Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lincoln Le Fevre Knocks My Socks Off

I must admit, when I receive e-mails offering me private streaming of new music I hope the songs are unremarkable. I don’t want to hear music that gets me excited if I can’t share it with you all. I’d much prefer the music was so boring I couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm to get typing.

And so I’m almost disappointed that “On and On,” the featured track from Lincoln Le Fevre’s sophomore album Resonation is so bloody good. The Tassie troubadour has created a song that’s a little bit country, a little bit folk, and a little bit Aussie rock. Its lyrics and vocals are a bit rough around the edges, but that lack of polish just makes it all the more appealing. It’s genuinely exciting, and that only makes it all the more disappointing that I can’t share it.

So guys, you might just have to pick up a copy of Resonation when it hits stores on October 12. If that one song is any indication, it’s going to be a cracker. Or you could get yourself to one of the following shows.

15 September 2012 – The Old Bar, Fitzroy (Acoustic)
16 September 2012 – The Reverence Hotel, Footscray
21 September 2012 – Republic Bar, Hobart (with Mia Dyson)
27 September 2012 – Royal Oak, Launceston
24 October 2012 – Republic Bar, Hobart
26 October 2012 – Royal Oak Boatshed. Launceston
27 October 2012 – Red Hot Music, Devonport
10 November 2012 – The Reverence Hotel, Footscray
22 November 2012 – X&Y Bar, Brisbane
23 November 2012 – O’Dowds, Rockhampton
24 November 2012 – The Shed – Byron Bay
1 December 2012 – Lass O’Gowry, Newcastle
2 December 2012 – Blackwire Records, Sydney

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Evening Cast Impress with “Factory”

Victorian indie band The Evening Cast have given us our first taste of their forthcoming EP Lake with the single “Factory.”

It’s a great track anchored by beautiful vocals and a great electric guitar riff. It didn’t immediately captivate me, but I found myself listening to it, then putting it on again and again to catch all its nuances. It doesn’t exactly grab you around the throat but it does hook you in.

The Evening Cast seem to be working with all the right people to ensure they make their mark. The EP was produced by Marty Brown (Clare Bowditch, Art of Fighting) and mastered in New York City by Joe LaPorta (Bjork, Foo Fighters).

They’re also about to play support act for Clare Bowditch and Oh Mercy, so if you have tickets to their Geelong shows make sure you turn up early. The Evening Cast are already gaining a reputation as a solid live act, so their sets shouldn’t disappoint.

Here are the places you can see them in the flesh over the coming months.

20 September 2012 – The Brunswick Hotel, Brunswick
19 October 2012 – Bended Elbow, Geelong (supporting Oh Mercy)
27 October 2012 – Drama Theatre @ GPAC, Geelong (supporting Clare Bowditch

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Falling for You” – Carmichael

Queensland’s Carmichael introduces us to his brand of electro-pop with the EP Falling For You.

While it’s billed as an EP, the recording feels a lot more like an old school single. “Falling for You” is the centerpiece, with a standard version, an “alt version,” and three remixes. That focus on one track makes the others feel like B-sides simply supporting the title tune.

“Falling for You” is a solid number though, which undoubtedly deserves its time in the sun. I was particularly impressed with the lyrics, which are far more poetic than the words we find in the average floor filler.

The stripped back coda “Time” is an exquisite bridge between the lead single and Carmichael’s creative cover of “Tainted Love.” It takes real musical instincts to reinvent a song so dramatically. This chilled out but dark take is very clever.

I’m not one for remixes or reworkings at the best of times, so for me the five versions of “Falling for You” felt like overkill. However they do help us see the title tune in new lights.

With his Falling for You EP, Carmichael’s shown he’s got a natural feel for dance pop with heart. The recording doesn’t offer a lot of diversity, but it hints at just what this fledgling artist can do.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lisa Mitchell Announces New Album and Tour

It’s been three long years coming, but Lisa Mitchell is almost ready to release a new full-length album. Bless This Mess, her follow-up to the acclaimed debut Wonder, will hit stores on October 12.

Bless This Mess sees Lisa experimenting with some heavier rock sounds than her first album. However with her trademark whimsical lyrics and sweet melodies still at the fore, fans should lap up the evolution of this exciting singer-songwriter. The album contains the current single and title track “Bless This Mess” and “Spiritus,” the lead single from her recent EP.

Lisa will give us a little time to become acquainted with the new songs before she takes them on the road. Lisa will tour the major capitals and regional centres with a six-piece band and special guests Alpine and Danco (Evermore’s Dann Hume) in tow.

Tickets for the following shows go on sale tomorrow, September 13, at 10 am.

18 October 2012 – Bar on the Hill, Newcastle
19 October 2012 – The Metro, Sydney (All Ages Licensed)
20 October 2012 – Uni Bar, Wollongong
26 October 2012 – The Astor, Perth (All Ages Licensed)
27 October 2012 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
28 October 2012 – HQ, Adelaide
31 October 2012 – Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages Licensed)
2 November 2012 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
3 November 2012 – Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
4 November 2012 – Woombye Pub, Woombye
5 November 2012 – Byron Bay Community Centre, Byron Bay (All Ages Licensed)

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Evil Eddie Celebrates Hip Hop’s “Golden Age”

Evil Eddie celebrates old school hip hop with his brand new single “Golden Age.” The track comes from the former Butterfingers frontman’s highly anticipated solo debut Welcome to Flavour Country, which should hit stores in mid-October.

The track isn’t for sensitive ears or workplaces, but it’s a great commentary on the modern hip hop songs that overuse auto-tune and rap about little of consequence. Its passion and direct to camera video is a nod to hip hop’s formative years. The song is available digitally or as a limited edition CD. Just 500 copies were made, so they’re sure to become collector’s items. If you want one you can buy it through Evil Eddie’s website.

Fans can help bring Welcome to Flavour Country to the masses by investing in a package through Pledge Music. For just $11 you can get a digital download of the album a week before it hits stores, but if you’re feeling a bit more flush you can enjoy even more perks.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bloods Give Unreleased Track Away

Bloods are in a party mood after joining the birthday celebrations for two of Sydney’s favourite venues. They’ll celebrate the anniversary of Oxford Arts Factory on September 15 and play at the party for the Goodgod Small Club on September 29.

Whether you can celebrate with the band or not, you can still enjoy a little present. The punk trio is offering a free download of a special unreleased track “Turn Blue” through their Bandcamp page this month.

The frenetic one-minute song has become a fan favourite, as it signals that a Bloods show is about to begin! Remarkably this recording, produced by their pal Owen Penglis, has all of the energy of the live takes. What do you think?

Image used with permission from Bloods

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

David Campbell @ Mingara, Tumbi Umbi – 8 September 2012

I last saw David Campbell celebrating the music of the 1980s in April. David and classic pop tunes proved to be a match made in heaven, but the somewhat stiff venue of Newcastle’s Civic Theatre didn’t quite gel. So I was thrilled to see the show again last weekend at the Central Coast’s favorite club, Mingara.

In many ways this was the same show I saw a few months ago. The core stories remained, the outfits were every bit as loud, and the set list had just a few tweaks. The ’80s music took centre stage, much to the chagrin of a few murmuring nannas in the audience. They were treated to “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” after intermission, and “Shout” at the conclusion, but David clearly had a vision for the night. As a child of the ’80s myself I lapped it up, even if I did feel a little sorry for those confused old ducks.

Spandau Ballet’s “True” is my favourite song of all time, and again David Campbell transported me back to the time I first heard it. His simple rendition gets to the heart of the classic ballad. The stripped back section, with covers of Yazoo’s “Only You” and Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” was another highlight. And David’s takes on “Goody Two Shoes” and “Come On Eileen” might even be better than the originals.

While I heard the same music as before, there was a more spontaneous feel to the evening that really suited these commercial pop songs. He told us how Mingara was always a favourite place to play, and he seemed to relish the chance to move away from the script. An impromptu question and answer session was a bit of fun, even if the wrinklies turned on him when they discovered young Leo Campbell was yet to meet his grandmother. The inevitable hecklers were treated with David’s trademark humour, and he blew kisses at the women who boogied with abandon at the front of the stage.

David apologised sincerely that he couldn’t meet us all after the show and sign autographs as he usually does, but he needed to be up at quarter past four for another Channel Nine morning show stint. A lesser performer might have cut the show short to hit the highway early, but not David. He performed a full length set that never felt rushed and an enthusiastic encore with the energy turned up to eleven. I certainly wasn’t awake to see the TV performance he gave Channel Nine viewers on Sunday morning, but the one he served up for the Central Coast the night before was flawless.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Electric Empire Announce Homecoming Shows

Fresh from a sell-out tour of Japan, Aussie soul act Electric Empire are returning home for an east coast tour. The big brassy outfit will play shows in the capitals and key regional centres to support their new EP Changin’.

Changin’ doesn’t actually hit stores until October 26, but this warm-up tour should generate plenty of buzz before its release. The disc features Electric Empire’s first new material since 2011’s acclaimed Yes I Will record. Changin’ showcases the quartet’s more mature sound, which builds on their soulful leanings and takes them to the next level.

“We’re opening our minds to mixing a bit of a fresher, wider sound,” the band explained. “It’s 2012 and we’re making a record with all that history, but created with a modern feel.”

Electric Empire are getting plenty of attention abroad. Radio Nova in France and key British publications like The Sun and Q Magazine have thrown their support behind the band. They also played the Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury, and some headline shows in Kazakhstan.

After all that globetrotting they’re keen to play for Aussie audiences. See them doing just that at the following shows. Tickets go on sale at 9 am tomorrow, September 11.

12 September 2012 – Bigsound, Brisbane
1 November 2012 – Heritage Hotel, Wollongong
2 November 2012 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
3 November 2012 – Gearins Hotel, Katoomba
15 November 2012 – AWME @ The Hi Fi, Melbourne
17 November 2012 – Golden Days Festival, Sunshine Coast
23 November 2012 – Mullum Festival, Byron Bay
24 & 25 November 2012 – Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff

Image used with permission from Niche Productions

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guy Sebastian Stays at Number One

Guy Sebastian stays at the top of the ARIA singles charts this week with “Battle Scars.” With four weeks at number one, the song is his most successful to date. His breakthrough single “Angels Brought Me Here” was only at number one for three weeks.

Guy’s keeping company in the top ten with fellow Aussies, Justice Crew. Their song “Boom Boom” shows no signs of fading. It’s at number four this week, a great effort after ten weeks in the charts.

The Sapphires soundtrack is still the best of the Aussie albums, although it’s dropped to number three this week. It’s outselling Missy Higgins‘ The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle, which sits at number six, andd Karise Eden’s My Journey, which is at number eight.

Click below for this week’s top tens.

Continue reading “Guy Sebastian Stays at Number One” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Charlie Horse Woos with “Dead Roses”

When I was a kid, a Charlie Horse was something you’d want to avoid like the plague. However I’ve fallen in love with a new kind of Charlie Horse today, the musical duo behind the new single “Dead Roses.” The song comes from the Sydney duo’s album I Hope I’m Not a Monster.

The track is a dirty country influenced ballad that speaks of a different kind of love affair. Crystal Rose and Paul McDonald’s vocals meld beautifully in this deeply moving track. More of this please!