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From Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts making music now. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, blend influences from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

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Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried included in the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of keys and wind instruments tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
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Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
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Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
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Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
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