Category: Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melbourne’s Wild Weather Inspires New Big Scary EP

Melbourne is a city where you can experience four seasons in one day. So it’s appropriate that the Victorian capital’s woolly weather has inspired the new EP of its indie rock/folk/pop duo Big Scary.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tom Iansek and drummer Jo Syme went about translating the way the unpredictable climate made them feel for The Big Scary Four Seasons EP. It’ll be released on Friday through iTunes, but you can take an early listen through new Melbourne-based digital label Gaga Digi.

This band is bound to blow up soon after booking appearances at Falls, Southbound, and the Peats Ridge festival. If you’re getting along to any of those shows, make sure you don’t miss Big Scary’s sets!

Image used with permission from Light Parade

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Listen to MC Tuka’s “Tall Poppy”

Here are some cool hip hop grooves to brighten up your Thursday. MC Tuka has been sharing the stage with urban acts like Thundamentals, Rumpunch, and Sketch the Rhyme for the last few years, but with the recent release of his debut album Will Rap for Tuka he’s stepping into the spotlight.

I love the way the cool brass works with MC Tuka’s clever lyrics on this track “Tall Poppy.” This is so interesting and different to anything I’ve heard lately, and the good news is that there’s more where that came from. MC Tuka loves to play with genres, and the tunes on his album have obvious jazz, dub, and gypsy influences.

But MC Tuka is more than just a talented rapper. When he’s not working on his music he teaches hip hop to disadvantaged youth through the NSW TAFE Outreach Program. The classes help to improve the literacy skills of these kids who need the extra help.

What a nice guy!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Delta Riggs Back Home for Aussie Single Shows

The Delta Riggs have been far from idle since releasing their self titled EP in March.

The lads packed their bags and traveled to the United Kingdom to begin work on their debut album, which should hit stores in the middle of next year. While they were visiting the Old Dart the band worked with Martin “Youth” Glover of Killing Joke and BBC Radio’s Daniel Carter.

With some new songs under their belt, The Delta Riggs are back home to play some other big shows around the country. These include The Big Day Out on the Gold Coast, Peats Ridge Festival on the Central Coast, Brisbane’s New Years Eve celebrations at Southbank, the Rock ‘n’ Race show with The Gunners at Sydney’s V8 Supercars, and the Oxford Arts Factory’s Christmas party.

Before all that gigging they’ll also head back into the studio, this time with ARIA award winning producer Scott Horscroft. Considering his work with Birds of Tokyo, Little Red, The Presets, and Silverchair, he’s sure to bring something special to The Delta Riggs’ new single “Pretty Wasting.” The track will be available as a free download ahead of the run of summer shows, so keep an eye on the band’s website for that!

And if you want to see The Delta Riggs in the flesh, make sure you get to one of the following shows.

4 December 2010 – V8 Supercars @ ANZ Stadium, Sydney
10 December 2010 – Hard Rock Café, Surfers Paradise
12 December 2010 – Birdee Num Num, Brisbane
17 December 2010 – Oxford Arts Factory Christmas Party, Sydney
29 December 2010 – Peats Ridge Festival, Glenworth Valley
31 December 2010 – Southbank, Brisbane
23 January 2011 – Big Day Out, Gold Coast Parklands

Image used with permission from Andy Kent & Associates

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Dereb the Ambassador Brings Retro Ethiopian Soul to Oz

From Ethiopia to Sydney, soul singer Dereb Desalegn has come a long way. After moving to our shores he took up with the band Lion of Judah, but now he’s striking out on his own with the self-titled project, Dereb the Ambassador.

The first cut from this endeavor is “Etu Gela,” a dance floor filler taken from Dereb’s forthcoming self-titled album. This long-player, scheduled for a March 4 release, covers soul tracks made famous by Ethiopian artists in the 60s and 70s. To stay true to Dereb’s creative vision the album was recorded using equipment made before 1970.

Dereb will launch the single “Etu Gela” backed by a seven-piece band at Sydney’s Gaelic Club on December 15. It sounds like it’s going to be a foot-stomping good night!

Image used with permission from Other Tongues

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Verses Duet with Dan Sultan

The Verses are one of my favorite new acts from 2010, and I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Dan Sultan, so when I heard they’d teamed up for a single I knew it’d be good.

If the song “Running Away” sounds familiar it’s because you’ve heard it on The Verses debut album Seasons. I loved the original, but I think it works even better as a duet. The chemistry between Ella Hooper and Dan Sultan is only natural as they’ve been close mates for years.

“As soon as we met we knew we had a really strong musical chemistry and incredibly similar taste, so we’ve been plotting and planning, waiting for the right moment to do something together and ‘Running Away’ was one of Dan’s favorite songs of mine,” Ella explained. “The song really came to life when Dan started singing along one day when we were demo-ing it, so we turned it into a duet. He often jumps up at our gigs and sings and I was very proud and excited to sing backing vocals and a duet on his record. It’s
a fantastic feeling to sing with one of my best friends who also happens to be one of the country’s best talents!”

This new version of “Running Away” is available as a digital download from iTunes.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

How to Make Gravy? There’s an App for That

They say there’s an app for everything, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before Paul Kelly made one for his memoir How To Make Gravy.

The app for the iPhone and iPad brings Paul’s words and music to life in a cool interactive format. You can read the unabridged ebook, watch a little video introduction recorded by Paul himself, and hear extracts of six songs referred to in the memoir.

“The app is the format closest to my original conception of the book which is as much for the ears as the eyes,” Paul explained.

There are so many rubbish apps out there, but this sounds like something worth spending your $19.99 on. If you’ve got more cash to spare though, remember that Paul is about to start touring the country with his A to Z Recordings Live tour. These unique shows will see Paul performing his A to Z of songs in alphabetical order over four nights in each city.

Tickets are available in 4, 3, 2, and 1 night packages, and the more tickets you buy the more you’ll save. However with Melbourne shows selling out rapidly, folks there can only get 2-night packages until the 19th, and 1-night packages after that.

Here are all the dates!

Paul Kelly

30 November – 3 December 2010 – Powerhouse, Brisbane
8–11 December 2010 – Astor Theatre, Perth
20 –23 January 2011 – City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
27-30 January December 2011 – The Playhouse, Canberra
7-10 February 2011 – Theatre Royal, Hobart
16-19 February 2011 – Studio Theatre @ Darwin Entertainment Centre, Darwin
2-5 March 2011 – Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
4-7 April 2011 – Space Theatre @ Festival Centre, Adelaide
13-16 April 2011 – Araluen Theatre, Alice Springs

Image source: Andrew Braithwaite @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Inland Sea are Something Special

When you bring together ten musicians that are serious about their craft and good music, magic is sure to happen. And there’s magic indeed in Inland Sea, a folk-influenced band from Brisbane.

Their debut EP Traitor was only released around a week ago, and already it’s earning rave reviews and some serious airplay from Triple J. And it’s little wonder, with its gorgeous five-part harmonies and lush sound featuring the mandolin, ukulele, cello, violin, and heaps more. This is the kind of music I can really get excited about.

If you can too, make sure you see the band doing their thing in the flesh at the following shows. The first two shows are free, so there are really no excuses!

28 November 2010 – Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane (from 3:30 pm)
4 December 2010 – Rics, Fortitude Valley (from 8 pm)
15 December 2010 – The Zoo, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

British India’s New Single and Website

British India may be swanning about the UK, but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten their local fans. They’ve just released a brand new single, which ups Paul Simon’s efforts and offers “90 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and launched a brand new website to boot.

In conjunction with the website launch you can receive a free demo of a new song “It Happens All The Time” when you sign up to the new British India mailing list. The tune gives us a sneak peek at the band’s forthcoming album, which will hit stores in 2011.

Head to www.britishindia.com.au to check out everything else that’s brand spanking new, including the upcoming United Kingdom and New Zealand tour dates!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Butterfingers’ Singer Evil Eddie’s Ode to Queensland

Former Butterfingers’ front man Evil Eddie is paying tribute to his home state with his new single “Queensland.” Butterfingers enthusiasts should love this solo effort, as has that same hip hop/punk core and “brilliantly uncouth” lyrics that made the iconic band so successful.

The “Queensland” single offers real value for music fans, with the inclusion of a radio edit and Bewilderbeats remix. It comes from the forthcoming debut album, tentatively titled Welcome to Flavour Country. We may not know exactly what it’ll be called yet, but we do know that Eddie plays almost all the instruments himself, bar drums, which is pretty impressive.

No doubt we’ll get to hear “Queensland” and some more new tracks when Evil Eddie takes to the stage at the upcoming Peats Ridge Festival on the Central Coast on December 29, and the Woodford Folk Festival on December 30 and 31. He’ll be backed by an all star band boasting members of Butterfingers, Laneous and the Family Yah, Bang Boss Kelly, The Disables, and Spitfireliar. I hear they might also pop up and play a few secret shows, so keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground music fans!


Image used with permission from Reckoning Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Profecy Shares New EP for Free

The Australian hip hop scene is growing quickly, and taking new talents like Brisbane MC Profecy along for the ride. On November 9 he’ll release his debut EP, a five-tracker called Let The Music Play.

The CD’s seen Profecy collaborate with Belgian producer Benno and American singer/producer DJ Corbett. The experience of these industry pros combines with Profecy’s vibrant delivery and poignant lyrics to create something special.

“My goal when creating this EP was to create something that differs from all other Australian hip hop, something exciting and musical, not just lackluster vocals over boom bap beats, which seems to be the trend,” Profecy explained in a statement.

If that interests you make sure you head to Profecy’s website on November 9 to download the album for free. And if you like what you hear, make sure you experience Profecy in the flesh when he plays his launch show at Fortitude Valley’s Step Inn on December 11. He’ll play all the EP tracks and then some with the help of Cheyenne, Cam Bluff of Vegas Aces, Jae Druitt, and Jealous Citty. It sounds like a fun night!

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment