Welcome to Sonic Sherpa

Sonic Sherpa is an Australian record store that’s been brightening the Brisbane suburb of Stones Corner since 2015 (although the team has over a decade’s shared music retail experience from owning/running Skinnys in the Brisbane CBD back in the day).

We have a large and eclectic range of new and pre-loved vinyl on hand, as well as stocking turntables, CDs, books, DVDs and music-related t-shirts and paraphernalia. Sonic Sherpa also curates ranges for the region’s larger music festivals such as Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival (Byron Bay), CMC Rocks, Gympie Muster, Tamworth Country Music Festival and many more such gatherings.

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sonic_sherpa

Indie record store in Stones Corner, Brisbane.
⛰️Specialising in music'n'stuff.
⛺️Next live instore: TSOL Sun 1 Dec @ 3pm

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Starting out with a bang Portl

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Starting out with a bang Portland garage-psych oddballs @thedandywarhols’ 1995 debut ‘Dandys Rule OK’ did enough to get them signed by major label Capitol Records, and after one false start with an entirely scrapped album they rebounded with 1997’s ‘…The Dandy Warhols Come Down’ which announced them as contenders in the alternative realms. The album really got them noticed and scored some cool reviews - Rolling Stone gushed that the album, “is the most exhilarating ‘60s-into-‘90s excursion yet attempted by an American band. The Warhols are masters of the hypnotically droning riff delivered in waves of fuzz guitar and garage-band keyboards that recall everything from the Seeds and the Velvets to Stereolab and Spiritualized. This is post-Jesus and Mary Chain pop that abuts the darker territory of psychedelia and kraut rock” - and it’s now been reissued on limited edition 2-LP yellow vinyl, making it the perfect time to come down with the Dandys!
#catchotheday #thedandywarhols #thedandywarholscomedown #capitolrecords #albumtwo #portlandgaragepsych #limitededition #2lp #yellowvinyl #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Back in 2016 US Southern Rock

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Back in 2016 US Southern Rock legends @drivebytruckers captured the turmoil of the times with their 11th album ‘American Band’, the politically-charged treatise winning widespread acclaim such as AllMusic’s 4 1/2 star review which reckons, “This is music full of both fury and purpose, but with rare exceptions, American Band isn’t an album of anger but of puzzlement and concern”. Late last year it was repackaged in new archival Wes Freed artwork but with a bonus live LP capturing them on the album tour at the famed 40 Watt in their hometown of Athens, Georgia - I was in the States in ‘16 and was lucky enough to see them two nights in a row at The Fillmore in San Fran in the same tour and they were firing on all cylinders - making this an excellent time to have your thoughts provoked in the rocking-est manner by the mighty Truckers!
#catchotheday #drivebytruckers #americanband #atorecords #albumeleven #protestrock #vinylreissue #2lp #livealbum #limitededition #silverblackvinyl #truckersforlife #sonicsherpa

MINERS STRIKE! Wollongong trio @minerstheband have

MINERS STRIKE!
Wollongong trio @minerstheband have pulled a great Sunday arvo crowd to help launch their new album ‘A Healthy Future On Earth’ into the world, and are sounding bloody epic! Too much fun!
#instore #miners #ahealthyfutureonearth #wollongongrock #sogood #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Back in 2012 Sydney indie-psyc

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Back in 2012 Sydney indie-psych outfit @deepseaarcadeband released their debut album ‘Outlands’ (through Ivy League Records), getting great here and through UK and Europe and finding them sharing stages with acts like Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Spoon, and Modest Mouse, and performing at major festivals like Lowlands, The Great Escape, and Primavera Sound. Critics were very fond of ‘Outlands’ as well - Faster Louder at the time calling it, “an impressive debut packed with immensely hummable and sonically rich songs that revel in love and melancholy in equal doses” - and now thanks to the team at @impressedrecordings it’s been reissued and pressed onto limited edition neon pink vinyl, making it the perfect time to dive deep with Deep Sea Arcade!
#catchotheday #deepseaarcade #outlands #debutalbum #sydneyindiepsych #vinylreissue #impressedrecordings #limitededition #neonpinkvinyl #sonicsherpa

SUITABLE FOR MINERS! It’s a beautiful Brisbane S

SUITABLE FOR MINERS!
It’s a beautiful Brisbane Sunday and importantly not too hot, the perfect conditions to come on down and help Wollongong outfit @minerstheband launch their sterling new album ‘A Healthy Future On Earth’ into the stratosphere. They’re awesome and it’s free and all ages so I can’t think of any excuses not to see ya in the 4120!
#instore #sunday19january #2pm #miners #albumtour #wollongongindierock #ahealthyfutureonearth #kittyrecords #free #allages #byo #ozrockrules #sonicsherpa

MINERS INSTORE TOMORROW! Don’t forget that from

MINERS INSTORE TOMORROW!
Don’t forget that from 2pm tomorrow you can treat yourself to a free, all ages set by awesome Wollongong outfit @minerstheband who are in town celebrating their epic new album ‘A Healthy Future On Earth’! Great band, great album and the price is right, see ya tomorrow in the 4120!
NB their Brisbane launch proper is tonight at @seasonthreespace as part of a stupid-strong triple bill with Local Authority and Blue Diner.
#instore #sunday19january #2pm #miners #albumtour #wollongongindierock #ahealthyfutureonearth #kittyrecords #free #allages #byo #ozrockrules #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! For those of you not around at

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
For those of you not around at the time it’s almost impossible to explain how goddamn cool the debut album ‘Is This It’ by NYC kids @thestrokes was upon its release, not only perfectly capturing the global garage revival zeitgeist but even coming out in Australia a couple of months before the rest of the world to capitalise on their tour opening for You Am I! We were hip baby! The vast and immediate charms of ‘Is This It’ were immediately beloved by punters and critics alike - AllMusic’s 5-star review gushes, “The band’s pop-inflected, second-generation take on late-‘70s New York punk comes complete with raw, world-weary vocals, spiky guitars, and an insistently chugging backbeat that all sound familiar, but the songs on their debut album also reflect their own early-twenties lust for life… Able to make the timeworn themes of sex, drugs, and rock & roll and the basic guitars-drum-bass lineup seem new and vital again, the Strokes may or may not be completely arty and calculated, but that doesn’t prevent ‘Is This It’ from being an exciting, compulsively listenable debut” - and the new reissue not only restores the album to its original glory (with the Spinal Tap-esque cover and ‘New York City Cops’ back in the tracklist) but presses it onto limited edition red vinyl, meaning there’s no better time to get hip with The Strokes!
#catchotheday #thestrokes #isthisit #sonymusicau #newyorkgaragerock #classicdebut #noughtiesclassic #rockrevival #limitededition #redvinyl #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
As a youngster in the early-‘80s I was mainly besotted by Aussie bands, but amongst all the banger pop songs which were omnipresent on the radio I always had a soft spot for UK trio @thompsontwinsband, first piqued by their breakthrough fourth album ‘Into The Gap’ (1984). After years of banging on the door as a new wave outfit before shifting to the pop realms, ‘Into The Gap’ made them a household name overnight - AllMusic’s 4-star review reckons, “[the] Thompson Twins were quiet visionaries, blending intelligent lyrics, Eastern sensibilities, and new wave pop to create a wholly unique and unforgettable listening experience and an album that ranks as one of the ‘80s’ most unique” - and for its 40th anniversary the collection was remastered at Abbey Road Studios and pressed onto limited edition red vinyl, so scratch that ‘80s itch with the Thompson Twins and head ‘Into The Gap’!
#catchotheday #thompsontwins #intothegap #bmg #80sclassic #holdmenow #doctordoctor #40thanniversary #limitededition #vinylreissue #redvinyl #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Despite a long career in their

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Despite a long career in their homeland to most of us Irish trio @kneecap32 arrived in our lives last year fully-formed like some balaclava-clad dervish with their hilarious eponymous biopic and their riotous second album ‘Fine Art’! Despite rapping largely about Irish republican themes in a mixture of English and Irish the Kneecap aesthetic found serious and widespread acclaim - it featured in numerous ‘24 EOY lists while UK publication DIY’s 5-star review gushed, “in its own warped way, as its title suggests: a fully-immersive, conceptual production that, much like their recent Sundance award-winning biopic, is far, far too clever to just be the work of three miscreants” - and we have copies on limited edition Irish flag tri-colour vinyl, meaning that there’s never been a better time to be Kneecap-ed!
#catchotheday #kneecap #fineart #heavenlyrecordings #albumtwo #irishhiphop #balaclavasareback #limitededition #tricolourvinyl #sonicsherpa

THAT AIN’T BAD! Stoked to have started stocking

THAT AIN’T BAD!
Stoked to have started stocking copies of well-cool Geelong-based publication @bad_batch_zine, covering our ludicrously fertile Oz rock underground with interviews, profiles, photos, reviews and more! Rad bands old and new who don’t normally get much press love are feted in the pages and at just $10 an issue it’s awesome value, so give them a shot at the title asap!
#nowstocking #badbatchzine #issue4 #issue5 #instocknow #ozrock #aussierocknroll #sogood #supportprintmedia #supportindependentmedia #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Back in 2016 psych-tinged Vanc

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Back in 2016 psych-tinged Vancouver outfit @blackmountainarmy finally backed up their incredible third album ‘Wilderness Heart’ (2010) with the economically-titled ‘IV’ (out once again through the great @jagjaguwar imprint), this time doubling down on the synths amidst their doom-laden diatribes. It once again went down really well with the critics - AllMusic’s 4-star review referred to the album containing “Black Mountain’s trademark blend of hard rock, prog, psychedelia, and a dash of folk” and reckoned “At their best, Black Mountain approach ‘70s rock with a 21st century mindset, and that’s the sort of sound and feel that make ‘IV’ so effective” - and though they’ve been dormant for a while recording-wise they’re still playing and touring, so it’s never too late to explore the retro-futuristic charms of Black Mountain!
#catchotheday #blackmountain #iv #jagjaguwar #albumfour #vancouverpsych #tweeniesclassic #getpsyched #sonicsherpa

PLAYING TODAY! Seems to be a bit of an indie rock

PLAYING TODAY!
Seems to be a bit of an indie rock Tuesday, good mix of Aussie and US stuff particularly looking forward to the 50 TISM demos from the 3-CD ‘Beasts Of Suburban’ reissue what could go wrong?
#playingtoday #thegrifters #godstar #guidedbyvoices #tism #indierocktuesday #goodvibes #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Later this year will mark the

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Another fine album it’s har

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Another fine album it’s hard to believe turns 10 later this year us the sixth album ‘B’lieve I’m Goin Down...’ by much-loved indie rock singer-songwriter @kurtvile, which arrived (via the great @matadorrecords) to great fanfare in 2015. The success of the album and its earworm single ‘Pretty Pimpin’ took Vile to a whole new audience without diluting his laidback, slacker vibes - AllMusic’s 4-star review reckoned it’s “an impeccably arranged album beneath its soothing, sleepy surface, with every element assisting in an illusion of deep, shimmering, and alluring melancholy” - so do yourself the proverbial favour and get cruisy with KV!
#catchotheday #kurtvile #blieveimgoindown #matadorrecords #albumsix #phillyindierock #prettypimpin #ultracool #sonicsherpa

FIRST OF MANY! Congrats to young Stella who came i

FIRST OF MANY!
Congrats to young Stella who came in with her dad, scene stalwart Cowboy Bob, and kicked off her vinyl journey with the self-titled debut album from Isle of Wight indie-popsters @wetleg! Excellent choice for first album in the collection!
#firstofmany #firstalbum #vinylcollection #wetleg #gostella #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! In recent times Tennessee sing

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
In recent times Tennessee singer-songwriter @julienrbaker has been racking up kudos (and Grammys) as part of the awesome @xboygeniusx collective, but she’s been an accomplished solo artist in her own right for years with her most recent album ‘Little Oblivions’ dropping (through the great @matadorrecords) back in 2021. I recall interviewing her ahead of her inaugural trip Down Under behind her acclaimed debut ‘Sprained Ankle’ (2015) and witnessing her play two mesmerising sets in Mullumbimby Civic Memorial Hall during the 2016 Mullum Festival and she’s only gone from strength to strength since then - the AV Club’s review gave ‘Little Oblivions’ a rare A grading and reckoned, “With ‘Little Oblivions’, the singer-songwriter has made her most cohesive record yet. The resuscitation of a heavier sound works in Baker’s favor, while she still adds hints of the fragile gentleness that has captivated fans since her ‘Sprained Ankle’ days” - so check out the immense songwriting chops of Ms Baker and bask in her ‘Little Oblivions’!
#catchotheday #julienbaker #littleoblivions #matadorrecords #albumthree #tennesseesingersongwriter #boygenius #sogood #sonicsherpa

MINERS TO HIT SONIC SHERPA! We’re kicking off th

MINERS TO HIT SONIC SHERPA!
We’re kicking off the 2025 instore program with a cracker! Rad Wollongong trio @minerstheband are dropping their second album ‘A Healthy Future On Earth’ (via the great @kittyrecords) and whilst in town for the launch will be hitting Sonic Sherpa for a free, all ages set from 2pm on Sunday 19 Jan! Their self-titled debut from 2021 was a ripping album and the follow-up is described as “10 songs weathered and brushed by elements of shoegaze, indie slacker pop, emo, country rock and found sound”, so come on down and get behind the striking sound of Miners!
NB their Brisbane launch proper is on Sat 18 Jan at @seasonthreespace as part of a rad triple bill with @localauthority and @bluedinergonefishing.
#instore #sunday19january #2pm #miners #albumtour #wollongongindierock #ahealthyfutureonearth #kittyrecords #free #allages #byo #ozrockrules #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Back when @thewhitestripes wer

CATCH O’ THE DAY! Back in 2001 NYC-bred indie ro

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
Back in 2001 NYC-bred indie rock legends Silver Jews decamped to Nashville to record their fourth album ‘Bright Flight’, their poet-slash-songwriter frontman David Berman absorbing the sounds and sensibilities of the music Mecca as well as drafting in some local players such as pedal steel guitarist Paul Niehaus from Lambchop for authenticity. Though the batch of beautifully-written songs at times made clear the abject despair which haunted his life ‘Bright Flight’ was still an absorbing collection - Pitchfork reckoned that the album “absorbed the local country and alt-country scene, and integrated it with his own wry, lo-fi aesthetic to kick out ten new tracks of intelligent backwoods swagger” - and though the loss of Berman a few years back still burns albums like ‘Bright Flight’ ensure that his amazing work and legacy will live on forever.
#catchotheday #silverjews #brightflight #dragcityrecords #albumfour #davidberman #indierocklegend #indiegoescountry #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! I spent a fair chunk of the fe

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
I spent a fair chunk of the festive break devouring Peter Ames Carlin’s new @rem biography ‘The Name Of This Band Is R.E.M.’ (I haven’t quite finished yet so so spoilers plz) and it’s kicked off a more than welcome R.E.M. aural binge, what an incredible band! Their second ‘best of’ compilation ‘In Time: The Best Of R.E.M. 1988-2003’ covers the years following their jump from underground indie icons to fully-fledged mainstream stars - the seven-album stretch between ‘Green’ (1988) and ‘Reveal’ (2001) which spawned so many of their timeless bangers - and although space is an issue and the 2-LP set skips many classic singles there’s some awesome additional tracks such as ‘Bad Day’ and ‘Animal’ which help to make this a brilliant snapshot of an incredible band at their commercial (and to many also their artistic) peak!
#catchotheday #rem #intimebestof19982003 #warnermusic #geeatesthits #warneryears #athenslegends #2lp #sogood #sonicsherpa

CATCH O’ THE DAY! It’s staggering to think tha

CATCH O’ THE DAY!
It’s staggering to think that in a couple of short months we’ll hit the decade milestone since excellent Naarm singer-songwriter @courtneybarnett released her acclaimed debut album ‘Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit’ (via her own @milkrecords) after a run of ecstatically-received EPs and singles. That hype was thoroughly deserved and she responded with this batch of songs rife with earworm melodies and lyrical dexterity all delivered with that incredible deadpan panache - AllMusic’s fawning 5-star review reckoned, “Barnett’s thick Australian accent carries an unstated pride for her homeland, but her sly twists of phrase, alternately wry and melancholic, give a greater sense of place, time, and character. Offhand observations mingle with understated insights, a nice trick of songwriting that the music cannily mirrors“ - and it’s stood the test of time wonderfully because it was never beholden to any current trends, so don’t sit around and think about it just grab a copy and get amongst this timeless Oz rock classic!
#catchotheday #courtneybarnett #sometimesisitandthinkandsometimesijustsit #milkrecords #remotecontrol #classicdebut #ozrockclassic #sogood #sonicsherpa

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