Tag Archives: album

News and Touring

CB Ghost Announces Tour Dates

UPCOMING SHOW DATES!

20th August – Mumbo Jumbo’s, Terrigal, NSW – Event Link

28th August – Bevanda Bar, Wollongong – Event Link

4th September – Lazybones Lounge, Marrickville, NSW – Event Link

5th September – The Savoy Bar and Music Lounge, Long Jetty, NSW – Event Link

6th September – Society City, Wollongong, NSW – Event Link

11th September – The Tote Hotel, Collingwood, VIC – Event Link

12th September – The Barwon Club, South Geelong, VIC – Event Link

13th September – Club Palm Beach, Palm Beach, NSW – Event Link

The album, as the title suggests, goes beyond the singles released so far, taking the listener on an audible journey from Bob Dylan-like stripped back melancholy tracks such as Garage Restitution, to foot tapping bangers like One Wave at a Time. And even, sea shanty violin-filled duets like Anchor, all the way to full blown rock beast in Carry Me Home which closes the album with a bang (cover of 80s Punk legends The Slaves tune with singer and lyricist Rik L. Rik).

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CB Ghost, a songwriter with an honest simple folk-rock style that captures the essence of a complicated existence with singalong tunes and poetic lyrics and sometimes a banger beat. A former pro surfer, CB Ghost is driven, bold and dedicated to his evolving sound and a deep love of blue-collar folk. His background provides him with a deep connection to toe tapping Celtic, country and straight-ahead heartfelt rock music mixed with salt water from the ocean.

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Steve Kilbey & Gareth Koch Release Album ‘Songs From Atlantis’

In their latest album, Songs from Atlantis, Steve Kilbey & Gareth Koch re-imagine deities and figures from antiquity. Their album creates an esoteric impression of an ancient mythical kingdom, when Poseidon ruled the undersea and the Augur interpreted the will of the gods.

The music on Songs from Atlantis is in turn mystical, powerful and reflective. The textures range from glistening harmonics to diving liquid slides. Some of the music is almost aqueous, with resonator guitars producing a type of whale song while lyres evoke an idea of Ancient Greece.

Kilbey and Koch have created a highly contrasting collection of songs and moods, ranging from the haunting tenderness of Calliope’s Song to the grinding majesty of Hyperion’s Oar. Shimmering and water-like, the music and lyrics evoke the lives of ancient gods, servant girls and soothsayers.

Atlantis, an island mentioned in Plato’s works, is described as an empire that ruled all parts of the world. After falling out of favour with the deities the city is subsumed into the Atlantic Ocean.

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What unites the musical spheres of an Australian rock icon and a Viennese-trained classical musician?

The answer lies in a shared aesthetic and approach to their craft. There is a wistful and haunting lilt to the Kilbey/Koch songs, as they float seamlessly through a narrative of fallen crowns and enchanted gardens.  To compliment the poignant lyrics is a delicious instrumentation, weaving and waif-like, alternately brimming with rhythmic drive.

Steve Kilbey, also known as the frontman of veteran rock band The Church, has generated a lifetime of beautifully crafted songs. His subtly esoteric lyrics create an aura of mystery, posing questions and teasing the listener with riddle-like answers.

Gareth Koch is a European-born classical guitarist and composer who has recorded most of the major repertoire. His compositional style reflects a lifelong engagement with classical, folk, rock and flamenco music. Although not easy to define, Koch’s music is often characterised by medieval gestures, influenced by the unrequited longing style of the French Trouveres (singer-poets) of the 12th century.

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The Mezcaltones Score #2 Place on ABARAC Charts!!

Congratulations to The Mezcaltones for scoring the #2 debut spot for the new album on the Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Chart

View the Chart HERE: http://abarac.com.au/australian-charts-2025.php

“They’re baaaaaack!! Hell, they never left. Australian surf-cowboy-Country-Rockers The Mezcaltones just released their fifth album entitled Big Hat, No Cattle. While the phrase describes someone who dresses the part without doin’ any of the work, it sure as hell ain’t a self-descriptor. If anything, this band wears their big hats and herds the cattle, then fixes dinner at the chuck wagon for the whole damn posse.”
– Wiley Koepp
“Big Hat No Cattle fuses twangy outlaw country, surf rock energy and cinematic storytelling, delivering a high octane listening experience from start to finish”
https://www.wokechimp.com/music/the-mezcaltones-big-hat-no-cattle
“Original, extraordinary, genuine, distinctive, and proves to create an attractive world of its own”
“A blistering collection of songs that wander across a landscape that is both nostalgic and celebratory while continuing to make such music relevant and revered in the modern age”
– Dave Franklin
“An electrifying, genre-defying masterpiece, proving that The Mezcaltones are not just keeping the spirit of Hillbilly Surf Music alive—they’re reinventing it for a whole new generation”
– Jacob Aiden
“Another milestone in their impressive career, an album that promises to be a fan favorite and a staple in the alt-country panorama. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their sound, The Mezcaltones’ latest album is a must-listen”
– Grant Williamson

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Northern Beaches Band The Mezcaltones perform regularly at Sydney venues – The Orient (The Rocks), Marrickville Bowlo, Collaroy Beach Club, Brighton RSL to name a few. They have also performed at eight Tamworth Country Music Festivals; Groundwater CMF; Blues on Broadbeach; Sydney Blues & Roots Festival; Dashville Skyline Festival; and Greazefest.

Their sound can be difficult to describe – mixing original songs with rare tracks you might find on Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movies or B-Grade 60’s Sci-Fi Flicks the guitars are richly infused with surf tones and 60’s Twang served up with a healthy dose of Cowpunk brashness. One booker described them as “Mexican Hillbilly Surf Music”. One punter said “lf Johnny Cash surfed he’d have sounded like you guys”.

Their antics are captivating. The band is fronted by vocalist Col Padre (who engages in tongue in cheek choreography) and dancer/singer/percussionist Mimi. Mimi is renowned for her routines involving gymnastic ribbons used as whips, hula hoops, fans and whatever else she can lay her hands on.

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The Mezcaltones Release Album ‘Big Hat No Cattle’

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Big Hat, No Cattle is the fifth studio album from the Mezcaltones and it comes together for an early 2025 release.

The Mezcaltones’ songs are mined from the rich seam of Alt Country, Roots, Rockin’ Blues and Surf Guitar with a nod to two of their favourite artists; and it’s all wrapped up in their inimitable Mezcaltones Hillbilly Surf Music Style.

Big Hat, No Cattle was recorded at Damien Gerard studios in West Gosford with Andrew Beck at the engineering controls; mixed by Russell Pilling; mastered by William Bowden; produced by the Mezcaltones; and artwork by Stephen Awdry & Melinda Nassif.

The CD is available for purchase at gigs and The Mezcaltones website or can be streamed via your favourite online format.

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Northern Beaches Band The Mezcaltones perform regularly at Sydney venues – The Orient (The Rocks), Marrickville Bowlo, Collaroy Beach Club, Brighton RSL to name a few. They have also performed at eight Tamworth Country Music Festivals; Groundwater CMF; Blues on Broadbeach; Sydney Blues & Roots Festival; Dashville Skyline Festival; and Greazefest.

Their last album ‘Agave Soirée’ entered the Australian Blues and Roots airplay charts at #7 before spending five months embedded in the Top 20.

Their sound can be difficult to describe – mixing original songs with rare tracks you might find on Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movies or B-Grade 60’s Sci-Fi Flicks the guitars are richly infused with surf tones and 60’s Twang served up with a healthy dose of Cowpunk brashness. One booker described them as “Mexican Hillbilly Surf Music”. One punter said “lf Johnny Cash surfed he’d have sounded like you guys”.

Their antics are captivating. The band is fronted by vocalist Col Padre (who engages in tongue in cheek choreography) and dancer/singer/percussionist Mimi. Mimi is renowned for her routines involving gymnastic ribbons used as whips, hula hoops, fans and whatever else she can lay her hands on. Big Daddy K from 2RRR’S Sydney Sounds show described the Mezcaltones as the best live band in Sydney.

The costumes make for an outstanding visual – four guys dressed as party hire Cowboys and two girls dressed as Spanish gunslingers with several minor costume changes throughout the show involving masks, veils and mirror shades. Sounds corny… sure is.

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Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels Release Album ‘The Road To Tibooburra’

Steve Kilbey: During the early days of Covid 19, I met a guy called Julian who asked me to be in a short silent film he was making called ‘Space Junk’. ‘Space Junk’ was about a stranger (moi) who comes to a remote-ish Australian town during the pandemic and has a number of adventures including aliens and angry villagers and other various kinds of weirdness.

The film got kinda finished and had a couple of screenings in a room but then seemed to be abandoned and never properly completed. Julian then repurposed it for a musical about a washed-up and ageing rockstar called Lord Jim (moi again) who takes a strange crew off to Tibooburra searching for his comeback.

Julian asked me to write all of the songs for the musical, which I did and enjoyed doing too. I recorded them all with a wonderful band of players who also appear on my albums 11 Women and The Hall of Counterfeits, whom I dubbed the Winged Heels.

Well then after sitting in the can for ages I have decided to release this weird collection of tunes. They are in no particular order so you’ll just have to figure it all out for yourself. Or just make up your own plot and story and sit back and enjoy. I have also thrown into the mix some contemporaneous songs I was working on with the Heels at the time but I now look upon them as perhaps part of the musical and let you try to make some sense of all this.

Steve Kilbey, band singer, songwriter, bassist, painter, writer, poet, actor, sage, dispenser of
arcane wisdom is one of Australia’s most loved artists.

The popular song “Under the Milky Way” won the “Best Single of the Year” award at the
Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards event in 1989. For his work with
The Church, Kilbey then accepted, together with his bandmates, an induction into the ARIA
Hall of Fame.

Steve got his first bass guitar at age 16, joined a band at 18 and went on to form a number of different groups before forming The Church in 1980. He has gone on to release many solo albums and collaborations with recording artists from around the globe.

“Kilbey’s solo recordings are challenging and evocative. . . joyous and dreamy to saturnine
and sardonic” – Ian McFarlane.

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Fiona Joy Hawkins & Rebecca Daniel Release Album ‘Enchantment’

The album release of their latest opus ‘Enchantment’  on July 26th
Classical Pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel 

Enchantment, the latest project from pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins and violinist Rebecca Daniel, follows in the musical footsteps of their previous collaborations. This time the duo pays homage to the great impressionist painters and composers. Throughout the album. works and track titles reference great artists like Satie, Monet, and Van Gogh. The music is impressionistic, beautiful and relaxing as if Debussy’s ghost was in the room.

Click here for the Full One Sheet Here for all the new details

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Kaiyah Mercedes Releases Album ‘Trying To Hate You’

With songs that resonate beyond their years, Kaiyah Mercedes brings you her sophomore album ‘Trying To Hate You’, a sonic and cinematic exploration of unrequited love and heartbreak. At the crossroads of creativity and self-discovery, the 18 year old LGBTQIA+ artist brings vibrant hues of indie pop through her authentic voice, while connecting with listeners to find solace in her melodies and truth in their lyrics.

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Diagnosed with autism and ADHD at the age of 15, Kaiyah uses her songwriting to translate the world around them and draws sonic inspiration from an eclectic array of influences – from the introspective lyricism of Phoebe Bridgers to the infectious melodies of Soccer Mommy.

Music Video for ‘The End.’

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Music Video for ‘Trying To Hate You’

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Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘French Medieval Journey’

A new style of song, whose themes were love and myth, rose to prominence in 11th-century Europe. The songs of the French Trouveres in particular dominated medieval music in Europe. These songs were performed by roaming scholars and footloose clerics who thronged the roads of the Middle Ages.

In French Medieval Journey, Gareth’s aim has been to create a new body of music for guitar, based on music from the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the recurring themes in French Medieval music is the recounting of myths and legends.

In setting this music for guitar the French trouvere melodies are used as a point of departure. The compositions however are completely original, yet retain the flavour and ambience of French medieval music. Gareth: ‘I have sought to reanimate some of the myths and legends in musical terms, leaving the imagery and symbolism to the discretion of the listener. Through the medium of music the listener is invited into a medieval dreamscape or otherworld.’

About Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning  scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA  pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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BEC TAYLOR & THE LYREBIRDS “LIMBS & ALL” OUT NOW ON VINYL

Limbs & All, the second album by Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds is now available on vinyl through Foghorn Records,  direct from the band at live shows, and Bandcamp – https://bectaylorandthelyrebirds.bandcamp.com/album/limbs-all

“A masterpiece of the folk-pop genre” – Sonic Realms Germany – https://sonicrealms.de/musik/alternative-indie/bec-taylor-and-the-lyrebirds-begeistern-mit-vielfaeltiger-und-tiefgruendiger-musik-auf-zweitem-album-limbs-all-audio-alternative-folk-pop-folk/

“Limbs & All” is chock full of moody alt-country and folk-pop gems that touch on loss, grief and joy. ‘Limbs & All’ is a collaborative album which features all five of the Lyrebirds on every song, weaving together a gentle americana-folk sound palette with acoustic and pedal-steel guitars, drums, bass, mandolin, keyboards, banjo and the Lyrebirds’ signature vocal harmonies.

Bec wrote the lion’s share of the songs while pregnant and nursing her first baby, and her sense of inner turmoil throughout the album is palpable. Whether it’s the darkly rhythmic and poetic ‘Wormhole’ or the elated but hesitant ‘Whisky’, this album is subtler and broodier than The Lyrebirds’ previous album, featuring connecting themes across songs. One example is the musical connection weaved into tracks ‘Photograph’ and ‘Goner’, referencing their sister-song origins, beginning as one song but evolving as two separate songs.

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All recording and mixing was done by Louis Montgomery with some additional mixing on ‘Photograph’ by Marshall Cullen at Damien Gerard Studios, NSW. The album was mastered by Andrew Edgson at Studios 301.

Hidden treasures of the Canberra music scene, Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds are a five-piece alt-folk-pop band. Described as Canberra’s Seeker-Lover-Keeper, their unique harmony-laden sound combines with “charming melodies and lyrics brimming with heart” (Scenstr).

REVIEWS OF Vinyl LP “LIMBS & ALL”

“Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds have firmly established themselves as torchbearers of the alt-folk-pop genre, crafting a sound that is as timeless as it is timely.”

– Jamsphere – https://jamsphere.com/newreleases/discovering-emotional-landscapes-inside-bec-taylor-and-the-lyrebirds-limbs-all#google_vignette

“”Limbs & All” is a must-listen-to for fans of alt-folk-pop and anyone who appreciates music that touches the heart.” – Planet Singer – https://www.planetsinger.net/discovering-the-enchanting-sounds-of-bec-taylor-and-the-lyrebirds-with-their-brilliant-new-album-limbs-and-all/

“Bec’s voice is so special..it soothes like aloe on a cut.” – Indie Band Guru (NYC) – https://indiebandguru.com/bec-taylor-and-the-lyrebirds-limbs-and-all/

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 UPCOMING LIVE DATES

SATURDAY JUNE 29th TOMAKIN, NSW – Smokey Dan’s, 12pm with Jason Recliner

BEC TAYLOR & THE LYREBIRDS are…

Bec Taylor – vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, Hammond organ, felt-muted piano, percussion
Sam McNair – vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo
Sophie Chapman – vocals, bass guitar
Grahame Thompson – drums, cello
Hannah Beasley – vocals, wurlitzer piano
Matt Dixon – pedal steel guitar
Jacqui Bradley and Donal Baylor – violins

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