Spit and Mac look back on their lives and struggles with their first single “The Hourglass.” There’s so much wisdom here. Local chanteuse Imogen Brough lends her vocals to the title track from the Geelong hip hop act’s debut album, which hits stores today.
Category: Album Releases
Benny Walker Tours “Through the Forest”
Victorian troubadour Benny Walker has spent the last year writing, recording, and touring across this wide brown land. The process helped him create Through the Forest, his forthcoming album featuring the brilliantly bluesy new single “The Fool.”
The album saw Benny reuniting with Shane O’Mara, who produced his debut album Sinners & Saints in 2012. “There’s something that comes from Shane and I working together, that makes it sound like a record,” he explained.
Benny will support Through the Forest’s release with a national tour this autumn.
7 March 2015 – Moama Bowling Club, Moama
13 March 2015 – Twilight at Taronga Zoo, Sydney (supporting Dan Sultan)
27 March 2015 – Darwin Railway Club, Darwin
28 March 2015 – The Arnhem Club, Nhulunbuy
9 April 2015 – Skukum Lounge @ The Junk Bar, Brisbane
10 April 2015 – Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne
12 April 2015 – Newtown Social Club, Sydney
18 April 2015 – Suttons House of Music, Ballarat
19 April 2015 – The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide
24-26 April 2015 – Mount Beauty Music Festival, Mount Beauty
1 May 2015 – Beaches Hotel, Thirroul
3 May 2015 – Rhythm Hut, Gosford
6 May 2015 – Mothers Milk, Sawtell
10 May 2015 – Redcliffe On the Murray, Pinjarra
Mzaza Get me Excited About World Music
You know what I don’t write about enough? World music. I’m not sure whether Australians just aren’t making enough of it or whether it doesn’t find itself on my radar, but considering we’re a multicultural society it’s severely underrepresented.
Honestly, my exposure to world music doesn’t go too far beyond the annual Eurovision and San Remo song contests, but the songs in languages other than English are often my favourites. So I was thrilled to come across Mzaza this week. It seems I’m a little late to the party, as the Brisbane band are preparing to release their third album Ghosts on March 20 but better late than never right?
The album’s first single “Enfants du Chemin” (which translates to children of the road) gives you a taste of what this band’s all about. It’s fronted by Pauline Maudy, who has French and Spanish Sephardic roots and the voice of an angel. She sings in French, Spanish, Ladino, Turkish, and even English. Then there’s that rich instrumentation which takes its cues from France, the Balkans, the Middle Easy, and Sephardic Spain. It’s very cool, and worth a listen, especially if you don’t normally play this sort of stuff. Open up your minds folks.
Mzaza will support the release of Ghosts with shows all around the country next month. Check them out!
26 & 27 March 2015 – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
2 April 2015 – The Spotted Mallard, Brunswick
4 April 2015 – The Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick
24 April 2015 – Django Bar, Marrickville
26 April 2015 – Rhythm Hut, Gosford
Image used with permission from Heapsaflash
Double Lined Minority Tour “Caught in the Ceasefire”
Double Lined Minority are heading out on the road to support the release of their sophomore EP Caught in the Ceasefire, which hits stores today. The EP features the new single “Voodoo,” which reminds me of something that might have been released by Panic at the Disco or Fallout Boy.
The five-track EP is a collection of semi-biographical, lyrical vignettes which capture frontman Eddie Salazar’s experience of life, love, and temptation. Fans can hear them all at the following shows.
7 March 2015 – SUB Beanbag Gigs, Melbourne (ALL AGES)
8 March 2015 – Valve Basement Bar, Sydney (LICENSED ALL AGES)
12 March 2015 – The Beetle Bar, Brisbane (18+)
13 March 2015 – Griffith University, Gold Coast (ALL AGES)
14 March 2015 – Upstairs At 199, Brisbane (ALL AGES)
The Griswolds Release Live Digital Boat Cruise EP
Last November, The Griswolds took a boat cruise around Sydney Harbour with some lucky fans and some of their best music industry pals including Pepa Knight of Jinja Safari, Jake Stone of Bluejuice, Nick McKenzie of Deep Sea Arcade, and Castlecomer. If you couldn’t be there, good news. The band’s released an EP, The Good Ship, capturing all of the craziness and killer tunes.
Listening to these live songs is the perfect primer for The Griswolds upcoming North American tour supporting Walk the Moon. If you’re Stateside, make sure you don’t miss these Aussie juggernauts when they visit a town near you.
10 March 2015 – House of Blues, San Diego
12 March 2015 – Palladium, Los Angeles
13 March 2015 – House of Blues, Anaheim (SOLD OUT)
14 March 2015 – Masonic, San Francisco
16 March 2015 – CATALYST, Santa Cruz
17 March 2015 – Ace of Spades, Sacramento (SOLD OUT)
19 March 2015 – Roseland, Portland
20 March 2015 – Neptune, Seattle (SOLD OUT)
21 March 2015 – Neptune, Seattle (SOLD OUT)
22 March 2015 – Commodore, Vancouver
25 March 2015 – Fillmore Auditorium, Denver
26 March 2015 – Granada Theater, Lawrence
27 March 2015 – First Ave, Minneapolis
28 March 2015 – First Ave, Minneapolis (SOLD OUT)
29 March 2015 – Orpheum Theatre, Madison
31 March 2015 – Egyptian Room, Indianapolis
1 April 2015 – Bogarts, Cincinnati (SOLD OUT)
2 April 2015 – LC Pavillion, Columbus (SOLD OUT)
3 April 2015 – House of Blues, Cleveland (SOLD OUT)
4 April 2015 – House of Blues, Chicago (SOLD OUT)
7 April 2015 – The Fillmore, Detroit
8 April 2015 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
9 April 2015 – Lupos, Providence
10 April 2015 – Asylum, Portland
11 April 2015 – House of Blues, Boston (SOLD OUT)
13 April 2015 – Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia (SOLD OUT)
14 April 2015 – Terminal 5, New York (SOLD OUT)
15 April 2015 – Terminal 5, New York
16 April 2015 – 9:30 Club, Washington (SOLD OUT)
17 April 2015 – 9:30 Club, Washington (SOLD OUT)
20 April 2015 – Mercury Ballroom, Louisville
21 April 2015 – Orange Peel, Asheville
23 April 2015 – Cone Denim Entertainment Center, Greensboro
24 April 2015 – Cannery, Nashville (SOLD OUT)
25 April 2015 – Tabernacle, Atlanta (SOLD OUT)
26 April 2015 – State Theatre, Tampa (SOLD OUT)
27 April 2015 – Revolution, Fort Lauderdale
29 April 2015 – House of Blues, New Orleans
30 April 2015 – House of Blues, Houston
1 May 2015 – South Side Ballroom, Dallas
2 May 2015 – Stubb’s, Austin
4 May 2015 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa
6 May 2015 – Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque
7 May 2015 – Rialto, Tucson
9 May 2015 – House of Blues, Las Vegas
Jakubi Drop Holiday EP Ahead of Aussie, US Shows
Jakubi’s song “Couch Potato” was one of my favourite jams of 2014, so I’m thrilled to hear that their EP Holiday gets an official release today. It might have taken some time, but there’s a good reason for that. This talented Melbourne band has been working on world domination.
Last year they kept a frantic touring schedule with shows in Australia, the United States, and Canada. They’re keeping up the pace in 2015 with a string of local shows announced before the band are back stateside.
Who knows when we’ll get them back, so if you’re a fan make sure you check Jakubi out at one of the following shows. More US dates will be announced soon too, so keep your ear to the ground Americans!
26 January 2015 – Globe To Globe World Music Festival, Clayton
30 January 2015 – Cool Summer Festival, Mt. Hotham
14 February 2015 – Beachside Youth Festival, Brighton
26 February 2015 – Latrobe Uni O-Week event, Melbourne
28 February 2015 – Northcider Festival, Brunswick
8 March 2015 – Spirit Bar, Traralgon
21 March 2015 – Warrandyte Festival, Warrandyte
28 March 2015 – Forward Music Festival, Ballyrogan
22 May 2015 – Summer Camp Music Festival, Chilicothe
4-7 June 2015 – Mulberry Mountain, Ozark
Image used with permission from Create/Control
Young Lions Back and Better with Blue Isla
Young Lions burst out of the gate with their debut album Burn in early 2013. Now two years later, with a bit more experience under their belt, the Brisbane five-piece are set to do it all again with the release of their sophomore effort Blue Isla.
“Burn was a record full of anger,” says bassist Morgan Castle. “‘Blue Isla’ is a huge step up for us. The record is one of beauty and maturity. Everything you’ve come to love about Young Lions – Passion. Truth. Relevancy. It’s in this record. We’ve matured a lot and so has our music.”
It’s a big call, but the lads seem to be delivering with the release of the album’s lead single “When Will We Be Free?” It’s a soaring, epic number about breaking out of the nine-to-five grind and exploring the possibilities.
Blue Isla hits stores on January 27. Young Lions will support its release with the following shows.
14 February 2015 – The Brightside, Brisbane (18+)
15 February 2015 – Acoustic Session @ Sabotage, Brisbane (18+)
19 February 2015 – Hot Damn @ The Exchange Hotel, Sydney (18+)
20 February 2015 – Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith (18+)
28 February 2015 – Bang @ The Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne (18+)
5 March 2015 – Last Night, Perth (18+)
6 March 2015 – YMCA HQ, Leederville (ALL AGES)
7 March 2015 – Babushka, Perth (18+)
Husband Unleashes Awesome Second Single “The Money”
Perth singer-songwriter Husband has released the title track from his debut album The Money and it’s a cracker. It’s got such wonderful dark, brooding lyrics but a great melody that really soars for balance.
“’The Money’ expresses my frustration about how money and happiness are so closely linked for so many people,” Husband explained. “One night I found myself walking through Perth’s financial district. It felt so dead … its sole purpose is to make money 9-5. The emptiness I felt inspired this song.”
Husband’s debut album The Money will hit stores on January 23. He’ll play the following shows in his home state to support its release.
23 January 2015 – Mojos Bar, Fremantle
30 January 2015 – The Prince of Wales Hotel, Bunbury (FREE)
28 February & 1 March 2015 – Nannup Music Festival, Nannup
The Vanns Announce Plenty of Free Gigs to “Support Scattered by Sundown” EP
The Vanns haven’t long wrapped up a national tour, but they’re wasting no time in getting back out there. The Kiama boys are preparing to hit the road in February to celebrate the upcoming release of their new EP Scattered by Sundown. It’s set to feature the awesome new single “Operator.”
Scattered by Sundown will get a digital release on February 13. It will also be available on CD from the band’s website with five bonus tracks from The Vanns’ archives, including “Guilty Love,” “Belmore Street,” and “How it Used to Be.”
The Vanns have spent 2014 touring with the likes of Sticky Fingers, The Griswolds, Jinja Safari, Dappled Cities and heaps more, so they’re bound to be in fine form at the following shows. And so many of them are free that it doesn’t even matter if Christmas has done a number on your finances!
5 February 2015 – Sandbar, Mildura (FREE)
6 February 2015 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide
7 February 2015 – Gordon Hotel, Portland (FREE)
8 February 2015 – Hotel Warnambool, Warnambool (FREE)
12 February 2015 – Front Bar @ Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda (FREE)
13 February 2015 – The Otis Room, Brunie (FREE)
14 February 2015 – Republic Bar, Hobart
26 February 2015 – Royal Oak Hotel, Lanceston
27 February 2015 – Saloon Bar, Traralgon (FREE)
28 February 2015 – Transit Bar, Canberra (FREE)
5 March 2015 – The Marlborough Hotel, Newtown (FREE)
6 March 2015 – Tattersalls Hotel, Penrith (FREE)
11 March 2015 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (FREE)
12 March 2015 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (FREE)
13 March 2015 – Lennox Hotel, Lennox (FREE)
14 March 2015 – Trainspotters, Brisbane
15 March 2015 – Broadbeach Tavern, Broadbeach (FREE)
20 March 2015 – Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads
Image used with permission from 123 Agency
Martin Bradstreet Switches Focus To Music with Alexei Martov
While the band may be based out of Montreal, blues/psych-rock outfit Alexei Martov is undeniably Australian thanks to the talents of frontman Martin Bradstreet. The gifted vocalist and guitarist (he also plays piano) is joined in the group by two brothers, Matthew and Jonah Dorfman, who hold things down as the band’s rhythm section.
They have been kicking around for several years with releases such as Scent of a Wolf and Way of the Crow, but it feels like they’re due for a breakthrough soon with the recent release of their self-titled EP. And there’s a good reason for that, beyond the fact that the music on the eight-track project is some of their best to date. Bradstreet seems to be focusing more on the band than he had in the past, something that’s become evident through digging into his history.
The Australian native’s background doesn’t only include playing music since his teenage years; it turns out the guy has been pretty involved in online poker too. Bradstreet claims that he took on the pseudonym for musical reasons, according to the band’s Facebook. But it turns out that he also frequently used it as his online poker handle, along with the name MagicNinja, since sometime in 2007.
Instead of playing the wildly popular Texas Hold’em—the poker variant that led to the game’s online boom in the early aughts—Bradstreet sticks to the somewhat-lesser-known Pot Limit Omaha. As it turns out, though, it’s apparently a lot like its much more popular cousin. As pointed out by Betfair Poker, “Pot Limit Omaha is structured exactly the same as Texas Hold’em–but players are dealt four cards instead of two.” And if you’re wondering just how he’s faired in playing the game, it looks pretty good for Bradstreet. Although he lost several hundred thousand playing under the MagicNinja name, he looks to be doing just fine as Alexei Martov (per his profile on HighStakesDB).
As for that aforementioned focus shifting solely to music, the proof is all on the web. According to the aforementioned HighStakesDB page, he hasn’t played online since the summer of 2013. Although, to be fair, it’s hard to say if he’s completely kicked poker to the curb. Chances are he’s introduced his bandmates to the game and the three are enjoying some Pot Limit Omaha in their downtime between shows and recording sessions.
You can listen to Alexei Martov’s new self-titled EP below and buy it on iTunes.