Month: August 2015

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Unwind with Tim Wheatley’s “Valerie”

After a busy working week, we all need to shift gears and start winding down. Tim Wheatley can help you get into the right frame of mind with his cruisy new single “Valerie.” This is a world away from the upbeat track Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson made famous a few years back. It’s perfectly chilled folky acoustic goodness, with a dreamy slide guitar and the sort of husky vocals that make me melt. Or perhaps that’s just the sight of Tim himself?

Anyway, if you love his music or you’re just a bit smitten too, make sure to check out Tim’s album Cast of Yesterday when it hits stores on August 28. He’s currently supporting the release with dates all around the East Coast, so get along to one of the following shows for your folk fix.

14 August 2015 – The Vanguard, Sydney
16 August 2015 – Central Park, Sydney
20 August 2015 – Café Del Mar, Sydney
21 August 2015 – Illawarra Brewery, Wollongong
22 August 2015 – Howlin’ Wolf, Wollongong
23 August 2015 – The Soda Factory, Sydney
27 & 28 August 2015 – Gympie Music Muster, Gympit
29 August 2015 – The Triffid, Brisbane
30 August 2015 – The Grace Darling, Melbourne
2 September 2015 – Café del Mar, Sydney
4 September 2015 – The Metro, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jack Carty & Jordan Millar @ Venue 505, Sydney – 8 August 2015

The closure of Lizotte’s at Kincumber hit me hard. That venue spoiled me, got me used to seeing intimate shows and enjoying great food and wines while artists played. So I was thrilled to discover a similar vibe at Venue 505 in Surry Hills on Saturday night.

It wasn’t quite up to the standard of my beloved Lizotte’s, but this small room with comfy couches and tables for dining has real promise. It’s more about bar food than three-course menus, and my steak was rarer than I asked for. But the wine list was inspired and reasonably priced, especially by Sydney standards. You can’t book tables either, although arriving at 6 when doors opened there was no chance of missing out on a great spot.

As I get older it takes something special to lure me into the city. But I couldn’t resist the promise of Jack Carty and Jordan Millar playing “intimate and by request.” Jordan Millar’s album Cold Lights on Curious Minds was one of my favourite albums of 2013, and I loved Jack Carty’s set warming up for Josh Pyke last year. Having said that, I wouldn’t consider myself particularly familiar with their music. I’ve loved what I heard, but I certainly wasn’t hankering to hear particular tunes like the folks eager to write their favourite songs down and put them in the request box by the stage.

The thing is though, at a gig like this you don’t need to know the songs. It’s not like going to see some band they play on classic rock stations where everyone sings along. Especially in an intimate setting like Venue 505, these songs should be listened to, their lyrics heard. Jordan Miller was up first. I haven’t listened to his album in a while, but his set was a powerful reminder that I need to dig it out. There were a few songs I remembered from that recording, like “Rain on the Ground” and some new favourites to discover like “Advice from Beyonce.”

All of the Jack Carty songs I heard were new to me, but that was exciting. Really a show like this is the perfect introduction to musicians, because you’re going to hear a set that’s made up of the songs that fans love. I adored the solo sets both artists delivered, but true magic was made when Jordan joined Jack for the final tracks of the night. How wonderful to experience two such talented singer-songwriters, stripped back with just acoustic guitars, singing such beautiful songs.

And how wonderful to do it at such a great venue. It takes a lot to lure me to Sydney these days, but this show was well worth braving the cold of winter.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

4 Best Melbourne Hotels for Spotting Visiting Musicians

I think most music lovers would be lying if they said they’d never visited a hotel in the hope of meeting their favourite musician. I’m only slightly embarrassed to look back on the moments I spent loitering around a Melbourne hotel bar trying to spot Human Nature, or that time I stayed in the same hotel as John Mayer in Sydney. So I figured I’d put together this guide of the best hotels for star-spotting in Melbourne.

4. The Olsen: Trendy Boutique Accommodation

Superior service and a quiet neighbourhood have helped make the Olsen a celebrity favourite. This boutique Art Series hotel isn’t as flashy as many star magnets, but that’s actually part of its appeal. Until the word gets out, paparazzi don’t expect the big stars will stay here, so they can go about their stay without being pestered. A few years back a handful of Justin Bieber fans were lucky enough to get autographs from the Canadian singer when he emerged from the Olsen; most of his followers were sure he’d be at the Langham. Dead Daisies singer Jon Stevens also says the Olsen is the only place he’ll stay in Melbourne.

3. The Langham: Kanye West’s Favourite Hotel

Image via Flickr by Traveloscopy

When Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian visited Melbourne as part of 2014’s Yeezus tour, there was just one place they wanted to stay: the opulent Langham. The Kardashian-Wests rented the hotel’s presidential suite and the entire 23rd floor for the duration of their stay for the princely sum of $10,000 a night. If you visit, make sure you remember Australia’s musical past with a meal at Melba Restaurant, named after Melbourne-born opera great Dame Nellie Melba.

2. Park Hyatt Melbourne: Parkside Luxury Hotel

Some of the world’s most famous female singers love the Park Hyatt Melbourne. Both Pink and Lady Gaga have stayed at this five-star hotel just a block back from Fitzroy Gardens. No doubt they loved its quiet location on the outskirts of the CBD, and its three entrances which made it easier for them to evade the paparazzi.

1. Crown Towers: Five-Star Celebrity Magnet

Image via Flickr by a.meins

It costs big bucks to stay here, but if you can swing the room tariff you’re almost guaranteed to run into a musician at the Crown Towers. After all, this is the place where Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown were shown the door after trashing their suite. Its Palladium Ballroom is the home of the Logies, so those international acts that we always fly in always stay here. In recent years, Crown Towers has also hosted Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Kings of Leon, Andrea Bocelli, and our own Kylie Minogue.

If you do happen to bump into a musical superstar while you’re around one of these Melbourne hotels, just remember to be respectful. They might be supremely talented, but they’re also human beings entitled to space during their downtime. Treat them as you’d hope to be treated, and you might just have a special moment with one of your favourite stars.

This post was written as part of the #HipmunkCityLove project. Have you ever had a hotel encounter with a musician you love? Let me know in the comments!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cheap Fakes Release a Good Song

It might be Monday, but Brisbane party band Cheap Fakes will help put a spring in your step with their latest single “Baby, It’s a Good Song.” This track is just what it says on the tin, a high energy number effortlessly blending ska, funk, and pop.

It’s just one of the tracks to come from the band’s third-full length album, Mondern Vintage, which saw them working with legendary producer John Merchant. You might not know his name, but he was responsible for music from Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, the Bee Gees, and Barbra Streisand. In short, he’s a big deal.

Strangely enough, this “Baby, It’s a Good Song” didn’t actually come from the sessions with John Merchant. In fact, a rough cut was recorded around 15 years ago. Hayden Andrews recently rediscovered it on one of his old cassette tapes and he couldn’t get it out of his head. So even though the album was nearly complete, he knew it deserved a place on Modern Vintage.

Modern Vintage hits stores on October 9. Before the release, you can catch Cheap Fakes doing their thing at the following Queensland festivals.

21 & 22 August 2015 – Yeppoon Village Festival, Yeppoon
20 September 2015 – Mitchell Creek Rock N Blues Festival, Sunshine Coast
25 September 2015 – Brisbane Festival, Theatre Republic, Brisbane
3 October 2015 – Red Deer Music Festival, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Playwrite Remember Past with “Animals Housed” Clip

Playwrite have released a gorgeous anthemic new track “Animals Housed.” I love the way it builds to a fist pumping conclusion. But perhaps more than the song itself, I love the video that accompanies it.

You see, the band’s guitarist Patrick Holcombe lost his mum and dad in the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. They were trying to defend their family home in Kinglake National Park. The home took his parents more than 25 years to build. They raised their children there. Yet after the fire tore through, there was nothing left but crumbling mud bricks and scraps of metal and pottery.

It was around this time that Patrick started making music with his mate Jordan White. “Animals Housed” was one of their earliest tracks.

Over the years, Patrick has spent a lot of time at his parents’ property in Kinglake. He built a cabin there, which doubles as writing and recording space, and he planted some fruit trees in memory of his parents. So it’s only fitting that Kinglake provides the backdrop for this clip.

“The only place that seemed right to make a video of this song was back up at Kinglake with the people who have supported us and our music since the very beginning,” Patrick explained. “So we threw a party, with our friends and we filmed it.”

So now that you know the story, check out the clip, which celebrates today while always remembering the past.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Daniel March Gives Powerful Message with “Future Shock”

I’m really digging the funky grooves of “Future Shock,” the soulful new single from Aussie expat Daniel March.

“The term, first brought to my attention by Curtis Mayfield, means “a state of distress or disorientation due to rapid social or technological change”, where people develop new lifestyles and belief systems to suit them,” Daniel explained. “To seek power, to feel good, to be fearful and have it permissable, for whatever reason.”

It’s the power behind those two words that inspired the song. It’s got a great message, but an equally strong sound. You can hear some of Daniel’s influences, like Jimi Hendrix and Prince, coming through.

Daniel, a Sydney-born musician, is currently pursuing music in London.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Little May Announce Global Tour Ahead of Album Release

Little May’s song “Home” has been one of those tracks that’s stuck with me this year. So I was thrilled to read a full-length album isn’t too far away. It seems like Little May’s been on the scene for such a long time that it’s amazing to realise For the Company is actually their debut LP.

The album saw the Sydney band working with acclaimed producer Aaron Brooking Dessner. Little May are big fans of his work with The National, so were excited that he wanted to work with them.

“It was a dream of ours to work with Aaron Dessner. We are so incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to make this album with him, and Jonathan Lowe, who engineered and mixed the album. Aaron captured the heart of what we are about, and we couldn’t be more thankful,” Little May said about the experience.

For the Company was recorded in the main hall of New York’s Future Past Studios, a converted 19th-century church. The unique setting helped Little May capture an intensity that’s now a key part of their sound.

For the Company will be released on October 9. Little May will celebrate its release with a tour taking in Europe, Australia, and the United States. No matter where in the world you are, here are all the places you can see them play.

28 August 2015 – Reading Festival, Reading
29 August 2015 – Leeds Festival, Wetherby
6 September 2015 – Electric Picnic, Stradbally
18 September 2015 – Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst
19 September 2015 – The Foundry, Brisbane
24 September 2015 – Corner Hotel, Richmond
26 September 2015 – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
5 October 2015 – Exchange, Bristol
6 October 2015 – Bush Hall, London
8 October 2015 – Gulliver’s, Manchester
10 October 2015 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
11 October 2015 – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
13 October 2015 – Paradiso Upstairs, Amsterdam
14 October 2015 – Pop Up du Label, Paris
15 October 2015 – Blue Shell, Cologne
16 October 2015 – Botanique @ Witloof Bar, Brussels
17 October 2015 – Molotow, Hamburg
18 October 2015 – Privatclub, Berlin
20 October 2015 – Mercury Lounge, New York
21 October 2015 – Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn
23 October 2015 – Milkboy, Philadelphia
24 October 2015 – DC9 Nightclub, Washington D.C.
26 October 2015 – Schubas, Chicago
27 October 2015 – 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis
29 October 2015 – Barboza, Seattle
30 October 2015 – Mississippi Studios, Portland
2 November 2015 – The Independent, San Francisco
3 November 2015 – The Echo, Los Angeles

Image used with permission from Secret Service PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Doctrin Does it Again

Doctrin knocked my socks off with her debut single “Take Me,” so I was thrilled to discover this local talent, who divides her time between Melbourne and LA, has a lot more in her arsenal. With her follow-up release “Give Me Love,” Doctrin’s delivering more grungy vibes with a whole lot of energy.

This is the sort of song that my angsty teenage self would have loved dancing around my bedroom to. No matter how old you get, I don’t think you ever lose that part of yourself, and “Give Me Love” taps into it beautifully. It’s so awesome to hear a gusty female voice demanding that someone give them love, rather than pleading for it.

Doctrin just keeps on delivering. I can’t wait to hear what she does next.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Darren Middleton Releases Double-A Side Single Ahead of Album Shows

I’ve always thought that if your album has just one great single, you’re doing alright. But when you have enough superb material to release a double-A side single, with two songs that are equally as compelling, well the album’s got to be pretty special. That’s the case with Splinters, out November 6. The latest effort from former Powderfinger guitarist Darren Middleton features the double-A side “The Lines” and “Our Road.” The album’s title comes from the concept of Darren shedding a splinter of his soul as he shares these stories.

It’s really hard to pick a favourite out of these songs, but if you had me at gunpoint I’d go for “The Lines,” just because of the big gospel sounds courtesy of the Monash Choral Society. Talei Wolfram and Guy Pearce also guest on the track. I really wish the Soundcloud links that were passed on to me were shareable, but you can get the single yourself from iTunes. You can also hear a bit more if you catch one of Darren’s upcoming album preview shows.


28 August 2015 – The Vanguard, Sydney
12 September 2015 – The Toff, Melbourne
18 September 2015 – The Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Bad News” – Josue

Sydney soul singer Josue turned my head with his single “What’s On Your Mind” a couple of months ago. Now that I’ve been able to listen to his EP Bad News, I’m even more impressed.

Back in the ‘90s I remember a wave of exciting soul acts. Artists like Tevin Campbell, Jodeci, and R. Kelly really got me going. We’ve had the occasional act cut from a similar cloth since then. Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake spring to mind. But they didn’t quite resonate with me. But Josue definitely does.

The single “What’s On Your Mind” reminded me of what got my attention in the first place, and made me hungry for more. The next song “Lex” is totally sexy and smooth. I didn’t mind the title track “Bad News,” but it paled in comparison to the next song, a raw duet “What Would You Say” featuring the vocal stylings of Annelise Johnson. “So Simple” sees Josue skirting the jazz genre, and doing it admirably. He’s back collaborating with the EP’s final track, “Summer Time” featuring Billy Green. It’s not a cover of the classic Gershwin tune, or even the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff colab. Instead it’s a brand new summer anthem which concludes with an awesome acapella break.

If you’ve hungered for the return of soul music, you won’t be disappointed by Josue’s Bad News.