It hasn’t been too long since Los Angeles-based Aussie Tim Wheatley was on home soil, but he’s back again for a New South Wales tour to support his bluesy new single “The Heathen,” the latest release from one of my favourite albums of the year, Cast of Yesterday.
The track draws on Tim’s early days in LA and the seedy characters he met during this time. The video has garnered some massive attention, scoring more than 26,000 views via Facebook in just a week.
If you’re in New South Wales, here are all the places you can catch Tim in the coming weeks.
28 November 2015 – Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford
2 December 2015 – Panthers, Penrith
3 December 2015 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
4 December 2015 – Dee Why RSL, Dee Why
5 December 2015 – The Basement, Sydney
Cat Empire frontman Felix Reibl has offered us the first taste of his brand new solo EP Lonely Truth with the release of the single of the same name.
The song is dramatically different from the music I remember from the Cat Empire days, but that’s not such a bad thing. While it’s not going to get your party started, it’s perfect for chilling with your close mates once the acquaintances have left as the night wears down. It wears its heart on its sleeve, and I really respond to that.
The Lonely Truth EP will drop on December 4. Felix will give us a little time to sit with it before launch shows at The Basement in Sydney on January 24 and Northcote Social Club in Melbourne on January 29.
Perhaps we’re a bit isolated on the mainland, but we don’t seem to hear about much of the great music I’m sure they’re making in Tasmania. One act creating some buzz here are indie rocker Lyke Giants, and they’re reminding us why with their latest single “Jacob.”
This song is a real grower. It starts off delicate but builds beautifully with heavy bass grooves and raw, honest vocals. The track references the biblical story of Jacob wrestling with God to receive a new name. However, you don’t need to be religious to appreciate this gutsy rock song.
Hopefully there’s a lot more to come from this talented Tassie band.
Swim Season bowled me over in February with their single “Hide and Seek.” Now they’ve done it again with their latest cut, “Soldiers.”
This track is so accessible that I can easily see it earning a place on commercial radio, and that’s no criticism. It’s wonderful to hear a song that you can immediately connect with. It has such a great feel to it, it reminds me of summer barbeques and beers.
“Soldiers” is the latest track lifted from Swim Season’s debut EP Cascades. They’re currently celebrating its release with some launch parties. Catch them at The Roxbury in Sydney on November 28 or the Workers Club in Geelong on December 11.
After playing 40 dates in the United States, Melbourne songstress Shelley Segal is back home playing concerts and showing off her softer side with her new single “Background Noises.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been let down by a Shelley Segal song, and she keeps her record intact with this one. It’s an insightful track reflecting on the breakdown of her friends’ marriage and how she might fare in the same circumstances.
“The chorus seems to mean something different to me each time I sing it. Sometimes a shock, a deep loss, a painful reminder, an acceptance, a coming to terms with, a finality, a longing, an assertiveness, a future, a determinedness. As such a change would at different times of reflection,” she explained in the press release. “It’s not just a love or relationship lost but a physical place – a space and time that was all encompassing and is now gone.”
After all those US dates, she’s bound to be in fine form. Here are all the remaining shows of her Aussie tour.
21 November 2015 – Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide (18+ FREE)
22 November 2015 – Hickenbotham of Dromana, Dromana (ALL AGES FREE)
26 November 2015 – Bennetts Lane, Melbourne (18+)
27 November 2015 – Collins Square, Docklands (ALL AGES FREE)
28 November 2015 – Paynesville Wine Bar, Paynesville (18+)
29 November 2015 – The Milk Factory, South Brisbane (Under 18s permitted after contacting venue)
9 December 2015 – Albion Hotel, Albury (18+ FREE)
13 December 2015 – Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide (18+ FREE)
18 December 2015 – Collins Square, Docklands (ALL AGES FREE)
As I stated in my last post, I’ve been bouncing off the walls this week. There’s not a lot of music that can match the sort of energy I’m feeling, but Melbourne’s Vallee are in synch with how I’m feeling with their new single “Jungle.”
It’s such a fun, upbeat track with frantic guitar loops and pounding jungle drums. Amanda Norman from SANS adds depth to Vallee’s signature harmonies. And I love the lyrics, which reference those instant connections you make that really leave their mark.
Sometimes you listen to new music and you know before it even really starts that it’s going to be your thing. It was like that when I started to play “You Don’t Know Me,” the latest single by Melbourne singer-songwriter Vinten. It had me at the strings and folky sounds, but the track backed it up with much more than these winning elements.
Apparently Vinten has been in something of a writing frenzy of late, and his inspiration is creating greatness. The song is so lush and organic, with such a strong emotional core. The lyrics which reference a childhood love and that longing we always have, despite knowing we can’t go back, are so relatable. This is quality stuff.
The time leading up to Christmas is always busy, but Vinten’s encouraging us all to put his EP launch date in our calendars. He’ll launch his debut EP What Has Been, featuring “You Don’t Know Me,” on December 19 at The Public Bar in North Melbourne. It sounds like an excellent way to take a break from all of the pre-Christmas frenzy to me!
X Factor fans might know him as Barry Southgate, but Barry Conrad is quick to let music lovers know that chapter of his life is firmly behind him. As if to prove the point he’s emerged with a brand new name (dropping his surname in favour of his middle name) and a brand new single “Anywhere We Go.”
I listened to the single version first, and honestly I wasn’t that impressed. It was a bit overproduced and too polished for my taste. But I’ve always loved Barry, so I decided to give the song one more try and listen to the version he did on The Morning Show.
This is where it’s at. Without the bells and whistles of a studio, the song’s laid bare and it’s better for it. Changing his name late in the game means Barry really has to start again in terms of building his brand, but he’s got the talent to do just that.
Georgi Kay’s single “In My Mind” might have earned has an ARIA and a Grammy nomination, but it didn’t really get me going. I was looking for a bit more meat from this Aussie songstress, and I found that in abundance in her new single “God of a Girl.”
This is a dark and powerful number which explores the mind of an abuse victim and what happens when you push someone past their breaking point. It’s much more stripped back than “In My Mind,” which allows you to really appreciate Georgi’s smoky tones.
It might not fill a dancefloor like her previous single, but I think it’s great stuff. Unfortunately I only have access to a sample to play for you, but if you like what you hear head to Georgi Kay’s website and sign up to her mailing list to get a free download of the song.
Former Sydneysiders Falls might be living in Los Angeles now, but when they’re releasing music as beautiful as their latest single “When We Were Young,” I’m happy to keep on covering them on Sounds of Oz.
This track sees the band back to their country-folk best after the release of the previous single, the cinematic “Let In The Light.” Both tracks come from Falls’ most recent album Omaha.
They were slated to come back home to play the Gorgeous Festival, but after that was cancelled I’m not sure they’ll be making the trip. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see this talented twosome back on Aussie soil.
