Sometimes you just need a bit of fun to usher in the weekend. And I’ve found it in Adelaide’s Bad//Dreems and the chunky guitars of their new single “Caroline”.

There’s nothing deep and meaningful going on here. We’ve heard the tale of falling in love with the wrong woman before, but its wrapped up in such an infectiously catchy package that I don’t really mind. The clip’s also got such a great Aussie nostalgia to it, that I’m a bit powerless to resist.

If you’re digging Bad//Dreems’ good vibes, make sure you support the boys when they launch the single at the following shows next month.

7 May 2013 – Mum @ World Bar, Sydney
14 May 2013 – CATS @ Rocket Bar, Adelaide
31 May 2013 – The Gasometer, Melbourne

Australia has lost one of its most unique female voices with the passing of Chrissy Amphlett. The Divinyls frontwoman passed away in New York City following battles with breast cancer and multiple sclerosis. She was just 53 years old.

They broke the mould when they made Chrissy. As a young girl I remember being fascinated by her sexy schoolgirl outfits, fishnet stockings, and husky rasping voice. I couldn’t believe she could get away with singing “I Touch Myself”, and I still think “Boys in Town” is one of the greatest rock songs ever penned.

With her band The Divinyls she earned four top 10 albums locally and one in America. Funnily enough, that shocking “I Touch Myself” song was their biggest-selling single. It reached number one here and cracked the top 10 in the United States and Great Britain. Fittingly the band took their place in the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006.

Those facts are impressive, but it’s Chrissy’s sass that I’ll remember most. She was fierce, so different, so charismatic. She will be missed.

If you’re in Victoria and looking for something to do this weekend, get yourself to the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum. From tomorrow, the museum will host a special exhibition celebrating the covers of Australia’s Rolling Stone magazine. This is the first time that the best covers from the last four decades have been on show in this country.

“The influence of Rolling Stone extends beyond music – this magazine has been the birthplace of some the greatest careers in photography, journalism, and design,” explained Kirsten Fitzpatrick, exhibition curator. “This exhibition chronicles the evolution of our cultural landscape and will trigger nostalgic memories of significant moments in the history of rock ‘n roll, and their associated personal memories for all that come to view it.”

The covers feature our own Michael Hutchence and Miranda Kerr as well as international megastars like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, and Blondie.

Entry is free, and the museum’s just 40 kays out of the Melbourne CBD. With a café on site, it sounds like a great little day trip to me! The exhibition will be on display at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum until July 7 before it heads to its next destination.

Image used with permission from Show Off Services

While we were on a tech-imposed hiatus Sounds of Oz was named one of the top 100 Music Blogs to follow by CouponAudit. Never heard of it? Me neither. And as it doesn’t seem to have any musical cred, you can take these results with a grain of salt. Still, I can’t recall being named in the top 100 anything before, so I’ll take my number 62 position. It’s a long list so I’ll keep it under the cut, but feel free to browse around. You might even find another cool blog to follow. Just make sure it doesn’t replace this one in your bookmarks, OK?

Read the rest of this entry…

You might have noticed things have been a bit quiet over here at Sounds of Oz. Unfortunately I fell victim to some tech problems that I barely understand. It seems my IT working husband has righted the situation for now, although as it came from some hack attacks on a global scale problems may still occur. If you want to read more about what went on, you can do so here. And if you’d rather be spared the techspeak just know I’ve changed my password to something secure that I likely won’t remember, and I’m doing whatever I can to prevent further attacks. Fingers crossed we’re back in business for good. Now on to more music!

In a week that’s seemed far too short, it’s nice to take a breath and look back on a moment I got to slow down. There really is no better place to do that than Lizotte’s, especially when the wonderful Jake Shimabukuro is playing for you.

I ordinarily frequent the Kincumber Lizotte’s, but Easter festivities lured me to the Newcastle venue with my parents. There’s a different vibe to the Newcastle venue. It’s still warm, but there’s a little more space to spread out. That means it loses a little of the lounge room feel, but it’s still much more intimate than most venues around. And just like the Central Coast, the food is to die for. I struggled through my generous serve of herb battered fish and chips after a big Easter lunch, but it was too delicious to leave.

There was no support act tonight, perhaps because following Jake would be a tall order. I’d caught some of his performances online, but I really went into this show knowing very little. He joked that expectations are always low when people see someone playing ukulele. His reputation precedes him though. I was expecting greatness, but I didn’t expect to be quite as engaged as I was.

You see, I’ve always been a lyrics girl. Without lyrics to hang on to I wondered whether parts of the night might drag. No chance. Jake relished sharing the stories of the moments that surrounded his original songs, and they allowed us to understand the instrumental pieces better. He’s also such a compelling, dynamic performer. You can feel him, whether he’s strumming hard or playing so softly that you have to strain your ears.

The sounds he gets from a ukulele are incredible. The instrument has a range of just two octaves, yet he somehow makes it sound like so much more. He played it like a mandolin, like a guitar, like a piece of percussion. I couldn’t believe the tones he created.

While his originals were solid, the covers wowed me. I knew I loved his version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and it was a fitting encore. However I was most impressed by his take on “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It was just so clever, with the ukulele singing all of these incredible parts, from rock to opera.

My expectations weren’t as low as Jake teased that they might be, but they were still exceeded by this incredible musician.

Image source: own photo

John Farnham has taken out the top spot on a list of Australia’s top 100 singers printed in the Herald Sun today. The list, which was voted on by a panel of local musicians, has inevitably generated plenty of discussion amongst music lovers across the country.

These kinds of lists are never perfect. Once the numbers are crunched, we can all think of deserving talents who missed out. I was shocked that Richard Clapton and Mark Seymour missed out. I would have also loved to see David Campbell recognised for more than just being a decent morning show host. I couldn’t believe James Reyne, Dame Joan Sutherland, and Peter Allen were left languishing in the bottom half of the list. I also heard plenty of criticism about the number of Kiwis that made the cut, but perhaps it’s time we truly opened our arms to anyone who calls Australia home.

I was impressed at the diversity of the top 100. We saw legends of the local industry and bright young things with so much ahead of them. We saw artists from so many genres: rock, country, pop, soul, opera, world music whatever that means, and the list goes on. What a reminder that we can do more than straight up pub rock.

Perhaps it’s that reminder of the strength of our industry that I like more than anything. I can imagine young music fans reading the words that chart-topping musicians had to say about the country’s pioneers, and that inspiring them to explore the back catalogues. I also marvelled at the number of acts still kicking on, still performing regularly, even if it’s at the RSLs and small theatres rather than arenas. I started my concert-going long before the heyday of many of these artists, yet I can proudly say I’ve seen many of these talented musicians on stage.

We’ve got a lot to be proud of here, and this top 100 is a lovely reminder of it, don’t you think?

Image source: Jeanie Mackinder @ Wikipedia Commons

Saturday Night Country fans will no doubt miss Felicity Urquhart while she takes a break from radio and soaks up life as a new mum. But ABC Local Radio listeners don’t have to be sad for too long. Felicity’s pal and fellow Australian country sensation Catherine Britt will take over the airwaves from this Saturday night.

Rest assured, Catherine knows her stuff. She cut her eye-teeth hosting Alt Country on the Country Music Channel, and she’s a big fan of the program.

“I grew up listening to the show and the great voice of John Nutting so to be asked to host the show while Fliss has a break is a huge honour and I really can’t wait to start,” Catherine said.

Tune in to hear Catherine on ABC Local Radio this Saturday, April 6.

Image source: Bruce Howlett @ Wikipedia Commons

Congratulations to Jordie Lane, who’s just signed a deal with Canadian booking agent Paquin Entertainment. Paquin is home to many credible Canucks including Tegan and Sara, Josh Ritter, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Jordie’s currently in the thick of his local Movement tour, which will serve as a warm-up for his some forthcoming Canadian shows. Dates haven’t been announced yet, but Canadian music lovers can expect to see him playing headlining shows and several major festivals during July and August.

Image used with permission from Jordie Lane Music

Enjoy some great music and a healthy dose of karma at Maitland Gaol today. The Hunter Valley prison will host Gaolbreak for the Future, a live music event raising funds for The Centre for Hope.

The Centre for Hope works with “at risk” students, those young Australians who are skipping classes, having difficulties interacting with the other students, and seeing their marks slip. The charity looks to empower these kids, teach them to respect themselves, and help them find a place they belong in their community through its mentorship program.

You can help raise funds for this vital work by heading down to Maitland Goal today. Tickets to the show cost just $15, or $30 for a family of four. Local musicians will warm up the crowds before headliners The Last Kinection take to the stage.

It all kicks off at 1 pm, so get your skates on Novacastrians. You don’t want to miss this!

Image source: The Last Kinection website