Sydney singer-songwriter anseo has been playing cover gigs around New South Wales’ capital for some time, but with the release of his latest single “Deadbeat” he’s reminding us that he’s at his best when he’s playing his own music. This is such a strong song, with poetic lyrics and vocals that can seemingly do anything. I find myself thinking of artists like Matt Corby, Jeff Buckley, and D’Angelo as I let this track wash over me.
“Deadbeat” comes from anseo’s recently released sophomore EP Wilder Shades. While “Deadbeat” is the stand-out for me, it’s all worth a listen. Get your ears around it music lovers!
Aussie expat Shelley Segal is back with a brand new single and an EP on the horizon. “No” is a modern #metoo anthem giving a voice to the problems many women face when turning down sexual advances today. It gives us a great taste of the kind of thought-provoking music that’s in store for us when her EP Holy drops on November 1.
“No is a song about consent and the subtleties surrounding it,” she explained. “It describes three different scenarios in which the protagonist finds it difficult to say no to sexual advances. I wrote the song because even though it’s 2019 and so many women feel comfortable asserting themselves and speaking up for themselves, and even though there has been so much public discourse and progress on these issues, there are still scenarios where it feels hard to say ‘no’. You can find yourself in a situation that you don’t want to be in and yet be unable to express that. It’s not always easy in the moment to process the potential consequences that may come from your reaction. Like the examples in the song for instance, in a work environment, in the street with a stranger. Saying ‘no’ can create adverse outcomes like risking your job, or your safety. This discussion around consent is not as straightforward as maybe we would like it to be and I wanted to reflect on those nuances.”
Shelley has been living and working in the United States since 2016. Hopefully it’s not too long before we see her back on our shores for some shows. Until then, listen out for Holy on its release next month.
With their new album Good. Bad. Happy. Sad available on all major streaming services now, it seemed like the perfect time to introduce you to South Sydney quartet Sketchy Fancy. The five-piece has got me grooving with the album’s lead single “Pub Rock.”
I love the vibrant horns, the wailing electric guitars, and the old-school storyteller vibe of the lyrics. If you’re vibing it too, make sure you dive into the rest of Good. Bad. Happy. Sad. It’s an eclectic collection of songs, but I guarantee it’s got plenty more gems. If you like what you hear, catch Sketchy Fancy at Bulli’s Heritage Hotel on September 27.
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
Start your week right with “Growing Pains,” an indie pop pleaser from Melbourne band Telescreen. The track reminds us of the importance of letting life take its course.
“Sometimes you can find yourself in this kind of neutral zone where you’re letting life direct you where to go. You feel like you’re having no influence on the next phase of your existence, like you’re mindlessly living day to day,” explained Telescreen front man Nic. “’Growing Pains expresses how it’s okay to take a hands-off approach and allow things to come to you – you can’t always be reaching out for the next big step.”
“Growing Pains” comes from Telescreen’s forthcoming debut EP, which drops on September 26. Victorians can hear tracks from this EP first at the following shows. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they announce some shows outside their home state.
28 August 2019 – The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood (with ZUMA)
13 September 2019 – Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne (with Chela)
Image used with permission from Habit Music Company
Melbourne punksters Press Club might be conquering the world right now, but they don’t want us to forget them here at home. They’ve just released a brand new video for the ballsy single “Thinking About You” and their new album Wasted Energy drops tomorrow, August 16.
“The idea for the ‘Thinking About You’ video clip came to me as we touched down from a 20-plus hour transit home from our first European tour in May this year,” explained guitarist Greg Rietwyk. “I pictured a surreal retelling of the story of a stalking stranger that is told within the song lyrics, with [vocalist] Nat [Foster] being tormented by masked freaks. We enlisted the help of our good friend and filmmaker Gina Somfleth from Popcandi productions. We are all massive fans of Gina’s keen eye for cinematography.It was shot on location at Nat’s parents farm outside of Ballarat in North Western, Victoria. We particularly enjoyed being able to feed our inner pyromaniacs in what was to become the climax of the film. We’ve thrown a few DIY festivals at the farm where it was shot so the location holds a special place in our collective hearts”
It’s no coincidence that on album release day, Press Club will play an instore in Melbourne before jetting off for more UK and European dates. With appearances at Reading and Leeds festivals and stacks more, if you’re living abroad you don’t want to miss this.
16 August 2019 – Oh Jean Instore, Melbourne
22 August 2019 – The Parish, Huddersfield
23 August 2019 – Reading Festival, Reading
24 August 2019 – Leeds Festival, Leeds
25 August 2019 – Greenbelt Festival, Northamptonshire
27 August 2019 – Redrum, Stafford
28 August 2019 – Bodega, Nottingham
29 August 2019 – Surf Cafe, Newcastle
30 August 2019 – Broadcast, Glasgow
31 August 2019 – Night People, Manchester
3 September 2019 – Annie’s, Worcester
4 September 2019 – Bermuda Bob’s Hi-Fi, Norwich
5 September 2019 – New Cross Inn, London
6 September 2019 – Prince Albert, Brighton
8 September 2019 – Cinetol, Amsterdam
10 September 2019 – Haldern Pop Bar, Haldern
11 September 2019 – Sonic Ballroom, Cologne
12 September 2019 – Alte Hackerei, Karlsruhe
13 September 2019 – Dynamo, Zurich
14 September 2019 – Strom, Munich
15 September 2019 – Cross Club, Prague
18 September 2019 – Stengade – Copenhagen
19 & 20 September 2019 – Reeperbahn, Hamburg
21 September 2019 – Vera, Groningen
Image used with permission from Little Giant Agency; photo credit: Ian Laidlaw
More than 20 years have passed since The Superjesus released their debut album Sumo, but this groundbreaking Aussie act rocks just as hard as ever. They’re heading back out on the road in September to celebrate the release of a new double live album Sumo 20 LIVE, recorded during their massive 20th anniversary tour.
“2018 was the year that marked the 20-year anniversary of our debut album Sumo. To celebrate, we put together a show that encompassed a jurassic back catalogue of material that rolled out a two-and-a-half hour show. After smashing this set out night after night, it became obvious to us that we had become a pretty good band!” frontwoman Sarah McLeod reminisced. “Three-quarters of the way through the tour we decided that we should document where we were at, because it was surprising even us! Also, and more importantly, the crowds were singing along with us with enthusiasm like we’d never heard before. This shit needed to be recorded, so we set it up to film and record two shows. We were playing two sets per night, set one was Sumo, set two was hits and rarities. We recorded set one at the Manning Bar in Sydney and set two at The Zoo in Brisbane and were stoked with how it came up.”
Sumo 20 LIVE hits stores and your favourite digital outlets on September 6. All the hits are there, alongside the B-sides and other rarities diehard fans love. It’s the sort of album that reminds you just how good these guys are on stage and why you need to see them again. Purchase it on vinyl, buy a ticket to the show, or get a ticket and vinyl bundle and you’ll receive a free download of a brand new, never-before-heard song called “The Impossible.” Get onto it Superjesus fans! Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 am from the Superjesus website and Oztix outlets.
6 September 2019 – Badlands, Perth
7 September 2019 – The Gov, Adelaide
20 September 2019 – Max Watts, Melbourne
21 September 2019 – Crowbar, Sydney
Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Nix Cartel
My Facebook feed is frothing today with friends excited they’ve snapped up tickets for Grinspoon’sChemical Hearts tour. The shows will be a celebration of everything that makes the Grinners great, with audience faves and hits from their 22-year career.
To celebrate the tour, Grinspoon will release a new vinyl record, Chemical Hearts, on October 11. Sure to be a collector’s item, it will feature many of the songs you can expect to hear at these shows.
Grinspoon will be ably supported on all dates by The Hard Aches, Gooch Palms, and Bugs.
“These concerts will have a very exciting atmos due to the individual scintillating performances by these amazing acts. We’re super excited to be doing this tour,” enthused Phil Jamieson. “We don’t get out much anymore and our last one focused primarily on our first record and this one will take a more broad approach to the little nuggets of songs that came between 1995 and 2013. Sooooooo … long story short. TOUR – CHEMICAL HEARTS – OCTOBER / NOVEMBER ~ ripper time. Ripper bands. Great times. Classic hits.”
Tickets are on sale right now. If the rapturous response to Grinspoon’s last tour was any indication, don’t expect them to hang around for too long. Get onto it music fans!
11 October 2019 – Metropolis, Fremantle (18+)
12 October 2019 – Metro City, Perth (18+)
16 October 2019 – The Forum, Melbourne (18+)
18 October 2019 – UC Refectory, Canberra (18+)
23 October 2019 – Odeon Theatre, Hobart (18+)
26 October 2019 – Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide (ALL AGES)
31 October 2019 – Waves, Wollongong (18+)
1 November 2019 – Entertainment Centre, Newcastle (ALL AGES)
2 November 2019 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (ALL AGES)
7 November 2019 – The Star Broadbeach, Gold Coast (18+)
8 November 2019 – The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane (18+)
Two years ago Crystal Cities seemed to have it all. Their debut EP Who’s Gonna Save Us Now was released to widespread acclaim, the title track reached number one on the Triple J Unearthed charts within just a few days of its release, and it even earned some airplay on American college radio. Not bad for a recording made in a mate’s Sydney garage!
But then they seemed to fade from view. You’d be forgiven for thinking they got out of the music scene altogether. However, Crystal Cities haven’t been sitting idle. They took the time to create a full-length debut LP they could be proud of, at Abbey Road Studios no less, and they’re ready to share it with the world thanks to inking a global deal with Audio Network. Lead single and title track “Under the Cold Light of the Moon” is a great introduction to the album’s cool indie pop-rock sound.
“The song ‘Under the Cold Light of the Moon’ was inspired by the plight of young North Korean girl Yeonmi Park who escaped North Korea in search of freedom,” explained the band’s vocalist and guitarist Geoff Rana. “After watching her speech, I penned the lyrics, interpreting her story.”
Under the Cold Light of the Moon is available on all your favourite digital platforms.
In this modern world of social media, ironically many of us feel more isolated than ever before. Sydney synth-pop duo Froyo touch on the mental health issues that isolation often triggers with their latest single “Out There.”
The band isn’t just paying lip service to one of society’s hot button issues. One half of the duo, Michael Chow, struggled with depression during the making of their latest EP Blue. “Out There” was penned about the way the band felt missing a friend who’d moved overseas. However, it took on a deeper meaning after that friend took his own life before the EP’s release. The EP is now dedicated to his memory.
Blue features “Out There” and another track I raved about earlier this year, “Heart.” The EP has such an upbeat pop essence, but make sure you listen to the lyrics to appreciate the darkness hiding just beneath its sonic surface.
If you love what Froyo do, make sure you catch them at their next gig at North Wollongong Hotel on August 18.
PLTS might hail from Byron Bay, but there’s nothing sleepy about this indie-rock band. While their hometown is better known for its super-chill vibes, these guys create big stadium rock tracks like their latest single “Young Ones,” a nostalgic track about the stories that shape us and the memories we love to reflect upon. Turn it up loud readers!
There’s more where this came from too. PLTS are preparing to release their new Lonely Leaves on May 24, which is not so coincidentally the day they hit the road. Catch them doing what they do best at the following venues.
24 May 2019 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
25 May 2019 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
1 June 2019 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
13 June 2019 – OAF Gallery Bar, Sydney
