All posts by Marshall Cullen
Jessie May Kitchen – Star Child (Official Video)
The Insufferable Paul Scott-Reach For Stars(Official Video)
Black Aces – Never Change(official)
Margaret Anne and The Rock It Man Lay Their Souls Bare
Margaret Anne and The Rock It Man’s debut album is called Soul Laid Bare. Lyrically it’s an intensely personal exploration of emotional turmoil after a marriage breakup, while musically it’s an exciting blend of Americana, country, roots, blues, funk and rock.
The title track is due for release on October 25. It was written while singer Margaret Anne was making the agonizing decision to leave a 20 year marriage, break up a family and family home. The song conveys a search for clarity and expresses the fear and recklessness in making such a massive and life changing decision for all involved.
Another album highlight is a song Margaret Anne wrote with renowned Australian singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson. Entitled Don’t Look Back, the track is an exploration of marriage in the aftermath of her breakdown. “Just 2 months after leaving my husband,” says Margaret Anne, “Don’t look Back was written on a sheep station in Nundle (outside Tamworth). It has undertones of loss, sadness and questioning and the decision to move on from the wreckage and not look back.”
Growing up in a seaside town on the south coast of NSW, she was blessed to belong to a musical family so classical piano, guitar and song became a big part of her life.
Margaret Anne says she was heavily influenced by her surfing brothers as she grew up. “We would pool our pennies to buy the latest records. My favourites, and certainly most early influences were Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Stones, Carol King, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Hair! Anything Woodstock!”
Adventurous and a passionate singer songwriter, Margaret Anne continually touches her listeners with her inclusive heartfelt singing, dynamic stage presence and empowering songs. She currently manages and performs in the successful band Firefly.
Soul Laid Bare is a collaboration with Doug Weaver, a talented multi instrumentalist, producer and screenwrite. He has produced and written music for over 200 episodes of the American TV show The MythBusters and also many local programs including Border Security and Beach Cops.
Margaret Anne has always been an adventurer, having previously travelled the world for 11 years and visiting 56 countries. This time her attention is turned inwards and the result is an emotive album full of vulnerabilities and strength.
Soul Laid Bare (the single) is out on October 25.
The album of the same name is due in March 2020.
Download or stream from October 25:
Watch Soul Laid Bare here:
Connect with Margaret Anne:
Sydney’s blues-rock-rockabilly act Toadvine release new EP
Toadvine are a five-piece blues-rock outfit hailing from Sydney, Australia, who dish up a unique blend of blues-tinged rock’n’roll with generous lashings of rockabilly, country and fuzzed-out garage sounds. Their new five-track EP is called Love Is A Dangerous Game.
The band members draw from hugely diverse musical influences, and together pull together a broad musical palette. At the helm is vocalist Mandy Newton, accompanied by a formidable group of seasoned veterans of the rock scene both here and abroad, including guitarists Scott Mackenzie and Phill Salera, drummer Simon Carnovale and bassist Jeff (El Jefe) Newton.
With influences ranging from the legendary Aretha Franklin, Samantha Fish, Chris Stapleton, The Gun Club, Hillbilly Moon Explosion through to Led Zeppelin, Link Wray and The Baby Animals, Toadvine hurl down the riffs and paint them with their own inimitable style. From Mandy’s huge voice, which has been compared to legends Maggie Bell and Susan Marshall, to fuzzed-out, tremolo laced chords wrung from Scotty’s tele and Phill’s sweet and melodic slide and lead work, all held together with a rhythm section that’s all bite, no bark, Toadvine are a formidable unit, and don’t mind letting people know!
With countless live shows under their belts, in late 2019 Toadvine decided to hit the studios once again to record the follow-up to their previous EP, City Livin’.
The five track EP Love Is A Dangerous Game is set for release on 25 October 2019.
TRACK BY TRACK:
Stones and Bones – The EP opener is a rip snorting bluesy garage rock tale about love gone wrong and revenge, featuring a blues harp solo courtesy of Celia Curtis.
Dead Man’s Clothes – cool country Johnny Cash vibe
Dirty Lies – garage rock with a peppering of country roots
More Than Anyone – fun bar-room classic about boy meets girl
Black Naomi – a blues tinged rockabilly sound with the swagger of the Stray Cats
Toadvine will launch the EP at Moshpit Bar, 642A King Street (south end), Newtown on Saturday November 9.
Download or stream from October 25:
Connect with Toadvine:
Oh Cheryl – The Insufferable Paul Scott
Umbrella Man – The Likes Of You(Paul Scott)
Aussie Rockers Black Aces release new EP and announce Tour’
Drawing from the history pages of Aussie rock come Victorian four-piece Black Aces!
Never Change is the name of their new single and also the title track of their new EP. Driven by dirty slide guitar, and a driving tempo, the title track is a catchy and upbeat rocker that pays homage to the old adage that ”some things never change”.
Also featured on the EP is the previously released single, Feverdreams. A fast paced rocker in the vein of the Australian rock greats that have come before them, married with Black Aces signature sound and Tyler Kinder’s distinctive and unique vocals, Feverdreams is a self-deprecating soundtrack to the hangover from hell.
Check out the video here:
As with the band’s 2017 album Anywhere But Here, the new EP was produced by Mark Opitz and Colin Wynne. Opitz has a long list of Aussie rockers from his own ARIA Award-winning career to take inspiration from, including AC/DC, The Divinyls, Cold Chisel, INXS and The Angels.
Formed in rural Australian town Bendigo by singer-guitarist Tyler Kinder, Black Aces set about forming a set of songs influenced by the greats of Aussie rock. Bassist Alex works as a mechanic in the same shed where the band rehearses and write songs.
After developing a strong live following across their homeland and sharing stages with the likes of Cosmic Psychos, Angry Anderson, Dallas Crane, and The Casanovas, Black Aces released their debut album Shot In The Dark in early 2016 and took their live show all the way to Europe and the UK.?
Through sheer hard work the album broke into the top 20 of the iTunes Australia rock charts, and the band ended a bumper year with a show stealing performance at Hard Rock Hell festival in Wales, alongside such heavyweights as Molly Hatchet, Living Color and Ratt – earning themselves a call back to the festival’s main stage alongside the legendary Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) in 2017. The band then released their second album Anywhere But Here in the same year and received a rave review from their famous fan. “Black Aces is like getting a new vintage AC/DC in 2017! And there ain’t nothing wrong with that!… My new turn to album. Anywhere But Here” – Dee Snider, Twisted Sister
The future looks bright for the boys from Bendigo.
UK Label Off Yer Rocka will be releasing the bands new music as per below-
Oct 3 Never Change Video Premiere
Oct 4 Never Change Single release/EP Pre Order/Tour Begins(dates below)
Oct 31 EP Release date
Black Aces are:
Tyler Kinder – Lead Vocals / Lead Guitar
Jarrad Morrice – Rhythm Guitar
Alex McMillan – Bass
Pete McMillan – Drums
(FUN FACT: Despite Alex and Pete sharing the same surname, they in fact aren’t related at all!)
NEVER CHANGE TOUR DATES
Friday – Sunday 4th, 5th, 6th October
Chopped, CARRISBROOK VIC
https://www.chopped.com.au/
w The Chats, The 5, 6, 7, 8’s plus more
Tickets: $230 for weekend pass
Time: Black Aces are appearing at 5.30 on Saturday 5th October.
Saturday 12th October
Shovel Fest, BENDIGO VIC
https://www.centrestaterodders.com/shovel-fest-bendigo
Tickets: $10
Time: 10am start – Band time TBC
Saturday 26th October
Crowbar, SYDNEY NSW
w The Neptune Power Federation
Tickets: $17.85
Time: 8pm
Friday 1st November
Old Bank Hotel, DUBBO NSW
https://www.oldbankdubbo.com/
with Flickertail
Tickets: $10
Time: 8pm
Saturday 2nd November
The Vic Hotel, ORANGE NSW
https://www.victoriahotelorange.com.au/
with Flickertail
Tickets: FREE
Time: 9pm
Friday 15th November
Transit Bar, CANBERRA ACT
http://www.transitbar.com.au
with Flickertail, Loud So Clear & Babe Fiasco
Tickets: $10 presale and $15 on the door
Time: 8pm
Saturday 16th November
Botany View Hotel, NEWTOWN NSW
https://www.botanyviewhotel.com/
with Flickertail
Tickets: TBA
Time 8PM
Sunday 17th November
Frankies Pizza, SYDNEY NSW
https://www.frankiespizzabytheslice.com/
with Lagerstein
Tickets: FREE
Time: 7PM
Friday 29th November
Stay Gold, BRUNSWICK VIC
https://staygoldmelbourne.com.au/
with Smoke Stack Rhino, Dead Preachers + TBA
Tickets: TBA
Saturday 21st December
Golden Vine Hotel, BENDIGO VIC
https://www.facebook.com/goldenvinebendigo/
Support TBC
Tickets: $10
Time: 9PM
The Never Change EP will be available to pre-order from October 4.
Officially released on October 31st.
Download or stream:
Connect with Black Aces:
