Hearing new music from Daggy Man always feels like getting a big warm hug. It’s so comforting and intimate, and so easy to get lost in. The latest is “What You Desire,” the follow-up to “Little Whip.” It has everything that makes Daggy Man such a compelling musician. Are you loving it as much as I am?
Author: Lauren Katulka
Wilder Lee Wows Me with “Into the Wild”
Don’t you just love that feeling you get when you discover a voice that stops you in your tracks? I’ve just experienced it listening to Wilder Lee’s first single “Into the Wild,” and I think you will too.
I love the mix of husky rawness and sweet falsetto in his voice. And I am such a sucker for an acoustic guitar. The track is potent, organic goodness.
“The song was birthed out of a lot of tough crap in my life, and pretty much sets the tone for the upcoming EP later this year,” he explained in a press release. “’Into the Wild’ is an intrinsic and very intimate look into the wars I have with my own heart – shows you how not all battles can be won.”
Wilder Lee has a few upcoming shows. If you’re in the Sydney area, here are all the places you can catch him.
19 May 2016 – Newtown Social Club, Newtown (supporting Sahara Beck)
24 May 2016 – The Bald Faced Stag, Sydney
11 June 2016 – The Record Crate, Glebe
3 July 2016 – The Soda Factory, Surry Hills
Vivid Hosts VISIONS
Sydney’s Vivid festival isn’t just about pretty lights. It’s also got an incredible arts program which includes VISIONS, a local music festival playing out across multiple venues on June 4.
The event’s curated by Deep Sea Arcade, with the assistance of Chugg Music and Rare Finds. Together they’ve put together a line-up which pushes the boundaries of genres including garage rock, psychedelia, and electronic music, just to name a few. Deep Sea Arcade will of course be on the bill, as well as other local talents like Kirin J Callinan, Montaigne, Gideon Bensen, Hedge Fund, and Flyying Colours.
VISIONS will be held between Fredas and the Lord Gladstone in Chippendale. Entry is free but tickets are limited to availability on the day. You can find out more at the VISIONS website.
Image used with permission from Rare Finds
The Harlots Unleash “High Roller”
Melbourne rock act The Harlots have delivered a dirty, sexy new single “High Roller.”
I love the grungy funkiness of this track. It also has a really old school feel, perhaps because it was recorded through old-school pre-amps onto reel to reel tape.
“High Roller” comes from The Harlots’ debut album, which will be released in the coming months. You can hear some of the songs to come at the following upcoming shows.
12 May 2016 – Frankies Pizza, Sydney
14 May 2016 – Dicey Riley’s, Wollongong
20 May 2016 – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide
21 May 2016 – The Loft, Warnambool
Winters End Tour New Single “Thoughts”
Magical things happen when siblings create music together. Think of Angus and Malcolm Young, Ann and Nancy Wilson, the Wilson brothers from The Beach Boys, the Gibb brothers, Dave and Ray Davies, and stacks more. Well now we can add Marissa and Christopher Pinto to the list. Sure the brother and sister behind Sydney’s Winters End might not have gained the critical acclaim of the international artists I’ve mentioned yet, but there’s no questioning their talent.
Their new single “Thoughts” showcases that talent beautifully. It has all the hallmarks of a classic piece of piano pop, with stirring lyrics and a stunning vocal performance from Marissa. After launching the single to fans in their hometown last month, Winters End will bring their music to punters along the East Coast. Here are all the places you can catch them play.
13 May 2016 – Tanswell’s Commercial Hotel, Beechworth
14 May 2016 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
4 June 2016 – Janes, Wollongong
18 June 2016 – Ric’s Bar, Brisbane
25 June 2016 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Image used with permission from Winters End
Buchanan Delivers Your Tuesday Morning Pick-Me-Up
On weeks like this, when you’re starting to get used to four days at work before the weekend, a Tuesday morning can feel a lot like a Wednesday morning. If you’re struggling to get moving, let Buchanan give you a little kick start. I can’t promise “Stop” will have you dancing as well as the talented girls in the clip, but it should energize you enough to get through the day.
“Stop” comes from Buchanan’s sophomore album Pressure in an Empty Space.
Mousecapades Releases “Fled”
Peter King has been playing with Melbourne’s best rock and blues acts for years, but now under his new project Mousecapades he’s embracing a brand new sound. It’s showcased beautifully with his brand new single “Fled,” the third taken from the Little White Lies EP.
The song hooked me in from that gentle glockenspiel opening and didn’t let go until that lush reverby ending faded away.
Little White Lies is available for free download from Mousecapades’ Bandcamp page.
Shihad Celebrate 20 Year Anniversary of Debut Album
Way back in 1996, Kiwi rockers Shihad made a splash with their self-titled debut, an album that became affectionately known as the Fish Album. Now 20 years later the band is marking the milestone.
This month a remastered version of the Fish Album was reissued on vinyl and digital. And in June, Shihad will tour Australia. The shows will no doubt include plenty of cuts from the debut album as well as more recent tracks that remind us Shihad are much more than a nostalgia band. Special guests The Grenadiers will join the band on the road.
Tickets are on sale now from Oztix for the following shows.
23 June 2016 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
24 & 25 June 2016 – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
26 June 2016 – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
1 July 2016 – The Triffid, Brisbane
2 July 2016 – Pigsty in July, Hunter Valley
15 July 2016 – The Factory, Sydney
16 July 2016 – The Croxton, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Secret Service Public Relations
Hula Hooping Fun in Reece Mastin’s New Music Video
“Heartache Blues” is one of my favourite songs from Reece Mastin’s Change Colours album. So I’m thrilled to see it’s not just the new single, but that’s got an amazing new video to match.
“Heartache Blues is a song about being away from the people, places, and spaces you miss so much when you couldn’t be further away from them,” Reece explained. “It’s a gut-wrenching feeling at the start, but on your way home there’s nothing better than the feeling of getting closer to being back there.”
This song has a great 80s pop-rock vibe, so it’s only fitting that the clip takes us back to the decade with some of the maddest hula hooping action I can recall seeing in some time. What do you think of it?
Halcyon Drive Release Incredible New Single Ahead of EP Tour
Proving that they’re one of the most consistent acts on the local landscape these days, Halcyon Drive have released another killer track, their latest single “Books for the Holidays.” It’s the latest track lifted from the band’s forthcoming EP Untethered, which is released on May 13.
“The song is about being frustrated with the state of loneliness. Part longing over unrequited feelings, part despair, part wonderment at the beauty that surrounds us everyday- this is definitely the most heartfelt tune on the EP,” Halcyon Drive’s frontman Michael Oechsle says.
I can certainly feel that frustration coming through in the heartfelt vocals and lush instrumentation, which moves from delicate and sparse to anthemic with ease.
Halcyon Drive have been touring the country virtually non-stop for the last 12 months, but they’re not done yet. Rather than resting, the band’s about to embark on its most extensive run of gigs to date. Here are all the places you can catch Halcyon Drive on their EP tour.
9 June 2016 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
10 June 2016 – The Stag & Hunter, Newcastle (FREE)
11 June 2016 – Transit Bar, Canberra
12 June 2016 – Botany View Hotel, Sydney (FREE)
16 June 2016 – Workers Club, Geelong
17 June 2016 – Saloon Bar, Traralgon
18 June 2016 – Shadow Electric, Melbourne
1 July 2016 – Cats, Adelaide
8 July 2016 – Solbar, Sunshine Coast
9 July 2016 – Trainspotters, Brisbane
10 July 2016 – Sounds of Sunday, Gold Coast (FREE)
Image used with permission from Rare Finds