Kaiyah Mercedes Releases Single ‘MANIC!!!’
"Kaiyah Mercedes Releases Single ‘MANIC!!!’"
In a powerful blend of indie pop-rock and raw storytelling, 18-year-old queer music artist Kaiyah Mercedes releases her latest single, ‘MANIC!!!’. In her true signature format, ‘MANIC!!!’ serves as a powerful indie pop rock anthem full of gritty guitars and unapologetic lyricism.
Kaiyah began her musical journey at 13, finding solace in music during the isolation of the COVID lockdowns. Teaching herself piano and guitar, she used music as a tool for self-discovery, allowing her to express complex emotions and experiences through songwriting and documenting her journey of coming out and processing a diagnosis of Autism and ADHD.
‘MANIC!!!’ is not just a standalone single; it is a pivotal bridging song that embodies the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Co-written with Seetali Mack and mixed and mastered by Hayden Lauersen, ‘MANIC!!!’ is inspired by a real-life manic episode following a breakup, presenting a dramatised yet authentic portrayal of emotional upheaval. Kaiyah’s openness about her mental health journey has been a cornerstone of her artistic expression, allowing her to connect deeply with her audience. Her willingness to share her struggles and triumphs provides a powerful message of resilience and vulnerability, making her music not only a creative outlet but also a beacon of hope for those facing similar challenges.
The single offers fans a sneak peek into the direction of Kaiyah’s future soundscape, some of what is set to be her most personal and raw works yet, with themes of heartbreak, love, and emotional intensity, reflecting her growth and evolving artistry. This new sound draws inspiration from artists like Louis Tomlinson, Olivia Rodrigo, The Buoys, and Maisie Peters, creating a unique blend that is sure to resonate with her audience.
Kaiyah’s live performances are a testament to her dynamic artistry. Catch her at the Moonee Valley Festival on February 22nd, a special acoustic performance as part of Roarfest as Memo Music Hall St Kilda on March 9th and the ‘MANIC!!!’ Single Release Show at the Bergy Bandroom in Brunswick on April 6th. The lineup features an all-queer, neurodivergent roster, including My Giddy Aunt and Local Sweetheart, promising an unforgettable experience.
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CB Ghost Releases Single ‘High On Elm And Vine’
"CB Ghost Releases Single ‘High On Elm And Vine’"
CB Ghost’s latest single, ‘High on Elm & Vine’, is a deeply personal and evocative track inspired by an unforgettable encounter in Los Angeles. A psychedelic like rock song with an almost unhinged drum beat, written in a sudden burst of inspiration, explores themes of displacement, mental health struggles, and personal reflection.
While spending time in Los Angeles with his girlfriend—before the devastating fires—CB Ghost was struck by the stark reality of homelessness and the lack of mental health care in the city.
The emotions that surfaced at that time poured out in the form of ‘High on Elm & Vine’, written in a near-mystical rush of creativity. The song came together in just 20 minutes, its lyrics and melody flowing almost effortlessly. He chose to preserve that spontaneous energy in the final recording, keeping the song as close to its original essence as possible.
The studio recording process brought the track to life with the full band. Garrick Blow’s progressive rock-inspired drumming adds an intense rhythmic drive, while Murray Dilger’s hypnotic bass groove anchors the song. Geoff Nicol contributes a psychedelic, trippy lead guitar that elevates the track’s mystical quality. The result is a song that is both unsettling and mesmerizing, pushing CB Ghost out of his comfort zone.
CB Ghost, 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 heartfelt 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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The Mezcaltones Release Album ‘Big Hat No Cattle’
"The Mezcaltones Release Album ‘Big Hat No Cattle’"
Big Hat, No Cattle is the fifth studio album from the Mezcaltones and it comes together for an early 2025 release.
The Mezcaltones’ songs are mined from the rich seam of Alt Country, Roots, Rockin’ Blues and Surf Guitar with a nod to two of their favourite artists; and it’s all wrapped up in their inimitable Mezcaltones Hillbilly Surf Music Style.
Big Hat, No Cattle was recorded at Damien Gerard studios in West Gosford with Andrew Beck at the engineering controls; mixed by Russell Pilling; mastered by William Bowden; produced by the Mezcaltones; and artwork by Stephen Awdry & Melinda Nassif.
The CD is available for purchase at gigs and The Mezcaltones website or can be streamed via your favourite online format.
Northern Beaches Band The Mezcaltones perform regularly at Sydney venues – The Orient (The Rocks), Marrickville Bowlo, Collaroy Beach Club, Brighton RSL to name a few. They have also performed at eight Tamworth Country Music Festivals; Groundwater CMF; Blues on Broadbeach; Sydney Blues & Roots Festival; Dashville Skyline Festival; and Greazefest.
Their last album ‘Agave Soirée’ entered the Australian Blues and Roots airplay charts at #7 before spending five months embedded in the Top 20.
Their sound can be difficult to describe – mixing original songs with rare tracks you might find on Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movies or B-Grade 60’s Sci-Fi Flicks the guitars are richly infused with surf tones and 60’s Twang served up with a healthy dose of Cowpunk brashness. One booker described them as “Mexican Hillbilly Surf Music”. One punter said “lf Johnny Cash surfed he’d have sounded like you guys”.
Their antics are captivating. The band is fronted by vocalist Col Padre (who engages in tongue in cheek choreography) and dancer/singer/percussionist Mimi. Mimi is renowned for her routines involving gymnastic ribbons used as whips, hula hoops, fans and whatever else she can lay her hands on. Big Daddy K from 2RRR’S Sydney Sounds show described the Mezcaltones as the best live band in Sydney.
The costumes make for an outstanding visual – four guys dressed as party hire Cowboys and two girls dressed as Spanish gunslingers with several minor costume changes throughout the show involving masks, veils and mirror shades. Sounds corny… sure is.
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Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels Release Album ‘The Road To Tibooburra’
"Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels Release Album ‘The Road To Tibooburra’"
Steve Kilbey: During the early days of Covid 19, I met a guy called Julian who asked me to be in a short silent film he was making called ‘Space Junk’. ‘Space Junk’ was about a stranger (moi) who comes to a remote-ish Australian town during the pandemic and has a number of adventures including aliens and angry villagers and other various kinds of weirdness.
The film got kinda finished and had a couple of screenings in a room but then seemed to be abandoned and never properly completed. Julian then repurposed it for a musical about a washed-up and ageing rockstar called Lord Jim (moi again) who takes a strange crew off to Tibooburra searching for his comeback.
Julian asked me to write all of the songs for the musical, which I did and enjoyed doing too. I recorded them all with a wonderful band of players who also appear on my albums 11 Women and The Hall of Counterfeits, whom I dubbed the Winged Heels.
Well then after sitting in the can for ages I have decided to release this weird collection of tunes. They are in no particular order so you’ll just have to figure it all out for yourself. Or just make up your own plot and story and sit back and enjoy. I have also thrown into the mix some contemporaneous songs I was working on with the Heels at the time but I now look upon them as perhaps part of the musical and let you try to make some sense of all this.
Steve Kilbey, band singer, songwriter, bassist, painter, writer, poet, actor, sage, dispenser of
arcane wisdom is one of Australia’s most loved artists.
The popular song “Under the Milky Way” won the “Best Single of the Year” award at the
Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards event in 1989. For his work with
The Church, Kilbey then accepted, together with his bandmates, an induction into the ARIA
Hall of Fame.
Steve got his first bass guitar at age 16, joined a band at 18 and went on to form a number of different groups before forming The Church in 1980. He has gone on to release many solo albums and collaborations with recording artists from around the globe.
“Kilbey’s solo recordings are challenging and evocative. . . joyous and dreamy to saturnine
and sardonic” – Ian McFarlane.
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Gareth Koch and All India Radio Release ‘Song For Philip Glass’
"Gareth Koch and All India Radio Release ‘Song For Philip Glass’"
Philip Glass looms large as a pioneer & exponent of the minimalist movement in 20th century music. In ‘Song for Philip Glass’ Gareth recorded a series of repeated sequences to emulate the Glass style, gradually adding layers of classical guitar, acoustic guitar & bass. Each of the sequences is preserved throughout the track & the layering of new motifs, or ‘riffs’, generates the evolution of the track. ‘Song for Philip Glass’ seeks to evoke the spirit of the composer’s work, while integrating pop, folk & ambient music styles.
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.
All India Radio have created shimmering aural edifices that cross genres across 30+ releases since the late 1990s. All India Radio albums have featured cameos from many of Kennedy’s favourites: Steve Kilbey (The Church), prog metal legend Devin Townsend, Ed Kuepper (The Saints), Graham Lee (The Triffids), and David Bridie (Not Drowning Waving). Martin’s music has featured in CSI, One Tree Hill, The Lying Game, Emmerdale, Bondi Rescue and many more.
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Refinery Drive Release Single ‘Headlights’
"Refinery Drive Release Single ‘Headlights’"
Sydney pop-punk band Refinery Drive are a passionate mix of attitude, power and energy. Their unique sound blends pop, punk, metalcore and jazz. They’ve been referred to as the “Aussie Paramore” and definitely draw inspiration from Tonight Alive and New Found Glory.
Their single ‘Promises’ released in early 2024 set a fresh tone for the band and picked up Triple J airplay courtesy of Josh Merriel. Their follow-up release ‘Fool Me Twice’ premiered on Triple J Unearthed TOPS, was featured as Unearthed Track of the Day and received Triple J airplay courtesy of Ebony Jade. Their latest single “Headlights” released in early 2025 found it’s way to Apple Music’s “The New Rock” editorial playlist.
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The Mezcaltones Release Single ‘City Lights’
"The Mezcaltones Release Single ‘City Lights’"
Don’t worry if you missed their sell out run at Tamworth Music Festival last month , you can catch The Mighty Mezcaltones at any of the following dates:
The latest single ‘City Lights’ from The Mezcaltones’ fifth studio album is Chapter One of ‘The Trials of Don and Jenny’. This swampy tune about north coast surfers visiting the emerald city is a cautionary tale about moths and flames.
Northern Beaches Band The Mezcaltones perform regularly at Sydney venues – The Orient (The Rocks), Marrickville Bowlo, Collaroy Beach Club, Brighton RSL to name a few. They have also performed at eight Tamworth Country Music Festivals; Groundwater CMF; Blues on Broadbeach; Sydney Blues & Roots Festival; Dashville Skyline Festival; and Greazefest.
Their last album ‘Agave Soirée’ entered the Australian Blues and Roots airplay charts at #7 before spending five months embedded in the Top 20. The band are putting the finishing touches to their fifth album ‘Big Hat No Cattle’, scheduled for release in March.
Their sound can be difficult to describe – mixing original songs with rare tracks you might find on Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movies or B-Grade 60’s Sci-Fi Flicks the guitars are richly infused with surf tones and 60’s Twang served up with a healthy dose of Cowpunk brashness. One booker described them as “Mexican Hillbilly Surf Music”. One punter said “lf Johnny Cash surfed he’d have sounded like you guys”.
Their atics are captivating. The band is fronted by vocalist Col Padre (who engages in tongue in cheek choreography) and dancer/singer/percussionist Mimi. Mimi is renowned for her routines involving gymnastic ribbons used as whips, hula hoops, fans and whatever else she can lay her hands on. Big Daddy K from 2RRR’S Sydney Sounds show described the Mezcaltones as the best live band in Sydney.
The costumes make for an outstanding visual – four guys dressed as party hire Cowboys and two girls dressed as Spanish gunslingers with several minor costume changes throughout the show involving masks, veils and mirror shades. Sounds corny… sure is.
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The Mezcaltones Release Single ‘Big Hat No Cattle’
"The Mezcaltones Release Single ‘Big Hat No Cattle’"
Don’t worry if you missed their sell out run at Tamworth Music Festival last month , you can catch The Mighty Mezcaltones at any of the following dates:
Big Hat No Cattle is a song about that boss that we all had/have. He (generally a he) is not the owner or the manager, maybe a supervisor, but probably not, just been there longer than you – so he’s your BOSS. Definitely a big hat and for sure – no cattle!
Northern Beaches Band The Mezcaltones perform regularly at Sydney venues – The Orient (The Rocks), Marrickville Bowlo, Collaroy Beach Club, Brighton RSL to name a few. They have also performed at eight Tamworth Country Music Festivals; Groundwater CMF; Blues on Broadbeach; Sydney Blues & Roots Festival; Dashville Skyline Festival; and Greazefest.
Their last album ‘Agave Soirée’ entered the Australian Blues and Roots airplay charts at #7 before spending five months embedded in the Top 20. The band are putting the finishing touches to their fifth album ‘Big Hat No Cattle’, scheduled for release in March. The title track is the first single released on 17 January to coincide with their shows at this years Tamworth County Music Festival.
Their sound can be difficult to describe – mixing original songs with rare tracks you might find on Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movies or B-Grade 60’s Sci-Fi Flicks. The guitars are richly infused with surf tones and 60’s Twang served up with a healthy dose of Cowpunk brashness. One booker described them as “Mexican Hillbilly Surf Music”. One punter said “If Johnny Cash surfed he’d have sounded like you guys”.
Their atics are captivating. The band is fronted by vocalist Col Padre (who engages in tongue in cheek choreography) and dancer/singer/percussionist Mimi. Mimi is renowned for her routines involving gymnastic ribbons used as whips, hula hoops, fans and whatever else she can lay her hands on. Big Daddy K from 2RRR’S Sydney Sounds show described the Mezcaltones as the best live band in Sydney.
The costumes make for an outstanding visual – four guys dressed as party hire Cowboys and two girls dressed as Spanish gunslingers with several minor costume changes throughout the show involving masks, veils and mirror shades. Sounds corny… sure is.
TOUR DATES
| Date | Venue | Location |
| Saturday, 18 January 2025 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Friday, 19 January 2024 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Saturday, 20 January 2024 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Saturday, 18 January 2025 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Friday, 19 January 2024 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Saturday, 20 January 2024 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Saturday, 18 January 2025 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Friday, 19 January 2024 | West Diggers Club | Tamworth |
| Sunday, 16 February 2025 | Orient Hotel | The Rocks |
| Sunday, 9 March 2025 | Marrickville Bowlo | Marrickville |
| Saturday, 15 March 2025 | Railway Hotel | Hornsby |
| Sunday, 23 March 2025 | Orient Hotel | The Rocks |
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Paul Scott Releases New Single ‘The Angry Boyz’
"Paul Scott Releases New Single ‘The Angry Boyz’"
Musically the track is somewhere between pop, punk and disco, which I have never referred to as ‘posco’. Lyrically it went like this: I was witness to a statement purporting to be fact that was so egregious in it’s falsehood and so inept in it’s delivery, it made me laugh. A comic manifesto for the angry boys. That’s how it starts, not just the song, but also the trouble. ‘Garbage truckers’ is not a reference to the good people of our cities’ sanitation departments, it’s the gossip we drown in.
Paul Scott began his career in music, writing and playing bass in angular NZ group Pop Mechanix. Despite court cases, a revolving cast of singers and multiple record labels, their single ‘Jumping Out A Window’ became a staple of New Zealand pop culture.
Relocating to Australia, Paul formed Montana with Ken Stewart (Mr Blonde), Michelle Margherita and Steve Melville. Their first release featured ‘Koolest Band’ which received national airplay and high rotation on JJJ. A brief tour of the USA and a performance at SXSW, led to ‘Koolest Band’ being included in the Hollywood movie ‘You Drive Me Crazy’. The subsequent album ‘Bubblegum Love’ was released in Australia, Spain, France and the USA.
Scott has since plied bass for various Australian acts, playing everywhere from community halls and malls in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to the Sydney Opera House. Teaming up with Steve Melville (ex Mr Blonde and Montana) Paul and Steve have established a studio production relationship, playing on each other’s tracks (Stewart and Melville, The Likes of You) and coproducing The Insufferable Paul Scott’s well received 2021 album ‘Tea and Medals’ (which Melville also mixed).
Their most recent project is a closer collaboration with Melville adding drums, percussion and keyboards to Scott’s voice, guitar and bass, a line up very close in sound and feel to their youthful unit ‘Montana’. “I was looking for the kind of pop thrill I used to get from great Aussie indie bands such as The Falling Joys, Smudge, The Hummingbirds, pop thrills… you know?” says Scott. An album has been completed and tracks will be released over the next few months on Foghorn, home to most of their releases to date.
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