Caulfield are taking time out from recording their debut album to enjoy one more 2011 tour.
The hard-rocking Sydney four-piece have been holed up in a studio working on the follow-up to their big EP Clarity in a Sea of Confusion, so no doubt they’re ready to get back in front of audiences.
This is a band that’s always done their best work on the stage, and I imagine these shows will be no exception. It all kicks off this Saturday on the Gold Coast before travelling down the East Coast and on to Adelaide for the final night.
Make sure you turn up early to catch Awaken I Am in the supporting slot at the following gigs.
5 November 2011 – Fever Nightclub, Gold Coast (18+)
6 November 2011 – Jubilee Hotel, Brisbane (18+)
11 November 2011 – Noise Bar, Melbourne (18+)
12 November 2011 – Footscray Youth Centre, Melbourne (All Ages)
17 November 2011 – Hot Damn, Sydney (18+)
19 November 2011 – Lucky Australia Tavern, Sydney (All Ages)
26 November 2011 – Black Market, Adelaide (18+)
A whole lot of time in the recording studio is making Leek & The War Wick Tragedy stir crazy. And so the Melbourne band are busting out and traveling around the east coast next month.
This isn’t simply an excuse to get up on stage though. The band have a new single, “Beg & Plead” to promote, the first from that album they’ve been working so hard on.
Fans probably won’t get another opportunity to see Leek & The War Wick Tragedy live this year as they’ll be jumping back in the studio once this tour is out. So catch them while you can at the following shows.
17 November 2011 – Port Macquarie Hotel, Port Macquarie (Free 18+ Show)
18 November 2011 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla (18+)
19 November 2011 – The Patch, Wollongong (Free 18+ Show)
20 November 2011 – Mars Hill Café, Parramatta (All Ages)
Chinese indie rockers Carsick Cars are bringing their sophomore album You Can Listen, You Can Talk to Australia with a new Aussie tour. The band will play Geelong tomorrow night before making their way up the east coast.
You Can Listen, You Can Talk shows the way the band has matured since the release of their debut Panda Noise. It’s got more complexity than that original release, with greater balance between the angry bits and more delicate, melodic notes.
Here are all the places you can catch the exciting Carsick Cars while they’re in town.
27 October 2011 – The Barwon Club, Geelong
28 October 2011 – Pony, Melbourne (2 am set)
29 October 2011 – Cornish Arms, Melbourne
30 October 2011 -The Toff, Melbourne
31 October 2011 – The NOWnow, 402 @ Hibernian House, Sydney (Zhang Shouwang solo experimental set)
2 November 2011 – Croatian Club, Newcastle
3 November 2011 – FBi social @ Kings Cross Hotel, Sydney
5 November 2011 – Woodland Bar, Brisbane
The incomparable Frank Fairfield is visiting Australia for the first time this December. Frank takes us back to a simpler musical time with his incredible banjo and fiddle skills and sweet folky bluegrass melodies.
This video of Frank performing “Poor Ellen Smith” is a little dated now, but it shows you the amazing skills of this Californian musician. He’ll stop by the Meredith Music Festival and play his own headlining shows in the eastern states. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows, excepting Bendigo and Melbourne. If you want to get along to one of those nights you’ll need to get your tickets at the door
9 December 2011 – Bendigo Folk Club, Bendigo
10 December 2011 – The Old Bar, Melbourne
11 December 2011 – Meredith Music Festival, Meredith
13 December 2011 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
14 December 2011 – The Basement, Sydney
15 December 2011 – Syncretism @ Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane
16 December 2011 – Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
17 December 2011 – Gasometer, Melbourne
18 December 2011 – The Blackwood Academy of Bluegrass & Old-Time Music, Blackwood
It’s a pretty special thing to find new music that takes you back, but I’ve found it in Steve Lane and the Autocrats’ new single “Ghost Trains.” It’s got that lovely Paul Kelly storytelling quality about it, with a splash of Weddings Parties Anything thrown in. It’s good honest Aussie pop rock, melodic but heartfelt. Pop’s almost gotten to be a dirty word in the music industry, but this song shows us the term isn’t synonymous with vapid.
The film clip plays up the track’s nostalgic qualities, with vision of the band spliced together with archival film footage.
“Ghost Trains” is our first taste of the band’s forthcoming debut album The Romance of Communication, which hits stores on Friday. Can you believe something that sounds so seasoned comes from a debut?
To celebrate the album’s release, the Steve Lane and the Autocrats will play shows along the east coast, with their first tonight in Warrnambool.
19 October 2011 – The Loft, Warrnambool
20 October 2011 – The Front Gallery & Café, Lyneham
21 October 2011 – The Heritage Hotel, Bulli
22 October 2011 – Clarendon Guest House, Katoomba
23 October 2011 – The Vanguard, Newtown
27 October 2011 – Beavs Bar, Geelong
28 October 2011 – The Northcote Social Club, Northcote
29 October 2011 – TBC
30 October 2011 – The Palais Theatre, Hepburn Springs
6 November 2011 – Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
Barely a month has gone by since Calling All Cars wrapped up their Dancing with a Dead Man album tour, but already they’re preparing for another outing. The band will play a swag of high profile shows over the coming months taking them right through to New Years Eve. There’s no rest for the wicked, right?
The current crop of dates will support the release of the band’s brand new single “World’s Collide.” However that just seems like an excuse to play some of the country’s coolest festivals and get together with some other big name Aussie acts.
If you want your last Calling All Cars fix for 2011, make sure you head along to one of the following shows.
21 October 2011 – Penrith Panthers, Penrith (with The Living End)
22 October 2011 – Fat as Butter Festival, Newcastle
23 October 2011 – La Trobe Uni, Melbourne (noon show)
28 October 2011 – The End of Polio Benefit Concert @ Kings Park, West Perth
31 October 2011 – Melbourne Cup Eve @ The Gershwin Room, Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda (with Hunting Grounds)
2 December 2011 – V8 Supercars, Sydney (with Bliss n Eso, Jebediah & The Herd)
10 December 2011 – D.U.S.K SUNBURY, Sunbury (All Ages)
31 December 2011 – Pyramid Rock Festival, Phillip Island
Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment
After gaining a big following in their home state, Brisbane urban act Impossible Odds are taking their music to the masses with the release of their debut album Against All Odds.
The band easily blends hip hop and soul sounds to create something which flies in the face of the negative, misogynistic music created by some sectors of the urban community. The album’s lead single “Beautiful World” gives you some idea what this band is all about, both musically and philosophically.
The words of Impossible Odds frontman Rival MC give voice not just the issues facing contemporary Aboriginal Australians, but those facing all Australians, and in fact all citizens of the world. However he’s careful to do this without pointing fingers and demeaning others. That social consciousness gives the music of Impossible Odds real intelligence that’s worth listening to, even if you don’t usually consider yourself an urban music fan.
Impossible Odds will play a warm-up show on the Gold Coast before launching their new album in front of their hometown fans on October 22. After that the band will play shows down the east coast. South Australia, you haven’t been forgotten either. A launch show in Adelaide will be announced soon.
21 October 2011 – The Loft, Gold Coast
22 October 2011 – The Globe, Brisbane
5 November 2011 – The Laundry, Melbourne
3 December 2011 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
A brand new Matt Corby song “Brother” will hit radio next week. It’s the first track from the Australian Idol graduate’s new EP, Into the Flame. Or if you don’t want to sit patiently by your radio, you could just listen to it here!
I haven’t always enjoyed Matt’s music, but this track feels like his most mature work to date. While many of his tunes have seemed to meander without purpose, this one’s really compelling. If this is a sign of what’s to come this time around perhaps I’d better give him another listen.
To celebrate the EP’s November 11 launch, Matt headed out on the road this week for one of his most extensive tours to date. Called the Secret Garden tour, the shows see Matt playing in some of the country’s most beautiful gardens. These tranquil settings sound a lot more inviting than sweaty pubs with sticky floors!
Tickets are allocated on a first come, first served basis; fans just need to e-mail mattcorbysg@gmail.com with details of the shows they want to go and the friends they want to take (there’s a maximum of four names per e-mail to keep things fair). Tickets cost $20 per person and will be collected upon entry to the event. That money will help Matt continue to do what he does, and help the hosts cover their costs.
It all sounds like such a great concept, the sort of thing we don’t often see in the modern music world. The remaining dates are below if you want to get to one of the gardens, or Matt’s EP launch shows.
15 October 2011 – Salisbury, QLD (18+ BYO)
16 October 2011 – Forest Lake, QLD (All Ages)
18 October 2011 – Palm Beach, NSW (All Ages)
19 October 2011 – Ingleside, NSW (All Ages)
20 October 2011 – Pennant Hills, NSW (All Ages)
21 October 2011 – Kings Langley, NSW (18+ BYO)
22 October 2011 – Ashfield, NSW (18+ BYO)
23 October 2011 – Leumeah, NSW (15+)
26 October 2011 – Hopetoun, VIC (All Ages)
27 October 2011 – Kyabram, VIC (All Ages)
28 October 2011 – Niddrie, VIC (18+ BYO)
29 October 2011 – Donvale, VIC (All Ages)
30 October 2011 – Ringwood North, VIC (All Ages)
3 November 2011 – Crawley, WA (All Ages)
4 November 2011 – Como, WA (18+ BYO)
5 November 2011 – North Perth, WA (All Ages)
6 November 2011 – Carramar, WA (All Ages Morning Show)
6 November 2011 – Carabooda, WA (18+ BYO Night Show)
11 November 2011 – Campbelltown, NSW (All Ages)
24 November 2011 – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
30 November 2011 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
2 December 2011 – Blakeview, SA (18+ BYO)
3 December 2011 – Stirling, SA (All Ages)
4 December 2011 – Evanston Park, SA (18+ BYO)
Image used with permission from Pod Artist Services
Brisbane pop rockers Starlight Theatre are hitting the road this week to support their brand new EP Castles, Clocks & Cathedrals.
The band recorded the four-tracker in an old Queensland church earlier this year. It sounds like the spiritual location rubbed off on the lads as drummer Paul Bradshaw said the cording process was “such a positive experience. Everyone was so at ease.”
The EP showcases a sound that’s much closer to Starlight Theatre’s live show than they’ve committed to record before. The band has been working hard on that live act, with more experimentation and a greater emphasis on flow. You can see the fruits of their labour at the following shows.
14 October 2011 – The Uni Bar, Lismore (18+)
15 October 2011 – The Globe Theatre, Brisbane (18+)
21 October 2011 – Neverland, Coolangatta (18+)
22 October 2011 – On The Pulse Festival @ Fortitude Valley PCYC, Brisbane (All Ages)
All too often film clips seem so fake. The vocals are lip-synched, and the footage so staged that it really undermines the heart of the music. So I was thrilled to see Jordie Lane take a very different tact with his new music video for “Annabelle Marie.”
The film clip sees Jordie perched atop a Byron Bay hill, playing the song live. It captures a moment in time, and a moment in music that’s completely real.
If you’re as moved by this video as I am you can catch Jordie at the following shows over the coming months.
9 October 2011 – Indi Bar, Scarborough (with Jeff Lang)
13 October 2011 – Republic Bar, Hobart (with Jeff Lang)
14 October 2011 – Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh (with Jeff Lang)
15 October 2011 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne (with Jeff Lang)
16 October 2011 – Way Out West Blues Club, Williamstown (with Jeff Lang)
21 October 2011 – Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast (with Jeff Lang)
22 October 2011 – Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane (with Jeff Lang)
23 October 2011 – Mullumbimby Civic Hall, Mullumbimby (with Jeff Lang)
24 October 2011 – Chapel Theatre Live, Glen Innes (with Jeff Lang)
28 October 2011 – Waves, Wollongong (with Jeff Lang)
29 October 2011 – The Clarendon, Katoomba (with Jeff Lang)
30 October 2011 – Sydney Blues Festival, Windsor
4 November 2011 – Meeniyan Hall, Meeniyan (with Henry Wagons and Joe Pug)
5 November 2011 – Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne (with Henry Wagons and Joe Pug)
24-27 November 2011 – Mullumbimby Music Festival, Mullumbimby
5 November 2011 – Fever Nightclub, Gold Coast (18+)
A whole lot of time in the recording studio is making 
14 October 2011 – The Uni Bar, Lismore (18+)