Tag Archives: Aussie Music
Brisbane’s Team Utopia release double A-side called Comin’ Back.
Building on the success of the singles and videos of ‘Strips Off My Soul’ and ‘Calling Out To The Masses’, Brisbane’s Team Utopia release their new double A Side ‘Addiction’ and ‘Waiting for You’ under the apt title ‘Comin’ Back’.
The songs were written by Team Utopia and inspired by broken love and personal battles. Addiction is a slice of classic hard-paced up-tempo rock from the dynamic Brissy outfit. Taking a leaf from their popular live set you can almost hear the punters singing along and moving on the dance floor to this tune.
The second of the double-A sides is Waiting For You, a more laidback rock tune featuring some classy female backing vocals. Lead singer Danny’s world-weary vocals tell the story.
The ‘Comin’ Back’ release was recorded at Star Audio Studios in Brisbane, tracked and engineered by BJ McGuinness. The songs were then lovingly mixed by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios, while vocals were added in Sydney.
Final touches from Ex USA mastering guru Andrew Beck were added on the NSW Central Coast to add the final polish for radio and release.
And there you have it, another killer release from this exciting band!
Catch Team Utopia live soon at Rockin 4 The Homeless events. The band will be doing their bit for the very worthy The Breakfast Club charity.
Rockin’ 4 The Homeless with You Am I, The Superjesus, Diana Anaid and more!
Friday, 30th August 2019 – Gold Coast RSL Club, Southport
Saturday, 31th August 2019 – Picnic Hill, Cnr Oxley & Anzac, Redcliffe
More local tour dates will be added soon. The band are also in negotiations for a USA West Coast run in February 2020.
Comin’ Back featuring Addiction and Waiting For You is out July 12 through Foghorn Records/MGM.
Stream or Download the new songs from July 12:
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Steve Kilbey & Gareth Koch Release Second Single ‘Lost At Sea’
UPDATE:
‘Lost At Sea’ looks set to exceed the streams of the first collaborative offering from Steve Kilbey and Gareth Koch, Broken Toys (50K + streams on Spotify). ‘Lost At Sea’ has notched up 7000 streams in only its first two weeks of release!
‘Lost At Sea’ also sitting at #1 on the SoundsLikeCafe Chart, getting serious amounts of spins in cafes all around the country.
The video for Lost At Sea is out now. Check it out at YouTube here!
Gareth Koch just announced the exciting news that the duo will be returning to the studio this October, to record several tracks including one called Thylacine (the scientific name for the extinct Tasmanian Tiger).
Koch recently talked about the song with British music journalist Jason Barnard. “The idea was to write a soulful ballad filled with ocean and journey references,” he explained. “Musically it harks back to a tuneful and almost Italian style of writing. The harmony owes a little to J.S. Bach’s ‘Sheep May Safely Graze’, as does of course Procol Harum’s ‘Lighter Shade of Pale.”
He also talks about how he ended up writing music with Steve Kilbey, saying he’s been a fan since seeing The Church way back in 1980 at The Mosman Hotel in Sydney!
For the full interview, head to thestrangebrew.co.uk.
(photo credit: Tony Mott)
“I’m just a guy holding the pen” is the poignant opening line of the recent Steve Kilbey & Gareth Koch collaboration ‘Lost at Sea’.
The statement seems innocent enough at first glance, yet it elegantly addresses the mystery of creativity. How does art come into being, and is the creator just a filter or medium for the creative process?
The sentiment is even more interesting given the background of the two protagonists. Steve Kilbey, perhaps best known as the frontman of veteran rock band The Church, has a lifetime of esoteric lyrics to his credit. Kilbey’s themes pose questions and riddle-like answers. Perhaps this is why his lyrics continue to engage us. Gareth Koch on the other hand, a Viennese-trained guitarist/composer, has explored the nature of creativity head-on in his PhD thesis. Perhaps between the pair, Kilbey & Koch might have some answers.
These considerations aside, this collaboration has yielded a truly beautiful and timeless ballad. There is a wistful and haunting lilt to ‘Lost at Sea’, as it floats seamlessly through a narrative of stolen hearts, voyages into solitudeand roaming in no-man’s land. And to compliment these lyrics is a delicious instrumentation, weaving and wafting, ghostly and waif-like, present yet elusive.
This is possibly why this collaboration works so well. Kilbey & Koch are both masters of the esoteric form. As they step sideways from their respective genres this coming together highlights a close aesthetic connection.
‘Lost At Sea’ is sure to follow in the footsteps of the first collaborative offering, Broken Toys, which last week was sitting pretty at #1 on the Radio Indie Alliance chart:
Lost At Sea will be released on July 5 via MGM.
Download/stream from July 5:
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Big Merino Release New Single and Album ‘Sweet Little Angel’
Big Merino have put the finishing touches on their second album at Damien Gerard Studios in Sydney. It’s official release date is July 27 but you can pre-buy the album ahead of time by heading to the band’s online shop.
The first single to be lifted from Sweet Little Angel is the balladesque title track, while it’s B-side accompaniment is a cover of the politically-charged protest song of 1970, ‘Ohio’. Penned by Neil Young and recorded with his band Crosby Stills Nash and Young, the song is a guitar-led melodic track that will be familiar to most music lovers.
The single will be released on June 28.
Tracklisting for the album is:
Sweet Little Angel
I Watched The Light
I Lay Me Down
Mama’s Gonna Fall
Satellite
Ohio
This Song
Hard Lesson
Living In The Past
Day Without You
Hummingbird
Guest musicians on the record are:
Alice Papademetriou & Lisa Spence : additional vocals
John Gauci, Mike Gubb : Keyboards
James Greening : Horns
Jess Ciampa : percussion
Watch a sampler video by clicking on the YouTube link below:
UPCOMING SHOW DATES ARE:
Sat June 8 @ Gasoline Pony, Marrickville
Fri June 28 Murringo NSW
Sat June 29 Quandialla NSW
Sat July 27 @ Marrickville Bowlo
Big Merino is a genre-busting band featuring Stuart Davis (lead vocals/guitar), Alex Craig (lead guitar), Peter Richardson (bass) and Colin Sevitt (drums).
Their songs blur the lines between rock, country, blues, soul and pop. Despite an obvious passion for Americana (blues, country and Gospel) their music somehow also sounds quintessentially Australian, shaped by our landscape and their own stories.
“Great songs, great songwriting and best of all – full of a real sincerity and commitment”
Michael Smith – Rhythms
The album will be released on July 27 on Foghorn Records through MGM.
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John Kennedy Raining Treasure Tour Update
Following the Successful Melbourne Show last weekend including an appearance from Kim Salmon,
The Sydney Launch is Friday June 21 Next Week at the fabulous Patersham Bowlo
And for Brisbane folks there are still last minute tix available for tomorrow night at The Junk Bar
Sydney musician John Kennedy’s new album Raining Treasure celebrates the golden era of Australian independent music from the late ‘70’s and the 80’s. Kennedy compiled a list of classic indie songs (and some obscurities) from that era and with his band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special, has recorded songs from The Go-Betweens, The Triffids, The Scientists and many more. Some of these acts were contemporaries. Some were inspirations. All had some great songs.
The idea for this release sprang from the 2017 album, JFK and the Midlife Crisis. It was a concept album about a middle aged Sydney musician looking back over his life to the glory days of the Australian indie music scene. It explored the joys and disappointments of being part of the thriving music culture that was centred around Surry Hills at that time. The logical next step was to cover some of the great songs from that fertile period. These songs take you back to the Trade Union Club and the Strawberry Hills Hotel.
The tracklist is:
1. Swampland* – The Scientists
2. Raining Pleasure – The Triffids
3. Leilani – le Hoodoo Gurus
4. Come On – The Atlantics via The Wet Taxis
2. Raining Pleasure – The Triffids
3. Leilani – le Hoodoo Gurus
4. Come On – The Atlantics via The Wet Taxis
5. Stuck On You – Sardine v
6. Girl In The Sweater – The Hard Ons
7. King Street* – John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong
8. Ocean Liner – The Lighthouse Keepers
8. Ocean Liner – The Lighthouse Keepers
9. Lee Remick* – The Go-Betweens
10. Refugee – The Apartments
11. When The Birdmen Fly – The Fun Things
12. Brisbane (Security City) / Electrical Storm – The Saints / Ed Kuepper
13. Nothing Grows In Texas* – Sacred Cowboys
11. When The Birdmen Fly – The Fun Things
12. Brisbane (Security City) / Electrical Storm – The Saints / Ed Kuepper
13. Nothing Grows In Texas* – Sacred Cowboys
14. Don’t Go To Sydney – The Zimmermen
15. St Kilda to Kings Cross – Paul Kelly
( * Suggested airplay tracks)
15. St Kilda to Kings Cross – Paul Kelly
( * Suggested airplay tracks)
An enthusiastic young music journalist once described John Kennedy as a humble genius. Kennedy is neither a genius nor particularly humble. He is the writer and performer of many fine songs, some of which have found a place in the hearts of music fans of the golden era of Australian independent music. Kennedy started his music career in Brisbane in the ‘80’s with his band JFK and the Cuban Crisis. The band moved to Sydney and after establishing itself on the indie music scene broke up leaving Kennedy to pursue a solo career with his band vehicle, John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong. Despite numerous indie hits, commercial crossover proved to be elusive leading to his decision to leave Australia. Kennedy spent the ‘90’s living and playing music in Berlin, Hong Kong and London before returning to Sydney’s Inner West in 2000. He formed a new band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special and continues to perform and produce independent releases.
Over the years Kennedy has shared stages with many of the acts covered on this new album. His band members have come from or gone on to the Triffids, Paul Kelly, the Go-Betweens and Ed Kuepper. The current line up of the band boasts its own fine indie pedigree. Long time drummer, Peter Timmerman was an original Love Gone Wrong member before moving on to the Widdershins. New bassist Phil Hall played with Sardine v, the Dropbears, the Lime Spiders and many others. Guitarist Murray Cook started out in Finger Guns before going on to found what is probably Australia’s most successful independent band, the Wiggles. Together with Kennedy they have created versions of these Australian indie classics, reinterpreting some, expanding some and celebrating them all.
TOUR DATES ARE:
Melbourne ALBUM LAUNCH – Swamplands, 744 High St, Thornbury VIC.
Saturday 8 June, from 8pm.
Brisbane ALBUM LAUNCH – The Junk Bar, 215 Waterworks Rd, Ashgrove QLD
Saturday 15 June, from 8pm.
Sydney ALBUM LAUNCH – Petersham Bowling Club, 77 Brighton St, Petersham NSW
Friday 21 June, from 8pm.
Pre-sale tickets are available via Oztix, or buy tickets at the door.
Raining Treasure (Australian Indie Gold Covers Vol.1) will be released on 7 June 2019,
on Foghorn Records through MGM.
Stream or Download John Kennedy’s music:
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Texas Strangers – ‘Borderline’ album OUT NOW
Texas Strangers – Borderline – Country – Album out now (MGM)
Featuring a dynamic live show of originals and covers, NSW Central Coast boys Texas Strangers are gaining a reputation for being one of Australia’s up and coming Country bands, with a strong Tamworth track record.
Taking his inspiration from great song writers like Jimmy Webb, frontman Steve Killeen is combining great lyrics with strong country melodies that are connecting with a growing audience.
The debut album Borderline is out now via the good folks at MGM and the boys will be playing around the traps in support. The first 2 singles Always in the Rain and River of Tears both received strong support from ABC Country and national Community Stations.
Latest Review
“Schmick production throughout gives this one an extra edge. And when the grandiose waft of Always in the Rain kicks in, you know you’re onto something special. Catchy as all hell. Pick of the bunch.”(Mark Fraser)
Download or stream now:
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The Insufferable Paul Scott – Surrender To Robots
Surrender to Robots is a solo album by the insufferable Paul Scott (The Likes of You, Montana, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special and The Bad Machines. The album was written, recorded, performed and produced by Scott. “So really, there’s no-one else to blame,” he says.
The first single is Sheila and it’s at radio now.
Song subjects include existential angst, co-habitation as a means of financial easement, optimism, missing people, mobile phone culture. Influences include a splash of Suicides’ keyboard sound, a hint of James Murphy’s indie crashes into dance music, a lick of Wren sand a dollop of the Dukes of Stratosphear vocal stylings.
Paul Scott began his career in music, writing and playing bass in angular NZ group Pop Mechanix. Despite court cases, a revolving cast of singers and multiple record labels, their single ‘Jumping out a Window’ became a staple of New Zealand pop culture. Relocating to Australia Paul formed Montana with Ken Stewart (Mr Blonde), Michelle Margherita and Steve Melville. Their first release featured ‘Koolest Band’ which received national airplay and high rotation on Triple J. A USA Tour and performance at SXSW, led to ‘Koolest Band’ being included in the Hollywood movie ‘You Drive Me Crazy’. The subsequent album ‘Bubblegum Love’ was released in Australia, Spain, France and the USA. Scott has since plied bass for various Australian acts, playing everywhere from community halls and malls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to the Sydney Opera House. More recently Scott has released an album on the Australian label ‘Half a Cow’ with his new power pop combo ‘The Likes of You’.
Download now:
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Lily Duval Offers New Single ‘The Last Goodbye’
Full bodied acoustic guitar is the hallmark of this terrific new original single from Lily Duval. The classic sound of this song has its own time and place and transports you somewhere else.
Her writing comes from her own experiences and also longtime influences such as Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. Lyrically, The Last Goodbye explores the sense of an ending, the realisation that you may never again see the person you love. Lily describes this song as, “a love story. I wrote this last winter. I deliberated over the key change at the end but then felt it worked.”
With help from accomplished session men – Peter Holz on guitar and Andy Beck adding the medieval sounding Celesta, the track is woven together by the expert ears of producer Russell Pilling.
Previously Lily has digitally released a number of acoustic blues originals to a warm response on Community Radio and online.
Download or stream now:
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Melissa Black – Eden(Official Video)
Melissa Black – The Eden Project EP
Melissa Black is a musician and songwriter with a strong connection to nature, as evident on her new release,
The Eden Project EP.
For the past decade Melissa has been a staple on the original music scene steadily gathering accolades and building a loyal fan base. A chance meeting with singer/songwriter Scott Bird led to a production meeting with Riversong Music and the team was assembled to work on ‘The Eden Project’. Pre-production began mid 2016 and tracking started soon after. As the project developed the musical landscape was revealed and the imagery surrounding the songs came into sharp focus. The production team then developed filming ideas around the stories that were emerging from the songs, after spending time as participating artists at Tarkine in Motion 2017. The quality of the recordings and visual concepts led to Melissa becoming a Riversong Music family artist and a valuable contributor to their environmental arts project.
Melissa says her passion for music began when she was very young. “I used my older brothers record collection for ages, where I discovered Jethro Tull, Cream, Deep Purple, Led Zep all the classics, then I discovered (I think much to my brothers disgust!) Queen and I was off on my own adventure.”
These early influences still inspire her sound today. “There was a lot of hammond organ in my brothers collection which I loved the sound of, then Queen with the piano sealed the deal.”
The title track, ‘Eden’ shines as a key single from the EP, with an enticing piano, strings and guitar intro leading into the full instrumentation evoking comparisons to Neko Case’s album Hell On and Tori Amos.
The hooky chorus of ‘Fallen Angel’ sets it up as a great radio track and the song has already found a warm response on the soundslikecafe network.
A music mentor teacher for children and teens, Melissa is inspired by a broad musical pool. She cites her favourite artists as “most definitely the story tellers”, listing Freddie Mercury, Jeff Lynn, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Regina Spektor, Elton John for the melodies and Bernie Taupin for the stories, Kate Miller-Heidke, Aurora Jane and Diana Anaid.
Melissa is also a part of an exciting new short film called ‘Merging with takayna’, launching in July, which is part of the Tarkine In Motion project co-ordinated through the environmental action group of former Greens Senator and environmentalist Bob Brown. Takayna is the name of the Tasmanian wilderness also known as Tarkine – Australia’s largest temperate rainforest which is the habitat of many of Australia’s most iconic animals, some of which are endangered.
Check out Melissa talking about the Tarkine and her release on 3CR Melbourne here.
Piano driven songs supported by solid groove, understated guitars and a conversational vocal delivery which evokes the rich Australian landscape and an empowering feminine essence ~ Heart Light Music
The Eden Project EP is out now through Riversong Music.
The video for Eden will be released on the 10th of May, with shows to follow in July surrounding the Tarkine in Motion exhibition in Hobart.
More tour dates below:
2nd May – Guest Host Australian Songwriters Association – Ground N Sound’, 6/23 Musgrave Avenue, Chirn Park Gold Coast 6.30 – 9.30pm.
17th May – Album Showcase – Boho & Co Prospero St, South Murwillumbah NSW
18th May – Launch of New Shop + Album Showcase – Boho & Co Prospero St, South Murwillumbah NSW
29th May – Murwillumbah Farmers Markets (Album Showcase)
Murwillumbah Showgrounds NSW 7am – 11am
6th June – Ground n Sound (Australian Songwriters Association)
Chirn Park, Gold Coast QLD 6.30pm
8th June – Valiant Music (Instore Album Showcase)
Brunswick Heads NSW 11am – 12pm
10th August – Album showcase for Fundraising Support for Cancer Function – House of Gabriel, Riverside Drive, Tumbulgum NSW
August 24th – Ground n Sound (Album Showcase)
Chirn Park, Gold Coast QLD
August 25th – Sphinx Rock Cafe (Album Showcase)
3220 Kyogle Road, Mount Burrell NSW 12pm
Sunday 1st September – The Nook Cafe, 87-89 Tweed Coast Road, Hastings Point, 6.30pm – 8.30pm Bookings 02 6617 6779
Friday 6th September – Marty’s at Caba, 35 Tweed Coast Road, Bogangar (Cabarita), 6.30pm – 9.30pm Bookings 02 6676 3955
Sunday 15th September – Uki Buttery Markets, Uki Village, Kyogle Road from 9.30am to 1.30pm
Stream or Download Now:
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