Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Weeping Willows Announce Album Tour

I love individual artists and bands, but I think there’s something so special about a duo. When you find two people whose harmonies blend, who have a natural chemistry that draws listeners in, it’s like nothing else. Perhaps that’s why when I set out to listen to “River of Gold,” the lead single from The Weeping Willows’ forthcoming album Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’, I actually listened to their entire Soundcloud playlist.

It’s a tough call, but I think “River of Gold” could be the strongest track among them. I love its dark brooding nature, those sublime harmonies, and the frenetic pace of the banjo keeping time.

We’ll hear more from Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ when it’s released on 4 March. The Melbourne duo will support its release with a run of shows from March to June.

4 March 2016 – Basement Discs, Melbourne
5 & 6 March 2016 – Snowy Mountains Country Music Festival, Thredbo
10 March 2016 – Royal Oak Hotel, Launceston (with Ange Boxall)
11 March 2016 – Spring Vale Wines, Cranbrook (with Ange Boxall)
12 March 2016 – Republic Bar & Café, Hobart (with Ange Boxall)
13 March 2016 – The Pizza and Wine Club, Kyneton (with Ange Boxall)
14 March 2016 – House Concert, Ferntree Gully (with Shane Nicholson)
18 March 2016 – Babushka Bar, Ballarat (with Mitch Power)
19 & 20 March 2016 – The Basin Music Festival, The Basin
25 March 2016 – Billyroy’s Blues Bar, Bendigo
27 March 2016 – T’Gallant Winery, Main Ridge
1 April 2016 – Harmonie German Club’s ‘Friday Night Live’, Canberra
2 April 2016 – Django Bar, Marrickville
4 April 2016 – Jane’s, Wollongong
17 April 2016 – Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh (with Bill Chambers)
24 April 2016 – T’Gallant Winery, Main Ridge
29 April & 1 May 2016 – Mount Beauty Music Festival, Mount Beauty
6 May 2016 – The Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale (with Andy & Marta)
8 May 2016 – The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton (with Andy & Marta)
20 May 2016 – Bendigo Folk Club, Bendigo
17 June 2016 – Berwick & District Folk Club, Berwick

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ocean Alley Back with “Holiday”

We might have just had the Christmas and New Year break, but now we’re in February most of us feel like we’re back to the daily grind, where holidays are too far away. We don’t even get another public holiday until late next month. For shame. Even if you can’t take a real life getaway any time soon, you can take an audio one with Ocean Alley’s cruisy new single “Holiday.”

I was really impressed by this band and the way they combined reggae with psychedelic sounds with the release of their EP In Purple last year. If anything I think this track might be a step above the material on that debut release. It feels a little more focused, although the band hasn’t lost any of their individuality.

“Holiday” is the first single lifted from Ocean Alley’s upcoming debut album Lost Tropics, which is scheduled for an April 2016 release. Before then we’ll see the band playing cool boutique festivals like Party in the Paddock and Mountain Sounds Festival and announcing some New Zealand tour dates.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Figures Rock Out with “Filter”

Melbourne rock act Figures are pulling no punches with their debut single “Filter.” It’s a gutsy track with all the intensity hard rock fans demand from their music.

“Filter” sounds a lot more polished than your average debut single, but the members of Figures actually played in a bunch of other local bands before coming together at the start of 2014. They’ve been honing their sound ever since until deciding they were ready to unleash this monster on to the music scene.

Unfortunately I didn’t get the presser about this one until after the band launched the single, but I’m assured there’ll be more local gigs to follow. They’re also set to return to the United States, where they spent much of 2015, so fans on both sides of the world should soon have opportunities to see Figures play.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Phia Releases First Music Video for “Do You Ever?”

Phia has been releasing music for around five years now, so it’s surprising that this video for her new single “Do You Ever?” is actually her first. It’s a thoroughly charming affair, with enough paint, tinsel, and glitter to appeal to any serious craft addicts.

“Do You Ever?” comes from Phia’s upcoming debut album The Ocean of Everything. She’ll promote the single’s release with the following shows, including a residency at Some Velvet Morning which starts tomorrow night.

3 February 2016 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
10 February 2016 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
17 February 2016 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
20 February 2016 – Carpark Fest 2016, Bendigo
24 February 2016 – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne
25 February 2016 – Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
2 March 2016 – Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
3 March 2016 – Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
6 March 2016 – Sydney Road Street Party, Brunswick

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Go Venue Hopping in Brisbane for Mountain Goat Valley Crawl

In the tradition of the great Australian pub crawl comes the first annual Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, a festival that brings together some of the best up-and-coming Aussie talents at stages around Brisbane.

Awesome acts like Ayla, Babaganouj, Jeremy Neale, Twin Haus, and Machine Age will play on stages at The Zoo, The Brightside, The Foundry, and Black Bear Lodge. All of these venues are within two square blocks so it’s easy to get from one to the next.

The best part is that it’s all completely free. Timetables will be confirmed later, but for now, make sure you save February 27 in your diary Brisbane!

Image used with permission from Mucho Bravado

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

RÜFÜS Tops Albums Charts

After the chart dominance of Adele, Justin Bieber, and the incomparable David Bowie, there hasn’t been a lot of reasons for this Aussie music blog to celebrate local chart acton. However, finally a local act has managed to shift Adele from the top of the albums charts. RÜFÜS has scored a second number one album in as many releases with Bloom.

The soundtrack from the upcoming miniseries “Molly” is the only other local release in the top 10 albums. No doubt we’ll see it improving on its number seven spot when it actually screens.

As far as the singles go Flume is challenging the number one spot with “Never Be Like You.” Can the track featuring Kai, currently at number two, knock that god awful version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” off the number one spot? I can only hope so!

“Hoops” has benefited from its recent Hottest 100 win. The Rubens song is this week’s highest chart re-entry. It sits at number 10 this week; it peaked at number 25 last October.

Here are the other songs and albums selling well this week.

Top 10 Albums
1. Bloom – RÜFÜS
2. 25 – Adele
3. Blackstar – David Bowie
4. Nothing Has Changed (The Best of David Bowie) – David Bowie
5. Purpose – Justin Bieber
6. Dystopia – Megadeth
7. Molly – Soundtrack
8. X – Ed Sheeran
9. 1989 – Taylor Swift
10. The Complete Greatest Hits – The Eagles

Top 10 Singles
1. “Fast Car” – Jonas Blue feat. Dakota
2. “Never be Like You” – Flume feat. Kai
3. “Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
4. “One Call Away” – Charlie Puth
5. “All My Friends” – Snakehips feat. Tinashe & Chance the Rapper
6. “Lush Life” – Zara Larsson
7. “Ex’s and Oh’s” – Elle King
8. “Sorry” – Justin Bieber
9. “Middle” – DJ Snake feat. Bipolar Sunshine
10. “Hoops” – The Rubens

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Evol Walks Bring Back the Power Ballad with “Without Me”

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

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bird’s Basement Brings Jazz to Melbourne

Jazz lovers are in for a real treat with Bird’s Basement set to open its doors in Melbourne.

The club has already assembled an impressive line-up for its opening month, with American jazz legends Ravi Coltrane and Lee Ritenour scheduled to play on the first night, and Wendy Matthews, Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows, Albare, Joe Chindamo, Mike Nock, The Young ‘uns, and even Brian Mannix shows within the first month.

Bird’s Basement is a purpose-built club in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. It will offer two shows nightly – one at 6 pm and the next at 9:30 pm, accompanied by an Italian a la carte menu. Now this is how I want to see music. Melbourne, I’m officially jealous.

Bird’s Basement will welcome music lovers from March 1. You’ll find it at 11 Singer’s Lane.

Image used with permission from Cavanagh PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Synthia” – The Jezabels

The Jezabels are back with a brand new album, Synthia. So often bands struggle to maintain the quality of their music over an extended period of time, but there are no such worries with this stellar Australian act. In fact, this third album may just be their best yet.

Ordinarily when I listen to an album I might review I find myself scribbling notes as I listen. However, I was too entranced by the music the first go round to be pulled out of it with observations. I just wanted to let it wash over me.

There’s something so cathartic about listening to songs like the opening track “Stand and Deliver” and the breathtaking “Smile” that build so beautifully to searing crescendos. The Jezabels know how to do epic more convincingly than most acts on the scene.

They’re also a band that knows how to use light and shade so well. I love that driving intensity they can deliver in a song like “My Love is My Disease,” and then how they can leave you hanging on ever moment in quieter periods, like the first half of “Smile.”

“A Message From My Mothers Passed” is one of those songs so beautiful that it stopped me in my tracks. I was similarly enthralled by the exquisite “Flowers in the Attic.” “Stamina,” a song so full of wisdom, ends the album perfectly.

Synthia is likely to be everything fans hope it will be. The darkness and drama of the songs The Jezabels create is like nothing else around. And Hayley Mary’s vocals that seem to cut through so effortlessly are some of the best in the business. This album is sure to cement The Jezabels reputation as one of the best Australian acts making music today.

Synthia hits stores on 12 February.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Is Missy Lancaster the Next Taylor Swift?

I love T-Swift more than your average woman my age, but there’s a part of me that misses the wide-eyed guitar-playing, country-singing young thing that she used to be. Thankfully Australia has Missy Lancaster to fill the void.

Missy’s self-titled EP debuted at number nine on the ARIA country chart when it was released earlier this month. She also debuted at number three on the AIR albums chart. When only Courtney Barnett and Sia keep you from the top spots, you know you’re doing something right. Missy features the charming single “That’s What I’m Talking About.”

After completing a successful run of dates at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Missy will show the city slickers how it’s down at an instore tomorrow at St Mary’s Sound in St Mary’s. She’ll perform from 10:30 am before signing copies of her EP for fans.