With a name like Whoa! you know the Gold Coast band behind the new single “Stay the Night” are going to bags of fun. The track is ridiculously catchy with a classic feel that makes it so accessible. Just see if this song doesn’t put a smile on your face.
These guys have become somewhat of an overnight sensation. They’d played just four gigs before their first headlining show, and more than 300 paying punters turned out to Miami Shark Bar to show their support. Almost selling out on your first headlining gig is no mean feat, but these guys make the music thing look so easy.
See for yourself when Whoa! plays the Great Northern at Byron Bay on September 2.
Kim Churchill is preparing to release his long-awaited new album Weight Falls, but there’s a good reason fans have been left waiting.
Kim spent 18 months working on the album, his follow-up to Silence/Win. While the end result was polished and accessible, for Kim it just didn’t feel quite right. So he scrapped it and started anew.
“I worked really hard on the follow-up record for a long time,” he explained, “and it sounded good. But some very subtle layer of my consciousness was saying to me, ‘It’s not all that inspiring.’”
He picked up his guitar and created a new batch of songs in just one week. It took another two months piecing the new songs together with his producer Ian Pritchett in a Western Sydney garage. I’m a big believer that the best things happen when you’re not overthinking them, so I’m really excited by this album.
Kim’s new single “Second Hand Car” is one of the new songs that’s passed muster. It’s got a great easy vibe that feels perfect for long road trips.
Weight Falls is finally released on August 25. If you preorder it, you’ll get an instantly download of “Second Hand Car.” Once the album drops, you’ve got a few weeks to learn the lyrics before Kim sets off on a massive tour around the country. Tickets are on sale now through his website.
14 September 2017 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
15 September 2017 – Unibar, Wollongong
16 September 2017 – Street Theatre, Canberra
21 September 2017 – The Jack, Cairns
22 September 2017 – The Office, Townsville
23 September 2017 – Timberfest, Mackay
29 September 2017 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
30 September 2017 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
1 October 2017 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
5 October 2017 – Fat Controller, Adelaide
6 October 2017 – Waratah Hotel, Hobart
7 October 2017 – Royal Oak, Launceston
13 October 2017 – Fremantle Arts Centre Front Lawn, Fremantle
14 October 2017 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
15 October 2017 – Red Room @ Clancys Fish Pub, Dunsborough
20 October 2017 – The Factory, Sydney
26 October 2017 – Solbar, Sunshine Coast
27 October 2017 – Soundlounge, Gold Coast
28 October 2017 – The Triffid, Brisbane
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia
Today Geraldton-born, Darwin-based singer-songwriter Sam Carmody unveils his debut solo single, “The Sea Has Risen.”
It’s a dreamy song that brings something fresh to the love song genre. We’ve heard these sort of sentiments before, but Sam’s poetic lyrics, original melodies, and power vocals make this well-worn subject seem brand new.
This might be Sam’s first solo song, but he’s no stranger to the music scene. He was part of Perth band Warning Birds, who took home a Song of the Year WAMi in 2012. His way with words is without question. Few singer-songwriters in this country release novels, let alone successful ones. But Sam’s first novel, The Windy Season, was shortlisted for the prestigious Vogel’s Award last year.
“The Sea Has Risen” comes from Sam Carmody’s forthcoming EP Shadow in the Dream. He’ll launch it with a six-piece band at Music NT’s Song of the Year Awards tomorrow night. The song has been nominated for the pop prize.
Matt Joe Gow has reminded me just how much I love his music with the release of a new music video for “Bottle It Up, Pass It On.” This song was one of the many standouts of his 2016 album Seven Years. I love its Springsteenesque vibe, with its raw lyrics, quietly powerful vocals, and that Americana feel to the instrumentation. This is quality stuff.
Matt Joe Gow will play Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on July 22 and Geelong’s Pistol Pete’s Blues Bar in August (date TBC).
Tanzer has cast a spell over me with her truly original new single “Sleep.”
There isn’t a lot of music that’s as unique as this song. It defies convention. It’s like some kind of dark, trippy lullaby. I wasn’t sure I “got it” at first, and I’m still not sure I understand it completely but I’m drawn to it anyway. And Tanzer’s vocals, hushed and soothing at points, operatic at others, are undeniable. The film clip is also just as off-the-wall as the track.
Take a chance on this one. It’s really something special.
“Sleep” comes from Tanzer’s Four Love Songs by Tanzer EP, which is available for digital download or as a stunning red glittery heart-shaped vinyl album from Tanzer’s Bandcamp page.
Gippsland native Josh Cashman has released a superb new single, “Beauty in Grey.” This is one of those songs I hit play on the moment that I finish listening. I could wax lyrical about it, but I’d much rather you experience it for yourself.
Josh recorded “Beauty in Grey” at Brunswick’s Smooch Studios, and you can hear the character of that space coming out in the recorded. The high roof and open space create an amazing natural reverb, making the guitars and drums sound a little moodier.
Josh has already had a massive 2017 spending three months in the United States, where he showcased at South by Southwest, played shows with our own Tash Sultana, and performed at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall. On the home front, he played local shows including a sold out gig at the Northcote Social Club.
Given how popular the last gig was, I wouldn’t wait to snap up tickets for Josh’s next Northcote Social Club gig on August 4.
Mondays are never kind at the best of times. But I’m having one of those Mondays that has me staring at my list of deadlines and thinking “Yeah, this cannot possibly get done.” If Monday is kicking your butt too, you’ll want to crank the Pierce Brothers‘ latest single.
“Take Me Out” is one of my favourite songs from The Pierce Brothers’ newie The Records Were Ours, a swampy, bluesy, foot-stomping track that has all the right ingredients to fire you up on this winter workday.
“We’ve been wanting to write a riff based blues track for a long time,” the Pierce Brothers said, “and ‘Take Me Out’ started with the riff first. We both got excited when we started it and we’re really happy with where we got it.”
The Pierce Brothers are just about the kick off their European tour. They’ll then head home for some shows before jetting off to the States. Where will you see them?
8 July 2017 – Cornbury Music Festival, Oxfordshire
9 July 2017 – Linton Music Festival, Ross-on-Wye
10 July 2017 – Thekla, Bristol
11 July 2017 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
13 July 2017 – Studio 2, Liverpool
14 July 2017 – The Deaf Institute, Manchester
15 July 2017 – Zwarte Cross 2017, Lichtenvoorde
16 July 2017 – 4 Daagse, Nijmegen
22 July 2017 – Colours of Ostrava 2017, Ostrava
27 July 2017 – Dr Koncerthuset, Copenhagen
29 July 2019 – Stonerock Festival 2017, Bad Bentheim
6 August 2017 – Festival Esperanzah! 2017, Floreffe
11 August 2017 – Fairports Cropready Convention 2017, Banbury
25 August 2017 – Mojos, Fremantle
26 August 2017 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
31 August 2017 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide
1 September 2017 – Uno Bandroom, Geelong
2 September 2017 – Studio Theatre, Darwin
7 September 2017 – The Northern, Byron Bay
8 September 2017 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
9 September 2017 – Solbar, Maroochydore
13 September 2017 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
14 September 2017 – The Grans, Mornington
15 September 2017 – 170 Russel, Melbourne
16 September 2017 – The Westernport Hotel, San Remo
22 September 2017 – The Warehouse, Newcastle
28 September 2017 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
29 September 2017 – Metropolis, Montreal
30 September 2017 – Paradise Rock Club, Boston
2 October 2017 – The Bowery Ballroom, New York
3 October 2017 – Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn
5 October 2017 – Union Transfer, Philadelphia
6 October 2017 – 9:30 Club, Washington
7 October 2017 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus
9 October 2017 – Thalia Hall, Chicago
10 October 2017 – Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis
11 October 2017 – The recordBar, Kansas City
16 October 2017 – Ogden Theater, Denver
18 October 2017 – The Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix
20 October 2017 – Fonda Theater, Hollywood
21 October 2017 – The Fillmore, San Francisco
23 October 2017 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland
24 October 2017 – Neptune Theater, Seattle
25 October 2017 – Commodore Theater, Vancouver
You might remember The Soldier’s Wife, a special show developed by singer-songwriters who spent time with the wives and widows of Australian servicemen, and the full-length album that accompanied it back in 2015.
Now two years later, there are still many more stories to tell so it’s time for volume number two. The latest release features many of the artists that contributed to the original including Jackie Marshall, Roz Pappalardo, Emma Bosworth, Kristy Apps, and original musical director Deb Suckling. Their double-album of folk songs features tracks like “Appreciate Your Love,” about the last 18 months Suzi Vincent shared with her husband, Vietnam veteran Tony. During his time in Vietnam Tony contracted melanoma skin cancer, which did not surface until 2009. In their final months together, the couple learned to “stop sweating the small stuff.”
“Appreciate Your Love” is one of 19 songs featured on the new The Soldier’s Wife album. There’s also a companion book which gives greater detail on the stories of these brave men and the women who love them.
I’m feeling a little angsty this Saturday morning. I worked late last night and I’ve got so much on that I know I won’t get a chance to really enjoy my weekend the way they’re meant to be enjoyed. It’s not fun stuff either. Right now I’m wading my way through a rather depressing article on what a Trump presidency means for non-profit organisations in the United States. Moods like mine right now call for a song like “Coffee at Midnight” by Sydney trio Stand Atlantic.
With powerful vocals from frontwoman Bonnie Fraser and big crunchy chords, this is just the kind of attitude-filled number that I needed to hear right now. We’re likely to hear a lot more from the band too, because Stand Atlantic is the first Aussie act signed to Rude Records international roster.
“We are stoked and excited to welcome Stand Atlantic to the Rude Records family!” confirmed a Rude Records rep. “They are such talented young and ambitious artists, in addition to being super cool people. We are beyond thrilled that our paths have crossed and can’t wait to share their music with the world!”
Is “Coffee at Midnight” striking the right chord for your Saturday?
“At First Sight” is one of my favourite songs from the ‘80s. So I’m thrilled to see The Stems, the Perth band who brought it to you, are set to make a long-awaited return to the live scene this November.
The shows will celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Stems’ breakthrough debut First Sight Violets Are Blue, one of the best-selling albums of 1987 despite a lack of commercial airplay. Rediscover what made The Stems such an iconic Aussie act at the following shows.
9 November 2017 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
10 November 2017 – Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
11 November 2017 – The Gov, Adelaide
17 November 2017 – Factory Theatre, Sydney
18 November 2017 – The Triffid, Brisbane
