Tag Archives: country

Jack Nolan releases up tempo single Chit Chatter

December 2, 2021 Marshall Cullen

“As I get older I care less and less about chatter, bitchiness. And I know that conditional love is not love at all. I wrote it with a good friend in mind who was copping it from people that claimed to care.” – Jack Nolan

A hidden gem on Jack’s new album, Gabriel. Don’t let the title dissuade you, there’s a great message here in the lyrics. Up-tempo and full band through-out, this one is a foot tapping sing along.

Jack will be performing live at Link N Pin Woy Woy Friday Dec 10

Jack Nolan is a singer songwriter based in Sydney, Australia, who’s s been performing and releasing music and albums since the mid 90’s. Along with a five-album solo catalogue Jack also fronted The Kelly Gang, with Rick Grossman, bassist for The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus along with Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst and guitar player Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album Looking for the Sun was critically adored along with their energetic live shows of the time.

Within Nolan’s music, mysterious and shimmering chords unite his sound with that of the Americana genre, once quaintly described as ‘Darlinghurst Country’ uniting elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres fusing Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar and finger-picked acoustic guitar.

Having caught the Tennessee bug while finishing his 2018 album ‘Our Waverley Star’, Jack returned to Nashville in February 2020 for two weeks of recording and mixing with his friend and multi-instrumentalist Justin Weaver, known best as the Dixie Chicks’ guitarist. After the most intense and enjoyable fortnight possible, Jack headed home in March 2020, a day before a hurricane wiped out Nashville, and less than a week before the world changed forever, if the word Wuhan rings a bell.

And so it is, Jacks latest album, Gabriel, released October 2021, keeps the wheels moving on the meaningful passion of this writer and performer.

Credits:
Written by Jack Nolan
Recorded at ‘Welcome to 1979’ in Nashville TN 2020
Produced by Justin Weaver
Engineered by Chris Mara
Mixed by Chris Mara & Justin Weaver
Mastered by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound Nashville TN
Jack Nolan – Vocals & guitars
Justin Weaver – Electric Guitars, slide, banjo & backing vocals
Jimmy Paxson – Drums
Chris Autry – Bass

Chai Chatter is OUT NOW Quay Records/MGM.

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Videos

Adelaide-CJ Shaw (Official Video)

Video August 20, 2021 Marshall Cullen

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Jack Nolan releases single Hold Your Horses

July 23, 2021 Marshall Cullen

Hold Your Horses is the new single from Sydney singer songwriter Jack Nolan’s upcoming Americana album, Gabriel. Recorded for a friend, supporting them, to tell them they’re worth it, to stay the course.

Jack penned these lyrics for the song which was recorded in Nashville TN during the album sessions:
“She made some big choices, decisions, and they didn’t please everyone. Worn down by critics she was tempted, wanted to relent, go back. We said Girl, don’t expect a different result, you won’t get one. ‘Stand by your choices / Hold your horses’. We all know you’re incredible. You’ve got to believe.If you don’t believe right now, we do “We’ll shoot the lights out for ya/ Hold your horses’

Jack Nolan is a singer songwriter based in Sydney, Australia, who’s been performing and releasing music and albums since the mid 90’s. Along with a five-album solo catalogue Jack also fronted The Kelly Gang, with Rick Grossman, bassist for The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus, along with Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, and guitar player Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album Looking for the Sun was critically adored along with their energetic live shows of the time.

Now added to the Amazon New Music Playlist

Hold Your Horses
The latest single from forthcoming album GABRIEL

Release dates:
July 23 – Hold Your Horses (single)
September 10 – Gabriel (title track and single)
October 8 – Gabriel LP (Vinyl, CD, Digital)

Credits:
Jack Nolan – vocal & guitar
Justin Weaver – electric guitar & backing vocals
Jimmy Paxson – drums
Chris Autry – bass guitar
Jimmy Olander – additional guitar
Cactus Moser – additional drums

Hold Your Horses is OUT NOW Via Quay Records/MGM.

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Margaret Anne and the Rock It Man release their debut album Soul Laid Bare

July 1, 2021 Marshall Cullen

Following a succession of singles, a should out launch last month and recent radio interview spots including Todays Country Margaret Anne’s debut album is finally released across all digital platforms via MGM.

The debut album ‘Soul Laid Bare’ is out today and includes the duet ‘The Ones You Love’, co-written and sung with 13 times Golden Guitar winner Luke O’Shea, the custom song ‘White Haze’ and those written with Shane Nicholson, Gretta Ziller and Allison Forbes. It is an exciting blend of Americana, sweeping through sounds from Country, Roots and Blues to Grooving Funk and Rock.

Recording and production were performed at Noisy Trout Productions in Sydney, Australia, with the genius, multi-instrumentalist and producer Doug Weaver (aka The Rock It Man).

Reviews of already released songs which appear on the album confirm Margaret’s influences coming from Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Patti Smith combined with the production styles of Fleetwood Mac and ELO – lush, loaded with diversity and consistent high level of musicianship.

Drawing from her vast life experience, Margaret Anne has honed her talent as singer/songwriter over the years. She later teamed up with the multi-instrumentalist, producer and Mythbusters screenwriter Doug Weaver, to write and produce the album ‘Soul Laid Bare’.

Although they receive creative inspiration from Country, Roots and Blues, Margaret Anne and the Rock It Man combine a variety of compositional elements to form their unique sound. To date there are five singles in their online discography. Some of their most popular tracks include the likes of ‘White Haze’ a custom track written for USA ski hall of fame Extreme Skier Dan Egan, ‘Don’t Look Back’, co-written with Shane Nicholson, ‘Soul Laid Bare’ and ‘Cabin Boy’. With a growing number of followers and listeners, there is no denying the fact that Margaret Anne is developing a dedicated following of loyal fans.

Sold out album launch at Beaches Thirroul:

Download or stream the album Out NOW July 2nd via MGM:

Connect with Margaret Anne:

https://linktr.ee/margaretannesmusic

Videos

Margaret Anne and the Rock it Man – Don’t Look Back(Official)

Video August 28, 2020 Marshall Cullen

News and Touring

Margaret Anne and The Rock It Man Don’t Look Back

August 28, 2020 Marshall Cullen

After releasing the inspiring and amazing Americana song and video clip ‘Soul Laid Bare’ at the end of last year, Margaret Anne and The Rock It Man have released two exciting new songs. ‘Don’t Look Back’ co-written with Shane Nicholson and ‘My Mumma’ written while watching the passing of her mother 2 years ago.

Just 2 months after leaving a 20-year marriage, ‘Don’t Look Back’ was written with country artist Shane Nicholson at The Dag Sheep Station in Nundle, near Tamworth. While sitting on the porch of a farmhouse, Shane helped Margaret Anne peel back the layers to look deep within. Doug Weaver (aka the Rock It Man) produced and played not one but all of instruments on the song.
The result is a song that examines the essence of her marriage, the struggle to get it right, the decision to move on from the wreckage and not look back.

‘My Mumma’ was written on the back of a bereavement envelope in about 10 minutes. When faced with the death of her mother, Margaret fell back into childhood, writing this emotional ballad of grief while waiting and watching her pass away. Played by her brother, the accompanying guitar forms the song into both a collection of vulnerable memories and a haunting goodbye.

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Margaret Anne and The Rock It Man Lay Their Souls Bare

October 25, 2019 Marshall Cullen

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:

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Big Merino’s second album Sweet Little Angel is out now!

August 8, 2019 Marshall Cullen

Big Merino’s second album to follow Surbuban Wildlife is Sweet Little Angel and it’s out now!
It features the singles that have already made an impact at radio – Hummingbird and the title track, as well as a cover of the classic Neil Young track Ohio.
The band recently played a successful launch for the album at the Marrickville Bowling Club and next Canberra audiences will have their turn. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than hanging at Smith’s Alternative with Big Merino!
Show starts at 4pm.
Sunday August 25 @ Smith’s Alternative, Canberra

Bruce Elder at the Sydney Morning Herald gave the album a glowing review recently – have a read below.

ADULT ROCK Big Merino
SWEET LITTLE ANGEL (Foghorn) ???½

It has long been an orthodoxy that second albums are more problematic than debut offerings. Here’s the exception. If Big Merino’s debut, Suburban Wildlife, was scattergun in its approach, this is a tour de force of, for want of a better term, classy adult rock, funk, soul and pop. It’s the kind of music Jo Camilleri and Van Morrison see as their bailiwick: a clever and sophisticated blend of heart-stopping gospel-style harmonies (I Watched the Light), and classy lead vocals (courtesy of Stuart Davis, a long-time member of Sydney-based choral masters Cafe of the Gate of Salvation).

Instrumental features include beautiful interplay between acoustic and electric guitar (the title track is seductive); searing guitar solos from Alex Craig (I Lay Me Down); delicious horns courtesy of James Greening (Satellite) and some pulsating funkiness on This Song and Living in the Past.

Oh, yes, and there is an astonishingly good reading (with blistering guitar solos) of Neil Young’s Ohio. The result is a deeply satisfying collection of songs which, while they defy any easy categorisation, sit happily at the richly mature end of popular music. Hear them at Marrickville Bowling Club, July 27. Bruce Elder

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Sweet Little Angel was recorded at Damien Gerard Studios.

Watch the video for Sweet Little Angel at YouTube:

Sweet Little Angel is out now on Foghorn Records through MGM.

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Big Merino Release New Single and Album ‘Sweet Little Angel’

June 29, 2019 Marshall Cullen

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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Texas Strangers – ‘Borderline’ album OUT NOW

May 29, 2019 Marshall Cullen

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

Courtesy of RedbackRock

“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)

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