Category: Album Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rock Gods TASTE on Comeback Trail

After a hiatus of nearly 40 years, TASTE are back. However unlike so many bands, they haven’t reformed to cash in on the nostalgia of the past or fund their retirements. Instead they’re doing it because they never got the chance to fulfil their potential.

Rewind to the ‘70s and TASTE were poised to be the next big thing. They were the first band to appear on Countdown, their song “Boys Will Be Boys” was going gangbusters, and they were set to tour the United States with Queen. Then their parents charged into their management office demanding they disband. Sadly, they listened to their mums and dads.

However, they’re looking to put all that behind them. The band’s back together, with the addition of new drummer Michael Corniola, and they’ve got a brand new single “I Am God.” It’s just as grandiose and it rocks just as hard as a proper glam rock track should. The clip is also brilliant.

The track comes from TASTE’s latest album Life on Earth, which drops on May 27. They’ll celebrate its release with shows in capital cities around the country.

1 July 2016 – Crowbar, Brisbane
9 July 2016 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
14 July 2016 – Frankie’s Pizzeria (FREE)
16 July 2016 – The Corner, Melbourne

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shihad Celebrate 20 Year Anniversary of Debut Album

Way back in 1996, Kiwi rockers Shihad made a splash with their self-titled debut, an album that became affectionately known as the Fish Album. Now 20 years later the band is marking the milestone.

This month a remastered version of the Fish Album was reissued on vinyl and digital. And in June, Shihad will tour Australia. The shows will no doubt include plenty of cuts from the debut album as well as more recent tracks that remind us Shihad are much more than a nostalgia band. Special guests The Grenadiers will join the band on the road.

Tickets are on sale now from Oztix for the following shows.

23 June 2016 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
24 & 25 June 2016 – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
26 June 2016 – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
1 July 2016 – The Triffid, Brisbane
2 July 2016 – Pigsty in July, Hunter Valley
15 July 2016 – The Factory, Sydney
16 July 2016 – The Croxton, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Secret Service Public Relations

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gypsy & The Cat Release Single Ahead of Anticipated Album Release

It’s been a little while since we heard new material from Melbourne electro-pop act Gypsy & the Cat but it’s been worth the wait. Their new single “I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else” is perfectly poised to drum up hype about their new album Virtual Islands ahead of its July release.

Summer might be behind us, but the saturated synths of this track bring the season back for me. I love its driving anthemic chorus and the oh-so-casual chorus. This is fun stuff.

Gypsy & the Cat only just wrapped up a national tour, but I have no doubt we’ll see them back on the road soon to support the album’s release.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Buchanan Release “Learn to Love again” Single Ahead of Album Launch

After a tumultuous period, Melbourne act Buchanan are back with a brand new single ahead of the release of their second LP Pressure In an Empty Space.

The single “Learn to Love Again” is an upbeat dance-pop track about bouncing back and moving forward, two things this act knows about all too well. Not only was frontman Josh Simon dealing with the breakdown of a long-term relationship last year, he was also battling an obscure, but fortunately treatable, form of cancer. From these kind of setbacks comes greatness, and Josh with good buddy Simon Duffy produced their most prolific body of work to date.

Buchanan’s album Pressure in an Empty Space will be released around the world on April 29.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kirsty Lee Akers Is Country’s Brightest Star

With a new album scheduled to drop on April 1, it’s the perfect time to remember why Kirsty Lee Akers is one of the darlings of the country music scene. She’s the only person to win the Australian country industry’s three biggest honours: Toyota Star Maker, Telstra Road to Discovery, and a Golden Guitar. Her fun new single “When I Miss You Most” proves why. It’s such a bubbly little song, with an upbeat feel that helps mask the pain of its lyrics.

“When I Miss You Most” comes from the new album Burn Baby Burn. Most of it was recorded in Nashville to give it that classic country feel. This is the first album Kirsty’s released through Maven/Sony Music Australian, and critics are already buzzing that it may be her best yet!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Luca Brasi Releases New Single Ahead of Album

Tasmanian punk act Luca Brasi has never put a foot wrong with me and the trend continues with the brand new single “Anything Near Conviction.” It has everything I loved about the previous singles: insightful lyrics delivered with plenty of passion and a proper punk ethos.

Luca Brasi frontman Tyler Richardson says it’s “The song that centres around giving yourself a kick in the arse to do better in life and for those you love. A not-so-gentle reminder that you gotta give everything you can.”

“Anything Near Conviction” comes from Luca Brasi’s third album If This Is All We’re Going to Be, which will be available on CD, LP, and for digital download April 29. If everything we’re heard from the band of late is anything to go by, it’s going to be a corker.

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mayfair Kytes Release Amazing Animated Clip for “Sleepyhead”

Melbourne quartet Mayfair Kytes has released one of the most visually stunning film clips I’ve seen in some time to accompany their latest single “Sleepyhead.” It’s the work of Melbourne artist Thomas Russell, who storyboarded, hand-animated, filmed, and directed the video. Contemporary dancer Geoffrey H Watson also lends his talents to the clip.

The video’s blown me away, but the song’s pretty lovely too.

“Sleepyhead is a meditation on two themes, one being the creative process versus the logical world and how choosing your own destiny can lead you down a long road of self-discovery that might clash with more pragmatic streams of life,” explained Mayfair Kytes’ lead vocalist and songwriter, Matt Kelly, “and secondly, it is about dealing with the depression that often comes with such a way of being.”

“Sleepyhead” comes from Animus, Mayfair Kytes’ debut album, which hits stores on April 1. Mayfair Kytes will launch the album with a show at The Workers Club in Melbourne on April 8 and another at The Vanguard in Sydney on April 28.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Great Awake Do Pop-Punk Right

In the 90s I remember music fans going nuts for pop-punk, an offshoot of punk music. I appreciated its accessibility but also felt this more melodic music lost the rebellion punk music was meant to represent.

South Sydney’s The Great Awake have gotten the balance right though. Tracks like “Departure Lounge” have a raucous real heart that hearkens back to the glory days of punk. They’re paired with great melodies though that should help it appeal to people who don’t ordinarily listen to the genre.

“Departure Lounge” comes from The Great Awake’s debut album, Reasons For Leaving, which drops on February 24. They’ll celebrate the album’s release with the following shows.

4 March 2016 – Front Gallery, Canberra
5 March 2016 – Dicey’s, Wollongong
6 March 2016 – Frankie’s, Sydney
12 March 2016 – The Exeter, Adelaide
19 March 2016 – Fat Louie’s, Brisbane
26 March 2016 – Valve Bar, Sydney
1 April 2016 – Bar 303, Melbourne
2 April 2016 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
8 April 2016 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
9 April 2016 – Fresh Cafe, Launceston

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Opia’s EON Available Today

Perth rockers Opia are making a splash with a brand new single and album. The epic “Standing Still” is the third track lifted from the band’s album EON, which was released today.

Like the other album tracks, “Standing Still” was recorded and engineered at North Fremantle’s Electric City Studios. It somehow manages to sound polished without losing its guts, which is a tricky thing to achieve.

Opia will launch EON for their hometown fans at Amplifier Bar on February 26.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Weeping Willows Announce Album Tour

I love individual artists and bands, but I think there’s something so special about a duo. When you find two people whose harmonies blend, who have a natural chemistry that draws listeners in, it’s like nothing else. Perhaps that’s why when I set out to listen to “River of Gold,” the lead single from The Weeping Willows’ forthcoming album Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’, I actually listened to their entire Soundcloud playlist.

It’s a tough call, but I think “River of Gold” could be the strongest track among them. I love its dark brooding nature, those sublime harmonies, and the frenetic pace of the banjo keeping time.

We’ll hear more from Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’ when it’s released on 4 March. The Melbourne duo will support its release with a run of shows from March to June.

4 March 2016 – Basement Discs, Melbourne
5 & 6 March 2016 – Snowy Mountains Country Music Festival, Thredbo
10 March 2016 – Royal Oak Hotel, Launceston (with Ange Boxall)
11 March 2016 – Spring Vale Wines, Cranbrook (with Ange Boxall)
12 March 2016 – Republic Bar & Café, Hobart (with Ange Boxall)
13 March 2016 – The Pizza and Wine Club, Kyneton (with Ange Boxall)
14 March 2016 – House Concert, Ferntree Gully (with Shane Nicholson)
18 March 2016 – Babushka Bar, Ballarat (with Mitch Power)
19 & 20 March 2016 – The Basin Music Festival, The Basin
25 March 2016 – Billyroy’s Blues Bar, Bendigo
27 March 2016 – T’Gallant Winery, Main Ridge
1 April 2016 – Harmonie German Club’s ‘Friday Night Live’, Canberra
2 April 2016 – Django Bar, Marrickville
4 April 2016 – Jane’s, Wollongong
17 April 2016 – Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh (with Bill Chambers)
24 April 2016 – T’Gallant Winery, Main Ridge
29 April & 1 May 2016 – Mount Beauty Music Festival, Mount Beauty
6 May 2016 – The Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale (with Andy & Marta)
8 May 2016 – The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton (with Andy & Marta)
20 May 2016 – Bendigo Folk Club, Bendigo
17 June 2016 – Berwick & District Folk Club, Berwick