Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Emma Dean Signs American Record Deal

Emma Dean seems on the path to international stardom after signing a record deal with American indie label Candyrat Records. The label is best known for its stable of instrumental guitarists, but more recently it’s begun to champion exceptional singer-songwriters.

The US label will release Emma’s forthcoming EP White, which should hit the market in March or April of this year. It will be one of three colourful digital EPs Emma will release this year. White will feature intimate ballads about new beginnings performed on a Wurlitzer. The following release, Red, will showcase theatrical and passionate songs focused around the heart. Finally there’s Black, the darkest of the bunch, sexy and jazz-inspired.

Emma and her long-time musical collaborator and co-producer Ben Stewart will move to New York next month to support the upcoming releases.

Image used with permission from Emma Dean

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Lake” – The Evening Cast

The Evening Cast might be a fledgling act, but their stellar debut EP Lake proves the Victorian band is a force to be reckoned.

This is a lush recording, with exquisite layered harmonies and rich orchestration. It takes some talent to ensure a big sound doesn’t become a mess of noise, but The Evening Cast are up to the challenge. No doubt they’ve been guided well by the production team of Joe Laporta (Bjork, Foo Fighters) and Marty Brown (Clare Bowditch, Art of Fighting). The skills of these supporting players make this disc seem more polished than most debuts.

I love the poetic lyrics and quirky romantic of the EP opener “Knots and Bows”. The poppy “Surprise” and “Heartbeat” are pure joy. Not that it’s all sweetness and light though. “No Stopping” shows a darker determination with its pounding pianos and earnest vocals. I really felt this one.

At seven tracks, Lake is much longer than most EPs. It feels more like a mini album than an EP. It’s a bit risky for a new act to take on such an ambitious release, but The Evening Cast are up to the challenge. There are no filler tracks here. Lake is an excellent debut that shows the promise of this exciting Aussie act.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Warner Music Australia Makes Virtual Lego House for The Big Issue

Warner Music Australia has created a virtual Lego House to celebrate Ed Sheeran’s Australian tour, which kicks off this Saturday.

This is more than a mere marketing stunt though. The Lego House looks to raise funds and awareness of The Big Issue. This independent charity organisation creates job opportunities for homeless, marginalised, and disadvantaged people around the country.

When you “like” The Big Issue on Facebook you can add a virtual brick to the Lego House. Warner Music Australia will donate $1 to The Big Issue for every brick added to the house. Of course contributing will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but you might also win a big Ed Sheeran prize. Warner will give one lucky virtual builder return flights to Sydney, tickets to Ed’s sold out Sydney show, accommodation, and a meet and greet when Ed performs on Sunrise next Tuesday.

Many of the Ed Sheeran shows around the country are sold out, but there are still limited tickets available for some of the following dates.

23 February 2013 – Challenge Stadium, Perth (SOLD OUT)
26 February 2013 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
28 February 2013 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
1 March 2013 – Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney (SOLD OUT)
2 March 2013 – Riverstage, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
4 March 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
5 March 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
6 March 2013 – Festival Hall, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)

Image source: Atlantic Records UK @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Lee Comes Home for Album Release

Ben Lee will return home this April so celebrate the launch of his brand new album Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work.

As its unusual name suggests, this album is being touted as Ben’s most creative and honest yet. Ayahuasca is a South American vine known as the death vine. South America’s indigenous people used the vine to create the tea they drink as part of a ceremonial ritual. The tea is said to help the drinker see their soul’s contents clearly. And so with Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work, Ben is exploring his soul and shining a light on the things he’s buried deep inside.

“It’s more devotional music than anything else, but not easy listening,” Ben explained. “It’s demanding, experimental music, just as ‘the work’ itself is demanding.”

Given that the album’s creation is all about healing and discovering a higher consciousness, Ben didn’t feel it was right that he benefit from his profits. And so he’ll donate half of the album’s artist royalties to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies and the other half to the Amazon conservation team.

Ben will play the following shows to support Ayahuasca: Welcome to the Work’s April 23 release. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

5 & 6 April 2013 – Byron Bay Community Centre, Byron Bay
11 April 2013 – Paddington United Church, Sydney

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dan Webb’s Monthly Song Impresses

Dan Webb has done it again with “Shadows of a Maniac,” the second track released as part of his 12 Songs, 12 Months project.

This song is so unique. It’s funky and soulful with a psychedelic twist that I didn’t see coming. The Bamboos’ Kylie Auldist, who shared vocal duties on Dan’s January release “Departure” is on back-up duties this time around. The track also features The Cat Empire’s hornsmiths Keiran Conrau and Ari Farrar, driving beats from drummer Peter Marin, and some mean bass licks from Joshua Jones.

You can download this song, and enjoy all the music to come this year, at Dan Webb’s website.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Call The Shots Release Fun Single

Brisbane quintet Call the Shots have served up a feel-good slice of power pop-punk with their brand new single “Alexis Texas.”

This fun track which takes a light-hearted look at unrequited love is our first taste of the band’s sophomore EP When Everything Goes Wrong. It sounds like everything is going right for these guys though. They recently made the top 10 of Dolly magazine’s hottest 100 bands and they scored the support slots for Nine Sons of Dan’s Brisbane gig at The Zoo on March 14.

If you like what you hear, it’s worth noting that Call the Shots are offering it as a free digital download via their Triple J Unearthed page.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Carole King @ Entertainment Centre, Sydney – 14 February 2013

Over more than five decades in the business Carole King has penned more love songs that most. So it seemed fitting to spend Valentine’s Day in her company at the Sydney Entertainment Centre last week.

Shane Howard opened the show with an acoustic set of songs from his Goanna days and solo years. I shamefully admit that I wasn’t familiar with anything other than “Solid Rock,” but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of his intimate performance. In stripped back mode I could hear every word he sang and really immerse myself in the stories he told. I appreciated the way he introduced each and every song, telling us about the experiences he’s had and the moments that inspired these personal numbers. It was so refreshing to witness such an accomplished singer-songwriter performing with nothing more than an acoustic guitar. I loved the lack of bells and whistles.

The good honest music continued when Carole took to the stage. This was the third time that I’ve seen her perform live, and again I marvelled at the way that she seems to defy aging. Her distinctively raspy voice is every bit as powerful as it was the first time that I saw her. She takes it easy at the piano most of the time, but she seems to enjoy stepping out and shaking her booty with her talented back-up singers. Frankly, she seems to enjoy everything about being on stage. She must have performed many of these songs countless times over the years, but she shows none of the fatigue I’ve seen in some classic artists. Her smile is wide, warm, and genuine as she interacts with her band and hears the crowd singing along to old favourites.

My dad remarked that it’s a true testimony to Carole’s discography that whenever we see her live she pulls out a song we weren’t aware she’d written. Like Dad, I was more familiar with “Hey Girl” as a Michael McDonald track, so it was great to hear Carole’s spin on it. I also really enjoyed “City Streets.” The song passed me by in the 80s, but with Carole the lone performer on stage, at the piano and illuminated by a single spotlight, I was wowed. I love that I can see Carole tour after tour and hear different songs each and every time. However my favourites, like many others judging by the rapturous applause, were those songs from Tapestry. “So Far Away” made me misty, as it always reminds me of the time my husband and I spent living in different countries, and “I Feel The Earth Move” had us all dancing in our seats.

At around an hour and a half the set was a bit shorter than those I’m used to, but I can cut the 71-year-old Carole some slack. She might need to head to bed earlier than modern rockers, but she makes the most of every moment that she’s on stage. And that’s what keeps me coming back.

Image source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hoodoo Gurus Digging It Up Again

The Hoodoo Gurus took Australia by storm last April with their Dig It Up! tour. Music lovers were treated to one of Australia’s most enduring talents and a who’s who of their musical friends including Died Pretty, The Sonics, The Lovetones, and Hard-Ons. They knew that if they were going to do it again, they’d have to at least match the 2012 shows. And it seems they might have done it with the 2013 line-up.

This time around the Hoodoo Gurus will be joined by Blue Oyster Cult, Buzzcocks, The Stems, Flamin’ Groovies, and former The Nerves and The Plimsouls member Peter Case. The Hoodoo Gurus promise to perform their second album Mars Needs Guitars in its entirety and a selection of other smash singles at all shows. Tickets are on sale now from the Dig It Up! website.

18 April 2013 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (with Blue Oyster Cult and Flamin’ Groovies)
19 April 2013 – Twin Towns, Tweed Heads (with Blue Oyster Cult and mystery guests)
21 April 2013 – Enmore Theatre & surrounds, Sydney (20+ acts handpicked by the Hoodoo Gurus)
25 April 2013 – The Palace Theatre and surrounds, Melbourne (20+ acts handpicked by the Hoodoo Gurus)
26 April 2013 – HQ, Adelaide (with Flamin’ Groovies and Peter Case Band)
28 April 2013 – Astor Theatre, Perth (with Flamin’ Groovies and Peter Case Band)

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tame Impala and The Growl Tour North America

It’ll be a double-dose of Aussie talent when Perth’s The Growl joins fellow statesmen Tame Impala on their North American tour next week.

The bands are no strangers to one another after The Growl joined Tame Impala on their Aussie tour to launch Lonerism. They won plenty of new fans on that tour for their raw brand of bluesy rock, and they’re sure to do the same when they get in front of American audiences. The US shows are the perfect warm-up for the band, who will return home in April for the release of their debut LP What Would Christ Do?? I’m told that a national headlining tour isn’t too far away.

Until then it’s time for North America to discover these rocking Aussie acts. Here are all the places my US and Canadian readers can see them play!

19 February 2013 – Terminal 5, New York City
20 February 2013 – 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
21 February 2013 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
22 February 2013 – The Orange Peel, Asheville
23 February 2013 – The Georgia Theater, Athens
25 February 2013 – Fitzgerald’s, Houston
26 February 2013 – Stubb’s, Austin
27 February 2013 – Granada Theater, Dallas
28 February 2013 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa
2 March 2013 – Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville
3 March 2013 – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaulkee
4 March 2013 – First Avenue, Minneapolis
6 March 2013 – Vic Theater, Chicago
7 March 2013 – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit
8 March 2013 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus
9 March 2013 – Kool Haus, Toronto
11 March 2013 – Metropolis, Montreal
12 March 2013 – House of Blues, Boston

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Magician’s Daughter – Mama Kin

I’ve sat down to write this review a few times. However the problem is, every time I slip The Magician’s Daughter into my stereo, I forget to make any notes. Not because there’s nothing noteworthy about Mama Kin’s sophomore effort, but because the music tends to take over.

My analytical brain is rendered defenseless against her haunting voice and uncanny knack for crafting a song. It seems wrong to dissect the album note by note or tune by tune. It’s much easier to just listen and appreciate it. And so I do, until next time that I intend to write the review and realise that I never did get around to taking those notes.

I really love this eclectic collection of songs. Mama seems to rail against being placed in any box. She serves up retro soul, gentle country, sultry blues, and more with ease, borrowing from whatever musical styles she deems best to tell her stories. The term “warrior songs” came to mind on one of the many occasions I’ve listened to The Magician’s Daughter, and I can’t seem to get rid of it. There’s a lot of feminine strength here, the strength of loving someone, of being a mother, of feeling loss and living through it. I was so struck by the tender intimacy in tracks like “Bosom of Our Bed” and “The River as She Runs,” the stoic pain of “Cherokee Boy,” and the explosive power of “The Fire.”

Mama Kin proves she’s a real musical force with her exquisite second album The Magician’s Daughter. It’s released across Australia on February 22.

Image source: Liveguide