The Jukebox: the best new local tunes to add to your playlist this month
With the festive season far behind us, it might seem like January has nothing to offer except the back-to-work schedule and the dog days of summer. But we’re here to remind you that Brisbane’s best bands, artists and musicians have been hard at work in the studio, creating a soundtrack for your summer, from sunny yet heartbroken ballads to nostalgia-infused dance tracks. Here’s a selection of Brisbane’s best new music.
Full Flower Moon Band – ‘Female Mechanic’
Back in December, Full Flower Moon Band treated fans to the deluxe version of its heavy hitter album Megaflower, originally released in mid-2024. The deluxe album delivered seven brand-new songs to the FFMB discography, one of them being the mellow rock earworm ‘Female Mechanic’.
Through an expert combination of gripping guitar riffs, dynamic drumming and wry lyricism about drag car engineering, ‘Female Mechanic’ fits right in with the rest of Megaflower’s hard-hitting tracks.
There’s just something about Kate ‘Babyshakes’ Dillon’s grainy vocals and the way she bangs on about pressure gauges, fuel pumps and burning rubber that makes us want to listen to ‘Female Mechanic’ the way it was originally intended – blaring from a car radio at top volume while cruising through the city.
Confidence Man – ‘Damaged Goods’
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Once again, Confidence Man has delivered. Delivered what exactly, you might ask? Another absolute gem of a dance track, that’s what.
Damaged Goods, one of the tracks off the duo’s latest EP Active Scenes Vol One, which was released at the start of summer, is just another example of what Confidence Man do best – making music you can cut a rug to. It’s got everything you need to get down, including an infectious beat, hypnotic soundscapes and lyrics that repeat until they’re stuck in your head.
The early noughties-esque track evokes a Y2K energy and simpler times, earning it a spot in our regular rotation for the rest of the summer (or until album four comes out – fingers crossed!).
Mid Drift – ‘Whiplash’
Have you ever found yourself pushing someone away while simultaneously trying to keep them close? Well then, you’ve got something in common with Mid Drift, the homegrown surf rockers confronting their own bad habits in their latest track ‘Whiplash’.
‘Whiplash’ is one of the tracks off the band’s upcoming EP, Good At Avoiding, which the band tells us will be packed with tracks equally as direct and vulnerable as this one.
Through tender vocals and some sweet guitar work, ‘Whiplash’ explores the emotional whiplash that avoiding conflict can cause, delivered in a sunny indie-rock track designed for beach listening.
Radium Dolls – ‘Moving’
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In an uncharacteristically slow track from the masters of Aussie rock and head-bangers, ‘Moving’ brings a rare moment of peaceful reflection to Radium Dolls’ catalogue.
This track is the third single to be released ahead of the band’s newest album, Wound Up, dropping on Friday January 30.
While ‘Moving’ still contains the same warm-blooded energy and addictive guitar hooks of a signature Radium Dolls track, it’s instead infused with the tenderness of heartbreak, rather than their regular brazen nonchalance.
Written by the band in a single afternoon, guitarist Tom Perkins says ‘Moving’ has remained unchanged ever since – and we can see why. It’s pure summer sadness perfection.
Kita Alexander – ‘Bluray’
In her first new release since her Young In Love album from 2024, Brisbane’s favourite cozy-pop songstress Kita Alexander is back in our playlists again with the release of her newest single ‘Bluray’.
The nostalgic pop track sounds like something plucked from the early 2000s and we mean that in the best possible way. Kita even says it herself in the first verse – “You got me feeling like a movie from 2008.”
Harnessing the sweetness of new love and wrapping it up in an upbeat, bouncy melody, ‘Bluray’ leaves you reminiscing as you put your old favourite memories on replay.
Dune Rats – ‘Sharks’
Fans of longtime locals and fuzzy stoner-pop specialists Dune Rats are in for a treat with the release of two new tracks, which dropped two weeks ago – ‘Sharks’ and ‘Fuck It!’
Since 2011, Dune Rats have made built a reputation off their no-nonsense, all-fun approach to blending punk, surf and rock. That is to say, the band is used to doing things their own way, which is what ‘Sharks’ is all about.
On the surface, ‘Sharks’ is another of Dune Rat’s feel-good jams, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find it’s about learning to swim against the current, despite what everyone else thinks.
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