I expected Jazz in the Vines would be bigger than ever on its 20th anniversary, but I’m blown away at the talent assembled for 2012.
For the first time international acts will grace the stage at the Hunter Valley’s Tyrell Vineyards including New Orleans jazz legend Henry Butler and the United Kingdom’s Dixie Ticklers. They’ll join local heroes including Grace Knight, Tom Burlinson, and festival favourite Lisa Hunt.
More acts will be announced in the coming months, but that’s probably enough to get fans excited about the October 29 festival. Promoters will reward that loyalty by offering discounted early bird tickets Gets yours from the Jazz in the Vines website from March 19.
Where has Sydney’s Jack Colwell been all my life? The classically-trained composer come alt-pop musician has wowed me with his new single “Captain’s Melody.”
The track gets an official release on March 30, but you can have a sneaky early listen here. It’s such a rich track, with Cat Stevens’ like vocals and a stunning orchestral backing. That gorgeous sound comes from the band Jack’s dubbed his Owlchestra.
“Captain’s Melody” is the second single to come from Jack Colwell’s debut album Picture Window, which hits stores in May. To celebrate the new single’s release Jack and his Owlchestra will play a very special show at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music on March 30. Tickets at the door cost just $20 for adults over 30, and $15 for folks under 30 and concession holders, and that includes complimentary drinks. That sounds like a bargain to me!
Crooked Saint turns up the charm with this new single “Man in Waiting,” the second to come from his Sweating Bullets EP.
The Melbourne troubadour has created a gorgeous folk rock tune driven by his jangly banjo and warm harmonica. The song is about having too much fun, and the inevitable repercussions of living with such wild abandon. It was never intended to be a single, but it’s had such positive feedback that Crooked Saint couldn’t resist giving it a digital release.
After relocating to Sydney and Los Angeles for months at a time last year, Crooked Saint has turned his attentions back to his home state. He’s currently playing shows in his native Victoria, along with a very special Live in Your Lounge gig. Want him to play in your lounge? Then just head to ToneDeaf to enter!
15 March 2012 – Baha Tapas & Taco, Rye
16 March 2012 – The Torquay Hotel, Torquay
17 March 2012 – The Espy Basement, St Kilda
24 March 2012 – Live In Your Lounge
This week Oceanics wowed me with their new single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” so when I got the opportunity to chat to the band’s guitarist Jackson Haswell I jumped at the chance. Read on to find all about the song that’s stuck in my head, the band’s forthcoming EP, and life on the road.
You’re releasing your second EP at the end of the month. What can you tell me about it?
We’d like to think that it’s a solid step in a more mature direction. Wayne Connolly really helped us develop as a collective, and better understand the principles of songwriting.
What do you think you learned between the recording of your first EP and this one?
Once again, I attribute a lot of the learning process to Wayne Connolly here. Our approach to writing songs, especially at the guitar platform, has been influenced. Elliot and I began working on newer material even during the recording process of this EP, and are excited to keep trucking with our new approach.
What was it like stepping into the studio the second time around?
Considering it was a larger studio, miles from home, it was different to say the least. We borrowed Wayne’s excellent amp collection and really had a chance to mess around with sounds and make forward strides in our journey to finding our sound.
The EP features the single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” which is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard lately. Why did you choose to share it with the public?
Thank you very much! It was a decision influenced by radio pluggers and PR types from Melbourne to Brisbane. Next time I’d be very interested to see how a decision would fare, based purely upon the band’s collective instinct.
Your press release credits your friendship as one of the keys to the band’s success. How did you all meet?
That sounds cute. I would say we’re as friendly with each other as any other young band. We all have our own friendship circles outside Oceanics. Elliot and I were friends in high school, and met Andy and Tom later when we decided to take our Simon and Garfunkel guitar duo to the live stage.
You’re about to start touring the East Coast to support the EP’s release. How do you feel about that?
We’re flying to Melbourne on Thursday night to begin the first of the shows. We’re excited to be playing that far south once again. It’s been a while.
What do you love most about playing live?
Playing electric guitar is where I find my personality extended to its fullest. Being applauded by a large group of people for purely doing what I love is the best thing I’ve encountered in my 20 years on this planet.
Will the rest of Australia get the chance to see you any time soon?
At this stage, places like Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania aren’t a feasible option. It’s certainly something I’ll be pushing for as soon as possible though. This country is huge and I want to do laps of it.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Writing as many songs as possible for the foreseeable future. We want an extensive song bank to choose from for our next studio production, whenever that may be.
You can catch Oceanics doing their thing at the following venues this month and the next.
15 March 2012 – Laundry, Melbourne
16 March 2012 – FBi Social, Sydney
22 March 2012 – Cobra Kai, Brisbane (EP Launch)
23 March 2012 – Elsewhere, Gold Coast (EP Launch)
12 April 2012 – Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney
13 April 2012 – Mum, Sydney
14 April 2012 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
With singer Clint Boge spreading his wings, The Butterfly Effect are closing their current chapter with the release of a retrospective album, called Effected, on April 23. The 18-track disc spans The Butterfly Effect’s entire history, from their self-titled debut EP to their 2007 album Final Conversation of Kings.
The classic Butterfly Effect will take these beloved songs on the road one last time for the Effected tour. The tour dates offer fans a final chance to see the line-up that’s rocked Australia for the last ten years.
Tickets for the Effected shows are selling fast, and The Butterfly Effect are thanking fans for that support with the release of a free acoustic version of “Gone.” It’s available exclusively to members of The Butterfly Effect’s mailing list. You can sign up through the band’s Facebook page.
The enthusiastic response for tickets means they won’t last too much longer. Get your from the venues for the following shows.
27 April 2012 – Andergrove Tavern, Mackay
28 April 2012 – The Venue, Townsville
29 April 2012 – Brothers Leagues Club, Cairns
2 May 2012 – The Great Northern, Byron Bay
3 May 2012 – The Arena, Brisbane
4 May 2012 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
5 May 2012 – Kings Beach Tavern, Sun Coast
9 May 2012 – The Plantation, Coffs Harbour
10 May 2012 – Panthers Leagues, Newcastle
11 May 2012 – UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney (Licensed All Ages)
12 May 2012 – Waves, Wollongong
16 May 2012 – UCU Bar, Canberra
18 May 2012 – Bended Elbow, Geelong
19 May 2012 – Inferno, Traralgon
20 May 2012 – Pier Live, Frankston
22 May 2012 – Hotel New York, Launceston
23 May 2012 – Wrest Point Casino, Hobart
25 May 2012 – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
26 May 2012 – The Bridgeway Hotel, Adelaide
27 May 2012 – HQ, Adelaide (Licensed All Ages)
2 June 2012 – Prince Of Wales, Bunbury
3 June 2012 – Metro City, Perth
Justin Hunter’s served up a music video that also serves as a travelogue for his new single “Courage.”
The video for the piano driven instrumental piece is made up of photographs Justin snapped while visiting The Netherlands recently. The combination of holiday snaps and soothing piano sounds is unusual, but no one who combines instrumental music with marathon running was going to play by the rules.
You might not have heard of Justin, but this Melbourne based pianist has sold tens of thousands of albums without a record label or a publicity team. Without the tools of the trade to rely upon, Justin’s music simply had to speak for itself. Now that he’s just inked a deal with Sydney’s Source Music, the sky’s the limit.
“Courage” comes from Justin’s third album Mountains to Masses, which hits stores and iTunes today.
Brisbane electro act Re:Enactment are so excited to release their first album Sport, they’re giving it away.
“If you’re an impoverished music fan in a place where the only way to afford buying music is to either sell off your pet goat or sister, then I’m genuinely excited at the prospect of you not having to do that in order to own our music,” said the band’s vocalist and guitarist Jacob Hicks. He’s even prepared to give it away to yuppies, or indeed anyone who just expects a handout.
However, if you love the music and want to help Re:Enactment make more of it you can make a $10 donation to the band.
Public Enemy have announced headlining shows in the capital cities to complement their upcoming appearances at Groovin’ The Moo. Why should the country kids have all the fun?
The Australian dates mark the hip hop act’s 25 years in the business. To celebrate the milestone we’ll see Chuck D, Flava Flav, and the rest of the lads playing tracks from their formative years and some from their two forthcoming albums. The band are showing no signs of slowing down in their old age; Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear On No Stamp will hit stores in June, and The Evil Empire of Everything will join it in September.
You can be part of Public Enemy’s anniversary celebrations by grabbing a ticket to one of the following shows.
5 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Bendigo
6 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Townsville
10 May 2012 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
11 May 2012 – The Metro, Sydney
12 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Maitland
13 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Canberra
17 May 2012 – The Esplanade Hotel, St. Kilda
19 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Bunbury
Image used with permission from Reckoning Entertainment
Barry Southgate is back with “You,” the latest release from his Epitome EP. This is another sweet slice of soul music from this exciting Aussie talent, and I’m sure girls who love Chris Brown and Jason Derulo are going to lap it up.
The single comes off the back of a bumper twelve months for Barry. He took out Radar Radio’s Unsigned Find competition, and was also named a NA2R finalist. He also scored support slots for some of his favorite soul acts including Brian McKnight, Joe, Eric Benet, and K-Ci & JoJo.
2012 doesn’t sound like it’ll slow down either. Barry will appear alongside Deb Mailman and Jessica Mauboy in The Sapphires movie, and a song he co-penned will feature on Stan Walker’s new album Let the Music Play. Hopefully his own full-length record won’t be too far away!
Barry Southgate first came onto my radar when he was an Australia Idol semi-finalist a few years ago, and I’m thrilled to see him continuing to make his mark on the local scene.
Oh Mercy have brought their brand of indie pop-rock to America. The Aussies are Stateside to promote their latest album, cheekily titled Great Barrier Grief.
Oh Mercy’s latest disc was inspired by the classic albums and songwriters who’ve influenced the band’s members over the years. It hit number 13 on the ARIA charts, and its songs are receiving plenty of airplay on American college radio. No doubt that will inspire plenty of young Americans to check out the following shows, including their third appearance at South by Southwest.
3 March 2012 – The Echo, Los Angeles
14 March 2012 – The Studio, Austin
14 March 2012 – Joe’s Crab Shack, Austin
16 March 2012 – Official Sonicbids SXSW Showcase @ Maggie Mae’s, Austin
17 March 2012 – Aussie BBQ @ Maggie Mae’s, Austin
21 March 2012 – Hard Luck, Toronto
22 March 2012 – Library Bar, Toronto
24 March 2012 – Aussie BBQ @ El Mocambo, Toronto
25 March 2012 – Aussie BBQ @ The Bellhouse, Brooklyn
I expected Jazz in the Vines would be bigger than ever on its 20th anniversary, but I’m blown away at the talent assembled for 2012.
“Captain’s Melody” is the second single to come from Jack Colwell’s debut album Picture Window, which hits stores in May. To celebrate the new single’s release Jack and his Owlchestra will play a very special show at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music on March 30. Tickets at the door cost just $20 for adults over 30, and $15 for folks under 30 and concession holders, and that includes complimentary drinks. That sounds like a bargain to me!
27 April 2012 – Andergrove Tavern, Mackay
Brisbane electro act Re:Enactment are so excited to release their first album Sport, they’re giving it away.
5 May 2012 – Groovin’ The Moo, Bendigo