Live Review: Timothy Carroll w/ McKisko + Kate Jacobsen @ The Troubadour 19 July 2009

Artists: Timothy Carroll, McKisko, Kate Jacobsen @ The Troubadour, Brisbane
Author: Stephen Goodwin

[Click image to view photo gallery]
Timothy Carroll
[Photo: Stephen Goodwin]
  About three songs into a typically inveigling set of back-porch country tunes, a perfect cocktail of illness, alcohol and painkillers prompts Kate Jacobsen to artlessly observe that her strum patterns all seem to be the same.

There’s an underlying hint of truth, yet it matters not a whit as an appreciative audience laps up Cane Farmer’s Daughter, Kiss Me Gently, Don’t Believe In Jesus and couple of new tunes as well.

Some things are greater than the sum of their individual parts — and Jacobsen’s plain-speaking fretwork, achingly sweet voice and poignant lyrics illustrate that in spades.

Folk-minimalist McKisko (aka Helen Franzmann) performs only eight songs. But what breathtaking advertisements for her talent.
Continue reading Live Review: Timothy Carroll w/ McKisko + Kate Jacobsen @ The Troubadour 19 July 2009

Ian Moss ‘Shake It Up’ Australian Tour Oct-Nov-Dec 2009

ian_moss_1
[Photo: Stuart Blythe]
  The voice of Ian Moss has modestly purred beneath his searing guitar playing for more than 30 years – but no longer. For his sixth solo album, Soul on West 53rd, Ian’s sweet, soaring vocal is the pivot around which famed American producer Danny Kortchmar has built a rich, soulful sound, drawing on classic songs from the likes of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Otis Redding and Bill Withers. Unleashing this surge of soul power has unlocked a whole new chapter in Mossy’s performing career, which ironically was triggered by his appearances on the television series It Takes Two that highlighted vocal duets.

“When I put aside the guitar and sang a few soul ballads on that show, people were suddenly listening to me differently. They’d say ‘Yeah, we knew you sang, but we didn’t know you could really sing’. It was both flattering and frustrating. I kept wondering what they thought I’d been doing for past 30 years. It showed that there was a different side of my music that hadn’t really been heard by enough people before.”

Continue reading Ian Moss ‘Shake It Up’ Australian Tour Oct-Nov-Dec 2009

Lisa Mitchell Australian Wonder Tour, Aug-Sep 2009

Lisa Mitchell   Recently playing at Glastonbury music festival and with a new album “Wonder”, Lisa Mitchell is headlining her own Australian tour – August and September, 2009

Showcasing gorgeous tracks including her amazing new single “Coin Laundry.” She’ll be joined by supports acts Oh Mercy and Whitebirds & Lemons.

Lisa Helen Mitchell was born in England on March the 22nd of 1990, although migrated to Australia at the age of three. She is the eldest of two in a family which resides in the country town of Albury, New South Wales. Her musical journey began at age twelve when she started taking guitar lessons with a focus on rock and folk, but her real exposure came at the age of sixteen when she auditioned for Australian Idol. She quickly received high praise with one judge claiming that she was “the best thing musically that has ever came out of this country.”      Tour Dates and Tickets:
27 August 2009 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
Click here for Tickets
28 August 2009 – The Zoo, Brisbane
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29 August 2009 – Sands Tavern, Maroochydore
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2 September 2009 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Click here for Tickets

Continue reading Lisa Mitchell Australian Wonder Tour, Aug-Sep 2009

Live Review: FourPlay @ The Tivoli, Brisbane 25 July 2009

By: Stephen Goodwin
FourPlay String Quartet @ The Tivoli, Brisbane

FourPlay String QuartetFew bands could be as innately suited to The Tivoli’s lush interiors as the sonically eclectic FourPlay String Quartet. Coaxed all the way to Brisbane to feature in the Deborah Conway-curated 2009 edition of the Queensland Music Festival, the fourtet of Sydneysiders grace the venue with an exquisite set worthy of a far-larger audience.

Over the course of a little more than an hour, the ensemble treats a small, enthusiastic crowd to new material that shows they still have the creativity and talent to match their genre-crossing ambitions.
Continue reading Live Review: FourPlay @ The Tivoli, Brisbane 25 July 2009

Review: Splendour In The Grass 2009 – Day 2

By: Elize Strydom

Day two! I arrive at the site to find it virtually deserted. I’m here early for good reason. I’ve been hanging out to catch Townsville collective The Middle East and they’re first up on the GW McLennan stage.

Their tunes The Darkest Side and Blood have been getting considerable airplay on triple j and a friend of the band handed me a copy of their record but I’ve been told they MUST be seen live. Five guys and one girl walk on stage and take their places behind various instruments but they won’t be there long. Throughout the set each member will put down his guitar and take up a trumpet, stop tinkling the ivories in favour of the flute, or accordion, or tambourine and on it goes. Rohin Jones takes the role as front man for much of the set. He’s smiley and gracious and thanks the audience for waking up. One minute the sound is gentle, spacious and delicate the next it’s raucous, crashing and emotive. Bree’s sweet vocals weave in and out of the softer tunes and I’m reminded of Bright Eyes during their more country rock moments. As I watch them I picture myself writing this review and just know I won’t do the Middle East justice. I haven’t. See them for yourself, post haste!
Continue reading Review: Splendour In The Grass 2009 – Day 2

Review: Splendour In The Grass 2009 – Day 1

By: Elize Strydom

The clouds have cleared and it’s a sunny 21 degree-er in Byron Bay. I’m at Splendour In The Grass but there ain’t a lot of green stuff on the ground at Belongil Feilds. No matter, no one really comes to this festival to hang out on the lawn, right?

I make my way through the gates sans sniffer dogs and my friend and I head over to the Supertop. “Let’s watch Manchester United!” I enthuse.

“Um, okay.” He says, “Not sure who they’re playing this weekend. But I know Manchester ORCHESTRA are about to play on this stage.”

Uh, yeah, that’s what I meant!

Manchester Orchestra look nothing like I expected – and no, I wasn’t expecting a real orchestra. Lead Singer Andy Hull reminds me of Joaquin Phoenix post identity crisis – a massive mop of hair, unkempt beard and wild eyes. He and his four band mates play long rock jams (with two drum kits!) with minimal lyrics and not a whole lot of interaction with the audience. I’m way up the back and people around me are into it, despite the fact that for most this is the first they’ve seen or heard from the Atlanta quintet. When they break out with triple j fave ‘I’ve Got Friends’ the crowd goes wild. It’s pretty different from the rest of their set. The song has the distinct structure of a ‘single’. When it’s over a bunch of people clear out but I stick around to the end and am not disappointed.
Continue reading Review: Splendour In The Grass 2009 – Day 1

Alice Cooper – THEATRE OF DEATH Tour – Brisbane 22nd August 2009

Related:
Photo Gallery: Alice Cooper “Theatre Of Death” @ Brisbane Convention Centre 22 August 2009

alice cooper    Alice Cooper has been described as a legend in one’s own time is certainly a blatantly abused cliché, but no one has taken a vivid imagination and unusual persona to the people with as much controversy and success. Call him Master of Shock Rock, Black Humorist Supreme, or simply one of the era’s great showmen, his mark has been undeniable. Lennard Promotions, in association with Music Max, proudly announces the forthcoming Alice Cooper’s Theatre Of Death Australian Tour in August 2009.

Continue reading Alice Cooper – THEATRE OF DEATH Tour – Brisbane 22nd August 2009

Interview: Lost Valentinos’ lead singer Nik Yiannikas on all things ‘Conquistadisco’

Lost Valentinos   You’ve just come back from a European tour, what cities did you go to? Any interesting stories?

Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, London, Manchester, Brighton.
On our way to Barcelona we missed our flight due to a massive TM (tour manager) fail. Ironically she was the only one who had slept the night before. However, just when it looked like our Barcelonan dreams would be snatched away from us,

we found the world’s most expensive flights on the world’s worst airline and made it to our show where we towered over 2,500 crazy Spaniards.
Continue reading Interview: Lost Valentinos’ lead singer Nik Yiannikas on all things ‘Conquistadisco’

Live Review: Skipping Girl Vinegar with The Good Ship @ The Troubadour, 18th July 2009.

By: Will Alexander
Support band The Good Ship are, as their name suggests, a pirate themed band with a sense of humour.

On stage from left to right there’s an accordionist in a puffy white shirt reminiscent of a Seinfeld episode, a violinist with eye patch, admiral’s cap and a fake bird teetering halfway down his back, 3 guitarists, a bassist, a drummer and the one female member doing back-up vocals. Yes, if ever a band looked like a bunch of pirates with a few ounces of fashion sense, or a group of extras from a pirate’s of the Caribbean set, this was it.
Continue reading Live Review: Skipping Girl Vinegar with The Good Ship @ The Troubadour, 18th July 2009.

Illness Forces Jane’s Addiction To Cancel Australian Tour Including Splendour In The Grass Performance

The Living End replace Jane’s Addiction on the bill for Splendour in the Grass 2009

It is with disappointment that organisers confirm that JANE’S ADDICTION has cancelled tomorrow’s scheduled performance at SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS due to illness.
Continue reading Illness Forces Jane’s Addiction To Cancel Australian Tour Including Splendour In The Grass Performance

Live Review: Tijuana Cartel @ The Troubadour, Brisbane 17 July 2009

Tijuana Cartel – @ The Troubadour 17 July 2009
By José Eduardo Cruz

Tijuana Cartel
[Photo: José Eduardo Cruz]
  Let’s begin by saying that tonight was a sold out night, which is an incredible success for any band. No matter in which venue or which city this is achieved at, once you see the sold out sign outside the venue you know that the band about to perform have something special to offer.

Opening the night’s proceeding was A French Butler Called Smith. Two years worth of solid touring have propelled this pleasant five member band to a position where they will surely soon begin to headline their own shows. Their Gypsy Latin style rings through the room and sets the mood for the remainder of the night. They mix genres beautifully and produce an excellent warm up set. Please keep an eye out for these guys in the future for they are surely on the path to a successful career.

Continue reading Live Review: Tijuana Cartel @ The Troubadour, Brisbane 17 July 2009

Lost Valentinos Conquistadisco Tour : July-August 2009

LOST VALENTINOS – CONQUISTADISCO TOUR
DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE: 09.09.09
TITLE: CITIES OF GOLD

Lost Valentinos   Just back from a convincing European tour, Sydney’s LOST VALENTINOS have left their suitcases packed and ready for a run around Australia this August on their ‘Conquistadisco’ tour. LOST VALENTINOS will be heralding the arrival of their sizzling new single ‘Thief’, which comes on the eve of the unearthing of their glorious debut album “Cities of Gold”.

Produced by the hugely sought after producer Ewan Pearson, the album “Cities of Gold” becomes legal on 09.09.09. Born from a journey that took in two years and the cities Sydney, Berlin and London, it remains a brilliant, fresh, cohesive body of work that more than accounts for the attention and acclaim this band has attracted since birth.

Continue reading Lost Valentinos Conquistadisco Tour : July-August 2009

Lamb Of God Australian Tour – Dec 2009 w/ Devildriver + Shadows Fall

Lamb Of God   Contemporary metal doesn’t get more blistering than Lamb Of God. The Virginia five piece’s mix of groove laden chunky riffs, inhuman screamed vocals and evil lead guitar work make for an explosive and unstoppable force. Their latest album Wrath has seen them elevate to one of the biggest metal bands and they “sound as powerful composing songs as they do cranking out riffs—and the transformation is career-defining.” – AV Club

Hitting with the force of an invading apocalyptic army, Lamb Of God are back to inject Australia with a crippling dose of their pure American metal. Coming armed with a barrage of crushing riffs, a pounding backbone rhythm and growls, “it’s safe to say that this one-cell prison of a genre finally has an escaped convict” – Sputnik Music

Continue reading Lamb Of God Australian Tour – Dec 2009 w/ Devildriver + Shadows Fall

ARIA Chart News, w/c 20 July 2009

The Black Eyed Peas reign supreme again this week, as they achieve their fourth week at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart with “I Gotta Feeling”, giving the band their tenth week straight at number one. Just two more weeks at the top will cement the Black Eyed Peas in ARIA Chart history as the only act to achieve 12 weeks running in the No.1 position. The single also remains in the top spot on the ARIA Digital Track Chart for the sixth week straight.
Continue reading ARIA Chart News, w/c 20 July 2009

Live Review: LIAM GRIFFIN @ The Troubadour 12 July 2009

Review by Bec

Liam Griffin   Sunday night at The Troubadour is a casual affair. “When is it supposed to start?” asks the merch girl.

“About seven?” headliner, Liam Griffin suggests; seems uncertain.

It feels like solo artists, Liam Griffin, Mardi Lumsden and (very late ring-in), Cameron Elliott, have put on a party and are waiting nervously for friends to show. Sure, they’re not huge acts but they’re great local talent and deserve a good turnout.

Continue reading Live Review: LIAM GRIFFIN @ The Troubadour 12 July 2009