Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham Release Title Track From Duets Album “Birdsong”

Country is one of those genres that elicits pretty strong reactions in me. I either love it or hate it: there is no in between. That’s the reason I didn’t review Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham’s collaborative album Birdsong last year. While there were songs I loved, there were plenty that also weren’t my cup of tea. It’s also why I’m excited that they’ve released the title track, one of my favourite cuts from this release. The song was inspired by an ancient Chinese proverb, “Always keep a green branch in your heart so a singing bird may come.”

“It’s easy to die inside and become unwilling to keep your branch outstretched,” Felicity added. “When you’ve suffered it can make you untrusting and protective.”

Speaking of his musical partner, Josh said “I was inspired by her resilience and openness in the wake of recent personal tragedy. When I encountered that proverb, I felt that she was its living embodiment. Not only was her branch green and outstretched – she was the singing bird too! I wrote the song by a river in the golden glow of a late summer evening with a chorus of cicadas swelling and pulsing in harmony.”

Felicity and Josh are bringing the music from Birdsong to the following cities in the coming months.

24 January 2024 – Capitol Theatre, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth
22 March 2024 – St. Brigids Church Crossley, Gunditjmara Country/Warrnambool
23 March 2024 – Palais-Hepburn, Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Hepburn Springs
24 March 2024 – Watchem Church, Watchupga/Watchem
31 March – 1 April 2024 – National Folk Festival, Ngambri/Canberra

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Crank the Volume on Mannequin Death Squad’s “Everybody’s Movin'”

You probably don’t even have to press play on “Everybody’s Movin’”, the latest single from Naarm/Melbourne-based act Mannequin Death Squad, to know it goes hard. A band with that kind of name are never going to make acoustic folk are they? While you might expect a heavy rock number, you might just be surprised by how good it really is. This kind of music doesn’t always resonate with me, but its strong melodic core and killer vocals from Elly Vex have sucked me in.

“‘Everybody’s Movin’ is about one of those nights out when you just don’t want to be there,” the band explained. “The energy is raging, the music is shaking the floors. But deep down, it’s as if you’ve wandered onto a set where you don’t belong. The initial glamour of bright lights and attractive people has morphed into a bizarre world where everyone’s trashed, the floor is on the ceiling, and the flies are all dead. Leaving you in a personal tug-of-war between social pressure and the strong desire to exit.”

Mannequin Death Squad have headlined shows in the United Kingdom, Europe, India, and here in Australia, and also supported heavyweights like Suicidal Tendencies, Frenzal Rhomb, and WAAX. Expect their star to continue rising with the release of this choice cut.

Photo credit: Rebecca Dimovski

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Joan & The Giants Bring Summer Vibes With “Good Time” Single

Joan & The Giants have just dropped their latest single “Good Time”, and it’s an absolute summer anthem. It’s an easy, breezy number that has me thinking of carefree moments like highway drives and bonfires on the beach.

“‘Good Time’ is about being madly in love and letting go of control,” said the band’s frontwoman, Grace Newton-Wordsworth. “This indie guitar-soaked summer song is a sexy ride, and it’s the first time I’ve let myself get sexy and feel sexy in a song. I just love the way it makes me feel, and I hope it brings some good times to people.”

Joan & The Giants will play a few shows this month to warm up for their massive slot supporting P!NK in March. If you don’t have tickets to the stadium shows, make sure you catch them at one of their free gigs!

19 January 2024 – Froth Craft Brewery, Goomburrup/Bunbury (FREE)
20 2024 – Settlers, Wooditup/Margaret River (FREE)
21 2024 – Caves House Hotel, Wooditup/Yallingup (FREE)
1 March 2024 – Optus Stadium, Perth (supporting P!NK)
2 March 2024 – Optus Stadium, Perth (supporting P!NK)

Image used with permission from Kick Push PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Talk Heavy Release “Fun Dumb Song”, “The Montreal Screwjob”

Hit the volume, because Meeanjin/Brisbane punksters Talk Heavy have just released a fabulous new single, “The Montreal Screwjob,” and it’s best played loud. And often. After the emo vibes of their last two tracks, “The Montreal Screwjob” is a bit of a change of pace. Rather than going deep and dark, the lads retell the story of ‘90s wrestling icon Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.

“We’d been sitting on this instrumental song for a time trying to find the right lyrics. When I was talking to our guitarist Pat about it, he suggested to just try writing about something silly or non-personal instead of our usual personal existentialism,” explained Matt Cochran, the band’s vocalist and guitarist. “We’re both 90’s wrestling nerds so we ended up settling on The Montreal Screwjob. I’ve always wanted to write about wrestling because it’s something I obsessed over as a kid and I was inspired by the way that The Mountain Goats channeled that in their own way for their 2015 album ‘Beat The Champ’. We’re super proud of how it turned out, it’s just a fun dumb song and I can’t wait to play it live.”

Talk Heavy are celebrating the release with the announcement of a brand new East Coast tour. Catch them anywhere you can this February.

9 February 2024 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane (with Melaleuca and Upsetter)
16 February 2024 – Burdekin Hotel, Eora/Sydney (with Great Job! and Hugs)
17th February 2024 – Dicey Riley’s, Dharawal Country/Wollongong (supporting Raised As Wolves and Jayhawks)
23rd February 2024 – The Presynct, Naamba/Nambour (supporting City Council with Robbie Thunder and Electric Prawns 2)

Photo credit: Will Johnstone

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Emma Donovan Preaches Self Love With “Lovin’ Looks Like” Ahead of Aussie Tour

Absolute force of nature Emma Donovan is back with a beautiful new soul single “Lovin’ Looks Like.” But don’t mistake this beautiful ballad for just another love song.

‘“Lovin Looks Like’ is a healing song about learning to love yourself again. It’s about taking a good look in the mirror and seeing who you are and knowing and learning about all your worth,” Emma explained. “After being broken from a relationship, learning to love yourself can be hard but over the years I’ve taken good advice. I’ve learned that putting myself first isn’t a bad thing and that I should never be made to feel bad about that focus.”

“Lovin’ Looks Like” is the latest track from Emma’s forthcoming new album, which Emma said further explores the concept of “not being afraid to do this on my own and walking strong through everything”. Emma will bring her new music and plenty of old favourites to the people on her upcoming shows. She’ll return to Tamworth, where she began playing with her family band The Donovans at the tender age of 11, before embarking on a national tour with Charley Crockett. These shows will be the only place you can get your hands on a limited-edition double A-side 7” single featuring “Lovin’ Looks Like” and previous release “Blak Nation,” so make sure you stop by the merch stand!

25 January 2024 – TRECC, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (with Troy Cassar-Daley 4pm)
25 January 2024 – Tamworth Hotel, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (with Kevin Bennett 7pm)
25 January 2024 – Aboriginal Cultural Showcase @ Fanzone Stage, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (9pm)
27 January 2024 – Tamworth Town Hall, Kamilaroi Country/Tamworth (with Charley Crockett 4pm)
28 January 2024 – Bar on the Hill, Mulubinba/Newcastle (with Charley Crockett)
30 January 2024 – The Events Centre, Kabi Kabi and the Jinibara Country/Caloundra (with Charley Crockett)
31 January 2024 – The Green Room, Cavanbah/Byron Bay (with Charley Crockett)
1 February 2024 – Eatons Hill Hotel, Meeanjin/Brisbane (with Charley Crockett)
2 February 2024 – Anita’s Theatre, Dharawal, Yuin and Wadi Wadi Country/Thirroul (with Charley Crockett)
4 February 2024 – Enmore Theatre, Eora/Sydney (with Charley Crockett)
6 February 2024 – Canberra Theatre Centre, Ngambri/Canberra (with Charley Crockett)
8 February 2024 – The Gov, Tarntanya/Adelaide (with Charley Crockett)
9 February 2024 – Civic Hall, Wadawurrung Country/Ballarat (with Charley Crockett)
10 February 2024 – Coal Creek Community Park & Museum, Bunurong Country/Korumburra (with Charley Crockett)
12 February 2024 – The Forum, Naarm/Melbourne (with Charley Crockett)
14 February 2024 – Astor Theatre, Boorloo/Perth (with Charley Crockett)

Photo credit: Ian Laidlaw

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Fabulous Front Bottoms Heading Down Under

Sometimes it takes a band announcing a tour to put them on my radar. When I heard New Jersey rock act The Front Bottoms were making their “long-awaited return” in April, I wondered who’d been waiting for them! That’s on me though. After hearing their 2023 release You Are Who You Hang Out With, I’m a fan. And I’m kicking myself that I’ll have to miss them due to a holiday in April!

I don’t want you to though. Take a listen. Trust me, you don’t want to find that you were sleeping too once everyone tells you how great these shows were. And I have no doubt that they will be.

Handsome Tours is running a presale tomorrow at 10 am before tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday January 18 at 10 am.

12 April 2023 – Roundhouse, Eora/Sydney
14 April 2023 – Princess Theatre, Meeanjin/Brisbane
16 April 2023 – Northcote Theatre, Naarm/Melbourne
19 April 2023 – The Gov, Tarntanya/Adelaide
20 April 2023 – The Rechabite, Boorloo/Perth

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sophisticated Dingo Announce Aussie Tour For “I Don’t Mind” Single

One of the hardest working bands in the country, Sophisticated Dingo, are hitting the road again. The band will tour the country to celebrate the recent release of their latest single “I Don’t Mind.” We’re used to these guys going full throttle, but this beautiful track shows the duo’s softer side.

Vocalist and guitarist Lewis Matte says “I Don’t Mind” is “a reminder not to take any moment for granted. No one knows how long they have left. Nothing is perfect. Embrace imperfection. Embrace growth through learning from the outcomes of your actions. Be malleable, open to compromise and to building dreams together with the ones you love. Let them inspire you. Speak simply. Embrace what you have. Don’t overcomplicate it. Enjoy the ride.”

Amen! Sophisticated Dingo have sold out headlining shows before, so don’t go sleeping on these dates. Tickets are available for all shows right now.
8 March 2024 – La La La’s, Dharawal Country/Wollongong
9 March 2024 – Bootleggers, Eora/Sydney
22 March 2024 – Four5Nine, Boorloo/Perth
23 March 2024 – Grace Emily Hotel, Tarntanya/Adelaide
29 March 2024 – Junk Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane
30 March 2024 – The Gaso Upstairs, Naarm/Melbourne

Image used with permission from Crowd Favourite

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tom Thum Launches Online Beatbox Lessons

Have you ever wanted to beatbox like Tom Thum? Now you can with the launch of his Basics 2 Basses masterclass series. This digital course is apparently designed for “anyone with a face,” no matter their experience level. It’ll also teach you a little about the history of beatbox and how its developed to become the cultural force it is today.

Tom is one of the best in the business. He won the first ever Beatbox World Championships, performed the world’s first 60-minute beatbox/orchestral concerto for the iconic BBC Proms, and holds the record for the highest viewed TEDx video of all time. He’s also supported absolute legends like Grandmaster Flash, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5, Hilltop Hoods, and the Cat Empire. So just think of what he could teach you!

“I have managed to corral a huge chunk of what I have learned over the past 20 years and have whittled it down to just over two hours of intensive learning for any skill level,” Tom explained. “Trying to succinctly explain a whole bunch of seemingly inexplicable noises was definitely one of the biggest challenges putting together this course. Trying to make inhuman noises, human, is definitely no easy feat but I feel like I (hopefully) explained it as simply as possible, so no level of detail was missed. In fact, breaking it down to the fundamentals of how the sounds are created taught me a lot about how to approach ways to learn in the future, so not only did I teach most of what I know, I also learned way more than what I thought I would.”

You can sign up for Tom Thum’s Basics 2 Basses course online now.

Image used with permission from beehive

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rocky Horror Show 50th Anniversary @ Civic Theatre, Mulubinba/Newcastle – 13 January 2024

I first saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was around 7 or 8. It was love at first viewing. I bought the soundtrack on cassette and spent hours in my bedroom looking up the lyrics that I didn’t understand in my dictionary (what an education!). I’ve seen the stage show a few times over the years, but when I heard Jason Donovan was starring in the latest iteration, I knew I had to do the Time Warp again.

The 50th Anniversary production of Rocky Horror Show only opened in the Civic Theatre on Friday, but it’s already become the venue’s highest selling musical, beating the record set by Come From Away last year. Given all the antici … pation, I expected to see more than the lone guy in fishnets wandering the foyer. Maybe the 2 pm session coincided with the usual nap times of the audience in attendance, but they didn’t seem as enthusiastic as I imagined they would be so early in the season. There were only a handful of people who got up to dance the Time Warp at the end! I really hope the night time shows are a little livelier. The performers gave it their all, and they deserve an audience that’s not quite so flat.

Sleepy crowds aside, there was a lot to like about the show. The cast embraced their roles, giving themselves over to the campy silliness of it all. Stella Perry, who came to fame in The Voice, brought more of a rock edge to Magenta than previous actresses, and I appreciated that. I also thought Henry Rollo, who plays Riff Raff, showed incredible vocal chops. Brad has always faded into the background for me, but Blake Bowden brought him out of the shadows. Myf Warhurst seemed a little out of her element as the narrator, but she bantered well with the audience. I suspect if I saw her later in the season she’d shine a lot brighter. The ultimate praise must go to Jason Donovan as Frank-N-Furter though. He first played Frank in the UK in 1998, and he makes slipping back into the role look easy. Clearly he was influenced by Tim Curry, but he does just enough to make it his own. He’s fabulous naughty and natural and he gave us a masterclass on Saturday. Honestly, watching him on stage was worth the price of admission alone.

Rocky Horror is one of those shows that keeps coming back every few years. If you’re a fan, and perhaps even if you’re not, you’ll have likely seen several productions. I know I have. But this might just the best. If you’ve been on the fence, make sure you snap up your tickets. The 50th Anniversary production of Rocky Horror Show plays the Civic Theatre in Mulubinba/Newcastle until February 4. It then heads to the Athenaeum Theatre in Naarm/Melbourne from February 9 to March 17 before heading back to New South Wales for shows at the Theatre Royal in Eora/Sydney from March 31 to April 28.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

51st Avenue Share The Songs That Inspired “Chapters”

When I heard “Chapters,” the latest single from Eora/Sydney band 51st Avenue, a few days ago I was blown away by the way the band played with different sounds. Determined to learn more, I caught up with the band to learn more about the songs that helped inspire their latest single.

don’t sleep, repeat – 44phantom (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
We really loved the upbeat nature of this track. Most of our tracks to date have had a slower sense of beat so when first creating this song we knew we wanted something more driving.

hurricane – 44phantom
Yeah so we were definitely going through a 44phantom phase but the tracks are too good! We loved the energy from the chorus. From this we drew inspiration and tried to create a chorus that was both driving and groovy.

love or chemistry – nothing, nowhere
We really liked the electronic verses for this song and this created the inspiration for our first verse. We thought it would be cool to have the song start like most of these tracks with a guitar part followed by an electronic drum beat.

acting like that – YUNGBLUD (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
Once again this song has a similar vibe to the others, upbeat and driving. We really liked the double handed hi-hat groove for the chorus in this song. We ended up using the double handed-hit hat for the 2nd verse to help create more drive through the song and to give a contrast to the first verse.

“Chapters” by 51st Avenue is available now on all your favourite streaming services. Here it is again in case you missed it, or just want to hear it again!

Photo credit: 51st Avenue