotly anticipated, to say the least. Opening track and …
Carry Me Back by Old Crow Medicine Show
Who loves a hootenanny? Well batten down the hatches, folks, because one of the best old-timey string bands around are back in town and my how we’ve missed them.
Recorded at the legendary Sound Emp…
Slay Me in My Sleep by Grand Salvo
Melbourne musician Paddy Mann has been quietly going about his business for some years now under the guise of Grand Salvo.
His sixth album, Slay Me in My Sleep, has seen him shift to Berlin, and pr…
Lil' Band O' Gold Plays Fats
For those not familiar with this super group of Louisiana swamp rockers, this could be the start of a very special love affair.
Mixing everything including blues, Cajun, country and rock these guys …
Valtari by Sigur Rós
The sixth studio album from this wonderful Icelandic band translates to ‘steamroller’ in English, perhaps a reference to the effect their music has been known to have on the listener.
The first hal…
Standing at the Sky’s Edge by Richard Hawley
Sheffield’s Richard Hawley produced what was for me one of the best records of the decade with 2009’s magnificent Truelove’s Gutter.
On Standing at the Sky’s Edge he has traded that record’s effort…
News
Vinyl picks of the month
Here is the soundtrack to the truly fab 2015 documentary of the same name. In the tradition of Standing in the Shadows of Motown’s tribute to the Funk Brothers, The Wrecking Crew focused on the eponymous collective of West Coast session musicians who played on a bewildering…