Steve Kilbey And Gareth Koch Join Forces For ‘Broken Toys’
What happens when the musical worlds of Australian Music icon Steve Kilbey & classically trained ARIA Award winner Gareth Koch collide?
The answer lies in their new single Broken Toys – a refined and confident title brimming with sensitivity, experience and fresh ideas.
It’s not easy to describe a fascinating and unexpected collaboration such as this one. Steve Kilbey is perhaps best known as frontman of veteran rock band The Church. Gareth Koch on the other hand is a Viennese-trained classical guitarist/composer.
(photo credit: Tony Mott)
The Kilbey/Koch musical arrangements are acoustic and highly sophisticated. ‘Classical’ is one way of describing the sound. But it is much more than that. Kilbey is a self-confessed classicist, so the pairing is actually spot on. Kilbey & Koch have roughly 1000 years of music history bubbling away in their consciousness, and coupled with this knowledge is a keen awareness of contemporary sensibilities.
Sparkling effervescent textures, percussion by veteran stickman Barton Price (of Models fame), dobros, classical and 12-string guitars and even a 1966 ‘Beatle Bass’ all combine to create a unique and original soundscape.
Their eclectic partnership draws inspiration from medieval music to post-modern psychedelia, with every imaginable influence in between. These experienced musicians have created a strong and immediately recognisable musical identity, a new sound and aesthetic that comes with a fluid movement across genres. The result is a unique blend of classical & pop sensibilities with lyrics poised for repeated listening.
Expertly mixed by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios Sydney and superbly mastered by Grammy Award winning King Willy Sound, Broken Toys is a feast for the ears.
To download, stream or connect:
Daylight Avenue Are ‘Coming Home’ with their inclusion on our April playlist
Daylight Avenue is an alternative rock group who have been creating and performing music for over 3 years.
Self-described as “four blokes rehearsing in a tin shed out the back”, Daylight Avenue comprises of members with widely different tastes in music. The result is a wide-ranging sonic landscape. “We have heavy songs, jazzy songs, rock songs and get up and dance songs!”
The single Coming Home (featuring Denique) is lifted from the album Alone In A Crowd.
Soundslikecafe is proud to present this great tune on our April Playlist
Alone In A Crowd is OUT NOW via independent label Distrokid.
To stream or download:
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Mick Hart’s Anticipated New Album ‘Awake’ is out and touring
UPDATE: New Tour Dates!
On the heels of Mick Hart’s sold-out Sydney launch at Lazybones Lounge in Marrickville last weekend, some new dates have been added!
New shows:
Fri 9th August – The Entrance Leagues Club (Central Coast NSW)
Sun 25th August – Gasoline Pony, Marrickville (Sydney)
Sun 29th September – Towradgi Beach Hotel, Wollongong (Sydney)
Sat 12th October – Stag and Hunter, Mayfield (Newcastle)
Sat 27 July – Winter Blues Festival, Echuca VIC
Sun 28 July- Merri Creek Tavern, Melbourne
Community radio is loving the album, with widespread support on the airwaves proving it carries so many brilliant tracks! The Way It Is, 3am Or Anytime, Light My Way, Keep Hold and Peaceful Nest are all being played around the country.
Some great reviews are also flowing in for the album.
Bruce Elder at the Sydney Morning Herald declared that Hart has produced, “a classy, memorable album from a gifted musician at the height of his powers.”
“A delicious collection of blues-folk “toons” inspired by sources as rich as the early Rod Stewart (3am Or Anytime); a nod towards Free and Family (The Way It Is); Muddy Waters’ great version of Got My Mojo Workin’ (Light My Way); the edges of folk blues (Real Thing); that glorious style which involves a slow burn and driving blues with lashings of lap-steel (Time for the New); and inevitably, lots of Dylan-influenced blues and country blues (Back To The Start, Star Bed andKeep Hold).”
Elder also notes Hart’s wide-ranging musical talents – “Playing bass, lap-steel, harmonica, percussion, Rhodes, Mellotron, piano, organ, ukulele and, oh yes, guitars….ranges widely across the rich plains of the blues and American folk music.”
Meanwhile Mark Fraser at Redbackmusic.comcalled the latest single, Keep Hold, “sad, beautiful, perfect”, with the entire album, “a beautiful collection of soundscapes that caress your very soul in their own unobtrusively enveloping way.”
Read the whole review here:
The album’s first two singles – ‘The Way It Is’ and ‘3am Or Anytime’ are both out now and receiving strong support across community and regional radio, Triple J and Double J.
‘3am Or Anytime’ will be premiered TONIGHT on Double J’s Stir It Up show! It’s a gentler offering than its predecessor, more of an acoustic ballad that charmingly shows off Hart’s silky vocals and sublime guitar work. A sweet love song, ‘3am Or Anytime’ centres around the alluring chorus, “You can steal my blanket anytime, you can drink my last full glass of wine, you can wake me for help at 3am or anytime, you can take my heart because you’re mine.”
You can check out ‘The Way It Is’ on the new SLC Playlist for March. A “you done me wrong” break-up song with a catchy blues groove, The Way It Is grabs the listener with its addictive chorus that features some blistering guitar and Hart’s determined lyrical growl, “I don’t owe you nothing, that’s the way it is.”
ARIA nominated for “Best Blues and Roots” in 2002 for his sophomore album Upside Down In The Full Face of Optimism, Mick Hart occupies a sonic space that’s influenced by Jeff Buckley and Ben Harper, from sparse acoustic songs to wild dirty blues rock and some brilliant lap-slide guitar.
Awake will be released on April 26 via MGM.
Mick is on the road in support of ‘Awake’ starting in Europe in April and following through to Australian dates in June and July. Check out his pages below for details.
Connect with Mick Hart:
BIG MERINO – OFFICIAL VIDEO HUMMINGBIRD
Daxton – ‘Live In The Studio’ Acoustic Album Release
Central Coast musician and singer-songwriter Daxton has recorded a bunch of live acoustic songs which will be released on his ‘Live In The Studio’ album, which was recorded by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios in Sydney. Daxton’s chilled out dreamy songs and moody, driving vocals make for a brilliant acoustic album which oozes a summery vibe.
‘Sanctuary’ is a great acoustic rendition of one of his most popular songs from the recent ‘In Verses’ album. Hearing it as simply vocal and guitar really shows the quality of the song.
Another album highlight is ‘Perfect Day’, a more country up-tempo and happy song featuring vocals and acoustic guitar, but still managing a strong catchy chorus, snappy verses, and even some “da da da’s’ to sing along to. Perhaps, best of all, its less than 2 minutes, which means it’s perfect to squeeze into playlist spots.
For some really nice bluesy slide acoustic and a catchy riff, go no further than ‘Ball and Chain’. It combines a great falsetto verse with a baritone chorus, adding to the rich tonal feel of the song.
With songs like ‘I Don’t Mind’, singing in high falsetto with jangly guitar line to the bubbly low tones of ‘Good Time Friends’ with its’ grungy sounding chords, ‘Live In The Studio’ covers all flavours.
Daxton’s music has been influenced by Captain Beefheart, The Dead Kennedys, The Church, David Bowie, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Killers, Mud Honey, The Pixies and Arcade Fire.
Hear the music:
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Mick Hart – The Way It Is first single from forthcoming album
Australian singer/songwriter Mick Hart has a brand new album on the way and its first offering is called The Way It Is.
You can check it out on the new SLC Playlist for March.
A “you done me wrong” break-up song with a catchy blues groove, The Way It Is grabs the listener with its addictive chorus that features some blistering guitar and Hart’s determined lyrical growl, “I don’t owe you nothing, that’s the way it is.”
It’s the first taste of his upcoming album, Awake, which is due for release this April 26th on MGM.
Mick will tour in support of the Album starting in Europe in April and following through to Australian dates from May.
ARIA nominated for “Best Blues and Roots” in 2002 for his sophomore album Upside Down In The Full Face of Optimism, Mick Hart occupies a sonic space that’s influenced by Jeff Buckley and Ben Harper, from sparse acoustic songs to wild dirty blues rock and some brilliant lap-slide guitar.
Listen to The Way It Is now:
Connect with Mick Hart:
The Sheyana Band – Soul Sister
Tasmanian blues act The Sheyana Band have a new single called Soul Sister and it’s one to listen out for on the upcoming Sounds Like Cafe playlist.
The single has just scored a top 10 spot on the Amrap Regional Charts!
First week number 9 and now march 20 the single has hit the number 2 spot.
Check it out on the new playlist
Soul Sister is a remix of a track from last year’s Big Love album, for which they won the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’s Victorian & Tasmanian Blues Music Award for Best Emerging Act/Artist of the Year.
Led by captivating frontwoman Sheyana Wijesingha, the band has recently performed at major music events in Tasmania including Party in the Paddock 2019 and they will also be appearing at the Fruit of the Roots Festival in Turners Beach, Tasmania this April.
The Sheyana Band has also received national & international recognition and airplay, supporting some of Australia’s most respected musicians including Hoodoo Gurus, Neil Finn, Meg Mac, Renee Geyer, Diesel, The Angels, Ian Moss and Bill Chambers.
The band will tour Australia later in the year and will also head to the UK, Europe & Sri Lanka for promo opportunities and some headlines shows.
Stay tuned for the upcoming Sounds Like Cafe playlist.
In the meantime, have a listen to Soul Sister NOW!
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Simply Beautiful, Beautifully Simple by R15ER
Bonus Feature Track
1 – Simply Beautiful, Beautifully Simple – R15ER – (from the single)
Halfway Homebuoy – Intermittent
Central Coast-based Halfway Homebuoy have just released their new album Intermittent – and within days, their video of Burning In The Sun has already had almost 40,000 streams on Facebook!
Watch the video here:
Intermittent is a collection of some previously-released favourite songs, performed live in the studio acoustically.
Halfway Homebuoy began as 3 Englishmen, 1 Swiss and 1 Australian and was formed in Verbier, Switzerland several years ago. After playing various bars during the ski season, they entered the UK’s biggest band comp, ‘Live and Unsigned’ and ended up in the top 100 out of 10 000.
The Current lineup is all Aussies bar founding member Jack Davidson
The band have a reputation as outstanding entertainers, performing songs that make you want to stamp your feet, with vocals and lyrics torn straight from the soul.
Halfway Homebuoy – Intermittent is out now on Foghorn through MGM.
Listen now:
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