Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Canada’s Terra Lightfoot Touring Australia

The Canadian music scene is a little like our own. Musicians can be the hottest thing within the country, but outside it no one knows their name. Even with the rise of digital music and streaming services, many of us don’t realise there’s a whole lot more to the Canadian music scene than Bryan Adams and Alanis Morissette. One of the most exciting Canadian musicians wowing critics and music lovers alike is Terra Lightfoot, who’s just about to kick off her Australian tour.

If you want to know what Terra is all about, listen to her single “Paradise.” Then go to Spotify and stream her latest album New Mistakes. It’s an awesome blend of rock, soul, and blues that I’m really digging.

Terra’s Australian tour with our own William Crighton starts tomorrow. Who knew? I’ve heard absolutely nothing about it, but that’s a good thing for you because it means you can still find tickets to these shows.

2 November 2017 – Australian Music Week, Cronulla (7:45-8:15 pm @ Brass Monkey, 10-11:45 @ St Andrews Church Hall)
3 November 2017 – Central Bar, Newcastle
4 November 2017 – Inland Sound of Sea, Bathurst
5 November 2017 – Smith’s Alternative Cabaret, Canberra
6 November 2017 – Yah Yah’s, Fitzroy
9 November 2017 – Leadbelly, Sydney
10-12 November 2017 – Majors Creek Festival, Majors Creek
16 November 2017 – Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Don’t Call Mo•Louie

Melbourne chanteuse Mo•Louie has just released a retro-inspired clip for her sultry new single “I’ll Call You.” The track is the second lifted from her debut EP Fire Brick, which drops tomorrow.

“I’ll Call You” is a soulful exploration of a healing heart, with a chilled out groove and biting lyrics. She combines genres so easily here, creating a track that is complex, yet accessible.

Mo•Louie will celebrate her EP release by taking part in an exciting multisensory show Technicolour Wonderland alongside other local talents Youthfire and Abraham Tilbury. It all happens at Ding Dong Lounge on November 24 as part of Melbourne Music Week.

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Musos Mark Waltzing Matilda Centre Reopening in Winton

The Waltzing Matilda Centre was the world’s first museum dedicated to a song. However, sadly fire ravaged the unique Winton attraction in 2015. Now two years later and after $23 million worth of work, the Waltzing Matilda Centre is ready to welcome tourists again. Winton is celebrating the opening in style with a massive music festival, Way Out West Fest.

Organisers have assembled an impressive line-up of local and international talent. America’s Kip Moore and Lee Brice will play alongside Aussie stars Jessica Mauboy, John Williamson, The Living End, Sheppard, Busby Marou, Russell Morris, Pierce Brothers, and the Black Sorrows. And that’s just for starters, with more acts to be announced in the coming months. There’ll also be market stalls, a country race meeting, and much more.

“It’s a real honour to play with such a great line-up of stars for Winton’s Way Out West Fest,” said Jessica Mauboy. “’Waltzing Matilda’ is one of the icons of Australian folklore and the reopening of the Waltzing Matilda Centre will itself be a new chapter in the history of our nation. I can’t wait to share the occasion with the thousands who will come from all corners of Australia to celebrate with us.”

Way Out West Fest hits Winton from April 19 to 22. Tickets are on sale now.

Image used with permission from SGC Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Howlite Releases Haunting New Single Saviour

It’s not quite Halloween fodder, but there’s certainly a haunting quality to Howlite’s new single “Saviour.” It’s a sultry, languorous slow burner with killer vocals from Alison Thom.

“The song draws a lot from religious imagery, as well as deep southern blues and gospel, and I tried to capture the raw emotions and joy of choral singing – when I wrote the refrain in the chorus of the song I imagined it being sung a’capella by a church choir,” Howlite explained. “Much of the lyrical content was inspired by one of my favourite poems called “Ishtar Awakens In Chicago” by Mohja Kahf, which talks about feminine strength and self assurance”

Follow Melburnians can catch Howlite at a couple of shows next month.

4 November 2017 – Revolver Bandroom, Melbourne (with Seattle Fix)
16 November 2017 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne (with General Assembly)

Image used with permission from Beehive PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Monday Night” – Jazz Party

Jazz is a genre that’s been watered down a lot over the years. Jazz festivals have become playgrounds for artists who could more accurately be described as blues or soul acts. You rarely hear musicians scatting any more. True jazz might not be popular anymore, but Melbourne’s Jazz Party don’t seem to care about that. On their debut album Monday Night, it sounds like they’re having far too much fun to consider the opinion of the masses.

This album will transport you to a retro New Orleans speakeasy. It’s got a fantastic, infectious energy about it. The band manages to play with an unbridled frenetic sound which seems spontaneous, yet they’re the tightest bunch of musicians you’re likely to hear. From the heavy-handed honky-tonky piano to the brassy horns section, everything is just where it should be. Songwriter and leader of the band of eight Darcy McNulty says recording Monday Night was the most fun he’s ever had in a studio, and that shows. From opening track “Want a Baby,” this album leads you to the dancefloor and twirls you around until your feet are sore. I love Darcy’s Harry Connick Jnr-esque vocals, but the tracks featuring the sassy, soulful Loretta Miller on lead are probably my favourites. She’s a revelation on numbers like “Sleep” and “Magic Man.”

Monday Night is released on November 3. Jazz Party will launch it with shows around the country. If the album’s any indication, anyone attending these shows are in for one hell of a time.

11 November 2017 – The Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne
16 November 2017 – The Flamin’ Galah, Brisbane
16-19 November 2017 – Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby
24-26 November 2017 – Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff
16-18 February 2018 – Riverboats Music Festival, Echuca-Moama

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Lockhearts Offer Album Teaser With “Goddamn Pretty” Single

Anticipation is building for The Lockhearts’ new album Americana Doom Fuzz with the release of their brand new single “Goddamn Pretty.” The album won’t hit stores until early 2018, but if the single is any indication it’s going to be a corker. I love the ways these guys reinterpret vintage Americana sounds with a little Aussie edge.

If you love what you hear, get yourself to one of The Lockhearts’ upcoming shows. Expect to hear more of the new album tracks and all your old favourites at these shows:

3 November 2017 – The Bendigo Hotel, Bendigo
10 November 2017 – Factory Theatre, Sydney
11 November 2017 – Frankies, Sydney (FREE)
17 November 2017 – Prince of Wales, Brisbane
18 November 2017 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
2 December 2017 – Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast
3 December 2017 – Sounds of Sunday @ Broadbeach Tavern, Gold Coast (FREE)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian Drops Real New Single

I was so amused by Hamish and Andy’s latest stunt, where they wrote a song in 10 minutes and handed it over to Guy Sebastian to pass it off as his latest single. Most of the radio execs fell for the ruse hook, line, and sinker, despite the song’s woeful lyrics, because frankly Guy could sing the phonebook and it’d sell. Thankfully for us all though, his new single “Bloodstone” is a whole lot better than the phonebook or Hamish and Andy’s song.

“Bloodstone” is the latest cut from Guy’s album Conscious, set for release on November 3. It hooked me in with its piano introduction and didn’t let go. Its lyrics are emotionally charged, and it’s got a great soul-pop sensibility. Guy’s vocals are also on point, but that’s nothing new.

“It’s kind of a desperate song,” Guy explained. “You’re in a relationship where you feel like everything is coming to an end and you’re just pleading to your other half.”

With quality tracks like this, you can expect Conscious to do big things on its release next week!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Greta Stanley Drops Beautiful Single “When January Comes” Ahead of Album Release

Greta Stanley gives a masterclass in capturing a sense of time and place with her new single “When January Comes.” The song about growing up in Far North Queensland is a nostalgic delight.

“Summer in far north QLD, a heat that swallows you … I wrote this song watching people around me change through the seasons, the crystal-clear waterfalls, and the backyards of friend’s houses, the company you keep and that bittersweet holiday heat. As much as we complain there is some kinda special feeling around that time of year up here that I can’t quite explain,” she explained.

“When January Comes” comes from Greta’s debut album Full Grown, a collection of songs which tackle what it means to grow up with its discovery and loss of love and constant changes.

“The LP is about all of the bad stuff, and the good stuff, and how unfortunately, one wouldn’t really exist without the other,” Greta adds. “It’s about learning, hurting, coming completely unstuck and then somehow finding your feet again – life is big and scary but it’s big and beautiful too, and it’s easy to sometimes forget that there’s a world outside the door of your own.”

Thankfully there’s not too long to wait to hear more; Full Grown drops tomorrow!

Image used with permission from Title Track

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Teskey Brothers Release “Louisa” Ahead of Aussie Tour

The Teskey Brothers have been one of my favourite musical discoveries of the year. If you haven’t gotten into them yet, you need to wrap your ears around “Louisa,” the band’s bluesy new single.

It’s a little swampier than much of their music, but that soulful spirit that runs through their music is certainly on show.

These guys have had such a busy year with a sold-out tour in July, shows in Los Angeles, New York, and London, and a slot at Queenscliff Music Festival. But they’re not done yet. There’s still time for one more Aussie tour before 2017 is done is dusted. Where will you see The Teskey Brothers?

30 November – Jive Bar, Adelaide (with Timberwolf)
1 December – The Foundry, Brisbane (with Timberwolf)
2 December – The Basement, Sydney (with Timberwolf)
26 January – Melbourne Zoo Twilights 2018, Melbourne (with Saskwatch)

Image used with permission from Little Giant Agency/credit Nick McKinlay

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rick Price @ Hardys Bay Club, Hardys Bay – 21 October 2017

The very best gigs for me are the intimate ones. So many people get excited when acts that debut at the top of the charts play the nation’s arenas, but music loses a little of its magic for me in a space so large. And while a loud show with a full band can be thrilling, I’m usually more moved seeing a performer stripping their songs back so you can appreciate the nuances of their lyrics. That’s why seeing Rick Price at Hardys Bay Club on Saturday night is one of the best gigs I’ve attended all year.

I fell for this tiny Central Coast venue when I saw Bob Evans there earlier in the year, and I was thrilled to return. It’s one of the most intimate live music venues around. There’s no pretension about it, a modest stage with tables and chairs in the middle and couches around the side. It’s the kind of space that breaks down the traditional barriers between performer and audience. Rick’s always been the kind of artist who shared himself and the stories behind the songs with his audience, but he was a little chattier and more amusing than usual.

He also sounded superb, despite struggling through a case of the man flu. As the old saying goes, the show must go on. And go on it did, with a superb set drawing from his entire career. I was taken back to my childhood with hits like “Not a Day Goes By” and “Walk Away Renee” and relished the opportunity to hear new tracks from his recently released album Tennessee Sky. I actually didn’t think I was going to take any photos, because I didn’t want to break the spell cast over the room by snapping away. If not for an up tempo song, I wouldn’t have reached for the camera at all, because in those ballads I just couldn’t look away. Without a band in tow, Rick did most of the heavy lifting at this show, but his friend Belinda Ling showed she could do more than delivering cups of lemon water when she joined him for a couple of numbers. What an incredible voice she has. She brought something new to one of my favourite songs from Rick’s debut album, “Fragile.”

Rick Price’s Brought to Life a Dead Man Walking tour won’t be the one that gets the media outlets buzzing, but these shows are guaranteed to make a big impression on you. Here are all the remaining dates:

26 October 2017 – Brisbane Jazz Club, Woolloongabba
27 October 2017 – Bison Bar, Nambour
28 October 2017 – Park Ridge Tavern, Park Ridge
29 October 2017 – Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
2 November 2017 – The Oxley, Cowra
3 November 2017 – Camelot Lounge, Marrickville
4 November 2017 – Harmonie German Club, Narrabundah

Image source: Stephen Katulka