Big Merino Release Single ‘Second Hand Smoke’

"Big Merino Release Single ‘Second Hand Smoke’"

The first 2024 release for Sydney’s Big Merino

The song ‘Second Hand Smoke’ came about after the 2019 bushfires in NSW and Covid. It’s a bit of a lateral take on a story that a lot of people can relate to and it suggests why, in spite of everything, we get up the next day and give things another crack.

Recorded and mixed by Studio Legend Phil Punch, this is a great beginning for a range of singles the guys will be following with this year.

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Formed in 2017, Big Merino play original music that blurs the lines between country, blues, roots, rock and pop. Despite an obvious passion for what’s often called ‘Americana’, their songs somehow manage to be very personal and quintessentially Australian – the words and sound shaped by the landscape and their own stories.

Song Description

Acoustic southern vibes abound in this new single from Big Merino. Bass, drums, guitars and a driving snare beat keeps this bluesy track afloat with plenty of sing-a-long moments, even handclaps. Up-tempo, happy and feel good, a great first of the year for these Sydney locals.

The band will  be performing it and a whole bunch of new songs on

Sat April 13 @ The Gasoline Pony

It’s Big Merino‘s first gig for quite some time … come and join us to celebrate the release!

@ The Gasoline Pony, Marrickville
Saturday 13th April, from 7pm.

Book : trybooking.com/CQCRM

Out March 22 Foghorn/MGM

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Daxton Releases New Album ‘Fahrenheit’

"Daxton Releases New Album ‘Fahrenheit’"

The new album from NSW Central Coast troubadour already garnering airplay and reviews around the world following from the Single ‘Kiss The Girls’ earlier this year.

Daxton’s new album ‘Fahrenheit’ features tracks inspired by personal experiences, relationships, and journeys, encapsulating a wide range of emotions from love and heartbreak to resilience and empowerment. The title track was inspired by a studio groove that embodied the intense emotional heat and passion that defined the production and recording of the songs. The album brings a fresh twist to the classic blues genre, infusing it with psychedelic elements and experimental sounds, creating a sonic landscape that is Daxton’s Psychedelic Blues Sound.

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Song Descriptions for 2 Key Tracks

Fahrenheit

The title track to Daxton’s new album features bass, drums, dobro, slide guitar, Hammond organ and his signature vocals. A chilled out blues rock with a mid-tempo feel, this would be a great song to sit back on the porch with a beer and admire the grass.

 Ocean Size

Great surf blues ‘a la’ Jack Johnson here. Slides and dobros, acoustics and electrics, sweet guitar and vocal tones throughout underpinned by drums and bass.

Out March 22 on Foghorn/MGM

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Kilbey Kennedy Release New Single ‘That’s Gotta Hurt’

"Kilbey Kennedy Release New Single ‘That’s Gotta Hurt’"

Our latest feature single from the Prolific Church Frontman and Man of many textures and talents from All India Radio

Building on the success of Jupiter 13 (2021) and The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus (2022), Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy are about to releases their latest epic, ‘Premonition K’. The album unveils sumptuous sonic soundscapes courtesy of Kennedy paired with Kilbey’s lyrics that delve into the dark and enigmatic realms that exist between the boundaries of life and death.

Steve Kilbey, best known as frontman of legendary Aussie post-prog rockers The Church, infuses each track with an emotional resonance and sense of mystery. Martin Kennedy co-pilots this sonic odyssey with Steve Kilbey, weaving an intricate musical bed for Kilbey’s lyrical dreamings. Drawing from his twenty years of soundscaping with All India Radio, Kennedy adds layers of sonic complexity, at once warmly familiar and mysteriously strange, creating an immersive experience for the listener.

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The first single from the new album ‘That’s Gotta Hurt’ – upbeat jangle-guitars and Kennedy’s familiar electronic swirls provide the stage for Kilbey’s trademark lyrical magic.

Steve Kilbey says, “That’s Gotta Hurt is about the existential pain of loving and losing and of attachment to the roles we play in this theatre of the absurd.”

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Bec Taylor and The Lyrebirds Release New Single ‘Photograph’

"Bec Taylor and The Lyrebirds Release New Single ‘Photograph’"

Just added as the first track on our national cafe music playlist(soundslikecafe digital expresso), ‘Photograph’ is a delicate and broody alt-folk song full of melodic hooks and echo harmonies, featuring introspective verses, and soaring choruses. The Lyrebirds’ ethereal harmonies combine with Bec’s lead vocal to create a haunting effect, meditating on how hard it can be to forgive and forget in a relationship.

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Bec Taylor and the Lyrebirds are a five-piece alt-country pop band from Canberra. Described as Seeker-Lover-Keeper-meets-Nashville-the-TV-show, their “twangy, Australiana” sound combines with “charming melodies and lyrics brimming with heart” (Scenstr). They are a band with incredible musical chemistry, with soaring harmonies and a rich instrumentation of guitars, piano, drums, bass, banjo, mandolin, and occasional cello parts, which complement Bec’s heartfelt songwriting.

Consisting of versatile musicians with rich experience in different genres, the Lyrebirds are 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).

There’s two shows in March to launch the single and plenty more coming later in the year

Saturday 9th March 7pm – Cancophany at UC Refectory hosted by Enlighten Canberra – Tickets https://enlightencanberra.com/program/cancophony/?

– Thursday 14th March – Photograph Launch House Gig at Hannah’s in Canberra (tickets below)

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Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Rumba Flamenca Arabe’

"Gareth Koch Releases Single ‘Rumba Flamenca Arabe’"

The rumba is an upbeat & rhythmically syncopated flamenco style, ideal for dancing & festivities. It is an incredibly flexible genre, able to assimilate a multitude of influences such as Latin, Arabic or pop-contemporary. The rumba is arguably the most recognisable & widely listened to of all flamenco music. It’s lively tempo & irresistible groove, make it hugely popular around the world.

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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Shoshana Michel Releases Solo Piano Album ‘Storyteller’

"Shoshana Michel Releases Solo Piano Album ‘Storyteller’"

Soundslikecafe is proud to present this wonderful solo pianist from the USA.

The music from Storyteller was inspired by and reflects different facets of Shoshana’s life, emotions, people and memories. It is a blend of compositions written not so long ago and those that were, but for one reason or another were not recorded, until now.

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About

Shoshana Michel is a classically trained contemporary solo pianist. She has performed different genres of music at different venues from ragtime at Knott’s Berry Farm to contemporary solo piano at The Galleria at South Bay in Redondo Beach, California.

Storyteller is Shoshana’s seventh solo piano album. Her music has been used in documentaries, a promo film, has received accolades, nominations and awards and is featured on Sirius XM Radio – The Spa, Calm Radio, Whisperings Solo Piano Radio and many other stations worldwide.

Shoshana’s playing has been described as “graceful and flowing” and “refined and elegant”. Her music will inspire, stir the heart and touch the soul. The music she writes is inspired by life experiences, people and emotions. Shoshana feels that music is healing and is passionate about sharing her music with others. She currently resides with her avian family in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Album Credits

All pieces composed and performed by Shoshana Michel

Produced by Shoshana Michel

Recorded on a Shigeru Kawai SK7L

Engineered and mastered by Joe Bongiorno at Piano Haven Studio, Sedona, AZ

Graphic art and design by Matt Strieby

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Extra Time Receives Extra Accolades in Europe

"Extra Time Receives Extra Accolades in Europe"

Extra Time Receives Extra Accolades in Europe with their Video Now in the Berlin Film Festival

The brand new release ‘Where Is The Light’ from Brendan McNamara’s project, Extra Time, is already scoring goals since its release on 22 January. The first single from the second album, ‘Songs With Long Titles’, is beautifully supported by an animated film clip created by renowned Sydney based Brazilian artist, Gabriel Gareso. The film clip has just been officially selected for the Berlin Lift Off Film Festival, screening in Berlin, Germany between 15 and 25 February.

‘Where Is The Light’ speaks of the Japanese ‘Hikikomori’ – a severe social withdrawal most prevalent in young adolescent males whereby they isolate themselves in their rooms for months on end. A highly relatable concept in today’s modern era and especially apt given Brendan’s day job as a video game creator and director.

The clip is the freelance 2D animator and illustrator’s first music video, so he has certainly made his mark being included in the international film festival.

“My goal was to delve into the emotional aspects of loneliness, highlighting that despite being more virtually connected than ever, loneliness and depression also seem stronger than ever. The main challenge of this project was to create an engaging visual interpretation of the song while keeping it within budget. 4 minutes of animation is a LOT. The band’s creative freedom was crucial, making the entire process exceptionally smooth.”

To date the video has amassed over 84,000 views! A unique opportunity to be part of the interactive release of Extra Time’s latest album is to look out for billboards featuring the album cover art created by German artist Lucas Zimmerman popping up worldwide. Extra Time invite you to take a selfie with one of the billboards and post it on social media tagging @extra_time_music in your post.

The vinyl release is available now for preorder – a beautiful gatefold presentation released globally on Foghorn Records, recorded and mixed at one of the industry’s leading spaces Damien Gerard Studios at West Gosford, featuring ex Los Angeles engineer Andrew Beck and mastered by Grammy Award Winner William Bowden.

WATCH THE FULL MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘WHERE IS THE LIGHT’
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Silphie Releases Single ‘Sulpicia’s Birthday’

"Silphie Releases Single ‘Sulpicia’s Birthday’"

Featuring Silphie’s sublime highly trained vocals, a Harmonium, cello, viola and nylon string classical guitar, the debut release for this neo classical/world music act from the NSW Central Coast is sure to have ears lighting up. The quality of the recording, the players, the juxtaposition of the vocals switching from Latin to English and the overall sound of this track will put you in a medieval soundscape that could be part of a beautiful old film shot on 70mm.

Sulpicia was a female poet who lived in Rome in 40BC. Sulpicia’s Birthday is the second in a series of six poems. The story describes her ecstasy, as Sulpicia writes to her lover to tell him she has arranged for the two of them to spend her birthday together, frolicking in Rome.

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Lisa Haymes photography.

Michaele Archer graduated (with distinction) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Opera School and has performed nationally and internationally. She also attained a Masters in Applied Science, researching breathing techniques for opera singers from the University of Sydney.

Her research in breathing techniques was presented in Paris at the International Congress of Voice Teachers. Recently Michaele has been performing and studying in Los Angeles and Switzerland with vocal expert Robin de Haas and has been certified as an Advanced Breathing Coordination practitioner.

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Lisa Haymes photography.

Michaele’s love of ancient instruments and language led her to the work of Sulpicia, a female poet who lived in Rome in the time of Augustus. ‘Garland, the love poems of Sulpicia’ is her latest recording project.

Sulpicia’s poems were included in a publication of the famous roman writer Tibullus and originally attributed to him. The mystery around Sulpicia as a young woman breaking taboos, writing of a secret love affair and the rich sound of the Latin text drew Michaele deep into the project. The poems form the text for the album. Written for harmonium, guitar, cello, viola and vocals, Michaele’s recordings embrace a tone palate that is analogue, raw and dark.

Silphie is a collaboration with Michaele Archer (vocal and harmonium), Rachel Whealy (cello), Giuseppe Zangari (guitar), and Gab Stelle (viola). The name Silphie is inspired by the ancient world’s herb Silphium which was used for everything from perfume and cooking to medicine.

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Watch the official music video

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Video premiere

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Extra Time Releases New Album ‘Songs With Long Titles’

"Extra Time Releases New Album ‘Songs With Long Titles’"

So it has been four years since our last album. We have been winnowing down the stories that we would like to tell and twelve new tunes made the cut. Taking badly recorded demos and some wildly inaccurate charts to Damien Gerard Studios in Gosford, Australia, we spent four days recording and knocking together arrangements into some kind of shape. Many of the musicians who played on the first record kindly agreed to go around again and try and make sense of what we had.

We had a few base principles. No samples, no Click, no Grid and no Autotune. Everything on the album was performed live by a musician. Our drummer was our click track. The whole album was recorded to 2” tape and then digitized into Pro Tools. The whole process was a lot of fun and hopefully that comes across in the music and the performance and in the behind the scenes videos that we will be releasing. We were looking for a high fi, harmonically interesting sound that would live up to all of the great records made by our heroes. Its up to you to decide whether we succeeded.

‘Songs With Long Titles’, the second album for 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.

Amanda & Sarina 2-2

The record was mixed at the same facility by Brendan and Andrew and Mastered by Grammy Winner William Bowden. Now released to the world in double gatefold vinyl – 3 songs per side for maximum quality, and digitally across all platforms on 22 January 2024.

About Extra Time
When you think of classic album rock names like Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and Supertramp spring to mind.  You might be surprised to know there is a Sydney based band that has been toiling away for some years creating some truly classic sounds and songs with a similar aesthetic and instrumentation.

The guys met at school and hit it off as a young band and writing team, but ever since have been involved in other projects and built careers locally and internationally. Extra Time became a creative outlet to record and release music they love.

The first album came out pre-covid, scoring some decent streaming figures and TV sync activity.

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

Songs With Long Titles is OUT NOW 

MUSIC VIDEO FOR SINGLE ‘WHERE IS THE LIGHT’

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Orchestra Indigo Releases Album ‘The Small Hours’

"Orchestra Indigo Releases Album ‘The Small Hours’"

Our first feature album for 2024

Orchestra Indigo is an ambient music project created by recording artist Rick Randlett. Like many new artistic projects, the impetus for it was the the Covid pandemic, with it’s months of isolation and no live performances. Reaching back to his college studies in composition, orchestration, and electronic music, Rick is creating a unique orchestra electronic hybrid with neoclassical overtones that envelopes the listener in relaxing waves of sound.

A message from Rick…

“The Small Hours is a soundtrack for one sleepless night from midnight to dawn. Sitting alone, in a small dark room with drink in hand, a man contemplates his life, and ponders the decisions that have brought him to this place.”

 Track Listing

1. Midnight (4:28)

2. The Small Hours (4:16)

3. Moments Of Uncertainty (5:48)

4. Walking Dark Streets (3:42)

5. After The Rain (6:22)

6. Hour Of The Wolf (4:33)

7. Meditation On Departed Friends (4:28)

8. Sleepless Once More (5:13)

9. 4:44 AM Blues (3:52)

10. Dawn’s Arrival (4:57)

11. Day Spring (5:20)

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About

The fascinating story behind the emergence of new age artist Orchestra Indigo and its beautifully melodic and deeply inspiring debut album ‘Farewell to Memories’ has its roots in the lockdown early in the pandemic, when musicians around the world, with their regular gigs suddenly stripped away, were trying to figure out their next creative steps.

Having released his fifth blues rock oriented album ‘Night Songs’ in February 2020, multi-talented singer/songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Rick Randlett had every intention of hitting the road in support of the project. That had been his m.o. for years, playing up to 125 regional club and festival dates in and around his adopted home state of Florida for nearly a decade and a half after launching his solo career in 1999 with ‘All Alone’. Three of his releases reached the Top Ten on the Roots Music Report charts, and he collaborated on the album ‘Hauntings’ with fellow blues singer Cassie Keenum in 2017.

Turning his anxiety over the sudden work stoppage into a fresh stream of creativity, he began exploring ambient, new age style compositions. Rick embraced the freedom of composing longer pieces combining piano melodies with an array of dynamic colors he created using synthesized strings.

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