Category: Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Wells and the Middle Names Usher in Summer with Single Shows

Ben Wells and the Middle Names speak for a nation of frustrated workers with their new single “Bear in a Birdcage.”

We can’t all take time off to go surfing, as Ben Wells and his bandmates wish, but we can take an evening off for one of their forthcoming single launch shows. The gigs will see the Tassie band circling the country, and hopefully finding time to catch a few waves along the way!

7 November 2012 –Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
8 November 2012 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
10 November 2012 – AmplifiedHobart
24 November 2012 –Tasmanian International Beer Fest, Hobart
30 November 2012 – The Grand Poobah, Hobart
1 December 2012 – Royal Oak, Launceston
5 December 2012 – The Workers Club, Melbourne
6 December 2012 – Beav’s Bar, Geelong
7 December 2012 – The Front, Canberra
8 December 2012 – Kittens @ Spectrum, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Simone Macarounas is LittleFox

“Blood and Dust” is our first taste of the work of LittleFox, the alter ego of Sydney singer-songwriter Simone Macarounas.

I’m in two minds about this one. I appreciate the creativity of the voice effects, but I wonder whether they take away from the heart of this song. The lyrics are so strong and the musical arrangement so lush that I wonder whether we truly need another distraction. Simone’s definitely a talent, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’d make a bigger impact if she stripped back a layer or two.

“Blood and Dust” is the first single to come from the EP LittleFox is currently hard at work on. She’ll also announce a string of unique shows in the near future. Like her or not, it seems we’ll be hearing a lot more of LittleFox.

Image used with permission from Tiny Monster

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Saritah Comes Home for “Dig Deep” Launch Shows

Saritah spreads good vibes with “Tears of Joy,” the lead single from her soon to be released debut album Dig Deep.

This is just the kind of song we all need to get out of the funk that’s come with this extended winter. It’s a gorgeous blend of reggae, pop, and soul that’s instantly accessible without being lightweight.

There’s much more of that to come on Dig Deep, an album which brings together tracks Saritah penned in a Mozambique beach shack, a caravan in Canada, and her hometown of Melbourne. With such global influences it’s only fitting that Saritah recorded it in California, her home away from home for the last two years.

Saritah’s been creating a real buzz in North America, and now it’s our chance to see what this homegrown talent’s all about. Saritah will return home to launch Dig Deep, which hits record stores on November 9.

1 November 2012 – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay (FREE)
2 November 2012 – Mandala Organic Arts, Mermaid Beach
3 November 2012 – FullMoon Dance, Verrierdale Hall, Sunshine Coast
4 November 2012 – Call Out Collaboration Festival @ Greenslopes Bowls Club, Brisbane
9 November 2012 – The Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
10 November 2012 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River (FREE)
15 November 2012 – Eclipse Festival, Far North QLD
22 November 2012 – Manly Boatshed, Manly
23 November 2012 – Rock Lily @ The Star, Sydney (FREE)
30 November 2012 – The Brunswick East, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Blog Action Day 2012: Paul Kelly, Lanie Lane & More Lend Talents to The Key of Sea Volume 2

Today is Blog Action Day, a day when bloggers all around the world join forces to spread the word about social activism and global initiatves. As this year’s theme is The Power of We, I figured it was the perfect time to chat about the latest Key of Sea album. In 2010 we saw the release of the first Key of Sea album, a project which saw established Aussie artists paired with lesser known musicians that come from diverse cultural backgrounds but proudly call Australia home. This Friday, October 19, we’ll finally hear the second installment.

In The Key of Sea Volume 2 we see acts like Paul Kelly, Lanie Lane, Chet Faker, and David Bridie joining the just discovered talents. The lead single “Silence of the Guns”, which sees Jinja Safari collaborating with East African asylum seeker Kinfe and members of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program,  gives you an idea what’s in store.

This is an album of great music, but it’s about much more than that. So it’s only fitting that it’s not simply a money-making exercise. All profits from The Key of Sea Volume 2 will be distributed amongst the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, and Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning. Talk about the power of we! With the might of some great performers and the music-loving public, we can truly make a difference!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Harlots Disgust & Amuse with “Got No Soul” Video

Feel like seeing something that’s hilariously wrong? Well feast your eyes on the music video for “Got No Soul,” the latest single from The Harlots. In it we see one man’s search for Miss Right thwarted by his affections for a children’s rocking horse. Just your average love story, isn’t it?

The clip’s more than a little bizarre, but that only makes this song that much sweeter. I love the gritty vocals and swaggering bass line. Make sure you catch those offbeat lyrics too!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Red Ink Back with “Empty Town”

After taking some time out from the biz, Red Ink are back with gusto with their brand new single “Empty Town,” the first lifted from their new album The Colour Age.

It seems like the self-imposed hiatus was a smart move for the Melbourne band. They appear to have rediscovered their love of making music. There’s definitely passion and joy in this tune, one of many the band penned on reuniting in a secluded beach house. I appreciated Red Ink before, but this song really takes things up a notch.

It’s great to have you back lads!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Tiger & Me Serve Up Album Teaser

Genre-bending Melbourne act The Tiger & Me are building anticipation for the release of their sophomore album The Drifter’s Dawn with this nifty video. It offers an insight into the way the album came together and a sneak peek of some of its tracks. If you’re desperate to get your hands on it, don’t worry. There’s only one week to go! The Drifter’s Dawn hits music stores on October 19. The Tiger & Me will play the following shows to support its release.

27 October 2012 – Revolt, Melbourne
1 November 2012 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
2 November 2012 – The Barwon Club, Geelong
9 November 2012 – Braidwood Hotel, Braidwood
10 November 2012 – The Red Rattler, Sydney
11 November 2012 – Majors Creek Pub, Majors Creek
15 November 2012 – High Tea, Sydney (Acoustic)
25 November 2012 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
1 December 2-12 – The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Texas Tea Drop Album Number Three

Exciting Queensland folk-country duo Texas Tea will release their eagerly awaited third record Sad Summer Hits tomorrow. The retro fans will release the album, which features the current single “Lily,” in both CD and vinyl formats.

Sad Summer Hits was recorded with legendary producer Lachlan “Magoo” Goold in his beloved Applewood Studios, a converted church nestled in the Queensland countryside. The disc charts the journey of a band keen to develop their sound without completely letting go of the familiar. Benjamin P. Dougherty and Kate Jacobsen enlisted a rhythm section for the first time, and presented their usual dark themes with a little more light.

“All-in-all, I think we’ve been able to take the vintage county pop idea and conceptualise it a little further,” Kate explained. “With our tongues placed firmly in our cheeks, it’s a combination of retro country, blues and 50s pop, all with the typical Texas Tea sparkle dust. Although we take a lot of influence from American music, I think we have always been able to Australianise and contextualise our music.”

Texas Tea will play the following shows to celebrate the release of Sad Summer Hits.

18 October 2012 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
19 October 2012 – Old Bar, Melbourne
21 October 2012 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
26 October 2012 – The Zoo, Brisbane
27 October 2012 – The Loft, Gold Coast
28 October 2012 – Spotted Cow, Toowoomba (Afternoon Show)
3 November 2012 – The Newsagency, Sydney (BYO Show)

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Charles Baby Releases Impressive New Single

Melbourne singer-songwriter Charles Baby has well and truly charmed me with “A Happy Affair (With a Terrible Consequence),” the first cut from his debut album The End of the Terror Lights.

The record is the follow-up to Charles’ acclaimed 2010 EP Has Quiet Choruses, and the result of a year holed up in abandoned school halls in the Victorian countryside. These aren’t the most conventional places to record an album, but Charles Baby isn’t a guy who likes to follow the crowd!

If you’re digging the quirky lyrics and banjo melodies of “A Happy Affair” as much as me, make sure you see Charles Baby launching the single at Carlton’s The John Curtin Bandroom on October 27.