Thursday June 6, 2024
CHUTNEY ‘Toxic Moonlight’ (Single/Video)
Britney Spears and Beethoven collide in dark and beautiful whimsy today in the hands of Sydney klezmer punk collective CHUTNEY. Teaming up with The Potbelleez vocalist Ilan Kidron on guest vocals to conjure Toxic Moonlight, the hypnotic melodics of Britney Spears’ 2003 hit Toxic fuse with Beethoven’s melancholic masterpiece Moonlight Sonata alongside CHUTNEY’s trademark Eastern European and Middle Eastern flair. Or, as CHUTNEY themselves put it: “It’s the illicit love child of Britney and Beethoven in a raucous Balkan bar – it’s bonkers”.
The equivalent of The Cat Empire partying in pop and classical territory, with a hora dance in its chorus thrown in for good measure, Toxic Moonlight welds two equally iconic yet exceedingly diverse songs, with over two centuries elapsing between Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Britney Spears’ Toxic being released into the world. Growing from a seed planted by Kidron, with The Potbelleez front man noting the klezmer-esque qualities of Toxic, as well as CHUTNEY violinist Ben Adler exhuming Moonlight Sonata, the end result for Toxic Moonlight captures the urgency and catharsis of both originals, while also transforming the source material into a modern and daring reimagination. “It was 2021 and we had a gig lined up with Ilan,” shares Adler of the Toxic Moonlight origin story. “We were in a reprieve between COVID lockdowns so we’d developed a certain nihilism that, in retrospect, was highly conducive to unfettered creativity. I was talking with Ilan about songs he’d like to sing with us, and he observed that the string riff in Toxic sounds “really klezmer” – we only discovered years later that it’s actually a Bollywood sample! Anyway, Ilan’s suggestion was all I needed to klezmer-ify Britney’s song. Something about its darkness and (toxic) romance then led me to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, especially after I realised that importing Beethoven’s descending bassline might open up a whole new set of possibilities for the otherwise pretty harmonically static ‘Toxic’ verses. I sketched up a chart and we tweaked it in rehearsal, at a gig and in the studio into its present form”.
Also accompanied by a brand new music video directed and produced by Adam Dostalek, Toxic Moonlight expands the drama and potency in a visual setting, ultimately following two dancers through a shadowy narrative before ending with a passionate performance from the band themselves. “Our marketing guy Michael Puterflam hooked us up with one of Australia’s top directors, Adam Dostalek, who fell in love with the track,” shares Adler of bringing Toxic Moonlight to visual life. “Our first phone conversation sparked immediate creative chemistry, so we decided to go for it and create a gripping, dramatic narrative to amplify the toxicity of the music. I had Adam and Ilan over for pancakes one morning and we stomped around my kitchen talking over each other for two hours until we had the basic concept storyboarded. In essence, the video tracks our heroine rescuing her love from a toxic environment, and bringing him to a community where he is free to be himself. It’s a metaphoric journey, and we discussed a number of modern-day abstract toxicities, including arrogance, bullying, talking without listening and conformism of thought. As hard as it is to escape toxic environments, it’s often harder to recognise their toxicity – and that applies to relationships too.”
CHUTNEY comprises: Ilan Kidron (guest vocals), Ben Adler (violin), Paul Khodor (keys), Ben Samuels (clarinet), Ralph Marshall (bass, Moog), Yiss Mill (percussion) and Cameron Reid (drums). Toxic Moonlight is out now. Ajar is set for release August 6. Listen: TOXIC MOONLIGHT Watch: TOXIC MOONLIGHT
TIMOTHY NELSON ‘Greenmount Hill’ (Single)
Boorloo/ Perth based, multi-award winning singer/ songwriter Timothy Nelson is “one of the city’s most remarkable storytellers” (Hayden Davies, Pilerats), taking out numerous WAM (West Australian Music) ‘Song of The Year’ awards in addition to successfully completing A New Song Every Week Youtube series in 2023, a testament to the quality and quantity of work he can produce as a storyteller/ songwriter. Building to the release of his forthcoming album Debaser Tapes, Timothy unveils a sombre, acoustic folk number titled; Greenmount Hill.
The seventh single to be lifted from the album, Greenmount Hill is a nostalgic ode to the Perth Hills area, Timothy explaining that “For me this is a song about how you can associate a whole suburb or area with a very specific period in your life. You might find yourself passing through town again at some point and of course all these memories just come flooding back at once.”
Deviating slightly from the more summery, pop sounding singles Better I Leave It Alone and Your House, Greenmount Hill sits comfortably in the classic singer/ songwriter realm, as an acoustic guitar, lightly brushed drums, and a creeping bass line back Timothy’s honestly delivered vocals. Settling into a comfortable groove, the track’s intimate nature keeps the listener close and hanging onto every word, taking them by surprise when the bridge kicks in and a breathtaking explosion of harmonies lifts the song to new heights.
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BENNY J. WARD ‘Flight of the Navigator’ (Single)
Following the internationally acclaimed release of Full Bloom, the second album by his power pop outfit Rinehearts, Benny J Ward has released his latest solo single “Flight of the Navigator”.
The release of the single – Benny’s sixth solo single – comes days after the announcement that Rinehearts would be supporting the Hoodoo Gurus on the Perth leg of their Stoneage Romeos 40th Anniversary tour. Benny and the boys seem to now be the Gurus’ go-to group for Perth, having also opened for them on their Chariot of the Gods tour.
Benny says – “I’m really proud of “Flight of the Navigator” and I hope folks enjoy it. It’s about someone close to me who struggles getting things done and the beauty I actually see in that. You can be the captain of your own space ship, and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Sooner we learn that the better. Long live procrastination…
Benny has plans also to bring his solo material to the East Coast, as is currently assembly and all-star punk/power pop supergroup to back him. Stay tuned for futher info.
BUY “FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR” HERE!
https://cheersquadrecordstapes.bandcamp.com/track/flight-of-the-navigator www.cheersquad.com.au
FOOL NELSON ‘Falling Apart’ (EP)
Boorloo/Perth-based indie-rock act Fool Nelson have unveiled their energetic EP ‘Falling Apart’ – produced/mixed by Andy Lawson (Noah Dillon, Mitch Santiago, Death by Denim) and mastered by Steve Smart (King Stingray, The Buoys, Ocean Alley).
‘Falling Apart’ is a nostalgic blend of grungy indie-rock, soaring with memorable melodic lines and vibrant instrumentation. Full of energy, Fool Nelson draws inspiration from acts such as Alvvays, Slow Pulp and beabadoobee to create an immersive sonic sound. Fool Nelson talk about the inspiration behind ‘Falling Apart’:
“‘Falling Apart’ was the first song that we wrote off the EP and the name just seemed to fit the mood of the rest of the tracks we were writing. The songs all kind of fit together with a common thread of us accepting that we’re not in control of everything in our lives and finding ways to deal with that. I think some of this comes across with how the songs have moments of chaos but also moments that are pretty and familiar.”
Title track ‘Falling Apart’ employs layers of sunlit guitar melodies and expressive vocals to weave through a tapestry of rhythmic elements. The intricate interplay of shimmering guitar riffs and heartfelt lyrics creates a soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive, resonating with emotion and authenticity.
Click to stream ‘Falling Apart’
Accompanying the release is a headline tour across WA and a slew of shows supporting Old Mervs across Australia and New Zealand. Along with this, the band have previously shared the stage with Ball Park Music, The Grogans, The Rions, The Moving Stills, Ra Ra Viper and have sold out multiple headline shows. The band also played last year’s Groovin in the Moo, winning the triple j Unearthed competition to join the lineup. ‘Falling Apart’ is available worldwide now
FOOL NELSON ‘FALLING APART’ EP TOUR
Tickets available via: linktr.ee/FoolNelson
FRI 14 JUN | THE RECHABITE, BOORLOO/PERTH WA
SAT 15 JUN | THE Y HQ (AA), BOORLOO/PERTH WA
FRI 28 JUN | SIX DEGREES, KINJARLING/ALBANY WA
SAT 29 JUN | THE RIVER, WOODITCHUP/MARGARET RIVER WA
FRI 12 JUL | FROTH CRAFT BREWERY, NINGALOO/EXMOUTH WA
RAY LAMONTAGNE ‘Step Into Your Power’ (Single)
Ray LaMontagne—the celebrated Grammy award winning singer-songwriter—unveils a new single today, “Step Into Your Power,” with a video created with his son Tobias—listen/watch here. The track, releasing via the highly independent artist’s newly created label Liula Records, is the first taken from LaMontagne’s forthcoming, highly anticipated studio album, Long Way Home, out August 16—presave/preorder here.
The uplifting “Step Into Your Power” is a foot-tapping, nostalgia laden tune that evokes the psychedelic folk-rock that LaMontagne has made his signature. “Anything that your heart can dream, you can make it reality,” he croons, as The Secret Sisters provide choral backing vocals. The stop-motion music video, animated by his son Tobias LaMontagne, features retro magazine clippings acting out the track’s motivational lyrics.
LaMontagne has spent the past two decades carving a singular space for himself in modern music. In a career that has seen overflowing critical acclaim, he’s opted out of the spotlight and its accompanying celebrity in the remote hills of Western Massachusetts. The New York Times accounts, “Visiting Ray LaMontagne is like going back to another century.” His distinctive voice, described by Rolling Stone as an “impeccably weathered tenor croon”, continues to serve as a conduit for era-defining melodies and songwriting. Across eight studio albums, LaMontagne has let his songs and story speak for themselves, ringing a deep chord in the American subconscious. As has come to be expected through his extensive and awarded discography, LaMontagne delivers yet again on record nine with a cohesive, impressive effort.
The core of Long Way Home reverberates deep into LaMontagne’s youth—at 21-years-old, in a small club in Minneapolis, he recalls seeing Townes Van Zandt perform live. A line from “To Live Is To Fly” has stuck with him ever since; Van Zandt sang, “When here you been is good an gone, all you keep is the getting there.”
LaMontagne reflects, “Thirty years later it occurs to me that every song on Long Way Home is in one way or another honoring the journey. The languorous days of youth and innocence. The countless battles of adulthood, some won, more often lost. It’s been a long hard road, and I wouldn’t change a minute. It took me nine songs to express what Townes managed to say in one line. I guess I still got a lot to learn.” www.raylamontagne.com
CASSANDRA JENKINS ‘Petco’ (Single)
Notions of “light” and “destruction” might seem like ideological opposites at first glance, and My Light, My Destroyer is indeed consumed with the theme of duality. Witness the crunch of ‘Petco’, in which Cassandra Jenkins’ “landlord pink” walls seem to cave in as she looks through a window at “two doves wrapped up in filthy and true love”—before the script flips (literally) caught in the “sideways gaze of a lizard” encased in the titular pet store.
Cassandra muses about ‘Petco’: “‘Petco’ is about looking for connection and coming up a little short. Writing from a pointedly angsty and existential place allowed me to be more playful with songwriting. I needed a space to explore the lizard brain, and deep down, the song stems from the sincere belief that we are wired, on the most basic instinctual level, to love and to be loved. I wanted to capture the sense of uncanny malaise inherent to a place that puts a price tag on nature – simultaneously granting us access to the natural world while distancing us from it, all with the promise of companionship.
She continues, “I come back to the same ideas again and again in my songs, and Petco throws a new lens on a familiar thought: the further we distance ourselves from the natural world, the harder it is to find our way back. It’s easy to wonder if we’ve gone too far, and despite my anxieties, I can’t help but see the humanity in all of it.”
And describes the video: “The video is staged in three distinct locations: an NYC apartment with a window to the outside world, a pet store, and lastly, the dance floor, where the video provides a sense of closure that the song never gives us.”
The song features Andrew Lappin’s production & percussion, El Kempner’s (Palehound) and Lilah Larson’s guitar playing, Katie Von Schleicher vocals, rhythm section Zoë Brecher and Jesse French, and keys by Michael Coleman
‘PETCO’ OUT NOW VIA DEAD OCEANS
BUY/STREAM HERE MY LIGHT, MY DESTROYER OUT 12 JULY PRE-SAVE HERE
MORE INFORMATION: WEBSITE INSTAGRAM SPOTIFY BANDCAMP
THE HAPPY SUFFERER ‘Once Upon A Time Girl’ (Single)
One month had passed since Tony Hughes wife’s death, when happenstance found Declan Kelly walking down the hill at South Bondi as Tony was walking up it. They stood chatting under the pine trees. Declan watching the wind blowing right through the window of grief that was Tony Hughes.
Declan said he liked the poetry Tony was writing which was dealing with and trying to make sense of his great loss. Declan suggested he bring them into his studio. The idea was to wrangle those words into song form and record them for an album. Then, in unison, without missing a beat of the conversation they said, “Let’s get Robbie Woolf in on the sessions.”
Declan Kelly, Robbie Woolf and Tony Hughes are “The Happy Sufferer”.
From the eight poems Tony brought to the sessions grew eight songs. Songs of loss and much joy. Together, they created an album in celebration of a love for a once upon a time girl and the life Tony and the once upon a time girl lived together. The self-titled album that is created and produced with love by the group, The Happy Sufferer.
Declan threw a life ring out to Tony that day of happenstance on the hill at South Bondi. A life ring to a lifeboat that was sinking fast. How apt that the album was recorded was at Declan’s studio called the Nest. Nest, being a place of refuge, shelter. Somewhere to rest one’s weary head. And let music the healer do its healing thing.
The single Once Upon a Time Girl is the first release from an album of eight songs by The Happy Sufferer. The full self-titled album is to be released in September. Stream it HERE
BELLA MACKENZIE ‘Cowboy’ (Single)
Female country artist on-the-rise, Bella Mackenzie releases the first taste of brand-new music; the empowering country pop-rock crusher ‘COWBOY’. With its catchy guitar riff, propulsive rhythm and instant singable chorus, ‘COWBOY’ is the newcomer’s first release for Island Records Australia.
The burgeoning artist co-wrote ‘COWBOY’ alongside Mitchell Fenlon, Tamworth songwriter/producer Penrose and ARIA nominated Ryan Miller (Brad Cox, Tones & I, Angus & Julia Stone). Written with strength and pride, the infectious track pairs a motivational storyline with Bella’s dynamic vocals turning it into the ultimate kickass female country song.
“‘COWBOY’ was written to make the listener feel strong, proud and empowered. I knew I wanted to write a song that would not only pump up a festival crowd but also pump up that person sitting in their car listening”, Bella explains.
Accompanied by an official video directed by Maddy King (Vera Blue, JOY., COTERIE), the track’s visuals were filmed at Bella’s family farm in Rockhampton. A collaborative experience with Bella’s family wrangling horses, cows, and trucks, it’s a perfect encapsulation of the music that she makes, and an authentic contextualisation of her groundbreaking work.
THE U-BOMBS ‘Choice’ (Album)
The U-Bombs – formed in 1977, broke up in 1979 and reformed in 2013 – are Adelaide, Australia’s original, semi-legendary purveyors of high energy progressive post punk power pop. They are proud to announce the release of their long-awaited debut album ‘Choice?’, fifteen hard rocking pop songs about life, love and the universe.
Out now on Still Very Radio-Active Records, the album contains fifteen songs recorded in 2013, when the band met again after thirty-two years to play a reunion show. Fortunately some demo tapes still existed, and eleven songs relating to the issues of the day – war, nuclear proliferation, rising fascism, racism, police brutality, etcetera – and also some love songs! – were recovered from the mists of time – funnily enough they also relate to the issues of today, maybe even more so!
Four new songs materialised during the recording process and they too embody the timeless, eternal spirit of The U-Bombs – irreverent, rebellious, funny and quirky, with a healthy dose of biting social commentary and cynicism delivered in short, sharp, to the point aural onslaughts guaranteed to make you boogie!
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD AUDIO AS WAV AND MP3 HERE
Formed by guitarist/songwriter Paul Tuxworth and bassist/singer Phil Cayzer on the dance floor at Radio Birdman’s first Adelaide gig in 1977, they found drummer Roy Erzinger and started playing at parties as a fast, loud, high energy trio. They were soon joined by Ian Thurnwald on tenor sax and later bassist Mark Cornwall when Phil changed his name to Anando Bharti and moved to rhythm guitar. Roy left the band in mid 1979 and was replaced by Tom Cowsill. Guitarist Brett Hamlyn joined at the same time.
Active until the end of 1979, The U-Bombs played over 150 gigs in two years, including touring to Sydney and Brisbane, playing many benefit gigs for worthwhile causes, and supporting interstate bands such as Misex, Flowers, The Boys Next Door, X-Ray-Z, The Reels and The Angels – remarkable considering that for the first eight months or so they were banned from most venues, until publicans saw that new wave music was pulling in the punters. In an era when access to broadcast quality recording was very limited and incredibly expensive, The U-Bombs embraced the DIY ethos of punk and managed to make a number of demo recordings and the 7″ vinyl E.P., ‘Give Me a Medal’.
Along with their contemporaries The Day-Goes and The Accountants, The U-Bombs helped establish Adelaide’s alternative music scene. Their residency at the Belair Hotel in the Adelaide hills attracted fans from all over the city keen to see one of the first bands inspired by the new music coming out of London, New York, Brisbane and Sydney. While playing mostly covers at first – The Ramones, The Clash, The Saints, ABBA – original songs soon formed the bulk of their repertoire.
The best of these songs were recorded to analogue tape at Linear Studio in Sydney and Mixmasters in Adelaide, and mixed by Roy Erzinger in his studio. The album was produced by Roy Erzinger and Anando Bharti. It is available now as a digital download at ubombs.com and will soon be available as a limited edition 12” vinyl.
Sadly, main songwriter and guitarist Paul Tuxworth passed away in 2018. “Choice? The Album’ is dedicated to his memory.
The U-Bombs are currently playing gigs in Adelaide and plan to tour the east coast, including Brisbane, Byron Bay and Sydney in early 2025.
POLISH CLUB ‘Heavyweight’ (Single)
Polish Club have dropped another new track today, with the release of their heartfelt slow jam ‘Heavyweight’, a follow up to their first single in a few years, ‘Manila’. The throwback ballad has been released alongside a suitably 90s warped camcorder video. The duo have also been added to Spiderbait’s national tour dates across much of Australia starting in August.
Recorded alongside previous single ‘Manila’, this new track continues what is sure to be a steady stream of new music from Polish Club’s upcoming fourth album. Co-written by Robby De Sa (MAY-A, Vera Blue, Gretta Ray, Grent Perez), ‘Heavyweight’ was recorded by Simon Berckelman and produced by the band themselves at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studios.
Starting off life as a sparse, vocal led demo of a love song, the duo added a truckload of acoustic and electric guitars plucked straight from the 90’s to create 2024’s biggest emotional climax in song. “I think the way the song came about is pretty interesting. It changed from a groovy kinda r&b song to a Brit pop anthem thing,” reflects John-Henry Pajak. “Both ‘Heavyweight’ and ‘Manila’ were me suggesting titles and [Novak] writing lyrics around them. I feel like we are embracing the slow jams more as we get older.”
‘Heavyweight’ doesn’t shy away from earnestness in its lyrics, finding solace in the comfort of relationships (with both PC members recently getting married). The ballad is accompanied by an equally raw music video shot on camcorder by the band and delightfully warped by Downgrade.
Having very recently debuted their newest music at live shows in Sydney and Castlemaine, Polish Club have also announced that they are to join seminal Australian favourites Spiderbait on the majority of their national tour celebrating 20 years of their hit cover of ‘Black Betty’. From August, the duo will be linking up on the road in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Newcastle, Wollongong and Sydney. Tickets are on sale now here.
‘Heavyweight’ is out now – STREAM & WATCH HERE
Touring with Spiderbait – Black Betty 20th Anniversary Tour
Tue 13 Aug | The Fortitude Music Hall | Brisbane
Fri 16 Aug | Hindley Street Music Hall | Adelaide
Sat 17 Aug | Odeon Theatre | Hobart
Fri 30 Aug | Bar on the Hill | Newcastle
Sat 31 Aug | Waves | Wollongong|
Sat 21 Sep | Enmore Theatre | Sydney
POLISH CLUB
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LIV MARLTON ‘Bookmark’ (Single)
Liv Marlton, a Gold Coast local, is a multi-instrumentalist and dedicated music teacher now stepping into the spotlight with her solo career. Her first releases, “Bookmark” and “Nearer”showcase her unique blend of jazz, folk, and indie pop influences, drawing inspiration from the likes of Lizzy McAlpine and Joni Mitchell. With an eagerly anticipated EP on the horizon, Liv is set to captivate audiences with her soaring melodies and intimate lyrics.
“Bookmark” tells the story of the night my ex returned a borrowed book. It was a sad little melancholy moment in a carpark, when all the emotion of the breakup resurfaced. When I got home, I desperately sought closure, searching the pages for answers, annotations, a note, an apology. There was nothing, and I knew it was time to let go.
The cello melodies capture the dark swirling emotions of the situation, whilst the lightness of the nylon string guitar plays with my inner voice, staying gentle with myself in a vulnerable situation. STREAM AND DOWNLOAD AUDIO AS WAV AND MP3 HERE
IN HEARTS WAKE ‘Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ)’ (Single)
The fierce evolution of Australian metalcore collective In Hearts Wake continues today, with the group unveiling a brand new single Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ), out now via UNFD, and announcing a monstrous lineup of supports joining the Incarnation Australian Tour this September: PALEFACE SWISS (Switzerland), King 810 (USA) and Melbourne’s Gravemind.
The second single manifested from In Hearts Wake’s upcoming sixth studio album, Incarnation set for release on July 12, Orphan (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ) doles out goring barbarity, with breakneck drums, corrosive riffs and guttural vocals all collectively drilling home notions of dread and despair.
“Orphan is the fear, fury and frustration whilst watching the systemic serpent eat it’s own tail,” the band shares. “Writhing in the shadows of the human psyche and psychotic in nature. Stuck in my mind. Like and subscribe. Eating everything inside.”
“Eco-grief induced anxiety. The rapid rise of tech, mono crops and mass production. All in the name of growth and profit. Is it evolution or de-evolution? Who’s to say. Orphaned into a world that cannot raise us, we often feel like victims of ancestral fate… and yet somehow we chose this.”
In the lead up to the release of their new album, In Hearts Wake have dropped an official Incarnation Tarot-themed website that fans can visit throughout the album rollout for access to behind the scenes, sneak peaks at new music, exclusive info, and Incarnation announcements. For more info, visit https://incarnation.inheartswake.com/.
ORPHAN (lᴉʌǝp ǝɥʇ) – OUT NOW https://ihw.lnk.to/Incarnation
INCARNATION – OUT JULY 12 https://ihw.lnk.to/Incarnation
New World Artists & UNFD Presents
IN HEARTS WAKE INCARNATION AUSTRALIA TOUR 2024
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
PALEFACE SWISS (SWITZERLAND)
KING 810 (USA)
GRAVEMIND
TOUR DATES:
THURSDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2024 – KING STREET BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE 18+
FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 – LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY 18+
SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2024 – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE 18+
THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 – THE FORUM, MELBOURNE 18+
FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2024 – THE GOV, ADELAIDE 18+
SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2024 – MAGNET HOUSE, PERTH 18+
Tickets from inheartswake.com
ASLEEP AT THE REEL ‘Three Sheets To The Wind’ (Album)
Asleep at the Reel are a genre hopping Brisbane-based ensemble equally comfortable with an Irish jig or singalong as they are with a dance hall country shuffle. Yes it’s folk music – but not as we know it Jim! The band’s repertoire is delivered with finesse by high quality musicians – including Tamworth Golden Fiddle Award winner Hugh Curtis. They can play a wide range of covers – from Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beatles, Steve Earle and many more.
Their original music is powered by the deft song writing of Mark Cryle, who rose to prominence in the 1990s with Spot the Dog and was once described by the Courier Mail’s Noel Mengel as ‘one of the best songwriters in Australia’. Cryle’s songs, according to a recent reviewer in Dublin’s Irish Music Magazine, ‘evoke the centres of our Irish world whether it be the pub or the parish; he has conjured up places where craic and companionship are the glue of life’.
Asleep at the Reel have now released two cds of original music – The Emerald Dream (2018) and Time and Tide (2021). Each is a rich and diverse collection which joins the dots between Celtic music and contemporary Australian song a ‘wonderful melding of Celtic influences and Australian stories’ as another reviewer noted.
Asleep at the Reel have forged original songs and tunes which one commentator has recently called ‘the cultural vaccine for the Irish Diaspora.’
The band take its stylings from their roots in the peat-smoked pubs of Ireland and Scotland, from the kitchen, the hearth, the veranda, the dance hall and the shearing shed all the way to the stage where they throw in a little backbeat just for the fun of it.
As Mark Cryle explains: “These songs emerged from a reading of texts about Irish Australia which I undertook in 2022 – history books, poetry, novels, memoirs, collections of letters etc. Some songs: The Streets of Dublin; Holding On; Could We Make This Land Our Home? Don’t Look Back and Cold Killarney Clay hark back to the 19th century and were inspired directly by words in the letters. Other songs have a more contemporary context. My Derry Days was inspired by a friend who grew up Protestant in Northern Ireland in the 60s and 70s, telling me that the first time he had a drink with a Catholic was when he moved to Australia.”
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD AUDIO AS WAV AND MP3 HERE
Web: asleepatthereelband.com
BLUSHER ’24 Hours in Paris’ (Single)
Melbourne-based pop-trio Blusher today share new track ‘24 Hours In Paris‘. A wistful, expansive track, it is out now everywhere via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Australia.
Speaking on the creation of the new single, Blusher share, “‘24 Hours in Paris’ is our bittersweet darling. We started writing it after a D&M about the times that we’d done the “run away from your sadness” overseas trip ~ where you find yourself in a beautiful place, expecting it’ll heal you instantly, but really, you just end up eating a croissant in a gutter and overthinking.
Sonically, it feels like a new colour of the Blusher palette – a different side to our sound that we’re super excited to share with people. We love the idea of taking a left turn from our last single, ‘Accelerator’. We want our music to be your soundtrack on the dance floor, but also for the ride home in the Uber, when you’re staring out the window with a single tear rolling down your cheek.”
’24 Hours in Paris’ follows on from recent singles ‘Accelerator’ and ‘Rave Angel’, which are the first taste of new music for the trio since the release of their debut EP Should We Go Dance? in mid 2023. Blusher recently finished a twenty-three-date run with Icelandic artist, Dadi Freyr across the US, after supporting him in the UK and Europe, with more international dates coming up, including their first Blusher headline show at The Waiting Room in London, and Latitude Festival in the UK. This month they are taking their effervescent live show around Australia as they support The Rions.
In the past 12 months Blusher have been named as one of Spotify’s RADAR artists, showcased at The Great Escape UK and SXSW Sydney, and supported international artists Aurora and Tove Lo on their national Australian tours.
Blusher tour dates
9 June – The Gov, Adelaide*
10 June – 170 Russell, Melbourne*
14 June – The Triffid, Brisbane*
15 June – Metro Theatre, Sydney*
16 June – Metro Theatre, Sydney*
19 July – The Waiting Room, London, UK
25-28 July – Latitude Festival, Southwold, UK
*Supporting The Rions
’24 HOURS IN PARIS’
OUT NOW VIA ATLANTIC RECORDS/WARNER MUSIC AUSTRALIA
BUY/STREAM HERE
MORE INFO:
TIKTOK
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RADICAL SON ‘ Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The rainbow Dreaming)’ FEAT. Emma Donovan and Frank Yamma (Single)
A celebration of ceremony and culture, the brand new single Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) out now from Kamilaroi and Tongan artist Radical Son combines powerful storytelling with driving delivery, with Radical Son also joined on this magnetic track by revered Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter Emma Donovan and Pitjantjatjara singer-songwriter Frank Yamma. Also set to feature on Radical Son’s upcoming sophomore album Bilambiyal (The Learning), due out next month, Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) once again finds Radical Son delivering artistry that is equal parts dynamic and meaningful.
Bringing together three quality First Nations artists, Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) opens with Radical Son, aka David Leha’s, inescapably gripping vocals, declaring “Spirit Dreaming / Serpent Dreaming / The Rainbow Dreaming” before the track instrumentally swells to match its emphatic thematics. Firmly driven alongside Radical Son’s delivery by effusive percussion and colourful yet urgent ambience, Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) takes further flight courtesy of the powerhouse guest vocals provided from Emma Donovan and Frank Yamma, with the single building to interplay all three artists in an unforgettable climax. “Emma, Frank and I recorded separately,” shares Radical Son of bringing Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) to life alongside Donovan and Yamma. “I was really sick the week I had flown to Melbourne to record. The recording sessions were long days and one of the guys had to pump me up full of medicines to get me through the those days. I don’t know how we did it – but it came out sounding pretty good.”
Thrilled to be a part of powerful song, Donovan adds, “What a big, important song from Songman Radical Son, teaching me as I sing alongside him with our Uncle Frank, such an honour to be a part of these new song.”
Along with the mesmerising addition of Donovan and Yamma on Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming), Radical Son also worked alongside Marcus Longfoot and David Bridie to pen the track, with Mitch McGregor on percussion, Phil Wales on guitar, and programming courtesy of Longfoot and Andrew Robinson. And, as with much of Radical Son’s creative endeavours, the beating heart behind his incredible new track is one of passion and advocacy for culture and for connection in the modern age, as he elaborates, “I absolutely love this song. A song about ceremony and culture. There is so much depth in our Culture and Country. Country provides us a way of living and sustenance both physically and mentally. It provides the story and the way. It is there for us. Right in front of us. The only thing is we don’t see it as we are looking at the screens that stand between us.”
Joining recent singles Until You Call My Name and Elder, Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) offers yet another spellbinding glimpse into Radical Son’s upcoming new album Bilambiyal (The Learning), with the hotly anticipated full length set to further showcase Leha’s cultural connection, innate integrity and powerful perception across its 12 tracks. Releasing via Leha’s own label, Wantok Musik, and following on from his debut release Cause ‘N Affect, Bilambiyal (The Learning) was also crafted alongside a powerhouse team, including Full Circle Audio, Marcus Longfoot, Andy Robinson, David Bridie, Frank Yamma, Emma Donovan and many more. Opening with the starkly intimate Elder Reprise, Radical Son instantly conjures goosebumps as his almighty vocals soar, akin to standing on a mountaintop proclaiming: “I wish to be an Elder”, before seamlessly oscillating between warm and soul-hued beauty (How Long Must I Wait), contemporary glow (All My Life) and the utterly calming balm of Until You Call My Name, with the latter straddling raw ambience and rousing vocals. And between shifting between reggae hues (Only One Life), glossy soul (A Golden Age) and rousing, iron-willed ballads (The Fall), Bilambiyal (The Learning) also fervently reflects Radical Son’s powerful devotion to his country and his soul, displayed with gusto via the stunning might of Elder, the album’s various spoken word interludes, and the vulnerable and unforgettable punch of Bilambiyal (The Learning)’s title track.
One of the most compelling artists in the Australian cultural scene, Radical Son, the son of an Aboriginal woman and Tongan man, channels his experiences from his past into immense power and resolve, with his trademark sound pulsing with the urgency of hip hop and emotionally-charged soul. A festival favourite, cemented by his show-stopping cover of his mentor Uncle Archie Roach’s Walking Into Doors in 2022, Radical Son has performed to standing ovations at Bluesfest, St Kilda Festival, VIVID, the AFL Dreamtime 2032 game, and the official Uncle Archie Roach memorial in Melbourne and Sydney.
A highly skilled concert artist, with performances alongside classical ensembles and high-profile collaborations under his belt, Radical Son’s artistry also expands to film and TV, with credits including Defining Moments, a six-part NITV documentary exploring life-defining experiences, and theatre work, including the lead role of Pemulwuy in I am Eora at the 2012 Sydney Festival.
Studying as a musician at The Eora Centre for Visual and Performing Arts in Redfern, as well completing a Bachelor of Music from Newcastle Conservatorium, Radical Son’s creative prowess and steadfast substance is only matched by his otherworldly stage presence that repeatedly transfixes; and this fact is only set to heighten with the upcoming release of Bilambiyal (The Learning), and an upcoming performance in July as part of QPAC’s Warriors Concert for 2024’s Clancestry Festival in Brisbane.
“I have put the work in to improve as a vocalist, and I think that will show,” shares Radical Son of what fans can expect from his upcoming performance. “I think it’s important to stand up as an Indigenous man and share what is important to me. I’m grateful that I have the ability and the option to do so.”
“I am excited to be releasing our album Bilambiyal (The Learning),” Radical Son concludes. “I am very proud of this work and grateful to those who have collaborated with me to bring it to life.”
Yuluwirri Wandabaa (The Rainbow Dreaming) is out today via Wantok Musik. Bilambiyal (The Learning) is due out on Thursday July 11.
RADICAL SON – UPCOMING SHOWS:
WED 31 JULY | QPAC, BRISBANE QLD| ALL AGES
Tickets available from https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2024/clancestry-warriors
SUPERCHUNK ARE SET TO TOUR AUSTRALIA THIS DECEMBER, CELEBRATING THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ALBUM, FOOLISH.
It’s been 30 years since North Carolina indie-rockers Superchunk released their classic fourth album, Foolish. That breakout album, produced by Brian Paulson (Slint, Beck, Wilco), was the band’s first for the label they founded, Merge Records, and the label’s biggest seller of its early years. The album made SPIN’s top 20 albums of the year and featured many of the best-loved songs in their catalogue, including crowd favorites “Water Wings,” “The First Part” and “Driveway To Driveway.”
Following a performance at Merge’s 35th anniversary festival in July, a Summer tour of Portugal and Spain and a run of US shows throughout October, Superchunk will hit Australia for a National tour this December. Australian fans can expect to hear the band performing a set leaning heavily on the Foolish album, plus hits and deep cuts from every era.
DON’T MISS SUPERCHUNK ON THEIR NATIONAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR:
Saturday December 7 – Brightside, Brisbane
Sunday December 8 – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Tuesday December 10 – The Rosemount, Perth
Friday December 13 – Crowbar, Sydney
Saturday December 14 – The Corner, Melbourne
*TICKETS ON SALE 9AM (local time) THURSDAY JUNE 6
via www.troubadourpresents.com
SNAKE MOUNTAIN ‘Extinction Through Fire’ (Single)
Australian melodic technical death metal act Snake Mountain has just released their new track “Extinction Through Fire” exclusively on YouTube, with the full release of their debut EP, Villainous 1: Reverence, landing on July 5 through all major streaming platforms. To top things off, they have also announced a string of shows along the east coast in June, July, and August in support of the EP.
It seems Snake Mountain is on a hot streak at the moment. In fact, it would be more accurately described as a friggin’ tear! Having recently toured with the first single, “Everliving” (from their forthcoming EP), opening for Fleshgod Apocalypse (Italy) and Wolfheart (Finland) in Brisbane, as well as teaming up with industrial metal band Witchgrinder for their QLD dates, it is becoming quickly apparent that Snake Mountain means business and is out to take the Australian (and global) metal scene head-on.
Now, with the release of their debut EP in sight, the band has released the visualiser for the second single and opening track “Extinction Through Fire,” the follow-up to their previous single and video for “Everliving.”
“Extinction Through Fire” is one of Snake Mountain’s oldest songs, from their early writing days. Layered with pure death savagery and blast beats but with underlying groove patterns, dropped-down brutal guitar tones, and the monstrous guttural vocals by frontman Nev Pearce, it’s about the alien invasion in the movie Independence Day and the destruction caused on a global scale. It also poses a few questions around the subject of UFO disclosure and if something like this were to happen, would we survive it as a species? Some freaky stuff, huh!
Snake Mountain is undoubtedly one Australian heavy act on the rise, quickly becoming known for their electrifying live shows and a band to keep an eye on. With whispers of guest appearances from members of Freedom of Fear, Aeon Nexus, Pistonfist, Our Last Enemy, and Deprivation, it won’t be long now until the full EP is out and you get your chance to catch this melodic tech-death beast on tour.
Snake Mountain – ‘Villainous 1: Reverence’ is out on July 5 digitally.
Pre save here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/snakemountain/villainous-i-reverence
Upcoming shows and tour dates:
June 8 – Sunshine Coast – The Precynct
Krave, Ancient Remains, Acid Cherry and The Drop Beers
July 20 – Burnside Tavern – Gold Coast
W/ We The Hollow, Allocer, Till Ya Dead and Zagtar
August 22 – Sydney – The Duke – TBA
August 23 – Melbourne – The Leadbeater Hotel
W/ Ghost Seeker, Deadweight 80, Excuse for an Exit, Ghost Engine, Rise From Ashes and Matahari.
August 24 – Geelong – Drencher Festival
W/ Pizza Death, Nicholas Cage Fighter, Immorium, Bog Monster, Munitions and more
August 31 – Necrosonic Festival – Brisbane
Snake Mountain is:
Nev Pearce – Vocals
Jackson Price – guitar
Jaymes Jackson – guitar
Jared Day – bass
Kristian Rousell – Drums
Keep up to date with Snake Mountain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snakemountainband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/snakemountainbandau