Month: October 2012

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jordie Lane Tours Gospel Tinged New Single

Jordie Lane is back with a brand new single “Fool for Love,” the first to come from his eagerly awaited third album.

I’ve always been a Jordie fan, but I think this might be his best work yet. The Eagle Rock Gospel Choir gives the track a nostalgic, soulful feel that’s so accessible. While I love some of Jordie’s more mellow folk songs, I think this more raucous number has what it takes to catch a few more ears.

Jordie’s new album won’t hit stores until early next year, but he’ll give fans a sneak peek with some local shows in November and December. Here are all the places you can hear this incredible talent play.

4 November 2012 – YaYa’s, Perth (Solo)
9 November 2012 – Barwon Heads Bowling Club, Barwon Heads
16 November 2012 – Trinity Sessions, Adelaide
17 November 2012 – The Loft, Warrnambool
22 November 2012 – Smiths Alternative Bookstore, Canberra (Solo)
24 & 25 November 2012 – Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff,
29 & 30 November 2012 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
1 December 2012 – Baby Black Café, Bacchus Marsh (Solo)
2 December 2012 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne (Matinee)
12 December 2012 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
13 December 2012 – Drill Hall, Mullumbimby
14 December 2012 – Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
15 December 2012 – Notes Live, Sydney
16 December 2012 – Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba

Image source: Jordie Lane EPK

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Wells and the Middle Names Usher in Summer with Single Shows

Ben Wells and the Middle Names speak for a nation of frustrated workers with their new single “Bear in a Birdcage.”

We can’t all take time off to go surfing, as Ben Wells and his bandmates wish, but we can take an evening off for one of their forthcoming single launch shows. The gigs will see the Tassie band circling the country, and hopefully finding time to catch a few waves along the way!

7 November 2012 –Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
8 November 2012 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
10 November 2012 – AmplifiedHobart
24 November 2012 –Tasmanian International Beer Fest, Hobart
30 November 2012 – The Grand Poobah, Hobart
1 December 2012 – Royal Oak, Launceston
5 December 2012 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
6 December 2012 – Beav’s Bar, Geelong
7 December 2012 – The Front, Canberra
8 December 2012 – Kittens @ Spectrum, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Peter Murphy Announces First Aussie Tour

He fronted the pioneering rock band Bauhaus, launched the leading British independent label 4AD, and starred alongside David Bowie in the vampire flick The Hunger. And now for the first time, Peter Murphy is heading to Australia.

The Gothic rock legend will perform his cult solo favourites and Bauhus classics at the following shows. Tickets go on sale tomorrow from Metropolis Touring and the venues.

9 January 2013 – Bakery Artrage, Perth
10 January 2013 – The Gov, Adelaide
11 January 2013 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
12 January 2013 – Factory Theatre, Sydney
13 January 2013 – Beetle Bar, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Reckoning Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Charlie Horse’s Paul McDonald

Charlie Horse wowed me with their debut single “Dead Roses,” so I was thrilled to catch up with one half of the band recently. Read on to see what Paul McDonald had to say about his duo’s debut album, their musical influences, and the need for “creative isolation.”

When I heard your single “Dead Roses,” I was struck by its classic sound, so I wasn’t surprised to hear you were influenced by listening to your parents’ Johnny Cash and Neil Young records. What is it about that music that really revs you?
Well, you summed it up right there; it is timeless classic music. I spent most of the ’90s coming from that school of art, have a different guitar in a different tuning for every song and then carry nine guitars with you on tour and at least five of them had to be Fender Jazzmasters and Jaguars. I started to think, are we just being clever for the sake of it and is this just sonic posing? I am not sure if you know much about music theory and chord structures, but it is generally deemed uncool to write a song that goes E, A, D but any song that is considered “classic” tends to have very simple chord structures. And we didn’t go E, A, D with Dead Roses, we went D, A, E, so how avant garde are we?

What was it about “Dead Roses” that made you want to release it?
I suppose people hassling me saying “this has to be the single,” ha! I was looking at releasing something a bit more obscure but got out voted by the band. What would I know? I do really enjoy playing it live as it tends to connect with a lot of the fans. It’s nice to have people singing the lyrics with you.

The single comes from your album I Hope I’m Not a Monster. I love the title. What’s the story behind it?
I was getting the train up to the studio when I noticed somebody had scratched “I hope I am not a sea monster” into the back of the train seat. I mean who does that, and what does it even mean? It had to be the album title.

I hear that you recorded the album in your studio in the Blue Mountains, because “creative isolation” is really important for you. Why is that?
Well, we started the album in East Balmain on Darling St. Not a lot of isolation there. Then we did some writing in Bread St in Edinburgh near the castle. Not a lot of isolation there as it is in the seedy side of Edinburgh, lots of strip clubs and drunks. So we packed up and took to the Mountains. It is important to us not to listen to trends and the opinions of all the experts. Give somebody a laptop and an e-mail account and they will want to tell you what you shoulda, coulda and woulda be doing wrong or right. The music we play does not come from any scene or desire to be cool, so that kind of counts us out of the race for a lot of things now … hah. Nobody dictates to the Drones or Jack Ladder what they should sound and look like. Well maybe they do, but I am guessing they don’t listen either.

Continue reading “Q & A with Charlie Horse’s Paul McDonald” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Parx-e Volume 3

It’s been a little more than four years since the first Parx-e compilation found its way into my stereo. The second was released with little fanfare, but I’m thrilled to have a copy of the third installment keeping me company today.

The third Parx-e album is supersized, with two discs rather than the single CD the first delivered. I suppose there was just too much talent to cram onto one! The quality certainly hasn’t suffered, with Parx-e Volume 3 serving up an enticing and eclectic mix of Aussie and international indie acts.

It’s that variety that ensures that even at a couple of hours, the third Parx-e doesn’t feel like a slog. However it doesn’t feel like we’re jerked around between genres either. The Parx-e team must have made some killer mix tapes in their teens, because they know how to put together a diverse collection of music without jarring our ears. OK, so the metalbilly stylings of Black Hayet might have jarred me just a little bit, but I think that was the point!

I was thrilled to see some of my favourite independent Aussies like Bec Plath and Catherine Traicos featured. Just as the first album did, the latest Parx-e also introduced me to some new talents like pop-rockers Crossing Romeo and playful jazz pop chanteuse Rosaline Yuen. I’m sure I’ll find myself delving into the catalogues of many of the contributing musicians.

Go Go Sapien and Steph Hannah, two of the artists featured on the disc, will play a free show Brunswick’s The Penny Black on October 19 to launch Parx-e Volume 3. The album will be officially released and available for free through the Parx-e Zine website the following day.

Image source: Parx-e Zine

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Brad Butcher

Queensland singer-songwriter Brad Butcher will unleash his self-titled debut album later this month. I caught up with Brad recently to chat about the album, his upcoming launch shows, and what it was like growing up in a small mining town.

You’re releasing your debut album later this month. How does it feel to be on the verge of its release?
It ‘s a great feeling knowing I’m about to finally put it out there. Making the album has been a great learning experience for me and I have made some great new friends. I’ve grown as a performer and a songwriter and I’m very proud of the songs I have and I can only hope that others will enjoy listening to them and get something from them.

What can you tell me about the album?
I have always written songs that are quite personal. I’m a very visual songwriter, meaning I find it easier to describe something I have seen or witnessed rather than to pull the image from thin air. This group of songs is almost a diary of my life and the people in it so far. From falling in love to falling apart, birth, death and about not giving up along the way.

It features the single “Conversations and Complications,” which has been embraced by community radio. Did that take you by surprise?
Everything has been a surprise for me over the last two years. I was surprised that other people thought I could do this. I was surprised with how much I liked the writing and recording process and I was even more surprised to find that people genuinely like the songs. I had a dream of making an album and everything since it was finished has been an unexpected but very welcome bonus.

Continue reading “Q & A with Brad Butcher” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Simone Macarounas is LittleFox

“Blood and Dust” is our first taste of the work of LittleFox, the alter ego of Sydney singer-songwriter Simone Macarounas.

I’m in two minds about this one. I appreciate the creativity of the voice effects, but I wonder whether they take away from the heart of this song. The lyrics are so strong and the musical arrangement so lush that I wonder whether we truly need another distraction. Simone’s definitely a talent, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’d make a bigger impact if she stripped back a layer or two.

“Blood and Dust” is the first single to come from the EP LittleFox is currently hard at work on. She’ll also announce a string of unique shows in the near future. Like her or not, it seems we’ll be hearing a lot more of LittleFox.

Image used with permission from Tiny Monster

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Saritah Comes Home for “Dig Deep” Launch Shows

Saritah spreads good vibes with “Tears of Joy,” the lead single from her soon to be released debut album Dig Deep.

This is just the kind of song we all need to get out of the funk that’s come with this extended winter. It’s a gorgeous blend of reggae, pop, and soul that’s instantly accessible without being lightweight.

There’s much more of that to come on Dig Deep, an album which brings together tracks Saritah penned in a Mozambique beach shack, a caravan in Canada, and her hometown of Melbourne. With such global influences it’s only fitting that Saritah recorded it in California, her home away from home for the last two years.

Saritah’s been creating a real buzz in North America, and now it’s our chance to see what this homegrown talent’s all about. Saritah will return home to launch Dig Deep, which hits record stores on November 9.

1 November 2012 – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (FREE)
2 November 2012 – Mandala Organic Arts, Mermaid Beach
3 November 2012 – FullMoon Dance, Verrierdale Hall, Sunshine Coast
4 November 2012 – Call Out Collaboration Festival @ Greenslopes Bowls Club, Brisbane
9 November 2012 – The Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
10 November 2012 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River (FREE)
15 November 2012 – Eclipse Festival, Far North QLD
22 November 2012 – Manly Boatshed, Manly
23 November 2012 – Rock Lily @ The Star, Sydney (FREE)
30 November 2012 – The Brunswick East, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Blog Action Day 2012: Paul Kelly, Lanie Lane & More Lend Talents to The Key of Sea Volume 2

Today is Blog Action Day, a day when bloggers all around the world join forces to spread the word about social activism and global initiatves. As this year’s theme is The Power of We, I figured it was the perfect time to chat about the latest Key of Sea album. In 2010 we saw the release of the first Key of Sea album, a project which saw established Aussie artists paired with lesser known musicians that come from diverse cultural backgrounds but proudly call Australia home. This Friday, October 19, we’ll finally hear the second installment.

In The Key of Sea Volume 2 we see acts like Paul Kelly, Lanie Lane, Chet Faker, and David Bridie joining the just discovered talents. The lead single “Silence of the Guns”, which sees Jinja Safari collaborating with East African asylum seeker Kinfe and members of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program,  gives you an idea what’s in store.

This is an album of great music, but it’s about much more than that. So it’s only fitting that it’s not simply a money-making exercise. All profits from The Key of Sea Volume 2 will be distributed amongst the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, and Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning. Talk about the power of we! With the might of some great performers and the music-loving public, we can truly make a difference!