Kalen Hogan Releases Single ‘Stoned and Cold’

February 17, 2023

A news report about a young missing person gave Kalen the inspiration for this track. The missing person was someone his own age and the weather that day was miserable. Kalen felt a connection to how the teen’s family’s thoughts would go to the worst-case scenario. Were they worrying and imagining their daughters fear? Was she lost and cold in some unknown location?

The track’s sound is filled with pensive sadness and regret. Unusually the song ends with a final verse, rather than a chorus, leaving the listener hanging just like the imagined family. ‘Stoned and Cold’ is Kalen’s third single release. His album is due for release in March.

An acoustic guitar and vocal starts this Jeff Buckley-esque tune, once the drums come in its a very easy smooth listen until the song builds to a fine falsetto bridge and verse outro.

Kalen Hogan is a 17 year old solo guitarist singer songwriter, living a very chilled out life an hour north of Sydney, near Wamberal Beach.

Influenced by his musical uncle, Kalen started out jamming on a ukulele as a toddler, before advancing to his first acoustic guitar in primary school. Now in high school, Kalen is composing songs and recently began recording tracks at Damien Gerard Studios, in Gosford.

Kalen’s has been performing regularly at local venues, showcasing the tracks he has been recording. He released two single late in 2022 and is working on an album scheduled for March 2023.

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Jack Nolan ‘Oh My Darling’ (Official Music Video)

February 11, 2023

Burger Legs Joe Releases Single ‘Just Like Heaven’

February 10, 2023

The Bizarre World of Burger Legs Joe

In a world where people strive for a deep, meaningful, multidimensional existence, Burger Legs Joe stands for none of that. As shallow as his 2D appearance, staggering through life on legs of burger, too witless to realise how witless he is.

The only child of Beefy Thighs Bill, and Betty Baguettes, they abandon their burger legged offspring at an early age outside a ‘specialist facility’, because “He just would not shut up!” Alas, thickness is a family trait, and after several weeks living in his pram in a McDonald’s car park, he became the poster boy of low res’ graphics, that for some reason, just won’t delete from your trash.

Adopted by the rich and famous, he studied music at a prestigious university, financed by his fancy benefactors. There he discovered his aptitude for breaking musical instruments, accidentally causing personal injury, and the spontaneous destruction of property. The University, low on playable instruments and high on medical pay outs, insisted Joe only use virtual instruments and graduated him early.

The avatar of an unidentified Music Producer, Burger Legs Joe is on a mission to restomod (restore and modernise) outstanding retro songs for your grooving pleasure. Treasuring the essence of what makes each track so fabulous, they are re-energized to a modern perspective; weaving rhythms and melodies in BLJ’s distinctive ear grabbing style, that lingers in your head, and puts beats in your feet.

Mesmerised by the voice of friend and vocalist Andi Bracken; together they have set out on a journey to blow the dust off some of the great songs of the past.

From bangers to ballads, and anything in between, Burger Legs Joe featuring Andi’s first restomod collection is The Love and Happiness Set Part 1, a quantum leap into reimagined retro joy. “We want to uplift our audience, so we naturally gravitate towards songs we love, that do that for us.”

And so from The Love and Happiness Set Part 1, we present our first release, Just Like Heaven, adapted from The Cure. We hope you enjoy.

About the Song

Just Like Heaven is one of our favourite retro classics, written by Robert Smith (The Cure) and originally released 1987. We love this song!

Actually, Andi snuck this song in. When he suggested it I said “Yea! I love that song”. It wasn’t until we were in production that I realised it’s actually the most upbeat song about screwing up your relationship that was ever written.

Rusty Pilling has created an absolute banger of a mix, and our arty, Lo-fi music video that brings Burger Legs Joe and Andi to life sets the whole thing off a treat.

We hope you enjoy listening, watching, and bopping around, as much as we have enjoyed producing Just Like Heaven.

This snappy up-tempo version of the classic Cure cover ticks all the boxes, including big keyboards and a compelling vocal track from ex-pat British singer now here in Oz. True to the original but with its own flavour, not to mention a stunning video to go with it.

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Jack Nolan Releases New Single ‘Oh My Darling’

January 12, 2023

Oh My Darling is the third cut from Jack’s fifth solo album release ’23. A love so deep but a resignation, where you must stand by & watch the one you love work through a process where nothing you say can help, where all you can do is stand by & be there when it gets too much. Here’s yet another step, a story adding to Jack’s commitment of producing one album per annum because ultimately the best promotion is the hard work, the output, the live shows & the letting go of outcomes, the life.

Oh my darling

There’s nothing I can do

I will row the boat my darling

That I promise you

Oh my darling

There’s nothing I can say

I’ve played around with versus

Only words get in the way

Based in Sydney, Australia, singer songwriter Jack Nolan has been performing and releasing music since the mid 1990’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.

Once quaintly described as ‘Darlinghurst Country’, his sound unites elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres fusing Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar and finger-picked acoustic guitar.

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Halfway Homebuoy Release Single ‘1000 Others’

November 4, 2022

This second single from the band’s forthcoming album, following on from the first single ‘Sheets’. This song was penned during lockdown by the Homebuoy writing team of Jack Davison (lead singer and rhythm guitarist) and Curtis leigh Murray (lead guitar).

It was recorded over a succession of sessions in and out of lockdown at Damien Gerard Studios on the NSW Central Coast which luckily is the band’s current home base. The studio’s in house producer/engineer Andrew Beck took the reins across those sessions and then the final recording was sent to long time Homebuoy ‘mix guy’ Russell Pilling now living in Tasmania who pulled it all together into the tight, cohesive and very rocking final tune. As Jack said: ‘Big Rusty knows us so well and always makes us sound like we know what we are doing’.

About

It’s been a strange path for Halfway Homebuoy to finally end up as ‘based’ on the NSW Central Coast, an hour north of Sydney. The band was formed almost 10 years ago on the ski slopes of Switzerland where all of the (then) members were working the season and playing shows at night.

With three Englishmen and one Aussie the band moved out here and were recommended to Foghorn Records where they quickly found a home. As things happen after a few years, the visas ran out, the Aussie moved back to Europe and the sole remaining member, principal writer and singer, Jack Davison, married an Aussie and stayed here. Unfortunately, he was left without a band.

Not to be deterred, Jack found local musicians, new songs were written, live shows booked, a new album released, the band continued on. Now based on the Coast and with a new record almost finished the guys are ready to reboot post lockdown into 2022.

Song Description

This sonically exciting single features striking and clear drum, bass, guitar and vocal parts. Jack’s brilliant vocals are offset by the multi layers of guitars supplied by Curtis, all highlighted by a great mix from Russell Pilling.

Stream 1000 Others here

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US Band Blackfox Release Album ‘Embers’

November 1, 2022

Featuring the songs of lead vocalist and guitarist Stacey Cargal, the album charts a muscular and atmospheric guitar-heavy course through dark Southern Gothic characters and lyrical landscapes.

A true ‘band album’, the tracks are buoyed by exquisite and far-ranging guitar work by Cargal and Ryan Taylor, tasty and musical drumming of Mitch Sosebee, melodic and funky bass of album producer Greg Wright, sonic seasonings and glue from keyboardist/synthesist Jim Combs, and vocal harmonies by Monica Arrington, Andy Gish, and Kendra Bentle Rainey.

“Blackfox play sludgy, guitar-driven rock rooted in a kind of grungy blues that’s dirty yet melodic…they hold their ground, keep the mood dark and eerie, and wait until just the right moment to unleash a blistering solo that’s just plain nasty.” – Latest Disgrace

“As original music gets more difficult to peg with the usual genre signifiers, the challenge to accurately describe what one is hearing gets a bit dicey. Blackfox, an Atlanta band comprised of veterans of the community, pretty much defies any specific labels, while touching on so many in unique ways. At times as sinister as black metal, but then shifting to more melodic and palatable tone, Blackfox maintains an edge that keeps the listener on edge, while providing an entertaining and satisfying experience.” – Creative Loafing

“With a sound reminiscent of early new wave bands (think U2, Simple Minds, and Modern English) performed with an understanding of the British blues bands before them, Blackfox have melded the two styles together to offer a contemporary and original sound.” – Tony Paris, Creative Loafing

Song Descriptions

“What About You” roars out of the gate with a tale of personal darkness and human connection.

“Follow Me On Down” is a hook-ladened rumination on standing up to fears with a sort of Buffalo Springfield meets Eurythmics vibe.

“To Be Real” is a vocal tour de force in a Muscle Shoals vein about the power of two.

“From The Inside” slows things down and gets spooky ala tales of mystery and imagination.

“Strange Anymore” contemplates the aftermath of losing a friend.

“Ah Ah Ah” reconciles a broken relationship.

“Monsoon” drops us into a swampy lake of emotions and commitments.

“I Wonder” is a classic boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy song featuring Andy Gish on duet vocal.

“The Night Comes” is a cinematic romp through art rock territory with flanged drums, screaming guitar, and mellotron.

Title track “Embers” is a power ballad about bitter-sweet remembrances down by the river.

“I Need To Know” closes out the album with a simple song about the impact one person can have on another.

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Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy Release Album ‘The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus’

October 27, 2022

Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy follow up their acclaimed album Jupiter 13 with the epic ‘The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus’, a sprawling Pink Floyd-ish concept album that shimmers with darkly beautiful musical undercurrents, oblique lyrics and spooky spoken word pieces. It is the second chapter of an eventual trilogy.

ALBUM REVIEWS
http://bigtakeover.com/recordings/KilbeyKennedyTheStrangeCaseofPersephoneNimbusFoghorn

https://www.backseatmafia.com/album-review-steve-kilbey-the-church-and-martin-kennedy-all-india-radio-are-kilbey-kennedy-and-they-combine-forces-again-to-weave-their-aesthetically-jaw-dropping-sci-fi-sonic-magic/

The album was recorded in Tasmania overlooking the ocean, peaceful and crystal calm one day, dark and stormy the next, a dynamic that inevitably worked its way into the music and lyrics.

Returning to the mixing desk is Simon Polinski (Paul Kelly, The Church, David Bridie, Stephen Cummings, Underground Lovers) who skilfully brings the story of Persephone Nimbus to life.

Steve Kilbey writes: ‘Persephone Nimbus was just an ordinary woman living an ordinary life, with a promising job at Eternity Incorporated. Until one day she was kidnapped by the Plutocracy.
There she reigned for 6 months of the year, a sad cold queen of the dark webbed world. But for 6 months of the year she was allowed to ascend to the Overworld with its marvellous technological illusions, and it’s towers that pierced the very sky. But on the first day of every autumn she must take the long staircase back down, down into the Plutocracy, with their frozen lakes and above them, a sky of iron.’

In 1981 a teenage Martin Kennedy stumbled upon Steve Kilbey and The Church at Tanelorn, an oddball old world meets new world music festival, and fell in love with their look and sound. He recorded their set on a walkman, and the songs helped spark the beginning of his music career. Just a year before, an equally fresh-faced Steve Kilbey formed The Church in Sydney, the very beginning of their public life as accidental hit makers.

Forty one years later Martin and Steve find themselves working together on their sixth studio album, the epic The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus. As ever with these two, the deal is simple: Martin writes the music and Steve writes the words. No argument, no egos, just a matter of pressing the record button. The results are an effective balancing of Kennedy’s haunting and melodic tunes with Kilbey’s mysterious, witty and intelligent lyrics, melded together by his heavenly voice. Martin keeps his teenage love of The Church out of the equation in fear of it skewing his songwriting but it’s there if you listen closely.

“Sumptuous meeting of Australian soundscaper and the head Churchman…Apart from having a voice of characterful cool poise and an imaginative lyrical lexicon, Kilbey can make a strong melodic song out of simple elements.” (MOJO)

“Occasionally side projects can be something really spectacular. This isn’t an album where you pick favorite songs – you simply immerse yourself in the whole lush experience. The good news is they’re recording a follow up” (Reverb magazine 4.5/5).

OUT NOW – on Foghorn/MGM CD and Digital

Vinyl LP to come early 2023

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Texas-based alt rock band New Jetz release their first album ‘Expressed Yourself’

October 3, 2022

With no less than 4 songs from the new album on our Spotify Playlist these guys are well worth checking out!

Veterans of Texas, NY, and Atlanta alt rock club scenes, the eclectic band is led by a talented trio of songwriter/vocalists including Lee Ann Zimmers Cameron, Brian Mullin, and Kendall Marsh. They also share guitar and other instrumental duties. New Jetz are rounded out by the solid sonic foundation of Chuck Norcom on drums, Jeff Weimer on bass, and Jim Combs on keyboards and synthesizers.

The album was recorded old-school onto analog 2” 24-track tape by John Carey at Crystal Clear Sound studio in Dallas, TX, with the whole band in the studio playing vintage instruments and amps. No click tracks or sequencers. The analog tape was transferred to digital at Welcome to 1979 studio in Nashville by Jeremy Bernstein. Final mixes were completed by Jim in the first half of 2022 at his Common Sound studio in Decatur, GA, and then mastered by Greg Wright. Atmos mixes by Jim and Trammell Starks at StudioMagic in Atlanta, GA.

The title track by Lee Ann, “Expressed Yourself” is a roots reggae-influenced plea for self-expression and finding oneself.

“Make Me Crazy” is another Lee Ann song, this one in a punk vein about being in love. Kendall’s fiery lead guitar,
Brian’s rhythm guitar, and Lee Ann’s acoustic guitar drive this rocker.

Brian continues the punk vibe with, “Reflections” and a call for independent thinking with another scorching solo
by Kendall.

Kendall’s “Privilege” is a chill out roots reggae-esque tune about coping with life, sung by Brian.

Kendall takes lead vocal duties on his “Flesh Wound”, a look at relationships. Lee Ann’s mandolin takes center-stage along with another soaring Kendall guitar solo.

“Jet Lag” is a Kendall-penned instrumental tune that throws together elements of classic surf rock and dual guitar lead rock and puts a spotlight on each instrumentalist.

Kendall’s “Secret” is another soul-searching rocker with a great guitar solo.

Kendall and Chuck’s “Time Was Wrong” is the perfect breakup/on-the-road tune with a driving 4-on-the-floor drum and bass, and call-and-response vocal harmonies.

Kendall’s “Crazy Bout the Girl” closes out the album with a song about unrequited love.

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Drawing Arrows Release EP ‘Pinch Me’

September 30, 2022

More great tunes from these guys destined for the soundslikecafe playlist

This is the second EP that Drawing Arrows have put together and it holds a lot of importance for the band.

The first track, ‘Pinch Me’, has been a work-in-progress since the boys first started playing together. Despite the fact that it changed format a number of times, it remained a favourite of Sidney’s. With its soulful lyrics and cool groove you can understand why.

‘Lights Out’ provides a little light chaos and fits in well with the energy you’d see in their live shows. The driving bass and drums keep the crowd going as the post-punk guitars keep them inspired.

‘Good Grief’ explores the ideas of dealing with things that you just can’t change. Instead of a melancholic ballad this track hits all the big notes. Another huge, live-sounding song.

Drawing Arrows is a love letter to rock music. Not one band, not one decade, but the whole effect. With multiple influences – from Australian rock’n’roll, US grunge and flamenco guitar to Britpop rock and amped-up punk.

With band members from Spain, the UK and right here in Australia, each member brings their own unique influences. Sidney (vocals) and David (bass/guitar) have previously worked on an experimental dubstep project (Milo Firewater). Drawing Arrows is a creative outlet – a way to channel all their experiences – not just musically. The aim – to create music that feels good to play and to listen too.

Powderfinger, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Nothing But Thieves and Queens of the Stoneage all inspired an authentic live sound that sits as well on stage as it does in your headphones.

With influences of jazz, alternative rock, punk, Spanish flamenco and pop, Drawing Arrows stay focused on crafting music that makes you want to press rewind and listen again.

Song Descriptions

Pinch me
The most chilled of this 3-song offering from the boys. This is a mid-tempo cruise with clean guitars and a lighter touch on the drums. You can really hear the song writing skills of the band on this one, as well as some superb background vocals and guitar work throughout.

Lights Out
Drawing Arrows have come up with a modern up-tempo rock formula that really works on this tune. There’s plenty to like early on with a great ear catching intro, then Sid’s distinctive vocals and the snare popping chorus. A total winner.

Good Grief
Arpeggio electric guitars along with fast and furious drums and bass start this song off before the vocals kick in. Some very Radiohead sounds pervade this song in a great way. Up-tempo, hooky and technically challenging but the band get away with it no problems.

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Daxton Releases New Album ‘50% Grit’

September 27, 2022

A long-time friend asked Daxton to produce a stripped back, raw but lively and psychedelic dirty blues song. ‘Just something I can really get into as I drink my bourbon to late at night please mate’.

Dax took on the job with gusto and was so engrossed that before he knew it 7 new tunes were born. The song, Rise Above, fulfilled the original request and opens the album. The rest of the tunes don’t disappoint and range from dirty, stompy, bluesy slide pieces to slightly more grungy but poppy tunes with some snare and percussion added in.

Song Descriptions
Rise Above
Dirty scratchy psychedelic harp and cigar box guitar feature in this mid-tempo track from Daxton’s new offering. Distorted, rough and ready vocals set the tone for the next six tracks on this mini album.

Nothing to lose
A more up-tempo blues tune. Bass, slide cigar box guitar and some simple drums flesh out this one with his life-worn vocals and lyrics filling in the story.

Right On time
Guitar riffs and electric slide stabs plus some nifty catchy vocal lines abound in this mid-tempo song. There’s some stomp box keeping time and enough changes and interesting sounds to keep you rocking all the way through.

Producing and playing music since his early teens, Daxton’s passion has kept him continually creating new material both for his band and solo career. On stage, Daxton comes across like he was born to play, his unique guitar style blending perfectly with heart-warming vocals.

Daxton has appeared at major festivals including the Sydney Blues & Roots and Tamworth Country Music Festival where he supported artists such as Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole. He also has had one of his tracks ‘Moody Liz’ featured in the popular American TV series Doll House.

Based in Sydney, Daxton is best described as a blues/rock artist with a twist of pop and rock. He plays slide guitar rock/blues songs with a fresh and innovative sound.

Daxton – 50% Grit is out NOW September 23rd
Foghorn/MGM

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Tag: rock

Kalen Hogan Releases Single ‘Stoned and Cold’

Jack Nolan ‘Oh My Darling’ (Official Music Video)