The fun single “Look at Me” gives us a taste of the album, which hit stores yesterday. It’s got a gorgeous blend of dance and pop that makes children of the ‘80s like me feel all warm and nostalgic.
Vaudeville Smash! will kick off their Dancing for the Girl tour in Adelaide next month before they travel up and down the East Coast. With the band generating major buzz in North America, it might be our last chance to see them for a while!
8 June 2013 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
14 June 2013 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
21 June 2013 – UTS Glasshouse Bar, Sydney
22 June 2013 – The Beresford, Sydney
27 June 2013 – The Loft, Chevron Island
28 June 2013 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
29 June 2013 – The Joynt, Brisbane
30 June 2013 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
All eyes are firmly on the new crop of The Voice contestants, but it’s worth noting that some of last year’s finalists are carving out credible careers away from the glare of the television cameras. One such talent is Brittany Cairns, who’s just released her new single “Behind the Scenes”.
If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you’re going to love this. There are similar sweet vocals and the diary-style narrative recounting the optimism of young love feels very familiar. It’s pretty inoffensive stuff and it’s not likely to change the world, but that’s not a criticism. It takes real talent to create a song so accessible. Brittany’s had a little help from Rod Conley on that score, but she’s clearly got some songwriting chops. I’m looking forward to hearing more from Brittany when she releases her debut EP later this year.
Following a successful crowd-sourcing campaign, Jen Cloher will release her third album In Blood Memory next month.
The album, which was written over the last six months and recorded in just six days, is the follow-up to Jen’s acclaimed sophomore effort Hidden Hands. The album could have been very dark after Jen lost both her parents at the end of 2011. However, rather than dwelling on her sorrow she decided to create a more positive record.
“I had written an album worth of songs by the beginning of 2012 but I decided to scrap them and start again. My previous album Hidden Hands had been about loss and I didn’t have the emotional energy to explore that territory again,” she explained. Instead, I wanted to write about what was alive in me.
“In Blood Memory is a live album. Its strength lies in passionate performances from a great band. Drums are spilling into vocal mics and guitars into drum overheads. All of my vocals are live. There is no separation.”
In Blood Memory will hit stores on May 27.
Image used with permission from Remote Control Records
All good things must come to an end, and it’s almost time to bid Mia Dyson adieu as she returns to her adopted home in the United States. However, she’s not leaving without a proper goodbye.
Mia will play her final Australian show for some time at the Bulli Hotel this Friday, April 26. She’s also leave us with one more single, “Fill Yourself”, an upbeat bluesy number which will launch The Moment in the US.
“Fill Yourself has been a favourite of many people on the record and is the track turning heads in the US,” said Mia. “It is bittersweet to be heading back over there. I have absolutely loved being home, so much so that I extended my stay, but it’s time to continue this journey that The Moment has become.”
The thing I missed most about not being able to log in and update my blog was being unable to share great music with you. So I’m taking this opportunity while everything’s working to tell you about Daniel Champagne.
Daniel’s just a young whippersnapper at 23, but he’s got more musical intuition than many older performers. It’s little wonder really as Daniel picked up the guitar at five and began writing songs at 12. Barely in to his twenties he’s just released his second album The Gypsy Moon (Volume 1), a collection of what he calls road songs which hints at more to come.
“Making The Gypsy Moon … was a really long and drawn out process,” he explained. “I had all these songs with me for ages but no time off the road to do anything with them so they mostly just sat in the back seat gathering dust for a long time.”
Eventually he picked those songs up and took them to Pirate Studios on the south coast of New South Wales, Daniel’s original stomping ground, where he reunited with producer Dave Sparks, who collaborated on Daniel’s EPs and debut album. “Once I got back in the studio with Dave it just felt right and I knew it was going to work. It all fell out pretty quickly from there.”
The Gypsy Moon (Volume 1) features the single “Heart Like This”, which got me excited enough to talk about him in the first place. This is such a gorgeous track, the right combination of emotion and melody with beautiful guest vocals from Mikaela Atkins. The album’s out now, and Daniel’s currently touring it around the country. Here are all the places you can see him playing over the next few months.
26–28 April 2013 – Apollo Bay Festival, Apollo Bay
2 May 2013 – Beav’s Bar, Geelong
3 May 2013 – Caravan Club, Oakleigh
4 May 2013 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
10 May 2013 – The Loft, Warrnambool
11 May 2013 – Culburra Beach Festival, Culburra Beach
12 May 2013 – Bottlerocket, Nowra
15 May 2013 – Indi Bar, Perth
16 May 2013 – Mojo’s Bar, Perth
18 May 2013 – Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale
19 May 2013 – Semaphore Workers Club, Adelaide
23 May 2013 – Front Gallery, Canberra
24 May 2013 – Mudgee Brewery, Mudgee
25 May 2013 – Taste Cafe, Canowindra
26 May 2013 – Beyond Q, Canberra
30 May 2013 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
31 May 2013 – Bangalow Bowling Club, Bangalow
14 June 2013 – Mumbulla School Hall, Bega
15 June 2013 – City Diggers Club, Wollongong
16 June 2013 – Brisbane Jazz Club, Brisbane
20 June 2013 – Townsville Folk Club, Townsville
I listen to a lot of music. You probably do too. A lot of it’s good, but there’s not a lot that’s truly different. So I was thrilled to find something really unique in Sydney band Slumberhaze. Their name suggests they’re pretty sleepy, but there’s nothing drowsy about their music.
I love the intensity of their first single “Your Mind.” It’s got this relentless drive about it that marries beautifully with those dark, husky vocals. I love that Slumberhaze are generous enough to offer it as a free download through their Bandcamp page. I also love the ambition it springs from. The track is the first lifted from Slumberhaze’s debut EP. That recording, which will be released later this month, is the first in a trilogy of EPs.
Clearly this is a band that’s confident they’ll be sticking around for some time, and with good reason.
Image used with permission from Umbrella Artist Management
Brisbane band We All Want To are helping us usher in our weekend with their latest single “No Signs”.
This is a real retro gem, with jangly guitars and heavy driving drum beats. It’s catchy, but listen closer and you’ll find a lot of depth. “No Signs” is the first cut to come from the band’s second album Come Up Invisible.
If you’re digging it, see We All Want To doing their thing in the flesh at the following shows.
19 April 2013 – Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane
25 April 2013 – Union Hotel, Newtown
26 April 2013 – Good God Small Club, Sydney
27 April 2013 – Love The Phoenix, Canberra
10 May 2013 – Edinburgh Hotel Front Bar, Brunswick (Early Acoustic Session)
10 May 2013 – Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford
11 May 2013 – Public Bar, North Melbourne
24 May 2013 – Spotted Cow Hotel, Toowoomba
It’s been two years in the making, so it’s only right that When Everything Goes Wrong is closer to a mini-album at seven tracks. It features the single “Alexis Texas” and a few tracks with guest vocals from Tony Lovato of Mest.
Call the Shots say their fans mean “nothing less than everything in the world” to them, so it’s only right that they’re taking the EP on the road. Call the Shots will support the release of When Everything Goes Wrong with the following launch shows.
21 April 2013 – The Old Museum, Brisbane
27 April 2013 – The Metro (Lair), Sydney
11 May 2013 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
26 May 2013 – Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne
After warming up crowds on Tame Impala’s local and North American shows, The Growl are ready to head out on their own. Next month the bluesy Western Australian band will play gigs around the country to promote tomorrow’s release of their debut album What Would Christ Do??
The album contains the brand new single “Liarbird”, which is so swampy and sexy and downright delicious. I love Cameron Avery’s raspy vocals and that deep, fuzzy bass. It’s not pretty, but its raw energy is infectious.
Expect plenty of that energy in the flesh at the following shows.
19 April 2013 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
20 April 2013 – Ric’s Café, Brisbane (FREE)
24 April 2013 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
26 April 2013 – Cats @ Rocket Bar, Adelaide
27 April 2013 – Wolf Lane Carpark, Perth
Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water
As its title suggests, this is an unflinching, searing track. I love its raw honesty. What an incredible mix of lyric, stripped back melody, and compelling vocals. It’s got me very excited about Goodnight Berlin, which is due to hit stores on May 17.
I hear the album is “dark and nostalgic, sweet and unsettling”, which all sounds pretty perfect to me. Kelly recorded it over ten days and nights holed up in a German studio. She’s joined by guest vocalists Toby Martin of Youth Group and Adrian Roberts from The Maple Trail, who also wrote one of the album’s songs.
It’s early days, but I think Kelly’s going to be one to watch this year.
“I had written an album worth of songs by the beginning of 2012 but I decided to scrap them and start again. My previous album Hidden Hands had been about loss and I didn’t have the emotional energy to explore that territory again,” she explained. Instead, I wanted to write about what was alive in me.
