We've rounded up Adelaide's best new music for September, including Eboni Emili, Instant Classic, MANE, Sweeney, Townhouse and more.
September 26, 2023
Culture
Adelaide’s best new music
Blood Circle — ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ feat. Jason Sweeney
Adelaide singer Jason Sweeney hops on this eerie electronic cover of UB40’s ‘Don’t Break My Heart’. The minimalistic layers of Blood Circle’s production gives the classic track a new vibe that’s ideal for the languid warm months. Paired best with heartbreak, a dry martini and a balcony with a verdant view. (DS)
Remarks
Listen to this playlist on Spotify.
If you’re a South Australian band or musician with a new release, let us know about it.
Collidastate — ‘Two Roads’
Collidastate are an indie rock band with, in CityMag’s opinion, a soft country touch. The duo met in the late 90’s during their high school music class and rekindled in the middle of 2022 to release their debut EP Resilience. Graham, drummer and sound engineer, and James, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, combine their plethora of talents in ‘Two Roads’ which is a raw, realistic and soft country song off Seven Stories. (CD)
Ebony Emili — HANDSEWN
‘HANDSEWN’ by Ebony Emili begins with a simple jazz saxophone beat. This prominent use of sax throughout the song holds it in place, and mixes perfectly with the artistic and experimental vocal range from Ebony herself. The song explores the feelings of finding someone who loves you completely and wholeheartedly: Other men used to cut so deep I bleed / But you sit here and you hand sew all my stitches. The upbeat melody is a boppy love song perfect for summer roadies and days at the beach with the best people in your life. (CD)
Instant Classic — ‘Shouldn’t Have’
Instant Classic’s ‘Shouldn’t Have’ is a club-ready track dripping with charisma. The opening lyrics promises, ‘you’re gonna want to hear this’, and they’re right. Instant Classic and Purpose deliver confident verses with an endearing cockiness. This track won’t just get you dancing, it’ll make you want to film yourself dancing to it and upload it to your Instagram story for your ex to see. The jaunty hook has CityMag bouncing at our desks. (HK)
LENI — ‘GREENLIGHTS’
The title track of LENI’s debut solo EP draws listeners in with an ethereal sound that’s the perfect soundtrack to wind down. After breaking onto the scene supporting Grammy award winning names like Santana, Bombino and more, LENI’s anticipated EP is here and it delivers. LENI describes the process of creating this album as healing, and we can hear that loud and clear. Think dreamy RnB vocals dipping merging with folk-pop, ‘GREENLIGHTS’ is the perfect calming track with lyrics that’ll have you soul-searching. (HK)
MANE — ‘We Run’
As CityMag has said before, MANE is the perfect mix of Florence And The Machine and Maggie Rogers. Her vocal and incredible musical talents are particularly on show in her new EP Caught In The Undertow. ‘We Run’ is our top pick. The song is soft yet upbeat. It shows off MANE’s insane vocal range as the chorus chants: ‘We don’t need the answer / We won’t let them decide what love is / We won’t let them decide, we’ll run’. ‘We Run’ makes CityMag want to dance in circles in the pouring rain while chanting the lyrics to this song at the top of our lungs. (CD)
Placement – ‘It’s Over’
Another ripper from Placement, one of our favourite ’23 nu-gaze outfits. A screaming saxophone grounds ‘It’s Over’ into a mood of rolling anxiety as Malia Wearn’s yearning vocals glide over the top. Placement says this track is ‘about endings’, but all we can think of is it’s the beginning of a fresh era for the band. We’re keeping a close eye on the band’s socials for an LP announcement (fingers crossed!). (DS)
SLEEP TALK – ‘EASY STROKE’
Hardcore mainstays Sleep Talk are back with a new EP called Have You Ever Seen a God, and the single ‘Easy Stroke’ is a delicious appetiser. The first minute and a half of the track brings you roaring into the vocalist’s world, before the beat changes and Sleep Talk drop some of the most devastating lyrics about…mediocre sex? We’ve all been there. The piece takes another turn in the last minute, before going full throttle to close. The full EP is absolutely worth your time too. (DS)
Sweeney — ‘To Be Done’
Sweeney’s usual upbeat dance tracks lend nicely to CityMag’s ears. ‘To Be Done’ uses the same electronic techniques, but are softer, soothing and slower. After missing out on this track for last month’s best new music write up, this song puts CityMag in a relaxed state. It’s the most vulnerable experience we’ve had from Sweeney’s music. Luckily for fans, the techno music maker has a new tune titled ‘Preference’ coming out on 28 September. (CD)
The Hills Have Eyes — ‘Head Over Hills’
‘Head over Heels’ is a brooding new single from artist, The Hills Have Eyes. A melodic piano draws in listeners with ambient downtempo RnB vocals that eventually build into layers of synths as the emotion gets kicked up a notch. This one sounds like being trapped in a club reminiscing about a toxic relationship. (HK)
Townhouse — ‘Is this a dumb question?’
This indie Aussie tune is as upbeat as it is heartbreaking: ‘I said I’m sorry but I guess now / that doesn’t matter don’t ask me how’. After missing the cut from last month’s best new music column, the Townhouse team released their debut EP Tell Your Mum I Said Hi at the end of August. ‘Is this a dumb question?’ opens the six-part soft rock EP and CityMag is looking forward to the creative culmination of tunes to come for this Adelaide band. (CD)
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