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News
LATEST
RELEASES
Tame
Impala’s debut album InnerSpeaker is due in on May
21. It was recorded and produced by the band's own Kevin Parker with Death
In Vegas’s Tim Holmes on the engineer duties, in an enormous mansion with
180 degree views of the Indian Ocean a few hours south of Perth …19-year old country rocker Peter McWhirter recorded
his debut album with Australian Nashville based producer Mark
Moffatt (Tim Finn, Keith Urban, Jasmine Rae) ... "Ten Years at
the Table" marks a decade since singer/songwriter Sime Nugent released his first record under his own name. He’s re-recorded seven songs
from his past album, added two new tunes and an Irving Berlin song that’s
become stage favourite … ‘Good Gracious’ the debut album
from Melbourne-based producer M-Phazes
features some of Australia’s best MCs including Muph & Plutonic, Drapht,
Bliss N Eso, and Pegz alongside upcoming talent like Dialectrix, Mantra,
and Spit Syndicate ... On March 5th
guitarist and vocalist John
Baker and accordionist Gayle Buckby release ‘A Quartet for Car Horns and Brakes’, produced by Paul Grabowsky, who
also features on piano ... The
Vasco Era’s second album Lucille is out on March 12th It was produced by producer Scott
Horscroft (Silverchair, The Presets, Sleepy Jackson) .... Gold Coast collective Operator Please, return with ‘Gloves’ on April 23 ... Gyroscope’s fourth studio album
‘Cohesion’, due in April was
recorded at Rockfield studios in Wales and produced by the “legendary” Gil
Norton (Foo Fighters, The Pixies, Eskimo Joe) .... Hoodoo Gurus' ninth record, 'Purity Of Essence', their first
for new label partners Sony Music will released in March 2010. A jam
session at a Sydney rehearsal studio e produced eight songs. Even the band
was surprised by the speed with which they were able to bring Dave
Faulkner’s demos to life...., Melbourne’s Deaf Wish holed up for a few nights at a warehouse space in
Clifton Hill with little more than an 8-track for company. The result is
second LP ‘Reality & Visions’ .. After years of
working with bands from Africa to the Middle East and honing his reggae,
ska and mento expertise, Nicky Bomba has drawn on his musical
journeys and philosophies to produce his first ever solo work, 'Planet
Juice' ... The Necks first studio album in three years is named
after an industrial suburb in the band's native Sydney, 'Silverwater '. In
keeping with their improvisational ethos, the band went into the studio
with nothing planned.The result is an album divided into some six or eight
distinct episodes…. "Rock mistress" Penny Ikinger's
forthcoming album 'Penelope' features legend Deniz Tek's guitar; Charlie
Owen on sitar, also Dave Graney playing the bass and a duet with Ron Reno.
Ikinger has not only a band in Melbourne Australia but another in Sydney,
one in Paris, Tokyo and another in the U.S. This enables her to tour at
home internationally with relative flexibility … The second album from
Sydney indie-pop troupe Cuthbert & The Night Walkers 'Mr Pickwick’s
Camera' was engineered by Haima Marriott (Architecture in Helsinki) and is
a product of several jam sessions in an old house in the Blue Mountains.
... The Drones will release a live recording next month. Live At The
Hi-Fi, The album showcases tracks from throughout the band's career,
stretching as far back as their first LP ..... The Hitmen
release a new live album on. St. Valentine's Day Massacre of a one-off show
with iconic Detroit singer Niagara (Destroy All Monsters) The album
features 10 tracks including Destroy All Monsters and Stooges classics, as
well as a new Hitmen tune and a lesser-known Radio Birdman song ...
Basement
Birds ready to fly
Australian music has a new “supergroup”.
Kav Temeperley (Eskimo Joe), Kevin Mitchell (Bob Evans, Jebediah), Steve
Parkin and Josh Pyke are collaborating on a project they’re calling ‘Basement
Birds’.
In an Australian first, their
music will be unveiled in four 3 track bundles fortnightly on iTunes from
late June 2010. Acoustic versions of each track will also be released every
alternate fortnight as exclusive content available for fans via the band’s website
www.basementbirds.com.au
The collaboration started when Steve
Parkin lead singer in power pop band, Autopilot co-wrote some of Eskimo
Joe’s latest album, ‘Inshala’. More
recently Parkin was performing in Bob Evans touring band and found the time
to collaborate with ‘Bob’ (Jebediah’s Kevin Mitchell) on a track, Waiting For You, during their
downtime. Meanwhile, ARIA nominated
singer/songwriter Josh Pyke had
joined Eskimo Joe on a national tour and began exchanging ideas with Eskimo
Joe mainmain Kav Temeperley. After plenty of calls and emails the four
musos converged on Temperley’s home studio in Fremantle to record their
debut album which is said to show off the group’s mutual love of bands such
as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Wilco.
Bob Evans reveals: “Our modus
operandi for this project was to make songs with organic instruments and
four part harmonies and in between recording stints. We got together at Kav’s
home studio in the summer of 2007 and began work on the first batch of
songs. Pleased with the results whilst also quite enjoying each other’s
company, we decided to meet up again and do some more. This process
continued for the next couple of years.” (March 10)
Lisa
wins AMP: No Wonder
Lisa Mitchell has won the fifth
Australian Music Prize previously won by The Drones, Augie
March, The Mess Hall and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Mitchell
beat Sarah Blasko, Bertie Blackman, Oh Mercy, Black Cab, Kid Sam, Lucie
Thorn and Urthboy for the prize. The aim of the AMP is to award excellence
with a cash prize which will assist the recipient to further their career.
Lisa Mitchell, who was not at the ceremony to receive the prize, plans to
us the $30,000 prize to record her second album. She came to prominence
during the 2006 fourth season of ‘Australian Idol’, clearly showing herself
as someone with unique talent and vocal power, but not the kind Idol judges
look for. She was never comfortable being moulded or singing other people’s
songs. It was a credit to her that she reached the Top 6, not a credit to
Idol for passing her over on the way to anointing Damien Leith as winner of
that series. Lisa avoided signing an instant-fame record contract on the
back of her Idol exposure and concentrated on developing her songwriting.
Her independently released debut album ‘Wonder’ didn’t appear until 2009.
It spawned the hit ‘Coin Laundry’, went on to achieve Gold record status
and has now won the AMP. (March 15)
Local and/or general
* When Flying Nun’s founder
Roger Shepherd bought back the company last year Neil Finn and his wife and a business partner bought a quarter
share each.
*
Thirsty Merc will take a
break from the studio working on a highly anticipated third album due later
this year to support The Fray
* Devendra
Banhart told triple j that he and Wolfmother’s
Andrew Stockdale are about to make a record together.
* Youth Group will
take a break from recording and performing for the next 12 months.
*Regurgitator is starting to think about a new album for 2010.
* You Am I's Tim Rogers has formed another new side project. Rogers
is joined in The Gung Hoes by fellow You Am I member Davey Lane, Dallas
Crane's Pete Satchell and Cold Harbour's Evan Richards.
* During Augie March's first real break in 13 years, singer Glenn
Richards will record a solo album and do some film soundtrack work
In-excess
INXS has forgiven J.D.Fortune, the
singer who probably sacked himself. He re-joined the band for their
one-hour concert at the Vancouver Victory Ceremonies, one of a number of
“special guests”. J.D. was originally from Vancouver. Last year the band
decide a break after touring their ‘Switch’ album with Fortune, the
Rockstar: INXS reality show winner.
Presumably trying to drum up interest in a solo album recorded but
unreleased Fortune went public with the claim that he’d been sacked without
a goodbye. ‘Not true’ said the band, but they were disappointed and once
they decided on their next move .J.D.’s good fortune had run out. He was
not included. INXS have recorded new versions of their best-loved songs
with Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Brandon Flowers, Nikka Costa and others. Then,
they promise they’ll recorded a new album of original material. But with
who at the microphone? J.D.Furtune’s
solo album remains unreleased. (February 26)
Ruby
was a gem
Tributes are pouring in for Ruby
Hunter who died in the arms of her husband Archie Roach earlier this week
following a heart attack. Paul Kelly remembered sitting around the kitchen
table as Rudy made tea and nudged Archie to reveal one by one the songs
that Paul Kelly would help record for his debut album, ‘Charcoal Lane’.
Archie had managed to get Ruby to sing one of her own songs too, and ‘Down
City Streets’ was also included on Archie’s album. One of the “stolen
generation” of Australian aboriginals, she spent her childhood in various
foster homes and institutions until meeting Archie at the Salvation Army
drop-in centre in Adelaide. Archie was already playing guitar and writing
songs and Ruby was inspired to follow his example. Later she would threaten
to end their relationship if Archie didn’t get his act together when she
found him lounging with the other drunks in the so-called ‘Chicago
lane’. It was her turn to inspire
Archie and the result was Archie’s celebrated album and subsequent career.
Rudy’s own career, singing her personal songs in her husky voice grew from
strength to strength alongside Archie’s. Married in song and life they
raised their own children, fostered others, and together were an
inspiration to all Australians, aboriginal or not. Ruby was the strong one,
the rock. Musically every time she came up with a new song she revealed
another layer of a very thoughtful, dedicated, socially conscious
individual. The aboriginal community has had a troubled history. In recent
years the women have stepped forward to show the way forward. In every way Ruby
Hunter was the epitome of that. And of course she was a fine singe
songwriter. Ed.Nimmervoll
Barnstorming
2010
Internationally there’s Dave Grohl
and Jack White, locally there’s Jimmy Barnes – rock and roll workaholics.
Fresh from a December reunion
performance with Cold Chisel and plans to explore the possibility of another group album, Jimmy has been
working on his next solo album in Los Angeles due for release during the
first half of 2010, his first album of original material since 2007. His most
recent album was his “pre-quel” to the ‘Soul Deep’ albums , number one
album of 2009 ‘The Rhythm and the Blues’. Over the years Jimmy has often
delivered ‘project’ albums in between albums of new material.
Over the next months Jimmy plans
to get together with Don Walker, Ian
Moss, Steve Prestwich and Phil Small
for a jam session at Jimmy’s home studio. Since their official
break-up in 1984 Cold Chisel have reunited several times, but only
delivering one new album, 1998’s ‘The Last Wave Of Summer’. They’ve treated
each potential reunion with caution and respect, careful not to do anything
which might tarnish their reputation or heritage.
The fact that they appointed new
management late last year indicates that the promised get-together is meant
to be more than a gathering of old friends to reminisce. (Feb 5)
Back
in the House
While confirming Crowded House
dates in Ireland in May, Neil Finn has given details of the as-yet untitled
new album.
“Time On Earth was released in
2007 and the tour that followed turned us into a great band again, much
more than nostalgia, it gave us the scent of something new.
And so the 4 of us Nick Seymour (
bass ), Mark Hart ( keys / guitar ), Matt
Sherrod (drums) and myself Neil ( singer, player ) began our new record
last year at Roundhead studios in Auckland with Mr Jim Scott as our
producer
ally. Some of these 11 songs were first played at a little gig north of
Auckland The Leigh Sawmill back in Feb 2008. They have been worked over on
the road and transformed a few times, some all the way back to square one,
it’s a good place to return, from time to time.
“That was the case with the song
Twice If You’re Lucky, we played an
alternative version, more complex and mysterious on tour then deconstructed
back to original simple form in the last week of recording. I am inclined
to
circle the songs, looking for any bit of advantage I can find, a verse, a
chord or a word to change .Its sometimes unsettling for the band but it’s
my
way and I’m sticking to it.
“There’s always a possibility of
transformation. It was a wonderful moment
when the song Either Side Of The World took off on a Samba groove at last
rehearsal. “Isolation” travelled a twisted pathway too ending up as a
hybrid
of 2 songs, its folky origins now obscured by some deep tremolo guitar and
my wife Sharon’s ethereal singing. “Saturday Sun” was awash with guitars
until mix day when I went to town with a korg microsynth, a gift from a
friend that arrived that day.
“There were other fine
contributors too. Our friend Don McGlashan, helped us
lay down tracks adding, percussion, acoustic and horns. Lisa Germano took
to
Archers Arrows and Even If with her extraordinary violin playing. Jon Brion
added layers of sampled voices and mashed up guitar to Twice If You’re
Lucky. My son Liam took to Falling Dove and the coda of Isolation with
psychedelic guitar. James Milne aka Lawrence Arabia provided manly voices
to
the Intriguer.
“Jim Scott mixed the record back
in L.A and we caroused and held up the bar
in his very well appointed studio/ den within sight of Magic Mountain. The
late evening playbacks at maximum volume are my favourite part of the whole
process and Jim mixes an excellent cocktail as well. ….It’s so important to
have a good time making music .
And yes, the tour will follow,
from the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Music
festival to The Isle of Wight, May/ June theatres in The U.K and Europe,
late summer in the U.S and maybe a few far flung cities, new destinations,
we could turn up anywhere. The intention is the same as ever to get the
people involved, to hit some heights and leave the songs hanging in the
air….
“This 11 track album is exotic in
parts, traditional in origin, through many
a twist and turn we fashioned some drama and intrigue. You will find some
threads that go back through all that history and some new discoveries as
well that will need to be followed up. Its part of the continuum and it may
just be the best thing we’ve done ……till the next one.”
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