Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Red” – TV Snow

Perth pop-rock act TV Snow have overcome adversity to release their debut album Red.

The album was recorded at a time of great excitement for the band. They were travelling around the country and keen to build on the promise they’d shown on their debut EP. But just a day after recording wrapped, tragedy struck when their bassist Ben Linden was fatally attacked by a shark off Wedge Island.

It’s a harrowing story which makes listening to the album all the more poignant. A lesser band might never have released it, but I’m glad they did. The tracks show us a group that’s so cohesive, with tight vocal harmonies and a true understanding of how their instruments work together.

I’d be lying if I said it was perfect. The songs are fun to listen to, but they’re not really as dynamic as they might have been. Few cut through as the kind of tracks you want to hear again and again. I did love the optimism of “Boy Wonder,” and I appreciate the way the strings make “I Will Dance” come alive. However I’d be hard pressed to recall the melodies of most of the other songs. Rather than being a truly impressive collection of songs, Red is the kind of album you could slip on at your next barbeque without complaints.

It’s not perfect, but Red is a fun listen. It has none of the sadness that defines TV Snow’s career right now, and it’s a fitting celebration of Ben’s contribution to the band.

Red is available digitally now and in stores from January 4.

Image source: TV Snow website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Sun City’s Tobias John

Sun City impressed me recently with their feelgood new single “Set Alight.” So I was thrilled to catch up with one half of the band, Tobias John, to chat about the song, the EP of the same name, and their upcoming tour.

You’ve just released your new EP Set Alight. What can you tell me about it?
Well …we spent the better part of eight months earlier this yeah holed up in our little studio putting it all together. It was a lot of fun! This EP is all about summer; it’s good fun, upbeat electro pop. It also features a remix from our pal Shazam (Modular).

As a child of the 80s I was really into the synth-heavy sounds and positivity of the title track. Were you influenced by that decade at all?
Absolutely. The whole record is laced with 80s electronica influence. To state the obvious, we are huge fans of running analogue bass lines and exaggerated electronic tom drum samples. We’re also both 80s babies (but only just!).

Your EP also features a remix of your song “High.” What’s it like to create a song and then see what another act can do with it?
It was a really interesting process with Shazam. We’re a huge fan of his and his skill and attention to detail as producer is amazing. It’s all about interpretation and what Shazam was able to do with the track was awesome. He actually took the existing vocal samples and built a synth out of it! Did we mention the big hitting 80s tom drums?

Conversely you’ve also put your spin on tracks from Miami Horror and Bag Raiders. What’s that process like?
Yeah good fun! The remixes are totally bootleg and instead of using the existing vocals, we recorded in our own voices and chopped everything up. After our performance at Stereosonic Perth last year we got chatting with the guys from Bag Raiders and showed them our remix of “Shooting Stars.” They really dug it and we were chuffed!

Do you prefer creating original music or remixing the work of others?
Definitely creating our own at the moment.

Set Alight is your second EP. How do you think you’ve grown as artists between the making of your first recording and this?
Well in terms of production, the first EP was a huge learning curve for us. There’s a lot more attention to detail and consistency on the Set Alight EP. In terms of influence and inspiration, following the release of our first EP we’ve had quite a lot happen in a short period of time. Life has changed pretty dramatically for the both of us and there’s been so many influential moments over the past 12 months that inspired the whole Set Alight EP.

You’re kicking off your first national tour soon. Are you getting excited?
We are! However, a very fortunate (and slightly random) series of events has actually resulted in us doing our first international tour before our first national tour. We’re currently sitting at the airport in Dubai on our way home from playing a couple of epic festivals in Africa, which has been an absolutely mind blowing experience! Another 10 hour flight home and we can catch a few hours sleep before heading off to our first stop on the Set Alight tour at the Beresford Hotel in Sydney (Friday 14th Dec) followed by Alhambra Lounge in Brisbane the next night (with The Jungle Giants and Millions). We’re excited!

You’re playing festivals and headlining your own club dates. Do you have a preference?
Not at all, as long as there is a good bunch of people having a sing, dance and good time to our music!

Dance music isn’t as recognised in this country as a live experience in the same way seeing a rock band in a pub is. Why should people get out and see you play?
Our live show consists of about four synths, a guitar, electronic drums and a sampler … between the two of us … and we both sing. Hopefully that’s more interesting than watching a DJ and more upbeat and danceable than a watching a pub band!

After this tour wraps up, what’s next on the agenda?
Sleep. Then right back into producing some more tunes and hopefully getting to do this all over again!

Here are all the places you can see Sun City play their Set Alight shows:

14 December 2012 – The Beresford Hotel, Sydney
15 December 2012 – Alhambra, Brisbane
1 January 2013 – Cuban Club, Perth
6 January 2013 – Summadayze, Perth
11 January 2013 – Discovery @ Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
12 January 2013 – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
25 January 2013 – Can’t Say @ Vault 8, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Prudence Rees-Lee Does It Her Way with “Emmanuelle”

Prudence Rees-Lee shows she’s not afraid of bucking current musical trends with her sultry debut single “Emanuelle.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising that this unusual song has an exotic feel to it. The Melbourne University music graduate spent more time studying in Berlin before visiting the Ashrams of South India and the UFO landing sites of the Mojave Desert.

The track channels Serge Gainsbourg and pays tribute both to Sylvia Kristel’s erotic cinema icon and the religious figure Immanuel-Hebrew! If you’re intrigued by all that, make sure you check out Prudence’s debut album Court Music from the Planet of Love, which should hit stores in April.

Image used with permission from Show Off Services

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Planet Love Sound Go Bold with “MIddle of Nowhere”

Melbourne expats Planet Love Sound dare to do it differently with their latest track “Middle of Nowhere.”

I’m honestly still trying to work out whether I love this song from the Berlin-based Aussies or not. It’s a bit like an avante garde piece of artwork in that way. It’s challenging, and I know I probably don’t understand it completely. But I’ve got a healthy respect for it nonetheless.

The film clip’s also left me scratching my head. I love its drama and colour, but I can’t say I really get it though. It’s worth noting that it features some mud-covered nudity too, so you might want to wait until you leave the office until you check it out.

“Middle of Nowhere” comes from Part Two, Planet Love Sound’s latest EP and a companion piece to their former EP Part One. It’s available now via Planet Love Sound’s website and iTunes.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tokyo Denmark Sweden Win Me Over

What a difference the right song makes. When I first heard from Tokyo Denmark Sweden, I dismissed them pretty quickly. I just couldn’t connect to their last single “Lights Off” at all. But they’ve won me over with their newie “When it Breaks.”

This is a dreamy melodic gem, with the right amount of retro charm. It’s perfect for this warm weather we’ve all been enjoying. I’m not sure a song’s made me do such a dramatic 180!

Tokyo Denmark Sweden will support the release of “When it Breaks” with a tour of the East Coast, which kicks off their hometown of Sydney tomorrow.

7 December 2012 – Mum @ The World Bar, Sydney
13 December 2012 – Lambda Lambda Lambda @ Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane
31 December 2012 – Peats Ridge Festival, Peats Ridge
11 January 2012 – Beresford Hotel, Sydney (FREE)
1 February 2012 – The Espy, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mia Dyson Sings About Forced Adoptions in “Jesse”

Those stellar singles just keep coming from Mia Dyson’s latest album The Moment. The newest is “Jesse,” a gut-wrenching song which shines a light on forced adoptions. Mia was moved to write the song after a fan, Lesley Pearse, poured her heart out after a show.

“Lesley’s story had a profound effect on me,” said Dyson. “As an unwed mother in the early 70s, she was sent to live out her pregnancy away from family and friends, told she was an unfit parent and coerced by social workers into signing papers to hand her baby over under immense pressure,” Mia explained.

“The idea that this was not just a one-off, but a systemic atrocity that has affected both mothers and their children for decades after really shocked me,” said Dyson. “I was driven to write Jesse as I think that understanding and sharing their story is the best tribute we can give to these brave women as we move towards a national apology in 2013.”

I’m so impressed with the way Mia has tapped into the soul of this story. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she’d lived it herself. This is one of those songs that really makes you sit up and pay attention.

Mia will support the release of “Jesse” with the following shows.

9 December 2012 – Courthouse Arts, Geelong
10 January 2013 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
11 January 2013 – Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
12 January 2013 – Woombye Hotel, Sunshine Coast
25 January 2013 – Portsea Hotel, Portsea
17 February 2013 – Riverboat Festival, Echuca

Image used with permission from SCG Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Fans Help Eskimo Joe Make New Album

Eskimo Joe have enjoyed the support of major labels in recent years, but they’ve decided to do things a little differently for album number six. Rather than working with a record company, the Perth band decided to let fans fund the new record through Pozible.

Fans have been quick to embrace the initiative, pledging $54, 600 at last count, far exceeding the $40, 000 Eskimo Joe hoped to raise. With the fundraising drive running until February, they might even end up doubling their target.

Contributors will have the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with helping to support local talent, as well as a few extra perks. Depending on how much they give, people who pledge can earn bonuses like advance copies of the new single and even a barbeque with the band members.

If you’re feeling skint you can still join in on the fun. Eskimo Joe will engage with their fans through social media during the writing and recording process.

“We feel that involving all our supporters like this brings a real responsibility to us to make a fucking awesome record and to also make them feel a real part of it,” the band said in an official statement. “This feels like a new creative beginning for us.”

I must admit to feeling Eskimo Joe’s album was a little lacklustre. I really hope this new direction brings them the inspiration they need to create another Aussie classic!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Staffords Rock Out with New Single

Melbourne rock act The Staffords have created a real gem in their sophomore single “Love Your Job.”

This song is unashamedly catchy with just the right amount of rock edge. You just see if you’re not singing along to the chorus by the end of it! The B-side “All Your Dead Heroes” is another crowd pleaser. You can hear both tunes now on The Staffords’ Bandcamp page.

These tracks have all the mainstream appeal of something coming from a major label, so I was impressed to read the band’s independent and self-managed. Clearly they’ve got a real ear for the kind of music that makes people happy. However the dark cynicism showcased in their lyrics ensure they’re not just another cookie-cutter pop-rock act.

Hometown fans can catch The Staffords playing the new single and other tracks at The Cornish Arms in Brunswick on December 15. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time before we see them travelling around the rest of the country!

Image source: The Staffords Bandcamp page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sons of Rico Release Great New Music Video

Hat’s off to Sons of Rico, who’ve created one of the funniest film clips I’ve seen in some time for their latest single “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing.” In it we see a couple of young yuppies searching for their dream home, only to stumble across a house inspection with a difference. A few drinks and a raucous karaoke session help these fairly stiff lovebirds loosen up!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

John Butler Trio Play Wineries

Music lovers and wine buffs in WA are in for a real treat next year. John Butler Trio will kick off 2013 with two very special shows in the state’s best vineyards.

The threesome will take on Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River on January 3 before moving on to Castelli Winery in Denmark the following day. As a very special treat, homegrown songstress and John Butler’s missus Mama Kin will open both shows.

While these venues are intended for adults, children are permitted to attend so long as they’re with a parent of legal guardian. I love it when venues relax their policies to allow youngsters to see great live music, don’t you?

Tickets are on sale now from Heatseeker.

Image used with permission from JonesPR