Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Take a Listen to Bellwether’s Exciting Single “Charade”

Like so many people around the country, I’ve dragged myself back to work today. It might be Tuesday, but it’s got definite Monday vibes. However, the sunny spot has been “Charade,” the latest track from Sydney pop-punk act Bellwether. If you’re dragging your feet too, this single could be the shot in the arm you’re looking for.

If you’re a movie nerd, make sure you listen to those lyrics. The song is told from the point of view of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’s Knives Chau processing her emotions after being dumped by Ramona Flowers.

“The song is told from her perspective, and is directed towards the titular Scott Pilgrim as she expresses her feelings towards him, having been dumped for Ramona Flowers,” explained Bellwether’s lead guitarist and songwriter Heath Joukadar.

Bellwether are relative newcomers to the scene, playing just one show together in December. However, with their previous projects the band members have shared the stage with local and international acts including Yours Truly, Between You and Me, Four Year Strong, WSTR, and heaps more. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see them playing gigs all around the country, because a band with this much energy is bound to be one worth watching.

Image used with permission from Good Intent; photo credit: Yeah Rad

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

XANI Delivers Dreamy Love Song, “You Make Me Complete”

I’ve had a fairly quiet start to the new year. With COVID cases rising everywhere, especially in my state of NSW, I’ve enjoyed cocooning with my husband and shutting the rest of the world out. During this time of quiet contemplation, I’ve stumbled across “You Make Me Complete,” the latest single from Melbourne violinist and singer-songwriter XANI.

This track is the perfect reflection of my state of being right now. It’s genuinely romantic with a gentle folk-pop sound. It also came about in a really innovative way through creative interactive sessions with fans on Twitch. Her followers were invited to share their feedback and stream-of-consciousness suggestions until the song reached its final form.

Melbourne music fans can see XANI and other exciting female-identifying artists performing at The Park at Burrinja’s Live on the Lawn show at midday on February 28. Tickets are available now through the Burrinja box office.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent; credit: Michelle Grace Hunder

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

2021: Year in Review

I’ve been writing these end-of-year wraps since I started Sounds of Oz. They used to be a way for me to reminisce about all the great things I’d seen and heard over the year before kicking up my heels. Last year they simply reminded me how few shows I’d seen before I let the New Year go by with barely a whimper. This year sadly is a little worse. At least 2020 had three good months before this COVID thing hit! While things got moving locally for a while, I miss those big international shows. I’ve got a few on my calendar for next year, so let’s hope they come off. Until then, thank god for those albums. If you haven’t already listened to the ones below, perhaps you could check them out during your own low-key New Years’ celebration! Thanks for reading everyone, and let’s hope that 2022 brings us better and brighter times.

Top 10 Albums of 2021

  1. Restless Dream – Bob Weatherall, Halfway, and William Barton
  2. 3 – Ngaiire
  3. into the great unknown – Pierce Brothers
  4. A Flower in the Weeds – Joe Mungovan
  5. If I Leave You In the Fire – Saint Lane
  6. The Space Between – Illy
  7. people just do good things sometimes – Pinkish Blu
  8. Armageddon – Between You & Me
  9. The Neverending Glory – Vaudeville Smash
  10. Holding On For My Life – Harry J Hart

Top Shows for 2021

  1. Hamilton
  2. Ben Folds
  3. Chant Du Vin
  4. Tim Freedman
  5. Rent
  6. Chess

Image source: ginnerobot @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Heavy Wax Spread Summer Vibes With “Take Life Easy”

It’s that weird period between Christmas and New Year, where no one is quite sure what day it is or what they’re supposed to be doing. If you’re doing it right, Heavy Wax’s current single “Take Life Easy” will strike a chord with you. And if you’re not, maybe this cruisy number can give you a couple of minutes of respite.

“This track is about blocking out all the noise that surrounds us; whether it be toxic relationships or other matters bringing us down, and really living life for what it is and what it should be – take life easy, live it, enjoy it, there’s no dress rehearsals,” explained the band’s lyricist and vocalist Quin Samin.

Heavy Wax have been hard at work creating material for their first full-length release. Enjoy the good vibes of this track and rest easy knowing there’s much more on the way!

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sunset Sounds Heading to Victorian Vineyard

I don’t know about you, but I need gigs to look forward to. My concert calendar is looking pretty bare, and I find myself pulling out of plans I’ve already made because it seems like the safest option right now. Perhaps that reluctance to lock things in sees plenty of great tickets available for Rochford Wines’ Sunset Sounds. Because with a line-up featuring some of Australia’s most beloved acts, it should already be sold out.

This bill is stacked, with Daryl Braithwaite, Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano, The Black Sorrows, Russell Morris, Ross Wilson, Thirsty Merc, Chocolate Starfish, Wendy Matthews, The Chantoozies, and Bjorn Again all set to entertain Victoria crowds. Despite this, there are tickets available in all categories, including in all those fancy pants VIP sections. That’d be what I’d opt for. After all, it’s probably been so long since you’ve bought tickets for anything you can justify the splurge!

“Since establishing Sunset Sounds three years ago and selling out multiple shows in QLD and NSW, we are beyond excited to blow those Covid blues away, bringing a celebration of non-stop hits with a who’s who of classic Aussie rock (with a touch of ABBA) to the iconic Yarra Valley,” said Empire Touring’s Director and certified vibe creator, Marc Christowski.

“It is so thrilling to once again – after what seems like an eternity – share a stage at The Rochford Wines Sunset Sounds concert with Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano, The Black Sorrows, Russell Morris, Thirsty Merc and more,” added Daryl Braithwaite. “It is going to be so good.”

Sunset Sounds hits Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley on February 26. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get to Know Andy Martin’s Musical “Dreamworld”

Christmas was a welcome distraction from those rising COVID case numbers, but like so many people I find myself crashing back to earth. Nervous about my NYE plans and whether I should keep them, I found Andy Martin’s sunny new single “Dreamworld” this morning. And just like that, for just a few minutes all was right with the world.

“On the surface, ‘Dreamworld’ exemplifies a love song about heartbreak… but that couldn’t be further from the truth. All the focal points in the song refer to an angsty, apprehensive 20-something-year-old trying to navigate through his own life,” Andy explained. “It is about trying to rid yourself of anger and to just simply give yourself a break. I know I’m too hard on myself, but Dreamworld is in essence, me trying to “flip the script’.”

I’m not sure why Andy’s music hasn’t been on my radar, but I’m so glad it has now. Excuse me while I listen to his back catalogue and wait patiently for the new music that 2022 will bring!

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Angela Rose’s Single “Utopia” is Utter Perfection

Novocastrian singer-songwriter Angela Rose has released a dreamy new single “Utopia,” a stellar follow-up to her debut “Summer Love.” It’s such a cool blend of alt-country and indie pop, the kind of song that draws you in from the first note and makes you fall a little more in love every time you hear it.

“This release is all about youthful love and the euphoric feeling that comes with it,” Angela Rose explained. “‘Utopia’ represents a perfect world and state of being when you are with your person, it’s like a bubble of bliss that is only between you two and it’s super special. It’s also an idealistic way of looking at love, a rose-coloured glasses outlook. It speaks of the honeymoon stage of love, but the melancholy undertones of reality still remain in the back of your mind, and that notion always manages to bring you back to earth eventually.”

2022 is promising to be a big year for Angela Rose, who will release her debut EP and play shows around the country. Give her a follow on Facebook to learn all the details as they’re announced.

Image used with permission from Habit Music Co.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Isabella Manfredi Drops Another Stellar Single Ahead of 2022 Album Release

After hearing her latest single “One Hit Wonder,” I could not be more excited about Isabella Manfredi’s debut solo album. Its poppy melody masks the bittersweet lyrics which say goodbye to a love that’s run its course.

“When I walked into the session for ‘One Hit Wonder’ in March 2020, two weeks before the pandemic really hit, The Preatures had already been in limbo for eighteen months and I had been off the stage and in stalemate,” she recounted. “The day before the session I had been in the studio with G Flip, Jess B and Thandi Phoenix for Like a Version, and I came home from rehearsals energised and inspired. I sat down at my piano and wrote the prechorus and chorus, and over the next few days I finished ‘One Hit Wonder’ with Chris Collins and Lucy Taylor. I remember it feeling tongue-in-cheek at the time, like maybe it could be a Preatures song. But I was really saying I was done with the band before I was ready to admit it to myself. I think sometimes it can be hard to swallow that the strongest thing you can do is cut your losses and walk away. It’s also right to acknowledge when something truly was wondrous and leave it at that.”

Isabella Manfredi’s solo album will drop next year. Until then, crank this one up!

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: Maclay Heriot

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Faim Release Rocking Comeback Single “Ease My Mind”

I raved about Perth rock act The Faim back in 2019, but like so many bands in the last couple of years they fell off my radar. The pandemic saw everyone slow down, but they’re coming back with a vengeance with their new single “Ease My Mind.” Think world domination and a little something for local fans too.

But back to the song. What a welcome return this is. The band’s bassist, keyboardist, and songwriter Stephen Beerkens says he wrote the track while struggling to process the changes the pandemic brought.

“’Ease My Mind’ was written last year, during a very unpredictable period of my life,” he explained. “Unable to do the things that meant the most to me, I found myself dealing with stress and emotions I’d never experienced. During this time, I was constantly looking for someone or something to lean on and wrote ‘Ease My Mind’ about processing and dealing with these emotions.”

The Faim will head to Europe in the summer to play some big festivals including Rock am Ring and Rock in the Park in Germany, Download in the UK, and Rock for People in the Czech Republic. They’re also planning 15 headline shows across the UK and Europe. But don’t worry Aussies. They won’t forget you. I hear they’ll be supporting a big local act on their national tour next year. I’m sworn to secrecy, but you’ll want to start saving up for tickets!

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

A Flower in the Weeds – Joe Mungovan

Joe Mungovan has been one of my favourite musical finds for the year. I raved about his sexy, summery singles “Give Me Your Love” and “Lemon + Lime,” so was delighted to wrap my ears around his debut album, A Flower in the Weeds. My expectations were high, but this collection of cool, romantic ditties is just what the doctor ordered.

Like so many great albums, A Flower in the Weeds was inspired by a great love. It was the kind of connection that bridges distance, that takes hold and refuses to let go even when logic tells you that you should.

“I met a girl while on tour in Europe back in 2019. She cut my hair at 4 am after my show in Berlin, and ended up traveling around Europe with me for the remaining shows. I flew back to Australia after the tour ended a few months later and moved into a house in Kangaroo Valley to start writing an album. I didn’t know if I would ever see her again,” he explained, setting the scene.

But of course, he did. She came to Australia for a carefree summer. They were inseparable, road-tripped along the East Coast, soaking up the sun and sipping wine by campfires. It was all going swimmingly, until the pandemic hit, she returned home and Joe resumed writing this album.

A Flower in the Weeds is a beautiful snapshot of a relationship unfolding. Most tracks focus on the time he spent with “the one that got away,” recreating intimate moments in Germany and Australia. Others are full of longing. He pleads for her to come back and be next to him in “Stella.” He waits for fleeting phone contact and remarks on the gulf between time zones in “Autumn Sun.” The closing track “What Should I Do With All This Love?” brought a tear to my eye.

As someone who’s lived through one, I know how bittersweet long-distance relationships can be. The highs are glorious, but that separation can be torture. I can’t even imagine the extra level of pressure the pandemic has put on couples who live on opposite sides of the world. Joe captures all of those emotions so beautifully. If, like me, you’ve ever loved someone who lives far away you’ll find this collection of songs so relatable. If you’ve never been there, I guarantee you’ll still get swept up in the romance.

A Flower in the Weeds is out now. Joe plans to tour the album around the country next year. Until then, Kiama locals can catch him at Little Betty’s tonight and New Year’s Eve.

Images used with permission from Beehive PR