Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Harry James Angus Goes Solo

The Cat Empire’s Harry James Angus is taking advantage of his band’s hiatus and releasing a solo album.

Little Stories will be released digitally on September 16 and in stores on October 10. It’s been a bit of a labour of love, with Harry spending the last three years penning the tracks.

“These little stories have provided me with hours of entertainment, just me in the lounge
room. Sometimes my long-suffering wife will patiently listen as I stumble through an idea, but usually it’s just me – laughing at my own jokes, lip trembling at my own tragedies, watching the characters come alive – and the whole story just unfurls, eventually, like a patchwork sail,” Harry said.

Harry James Angus will celebrate Little Stories’ release with a tour of the major capitals later this month.

8 September 2011 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
17 September 2011 – The Vanguard, Sydney
25 September 2011 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

Image source: Elvina Mae

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Baby Animals Rock Australia with New Tunes

The Baby Animals are ready to rock again with a string of shows in October.

It’s been a bit quiet on the Baby Animals front since they supported Train and INXS on those Day on the Green shows in January. But there’s been a good reason for their absence from the live scene. The band’s been huddled away in the studio recording new songs for a forthcoming album which they’ll unleash at these shows.

Fans from the beginning shouldn’t stress though; I’m sure you’ll still get to hear “Early Warning” and “One Word”!

You can catch this stellar live act at the following shows next month.

8 October 2011 – Caloundra Music Festival, Caloundra
21 & 22 October 2011 – Annandale Hotel, Sydney
28 October 2011 – Canberra Southern Cross Club Events Centre, Canberra
29 October 2011 – Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, Windsor
31 October 2011 – Cup Eve @ Corner Hotel, Richmond

Image source: Danni Nix

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rolling Stone Photographer Baron Wolman Brings Rock Photos to Oz

Baron Wolman, Rolling Stone’s first ever photographer, is heading to Australia to celebrate exhibitions of his rock photography in Sydney and Melbourne. The shows will draw from Baron’s book Every Picture Tells a Story … The Rolling Stone Years, which hits stores today.

The exhibitions will feature portraits of some of rock music’s most influential figures including Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, and Miles Davis captured during Baron’s three-year tenure with the music bible.

You can see Baron Wolman’s artworks at Sydney’s Blender Gallery from September 17 to October 22, and at Melbourne’s Raw Gallery from September 23 to October 23.

Image used with permission from Anouk Van Meeuwen Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“So She Says” – Mark Boulle

I first fell for the tunes of Mark Boulle through his work with the Haba Dudes, so I approached his solo effort So She Says with great interest. Happily this solo endeavor doesn’t disappoint.

With this album Mark’s been able to flex his creative muscles in a new way. You can’t completely take the gypsy out of his sound. “Gold Coast” in particularly feels like it could have been lifted from a Haba Dudes record. But in general the sound is a bit more mainstream with its blend of pop, rock, and blues.

At his heart Mark is a songwriter. His vocals aren’t the prettiest, but the truth in the words he writes give the songs a real beauty. I loved the relatable story of “On the Brink,” which tells the tale of a girl feeling like her life just isn’t what she wants. I felt the heart in “Sweeter Deeper,” and found the jaunty melody of the title track irresistible. The Tender “Hold Your Head Up” is a beautiful closer with a great take home message of keeping courage when you’re feeling up against it all.

These heartfelt tunes are matched with a bare bones treatment. It was cut at Mark’s Gold Coast home, and that lack of studio frills really serves the songs well. That rawness allows the lyrics to come to the fore, and that’s where he really excels. I think a studio might swallow these songs up. So She Says is an album with some rough edges, but that’s one of its real strengths.

Image source: CD Baby

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gotye Dominates ARIA Charts

Gotye has scored a chart doubler, taking out the top spots on both the ARIA singles and albums charts.

His single “Somebody That You Used To Know” doesn’t show any sign of budging, taking out the number one possie for the third consecutive week. The album Making Mirrors zoomed into the top spot on the album charts on its debut after selling a massive 35, 000 copies. It’s the first album to achieve these kind of weekly sales all year, and has deservedly received gold status. Something tells me it won’t be too long til it breaks platinum.

An Australian act hasn’t achieved the double since Silverchair did it back in April 2007 with “Straight Lines” and Young Modern. Congratulations Gotye on breaking the drought!

This week isn’t all about Gotye though. After the album charts were looking a little bare, it’s now crowded with Aussie talent. Australia’s Got Talent winner Jack Vidgen achieved an impressive number three debut with his album Yes I Am, beating out Josh Pyke’s newie Only Sparrows which sits at number four. And Boy & Bear are still hanging in there; Moonfire sits at number 9.

Now if only some of those albums can spawn some charting singles! Gotye is currently keeping company with Jessica Mauboy in the top 10. Her latest track “Inescapable” has slipped one and sits at number 5 this week.

Click below for all the chart action.

Continue reading “Gotye Dominates ARIA Charts” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Ghosts of the Past” – Eskimo Joe

I came to Eskimo Joe a bit later in the game. I was always aware of their music through the radio, but it wasn’t until the release of Inshalla that I really connected with the band. So I was pretty excited to see what they served up with their newie, Ghosts of the Past. The single “Love is a Drug” set the bar high, but sadly I’ve got mixed feelings about the disc.

It’s really hard to put my finger on exactly why I haven’t connected with this recording. It sounds gorgeous. Eskimo Joe are a talented trio, and they’re probably incapable of making bad, or even mediocre, music. This disc is really piano rich, and that gives the album an epic feel. It helps the music soar and elevates it beyond the guitar-rock the band used to deliver.

And there are some really great songs here. “Gave it All Away” is such a strong opener, with its big rock sounds and crashing drums. I loved the quirkyness of “Echo,” which has one of the most unusual and compelling melodies I’ve heard in some time. The title track seems destined to become a single. It’s got just the right combination of rocking riffs and melodic hooks to appeal to the MMM set.

A lot of the disc is quite big, but I prefer it when it’s less grandiose. The alt-country feel of “Just Don’t Feel,” with its acoustic guitars and rich strings, was like a breath of fresh air. And I was initially struck by the simplicity of the closer “Sky’s on Fire.” The initial portion feels like it was recorded on an eight-track in a bedroom. That lack of polish gave it a real truth, so I was disappointed when this track too became big.

Frankly I could listen to an album of the small stuff, and that might be where my problem with Ghosts of the Past lies. This album sounds incredible, but such refinement comes at the expense of some soul. The lyrics are really strong, but it’s difficult to focus on them with so much else going on. It’s interesting that Eskimo Joe gave fans a preview of this album with an acoustic tour. Personally I think that stripped back delivery would have made these songs much more compelling than the wall of sound the band’s offered here. Ghosts of the Past is far from a bad album, but it’s not quite the record it could have been.

Image source: Eskimo Joe website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Empire Tour New Album

Sydney quartet New Empire seem to have a taste for touring. They’re preparing to head out on the road to support Simple Plan, and they’ve just announced they’ll embark on a headline tour once that wraps up.

The band are working hard to support the release of their new album Symmetry, which will hit stores on September 16. Their frontman Jeremy Fowler promises a tour like no other they’ve undertaken.

“For us, it feels like the live showcase of everything we’ve been working towards for the past two years,” he explained. “We’ll be pulling out everything we’ve got for this tour, it’ll be full of surprises, it will be … epic!”

You can see New Empire giving everything they’ve got at the following shows.

30 September 2011 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (with Simple Plan)
1 October 2011 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney (with Simple Plan)
4 October 2011 – Palace Theatre, Melbourne (with Simple Plan)
14 October 2011 – Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane
15 October 2011 – Centenary Lakes Festival, Caboolture
22 October 2011 – Prince Bandroom, St Kilda (Afternoon)
22 October 2011 – Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne (Evening)
28 October 2011 – The Maram Hotel, Canberra
29 October 2011 – Factory Theatre, Sydney
4 November 2011 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
5 November 2011 – Cockburn Youth Centre, Cockburn (Afternoon)
5 November 2011 – Norfolk Basement, Fremantle (Evening)

Image used with permission from Revolutions Per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Levi McGrath Tours Inspiring “Children of War” Album

Melbourne singer Levi McGrath has been a busy man since releasing his debut album Move two years ago. He’s toured New Zealand and the United States, worked with World Vision in Uganda, and visited Compassion projects in Thailand. Clearly this is a performer who cares about more than the music.

After jetsetting around the world, Levi’s returned home to launch his new album Children of War. The disc contains a powerful collection of songs inspired by his aid work abroad.

“I want for my music to impact people’s hearts and change people’s lives,” he said in a press release. “I want to be a voice of challenge to inspire people to open up their hearts to a bigger world.”

Levi will bring the recently released album to a wider audience when he plays the following shows in Victoria and New South Wales in September and October.

29 September & 1 October 2011 – Seraphim Upstairs @ Melbourne Fringe Festival, Fitzroy
2 & 3 October 2011 – Blackstump Music Festival, Appin
30 October 2011 – Wallan Gateway Church, Wallan

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Scissor Sisters, The Living End, & Grandmaster Flash Rock Eclectic Pyramid Festival

If you missed out on those Falls Festival tickets, don’t despair. The folks at Pyramid Rock are serving up a very enticing New Years Eve alternative.

More than 50 international and local rockers will descend on Victoria’s Phillip Island from December 29 to January 1. The penguins better find some ear plugs, because Scissor Sisters, The Living End, Grandmaster Flash, Ash Grunwald, Gotye Boy & Bear, Drapht, Spiderbait, Bluejuice, Calling all Cars, RocKwiz Live, and more will be taking the stage. And that’s all just in the first announcement!

Two and three day passes are available including free camping to get you into that festival spirit. Tickets go on sale on the Pyramid Rock Festival at 9 am on September 14.

Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Voltaire Twin’s Scary New “Anamalia” Music Video

Perth indie duo Voltaire Twins have released their new single “Anamalia” and its more than a little creepy accompanying film clip.

This upbeat melodic electro gem gives us out first taste of the band’s forthcoming second EP Romulus, which is due to hit record store shelves in early October.

If the song floats your boat make sure you head to the band’s Facebook page. They’re giving away a free download of the track, plus a bunch of remixes, to anyone who “likes” it!