I must admit, I hadn’t heard of Canadian singer Lindi Ortega until a press release publicising her upcoming Aussie tour hit my inbox. However, after listening to her new EP ‘Til the Goin’ Gets Gone, her name isn’t one that I’d forget in a hurry.
She has such a wonderful textured tone and a classic country-folk feel to her music which makes it instantly accessible. She also surrounds herself with top-notch musicians like slide guitar guru James “Champagne” Robertson, who will join her on her Australian tour.
The EP features some stellar originals as well as this awesome cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Waiting ‘Round to Die.”
Lindi Ortega plays the following headline shows and festivals during her time in Oz.
16-19 November 2017 – Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby
19 November 2017 – Camelot Lounge, Sydney
21 November 2017 – Coogee Diggers, Coogee
23 November 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
24 November 2017 – Caravan Music Club, Melbourne
24-26 November 2017 – Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff
Dramatic, dark, and haunting are three words that came to mind as I listened to MANE’s new single “What If the Love Dies.” The track is so compelling as is that special voice of hers. The mind-bending video clip is also worthy of some attention.
“We played on a ‘love is blind’ narrative quite literally,” Paige Renee Court, the woman behind MANE, explained. “Between the performance shots of the band, the story of two people evidently in love spans over three completely different eras in time … but there is a constant sense of distance between them.”
After wowing crowds in the United Kingdom and Europe, Adelaide’s MANE is set to impress with a string of shows to launch her single on home soil. Catch her at the following places.
19 October 2017 – Gasometer Upstairs, Melbourne
27 October 2017 – Rocket Bar, Adelaide
1 November 2017 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
2 November 2017 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
Queensland’s Karl S. Williams sings the blues like it’s supposed to be sung, with a swampy, rootsy grit that instantly draws you in. With his East Coast tour kicking off tonight, there seemed no better time than the present to show you his new video for single “Blood to Give.”
“When I started working on the video for ‘Blood To Give’, I knew that I wanted to convey something about being caught up in a destructive machine and seeking a way out of that while feeling uncertain whether indeed you have the capacity to escape something so omnipresent,” Karl explained.
“As I worked on the clip, saddeningly, the world began to be reflected more and more therein. The US/North Korea situation began to develop further, people elsewhere were waving nazi banners, xenophobia and exclusive policy here at home, death and terror ruling the news. The message of the clip felt increasingly urgent and (I hope) relevant.”
The clip was a real labour of love for Karl, who created the clip himself by animating his own drawings.
Karl’s no stranger to the stage after wowing crowds at Bluesfest, Woodford Folk Festival, Dark Mofo, and last weekend’s Wintermoon Spring Festival. Catch him at the following East Coast shows.
7 September 2017 – Leadbelly, Newtown
8 September 2017 – The Edwards, Newcastle
9 September 2017 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli
10 September 2017 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
14 September 2017 – Bearded Lady, Brisbane
15 September 2017 – Soundlounge, Gold Coast
16 September 2017 – The Northern, Byron Bay
22 September 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
23 September 2017 – Barwon Club, Geelong
30 September 2017 – Caloundra Music Festival, Caloundra
1 October 2017 – Wildwood Music Festival, Port Macquarie
6 October 2017 – Music On The Hill, Red Hill
8 October 2017 – The Taproom, Castlemaine
21 October 2017 – Kyneton Music Festival, Kyneton
Image used with permission from Habit Music Company
Two years ago Liv Cartledgetook home the top prize in the Telstra Road to Discovery competition. This Melbourne singer-songwriter has made the most of the opportunities this competition provided and honed her craft over the years. Her new EP Timber, featuring the beautiful new single “Heard Your Name” is the culmination of those efforts.
Liv’s voice has such an appealing, huskiness to it. She’s also an excellent songwriter, so make sure you really listen to those lyrics.
“Heard Your Name started out as a grief-stricken heart pour onto paper not long after I lost my dad,” she explained. “Somehow after a few hours it had twisted itself into a song. I guess that’s the beauty of being a songwriter.”
Timber is released on October 6. Liv will take its tracks to the people with a string of shows in October and November.
7 October 2017 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
11 October 2017 – Folkswagon, Sydney (FREE)
12 October 2017 – Porch Light Sessions, Sydney
13 October 2017 – Parlour Gig, Sydney
14 October 2017 – Parlour Gig, Central Coast
21-23 October 2017 – Swagger Music Festival, Wandiligong
3-6 November 2017 – Happy Wanderer Music Festival, Benalla
3 November 2017 – Parlour Gig, Beechworth
5 November 2017 – Parlour Gig, Wagga Wagga
10 November 2017 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide (FREE)
18 & 19 November 2017 – Brown Brothers Spring Festival, Milawa
24 November 2017 – Tap House, Bendigo
It’s an exciting time for Byron Bay band PLTS. The group has just released a killer new single “Spill,” an anthemic slice of indie-rock that I can’t stop playing. They’ve also just signed up with Collective Artists Agency and announced a string of new shows. Music lovers can catch them in the coming months headlining their own shows at Bigsound and supporting Hands like Houses in the Eastern states.
But back to “Spill,” which saw the band teaming up again with Sydney producer JP Fung, whose credits include Art VS Science and Josh Pyke.
“With ‘Spill’ we again worked with JP Fung due to his intelligent approach to songwriting. His polished execution worked wonders for this track,” explained vocalist Kit Bray. “Lyrically, ‘Spill’ is an examination of the modern love story and how it’s somewhat failing. Taking in to account social pressures, anxieties, drugs and alcohol – the song deals with the letting go and moving on from relationships, capturing that fragile period of acceptance.”
If you love the song, make sure you don’t miss the chance to hear more from PLTS at the following shows.
5 September 2017 – The Zoo, Brisbane
7 September 2017 – The Brightside, Brisbane
6 October 2017 – 170 Russell, Melbourne (with Hands like Houses)
7 October 2017 – UC Refectory, Canberra (with Hands like Houses)
13 October 2017 – Metro Theatre, Sydney (with Hands like Houses)
14 October 2017 – The Triffid, Brisbane (with Hands like Houses)
Image used with permission from Habit Music Company
I often feel a little out of step with the rest of the music-buying public. I’m always excited when an Aussie act tops the chart, but it’s rarely what I happen to be listening to at the time. However, I’ve been listening to an advance stream of Gang of Youths’Go Farther in Lightness for the last couple of weeks now. So when I saw the album at number one this week, there was a little added satisfaction.
I’m thrilled to see this album doing so well because it’s so very good. It’s ambitious, as the best albums tend to be. At 16 tracks, it’s a lot to digest. That’s my excuse for not writing about it until now. It took me that long to gather my thoughts and put them together into something legible. Because this album really is a trip. Few other records would be brave enough to open with a song like “Fear and Trembling,” which starts as a simple, stripped back piano ballad before building into a fists-in-the-air piece of power-rock. But that really sets the tone for what this collection of music is all about.
Gang of Youths is so good at making those bold, confident rock songs, but there’s so much more to this band. Just when you start thinking you’ve got things figured out, the album throws you a curveball like the classically-inspired instrumental “Le Symbolique” or the epic ode “Achilles Come Down.” Introspective ballads like “Persevere” and the poignant title track also give you time to catch your breath after some of the high-octane rock songs. Your only choice is really to hang on as the band twists and turns.
An album so eclectic could easily become muddled or lack coherency, but somehow Go Farther in Lightness all works. It shows Gang of Youths to be one of the most exciting bands in Australian music today. See them at the following shows in Australia and abroad.
1 September 2017 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
6 September 2017 – Festival Hall, Melbourne (ALL AGES)
8 September 2017 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (ALL AGES)
13 September 2017 – Odeon Theatre, Hobart (ALL AGES)
15 September 2017 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (ALL AGES)
16 September 2017 – Metropolis Fremantle, Fremantle
9 October 2017 – La Boule Noire, Paris
10 October 2017 – Sugar Factory, Amsterdam
11 October 2017 – Musik & Frieden, Berlin
12 October 2017 – Ampere, Munich
13 October 2017 – Artheater, Cologne
15 October 2017 – Exchange, Bristol
16 October 2017 – Headrow House, Leeds
17 October 2017 – Stereo, Glasgow
18 October 2017 – Gullivers, Manchester
19 October 2017 – Electric Ballroom, London
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia/Verge
Ben Salter is one of those incredible Aussie talents that flies under the radar. He releases his albums with little fanfare, then takes the time to assemble another collection of quality songs so he can start the process all over again. What he does isn’t flashy, but it’s bloody good. His latest album Back Yourself, the follow-up to his sophomore release The Stars My Destination, will be released on September 1.
Ben made Back Yourself over 12 months at locations around Tasmania and Victoria, including time spent at producer Chris Townend’s picturesque White Light studio. The studio overlooks Tassie’s Huon Valley and I think it influenced this release. You just get a different sound when you leave the pace of the big city behind and retreat to rural Australia. There’s a calm that comes through the music, putting you at peace as you listen to it.
Back Yourself features the current single “Isolationism.” To call it a love song doesn’t really do it justice, because love songs are a dime a dozen, but at its core that’s what it is. It’s more than though. Take a listen and see for yourself.
If you like what you hear, make sure you check out Back Yourself. Ben is playing full band and solo shows in New Zealand and Australia in the coming months to support the album’s release. Tickets are available from his website.
3 September 2017 – Willie Smith’s Appleshed, Grove (FREE)
8 September 2017 – Golden Dawn, Auckland
9 September 2017 – Leigh Saw Mill, Leigh
10 September 2017 – Refreshment Room, Auckland
14 September 2017 – Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
15 September 2017 – Dome Bar & Cinema, Gisbourne
17 September 2017 – Rogue Stage, Rotorua
21 September 2017 – Sherwood, Queenstown
22 September 2017 – Grainstore Gallery, Oamaru
23 September 2017 – Dog With Two Tails, Dunedin
24 September 2017 – Blue Smoke, Christchurch
27 September 2017 – Mussel Inn, Takaka
28 September 2017 – Meow, Wellington
12 October 2017 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
13 October 2017 – The Barn, Aldgate (SOLO)
14 October 2017 – The Odd Fellow, Fremantle (SOLO)
19 October 2017 – High Tea, Sydney (SOLO)
21 October 2017 – The Flamin’ Galah, Brisbane
25 October 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
27 October 2017 – Marrickville Bowls Club, Sydney NSW
28 October 2017 – Gooloogong Log Cabin Hall, Gooloogong (SOLO)
29 October 2017 – The Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland (SOLO)
2 November 2017 – The Eastern, Ballarat
3 November 2017 – The Tote, Melbourne
5 November 2017 – Castlemaine Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
9 November 2017 – St John Craft Beer, Launceston (SOLO)
10 November 2017 – The Wharf, Ulverstone (5 pm SOLO)
10 November 2017 – Mountain Mumma, Sheffield (8 pm SOLO)
19 November 2017 – MONA, Hobart
Custard left fans waiting 16 years for the release of Come Back All is Forgiven. Thankfully they’re not leaving them hanging so long for the follow-up. If the lead single “In the Grand Scheme of Things (None of This Really Matters)” is any indication, The Common Touch was no rush job either.
It’s such a quality song, with an infectious melody and relatable lyrics. And that horn section, sublime.
“’Come Back All Is Forgiven’ was the sound of us playing together in a small room, minimal overdubs,” frontman Dave McCormack explained. “The new album has cello, pedal steel, piano and a variety of backing singers. Some of the tunes were cut up and stitched back together in ways I never thought possible.”
The Common Touch will be released through ABC Music on October 6. Custard will play shows along the East Coast to support its release.
13 October 2017 – The Bundy Hall, Gippsland
14 October 2017 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
20 October 2017 – Soundlounge Currumbin, Gold Coast
21 October 2017 – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
22 October 2017 – The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
9 November 2017 – The Basement, Sydney
10 November 2017 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
After wowing crowds with their soulful sound along the East Coast, The Teskey Brothers are set to do the same out West. On the back of the release of their sensational album Half Mile Harvest, The Teskey Brothers will play Wave Rock Festival, Blues at Bridgetown, and a string of headlining shows in Western Australia before heading across the ditch to support Angus and Julia Stone.
These guys are seriously amazing. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t catch them when they were in my part of the country a couple of months back. Don’t make the same mistake I did!
23 September 2017 – Wave Rock Festival, Hyden
2 November 2017 – St John’s Anglican Church, Fremantle Arts Festival, Fremantle
3 November 2017 – Ravenswood Tavern, Mandurah
4 November 2017 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
5 November 2017 – Clancy’s Fish Pub, Dunsborough
7 November 2017 – Perth Blues Club, Perth
9 November 2017 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
10, 11 & 12 November 2017 – Blues at Bridgetown Festival, Bridgetown
15 December 2017 – Civic Theatre, Auckland (with Angus & Julia Stone)
16 December 2017 – St James Theatre, Wellington (with Angus & Julia Stone)
17 December 2017 – Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch (with Angus & Julia Stone)
Image used with permission from The Little Giant Agency
I’m not sure there’s an Aussier band name than Shag Rock. This Queensland band creates the kind of music you might expect from the Sunshine State. There’s a great beach rock feel to their stuff which helps cut through that lingering wintery gloom. You can hear those summery vibes coming through in the current single “Loosen Up,” lifted from Shag Rock’s current album Barefoot.
The band has developed a great sound under the mentorship of Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug and they’ve been sharing it with music lovers along the East Coast.
See Shag Rock while you can guys. They’re jetting off to New York to perform at the Mondo Festival in early October, where no doubt they’ll catch the attention of the right people and these little pub gigs will become a thing of the past!
25 August 2017 – The Foundry, Brisbane
26 August 2017 – 38 Berwick, Brisbane (Under 18s)
1 September 2017 – Solbar, Sunshine Coast (FREE)
8 September 2017 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast (All Ages FREE)
14 September 2017 – Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar, Sydney
15 September 2017 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
14 October 2017 – Red Deer Music & Arts Festival, Brisbane
I often feel a little out of step with the rest of the music-buying public. I’m always excited when an Aussie act tops the chart, but it’s rarely what I happen to be listening to at the time. However, I’ve been listening to an advance stream of 
