With emotional vocals and a great electric guitar riff, Melbourne band The Colby’s have won me over with their new single “Telephone.” This is straight-up pop-rock the way it’s meant to be, accessible and honest.
“Telephone” comes from The Colby’s recently released EP Skin. Check them both out on your favourite digital music providers. Melbourne locals can also catch The Colby’s launching the EP at Bar 303 on April 12.
Image used with permission from the A&R Department
Thyrsday don’t officially release their debut single “Skin” until Monday, but since their band name is so similar to today’s, and since it’s just so good, I couldn’t resist getting in early.
This is beautiful stuff, with standout vocals and hard-hitting, honest lyrics. I wasn’t surprised to hear the song was written in just minutes after an emotional confrontation. It feels like a real outpouring, although it’s a lot more poetic than most of us could muster under the circumstances!
“In many ways, writing Skin was a breakthrough for me,” explained the songwriter and Thyrsday’s lead vocalist Nikki Malvar. “It was a cathartic experience and it just wrote itself. I think there’s beauty in remaining cryptic about the actual story behind it, but I’ll say as much that I think the sentiment of disappointment and redemption is relatable to a lot of people.”
I certainly connected. How about you?
I pride myself on listening to music of all genres, but I must admit I felt a little out of my depth when I put Useless Children’s new EP Skin into my stereo. It exploded out of my speakers with what initially seemed like a whole lot of noise. I wondered what I’d say about this music that was so heavy, and honestly unfamiliar to me. But as I sat and listened, it all became clearer.
Useless Children were born to the Melbourne punk scene in early 2008. We’re talking about the real punk scene here, not the one commercialised by Top 40 radio. That rebellious energy of their early days is still apparent today, but it’s apparently become darker. Having listened to the EP, I don’t doubt that one bit. It’s aggressive, and a bit confronting, but also invigorating in its frenetic pace.
As I listened I began to appreciate these elements, and the incredible vocals of lead singer and drummer Cinta. How inspiring to see a woman kicking some major arse in such a male dominated genre. I began to hear the melodies that I’d missed at first. I also began to appreciate those moments when such an EP might seem like just the right kind of music, the times when the middle of the road, mellow tunes I typically listen to just wouldn’t do.
Skin is an EP which grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until it’s done. In just three tracks, it makes its mark and leaves you a bit breathless. If Useless Children can do all that on a recording, I can only imagine how impressive their live show is. If you love your music turned up to 11, make sure you check the band out at the following shows.
4 September 2010 – Blackwire Records, Sydney (All Ages)
10 September 2010 – Burst City, Brisbane (All Ages)
17 September 2010 – Bar Open, Melbourne (18+)
19 September 2010 – The Nash, Geelong (18+)
24 September 2010 – The Metro, Adelaide (18+)
Katie Noonan’s solo release, Skin, has taken up permanent residence in my stereo. The voice behind supergroup George has produced an album of infectious joy that gets richer with every listen.
It’s been five years since George released their landmark album, Polyserena. A lot has changed for Katie Noonan in that time. Many performers seem to lose their passion once spouses and children enter the picture, but the opposite seems true here. It’s allowed Katie to create songs that are intensely personal, but instantly accessible.
Love is the dominant theme underpinning all the album’s tracks. Not the clichéd love we’ve all heard about a thousand times before, but an emotion that’s deeply personal. Even when romantic love is explored, as in “Logic,” “Love’s My Song For You,” and “Home,” it’s approached with individuality and honesty.
But Katie knows there’s more than romantic love in this world, and Skin examines that too. “Little Boy Man” is a tender expression of love for her son, while the jazzy single “Time To Begin” celebrates love of self.