Melbourne singer-songwriter Amaya Laucirica is giving music lovers a sneak peek at her upcoming third album Sway with the release of a double A-side single. “Prettier Than The Sound” and “On the Air” are both featured on the album, which hits stores on April 18.
I must admit, Amaya’s earlier releases passed me by, but I’m really digging this. With her sweet voice and gift for songwriting, she reminds me a little of Julianna Hatfield. She’s also surrounding herself with the right people. Sway was recorded by Dave McCluney (Nick Cave/Mick Harvey/Robert Forster), mixed by Victor Van Vugt (PJ Harvey/Beth Orton) and mastered by Ray Staff (Spiritualised/David Bowie). With such an amazing team on her side, Sway’s sure to be something special.
Category: Releases
Supergroup Holidays on Ice Back with The Luxury of Wasted Space
Angie Hart from Frente!, Dean Manning from Leonardo’s Bride, and Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint are back with a brand new Holidays on Ice album. This Aussie supergroup will release The Luxury of Wasted Space on March 31.
The album’s title cheekily references the modern aversion to emptiness, and if the lead single’s anything to go by it’s fitting. The song is very subtle and minimalist, but Angie’s heavenly vocals and their collective musical sensibility shines through. It’s definitely a slow burner, but patient listeners will be rewarded. I also love that, like the album’s other songs, it was recorded in a living room to eight track reel to reel. How old school!
The video for new single “Broken” also shuns modern animation techniques for a more traditional approach. Dean actually made all the puppets in the clip from clay and wood. He even sewed their clothes and made the sets, then painstakingly put the clip together frame by frame.
Holidays on Ice will celebrate the release of The Luxury of Wasted Space with a national tour through April.
18 April 2014 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
20 April 2014 – Open Studio, Northcote
25 April 2014 – Glebe Café Church Hall, Glebe
27 April 2014 – Dowse Bar, Paddington
Ella Hooper On Tour Ahead of Solo Album Release
She might be setting the small screen alight as part of the rebooted Spicks and Specks, but that doesn’t mean Ella Hooper’s abandoned music making. In fact, she’s preparing to release her first solo album, In Tongues.
There’s no official release date as yet, but the album will feature the lead single “Low High,” a groovy number with smouldering vocals and an old Western feel. Can’t you just imagine Ella singing this song in a smoky bar for a bunch of cowboys?
Fans will hear this song and more from the forthcoming album when Ella plays the following shows through autumn.
29 March 2014 – The Vanguard, Sydney
4 April 2014 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
8 May 2014 – Artbar, Perth
9 May 2014 – Jive, Adelaide
15 May 2014 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
16 May 2014 – SoundLounge, Gold Coast
17 May 2014 – Star Court Theatre, Lismore
Caitlin Park Compelling with “Hold Your Gaze”
Caitlin Park gives us a preview of what her sophomore LP holds with the release of its lead single “Hold Your Gaze.”
I really love the gorgeous layered sound Caitlin’s created here, and the way her quietly confident vocals and the driving drum beats anchor it. The earnest lyrics are also sublime.
“Hold your Gaze is about fighting for someone, turning your lover into a partner,” she explained in a press release. “Sometimes you have to try and convince a person to be brave. It describes a soldier of love, with a strong heart, with patience and persistence. With big drums and a big chorus it’s a call to battle.”
“Hold Your Gaze” comes from Caitlin’s forthcoming album The Sleeper, which hits stores on May 2. Before that she’ll launch the single at the following shows.
21 March 2014 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
27 March 2014 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
3 April 2014 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Image used with permission from Create Control
Ryan Morgan Shows Pop Potential with Surrender
With the release of his debut single “Surrender,” Ryan Morgan shows he has all the makings of becoming Australia’s next big pop star.
He’s got a gorgeous soul voice that reminds me a little of Guy Sebastian. He moves like a dream. And he’s definitely got the look. The song’s not perfect, but I can look past that and see real potential. I also appreciate that Ryan wrote it himself after returning from time abroad and feeling a little disillusioned with the music caper.
“‘Surrender’ is a reflection of the way I felt about music at the time,” he explained. “For the first time I felt the effects of the struggle and began to reconsider music as a career, however I came to accept that there was no way I could give up the passion.”
“Surrender” is officially released today. It comes from Ryan’s forthcoming EP, which will hopefully be released in the not-too-distant future.
Curious Creatures Will Make You Smile
Sydney electro-pop duo Curious Creatures deliver plenty of good vibes with their debut single “So Tall.”
I generally tend to post more mellow sounds on Sundays, but this feelgood number instantly resonated with me. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to grab a hairbrush to sing into while you’re dancing around in your underwear. Or is that just me?
“So Tall” is our first taste of Curious Creatures’ forthcoming EP Talk About It. The band’s set the bar high, but I’m looking forward to seeing what will come next from this Sydney twosome.
Christopher Coleman Collective Wows Me with “Go Home”
In my humble opinion, Tasmania is producing some of the best folk musicians in the country. Think Dewayne Everettsmith, Lincoln le Fevre, and The Blue Mosquitoes to name a few. Now we can add Christopher Coleman Collective to the list.
Tassie’s been keeping him a state secret for a few years, but he’s finally starting to earn some mainland recognition with the recent release of his self-titled debut album. It features the new single “Go Home,” a stunning song with guest vocals from The Choir of High Hopes Hobart.
If you love Christopher Coleman Collective’s honest vocals and poetic lyrics, you can soak them up at the following shows.
15 March 2014 – Baby Black Espresso Bar, Bacchus Marsh
19 March 2014 – Babushka Bar, Ballarat
20 March 2014 – The Music Man Megastore, Bendigo
21 March 2014 – Shebeen, Melbourne
27 March 2014 – The Front Gallery, Lyneham
28 March 2014 – Royal Exchange, Newcastle
29 March 2014 – The Newsagency, Marrickville NSW
3 April 2014 – Grand Junction, Maitland
4 April 2014 – The Pier, Port Macquarie NSW
5 April 2014 – No 5 Church Street, Bellingen NSW
10 April 2014 – Dowse Bar, Paddington
11 April 2014 – The Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale
12 April 2014 – A Music Warehouse Project, Adelaide
19 April 2014 – The Pav, Launceston
The Spirit Play First Sydney Show Tonight
Sydneysiders, if your Saturday night’s looking bare you might want to get yourself to the GoodGod tonight. The club’s hosting The Spirit, an exciting Melbourne inspired by the organic sounds of 70s Americana.
If you’ve never heard of The Spirit, it’s not really a surprise. Their Sydney gig is only the second they’ve played, after a hometown show in late February. However, take a listen to their debut single “Forever Gone” and you’ll know that they’re ready. The track was actually written around 18 months ago in New Zealand. I love a band that takes their time to make sure everything’s perfect before stepping into the spotlight.
But the time is now. Head out to the GoodGod tonight so you can tell folks you were there when.
Image used with permission from Footstomp Music
Dewayne Everettsmith Releases Long-Awaited Solo Album
I can’t say that tourism ads are generally where I go looking for great music, but I found it when Tourism Australia featured Dewayne Everettsmith’s song “It’s Like Love” in their last campaign. I feel head over heels for the tune way back in 2012, and was desperate to hear more. He’ll finally show us what else is in his bag of tricks when he releases his debut album Surrender on March 14.
“When I wrote most of these songs, I was obviously in emotional turmoil – difficult things in my life,” he explained. “The idea was that when someone listens to it, it touches a nerve but they take a positive from it. That was the ultimate aim.”
If that intrigues you, make sure you grab a copy of the album and see Dewayne playing its songs live at a venue near you.
6 March 2014 – Kulcha, Fremantle
8 March 2014 – Kings Park, Perth (supporting Gurrumul)
9 March 2014 – Spiegeltent (10 Days On The Island), Hobart
11 March 2014 – Arts Centre Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise
14 March 2014 – Factory Floor, Marrickville
16 March 2014 – Casterton/Sandford Football/Netball Club, Casterton
20 March 2014 – Captains at Mariners, Batemans Bay
21 March 2014 – Southern Cross Club, Canberra
23 March 2014 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
26 March 2014 – Civic Centre, Wagga Wagga
27 March 2014 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
28 March 2014 – Lizotte’s, Central Coast
29 March 2014 – Lizotte’s, Dee Why
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
Insomnia Inspires Anna O
If you love strong female voices like Kimbra and Lorde, you’re going to want to hear Anna O, a bold new talent from Perth. She’s matched her strong vocals with relatable lyrics in her ode to insomnia, “Sleeplessness.”
“The chorus explores the idea of the ‘choir’ of mind chatter, basically touching on how crazy it is to think about all the people laying awake with their mind going crazy, and what we’d all sound like together,” she explained.
“Sleeplessness” is the first track lifted from Anna’s debut EP, When the Winter Came, which will hit stores on March 21. We’ll all have a day to get familiar with it before she launches it for her hometown fans at North Perth’s Four5Nine Bar on March 22. It should be a night to remember, as Anna is itching to take the stage.
“I can’t wait to get out of the studio and start playing my songs to people. I’ve got a DJ opening for me and I’m pumped to make it a slamming party,” she enthused.
Tickets for Anna’s launch are available now through Oztix.