Listening to a debut single usually goes one of two ways. I either feel like the act needs more time to mature or I fall for their energy. Thankfully The Ritzy Kids fall into the latter camp. Their first track “Breakthrough” is a high-energy slice of pop-punk just brimming with the enthusiasm of an act that simply loves making music.
It wasn’t long ago that this song dropped into my inbox, but The Ritzy Kids’ have already released a couple more tracks: “Sally” and the new single “Scars and Regrets.” Turn your volume right up really do this track justice.
The Ritzy Kids formed in Sydney earlier this year. Singer-songwriter Sean Frazer spent the summer writing songs for the project. With a solid three months’ worth of material, he approached producer Mitch Willard who lent drums to the project and mixed the mastered their story. This is just the start of The Ritzy Kids’ story, but it feels like there’s a lot more to tell.
As a woman of a certain age, I can’t help but love the title track from The Wolfe Brothers’ latest album, “Kids on Cassette.” As its name suggests, this is a real nostalgia-fest for those of us who grew up with our cassettes and walkmans.
The Tassie act had gone back to their roots with the video too. The clip features a pair of real-life brothers stepping into the shoes of Nick and Tom Wolfe. It was filmed on location at The Wolfe Brother’s Berry Farm in Southern Tasmania.
“Kids On Cassette is all about that amazing feeling of being a kid, when everything seemed bigger and it felt like the summer holidays lasted forever,” Nick Wolfe explained. “Tom and I are so grateful to have grown-up where we did as country kids, and in this video, we tried to capture a day in our childhood. Exploring, learning, getting into strife, and of course, playing music with our mates.
“To watch the brothers play us was amazing. I think their personalities really reflected ours. I could see a lot of similarities between us: a couple of country kids who make their own home movies and recordings and write songs and jam. Really, we could not have found a more matched pair! To watch the kids all jamming in the old fruit pickers hut where we used to 20-years ago was actually uncanny. It was like stepping into a time machine. Seeing the kids jamming out at a band practice really brings a smile to my face. I remember being in that very room, rocking out with our mates, all just totally high of the joy of music, long before any thoughts of business or careers ever entered our heads.”
If you like what you hear, you can pick up a signed copy of the album plus a free sticker for just $20 from The Wolfe Brothers online store, while stocks last. The Wolfe Brothers are also in the middle of an Aussie tour. You can still catch them play at all the following venues:
27 November 2021 – Country Rocks Canberra @ Rose Cottage, Tuggeranong
2 December 2021 – Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns
3 December 2021 – Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville
4 December 2021 – Queens Beach Hotel, Bowen
5 December 2021 – Mt. Pleasant Hotel, Mackay
10 December 2021 – Hamilton Hotel, Brisbane
11 December 2021 – Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich
21 January 2022 – The Longyard Hotel, Tamworth
If you’re having problems shaking off that new working week funk, press play. “Nothing in This World,” the soulful new single from Wanderers, is the perfect song to put a smile back on your dial. Fittingly, lead singer Dusty Lee penned the track as he tried to shake off his own funk and creative dry spell.
“I felt that I was at a crossroads at the time, approaching 30 and realising that my old algorithms for distraction and excitement weren’t really working the same way they used to,” he admitted. “I wanted more, but not sure what, when or how. All I knew was that my old tricks weren’t serving me anymore. So I dove deep into this feeling, which actually brought me some sort of clarity.”
The pandemic has seen Wanderers stuck in their native South Australia for some time, but all that will change this month with the duo announcing some shows in Queensland. Catch them at all the venues listed below if you can! Stay tuned if you live in the rest of the country. Wanderers aim to play gigs all around Australia in 2022.
6 November 2021 – Big Easy Radio, Aldinga
26 November 2021 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
27 November 2021 – Felons Barrel Hall, Brisbane (FREE)
Image used with permission from Big Oak Records; credit: Samuel Graves
Pirritu, a proud Wangaaypuwan Mayi of the Ngiyampaa clan, has offered us a sneak peek of his debut album Pirritu – Part 1, and it’s pretty fabulous. If you love your music folky, I’m sure you’ll dig the album’s first track “Comin Up Slow.” It’s melodic and soothing, just the kind of music you need to ease you into your working week.
Pirritu was adopted by a non-Aboriginal couple as a newborn baby. They ensured their son stayed in touch with his Aboriginality. When he entered his teen years, he began taking big steps to connect to his people, culture, and language. I’m sure his unique story will make for a compelling listen when Pirritu – Part 1 is released digitally and on limited-edition vinyl on November 19. You can put in your preorders via Pirritu’s Bandcamp page.
The Buckleys have got me feeling nostalgic with their latest single “Woodstock69.” With the world still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, this song perfectly encapsulates the way many of us are longing for a simpler time. The band namechecks Joni Mitchell and references the barefoot hippies, creating a beautiful picture of the Summer of Love. I remember loving this song when the band released their album, and I’m now remembering all the reasons why with the single release. And of course, it’s also made me nostalgic for those big rock shows and the sense of community I always find there.
“Beyond Woodstock, this song is reminiscent of the times we all stood in packed crowds, singing songs, holding the hands of strangers, and dancing together,” the band said in their press release. “It’s a song that embodies the excitement we have for when we all get to do this again. This is our love letter to live music and the impact Live Music has had on all of our lives.”
The song comes with a beautiful music video which was directed by the band’s youngest member, Molly Buckley. She shot the video on location at Chris Murphy’s Ballina property, Sugar Beach Ranch. I think you’ll agree it makes the perfect Laurel Canyon stand-in!
Those big live shows might be a little way off yet, but in the meantime, you can catch The Buckleys sharing all their favourite cover versions in virtual shows from their home studio, Soulfood Studios. Check out the Soulfood Sessions on The Buckleys’ YouTube channel.
With Victoria and New South Wales recently emerging from their extended lockdowns, it’s starting to feel like the world is a little brighter. “Ripe,” the latest track from Melbourne singer-songwriter Fiz, is a beautiful new song that epitomises that positivity. Described in the press release as “a love letter to sunshine, good friends, and grapefruit,” it’s got a cool cruisy feel that’s perfect for these optimistic times.
Fiz plans to announce a launch show soon for all your people missing live music, so give her a follow on Facebook to learn all the details.
Adelaide indie-pop act Germein have released a fantastic new girl power anthem, “Good for a Girl.” It gives voice to the struggle that these sisters have faced being an all-female band in the music industry. As you can expect, the vocals are next level. I love the way the fresh beat complements the classic guitar line. This is really good stuff. And yes, not just good for music produced by a female act!
“I went into a music shop to buy drumsticks, and the guy behind the desk asked me if I was buying them for my boyfriend,” Clara shared.
Georgia recalled the band’s first soundcheck on a national tour when “It was as if we’d surprised the sound guy when we started playing, like he expected us to be bad. At the end of the show, he said to us that we were actually pretty good for girls.”
“We wanted to write a song that would help tackle these stereotypes, and give a voice to anyone who might be going through a similar experience” added Ella.
“It’s about giving girls an equal playing field, and not discriminating based on gender” confirmed Clara.
Germein have a couple of gigs coming up, including a festival tomorrow! Check them out at the following events. Hopefully there are more to come!
30 October 2021 – Cleve Harvest Music Fest @ EP Field Days Site, Cleve
5 February 2022 – Copper & Stone Music Fest @ Paxton Square Cottages, Burra
Etoile Marley’s first name means “star” in French, so it’s not surprising that the night sky inspired her new single. “Moonlight” is a cool, sultry electro R’n’B track that is quite frankly out of this world.
Etoile’s rich voice really drew me into this one, but I was impressed to learn just how much creative control she had. She wrote and produced the song, which sounds just as polished as anything coming out of the big studios. Apparently this single gives us a big clue about the theme of the music from Etoile’s album, which is scheduled for release in 2022.
If you need something to get you going this Monday morning, take a listen to RedHook’s new single “Sentimental Surgery.” With elements of rock, punk, and pop, this track from the Sydney act demands to be played loud.
“’Sentimental Surgery’ is a punk party anthem inspired by the shared woes of lockdown (and feeling like a total cliche for writing a song about the shared woes of lockdown),” explained lead singer Emmy Mack. “Given what we’ve all been going through these past 18 months, I found it really difficult to write a song about any other topic. So instead of trying to, I decided to embrace the cliche and create a piece of music that expressed those sad feels, but also flipped them in a way that hopefully cheers people up, puts a smile on their face and makes them want to dance.”
Now that NSW’s lockdown has lifted, RedHook are looking forward to getting back on stage. Catch them at the following shows next year:
20-23 January 2022 – UNIFY Gathering 2022 @ Tarwin Meadows, Gippsland
28 January 2022 – Max Watt’s House of Music, Melbourne
4 February 2022 – The Zoo, Brisbane
5 February 2022 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
11 February 2022 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
12 February 2022 – Jack Rabbit Slim’s, Perth
26 February 2022 – Full Tilt @ Bella Vista Farm, Sydney
2 April 2022 – Halloween Hysteria III @ Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane
If you’re in one of the parts of the country where dancing in clubs is becoming a distant memory, take a listen to “Baby, I Feel Love,” the latest track from Perth act Supathick. In an era where disco tracks are few and far between, this funky eargasm is a breath of fresh air. It had me from that killer bassline. Supathick wrote the track with Matt Sevier who lends his vocals to the recording.
“We wrote this song with Matt a couple years ago and honestly, I feel like I’ve had it stuck in my head since 2019. It’s nice to get some uptempo funk back into the world. We recorded the track late last year with Sam Ford (POND, Abbe May) and Matt levelled it up with his gritty vocals. We think it’s a fresh change up from our usual Supathick vocal style,” explained Superthick’s guitarist, Christian Zappia.
You know this is the kind of music that will be a blast live. If you live in Western Australia, you can experience it when Superthick play Freo.Social on November 19.
Image used with permission from Beehive PR; credit: Daniel Hildebrand
