– Following a run of east-coast shows with UK outfits Jesus Jones and The Wonder Stuff in August, Sydney alterna-pop outfit Clouds have announced shows in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. The current incarnation of the band – Jodi Phillis, Trish Young, Dave Easton and Raphael Whittingham – are reportedly playing “better than ever” after reuniting for the first time in 14 years. The band plan to unveil some new material “destined for a future release” at the Melbourne show in February.

Fri, Nov 18 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Fri, Dec 2 – Fly By Night, Perth, WA
Sun, Dec 4 – The Gov, Adelaide
Sat, Feb 11 – The Corner, Melbourne, VIC

– Brooklyn-based trio The Death Set have announced shows either side of their appearance at the sold-out Fall Festival in Lorne. The band will play Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane and the Gold Coast (where they formed in 2005) in support of second album Michel Poiccard. Written following the death of co-founder Beau Velasco from a drug overdose, the album was described by M+N as a “sincere embrace of the glistening and compromised extremes of modern punk music”.

Thurs, Dec 29 – The Standard Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Fri, Dec 30 – Falls Festival, Lorne, VIC (sold out)
Tues, Jan 3 – I Oh You @ Roxanne Parlour, Melbourne, VIC
Wed, Jan 4 – The Nash, Geelong, VIC
Thurs, Jan 5 – Lambda, Brisbane, QLD
Fri, Jan 6 – Elsewhere, Gold Coast, QLD

– Melbourne five-piece Laura will play shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in support of new album Twelve Hundred Times. Band member Andrew Yardley describes the release as the band’s most focused set of songs yet. “‘Cutting the fat’ was the mantra applied to every aspect of creating Twelve Hundred Times. Focused and obsessed, we were brutal in refining every note of every song.” The album is out now through MGM. It features singles ‘Mark The Day’ and ‘This Grey Earth’, which were released as a double a-side 7” earlier this year.

Fri, Nov 11 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Fri, Nov 18 – Annandale Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Sat, Nov 19 – Woodland Bar, Brisbane, QLD[

– A live favourite in their native Brisbane for the past six years, post-rock-ish outfit Nikko are moving to Melbourne indefinitely – but not before a national tour, including a December residency at Melbourne’s Old Bar. The band have just completed work on their second full-length album, which is due for release early next year. It follows last year’s The Warm Side, which we described as “worthy of being listed alongside international greats like Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky”.

Sat, Nov 5 - Woodland, Brisbane, QLD
Fri, Nov 11 - Velvet Lounge, Perth, WA
Sat, Nov 12 – 78 Records, Perth, WA (in-store)
Sat, Nov 12 - Amplifier Bar, Perth, WA
Sun, Nov 13 - North Fremantle Bowls Club, Perth, WA
Sat, Nov 26 - FBi Social, Sydney, NSW
Sun, Nov 27 - Yours & Owls, Wollongong, NSW
Sun, Dec 4 - The Old Bar, Melbourne, VIC
Sun, Dec 11 - The Old Bar, Melbourne, VIC
Sun, Dec 18 - The Old Bar, Melbourne, VIC
Mon, Dec 26 - The Old Bar, Melbourne, VIC

+