|
|
|
|
|
|
PHOTOGRAPHY: NATE HILL
WORDS: CHRIS BROOKS
Kikagaku Moyo graced the Melbourne Croxton Bandroom stage with a psychedelic aura that could be felt and seen immediately without the need of a Kirlian camera or even the assistance of a sense enhancing substance. Hailing all the way from Japan, what a blessing it is to have such an act perform on a Aussie soil.
The musical chemistry within Kikagaku Moyo was electrifying as the energy was teaming throughout the hot and sweaty Croxton. The band members reverberated musical notes of each with ease an effortlessness that usually only comes through a family like relationship or very close and intimate friendships, the passing of human emotion through musical notes is what in essence music is all about, Kikagaku Moyo are an extraordinary exemplification of music in form.
The Croxton audience were taken on a fun and sexy psychedelic/hypnotic roller coaster of love rock, at times reaching a euphoric sense of a transcending meditative state, a truly out of this world, out of body experience.
Kikagaku Moyo performed with wholehearted finesse and a refined Japanese flavour that will always be leaving you asking for more.
PHOTOGRAPHY: NATE HILL
WORDS: CHRIS BROOKS
Ivy League Records are incredibly excited to reveal Live At The Forum by The Teskey Brothers – a limited edition, double-vinyl that will be released for Record Store Day on Saturday 18 April. The live album, recorded to analogue tape during the band’s sold-out four night stand at the beloved Melbourne venue last November, will be released on 180g, double-blue gatefold vinyl, available instore only at participating RSD venues.
As a teaser for fans, the band have released a live video for ‘Hold Me’ – also captured at one of last year’s sold-out Forum shows.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crafting songs about all the intimate moments of youth, from dysfunction to desire to death, Missy Bauman performs folk music with fangs. She is not afraid to sit you down on the bed, look you in the eyes, and tell you the painful truths you need to hear.
With the song writing sensibilities of Dan Mangan and the alternative edge of Mother Mother, Bauman’s music drips with sweet intentions and sour recollections. Her dreamy instrumentation is grounded by her voice, a powerful delicacy that dances on your skin and pounds at your heart. Her debut full-length album, Don’t Fear the Dark, was praised by Rrampt magazine as “…an exploration of the ethereal, [and] the work of a truly talented artist”.
Bauman’s fearless songs and transformative shows have won her critical acclaim across Canada, including a Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame nomination, selection as a Youth Performer at the Summerfolk Music Festival, and runner-up in BC Musician’s Songwriting Competition. Her brave interrogation of sexual assault, “Two Sisters,” was awarded a “Song from the Heart” award from Folk Music Ontario for best political piece of the year. With such recognition accumulating already, Bauman’s forthcoming album is bound to be her boldest and brightest yet.
https://www.instagram.com/missybauman_/
https://www.facebook.com/missybauman/
https://missybauman.bandcamp.com/
Ahead of their anticipated new album via NoPaper Records / !K7, Skalpel today release the final single titled ‘Blow’.
Offering a further taste of the ambassadors of electrified Polish Jazz music’s forthcoming LP, ‘HIGHLIGHT’, album opener ‘Blow’ “intertwines our musical past and present” says Skalpel and follows on from the previously released singles ‘Quicksilver’ and ‘Arrival’. Over the years, the duo have been championed for their unique approach of blending local and traditional jazz inspirations with means of new electronica. New single ‘Blow’ is the perfect exhibition of their craft, offering a
Continuing to showcase ‘HIGHLIGHT’ as Skalpel’s most comprehensive album to date, their original and now signature approach has seen the duo release three albums. With LP’s ‘Skalpel’ and ‘Konfusion’ both released via ‘Ninja Tune’ and receiving excellent reviews in NME, The Wire and DJ Mag, a Gilles Peterson Worldwide Award nomination soon followed. ‘Transit’, Skalpel’
With the album set for release on March 20th, ‘HIGHLIGHT’ is a
Skalpel’s ‘Blow’ is out now via NoPaper Records / !K7
|
|
Melbourne’s Nat Vazer is excited to reveal her latest indie pop crooner ‘Grateful’.
Out today, ‘Grateful’ joins beloved 2019 latecomer ‘Like Demi’, to appear on Vazer’s forthcoming debut album arriving mid-year via Hotel Motel Records. The anticipated release follows in the wake of Vazer’s 2018 EP We Used to Have Real Conversations, which featured breaking single ‘Keep Away From Parks’ and crowd favourite ‘Struggletown’. Fans of Nat Vazer’s distinct vocal charm and tender lyricism can revel in the palpable slacker-rock energy of ‘Grateful’ live when Vazer and her band head up the East Coast for a run of launch shows this March.
In ‘Grateful‘ it’s as if Vazer is gathering her thoughts live on record. Her stream-of-consciousness ponderings are highly considered, eloquent and raw, strewn over cathartic outbursts of ‘90s grunge and powerful guitar licks. A song navigating social equity in Australia and beyond, ‘Grateful’ situates Vazer as a leading voice of her generation, nestling in comfortably beside such indie contemporaries as Courtney Barnett Lucy Dacus, or Stella Donnelly. Produced by Robert Muiños (Julia Jacklin, Saskwatch) and featuring a fiery solo from bandmate Andy Campbell, ‘Grateful’ presents a nostalgic trip down memory lane from angst-ridden adolescence to budding sisterhood and beyond.
“‘Grateful’ is an ode to all the inspiring female artists and role models out there, and a vent about the ongoing uphill battle for social equality. It’s about acknowledgement and respect, with a sprinkle of sarcasm and the kind of non-conformist attitude that used to make my Year 10 English teacher say, ‘girls like you are exactly what’s wrong with the world.’ In my head this song takes place in a hot, cowboy-esque desert town with smokey synths and tambourines in the same vein as The Brian Jonestown Massacre. In writing the guitar and drum parts, my artist child took a trip down memory lane and revisited old influences like Nirvana, The Dandy Warhols and The Beatles who had a real influence on my early days of guitar playing as a teen.” – Nat Vazer
Nat Vazer’s fast-growing reputation as an intricate songwriter and enthralling live performer have landed her support slots for Last Dinosaurs, #1 Dads, Carla Geneve, The Magic Numbers (UK) and a Victorian tour with Lime Cordiale. Performances at St Kilda Festival, Kyneton Music Festival, Changes, Not Fest and more have cemented Vazer as a prominent live force who can captivate audiences at large, both with and without her full live band. Nat is thrilled to be celebrating her latest release with an East Coast ‘Grateful’ single tour this autumn, hitting up Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Newcastle to support US band Twin Peaks. So be sure to head on down to your local to hear some of Nat Vazer’s whimsical storytelling with a bite of feminist defiance.
‘Grateful’ Single Launch Tour
Melbourne
Saturday 28 March – The Old Bar
Double Single Launch With Good Pash
Supported by Eaglemont + AM Reruns
Tickets: theoldbar.com.au
Thirroul
Wednesday 8 April 2020 – Franks Wild Years
Supports TBA
More info: frankswildyears.com
Newcastle
Thursday 9 April – Small Ballroom
Supporting Twin Peaks (US)
Tickets: Oztix
Canberra
Friday 10 April – Smiths Alternative
National Anti Folk Festival
Tickets: smithsalternative.com
Sydney
Saturday 11 April – Golden Age Cinema
Support From Goodside
Free Entry
www.ourgoldenage.com.au/live-
Melbourne
Saturday 18 April – Rocksteady Records
Record Store Day 2020 – Full Line Up TBA
Free Entry and All Ages
‘Grateful’ is out now via Hotel Motel Records
‘Grateful’ Co-produced by Robert Muiños and Nat Vazer
Mixed by Ali Chant
Mastered by John Davis
GRATEFUL – Lyrics
There’s that girl who you adore
Hanging on that poster wall
She climbed so high, she broke the ceiling
There’s that girl who you applaud
She paved the way for us all
So we can do it once more, with feeling
And they tell me I should be grateful
And I’ve been waiting for a girl like you
The broken system’s broken me down too
And I’ve been waiting for a girl like you
There’s that girl who you adore
Hanging on that poster wall
She climbed so high, she broke the ceiling
So we can do it once more, with feeling
They tell me it could be easy
And I should be grateful, I should be grateful
Grateful to my own mother?
Grateful to fill the quota?
Just somebody else’s lover?
Just a significant ‘other’?
And I should be grateful?
I should be grateful?
|
|
|
|
|
Photo by Murray Paterson
Fletcher Gull and his band are swiftly sucking crowds into their thrilling and unpredictable live vortex. With packed out headline shows in Melbourne, and a pair of debut performances in the UK in 2019, they’re just getting warmed up. To celebrate the release of Fletcher’s forthcoming EP Remember That You’re Gone, Fletcher and band play their first show of 2020 the night before release at The Retreat in Melbourne on Thursday 12 March and then at Yulli’s Brewery in Sydney on Saturday 14 March.
Across singles ‘Hypothermia’ and ‘Deciduo’ Fletcher Gull’s unique brand of whimsical storytelling is connecting across continents, catching the attention of BBC Radio’s 1 Introducing host Abbie McCarthy. She admitted she’d been ‘a bit obsessed’ with Fletcher Gull at BIGSOUND 2019. The tracks also saw addition to triple j Unearthed rotation, airplay on triple j, extensive reviews and Spotify playlisting.
‘Deciduo’ and ‘Hypothermia’ are out everywhere now. Fletcher Gull’s debut EP Remember That You’re Gone is released Friday 13 March.
“I’ve become a bit obsessed… It’s really interesting, quirky, and he is just superb”
Abbie McCarthy – BBC Radio Introducing
“this is vibrant and immediate and Fletcher’s voice scoops you up and takes you for such a fun ride.”
– Declan Byrne (triple j)
“He’s like a spirit guide through a world of psychy indie folk. After spending time with this one you’ll feel like packing in your job and hitting the road in search of something special.”
– Dave Ruby Howe (triple j Unearthed)
|
|
APPEARING AT SXSW 2020
“Atmospheric rock music veering between noise and subtlety — so compelling …
a hopeful new chapter.” – Pitchfork
“Wynn’s talk/sung vocals still reverberate like a combination of Lou Reed, Dylan and Michael Stipe, but he has a unique voice that connects perfectly with this gripping music.” – American Songwriter
“This is passionate and rewarding music from artists still exploring new territory with truly satisfying results.” – All Music Guide
LA indie rock forbearers The Dream Syndicate are announcing their third ANTI- Records release today. Titled The Universe Inside, the mind-bending new album will be released on April 10. First single “The Regulator” kicks in instantly; at twenty minutes long, immerse yourself in the song and watch its new video HERE.
Directed by David Daglish, the video is a psychedelic journey through New York City, equal parts panoramic, psychedelic, somnambulistic and political in all the best ways. George Harrison once said, “arrive without traveling.” This is your ticket to The Universe Inside.
Reminiscent of 70s Miles Davis and his chaotic brilliance, the track starts all fired up. Over of the course of the song, textures of eastern droning electric sitar (played by Stephen McCarthy of The Long Ryders), deep funky bass, haunting vocals, and saxophone flourishes by guest Marcus Tenney (a member of all-instrumental progressive ensemble Butcher Brown) grow into something delightful and unexpected.
When one thinks of The Dream Syndicate, it is not just the wild abandon with which singer/guitarist Steve Wynn, drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton, keyboardist Chris Cacavas and lead guitarist Jason Victor perform; it is the carefully constructed songwriting of Wynn that comes to mind. By now every rock critic in the country has predetermined who he or she feels Wynn reminds them of and what they think of that style of songs. This time, don’t! For the first time, every song is a group songwriting effort.
““The Regulator” is a microcosm of the entire record,” Wynn explains. “It was just a formless, trippy mass as we all started playing together. There was an early 70’s drum machine—a Maestro Rhythm King, the same model used on “There’s A Riot Goin’ On”—with Dennis locking in and setting the pace. Stephen grabbed an electric sitar because it was the first thing he saw. Jason and I were kicking pedals on like lab monkeys in a laboratory and Mark was a lightning rod, uniting all of those elements into one tough groove. I collected a list of random, unconnected lyric ideas that I kept on my phone. I tried them all out in random order in my home studio just to see how they would feel and that one-take test run is the vocal you hear!. There’s just so much lightning-in-a-jar, first take excitement on this record.”
What seeps into this music are Dennis Duck’s knowledge of European avantgarde music, Jason Victor’s passion for 70s prog, Mark Walton’s experience in Southern-fried music collectives, Chris Cacavas’ hunger for sound manipulation and Wynn’s love of vintage electric jazz. This album could have been called The Art of The Improvisers – in one session, they recorded 80 continuous minutes of soundscapes. “All we added was air,” Wynn explained. Which is to say aside from vocals, horns and a touch of percussion – every instrument is live as it happened.
|
|
|
Miami-based vocalist, musician and model Tama Gucci today shares his new single ‘I LET YOU’. The single features Brooklyn-based club producer X-Coast and is available to buy and stream via b4 alongside a video directed by Gabriella Plotkin.
Premiered live last week in NYC, Tama Gucci’s new single ‘I LET YOU’ is a statement of intent. The single hammers home the boundless club-ready potential of Tama’s take on cyber-goth pop.
A fixture in Miami’s queer underground, Tama Gucci’s cybernetic productions fuse cool R&B with harder club-ready sensibilities. Tama’s deep-running fashion connections lead him to model for feted streetwear brand Hood By Air by age 21. His latest single follows two bootleg remixes including a viral rework of Blueface’s ‘Thotiana’ — described by Paper Magazine as “a tender, ethereal alt-R&B ballad” — and t.A.T.u’s noughties eurobeat banger ‘Not Gonna Get Us’. Now releasing via b4 — a label spotlit by Clash Magazine as one that defined new music in 2019 — ‘I LET YOU’ lifts the lid on one of Miami’s most exciting underground artists.
‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is the new studio album from The White Buffalo, the touring and recording persona of Jake Smith – US singer, songwriter, guitarist, teller of tales; the Emmy nominee whose voice – a timber-shakin’ baritone of gravitas and gravel – seems fuelled by a greater truth.
Of the half-dozen albums thus far released under The White Buffalo banner, this latest 11-tracker – a loosely linked collection of dark thrills produced by Shooter Jennings, who also provides piano and keys – is the most collaborative and organic, the most sonically round.
‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is available to pre-order from February 21st, signalling the start of a new worldwide relationship with Snakefarm Records, a young label within the Universal Music Group spotlighting roots, country rock, blues & Americana.
From the beginning, Oregon-born Smith has wilfully side-stepped genre, touching on a variety of musical threads – from Americana to punk, from brooding folk to driving rock ‘n’ roll – whilst maintaining a strong, signature style. His spontaneous delivery and narrative lyrics are at the coal-black heart of it all, instilling the songs – effectively, mini-movies – with a cinematic, hand-crafted quality, and this very much holds true for ‘On The Widow’s Walk’.
“I was floored by Jake’s voice and his lyricism,” recalls Shooter. “It was intimidating. But we had a really good time igniting our inspirations together. Jake is one of the best out there. I’m honoured that I got the chance to make this record come to life with him and his band. They let me into the fold and we made some fine music together. Long live the Jelly Crew!”
The ’Jelly Crew’ in question, in addition to Smith, comprises drummer Matt Lynott and bassist Christopher Hoffee, also responsible for many of the guitar parts. They recorded as live and as first-take as possible, using violin and pedal steel where required.
With an eclectic history to his illustrious name, Shooter simply has no interest in playing it safe; he sides with a diverse selection of talent, and his collaboration with The White Buffalo has produced a special body of work that is stripped and spiritual and sounds just like the artist.
At one point, the idea of a concept album was considered, but Smith didn’t want to leave out quality songs just because they might not fit a specific concept; hence, ‘On The Widow’s Walk’ has water and the ocean as underlying rather than dominant themes, a sense of longing too, something reflected in songs such as ‘Sycamore’, ‘River Of Love And Loss’ and the title track; it’s there in the front cover artwork, too – a portrait of Smith by UK artist Jack Browning.
Other subjects tackled include living for the moment (‘Problem Solution’ / ‘No History’), the soulless march of technology (‘Cursive’), the indiscriminate force of mother nature (‘Faster Than Fire’), plus what happens when the moral compass spins wildly out of control (‘The Rapture’, also lead single and lyric video).
“It’s a twisted, primitive tale of an unrelenting thirst for blood,” explains Smith. “With ‘The Rapture’, I wanted to blur the lines between animal and man, to create a tension of moral restraint and unbridled evil.”
From sinister through to plaintive, the overall feel is of all parts supporting a wider view under the album’s intriguing title, first mentioned by Lynott.
“We were driving through an East Coast seaport town and I asked what the little balconies were on top of the buildings,” recollects Smith. “Matt explained that the wives of the sailors would pace around on the roof-tops longing for their husbands to come home safely. There’s so much romance in that, the Widow’s Walk, plus of course the possibility of disturbing and dramatic things taking place.
“I guess what I’ve tried to do with this new album is to represent a broad range of emotions. There’s dark moments here, more uplifting moments, questioning moments, it’s not just one thing. Also, I like to put some confusion into my songs, which is a very human element, I think.”
‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is a compelling, gimmick-free statement from an artist, now based in Southern California, whose activity between the musical lines has seen his star very much on the rise, playing to a million followers worldwide, achieving over 200 million streams to date, and securing a Top 10 spot in the TV / Film Syncs Chart for 2019.
‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is released April 17th 2020
FOLLOW THE WHITE BUFFALO: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter
|
|
|
|
|
After humble lo-fi beginnings in the Australian art-pop underground, Donny Benét has expanded his cult-like following across the globe with a resonant array of danceable repertoire dealing with love and affection. His next album marks a new chapter informed by a wealth of musical and personal development. Enter Mr Experience, the new album from Donny Benét released Friday 22nd May via Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records.
To celebrate Mr Experience, Donny Benét will play a run of shows in UK & Europe throughout May and will return home to Australia in June. The east coast run of shows will begin at The Zoo in Brisbane on Friday 12th June, Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on Saturday 13th June and finish up Friday 19th June at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel.
Sincerity has been a key component of Donny Benét’s output since the beginning. His songs deal with genuine emotion served on a kitsch platter. An alter-ego manifested at the beginning of the 2010s, Donny has blurred the lines of artifice to create a back catalogue that can embrace and challenge – often simultaneously – the notion of irony in art. Mr Experience moves further away from ironic notions as Donny explores lyrical and musical themes which embody observations of maturation in his audience, his tight-knit musical community, and himself. While ‘mature’ is a term that often rings hollow as an album descriptor, the term couldn’t be more apt for Mr Experience.
To push himself musically, Donny envisioned a soundtrack to a dinner party set in the late 1980s. While his earlier recordings drew inspiration from DIY pop conspirators such as Ariel Pink and John Maus, Donny channelled the stylings of Bryan Ferry and Hiroshi Yoshimura as the impetus for new material, evident on the intimacy found on current single ‘Girl Of My Dreams’ and its lush production (with a soothing whistle-along chorus for good measure).
Mr Experience will be available digitally and released on classic black vinyl as well as a special ‘fruit punch’ coloured vinyl available exclusively via independent retailers. UK and European distribution via Proper Music Group.
Pre-order and pre-save Mr Experience via https://donnybenet.lnk.to/
Donny Benét – Mr Experience Album Tour
Friday 22 May – Nouveau Monde – Fribourg, CH
Saturday 23 May – Villette Sonique – Paris, FR
Sunday 24 May – Botanique – Brussels, BE
Tuesday 26 May – The Dome – London, UK
Wednesday 27 May – Paradiso Noord – Amsterdam, NL
Thursday 28 May – Loppen – Copenhagen, DK
Friday 29 May – Lido – Berlin, DE
Saturday 30 May – Futurum – Prague, CZ
Sunday 31 May – Moers Festival, Moers DE
Friday 12 June – The Zoo – Brisbane
Saturday 13 June – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney
Friday 19 June – Corner Hotel – Melbourne
Friday 21 August – Pstereo – Trondheim, NO
Saturday 22 August – Parken Festivalen – Bodo, NO
Tickets via donnybenet.com
‘DETACH’ begun forming a few years ago after I played Pitch Festival. The song resurfaced when I missed my first US tour last year after my Visa was denied, so I suppose it’s a track I’ve revisited at the points in my life where I’ve needed to let sh*t go.
A few months later I had made it to California to finish the track in Rick Rubin’s studio – Shangri-La. Bringing ‘DETACH’ home put everything into perspective for me, it was 2am and it was just me and the engineer in the studio and the troubles of the past year had paid off.” – Willaris. K
|
|
