Snowman’s Joe McKee Goes Solo

Former Snowman singer Joe McKee is going it alone with his first solo release, Burning Boy.

The recording of Burning Boy saw Joe returning to his hometown of Perth after four years living in London. He came back with a head full of songs about the dissolution of his old band, his life in the United Kingdom, and the return to the land of his birth. Once back on home soil he reconnected with his long-time collaborator Dave Parkin and set about putting the songs he’d collected over the past three years down.

The album represents a real shift in Joe’s sound. The pulsing rhythm section we associate with Snowman is gone, replaced by more intimate vocals.

Burning Boy hits record stores on May 25.

Image used with permission from Remote Control Records

Snowman Scoop Album of the Year Award

It looks like Perth outfit Snowman will be one band to watch in 2009. The Western Australians’ second album The Horse, The Rat and The Swan was named album of the year by Mess+Noise.

The accolade has special significant for the band, as the group broke up several times during the recording process.

“We were challenged mentally and physically to the point where we had to either make a decision to go ahead… and gamble with how people would react to a difficult record, or start again, or just give up,” singer Andy Citawarman told news.com.au.

“I’m glad we didn’t choose the latter options.”

Mess+Noise has a reputation for having its finger on the pulse of the local music industry, so if you haven’t checked out the other albums on their 2008 top ten I highly recommend you do so!

Here are the Mess+Noise Top 10 Aussie Albums of 2008!

  1. The Horse, The Rat And The Swan – Snowman
  2. Havilah – The Drones
  3. Beaches – Beaches
  4. Primary Colours – Eddy Current Suppression Ring
  5. Landlakes – ii
  6. Paradise – My Disco
  7. Romance & Adventure – Ooga Boogas
  8. Cellulite Soul – Witch Hats
  9. Escaping Mankind – Charge Group
  10. Dead Beat – Ohana

Image source: Snowman gallery