Eleven Eleven is the kind of album you want to hear live, with ambitious hooks, irresistible melodies, and plenty of energy. It wears its heart on its sleeve, with frontman Jake Griggs delivering some of the most empassioned vocals of his career. Something with Numbers have always prided themselves on their live shows, and seven years after their inception they’re performing better than ever.
See for yourself at the following shows.
14 June 2013 – Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale
15 June 2013 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
21 June 2013 – Residence @ Metropolis, Fremantle
22 June 2013 –Rosemount Hotel, Perth
28 June 2013 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
29 June 2013 – Fitzroy Hotel, Fitzroy
5 July 2013 – Fowlers, Adelaide
6 July 2013 – Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
12 July 2013 – Waves, Wollongong
13 July 2013 – Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay
Image used with permission from Reckoning Entertainment
You probably couldn’t find more different acts than Erykah Badu and Suicidal Tendencies, yet the musicianship of bassist Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner has been an integral part of both of their sounds. He’s also an accomplished solo performer, and on the eve of the release of his sophomore album Apocalypse, he’ll bring his smoking live show to his Australia.
That album won’t hit stores until July, but we get a taste of what’s in store with the silky smooth single “Heartbreaks + Setbacks”. Its easy groove and those sexy vocals have totally won me over.
If you love what you hear, make sure you catch this stellar artist on his all too brief Aussie tour this June.
7 June 2013 – The Forum, Melbourne
8 June 2013 – The Bakery, Perth
9 June 2013 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
I have a confession to make. I am a Eurovision tragic. I might wax lyrical about talented singer-songwriters, but all I really need to enjoy a song is a wind machine, some sequins, and a dramatic key change. Sadly our musicians are ineligible to join in the fun beyond voting in SBS’s unofficial poll. However, our local artists are celebrating the spirit of the event with a new compilation album called Mélodie Française.
This unusual disc sees some of Australia’s brightest stars tackling classic and contemporary French songs. The album will feature cuts from Lisa Mitchell, The Jezabels, Dappled Cities, and Gossling and Oh Mercy’s beautiful take on “La Minute de Silence.”
Mélodie Française will be released midyear through Original Matters in Australia and stream exclusively through France’s Deezer.com.
Whether she’s operating as solo artist or as one half of Gepetto, I’m enamoured with Emma Dean. So I was thrilled to see she’s released a brand new EP. “Phoebe (With Her Whole Heart)” gives us a taste of what we can expect from White, a recording that’s billed as a collection of “off-kilter ballads about new beginnings.”
And yes, after hearing it I’m just as in love with what Emma does. This is divine.
Inland Sea cofounder Jeremy Hunter is stepping out on his own with the recent release of his debut self-titled EP. The EP is a collection of acoustic guitar-driven folk-rock tunes that should delight fans of the genre. It includes this gorgeous single, “Picking Up the Pieces”.
Less than a month after touring the United Kingdom with Inland Sea mid-2012, Jeremy holed himself up in the mountains outside Brisbane with his pal and producer Konstantin Kersting. They spent three days out of the bustle of the city, crafting the five songs that would become this release. Jeremy impressively played every instrument on the recording to ensure the tracks captured exactly what he hoped to express. Some might call him a control freak; I think the approach is genius.
Jeremy will launch the EP with a show for hometown fans at Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge on May 26, and another at St Kilda’s Prince Public Bar on May 31.
As I’m shivering here with my fluffy dressing gown on and my heater blasting, the warmth of summer sun seems a distant memory. But Mali Mali have got me reminiscing with the release of their debut music video “Song for the Sun.”
This is a gorgeous folky number which hints at what’s to come on the curiously named album Gather ‘Round the Gooseclock, which was not so coincidentally released today. If you love what you hear, it’s available to download now.
Melbourne electropop duo Private Life are giving us a taste of their self-titled EP with the release of their first single “Mine”.
The track’s melodic synth score and Renee Anderson’s slightly raspy vocals take me right back to the 1980s. It’s so much fun, but there’s also an emotional sincerity that elevates it above your average pop song. Private Life has shared stages with Garbage, Sam Sparrow, and Owl Eyes, but with songs like this in their arsenal it’s only a matter of time before they get their own spotlight.
Private Life’s new EP, which features the fabulous “Mine”, hits stores on May 20.
When he’s not wowing crowds as one half of Busby Marou, Tom Busby is making beautiful music with his housemates Stephen Ryan and Brett Gibson. Together they are Good Oak, a three-piece creating some of the most gorgeous folk music I’ve heard in some time.
The Queensland band’s just released their debut self-titled EP which includes the beautiful single “The Bear Song”. The harmonies are exquisite, and while it’s gentle it’s definitely a song that stays with you. Songs don’t always need to scream loudly to make an impression, do they?
If you love what you hear, make sure you catch Good Oak supporting their EP’s release on The Big Strong Bear Tour.
23 May 2013 – Gov’s Espresso, Mermaid Beach
24 May 2013 – The Armidale Club, Armidale
25 May 2013 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
26 May 2013 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
The fun single “Look at Me” gives us a taste of the album, which hit stores yesterday. It’s got a gorgeous blend of dance and pop that makes children of the ‘80s like me feel all warm and nostalgic.
Vaudeville Smash! will kick off their Dancing for the Girl tour in Adelaide next month before they travel up and down the East Coast. With the band generating major buzz in North America, it might be our last chance to see them for a while!
8 June 2013 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
14 June 2013 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
21 June 2013 – UTS Glasshouse Bar, Sydney
22 June 2013 – The Beresford, Sydney
27 June 2013 – The Loft, Chevron Island
28 June 2013 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
29 June 2013 – The Joynt, Brisbane
30 June 2013 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Following a successful crowd-sourcing campaign, Jen Cloher will release her third album In Blood Memory next month.
The album, which was written over the last six months and recorded in just six days, is the follow-up to Jen’s acclaimed sophomore effort Hidden Hands. The album could have been very dark after Jen lost both her parents at the end of 2011. However, rather than dwelling on her sorrow she decided to create a more positive record.
“I had written an album worth of songs by the beginning of 2012 but I decided to scrap them and start again. My previous album Hidden Hands had been about loss and I didn’t have the emotional energy to explore that territory again,” she explained. Instead, I wanted to write about what was alive in me.
“In Blood Memory is a live album. Its strength lies in passionate performances from a great band. Drums are spilling into vocal mics and guitars into drum overheads. All of my vocals are live. There is no separation.”
In Blood Memory will hit stores on May 27.
Image used with permission from Remote Control Records
Lauren Katulka cannot remember a time when music was not a part of her life. Raised on an eclectic diet of Van Morrison, The Eagles, Cold Chisel, and Barbra Streisand, she remembers saving all her pocket money for weeks so she could buy cassettes featuring her favourite singers. At the tender age of 11 she saw her first live concert when Jimmy Barnes took his Soul Deep tour to Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. There was no looking back.
Today Lauren is a happily married freelance writer living on the New South Wales Central Coast. When she's not obsessing about the latest band, or some old favourite, she loves to experiment with new recipes, watch indie films, and cuddle her Devon Rex cat Gizmo.
“I had written an album worth of songs by the beginning of 2012 but I decided to scrap them and start again. My previous album Hidden Hands had been about loss and I didn’t have the emotional energy to explore that territory again,” she explained. Instead, I wanted to write about what was alive in me.
