Gold Coast band Evol Walks are taking me back to the glory days of real rock power ballads with their new single “Without Me.” It’s so refreshing to hear a track like this, with big vocals by the flame-haired Leah Martin-Brown and great big wailing guitars.
“‘Without Me’ isn’t your typical ballad,” Leah explained in the press release. “It’s a farewell song to someone whom you used to care about very much but have now fallen out of love with”.
They haven’t broken the big time yet, but Evol Walks seem destined for greatness. They’ve been spending most of their time in Los Angeles, where they’ve performed at legendary venues like House of Blues and the Viper Room. They also played on the mainstage at Przystanek Woodstock in Poland, which is Europe’s largest music festival.
If you’re in California next month, you can catch Evol Walks at the following shows.
3 February 2016 – The Other Door Bar, Los Angeles
7 February 2016 – The Mint, Los Angeles
27 February 2016 – Amplyfi, Hollywood
Jade Alice has finally released the song that earned her the 2015 Melbourne Music Bank title, “Kick Drum.” It’s a ridiculously catchy and quirky slice of indie pop. Personally I could have done without the trippy bits at the end, but its catchy melody is so addictive that I can overlook its flaws.
It turns out that melody actually came to Jade in a dream. She says “The song is simply about a feeling of uncontrollable happiness; a feeling I hope resonates with others when they listen to it…. The greatest reward for me as a musician is evoking the same emotion in people as the one you felt when you created that song. If you listen to the music I’ve written and you see me, then you aren’t really getting much out of it, but if you listen to that music and you see yourself, then you may learn things about yourself and the song’s purpose.”
A student at the Victorian College of the Arts studying Interactive Composition, Jade Alice has a big future ahead of her. She’ll launch “Kick Drum” at Shebeen in Melbourne on February 18.
Sons of the East slipped under my radar last year when they released their EP Already Gone and beautiful single “Into the Sun.” And apparently when they were releasing other stuff for the past four years. But you know what they say about things being better late than never, right?
These guys are making such quality modern folk music. Their experience shows, as it no doubt will when they hit the stage on their upcoming Australian tour. Here are all the places you can see them doing their thing over the coming months.
28 January 2016 – Moonshine Steyne, Manly (FREE)
29 January 2016 – Rad Bar, Wollongong
31 January 2016 – Open Air Cinema, Canberra
3 February 2016 – The Foundry, Fortitude Valley
5 February 2016 – Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
6 February 2016 – Sol Bar, Noosa Heads
20 February 2016 – RadLivin, Sydney
21 February 2016 – Open Air Cinema, Bondi
23 February 2016 – Factory Theatre, Marrickville (supporting JD McPherson)
24 February 2016 – Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul (supporting JD McPherson)
28 February 2016 – Porch Sessions, Adelaide
4 March 2016 – Hotel Great Northern, Byron Bay
5 March 2016 – Noosa Surf Festival, Noosa Heads
19 March 2016 – Party in the Park, Sydney
1 April 2016 – The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Sydney-based musician Broadhurst actually dropped this single “Little Lover” online before Christmas, but it’s only come to my attention on its official release. I’m kind of glad I waited though, because now I don’t get just an incredibly powerful song but also a stunning video. It’s such a moving combination that I’m glad I experienced this song in this way.
Given the creative vision Broadhurst has shown here, the live show he’s currently developing should be truly something special.
Give me a well-written, sensitively delivered folky number and I’m won over every time. So I was always going to fall for “Peaceful Bay,” the stunning new single from Davey Craddock. The track comes from Davey’s debut album City West, which is due out on February 5.
Davey wrote the track while hiking the Bibbulmum track which runs from Perth to Albany.
“Peaceful Bay is one of the only towns on the track where you camp in a settlement and not in the bush and it’s inspired by a girl a friend and I met in the townsite,” he explained. “She said she’d just moved down there from Perth, was pregnant and had morning sickness. We were knackered and didn’t have time to talk and properly meet her but I thought it was a really brave and unusual move to come from the city to this tiny, isolated fishing town. So by torchlight in a hot tent I filled in the blanks and made up what I thought her story may have been and that formed the basis for the song.”
Davey’s recorded the song at RADA Studios in Perth, but I think this live version really brings out the heart of the song. Are you loving it as much as I am?
Ben Abraham wowed me when I heard his song “Speak” last year, so I’m thrilled to hear he’s released a single ahead of his album release in March. “You and Me” has all of the folkiness and heart that first attracted me to Ben’s music.
The clip’s also such a beautiful representation of the reality that creeps in after a night of celebrating. Perhaps not surprisingly it was also done by Oh Yeah Wow, the creative team behind Boy & Bear’s video that won me over yesterday.
“You and Me” is the first song lifted from Ben’s debut album Sirens, which will hit stores on March 4. The Herald Sun named Ben an artist to watch in 2016, and I can’t say that I disagree with their assessment!
It’s been a long while since a music video properly impressed me. However, I’m wowed by the visual spectacular that is Boy & Bear’s latest effort, accompanying their single “Limit of Love” from the album of the same name.
“We really love the Oh Yeah Wow guys,” lead singer Dave Hosking said of the creative team behind the clip. “This is our third time working with them and they never disappoint. This time it’s elegant, beautiful and hypnotic.”
It’s been a long time since Boy & Bear played local shows, but they’re kicking off a national tour this week, with Art of Sleeping and Montaigne as support. There are still a handful of tickets left for the following shows.
22 January 2016 – Odeon Theatre, Hobart
23 January 2016 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
29 January 2016 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
30 January 2016 – Red Hill Auditorium, Perth
12 February 2016 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
13 February 2016 – Riverstage, Brisbane
You know your concert calendar is too crowded when for the fourth time you’ve had to knock back a show on one specific day. I have no idea why the world has conspired to put everything awesome on February 27, but there you have it. I even actually bought tickets for two shows on that night, forgetting when I bought the second that I’d already committed to something else.
So it looks like I’m not going to see Canada’s Scott Cook when he plays in my suburb, and I’m bummed because literally no one else plays here. So I’m writing this article in the hopes that maybe you can catch him live, because he’s a bit brilliant. If you like folky storytellers in the vein of Shawn Mullins you’re going to love this guy. He’s playing virtually everywhere to support the release of his album One More Time Around, which has been my soundtrack for the afternoon. Hopefully your calendar isn’t as crowded as mine and you can get to one of these gigs!
13 January 2016 – House concert, Wingham (email trishmob@yahoo.com or call 0448 973 994 to RSVP)
14 January 2016 – Sutherland Acoustic @ Gymea Tradies Club, Gymea
15 January 2016 – The Acoustic Picnic @ The Music Lounge, Brookvale
20 January 2016 – Canberra Musicians’ Club @ Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
21 January 2016 – Billyroy’s Blues Bar @ Goldmines Hotel, Bendigo
22-25 January 2016 – Newstead Live Music Festival, Newstead
31 January 2016 – Saints & Sailors, Portarlington
4 February 2016 – South Coast Folk Club, Port Noarlunga (supporting Liz Stringer)
5 February 2016 – Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide (supporting Liz Stringer)
7 February 2016 – Red Poles Café, McLaren Vale (12:30-3:30 FREE)
7 February 2016 – The Groove Garden McLaren Vale
12 February 2016 – House Concert, Eaglemont (Check Scott’s website for details closer to the show)
13 February 2016 –Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth (FREE)
14 February 2016 –Wandi Pub, Wandiligong (2-5 pm FREE)
17 February 2016 – House concert, Tilba Tilba (E-mail eagle_dreaming@hotmail.com or call 0422 690 670 to RSVP)
19 February 2016 – Kameruka Hall, Kameruka
20 February 2016 – House concert, Nowra (Email robcleary@yahoo.com to RSVP)
21 February 2016 – House concert, Picnic Point (3 pm. Email bvbyrn13@tpg.com.au or call 0421017975 to RSVP)
27 February 2016 – Troubadour Acoustic Club, Woy Woy
5 March 2016 – The Shack, Collaroy
6 March 2016 – Live in the Attic @ Hotel Blue, Katoomba
11-14 March 2016 – Burke & Wills Folk Festival, Mia Mia
17 March 2016 – The Lomond Hotel, Brunswick
18-20 March 2016 – Yackandandah Folk Festival, Yackandandah
Fresh from the release of their epic summer anthem “On & On”, PLTS are set to follow the sun along the East Coast with a string of shows next month.
The Byron Bay band will take Brisbane rockers Pro Vita along for the ride for all but the Broadbeach gig. With two of Australia’s most exciting up-and-coming acts on the bill, you can expect good times from the following shows.
22 January 2016 – The Northern, Byron Bay (FREE)
24 January 2016 – Broadbeach Tavern, Broadbeach
29 January 2016 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
30 January 2016 – The Foundry, Brisbane
Like so many music lovers, I was saddened to wake up to the news that Stevie Wright has passed away at age 68.
This isn’t one of those bolt from the blue deaths. Stevie’s been battling ill health for decades. But that doesn’t make the news of his passing any less tragic. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when a person seems to keep soldiering on despite ill health you almost start thinking that they’re made from stronger stuff than the rest of us, and that somehow they’re just going to keep on keeping on.
Stevie rose to fame as the frontman of The Easybeats in the 1960s. I’ve often marvelled at the way that songs like “Friday on my Mind” and “Sorry” still sound fresh as daisies despite all the years that have passed since their release. For me though, the name Stevie Wright will always be synonymous with the epic “Evie.” It was only on Boxing Day that I gave the DJ on the radio a thumbs up for playing parts 2 and 3, rather than just cutting it off at part 1 as so many do. It’s one of the best story songs of all time in my opinion, and that story deserves to be sold in its entirety.
RIP Stevie. I hope you’re up there rocking out with all of the greats who’ve gone before you. Thank you for the music.