Category Archives: cd

CD Review: Carry Nation – Like a River Does

Review: Victoria Nugent

Carry Nation   Brisbane solo artist Carry Nation’s debut album Like A River Does is the perfect soundtrack for lazy summer days spent in contemplation, with its rich, full sound and intimate lyrics. Built around the foundation of the voice and guitar of Brisbane songwriter Jessie Warren, the recording sees her joined by bass, string and percussion players, with their music making the ideal accompaniment for Warren’s strong and honest vocals.

Warren began playing guitar at sixteen, writing her first song at seventeen, and playing her first show at the Verve Cafe at eighteen.

Continue reading CD Review: Carry Nation – Like a River Does →

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THE BLACK RYDER sign deals in Japan & USA + Supporting THE CULT on their National Tour!

Black Ryder

The Black Ryder – The Black Ryder at iTunes

  Since releasing their debut album ‘Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride’ in November last year, The Black Ryder have been busy gearing up for it’s international release, this month signing deals in Japan and the USA.

In Japan the album will be released through Vinyl Junkie recordings and in the USA through cool indie label ‘Mexican Summer’, home to artists such as Wooden Shjips, Dungen, and The Tallest Man On Earth, to name but a few. The Black Ryder will head to the US for shows later in the year in support of the release.

Continue reading THE BLACK RYDER sign deals in Japan & USA + Supporting THE CULT on their National Tour! →

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Angus & Julia Stone – NEW ALBUM ‘DOWN THE WAY’ #1 ARIA CHART DEBUT

HIGHEST SELLING NEW ALBUM IN 2010 and RECORD BREAKING DIGITAL SALES!
Angus & Julia Stone – Angus & Julia Stone available at iTunes

As Sydney siblings Angus & Julia Stone make their way around the country on a sold out national tour, their sophomore album ‘Down The Way’ has debuted on the National ARIA album chart at #1, with more than double the sales of the number 2 album this week.

In fact, the First Week digital sales are so strong they have broken the record for 1st week digital sales by an Australian Artist, putting them in the league of Coldplay and Pink for opening week digital sales.
Continue reading Angus & Julia Stone – NEW ALBUM ‘DOWN THE WAY’ #1 ARIA CHART DEBUT →

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CD Review: Rotting Christ – ‘AEALO’

Review: Ben Hosking

Rotting CHRIST AEALO
Rotting Christ – Buy: Rotting Christ at iTunes		   Rotting Christ is, for the uninitiated, a very strange beast upon first listen. Credited as being one of the progenitors of the second wave of Black Metal (BM) at the dawn of the 1990s, the band has amassed a sizeable and remarkable body of work spanning some 11 releases.

What sets Rotting Christ apart from their contemporaries is their ability to seamlessly inject their Greek heritage into the music. This is done largely within the accepted construct of the BM rule book and without a hint of cliché or pastiche.

Continue reading CD Review: Rotting Christ – ‘AEALO’ →

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CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited”

Review by: Lauren Sherritt
Bec PlathBec Plath’s debut solo EP Unrequited is the kind that sells live gig tickets. To put it plainly, this young woman has guts, a trait she showcases most beautifully on the record. With an honesty so often lacking in modern day song writing, Plath bravely explores to a remarkable extent the story of her life and herself throughout Unrequited, and compels the listener to come along for the journey.
Continue reading CD Review: Bec Plath “Unrequited” →

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The Optimen – to release 2nd album “The Out Of Money Experience”

Brisbane’s The Optimen are proud to announce the impending release of their sophomore outing The Out Of Money Experience – out nationally on Saturday April 10 through Red Tape Entertainment/Inertia.

It’s been a long wait for fans for The Optimen’s follow up to their 2005 Boomtown, the band taking time to work on their label Red Tape as well as other projects. Receiving strong triple J play on the hip hop show in particular and community radio nationwide, first single Fire Fighters heralded their return late last year, and finally they’ve arrived with The Out Of Money Experience due in April.
Continue reading The Optimen – to release 2nd album “The Out Of Money Experience” →

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Fresh swell on the horizon set to BREAK!

Related: Our CD Review: The Break – ‘Cylinders’ Single

The_Break - Photo_by_tony_mott   Australia’s most exciting new surf rock outfit THE BREAK are primed to deliver a power packed set when the band perform tracks from their debut album ‘Church Of The Open Sky’ live at a venue near you during April and May. Audiences will be treated to a mind blowing experience as classic surf meets spy-fi psychedelia when the three core members of Midnight Oil; drummer Rob Hirst, guitarists Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey, join with bass player Brian Ritchie of Violent Femmes to present a whole new and contemporary approach to the surf music genre.

THE BREAK’S first official tour kicks off on the Easter weekend with festival appearances at Victoria’s hip and happenin’ Boogie Fest and the esteemed Blues Fest in Byron Bay. On Good Friday the band will take their unique surf sounds to The Westernport Hotel on Victoria’s Phillip Island – an area renowned for its pumping surf – which is particularly apt as many of the tracks from the album are named after hot surf breaks.

Following a stupendous introduction to Sydney fans in February, the band will return to The Annandale Hotel on April 11th to officially introduce their new album ‘Church Of The Open Sky’ released on April 16th on the independent Bombora label through MGM. On April 20th they’ll turn on the local Newcastle fans with a special show at Lizotte’s at Lambton. From there THE BREAK team up with their mighty mates The Hoodoo Gurus as special guests for select shows on The Gurus ‘Purity Of Essence’ tour. Being old mates expect the unexpected as the two bands hit the road for the first time ever!
Continue reading Fresh swell on the horizon set to BREAK! →

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THE SOLOMONS – Debut EP Release

Melbourne band The Solomons originally formed in late 2007, and have since added Aaron Ronaldson and Leigh Baines to original members Doug Hind and Cass Allan. They spent 2009 supporting the likes of Tim Rogers, British India, Evermore, Oh Mercy, Gun Street Girls, and The Casanovas, as well as completing their debut six song EP.

‘Waiting For Something To Happen’ is the new single taken from the band’s debut EP ‘The Solomons EP’. The EP was recorded at Hothouse Studios with Craig Harnath and Finn Keane (Franz Ferdinand, Jet), and mastered by Tony Mantz at Jack The Bear Deluxe Mastering (Nick Cave, You Am I), ‘The Solomons EP’ showcases the band’s diversity of influence, as well is its distinctive guitar driven melodic sound.

http://www.myspace.com/solomonsband

Waiting For Something To happen  by  showoffservices

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OK GO…amazing new video!!!!


New single ‘This Too Shall Pass’! from the new album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” available at OK Go – iTunes

Directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs. Produced by Shirley Moyers. The official video for the recorded version of “This Too Shall Pass” off of the album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky”. The video was filmed in a two story warehouse, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The “machine” was designed and built by the band, along with members of Syyn Labs ( http://syynlabs.com/ ) over the course of several months

Related:
Our interview with: Damian Kulash of OK Go
OK Go website

OK GO
OK Go – OK Go available at iTunes

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‘APRIL UPRISING’ from the JOHN BUTLER TRIO!

John Butler Trio - photo credit Polly Armstrong   The John Butler Trio’s first studio offering in three years, ‘APRIL UPRISING’ (independently released through MGM on March 26th), follows the much acclaimed 3 x platinum ‘Grand National’ album which cemented the band’s global success with sold out tours world wide.

‘APRIL UPRISING’ introduces new trio members Nicky Bomba on drums/percussion and Byron Luiters on bass and combines the personal, the political and the musically memorable with skill and passion.

‘APRIL UPRISING’ was introduced late last year with ‘One Way Road’, the incredibly catchy first single from the album. Taking out the number one spot on the national airplay charts three times this year, ‘One Way Road’ has been the most successful radio single to date for the JBT, the first entry being on the eve of their national sold out tour in January. It was also chosen as the lead track for the summer campaign of Channel 10’s new digital 24 hour sports channel One, and remains on high rotation on the station and it still holds the number one spot on the AIR 100% indie singles chart, which it’s held for 15 weeks now!
Continue reading ‘APRIL UPRISING’ from the JOHN BUTLER TRIO! →

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CD Review: The Kill Devil Hills – ‘Man, You Should Explode’ LP

Review: Lana Harris

The Kill Devil Hills   When writing about The Kill Devil Hills, it’s pretty much de rigueur to use a variety of swampy, country folk and blues inspired words. Press releases and journalists alike reference cowboys, hard drinking, and the southern USA when writing about this West Australian band. So it’s not enough for me to say that Man, You Should Explode (their 3rd full length release) is a mature recording.

To maintain the desert inspired linguistic sentiments …The Kill Devil Hills have ripened into the sun wizened, rifle cradling old man on the front porch, dispensing wisdom as freely as he spews forth obscenities to those who dare trespass on his land…

The album opens with two sing along tracks, ‘It’s Easy When You Don’t Know How’ and ‘Cockfighter’ which, with it’s one word chorus and short punkish riffs, was a favourite at their recent Brisbane show. These two tracks are fun and tight, ballsy, and set up an expectation of more of the same for the rest of the album. But with track 3, ‘I Don’t Think This Shit Can Last Much Longer’, the Kill Devil Hills turn inward. This is a gentle, emotive and introspective track. ‘Rosalie’ is similarly paced – moving, dark and beautiful, reminiscent of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ ballads. ‘The White Lady’ continues along the same tracks, drawing on the minor scales and bringing melancholic aspects.
Continue reading CD Review: The Kill Devil Hills – ‘Man, You Should Explode’ LP →

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CD Review: Buick Six – Common Arms EP

buick six   Review: Lana Harris

Despite the never-ending death and birth cycle of live venues, amid licensing restrictions and noise curfews, bedrooms and garages on both sides of the Brisbane river continue to deliver quality acts to the Australian music scene. Buick Six owe their beginnings to the soggy grounds of 2007’s Splendour in the Grass festival. By 2008, a debut EP had appeared which captured the force of Buick Six’s Brisbane based gigging through live recording.

Their new EP, Common Arms, is garage rock at its dirty, window shaking best. It is only their second release, but the songs on the record sound like the outpourings of a band well used to working and recording together. Guitar work throughout is excellent. The overall feel of the record is urgent, potent, bursting – an achievement to capture on a recording, and suggesting that when viewed live, Buick Six would be a sonic explosion of grinding, grungy rock. The simple bass-guitar-drums line up works in their favour, a pure outlet for their untamed energy left uncomplicated by extra musicians or fussy elements.
Continue reading CD Review: Buick Six – Common Arms EP →

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Tour: Gossling to tour in support of debut EP – ‘If You Can’t Whistle’

To celebrate the success of her debut EP ‘If You Can’t Whistle’, Gossling (aka Helen Croome) will take to the stage with headlining shows in Melbourne, and offering support to The Whitlams and Whitley in Canberra.

Gossling’s debut EP ‘If You Can’t Whistle’ has garnered plenty of attention, with the track “Days Are Over” becoming part of Triple J’s staple play list in recent times, and “He Knows My Love” being used in the Triple J ‘Unearthed’ promos. Gossling’s tracks were discovered by Triple J after she drew attention as an Unearthed artist. Gossling started 2010 supporting Lamb for their side shows during their visit for Peats Ridge Festival.
Continue reading Tour: Gossling to tour in support of debut EP – ‘If You Can’t Whistle’ →

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CD Review: The Break – ‘Cylinders’ Single

Review: Lana Harris
The Break was formed from three of the previously in-your-face-political pub rockers Midnight Oil (Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey) plus the bassist (Brian Ritchie) from the grungy, always a bit teen-angst Violent Femmes. The love child spawned is nothing like its parents. Instead, it is a fun loving, apolitical coast dweller called The Break.

‘Cylinders’ is the pre release, first impression of the new creation. What is presented is a three and a half minute instrumental surf rock track. Surf rock? If you have ever seen a movie with teens at a beach shack party, circa 1960’s, you’ve heard surf rock. Remember ‘Wwwwwwwwipeout!’ Surf rock. It was repopularised for a while in the 1990’s – the opening credits to Pulp Fiction are overlaid with a revamped version of surf rock in the form of song ‘Misirlou’ and put the genre back into the population’s consciousness.

The Break’s postmillennial take on the genre has a heavier, deeper feel. Darkness washes across the laid back and loose vibes from the sixties, as though a man with sinister intentions is hiding amongst the palms that surround the beach shack party. There is a strong energy to the track, which explodes in your face like salt spray from a crashing wave. The Break thump straight into up-tempo, driving, full band participating music that ebbs and swells as the song progresses. The beach theme and vibes will continue with debut album Church of the Open Sky (released by Bombora Records) promising to be a mostly instrumental surf rock record with tracks named after famous surf breaks.

The Break – The Break available at iTunes

Midnight Oil – Midnight Oil available at iTunes
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes available at iTunes

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CD Review: Angus and Julia Stone – Down The Way

Review: Elena Gomez
Down The Way, second album from beloved folksy duo Angus & Julia Stone, sees the siblings put on their Producer hats and travel the globe, touring and recording with the likes of Martha Wainwright and Brad Albetta. They’ve sacrificed their memorable melodies and the arc that seemed to form their debut album, A Book Like This. But what they lose in melodious offerings, they make up in having a much more polished sound. Where A Book Like This was a home movie filmed in sepia, filled with character-forming crackles and perfect imperfections, Down The Way has been steered more professionally. Its homey elements are still present but they have been muted.
Angus & Julia Stone – Angus & Julia Stone available at iTunes

The album opens with “Hold On”, in Julia’s fragile voice, and it’s clear from this point that the energy has been amplified, possibly a result of having a three year gap to progress and grow in their sound. There are lulls and swells in Down The Way that make for less passive listening. A little less of ‘round the campfire with last pair of clean undies’ and a bit more of ‘coasty road trip in a car with air-con and an icy-pole’.
Continue reading CD Review: Angus and Julia Stone – Down The Way →

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