Although Newtown Festival is far more than just the music lineup, each and every year they do an incredible job hand-picking a cast of the best, brightest local musos in the scene.
This year is no exception, a selection of returning favourites; incredible newcomers, and plenty of left-field choices in true Newtown spirit. Here are 5 artists that we’ll be catching in between fistfuls of gozleme at Newtown Festival 2019.
Heading to Newtown Festival this November? The 2019 music lineup is something to behold, so start your day planning with these five artists.
Australia
Yes, there’s a band who named themselves after our dear sunburnt country. Australia compose a dastardly handsome breed of rock ‘n’ roll, recently returning to the airwaves with the double header Get My Shit Together / Boiler.
Their 2016 album Portraits of People, Places, and Movies is a hugely overlooked release if you want to undertake a little more of a deep dive – trust us, you won’t regret it one bit. Here’s to you, Australia.
Scabz
If you’ve floundered amongst the local punk scene, you’ve either loved, hated, or shared a bit of sweat with SCABZ. Yes, they still call themselves the “shittiest band in Newtown“. They’re also Newtown’s best band.
The fact is we were all the shittiest band in Newtown once, and SCABZ have carved quite the name for themselves now, gigging relentlessly and never dropping their scuzzy facade. Their most recent single and anti-climate change anthem Feel Good Summer was given a spot on triple j just last week, check it out for yourself below.
The Goods
If SCABZ are Newtown’s shittiest band, The Goods are the smoothest. The local three-piece specialise in a breezy, floaty, funky electronica and they really, really know how to write a bassline.
Let’s Roll saw them recently collaborate with Aussie funk maestro Touch Sensitive for a tune that feels good right down to the core. Get your feet around it below.
Jannah Beth
Speaking of smooth, let’s not overlook Jannah Beth. It’s hard to pin down her sound; there’s elements of hip hop, funk, soul, and electronica mingling together in this particular concoction. The results speak for themselves.
To catch some of the craftiest lyrics and one of the day’s most singularly unique performances, don’t miss Jannah Beth at Newtown Festival.
GODTET
GODTET rushed into the Australian music consciousness when he produced Sampa The Great’s debut mixtape (then under the pseudonym Godriguez), but his output since then has only increased in quality – and it hasn’t been sparse, either.
Two albums titled Godtet and II are both masterclasses, intermingling creative production with jazzy influences and a total willingness to rewrite the rules. GODTET’s live shows are incredible too; a different story each time, often with a completely different set of musicians too.
The Buoys
It’s no secret that we’re fans of The Buoys. This literal morning we revealed they’d taken out third place in our Needle In The Hay vinyl competition, and their performances at BIGSOUND were some of our favourites.
They’re a band that’s hard to dislike, pumping out tune after surf-infused, attitude-laden guitar tune. Yeah The Buoys.
Newtown Festival goes down Sunday November 10th in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Sydney. Check out all the info here.
