Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tom Milek Tours Debut EP

Tom Milek is hitting the road to celebrate the release of his debut EP Love & Ambition.

If this charming track “Vicious Circles” is any indication, music lovers are in for a real treat with this disc. I love its organic feel, which sounds like the best of Ryan Adams with a bit of Whitley thrown in.

Tom Milek’s Love & Ambition tour kicks off in his hometown of Melbourne tomorrow and snakes around the country before wrapping up in the same city next month.

5 April 2012 – The Toff, Melbourne
12 April 2012 – Beavs Bar, Geelong
20 April 2012 – The Metro, Adelaide
21 April 2012 – The Loft, Warnambool
9 May 2012 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
10 May 2012 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
24 May 2012 – The Gov, Adelaide
25 May 2012 – Cornish Arms, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Reef’s Gary Stringer

After blazing up the charts with “Put  Your Hands On” in 1997, Reef seemed to disappear from view. But now they’re back with a brand new box set and an Australian tour. I caught up with the band’s lead singer Gary Stringer to chat about those Down Under dates, the retrospective package, and the band’s next chapter.

You’re heading Down Under soon for your first tour in 12 years. Have you missed us?
For sure. Oz was a much favoured destination on the Reef whirlwind and the fact that we’ve  been asked to come back some 12 years later is just amazing.

What are your fondest memories of your last Australian visit?
The people. For example, if we mentioned surfing to someone, we’d be around their house and the garage would be swung open and we could take our pick of boards and suits. Lush. Eating pies after surfing too. Proper job.

You’ll be here for a couple of weeks. Do you have any plans to do some sightseeing?
I want to go to the free trades hall in Melbourne.

You’re touring to promote your new box set which features all your previous albums. What was it like compiling it and looking back on your body of work?
Blinding. Me and Jack [Bessant] were touring with the StringerBessant Yard album until October last year so when  the chance came to put together the box set and tour it around, it seemed just like the right time. The music has held up well. Not so sure about seeing myself as a 20-year-old in the home movie bit mind. The book and 12″ vinyl are ace.

Do you have a favourite song from your back catalogue?
I have a few favourites: “Steal Away,” “Lucky Number,” “Stone for Your Love,” “Say What You Want.”

You reformed in 2010. What inspired you to get the band back together?
Chris Gilks [Reef’s manager].

You’re currently touring at home. How does it feel to be back together, playing these songs you wrote so long ago?
It feels like a party.

You’ve got a reputation as a really dynamic live act. What do you think makes your shows so special?
Well I think you are asking the wrong fellow for this question. We give it our all. I like to get lost in the music. I also like to try and harness the energy of the audience too, you know … get it going on.

Since reforming you’ve playing some major festivals like Isle of Wight and Glastonbury, and soon Lakefest. Are you surprised that people are still interested in what you do so many years later?
Yes. We must have done something right. BBB Radio 1 still play Reef.

Releasing a box set seems a bit like closing one chapter. What does the future hold?
All being well, we start work on a 2nd StringerBessant album in October, and hopefully Dom [Greensmith, Reef drummer] will come play on it with us. Yeah man!

Catch Reef Down Under at the following shows this June.

1 June 2012 – Metropolis, Fremantle
7 June 2012 – The HiFi, Brisbane
8 June 2012 – Billboard, Melbourne
9 June 2012 – The Metro, Sydney

Image credit: Steve Gullick

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nothing’s Gonna Stop The Darkness

Those blasts from the past just keep on coming. After a long absence, British glam rockers The Darkness are returning to our shores for their Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us tour.

Fans will be happy to note the band will tour with their original line up of Justin and Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain, and Ed Graham. The shows won’t just reminisce about the band’s golden days, although I’m sure there’ll be plenty of that. The band will also spruik their third studio album, their first in eight years, which is expected to drop later this year. The disc hasn’t been christened yet, but it will feature the new single “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us.”

Expect shows as epic as the band’s image when The Darkness touch down in May. Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the following dates.

4 May 2012 – Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
5 May 2012 – Panthers, Newcastle
6 May 2012 – UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney
8 May 2012 – The Palace, Melbourne
10 May 2012 – ANU Bar, Canberra

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kim Churchill Launches “Detail of Distance” at Bluesfest

Could there be any better place for local guitarist and singer-songwriter Kim Churchill to launch his sophomore album Detail of Distance than Bluesfest. The album will hit stores on April 5, a day before Kim commences his three-day stint at the iconic Byron Bay festival.

Kim recorded Detail of Distance in Vancouver, Canada with the help of master producer Todd Simko (Xavier Rudd, Bif Naked). It showcases an artist mature beyond his 21 years who’s started to add some rock edge to his bluesy folk sound. You can definitely hear that new energy in “Season’s Grind,” the first single lifted from the album.

Happily for those of us scattered around the countryside it’s worth noting that the Bluesfest slots are far from your only chance to see Kim. He’ll play shows through to June, so he’s bound to pull in to a town near you.

6 April, 7 April & 8 April 2012 – Bluesfest, Byron Bay
19 April 2012 – Mullumbimby Civic Hall, Mullumbimby
20 April 2012 – The Soundlounge, Gold Coast
21 April 2012 – Joe’s Waterhole, Sunshine Coast
22 April 2012 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – The Gum Ball, Maitland
3 May 2012 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla
4 May 2012 – The Standard, Sydney
5 & 6 May 2012 – The Heritage Hotel, Bulli
10 May 2012 – Transit Bar, Canberra
11 May 2012 – Baha Tacos, Rye
12 May 2012 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
13 May 2012 – The Grace Emily, Adelaide
16 May 2012 – Settler’s Tavern, Margaret River
17 May 2012 – The Dunsborough Tavern, Dunsborough (Free Entry)
Fri 18 May 2012 – Prince of Wales Hotel, Bunbury
19 May 2012 – Norfolk Hotel, Fremantle
20 May 2012 – Indi Bar, Scarborough
25 & 26 May 2012 – Blues on Broadbeach, Gold Coast (Free Entry)
31 May 2012 – Club Sapphire, Merimbula
1 June 2012 – Milton Theatre, Milton
2 June 2012 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Image used with permission from Revolutions Per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

R.I.P. Jimmy Little

I was saddened to hear the news this evening that Jimmy Little has passed away after a long battle with illness. At the age of 75 he slipped away in his sleep.

Like many music lovers of my generation I became aware of his music in 1999, when artists like Paul Kelly, The Church, and Nick Cave covered his songs on the Messenger album. After that I was impressed when he took on the songs of U2, PJ Harvey, and other modern musicians on his Life’s What You Make It record.

However Jimmy had hits from the 1950s, including songs like “Royal Telephone,” “El Paso,” and the Barry Gibb penned “One Road.”

The music is just one part of the Jimmy Little story though. He founded The Jimmy Little Foundation in 2006 and campaigned tirelessly to increase the life expectancy of indigenous Aussies. He’s got an Order of Australia, a NSW Senior Australian of the Year title, and he’s in the ARIA Hall of Fame.

For all these things and more, he will be missed.

Image source: Jimmy Little website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Partying for a Purpose Raises Funds for Indigenous Music Programs

If you’re going to go out and party next month, why not do it for a good cause? Major Raiser will host Partying with a Purpose at Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel on May 5.

The event, the fourth of its kind, will raise funds for the Music Outback Foundation. This group donates musical instruments to outback schools to ensure our indigenous kids have the same opportunities for culture expression as those in the city.

Ticket holders will be entertained by Brisbane dance act Mitzi, Triple J darlings Glass Towers, as well as Toucan, Colour Coding, Conics, and Lancelot. If you can’t make it to the event you can also download Let’s Band Together, a compilation which features tracks from all contributing artists. You’ll find it at Major Raiser’s Bandcamp page. All proceeds from the digital release will also help the Music Outback Foundation.

If you can get along and support the event though, I suggest getting them early from Moshtix. Coopers Beer will give complementary ale to everyone who buys a pre-sale ticket, and Moshtix will donate a dollar for every pre-sale ticket to the cause.

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Toot Toot Toots Push the Boundaries with “Outlaws”

The Toot Toot Toots are preparing to unleash their quirky “spaghetti western rock opera” Outlaws on the masses. I can’t recall an album described as such ever crossing my path, but when you listen to these tracks it all starts to make sense.

The record tells the story of the immigrant Eli Rayne and the bloodshed and vengeance that shadows his arrival in the gold rush town of Gomorrah Fields. It also offers a range of musical genres, from gospel to country to mariarchi band to classic doo-wop pop. It’s all very ambitious, especially for a debut album!

Outlaws hits stores today. To celebrate its release, the Toot Toot Toots will visit some of their favourite venues around Australia. If the album tracks I’ve heard are any indication, audiences are in for one hell of a ride!

19 April 2012 – The Junkyard, Maitland
20 April 2012 – The Vanguard, Sydney
21 April 2012 – The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
22 April 2012 – The Phoenix, Canberra
27 April 2012 – The Joynt, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – Queen St Mall, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – X&Y Bar, Brisbane
4 May 2012 – Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
12 May 2012 – The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart

Image used with permission from Show Off Services

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lisa Mitchell Plays Churches

It’s been some time coming, but Lisa Mitchell is finally back with some brand new music and an exciting new tour. To launch her brand new single “Spiritus,” Lisa will appropriately play in some of the country’s most beautiful churches.

Lisa wrote “Spiritus,” which means breath or life-force, at her parents’ country home before recording it with old pal Dann Hume.

“We filled it with light rhythmic energy and percussion from all over the world! It became full of people and voices and laughter and spirit,” she explained.

Surely that spirit will be present when Lisa takes the song and others from her forthcoming follow-up to Wonder to the country’s churches.

“How romantic it will be to play the first tour for my new album inside beautiful historic churches!” Lisa gushed in a press release. “I am so looking forward to sharing these special shows with the talented band that I’ve found and with the listeners that find themselves in the pews!  And I haven’t even mentioned, the darling men of Georgia Fair will be kicking off the evening with their floating harmonies!  What an incredible tour we have to look forward to.”

“Spiritus” is available digitally now ahead of the release of the Spiritus EP early in May. Tickets for her very cool Heavenly Sounds shows are on sale tomorrow through Ticketek.

4 June 2012 – Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
7 June 2012 – St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney
8 June 2012 – St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane
13 June 2012 – St Michael’s Church, Melbourne
14 June 2012 – Flinders Street Baptist Church, Adelaide
15 June 2012 – St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Howie Day @ The Standard, Sydney – 30 March 2012

On Friday night I enjoyed one of the best nights of live music I have in some time at The Standard. American singer-songwriter Howie Day drew me in, but some exemplary supports made the night something truly special.

I fell in love at first note with Patrick James, a sweet young acoustic guitar-playing troubadour from Port Macquarie. He was a cutie, but his modest personality and superb lyrics really won me. Despite being a support act the crowd around me was so respectful that I could really take in the words he sang. Just when I thought his set couldn’t get any better he was joined by his banjo-playing pal. Together they created the perfect indie folk tunes to set the stage for the evening ahead.

I must admit, I was flagging after Patrick. Pub gigs always get so late for this middle-aged music lover! I whispered to my husband that I wished there wasn’t another support act; I wanted to hear Howie and head on home! But there was Brendan Maclean, a magnificent musician who turned my fatigue around. He made a big impression with his colourful jacket and Dwayne Wayne style sunglasses, but as his first impassioned piano driven song unfolded it was clear this guy wasn’t just about looks. His set flew by with quirky originals and cover versions of songs by Leonard Cohen and Lady Gaga. You’re not going to find that combination very often folks! Whether on piano or his beloved ukulele Murphy Brown, Brendan wowed me.

And then there was Howie Day. He’s still largely unknown in this country but I’ve been following his career for the past decade. In fact, my husband and I realised as we sat waiting for him to appear that we’d seen him first eight years ago in New York City. It was the first show we ever saw together, something I was thrilled to tell the man himself once his set wrapped up. But before I reverted to teenage fangirl it was time to soak up his brilliance. His set drew from his three albums and the brand new EP Ceasefire, something that pleased a long-time fan like me greatly. The simplicity of his lone acoustic guitar and plaintive vocals was matched perfectly by his tech wizardry. What that man does with looped recordings blows my mind each time I witness it. It’s such a neat trick that he uses like a pro, making the right songs feel bigger and more lush. However in the more intimate tunes like “She Says” and “No Longer What You Require” he does away with the trickery and lets his guitar and voice speak for themselves. It’s just magic.

I didn’t leave The Standard until around midnight. By that time I’m usually long tucked up in bed. I was exhausted, but so thrilled to have seen such a brilliant set from one of my most beloved musicians along with two more from new favourites. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Images source: Stephen Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Good Ship Return with “Seven Seas”

The Good Ship wowed me with the unique pirate rock of their debut album Avast! Wretched Sea. Now two years later they’re back with a brand new batch of music.

“Seven Seas” is the first single to come from the Brisbane’s band’s second album, which will finally hit stores in the middle of the year. It gets inside the head of a sea loving man serving time for murder and craving his beloved ocean.

To make amends for the extended delay in The Good Ship goodness, the band’s giving away the single, and a cover of Ween’s “Object,” through their website. And they’re also hitting the East Coast for a long awaited tour. Here are all the places you can catch them singing their modern sea shanties in the coming months.

13 April 2012 – The Vanguard, Sydney
14 April 2012 – The Grace Darling, Melbourne
20 April 2012 – Beetle Bar, Brisbane
28 April 2012 – Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna
3 May 2012 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore

Image source: The Good Ship Bandcamp page