Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Expats Gypsy & The Cat Come Home Again

After wowing crowds last month while supporting The Strokes and Foals and playing their own headline shows, Gypsy & The Cat are making another journey home for a few more gigs.

Their appearances at Parklife will be the big ones, but if you don’t have tickets to the festival dates you’ll have plenty of chance to catch them at their Time to Wander sideshows. Fans are in for a real treat, with the band showcasing songs from their soon to be released debut album Gilgamesh. Is that just the most fantastic album name or what?

Tickets are on sale now from the venues.

24 September 2010 – Globe Theatre, Brisbane
25 September 2010 – Parklife, Brisbane
29 September 2010 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
30 September 2010 – Grand Hotel, Wollongong
1 October 2010 – CBD Newcastle, Newcastle
2 October 2010 – Parklife, Melbourne
3 October 2010 – Parklife, Sydney
3 October 2010 – Jive Bar, Adelaide
4 October 2010 – Parklife, Adelaide
6 October 2010 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
7 October 2010 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
9 October 2010 – One Movement Festival, Perth

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Behind Closed Doors” – Walking with Mirrors

It’s impossible to dislike Sydney outfit Walking with Mirrors. With their debut EP Behind Closed Doors they deliver five tracks that easily find their way under your skin. They’re not so revolutionary on the surface, but there’s just something about them.

We’ve all heard this kind of melodic rock before, with its big chords and sing-along choruses. But the conviction behind these songs elevates them above the pack. Lead singer Ryan Burke is a big part of the key to this band’s success. He gives the songs their heart, the gut-wrenching emotion that makes you believe the lyrics, no matter how clichéd some of them might be. I also give props to lead guitarist Jackson Holt, whose blistering hand speed kick so many of the tunes up a notch.

Not that everything hits the mark. While the title track “Behind Closed Doors” is undeniably catchy, when Ryan sings about the pressures of cameras in your face it doesn’t ring true. Perhaps the band simply ascribes to the “fake it until you make it” theory, but it sounds a bit insincere on a debut EP.

But Walking with Mirrors have a great energy, and a natural music sensibility. They rock hard, but they never forget about taking the audience along for the ride. The five tracks are a little samey, but they also appear to have come from a place of real heartache. There’s a lot to like here, and that helps Behind Closed Doors overcome any shortcomings.

Image source: Walking with Mirrors MySpace page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Thirsty Merc Tour Tommy & Krista This Spring

Thirsty Merc are hitting the road again with a brand new tour to promote their brand new single “Tommy & Krista.”

The song is one of my favourite cuts from Mousetrap Heart with its piano pop hooks and fantastic lyrics. It’s clear that Australia agrees, with the song becoming the fifth most added on radio in its first week.

The tour will see the band play 24 shows all around the country this October and November, starting with dates in regional New South Wales. The lads are a well oiled machine at this point, having played some 300 dates together.
Tickets to the following shows go on sale from the venues today.


12 October 2010 – Soldiers Club, Leeton
13 October 2010 – Bended Elbow, Geelong
14 October 2010 – Mac’s Hotel, Melton
15 October 2010 – HQ, Adelaide
16 October 2010 – The Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne
20 October 2010 – RSL Club Resort, Dubbo
21 October 2010 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
22 October 2010 – Bowling Club, Yamba
23 October 2010 – Harrigans, Harrington Waters
24 October 2010 – Caves Beach Resort, Newcastle South
27 October 2010 – Players Bar, Mandurah
28 October 2010 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
29 October 2010 – Astor Theatre, Perth
30 October 2010 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
3 November 2010 – Powerhouse, Toowoomba
4 November 2010 – Joes Waterhole, Eumundi
5 November 2010 – The Hi Fi, Brisbane
6 November 2010 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
12 November 2010 – Wrest Point Showroom, Hobart
13 November 2010 – Saloon Bar, Launceston
17 November 2010 – ANU Bar, Canberra
18 November 2010 –Grand Hotel, Wollongong
19 November 2010 – Metro Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
20 November 2010 – A Day In The Desert Festival, Kalgoorlie

Image source: The Harbour Agency

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Marcia Hines Does Carole King for 40th Anniversary

Marcia Hines is taking on the music of Carole King with her latest album, not so originally titled Marcia Sings Tapestry.

“Carole King’s Tapestry is an album that has been very integral in my life,” explained Marcia in a statement. “I love singing and these songs allow me to sing.”

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: Australian singer Marcia Hines performs at the 70's Disco International party held at the Equilibrium Hotel on July 14, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. The event is the first in a series of 24 parties held in over 24 cities over a 6-month period, re-living the music, colours and fashion of the 70's era. (Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)


Like Marcia, and a great many other girls out there, I also hold Tapestry really close to my heart. I only hope she can do those beautiful songs justice. I’m nervous, as I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone cover those songs just right, but I’ll withhold my judgement until I take a listen.

The release of the album coincides with the 40th anniversary of Marcia’s foray into show business. Goodness isn’t she looking good for it! To celebrate it all, Marcia will perform two intimate shows: one at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre on November 20 and the other at Sydney’s State Theatre on December 4. The first half of the concerts will be dedicated to four decades of Marcia Hines hits, while the second will bring the songs of Tapestry to the stage.

“It’s going to be two very different moods and that’s a beautiful thing,” Marcia said. “I love them both.”

I could say that ending a show on the songs of someone else probably isn’t the best way to celebrate your own career, but I love Marcia too much to be catty about it. Tickets for both shows go on sale on September 15, and the album will hit stores on October 1.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Nikki Jenson

Nikki Jenson, or Nikki J as she’s known on stage,  is the latest young hopeful on the way to country music stardom with the help of the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition. I recently caught up with the Queensland girl who’s just taken out the Cairns heat to chat about the competition, her love of country music, and the dreams she has for her musical career.

You just won the Cairns heat of the Telstra Road to Tamworth. What was it like to be part of that competition?
It was a bit of a whirlwind on the day. The wet weather meant a last minute venue change from the lovely esplanade to a little hotel conference room, which made the process a lot more intimate and daunting. But it was such a great experience to see how much talent there is in North Queensland and see what Telstra are doing for the development of music in Australia. It ended up being a very fun day win or lose, and obviously I was incredibly stoked to win.

I hear that you were stunned to win the Cairns competition. Why was it such a surprise to you?
Well I am only very new to performing my own songs and the songwriting game. So as each person got up I became more nervous because they were just SO good, and I was just thinking the whole thing would at least be really good experience for me. I thought one of the others would win it for sure. So when they announced my name I was just genuinely shocked, but very very happy. This is one of the first serious steps I’ve taken with my own music and I was really excited to that I was successful.

I believe you’ve only just returned to performing and songwriting. What inspired you to get back to it?
All the time while I was at university I was singing on and off but all my other music fell away as I was busy pursuing my “real job.” All that time I felt a massive void and longing for music, so I promised myself that when I moved away for work that I would pick up a guitar and try to start writing. I moved into a gorgeous one-bedroom apartment right on the water at Clifton Beach, and I have to say that location combined with the big life change was very conducive to creativity.

After your break from music, what inspired you to get back out in front of people in this competition?
There is a guy named Terry Doyle who runs a singer/songwriter night at a place called Mondo’s here in Cairns. I had heard about him, so went along to watch and he made me play him one of my songs, and he immediately made me get up on stage and play. I have been going back every week since pretty much and and every time you learn something different, he is very good with feedback and encouraging, so I suppose that along with some pushing from friends helped me get in front of people.
Continue reading “Q & A with Nikki Jenson” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Guns N’ Roses Rock Out with KoRn

Guns N’ Roses have announced a couple of sideshows to complement their appearance at the V8 Supercar Championships in Sydney later this year. The band will headline shows in Townsville, Adelaide, and Perth this December alongside fellow countrymen KoRn.

“This is a very exciting tour for us,” said promoter Andrew McManus. “I saw Guns N’ Roses perform in Helsinki earlier this year and I’ve never seen a bigger crowd. It was a wild concert with over 60,000 fans going freakin’ berserk! They were really well behaved and were there purely to give the band as much energy back as the band gave them, which believe me was a ton full! I got goose bumps hearing the crowd leave the venue all as one singing ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’.”

This tour has been a long time coming, as the band haven’t played Oz since 2007. Personally I think things will never be the same without Slash, but I have no doubt fans will turn out to catch tracks like “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “ November Rain.”

Tickets for all shows go on sale at noon on September 7.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA. JUNE 9, 2010. Guns n' Roses frontman and co-founder Axl Rose (L) and lead guitarist DJ Ashba perform during a concert at Moscow s Olympiysky Sports Arena (Photo ITAR-TASS / Alexei Pantsikov) Photo via Newscom


1 December 2010 – Reid Park, Townsville
7 December 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
11 December 2010 – Motorplex, Perth

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

City Riots Singer Held at Knifepoint

You’d assume that the post offices of Adelaide would be pretty safe places, but Ricky Kradolfer of City Riots has another tale to tell. The singer was recently held at knife point as he waited to mail posters for their upcoming September shows!

But Ricky survived and mailed the posters, so he’d probably be pretty grateful if you got out to the gigs. City Riots will headline shows around the country with The Chemist and play a few festivals as well.

The shows will give you a sneak peek at tracks from City Riots’ debut album, which they recorded recently in the States with legendary producer Bjorn Thorsrud (Smashing Pumpkins, Dandy Warhol, Billy Corgan).

Here are all the dates!

9 September 2010 – Big Sound, Brisbane
17 September 2010 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
18 September 2010 – Jive, Adelaide
24 September 2010 – Spectrum, Sydney
25 September 2010 – Coaster Festival, Gosford
20 November 2010 – Open Arms Festival, Coffs Harbour

Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment/Jason Penney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Anicca” – Greenthief

With a healthy dose of angst and experimentation comes Anicca, the new six-track EP from Greenthief.

Six tracks is ambitious for an EP, but Greenthief are a pretty ambitious band. They love to pair driving guitars and pounding drums with delicate piano and ethereal vocals. They’ve stuck a tune called “Prelude” in the middle of the disc. And you just never know where any song is going to end up.

That was perhaps the most confusing part of this CD for me. I felt I was being taken in one direction, and enjoying it, before the band sent the song to another place. At its worst this kind of treatment lacks focus, and at its best it’s groundbreaking. I admit that I’m still trying to decide.

There’s a lot to like here, especially the opening track “Plea for Sanctuary” with its crunchy guitar chords and hooky chorus, and the epic closer “Grain of Sand.” These tunes hint at the potential of this band. If this is what Greenthief are capable of, I want to hear more of it. They seem to be still experimenting with their sound now and finding their own identity away from their many influences, but this EP hints at real greatness.

Image source: iTunes

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Dan Webb

Singer-songwriter Dan Webb is preparing to load up the van and get out on the road to support his new EP Hyperspace Clearance. But before he does I caught up with Dan to chat about the tour, the EP, and his love of the keys.

You’re touring along the east coast next month. Are you looking forward to getting out on the road?
I’m not gonna lie – it’s been hard organising this tour, but I am really looking forward to playing these shows. Myband members have been on holiday overseas for a few months so I’ve used that time to develop some new songs. I’ve never performed outside Melbourne so it’s really exciting.

This tour is in support of your new EP Hyperspace Clearance. What can you tell me about it?
I really set out to prove a point on my first EP. It was quite heavy compared to this new one. Capitulation was all about showing people that you can play rock music without relying on guitar. Hyperspace Clearance is taking that same concept but taking it to a whole new level by experimenting with some other styles and genres. It’s an EP with a focused direction, tied together by the theme of travel.

You produced this EP yourself. Why was that important for you?
I wanted to head back to the same studio with the same team of people and see if we could make something that sounded completely different to my first EP. I like setting myself challenges. I had a clear idea of which instruments and microphones I wanted to use and so I wanted to have as much of a creative input as possible.

What’s it like being on the other side of the musical desk?
I have to say straight up that the whole project wouldn’t have been possible without my engineer Matt Voigt. He’s responsible for all of the mixing and he did a really great job. I might be able to give directions, make suggestions and requests but at the end of the day, I can’t make a good recording without a talented engineer.

This is your second EP. How do you think you’ve grown since the recording of the first one?
I feel like I’m developing as a songwriter and I’m becoming a bit more confident and adventurous when it comes to writing songs. I was able to take more risks on this EP as a result. I wanted to explore a few different styles and approaches this time round. I recorded clavinet on a track called “Weekends” for example; it’s only there for a few bars but it’s really funky!

Continue reading “Q & A with Dan Webb” →