Category: Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dirty Jeans Celebrates Aussie Alternative Rock Music

Australia’s rich rock history is celebrated with the release of Dirty Jeans: The Rise of Australian Alternative Rock.

The compilation concentrates on the years between 1988 and 2002, an iconic period which brought us the likes of The Vines, The Living End, Spiderbait, Magic Dirt, Grinspoon, Frenzal Rhomb, You Am I, and heaps more. They’re all represented in this stellar album, which features liner notes Adalita and Au-go-go Records founder Bruce Milne.

If you feel you need a post-Christmas gift, you can find Dirty Jeans: The Rise of Australian Alternative Rock in stores on January 17.

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Bon Scotts’ Get Us Ready for the Weekend

With all the excitement of Christmas and New Year’s falling mid-week, weekends haven’t quite meant as much to me of late. I’ve been working sporadically across the break, but with my husband enjoying a couple of well-earned weeks off it’s felt like I’ve been enjoying one big weekend recently. However, the fact remains that the actual weekend is nearly upon us so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce you to The Bon Scotts’ latest single “The Weekend Bends.”

I love its brassy horn and mellow summer vibe, but I might just love the film clip even more than the song itself. Its colourful cast of quirky characters makes it pretty irresistible!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Daylight Hours Spreads Good Vibes with “Perfect Everything”

I love a song that’s deep and meaningful, that moves me and makes me feel just what the artist did when they created it. But sometimes, I enjoy a nice big slice of throwaway pop. It’s a guilty pleasure that makes you feel good, even if it doesn’t have that rich nutritional value. “Perfect Everything” is the equivalent of Cadbury chocolate. It won’t fill you up, but this single from Melbourne band Daylight Hours feels pretty good going down.

If you love the likes of Hot Chelle Rae and Cobra Starship, I think you’re going to dig this.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jon Stevens’ The Dead Daisies Release “Washington”

Supergroup The Dead Daisies put all their starpower to good use with their latest single “Washington.” With Jon Stevens signature raspy vocals and some killer instrumental backing by Charley Drayton (The Divinyls), David Lowy (The Angels), Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones), and Guns N Roses’ Richard Fortus and Dizzy Reed, the song sounds like an instant rock classic. Perhaps the international artists make it a little difficult to claim this band as our own, but when they sound this good I reckon we can bend the rules.

Already “Washington’s” earned critical acclaim in America, where the band recently shared stages with the likes of ZZ Top, Jane’s Addiction, Alice in Chains, and Aerosmith. They also headlined a show in Israel and toured the United Kingdom with The Black Star Riders. Aussies will get a chance to see what this band with a strong Australian core can do when The Dead Daisies release their debut album in early 2014 and play homegrown shows with Jimmy Barnes.

Image used with permission from Jaden Social

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sydonia Offers Album Teaser

Melbourne metal masters Sydonia have given fans an early taste of their long-awaited sophomore album Reality Kicks. The follow-up to 2006’s Given to Destroyers will hit stores and the digital marketplace on February 7.

Sydonia know their fans have been patient, and they’re rewarding their loyalty with the release of a CD/DVD combo pack. The DVD will also be available online via iTunes.

This video doesn’t give too much away, but we’ll learn a bit more when Sydonia releases the feature single on January 8. They’re also promising to tough both the east and west coast through May and June, so there’s plenty of excitement to come.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lester the Fierce Readies EP

Melbourne abstract pop muso Lester the Fierce floored me with her track “Howl” a few months ago, so I’m thrilled to hear she’s officially launching her self-titled EP.

“The EP was a cathartic experience that I didn’t know I needed,” she explained. “Playing live has lit a fire under what I’ve written and has taken it to a new level in my own mind. I dream about it now. I’m swimming in this crazy world that music has made. This is the murky water I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”

You can get a taste of Lester the Fierce’s creative process and what the EP offers in part one of a documentary which takes you into the studio.

Lester the Fierce will launch her EP for hometown fans at The Worker’s Club on January 3, ably supported by local talents Eliza Hull and Al Parkinson.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The “Tallest Teepee in Town” Soothes the Soul


After a festive season filled with too much family drama, I needed to hear some great music today. Thankfully I found it in the form of Melbourne’s Pierce Brothers and their single “Tallest Teepee in Town.”

The duo’s name should give you an idea of their complete lack of pretension. There are no bells and whistles here, just good honest, organic, foot-stomping folk music. They’ve started to create a name for themselves here and in Europe, but they continue to busk in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall as they have for years. It’s little wonder that they’ve sold more than 12,000 EPs from busking alone.

Like a breath of fresh air, this is exactly the song I needed to hear today.

Image used with permission from 123 Agency

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sunnyboys Bassist Releases Kids Cookbook

Sunnyboys bass guitarist Peter Oxley shows he’s a man of many talents with the release of his brand new book Teenage Kitchen Rampage. This cookbook would make the ideal gift for those notoriously tricky teens on your Christmas list.

It covers the basics like boiling an egg and mashing potatoes and shows teens how they can use these simple techniques to whip up tasty salads, pastas, and desserts.

Peter should know about this kind of thing, as he left home at the age of 18 with nothing more than $10, his bass guitar, and his mum’s recipe for lamb shank soup. He also opened Newtown’s Wedgetail Woodfired Pizzeria in 1994.

Teenage Kitchen Rampage is available for $24.95 through good bookstores and the Love Police online bookstore.

Image used with permission from Shows in Space

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anna Smyrk and the Appetites Anticipate the Apocalypse

Can you believe it’s one week until Christmas? I hope most of you aren’t working as hard as I am. It’s a time of year when we should all be winding down, yet it seems so many people I know are operating on hyper speed.

If you’re feeling a bit ragged, give yourself just a few minutes to listen to “Apocalypse,” the sublime debut single from Melbourne’s Anna Smyrk and the Appetites. She’s got the voice of an angel and it works so beautifully in this moving song. And isn’t it wonderful to hear a modern song with a saxophone in a starring role?

Anna will launch the single with a string of intimate shows dubbed The Garden Party at the End of the World. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but at least there’ll be good music at the end, right?

22 December 2013 – Open Sesame Festival @ Bar Open, Melbourne (4 pm til midnight)
3 January 2014 – Treehouse, Byron Bar (FREE @ 7:30 pm)
4 January 2014 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore (FREE @ 6 pm)
5 January 2014 – Queen Street Mall (FREE @ noon)
6 January 2014 – The Cave, Gold Coast (8 pm)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

King Colour Go Retro with Break the Ice

I have had one of those weeks. There seems to be far too much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it. That’s why this blog’s been a bit quiet, but I was determined to carve out a bit of time this afternoon to listen to some music and kick back.

Happily the first song I fired up with “Break the Ice,” the delightfully upbeat new single from Sydney band King Colour. It takes us back to the surf rock’s heyday with its strong bass line and crunchy electric guitars. It’s a real charmer and perfect for summer.

“The best thing about ‘Break The Ice’ is how simple it is,” says the band’s drummer Josh Pearson. “It’s cheesy, its naïve, its ridiculously poppy, and people get really into it at shows. We wondered what it would sound like if we put a modern spin on all the cool 60’s pop stuff like the Beatles, Beach Boys, Animals, etc, and it came out sounding pretty sweet.”

Indeed it did! If you get your skates on, you can see the King Colour launching the band at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory tonight.

Image used with permission from the A&R Department