Grander Things release new EP Supermoon

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"Grander Things release new EP Supermoon"

Following on from the release of their first ep MASH in 2020 and unable to play live with the sporadic Sydney shutdowns for the better part of the year, Grander Things went back into their burrow and got busy.
From a riff here or there, the lads played around with some ideas in the rehearsal room and started sending recordings for vocalist, Liz Clear to find the ones that inspired the lyrics and melodies to fall onto the page. After some months of blending music and lyrics, Grander Things had five tracks to put down.
Recorded at Damien Gerard Studios on the Central Coast, you can tell Grander Things love wearing their pop-rock hearts firmly on their sleeves. This ep has gentle moments of angst and vulnerability but then surprises you by colliding into epic rock. Keys were added post recording by Gino Campagnaro to the opening track You Said, but the band have stayed true to their roots with guitars that soar.

Liz  Clear / Brent Williams / Bruce Thomas / Rhys Lewis-Smith

Supermoon is OUT NOW – September 24th via MGM
All DSP’s

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Streaming:

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CJ Shaw releases new album All Sorts

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"CJ Shaw releases new album All Sorts"

 Soundslikecafe presents All Sorts –  the latest album from ARIA nominated educator and musician CJ Shaw.

Since ‘ANZAC Biscuits’ gained over 30,000 views on social media in 2019, and an ARIA nomination for Music Teacher of the Year, CJ has been busily recording this album. The collection of ten songs affirms Shaw’s position as a creative and dynamic storytelling songwriter for children and adults.

Having spent over twenty years as a songwriter and performer, ‘All Sorts’ draws on the catalogue that Shaw has been performing at folk clubs and festivals. It is an album for the modern eclectic times, containing poignant storytelling, songs of fatherhood, hip-hop, satire and traditional folk. “I wanted an album that could connect people of different ages,” states CJ, “Everyone should be able to enjoy the music”.

‘Terminator Shades’ is Shaw’s hip hop ode to primary school playgrounds and the chaos and characters that it presents. As a teacher Shaw wrote the song to draw his students into the world of hip hop and show the validity of their own experiences in song. “There’s no point in them singing about fast cars in Las Vegas”, says Shaw, “The students have embraced the song and challenge each other to see who can rap the fastest.”

Shaw collected some excellent players to help with the recording. The line-up includes: Allyson Newman who brings her emotive arrangement to the song ‘Lonely Road’ and features Canberra Symphony Orchestra players Steven Fitzgerald, Alex Voorhoeve and Timothy Wickham bringing depth and precision to the record.

A collection of the best songs in CJ Shaw’s repertoire, ‘All Sorts’ is brimming with life and vitality, drawing in audiences of all ages. Dubbed the ‘ultimate family album’ for a reason, ‘All Sorts’ is destined to be a family favourite on long car trips in the foreseeable future.

Armed with a guitar and a swag full of harmonicas, singer-songwriter CJ Shaw’s intricate finger-picking, word play and storytelling never fails to captivate his audiences.  CJ Shaw’s music is distinctly Australian in style, influenced by Paul Kelly and Slim Dusty. His lyrical storytelling and musicality lends itself to audiences of all ages.

In 2020, CJ Shaw was nominated for an ARIA Award for ‘Music Teacher of the Year’ with Jimmy Barnes as his official ambassador presenting him with the nomination.  This prestigious music industry acknowledgement recognised his dynamic and poignant songwriting for primary-aged children. These celebrated songs are woven through his performances and albums, played alongside satirical and storytelling Australiana folk songs.

With over a decade experience touring and performing at music festivals in Australia and Timor-Leste, CJ Shaw is an exciting Canberra musician at the top of his game.

CJ Shaw – All Sorts is out NOW September 17th through Foghorn/MGM

Download or stream: 

cj FULL SALES

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Jack Nolan releases title track single Gabriel from forthcoming album

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"Jack Nolan releases title track single Gabriel from forthcoming album"

Jut added to our playlist Gabriel is the title track single from Sydney singer songwriter Jack Nolan’s upcoming 2021 Americana album, Gabriel. 

We were on the road, from heaving LA freeways and into Death Valley, a most peculiar place, an unknown place. When your mind is elsewhere, irretrievable, like mine at the time, the valley’s a parallel universe, perdition. We were in the midst of a three-day dream. I fell upon a crossroad, landing eighty-six metres below sea level in the Californian Desert at a place, Badwater Basin, where an androgynous guardian appears, Gabriel, kind, gentle yet hard-lived and furrowed, who gave and left me with hope that all would be well.

“The original version, the demo, had that magic, which I thought about releasing it as it was, having gone into the old Damien Gerrard studio in Sydney, to bang down some ideas. I played everything, guitars, shakers, lead, the vocal and I also sang the harmonies. It worked, but my belief in the song told me to give it the environment it deserved. Arriving in Nashville I briefed producer Justin Weaver, who went about recreating the demo perfectly from the ground up. I still handled the guitars, the lead vocal and all harmonies but was smart enough to hand off the rest to the boys!.’’ Listen for Jimmy Paxson on the trash can drum, swinging around the harmonies and Justin Weavers banjo, that is the optimism and the final outcome.

Jack Nolan is a singer songwriter based in Sydney, Australia, who’s been performing and releasing music and albums since the mid 90’s. Along with a five-album solo catalogue Jack also fronted The Kelly Gang, with Rick Grossman, bassist for The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus, along with Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, and guitar player Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album Looking for the Sun was critically adored along with their energetic live shows of the time.

Within Nolan’s music, mysterious and shimmering chords unite his sound with that of the Americana genre, once quaintly described as ‘Darlinghurst Country’ uniting elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres fusing Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar and finger-picked acoustic guitar.

Gabriel
The title track single from forthcoming album GABRIEL

Release dates

September 8 – Gabriel – Single – Digital
October 8 – Gabriel LP (Vinyl, CD, Digital)

Credits:
Written by Jack Nolan
Recorded at ‘Welcome to 1979’ in Nashville TN 2020
Produced by Justin Weaver
Engineered by Chris Mara
Mixed by Chris Mara & Justin Weaver
Mastered by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound Nashville TN
Jack Nolan – Vocals & guitars
Justin Weaver – Electric Guitars, slide, banjo & backing vocals
Jimmy Paxson – Drums
Chris Autry – Bass

Gabriel is OUT NOW Quay Records/MGM. 

Stream or Download:

JN-Gab_sing

Scents Video Premiere:

jn prem

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CJ Shaw releases new single Adelaide from upcoming album

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"CJ Shaw releases new single Adelaide from upcoming album"

Adelaide
Just added to our playlist here is CJ Shaw.

Acoustic Folk Australian best describes this song which has elements of Slim Dusty and Aussie folk such as The Hussy Hicks and The Beggars. Checkout the video premiere courtesy of scenestr
CJ adl-gran

This story telling song follows the enchanting day which saw the arrival of my first child, Adelaide. The rain tumbled down in Canberra, soaking the city and filling the drains as we marvelled at the magic of being first time parents. As the song suggests the natural world that surrounded us, the animals and birds as well as the gardens and trees were reborn as the result of the 60mm that fell in just under an hour. This is a song that celebrates renewal and new life.

Armed with a guitar and a swag full of harmonicas, singer-songwriter CJ Shaw’s intricate finger-picking, word play and storytelling never fails to captivate his audiences. CJ Shaw’s music is distinctly Australian in style, influenced by Paul Kelly and Slim Dusty. His lyrical storytelling and musicality lends itself to audiences of all ages.

In 2020, CJ Shaw was nominated for an ARIA Award for ‘Music Teacher of the Year’ with Jimmy Barnes as his official ambassador presenting him with the nomination. This prestigious music industry acknowledgement recognised his dynamic and poignant songwriting for primary-aged children. These celebrated songs are woven through his performances and albums, played alongside satirical and storytelling Australiana folk songs.

In 2021 CJ Shaw will release his album ‘All Sorts’. Combining the best of his children’s songs with his unique brand of contemporary Australiana, Shaw has dubbed ‘All Sorts’ “the ultimate Family Album”.  With over a decade experience touring and performing at music festivals in Australia and Timor-Leste, CJ Shaw is an exciting Canberra musician at the top of his game.

CJ Shaw – Adelaide is out NOW August 20th through Foghorn/MGM

Download or stream:

Connect with CJ Shaw:
www.cjshawmusic.com

ChIPS through ‘We Wrote That’ release single Wake Up Call

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"ChIPS through ‘We Wrote That’ release single Wake Up Call"

In June 2021, members of Sydney Children’s Hospital Network’s Chronic Illness Peer Support group [or “ChIPS”], jumped on a Zoom call with singer-songwriter Luke Escombe to talk about their shared experiences of living with a chronic health condition. 

The result was a relevant and telling high energy single – WAKE UP CALL which was  premiered on Youtube today Friday 6th August and ramped up to over 1500 views in only a few days.. Click below for the link:

Chips prem

Heres the latest review from Triple J Unearthed Music Director Dave Ruby Howe:

unearthed review

ChIPS is a peer support program that runs across Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network for young people aged 12-25 years who are living with a chronic illness or condition that affects their day-to-day lives. The aim of the program is to connect young people with shared experiences and provide them with opportunities for developing leadership and life skills through workshops, advocacy, creative projects, program planning and public speaking. Through these activities and relationships they develop confidence, wellbeing, self-esteem and decrease social isolation. Above all, ChIPS is about creating a community and having fun with new friends. The program is run by young people for young people.

What emerged most strongly from the conversation was the common frustration they felt at not being listened to by the adults in their lives; at being told “you should do this” or “you need to do this” or being made to feel that they were helpless, incapable or in need of fixing.

The ChIPS members also spoke about “the mask” they felt compelled to wear in society in order to appear “normal”, and how exhausting and lonely it is to live behind. Escombe, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of fourteen, could relate to these feelings directly.

The result of their conversation is “Wake Up Call” – an angry, articulate and infectiously catchy song that asks people to think twice before offering unwanted advice. If you want to help, the song states, just LISTEN.

Beyond the words, “Wake Up Call” also showcases the eclectic mix of talents in this group, from Sky Boe’s powerful lead vocals to Batu’s Turkish rap breakdown. For some of the ChIPS members, the recording session (at Free Energy Device, Sydney, with producer Michael McGlynn) was also the first time they’d met one another in real life.

“Wake Up Call” came about through an initiative called “We Wrote that”, conceived by Escombe – the creator and frontman of ARIA-nominated kids band The Vegetable Plot – and fellow musician and children’s performer Ben Thatcher, as an artistic means to give voice to young people living with disability and chronic health conditions. Funding came from Accessible Arts and Create NSW.

ChIPS – Wake Up Call is out NOW August 6th through Foghorn/MGM

Download or stream: 

chips-ffm

“We Wrote That” – Website
https://wewrotethat.com.au/

Triple J Unearthed

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Jessie-May Kitchen releases new single Quirky

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"Jessie-May Kitchen releases new single Quirky"

Imagine being born one day on another planet.
Everybody on this planet was given detailed instructions and knowledge of how to speak the language and how the world works. The entire planet is designed for everybody’s relaxation, socialisation, and comfortability.
Everyone but yours.

Growing up it felt like I was ostracised by the entire world. I felt like I was a literal alien and didn’t belong. The loneliness that never leaves you, leads to years of questioning the why. Am I the protagonist of a movie to be mocked by an invisible audience? Am I the butt of some cosmic joke? This is the life of a neurodivergent child.  This is me. A pop single written with my entire heart from the perspective of a neurodivergent individual trying to navigate a neurotypical world.

I was called many things when I was young – freak, loner, weirdo. It never truly stopped, but the language did shift as I got older, once difference became more socially acceptable. Instead of calling me a weirdo on the playground, I would always get the sceptical phrase, “haha… you are.. QUIRKY… Aren’t you…?”

The relief and confidence I felt when discovering I’m okay, I’m not broken – my brain just works differently, was life changing! I hope Quirky can bring representation, comfort and celebration to the wonderful neurodivergent community. Branching further into the pop genre is something I’ve always wanted to do and Quirky was the perfect chance to do it!

Quirky contains fast paced electronic beats, funky bass, whacky harmonies and the message – it never hurt to be Quirky! I want to thank Jordan for the electronic instrumentals, Russel Pilling and Andrew Beck for recording, mixing and mastering this project and of course Marshall Cullen for producing and always believing in me.

 Song Description
This is a new more pop direction for Jessie May Kitchen. Up-tempo, programmed backing, ‘quirky’ keys, bass and guitar and some very ‘now’ vocal fx all go together to make this song a real winner for pop radio.

Jessie May Kitchen – Quirky is out NOW through Foghorn/MGM

Download or stream: 

jmk-qry

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Mark Cashin releases new single The Genius

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"Mark Cashin releases new single The Genius"

Mark Cashin Presents
New Single “The Genius“

Mark has produced yet another smash tribute to his late son, Coen, with this brilliant new single and video.  The song was recorded in 2 days at Damien Gerard Studios and then mixed by renown engineer Russell Pilling.

Mark played drums and acoustics as well as providing the lead vocal. Other musicians included: Sarah Piper on backing vocals and Jake Hunt on electric guitars and bass. Recording engineer at DG’s was Murray Dilger and the song was produced by Mark Cashin and Marshall Cullen.
In Mark’s own words: “The song was written for a very talented musical genius, my son, Coen. He was involved in a fatal car crash 3 kilometres from our Central Coast home nearly 4 years ago. I would like to share the only gift I can give my son on his 28th birthday.”

Song Description:

The Genius
Strong acoustics and riffing electrics begin this heartfelt mid-tempo song from Mark. The verses all feature a catchy guitar riff as well as the melodic vocals morphing into some sing along woo hoos as part of the chorus.  Honest and straight from the heart this song really takes you somewhere.

Watch the Video here:

Credits:
Foghorn Media / MGM
Written by MARK  CASHIN
Performed by MARK CASHIN – Lead Vocals – Acoustic guitar – Drums
Jake Hunt – Electric Guitar – Bass Guitar
Sarah Piper – Backing Vocals
Engineered & Recorded by – Murray Dilger at Damien Gerard studios
West Gosford, NSW, AUSTRALIA
Mixed & Mastered by Russell Pilling
Produced by Mark Cashin and Marshall Cullen
Film clip by Stewart McDonald

Stream The Genius here:

casho-genius

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Jack Nolan releases new single Hold Your Horses

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"Jack Nolan releases new single Hold Your Horses"

Hold Your Horses is a single from Sydney singer songwriter Jack Nolan’s upcoming 2021 album, Gabriel. Recorded for a friend, supporting them, to tell them they’re worth it, to stay the course.

Jack penned these lyrics for the song which was recorded in Nashville TN during the album sessions:
“She made some big choices, decisions, and they didn’t please everyone. Worn down by critics she was tempted, wanted to relent, go back. We said Girl, don’t expect a different result, you won’t get one. ‘Stand by your choices / Hold your horses’. We all know you’re incredible. You’ve got to believe.If you don’t believe right now, we do “We’ll shoot the lights out for ya/ Hold your horses’

Jack Nolan is a singer songwriter based in Sydney, Australia, who’s been performing and releasing music and albums since the mid 90’s. Along with a five-album solo catalogue Jack also fronted The Kelly Gang, with Rick Grossman, bassist for The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus, along with Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst, and guitar player Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album Looking for the Sun was critically adored along with their energetic live shows of the time.

Within Nolan’s music, mysterious and shimmering chords unite his sound with that of the Americana genre, once quaintly described as ‘Darlinghurst Country’ uniting elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres fusing Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar and finger-picked acoustic guitar.

Hold Your Horses
The latest single from forthcoming album GABRIEL

 OUT NOW Quay Records/MGM. 

Stream or Download:

Official Video:

Connect with Jack Nolan:

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Team Utopia release new EP The Gallery Sessions

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"Team Utopia release new EP The Gallery Sessions"

Redcliffe outfit Team Utopia have come a long way in 5 years. After international support slots with Richie Ramone and Bonjah the band has gained a global cult following. Line up is Dan/Sue/Kirsti and Mick.

Team Utopia emerged unscathed from the past 18 months with a blockbuster Five Song Live set. Recorded live at an Art Space in the Seaside town of Redcliffe Qld last November 2020. They haven’t held back with production. Very nice sounds indeed. “We joined a bunch of other bands and shot a short 20 min set”, explains Drummer Sue Kennet. The project came about after many misfires and let downs from what the pandemic has continued to do to the industry. “We didn’t want to just sit around and wait for this to end. We wanted to give our fans some Lovin”, insists Kennet.

This Brisbane based Rock outfit continues to make waves. The band had a nice little tour kicking off early in July in Brisbane to coincide with the release of this EP. This was cancelled due to Covid. Many cool things happening and lots of festivals booked pre covid for Team Utopia. “That’s 3 times now”, says Kennet. “We started rehearsals for the tour and had Bob Spencer coming for the run for some fun. That got shut down, however that won’t stop us releasing this one”.

‘A great mix of good old fashioned Australian Rock done with a nice Twist’ – RS

‘This band sounds like a cross between TISM and Max Q. Nice Combo’ – Jane Gazzo Triple M

The Gallery Sessions (Live) is OUT NOW Foghorn/MGM. 

Stream or Download

Screen Shot 2021-07-16 at 11.26.58 am

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