Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Supergroup Holidays on Ice Back with The Luxury of Wasted Space

Angie Hart from Frente!, Dean Manning from Leonardo’s Bride, and Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint are back with a brand new Holidays on Ice album. This Aussie supergroup will release The Luxury of Wasted Space on March 31.

The album’s title cheekily references the modern aversion to emptiness, and if the lead single’s anything to go by it’s fitting. The song is very subtle and minimalist, but Angie’s heavenly vocals and their collective musical sensibility shines through. It’s definitely a slow burner, but patient listeners will be rewarded. I also love that, like the album’s other songs, it was recorded in a living room to eight track reel to reel. How old school!

The video for new single “Broken” also shuns modern animation techniques for a more traditional approach. Dean actually made all the puppets in the clip from clay and wood. He even sewed their clothes and made the sets, then painstakingly put the clip together frame by frame.

Holidays on Ice will celebrate the release of The Luxury of Wasted Space with a national tour through April.

18 April 2014 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
20 April 2014 – Open Studio, Northcote
25 April 2014 – Glebe Café Church Hall, Glebe
27 April 2014 – Dowse Bar, Paddington

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ella Hooper On Tour Ahead of Solo Album Release

She might be setting the small screen alight as part of the rebooted Spicks and Specks, but that doesn’t mean Ella Hooper’s abandoned music making. In fact, she’s preparing to release her first solo album, In Tongues.

There’s no official release date as yet, but the album will feature the lead single “Low High,” a groovy number with smouldering vocals and an old Western feel. Can’t you just imagine Ella singing this song in a smoky bar for a bunch of cowboys?

Fans will hear this song and more from the forthcoming album when Ella plays the following shows through autumn.

29 March 2014 – The Vanguard, Sydney
4 April 2014 – Northcote Social Club, Northcote
8 May 2014 – Artbar, Perth
9 May 2014 – Jive, Adelaide
15 May 2014 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
16 May 2014 – SoundLounge, Gold Coast
17 May 2014 – Star Court Theatre, Lismore

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Caitlin Park Compelling with “Hold Your Gaze”

Caitlin Park gives us a preview of what her sophomore LP holds with the release of its lead single “Hold Your Gaze.”

I really love the gorgeous layered sound Caitlin’s created here, and the way her quietly confident vocals and the driving drum beats anchor it. The earnest lyrics are also sublime.

“Hold your Gaze is about fighting for someone, turning your lover into a partner,” she explained in a press release. “Sometimes you have to try and convince a person to be brave. It describes a soldier of love, with a strong heart, with patience and persistence. With big drums and a big chorus it’s a call to battle.”

“Hold Your Gaze” comes from Caitlin’s forthcoming album The Sleeper, which hits stores on May 2. Before that she’ll launch the single at the following shows.

21 March 2014 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
27 March 2014 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
3 April 2014 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Create Control

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ryan Morgan Shows Pop Potential with Surrender

With the release of his debut single “Surrender,” Ryan Morgan shows he has all the makings of becoming Australia’s next big pop star.

He’s got a gorgeous soul voice that reminds me a little of Guy Sebastian. He moves like a dream. And he’s definitely got the look. The song’s not perfect, but I can look past that and see real potential. I also appreciate that Ryan wrote it himself after returning from time abroad and feeling a little disillusioned with the music caper.

“‘Surrender’ is a reflection of the way I felt about music at the time,” he explained.  “For the first time I felt the effects of the struggle and began to reconsider music as a career, however I came to accept that there was no way I could give up the passion.”

“Surrender” is officially released today. It comes from Ryan’s forthcoming EP, which will hopefully be released in the not-too-distant future.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

James Reyne Plays Greatest Hits

I’ve always thought of James Reyne as the perfect model for how an Australian musician should conduct their career. He continues to produce top quality albums and gig all around the country, delicately striking the balance of giving the fans what they want to hear while developing his artistry. There hasn’t been a lot of fanfare around his more recent album releases, but they’re always fabulous.

Late in 2013, James celebrated those songs and all his old favourites at his A Crawl to Now shows at The Basement in Sydney. It seems it had so much fun that he’s taking the show on the road. The gigs which will feature the hits from James’ Australian Crawl days, his time with Company of Strangers, and his stellar solo songs. They’ll be all acoustic too, with able support from Tracy and Brett Kingman.

“Whilst I’m not inclined to get all nostalgic, it feels like the right time to go through this material and present it songbook style,” James said in a press release. “The songs we’ve chosen are a lot of fun to perform – and it scratches my never-ending itch to tour, to play live!”

If you’ve never seen James play, this is the perfect opportunity. And if you have, you know you won’t want to miss these greatest hits sets.

4 April 2014 – Wrestpoint, Hobart
5 April 2014 – Country Club, Launceston
11 April 2014 – Flying Saucer Club, Caulfield
12 April 2014 – Royal Theatre, Castlemaine
13 April 2014 – Caravan Club, Oakleigh
17 April 2014 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
18 April 2014 – The Basement, Sydney
19 April 2014 – Lizotte’s, Dee Why
20 April 2014 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
30 April 2014 – Friends Restaurant, Perth
1 May 2014 – The Deck Restaurant, Busselton
2 May 2014 – Charles Hotel, Perth
4 May 2014 – Boab Tavern, Wycombe
9 May 2014 – Norwood Hotel, Adelaide
10 May 2014 – Goolwa Aquatic Centre ‘Concert Club’, Goolwa

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Curious Creatures Will Make You Smile

Sydney electro-pop duo Curious Creatures deliver plenty of good vibes with their debut single “So Tall.”

I generally tend to post more mellow sounds on Sundays, but this feelgood number instantly resonated with me. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to grab a hairbrush to sing into while you’re dancing around in your underwear. Or is that just me?

“So Tall” is our first taste of Curious Creatures’ forthcoming EP Talk About It. The band’s set the bar high, but I’m looking forward to seeing what will come next from this Sydney twosome.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fight Poverty and Win with Global Citizen Tickets

If you think that scoring free concert tickets for doing good sounds like a win-win, you’ll want to check out Global Citizen Tickets Australia.

To be a part of it, just go and register at the website. Then you can start earning points for your online poverty-beating actions, like sharing videos on Facebook, signing petitions to world leaders, and e-mailing Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with your concerns. You then use these points to enter a draw for a pair of tickets to the concert of your choice. There are plenty of great shows available, including gigs from local acts like The Jezabels, Christine Anu, and Dragon, as well as international artists like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes.

“Music not only has the ability to stir every last emotion inside you; but also has the power to inspire, educate, and stop and make you think about certain issues,” explained the program’s chairman Danny Rogers. “We’re really glad that so many amazing Aussie bands are donating tickets to their shows and raising awareness with their fans about social change.”

The initiative is part of the Global Poverty Project, the brainchild of Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis. It’s so timely, as there are currently 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty around the world. How great to see it here in Oz!

Image source: Deepay @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Christopher Coleman Collective Wows Me with “Go Home”

In my humble opinion, Tasmania is producing some of the best folk musicians in the country. Think Dewayne Everettsmith, Lincoln le Fevre, and The Blue Mosquitoes to name a few. Now we can add Christopher Coleman Collective to the list.

Tassie’s been keeping him a state secret for a few years, but he’s finally starting to earn some mainland recognition with the recent release of his self-titled debut album. It features the new single “Go Home,” a stunning song with guest vocals from The Choir of High Hopes Hobart.

If you love Christopher Coleman Collective’s honest vocals and poetic lyrics, you can soak them up at the following shows.

15 March 2014 – Baby Black Espresso Bar, Bacchus Marsh
19 March 2014 – Babushka Bar, Ballarat
20 March 2014 – The Music Man Megastore, Bendigo
21 March 2014 – Shebeen, Melbourne
27 March 2014 – The Front Gallery, Lyneham
28 March 2014 – Royal Exchange, Newcastle
29 March 2014 – The Newsagency, Marrickville NSW
3 April 2014 – Grand Junction, Maitland
4 April 2014 – The Pier, Port Macquarie NSW
5 April 2014 – No 5 Church Street, Bellingen NSW
10 April 2014 – Dowse Bar, Paddington
11 April 2014 – The Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale
12 April 2014 – A Music Warehouse Project, Adelaide
19 April 2014 – The Pav, Launceston

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Jezabels Announce Headline Shows

I’ve been loving The Jezabels’ latest songs from their new album The Brink, so I’m pretty excited to hear the band’s playing their first headline dates for the year next month. These shows are in addition to their upcoming appearances at the Groovin the Moo festival.

Blink and you’ll miss them; The Jezabels will play just five shows including two at the prestigious Sydney Opera House.

28 & 29 April 2014 – Opera House, Sydney
2 May 2014 – The Palais Theatre, Melbourne
6 May 2014 – The Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane
9 May 2014 – The Astor Theatre, Perth

Image used with permission from Secret Service Public Relations

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Spirit Play First Sydney Show Tonight

Sydneysiders, if your Saturday night’s looking bare you might want to get yourself to the GoodGod tonight. The club’s hosting The Spirit, an exciting Melbourne inspired by the organic sounds of 70s Americana.

If you’ve never heard of The Spirit, it’s not really a surprise. Their Sydney gig is only the second they’ve played, after a hometown show in late February. However, take a listen to their debut single “Forever Gone” and you’ll know that they’re ready. The track was actually written around 18 months ago in New Zealand. I love a band that takes their time to make sure everything’s perfect before stepping into the spotlight.

But the time is now. Head out to the GoodGod tonight so you can tell folks you were there when.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music