Sydney’s own Glades is spreading the positive vibes with their latest pick-me-up pop banger “Blonde.” If you’re struggling right now and need to shake up your life (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), this is the track for you.
“Blonde is about helping a friend through a breakup. Sometimes you have to allow yourself to feel the full extent of your emotions to get through something. The song’s about being carefree and allowing yourself to do crazy shit to get over somebody” explained multi-instrumentalist and producer Joey Wenceslao.
“Blonde” is the second track lifted from Glades’ sophomore album Planetarium, due out later this year. The band’s debut To Love You was one of my favourite releases of 2018, so I expect big things from this one.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia
This May, my husband and I celebrated 14 years of mostly wedded bliss. I won’t say that I was a bridezilla, but I certainly sweated some small stuff. So I can totally relate to O’Shea’s fun new country ditty, “Bridezilla (It Only Gets Better).”
The Aussie-born, Nashville-based husband and wife team, Mark and Jay O’Shea co-wrote the track with Clare Bowen (from the TV show Nashville) and her husband Brandon R. Young. That’s a whole lot of experience in the marriage game!
“I wish I could have sent this song to my younger, bridezilla self,” Jay admitted. “It’s too easy to get stressed about little details that don’t matter. The really good stuff happens once you’re married!”
“Jay? A Bridezilla? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” added Mark.
“Bridezilla (It Only Gets Better)” comes from O’Shea’s upcoming album.
Melbourne RnB act and former pro rugby union player Will Clift has just dropped his sophomore single “Fall In Love,” and it’s just the kind of cool, cruisy track Sunday morning ordered. This one goes down easy with its groovy bassline and Will’s effortlessly smooth vocals.
“The song is about the struggle between the excitement and reluctance to fall in love,” Will explained. “When I was writing this track, I wanted to create something that would be a lot of fun to play live and would make people move. This is shown in the video with my bad dance moves, haha! The concept of the music video is that the model is actually a figment of my imagination and ‘the perfect girl’ that I’d ideally fall in love with is unobtainable. It was a lot of fun to make, and I’m not sick of the song after hearing it about 100 times which is a good sign.”
That video, filmed at a private mansion in Noosa, also has me dreaming about summer getaways. It’s the perfect antidote to those winter blues.
Melbourne-born, Brisbane-based singer-songwriter David Schaak is serving up classic Americana flavours with his latest single “Lost, Alone & Lonesome.” Its dirty guitars and lush Hammond organ are the perfect match for his rough and ready vocals. If you’ve got a taste for Southern rock, you’ll eat this song up.
“There are a lot of songs in the world about heartbreak, but I wanted to write one from the perspective of inevitability,” David said. “Sometimes a relationship can be over and the actual act of breaking up is merely a formality. Yes, there’s going to be a fight and then sadness and then loneliness; both parties have experienced it all before and just want it over and done with.
The line in the chorus ‘When you’re finished, can I keep the broken part?’ actually came from something my dad always said about getting old cars repaired. Always get the broken part back because you can probably get it repaired; to use again later – I don’t think there’s a heart on earth that hasn’t gone through a few repairs.”
“Lost, Alone & Lonesome” comes from David Schaak’s new album Meet My Ghosts, which will be released on October 2.
Image used with permission from Annie Johnsson Publicity
Why release just one single to generate buzz about your new album when you can drop two? Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Shayne Cook isn’t doing things by halves, dropping two new tracks ahead of the October release of his album Epiphonetics.
The first track, “Matters of the Heart” is a sweet folky love song exploring the way the heart can wrestle with the head when it comes to relationships. The demo almost fell through the cracks but album producer Simon Moro saw its beauty and developed it into the special song it is today.
The second track “Stawell Gift” is a little darker and moodier. It’s a personal song that details the story of Shayne’s dad and his adoption was the town of Stawell.
“Three years ago, my brother put out a search for the real parental background of our father. His history was traced back to a Greek immigrant who had previously been the captain of a ship in the Greek prior to emigrating and establishing a restaurant in the country Victorian town of Stawell with his wife. During this period his paternal father had an extra-marital affair with a lady working at the restaurant. Our dad was the result and he was sent to live in an orphanage after his birth,” Shayne recounted.
“Dad’s life parents were Christian missionaries and they originally came to the orphanage in search of a girl for adoption. However, they saw dad standing up in his cot looking at them with his big brown eyes and their choice was made on the spot. Dad had loving parents and a good life with them. Whilst both his biological parents had passed at the time of finding out his background – Dad’s heritage was survived by his half-brother and sister. He now has a great relationship with both and had an instant connection. His half-brother George, as it turned out, is a prominent Australian musician who has played with the like of the Black Sorrows, Zydeco Jump and Robyn Archer amongst many others.”
These songs are so different, but they’re both brilliant. They’ve certainly got me excited for Shayne’s album Epiphonetics, which drops on October 23.
Image used with permission from Annie Johnsson Publicity
Melbourne trio Double Vanity has given me chills with the release of its new track “Escalator.” The lush synths and Kate Bush-esque vocals give it a cool retro feel, but there’s an immediate emotional intensity that grounds it in the now.
“Escalator thematically questions the daily espresso grind and the linear metal stairs of a bustling escalator, appearing and disappearing like a horizontal rotisserie,” explained Double Vanity singer Zec Zechner.
The film clip is also worth a few minutes of your time. It’s the brainchild of Melbourne-born, New-York based filmmaker Stephanie Gould and local painter and performance artist Billi Lime.
“Escalator” is the latest release from Double Vanity’s full-length vinyl album, which should drop later this year. While you’re waiting for that, you can show your support and score Double Vanity T-shirts from the trio’s Bandcamp page.
Image used with permission from Psychic Hysteria; credit: Kalindy Williams
Melbourne singer-songwriter Ben Witkowski has knocked it out of the park again with his second single of the year “Lucky Land.” The follow-up to the fabulous “Mountain Man,” this track is an epic slow-burner that reminds me of Gang of Youths and Bon Iver. When those vocals really kick in, I swear it’ll give you chills.
Ben wrote this track two years ago after taking a “life-changing” journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
“I was sitting alone on the longest train journey in the world, watching the world go by, thinking how unbelievably lucky I was to be enjoying such a moment. Travelling through Siberia gave me time to think about what I really wanted in life, and allowed me to make some decisions to change it for the better. As we travel, not only do we get to experience new people, places, and cultures, but sometimes we also discover a new, pure side of ourselves. I wanted to capture that moment forever, and that’s how ‘Lucky Land’ was born.”
Remember travel folks? Thankfully we at least have great music like this to take us away while we’re waiting for the borders to open up again. The release of “Lucky Land” also brings us one step closer to the release of Ben’s debut EP, which should drop later this year.
Doc Neeson and the Brewster brothers could never have imagined COVID-19 when they penned the classic Aussie rock song “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.” However, it’s the perfect anthem for our times. New York punksters Baby Shakes first covered The Angels’ hit for their 2019 album Cause a Scene, but they’ve revisited it in a new lockdown video.
Baby Shakes filmed the clip on their phones, mostly within their Brooklyn apartments. Its release has been a great way for the band to communicate with their fans and make some new ones.
“The news has been pretty gruesome and many friends outside of NY have expressed their concern. We thought it was important to show everyone how we’ve been living our common everyday lives from the safety of our homes,” explained the band’s bass player, Claudia Gonzalez.
“Some people said it made them cry and some laughed and said it cheered them up. We were thrilled that so many Australians expressed pride and nostalgia overhearing a classic song from their youth. Overall, most people said that they felt the same way,” added lead guitarist Judy Lindsay.
I love the energy Baby Shakes breathed into their take on “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.” Their cover makes it sound so fresh and edgy. What do you think of it?
Image used with permission from Dave Laing Publicity
Gold Coast singer CVIRO and his producer buddy GXNXVS for a slamming new single “Stay With Me.” It’s giving me old-school R’n’B vibes. If you were listening to Boyz II Men, Dru Hill, or Jagged Edge back in the day like I was, or you stole their albums from your mum’s record collection, you’re definitely going to dig this.
No wonder these guys are already generating plenty of buzz. They’ve got fans in the United States and United Kingdom, not to mention right here at home, and they’ve been championed by tastemakers including Vice, Clash, and the OVO team (who have incidentally never featured an Aussie act before). They’ve also clocked up 38 million streams!
CVIRO and GXNXVS will drop a few more singles before releasing an EP in the last quarter of the year. That means there’s plenty of new music for anyone else loving their sound.
Image used with permission from Universal Music Australia
Former Weddings, Parties, Anything frontman Mick Thomas is back with a whole swag of new tunes for your isolation playlist. The new Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission album See You On the Other Side: A Postcard from April 2020 features a selection of choice cuts written and recorded in lockdown. They might be apart, but Mick couldn’t have done it without the help of his famous friends. The album features appearances from Angie Hart (Frente), Nick Barker, Vikki Thorn (The Waifs), Darren Hanlon, Shelley Short, Alana Jagt, Brooke Russell, Van Walker, Ron S. Peno (Died Pretty), Alannah Russack (The Hummingbirds), Ben Salter, Dana Gehrman, Cam Butler, and Jen Anderson. Talk about star power.
You’ll see many of them on my favourite track from the album, “See You When I’m Looking at You.” But there’s plenty more where that came from. All the new music is available now on all the best streaming platforms. If you prefer something more tangible, check out the Mick Thomas Bandcamp page.
Gigs are few and far between these days, but Mick is making the most of the streaming technology available. Fresh from his own virtual album launch, he’ll take part in Memo Music Hall’s “Keep the Circle Unbroken” streaming show tomorrow night. Visit Memo Musical Hall’s website for ticket details.
