Steve Kilbey And Gareth Koch Join Forces For ‘Broken Toys’

April 16, 2019 Leave a comment

What happens when the musical worlds of Australian Music icon Steve Kilbey & classically trained ARIA Award winner Gareth Koch collide?

The answer lies in their new single Broken Toys – a refined and confident title brimming with sensitivity, experience and fresh ideas.

It’s not easy to describe a fascinating and unexpected collaboration such as this one. Steve Kilbey is perhaps best known as frontman of veteran rock band The Church. Gareth Koch on the other hand is a Viennese-trained classical guitarist/composer.

(photo credit: Tony Mott)

The Kilbey/Koch musical arrangements are acoustic and highly sophisticated. ‘Classical’ is one way of describing the sound. But it is much more than that. Kilbey is a self-confessed classicist, so the pairing is actually spot on. Kilbey & Koch have roughly 1000 years of music history bubbling away in their consciousness, and coupled with this knowledge is a keen awareness of contemporary sensibilities.

Sparkling effervescent textures, percussion by veteran stickman Barton Price (of Models fame), dobros, classical and 12-string guitars and even a 1966 ‘Beatle Bass’ all combine to create a unique and original soundscape.

Their eclectic partnership draws inspiration from medieval music to post-modern psychedelia, with every imaginable influence in between. These experienced musicians have created a strong and immediately recognisable musical identity, a new sound and aesthetic that comes with a fluid movement across genres. The result is a unique blend of classical & pop sensibilities with lyrics poised for repeated listening.

Expertly mixed by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios Sydney and superbly mastered by Grammy Award winning King Willy Sound, Broken Toys is a feast for the ears.

To download, stream or connect:

Mick Hart’s Anticipated New Album ‘Awake’ is out and touring

April 3, 2019 Leave a comment

UPDATE: New Tour Dates!

On the heels of Mick Hart’s sold-out Sydney launch at Lazybones Lounge in Marrickville last weekend, some new dates have been added!

New shows:

Sun 4th August – Bondi Diggers Golf Club (Sydney)
Fri 9th August – The Entrance Leagues Club (Central Coast NSW)
Sun 25th August – Gasoline Pony, Marrickville (Sydney)
Sun 29th September – Towradgi Beach Hotel, Wollongong (Sydney)
Sat 12th October – Stag and Hunter, Mayfield (Newcastle)

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED UPCOMING DATES:

Fri 26 July – Winter Blues Festival, Echuca VIC
Sat 27 July – Winter Blues Festival, Echuca VIC
Sun 28 July- Merri Creek Tavern, Melbourne

Community radio is loving the album, with widespread support on the airwaves proving it carries so many brilliant tracks! The Way It Is, 3am Or Anytime, Light My Way, Keep Hold and Peaceful Nest are all being played around the country.

Some great reviews are also flowing in for the album.
Bruce Elder at the Sydney Morning Herald declared that Hart has produced, “a classy, memorable album from a gifted musician at the height of his powers.”

“A delicious collection of blues-folk “toons” inspired by sources as rich as the early Rod Stewart (3am Or Anytime); a nod towards Free and Family (The Way It Is); Muddy Waters’ great version of Got My Mojo Workin’ (Light My Way); the edges of folk blues (Real Thing); that glorious style which involves a slow burn and driving blues with lashings of lap-steel (Time for the New); and inevitably, lots of Dylan-influenced blues and country blues (Back To The Start, Star Bed andKeep Hold).”

Elder also notes Hart’s wide-ranging musical talents – “Playing bass, lap-steel, harmonica, percussion, Rhodes, Mellotron, piano, organ, ukulele and, oh yes, guitars….ranges widely across the rich plains of the blues and American folk music.”

Meanwhile Mark Fraser at Redbackmusic.comcalled the latest single, Keep Hold, “sad, beautiful, perfect”, with the entire album, “a beautiful collection of soundscapes that caress your very soul in their own unobtrusively enveloping way.”

Read the whole review here:

Stream/Download

The album’s first two singles – ‘The Way It Is’ and ‘3am Or Anytime’ are both out now and receiving strong support across community and regional radio, Triple J and Double J.

‘3am Or Anytime’ will be premiered TONIGHT on Double J’s Stir It Up show! It’s a gentler offering than its predecessor, more of an acoustic ballad that charmingly shows off Hart’s silky vocals and sublime guitar work. A sweet love song, ‘3am Or Anytime’ centres around the alluring chorus, “You can steal my blanket anytime, you can drink my last full glass of wine, you can wake me for help at 3am or anytime, you can take my heart because you’re mine.”

You can check out ‘The Way It Is’ on the new SLC Playlist for March. A “you done me wrong” break-up song with a catchy blues groove, The Way It Is grabs the listener with its addictive chorus that features some blistering guitar and Hart’s determined lyrical growl, “I don’t owe you nothing, that’s the way it is.”

ARIA nominated for “Best Blues and Roots” in 2002 for his sophomore album Upside Down In The Full Face of Optimism, Mick Hart occupies a sonic space that’s influenced by Jeff Buckley and Ben Harper, from sparse acoustic songs to wild dirty blues rock and some brilliant lap-slide guitar.

Awake will be released on April 26 via MGM.

Mick is on the road in support of ‘Awake’ starting in Europe in April and following through to Australian dates in June and July. Check out his pages below for details.

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Daxton – ‘Live In The Studio’ Acoustic Album Release

March 29, 2019 Leave a comment

Central Coast musician and singer-songwriter Daxton has recorded a bunch of live acoustic songs which will be released on his ‘Live In The Studio’ album, which was recorded by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios in Sydney. Daxton’s chilled out dreamy songs and moody, driving vocals make for a brilliant acoustic album which oozes a summery vibe.

‘Sanctuary’ is a great acoustic rendition of one of his most popular songs from the recent ‘In Verses’ album. Hearing it as simply vocal and guitar really shows the quality of the song.

Another album highlight is ‘Perfect Day’, a more country up-tempo and happy song featuring vocals and acoustic guitar, but still managing a strong catchy chorus, snappy verses, and even some “da da da’s’ to sing along to. Perhaps, best of all, its less than 2 minutes, which means it’s perfect to squeeze into playlist spots.

For some really nice bluesy slide acoustic and a catchy riff, go no further than ‘Ball and Chain’. It combines a great falsetto verse with a baritone chorus, adding to the rich tonal feel of the song.

With songs like ‘I Don’t Mind’, singing in high falsetto with jangly guitar line to the bubbly low tones of ‘Good Time Friends’ with its’ grungy sounding chords, ‘Live In The Studio’ covers all flavours.

Daxton’s music has been influenced by Captain Beefheart, The Dead Kennedys, The Church, David Bowie, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Killers, Mud Honey, The Pixies and Arcade Fire.

Hear the music:

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Halfway Homebuoy – Intermittent

December 6, 2018 Leave a comment

Central Coast-based Halfway Homebuoy have just released their new album Intermittent – and within days, their video of Burning In The Sun has already had almost 40,000 streams on Facebook!

Watch the video here:

Intermittent is a collection of some previously-released favourite songs, performed live in the studio acoustically.

Halfway Homebuoy began as 3 Englishmen, 1 Swiss and 1 Australian and was formed in Verbier, Switzerland several years ago. After playing various bars during the ski season, they entered the UK’s biggest band comp, ‘Live and Unsigned’ and ended up in the top 100 out of 10 000.

The Current lineup is all Aussies bar founding member Jack Davidson

The band have a reputation as outstanding entertainers, performing songs that make you want to stamp your feet, with vocals and lyrics torn straight from the soul.

Halfway Homebuoy – Intermittent is out now on Foghorn through MGM.

Listen now:

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Joel Leffler – Brighton Lakes Sessions EP

November 27, 2018 Leave a comment

If you were to walk in the front door of one of those homes, turn right up the stairs and left into bedroom 3 you would find a grand piano, an acoustic guitar & an air of something recognisably creative.

This 8 track EP features popular songs from Joel Lefflers’s previous titles ‘Run With The Wolves’ & ‘Strip Me Bare’ along with 2 brand new acoustic tracks fresh out of the studio, ‘Where You Are’ & ‘Home To Me (Caledonia)’.

Much like Brighton Lakes face lift; these songs have been re-imagined to give an insight into what they sound like both in pre-production & live in show.

Joel says of his experience recording the acoustic sessions, “I was recently diagnosed with severe anxiety that found me laying in an ER bed at Liverpool Hospital…What I thought was originally derived from music actually turns out to be – that music itself is the cure!”

Brighton Lakes Sessions EP was written, recorded & produced by Joel Leffler followed by mastering by Andrew Beck at Damien Gerard Studios.

Listen here:

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Throwing Shapes – Super Natural

November 27, 2018 Leave a comment

Throwing Shapes is Fox Shannon, a drum and bass/electronic/dance performer from Perth, WA.

Unique and forward thinking electronic music, from house and club tracks to D+B. With influences from Pendulum and Sub Focus to Disclosure and Slumber Jack, Shannon’s energetic performances and catchy dancefloor hooks has won him a growing interest from local and international DJ’s. A number of tracks have also featured on dance compilations.

The title track combines a hooky four-on-the-floor disco beat and some spooky soundtrack layers on the top line. Another lead track prime for play is Pretend Your Mine, which is driven by warm electric piano chords and catchy, soulful female vocals.

Then there’s the energetic 2000 People, where you’ll get the feel of 80’s synth, house and EDM. “Good vibes, good times”, says Shannon.

Listen here:

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The Jimmy C – Songs For The Species

November 27, 2018 Leave a comment

Humourous, up-beat, catchy, power/pop/psychedelic/rock … the Melbourne one-man-band The Jimmy C opens a can of earworms that burrow deep and leave you smiling.

The Jimmy C is Jamie Coghill, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who loves the music of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Some know Jamie as the drummer from Luxedo, Fez Perez and The Devilrock Four, others know him from his own music as The Jimmy C. He records everything at home in his spare room.

Songs For The Species is a humorous collection of songs whose creator says is sonically influenced by Super Furry Animals, The Kinks, Jellyfish, Supergrass, ELO, Pugwash, Beach Boys and The Beatles.

The album opener is Everybody Shits. “Imagine Jellyfish playing your favourite up-beat 70s sitcom theme,” Coghill enthuses. “[It’s] a bouncy pop song reminding us, “It doesn’t matter how cute you are, you still have an asshole.””

Another album highlight is the jangly Foot In My Mouth, “an ode to those of us who never fail to say the wrong thing every time we speak.” Coghill describes the song as, ” a slow plodding rocker with up-beat choruses and a chaotic split personality ending.”

Alt-country meets sunny pop in the harmony-filled “ASAPples”, which rides on some, “silly modern-life influenced lyrics” – the inspiration of texting, emojis and our technology-filled lives.

Born Without A Brain is where the drummer makes fun of drummers. “They’re my people!”, Coghill protests. Power pop guitars, lush Beach Boys harmonies and upbeat vibes makes this track a catchy and enjoyable album standout.

Songs For The Species is out now on Foghorn/MGM.

Watch the video for “Baby Blue Sky” here:

And see all SIX BRAND NEW VIDEOS from The Jimmy C here:

Listen via your favourite music provider here:

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John Kennedy – Second Best (Greatest Bits Vol. 2)

October 15, 2018 Leave a comment

Soundslikecafe is proud to feature the album Second Best by Sydney musician John Kennedy.

A second “best of” compilation featuring key album tracks from 8 albums.

Released on Foghorn Records October 2018.

Distributed by MGM. Available on CD and digital.

Released in 2001, John Kennedy’s Inner West album brought together the early vinyl singles and album selections from his bands JFK and the Cuban Crisis, Love Gone Wrong and the Honeymooners. That was his first “best of” collection. So, that makes this Kennedy’s Second Best of.

Since the heady days in the 1980’s, topping the Australian independent music charts, Kennedy has released a number of albums on various labels in Europe and Australia. Whether it was lack of promotion or distribution, or his audience simply moving on that was the cause, those albums went largely unnoticed. Even those who have followed his music probably wouldn’t have known they existed.

Now, with this Second Best compilation release, the key tracks from those albums are collected to show that the beat did indeed go on. It serves the purpose of giving these songs a new lease of life and hopefully points people back to those lost albums.

An enthusiastic young music journalist once described John Kennedy as a humble genius. Kennedy is neither a genius nor particularly humble. The Sydney musician is the writer and performer of many fine songs, some of which have found a place in the hearts of music fans of the golden era of Australian independent music.

Kennedy started his music career in Brisbane in the early ‘80’s with his band JFK and the Cuban Crisis. He moved to Sydney and after establishing itself on the indie music scene the band broke up leaving Kennedy to follow a solo career with his band vehicle, John Kennedy’s Love Gone Wrong. Despite numerous indie hits, commercial crossover proved to be elusive leading to his decision to leave Australia. Kennedy spent the ‘90’s living and playing music in Berlin, Hong Kong and London before returning to Sydney’s Inner West in 2000. He formed a new band, John Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special and continues to perform and produce independent releases.

Check out this great review of Second Best from respected music journalist Bernard Zuel here.

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Gareth Koch and Peter Bonner – Don’t Tempt Me

October 2, 2018 Leave a comment

Don’t Tempt Me

GARETH KOCH + PETER BONNER

What happens when the musical worlds of an ARIA Award winning classical guitarist and a hard-hitting rock singer collide? The answer in this case lies in an unusually refined and confident EP titled Don’t Tempt Me, Out now on Planet/MGM.

It’s not easy to describe such an accomplished EP as this one. To begin with, the arrangements are all acoustic and highly sophisticated. Little wonder, since these songwriters have roughly 1000 years of music history bubbling away in their consciousness. But alongside this knowledge is a keen awareness of contemporary sensibilities. Sparkling effervescent textures, trumpets, percussion, dobros, classical and 12-string guitars and even a 1966 ‘Beatle Bass’ all combine to create a unique and original soundscape.

This Australian songwriting team of Gareth Koch and Peter Bonner draws inspiration from medieval music to post-modern psychedelia, with every imaginable influence in between. Bonner and Koch have a strong and immediately recognisable musical identity, a new sound and aesthetic that comes with a fluid movement across genres. The result is an array of catchy pop tunes, soulful ballads, blues grooves and rock songs

Connect with
GARETH KOCH + PETER BONNER
Website
https://www.garethkochmusic.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Gareth-Koch-Music-500437070367413/?ref=br_rs

Checkout the Record

Thanks for listening!!

Tailor Birds – WHERE WILL WE GO TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CROWS

October 2, 2018 Leave a comment

tailor birds-crows-Artwork high resnewWEB

To be released Friday October 5 Soundslikecafe is proud to feature this excellent new album from Tailor Birds

WHERE WILL WE GO TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CROWS

Australian Release October 5
and tour dates to follow

Sophie Kinston is Tailor Birds.
Tailor Birds newest album is music that soothes the soul, warms the spirit, and ignites your passion.
Even though the content is 6 songs they are each a 7-10 minute ‘Piece’ forming an album length body of work. Following the success of the previous work ‘Stilts on the Water’ (a single 40 minute piece) this release explores further electro/folk/world territory with more instrumentation such as Piano and Flute added to the already lush soundscape. Recorded in various studios throughout Europe while on tour and mixed and mastered at Damien Gerard Studios Sydney the sonic quality is exceptional.

In Sophie’s own words“Tailor Birds combines electronic violin, live looping, foley art, percussion, and rich harmonised vocals, to create a sound like no other. A sound that is all about the vibe and positive energy, building an audience that is as diverse as much as it is one, you could say that Sophie is a traveling troubadour. She believes that music should not just be about playing one gig after another with just the music making an impact, but is also o about connecting people to something good again, in a world that is constantly changing. Music needs to inspire and placing Tailor Birds in a space that can do just that, it makes an impact greater than you could ever imagine.”

Checkout Sophie’s Toyota Hi Ace Rebuild to a touring home and stage now at 775 000 views

Tailor Birds is currently touring through Australia and Europe

“Faint echoes of Kate Bush here, Enya there but really like neither and often much spookier”
–Michael Smith – Rhythms Magazine

Tailor Birds’ key influences are Sigur Ros, the Kronos Quartet, Bear’s Den, Chet Faker and more.
-=Sophie Kinston

Connect with Tailor Birds
Website
http://www.tailorbirdsmusic.com/

Facebook
www.facebook.com/tailorbirdsmusic

Twitter
twitter.com/tailor_birds

Hear The Album

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Category: Featured Albums

Steve Kilbey And Gareth Koch Join Forces For ‘Broken Toys’

Mick Hart’s Anticipated New Album ‘Awake’ is out and touring

Daxton – ‘Live In The Studio’ Acoustic Album Release

Halfway Homebuoy – Intermittent

Joel Leffler – Brighton Lakes Sessions EP

Throwing Shapes – Super Natural

The Jimmy C – Songs For The Species

John Kennedy – Second Best (Greatest Bits Vol. 2)

Gareth Koch and Peter Bonner – Don’t Tempt Me

Tailor Birds – WHERE WILL WE GO TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CROWS

WHERE WILL WE GO TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CROWS

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