Month: August 2011

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bob Evans & Kirsty Akers Puppets Star in “In Spite of Ourselves” Video

Give me puppets in a music video and I’m a happy girl. Add in some great musical talents and so much the better. So predictably I’m going wild for “In Spite of Ourselves,” the recent collaboration by Bob Evans and Kirsty Akers.

The song’s going great guns on the AirIt chart, hitting number one despite strong challenges from Seeker Lover Keeper and Josh Pyke. It’s the first tune to be lifted from Kirsty’s recently released album, Naked.

If you like what you hear you can catch Kirsty playing shows with America’s Jace Everett later this month. I can’t promise she’ll bring the puppet, but you can see her at the following venues.

18 August 2011 – The Basement, Sydney
19 August 2011 – Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill
20 August 2011 – Hotel Gearin, Katoomba
21 August 2011 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
23 August 2011 – Hallam Hotel, Melbourne
24 August 2011 – Lizottes, Newcastle
25 August 2011 – Lizottes, Central Coast
26 August 2011 – Gympie Muster, Gympie

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Roslyn” – Rackets and Fives

Western Australia seems to have the market cornered on interesting folky music. From more established acts like John Butler Trio and The Waifs to newer discoveries like Tim Nelson and the Infidels, I’m finding a lot to like out west. And now a new name has caught my attention, as this week I learned about Rackets and Fives and their album Roslyn.

This disc is really ambitious. There are tunes here that are so removed from anything else I’m hearing lately, and that’s really exciting. I must admit, I found a difficult to latch onto it at first, but the more I listened to it the more I liked it.

Roslyn certainly isn’t a perfect album. It lacks a certain cohesiveness. An album can be eclectic but still feel like a complete unit, but this one seemed more like a disparate collection of songs. Some tracks didn’t quite hit the mark for me, yet others bowled me over. And when you can get that latter reaction from several songs on a debut, independent release, I think that’s admirable.

“Ellis Island” was the one that first made me sit up and really pay attention. The strings really lifted it into a new place that was so exciting. I was similarly moved by another internationally titled track, “London Town.” It started out haunting, with a quiet power that grew with an amazing intensity as the track unfolded. “Storm Surge” was rollicking good fun, with some of the most exquisite harmonies I’ve ever heard. And “The Confederate Gold Stand-Off Saga” is as epic a closer as its name suggests. It takes you right back in time with its furious fiddles and ominous lyrics.

As I write about these tunes now I’m getting excited about them again, which really tells you a lot about their quality. With Roslyn Rackets and Fives might not have made the perfect album, but they’ve shown they’re a band with an awful lot of potential.

Image source: Rackets and Fives Bandcamp page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Earl Cole & Chelsea J Gibson Do Frank and Ella in Perth

Earl Cole and Chelsea J Gibson are stepping back in time for a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald later this month. The talented pair will play a dinner and show evening at Perth’s Bouchon Bistro on August 24.

The duo will bring the jazz and swing stylings of these musical legends to diners, backed by The Lady Velvet Cabaret dancers. It’s sure to be a visual and aural feast, with plenty of lavish costumes and the songs that have stood the test of time.

Tickets cost $110 per person, including a three-course French feast, or $100 per head for groups of six or more. The duo’s shows regularly sell out though, so I wouldn’t wait too long before making a booking. You can reserve a table by calling Bouchon Bistro on (08) 9387 3898.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Stars Cover “The Ship Song” at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House has assembled some of Australia’s most influential musical talents (and one Canadian ring-in) for The Ship Song Project, an epic cover version of one of Nick Cave’s best loved songs.

If you want stars, this video’s got them. Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Angus & Julia Stone, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, The Temper Trap, Daniel Johns, Martha Wainwright and heaps more lend their vocal stylings to this amazing clip, which is filmed against the dynamic background of the Opera House.

As marketing campaigns go, they don’t get more effective than this. I’d love to see a cleverly cut version of it on our television screens. It might just convince the naysayers that the Opera House isn’t as stuffy as they believe.