Kaijin Solo Releases Single ‘Elektra’

May 31, 2024

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, Messier 45, and other names by different cultures. It is an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars in the north-west of the constellation Taurus. At a distance of about 444 light years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth.

The name of the Pleiades comes from Ancient Greek. It probably derives from plein (“to sail”) because of the cluster’s importance in delimiting the sailing season in the Mediterranean Sea. In mythology the name was used for the Pleiades, seven divine sisters, the name supposedly deriving from that of their mother Pleione and effectively meaning “daughters of Pleione”.

Kaijin: ‘In a lot of ways I think Elektra is just me hanging on to the thing that good is, despite or even regardless of current global issues. If you have any beliefs at all the sort of shit that’s been going down for far too long now is a complete astonishment. I’m not particularly religious but if God is Love, then who is the killing for?’

Kaijin Solo is a contemporary singer/songwriter based on the NSW Central Coast with a blues rock influence. He has been working and honing his craft for many years with various band line-ups and the plentiful bread and butter busking jobs and pub/club gigs around the coast.

In between studio sessions Kaijin formed The Backbeats with Rhys Meyer on Vocals and Keys, Felix Harper on Bass and Ash Feder on Drums. They spent much of 2023 playing local venues such as the infamous Link and Pin, Brackets and Jam on Kincumber Mountain, and Avoca Beach Hotel. Kaijin and Rhys also did a few duo appearances at various venues such as: the Long Jetty Hotel and Bateau Bay Bowling Club.

The band closed out 2023 to a packed crowd as support for The Radiators at Ourimbah RSL. 2024 has kicked off well with a packed house at Mumbo Jumbos at Terrigal and The Hawkesbury Brewing CO. in Lisarow.

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Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Song For Taylor Swift’

May 23, 2024

Song for Taylor Swift is the first in a series of dedications to influential artists of the modern era by Gareth. There is a rich history of one artist acknowledging another in music, ranging from Beethoven to David Bowie, the latter having written his Song for Bob Dylan.

Song for Taylor Swift explores the gentler side of her output, with a recurring fragile interlude subtly reminiscent of her ballad-like material. The resonator & lap steel guitars reference Taylor’s occasional country influences, as does the cover art of the release.

Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

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Extra Time Releases Single ‘The Girl Who Rules The Sea’

May 22, 2024

Hailing from Sydney Australia, Extra Time are releasing the new single, The Girl Who Rules The Sea, from their current album Songs With Long Titles on 22 May.

A very worthy addition to our playlist and feature videos

Extra Time’s current double gatefold vinyl release is receiving glowing reviews internationally and they are proud to present the next single, The Girl Who Rules The Sea, beautifully accompanied by a video clip filmed at one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks – Bondi Beach.

As a young immigrant, Brendan tells of his almost fateful swim in the infamous Australian waters, where he was saved by a nearby surfer:
“The Girl Who Rules the Sea is a song about almost drowning at Bondi Beach in Sydney when I was six years old. As a kid from an Irish immigrant family, we were strong on enthusiasm but poor on swim technique. I was lucky enough to get rescued by an Amazonian surfer girl who introduced me to many new obscenities vastly expanding my swearing vocabulary.
The song is a love letter to Bondi where I was born and one of Australia’s best loved beaches.”

The video features live action drone and underwater footage shot by Leonard Clifford and Chris Flaxman and was edited by Nick Lever. Motion Editing was by French Motion Artist Veronita Va who ran with Brendan’s idea of creating an animated version of a Piet Mondrian painting featuring the bold geometric lines forming the signature grid of the neo plasticist artist. Aside from the aesthetic, drawing the eye to the ‘Girl Who rules the Sea’ as she swims through the crystal blue waters of Bondi Beach, the inspiration of Mondrian for a music video is also fitting as the music loving artist described the challenge of producing his work, saying: “I am searching for the proper harmony of rhythm and unchanging proportion.” His art is described as highly musical and later, Modrian ascribed specific dances to accompany his art.

The album Songs With Long Titles (the second studio recording from Extra Time) is a journey through intriguing stories of life, death, delusion, joy, passion and dreams in classic rock album format along with just enough jazz and blues influences to keep it interesting. Think Steely Dan meets Supertramp if you like references.
Lyricist, composer, and singer Brendan McNamara has been honing his craft over many years and for this record teamed up with ex Los Angeles co-producer and engineer Andrew Beck at Damien Gerard studios in West Gosford. A veritable A-List of session musicians were called in through the 20 plus days of recording and mixing, culminating in a special gatefold vinyl album out now.

MUSICIAN CREDITS

Tim Firth                  Drums
Brett Hirst                Bass
Aaron Blakey            Keyboards
Peter Koopman        Guitar
Amanda Easton        Vocals
Sarina Jennings        Vocals
Paul Murchison        Trumpet
Matthew Keegan      Trombone
Bridget Darby           French Horn
Luke Bartley             Tuba
Jane Stanley             Strings
Andrew Beck            Tubular Bells

The Girl Who Rules The Sea is OUT NOW

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David Wright Releases Album ‘Fade’

May 15, 2024

‘Fade’ is a musical odyssey blending all the elements of David Wright’s thematic music styles, drifting between waves of gentle ambience and the dynamism of pulsating sequences. Gentle passages caress the listener, then strong rhythmic passages tease with an evolving combination of ideas peppered by a gorgeous array of synths, gentle pads and effects.

But more than anything, ‘Fade’ is an album of emotional reflection channeling David’s many influences in remembrance of friends lost.

Bio

2024 finds David Wright celebrating 35 years since his first music release, and he is now considered a veteran of the ambient/electronic music scene. His large body of work is varied, embracing Electronic, New Age, Ambient and Space Music, often with subtle ethnic influences.

During a musical journey that began in the late 1980’s, David’s uniquely emotive and multi-layered sound and style has been compared to Kitaro, Klaus Schulze, Mike Oldfield and Vangelis. He has established himself as a respected musician, live performer, producer and promotor of electronic music events.

David Wright is co-founder of the Tangerine Dream influenced ‘Callisto’ and the avant-garde electronic rock band ‘Code Indigo’. He has recorded music as the new age project ‘Trinity’ as well as with Ian Boddy, Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock and Robert Fox amongst others.

He also founded the AD Music label in 1989 and continues to push new music from unknown artists though his label. His solo music has been synced for TV use, while other projects include involvement in the production of albums in many different genres, including folk, opera, rap and rock.

Watch the Video for ‘Android Caravan’

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Bec Taylor & The Lyrebirds Release Album ‘Limbs & All’ Plus Tour Dates

May 10, 2024

After two successful singles and the entire album out today (both digital and CD), Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds head out on an East Coast tour in support of the release.

Upcoming Tour Dates

FRIDAY MAY 17th MELBOURNE
Bar Open, 8pm with Happy Axe & James Fahy Happy Axe James Fahy Music

SATURDAY JUNE 1st SYDNEY
Gasoline Pony, 3pm with Julia Johnson & Tate Sheridan

SUNDAY JUNE 9th CANBERRA
4pm, The Street Theatre with Owen Campbell @owencampbellmusic

SATURDAY JUNE 29th TOMAKIN, NSW
Smokey Dan’s, 12pm with Jason Recliner

SUNDAY 30th JUNE
South Durras Garden Studio, 1pm

Limbs & All, the second album by Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds is chock full of moody, folk-pop gems that touch on loss, grief and joy. ‘Limbs & All’ is a collaborative album which features all five of the Lyrebirds on every song, weaving together a gentle americana-folk sound palette with acoustic and pedal-steel guitars, drums, bass, mandolin, keyboards, banjo and the Lyrebirds’ signature vocal harmonies.

Bec wrote the lion’s share of the songs while pregnant and nursing her first baby, and you can sense her inner turmoil throughout the songs. Whether it’s the darkly rhythmic and poetic ‘Wormhole’ or the elated but hesitant ‘Whisky’, the album is subtler and broodier than the last album, featuring connecting themes and ideas across songs. A musical connection is weaved into tracks ‘Photograph’ and ‘Goner’, referencing their sister-song origins: they begun as one song but evolved into two separate songs.

All recording and mixing was done by Louis Montgomery with some additional mixing on ‘Photograph’ was done by Marshall Cullen at Damien Gerard Studios NSW. The album was mastered by Andrew Edgson at Studios 301.

About

Hidden treasures of the Canberra music scene, Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds are a five-piece alt-folk-pop band. Described as Canberra’s Seeker-Lover-Keeper, their unique harmony-laden sound combines with “charming melodies and lyrics brimming with heart” (Scenstr).

Bec Taylor is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has recorded over a dozen studio records. She has also performed on some of the biggest stages and festivals around the country, including BIGSOUND, Groovin’ The Moo, and the Woodford Folk Festival. She has played alongside the likes of Gotye, The Darkness, and been on tour as main support for Regurgitator and Shonen Knife in her previous projects Fun Machine and Glitoris.

The Lyrebirds is her most recent project, showcasing her song-making through a new alt-folk-country repertoire. Bec started the Lyrebirds in 2020 after writing and producing her first full-length solo record “Adrift” with producer Louis Montgomery (SAFIA, Peking Duk. Consisting of versatile musicians with rich experience in different genres: Hannah Beasley (PaintonPaint), Sam McNair (JD McNair, The Burley Griffin), Sophie Chapman (Brass Knuckle Brass Band, Andy and George Band) and Grahame Thompson (Cracked Actor, BabyFreeze, Mr Fibby).

Bec and the band have built an incredible musical chemistry, with soaring harmonies and rich instrumentation of guitars, piano, drums, bass, banjo, mandolin, and occasional cello parts which complement Bec’s heartfelt songwriting.

Bec Taylor – vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, Hammond organ, felt-muted piano, percussion
Sam McNair – vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo
Sophie Chapman – vocals, bass guitar
Grahame Thompson – drums, cello
Hannah Beasley – vocals, wurlitzer piano
Matt Dixon – pedal steel guitar
Jacqui Bradley and Donal Baylor – violins

VIDEO PREMIERE FOR ‘Go On Without Me’

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CB Ghost Releases Debut Single ‘Hollywood Hills’

May 2, 2024

Dealing with an undiagnosed mental issue while navigating a failing relationship, CB Ghost serendipitously met and wrote Hollywood Hills with accomplished musician Justin Miranda. The song came together one sunny afternoon in a Forresters Beach kitchen overlooking Wamberal Lagoon, near Spoon Bay, not far from Avoca Beach and just north of Sydney.

Like a quest for happiness (and peace) the song focuses on giving up things that are unhealthy, including negative thoughts. The song, with an upbeat ocean country vibe, is a lesson to self, to heal and greenlight a better and happier life.

CB Ghost is a songwriter with an honest simple folk-rock style that captures the essence of a complicated existence with singalong tunes and poetic lyrics and sometimes a banger beat. CB Ghost has emerged from a close nit coastal surfing village in Australia. His background provides him with a deep connection to toe tapping Celtic, country and straight-ahead heart felt rock music mixed with salt water from the ocean.

A former pro surfer, CB Ghost is driven, bold and dedicated to his evolving sound and a deep love of blue-collar folk stories and sensibility – and most importantly playing live to crowds who love to drink, dance, sing and have fun.

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Gareth Koch Releases Album ‘Carmina Burana’

April 26, 2024

Remastered and Released to streaming for the first time in 2024 here is one of Gareth Koch’s Master Works.

My first encounter with the Carmina Burana was as a young chorister in a performance given in 1983 at the Sydney Opera House. The choir and orchestra were directed by one of my teachers, the late and great Richard Gill. The excitement of that musical experience made a lasting impression on my musical consciousness.

During the European summer of 1995 in Vienna I began a draft version of the Carmina Burana for Solo Guitar. Transcribing the medieval & folk-inspired movements came first, then the challenge of the mighty opening chorus O Fortuna. In an attempt to interest record companies in the project I recorded a ‘demo’ version of O Furtuna, in a single take, in a Viennese cellar!

My publishers and several record companies showed great interest in my interpretation of Orff’s work and very quickly plans started to come together to record in a venue in Vienna. Unfortunately, these plans fell apart due to some pre-existing contract obligations. An opportunity arose to record the work in Australia, and this prompted my return.

The recording of Carmina Burana for Solo Guitar was completed in 1997 over three consecutive nights in Newcastle’s Christ Church Cathedral. The natural resonance & ambience of the cathedral compliment the recording. There are no added effects to this recording which is completely natural & live sounding.

Recording the Carmina Burana was both a physical and mental achievement that has become one of the highlights of my career. The opportunity to re-master the recording and release it digitally brings back to mind the exhilaration of that performance in that venue, over those three nights – still deeply embedded in my memory. It is the synthesis of a lifelong interest in medieval music and the desire to create an exciting and unique live performance piece for guitar.

About Gareth Koch
Gareth Koch is an ARIA Award winning multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, guitar soloist, composer & songwriter. He has recorded a sizeable repertory across multiple genres spanning works for classical guitar, flamenco, original compositions, arrangements, medieval projects, rock & songwriting. He has appeared at major festivals within Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

Born in Milan, Gareth began his musical studies on piano and clarinet, and at age 12 was accepted into the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning scholarships for advanced guitar study at The Royal Madrid Conservatorium & the Vienna Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in Music & has lectured in music across Australian & European universities.

In 2002 Gareth formed the first guitar supergroup with Karin Schaupp & The Grigoryan Brothers, Slava & Leonard. Saffire – The Australian Guitar Quartet soared to #1 on the Classical Music Charts and even featured on ARIA pop charts. The quartet released a total of 3 best-selling albums & was Australia’s biggest selling classical act for several years.

Gareth is involved with many cross genre projects & has released a succession of collaborative albums with Martin Kennedy & with ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Steve Kilbey (The Church). His recent release ‘The Guitar Player’ received a coveted 5 star review from The Sydney Morning Herald. Gareth’s current output has a strong rock bias with classical overtones & his writing is increasingly focussed on the ethereal nature of music.

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Carla Cargal’s Posthumous Album Release ‘Leap Year’

April 22, 2024

Here’s one of those special records which we can all relate to – bittersweet but superb composition and performances, we are proud to add this to our album collection for your listening pleasure

Born with an innate love of music and performing in childhood years, Carla Cargal set aside musical ambitions as an adult. Her desire to create music of her own resurfaced years later.

With unwavering support of loved ones and friends, Carla rediscovered her musical identity guided by her life lessons.

With mentor John McNicholas and producers Jonny Daly and Dan Dixon, Carla created a genre-transcending album that touches the depths of the human spirit.

Just as Carla’s music was about to be released, a tragic accident ended her life. Her legacy lives on through the timeless melodies she left behind.

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Siri Lini Releases Album ‘Beautiful Day’

April 22, 2024

Checkout our latest Feature Album all the way from South West USA

Siri Lini is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose new alternative album Beautiful Day is filled with rock, folk, and pop stories of Southwestern landscapes and the people that populate them.

Raised in Dallas, Texas, Siri learned guitar and started singing in the 3rd grade. She found Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and folk standards and sang for friends, family, and neighborhood events. Siri formed post-punk, all-female power trio Disbanned at the height of the Dallas indie scene, writing, singing, playing bass, releasing their debut album, and touring.

“I’m a Libra,” she says. “My mission is and always has been to create.”

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Julie-Anne Marshall New Single ‘Breathe’

April 11, 2024

Julie-Anne Marshall is an independent Australian singer-songwriter in the Adult Contemporary Easy Rock style with vocals that are earthy yet ethereal. We have been playing her tracks on soundslikecafe for sometime and there’s always a strong and warm response to her excellent feel good songs and lyrics.

Although, she does take creative detours now and then. Her songs are mostly piano-driven and melodic, with a lyrical intent to connect and uplift.

Her latest song ‘Breathe’ was inspired by giving herself the time to reflect, release and renew. It’s a curiously crafted light, but solid and uncomplicated song. The weight of the world released. The rhythm is driven by piano with tight and bright acoustic guitar. Lyrically reminding us its ok to stop, take a moment and breathe. That’s this songs intention.

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Category: Featured Albums

Kaijin Solo Releases Single ‘Elektra’