Category Archives: Bio

CHARLIE MAYFAIR – SUNSET SOUNDS FOSTER BAND


Watch My Hands - Charlie MayfairCharlie Mayfair
  In January 2010, a band was born: with fire in their bellies and rapture in their hearts, they took to stages sharing stories woven into songs. This band is Charlie Mayfair.

The early months of the year saw the band racing around their hometown writing songs, making friends, and letting people experience their unique style of folk-fired pop. They hollered their gigs from the rooftops and Brisbane heeded their call.

And so their three-part-harmonised hollering led them to play at many lovely venues like The Powerhouse, The Troubadour, The Zoo, The Sound Lounge, World Bar and The Old Museum sharing the stage with the talented likes of Old Man River, Dan Parsons, Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Bedroom Philosopher, The Boat People, Loren, TheCoronas (IRE) and Iceland’s Svavar Knutur, amongst others.

Wasting no time jumping into the studio, a short six months from inception, their debut release Watch My Hands “is a five-track harmony wonderland” (Scene Magazine) imbued with a bohemian flair while striding effortlessly between elements of folk and pop. Launched at The Zoo in Brisbane to an impressive capacity crowd, the release has since received enthusiastic nods from across the nation with a feature on triple j Unearthed, spot plays on the station, and a growing collection of glowing commentary on the bands’ live shows and debut recording.

Having made a quick trek to Sydney to launch the release to a welcoming reception at the Finders Keepers markets and MUM, the remaining months of 2010 will see the group once again hit the road for their first east coast tour which follows the release of their debut video clip for ‘If I Fell Down’. The shows will feature new songs and showcase the newly expanded bands’ impassioned live show.


Debut EP – Watch My Hands


Watch My Hands - Charlie MayfairCharlie Mayfair
  Ever craved some beautifully crafted music comprised of gently soaring harmonies and dainty whimsy, yet with a mature touch to the sound and lyrics?”
– Lauren Sherrit, Life Music Media … Read Review

“With their mature blend of classy pop, folk sounds and stunning harmonies, it’s hard to believe that
five-piece band Charlie Mayfair formed a mere four months ago.”
– Jayvia Magini, Rave Magazine

“This is a really sweet folk-pop song, lovely harmonies going on.”
– Zan Rowe, triple j Unearthed

Available in stores via Green Distribution and online via Waterfront Records


Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative is set to shine a light on locals bands!

LIFE MUSIC MEDIA has selected CHARLIE MAYFAIR as its Sunset Sounds foster band.

Come on Brisbane… Australia… the World! Let’s secure them a spot at Sunset Sounds 2011 Festival.
Vote Here -> www.sunsetsounds.com.au/fosterband


  Check out Charlie Mayfair on:
Charlie Mayfair on Facebook
Charlie Mayfair on Myspace
Charlie Mayfair on Twitter

BIO: Tom Ballard – Comedian/Broadcaster

tom-ballard   Ever since he played the role of Blitzen in a local amateur production of Rock’n’Roll Santa back in 1997 in his home town of Warrnambool, Tom Ballard’scomedy career has been on a steady decline.

Having overcome serious sex and chocolate milk addictions at 14, Ballard managed to become a three-time Class Clowns National Finalist and a RAW National Finalist by 2006.

On the strength of his RAW performance, Tom was offered work with national youth radio network, triple j.
Continue reading BIO: Tom Ballard – Comedian/Broadcaster

Sunday Selection – The Kidney Thieves : 31 May 2009

LifeMusicMedia’s Sunday Selection is your weekly view to a new or emerging Queensland Artists

The Kidney Thieves
The Kidney Thieves sound like a car-chase gunfight between a possessed gypsy and a vigilante clown, cruising the funk freeway at full throttle, leaving a trail of carnage and the faint odour of Parmesan.

Put simply, TKT are a distinctive, genre-busting act blending jazz, funk psychedelic, metal, classical, dance, tribal, latin, drum & bass and western influences. The music is technical, with tempo changes and complex time signatures, yet remains accessible, fun and danceable to a broad range of musical tastes. With a penchant for stage monikers and ludicrous song titles, a propensity toward random costumes and live visual projections, and a soft spot for instrumental epics, this group offers a wildly refreshing experience. The Kidney Thieves are as unpredictable as the name suggests – you can never be prepared or properly dressed for the occasion!
Continue reading Sunday Selection – The Kidney Thieves : 31 May 2009

Sunday Selection – SIAN EVANS : 24 May 2009

LifeMusicMedia’s Sunday Selection is your weekly view to a new or emerging Queensland Artist

Sian Evans    “Sure Sian’s Got a wonderful voice, dextrous guitar chops, lyrical prowess, is a looker and charming as hell……..but what about the positives?” – Tim Rogers……….

Thriving on the complexities of human behaviour and the simplicities of beauty in a philosophical shade. Moved by moments of magic. Excited by the possibilities of endless rhyming sequences created through rolling vals and syllabic rhythms. Best depicted as a contemporary synthesis of Urban Folk-Funk and Twisted Gypsy Jazz, it’s the new black of the evolving Australian Blues and Roots culture.

Born in FNQ, singer/songwriter Sian Evans has played numerous gigs along the East coast with an array of musicians big and small. Supporting the likes of Ash Grunwald, Deborah Conway, Tim Rogers, and guest with Clare Bowditch in her short career.
Continue reading Sunday Selection – SIAN EVANS : 24 May 2009

Madeleine Paige

Turn off your phone and get out of town
Away from the chaos and deafening sound
And when all is peaceful and darkness falls
You’ll hear The Voice Behind The Noise
   Madeleine Page

This is the concept behind Madeleine Paige’s stunning sophomore EP “The Voice Behind The Noise”. In October last year, on a friend’s recommendation, Madeleine left behind the daily grind and spent some time alone in a cabin in the wilderness and her creativity flourished. Through these visits to the idyllic Mullumbimby countryside, the songs on this glorious EP were born.
Continue reading Madeleine Paige

BABY ANIMALS “WISH YOU WERE HER” TOUR 2009

babyanimals_tour09

BABY ANIMALS
“WISH YOU WERE HER” TOUR 2009

balivepromoshotap09 Australian Rocker Suze DeMarchi, returns Down Under in April for the “Wish U Were Her” Tour…..

Suze DeMarchi returns to Australia for a slew of shows and some new material to unleash on the Australian public.

Suze says – “I think that a relevant quote for the story of my life would be “Time Flies”!!!
It’s been a year since we did our last shows and a year that proved to be really creative but also a reminder of how geography affects everything!! Dave and I have been plowing ahead with work on new songs.

What we really love to do is write and perform and since my life has taken me far away, across the seas, to the desert that is Los Angeles, we have to get it when we can!!!
CANNOT wait to play again! April… All of it…somewhere near you…. get your boots on…. Heaps” – Suze

The Baby Animals need no introduction as one of Australia’s best rock bands. Continue reading BABY ANIMALS “WISH YOU WERE HER” TOUR 2009

Paul Kelly

paulkellypromosml
[photo: Courtesy Paul Kelly website]
  From very early on in his career, Paul Kelly has been recognised as one of the most significant singer/songwriters in the country.

His influence over Australian music and Australian culture is wide and significant – backed up by the fact his new compilation Songs From The South – Volume 2 has gone Gold since its November 2008 release.

As well as issuing an enduring body of work with his own bands, Kelly has written film scores (Lantana and the Cannes 2006 highlight, Jindabyne), and produced albums for and written songs with some of Australia and New Zealand’s finest artists.

Paul Kelly’s Songs From The South Volume 2 was recently released, along with a DVD collection of Paul Kelly videos from 1985 to 2008 and a double CD including Songs From The South Volume’s 1 & 2. You can find these at record stores and digital outlets now.

Since it’s release the positive reviews have been coming through thick and fast.
One such review can be read below, from Noel Mengel of The Courier Mail. More reviews are posted in the ‘Recent Press’ section on Paul Kelly‘s website.


Review:
Continue reading Paul Kelly

Bio: Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam

Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam
Blues/Rock (UK)

Davy Knowles   Every so often a truly explosive, blues-steeped star comes slamming down the pike. The ’60s were filled with acts – from Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page – but each generation has since added to the legacy. Think of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, Susan Tedeschi, Warren Haynes and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Now think of Davy Knowles. Think long and hard and toast a bright future. Fronting his band Back Door Slam, the 22-year-old British phenomenon with an encyclopaedic grasp of blues-rock draws on influences from Robert Johnson to

Rory Gallagher and gives it a fresh Celtic feel along the way.
Continue reading Bio: Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Bio

nickcaveandbadseedpromo
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds available at Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Arguably Australia’s most successful cultural export of the last twenty years, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – both collectively and individually – are also the most prolific. In the last eighteen months alone, Nick Cave, alongside fellow Bad Seeds; Warren Ellis (violin, mandocaster) Martyn Casey (bass) and Jim Sclavunus (drums), have released an album and toured under the name Grinderman – a bump and grind exaggeration of the Bad Seeds groove. Warren Ellis and Nick Cave have also written and released the soundtrack to the Brad Pitt produced movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; bassist Martyn Casey has revived his former role in the reunited Triffids performing at last year’s Sydney Festival; and the longest serving Bad Seed, Mick Harvey (guitar and organ), has released a solo album (his fourth) entitled Two of Diamonds. Harvey has also performed as guest musician at The Triffids reunion shows and most recently has been remixing the entire Bad Seeds back catalogue in 5.1 surround sound.

Continue reading Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Bio

Ben Lee Bio

ben-lee
Ben Lee has been making albums since he was 14 years old.
• Recordings by his first band, Noise Addict, were released in the US by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Mike D of the Beastie Boys.
• The Re-Birth of Venus is his seventh solo album and his fifth collaboration with Chicago-based producer, Brad Wood.
• Ben has been nominated for thirteen ARIA Awards and has won six, including Best Male Artist in 2005. In that year, ‘Catch My Disease’ was the most played song on Australian Radio.
• Ben has collaborated with a vast array of artists including Liz Phair, Evan Dando, Ben Kweller, Ben Folds, Jason Schwartzman and Kylie Minogue.
• He has also starred in a film, The Rage in Placid Lake, and composed the ARIA and AFI-nominated soundtrack to the new Australian movie, The Sqaure.
• Ben lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ione Skye, and his stepdaugher, Kate.
• New single ‘I Love Pop Music’ points out how pop music can also provide a serious message.
• ‘I Love Pop Music’ will be released digitally on December 20th.
• Missy Higgins and Patience Hodgson join Ben on ‘I Love Pop Music’.
• New album, “The Rebirth of Venus” is out through Dew Process/UMA on February 7th 2009.
• The inspiration for ‘The Rebirth Of Venus” is to celebrate feminine qualities such as creativity and compassion, hence the title.
• The new album was recorded with Brad Wood (Awake Is the New Sleep)
Ben Lee will be touring in March 2009


Advertisement

Ben Lee music available at iTunes Ben Lee

Ben Lee albums and MP3 downloads available at Amazon

click here

Tim Minchin

Tim Minchin is an Australian musician, actor, comedian and writer.

Originally from Perth, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre at the University of Western Australia in 1995, then an Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Music at the Conservatorium of WA – part of the WA Academy of Performing Arts – in 1998.

In 2002, he moved to Melbourne, where he began to develop the solo comedy shows which have gained him public and critical acclaim in the last three years. He developed his unique style during an 18-month period when he played regularly in the famous 40-seat cabaret room of The Butterfly Club in South Melbourne, before

   tim-by-dan-dion
[Photo: Dan Dion]

Continue reading Tim Minchin

Simply Red Biography 2009

Simply Red – Biography 2009

simplyredsml
Photographer: Hamish Brown
This year Mick Hucknall celebrates 25 years of unbroken service with the band he founded, fronted and named. Simply Red emerged out of the streets and clubs of Manchester in the post-punk era of 1984 and within 12 months were riding in the British charts.

The original line-up of singer Hucknall, bassist Tony Bowers, drummer Chris Joyce, guitarist Dave Fryman, keyboardist/singer Fritz McIntyre and horn player Tim Kellet became regulars on the thriving club circuit and soon caught the attention of record company scouts on the hunt for new talent.

Executives at the UK arm of renowned US label Elektra were the most persistent – and most generous – and Simply Red found

themselves with a major record deal within six months of starting up and on their way to a recording studio with ace American producer Stewart Levine.
Continue reading Simply Red Biography 2009

The Church

As their 25th anniversary approaches art-rock band The Church, having recently returned from international touring, are continuing to push the boundaries of what a rock band should be.
 
the church   the church
Continue reading The Church

Lamb of God

lambofgodpromo

15 years ago, Lamb of God began their ascent to the forefront of modern heavy metal. A self-described “pure American metal” quintet from Richmond, VA, took deliberate steps, paid the dues and withstood the knocks as an underground, un-commercial metal act. Beloved by a rabid, grass roots cult of underground thrash fanatics thanks to brutal and technical albums like 2000’s New American Gospel and 2003’s As the Palaces Burn, the band toured North America relentlessly and began their international career overseas in support of the latter. Entering 2004, 10 years after inception, the band had risen to the top of the independent metal scene. Their uncommon work ethic, uncompromising musicianship and intellectual lyrics set them apart – and into un-chartered territory.

Five years ago, Lamb of God surprised the hell out of everyone — including themselves — by attracting the attention of and soon after inking a deal with Epic Records. “How does an extreme band like us even exist at this kind of upper-echelon major label?” remembers guitarist Mark Morton.



Far more commercially oriented bands have buckled under the strain of similar indie-to-major leaps. Skeptical of the outcome of such a relationship, the band took the opportunity to push even harder and in 2004 released the ferocious and technical ‘Ashes of the Wake’ and in 2006 the dark and unrelenting, ‘Sacrament.’ These albums proved that the major label pairing had no negative side effects. Fans and critics alike celebrated both albums, receiving respective album of the year awards from major metal and hard rock publications around the world and the latter landing in the top 10 of the Billboard charts, becoming the top selling metal album of 2006, and a Grammy nomination. Now entering 2009, Lamb of God – guitarist Willie Adler, Willie’s drummer brother Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell, guitarist Mark Morton and vocalist Randy Blythe — have recaptured the attention of the heavy metal world, toting a vicious new album they call Wrath.

Continue reading Lamb of God

Kaki King Bio

Kaki King

kakiking Thumping bass lines, tapping melodies, and slapping percussion on her guitar, Kaki King is a one-woman force sent to wreak acoustic havoc. She’s a riveting performer, combining jaw-dropping technique with unique compositions. Her playing has a passion and an edge that keeps her tenuously balanced, one foot in the acoustic world, the other in rock’n’roll.
For King, the guitar isn’t just a reverie machine; it’s a percussion instrument, just like the drums she played with her high school band…

“When I was about four years old my parents wanted me to take music lessons, and I chose the guitar,” she says. “But I didn’t enjoy it, so when I was five I put it aside. Then I started playing drums when I was nine or 10. I still play them. That was how I got into playing pop music, and that feel was a big influence when I did go back to guitar.”


Using intricate tunings and neck tapping, Kaki became focused on writing instrumental music. In 1999, Kaki moved up to New York to attend NYU, and emerged three years later with a humanities degree that allowed her to complete only the feeblest of crossword puzzles. “I want to be either a vagabond street performer or a sassy bar rat,” she told a professor inquiring about her future plans, to which the professor replied, “With your handsome looks and ragamuffin charm, I’m sure you’ll be able to do both.” And so she did…

Continue reading Kaki King Bio