Tomtom is better known as a producer, but he’s stepping out from behind the boards for the release of his new single, the ultra-catchy rock banger “Better Know Better.”
The track has already attracted the attention of GYRO PR, who named it the winner of their recent GYRO Big Boost competition. That saw tomtom take home a massive prize pack worth $10,000. It helped tomtom take the song from rough demo to polished single and will also help him record and release his first EP. With the support of GYRO PR and killer tunes like this in her arsenal, the sky is the limit for tomtom.
Melbourne’s Plotz are back to charm you with a cool new single “Baby Shakes.” On the surface it seems like a romantic ditty, but listen to those melancholy lyrics and you’ll hear some sadness.
Frontman Yonatan Rotem wrote the song “in a fairly dark period with the idea of lightening up my mood and trying to see things in a more balanced way. At the time he was struggling with an ailing roommate and long-distance relationship. “There was no help on the way, but I chose to make the lyrics of the song ironic, hoping that in time I could reflect back on the period as transitional, rather than definitive.”
Plotz will celebrate the release of “Baby Shakes” with a launch party at the Grace Darling Hotel on April 13.
Any time I have any inkling that I might be cut out for motherhood, I think about how difficult it must be to hear a Wiggles album or the Frozen soundtrack for the umpteenth time. I feel for you parents of Australia, so I figure it’s my duty to put any good kids’ music on your radar. Wrap your ears around “Nali,” the first single from Dan Sultan’s soon-to-be-released kids album Nali & Friends.
Dan was inspired to write Nali & Friends with his longtime pal and collaborator, filmmaker Rhys Graham, after the pair trekked through Uganda and Kenya for their work with the Thin Green Line Foundation. During that journey Dan and Rhys spent a lot of time with baby animals, watching them play and observing their quirky personalities. The result is a collection of heart-warming songs about growing up, accepting differences, and protecting our natural world.
“It was one of the most rewarding musical experiences I’ve had to date. I like a lot of different types of music, and what was really refreshing for me was this opportunity to dip into so many musical styles, to represent the various characters’ stories,” Dan explained. “There’s everything from calypso to flat out honky-tonk to cinematic ballads with strings. Artistically it was very fulfilling. I’m in some rare form at the moment, I’m feeling really good.”
Nali, the album’s central character, is a baby Arctic bird with a crooked wing who loses her way migrating from the North to the South Pole. Her journey off course isn’t all bad though, because she meets animals from all around the world, from the jungles of Uganda to Australia’s deserts.
Normally I find children’s music a little grating on the ear, but “Nali” is every bit as cool as you’d expect from Dan Sultan. It’s the perfect gateway into his material for mini-music lovers out there. Nali & Friends hits stores on April 12.
Happy Saturday! I’m not saying that I advocate overindulging on libations, but I do think The Ruiins latest single “Wasted” might be the perfect soundtrack for many of you.
This is one of those tracks that you hear, then you want to play again. It’s incredibly catchy, driven by passionate vocals, driving drums, and searing guitar riffs.
“We wanted to release a song that people can relate to, even though it’s not about what most people would think when they first hear it,” explained guitarist Pat Sugden. “Take it either way but it’s actually just a metaphor for wasting time” added drummer and singer Adam Dooker. “The mind frame you face as a result of this, and really wanting to change but it seeming too hard or out of your control”.
Something tells me this song would go off in a sweaty pub somewhere. Thankfully The Ruiins are in the middle of a national tour, where they’re roadtesting material from their second EP, scheduled to drop in a couple of months. Here are the venues still left to go!
11 April 2019 – The Bearded Lady, Brisbane
13 April 2019 – The Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
28 April 2019 – The Gum Ball Festival, Belford
Image used with permission from The Ruiins
It’s a very gloomy day in my part of the world but “Heart,” the latest synth-pop single from Sydney duo Froyo has come along to brighten it. This is such a shimmery, shiny track, with a killer sax line that is well worth waiting for. Seriously, why don’t more bands add sax solos these days?
“’Heart’ is about trying to do what your heart loves versus what your brain thinks”, explained the band’s keyboard player and joint vocalist, Michael. “In the bigger picture of the EP’s narrative, ‘Heart’ is about learning to love again and embracing the things you love.”
Sydney four-piece Stumps wears their hearts on their sleeves with their latest single “Your Old Man,” a fond ode to the father of lead singer Kyle Fisher’s partner.
“Just before I entered the door to meet and have dinner with him she paused me and said ‘So, my dad used to be a drug raid and undercover cop in the 80s and has had some pretty crazy experiences … so, yeah, no dark jokes?'” he recounted. “After a while I started to notice just how gentle he was in his mannerisms, towards his family, despite his gruff demeanour towards me. So this song became a tribute to that moment of noticing the shared masculine insecurities and fear we both had towards one another. And realising that loving and caring for someone was at the crux of all our doubts.”
I love the honesty and energy of this song. It also tells a story we haven’t heard before, and that’s so refreshing. What do you think of it?
With the stunning voice of Teila Packman up front, Melbourne R’n’B act Tapes hits all the right notes with their new single “9-5.”
The follow-up to “Higher,” this cool track has all the right ingredients to get you through your workday. If you’re not grooving along by the end I’m a poor judge.
Tapes have a raw sound, but there’s definitely something there, don’t you agree?
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
“Bonnie,” the latest track from Adelaide outfit Salibu Macey, has been a bit of a slow burner for me. I enjoyed it on the first listen, but for some reason didn’t write about it. I’ve listened to it countless times since, and every time I like it just a little bit more. So here I am, putting fingers to keyboard, to finally tell you all about it.
“Bonnie” is one of those great indie-rock songs that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t scream the loudest or rock the hardest, but there’s real charm about its restraint.
“The character Bonnie and her role in the story of this song is merely a metaphor for the feeling you get when you meet someone that truly believe you can’t live without them,” explained Salibu Macey’s frontman James Catford.
“It’s a jangly, melancholy tune that dissects that thought process and its fabrication, evolving into welcomed realisations and, in turn, a sense of coming out the other side with a clear and open mind.”
Are you digging this one, Sounds of Oz readers?
Mondays are never easy, but Los Leo is set to make yours sweeter with his shimmery new slice of indie pop, “False Start.” With a great groove and real lyrical heart, this is great stuff from the Adelaide act.
“We’ve all had a false start of some sort in our life that has shaped who we have become now. ‘False Start’ serves as a metaphor for what we keep within ourselves that we look at from time to time whether it has been good or bad experiences that helped us get to the point we are at today,” Los Leo explained. “2019 really feels like a significant year for my journey, not just in music but in life. Like the last few years of my life has been a transitional period to get to this point and begin again. The story in ‘False Start’ is about a relationship that wants to start again, even though it had been through hard times and failure before.”
With emotional vocals and a great electric guitar riff, Melbourne band The Colby’s have won me over with their new single “Telephone.” This is straight-up pop-rock the way it’s meant to be, accessible and honest.
“Telephone” comes from The Colby’s recently released EP Skin. Check them both out on your favourite digital music providers. Melbourne locals can also catch The Colby’s launching the EP at Bar 303 on April 12.
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
