st237

YOUR

TO MOVIES, TV, MUSIC, GAMING & TECH

ESSENTIAL GUIDE

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ISSUE 237 JUL ’24

WIN! STACK Issue 237 JULY 2024 “Where words fail, music speaks.”

HOTTEST NEW MUSIC OUT THIS MONTH

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ISSUE 237 JUL ’23

INSIDE:

TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY, CIVIL WAR, MONKEY MAN NEW MUSIC FROM EMPIRE OF THE SUN

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MARVIN GAYE What's Going On

BLONDIE Parallel Lines

THE BEATLES Let It Be

SEX PISTOLS Never Mind the Bollocks

THE ROLLING STONES Sticky Fingers (Half-Speed Master Vinyl)

THE POLICE Outlandos d'Amour

OUT JULY 19

PINK FLOYD The Dark Side of the Moon: Live At Wembley, 1974

THE CLASH London Calling

RICHARD CLAPTON Prussian Blue

BLACK SABBATH Paranoid

BLACK SABBATH Master of Reality

BLACK SABBATH Vol. 4

DAVID BOWIE Pinups (Limited Half-Speed Mastered Vinyl)

LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin IV

EAGLES Hotel California

JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Red Vinyl

JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Blue Vinyl

JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Blue Vinyl

FLEETWOOD MAC Fleetwood Mac

FLEETWOOD MAC Rumours

FLEETWOOD MAC Tusk

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RICHARD CLAPTON Goodbye Tiger

CONTENTS

ISSUE 237 JUL 2024

MUSIC 8 Empire of the Sun return with a new album 10 Glass Animals and Clairo 11 The Angels and Cigarettes After Sex 12 The Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey collab is here 14 Check out the latest new music coming to JB this month 16 More vital vinyl to add to your collection 18 Author Stuart Coupe recounts a classic Australian rock story MOVIES & TV 20 Take 5/Filmmaker's Signature/On the Radar/In Development/Bob J's Film Buff's Bafflers 21 Merch of the month/Charts/This month 60 years ago/Socials 24 True Detective: Night Country - Interview with Jodie Foster 26 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Interview with director Gil Kenan 28 Civil War - Interview with Alex Garland, Kirsten Dunst & Wagner Moura 29 Monkey Man - Dev Patel on his directorial debut 30 Bob J - Remembering Rocky 32 New to 4K 33 New from Imprint Films 34 Out this month 35 The latest anime and board games GAMING 38 Take 5/Chart/Q5 42 ROG Ally X 44 Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition 46 Moza R3 Racing Bundle 48-49 New games: More, more, more in 2024 50 Out this month/Fast Forward/ Wham, bam, game exam! TECH FLIP MAG AND READ FROM BACK 4-6 Audio tech buying guide 8-10 Headphones for all budgets 12 Sonos Ace headphones review 14-15 Earbuds for all budgets 16 Sports earbuds for wireless workouts 18-20 Portable Bluetooth speakers 22 Party speakers and smart speakers 24 Bookshelf speakers and soundbars 26 Turntables for vinyl lovers 28-30 Meet Microsoft's new AI copilot 32 Make the Olympics a big screen experience 34-36 Warm up this winter with heating tech 38 Hot new smartphones out this month 40 New tech at JB

WELCOME

For music fans, our July issue is set to be a winner. This month, we’ve pulled together some of the best new music releases for the cover. Fresh albums from Empire of the Sun, Hiatus Kaiyote, Radical Son, Ghost, Glass Animals, and Lime Cordiale are amongst a slew of quality artists landing on the racks at JB throughout the month. And we have the perfect marriage in tech to complement – our annual ultimate guide to audio. If you’re upgrading or adding to your audio inventory, here you’ll find everything that you need to navigate the vast range of ear gear, speakers, soundbars, and turntables available at JB. With advanced features like noise cancelling and multipoint rapidly becoming standard in ear gear, and spatial audio changing the way we listen to music, we dig into the key features to look out for, along with all the new audio tech and devices to suit all lifestyles and budgets. So whether you’re looking for new music to play, new audio gear to play it on, or both of those combined, this issue of STACK has it all. Turn up the volume! Paul Jones, Editor-in-Chief

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Social Media Manager Glenn Cochrane Production Manager Craig Patterson Correspondence STACK editor@stack.com.au

Founder Nic Short Editor-in-Chief Paul Jones Tech Editor Scott Hocking

Marketing Manager Fleur Parker Chief Contributors Gill Pringle, Bob Jones Contributors Jeff Jenkins, Simon Lukic, Billy Pinnell, Denise Hylands, Simon Winkler, Jake Cleland, Holly Pereira, Adam Colby, Bec Summer, Dan Nicholson, Michael Irving, Jacqui Picone, Stuart Coupe, Trista McConville, Chris Mobbs

Games & Online Editor Amy Flower Movie & TV Editor Glenn Cochrane Creative Director Gary Siewert Movies Consultant Kerrie Taylor Games Consultant Sachi Fernando Music Consultant Mike Glynn

RATINGS GUIDE

Parental guidance recommended

Recommended for mature audiences

Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accommpanied by a parent or adult guardian

Restricted to 18 and over

General

Disclaimer STACK is published by Scribal Custom Pty Ltd (ACN 092 362 135). © Copyright Scribal Custom Pty Ltd, 2024 All rights reserved. All material appearing in this publication is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material or advertisement. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Scribal Custom Pty Ltd. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. Whilst care has been taken in the research and preparation of this publication, the publishers, writers or anyone else associated cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or hardship arising from the content contained herein or reliance therefrom, howsoever caused, and it remains your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any such content. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or the editor. By the very nature of this publication, things change daily and we cannot take responsibility for any changes or inaccuracies that occur subsequent to going to press.

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Summary of Terms and Conditions: For full terms and conditions, please visit https://www.jbhifi.com.au/blogs/competitions/jb-hi-fi-perks-swann. Only JB Hi-Fi Perks members who are Australian residents may enter. The Promoter is JB Hi-Fi Group Pty Ltd (ABN 37 093 114 286) of Podium Level, 60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006 (“Promoter”). Entrants must login to their JB Hi Fi Perks account (or alternatively join JB Hi-Fi Perks and login) and answer the question on the competition page. Entrants must remain a JB Hi-Fi Perks member until the date the competition is drawn. The competition commences on 1/7/24 at 12:00 AM and closes 31/07/24 at 11:59 PM. The winners will be the best valid entry as judged by the judging panel, having regard to skill, creativity, and originality, at the Promoter’s Premises on 9/08/2024 at 11:00 AM. The total number of competition winners in this competition is five. The winners will be notified by email and their names will be published online on our winners page for 90 days from the date of verification of the winner. Only one entry per person will be permitted. Total prize value is up to $4400 (including GST), as at 1/7/24.

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Radical Son # 1 MY FIRST ALBUM

Which recent album do you currently have on repeat? Luca Brasi - The World

My first album was a big one: Bob Marley & The Wailers - The Box Set , which was originally released in 1982 by Island Records. Nine LPs! I was 14 years old. I wanted to get my own copy because older members of my family were playing Bob Marley all the time. It was incredibly exciting getting the box set. I absolutely loved it – there was so much to listen to, and to look at within the artwork. The lyrics were printed there too, and I would sing along to the songs for ages. Unfortunately, I no longer have it – it was stolen a few years later. And sadly, I never got to meet Bob Marley. But I have seen some very cool documentaries about the man.

Don’t Owe You Anything What’s your all-time favourite album and why? Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory . It

JULY

was the first studio album I was gifted that got me into metal and rap, my two favourite genres of music. Do you have a vinyl collection? If so, how did it begin, and expand? I have around 70 records but no turntable (yet). I’m a collector, OK?! I started out buying CDs and have four media towers’ worth, but saw the value in limited editions and colour variants in vinyl. Working for JB Hi-Fi also doesn’t help the wallet (ha-ha). What do you enjoy most about working in music at JB? Meeting other team members and customers who love the same stuff and being able to recommend local artists and titles.

’ s ROVING REPORTER

Image credit: Cameron Bloom

DYLAN OXLEY Coordinator @ JB Home, Morayfield, QLD

What’s an early, cherished music memory? My first concert was Metallica at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on their Death Magnetic tour in 2010, and I was in the front seated row with my parents.

Bilambiyal (The Learning) by Radical Son is out July 12 via Wantok Musik

STACK

In the hotseat is local legend RICHARD CLAPTON, who is reissuing three of his classic albums this month.

A master of the English language and a moron at maths. What would be your Hard Quiz expert subject? Bob Dylan. Song you wish you’d written? Mississippi – Bob Dylan. If you weren’t a rock star, what would you be? Probably a graphic designer or fine artist.

Your funeral song? Bugler – The Byrds. Happiness is…

Last album you bought? Southeastern by Jason Isbell. Aside from yourself, which musician would you most like to be? Bob Dylan (plus my other 500 heroes). What’s the most ridiculous item you’ve ever put on your rider? Sushi. It’s usually terrible when provided by the promoter.

Five words to describe yourself: Songwriter, musician, gypsy, rock ’n’ roll survivor, music lover. Your all-time favourite album? The Pretender by Jackson Browne (plus the other 500 albums I can’t live without). What did your most memorable school report say?

Music. Without music, there is no life. And a big thank you to JB Hi-Fi for keeping music alive!

The 2024 reissues of Prussian Blue , Goodbye Tiger, and The Great Escape by Richard Clapton are out July 19 via Warner.

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JULY 2024

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6

MUSIC INTERVIEW

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LUKE STEELE INTERVIEW

A breakup, a rekindling, Swedish partnerships, an eight year hiatus, mental fragility and a brother’s plea. But one thing’s for sure, the world needs Empire. THE WORLD NEEDS EMPIRE

as a band as we are so free love. It was such an important song to make. It’s understanding the precious things we have; we are all perfectly wonderfully carefully made, and we’ve got all these things in front of us that we have to realise what we have, rather than looking to the next life, it’s the blessing now, be the image of the best you can be now” This is the first time Empire of the Sun have worked with a group of Swedish writers, up until now they have been a pretty closed shop for 20 years. And this has just added yet another element to Empire. Mentioning to Luke that it’s been a long time between drinks, he gives us quite an honest response. “Empire is such a dramatic band, that right at the start of 2020 I said that’s it, band’s over. Never again. I released a solo album. I was pretty convincing to close friends and family, they were like ‘he’s done’. “The bold stance was a little like the ‘if you love something set it free’, which we did.” He then goes on to describe Empire of the Sun in a beautiful analogy about a castle. Driving away. Telling the workers to go home. Left ignored for months, then years. And it slowly getting overgrown with reeds. But there was always this little candle in one of the rooms, and piece by piece it slowly came back together. “Every time I would see my brother, as he was walking away he’d say ‘the world needs Empire...’ “But for us it gave us a chance to have a break, after having worked solidly for a couple of decades. It was a rebirth, a new era. We changed a few things. And I think we are closer than we have ever been. We’ve grown up. It’s just come a long way. We are older, content, and understand the dynamic of how we work.” Empire of the Sun start their 2024 tour in Sydney in October, and it’s not only going to be the new favourites. “The audience owns the songs. The minute I put them out there I don’t own them anymore. They come to listen to their favourite songs, and we take it really seriously when we are on tour. “The beautiful thing about music and songs is they take on a life of their own. It’s memories people have with them, it’s so precious. Memories are a treasure of the mind, and if you can be a soundtrack for that, it’s incredible.” Trista McConville

Ask That God by Empire of the Sun is out Jul 26 via Universal Music.

Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele

B eing in the company of brilliance is always humbling, and even with the gentle and articulate Luke Steele chatting away with guard down, and raw honesty, we’re still nervously trying to balance our voice. Ask That God , the long-awaited next record for Empire of the Sun, has been on and off in the works for almost eight years. The album has the familiar sound that Luke and Nick have previously shared, but Ask That God has unforced fluidity that’s both intriguing and captivating. “ Ask That God came from a place where you don’t ask the world, don’t ask the algorithm. Don’t be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Luke shares with us. Recently moving back to New Zealand, Luke reflects on the reasons why he has chosen the unsullied and serene Coromandel to be his home. “I’m so fragile, and after living in America for almost 12 years the tension, paranoia, and aggressions started seeping in, and it’s great to be back in such a good place. Like when you are depressed you understand the value of joy. I understand the value of peace”.

It’s interesting that Luke mentions fragility, as album closer Friends is as delicate as petals. “We have had that song for so many years. We first started the record in Tokyo way back in 2017. We were so influenced by the Japanese culture. We loved it, the record was going to be called Techno Tokyo and it took a lot of turns, But that song stayed with us.” As if to solidify the importance in the above statement, the third and most recent release from the album is Cherry Blossom . “We wrote it with Fat Max, one of Max Martin’s writers. I first met him and he said “All these people trying to get everyone into Heaven, when they should be getting heaven into people” I loved that. Pretty much the first thing he ever said to me. It resonated so importantly with us

First album: “Midnight Oil Beds Are Burning ” Most surprising go-to album. “Think this would have to be Pilot”. He then went on to sing a couple of lines of January . Swoon! First musical crush: “Maybe Björk?” First gig: “Midnight Oil. Although I was at their last show as well.” LUKE STEELE

JULY 2024

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MUSIC FEATURE

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HEART OF GLASS G lass Animals’ third album was a blockbuster. Dreamland rocketed into the Top 10 in Australia, the US and UK, while its fourth What follows Dreamland ? For Glass Animals, success brought its own nightmares. wasn’t sure how. It confused me to the point of not knowing who I was, or if anything was real.” But then Bayley was saved by the universe’s

single, Heat Waves , spent seven weeks at number one in Australia and also topped Triple J’s Hottest 100. But after the Heat Waves , came the chill. “Life can change dramatically, but sometimes you aren’t able to change as quickly on a personal level,” reflects singer Dave Bayley. The British band found themselves wide awake after Dreamland . Success hit the singer hard. “You end up feeling like a spectator. And then you are asked and expected to be a certain type of person. But I

oldest songwriting inspiration – love.

“The universe may make

us feel overwhelmingly small, but we have this human connection that is far vaster and more

I Love You So F***ing Much by Glass Animals is out July 19 via Polydor

Joe Seaward, Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer and Dave Bayley

mysterious. Love comes in an infinite number of forms and shapes and sizes. It is so complex and so powerful that even witnessing the tiniest instance of it can change your life forever.” Glass Animals decided to call their fourth album I Love You So F***ing Much . “These words take on a different meaning every time you say them,” Bayley believes. Jeff Jenkins

GLASS ACT Who was the first person to hear Glass Animals’ biggest hit? Dave Bayley thought he was alone at The Church, a studio in North London, when he finished the Heat Waves demo. Then he heard a guy at the back of the room, playing piano. It was Johnny Depp. The movie star was making a record in the next studio.

CHARM OFFENSIVE Third time’s a Charm for American singer-songwriter Clairo.

FUN FACT Clairo collects tin whistles. Strangely, she discovered a Scottish store when she was on tour in Salt Lake City. She bought a tin whistle. And then she bought more. Her new album features some tin whistle. “Tin

T he press release for Clairo’s third album, Charm , has a lovely description of her sophisticated sound, calling it “a collection of warm, ’70s-inspired grooves that move lithely between jazz, psychedelic folk, and soul”. The American singer is just 25, but she’s an old soul. “I love Carole King,” she says, highlighting one of her main inspirations. “I think that era of music and everything she was surrounded by – the whole Laurel Canyon squad – is kind of what I’m going for.” Clairo, whose full name is Claire Cottrill, started playing covers

on YouTube when she was 13, before posting her own songs on Soundcloud. “I had this tiny following,” she recalls. Then she made Pretty Girl in 2017 and the video went viral. “I’m not really sure what happened, but everything just aligned at that point.” Clairo is excited about the sound of Charm , which she made with producer Leon Michels, a founding member of The Dap-Kings. Charm is tipped to be Clairo’s breakthrough album in Australia, where she is yet to crack the Top 40 (her 2019 debut, Immunity , peaked at number 73, while 2021’s Sling stalled at 88). Jeff Jenkins

whistles are underrated,” she says.

TATTOO YOU Clairo has an intriguing tattoo on her left arm: A.E.C, G.A.C, A.P.C. They are the initials of her mum, dad and sister. She got the tattoo in Australia when she was part of the Laneway festival in 2019.

Charm by Clairo is out July 19 via Virgin

Clairo

10 JULY 2024

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FEATURE MUSIC

50 NOT OUT T he Angels’ co-founder John Brewster is beaming when he chats Legendary Aussie bandThe Angels celebrate their 50th anniversary with a rocking new record.

FUN FACT The Angels’ first big gig was support

with STACK about the band’s new album, Ninety Nine . “I’m proud of everything this band has done, but we have what I call ‘benchmark albums’, particularly Face to Face, No Exit, and Dark Room . “This, to me, is a benchmark album.” NINETY NINE REASONS So, who or what was the inspiration for the album title? Is it a nod to Agent 99, Max’s offsider in Get Smart ,

ing Cheech & Chong at Adelaide’s Thebarton Theatre in June 1974.

Tom Brewster, Rick Brewster, Nick Norton, John Brewster, and Sam Brewster

John Brewster admits. “But I find it intriguing.” We turned to Angels

shows a bunch of old red phone boxes in the night sky? Well, back in the early ’80s, Angels guitarist Rick

The audience threw Minties at them.

singer Nick Norton to solve the mystery. “I wrote the lyrics [for

Ninety Nine

by The Angels is out now via Bloodlines

Brewster was one of the world’s biggest collectors of phone boxes. He had nine in the backyard of his Sydney home. “I’ve had that shot since 1982, and I got some T-shirts made featuring that photo,” Rick reveals. “I went to breakfast one day and John and Sam both said, ‘That’s it, that’s the album cover!’” Jeff Jenkins

the opening track, Ninety Nine (Go for Broke) ] and it refers to the fact that 99% of us have to accept our lot, while the one per cent take the lion’s share. The super-rich are richer than they’ve ever been.” COVER ME And what about the album cover, which

whose real name was never revealed? Or is it a reference to the controversial immigration Direction 99, which has been in the news this year? “I don’t have a clue what the title means,”

B reaking up is hard to do. “This record feels brutal,” Greg Gonzalez says of Cigarettes After Sex’s third album X’s , which documents the dissolution of his four-year relationship. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface.” Making the album was cathartic. “I have to really write about it, sing about it... and then I can start to analyse and learn from it, or just relive it – in a good way.” Gonzalez has been called the most relaxed man in rock. “And I think that comes across in the music,” he smiles. “It’s pretty chilled.” Indeed, the singer laughs, “most people think I’m a woman when they first hear my voice.” Once asked why all of his songs were about romance, Gonzalez replied, “It’s just natural, you write what you know.” THE BOYS LIGHT UP X’s mark the spot for the third album for American dream pop trio Cigarettes After Sex.

THE NAME GAME Cigarettes After Sex formed in El Paso, Texas in 2008. Singer Greg Gonzalez explains that he had a “friendship with certain benefits” with a woman who would light up after their liaisons... and the band name popped into his head.

Greg Gonzalez, Jacob Tomsky and Randall Miller

Cigarettes After Sex are touring Australia in March next year. Gonzalez enjoys how his songs are transformed in the live environment. “Our music is very mellow and soothing. It’s music that people use to go to sleep; it was designed that way. “But it becomes this other thing at a show, with people screaming the songs because they mean so much to them. It becomes something you don’t expect, and it’s amazing to feel that.” Jeff Jenkins

X’s by Cigarettes After Sex is out July 12 via Partisan Records

11

MUSIC INTERVIEW

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Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey

FANNING DEMPSEY NATIONAL PARK

The Deluge by Fanning Dempsey National Park is out August 2 via Universal

It’s the bromance we didn’t see coming. But Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey have delivered one of the albums of the year. Words Jeff Jenkins WAITING FOR THE DELUGE

PD: We gave ourselves lots of reasons and excuses to play with different toys and get out of our wheelhouse. It’s always fun if you can surprise yourself. BF: Instrumentation-wise, it’s pretty different. It’s essentially a rock band, but the synths are pushed to the front and the guitars are pushed to the back. There’s still guitars all over the record, but they’re just not as up front as they would be on a Something for Kate or Powderfinger record. AFTER THE DELUGE PD: We can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room with a band and turn it into a show and go on tour. As long as it’s fun, and we don’t utterly exhaust ourselves, then I’m sure there might be a mood to keep doing more stuff. BF: We wanted to make it a band – it’s Fanning Dempsey National Park, it’s not Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey. We want to be a new band. Of course, we know we’re a new old band, and that’s fine; we’re not trying to live down our respective pasts. But we are excited about the immediate future and then we’ll see what happens.

BEFORE THE DELUGE Paul Dempsey: We first met on a tour in 1999, 25 years ago. Something for Kate went on the road with Powderfinger, who’d just put out Internationalist , and we’d just released Beautiful Sharks . We had played together before, but the first show on that 1999 tour – at Bombay Rock in Darwin – was the first time I can actually recall meeting Bernard.

Bernard Fanning: Because previously I was in my private dressing room – Mr Fanning wasn’t allowing any visitors at the time. THE DELUGE BF: We wanted to push ourselves into different territory. There was no point in doing an album of campfire songs with perfect harmonies; we wanted to go somewhere new. And it was a lot of fun doing that.

HUNTING HIGH AND LOW David Bowie was a touchstone for Fanning Dempsey National Park. So what’s their favourite Bowie album?

BF: It changes all the time. Traditionally, it’s been Hunky Dory , but recently it’s been Low , which had a pretty heavy influence on us. PD: When you’re

talking about Bowie, you’re talking about 15 different artists. Scary Monsters is up there for me. Ashes to Ashes is one of the first songs I can remember hearing

and it certainly grabbed my attention. I thought it was fascinating and strange and it messed with my little head. BF: And that video... for a kid, mind-blowing.

PD: It scared the hell out of me. I was six, and it really got under my skin and creeped me out. But I couldn’t get the music out of my head. Also, I have

to highlight Bowie’s more recent output. I think The Next Day is a phenomenal record. He was making incredible stuff right up until his departure.

12 JULY 2024

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OLIVIA RODRIGO GUTS AC/DC Let There Be Rock FRESH WAX NEW ON VINYL OUT JULY 19 OUT JULY 26

GHOST RITE HERE RITE NOW (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Purple Vinyl

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OUT JULY 19

THE BUOYS Lustre

CLAIRO Charm

AFI Black Sails in the Sunset

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LUKE COMBS This One’s For You

CAMILA CABELLO C, XOXO

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MUSIC FEATURE

visit jbhifi.com.au/stack WHAT’S OUT Whether it’s a voyage of musical discovery or a sonic reacquaintance with a favourite band or artist, check out these fresh releases heading to JB this month.

CASSANDRA JENKINS My Light, My Destroyer DEAD OCEANS The third album for New York City’s

GHOST Rite Here Rite Now LORNA VISTA Who doesn’t love a

EDITOR’S PICK

DEEP PURPLE = 1 earMUSIC

The English rock gods – who were once in the Guinness Book of

Ghost movie, especially when it comes with a mighty 18-song soundtrack? Swedish

Records as the world’s loudest band – return for their 23rd studio album. If you’re wondering about the title, the band says it “symbolises the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one.”

Cassandra Jenkins is a diverse delight, encompassing indie

THE ANGELS Ninety Nine BLOODLINES

band Ghost have created Rite Here Rite Now , a film capturing the final two North American shows on their 2023 Re-Imperatour trek around the world. But it’s much more than just a concert film, with some fictional characters added into the mix. GLASS ANIMALS I Love You So F***ing Much POLYDOR Glass Animals’ breakthrough blockbuster Heat Waves – inspired the English band’s fourth studio album, with singer Dave Bayley explaining that after massive success, “you end up feeling like a spectator... it confused me to the point of not knowing who I was or if anything was real”. Country meets nu metal on Michael Hardy’s power-packed third studio album, a middle-finger to the guy who wrote “Quit!” on a napkin and put it in his tip jar when he was “just a flat broke boy with a guitar asking for anybody to pay attention”. Now, “I don’t give a f*ck – I’m a still book arenas and fill ’em up.” – a number one hit in Australia and the US HARDY Quit! BIG LOUD/ REPUBLIC

rock, jazz, new age, and sophisticated pop. She thought about quitting after 2021’s An Overview on Phenomenal Nature ; fortunately she returned for this set of songs that shifts effortlessly from light to destruction.

They might be 50, but there’s no sign of a mid life crisis. The Angels still rage with the passion and intensity of a young rock band just starting out. Instead of a new best-of, they decided to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a batch of blistering new songs, showcasing new lead singer Nick Norton. After 12 years as the band’s drummer, Norton has stepped out from behind the kit, also adding another guitar to the Brewster brothers’ glorious axe attack. Ninety Nine is a cracking new chapter in a story that has no end in sight.

FALLING IN REVERSE Popular Monster EPITAPH

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX X’s PARTISAN RECORDS

Falling in Reverse’s fifth album – their first in seven years – is a ripping collection of rap-rock and metal, with

Dream pop turned into a nightmare for Cigarettes After Sex singer Greg Gonzalez as the band’s third

the American band not afraid to mix genres. Check out Tech N9ne’s scene-stealing rap in Ronald . This record will wake the neighbours and send Falling in Reverse to the top of the charts. FINK Beauty in Your Wake R’COUP’D

album deals with the disintegration of his four-year relationship. But the El Paso, Texas band can make breaking up sound beautiful – just check out Dark Vacay , where you can “feel it all around you crash” as the singer is “with someone I wlove, I don’t really like”.

English artist Fink (full name Fin Greenall) has written songs with John Legend, Banks, and Amy Winehouse. Fink is also

CLAIRO Charm VIRGIN

The third album for American singer songwriter Clairo (real name Claire Cottrill) was preceded by an

the name of his indie rock/folk trio. The first Fink album in five years saw him return to Cornwall, where he has born, to create a rootsy record that’s all about “the most important thing you can leave behind” – beauty.

Insta post with the number three, a tick and a purple heart. And then came the smooth grooves of first single Sexy to Someone , which is both fun and empowering. “I want to be sexy to someone,” she sings. “Then what’s holding you back?”

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FEATURE MUSIC THIS MONTH?

RICHARD CLAPTON Goodbye Tiger WARNER BILLY’S PICK

IN HEARTS WAKE Incarnation UNFD

TRAVIS L.A. Times BMG

“Is there something wrong with me?” Fran Healy asks at the start of Gaslight , the first single from Travis’s tenth studio album, “’cause I feel you’re

After four Top 5 albums in a row, Byron Bay’s

In 1977, on the eve of the release of his fourth studio album Goodbye Tiger , Richard Clapton was riding the crest of a critical wave, having been voted the nation’s number one singer/song writer/artist. What was interesting about these and many of his songs was that despite a lot of them first seeing the light of day in Europe and the US, thematically they referred to his visions and observations of urban Australia. Deep Water (“sittin’ out on the Palm Beach Road, I’m so drunk and the car won’t go”) and Down in the Lucky Country are so typically Australian. His respect for the songwriting of Jackson Browne, Randy Newman, and Lowell George shines through on Hiding from the Light, I Can Talk to You, Out on the Edge Again and the album’s title track. Clapton’s choice of the cream of the era’s studio musicians enabled him to create some of the most celebrated work of his career. Guitarists Kirk Lorange and Gunther Gorman, bass guitarist Michael Hegerty, drummer Greg Sheehan, viola player Cleis Pearce, backing singer Diane McLennan, keyboard player Tony Ansell, and saxophonist Tony Buchanan enabled Clapton to create his most celebrated work while establishing his reputation as one of our most important songwriters.

metalcore masters are shooting for their first chart-topper with their sixth studio set, Incarnation , their first album in four years. The band is maintaining the rage, railing against environmental destruction and social injustice. MEGAN MORONEY Am I Okay? SONY

ignoring me.” It’s time to get reacquainted with these great Scots, whose new album captures the high times and dark side of LA, where Healy has a studio. Twenty-five years after The Man Who , Travis still reign. VARIOUS ARTISTS Twisters: The Album ATLANTIC Twisters is a remake/update of the 1996 film Twister . The original had a cool soundtrack featuring Van Halen, Tori Amos, Lisa Loeb, and Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham. The new movie is an all-country affair. You’ll be blown away by the star-studded line-up, including Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Charley Crockett, and Megan Moroney.

Her first album was called Lucky . But breakout American country star Megan Moroney shows her success was no fluke

on her second outing. A rumoured relationship with Morgan Wallen had her in the headlines, but it’s the quality of her songwriting that will see her in the charts.

Radio legend Billy Pinnell presents Billy Pinnell’s Musical Moments on YouTube.

AUSSIE RELEASES

THE BUOYS Lustre SONY After three cracking EPs, Sydney band The Buoys finally unleash their debut album, the aptly titled Lustre . Led by singer Zoe Catterall, the band rips through a sterling set of songs, including Settle Petal, Guard My Heart, Subject A and their collab with Alex Lahey, Check Mate . “I don’t really care if you find it annoying or lame or uncool,” Catterall sings. “I’m just gonna dance in the front row, scream every word.” Nineties alt-rock is alive and well with bands such as The Buoys shining bright.

CHRISTINE ANU Waku – Minaral A Minalay ABC Nearly 30 years after her debut album, Christine Anu releases her eighth studio set, her first original album in 20 years. It’s a deeply personal journey, with Anu having ventured to Cairns, New Zealand, the Torres Strait Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands to make the album. The moving title track documents a journey Anu and daughter Zipporah took from Saibai Island to Mutee Head, re-creating the same trip that Anu’s grandfather undertook in 1947 when ten families migrated to the mainland.

ELIZA & THE DELUSIONALS Make It Feel Like the Garden COOKING VINYL “Run through the trees, find myself in the garden,” Eliza Klatt sings in the title track of Eliza & The Delusionals’ second album, “Give me somewhere to be, give me someone to be.” The Gold Coast band’s garden is blooming on the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed Now and Then , which was nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ at the J Awards. Produced by Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson, Eliza & The Delusionals – Klatt, Kurt Scuse and Ruby Lee – have delivered a sparkling collection of indie rock.

RADICAL SON Bilambiyal (The Learning) WANTOK Radical Son, aka David Leha, is a proud Kamilaroi and Tongan man. His voice is soulful and strong. His stories, powerful and moving. “There is so much depth in our culture and country,” he notes. “Country provides us a way of living and sustenance both physically and mentally. It provides the story and the way. It is there for us. Right in front of us.” This is his first album since 2014’s Cause ’N Affect . The strength of the songs here shows that Radical Son is ready to become a star.

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MUSIC FEATURE

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There’s nothing quite like taking home some fresh vinyl and putting it on the turntable for the first time. It’s a total experience. Each month we pull together a collection of reissues, JB-exclusives, or just straight-up classic long-players to add to any burgeoning collection. Words: Paul Jones and Chris Mobbs V I N Y L V I T A L

CHART Vinyl

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE SONGS FOR THE DEAF (2002)

With Songs for the Deaf , not ‘merely’ the best album by the greatest QotSA lineup ever, we got one of the greatest bands ever. Summatively more than singular musicians (and Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri, Dave Grohl, and Mark Lanergan were indeed that), they had an alchemic, volatile brilliance, elevated still further by their cohesion and balance as players and personalities. Josh, then ginger and enticingly coy about his fuzz pedals, was first among equals, of course, but still years and a few

more albums from stifling paternalism. There is always the risk when agendas divide, friendships slide, and new players are hired. In 2002, rock music was a bit like digital cameras were in 2002 – soulless. Meanwhile, Queens released a serving of collard greens, shrimp, and grits, an analogue throwback, at once cute and fierce, like a baby wolverine. It didn’t hurt to bottle lightning with No One Knows , and it didn’t hurt to have Dave Grohl in the engine room. He may have lifted the intro drum pattern

to Song for the Dead from Black Flag’s Slip It In , but then why not? This is what it sounds like when Animal crashes a red cordial truck into a drum factory, which is owned by Lanergan. Sure, it’s a concept album, but it sure ain’t prog. Do your loins a favour and dive in. TOP TRACK: Song for the Dead FAST FACT: Frustrated with the recording sessions of Foo Fighter’s One by One sessions, Dave Grohl jumped at the opportunity to record – and then tour – with Queens of the Stone Age.

1. TAYLOR SWIFT

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

2. BILLIE EILISH

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

3. LANA DEL REY PARADISE EDITION 4. CHARLI XCX BRAT 5. KANYE WEST YE 6. TAYLOR SWIFT MIDNIGHTS 7. TAYLOR SWIFT 1989 (TAYLORS VERSION) 8. TAYLOR SWIFT TAYLOR SWIFT 9. BON JOVI FOREVER 10. TAYLOR SWIFT LOVER

Metallica’s self-titled fifth album, often referred to as the Black Album , was a seismic shift for the band. Released in 1991, it marked a departure from their thrash metal roots towards a more accessible rock foundation, drawing the ire of longstanding fans. It was both a brave and shrewd move that opened the doors to a new audience. From METALLICA BLACK ALBUM (1991) COLOURED VINYL REISSUE Else Matters and The Unforgiven , the album showcased Metallica’s expansive songwriting prowess and willingness to evolve. The reissue features a remastered cut, making the tracks brighter and cleaner. This is an essential addition to any record collection. TOP TRACK: Enter Sandman FAST FACT: Incredibly, the album has sold over 30 million copies globally, and is the biggest heavy metal album of all time. the thunderous anthemic opener Enter Sandman to ballads Nothing SPIDERBAIT TONIGHT ALRIGHT 20th Anniversary Limited edition red vinyl – Out July 26

MUSIC FEATURE

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SHAKE SOME ACTION BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – THE SAINTS – AND FRIDAY ON MY MIND Words Stuart Coupe

I t’s strange how the brain makes connections. Random associations. I just heard that a version of Australian punk rock pioneers The Saints is going to be touring later in the year. Onstage will be founding members guitarist Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay. They’ll be augmented by bass player Peter Oxley, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey, and former Mudhoney member American Mark Arm doing the singing. Most obviously missing is original lead singer Chris Bailey, who passed away in 2022. I knew Chris well and liked him very much. I had cause to reflect on what an incredible blast it must have been for him when Bruce Springsteen covered Just Like Fire Would , a song from the 1986 album All Fools Day, which was recorded by the Chris Bailey version

happy to while away the early hours of a soon to be Paris morning chatting to this guy from Australia. At one point I asked Springsteen if there was any Australian song he’d always loved and wanted to play. He didn’t miss a beat. “ Friday on My Mind by The Easybeats,” he grinned with a sense of awe in his voice. “THAT SONG – that song – it’s incredible. One of the greatest ever songs.” It also happened to be THE very first record I’d ever bought after saving up $1.20 from doing paper rounds in my neighbourhood in Launceston, Tasmania. Springsteen went on to explain how he’d always wanted to play Friday on My Mind , but he couldn’t as the guitar chords were so complicated and he just couldn’t figure them out. I let that slide while thinking to myself that not only was Springsteen one of the finest songwriters on the planet, he was also an INCREDIBLE guitarist. How hard could Friday on My Mind be? Wasn’t it just a straightforward and very catchy pop song? I came back to

of The Saints. The Boss recorded his take on his 2014 High Hopes album. And – as random thoughts go – that led me to thinking about Springsteen and his fascination with Australian rock’n’roll and a conversation I had with

backstage area – towels, drink containers, pizza boxes, gaffer tape, that sort of stuff. Bruce was doing interviews with a few journalists who’d been flown in for the shows, sitting backstage before heading back to his hotel. This was my first time travelling outside of Australia. I was 25 years old and Springsteen – my new best buddy Bruce – was one of my total and absolute heroes. We’re chatting away. He’s super-friendly and seemingly

Australia and asked a few musician friends about the song, saying that surely it wasn’t that complicated. They all laughed and said variants on, “Stuart, you really don’t know much about music – that is a

him backstage at 3am in Paris – as you do – after an incredible show performed by he and The E Street Band on the 1981 tour to promote The River album. Bruce and I were sitting surrounded by all the detritus of a post-show in the

very, very complex song.” Let’s jump forward several decades to the 19th of February 2014 and Springsteen and The E Street Band open their Sydney concert with – you guessed it – Friday on My Mind . This is a lesson for all aspiring guitarists. If you work hard enough at it and practise for several decades, you too can be like Bruce Springsteen and learn the chords to Friday on My Mind .

This was my first time travelling outside of Australia. I was 25 years old and Springsteen – my new best buddy Bruce – was one of my total and absolute heroes.

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BACK DECKS ON THE

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RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Californication

JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Clear Vinyl

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LANA DEL REY Born to Die - The Paradise Edition

LINKIN PARK Meteora

TALKING HEADS Stop Making Sense (40th Anniversary Edition)

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TAYLOR SWIFT Lover

LINKIN PARK Hybrid Theory

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS Best of the Doobies

GREAT VINYL BACK IN STOCK AT

*While stocks last

Cigarettes After Sex X’s Cigarettes After Sex share their new album X’s , ten tracks filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slow burn pop songs, which arrives ahead of sold-out arena shows in Australia & New Zealand in 2025.

Ghost Rite Here Rite Now This original motion picture soundtrack is a fitting 18-song complement to Ghost’s debut feature film. Captured at that now-legendary two-night stand at LA’s Forum in 2023, the soundtrack features the previously unreleased song Future Is a Foreign Land .

Complete Nothing to Show Platinum-selling Australian hip-hop artist Complete releases his highly anticipated sophomore album, Nothing to Show .

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Alex Garland

Civil War director Alex Garland started as a novelist, gaining fame with his 1996 book The Beach , later adapted into a hit film by Danny Boyle that starred Leonardo DiCaprio. He has since established himself as a modern auteur, with films like Ex Machina (2014), Annihilation (2018), and Men (2022). Let’s explore three of his trademarks. Dystopian futures As a screenwriter, Garland has examined all manner of futuristic possibilities, and often explores society on the brink of collapse, if not beyond. From the eerie desolation of 28 Days Late r (2002) and the dying Earth in Sunshine (2007), to the dystopic world of Dredd (2012) and the The nature of mankind is also a fascination of Garland’s, which goes hand-in-hand with those dystopian tropes. His disturbing folk horror movie Men puts a microscope on toxic masculinity, while Annihilation looks at the violent chaos of evolution, and Ex-Machina considers morality and ethics. In Civil War , he paints an alarming picture of how easily we can fall apart. Realism No matter how fantastical his stories are, Garland grounds them in reality. The films he directs are particularly nuanced, and he often puts his camera in compromising positions to extract truth. The documentary style of Civil War and his handheld close-ups in Men are examples of his attention to detail, and his want to be as close to his subjects as possible. August is a HUGE month for new releases, with the arrival of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga , The Fall Guy , and Abigail amongst a cavalcade of bangers. You can also expect a swag of films making their long-awaited 4K debut, plus a heap of back catalogue re-releases. On The Radar terrifying conflict of Civil War . The nature of humanity

Star Wars: A New Hope . Being named

JULY

after the protagonist really gave me a connection to the original franchise. What young kid wouldn’t like a movie about space wizards with laser swords? What’s one of your all-time favourite movies, and why? It’s nostalgia talking here, but watching the Lord of the Rings books being brought to life was a magical experience for me. It was the first time I had seen so much fantasy done so well.

’ s ROVING REPORTER

What’s one of your all-time favouriteTV series, and why? One Piece (anime). It’s the series that started my wife’s conversion from a jock into a nerd like me. Despite being over 1000 episodes, some scenes hit super hard. The animation on the Wano arc was breathtaking.

LUKE DWYER @ JB Forest Hill, VIC

What’s the best thing about working at JB? Being able to express yourself any way you like in your attire and interactions. It is unlike any other retail gig I’ve worked. My nerd shirt collection is outrageously large as a result.

What have you been watching lately that you’d recommend? Between the new Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia , I’ve been enjoying a change of pace with Spy X Family . Anime lets you get away with outrageous scenarios, and this one hits that action/comedy/romance balance for me.

What’s a movie you saw as a child that has left a lasting impression on you?

QUIZ

Q7 Who, in 1941, acquires and runs the New York Inquirer newspaper? Q8 Which James Bond film opens with 007 trapped inside a remote controlled helicopter? Q9 In which film does a character portrayed by Nicolas Cage survive a firing squad? Q10 This famous 1950 western’s finale has two brothers having a shoot out to the death. Title please.

has won an Oscars double for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Picture’ - twice? Q4 “ The man in the hat is back. And this time he’s brought his dad ” was the poster tagline for which movie? Q5 What kind of drivers were Stanley Baker, Patrick McGoohan, David McCallum, and Sean Connery? Q6 What was the first Disney animated film that was based on the life of a real person?

*not final artworks

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GHOST We’re not sure how to feel about this, but whether you like it or not, a remake of Ghost is on the way. Heartthrob Channing Tatum purchased the rights to the film in 2023 with plans to star as Sam, the role originally played by Patrick Swayze. The original 1990 movie was a box office hit, earning Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ and becoming one of the most popular tear-jerkers of all time. It’s an absolute classic that arguably shouldn’t be tampered with, so Channing has big expectations to live up to (we’re nervous). IN DEVELOPMENT

Q1 “ Sometimes, dead is better ” is a famous quote from which 1989 movie? Q2 In which film does Leeloo fall into Korben Dallas’ car? Q3 Which actor/director

JUNE 2024 (Issue 236) ANSWERS - A1. Reservoir Dogs A2. Point Blank quoted by Walker, played by Lee Marvin A3. CODA (2021) A4. Saving Private Ryan A5. Walter and John Huston for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) A6. A Perfect World (1993) A7. It was a pseudonym for the McCarthy-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo A8. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 & 1956) A9. Katherine Hepburn A10. The Last Waltz (1978), which featured The Band’s last concert after 16 years on the road

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