Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Give Thanks for Miles Recommends’ Latest Single

“Thank You” sounds like a feel-good folk-pop song, but there’s more to the latest track from Melbourne-based band Miles Recommends than it seems.

Tap into those lyrics and you’ll hear some biting social commentary. It’s no surprise really, as Des used to work for the United Nations while Lou was a journalist! Their songs focus on social and political activism, although musically the songs sound much lighter than those dealing with such big issues might. As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey!

Miles Recommends plays Swamplands in Melbourne with Moonlight Broadcast and Oh North on June 14.

Image used with permission from The Right Profile

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lili Kendall Spreads Good Vibes With “love, herself”

In a world with so much doom and gloom, its refreshing to hear music like that from Lili Kendall. The Brisbane-born LA-based pop star has just released her brand new single “love, herself,” a song that embodies positivity with a clip that’s every bit as joyful.

The track is an ode to love and all the joy it brings into our lives. Potential heartache is something to think about on another day. This one is all about being in that sugary pink loved up bubble of joy!

The press release compares Lili to Ariana Grande; while there are undeniable pop comparisons I think Lili’s voice has much more character to it.

“When I was originally writing the song in the studio I was singing ‘I think I am in love with love itself’ – then something came over me, and I just started singing ‘herself’ instead. It made so much sense to me,” she explained of the song’s inspiration. “ I wanted to bring light to the divine feminine in not only every being but every atom, the collective energy that is love, herself.”

Lili has lived in Los Angeles for the last two years. It seems all that time spent honing her craft is paying off, as her debut album drops later this year.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chris Rose Releases Your Feelgood Friday Soundtrack

For a long while it seemed like pop was a dirty word in Australia, but thanks to the popularity of acts like Five Seconds of Summer and Sheppard, we’re slowly embracing its upbeat sounds. It’s the perfect time for Chris Rose to spread some good vibes with his latest single “Someone Like You.”

This is your classic pop love song, buoyed by the energy of new romance and a clap-along beat. The video is pretty fantastic too, featuring footage of the Twelve Apostles along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

Don’t be surprised if this song becomes your latest guilty pleasure. If you love it, get along to one of Chris’ upcoming shows.

25 May 2019 – Crescent Head Country Club, Crescent Head
31 May 2019 – Finnian’s, Port Macquarie
15 June 2019 – Village Green Hotel, Grafton
16 June 2019 – The Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
22 June 2019 – South West Rocks Country Club, South West Rocks
23 June 2019 – Rockin the Rocks, South West Rocks
6 July 2019 – Finnian’s, Port Macquarie
17 August 2019 – Finnian’s, Port Macquarie

Image used with permission from PlayMPE

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Go Listen to S-Jee’s New Single, “#GreenLights”

French-born Melbourne-based R’n’B singer S-Jee has been writing songs for interactional acts since 2012. However, he’s decided to step into the spotlight. “#GreenLights” is S-Jee’s first official single, a fresh soulful track that has me grooving along to the beat.

If you dig artists like Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, and Trey Songz, “#GreenLights” will be right up your alley.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dalli Showcases New Sound With Latest Single, “Taken By the Sky”

Living in Melbourne seems to agree with Dalli. Originally from Brisbane, he relocated to Victoria’s capital five years ago and soaked up the local scene. They helped shape his sound from some raw and acoustic to music that’s a little more atmospheric and experimental. “Taken By the Sky” is Dalli’s latest track, a song that explores his continuous pursuit of artistic progression and expression.

“Sometimes I look back on all the bad decisions I’ve made and feel like the only person in the world. There’s a strange sense of belonging in embracing these very human moments when you realise we all feel them at one point along the way,” he mused. “’Let it fade away, taken by the sky’ is having this realisation and changing something lonely and heavy into something lighter, something that brings us all closer together. There is a weightlessness to it.”

Dalli performs regularly around Melbourne. Follow his Facebook page for all the details of gigs as they happen.

Image used with permission from The A&R Department

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Back in the Swing” – David Campbell

It’s no coincidence that David Campbell’s new album Back in the Swing dropped just before Mother’s Day. It’s just the sort of thing mums and grandmas across the country would love, the old standards delivered faithfully by one of Australia’s favourite breakfast TV personalities. This album is all that, but so much more.

Mother’s Day releases often feel coldly calculated. Put together a collection of songs Mum would love, get some inoffensive act to sing them, and wait for the cash to roll in. They’re pleasing enough to listen to, but they typically lack the heart and soul David puts into this and every one of his recordings. There’s an irresistible energy about his cover of “Buona Sera” and a flirty playfulness in his take on “Come Fly With Me.” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” isn’t a natural choice for an album of standards, but his jazzy version makes so much sense. I’m not sure anyone has recorded a more powerful rendition of “For Once in My Life.” But me, his cover of “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” recorded with Aussie rock legend Ian Moss, is the standout. Their voices compliment one another beautifully and they feed off one another so well.

Mother’s Day might be over for the year, but Back in the Swing is actually climbing the charts again. It currently sits at number 10, three weeks after its release. Those strong continued sales are a testament to this album’s enduring appeal. It’s not just one for the mums, although I’m sure they’ll love it too.

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bec Sandridge Releases New Pop Gem, “Eyes Wide”

Listening to Bec Sandridge’s new track “Eyes Wide” makes me want to reach for my hairbrush and use it as a microphone as I break into an impromptu dance break. My cat would probably judge me, but this song is so much fun that I can totally deal with that.

It’s a poppy retro throwback, but one which has a darker side when you dig a little deeper.

“I began to question my relationship patterns during the recording process. I started asking myself is my behaviour instinctual, a long ingrained habit or based on self preservation and protection?” Bec asked. “The song looks at me discovering my own emotional boundaries and limitations.”

Bec has a couple of shows coming up to celebrate the release of “Eyes Wide.” Her hometown fans get a free show at Marlborough Hotel on May 24 before she heads to Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on June 7.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Country Pop Has a Brand New Taylor

Ulladulla-born and Sunshine Coast-based, Taylor Moss is a country-pop princess with a sound reminiscent of early Taylor Swift. Her latest track “Take It From Me” has stormed up the iTunes country singles charts and has what it takes to garner some mainstream attention.

It’s a relatable number about a guy who thinks the grass is greener. However, once he learns the truth, sassy Taylor won’t have a bar of him! The song’s empowering lyrics seek to remind the listener to never settle for someone who ever thinks you’re not enough. Right on!

Image used with permission from Social Family Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Don’t Forget The Belkin Gadgets on Your Next Musical Road Trip

While summer brings us festivals in the capital cities, cool weather encourages us to road trip out to regional events. There’s the Howling Moon Blues Festival in Port Macquarie on 8 June, Bello Winter Music in Bellingen from 11 to 14 July, and the Gympie Muster near Gympie from 22 to 25 August to name but a few. Back in the old days, road tripping to a regional music festival encouraged us to get off the grid and focus on nothing but the music. But today we’ve got our social media profiles to think of, so we want gadgets that can help us stay connected while we’re away from home. That’s why while I was away in Port Stephens recently, I took the time to road test a couple of cool products that I think will make your upcoming musical road trips easier.

The first is the Belkin universal cable, a nifty gadget which connects to your car charger and portable battery for extra juice on the move. You can also use it to connect your device to a laptop or desktop computer and sync information. Since its USB-C, Lightning, and Micro-USB connectors are interchangeable, it’ll work with virtually any device. My husband and I loved that we could use it for my Huawei P9 and his new Google Pixel phone, along with his Samsung tablet. We’re loyal Android users, but if we were travelling with a friend with an iPhone, it’d work for them as well. In the past, my tech-loving husband would carry multiple cables on our road trips. Using the Belkin universal cable, we could leave all those different cables behind. We also loved the little hook on each adaptor, which helps you stay organised during your travels.

I also fell for the Belkin Road Rockstar, a four-port car charger made for music lovers. With four USB ports at our disposal, we could power up the GPS, both our phones, and his tablet at once. This was perfect for our road trip, when I was draining battery streaming from Spotify and he was playing games in the front passenger’s seat.

The Belkin Road Rockstar has two standard powering USB ports and two high-power draw USB ports on the extendable hub, perfect for charging quickly when you’re short on time. The two-part nature of this car charger is also really convenient. Since all the cables aren’t in one place, there’s less clutter around the centre console when you’re using all the ports. We found this true even when we were using it in the front seat, but with a six-foot cable, you’d really notice the difference with a couple of mates using it in the back. They could stream Netflix while you’re focusing on the road and no one would ever deplete their batteries.

The Belkin universal cable costs $39.95 while the Belkin Road Rockstar is a slighter greater investment at $59.95. Both are available from the Belkin website. You’ll also find the universal cable at your local JB Hi-Fi. Get yours before your next musical road trip.

Image via Flickr by gympiemusicmuster

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Janey Release Shimmery Pop Gem “L.A.”

It might be Thursday, but after a few days away celebrating my wedding anniversary this one is feeling like a Monday to me. If you’re dragging your feet as well, allow Janey to put some pep in your step. Their irresistible new pop banger “L.A.” has got all the good vibes you need to get through the day.

Janey are Central Coast-based sibling duo Billy and Sarah Otto. Just like other cool sibling acts like HAIM and Echosmith, there’s a real chemistry about what they do that just makes sense. These guys don’t even need to be in the same place to make it work. This track came about during a FaceTime conversation, when Billy was driving around downtown L.A. drumming on his steering wheel. Sarah sang the hook and the song started to take shape. It paints an honest picture of the City of Angels, a place that’s full of possibilities, yet somewhere where artists face rejection and abject poverty as they attempt to make their dreams come true.

“L.A.” is the first single from Janey’s forthcoming EP, due out later this year.

Image used with permission from Arow Agency