Melbourne band Storm the Sky like to rock, hard. Their usual stuff is much too heavy for my tastes, but I love the new side of themselves they’re showcasing with their unexpected cover of The 1975’s “Robbers.” There’s a little edge there, but it’s balanced out beautifully by their tender take.
I don’t expect to hear many numbers like this on their debut album Permanence, but if you love it when Storm the Sky cranks the volume the album’s out on January 16.
1200 Techniques new EP Time Has Come won’t drop until the New Year, so I was thrilled to enjoy a preview stream this month. I remember being so excited by this act in the 90s. I hadn’t warmed to a lot of hip hop acts, but I found the way that they combined rapping with funk and soul so accessible.
A lot has changed since then. Hip hop has well and truly been embraced by the mainstream. I wondered whether 1200 Techniques could still feel as unique in the modern musical landscape. Time Has Come gave me the answers I was looking for.
The title track and single is the ideal opener, a great reflection on the 1200 Techniques journey. It is an excellent introduction to the band for new listeners and a catch-up for the rest of us. “Undress My Soul” is so sexy cool, and “Speed of Light” should pack the dance floors. By the time I got to the closing number, “Move On,” I was enjoying myself so much I didn’t mind hearing the standard version and the DJ Peril remix. The song’s a lovely bookend to “Time Has Come,” a track which looks forward and welcomes the next chapter of the 1200 Techniques story.
Time to work on solo projects and other endeavours has undoubtedly been good for 1200 Techniques. They seem to have a new creativity and energy that should delight long-time fans and help them find a brand new audience.
1200 Techniques’ Time Has Come EP hits stores on 23 January 2015.
Image used with permission from Paris is Patient
We’re not quite to the end of the year, but I don’t think we’ll see a music video that’s more fun that The Lulu Raes’ clip for “Reputation.” The Sydney four-piece take us into a colorful world with dancing lolly musicians, boomboxes, and much more. And they did it all on a budget of $16! Incredible!
The song’s also so damned likable. Just see if you’re not smiling by the end. The band’s not touring at this point, but local fans can check out not one but three hometown shows over the next two months.
12 December 2014 – Waywards (The Bank), Sydney
17 December 2014 – Beach Road Hotel, Sydney
26 December 2014 – Australia Day Concert, The Rocks
Well I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I tend to press play on YouTube videos and leave them running while I work in other windows so I can listen to the song without being distracted by the visuals. It means I don’t think a song’s better than it is because the artist has a massive video budget, and also that I don’t overlook something because their clip production is a bit raw. Most times the artist in my mind matches what I’m seeing, but every now and again I have a little Voice moment. That’s exactly what happened with EMRSN.
I expected someone like Usher or Ne-Yo, but instead EMRSN appears like your quintessential Melbourne hipster, complete with geek chic glasses and a bushranger beard. It’s a bit jarring at first, but the electronic place he’s taking soul music on his single “About Love” is very cool. He also gets major props for the video, which takes me back to those old slidy tile games I use to play as a kid.
I love to hear stories of musicians doing good. So I was thrilled to hear that Dead Letter Circus recently met one of their most dedicated fans and cancer survivor Jaymee Tully recently. Jaymee, who survived Osteosarcoma, recently met up with the Brisbane band for a photo shoot thanks to Scar Stories and its RockScars project.
I hadn’t actually heard of this awesome organisation, but they help young adult cancer survivors meet their favourite musicians and rock their scars with professional photo shoots. We’re talking limousine transfers, full hair and makeup, and an intimate band meet and greet. You can see how it all went down in this video.
“Some of the most inspirational, real life people I’ve met are those that have met those kind of hardships and pulled through them with grace and positivity” said a clearly humbled Kim Benzie.
The RockScars photos will be turned into gig-style posters, exhibited, then sold off to help fund free creative workshops for cancer patients and survivors aged between 17 and 35, as well as other Scar Stories initiatives.
When they’re not doing good deeds, Dead Letter Circus are rocking out. Catch them at the following venues this month.
11 December 2014 – The Gov, Adelaide
12 December 2014 – Capitol, Perth
13 December 2014 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
18 December 2014 – The HiFi, Brisbane
19 December 2014 – The Metro, Sydney
20 December 2014 – The HiFi, Melbourne
21 December 2014 – Waves, Wollongong
Brisbane’s Art of Sleeping are dropping their sexy new single “Crazy” tomorrow, you can take a sneaky early listen here.
This song has well and truly gotten under my skin. It has such a sensual groove. I love the impassioned vocals and the sweaty bluesiness of it. I ordinarily don’t warm to a track with a lot of feedback, but it all works beautifully here.
“Crazy” is the first track lifted from Art of Sleeping’s long-awaited album, which is scheduled to hit stores in mid-2015.
Image used with permission from Dew Process
I was sure we’d seen the last of Holly Valance’s singing career, but it seems she’s back and working with another Aussie expat, Clockwise. Holly appears on his latest single “Hopeless,” the second single lifted from his Dancing World EP.
And you know what? It’s actually pretty good! No doubt Clockwise’s influence has something to do with that, but it really is indie-pop perfection. Could this be the thing to reignite her music career?
Kingswood have enlisted a host of stars for their epic video to promote “Micro Wars.” More of a short film than a film clip, the 10-minute extravaganza features Ian Moss, The Rubens, Tkay Maidza, Freddy Crabs from Sticky Fingers, Thomas Champion of The Preatures, Jake Stone from Bluejuice, Aussie actress Liana Cornell, and of course the guys from Kingswood themselves. The band’s overachieving guitarist Alex Laska also served as co-director with Jason Von Drayco.
I don’t want to give too much about the video away, so just settle yourself in and enjoy this wonderful blend of cinema and Aussie rock.
Kingswood will tour around the country next year. Here are all the places you can see them play:
22 January 2015 – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
23 January 2015 – Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich
24 January 2015 – Oz Fest @ Miami Tavern, Gold Coast
25 January 2015 – Oz Fest @ Waterfront Hotel, Sunshine Coast
6 February 2015 – Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights
7 February 2015 – Village Green, Mulgrave
22 February 2015 – Paddy’s Albury, Albury
27 February 2015 – Hellenic Hall, Hobart
28 February 2015 – Mordialloc Food Wine & Music Festival, Mordialloc (ALL AGES; FREE)
12 March 2015 – Black Swan Hotel, Bendigo
13 March 2015 – The Forum, Melbourne
14 March 2015 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
20 March 2015 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
21 March 2015 – The Triffid, Brisbane
26 March 2015 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
27 March 2015 – The Capitol, Perth
28 March 2015 – Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough
29 March 2015 – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
Robbie Miller quickly won me over with his accomplished guitar skills and soulful blue eyes. I needed to know more, so I caught up with him recently to chat about his music, sharing the stage with some of Australia’s finest, and his passion for mentoring indigenous youth.
You wrote your current single “Sunday” about your grandmother. What is it about her that inspired you?
As a kid my brother, sister and I would spend our first week of Christmas holidays at my grandparents’ house on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. During this time I grew close with both my grandad and nana and few years later I was visiting during Christmas and my nana started talking about what we used to get up to on our holidays. She then started talking about her own life growing up, her own dreams and she mentioned how Sunday was her favourite day of the week as that’s when she got to spend time with her whole family. That conversation resonated with me for a long time. A few weeks later I sat down to play guitar and just starting singing and the words just fell into place.
You’ve actually been writing music since you were just 13. Was a career in music always the dream?
Funnily enough music wasn’t always my dream. I grew up wanting to wear the baggy maroon cap for the Queensland cricket team and everything that I did was centred on that cricket dream. Music is a part of my life that I do for the love and enjoyment; it has been that way since I first picked up the guitar.
You were raised on many of the same artists that I was: Van Morrison, Neil Young, and Cat Stevens. All of those guys have a real focus on the lyrics. How do you think that approach has shaped your own music?
I think the way they wrote their music has had a profound impact on my own approach. I fell in love with those artists because of the way their lyrics captivated and took my mind someplace else. When I first starting trying my hand at writing songs, they were the artists that I tried to emulate.
You won the Triple J Unearthed’s National Indigenous Music Awards last year. How has that helped your career?
The biggest impact winning Triple J Unearthed has had, is on my self-confidence and self-belief. I feel it is quite common for musicians to be hesitant about their own music and protective of their art and I was exactly that. Now knowing that I have a voice people want to hear and that the music I write resonates with them, just pushes aside any self doubt that I have.
You got to fly to Darwin and perform on the same stage as a bunch of leading indigenous artists. What was that experience like?
This might sound strange but honestly I don’t really remember much of the experience. I went from playing in my bedroom by myself, to getting a phone call telling me I was the winner of the Triple J Unearthed Competition, to then playing in front of a large audience in Darwin.
You’ve also shared the stage with some high profile acts like The Kite String Tangle, Bernard Fanning, and Kav Temperley. What have you learned watching them?
The most valuable lesson that I have learnt is the importance of dedication and professionalism towards my artwork and to not take myself to seriously. There are a lot of musicians who would love to be doing what I am doing right now, so I am just going to enjoy it and make the most of everything that comes my way.
The support act never has it easy. How do you win over a crowd that has turned up to watch someone else play?
This is something I really struggled with when I first starting playing live last year and something I know other acoustic artists like myself have had trouble with. Now I just try and get the audience involved throughout the set, better plan my set list to try and create ebb and flow and I always keep my set short and sharp. It’s just an acoustic guitar and me, if I play for too long I am sure I’ll start boring people!
In your spare time you work with high school students as part of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience. What’s that like?
It’s an incredible experience and something I have a great time doing. Over the years I have learnt some valuable lessons too, as high school kids are great levellers and some of their stories always seem to put life into perspective. Also being a role model to others is a great honour, one that I cherish and am extremely grateful for and I have no doubt that the students that I have worked with on the Gold Coast over the last four years have incredible and fulfilled lives ahead of them. This is not because of what we’ve done, but for the empowerment students have given themselves.
Do you have an album in the pipeline?
I currently don’t have an album in the pipeline, although I do have an EP that’s coming together. I am currently working on a few tracks with one eye on an album but there is a lot of water to cover between now and then.
Is there anything else you have on the horizon that you can tell me about?
I’ll have a new single out early 2015 followed by my debut EP!
Robbie Miller’s single “Sunday” is available for digital download now.
As a Coastie it’s easy to get a bit Lizotte’s-focused. This venue has been pampering its guests with incredible food and exceptional entertainment for years. However, with the news of its impending closure it’s worth noticing that there are other venues around that mean you needn’t make the trip up or down the freeway to catch live music. Baker St. is just 10 minutes from my house, yet I didn’t know it existed until last week when I scored some tickets to see former Jinja Safari frontman and fellow Coastie Pepa Knight.
Not that Baker St. is a substitute for Lizotte’s. It caters for a much younger demographic, which is something I struggled with a little bit. I’m too old for places that don’t serve wine in the same room the band’s playing. I’m too old for places that require you to choose between having a great view of the band or sitting down. And I’m definitely too old for places where the main act doesn’t take the stage until after 10:30. But Baker St. isn’t attempting to appeal to people like me. Being there reminds me of the nights I used to spend at SJ’s in Newcastle or the Annandale in Sydney, when I was a young thing with boundless energy who didn’t need anything but a great band on stage and a drink in my hand.
Not that all the bands were great. Stream Lea kicked things off with what they describe on their Facebook page as “electronic, ambient, fun” music. I guess it was the first two, but my husband and I were having no fun. The young crowd seemed to get it, but my husband and I struggled with the music which seemed to lack melody and intelligible lyrics. Elwood Myre were a lot more to my tastes, an acoustic duo with alt-country leanings. Any act with a mandolin can easily win me over, even if they seemed a little too influenced by Dylan. They definitely have talent, so I’m sure with time they’ll find their own voice and seem like less of a cover band. Owen Rabbit came next. I wrote about his track “Police Car” back in July, and was really intrigued by his set. I can’t say that every number was to my tastes, but many of his electronic soundscapes were just so beautiful. It was different and original, and that earns serious points for me.
After all this music I was well and truly flagging by the time that Pepa Knight, or Central Coast Jesus as my husband likes to call him, took to the stage. It makes me feel very old when I realise I’d have already been in bed by the time an artist appears. I was determined to at least make it through a few songs, and the rush of energy that his set provided allowed me to do that. He has such a great calming presence, like a guru or yogi. The combination of his sitar and the trippy psychedelic light show, which would have been further enhanced if I’d invested in the 3D glasses, was mesmerising. Pepa and his band create something so beautiful, jubilant, and tribal that you can’t help but be swept up by it. I’m not sure the venue did him any favours though. He has such a big presence, he seemed a little out of place in this warehouse-like space. The people catching him at Mountain Sounds are in for a real treat; out communing with nature is where this music would really be at its best.
Needless to say, I didn’t make it through the set and I was dozing in the car as my very understanding husband drove me home. As I approach my mid-30s gigs like this aren’t quite for me, but I’m glad I got out of my comfort zone to see someone as talented as Pepa perform, even if for just a little while.
Image source: own photo