The Hoodoo Gurus will release their latest single – “Answered Prayers” – as a VERY limited edition 7″ on June 12.  At the same time they will digitally release an expanded Deluxe Edition of their 2004 album Mach Schau, which will combine the track listings from both the local and US editions in a new 16 track running order.

“Answered Prayers”, which the Gurus performed live in front of a huge national audience on last Friday night’s episode of  The State Of Music  and which is already available digitally, is the first new music from the band in 10 years, not counting 2014’s Gravy Train, a newly-recorded EP of lost tracks from the band’s early days. It is the first recording to feature “new” drummer Nik Rieth, who joined in 2015, following time served with The Celibate Rifles, New Christs and Tumbleweed, as well as Radio Birdman, with whom he still plays.

“Answered Prayers” is a stark and visceral track addressing a certain type of abuse propagated by a particular type of male. It’s also a reminder of the Gurus’ raw power and their roots in the original punk rock of the ’70s. Indeed the track follows the release of both old and new material by The Victims, the band that head Guru Dave Faulkner formed with drummer James Baker in Perth in 1977, some four or so years before the pair reunited in Sydney to form the Gurus.

“Song of the Year”, which will feature on the single’s B-side, further emphasises the band’s punk roots. Written and sung by guitarist Brad Shepherd, the flat-out screamer of a song obliquely references in its chorus two of Brisbane’s legendary punk-era bands, The Fucken Leftovers and The Survivors. Brad, of course, fronted his own groups as a teenager in Brisbane at the time, beginning with The Aliens, who evolved into the legendary Fun Things.

Oh, and did we mention the band that Gurus bassman Rick Grossman and former Gurus drummer Mark Kingsmill attempted to get off the ground with Radio Birdman’s Deniz Tek, before Radio Birdman started? Talk about punk rock roots…

“ANSWERED PRAYERS”/”SONG OF THE YEAR” Limited Edition 7″ vinyl release
PRE-ORDER LINK TO SHARE: https://HoodooGurus.lnk.to/AP7

“Song of the Year” will also appear on the digital Deluxe Edition of Mach Schau. Left off the original Australian release in 2004, it was one of a handful of tracks added to the US edition of the album at the expense of a couple from the local edition. The new digital release will include all tracks from both editions – plus a couple of tracks, “This Is Your Time” and “Keep It Alive”, that were B-sides on a CD single – in a new, improved running order. None of these extra tracks have ever been available for streaming anywhere in the world, and many were previously unreleased in Australia.

Mach Schau was the first album the Gurus recorded after their five-year hiatus starting in 1998 and is one of their very best. Co-produced by another veteran of Perth’s feisty late-‘70s punk scene Kim Salmon, it features cracking tunes like “Sour Grapes”, “Girls On Top”, “Domino”, “When You Get to California” (with guest Vicki Peterson of The Bangles) and the great single “Nothing’s Changing My Life”, which surprisingly featured the decidedly non-punk – but classic ’70s – pair of Venetta Fields and Renee Geyer on backing vocals.

Mach Schau Deluxe Edition track listing:
1. “Sour Grapes”
2. “Domino”
3. “Nothing’s Changing My Life”
4. “The Good Son”
5. “When You Get to California”
6. “This One’s for the Ladies”
7. “Girls on Top”
8. “Dead Sea”
9. “Monkey’s Wedding”
10. “#17”
11. “Isolation”
12. “White Night”
13. “Song of the Year”
14. “The Mighty Have Fallen”
15. “Chop”
16. “Penelope’s Lullaby”

HOODOO GURUS’ “ANSWERED PRAYERS”/”SONG OF THE YEAR” Limited Edition 7″ vinyl release and MACH SCHAU DELUXE EDITION digital release are both out
Friday June 12.

www.hoodoogurus.net
www.facebook.com/hoodoogurus/
www.youtube.com/user/HoodooGurusVEVO/videos
https://music.apple.com/au/artist/hoodoo-gurus

Thrilling multi-instrumentalist and producer, Perth’s Ukiyo returns today with his entrancing new single Good Enough featuring Maribelle – a modest change of pace from the lofi electronic records of his Mixtape series, Ukiyo has produced a sensational blend of ambient indie-tronica and synth-driven future pop.  The track is perfectly complemented by a hypnotic video that will take the viewer on a mesmerising journey into a ravaged world, where the video seeks to compare a doomed relationship within the lyrics of the song to the state of the earth – exploring the daunting idea of humans doing the bare minimum to get by – taking on the ‘good enough’ attitude.

Inspired by artists like Mac Miller, Porter Robinson and Bonobo, Good Enough is a synth-laden masterpiece with a bouncing melody, and offers an uplifting take on a relationship that is going nowhere. Maribelle croons in that lively, soulful vocal she’s best known for – “Falling out of love.  If we give it up, give it up.  At least we know that this was good enough.”

Offering insight into the song, Ukiyo says,“For me, Good Enough is all about being happy with what you have. I’m a person that struggles to keep my mind away from thinking about what ‘could’ve’ or ‘should’ve’ instead of focusing on reality. This track came about at a time that was very much a turning point for me with how I chose to view the world. I think it’s an important message for people to hear, especially in a time like now.”

Working with production company Blacklake who have made clips for OTR, Shallou, Martin Garrix and more, Ukiyo explains how the video for Good Enough came about, saying, “Some of the most common things I hear about my music is it’s a great soundtrack for travelling & adventuring.  I guess that makes a lot of sense with all the vlogs and videos I’ve seen it combined with.  At its core I think those two things represent movement & escape, which is what this video and the ones that come after represent.  It’s pretty difficult to make a conventional music video in the current times, but the situation has opened my eyes to things I might not have usually tried.  I had some basic concepts I knew I wanted to explore in the videos which I took to Blacklake and they made them a hundred times cooler.”

This is a 23 year old with a clear vision for his art, and an impressive host of accolades to hang his hat on.  Will Smith and Casey Neistat borrow his songs for vlogs, US pop star Pharrell Williams and Dutch DJ Martin Garrix added him to their playlists – it’s promotion that money can’t buy and thanks to some big name fans, Perth’s own Timothy Arnott has amassed near on 30 million streams, and landed syncs with big brands like American Eagle, Ripcurl, Microsoft, Volkswagon, HBO and Netflix for the relatively small handful of electronic songs he’s released under his Ukiyo moniker.

And with his LP completed and set for release later this year, Ukiyo drops some exciting info on exactly why we should be prepping ourselves for a killer debut album, enthusing, “I’m absolutely in love with the Australian music scene, so in the unique position I’m in as a producer, I knew I wanted my album to be a showcase of some of the incredible talent we’ve got here.  These singles and the album are as Australian as it gets with production (obviously), and all features, mixing, mastering and artwork all done by Aussies.”

Ukiyo’s decision to release his tunes despite Covid-19 wreaking havoc on the global music industry was a no brainer, explaining, “There were talks within my team about delaying this music because of the virus and I’ve seen so much of that happening, but I think it’s times like these where we need music to help us through. All the tracks on this album were made at times when I was by myself. I find it’s the only way I can make what I perceive as a ‘Ukiyo’ song, so I think it’s a little poetic that a lot of people are going to be stuck listening to it by themselves too.”

Ukiyo is Tim Arnott.

Good Enough is released today on Pack Records.

Follow Ukiyo

SONGS FROM NORTHERN TORRANCE

SHARE “HOUSE WARNING PARTY”

Acclaimed California-based four-piece Joyce Manor have announced Songs From Northern Torrance. The 10-track compilation is a collection of early material that offers a glimpse into the band’s humble beginnings as an acoustic two-piece. Originally recorded between 2008-2010, many of the tracks have become fan favorites over the years previously existing in a live setting, or on rare CD-Rs sold by the band during their early days on the road.

The newly remastered tracks will be available on streaming services this Friday, May 29 and on vinyl September 18. The vinyl is currently available for pre-order here.

STREAM / PRE-ORDER SONGS FROM NORTH TORRANCE

Today, the band shares “House Warning Party,” a one-minute blast of upbeat suburban angst.  “A lot of early Joyce Manor songs are actually leftovers from earlier bands, but ‘House Warning Party‘ was the first song I wrote specifically for Joyce Manor,” explains vocalist Barry Johnson. “I was working at the Long Beach Aquarium and the first line of the song came to me while I was perusing the vending machine on my break. They had some LifeSavers and on the packaging it said ‘five flavors’ and the opening line of the song just popped in my head. The rest of the lyrics came effortlessly and the song was fully written in about the time it takes to listen to. Listening to it ten years later it sounds young and inspired and I’m impressed at how much of a story I was able to tell in just over a minute.”

After the late 2019 release of his self produced EP ‘Come Alive’ which picked up nods from Spotify and even an exclusive segment on Beats1 radio, rapper/producer powerhouse Lakshane is back at it, announcing a brand new single, ‘Reload’ that will be out on all major platforms on the 29th of May.

‘Reload’, like the Melbourne rapper’s previous music, is for the hip hop lovers, boasting a vibrant chorus and lyrics full of bravado that captures the true essence of this upcoming Australian talent. The instrumentals were created by up and coming producer FRAAN, which complement the upbeat and high octane feel of the overall song.

“Reload is something I wanted to get off my chest. I feel like I allow a lot of people into my life without a wall and they take advantage of it or don’t reciprocate the love. Reload expresses my ability to reset and keep going despite these people and the other barriers I encounter”

Accompanying the release, Lakshane also premiered visuals on the 25th of May ahead of the song release. Directed by Lakshane himself with filming and editing by RMR productions, the music video is definitely a stronghold showcasing his serious comeback to the game.

He has a heavy release plan of singles for the rest of the year so this won’t be the last time you hear the name Lakshane.

http://instagram.com/lakshane.x

http://facebook.com/lakshanef

https://www.youtube.com/c/lakshane

http://soundcloud.com/lakshanef

SUPPORT FOR ‘JULIET’

“In many ways, Juliet is quintessential CREO albeit moved forward a few years, taking the pacing indie-rock rhythms that have defined their sound in the past and bringing it forward to 2020”.
– Pilerats (AUS)

“That chorus is a bull in a china shop level energy, it just bursts through the door out of nowhere and causes chaos”. – 4/5 stars
– Declan Byrne – triple j (AUS)

“Don’t think CREO can make a song that’s not epic in scale and energy. Just doesn’t seem possible! There’s a little glam power thrown into the strong brew here.”. – 4/5 stars
– Dave Ruby Howe – triple j (AUS)

Added to Spotify playlist Rock Out. And Fresh Finds: Rock

On Wednesday May 27 7PM CEST, Dutch techno giant Reinier Zonneveld will do an exceptional livestream from his own sunny roof terrace with a stunning view over Amsterdam. What makes the livestream even more special, is that Reinier will perform a lot of long anticipated brand-new music live.

While being in lockdown, he has used the time to get creative in the studio. Reinier says: “As I usually am touring around the world from gig to gig, and now being confined at home for such a long period, it meant there were certain different approaches in my creative process. Usually I used to get my inspiration from performances and travels that I just experienced and now I had to imagine the dancefloor or get my inspiration from different sources. It also gave me the opportunity to work more in depth and experiment more with the hardware and synths I’ve got in my studio, simply because now I had the time to do it, instead of composing new music on the plane.”

One of the tracks that will pass by is Reiniers upcoming remix of the acclaimed classic ‘The First Rebirth’ by Jones & Stephenson, which will be out next month on his own label Filth On Acid in cooperation with the iconic Bonzai Records.

Make sure to tune in via Reinier’s Facebook page.

CONNECT WITH REINIER ZONNEVELD

Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?

I’m based in Sydney, my lifelong hometown. Sydney has been “up and down” I think over the past decade or so in terms of its music scene. There was a real golden era in the 90s where every pub was full of bands playing and crowds gathering, with some great bands emerging. Things hit a bit of a brick wall a bit after that though, with venues closing and pokies ruling the pubs, but I think there’s been a gradual resurgence, with small bars opening and lots of interesting opportunities to play. “Pre-pandemic” things were building nicely, I felt. Maybe that will continue once things normalise somewhat/somehow, but it’s obviously all up in the air right now.

How did you first start playing music?

My father was a big band leader back in the Big Band era of the mid-20^th century. He had my brother and I late in life and so we were brought up by going to gigs around the world when he was playing, with music was always “there” for us. But when my brother and I first started playing, we were heavily into early punk music, the Clash, the Pistols etc, and we started playing in bands in our home area of Bondi as a natural extension of that. The surf movies we loved all had epic soundtracks and we loved playing stuff in that vibe, kind of coastal-guitar-punk, with Midnight Oil thrown into the mix.

What’s been happening recently?

We’ve all been laying pretty low due to COVID so have been taking stock and trying to stay healthy and not drink too much and get ready for the release of the new compilation, which has been in the pipeline for several years.

‘The Songs Of Adam Gibson’ is coming out on 29 May 2020, please tell us about this album and how it came about:

This record is a double vinyl / double CD release that compiles a swathe of stuff I’ve written and played with my three main bands from over the past 20 or so years. It gathers together a “best-of” really and puts ‘em all together on one release, being released by legend Brisbane label Coolin’ By Sound. I’ve been involved with up to 10 different albums over the years with Modern Giant, The Aerial Maps and the Ark-Ark Birds and this release plucks tracks from all of those bands and whacks them together as a cohesive overview. It’s been mooted for bloody ages but has just taken a while to get together, so I’m stoked it’s finally ready to come out.

What or who influences your sound, songwriting/lyrics?

My whole idea is basically “storytelling with music” combined with articulating a sense of particular landscapes, so I am naturally drawn to people who have that storytelling aspect to their music, or are able to create a “landscape” that speaks to a place and space. Midnight Oil were an early key influence, with bands like the Triffids, Not Drowning Waving also being important. Then there’s the punk rock sensibility of The Clash and Joe Strummer, combined with evocative emotional heft of the likes of Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits. The latter being important because I essentially do “spoken word”, similar or at least influenced by a lot of Tom Waits’ stuff.

How do you usually go about writing music?

I create a kind of emotional or psychological landscape of what a song might be about and I work with people such as my brother Simon Gibson or the likes of fellow Aerial Map-pers Alannah Russack, Pete Fenton and Mark Hyland to create the music around that. Over the years I have developed a pretty punk rock way of working, not overthinking anything and just getting it done, and the people I’ve worked with over the years have really responded to that.

What do you have planned for this album?

We plan to tour as The Aerial Maps in general support of this record but god knows when that will be able to happen. In a weird way, the pandemic has allowed us to concentrate on getting the album out and not have to worry too much about the touring aspect just yet, so it’s quite ok really.

What do you like to do away from music?

I’m a journalist and copywriter so I manage to eke out a living by doing that to the best of my energy and ability. Surfing and travel are also central to my life so if I can manage to do a surf trip on a regular basis, things are good.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

A disparate selection really, ranging from Laura Marling’s latest album to things like early Big Audio Dynamite – one of my favourite bands – plus some Americana, things like Sun Kil Moon and Smog. Pretty all over the place but that’s Covid living for ya!

What’s planned for 2020?

Basically to get the album out, survive, surf some good waves, tell stories, be happy if possible.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I am somewhat reclusive right at the moment so I stick fairly close to my home neighbourhood, so pretty much the local RSL is my go-to of choice (when it’s open!) But I do tend to bust out every time I can and travel to favourite spots overseas. My brother now lives in Bali so I have a good place to stay and hang out there – that’s always a great place to escape to overall and also a good place to write songs in general.