Category: Album Releases

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Say The Word” – DETOUR

Western Australian act DETOUR channel all the angst and energy of youth into their debut EP Say the Word. It’s an impressive first release from a band still in their teens.

You might expect performers so young to sound a little green, but DETOUR have been together since they were just 11. Through those years together they’ve created a sound that’s confident and strong, if not totally polished. Let’s face it though, punk should be a little rough around the edges.

I might be decades older than the members of this band, but I found their songs so relatable. If you’ve ever felt like the black sheep, you’re going to love “Hard 2 Please”. “Red Flag” is bound to resonate with anyone who’s made the wrong decisions in the name of love. The closing punk-rock anthem “Say the Word” brings back all the awkwardness and uncertainty of first crushes.

When I was growing up, so many of the performers who wrote the angsty songs I connected with were twice my age. How exciting to have a band like DETOUR exploring the frustrations of the teen experience as they’re living it. Their music is so authentic, and so powerful, whether they’re rocking hard or taking a moment for quiet contemplation. I love it as an adult, but you can bet I’ll be sharing it with my teenage niece.

Say the Word is out now.

Image used with permission from beehive; main image credit: Mitch Love

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The VANNS Release Your New Favourite Song, “Ever”

I still have The VANNS’ album Through The Walls on repeat, but I’m pretty excited about sinking my teeth into all their new music. Ahead of the release of their long-awaited follow-up Last of Your Kind, the band has dropped a fabulous new single “Ever.”

This track is so smart. It builds on their classic rock sound, with a few twists and turns that are going to keep you guessing. There’s everything we love about The VANNS, and a little something extra. I’m into it.

“Thematically, ‘Ever’ is about the breakdown of a relationship that seemed to have all the boxes ticked as it pertains to the future and longevity of it all. The assumption that you’ll be with a person for life after constantly being reassured that nothing will ever change between the two of you, and when it ends, you’re left with a bevy of questions why and suppressed emotions that you’re dying to express,” The VANNS explained. “It’s a desire for answers, understanding, and, if attainable, some kind of closure.”

The band filmed the music video for “Ever” in their hometown of Dharawal Country/Kiama, on location at Jimmy Vann’s old primary school. Everybody say aww!

“We filmed the ‘Ever clip’ in my hometown of Kiama and in my old primary school which I attended in 2001. Walking back into that old sandstone building was very nostalgic for myself and my long time friend Jules Bourne (tour manager) who also attended the school and helped out directing the clip,” Jimmy said. “We had Christopher Kidall Park filming and directing the clip on the day, he is a young gun!”

The VANNS will celebrate the release of Last of Your Kind with three shows in the East Coast capitals. They’ll play the new album top to bottom, so it’s a great opportunity for fans to get across their new material. Here are the dates you need, music lovers!

19 May 2023 – The Espy, Naarm/Melbourne
20 May 2023 – Oxford Art Factory, Eora/Sydney
25 May 2023 – The Zoo, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Senor Friday

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ocean Alley Celebrate Five Years of “Chiaroscuro” With Vinyl Release

How has it been five years since Ocean Alley released their breakthrough album Chiaroscuro? I have no idea, but hearing the news that they’re releasing an exclusive vinyl repress and some time capsule merch inspired me to give it another listen. Hearing it again, I still can’t believe it’s been five years. This album still sounds so fresh!

If you want one of the new vinyls, you’ll need to be quick. There are just 1000 copies of the pink and purple marble vinyl with bonus slipmat. On April 22, to coincide with Australian Record Store Day, the band will drop 1000 of the transparent orange vinyl. Both variants include a special edition postcard insert and inscription on the packaging and vinyl.

Featuring the massive single “Confidence,” which topped the Triple J Hottest 100, and “Knees” and “Happy Sad,” Chiaroscuro went gold and helped Ocean Alley play shows in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, and North America. Speaking of shows, they’re playing Groovin’ The Moo and BASSINTHEGRASS in the coming months before heading back to North America. Here are all the dates you need:

21 April – Groovin’ The Moo @ Adelaide Showground, Kaurna Country/Wayville
22 April – Groovin’ The Moo @ Maitland Showground, Minderibba/Maitland
23 April – Groovin’ The Moo @ Exhibition Park, Ngunnawal Country/Canberra
29 April 2023 – Groovin’ The Moo @ Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Dja Dja Wurrung and the Taungurung Country/Bendigo
30 April 2023 – Groovin’ The Moo @ Kawana Sports Western Precinct, Kabi Kabi Country/Warana
6 May 2023 – Groovin’ The Moo @ Hay Park, Noongar Country/Bunbury
20 May 2023 – BASSINTHEGRASS @ Mindil Beach, Larrakia Country/Darwin
11 August 2023 – Antone’s Nightclub, Austin
12 August 2023 – Granada Theater, Dallas
14 August 2023 – Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville
15 August 2023 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta
16 August 2023 – The Beacham, Orlando
18 August 2023 – The Underground, Charlotte
19 August 2023 – The Fillmore, Silver Spring
20 August 2023 – Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia
22 August 2023 – Webster Hall, New York
23 August 2023 – Royale, Boston
25 August 2023 – Corona Theatre, Montreal
26 August 2023 – The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
27 August 2023 – Thalia Hall, Chicago
29 August 2023 – Gothic Theatre, Englewood
30 August 2023 – Soundwell, Salt Lake City
1 September 2023 – Malkin Bowl, Chinatown de Vancouver
5 September 2023 – August Hall, San Francisco
7 September 2023 – The Observatory North Park, San Diego
8 September 2023 – The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles

Image used with permission from Cult Logic; credit: The Sauce

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Danika Wows With “FYA” Ahead of EP Release

Before releasing her debut EP, Down Love, tomorrow, Danika’s dropped one more single “FYA.” The third track lifted from the EP, this gorgeous track casts such a spell, I think I might be my favourite one yet. Listening to Danika’s voice joining with a 16-piece female choice as she turns her trauma into a triumphant song is so special.

“It’s about me saying I support you. A song of support for all women and all people. Not feeling alone and being silenced,” she explained.

Down Love, featuring “FYA” and “Coolshit Bullshit,” drops tomorrow. Don’t miss her when she plays some of Victoria’s hottest festivals real soon:

18 March 2023 – The Warrandyte Festival, Wurundjeri Country/Warrandyte (FREE All Ages)
8 April 2023 – Boogie Festival, Kulin Country/Tallarook

Image used with permission from This Much Talent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kate Ceberano Releasing “My Life is a Symphony” Album

Knowing absolutely everything sounds better when it’s backed by a symphony orchestra, Kate Ceberano is revisiting her hits with the release of her new album My Life is a Symphony. After hearing the way the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra elevate ‘90s pop banger “Pash” to an absolute epic, I’m pretty excited for the rest of this record.

“This album was conceived and the orchestra recorded in the last months before the Covid “blackout”! After several years of waiting to complete it, when I finally got to return to the project and record the vocals it was a very emotional experience for me…back in a studio where i had recorded Brave 35 years before – and with my daughter now singing BVs,” she gushed. “I never wanted to take anything for granted again. I was more committed, bolder, and more willing to back my stories and songwriting. The power of the orchestra, the arrangements by my talented friend Roscoe have given new life to songs that together we cherrypicked from my albums over the years. Songs that are meaningful to me, earmarking personal memories and travelling with me across four decades.”

My Life is a Symphony drops on May 12. Kate will tour all around the country playing festivals and headlining shows with state orchestras from May promoting its release. Here are the dates so far, but if she hasn’t announced your nearest city don’t stress. More shows will be announced in the coming months.

11 March 2023 – Brighter Days Festival, Dhudhuroa, Taungurung, Waywurru, Gunaikurnai and Jaithmathang Country/Bright
18 March 2023 – Lighthouse Theatre’s 40th Anniversary, Dhauwurd Wurrung Country/Warrnambool
27 May 2023 – Hamer Hall, Naarm/Melbourne (with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra)
10 June 2023 – Adelaide Festival Centre’s Festival Theatre, Tartanya/Adelaide (with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra)
5 July 2023 – Big Red Bash, Wirrarri/Birdsville
18 August 2023 – Mundi Mundi Bash, Wilyakali Country/Broken Hill
25 August 2023 – Stranded in the Whitsundays @ Daydream Island Resort, Ngaro Country/Whitsundays (with Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Black Sorrows, and Mahalia Barnes)

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute; credit: Justine Walpole

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Go Set Release Killer Comeback Song, “West Into the Sun”

Not a lot of bands survive 20 years. Fewer still rock just as hard as they always did. But the release of The Go Set’s new single “West Into the Sun” proves they’re doing just yet. I also have it on good authority that their new album The Warriors Beneath Us, which drops on March 17, is one of their best.

“We have done it the hard way,” admitted The Go Set’s frontman, Justin Keenan. “I don’t know a band that has slept on as many floors as we have. We have done 1,500 shows and played in 27 or 28 different countries, and you are always building from scratch every night when you do that.”

But of course, struggle builds greatness. Such is the case with The Warriors Beneath Us, which came out of a brand new challenge for the band: the COVID pandemic.

“We weren’t playing live so revenue was down but during COVID we discovered we could record ourselves at home without being on the clock in a big studio,” Justin explained. “An idea for a song would come from me and we would send it around to our home studios. We could add, subtract, layer, and that became the creative process. That was new for us. We didn’t have a budget but we had all the time we needed to make the record we wanted.”

The Go Set will mark the release of The Warriors Beneath Us with their first tour in three years.

“It’s exciting to be reconnecting with people and getting out on the road. We’ve had limited opportunities over the last couple of years and we’re really excited about sharing the new material at these shows. It was something I think we may have taken for granted a while back, but a couple of years of lockdowns and unprecedented difficulty has actually made us realise how much we truly appreciate each other, playing live, and sharing our music with people around the world”.

Tickets for all those Go Set shows are on sale now, so grab yours before they sell out!

31 March 31 – Vinnies Dive, Bundjalung Country/Gold Coast
1 April 2023 – The Zoo, Meeanjin/Brisbane
2 April 2023 – Platform 5, Turrbul Country/Nundah
14 April 2023 – TBC, Naarm/Melbourne
15 April 2023 – Crown and Anchor, Tarntanya/Adelaide
21 April 2023 – The Founders Room, Salamanca Arts Centre, Nipaluna/Hobart
22 April 2023 – The Royal Oak, Therrernotepanner, Leterrermairrener and Panniher Country/Launceston
23 April 2023 – Kindred Hall, Tommeginne Country/Kindred
28 April 2023 – Moshpit Bar, Eora/Sydney
29 April 2023 – Dicey Rileys, Woolyungah/Wollongong

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bootleg Rascal Celebrate 10 Years of “Psychotica” With Tour and New Merch

I was pretty late to the Bootleg Rascal party. They hit my radar in 2017, but by then they were already touring internationally. The good news is, it’s never too late to get on board. The news that they’ll celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut EP Psychotica with a string of shows next year inspired me to go back to that breakthrough recording. It might have dropped a decade ago, but it still sounds fresh as a daisy.

The tour is exciting enough, but Bootleg Rascal will also mark the milestone with the re-release of Psychotica and their 2020 EP Collaborations of Very Isolated Delinquents “19 on one very special split 12” vinyl. They’ll also release a limited edition Psychotica T-shirt. A dollar from every shirt sold will benefit ANTAR, which campaigns for justice in solidarity for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or like me you’re new to the party, I encourage you to slip on Psychotica. While you’re enjoying the sweet funk-soul grooves, grab yourself some tickets to these shows. Bootleg Rascal will play Psychotica in its entirety, as well as some fan favourites, rarities, and new material. Could you ask for anything more? I think not. Get onto it!

8 April 2023 – Sol Bar, Jinibara/Maroochydore
14 April 2023 – The Brightside, Meeanjin/Brisbane
15 April 2023 – Miami Marketta, Yugambeh/Gold Coast
28 April 2023 – The Espy, Naarm/Melbourne
29 April 2023 – Transit Bar, Ngunnawal/Canberra
5 May 2023 – Beach Hotel, Cavanbah/Byron Bay (FREE)
13 May 2023 – The Lady Hampshire, Eora/Sydney
19 May 2023 – The River, Wooditchup/Margaret River
20 May 2023 – Indian Ocean Hotel, Boorloo/Perth
21 May 2023 – Mojo’s, Whadjuk/Fremantle

Image used with permission from Good Intent

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Yorke Drops Poptastic Single “when the honeymoon is over” Ahead of EP Release

Yorke has dropped another taste of her new EP which has me even more excited about its launch later this week. With the release of new single “when the honeymoon is over,” we’ve now heard three stellar pop gems from this five-track EP. While I’m really looking forward to hearing the final pieces of the puzzle, I’m also relishing this song for a little while.

I also love the video, the second Yorke’s created with her director and partner Kyle Caulfield. I hear it took a month of long days and nights, including countless trips to Bunnings, but it’s come together beautifully.

“Love can sort of just sneak up on you at the least expected of times, these heart balloons are the visual metaphor for those feelings of love starting to introduce themselves into life, in a way that can’t be ignored,” Kyle explained.

Yorke’s new EP ten feet tall drops on December 2. Fresh from supporting Peach PRC, she’ll play the following headlining shows along the East Coast in the New Year to support its release.

3 February 2022 – Northcote Social Club, Naarm/Melbourne
9 February 2022 – The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney
10 February 2022 – Black Bear Lodge, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Simon London + the Spirits Back From Extended Hiatus With New Single, Album, and Shows

After a 12-year hiatus, fans of Simon London + the Spirits might have assumed the band were lost to the industry forever. Last anyone knew, Simon London had left Australia to live and record with his wife in Sweden. However, rumours of this rock act’s demise are greatly exaggerated though. These guys are back recording, releasing new music, and playing shows. Get excited!

Their comeback single “Troposphere” shows they’ve lost nothing. It’s a powerful rock ballad that explores the loss of the band’s drummer and Simon London’s musical partner of 30 years.

“Troposphere” is also the last track, and my personal favourite, from Simon London + the Spirits album Don’t You Forget About Me, which just happened to drop today. It’s a proper old-school record that’s meant to be listened to in chronological order. Ensuring you do, Simon and the lads have released it as just two tracks on the streaming services, side A and side B. Brilliant! Simon London + the Spirits will play SONAR Room in Waylyup/Fremantle tonight, with more dates to come.

Image used with permission from Simon London

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nick Weaver’s Loved Ones Share Last Solo Singles Ahead of Posthumous Album Release

Nick Weaver, formerly of Deep Sea Arcade and the Tambourine Girls, tragically passed away last April from a rare, metastatic bowel cancer at just 37. His family and close friends rallied together, vowing to complete Nick’s solo album. The release of the double A-side single “Cold Chills/Won’t Let Go” gives us our first listen. The upbeat indie pop “Cold Chills” is a great contrast to the more sombre, introspective “Won’t Let Go.” I love that in these final recordings, we’re hearing so much of what Nick could do.

“Nick’s creativity never ceased to astonish me,” said his mother, Helen Wellings. “This solo album is heart-wrenchingly beautiful, songs that stay fixed in your head. It’s as if Nick’s soul has come to the surface in these compositions about true love, sincerity, beauty, loss, deception and narcissism, revealing his breadth and brilliance. Nick has left us, but his music will live on in our hearts.”

Nick’s posthumously released solo album Won’t Let Go drops on October 20.

Image used with permission from Good Intent