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All Tours

The wait is over. Prayers have been answered; 5 years since their last whistle stop visit and 12 years since that last national tour Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White a/k/a Dirty Three finally return.

Already announced as a marquee act at Melbourne’s Rising Festival, Mick, Jim and Warren will bring their collective energies to venues in Canberra, Thirroul, Sydney, Fremantle, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane and Byron Bay this June.

“What joy to kick off the tour for our new album “Love Changes Everything “ in Melbourne Australia for the Rising Festival. Recorded in 5 days. Mixed in a year. Nothing has changed. Older and meaner, sadder and totally dangerous. Dirty Three are Thirty Three years old. Come blow out the candles and help us stick a knife in the cake.” – Warren Ellis London 2024

The trio that paints notes like stars in the sky. Back with new compositions to play and new stories to tell. They don’t get together very often these days. But to see them perform is to witness three men shoulder-deep in the task. The aching splendour. The meandering beauty. The mammoth swirl.

“For two hours, Dirty Three were the greatest band on any planet in any universe.” – FBi Sydney State Theatre review

“It’s impossible to find flaw with the performance, though its x factor is something collectively felt. A kind of accruing, song by fiery song, of irrefutable proof as to how truly great this band is.” – Sydney Opera House review – The Guardian

“Their songs, you know, maybe saved someone’s life.” They’re one of the world’s greatest living bands without a shadow of a doubt … It speaks straight to your heart.” – Jen Cloher (musician)

Don’t miss the greatest live band on the planet. Ladies & Gentleman from Melbourne Australia; Dirty Three

Sydney pre-sales available now. Sign up to feelpresents.com for exclusive access. All other cities on-sale 12pm Thursday April 4th except Canberra on-sale April 12th.

The new album Love Changes Everything out June 14th. Available for pre-order now via Remote Control

 


Mess Esque the collaboration of Dirty Three’s Mick Turner and Brisbane based vocalist Helen Franzmann (aka McKisco).

Formed remotely during covid lockdowns then releasing 2 albums in 2022 to much acclaim saw Mess Esque tour Australia, USA and Europe including being invited to play at Wilco’s Solid Sound festival in USA. Catch them in a rare Melbourne appearance at Northcote Social Club Thursday 4th April. The first one hundred tickets sold will receive a special Ltd Edition 7″ as part of their ticket price!

Supported by folk chameleon Jess Ribeiro promoting her fabulous Summer of Love  and Everything is Now singles off her soon to be released Summer Of Love album. Catch her in possibly her last show before an upcoming European tour.

“Mess Esque coalesce from ripples of guitar and shudders of emotion into the bumps and grooves of songs with biologic inevitability. Mick Turner’s aquatic guitar moods are met where they live and breathe by the vocals and dream imagery of Helen Franzmann aka McKisko, causing nights, moons, low tides and empty landscapes to simmer and implode.”

Like many good bands Chimers are a band born of isolation, not geographically though, via the pandemic.

Irish born Padraic Skehan and his life partner Binx, formed the band in their Wollongong backyard during the initial lockdown of 2020. Veterans and drummers both of the ‘Gong’s vibrant garage-scene – The Pink Fits, The Drop Offs, Evol and more – Chimers is an altogether different beast, Padraic taking a giant leap forward by removing himself from the back-seat and assuming the role of driver; singing, playing guitar and writing the songs that would eventually become their 2021 self-titled debut album.

It’s a sound and album that draws heavily on Skehan’s time as a youth in Ireland and the post-hardcore sounds of Dischord Records, Husker Du, The Wipers and which has seen the band find friends and favour in like-minds The Mark Of Cain, Henry Rollins, Guy Picciotto and Mudhoney. This is no mere nostalgia though, the band instead landing at the vanguard of a new generation of Sydney and surrounds bands – Body Type, Second Idol, Dust, Private Wives, R.M.F.C – borrowing from the past in order to create a future.

“Palpable urgency from Chimers… the playing engulfs all in its path” – Triple J

“Visceral and urgent, this combo packs a post-punk punk” –  Gimme Gimme Gimme zine.

“I ordered the Chimers LP, they’re really good!” – Henry Rollins

And although little recognised on its release Chimers is now in its fourth vinyl pressing as the band continue to find friends and influence others as the live shows keep on mounting.

 

 

The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper returns to stages this April in celebration of the remastered reissued vinyl release of 1992’s ARIA winning (Best Independent release) solo effort Black Ticket Day plus Law Of Nature, the 1984 post-punk classic from Kueppers influential post-Saints outfit, Laughing Clowns.

Released on March 29th and available for pre-order now, Black Ticket Day and Law Of Nature join recent reissued solo efforts; 1996’s Frontierland, the previously unreleased Mr. MiraKle, 1991’s much-celebrated Honey Steels Gold and the 1984 debut Electrical Storm as a part of Kueppers collaboration with Melbourne’s Remote Control records,

“Kuepper’s purple patch of the first half of the 1990s is something extraordinary, and Black Ticket Day (1992) is a jewel in his crown. It’s as expansive as its predecessor Honey Steel’s Gold yet more electric; features pop gems “It’s Lunacy” and “Real Wild Life” but also wig-outs like “Blind Girl Stripper” and “All My Ideas Run to Crime”. Law of Nature (1984) is a heat-haze of an album, drawing as Kuepper has said on memories of growing up in the semi-rural suburbs of Brisbane. It manages to find a perfect fit for the experiental colours of earlier Laughing Clowns releases within a set of disciplined song-forms. A classic of Australian post-punk featuring the original recording of ‘Eternally Yours.'” – John Encarnacao, author, Ed Kuepper’s Honey Steel’s Gold for 33 1/3.

For the April tour Kuepper will again feature drummer Mark Dawson, Sunnyboys bassist Peter Oxley, pianist Alister Spence and brass arranger Eamon Dilworth.

“This was a mesmerising performance with Kuepper’s band, containing decades of experience, delivering a thrilling set that was like a greatest hits collection. Celebrating the release on vinyl of two of his solo albums (‘Honey Steel’s Gold’ and ‘Electrical Storm’), Kuepper solo work is a brilliant mix of the esoteric, jazz, psychedelic and absolute unadorned commercial pop – sometimes all within one song.” – Backstreet Mafia

“The band is blistering; Peter Oxley and Mark Dawson are locked in as tight as Superglue stuck between two fingers. Alister Spence is masterful on keys. Eamon Dilworth on trumpet brings echoes of Miles Davis’s “Sketches in Spain” set to a solid backbeat. It rocks.” – i94bar.com

Tickets for all shows on-sale now.

Black Ticket Day and Law of Nature available for pre-order now via artistfirst


Isaac Et Nora is the project of a French-Korean family featuring Issac, 15 and Nora, 12 alongside their father Nicholas, who have become a viral phenomenon rescuing the spirit of the traditional Latin American song.

What started as a house game and an educational method taught by their parents, has now become a worldwide success with their videos organically accumulate tens of millions of plays and millions of followers in social media.

Their transition to Latin American songs was inspired by Isaac and Nora’s mom’s love of the genre. This ultimately led to their first hit song Veinte Años, which has amassed over 6.5 million views on YouTube. “I think this is a very important date in our lives because everything changed. It changed the way we play music,” Nicolas explains. Afterward, the music family went on to record their first album, Latin & Love Studies, which features songs from different countries in Latin America. Among them are Brazil’s Manha de Carnaval, Colombia’s Arroz con Coco, Cuba’s El Cuarto de Tula, and a Mexican pop song called Hasta la Raíz.

“The truth is, it’s the music, before the lyrics by the author or the meaning of the lyrics, it’s the melody, the rhythm, the ambiance that a song can create. That’s what matters to us.” – Nicholas

Following the release of that album in 2021 Isaac Et Nora undertook their first ever tour taking them to sold-out crowds across all of South America.

“People are so kind and benevolent. The concert at Sala Cantoral was incredible, before we came on stage people were already screaming,” Isaac said.

“Although it could be intimidating to play for the first time in all these great Latin American theaters, the public receives us with so much love, it’s reassuring and it gives us strength,” Nora adds.

“Nora carried the audience from before the minute that she walked on stage, in her very pretty velvet knee-length dress and her hair in a ponytail looking very much a 10-year-old. She had the audience eating out of her hand before she opened her voice.” – KNKX.org

And now Isaac Et Nora make their Australian debut and their first concert appearances in an English-first speaking country.

In the ever-expanding universe of sonic exploration, two iconic forces are set to converge in a symphony of innovation and power. Japanese heavy rock pioneers Boris, celebrating an astounding three decades of groundbreaking sound, join forces with J-Rock legend Kiyoharu for the unmissable “Heavy Rock Breakfast” tour, a post-pandemic celebration that promises to redefine the rock experience.

Already announced for the Golden Plains Festival, Boris, known for their relentless pursuit of sonic excellence of heavy rock, returns to Australian shores in 2024. The 4-piece Boris lineup, featuring the dynamic duo Takeshi and Wata, along with the incomparable Atsuo now reclaiming his original front-man role and a support drummer Osamu, promises an electrifying showcase of their evolution and musical prowess. Adding to the anticipation, Boris will headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne, make a triumphant return to Brisbane’s ?hm festival, and mark their first appearances in Adelaide and Perth since 2015.

“Social distance was asked in a Pandemic. Passion of rock was blocked in a social life. Rock is the culture to be handed down to the world once again. The ‘Heavy Rock Breakfast’ show will be to deliver full of our passion for rock straight into the audience.” – Boris

Joining Boris at the breakfast table is none other than J-Rock luminary Kiyoharu, making his inaugural voyage to Australia with a 4-piece band. Kiyoharu, a legend in his own right, has left an indelible mark on Japan’s music landscape with his unique blend of hard-rock and traditional sounds. Having achieved monumental success with Kuroyume and Sads, Kiyoharu ** is set to captivate Australian audiences with his charismatic stage presence and unparalleled musical legacy.

“In the world’s eyes, Japan’s rock history remains largely uncharted territory. It’s understandable, amidst the continuous emergence of brilliant music worldwide, there might not be a compelling need to delve into the history of a small Asian nation. However, Japanese music is now starting to exert its influence on the world to some extent. The opportunity to uncover the truth and the deeper layers of Japan’s rock history, deserving of proper recognition, is coming your way. Boris resonates its sound on the foundation of global rock, and, of course, the inheritance of Japanese rock. In this tour, we aim to integrate the history of rock worldwide, alongside the charismatic figure of Japanese rock, Kiyoharu. This tour carries such significance. From this ground, let’s grind, repaint, and update. Stay tuned.”– Atsuo / Boris

Boris, often hailed as game-changers in experimental heavy rock, brings their innovative spirit to Australian shores. Their latest release, “Heavy Rocks” (August 2022, Relapse Records), showcases their ability to channel 70s proto-metal vibes into something entirely new and groundbreaking.

Don’t miss the chance to witness the collision of sonic titans Boris and Kiyoharu as they serve up a feast of heavy rock like never before.

** Not playing Golden Plains

Tilmouth Oxley Marsalis are an exciting new all-star rock band from Sydney. Featuring former NoKTuRNL frontman, guitarist and Arrente man Craig Tilmouth, Sunnyboys / Ed Kuepper bassist Peter Oxley and gun for hire Dave Marsalis on drums. Together they create a racket via material written by both Craig and Peter and with the odd left-field cover thrown in (Sex Pistols, Thin Lizzy) to give you some measure of their sound.
They play just their second ever show Friday October 20th at the Gasoline Pony, Marrickville with guests The Night Packers. Tickets are just $10 and available now. https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1103106

Chimers aren’t even supposed to be here today.

The husband-and-wife garage-rock duo had planned to spend their Friday evening (11 August) celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary – that was until a call came through from one Kim Salmon at the 11th hour seeking a replacement for an ill Penny Ikinger.

As guitarist Pádraic Skehan jokes to the crowd: “Marry someone who’ll say yes to playing with the Beasts of Bourbon!”

It’s yet another feather in the cap of the two-piece, who have been supporting luminaries like Mudhoney, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes and Salmon’s other band The Scientists. More to the point, Chimers’ performances like the one they put on tonight truly put the ‘special’ in ‘with special Guests’.

Constantly on the attack, the mix of dissonant and distorted guitar chug against a driving drum wallop is best described as an unstoppable force hitting an immovable object.

The raw power of tracks like ‘Beasts’, ‘Surrounds’ and ‘Turn Out The Lights’ are only truly comprehended when they’re being blasted directly in your face. You’re left not wondering how they got the gig, but more why they didn’t have it in the first place. Joyeux anniversaire, Chimers.

Back from the realms of deepest, darkest outer-space Asteroid Ekosystem, Australia’s most dynamic improv-group, return with their only Australian show for 2023 and a brand new live album.

Recorded during a 4-week Sydney residency Nov-Dec 2022 Live at The Great Club, highlights the wondrous interplay between four amazing musicians; pianist Alister Spence, bassist Lloyd Swanton, drummer Toby Hall and guitarist Ed Kuepper as they weave their way around live highlights from 2020’s eponymous debut and two brand new originals.

“Forget the sky; the cosmos is the limit!”

“Set the controls for the heart of the Sun!”

To celebrate the release Asteroid Ekosystem return to Sydney’s The Great Club on October 21st for their only Australian appearance this year playing two sets in a show that is not to be missed. Tickets on-sale now!

Live at The Great Club will be made available in a limited vinyl and is available immediately via https://alisterspence.bandcamp.com/ and select stores.

After recent appearances at the Tomorrow Festival in Shenzhen China and Big Ears in Knoxville USA, Melbourne-born duo Xylouris White tackle Australia next with a debut appearance at the Queenscliff Music Festival and a run of east coast dates. The dynamic duo; lute player George Xylouris and drummer Jim White, will also include Meeniyan, Hepburn Springs, Hobart, Wollongong and Canberra alongside big city plays in Sydney and Melbourne.

The tour comes off the back of 2023’s release The Forest in Me an instrumental album drawn from multiple sessions spawned across two continents; Jim in New York City and George in Crete and pulled together by non-performing band member Guy Picciotto. If previous albums drew critical appraise the response for this, their fifth album, has been exultant.

“I absolutely love The Forest in Me; it smacks of confidence and creativity and is happy to shift expectations and deliver a sound so different to previous albums while keeping its core structure of lute and drums present. Each song surprises and leaves you wanting more, and at thirty minutes long, it is just too tempting to spin the thing again. I’ve enjoyed this duo (trio?) since Goats came along in 2014, but this short, sharp and dynamic project is the one I’ve been waiting for.” – Folk Radio UK

“When locked in to Xylouris and White’s deeply connected sound, it can feel like great secrets are being offered up to the listener, but heard in passing it’s barely anything at all. What magic.” – The Wire

Live Xylouris White are an even more compelling entity. White; with a style that can sound like a full band one minute and something stark and beautiful the next and Xylouris; a self-taught master of the lute with a background in traditional Greek folk and weddings, parties, anything – master musicians both with a supernatural power to express themselves as one.

“Two seemingly unconnected musical traditions could appear, on paper at least, as somewhat contrived, but Xylouris and White’s never less than compelling chemistry was as symbiotic as calm and storm, and rang as true as the dawn chorus. As timeless too.” – The Thin Air

Don’t miss Xylouris White live this summer. Tickets for all shows on-sale now.


“Our touch points are Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Stooges – those sort of acts. And maybe Melvins. Bits of grunge thrown in there as well. Little shades of Nirvana here and there”.

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs will make their present felt this December with an appearance at the iconic Meredith Music Festival, as special guests of The Mark Of Cain and for headline shows of their own.

Formed in 2014 and with four albums to their name Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have been slowing building their brand via those albums but more aggressively via a reputation for intense live shows. A pulsating blend of heavy riffs, swirling psychedelia and crushing volume that has seen them land festival spots on Levitation and SXSW (US), End Of the Road, Future Days, Raw Power and more while this October Pigs… will headline their biggest London show to date at the 2300 capacity Kentish Town Forum.

“When they started playing, the entire room shook and I felt my organs slowly making their way up to my esophagus. It was mesmerizing, violently loud, and so much fun. There was something so spellbinding about it, something that could only come from them and the genuine passion they played with.” – wnsradio.org

“in all honestly, I don’t think the smile left my face throughout the whole set, and although we’re only two months into the year, I’m already wondering who could possibly outdo this performance in 2023.” – re-sound.co.uk

Written in a week, their latest album 2023’s Land Of Sleeper has Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs finding a balance between the trademark Sabbath-like intensity of the live show and their experimental, free-form approach to songwriting – their 2017 debut album Feed the Rats featuring just three tracks over 37 mins  – and in the process, very much sounding like a band who are comfortable in their skin. It’s their most complete sounding album yet.

“They often embed their songs with the kind of efficiency you hear in the best pop music: Gaps between vocal lines are filled with mini-riffs, melodic hooks overlap to save space, and the immaculate production submerges nothing. This is an H. R. Giger painting of an album: all muscular, misshapen forms that look all the more strange—and perhaps even a little beautiful—the closer you look.” – Pitchfork

And the name? “it just came from a list of really preposterous band names, and we stuck with that one (laughs). We never thought we’d be where we are now, touring the States and things. We just thought we’d play a couple of daft shows in Newcastle and that would be that. But it kind of has really snowballed.”

Don’t miss the sound of your summer Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs live this December. All shows on-sale now.

“The record is UN-BELIEVABLE. It’s just one of the best things I have ever heard. I’m so proud to be involved.” – Henry Rollins

In 1995, The Mark Of Cain released their breakthrough album Ill At Ease. 28 years later and 20 years since its last physical release, Cooking Vinyl Australia are proud to announce the first-ever vinyl release for this seminal album.

Produced by Henry Rollins, a fan since his own band played with TMOC in 1992, and featuring the singles First Time. LMA & Tell Me plus crowd favourites Interloper, The Contender and Pointman Ill At Ease took the bands trademark brutal bass-heavy sound and lyrical themes of isolation to new terrain as they made the leap from relative obscurity in hometown Adelaide to the main stages of legendary festivals including the Big Day Out, Brisbane’s Livid Festival and Homebake.

“Ill At Ease was the qualitative statement for The Mark of Cain, describing the exigencies of life based on personal and also vicarious experience. Some called it a great “break-up” album, others “A low budget Gone with the Wind” (Rollins). There’s a little truth in both those statements, but mainly it was also a way to wrap my own interests in outsider and anti-hero literature into an aural landscape.” – John Scott

“What’s good about them is their precision, the real stripped-down ferocity. It’s a pared down, stripped back, gleaming EVIL MACHINE!” – Henry Rollins

And where previously the band had found their musical output at odds with prevailing trends Ill At Ease suddenly found them in sync, finding parallel and sympathy with bands like Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard and Helmet leading to radio support from national broadcaster Triple J and TV appearances via Recovery, Channel V and Rage.

The follow-up release, an inspired album of remixes entitled Rock ’n Roll captured another element of The Mark Of Cain, their endless groove, which led to reworkings of album tracks from dance-pioneer Paul Mac, dub warriors Biftek, industrial champions Franz Treichler (The Young Gods) & Justin Broadrick (Godflesh) and more. Paul Mac’s reworked The Contender was even issued as 12” white label and featured regularly on the Big Brother TV show as the exit music

A cover of the track Degenerate Boy from Australian band X produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, PiL) for the Australian film Idiot Box rounded out two years of intense recording and touring activity for the band which by the time of the digital take-over saw Ill At Ease racking up sales just shy of 30,000

All these and more are included in the remastered 2023 vinyl edition Ill At Ease. Available on gun-metal vinyl in a limited-edition gatefold sleeve complete with lyric insert and five bonus tracks.

And to celebrate the release The Mark Of Cain will tour, playing the album in its entirety for the first time, across all states this November-January.

But wait! That’s not all; a companion piece Livid Live ’96, the complete thirty-minute set from Brisbane’s 1996 Livid Festival, has been remixed by ABC engineer Phil McKellar and will be made available as a stand-alone album on blood red vinyl.

Ill At Ease and Livid Live ‘96 are to be released October 27th through Cooking Vinyl Australia and available for pre-order now from tmoc.com.au

ILL AT EASE – Deluxe Edition

Limited Edition – Full Remastered – Deluxe 2LP
Embossed Gatefold Sleeve, Gun Metal Grey Vinyl.
Cat# CVLP138

Side 1.
1. Interloper
2. Hindsight
3. First Time
4. Remember Me

Side 2.
1. Pointman
2. Details *
3. Walk Away

Side 3.
1. You Let Me Down
2. Tell Me
3. The Contender
4. LMA

Side 4.
1. Degenerate Boy *
2. Hindsight (alt. version) *
3. The Contender (Mac mix) *
4. Interloper (Who Made Who mix) *

* Bonus tracks.

LIVID LIVE ‘96
Limited Edition – Blood Red Vinyl
Cat# CVLP142

Side 1.
1. Interloper
2. You Are Alone
3. Tell Me

Side 2.
1. LMA
2. The Contender
3. First Time

Ladies and Gentlemen it’s time; introducing The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper, the first live band experience of Ed Kuepper’s solo material since 2009.

Featuring Ed’s legendary sparring partner Mark Dawson on drums, Sunnyboys bassist Peter Oxley plus celebrated pianist Alister Spence and brass maestro Eamon Dilworth, The Exploding Universe will tackle the best of Kuepper’s recent vinyl reissues Electrical Storm and the classic Honey Steel’s Gold this September. Tickets all shows on-sale June1st.

The reissues are the result of a deal Kuepper has struck with Melbourne based Remote Control records who have licensed the rights to all his post-Saints catalogue; Laughing Clowns, The Aints, 15 + studio solo albums and more which will see a select run of limited edition vinyl plus Kuepper’s long overdue catalogue addition to the digital realm.

“Friends, as you know, I’ve been full of happy announcements recently but announcing the shows I’ll be doing with this bunch of nifty musical dudes is one of my happiest. We’re going to be delving [as they say in rehearsals] into both the Honey Steel’s Gold and Electrical Storm albums, including some of the deeper cuts hardly heard since back in the day.  We’re also going to be hammering thru a fine selection of the many chart topping hits that have become associated with me.” – Ed Kuepper

Electrical Storm of course, was Kuepper’s first solo outing having spent the previous ten years spearheading two of Australia’s most pioneering and productive bands; The Saints and Laughing Clowns.

But with success largely eluding both those outfits Kuepper was resigned to retirement. Recently married though, and on his honeymoon he took an acoustic guitar and surprised even himself writing an album’s worth of material including some of his most enduring tracks Electrical Storm, Car Headlights and Master Of Twin Servants.

It was the beginning of a whole new phase for Kuepper that saw him become a leading drawcard across Australia’s burgeoning pub-scene of the 1980s and taking him ultimately to 1992’s ARIA-award winning Honey Steel’s Gold, an album that peaked at no.28 on the mainstream charts and which features his most well-known solo tracks Everything I’ve Got (Belongs to You) and The Way I Made You Feel. In 2010 Honey Steel’s Gold was even listed at no.50 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums joining an earlier work (I’m) Stranded by The Saints.

But the time of the Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper is now. Joined by some of Australia’s most creative musicians the Exploding Universe aims to both recreate and expand on the original forms and presents something totally unique.

Seven years on from their glorious Golden Plains debut Built to Spill return to Australia as special guests for Melbourne’s inaugural Eighty-Six Festival.

The ever evolving line-up of BTS will this time feature founding member, principal songwriter, singer and guitarist Doug Martsch plus Melanie Radford (bass) and drummer Teresa Esguerra, the same line-up as featured on the band’s new album When the Wind Forgets Your Name, their first for indie-giant Subpop.

“With When the Wind Forgets Your Name Martsch and Built to Spill have delivered a late career stunner that easily equals their best work.” – All Music

“Whether it was the Brazilian inspiration, Covid isolation, or just plain time for another solid BtS record, Martsch and company deliver.” – Glide

“One of the States’ great indie rock institutions” – Mojo

“As Martsch would perform his wizardry on any given song, Radford and Esguerra would look across the stage at one another and, in a symbol of organic musical bliss, they’d let out screams or hysterics, and Doug every so often would glance a warm expression of his own, a sign of approval for these two outstanding musicians.” – Park Lifedc

“Not many bands sound as good live as they do on their album. However, Built to spill is that rare jewel that sounds amazing in album and in concert.” – Amazon

Live at Golden Plains 2016
Live in 2022

Tickets on-sale May 18th.

Two of the hardest working men in show business Ed Kuepper & Jim White return for a short series of duo shows this summer.

Kuepper, having just completed a run of residency shows with his new instrumental project Asteroid Ekosystem and drummer White, taking a brief pause from international touring with Bill Callahan, Xylouris White and Marisa Anderson, will continue their journey of exploration via Kuepper’s extensive catalogue.

“We wanted songs that we could make unique to this performance – songs that in some cases were strongly identified with the Saints, Laughing Clowns or my solo stuff – but they needed to be taken out of their original context so that you wouldn’t really pick them as new or old. The Kid, Knife In The Head, The Year of the Bloated Goat, Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You, Honey Steels Gold and Pavane, amongst others.” – Ed Kuepper

“Extended crowd appreciation finally coaxes the two musicians back into the fray and we’re treated to a robust rendition of Kuepper’s solo track ‘Rue The Day’ to bring things home, both Kuepper and White standing by the end of the righteous and powerful performance and seemingly as engrossed in the music as the adoring, sold out throng before them.” – Steve Bell / Rhythms

Acoustic troubadour Darren Cross will join the duo opening on all six shows.

 

“Thee Oh Sees are one of my happy place bands. I can listen to any one of their records and feel better.” – Henry Rollins

“No point in arguing. Best band in the world” – Marc Riley BBC 6 / The Fall

OSEES (aka Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, etc) return to Australia this February off the back of 26th (!) album A Foul Form and a reputation as one of the world’s greatest live acts.

“Compared to the grander constructs of their latter-day Oh Sees albums, A Foul Form is a hit and run job where the music jumps in, leaves everyone stunned, and splits before the cops can show up. It’s a manic blast of pure energy with lots of smarts if you’re looking for them, and demonstrates Osees are never short on daring, ideas, and the skills to make them work.” – All Music

OSEES have transmogrified over time to fit many a moment. Mainstay singer/ guitarist John Dwyer forming the band in 1997 to suit his omnivorous whims; from hushed druggy folk to groovy demonic pop chants to science fictional krautrock expanse and beyond. It’s a formula – or lack of – that has endured them a worldwide cult-following and the enduring love of critics and fans alike.

It is common knowledge however, that at their shows, you’re there asking for a beating. 20 years going and the shows keep getting more and more intense, as many a soupy swarm can attest.

“Describing the experience of a Thee Oh Sees show is an exercise in futility, like trying to explain the vastness of the Grand Canyon to someone who has only seen it in pictures.” – Denver Post

“Overall, witnessing Osees live for the first time in a few years felt like the aural/physical equivalent of taking a beer-soaked lightning-bolt-fueled rollercoaster ride for over an hour straight. If that sounds fun and intense, well, it sure as fuck was.” – Glider Magazine

It has been four years since the then Oh Sees visited our shores but it will be the first for Osees.

An odyssey into the ether.

He may be Only Human, but Kieran Hebden works in mysterious ways. An outsider on the inside, two decades deep. Dance music’s DIY dissident, untethered from the machine and intent on capturing those elusive sonic threads.

Last time at Golden was pure magic.

Since, the Four Tet myth has only magnified. There’s been two albums, revered collabs, zig-zagging playlists, and KH bootlegs, sending both trainspotters and ravers into meltdown.

His DJ sets have a legacy of their own, masterfully weaving the Four Tet imprint through moments of intoxicating transcendence, gummy pop explosions and bass bin mayhem. Traversing the history of British dance music and anointing the future, while pulling in everything from Bollywood funk to DC hardcore.

It’s in this mode that KH returns to Listen Out with good friend Skrillex (amongst others). On-sale May 18

 


Daphni aka Caribou aka Dan Snaith‘s new album Cherry, his first since 2017, will be released on 7 October via Snaith’s own Jiaolong label.

Arrow, the first single taken from the album, is refreshing in it’s slow-reveal. It takes it’s time,
choosing to luxuriate in lush simplicity and draw the listener in. Speaking of the track Snaith says:

“‘Arrow’ is one of those tracks that’s happy to sit still – a loop that is content to keep
looping and less happy the more fussy the arrangement becomes. There have been
some really special moments when I’ve played it out – it’s not ostentatiously showy, no
big builds or drops… but it has a way of building a febrile atmosphere in a club. When
repetition pays off, it’s like staring at a Magic Eye picture as everything clicks into
focus.”

Whether in the studio or the club, Daphni has always been a pursuit where Dan
Snaith lets the music find its own path. With Cherry this is more evident than ever,
this sense of the tracks as objects with life and desires outside of Snaith’s control has
now become a driving force in their creation. Recorded over a prolonged period,
Snaith let the music go where it wanted to go. It wasn’t until he put everything he’d
been tinkering with together that he realised what he had. “It’s weird that when the
tracks were put in what felt like the right order it took on a new coherence” he says,
“where it pings quickly from one idea to the next and, at least for me, hangs together
in way that feels unified. Maybe because it’s hard to avoid the musical fingerprints I
leave on the music I make, whether I want to or not.”

The component parts have this same sense of independence, the essence of Daphni
always present over music that is more free-wheeling than it’s ever been, almost
escaping Snaith’s grasp as it tumbles and spirals. New gear and ways of working
meant Snaith was able to sit at the centre of the music but let things get away from
him a bit more as equipment began to make its own decisions before reeling it back
in to suit his purposes, or as he puts it “getting the snake to eat its own tail”.

Listen to the previously shared title-track, which received rave reviews from Pitchfork
(“It’s a summer anthem with sunrise raving written all over it”) and Resident Advisor
(“beauty in simplicity”) here. Pre-order Cherry here.

“Many acts make comebacks, more now than ever in fact, but I can’t remember feeling so much love in a room for an Australian band that, like its audience, was reliving its glorious youth. It was a fantastic experience.” – The Australian, Sydney Opera House 2013

Ten years on from their glorious live return following a 21 year hiatus Sunnyboys announce The Last Dance; a final summer tour and the last ever live shows. No animosity, no musical differences, just the satisfaction of a job well done and knowing that it’s time.

In the ten year period since their return Sunnyboys arguably achieved as much if not more as their original life-span. They co-headlined a sold-out A Day On The Green (with Hoodoo Gurus and Violent Femmes), set a venue record at Coolangatta Hotel (previously held by Noiseworks) sold-out multiple nights at Sydney’s Enmore and Factory Theatres and Brisbane’s The Tivoli, sold out shows at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Melbourne’s The Forum, Corner and Croxton Hotels, Perth Festival plus Thirroul, Byron Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast; re-released all three studio albums, released a live DVD and a live album, recorded and released four new tracks and sold countless t-shirts, beanies, caps, hoodies and badges and watched their eponymous debut reach double platinum sales. A remarkable achievement for a band still largely ignored by the mainstream.

The tour will run in conjunction with the release of Sunnyboys ’81-’84 a double vinyl band curated best-of featuring all the hits, the equally-as-good b-sides, fan faves, rarities and live material – many appearing on vinyl for the first time – and all drawn from their years as Mushroom Records recording artists. Sunnyboys ’81-’84 will be released in a limited edition of blue vinyl and is released on Nov 11th.

“Of the hundreds of bands, and thousand of people that we knew at the time, we’re one of the few that can stand up and say “We were really good at what we did, and we’re really proud of what we did” and we’re lucky enough to still be able to get up and say to people ‘We’re really proud to be able to present this to you now”.  Richard Burgman / Sunnyboys guitarist

The Last Dance… grab your partner and witness the magic one more time.

There will never be another Sunnyboys.

ASTEROID EKOSYSTEM

It’s not jazz, it’s not rock…Whatever you want to call it, this is one mighty sonic trip that paints colourful pictures in the mind.’ – Noel Mengel.

The Mothership has landed! Asteroid Ekosystem; the interplanetary sound craft featuring keyboardist Alister Spence (ASteroid) the legendary Ed Kuepper (EKosystem) plus Necks bassist Lloyd Swanton and drummer Toby Hall land in Marrickville this November for three Sydney only shows.

The mini-residency counts as shows 2, 3 & 4 for the largely improvisational quartet having made their debut in March this year off the back of their debut self-titled double CD release.“If you had to pin this album down, you might say it’s what could happen if Pink Floyd (circa 1969, in their experimental ‘scrabbling around looking for a post-Syd direction’ phase) collided with an unfeasibly muscular version of the Bill Evans Trio. Glorious stuff.” – Jazzwise

“.. there is so much to take in here, so many different images and moods. Hard to describe, but Asteroid Ekosystem is both powerful musical statement and the kind of musical gift that keeps on giving.” – Musictrust

Two sets each night and no support.

Strap in and prepare yourself for the ride when tickets go on-sale 9.00am Wednesday 21st September.

“We’ve been waiting so long to come down to Australia again – it’s been over 7 years since we’ve come down! We’ve been dying to do Meredith in particular for ages – Kieran (Four Tet) has been telling me we have to do it for years.”

Acclaimed Canadian electronic icons Caribou announce their long-awaited return to Australian shores with a string of shows hitting Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast throughout December. Tickets are on-sale at 9AM AEST, Thursday August 25.

Having already been announced as Saturday night headliners for the Meredith Music Festival, Caribou (aka Dan Snaith and pals) have now added a slew of east coast shows to their itinerary. The group will be performing at The Forum in Melbourne on December 11, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on December 13, The Tivoli in Brisbane on December 15 and The Nightquarter on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on December 16.

It’s the world-renowned dance act’s first Australian visit since 2015, and follows a European summer of major festival appearances including Glastonbury, Pukkelpop, Lowlands and more, plus upcoming slots at the Hollywood Bowl and NY’s Summer Sound Stage.

“We’re so excited about the show we’ve got ready for you – it’s the same full production audiovisual feast that we’ve been melting minds with at European festivals. We’re so thrilled to finally get to play it for amazing Australian audience.”

This tour will see the band performing in support of their 2020 album, Suddenly. Bursting with warmth and Caribou’s trademark technicolour, the album received widespread acclaim upon release from Pitchfork, The Guardian, NME and Stereogum. Featuring nu-soul classic “Home” and house anthem “Never Come Back”, the album landed on numerous year-end lists and saw Caribou’s global following reach even greater heights.

On their previous visit seven years ago, Caribou were riding the crest of a wave born of the album Our Love and single “Can’t Do Without You” which dominated clubs, parties, TV shows and advertising that summer, and saw the multi-instrumentalists headlining the electronica stage of the Laneway Festival. In 2015, they were the first contemporary dance act to both perform and sell out the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Their 2010 album, Swim saw the group achieve breakout success with underground hits “Odezza” and “Sun” and was named the Best Album of 2010 by Resident Advisor. Elsewhere in recent years, Dan Snaith has also released a slew of dancefloor heavers via his side-moniker, Daphni, including Summer 2019’s Sizzling EP.

Don’t miss your chance to catch one of dance music’s most revered live acts in the flesh as Caribou makes their long-awaited return to Australia this December.


… and so our heroes return; having wowed audiences with their take on 45 years worth of Kuepper catalogue Ed Kuepper ’n Jim White return to finish what they began back in May ’21 and before the world went topsy turvy (again).

Kuepper, of course, is the co-founder of ’70’s proto-punks The Saints, chief architect of the uncompromising Laughing Clowns and The Aints! and master songsmith over some 15+ solo albums, while White is the brilliant drummer of renowned instrumental trio Dirty Three, partner in the genre-defying Xylouris White and disciple of all things Ed.

“…both Kuepper and White standing by the end of the righteous and powerful performance and seemingly as engrossed in the music as the adoring, sold out throng before them. It’s a masterful display by this Brisbane legend and his new musical compatriot, long may Ed’s local reign over us continue.” – Rhythms

“After 90 minutes of watching their linchpins play and improvise together, it was easy to understand why geographical borders mean nothing to music this transcendent.” – AF

Coinciding with the tour(s) has been a trio of retrospective releases from Kuepper including a first ever solo singles collection, a handpicked best of from Kuepper post-Saints outfit Laughing Clowns and a live release from Ed’s very own Saints tribute The Aints!

“Across a rich career that stretches back to the first half of the 1970s, and spans such bands as The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints! and countless solo projects, Kuepper has had a singular ability to reinvent himself and to reinvestigate his own back catalogue from new perspectives.” – SMH

“I like how Ed Kuepper – like Lou Reed or Bob Dylan – doesn’t want to replay the hits as was and at the same time doesn’t pretend to not have a  past nor a future. In working with the musicians they play with, they revisit their material in new and old ways as well as creating new material and its not a binary problem, an ethic that seems relevant to all things to me.” – Jim White


With his largely sold out national tour (featuring drummer and Rising Artist in Residence Jim White) behind him, Ed Kuepper returns to home base this July and a weekly solo residency in Brisbane venue It’s Still A Secret.

Herr Kuepper will take to the stage every Wednesday at 8.00pm for approx. two hours in a show he has dubbed

Still Nights
Four Evenings of Reflection, Improvisations, Old and New Songs.
July 6, 13, 20 & 27

Nothing is off limits as the two times ARIA Hall Of Fame inductee covers material from a majestic 45 year career.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale 11am Wednesday 22nd June.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF TENSION TOUR- ENCORE!

The Mark Of Cain – the band dubbed least likely in their high school year book – return this August in celebration of being the South Australian Music Awards most recent inductee into the SA Music Hall Of Fame.

Comprised of brothers John Scott (vocals and guitar), Kim Scott (bass) and current and 11th drummer Eli Green, The Mark Of Cain have released five albums in their 35 year history including 1989’s debut Battlesick, 1996’s breakthrough Ill At Ease album (included radio hits First Time, LMA) and most recent release Songs Of the Third & Fifth (2012) featuring former Helmet and current Battles and Tomahawk drummer John Stanier.

Along the way TMOC have also achieved a series of first including being the first Australian band to work with legendary producer Steve Albini (Big Black, Nirvana, Page & Plant), the first Australian rock act to crossover into the dance market via their ground breaking work with local DJ / producer Paul Mac (a move later adopted by silverchair among others) and remain the only Australian act to be produced by former Black Flag frontman and US spoken word performer Henry Rollins. They have appeared in the soundtrack to movies Idiot Box (Degenerate Boy), various surf and skate films and had their track The Contender used as the exit music for contestants on TV show Big Brother.

It’s a remarkable achievement, unique, and all done without ever having relocated from their home city of Adelaide.

“This is much appreciated, it also addresses a common misgiving from our fans that we should have more recognition (our fans are always right you know) and although for ourselves, we’ve never been a band that seeks attention, we were always proud to be a band from Adelaide that could tour other states and show that Adelaide can and does produce great independent music and we have never compromised on that vision or belief. So we take it as a great honour for this recognition and invitation from SAMIA.” – John Scott

On sale now via feelpresents.com

 

THE RETURN OF THE FAB-FOUR!

In these times of floods and pandemic and gruelling election speak, there can be only one remedy: rock ’n roll! And who better to deliver that than Sunnyboys.

The fab four of Jeremy, Richard, Pete and Bil will emerge from the gloom to deliver a handful of low fuss, no frills, hi-energy rock ’n roll across a three states this winter, reminding us of better days and sunnier times to come.

“Closing the main set with I’m Shakin’, Sunnyboys left everything they had on the stage, pushing themselves to the limits even coming out onto the front speaker stacks for a shred.” gclive.me

“The Sunnyboys were meant to be heard live and their re-emergence was the greatest thing to happen in Australian music since Wave Aid (benefit concert for the Asian Tsunami).” – Weekend Notes.

“There’s so much love and respect in the room its quite remarkable, and the four-piece return the favour with Love To Rule and the irrepressible Tunnel Of Love preceding the first true banger Happy Man, which prompts the euphoric crowd into a singalong frenzy from the very first note.” – The Music

When they last toured in 2020 Sunnyboys chose the salubrious surrounds of Taronga Zoo, Melbourne’s Forum, Brisbane’s Tivoli; this time though, the band will get down and sweaty playing intimate venues more akin to their breakout year of 1981. It’s an experience not to be missed.

Melbourne pop-rockers Even will join the fun in Sydney and Melbourne while former Screaming Tribesmen Mick Medew & Michael Charles will bring their Mesmerisers to Brisbane and Byron Bay.

Get up front and personal this winter with Sunnyboys. Tickets on-sale 11am Friday May 6th.

Marisa Anderson channels the history of the guitar and stretches the boundaries of tradition. Her deeply original work applies elements of minimalism, electronic music, drone and 20th century classical music to compositions and improvisations based on blues, jazz, gospel and country music, re-imagining the landscape of American music.

In the last 15 years alone she has appeared on, collaborated with or released upwards of ten (10) albums including The Quickening, a duo release with drummer Jim White

The idea of a collaboration between the two developed while on the road together in 2015, Anderson playing solo and White playing with Xylouris White. The Quickening began in late 2018, where the duo initially agreed to meet in Portland OR to improvise and record. Happy with the initial recordings, the duo headed to Mexico City and into Estudios Noviembres, a time capsule of a studio from the 70’s that had been largely closed before some young engineers took it over. The “slight disorientation” of working in less familiar environments mirrored their willingness to plunge headfirst into exploring new sonic territory together. Anderson purchased a new nylon string Ramos-Castillo guitar from a Mexican luthier just ahead of recording which leant to the spontaneity of “The Lucky” and “The Quickening”. The duo did not rehearse or perform together prior to the recording sessions; as White puts it, “it’s good to suspend disbelief”

“To listen to any free improvised music is to hear another world, speaking its own spontaneous language. The Quickening comes from a place very nearby our own, now lost, but recoverable by listening.” – Pitchfork

“The Quickening… captures two masters at their most free.” – Exclaim

Australia marks the live debut for these two pioneers. Shows this special don’t come our way very often. Don’t you dare miss it.

Jim White and Emmet Kelly are The Double.
Jim plays drums and Emmett strums his electric guitar.
Another fella, James Turrell, is an American artist who plays around with light.
What do these guys have in common you may ask?
Well I went to see The Double play a few years back. They play a piece of music which lasts 45 minutes. Cool rhythmic drums and an E Major guitar strum. No changes. No slowing down. No speeding up, just constant. During the performance I kept hearing other melodies, bass lines, other guitar parts and sounds.
But there was only the two of them. What the hell was going on?
In James Durrell’s Skyspace installation at The National Gallery in Canberra, you sit in a circular room at Dawn or dusk and you look at or through a hole in the domed ceiling. As night turns to day or day turns to night
The light and colours change dramatically. But what I saw, the colours and changes in light were always
Slightly or greatly different to what my friend was seeing.
As with The Double, what I was hearing in my head was probably different to what other people were hearing.
In the light dome I was seeing blue black. My friend seeing orange yellow flames.
With both the music and the art, our minds were adding to the performance.
Twisting and turning.
Out of this world

– Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys / The Aints!)

RISING’s Artist in Residence, Jim White and long-term collaborator and guitarist Emmett Kelly (aka The Double) are joined by brand-new collaborator Jo Lloyd, to create a physically and musically intense catharsis to open RISING.

Jim White and Emmett Kelly bring the background of countless uninvented rock and roll songs, right to the front.

Traversing the space is choreographer Jo Lloyd and her dancers—their intricate patterns loop and persist, working against and with the sound.

In this takeover of a traditionally silent and reverent space—music and dance strike a balance between perpetual stasis and perpetual motion.

 

 

 

British musical raconteur Baxter Dury brings his indie croon-come-disco swagger to Vivid Sydney in his first Australian tour after a career spanning two decades. In that wry self-deprecating way of West Londoners, Baxter describes himself as ‘a guy in an ill-fitting ’80s suit singing over a synthesiser’. What he delivers is louche sardonic music fuelled by late-night London snapshots. Baxter’s chamber pop, shuffling basslines and comedown disco vibes all juxtapose a seedy bleakness with a sweet love for humanity.

After a topsy turvy youth and addled early adulthood, Baxter found an unlikely avenue into a musical career on the back of a performance at his old man’s funeral. That old man was no other than new-wave punk icon Ian Dury. Though Baxter never aspired to be a chip off the old block(head).

Instead, he has forged his own peripatetic musical path, mopping up vignettes worth intoning along the way. Minor characters often take centre stage in Baxter’s songs. Spinning wry stories of life among the well-heeled yet badly behaved, he has that rare knack for making the ordinary sound extraordinary. Hear him turn grey into gold as he surveys modern life’s underbelly in his whisky-bar-at-2am voice.

“Like his pater, Dury is a compelling performer, enchanting and amusing in equal measure. Between songs he engages in bluff, geezerish banter,… this scruffy cherub could be Jeff Buckley reincarnated as a Cockney stoner.” – The Guardian

 
Xylouris White, the two-headed monster comprised of Dirty Three / Springtime drummer Jim White and Cretan folk / lute legend George Xylouris return to Australia this June at the invite of Melbourne’s Rising Festival and for a special co-headline appearance with Scottish duo Arab Strap at the city’s premier venue, The Forum.

For Jim and George it will not only be their first Australian show in two years but the first time the pair have been in the same room in that time, their last confirmed sighting being Castlemaine, Victoria the day before the world turned upside down. In their time apart though, they have not been idle.

Jim learnt to record at home (in Australia) while George taught lute on zoom from Crete.

They worked on lots of music along with silent third member of the band, producer Guy Picciotto, including a sound track for UK filmmaker Rebecca E. Marshall.

As well as a deep archive of finished and unfinished music, Jim would record at home and at Guy’s studio in New York City and send files to George who would add layers of lutes and lyra ideas and Jim would overdub. Similarly, Guy would combine, excavate and create.

They have a new album ready; their  fifth, but now it is time to perform live.

“There’s a fearlessness to their playing: their knowing glances and nods reveal their shared intuition, and the occasional clunky moment comes as both a natural side effect and a welcome wrong-footing during an evening that is endlessly and joyously fluctuating” – The Guardian

On-sale March 21.

 

 

 

Mess Esque is the musical vision of Dirty Three guitarist Mick Turner & McKisko composer Helen Franzmann. Since forming via a lockdown-confined correspondence in 2020, they have recorded & released two records: Dream #12 (Bedroom Suck) & Mess Esque (Drag City/ Milk!).

Together they create a curious synthesis of dream pop, psych soul & ethereal indie rock. Effortlessly balancing bold emotional immediacy with a quietly assured sense of composure, Mess Esque draw the listener into their compelling world of sideways shadows & nocturnal projections. Franzmann’s dream diary reflections & cyclical refrains echo Turner’s tapestry of guitar, organs, flutes & scattered percussion. Melodies arch upwards dramatically before dissolving into diaphanous substratums of whispers & sighs. Songs unfold in their own time, drifting outwards before circling back to find themselves where they left off, each time the same but somehow different.

Their self titled album ‘Mess Esque ‘ on Drag City/Milk Records has been described as A DREAMY VISCERAL MASTERPIECE

“Mess Esque’ the album is an ethereal, gentle delight: yearning brittle and delicate vocals that glide over subtle but barely restrained instrumentation that adds a gold filigree to a barbed wire brush. It has the raw and visceral edge of Velvet Underground mixed with a dream pop blur.“ (Backstreet mafia)

Mess Esque play their first and only Sydney show at The Great Club, Marrickville Friday 13th May 2022. Tickets on-sale now via feelpresents.com

‘It’s not jazz, it’s not rock…Whatever you want to call it, this is one mighty sonic trip that paints colourful pictures in the mind.’ – Noel Mengel, The Music Review Loudmouth Magazine.

The brainchild of pianist and composer Alister Spence, Asteroid Ekosystem is a supergroup for the 21st century bringing together four of the countires most acclaimed and talented musicians. Spence; the leader of avant-improv group the Alister Spence Trio and touring keyboardist with Sunnyboys, The Aints! and Laughing Clowns, bassist Lloyd Swanton of jazz giants The Necks and the catholics), world class percussionist Toby Hall on drums and the legendary and pioneering Ed Kuepper; guitarist and founding member of The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints! and a solo career that has now stretched into 37 years.

“I first heard Ed Kuepper’s music more than thirty years ago. His interest in and skill with sound and improvisation came across so clearly. His songs always unfolded in interesting ways and often opened out to be extended by the players in his bands.” – Alister Spence    

Late in 2020 Asteroid Ekosystem released their eponymous debut album, a double length CD that took Spence’s verbal sketches and melodic cells into new and unknown terrain that earned them rave reviews from around the world and saw them shortlisted for the 2021 APRA/AMCOS Art Music Awards under ‘Jazz Work of the Year’.

With Kuepper’s schedule of releases and live activity – most recently with Dirty Three drummer Jim White – plus Swanton’s ongoing commitments with The Necks coupled with the many covid-inspired lockdowns meant live activity has not been an option for the fab four but finally a window of opportunity has opened up that will see Asteroid Ekosystem play live in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide this February-March.


ED KUEPPER WITH JIM WHITE

… and so our heroes return; having wowed audiences with their take on 45 years worth of Kuepper catalogue Ed Kuepper ’n Jim White return to finish what they began back in May ’21 and before the world went topsy turvy (again).

Kuepper, of course, is the co-founder of ’70’s proto-punks The Saints, chief architect of the uncompromising Laughing Clowns and The Aints! and master songsmith over some 15+ solo albums, while White is the brilliant drummer of renowned instrumental trio Dirty Three, partner in the genre-defying Xylouris White and disciple of all things Ed.

“…both Kuepper and White standing by the end of the righteous and powerful performance and seemingly as engrossed in the music as the adoring, sold out throng before them. It’s a masterful display by this Brisbane legend and his new musical compatriot, long may Ed’s local reign over us continue.” – Rhythms

“After 90 minutes of watching their linchpins play and improvise together, it was easy to understand why geographical borders mean nothing to music this transcendent.” – AF

Coinciding with the tour(s) has been a trio of retrospective releases from Kuepper including a first ever solo singles collection, a handpicked best of from Kuepper post-Saints outfit Laughing Clowns and a live release from Ed’s very own Saints tribute The Aints!

“Across a rich career that stretches back to the first half of the 1970s, and spans such bands as The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints! and countless solo projects, Kuepper has had a singular ability to reinvent himself and to reinvestigate his own back catalogue from new perspectives.” – SMH

“I like how Ed Kuepper – like Lou Reed or Bob Dylan – doesn’t want to replay the hits as was and at the same time doesn’t pretend to not have a  past nor a future. In working with the musicians they play with, they revisit their material in new and old ways as well as creating new material and its not a binary problem, an ethic that seems relevant to all things to me.” – Jim White

Ed Kuepper: Singles ’86 ‘- ’96 (CD, vinyl out now)
Laughing Clowns: Golden Days – When Giants Walked the Earth (vinyl only)
The Aints! Live At Marrickville Bowlo (vinyl only)


Following two sold-out world wide live streaming performances, Australian musical icon Ed Kuepper returns to the stage in person, with two intimate solo performances: July 24th & 25th at The Outpost, Brisbane’s hottest new sit down venue.

Kuepper, the craftsmen of some 150 songs across 15+ solo albums plus an earlier career as chief songwriter for acts the Laughing Clowns and The Saints will be taking requests, playing personal favourites and maybe even some new tunes too.

Don’t miss Ed Kuepper solo, live and electric in these increasingly rare live performances: July 24 & 25th Brisbane, The Outpost.

Tickets on-sale now!

Xylouris White, the two-headed monster comprised of Dirty Three / The Double drummer Jim White and Cretan folk / lute legend George Xylouris return to Australia this March as special guests to both Bill Callahan and Stereolab and, for a series of headline shows. The tour comes in support of their 4th album and the 2nd for ABC Music The Sisypheans.

“Once again, Xylouris White create a new musical world” – PBS-FM feature album

“In revisiting the traditional directly, and investing it with such a disciplined application of freedom, Xylouris White’s The Sisypheans is their most compelling record to date.” – AllMusic

The dynamic duo will tackle Perth, Sydney, Castlemaine and will also feature at this years Brunswick Music Festival. Bandidas, a brand new trio featuring George’s daughter Apollonia, will also appear in Melbourne as support.

“What we’re doing drives us, takes us, to what we’re looking for,” explains Xylouris. “You find things. You learn things. And that’s the treasure.”

Tickets for all shows * are on-sale Friday 24th January. All other shows on-sale now.

In 2020 Sunnyboys will celebrate 40 years since their inception (though a mere 12 years of actual existence) via a new release SUNNYBOYS 40 that brings together the first ever re-release of the band’s much loved 1980 eponymous debut 7” (featuring the original version of the all-time classic Alone With You) alongside four new recordings culled from the archives of chief songwriter Jeremy Oxley. The full length 8-track album will be released on November 29th via all formats including a limited edition vinyl release complete with hard cover 12 page 30cm x 30cm photo essay of the band as well as CD, cassette and all digital platforms.

“You can’t keep a good band down. These new and revitalised songs take it back to the reason behind the band in the first instance. The 40 years in between is nicely depicted in the change in voice while the energy and craftsmanship is still there in the sound, albeit a little fuller and rounder. I guess, it’s just like us too really… “ – Jeremy Oxley

Sunnyboys 40 is available for pre-order from Oct 24th via artistfirst.com.au
Retail release November 29th.

And what better way to celebrate both the new release and the milestone anniversary than by doing what Sunnyboys do best – play live! And so Sunnyboys hit the east coast this February including first time ever shows in Torquay and for Sydney’s Twilights @ Taronga. Special guests Painters & Dockers will join Sunnyboys for the shows in Victoria and Brisbane while garage rockers  Rocket Science will join the birthday boys in Sydney and both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Pre-sale tickets for all shows on sale now!

Art-pop pioneers Stereolab return to Australia this March for major events at Melbourne Zoo and Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival as well as headline appearances in Sydney & Fremantle.

The London based group lead by founding members Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier broke their ten year hiatus earlier this year via appearances for Spain’s Primavera Festival and So-Cal’s Desert Daze extravaganza alongside a reissue programme that has seen seven of the band’s ten albums given the deluxe reissue treatment. The ten year break also equalling their time away from Australia when they last appeared in 2009 for the Laneway Festival.

Across their original two-decade run, the French-English combo compiled an astonishing collection of retro-futuristic music, experimenting at the intersection of krautrock, lounge music, French yé-yé pop, and vintage rock ‘n’ roll – like Air if they rocked or Yo La Tengo if they built their music for hipster Parisian discotheque.

“Their hour-and-a-half long set was an expansion trip in its entirety. The band was tight and showcased some serious instrumental talent. Their set ranged from french disco to heavy ’60s inspired psych sounds and the crowd was loving it.” – Mxdwn Desert Daze review

“There’s no new material tonight, and no promises of any new records, but with this amount of energy, and their existing catalogue retaining such relevance and resonance, it’s a joy to have them back.” – Loud & Quiet Primavera review

“Stereolab sound fantastic, locking into grooves that feel both insistent and lissom.” – The Guardian June 2019

Special guests Underground Lovers join Stereolab in Sydney while the propulsive rhythms of Xylouris White support in Fremantle

“Intense, spellbinding singer at his deadpan best …Callahan is some kind of genius. Introduce yourself.” – The Guardian

Bill Callahan returns to Australia next March this time carrying a full band and Cretan-Australian duo Xylouris White with him.

The 2020 tour follows successive sold out visits for the Sydney Vivid Festival in 2017 and 2015 plus extra-curricular shows in Melbourne including a sold-out six night at Howler. This time Callahan brings new material following the release earlier this year of Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest – a double album – and his first since the much celebrated Dream River in 2013.

“A long time coming, but well worth the wait, ‘Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest’ is a rich and complex album, layered with beautiful explorations of birth, life and death” – NME

“Shepherd feels like his most something album ever—his warmest, his most generous, possibly his most profound. It is his longest, for sure, lounging comfortably across four sides of vinyl, none of it wasted. It is a high note, fond and deep and sustained.” – Pitchfork

As with the last two visits the lanky Texan will be accompanied by regular touring guitarist Matt Kinsey, his shapes and sounds the perfect compliment to Callahan’s lyrical landscapes while first timers; stand up bassist Brian Beattie and drummer Adam Jones, add the movement and colour.

Adding further depth, Xylouris White; the unlikely combination of Dirty Three drummer and sometime Callahan associate Jim White and Cretan lute playing legend George Xylouris, will join Bill for all east coast headline shows. XW themselves will release a new album The Sisypheans this November.

Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest is available now via Spunk Records
The Sisypheans is released November 8th via ABC Music

On August 3rd 2019 The Celibate Rifles lost their beloved frontman and friend Damien Lovelock.

To commemorate his passing and to celebrate his (musical) life The Rifles – alongside Damo’s cover band project The Centrerlink Surfers – will pay tribute to Damien by covering his musical career from But Jacques The Fish to Wigworld via a selection of Damo’s jukebox faves and more.

Mega-Rifles fan and Dead Kennedy’s frontman Jello Biafra will also join the tribute with a one-off Sydney live performance lending his vocal to a series of Rifles tunes with added MC and DJ duties.

ABC journalist heads Steve Cannane will also head a list of those providing testimonials while celebrated surf-film maker Jack McCoy will provide the visuals.

It’s a one-off, never-to-be-repeated event – just like the man himself!

Come and celebrate the life of a unique individual: Damien Lovelock. Sunday 22nd September, The Factory Theatre Marrickville 4.00pm – 8.00pm.

The last time drummer Brendan Canty and bassist Joe Lally were in a band together, they were the rhythmic architects for Fugazi, an organization whose decade and a half of disciplined progressivism provided a necessary bridge between the zenith of late-punk expression and everything alternative in rock that followed. In 2016, the two were enlisted by guitarist Anthony Pirog in a conspiracy to subvert and reimagine the power trio, bringing fully into the 21st Century a form that may have reached near perfection with Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys on the very first day of the 1970s.

“The freewheeling musical interplay of the band often sounded like improvisation, but ultra-quick changes and rhythmic variations attested to the fact that this incredibly complex sonic tapestry was both scripted and obsessively rehearsed.” – Riff Magazine 2019

This will be the first visit to our shores for the Fugazi rhythm section since that band’s final Australian tour of 2003 while for jazz-trained guitarist Pirog it will be his first. The tour follows the release of the trios eponymous debut album (Dischord) in March 2018 and new album Anthropocosmic Nest due in September.

Sunday 27th October Hobart, The Altar. On-sale Wednesday 21st August https://feelpresents.oztix.com.au/


The Mark Of Cain return to the stage this October performing their debut album Battlesick in its entirety. 

Originally released in 1989 via indie Adelaide label Dominator Battlesick sounded like no Australian album before it or since. Tracks like Wake Up, Dead Man’s Mail, The Setback, Call in Anger and the title track addressed the fear of dreams, the threat of death, anger over disappointment and personal setbacks; not exactly the subject matter of an era when Kylie Minogue was queen and Ratcat were primed to become the pinnacle of the underground. It did not chart and in Australia it was barely heard outside of Adelaide however, it’s resonance did find an audience even if that audience had to come from places farer rather than near. 

“Like I heard the song Wake Up and I was like ‘whooah’, I woke up! And then I heard the song Battlesick and it was all over for me, that’s just an amazing song. For me, just as a songwriter, that’s the song for which you wish you wrote the lyrics. Like ‘damn man, he wrote Battlesick, that fucker. Let me write that. I mean the imagery in the song is amazing and Deadman’s Mail, that’s just incredible” – Henry Rollins

“It was the height of my fixation on Vietnam and the idea of the countless unknown heroes who walk among us” – John Scott (TMOC)

The precision three piece which features brothers John & Kim Scott (on guitar and bass respectively) plus drummer Eli Green (a touring member of The Mark Of Cain since 2014) will also a perform a second set or extended ‘encore’ of classics from right across their five studio albums strong career. The 2019 tour marks the first national tour by The Mark Of Cain band since 2015.

“With no frills and an attitude of absolutely zero bullshit, The Mark Of Cain mercilessly pummelled the audience into submission with a wall of sound so dense it was truly hard to believe it was emanating from a three-piece band.” – Scenestar 2015

Completing the touring line-up and making their Australian debut will be Washington DC three piece The Messthetics featuring Brendan Canty and Joe Lally (both ex-Fugazi) alongside guitarist Anthony Pirog. This will be the first visit to our shores for the Fugazi rhythm section since that band’s final Australian tour of 1997 while for jazz-trained guitarist Pirog, it will be his first. The tour follows the release of the trios eponymous debut album (Dischord) in March 2018

“The freewheeling musical interplay of the band often sounded like improvisation, but ultra-quick changes and rhythmic variations attested to the fact that this incredibly complex sonic tapestry was both scripted and obsessively rehearsed.” – Riff Magazine 2019

Together The Mark Of Cain and The Messthetics makes for the hard rock thinking mans most essential live event of the coming months – or ever!


NEW AND OLD DREAMS (UNEDITED / UNHINGED)

In addition to his just announced shows with The Aints! Ed Kuepper will also take to the road for a series of regional dates as he starts preparing material for a new solo album.

“I’m hitting the road again this September debuting a swag of new material which will hopefully see light of day on my planned next solo album ”Electricity, the High Priest of all Security” plus pulling apart some familiar and some not so familiar tunes from my past catalogue to see what makes it all tick… I’m looking forward to it. Hope to see you there.”

Former ARIA award winner, Saint, Laughing Clown and owner of some fifty + albums bearing his name Kuepper will take in first time appearances at Red Hill and Old Bar as well the less frequented Castlemaine, Bellingen, Katoomba and more.

Tickets for all shows on-sale now.

The Aints! comprise Ed Kuepper, Peter Oxley, Paul Larsen Loughhead, Alister Spence & Eamon Dilworth. 

Formed in 2017 The Aints! original brief was to recreate the sound and energy of The Saints, the band co-founded by Kuepper in 1973, as they celebrated 40 years since the release of that band’s groundbreaking debut (I’m) Stranded in 1977. With such talent at play though, it wasn’t long before this inspired five piece created material of their own. An album The Church of Simultaneous Existence, comprised entirely of Kuepper originals written in the period 1969-1978, was was released internationally to much fanfare and was a hit with fans and critics alike.

“…it’s like manna from heaven to anyone who’s worn smooth The Saints three Harvest albums” **** Mojo

“It blisters. It belts. Man its so damned good.” – 8/10 Classic Rock

“For songs that range from almost 40-50 years old, they sound timeless.” – Baltimore Out Loud

5-6-7-8-9 (the name taking it’s cue from The Saints’ 1977 4-track ep release 1-2-3-4) is the next release from The Aints! A 5-track mini-LP comprising alternate versions of album tracks Goodnight Ladies (single edit) and Country Song in G (acoustic) plus reworked versions of tracks from Kuepper’s 50 albums strong catalogue including Memories Are Made Of This (The Saints, 1978) Laughing Clowns (Laughing Clowns, 1980) and Hang Jean Lee (Ed Kuepper & The Kowalski Collective, 2007).

Lead track Goodnight Ladies (I Hear A Sound Without), with it’s glam-stomp and bubblegum-brass, is the oldest track Kuepper has ever committed to disc with its origins acting back to 1969 when Ed was still a schoolboy, continuing it’s development up to 1973 and finally reaching completion in 2017.

Laughing Clowns meanwhile, was the final song Ed ever wrote for the original Saints; presented to singer Chris Bailey back in 1978 but passed over leading to the band calling it quits that year. Kuepper would then appropriate ‘Laughing Clowns’ as a band name and a new sound for his immediate post-Saints outfit, but it is presented here closer to it’s original form.

To celebrate the imminent release of 5-6-7-8-9 The Aints! will hit the road for shows both city and regional. For select shows The Aints! will perform two sets will others will feature Kuepper under the non de plume Colonel Kramer appearing in duo mode with The Aints! brass arranger Eamon Dilworth and his One Man Brass Ensemble.

Tickets for all shows on-sale Wednesday April 10th.

5-6-7-8-9 will be released Friday June 14th on CD, digital and vinyl via ABC Music.

For the first time in their celebrated three decade career, Melbourne instrumentalists the Dirty Three will perform their self-titled 1994 debut album in its glorious entirety, at a very special one-off show in the epic Concert Hall.

Exploding onto the local scene in the early 1990s, violin player and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, guitarist Mick Turner, and drummer Jim White established a reputation for their fiercely original, shapeshifting arrangements that mixed cacophonous feedback, soaring melodies and unusual instrumentation, captured in their seminal Dirty Three record with tracks like the propulsive opener “Indian Love Song” and yearning, pastoral “Kim’s Dirt”.

Join Dirty Three for one of their notoriously combustible live shows. Experience White’s spectacular drumming, Turner’s perfectly modulated guitar, and Ellis’s virtuoso violin freak-outs, often accompanied by the latter’s surreal stage banter and strange tales.

STOP PRESS: Warren Ellis will be ‘In Conversation’ with Double J‘s Zan Rowe June 15th at Hobart Town Hall. Details to the right.

Its J Mascis live, what more do you need to know? 

The frontman for Dinosaur Jr has just released Elastic Days, his fourth solo studio album and third for legendary indie label Subpop. Its his first solo release since Tied To A Star in 2014.

“[Elastic Days is] an indie rock fundamentalists tour of how it’s done. “It” being defined as writing the best folksy, electric and acoustic guitar tinged songs this side of rock music.” – Alternative Nation

Mascis played all the instruments on the album which also features guest appearances from Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession) and Mark Mulcahy (Miracle Legion) and Zoe Randell of Aussies Luluc.

The video for the albums title track, the title track, features the tragic comedy of cabaret comedian Dina Martina. Says J of the video “I’ve been a big Dina Martina fan for a long time. I’ve seen her perform many times over the years. I’m glad that I got her to do this video before she becomes an untouchable superstar. I am amazed at how the video came out, I’m so psyched.”

On tour Mascis plays an acoustic guitar plugged into an amp with his usual main boggling array of pedals and effects. Its still loud.

“… big alternative hits like a stripped back ‘Get Me’ proved favourites, with Mascis’ liberal use of effect pedals and looping providing a deceptive full-band sound at times.” – Scenestar Sydney review.

J Mascis tours Australia this March playing Adelaide Festival, The Farmer & The Owl Festival, Brunswick Music Festival and a whole bunch off headline dates. 

It’s J Mascis live. What more do you need to know?

Photo: Dallas Killponen

Summer fun with the SUNNYBOYS, this time tackling regional centres with an all star bill. Tickets and full info here.
Get some fun!

After a 21 year break, Sunnyboys re-entered the fray in 2012 at the behest of a Hoodoo Gurus invitation after agreeing to regroup “just for fun and for old times’ sake”. Six years later andSunnyboys 2.0 have notched up a resume the envy of any band – contemporary or vintage – including a co-headline appearance to 45,000 people for A Day On The Green 2015; a succession of sold-out shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre and the Sydney Opera House, a venue attendance record at the Coolangatta Hotel (previously held by Noiseworks) plus sold-out shows (multiple times over) in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Perth and venues across the nation. The current edition of Sunnyboys features all the original members who are making the most of their second chance as a touring outfit.

As her stunning new album ‘Broken Politics’ hits stores and online this week, legendary pop icon Neneh Cherry has unveiled her full Australian tour, hitting our shores this January including not-to-be-missed appearances at the Sydney Festival and Tasmania’s MONA / FOMA.

With a career spanning three decades and hits like ‘Buffalo Stance’ and ‘Manchild’, Cherry has always been an artist with something to say, stamping her mark on the world with feminist anthem ‘Woman’ and her commentary on world issues in her iconic hit ‘7 Seconds’ with African singer Youssou N’Dour.

Produced with British electronic legend Four Tet and showing yet another artistic transformation, Neneh Cherry holds a mirror up to the world on ‘Broken Politics’, showing the beauty and ugliness of modern society touching on issues like gun control, feminism and race.

“I’m very shy about taking on big themes with the airs that I’ve got a solution – who has the f*cking solutions?” I like writing from a personal perspective, and the time we live in is so much about finding your own voice. People have been left feeling misheard, misunderstood, and disillusioned. What the f*ck can I do? Maybe politics starts in your bedroom, or your house—a form of activism, and a responsibility. The album is about all of those things: feeling broken, disappointed, and sad, but having perseverance. It’s a fight against the extinction of free thought and spirit.”

And joining the appearances at both the Sydney and MONO / FOMA Festivals will be headline appearances in Melbourne & Adelaide plus a first ever appearance in Brisbane.

“Neneh Cherry’s Kong is absolutely phenomenal” Clash Mag

“Musical icon Neneh Cherry played an important role in British protest and pop in the 80s and 90s, moving from Sweden…to London when she was just 16 and becoming involved in the city’s punk and squatting scene. She’s not stopped protesting since” DAZED

“Kong captures Cherry’s eternal vibe, an impeccable cool wrapped in weary wisdom.” NPR

“Few artists can craft such a minimalist, forward-thinking protest song some three decades into their career…Cherry makes the task look easy.” Pitchfork – Best New Music

With his 2018 London shows selling 19,000+tickets in less than two hours and his entire US tour selling out in just one day, Feel Presents are proud as punch to announce to announce a one-off Australian show for pioneering UK electronic artist Four Tet.

Four Tet a/k/a Kieran Hebden will perform ‘In The Round’ on the dance floor of Sydney’s iconic Enmore Theatre – a first for the theatre and an Australian first for Four Tet. 

“For the first fifteen minutes of the show, we are walking on clouds. The music is pretty, rich, drifting. Then he drops the bass. This passive, dignify crowd leaps to its feet and the Opera House becomes a festival crowd, hollering for the peaks.” – Vice Magazine

Tickets for the essential one-off appearance will go on-sale 7.00am sharp Friday March 1st. No pre-sale, no ballot, first in first served.

Also playing Sydney’s emerging Days Like This Festival (DJ set) Golden Plains (live set) and Pitch Music & Arts Festivals (DJ Set)

“Four Tet leads a stomping crowd through a beautiful, banging set. The dirtier grime and dubstep influences on “Pink” and “Beautiful Rewind” are gone, and the deep house spiritualism is left: “Jupiters”, “Ba Teaches Yoga”, “Sing”, a running fever dream of sweet, steady beats. He closes with “Morning Side” from his recent Morning/Evening LP, Lata Mangeshkar’s voice billowing out around hall, a glowing heart in the curtain of light, pulsing slowly with the music.” – Thump

 

 

Xylouris White, the visionary duo formed of Cretan lute player George Xylouris and Australian post-punk drummer Jim White (Dirty Three) return to Australia to perform at BAM. After shows at the Sydney Opera House, and an album launch in Melbourne to celebrate the release of their third album. Mother continues the duo’s visionary concoction of free-jazz, avant-rock and ages-old Greek folk traditions that saw their 2014 debut album Goats top the Billboard World Music chart.

“It’s dark and magical music, and there’s nothing else like it.” – TheArtsDesk.com *****

“George and Jim continue to evolve their arresting arranged marriage between gnarly tradition and free-flowing adventure. Simultanelously rooted and rootless, we might call the results Otherworld Music.” – Uncut 8/10

“If it sounds like gypsy punk one minute and unspun folk balladry the next, that’s simply the happy fruits of these defiantly distinctive players exploring their own instruments” – Weekend Australian ****

‘Mother’ is that good – Mojo ****

STOP PRESS!
DO RE MI PLAY MARRICKVILLE BOWLO //
FRIDAY 1ST MARCH.
ON-SALE NOW!

Do Re Mi, arguably the most successful Australian act of the post-punk era, make their long overdue return this summer for the By The C Festival appearances (featuring Icehouse and Sunnyboys) and headline shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The Sydney born band featuring singer Deborah Conway and bassist Helen Carter are best known for the chart hits Idiot Grin, Adultery, Guns and Butter; the indie chart topper Standing On Wires and the controversial Man Overboard.

It’s May 1985 and Virgin Records execs in London and Sydney are worried. Their first Australian signing, the staunchly independent Do Re Mi, wants to release Man Overboard as the first single from their debut album Domestic Harmony. Mainstream radio won’t play the single unless the band cuts the controversial lyrics ‘your pubic hair is on my pillow’ and ‘you talk about penis envy, your friends applaud’. Predictably, the band refuses.

Man Overboard – with lyrics intact – went on to reach the Top 5 in Australia and critical acclaim in Europe and the UK. The album, Domestic Harmony reached #4 in the mainstream charts and Gold album sales in October ’85 with the help of hundreds of live shows, critical acclaim, a solid schedule of TV and radio performances and positive press reviews. In 1986 Domestic Harmony won three Countdown Awards – the pinnacle of achievement in Australian music at the time. Numerous other press and popular awards also cemented their crossover success.

Come 1988 though, and after the recording of a third album with legendary UK producer Martin Rushent, the band would go their separate ways. Depending on who’s telling the story, the cause was either a planned hiatus, a record company plot, or a bizarre gardening accident … 

30 years later, and following a successful solo career (Conway) and a career in non-profit management, working for Greenpeace, aged care and disability organisations (Carter) an invitation for Do Re Mi to appear at the inaugural Australian Women in Music Awards proved the catalyst for the reformation but other factors played a part too. Bassist Carter explains… 

“Playing those songs again and listening to the words, I’m struck by how danceable they are and sadly, how the forces we railed against persist. Those songs are still relevant and it goes to show how long it takes for real social change to happen.”

Says Conway “After 30 years we’re opening a time capsule and rediscovering artefacts that have been out of circulation for more than half my lifetime. Breathing life back into this treasure trove of tunes, words, riffs & rhythms is a loving enterprise. I come to them again with an appreciation of our passion, affection for our naivety & awe of our energy; I am looking forward to reopening that time capsule for our older & wiser audiences & for their great grandchildren ;-)”

The reinvented Do Re Mi will also feature drummer Julia Day and keyboardist Clio Rener – why the all-female line-up? Put simply, it is a well-timed moment to showcase women playing the type of strident, challenging music the songs of Do Re Mi represent. Balancing the gender scales, if you like. Always asking questions, debating the answers, and having fun making a damn fine racket. 

Its Do Re Mi: musically, socially and politically as relevant now as they were then.

**************************************************************************************************

Forty years after the release of (I’m) Stranded – one of the great Australian debut albums of all time – Ed Kuepper returns with a brand new band and a brand new contender for the title: The Aints! The Church of Simultaneous Existence.

Made up from songs, musical elements and bits and prices that Sir Ed wrote from when he began high school in 1969 and started seriously fantasising about being in a band through to the Saints implosion in 1978 and arranged by The Aints! over 2017-2018, The Church of Simultaneous Existence is an album 40 years in the making. From the glorious slash and burn of Stranded-era track SOS ’75 via the horn-driven Red Aces (the mooted follow up to 1977s classic 7″ Know Your Product) to Winters Way recorded and released originally by the Laughing Clowns for their 1984 swan song LP Ghosts Of An Ideal Wife but written in 1975 and presented here closer to it’s original form.

”Things had started to move fairly quickly once The Saints recorded  [I’m] Stranded (Fatal Records) in mid ’76. We recorded three albums over the next two years as well as doing a fair it of touring, and for a while things were looking very promising, however, business problems, compounded by personal and artistic differences meant the band didn’t get around to recording all the material I had lying around….so forty [very] odd years later it occurred to me that these songs might well have made up a hypothetical 4th album….The Church of the Simultaneous Existence…..the songs that refused to die….performed in much the way they would have had the band not split up in 1978’” – Ed Kuepper.

In celebration of the albums release The Aints! also featuring Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys), Paul Larsen Loughhead (The Celibate Rifles / The New Christs) and jazz soloists Alister Spence (keybaords) and Eamon Dilworth (brass) will hit the road this spring for an extensive national tour performing all your new favourites from The Aints! with a treasure trove of classics from The Saints.

“It was a life changing moment when as a teenager I watched the Saints perform live on TV a slouching, hypnotic and blistering “Erotic Neurotic” with what I still consider today as a totally amazing, wrenching, electrifying guitar solo still in my top 3 of all time. That song and the classic album it came from still sounds as timelessly great as it did then, not to mention the rest of their brief legacy, Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds. And, having recently experienced the Aints live, it is cultural gold that a new album with unrecorded songs from that era will finally see the light of day!’” – Mick Turner (Dirty Three)

“I started my first high school band a few weeks after buying Eternally Yours. I learnt how to play most of the songs on guitar. It’s rare a band can make a perfect album, let alone three… It’s even more extraordinary when 40 years later a fourth will be revealed.” – Jake Robertson (Ausmuteants / School Damage)

There is no doubt about it, Joan Jett and her Blackhearts are responsible for some of the most anthemic punk & rock songs of all time. With songs like Cherry Bomb is a track that is embraced by girls all over the world. Bad Reputation was recently certified as a Digital Gold record. Joan Jett’s songs are all over TV and film.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is one of the most respected performers of all time. Her music is pure rock and roll and she likes her rock and roll serious. Joan Jett is as relevant today. as when she started out. Audiences at the RED HOT SUMMER TOUR will be treated to timeless rock anthems such as I Love Rock N Roll, I Hate Myself For Loving You, Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah), Cherry Bomb and Crimson and Clover to name a few. Joan’s legacy has grown as a result of decades of hard work and unwavering dedication to her principles. Her live show is legendary. If you miss this, give up!

‘THE AINTS! PLAY THE SAINTS’ PLAY GEELONG!

Having already been announced as the Melbourne headliners for this years Reclink Community Cup The Aints! are now pleased to announce an additional show and their first ever visit to Geelong: Saturday June 23rd, Barwon Club Hotel with special guests Ausmuteants.

Fronted by Ed Kuepper The Aints! revisit the material of The Saints the seminal Australian band Kuepper co-founded in 1973 who would go onto record the influential and incendiary albums (I’m) Stranded (1977), Eternally Yours (1977) and Prehistoric Sounds (1978) before disbanding. Kuepper then going on to form the legendary Laughing Clowns followed by a highly successful solo career.

In addition to powering through those Saints classics (many of them having never been performed live before) The Aints! have also added an albums worth of new material ALL of it culled from the Kuepper archives and written in the original bands lifespan of 1973-1978.

“I don’t think that anyone, myself included, would have thought that this material I wrote when I was starting out would still have currency after all this time….but here we are celebrating it’s 40th anniversary. I’m actually pretty chuffed about doing it and have got a top notch band together to play the stuff.” – Ed Kuepper

And joining Kuepper in The Aints! are Sunnyboys bassist Peter Oxley, Paul Larsen (drummer for both The Celibate Rifles and The New Christs) plus solo jazz performers Alister Spence (keyboards), Eamon Dilworth (trumpet) plus an additional brass section.

“The primal Nights In Venice lifts the intensity factor exponentially, dissolving into squalls of guitar as Kuepper busts out an incredible solo with the band maintaining the tension behind him.”  – Brisbane review / The Music

Tickets for The Aints! play The Saints (’73 – ’78) with special guests Ausmuteants go on-sale Friday 26th May via barwonclub.com.au

ED KUEPPER: SOLO & BY  REQUEST

While we wait with much anticipation on the arrival of the debut album for Kuepper’s favourite new band The Aints! the proto-punk original and career songsmith returns this June – August to his ‘Solo & By Request’ show performing material from right across his 50+ albums and a career that began in 1976 with The Saints groundbreaking release (I’m) Stranded.

“In an age when most musicians come and go, Kuepper still stands tall as an icon of the Australian independent music scene. Over his extraordinary career, Kuepper has been a Saint, a Laughing Clown and an Aint among other things. This evening Kuepper proved that he’s a national treasure.”

The Saints, Laughing Clowns and solo Kuepper Klassics it’s all up for grabs. Whisper loudly and Herr Kuepper might even drop in solo versions of those great new Aints! classics.

Everything I’ve Got Belongs To You was played on the proviso that the audience joined in, which resulted in a sublime call-and-response chorus singalong that even seemed to leave the great man speechless for a moment. Kuepper then confirmed, with a wry smile, that he’d “never heard it quite like that before”. This was followed up with the dynamic Electric Storm before Kuepper finished up his set with the first request of this evening: The Way I Made You Feel. – The Music Perth review

In addition to his solo performances and at the request the great songwriting icon himself Kuepper will appear as a guest performer (alongside Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano and others) at ‘An Evening with Jimmy Webb and Friends’ appearing at the State Theatre, Sydney and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall.

THE CELIBATE RIFLES / HARD-ONS / THE NEW CHRISTS & BOMBED ALASKANS

LET THERE BE ROCK! brings together three long-standing heavyweights of the Australian underground rock scene: The Celibate Rifles, Hard-Ons and The New Christs,  in celebration of the life of one Andrew Gillies.

‘Gillsey’ as he was more affectionately known, was a fixture at shows by all three of these iconic Sydney acts for over 30 years. The first decade as a resident of Sydney and the remaining two decades as a resident of the northern NSW town of Uki, though, even the tyranny of distance would pose no problem to Andrew’s enthusiasm and drive to see and support his musical heroes.

In addition to being a major fan of all these acts Young Andy also served as stage tech for the Hard-Ons touring Australia, Europe and the USA from the late eighties through the early nineties, a role he also commandeered for Ratcat, Ed Kuepper, Died Pretty and others. A slipped disc while working as carpenter reduced his participation in such activity reduced him to more domestic tasks, though, he still continued to tour Europe with his beloved Hard-Ons working as their merchandise seller right up until 2017.

Andrew Gillies was hugely loved by all those he worked for but was equally adored by those who only just met him! He was funny, engaging, smart and erudite and he loved people as much as he loved life. Andrew Gillies was a rare breed.

“Andrew Gillies was my hero. He was the only person I had met besides my own father who was 100% unhindered by self-reflection nor self-appraisal. He had always adopted a sense of style that was so laid-back and undefined – and that was just because he really was never anything other than HIMSELF – and it was this amazing ability to be unaffected and unpretentious in the Sydney underground music scene, that made all the members of the Hard-ons adopt him as a true brother. The world has tragically lost a one-off gentle soul who made a profound mark on every person he met, too early. I love Gillsie. I can’t believe he is gone.” – Ray Ahn (Hard Ons)

NO-ONE was as lovable or as special!! Anyone that met him even for the briefest of moments knows what I mean.. Not ONE nasty bone in his body.. Not one!!! – Peter Black (Hard Ons)

Andrew may not have been in a band but of all of the great people we have been lucky enough to come across on the rock and roll treadmill he was on the top shelf. He was friends with all the cool kids, worked with all the best bands, still he had time for a nobody like me. There can be no greater gift a person can give you than to feel good about yourself. If you knew him I know you can relate. – Dave Curley (Proton Energy Pills / Tumbleweed)

Joining The Celibate Rifles, Hard-Ons and The New Christs in this celebration of Andy’s life and making their Sydney debut at the same time will be the Bombed Alaskans; neighbours of Andrew in Uki and a supergroup of sorts featuring members of both The Celibate Rifles and The Eastern Dark. It’s the proverbial sauce-of-choice on Gillies beloved falafel roll and its all going down in his honour Friday May 5th @ Sydney University Manning Bar. Tickets on-sale Monday April 9th via feelpresents.com

Let There Be Rock!  A Tribute to Andrew Gillies
The Celibate Rifles // Hard-Ons // The New Christs // Bombed Alaskans
Friday 5th May: Sydney, Manning Bar

CAT POWER PERFORMS MOON PIX

Twenty years after the event Cat Power returns to the scene of the crime … for it was in 1998 that Cat Power a/k/a Chan Marshall made her first ever visit to Australia (via Feel Presents) performing in solo mode at institutions like Sydney’s Hopetoun and Sandringham Hotels and as support to the Tren Brothers, the duo of Mick Turner & Jim White. It was an association that would flow on to recording of Moon Pix, the fourth album to wear the Cat Power moniker and the album that opened the ears of the world to the distinctive melancholy of Cat Power. It was also the beginning of a love affair between Australia and this most influential singer-songwriter that has seen her tour our continent many times. This time though, in a world first, Cat Power will perform Moon Pix in its entirety and just like in 1998 she will be joined by the dynamic duo of Mick Turner and Jim White. Tickets for this Australian exclusive are to go on-sale Friday March 23rd.

Video: Crossbones Style

XYLOURIS WHITE

Xylouris White, the visionary duo formed of Cretan lute player George Xylouris and Australian post-punk drummer Jim White (Dirty Three) return to Australia for their Sydney Opera House debut and an album launch in Melbourne to celebrate the release of their third album. Mother continues the duo’s visionary concoction of free-jazz, avant-rock and ages-old Greek folk traditions that saw their 2014 debut album Goats top the Billboard World Music chart. 

“It’s dark and magical music, and there’s nothing else like it.” – TheArtsDesk.com ***** 

“George and Jim continue to evolve their arresting arranged marriage between gnarly tradition and free-flowing adventure. Simultanelously rooted and rootless, we might call the results Otherworld Music.” – Uncut 8/10

“If it sounds like gypsy punk one minute and unspun folk balladry the next, that’s simply the happy fruits of these defiantly distinctive players exploring their own instruments” – Weekend Australian ****

‘Mother’ is that good – Mojo ****

Video: Only Love

GUY PICCIOTTO: FUGAZI – INSTRUMENT (FILM / Q&A)

For his first Australian appearance since playing here in 1997, Guy Picciotto, the influential co-frontman and guitarist for DIY hardcore heroes Fugazi presents a screening of the band’s definitive documentary Instrument followed by an in-depth Q&A.

Officially on hiatus since 2003, the Washington D.C. quartet revolutionised the music industry by shunning it altogether – playing only all ages shows and a low ticket price, no merchandise and no middle men. Forging a furious sound with elements of punk, rock, dub, reggae and experimental music, the band’s six album stretch is lovingly captured on tape. From their unique chemistry in the studio to history making performances and the inspired politics that fired up a nation, see the Fugazi story in full glory and hear it straight from one of the most unique voices in independent music today.

The Aints, the powerhouse vehicle of singer / guitarist Ed Kuepper, bassist Peter Oxley and drummer Paul Larsen, encore in Sydney & Melbourne (only) this March performing the material of Kuepper’s adolescent band The Saints (’73 – ’78). Keyboardist Alister Spence and a 3-piece brass section complete the 2018 Aints with underground legends feedtime joining the undercard in Sydney and Melbourne pastoral five-piece Sand Pebbles completing the line-up in the southern capital. Tickets for both shows are on-sale 9.00am Thursday 21st December .

“The primal Nights In Venice lifts the intensity factor exponentially, dissolving into squalls of guitar as Kuepper busts out an incredible solo with the band maintaining the tension behind him.”  – Brisbane review / The Music

But wait, there’s more … in addition to the live shows The Aints will record an album – working title ‘The Church Of Simultaneous Existence’ – comprised entirely of songs written by Kuepper in the period 1973 – 1978.

”Things had started to move fairly quickly once The Saints recorded  [I’m] Stranded (Fatal Records) in mid ’76. We recorded three albums over the next two years as well as doing a fair it of touring, and for a while things were looking very promising, however, business problems, compounded by personal and artistic differences meant the band didn’t get around to recording all the material I had lying around….so forty [very] odd years later it occurred to me that these songs might well have made up a hypothetical 4th album….The Church of the Simultaneous Existence…..the songs that refused to die….performed in much the way they would have had the band not split up in 1978’’ – Ed Kuepper (on the until now, lost songs of The Saints.

“We will hear these songs, outside the live context, and perhaps some other newer ones when The Aints go into a studio in 2018. Now, that is an exciting prospect” – i94bar.com

The Aints recording begins this April while The Aints Play The Saints (’73 – ’78) perform live this March.

SUNNYBOYS

In 2012 after a 21 year break, Sunnyboys re-entered the fray at the behest of Dig it Up! the Hoodoo Gurus Invitational. Performing as Kids in Dust the band had agreed to regroup “just for fun and for old times’ sake.” Six years later and Sunnyboys 2.0 have notched up a resume the envy of any band – contemporary or vintage – including a co-headline appearance to 45,000 people for A Day On The Green 2015; a succession of sold-out shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre and the Sydney Opera House, a venue attendance record at the Coolangatta Hotel (previously held by Noiseworks) plus sold-out shows (multiple times over) in Melbourne, Byron Bay, Perth and more.

Perhaps even more remarkable is that the 2017 edition of Sunnyboys (featuring all original members) have existed longer than the bright-eyed young men who burned so brightly back in the eighties but also burned-out so fast. The time around without the pressure of recording schedules and the demand for chart hits and with a mutual love and respect for the music they made, Sunnyboys can just do what they do best; play live.

“There’s an uplift that occurs when the band is firing on all eight, and the crowd feels it and gives it right back to you. We experienced that back in the eighties, and we’re experiencing it now. There’s nothing like it”. – Richard Burgman

And play live they will as this summer Sunnyboys will performing a series of headline shows across venues big and small, regional and urban and ALL of them expected to sell out. The band will be performing material from across their entire catalogue including their three albums for Mushroom, the infamous debut ep on the Phantom label and even the odd b-side or rarity. For the Sunnyboys, every show is a celebration.

“We really didn’t think we would ever play again as a band. But wow, we have and we sure are having a bloody great time doing it.” – Peter Oxley

“In the 80’s we burned out and the fun became hard work. The shows this time around have all been good fun and the fan reactions incredible, so while ever that lasts the band will.” – Bil Bilson

“I didn’t know if I would even enjoy it but the way we were accepted back made it like a dream come true and impossible to stop at just one show!” – Jeremy Oxley

Joining the fun will be Sydney surf-punks The Celibate Rifles, a hi-energy five piece who have carved out their own indelible history in the Australian music scene over a 35+ year period. The Rifles will join Sunnyboys for their first show on the Sunshine Coast since 1982; the Sunnyboys first Brisbane performance since 2015, and most other dates. While Melbourne fun-punks and former touring buddies Painters & Dockers, will join the rejuvenated Sunnyboys for their Melbourne Zoo performance.

“Some bands re-group so they can play the hit songs and fly home, pockets jangling full of money. Watching the Sunnyboys perform felt like they were making up for lost years that should have been on stage. Graciously happy to be there and genuinely thrilled by the audience participation.” – Weekend Notes.

NEWS FLASH!

Due to overwhelming demand Sunnyboys are pleased to announce three new shows! Canberra will see the fab four make their first appearance in the nation’s capital since 1983. NSW south coast town Thirroul will receive its first ever taste of the Sunnyboys, and the iconic Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns has Sunnyboys making just their third ever North Queensland trip, only their second every visit to Cairns and just their first visit to the region since 1982! The three dates join the recently announced third Sydney date making it the most extensive Sunnyboys tour since their reemergence in 2012. All shows on-sale now via feelpresents.com

THE CAIRO GANG

The Cairo Gang is led by songwriter and singer Emmett Kelly, known mostly for a diverse array of previous collaborative efforts, including work with The Double, Rob Mazurek, Ty Segall, Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Baby Dee. The Cairo Gang’s work remains the main focus, however, and it too has been vastly diverse, appearing currently as a  rock and roll pop trio playing out around North America. The most recent album “Untouchable” is new pop driven rock and roll songs recorded together with Ty Segall. The sound vacillates between spiritual reference points of rock and roll history, while increasingly releasing the forms and becoming amorphous and situational.

http://www.dragcity.com/artists/the-cairo-gang

THE DAWN OF THE DOUBLE!

While making some investigations into rock and roll, THE DOUBLE was found!

You’ve heard of the fox trot, you’ve heard of the twist, theres a new dance in town … The DOUBLE. DANCE THE DOUBLE!

Move over Waltz, move over disco, theres a new beat in town; Today’s Beat Tomorrow

Jim White (Dirty Three / Xylouris White / Venom P. Stinger) and guitarist Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang / Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy / Ty Segall) are THE DOUBLE. They’ve distilled THE DOUBLE’s essence into DAWN of the DOUBLE  released on indie-record giant In The Red .

“You can meditate to this record,” says Larry Hardy of In the Red. “The first few seconds, it’s like, ‘OK, this sounds like the Gories. Then it’s, ‘No, this is like the Velvet Underground. Oh … it’s Glenn Branca. It’s just goes and goes.”

“It’s Terry Riley meets Bo Diddley, and it works so hard you won’t even know it. Incredible, heads down focus and dexterity, with each chord hit with the twang of all of the blues, just fuckin’ layin’ it in there like it should.” Still Single

“Could the Double spawn a new dance craze…? The answer is in… and its FUCK YES! – L.A. Time

“Dawn of the Double” was built by Emmett Kelly and Jim White, expert musicians able to craft work that’s rich with both nuance and range. Neither trait is apparent on first listen to “Dawn of the Double.” – LA Times .

“Talking to one of The Double before a Brooklyn gig in the summer of 2014, I was told they were going to play a “dance piece.” I wasn’t sure how to take that, but it slowly began to make sense as I watched their stunning set. The music struck an odd balance between perpetual motion and perpetual stasis: the drummer, Jim White maintained a modified Bo Diddley beat, switching between the snare and the toms after long stretches on each, while the guitarist, Emmett Kelly, stuck steadfastly to an E chord. They took the underpinning of countless rock ’n’ roll songs—the rhythm section—and decisively moved it to the foreground. It soon became clear that this wasn’t going to be the average concert of discrete songs or pieces—so the question then became how long they would sustain the groove for.” – Alan Licht

What’s happening is happening on its own. We are only a conduit for it and it’s super surreal. – Emmett Kelly

For the first time in Australia FEEL the sound that has set LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK alight, THE DOUBLE!

THE AINTS PLAY THE SAINTS (’73 – ’78)

“Rock music in the seventies was changed by three bands—the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints.” (Bob Geldof)

On the 40th anniversary of the release of The Saints’ classic album ‘(I’m) Stranded’, founding member, guitarist and songwriter Ed Kuepper will revisit the material performed by that seminal band from an era when a suburban Brisbane band took their sound to the world.

Alongside bassist Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys), drummer Paul Larson (The Celibate Rifles), keyboardist Alister Spence and a guest brass section ‘The Aints’ will perform the songs that spanned The Saints first three ground-breaking albums: the  proto-punk classic ‘(I’m) Stranded’ (1977), the hugely influential ‘Eternally Yours’ (1978), and the genre-defying ‘Prehistoric Sounds’ (1978).

“I don’t think that anyone, myself included, would have thought that this material I wrote when I was starting out would still have currency after all this time….but here we are celebrating it’s 40th anniversary. I’m actually pretty chuffed about doing it and have got a top notch band together to play the stuff.” – Ed Kuepper

Tickets for ALL shows on-sale Monday June 19th.

ED KUEPPER

Ed Kuepper; the ARIA award winning solo artist and founder member of legendary 70s proto-punk outfit The Saints and post-punk originals Laughing Clowns will be bringing his one-man-request-fest to both regional and suburban centres this July-August.

Initially performed in 2014, the ‘By Request’ shows have proved hugely popular, with Kuepper gladly accepting the invitation to tackle material from the aforementioned acts alongside various covers versions and material from Ed’s 40 albums strong solo career.

“There was so much happening at this gig: the familial relationship between audience and musician – a room full of devotees who have been keenly following his career for years, if not decades – and the tales of broken bands, ex-collaborators and shitty Countdown experiences all simmered under the surface. I’ve never seen an audience so intimately engaged with a performer; it was honestly amazing. Kuepper, you have my heart.” – The Brag March, 2016

Tickets for all shows on-sale Friday 12th May!

BILL CALLAHAN
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“this was a supremely magical, wholly mesmerising, night of space as the final frontier.” – SMH Vivid live review 2015

Well known for his rich baritone voice and unique take on classic Americana, Bill Callahan has been a prolific artist over the years releasing 12 albums under the name Smog before shedding that to perform as Bill Callahan in 2007 and producing a further 5 albums.

Last here in Australia for the 2015 Vivid Festival and a sold-out appearance at Melbourne’s iconic Hamer Hall, Callahan returns in 2017 for four more Vivid Sydney appearances and for an exclusive six show-three night residency at Melbourne venue Howler. Yep, you read that right; six shows at Howler, with early shows scheduled for a 7.00pm and late shows slated for 9.30pm. 

The intimate format – a stark contract to the grandeur of the 2015 visit – will feature a two piece setup with Callahan being joined by guitarist Matt Kinsey. And in a further twist on tradition support on all six Howler appearances will be Melbourne comedian David Quirk.

“The guitar solos that Matt Kinsey enticed out of his Gibson on songs like ‘America!’, ‘Ride My Arrow’ and others were mesmerising. There were moments of sweet psychedelic beauty that were not over powering but transcendent. Sometimes it felt that Kinsey’s solos were being played from another room, not overly loud, but clearly hypnotic and beautifully imagined.” – Tone Deaf Vivid lives review 2015

Don’t miss these unique, intimate Australia exclusive shows this May / June. Tickets For Howler on-sale Friday 31st March. Tickets for Vivid Sydney on-sale now.

VIOLENT FEMMES

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“Friday night saw the return of the Violent Femmes to Australia. And what a triumphant return it was. The absolute capacity crowd in front of Stage 2 were in constant motion – ranging from flat out head banging to substance fuelled ethereal swaying as the ‘Femmes powered through all their hits, including “Gone Daddy Gone”, “American Music”, “Kiss Off” and to close the show, “Add It Up”. – The Music: Womadelaide review 

Violent Femmes return to Australia in March 2017 for their most extensive tour since 2005. The autumn tour follows a sold-out national tour in March 2016 that included headline spots at Womadelaide, Golden Plains, Twilight @ Taraonga and A Day On The Green, this time however, the Femmes will  traverse the road less travelled appearing in regional & suburban centres, major cities and an encore performance of their A Day On The Green headline shows with Hoodoo Gurus.

“We would like to continue our decades-long love affair with Australia by bringing the rock to the regions. We will be playing old favourites and new with our usual shambolic splendour.” – Brian Ritchie

Expect to hear cuts old and new including tracks from 2016’s comeback release We Can Do Anything. A triumphant return after a 16 years absence.

“It’s classic Femmes” – The Guardian
“Everything feels remarkably fresh and unforced.” **** UNCUT
“They still sound as brilliantly odd as their seminal self-titled debut.” – Blurt

Video: Memory
Video: Love, Love, Love

Continuing the localised theme, Violent Femmes have also invited Rayella * (an indigenous father-daughter duo from Marlinja in the Northern Territory) along for shows in NSW, N.T and Queensland. Violet Femmes bassplayer Brian Ritchie first encountered Rayella at the Bush Band Bash in Alice Springs in 2014 and both parties hooked up for an informal jam after the Violent Femmes 2016 performance in Perth.

“Eleanor and Raymond’s father/daughter vocal frontline lend authenticity to their stories of life, aspirations and place… Their music is a deep blend of modern life and ancient energy” – Brian Ritchie

Its the Violent Femmes as you know and love them appearing Australia All Over. Tickets for all shows are on-sale 9.00am Friday December 16th (except Brisbane on-sale 10.00am)

CHAIN & THE GANG: MINIMUM ROCK ’N’ ROLL
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“ … Chain & the Gang is one of the coolest live bands anywhere” – Henry Rollins

“Ian Svenonius is the greatest rock’n’roll frontman in the world” – Anthony Carew (SMH / The Age)

Just six (6) weeks away from the debut Australian tour of Chain & The Gang – the latest creative vehicle for Washington DC activist Mr.Ian Svenonius, ex-The Make Up / Nation Of Ulysses and a man described by fellow Washington native Henry Rollins as “a genius” – and Feel Presents are pleased to announce two brand new shows.

Fri 10th March: Melbourne, The Curtin Bandroom + Primo & Parsnip
Tue 14th March: Brisbane, The Foundry (double bill with I Heart Hiroshima)

Tickets for both shows are on-sale now.

Svenonius, the sonic-architect behind socio-political minded groups The Make Up, Nation Of Ulysses, Weird War (and others) and one of the worlds GREAT front men formed Chain and The Gang in 2009. Since that time Chain … have released four (4) must have albums including 2014’s Minimum Rock ’n’ Roll, a 31 minute slab of garage-funk with a punk heart and a social awareness that has aspirations beyond the genre – any genre! 

“The first time I saw Ian Svenonius play live was when he jumped onstage with Fugazi and started playing an organ that happened to be onstage. He was amazing. Not only is the man a brilliant musician, having put out records through his many bands, the Nation Of Ulysses, the Make Up, Cupid Car Club, Felt Letters, XYZ, to name a few, his newest incarnation Chain & the Gang is one of the coolest live bands anywhere. The man has more charisma than most. – Henry Rollins

Alongside vocalist and chief provocateur Svenonius, are bassist, synthesist and composer Anna Nasty, guitarist Francy Graham and drummer Fiona Campbell, while Svenonius himself, is also a filmmaker, a dancer, a youtube host and a writer with his author credit appearing on the books “The Psychic Soviet” and “Supernatural Strategies”. Individually these members are scintillating but together they’re something greater than the parts. An irresistible combo that provides the best hope for the future and the only answer to the embarrassing slime pit called “culture” nowadays.

You Tube: Minimum Rock ’n’ Roll
You Tube: Crime Don’t Pay
You Tube: Ian Svenonious interview

All supports are now also confirmed with New War, Terry, Primo, Parsnip, Angie, I Heart Hiroshima and Cold Sweat DJ’s taking out the honours.

“Chain & the Gang are singular, terrifying, unparalleled,  the most ferocious live combo ever witnessed …”

Don’t you dare miss Chain & The Gang live! this March. Tickets for all shows on-sale now!

 

XYLOURIS WHITE

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Xylouris White  round out their Australian summer odyssey with a final run of headline appearances taking in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney alongside a debut appearance for Womadelaide. The March shows follow a recent brace of shows as special guest to PJ Harvey plus a festival appearance at Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival and a headline appearance at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Xylouris White is lute player George Xylouris and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Venom P.Stinger). They’re master musicians whose expansive and frequently hypnotic work is characterized by a sense of endless exploration. The duo’s use of space within its songs suggests a sense of possibility and a freedom to see, find and invent. Xylouris-White has toured relentlessly in the last few years, bringing its unmistakable music to audiences throughout Europe, Australia and North America.

As the sun went down, the powerhouse combination of Dirty Three drummer Jim White and famed Cretan lute player George Xylouris delivered an incredibly energetic and full-throttle set under the moniker Xylouris White. Xylouris looped his drone-like lute playing through his amplifier for a rockier sound while the always-confident and charismatic White delivered a frenetic blast of jazz-inspired rhythms.” – Live review as guests of PJ Harvey in Fremantle.

“More and more, it seems the duo are inventing a new musical language, one based on deeply telepathic interplay and pure, transcendent abandon… some of the heaviest music you’ll hear in 2016.” –– Aquarium Drunkard 

Don’t miss these unforgettable shows by two of the world’s most acclaimed musicians. Tickets for all shows are on-sale now!

 

 

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Ed Kuepper continues his year of activity celebrating four decades since the release of The Saints iconic (I’m) Stranded, with an all new set of Solo and By Request shows.

Last performed in 2014, the By Request shows proved hugely popular, with Kuepper gladly accepting the invitation to tackle material from The Saints, The Aints and Laughing Clowns, alongside various covers versions and material from Ed’s 40 albums strong solo career.

“There was so much happening at this gig: the familial relationship between audience and musician – a room full of devotees who have been keenly following his career for years, if not decades – and the tales of broken bands, ex-collaborators and shitty Countdown experiences all simmered under the surface. I’ve never seen an audience so intimately engaged with a performer; it was honestly amazing. Kuepper, you have my heart.” – The Brag March 17, 2016

Shows and tickets are limited with performances scheduled for Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne & Wheelers Hill only.

Elsewhere Kuepper and drummer Mark Dawson continue their own reinterpretation of Kueppers catalogue with the dynamic duo tacking to the stage each night sans rehearsal for a night of complete spontaneity. Destinations include MONA in Hobart for the Origin Of Art Festival, a rare Perth visit and the Gold Coast for a support to indie-icons, Sunnyboys.

Tickets for all shows on-sale Friday 20th October

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“There are other Australian albums as great as Sunnyboys 1981 debut, Sunnyboys. There aren’t any that are better.” – Noel Mengel

Thirty-five years ago this month Sunnyboys released their eponymous debut. Containing the hit singles Happy Man and Alone With You plus live favourites I’m Shakin’, Trouble In My Brain, Tunnel Of Love and more Sunnyboys enraptured teenagers of the time (and generations to come) with an astute blend of hi-energy, pop hooks and brooding, longing wordplay. It was and still is a classic and has remained a constant in All Time Australian Album lists for its entire 35 year lifespan.

But the 11 songs contained on the album were just a drop in the ocean from a well of creativity amassed by singer / guitarist Jeremy Oxley in 1981, as the demo sessions from January of the same year have shown us. The songs were quite literally dripping from Jeremy’s fingers.

“In the early days I used to try and knock out a new song every rehearsal to keep things flowing and interesting. The Beatles were a huge influence, also MC5, Iggy & The Stooges, Radio Birdman and many others. The repertoire of songs grew quickly so there were quite a few to pick from to out on a decent show” – Jeremy Oxley

In celebration of the album milestone and the premiere period from when it sprang, Sunnyboys will take to the stage in February 2017 for a handful of shows playing a set entirely derived from 1981; a set that will also include Sunnyboys, the album, performed in its entirety.

“What a Thrill it will be to play our 1st album from start to finish. We have never ever done this before. Looking forward to I Can’t Talk to You (reprise)!” – Peter Oxley

But wait, it gets better! For Sydney fans there will be the added bonus of seeing Sunnyboys 1981 gigging partners Flaming Hands – featuring singer Julie Mostyn and songwriter Jeff Sullivan – performing their stripped back blend of sixties style soul, R&B and psychedelia for first show since 1985! But that’s still not all … Also joining Sunnyboys & Flaming Hands on this momentous Sydney line-up will be legendary Sydney act Shy Impostors. Fronted by singer / songwriter Penny Ward and featuring the pre-Sunnyboys Peter Oxley and Richard Burgman alongside drummer Michael Charles, Shy Impostors existed for just nine months during 1979-1980 and releasing one (great) record only; the posthumous 7” At The Barrier in 1981. Its the first time Shy Impostors have played with Sunnyboys and the first time all three bands have performed together on the one bill.

“When Peter Oxley called with the proposition of reforming the Flaming Hands for a gig with the Sunnyboys I jumped at the opportunity. The two bands have a shared history both as friends and as contemporaries that played together in what was a golden era of Australian music. I later found out The Shy Impostors are also going to be on the bill ……. perfect ….. this gig will be a massive celebration!” – Julie Mostyn

Elsewhere, and in a further series of firsts, Sunnyboys will be joined by the legendary X for their Melbourne show while a dynamic bill of The Celibate Rifles and Ed Kuepper with Mark Dawson will join Sunnyboys for their only Queensland appearance.

Don’t miss the feel good tour of this summer: Sunnyboys live! this February. Tickets for all shows on-sale Tuesday 27th September.

DINOSAUR JR
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Dinosaur Jr return to Australia this January touring off the back of their new album Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not their first since 2012 and their fourth since 2005’s unlikely reformation.

“If you ever begin to think your best days are behind you, buy one of Dinosaur Jr.’s last three records and get inspired.“ – Double J

Original members J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph will bring the classics from a catalogue that now stands at eleven albums tall (and not a dud amongst them) between them containing the classics Repulsion, Almost Ready, Little Fury Things, Watch The Corners, Freak Scene, Tiny, The Wagon, Out There, Feel The Pain; we could go on …

“No other band plays super-loud fuzzy guitar rock like Dinosaur Jr. Early on bassist Lou Barlow told the crowd that this was the group’s first show in six months. It didn’t matter one bit. You get the sense that you could wake Mascis, Barlow and Murph out of a 1-year slumber, give them some equipment and a shitload of amps and they’d bang out the perfect rock show.” – Live Review, Music Hall Williamsburg

Four albums into their rebirth and Dinosaur Jr look to have no sign of slowing up. Album of the week slots on Double J, FBi, SER and glowing reviews across the planet stand testament to the staying power of Dino and the songs of J Mascis. Sample the goodness via album openers Goin Down and Tiny.

Don’t miss the single energy that is Dinosaur Jr live this January. Tickets for all shows on-sale August 29th.

THIS IS THE SONICS!
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Garage-punk pioneers and stand out performers at 2012’s inaugural Dig It Up! Invitational The Sonics, return to Australia this September / October at the invite of Wollongong’s Yours & Owls Festival and for headline shows around the country.

“… finally hitting our shores after a four decade long career were USA veterans The Sonics, that saw the venue fill to capacity. With a great amount of energy, a sexy slab of sax, and favourites such as “Have Love, Will Travel”, they commanded the crowd and made up for their long absence.“ Dig it Up! Review

The Sonics laid down the blueprint for garage-rock back in 1963 with the release of their first single The Witch. They followed that up with even up with even more grease and oil soaked nuggets in Psycho, Boss Hoss, Cinderella, Strychnine, He’s Waitin’, Shot Down and Have Love Will Travel before calling it quits in 1968. Reuniting briefly in 1972 and again in 1980, The Sonics then took permanent leave while the rest of the world caught up with them.

Revered and / or covered by the likes of The Black Keys, Robert Plant, The Cramps and The Fall (alongside a list of Australian bands too lengthy to mention) the influence and spirit of The Sonics has never waned and in 2007 they answered the call reforming at the invitation of the New York garage festival Cavestomp and followed that up with an appearance at Barcelona’s giant Primavera Festival, the London Meltdown (curated by The Kinks Ray Davies) and in 2012 the Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational. Most recently The Sonics have toured as special guests of Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) toured South America to Beatles-like addition and in 2015 released This Is The Sonics – a brand new studio album and their first in almost 50 years…

“The Sonics’ children are legion, and every generation of garage rockers owes them. The Sonics surely know this, but from the timeless sound of This Is the Sonics, they might just as well be oblivious to their legacy. Legacies are for the dead. The Sonics are alive and viciously well.” – Pitchfork.com

Lead by saxophonist Rob Lind and featuring one time Kingsmen bassist Freddie Dennis alongside drummer Dusty Watson (Link Wray) The Sonics return to Australia in 2016 to perform all the ‘hits’ from those iconic ‘60s releases Here Are The Sonics, Boom, This Is The Sonics and so much more. Unfortunately, due to illness, original members Gerry Roslie and Larry Parpaya are unable to travel; their spots being taken by Jake Cavelier (Fuzztones / Lords of Altamont) and Evan Foster (Boss Martians) maintaining the garage factor and keeping the fuzz intact.

Ladies and Gentlemen This Is The Sonics!

ED KUEPPER: ALONE AGAIN OR?

Ed Kuepper returns with part 2 of his Lost Cities album tour, performing solo and in duo mode across select dates in Darwin, Newcastle, Sydney, Katoomba and Melbourne.

The duo shows see Kuepper reunite with his old sparing partner Mark Dawson – a collaborator most notably on the celebrated Today Wonder and ARIA winning Honey Steels Gold albums – between them featuring two of Ed’s most recognisable tracks in Everything I’ve Got and The Way I Made You Feel. Mark will join Ed for shows in Sydney, Melbourne & Belgrave.

Elsewhere Ed will continue his solo navigation of a career that stretches back 40 years and 50 albums via The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and recent release Lost Cities.

“Lost Cities is yet another strong showing from one of the nation’s best artists.” – The Australian

“Kuepper wanted to try something different on Lost Cities. Like his previous landmarks, such as The Saints’ Prehistoric Sounds (1978), The Laughing Clowns’ Law of Nature (1984) and Honey Steel’s Gold (1991), it signals musical change.” – Sydney Morning Herald.

“Lost Cities is a powerful piece of music. An ambitious album and Ed Kuepper has pulls it off brilliantly.” – www.i94bar.com

Be it solo or duo mode, Herr Kuepper plays two sets each show (no support) an Ed-feast is guaranteed!

“There was so much happening at this gig: the familial relationship between audience and musician – a room full of devotees who have been keenly following his career for years, if not decades – and the tales of broken bands, ex-collaborators and shitty Countdown experiences all simmered under the surface. I’ve never seen an audience so intimately engaged with a performer; it was honestly amazing. Kuepper, you have my heart.” – The Brag March 17, 2016

Tickets for all shows on-sale now.

LOWLow 495
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LOW return to Australia this April after an almost 6-year absence making their Melbourne Recital Hall debut and for headline performances right around the country.

Formed in 1993 around the husband-wife duo of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, Low have produced eleven albums (including 2015’s Ones & Sixes), recorded with Steve Albini, collaborated with the Dirty Three and had their songs recorded by Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant for his grammy nominated Band of Joy album and used by clothing manufacturer GAP for a TV advert.

For more than two decades, LOW have experimented with the intricacies and finer details of music. In a musical landscape of overindulgence and audio compression, it certainly makes a change to hear a band for whom every strum and drumbeat sounds delicately poised. – The Guardian

Produced in the cabin studio of Bon Iver’s Justin Vermon, Ones and Sixes is arguably LOW’s most fully integrated album to date; a richly satisfying and coherent work drawing together many of the different strands of their career so far including No Comprende, a favourite of digital radio station Double J and the archetypal LOW track full of the tension and the push and pull that makes their music so compelling; so thrilling.

The band’s strengths are here in abundance, but they are reimagined, twisted into new shape and given a visceral intensity that is utterly irresistible – Clash Music

As ever, strong stuff in every way – Record Collector

After 21 years, rock’s premier Mormon husband-and-wife team just keep getting better. – MOJO

In Australia LOW have performed at both Perth and Sydney Festivals and appeared alongside Sonic Youth and Died Pretty playing their 2001 album Things We Lost In the Fire for the ATP / Don’t Look Back classic album series. For their 2016 tour the Minnesota 3-piece have eschewed the festival season in favour of intimate surrounds best suited to witness their quiet yet intense work. Former Drones drummer Mike Noga – no stranger to the LOW camp having supported them for much of their European tour – will join the tour, performing solo, as special guest on all shows.

The group was effortless — Alan Sparhawk’s guitars and vocals weaving into Mimi Parker’s hypnotic pulse she laid down behind her stripped down kit, her vocal lines skating above, below, and around Alan’s melodies. Steve Garrington’s bass lines gently pressed the band forward, all building toward the inevitable breakdown, which we all knew was coming, but it still felt like a magical reveal. The band reached a new level by retreating, by creating more space and a deeper valley of sound and contour greeted us. – Rhapsody January 2016

Tickets for LOW plus guest Mike Noga are on-sale Thursday 21st January.

Video: No Comprende (from Ones and Sixes)
Video: Try To Sleep (from C’mon)
Video: Sunflower (from Things We Lost in the Fire)

ED KUEPPER
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“LOST CITIES” NEW ALBUM AND TOUR

Four decades after the release of his first record, the iconic Australian classic ”[I’m] Stranded” by The Saints, Ed Kuepper returns with an album that may well be considered a high point in his lengthy and uncompromising career.

Recorded over three days in August at Gasworks Studio, Brisbane ”Lost Cities” is Ed Kuepper’s 50th release [excluding compilations] and is the 21st on his own Prince Melon Records label. It is Ed’s first entirely solo and electric release, a format Herr Kuepper likes to refer to as ‘Solo Orchestral’.

“When I was a kid I always processed recordings as a kind of singular whole, so when I started to play the guitar I wanted my playing to be the entire orchestra/band rather than just the guy strumming in the corner. A good example would be the way I played Nights in Venice on the first Saints lp… or the acoustic with hyper harmonic overtones on Today Wonder.  Lost Cities continues that approach but also moves into the tonal opposite of what I did when I started”

To celebrate the album release Ed Kuepper will take to the road starting in March 2016 and taking in as many city and regional areas over as many months as possible as he presents these brand new works alongside old, treasured favourites. Both the new album and tickets to all currently listed shows will go on-sale Monday December 21st

Don’t miss Ed Kuepper – Lost Cities / Solo Orchestral this March / April.

XYLOURIS WHITE
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Xylouris White, the unlikely collaboration between Dirty Three drummer Jim White and Cretan lute player George Xylouris, follow-up their Sydney Festival, MOFO and sold-out Melbourne club show appearances of earlier this year with a return tour this coming March. The return tour sees the duo appearing at festivals and art galleries, zoos, clubs and universities ahead of a new album release in early 2016.

“This transcendental folk, deconstructed by the volatile rhythms of rock demands to be danced to, and when the music hit the loud and fast end of the spectrum – an all out head-banging mosh” – Sydney Festival / The Guardian Jan 16th 2015

The former residents of Melbourne have spent the better part of the last 12 months touring the globe in support of GOATS their debut release and No.1 album on Billboard’s World Music Chart; a first for an Australian band. An album that has also found friends and favour from the New York Times to Uncut Magazine, Swans to the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and fans of traditional and progressive musics alike. Truly there is no other like Xylouris White.

“At only 36 minutes, Goats is dizzying, a sometimes chaotic smear of styles, tempos, tones, and harmonics woven through musical history. It sounds and feels live, like the duo is just getting started when it ends. Yet it is long enough to reveal something not only new, but previously unfathomable with each listen” – Allmusic.com

Don’t miss Xylouris White LIVE this March. Tickets for all shows are on-sale now.

MIREL WAGNER
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“Ghostly and erotic Delta blues” – MOJO.

Finnish singer-songwriter and Subpop recording artist Mirel Wagner makes her Australian debut this January appearing at Sydney Festival, Hobart’s MOFO Festival and for a headline slot at Melbourne’s Toff In Town.

Drawing on the Appalachian murder ballad tradition and haunting early Delta blues, Wagner is a storyteller like no other, accompanying her rich, velvet voice with a delicate acoustic fingerpicking. Its little wonder she topped the Finnish national album charts for her 2014 release When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day, an album that also won her the coveted 2014 Nordic Music Prize.

“The likes of Mark Lanegan and Nick Cave have a new rival in the practising of dark musical arts.” – Record Collector

“Simply put, When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day is one of the best albums of the year” – musicOMH.com

“Mirel is a wonderful story-teller while stories themselves are terrifying.” – Lodz

Don’t miss the unique stylings of Mirel Wagner, live in Australia this January.

BUZZCOCKS

Buzzcocks are (Lt to Rt) Steve Diggle, Danny Farrant, Pete Shelley, Chris Remington

Original UK punk-act the Buzzcocks kick-off their 40th birthday celebrations this March with a tour of Australia and New Zealand. The stars of Dig it Up! 2013 return for the Golden Plains Festival plus headline shows across most capitals. Guests include HITS and Ausmuteants

…. from “Boredom” to “Orgasm Addict” the energy doesn’t abate. The Buzzcocks are a clear standout on the day. Dig It Up! 2013 / AU Review

…. Shelley’s shirt bears the slogan “I want to give myself to you completely.” This?they proceed to do, banging out favourites like ‘I Don’t Mind’, ‘Noise Annoys’, ‘Autonomy’, ‘Harmony in My Head’, ‘Ever Fallen in Love’ and ‘What Do I Get?’ in rapid succession – with the audience gleefully pogoing and singing along in unison. Definitely a candidate for best party band ever. – Dig It Up! 2013 review / MessandNoise

Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto formed Buzzcocks in Bolton in February 1976. The band, completed by the addition of Steve Diggle and John Maher, opened for the Sex Pistols in Manchester on July 20th, a follow up to the now (in)famous Lesser Free Trade Hall gig which Devoto and Shelley had organised the month before.

Gigs in Manchester and London followed, and by the end of 1976, Buzzcocks became one of the first groups to form their own independent record label – New Hormones – on which they released the now-legendary and seminal ‘Spiral Scratch’ EP.

The following year saw the departure of Devoto and the recruitment of bassist Steve Garvey. In August 1977, the band signed a recording contract with United Artists Records and released the landmark ‘Orgasm Addict’ single. This was swiftly followed by ‘What Do I Get?’, the band’s first entry into the UK top 40 singles chart and the first of a string of chart singles. Over the next three years, Buzzcocks toured extensively and released a trilogy of outstanding albums: Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites and A Different Kind of Tension, as well as the hugely influential and popular Singles Going Steady compilation. In 1981, the band went their separate ways to undertake new projects.

1989 saw the reconvened Shelley/Diggle/Garvey/Maher line-up tour the world again by popular demand. Since then, the Shelley/Diggle partnership has been the core of sustained and successful activity without pause, punctuating the years of high profile gigging to date with six successful and well-received studio albums, culminating in 2015’s The Way.

Few have had the longevity and sustained creative energy to produce the seemingly endless stream of truly original and fantastic pop songs that Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle have consistently delivered over the last four decades. Original and best.

Don’t miss one of the iconic bands of the original punk movement and one of the biggest influences on contemporary punk, live this March. Tickets for all shows on-sale Friday October 30th.

BUILT TO SPILL
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In the five years since their last Australian visit Boise Idaho natives Built To Spill have released two albums, replaced two band members, created the synth-pop side project The Electronic Anthology Project, toured the U.S.A many times over, DJ’d both at radio and parties and taken an almost three year break from live activity; now however, with the inclusion of the indie-rock originals on the 2016 Golden Plains Festival, Australia finally receives another dose of that Built to Spill magic.

“Martsch formed BTS well over two decades ago, but the show last night proved Built to Spill aren’t so much indie survivors as they are rock and roll thrivers” – Dallas Observer May 2015

“With three lead guitarists radiating like a toxic plume, Built to Spill’s set felt like a giant wall of sound in lockstep with Doug Martschs’s wringing vocals.” Hey Reverb Sept 2015

Untethered Moon, their 8th and latest release is a triumph. An album that retains the spirit found on early fan favourites like 1997’s Perfect from Now On and 1999’s Keep It Like A Secret, whilst sonically taking the band one giant leap forward into as-yet-uncharted waters. It’s loud, it’s dirty and it’s very catchy.

“Untethered Moon is almost undeniably a classic slice of BTS” – Magnet April 2015

“Untethered Moon leaves no doubt these guys are in fine form again” – MOJO July 2015

Built To Spill sit firmly along their influences – Dinosaur Jr, Butthole Surfers, Neil Young, Blue Oyster Cult et al – as masters of uncompromising guitar-orientated rock, free of any of the usual rock trappings of grandeur and ego, focusing instead on the value of a good song, a good melody and an almighty noise!

Catch them live in the studio for Seattle radio station KEXP and then catch them live in Australia this March. Tickets for all shows on-sale October 30.

SUNNYBOYS


SUNNYBOYS PLAY GEELONG! 

The original Sunnyboys line-up of Jeremy Oxley, Peter Oxley, Richard Burgman and Bil Bilson will make just their second-ever appearance in the southern surf-city playing a host of classics from their three stand-out albums Sunnyboys, Individuals and Get Some Fun. Local no-goodniks The Living Eyes join the party and will double the fun with their spirited take on sixties-garage and seventies-punk. Tickets are on-sale Friday 5th November.

“Many acts make comebacks, more now than ever in fact, but I can’t remember feeling so much love in a room for an Australian band that, like it’s audience was reliving it’s glorious youth. It was a fantastic experience” – Iain Shedden /  The Australian Newspaper Sydney Opera House Concert review June 2013

On April 22nd 2012, for the first time in 21 years, all four original members of Sydney band Sunnyboys, performed on-stage at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Appearing at the inaugural Dig It Up! Invitational the band played with the same intensity, verve and joy as they had all those years ago. It was emotional and inspired and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Fast forward to 2015 and the band have performed two sold-out tours of the country filling venues including the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Melbourne’s Forum Theatre (multiple times), Perth’s International Arts Festival; they have co-headlined the Meredith Music Festival and set a venue record previously held by Noiseworks at the Coolangatta Hotel. Now its Geelong’s turn to experience the magic.

“There’s so much love and respect in the room its quite remarkable, and the four-piece return the favour with Love To Rule and the irrepressible Tunnel Of Love preceding the first true banger Happy Man, which prompts the euphoric crowd into a singalong frenzy from the very first note. The band seem genuinely touched by the positivity being willed at them by their ecstatic acolytes.” Steve Bell / The Music Brisbane Tivoli review 2014

Don’t miss Sunnyboys, live in Geelong. Sunnyboys are also appearing at A Day On The Green this March with fellow indie-rock veterans Hoodoo Gurus, Violent Femmes, Died Pretty and Ratcat.

 

DIRTY THREE
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As enigmatic as they are extraordinary, Dirty Three have earned their place as one of the Australian underground’s most important bands of the past two decades. Each member’s musical voice is utterly essential to the dark, theatrical power of Dirty Three’s sound: Jim White’s elegant, balletic drumming, Warren Ellis’ burnished, questing violin, and Mick Turner’s outlaw guitar work. To hear the music alone is to be transported somewhere altogether more vast.

These shows brings the trio back together for the first time in three years. Audiences will discover the indisputable truth that seeing Dirty Three live – each musician moving with the music, like seaweed underwater – is to be captivated.

CAT POWER

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Recovered and ready, Chan Marshall a/k/a Cat Power returns as promised with a new set of dates, same select venues. Tickets for all previous shows remain valid for the new dates with a on-sale date of Friday 4th March set for all remaining tickets.

“I’ve been looking forward for so long to return to my home away from home and I wasn’t going to let this debilitating illness deprive me or anyone else of that opportunity. I’m so glad to be making it back to Australia” – Chan Marshall

The Georgia-born singer / songwriter has been a long time fan of Australia  – its audience and its people – dating back to 1997 and her first visit at the behest of Dirty Three / Xylouris White drummer Jim White. A visit that also saw Chan record her album Moon Pix (including breakthrough track Crossbones Style) with both White and Dirty Three guitarist Mick Turner. Follow-up visits have included both band and solo excursions and have included festival slots at Meredith, Golden Plains, MONA FOMA, Sydney Festival, PIAF and headline shows in some of the country’s premier venues.

More recently Ms. Marshall, alongside Jakob Dylan (son of Bob), has lent her stunning vocals to a duo-rendering of You Showed Me, a lost classic from sixties mavericks The Turtles. The track is a feature of Echo In The Canyon an all-star indie tribute to the California folk-sound and artists of that era including The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love and of course, The Turtles. The tribute includes live performances and an album (due in 2016) both of which feature Cat Power, Fiona Apple, Beck, Jakob Dylan and others. You Showed Me is the first taste of the So-Cal tribute.

Continuing the sixties vibe, Cat Power also recently provided the voiceover to Janis, a movie-length documentary about troubled female rock-pioneer Janis Joplin – endorsed by the Joplin estate – which made its debut at the Venice Film Festival this past September.

Additionally, Chan has added her vocals to a character from animated TV Show Adult Swim. Oh, and in between all this and the writing of new material, Ms.Marshall gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Cat Power Solo: Up Close and Intimate, playing songs old and new ahead of new album recording this autumn.

VIOLENT FEMMES
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Legendary American band Violent Femmes premiered the first song, Memory, from their long-awaited and highly anticipated new record We Can Do Anything, due out this March. The track stands out as vintage Violent Femmes, and is one of the many new songs featured on We Can Do Anything that were chosen from singer/songwriter/guitarist Gordon Gano’s voluminous archives of ancient cassette demos and old journals.

LISTEN TO MEMORY HERE VIA NPR’S FIRST LISTEN

Violent Femmes’ ninth studio album and first full-length collection in more than 15 years, We Can Do Anything is among the most provocative and playful in the legendary band’s remarkable canon. As the title makes plain, founding Femmes Gano and Brian Ritchie (acoustic bass guitar, vocals) remain intrepid as ever before, traversing infinite genre and emotion via their immediately identifiable mash of rambunctious folk, minimalist punk, cubist blues, cosmic jazz, and back porch rock ‘n’ roll.

“What the Femmes are,” says Ritchie, “and I think we always have been, is a repository for American roots music. Most people think of us as a kind of rock band but we’re a lot more than that and I think this album represents all that in a really natural, cohesive way. It just flows smoothly between all these ideas.”

Violent Femmes came together in 1981 and were quickly applauded as one of the most inventive and original bands of the era, constantly pushing forward with their singular blend of folk and punk, sarcasm and spirituality. The Milwaukee-based band first attracted attention while busking in front of their hometown’s Oriental Theatre. The performance caught the ears of that night’s headliners, Pretenders Chrissie Hynde and the late James Honeyman-Scott, who invited the young group to open the sold out concert with a brief acoustic set. From there Violent Femmes released eight studio albums and more than a dozen iconic singles, among them such classics as American Music, Gone Daddy Gone, Nightmares, Add It Up, and of course, Blister In The Sun. Violent Femmes’ remarkable three-decade-plus career has earned them cumulative worldwide sales in excess of 10 million, with 1983’s VIOLENT FEMMES awarded with RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release.

The turn of the millennium saw Violent Femmes begin a long hiatus from the studio, only coming together to record a 2009 cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” – returning the favor after Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse’s psychedelic soul version of “Gone Daddy Gone” proved a worldwide smash. Violent Femmes officially returned to full time action in 2013 with an acclaimed performance at Coachella before embarking on a wide-ranging tour that included headline dates and ecstatically received festival sets around the world.

Violent Femmes captured their fresh momentum on the 2015 EP, Happy New Year. Recorded in Hobart between sold out shows at the world famous Sydney Opera House and Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, the EP was cut live in the studio – no baffling, no isolation booth, “the right production approach for the music that we make,” says Ritchie.

“It had the feeling people are looking for from us,” he says. “A feeling that I think exemplifies the rawness of our approach.”

The aesthetic success of Happy New Year led Violent Femmes to consider a proper new full length LP, though of course a conventional record was never in the cards. Rather, the band was determined to keep on the way they always have, driving in their own idiosyncratic lane.

“One of the things about the band getting back together again,” says Ritchie, “was can we make some sort of a valid artistic statement? A lot of bands of our vintage return and then try to do what other people are doing nowadays. We were always outside of the times – even at our most popular we were considered outsiders – so we had no obligation to try to be current. Because we never were current. Ever.”

We Can Do Anything was recorded as Violent Femmes traveled North America on a hugely successful tour alongside Barenaked Ladies. At seven weeks, the “Last Summer On Earth 2015 Tour” was the longest live trek for the Femmes in over a decade and its effect was to sharpen the already integrated unit even further.

The trek saw Gano and Ritchie fronting a seven piece combo featuring versatile drummer Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls, Nine Inch Nails) as well as the one and only Horns of Dilemma, Violent Femmes’ ever-evolving cabal of multi-instrumentalist backing musicians. Veteran Horn of Dilemma Jeff Hamilton took on the producer role, overseeing the recording by virtue of expertise, expediency, and his long creative relationship with Violent Femmes.

Initial tracks were recorded in Brooklyn followed by a few additional stops at studios across the country. The Nashville sessions saw Violent Femmes and the Horns of Dilemma blowing at full gale live in the studio, busting out explosive arrangements that veer on a dime from hard charging stomp to intimate melancholy. The sessions showcase the indispensible contributions of such longtime Horns as percussionist John Sparrow and saxophonist Blaise Garza – a Horn of Dilemma since he was 14 years old. Additional fuel came from Barenaked Ladies’ Kevin Hearn, who stepped off his own tour bus to lend accordion, guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals.

Violent Femmes will celebrate WE CAN DO ANYTHING with a full-scale tour of Australasia around the release, lighting it up for a fervent following that now encompasses multiple generations of fans. Though it will come as no surprise to the band’s legion of loyal supporters, We Can Do Anything affirms Violent Femmes as a vital and contemporary musical force, its joyous sound and ageless energy suggesting the universe will be graced with more music before the passing of another decade.

THE MARK OF CAIN

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The Mark Of Cain return to active service this November / December with their 2015 ‘Tour Of Duty’. The tour follows the bands return to live performance in 2013 following a seven year sabbatical from touring and an eleven year hiatus from recording via the release of the fifth album (and their fifth classic) Songs Of The Third And Fifth.

“The Mark of Cain’s fifth studio album sounds every bit as impactful and exciting as their first, which is no small feat given that 1989’s Battlesick is considered by many to be a classic. It’s the same old TMOC only leaner, meaner and amazingly after all these years, even more convincing. A career high point.” 4.5 stars Rolling Stone Magazine

Live too the band’s unique presence of brothers John and Kim Scott (on guitar / vocals and bass respectively) and young gun drummer Eli Green remains rock-solid, the band locked in with the same trademark intensity we have come to know and love (and be afraid of…)

Expect to hear material from right across the band’s 26 year recorded history, a history that has included collaborations and Australian firsts with Steve Albini, Henry Rollins, Franz Treichler, (The Young Gods), John Stanier (Helmet, Battles), Andy Gill (Gang Of Four) and more.

BATTLES
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Already confirmed for the 2016 Laneway Festival, Feel are now pleased to announce headline shows for Brooklyn based trio Battles.

The idiosyncratic three-piece, featuring drummer John Stainer (The Mark Of Cain / Tomahawk), bassist and sonic manipulator Dave Konopka and multi-instrumentlaist Ian Williams, will bring the noise via new album La Di Da Di for side shows in Sydney and Melbourne.  

“With a setlist dominated by La Di Da Di, the prospect of Battles live can only be described as controlled chaos. Its a totally relentless attach of glitches out guitars, looped synths and drummer John Stanier’s all-out sonic assault. They’re simply a can’t-miss act” – Consequence Of Sound October 2015

Previous visits have seen the Brooklyn based three-piece land The Big Day Out (twice), sell-out a Sydney Festival Becks Bar performance and appear as guests of the Brian Eno curated Sydney Opera House Luminous Festival. This time, with Laneway occupying the main stage, Battles have opted for limited capacity club shows. Expect the shows to sell out and sell-out quickly.

There are few greater privileges than to see a band like Battles in a setting like the Opera House. They’re a sonic volcano that erupts with every note they play. In short: It was fucking incredible. – Faster Louder 2009

“… when they’re in the zone, there’s not much like it.” Pitchfork 2015

Its Battles. Live. Don’t you dare miss them. Tickets for all shows are on-sale now. 

ED KUEPPER

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The legendary bard of the Australian music and a keen influence of all manner of folk from Paul Kelly to Nice Cave, Ed Kuepper, follows his recent Nostalgia For The New east coast residency with a couple of festival slots and a further regional foray. Ed will headline Brisbane Festivals 4ZZZ Flashback Spiegeltent show with reformed Brisbane-via-Sydney band Ups And Downs supporting and will also visit the Akoostik Festival in Wingham (mid-NSW) and Bellingen’s Cafe No.5. Ticket details in the side bar.

 

 

 

 

 

FOUR TET

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One of the most inventive electronic producers of his generation, Four Tet continues his prodigious streak and religiously acclaimed performances by undertaking his first Concert Hall appearance in his 20-year career – ringing in the new year with a specially-crafted Opera House debut that will journey through the meditative Morning/Evening and a life’s work of euphoric, club-inspired cuts.

THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
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JSBX:  FREEDOM TOWER – NO WAVE DANCE PARTY 2015!

Hail, hail rock ‘n’ roll! And all hail the The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion! Back with a brand new album and an Australian tour in August 2015.

Freedom Tower – No Wave Dance Party 2015 be thy album name and it’s every bit as triumphant and exciting as the title would suggest. Rehearsed and polished in a string of secret gigs and unannounced opening slots in New York City theatres, hotel bars, and dives (often under assumed names), and recorded at the legendary Daptone House Of Soul in Bushwick, Freedom Tower – like the best sides that percolated up from the Bronx, the Lower East Side, and Greenwich Village across the 1970s and ‘80s – is more than a high-octane dance party record, it is a document of New York City, a chronicle of grit and terror and love!

“A record as chaotic and full of life as the city that inspired it, Freedom Tower sweats with feverish energy.“ Consequence Of Sound

“Freedom Tower pares the group back to the elements, the razor-wire riffs some of their best; while Spencer’s holler sounds as grease-slicked and super-cool as ever” **** MOJO

“Freedom Tower showcases three men who grasp that great rock’n’roll can be at once rudimentary, virtuoso and preposterous” **** UNCUT

For nearly a quarter-century the Blues Explosion have been sweating, freezing, eating, drinking, fucking, fighting, winning, and losing in New York City, perpetrating some of the most timeless moments of musical mayhem in the history of Manhattan and beyond. As ever, Jon Spencer tells the tales, Judah Bauer plays the blues, and Russell Simins smashes things to bits… And as always Blues Explosion stomp on the faux underground oasis peddled by bourgeois hipsters and marketing jocks to deliver the real deal —  rock’n’roll that is unapologetically nasty and strong.

“… greasy riffs, twanging licks, tight drumbeats, banging, clattering, handclapping, and leather-trousered ass wiggling….expertly rendered, precisely messy, irresistibly life-affirming punky, funky rock ‘n’ roll.” Under The Radar

In recent times JSBX have toured Australia appearing at the Golden Plains Festival, Sydney Festival, Hobart’s MOFO and on select double-bills with fellow noise addicts Dinosaur Jr. They return this time for a headline appearance at Supersense – Melbourne’s newest cultural event – also featuring John Cale, Lydia Lunch, Mark Ribot, Chris Abrahams (The Necks), HTRK and more. It’s a (super) sensory overload with the Blues Explosion being the proud bearers of the ‘overload’. Elsewhere The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion will lift the roof off venues in New Zealand, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart and Perth.

“… JSBX brings everything they have to the performance. Its a S-H-O-W in all caps, with Jon Spencer presiding as carnival barker, MC, chief entertainer and all around head get-down honcho for the evening”. – Dagger Zine live review May 2015

There are eight million stories in the Naked City — but there is only one Blues Explosion!

Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome the fabulous, most groovy, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion back to Australian shores this August. Tickets for all shows on-sale June 5th *

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For the better part of 2013 / 2014 Ed Kuepper toured the nation performing his crowd-pleasing ‘By Request’ show in city centres and regional towns culminating in a sold-out performance at the City Recital Hall for Sydney Festival, whereupon our Ed assembled various members of the Sydney Chamber Orchestra for a once-in-a-lifetime radical re-working of Kuepper Klassics.

Ed Kuepper’s wisdom is evident and naturally his relationship with the songs he wrote decades ago has matured and shifted. He isn’t satisfied with rattling off old times to a parochial audience in a suburban pub. His music continues to expand, injected with new facts, new sub-ploys, and sometimes shifting the narrative entirely. – FBI radio review

For his first tour of 2015 Ed Kuepper will again tackle any industry pre-conceptions, this time though, performing a set of largely new and as-yet-unrecorded material for a tour being dubbed Nostalgia For The New. And, in a further twist to the norm, Herr Kuepper will undertake the tour via a 3-week-mid-week residency in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne with spin-off weekend shows in regional areas.

I was thinking of the times you’d go out and see an artist to hear the new stuff, I kind of missed it…felt a nostalgia for the new if you catch my drift – Ed Kuepper

The new material is being workshopped with the intention of recording a new album of all new studio material – his first since the wonderous Jean Lee and the Yellow Dog – before the end of the year. However, with each show being upwards of 2 hours long and without a support, our Ed has graciously allowed some of those back catalogue gems to be included in the set(s) too.

But wait, that’s not all, in between times, the nation’s first true Saint has also been busy putting down his first full-length soundtrack for the feature film Last Cab To Darwin. Directed by Jeremy Sims and starring Michael Caton, Last Cab… will premiere at this year’s Sydney Film Festival.

… for me the chance of a lifetime really, been wanting to get into film scoring for years … it’s a very moving film which hopefully I’ve done justice to – Ed Kuepper

In the meantime get ready to lock in your mid-week winter kicks with Ed Kuepper as he sweeps down the east coast on his Nostalgia For The New tour this July.

Tickets for all shows on-sale Friday 22nd May.

THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW
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“This dynamic duo has relentlessly pursued an uncompromising vision of the subversive power of music that pays no heed to commercial imperatives. Standing outside the industry, two fingers raised in salute, they have nevertheless managed to forge an international career completely on their own, idiosyncratic terms.”

The pioneering rock’n’roll legend that is The King Khan & BBQ Show announce the side shows to their Splendour In The Grass appearance.

The fabled duo (comprising singer / guitarist King Khan and drummer / singer / guitarist Mark Sultan) made their Australian debut at the request of Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson for the 2010 Vivid Festival will play additional shows in Sydney & Melbourne in celebration of their recently released album Bad News Boys, their first in 5 years.

This fourth album’s a gas. – MOJO ****

Entirely unoriginal, but the sort of thing that, 55 years after it was invented, it’s still hard to get enough of. – UNCUT ****

At its core, Bad News Boys is a joyous celebration of all things rock’n’roll by two guys who seem to have it running in their blood. – DROWNED IN SOUND

The band infamously broke up at that Sydney Opera House show. The venue and event organisers branding their show, and Khan in particular, a security threat! Arguments ensued and well, that was that. They managed to reconvene some three years later though, and returned to Australia in 2013 for a series of sold-out shows. Bad News Boys brings the manic-duo into the present.

The King Khan & BBQ Show’s formula of mixing timeless classic rock’n’roll melodies and harmonies with pure butt shaking savagery has hit the nail right on its head once again. Get lost in the romantic ballads about love and loss. Get pummelled in the gut with their return to classic floor punching hardcore. Get all loosely goosey with their true R&B Gospel salvation/salavation and feel the Holy Spirit deflower your holiness. Get crushed by the crunchiness in their celebration of crunch. Just get! Got it? Good! – Unknown.

Geelong’s newly crowned garage-kings The Living Eyes will guest on both shows with further support from Los Tones (Sydney) and The Pink Tiles (Melbourne).

Grab your own salad plate and head on down to the box office on Friday May 1st for tickets to The King Khan & BBQ Show, proudly presented by Feel.

BILL CALLAHAN

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On his last visit to Australia Bill Callahan performed at a ski-resort atop a mountain in Victoria for All Tomorrows Parties. He also appeared in a tent in a park for Sydney Festival – both events now holding a special place in Australian festival folklore. This time however, Bill C. has swapped the great Australian outdoors for the great Australian indoors and will perform three exclusive east coast shows: Tuesday 26th May at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall and Thursday 28th and Friday 29th May for Vivid Live at the Sydney Opera House. And in another Australian exclusive, and unlike previous visits either as Bill Callahan or Smog (his previous moniker) Bill will be bringing his regular touring band with him.

Four dudes, one harmonica, two electric guitars, one glitter-painted bass, barely half a drum kit and six lights is all it took to conquer the behemoth of a room transforming it into a gig with the cosiness of a chamber music recital. Review – Royal Festival Hall, London 2014.

In the years between Australian visits Callahan has released two albums proper, including the acclaimed Dream River featuring the Australian alternative radio hits Javelin Unlanding and Small Plane. Elsewhere Dream River kicked goals too landing at no.44 on the UK mainstream charts and picking up a five star review and the album of the year gong by influential English mag Mojo.

***** Dream River may be Callahan’s most beguiling album yet – MOJO

**** An Artist at the peak of his songwriting powers / the finest English language songwriting of the last 20 years‘ – The Guardian

**** ‘Bill Callahan sings the truth. Bathe in his voice, sink in it’ – Sydney Morning Herald

Setting into a cleaner musical palette since his tape-recorded beginnings as Smog, Callahan’s cult-audience has slowly grown from barfly clubs to hushed theatre reverence giving his baritone subtle delivery, and lyrical thumps such as album opener The Sing a refined precision: The only words I’ve said today are “beer” and “thank you”. Beer. Thank you.

Whether deceptively open or characteristically cloaked, Callahan’s status as a classic outsider songwriter will be brought up close in this six years in-the-waiting return for Vivid Live and Hamer Hall.

SUNNYBOYS

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The feel good story of 2014, Sunnyboys, announce a summer tour and the deluxe reissue of albums 2 & 3: INDIVIDUALS and GET SOME FUN.

The 2015 tour follows a series of sold-out east coast shows in 2013-2014, national theatre release of the feature-length documentary The Sunnyboy, a live appearance on ABC-TV show The Crack-Up for Mental Health Week and the deluxe re-issue of their rightly celebrated eponymous debut album. That a band could achieve all that interest some 30 years after they originally disbanded shows the respect in which they are held and the quality of the material they created in their brief but highly-charged original career.

The 2015 tour will include shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide plus a slot at the Perth International Arts Festival, just the second Sunnyboys appearance in the W.A. capital since 1984. Brisbane and Sydney fans will also be ecstatic to learn that in their respective towns Sunnyboys will be joined by former sparring partners, the legendary Riptides.

In the post-punk gloom of 1980-1982, the all-too-rare double-bill of Sunnyboys and Riptides became the stuff of legend, the best party in town. The Riptides anthemic show closer Shake It even provoking stage invasions long before it became de rigour. Although the initial life-span of the Riptides had them lasting just five years (1978 – 1983) their live legacy and tracks like ’77 Sunset Strip, Tomorrows Tears and Only Time have remained and the band have reformed sporadically over the years to great success, the last time being Brisbane’s 2006 Pig City festival which also featured the original Saints. More recently frontman Mark Callaghan has overseen the mixing of the Riptides debut album TOMBS OF GOLD. Recorded in 1982 but mixed just this year, TOMBS… is available right now on vinyl and CD – what took them so long!

Other guests on the February tour include The New Christs (Melbourne and Sydney) young punks Bad // Dreems (Adelaide) and Dom Mariani’s post-Stems vehicle DM3, in Perth.

Both Sunnyboys albums, meanwhile, are to be re-packaged and remastered with a bevy of bonus tracks, INDIVIDUALS in particular having a major overhaul with 8 of the original tracks stripped from the album completely and replaced by 8 alternative mixes found just last year in the archives of album producer Lobby Loyde. The original version of INDIVIDUALS has long been a thorn in the side of Sunnyboys, unhappy with the released versions and the decision by their record company to release it rather than remix it. The recently unearthed mixes have addressed that issue completely with the band declaring “The difference is amazing. It’s like a different album, fresh and dynamic – we look forward to playing it again”. INDIVIDUALS is rounded out by the 7″ version of Show Me Some Discipline plus b-side Pain and a 5-song live session recorded in Sydney by Triple J in early 1982.

GET SOME FUN will comprise the complete album recording sessions including singles Love In A Box and Comes As No Surprise, four non-album tracks and a 5-track live performance taken from the infamous Narara Music Festival held on a farm in rural NSW in 1984. Even the mud and damp of the day can’t impact on the energy of the Sunnyboys in this fantastic live performance.

Both INDIVIDUALS and GET SOME FUN will come complete with detailed full colour booklets and are to be released in early 2015.

Tickets for SUNNYBOYS – IT’S A SUNNY DAY TOUR are to go on sale Friday 5th December (except where noted).

J MASCIS

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Mascis had thrilled us for little over an hour, making everyone’s eyes twinkle as they sat back, marvelled and at times even levitated due to his astonishing guitar playing – AU Review 2012

Last here in early 2012 for The Falls Festival and multiple sold-out Sydney Festival performances, Dinosaur Jr frontman / guitar-guru J Mascis returns to Australia and New Zealand in February 2015 for Adelaide’s Garden Of Unearthly Delights Aurora Spiegeltent programme, as special guest to premier ambient / noise outfit Mogwai for two shows at Perth International Arts Festival, for headline performances along the Australian east coast (including first time solo appearances in Hobart and Canberra) and for three shows on the north island of New Zealand.

The 2015 tour follows the release of Tied To A Star, the second solo album from Mascis that picks up exactly where 2011’s debut Several Shades Of Why left off.

And though he plugs in for strategic, ripping solos throughout Tied to a Star, highlights like “Wide Awake” – his perfectly paired duet with Cat Power, which barely breaks a whisper – show that Mascis is now as skilled at quiet as he is with loud. Rolling Stone August 2014

As an added treat, former Magic Dirt front woman Adalita will join J for shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney. The two indie-rock luminaries paired up in 2012 for an appearance on SBS TV show Rockwiz performing the Tom Petty / Stevie Nicks classic Stop Dragging My Heart Around though the relationship goes back further with Magic Dirt having supported Dinosaur Jr on their 1995 Australian tour.

Stop Dragging My Heart Around
Every Morning (featuring Fred Armisen)
Is it Done

Don’t miss J Mascis with occasional special guest Adalita on tour this February.

Presented by Feel & FBi.

ED KUEPPER

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In an exclusive performance, Australian master musician Ed Kuepper is joined by members of the Sydney Chamber Orchestra as he revisits and reinvents selections from his vast and storied repertoire.

Co-founder of seminal proto-punk band The Saints, frontman of the jazz-inflected, post-punk outfit Laughing Clowns and a prolific solo artist in his own right, Kuepper’s influential 40-year career has seen him rise from a groundbreaking young punk to a revered musical legend.

Performing live with a string section for the very first time, Kuepper completely rearranges songs spanning his entire catalogue, from The Saints, Laughing Clowns and his illustrious solo career. The interplay between the strings and unexpected electronic elements blurs the line between the acoustic and the electric, and breathes new life into familiar classics.

XYLOURIS WHITE

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It’s intense, joyous, rugged music – Ben Ratcliff New York Times  October 2014

Xylouris White, the new outfit for Dirty Three drummer Jim White and Cretan lute player George Xylouris, makes its Australian debut this summer after tours in the US and Europe. They will be performing in the Sydney Festival, Hobart’s MONA / FOMA Festival and a one-off Melbourne headline show.

Both Xylouris and White are setting out on a rare adventure in music. Each continues to be pre-eminent in his field, but both have decided to bring together the best of their very disparate traditions into a new kind of universal music.

Emerging from Australia’s fertile post-punk scene, Jim White has become one of the most beloved and instantly recognizable drummers of today. Best known for his long-running role in Dirty Three, Jim is a powerful and original player who has flourished in many settings, having collaborated, toured and recorded with a wide array of brilliant artists over the years, including  Bill Callahan, Cat Power, Will Oldham and PJ Harvey .

George Xylouris is Crete’s most loved and inventive lutenist, having taken his instrument from a mainly rhythmic role to an excitingly melodic one. He and Jim met through mutual friends on the Melbourne music scene when Xylouris was living in Australia in the early ‘90s. George sat in with Dirty Three on occasion. Later White and Xylouris accompanied Cretan lyra master Psarandonis on a couple of tours before forming Xylouris White. Through a series of live performances and recording sessions in Greece, Australia, and New York City, the duo forged a new sound.

Xylouris makes the lute a lead instrument—a trait he has in common with White, whose drumming often takes a collaborative, participatory role in his work with other musicians.  New Yorker  Sept 4 2014

Both are extraordinary musicians. From a distance, in market terms, one is a traditional artist and the other a nontraditional one. . Onstage… they look and play like brothers.…the two men have created a hybrid form that they both seem born to…Their music starts with old Cretan forms … and spreads outward into loose, sympathetic improvisations of uncertain length, the kind of thing that has been at the center of each man’s music for a long time.

New York Times  October 2014

GOATS the debut album for Xylouris White completes the picture. Produced by Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, it brings together these varied and inspired personalities to create something undeniably fresh and impossible to categorise.

Xylouris’ playing is a sombrely beautiful thing… White, is such a presence on the kit that his percussion has the sense of a lead instrument. Guy Picciotto produces, flatly and cleanly in a way that plays to the music’s strengths. UNCUT October 2014

Video: Psarandonis Syrto

Tickets for all Australian shows are on sale now.

The interplay between these two unparalleled musicians makes for an exhilarating, barrier-smashing live show unlike anything you have ever seen – Sydney Festival Programme

MOGWAI

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Six years after their last headline tour of Australia and five years since their Harvest Festival appearances sonic-architects Mogwai finally return to Australia for an all headline tour.

As befits their wide-screen nature the six-piece Glaswegian outfit won’t be doing things by halves either, taking in a two-night stand at Perth International Arts Festival (with special guest: Dinosaur J frontman J Mascis), a headline spot at Adelaide Festival‘s Thebarton Theatre, debut performances at both the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and Melbourne’s famed Hamer Hall, a return slot at the Tivoli in Brisbane PLUS the band’s first ever visit to New Zealand – how’s that for stamping your authority!

Almost 20 years since their inception Mogwai have carved out a niche entirely their own – often copied but never bettered – that has seen the band release eight (largely) instrumental and hugely influential studio albums (including this years UK top ten debut Rave Tapes), live albums, compilations, film soundtracks (including Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait and The Fountain) while most recently Mogwai were commissioned to provide the score for SBS TV series The Returned a/k/a Les Revenant.

“It concerns a group of dead individuals who return – not as archetypal zombies, but seemingly exactly as they were – to live in their former communities. Gradually, though, things start to unravel, the creeping unease bolstered brilliantly by this sinister Mogwai score.” – The Guardian July 2013

Live, Mogwai‘s shows are legendary taking the audience from a whisper to a scream, from darkness to light as wave after wave of sound comes crashing around them taking the listener on the most epic of journeys.

Just getting better and better the band incorporate so many sounds and textures into their music that it would take for ever to describe. There is a serious imagination at play here with songs sometimes hooking around a fierce almost Stooges style riff and then descending into a spooked neo silence before exploding with a genuine danger or twisting around some electronic loop. – Louder Than War June 2014

No better example of the above than Mogwai’s performance of their 1997 track Mogwai Fear Satan captured live @ Royal Concert Hall in January this year.

Mogwai Fear Satan

Tickets for this most anticipated of tours are on sale Friday November 7th (except where noted).

THE POP GROUP

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“It’s one of those moments when the cogs of your mind shift and your life is going to irreversibly change forever” Nick Cave on hearing The Pop Group for the first time.

Post-punk originals The Pop Group make their Australian debut this February performing at Adelaide Festival and for headline shows in Sydney & Melbourne.

Formed as teenagers in 1977, The Pop Group fused black funk, free jazz, dub, political protest and punk rock energy into a heady cocktail neatly coined as post-punk or in the bands own words “end-of-the-world-music”. Their debut album Y produced by dub-reggae legend Denis Bovell and featuring the the classics ‘She is Beyond Good & Evil’ and ‘We Are Time’ is rightly considered a masterpiece and proved massively influential, not the least on Nick Cave and the early work of The Birthday Party.

The anthemic ‘We Are All Prostitutes’ would follow along with 2nd album For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder and early works compilation We Are Time, before, in 1980, the band would implode – such intensity not meant to last.

“The Pop Group…blazed a trail that few, if any, have had the imagination or the bravado to follow.” – The Guardian (UK)

In the years that followed the respective members went on their own respective career paths: singer Mark Stewart with his band The Mafia embarked on a lengthy solo career producing further ground breaking work for Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label and Mute records, as he would with drummer Bruce Smith in the New Age Steppers. Smith would remain constantly active joining The Slits for their second album Return Of The Giant Slits  before reconvening with guitarist Gareth Sager (and Neneh Cherry) in creating the legendary Rip Rig and Panic. Most recently Smith has become a permanent member of John Lydon’s Public Image Limited.

In 2010 though, thirty years after their demise, the call went out and The Pop Group found themselves reforming for the All Tomorrows Parties series of festivals followed by Primavera, Summer Sonic, Off, and Celtic Connections. Then, earlier this year the band announced a reissue campaign that included the first ever digital release for We Are Time and a new compilation, Cabinet Of Curiosities plus the band’s first ever UK headline tour since 1980.

It’s been more than 30 years since The Pop Group last played in Glasgow, but they were worth the wait. We Are All Prostitutes’ harsh, abrasive funk made for the best opening ever, while the Thief of Fire’s fusion of dub, post-punk racket and No Wave skronk was topped by Mark Stewart’s righteous fury. The gig of the year crown might be taken already. Unbelievable. 5/5 Daily Record.

In 2015 The Pop Group will finally make it to Australia. Mark Stewart, Gareth Sager and Bruce Smith are joined by bassist Dan Catsis for shows you cannot miss. Tickets for Sydney and Melbourne are on sale October 20th. Adelaide Festival is on sale now.

Cabinet Of Curiosities and We Are Time are both released October 24th via Shock.

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We Are All Prostitues

NENEH CHERRY & ROCKETNUMBERNINE+

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Neneh Cherry has achieved a lot in her 25+ years in the music industry and is widely considered as a true music icon. It’s hard to believe then that Neneh Cherry has never performed in Australia… That’s all set to change with the announcement of Cherry’s first ever Australian/NZ tour next year – and she couldn’t be more excited: “This is a deeply meaningful moment for me. I have a strong and lengthy attachment to many folks from your part of the World, so does my whole family. Whenever I have been through doing promo (in Australasia), there has never quite been enough time to do some shows too, so this series of upcoming shows is LONG overdue!!!  Should be a LOT of fun”

Venues include the Festival Gardens in Perth, the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Hamer Hall with tickets for all shows on-sale 9.00am November 10th.

After a hiatus of 18 years Neneh Cherry released her 4th solo album ‘Blank Project’ in February 2014 to a chorus of praise for her creative reinvention. Blank Project’ was produced by UK electronic wonderkid Four Tet, and features Neneh’s voice backed by just two instruments, the skeletal drums and synth duo of RocketNumberNine AKA Ben and Tom Page. The result is a brooding backdrop that nods to anarchic free jazz, post-punk, sound system culture and the trip hop Neneh was so instrumental in incubating.

‘Cherry at her fierce best’ – Sydney Morning Herald
4.5/5 Album of the Week – The Music
Album of the week – 3RRR Radio
Feature Album – 2SER Radio
Feature Album – RTR FM
4/5 – The Australia

On the eve of her debut tour down under the label has also announced the release of a Deluxe Edition of Blank Project featuring the album proper on one CD with all the best re-mixes from electronic artists Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, Ricardo Villalobos, Cooly G and Loco Dice to name a few, on the other, Its’ easy to see why Neneh Cherry 2014 and beyond is such an exciting prospect…

Don’t miss the first ever Australian tour by Neneh Cherry with rocketnumbernine+ February / March 2015

SPOON

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Festival favourites Spoon – last here in 2010 for Groovin’ the Moo and prior to that in 2008 for the national Big Day Out and Sydney Festival – return in 2015 for an all headline tour.

The band rated the Artist Of The Decade (the best-reviewed band – on average – for the 2000s) by the aggregation site Metacritic, return this time is in support of their latest and greatest album They Want My Soul – like it’s predecessor, Transference, a top 4 debutant in the mainstream US charts.

Featuring the singles ‘Do You’ and ‘Inside Out’, They Want My Soul also looks set to replicate the achievements of their first five albums rating highly with the critics.

“They Want My Soul is chock full of guitar-driven greatness that makes it well worth the four-year wait and is bound to see it feature highly on end-of-year lists.”
X-Press Magazine (4.5 stars)

“Brilliant record, without question their best to date.” Q Magazine (4 stars)

“Beautifully made, multi-layered album.” The Guardian (4 stars)

For this tour the Austin-born 4-piece will be augmented by the inclusion of multi-instrumentalist Alex Fischel, previously a member of Divine Fits who toured Australia for the Laneway Festival in 2013 and who also feature Spoon frontman Britt Daniel.

“This band thrives on the audience enthusiasm, especially Daniels. Its his casual swagger, his showmanship, that makes Spoon concerts what they are, at times better than anything you can experience by just listening to the albums.” Alt-Daily (Sept 2014)

“Their performance at the Hollywood Forever was definitely tailored for fans who have loved the band since their early days. With a 21-song-set that included a four-song encore, the crowd was begging for more as Spoon left the stage. This show just might have been Spoon’s best performance ever.” GrimyGods.com (August 2014)

Don’t miss the long awaited return of Spoon, this February. Tickets for all shows on sale Monday 20th October.

They Want My Soul – out now via Spunk

Do You
Inside Out
Rent I Pay

CARIBOU

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CARIBOU (a.k.a. Manitoba a.k.a. Daphni a.k.a. Daniel Snaith) is long respected multi-instrumentalist, mathematical genius and musical wizard respected for his genre-bending releases that meld psychedelia, folktronica and dance. Dishing up consistently brilliant records since 2001, Caribou has toured the world with the likes of Four Tet, Kwabs and more, captivating fans with an eclectic catalogue of organic dance tunes. After the release of the universally adored Swim in 2010, Caribou delivered his sixth studio album Our Love in October, a career-best LP that stands to be one of the most dynamic of the year.

Listen to Our Love on Soundcloud
Read – Pitchfork Feature

SUNNYBOYS

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Following a sold-out tour of the major cities earlier this year Sydney’s Sunnyboys return this October for exclusive shows in Sydney & Newcastle.

The Sydney show is a limited capacity event at Marrickville’s Factory Theatre and gives fans the chance to experience Sunnyboys up close and personal, a rarity ever since the bands rapid rise way back in 1980.

For Newcastle fans it is the bands first headline appearance in over 20 years having only performed in the region once since their 2012 reformation as special guests to Elvis Costello for A Day On The Green, Maitland.

Tickets for Sunnyboys Newcastle show are on-sale Friday 22nd August while the Sydney show is on-sale now!

…the legendary Sunnyboys enter the fray to a heroes reception and pound into As I Walk like they’ve never been away. There’s so much love and respect in the room it’s quite remarkable, and the four-piece return the favour with Love To Rule and the irrepressible Tunnel Of Love preceding the first true banger Happy Man, which prompts the euphoric crowd into a singalong frenzy from the very first note. The band seem genuinely touched by the positivity being willed at them by their ecstatic acolytes, frontman Jeremy Oxley in particular seeming overjoyed, and the energy flowing both ways between band and followers is almost tangible – Steve Bell The Music March 2014

Don’t miss the legendary Sunnyboys live this October.

THE MARK OF CAIN

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To celebrate the release of a new single, Grey-11, from 2012’s Songs Of The Third & Fifth, The Mark Of Cain have announced their first national tour since March 2013. The tour will take in the usual hot spots and also includes a return to Newcastle (for the first time since 2002) and a trip to Hobart for the first time in almost 20 years.

Grey-11 is the third single from TMOC’s much lauded 5th album Songs Of The Third & Fifth and features Henry Rollins – recently of Double J DJ fame – in a short spoken word piece. Says John Scott, frontman and song writer for TMOC of the collaboration:

I wrote about someone coming back from a bad conflict anywhere, and that the thought of coming back to their family or girlfriend or boyfriend is what kept them going thru Hell, only to find they’ve even been betrayed by the very people they relied on – and who else would get that but Rollins who tours war zones and visits combat casualties in Europe and the US. He wrote a middle verse that was spoken and I’d designed would be something I did or he could do if interested, and it turned out he was interested. Rollins gets us, he knows our shit. When called he responded….. John Scott

The relationship between The Mark Of Cain and Henry Rollins started way back in 1990 when TMOC played support to Rollins Band in Adelaide and was fostered when Rollins mixed the band’s breakout album Ill At Ease. Henry has continued to support TMOC so far as releasing their debut album Battlesick on his own 2.13.61 label and most recently playing the band on his weekly LA based radio show.

Grey-11 (edited version) will be released as a free download available to those already on The Mark Of Cain’s mailing list and all new subscribers. Simply sign-up via http://www.tmoc.com.au/contact-us/ and the download will be sent on August 11th.

For these live appearances The Mark Of Cain will again comprise brothers John & Kim Scott with boy-wonder Eli Green again taking the honours behind the drum kit.

There’s not a dull moment in the 80 minute set and every song is delivered with raw, no bullshit intensity and power. During the encore The Mark Of Cain really ram home just how good they are with a trio of their strongest songs. Battlesick is amazing, the repetitive and hypnotic droning bass propelling the song as John Scott spits out the lyrics and Green smacks the hell out of his kit. – InPress 2013

Melbourne two-piece King Of The North will appear as special guests at most shows with further support from Wollongong’s Bruce!, Brisbane’s Turnpike, Perth’s Scalphunter and Hobart’s Captives.

Live outings from The Mark Of Cain are rare so it’s inevitable that when they do tour all shows sell out. Be the first in line when tickets go on sale Friday August 15th.

FOUR TET

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Arguably our most in demand performer Four Tet returns to Australia for the second time in 2014, this time as a guest of Listen Out. Four Tet a/k/a Kieran Hebden joins Flume, Chet Faker, Schoolboy Q amongst others for a fun-filled day in some of Australia’s most beautiful parklands.

His new album Beautiful Rewind dropped last October in a typically understated manner: no streaming, no setup tracks, no bundles, no press release. Just an album available for everyone to hear and enjoy.

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Ed Kuepper adds two final shows to his Solo & By Request tour: Sunday 24th August has Ed performing a 2nd date at the Green Room in Eumundi. Doors open 2.00pm and Ed performs from 3.00pm. Ed has also been added to Melbourne Festival performing his own show on Sat 25th October at the Foxtel Festival Hub and also appearing as a guest performer at the Rowland S. Howard tribute: Pop Crimes, on October 23 & 24.

The Solo & By Request tour is in support of Ed’s latest release ‘Return Of The Mail-Order Bridegroom’ acoustic reinterpretations of songs from Ed’s long and prosperous career and others besides.

Some songs here, such as The Saints’ ‘Swing For The Crime’, are punk songs played acoustically, creating a type of urgent folk. Others seem to have been made specifically for this format, such as the spot-on Skip James cover ‘Cypress Grove Blues’ and Laughing Clowns’ ‘Eternally Yours’. The arguable highlight of the set is ‘No Regrets’. Originally by Tom Rush, the mournful lyrics benefit from Kuepper’s straightforward voice, and he makes the song his own. – 4/5 THE BRAG

Live too Herr Kuepper has been in all-time form, performing for upwards of 2 hours each evening and backing his own remarkable musical abilities with the wit only a seasoned raconteur knows how to deliver.

He teased, playing the familiar intro to I’m Stranded, before a smock and a ‘Nah’. But then the silly to the sublime – the not-often-played Horse Under Water offered to a pin-drop silent crowd. Messin’ With The Kid churned hugely, But then completely invoked audience participation as we ‘sang’ the trademark brass parts of Know Your Product, and even the choo-choo noises for Last Of The Steam Powered Trains. Calls for other Kuepper classics like Eternally Yours (“Really, you want to hear it this early in the set?”) and Everything I’ve Got (Belongs To You) were answered and everybody went home happy. The Music May 2014

Don’t miss Ed Kuepper: Solo And By Request.

BEN WATT – SOLO: ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC

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Following the release of Hendra – his first solo album in over 30 years – sometime DJ, sometime author and one-time Everything But The Girl songsmith Ben Watt, makes his debut Australian visit this August performing solo and in intimate mode for shows in Sydney and Melbourne only.

Watt marked a return to his solo career in August 2013 when he performed two sold-out shows at tiny folk n’ blues basement, The Slaughtered Lamb, in London’s Clerkenwell. Accompanied by ex-Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, Watt showcased a dozen new songs to sell-out crowds. A mini-UK tour followed in November in the midst of the recording sessions for Hendra.

Hendra is the meeting of worlds: languid folk, distorted rock and fizzing electronics. The upshot is ten songs. Unsentimental. Impressionistic. Songs about close family and strangers, resilience and hope. All set in vivid landscapes where the outside comes inside and clings to the stories.

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Apart from a life in music, in 1996 Watt’s autobiographical memoir, Patient – the True Story of a Rare Illness was published to wide acclaim by Viking/Penguin in the UK (a Sunday Times Book of the Year, Esquire Non-Fiction Award finalist) and Grove Atlantic Press US (a New York Times Notable Book of The Year.)  In Feb 2014 Bloomsbury published his second book, Romany and Tom. Both a personal journey and a portrait of his parents, it is a vivid story of the post-war years, ambition and stardom, and family roots and secrets. Bloomsbury US publish it in June 2014.

Performing solo: acoustic and electric, Ben Watt brings material from Hendra (plus other works) to Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria on August 22nd as a part of their Friday Nights At Italian Masterpieces musical selection and also Sydney’s The Basement on August 21st. Tickets for these rare performances are on-sale Wednesday 7th May.

ED KUEPPER – RETURN OF THE MAIL-ORDER BRIDEGROOM

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The all singing all dancing Ed Kuepper returns to the live arena this May-June for a series of acoustic Solo and By Request shows in support of a brand new release Return Of The Mail-Order Bridegroom.

The new CD features acoustic rewordings of earlier Kuepper classics spanning material by The Saints, Laughing Clowns and of course Ed’s lengthy solo career. The CD was inspired in part by the success of 2013’s inaugural Solo and By Request show and also Ed’s first acoustic recording from the nineties.

Back in the mid 90’s I recorded what was in essence my first truly solo album…meaning just myself and a couple of acoustic guitars. It was called ”I was a Mail-order Bridegroom”. It came about after my first European and North American solo tour. I’d toured lots with some very talented people but doing a solo show that actually works was something special for me. The first Bridegroom album was an attempt to capture the nature of those shows. Last year, I decided to go out solo again …this time on a totally by request basis… meaning no set list… I’d just play what was requested. The tour went better than I expected and I wanted to capture how things had changed musically in what was essentially the same format. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Return Of The Mail-Order Bridegroom is available now via mail-order only princemelonrecords.blogspot.com.au and will be released to retail on April 18th.

Meanwhile Ed brings his Solo and By Request show to parts new and old this winter performing upwards of 2 hrs each evening. That’ll keep you toastie. In addition Ed will perform solo at The Gumball Festival in the Hunter Valley on April 12th.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale now.

LLOYD COLE

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Lloyd Cole is no stranger to Australian shores, from his time as front-man for The Commotions and their stadium tour of 1986, through to his Small Ensemble tour of 2011 and the many solo tours he has performed in between, Lloyd has proved a very welcome visitor regularly selling out shows right around the country. In 2014 Lloyd Cole returns for his most extensive Australian tour yet taking in all the major cities plus a host of regional centres too – Meeniyan, Castlemaine, Launceston, Lismore and the Gold Coast among them.

Opening with the triple punch of No Blue Skies, Why I Love Country Music and Perfect Skin, the crowd were transfixed. While many of the songs played tonight are well in their 20’s each sounds as vibrant as it did on release, some more so. Proof that Lloyds theory of ‘only making music when inspiration actually strikes’ has more than paid off. – Anotherlostshark.com

The 2014 tour comes on the back of a new album: Standards, recorded in late 2012 after Lloyd was inspired by the release of Bob Dylan’s latest album Tempest. “I took it as a kick up the backside. I’d been languishing. Some years I wouldn’t even write a song. But when I heard that record, I thought, Damn! I’ve got all these notebooks full of ideas. What would happen if I just worked on them bloody hard and made a record?”

Arguably the best album Lloyd has made since his debut 30 years ago with The Commotions, Standards is also his most rocking’ and features musical contributions from Matthew Sweet, ex-Lou Reed sideman Fred Maher, former Commotion Blair Cowan, Joan as Police Woman and Lloyds’ son Will. It will be released locally via The Planet Company on May 9th.

“‘Standards’ is the work of a bristling, alive and fresh-as-a-daisy master, drawing on all of his experience for a mid-life career high.” 4*  Daily Mirror 21 June ‘13

For the 2104 Australian tour Lloyd Cole will perform works from Standards plus material from right across his catalogue: solo, and in intimate mode and playing for upwards of 90 minutes each night.

After delighting the crows for just over two hours, Lloyd leaves us with another triple play, closing the show with Forest Fire, before returning for an encore of Undressed and Lost Weekend. Even then the crowd aren’t going anywhere fast. That is the power of an artist at their peak: they take you somewhere and bring you back richer for the experience – Anotherlostshark.com

In addition Lloyd Cole will appear ‘In Conversation’ for shows at the University Of Adelaide and MONA in Hobart. Check with the respective venues for full details.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday March 3rd.

MICK TURNER

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As a former member of Melbourne post-punk bands Fungus Brains, Venom P.Stinger and The Moodists Mick Turner provided menace and a unique anti-rock approach to guitar playing, As the third cog in the Dirty Three wheel Mick provides the rolling rhythms and washes of sound for drummer Jim White and violinist Warren Ellis to explore and dance around to. As a solo artist Mick uses his brush not only for the cover art that inherits his and the Dirty Three album covers but to provide a canvas for himself and his invited artists to add their own colour too. He is like no other. Really.

Mick’s new solo-album, Don’t Tell The Driver, was four years in the making and features guest appearances from Jeffrey Wegener, Caroline Kennedy, Oliver Mann, Ian Wadley, Peggy Frew and others. He has nailed it.

See Mick Turner on tour both solo and in band mode headlining as as special guest to Cat Power.

Tickets on sale Friday 29 November @ 9am.

CAT POWER

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The enigmatic Chan Marshall a/k/a Cat Power returns to Australia this January to perform in solo mode, intimate and up close.

Cat Power will perform two shows in the Circus Ronaldo Tent for Sydney Festival and will also appear as a guest vocalist at SF’s Big Star’s Third, a live orchestrated performance of the classic album. Cat Power will also perform shows in Melbourne, Fremantle, Canberra (her first show in our nation’s capital in over 10 years), a debut performance at the Meeniyan Town Hall in Victoria’s Gippsland, and two very special shows in beautiful downtown Milton on the NSW south coast.

Her setlist dug deep into her catalogue, rotating between guitar and piano acts. Opening with her stunning take of “House of the Rising Sun”, she included old favourites and obvious crowd pleasers like “The Greatest” and “What Would the Community Think”. The heartbreaking “Names” recalled troubled childhood friends and acquaintances and herring “Colours” and “Kids” again was a true delight. – brightestyoungthings.com November 2013

Mick Turner: Dirty Three guitarist, sometime collaborator with Cat Power and Chan’s very good friend will join the tour for many of the shows performing solo or in band mode presenting material from his brand new album Don’t Tell the Driver, his first to feature vocals.

Don’t Tell The Driver is a masterpiece of immersion, and like the greatest artworks, is made to get lost in – The Music November 2013

Cat Power’s own album of last year, Sun, featuring the singles Ruin & Cherokee, was the most successful of Cat Power’s career, debuting at #10 on the US mainstream Billboard charts (a first for her US label Matador too) and #2 in Billboard’s Alternative and Independent charts. In Australia Cat Power’s full band tour of Feb / March 2013 saw sold out shows at Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne’s Forum in addition to a headline spot Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival and a double bill with George Clinton for MONA in Hobart. This time though, Cat Power is going it alone.

SUNNYBOYS

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The phoenix-like rise of eighties alternative-rock group Sunnyboys (1980 – 1984) continues with the announcement today of a brand new best-of collection and a headline tour, the band’s first since their one-off reformation in 1991.

Sunnyboys Our Best Of is comprised of 16 tracks all remastered and hand-picked by the band and features the hits; fan faves and previously unreleased material including a pre-debut album demo; recently unearthed alternative mixes from their 1982 albun, Individuals, and a bonus live-track taken from Sunnyboys recent Vivid Live performance.

Our Best Of will be released digitally and to CD via Warners reissue imprint Festival Records on December 6th 2013 with the CD package also including a 14 page booklet detailing the band’s rise, mysterious disappearance, and eventual return plus, for the first time, Jeremy Oxley explains the meaning behind those songs.

“Contrary to popular belief, the song was not written as a “clue” to my mental health state at the time” – Jeremy re Trouble In My Brain

The tour comes after 12 months of spordic live activity for Sunnyboys initiated in April 2012 by the Hoodoo Gurus and their Dig It Up! Invitational and culminating in a triumphant sold-out performance in June 2013 at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

“Many acts make comebacks, more now than ever in fact, but I can’t remember feeling so much love in a room for an Australian band that, like its audience, was reliving its glorious youth. It was a fantastic experience.” – Iain Sheddon / The Australian, Sydney Opera House 2013

More recently a documentary about the turbulent life of Sunnyboys singer / guitarist / songwriter Jeremy Oxley and his 30 year battle with schizophrenia toured around the country appearing at Palace Cinemas and airing nationally on ABC TV to a hugely emotional response. Kaye Harrison’s The Sunnyboy, tells a remarkable story of survival and the healing power of love as Jeremy finds his way out of the darkness (post-Sunnyboys) to reclaim his place with family and friends and ultimately the Sunnyboys.

But all that is now behind them now. For Jeremy and the Sunnyboys the future holds so much more.

“Of the hundreds of bands, and thousand of people that we knew at the time, we’re one of the few that can stand up and say “We were really good at what we did, and we’re really proud of what we did” and we’re lucky enough to still be able to get up and say to people ‘We’re really proud to be able to present this to you now'”.  Richard Burgman Sunnyboys.

The 2014 tour will take in shows in Byron Bay, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and will feature support spots from Perth power-pop icons The Stems (heirs to the Sunnyboys crown in the 80’s), ex-Died Pretty frontman Ron S.Peno & The Superstitions, Geelong garage-punks The Frowning Clouds and local natives The V-Rays and The Windy Hills.

Tickets for all venues will go on-sale Wednesday November 13th.
Sunnyboys: Our Best Of CD / iTunes – released December 6th.
The Sunnyboy DVD – released December 4th.

This is the Sunnyboys… alive and well in the 21st Century.

For up to the minute Sunnyboys details please check in at https://www.facebook.com/SunnyboysFanClub

But wait, that’s not all! Peter Oxley, bass-player for the Sunnyboys and a former Sydney restauranter with his own Wedgetail Woodfired Pizzeria, releases first ever cookbook this December. Entitled Teenage Kitchen Rampage, Pete’s cookbook is aimed at home leavers and the young and hopeless and hits all good book stores and online from early December. The book holds 45 recipes and is an easy guide for even the most inexperienced youth to develop a skill and love of home cooking.

Teenage Kitchen Rampage released December 11th via Love Police.

YO LA TENGO

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American indie-rock icons Yo La Tengo return to Australia this March for an encore performance of their two set opus: An Evening With Yo La Tengo.

Performed around the world and most recently at Melbourne Festival, An Evening With Yo La Tengo highlights the New Jersey based trio’s huge musical range as explored across their 13 + studio albums and via a variety of nerdish fan-boy / fan-girl cover versions.

If the first set was about Yo La Tengo’s songs, the second bracket was an extended jam session. Sugarcube and an electric version of Ohm built to a crescendo as Kaplan elicited a vast array of freakish sounds from his battered electric guitar. Mr Tough provided a brief foray into bubblegum pop while a cover of the Velvet Underground’s I Heard Her Call My Name was homage to that band’s perennial relevance. – THE AUSTRALIAN 21.10.13

The tour will take in a debut performance at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House plus intimate club shows in Brisbane and Melbourne and a one-shot one-set take at Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival – Yo La Tengo’s second appearance at that event.

The hushed beauty, rowdy distortion, and excellent cover material that has defined Yo La Tengo’s career came to life on Friday in one of the most outstanding live shows of the year. – International Pop Press May 2013

With over one hundred if not hundreds of songs to draw from no Yo La Tengo show is ever the same. See ’em once or maybe twice this March.

Tickets for all shows are on sale today (Friday 1st November).

 

FOUR TET

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Arguably our most in demand performer Four Tet returns to Australia in 2014 as guest of the Laneway Festival. Four Tet a/k/a Kieran Hebden joins Savages, Kurt Vile, Adalita, Cloud Control and Dick Diver amongst others in a fun-filled day in (relatively) intimate surroundings.

His new album Beautiful Rewind drops this October in a typically understated manner: no streaming, no setup tracks, no bundles, no press release. Just an album available on October 22nd for everyone to hear and enjoy.

YO LA TENGO

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US indie-rock pioneers, Yo La Tengo, will perform exclusively for Melbourne Festival this October, playing Friday 18 at Hamer Hall in the Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Titled “An Evening With Yo La Tengo” the band will play two sets with no support act. Tickets are on sale this Friday 16 August from Ticketmaster, phone 136 100 and all TIcketmaster outlets – or by phoning the Arts Centre directly on 1300 182 183.

VIOLENT FEMMES

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VIOLENT FEMMES FOR THE FALLS AND SOUTHBOUND 

Firm favourites in Australia (it was rumoured that at Australian Universities in the 80s and 90s, each student was to receive the first Violent Femmes album as part of enrolment…) ‘The Femmes’ return for the first time since 2007 for these festival exclusive shows.
December 29th – January 1st: Marion Bay, The Falls
December 29th – January 1st: Lorne, The Falls
December 31st – January 3rd: Byron Bay, The Falls
January 3rd – 4th: Busselton, Sir Stewart Bovell Park
Admission is by ballot entry only with full details at the respective festival websites.
http://www.southboundfestival.com.au/Gone Daddy Gone, later covered by Gnarls Barkley. Just one of the very many Femmes’ classics.

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Television make their long-awaited Australian debut this October performing headline shows in Perth, Sydney and Hobart alongside their Victorian exclusive at Melbourne’s ATP off-shoot, Release The Bats.

Founded in New York City in 1973, Television played their second ever show in early 1974 at then fledgling country / bluegrass club CBGB’s inadvertently creating a hub for their own activity as well as the pre-alternative culture of the lower Eastside and like-minded individuals including The Patti Smith Group, Blondie, Talking Heads, Richard Hell, The Heartbreakers & Ramones.

In 1975 Television followed up their reinvention of CB’s via the release of their debut 7″ Little Johnny Jewel, a two-sided 7 minute opus of street talk and taught no frills guitar work that featured the prodigious talent of singer / guitarist Tom Verlaine. Released on the independent record label Ork, it is one of proto-punks rarest and most valuable finds.

In 1977, following increasing major label interest Television finally signed to Elektra (home to The Doors, The Stooges and Love) and released their debut album, the absolute classic, Marquee Moon to massive critical acclaim. It was an instant success cracking the top 30 in several European countries and going on to become of one rock’s most influential albums.

“The influence of ‘Marquee Moon’ cannot be overestimated. The post-punk movement certainly took on board numerous aspects of the record – the clinically precise instrumentation, the clean sound and the introspective, vaguely gloomy feel. That filtered through to the indie movement of the ’80s, for whom the record became one of the sacred texts, while even bands like The Strokes have clearly taken inspiration from it. It would not be an overstatement to say that ‘Marquee Moon’ is to the ’70s what ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ was to the ’60s.” – NME 60 Most Important Albums of NME’s Lifetime

In 1978 Television released their second album, Adventure. While less favourably received than Marquee Moon, Adventure is still a masterpiece of songwriting and musical interplay. However, by the end of 1978 Television had split up. The drudgery of touring, the individual band members’ own artistic beliefs, and internal tension cited as the reasons.

In 1992 Television reappeared – albeit briefly – producing an eponymous album and playing select shows including a headline show at Glastonbury, to further acclaim before again disappearing from the limelight. A career band Television clearly are not.

Then, in 2001, Television made a surprise return at the UK’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival. This time though, they decided to hang around continuing to play sporadic live shows and even threatening a new album.

Finally, in 2013, Television are to make their Australian debut. Singer / guitarist Tom Verlaine, bassist Fred Smith, drummer Billy Ficca and guitarist Jimmy Rip will perform works from right across the Television cannon including the mighty Marquee Moon.

“forget everything you’ve heard about Television, forget punk, forget New York, forget CBGB’s … hell, forget rock and roll—this is the real item.” (SoHo Weekly)

Tickets for this unique experience go on-sale Friday 2nd August. Don’t you dare miss it!

ED KUEPPER: THE LAST ACTION HERO

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Having recently returned to Australia from touring Europe and the U.S with the Bad Seeds, the most legendary and influential Ed Kuepper is coming to a town near you for a night of special, Solo And By Request shows.

That’s right, armed with only his voice; a couple of acoustic guitars and a stomp box, Ed will play crowd favourites from his vast and influential back catalogue.

Songs from the Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Aints as well as any of the material from around two dozen or so solo albums are all fair game. Depending on his mood, requests to ‘’plays something new!’ may even be indulged with a song or two from Ed’s as yet unfinished new album, his first of all new material since Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog in 2007.

Not to be missed.

THE MARK OF CAIN

A3 cafe poster_2 up.inddThe Mark Of Cain have released a vinyl version of their best selling Songs Of The Third And Fifth album and to celebrate they will perform two shows in Adelaide this September.

Friday 6th: Adelaide, The Gov
Saturday 7th Adelaide, Fowlers Live (licensed all ages) 

Once again brothers John and Kim Scott will be joined by drumming boy wonder Eli Green (Life Pilot / Julia Henning) for the hometown shows that will also celebrate the release of a brand new video, the first to be taken from the new album, for the track Milosovic. Check it here.

Tickets for each show are $35.00 + bf. However, those wanting to attend both performances can purchase a limited release two-ticket buy for just $55.00 + bf. That’s a saving of $20.00. Bonus!

Tickets are to go on-sale Friday 5th July from moshtix and via the venues.

The vinyl release meanwhile, is limited to just 600 copies and comes in clear vinyl with a gatefold sleeve and a printed insert, maintaining The Mark Of Cain’s very exacting standards.

Songs Of The Third And Fifth is available now on vinyl, CD and itunes via Feel Presents/ Fuse.

Don’t miss The Mark Of Cain live in Adelaide this September

There’s not a dull moment in the 80-minute set and every song is delivered with raw, no bullshit intensity and power. INPRESS

The wall of beautiful noise that is created by TMOC is huge and unrelenting and like any iconic band they sound like no other. – AUSTRALIAN MUSICIANS NETWORK

Every single audience member was barking each and every chorus, getting louder and more raucous as the night progressed. The energy was simply amazing. – BEAT

Friday September 6th: Adelaide, The Gov
Saturday September 7th Adelaide, Fowlers Live (licensed all ages)
Two-show package deal $55.00 + bf available from moshtix.com.au and in person @ Moshtix outlets ONLY

Single show tickets $35.00 + bf available from moshtix.com.au, venuetix.com.au, phone 1300 GET TIX or in person at all Moshtix and Venuetix outlets.

PLEASE NOTE:  THE 2 VENUE PASS TICKET IS STRICTLY FOR OVER 18s ONLY PATRONS AND IS NON-TRANSFERABLE. The same person must use the 2 Venue Pass on both days.  You will need to present your ticket at both venues on each day to gain entry.If you are unable to print your ticket(s), you can present the electronic version of the ticket which can be scanned on your mobile or tablet device, or displayed on iPhones using the Passbook application.

WHAT WOULD JELLO DO?

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Returning to Australia for his first band shows since 1983, former Dead Kennedy’s frontman Jello Biafra has now added a handful of talking shows to his extended schedule

Entitled What Would Jello Do?, the talking shows follow on from Biafra’s you tube series of the same name in commenting on contemporary political issues, democracy, government conspiracy and cover ups, election fraud – the type of banter Jello is notorious for telling and for which he’s an excellent orator.

What Would Jello Do?

In addition, Jello will also perform a DJ set in Hobart and will also perform in Sydney for Vivid Ideas joining the forward thinking Ruby Speudo and artist Karen Therese in discussion on a subject entitled Build A Movement.

Vivid – Build A Movement

Jello last appeared in talking mode in Australia in 2012. He appeared to packed houses both solo and in Q&A mode for the Melbourne Festival commenting on SLAM and Occupy on a panel that also included The Church’s Steve Kilbey and moderator Dave Graney.

Meanwhile, Jello’s new music venture The Guantanamo School Of Medicine also tour Australia this May performing the Dead Kennedy’s hits of yore as well as material from all three JB&TGSM albums.

Don’t miss Jello Biafra live in Australia this May. Tickets for all shows are on-sale Wednesday 1st May.

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Twelve months after their surprise appearance at Dig It Up! Sydney (appearing under the name Kids In Dust) AND with a hugely received national tour as special guests to Elvis Costello under their belt PLUS a performance at Victoria’s Meredith Music Festival, SUNNYBOYS – the Gold Coast’s favourite sons (move over Mick and Joel) – will appear under their original moniker as they finally stage a homecoming via two special nights at the Coolangatta Hotel: Friday 24th & Sat 25th May.

The Coolangatta shows will be the first ]hometown’ appearance of the original line-up of Sunnyboys since 1991 and will serve as the yin to the yang of the band’s performance the following week at Sydney’s Vivid Festival where, on June 2nd, they will headline the Concert Hall of the  iconic Sydney Opera House. That’s a long way from their debut show as support to Sydney outfit Lipstick Killers at Chequers Nightclub on August 15th 1980.

Expectations couldn’t be much higher for the original line-up of the Sunnyboys playing their first Brisbane show for more than 28 years. Expectations met then as the four-piece band: Richard, Jeremy, Peter & Bil (originally from Kingscliff in northern NSW) soared through a set of some of the sharpest power-pop songs you will ever her. Yes they played No Love Around but for this triumphant return love was everywhere. – Noel Engel (Courier Mail Review as guests of Elvis Costello)

Most recently the Sunnyboys eponymous debut album was listed as no.3 on the all-time greatest Australian Albums list (behind Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel) as voted by listeners of ABC Coast-FM. The same album is listed no.37 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums. Currently that album is being prepared for deluxe reissue later in 2013.

Happy Man, Alone With You, Tunnel Of Love, You Need A Friend, Show Me Some Discipline, Love In A Box – the songs of the Sunnyboys are timeless. Always fresh and always fun. Don’t miss what has been a long time coming: Sunnyboys live @ Coolangatta. Tickets on-sale Wednesday 24th April.

FLAMIN’ GROOVIES – SHAKE SOME ACTION!

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Thirty-One years after they last performed, San Francisco’s legendary Flamin’ Groovies will make again their presence known via Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational appearing at shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The 2013 Flamin’ Groovies will feature original and founding members Cyril Jordan (guitar) and George Alexander (bass) plus singer / guitarist Chris Wilson, the vocalist for the band’s second era of 1972 – 1982 (Roy Loney having been the frontman in the 1st incarnation of 1965 – 1971) and singer of such classics as Slow Death (considered by the Rolling Stones as an inclusion on their Some Girls album) Yes It’s True, and the all-time power-pop anthem from the album of the same name Shake Some Action.

Slow Death

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Train spotters will remark that the Groovies toured Australia in 1986 but that tour was without either Chris Wilson or Roy Loney – the singers respectively, on all Flamin’ Groovies recordings between 1966 – 1981. Dig it Up! will be the first time the Wilson / Jordan / Alexander collective has played anywhere in the world since 1982. Dig it Up!

In addition to Dig it Up! Feel are now chuffed to announce the Flamin’ Groovies will also play headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Tickets for these limited capacity shows at Sydney’s iconic rock venue the Annandale Hotel and Melbourne suburban favourite the Caravan Music Club will go on-sale Friday 5th April.

But wait, there’s more…  Joining the Flamin’ Groovies in Sydney will be fellow Dig it Up! invitee Peter Case, a former member of both The Nerves (original owners of the Blondie hit Hanging On the Telephone) and power-pop giants The Plimsouls. Case will perform the hits of both those acts plus a selection from his Grammy award winning solo years. Another first for Dig it Up!

Melbourne’s own power-pop champions Even will join the bill at Oakleigh.

NB: The Flamin’ Groovies Adelaide show on April 26th has been cancelled. Refunds are available the point of purchase. Alternatively anyone that has purchased an Adelaide Dig It Up! ticket can use that ticket for entry to the Melbourne Dig It Up! Howzat for value!

JELLO BIAFRA & THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

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Jello Biafra, the infamous former frontman and chief-agitator for legendary U.S. punks Dead Kennedys, returns to Australia this May for his first live-band performances since the infamous DKs tour of 1983.

Biafra will be bringing his new latest musical project with him: The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, featuring former Rollins Band and Ween bassist Andrew Weiss, drummer Paul Della Pelle (Helios Creed and Nik Turner’s Space Ritual) and the twin guitar attack of Ralph Spight (Victims Family) and Kimo Ball.

Formed in 2009 after Jello was inspired by The Stooges performance at Iggys 60th birthday and a rare stateside visit from Australia’s own Radio Birdman, Jello & Guantanamo… quickly recorded an album, The Audacity Of Hype released to immense anticipation via Jello’s Alternative Tentacles label. Fans were not disappointed. Audacity… retained some of the spy-music-on-meth chaos of the Dead Kennedys while adding a healthy dose of Detroit style proto-punk mixed with layer upon layer of sonic guitar noise. In short: it rocks.

EP’s in each of 2011 and 2012 followed before the release this year of a second album White People and the Damage Done, Jello’s first concept album since the Dead Kennedys Frankenchrist album in 1985. White People…  tackles in gruesome detail: corruption, US foreign policy, media lies, and tabloid scandal in much greater detail than even Biafra’s talking albums could manage all mixed with a heavy dose of melody and Jello’s trademark wise-guy delivery.

Biafra explodes on stage, hands flailing, eyes on stalks, there is a madness in the house and it’s utterly compelling. It’s the same sort of acid barbed political and social commentary, hilarious, and terrifying at the same time, the dark humour pouring out of the songs in that superb helium voice. The fact that most people don’t even know these songs doesn’t get in the way of the reaction, which is explosive. – LOUDER THAN WAR

A long-time supporter of Australian music, for this tour, Biafra has selected some all-time favourites alongside a selection of new and cutting edge acts: Grong Grong, Hard-Ons, Useless Children and Zeahorse among them

After 30-plus years, Jello Biafra’s music and lyrics remain in a class of their own. Anyone interested in Dead Kennedys won’t be disappointed to hear how Jello has not changed with the times. He has continuously spoken the truth and has never waivered from his principles – Jello Biafra is more relevant now than he has ever been!

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday 18th March.

BLUE OYSTER CULT – 1ST EVER AUSTRALIAN TOUR

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Blue Oyster Cult may be the ultimate ‘cult’ band. Revered by punks, metal heads, sci-fi geeks and horror movie fans alike, B.O.C. have carved out a 40-year career via a string of complex hard rock albums and killer live shows. The author Steven King adores them and so does Dave Graney. Their best known track Don’t Fear The Reaper, was a U.S. top twenty hit in 1976 and the album it came from, Agents Of Fortune (featuring a collaboration with songstress Patti Smith) achieved platinum status while their overall catalogue sales are in excess of 24 million. They also provided Radio Birdman with the album title Radios Appear, a lyric taken from the track Dominance and Submission from the Blue Oyster Cult album Secret Treaties.

Most recently B.O.C. have released The Complete Columbia Albums Collection, a 16 CD/ 1 DVD box set comprising all their studio albums from 1972 – 1988; three live albums; a rarities disc and the appropriately named radio broadcast collection: Radios Appear.

The live albums, starting with 1975’s On Your Feet or On Your Knees, clearly demonstrate BÖC’s strength as a live act; they’re a bracingly powerful band, the rock solid support of the rhythm-bass-drums embellished by Buck Dharma’s stinging guitar leads.

Already announced as a co-headliners at the 2013 Dig It Up! Feel are now proud to announce headline shows for Blue Oyster Cult in Sydney & Melbourne. For the these two special performances, B.O.C. will perform the entire show, no support – like wow!

This will be the first-ever Australian tour for Blue Oyster Cult and it’s all thanks to Hoodoo Gurus.

Tickets for Melbourne and Sydney sideshows on-sale Monday 11th March

BUZZCOCKS


UK punk pioneers Buzzcocks return to Australian in April for Dig It Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational.

A key influence on Australian acts as disparate as the Gurus, Hard-Ons and The Mark Of Cain, the Buzzcocks trademark blend of hi-energy guitars and pop smarts has also influenced every wannabe punk band since 1976 and resulted in some of the greatest songs of that original era: Ever Fallen in Love, What Do I Get, Love You More, Harmony In My Head timeless tracks that resonate over and over with younger generations – and their live show is always top shelf.

Dig It Up! was the catalyst for this tour but now Feel Presents are proud to announce headline shows for Buzzcocks in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Original ‘Cocks Steve Diggle and Pete Shelley are once again at the helm and will lead their band of merry pranksters through a veritable feel-good punk rock jukebox.

Dig it. Up!

TICKETS ON-SALE MONDAY 25TH FEBRUARY

Held in honour of the thirty-one year recording career of Australian garage legends the Hoodoo Gurus, Dig It Up! highlights the iconic bands finely honed musical taste and inspiration by way of multi-band / multi-stage appearances in both Sydney and Melbourne and single stage events in other capital cities.

For the 2012 Dig It Up! Hoodoo Gurus performed Stoneage Romeos their much loved debut album in its entirety. For the 2013 edition of Dig it Up! Hoodoo Gurus will again perform a full work, their equally as impressive second album Mars Needs Guitars (a feature listing in 2010 book: 100 Best Australian albums) and home to singles Like Wow, Wipeout! Death Defying and the classic Bittersweet. It’s another first in a series of firsts for Dig It Up! 2013 where once again the Hoodoo Gurus have put together an ultimate (live) mix-tape for fans of real rock ‘n’ roll. Lets get the party started…

Between 1972 and 1978, San Francisco’s Flamin’ Groovies – featuring core members Cyril Jordan (guitar/vocals), Chris Wilson (vocals/guitar) and George Alexander (bass/vocals) – produced some of the decade’s most vital recordings, including the 1976 classic Shake Some Action. Dig It Up! will be the first time since 1981 that the Jordan/Wilson/Alexander line-up of the Flamin’ Groovies have appeared anywhere in the world.

Blue Oyster Cult may be the ultimate ‘cult’ band. Revered by punks, metal heads, sci-fi geeks and horror movie fans alike, B.O.C. have carved out a 40-year career via a string of complex hard rock albums and killer live shows. Their best known track Don’t Fear The Reaper, was a U.S. top twenty hit in 1976 while the overall catalogue sales are in excess of 24 million. This will be the first-ever Australian tour for Blue Oyster Cult and it’s all thanks to Hoodoo Gurus.

UK punk pioneers Buzzcocks are no strangers to Australian shores and it’s not hard to see why. Their trademark mix of hi-energy guitars and pop smarts resulted in some of the greatest songs of the punk-era: Ever Fallen in Love, What Do I Get, Love You More et al. Original ‘Cocks Shelley & Diggle will lead their band of merry pranksters through Dig it Up! Sydney and Melbourne and for headline appearances in most capital cities.

Peter Case made a name for himself in the late seventies via power-pop pioneers The Nerves and the original version of the Blondie hit, Hanging On the Telephone. Case then moved onto eighties combo The Plimsouls and provided us with the all-time garage-pop classic A Million Miles Away. Fast-forward to the nineties and Peter Case has been nominated at the Grammys for his solo work. Move into the noughties and it’s another Grammy nomination, this time for best traditional folk album. For Dig it Up! though, Peter Case has assembled a crack-band to perform those Nerves and Plimsouls classics as well as solo material. It’s another first not just for Dig It Up! but for the world.

Had it not been for all of the above The Stems may not have happened. Heir apparent to the Hoodoo Gurus in the early eighties, The Stems produced a stunning run of garage inspired pop-singles and EP’s and one great album (At First Sight, Violets Are Blue) before leaving us in 1987 to ponder what could have been. Reforming due to demand in the noughties The Stems toured Europe and Australia before again disbanding in 2009. However, in 2013, the call went out, Ladies & Gentlemen: The Stems. Dig it Up!

But wait, there’s more! In addition to the above nominated acts Hoodoo Gurus will select an all-star all quality support cast to assist in bringing the streets and venues of Sydney and Melbourne alive with the Dig It Up! sound. Stay tuned for those choice cuts.

For up to the minute information concerning Dig it Up! – Line-up, times, additions – sign-up to facebook/DigitUpAustralia. Dig It Up! Another Feel Presents initiative.

MOON DUO (supporting The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)

Moon Duo

San Fransico’s Moon Duo return to Australia in 2013 as special guests of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Formed in in 2009 by Wooden Shijps guitarist Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada, Moon Duo’s fuse the futuristic pylon hum and transistor reverb of Suicide or Silver Apples with the heat-haze fuzz of American rock ‘n’ roll to create tracks of blistering, 12-cylinder space rock. And like The JSBX, they are also kindred spirits with Australia’s own Scientists having covered that band’s classic track Set it On Fire for their first 7″ release back in 2009.

Moon Duo first toured Australia in October of 2010 off the back of critical acclaim for that single, their first two ep’s and debut album Mazes. The return this time with a new album Circles, the product of a long winters isolation in the Rocky Mountains.

Full of grinding guitar drones and synth spirals, their second album ‘Circles’ is less an orbiting lunar satellite than a full-blown Death Star, its phasers set to krautrock-inspired noise marathons. – NME 8/10

Inspiration for many of the songs themes, as well as the title Circles, came from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1841 essay by the same name, on the symbol and nature of “the flying Perfect.” From the opening lines: “The eye is the first circle; the horizon which it forms is the second; and throughout nature this primary figure is repeated without end.” And so it goes. Rust never sleeps.

See Moon Duo on tour with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, live this March

SUNNYBOYS

Already announced as a feature act at this years Meredith Music Festival, and having sold out their first club show in 21 years, at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel, in under one hour, Sunnyboys are now pleased to announce their first national tour dates since 1991 appearing as special guests to Elvis Costello & The Impostors at a series of A Day On The Green shows. These are to be the only Sunnyboys shows this summer. Also joining the bill are Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Tex Perkins and Stephen Cummings.

Tickets on-sale Monday October 29th. Full details here: www.adayonthegreen.com.au

This most cherished of Australian bands responsible for the classics: Happy Man, Tunnel of Love, I’m Shakin’, Alone With You, You Need A Friend, Show Me Some Discipline and many, many more, reformed earlier this year under the alias Kids In Dust for Dig it Up! the Hoodoo Gurus Invitational. An inspired performance and an emotionally charged response lead to an invite from Meredith. This most quintessential of Australian festivals seemed the perfect follow-up to Dig it Up! while the addition of the Corner Hotel will give fans the chance to see the band in a more intimate and sweaty environment.

I cried and all the way through the first song of Sunnyboys… then danced and sang for the rest of the day/night… Absolutely brilliant!

Emotional return from the Sunnyboys. Not a dry eye in the house. They stole the show. Absolutely brilliant.

For a dude who was too young to see Sunnyboys first time around, their set yesterday made my day.

Sunnyboys owned it! Welcome back lads!!!!
SUNNYBOYS!!!!!! – (Audience comments taken from the Dig it Up! facebook page).

This is the Sunnyboys: alive and well in 2012.

ED KUEPPER with MARK DAWSON – SECOND WINTER

When Ed Kuepper reunited with drummer Mark Dawson in early 2011 the intention was to do a handful of shows to revisit and reappraise some former glories, namely to re imagine the albums ‘’Electrical Storm’’ and ‘’Today Wonder’’ and to see whether the chemistry was still there.

The project quickly took on a life of its own and they ended up headlining arts festivals and shows around the country and touring overseas.

Inspired by the project and positive audience response to the sometimes radical re-workings the duo recorded the evocative ‘’Second Winter’’ album, which added acoustic strings and ambient electronics to the mix.

Now for the first time since the release of ‘’Second Winter’’ Ed Kuepper and Mark Dawson return to New South Wales for three exclusive shows. In keeping with the spirit of re-imagining the songs the musical focus has shifted from acoustic to pure analogue electric, bringing an even greater depth and dynamic to the performances.

Sadly these will be the last Ed Kuepper with Mark Dawson shows for sometime due to other commitments. Don’t miss them.

Tickets for all shows on-sale November 7th.

THE MARK OF CAIN – SONGS OF THE THIRD AND FIFTH

“Six years in the making and worth every bit of the wait. A career high point” – Rolling Stone

“Songs… is an outstanding return. It has everything a fan could want, from the familiarity of the band’s crushing, minimal sound to the strong songwriting” – The Age / SMH

“Songs… may be The Mark of Cain’s best work to date and an Australian great waiting to be anointed” – AU Review

“A testament to bands everywhere- fly the flag straight and true, or get outta town” – Stack Magazine

“This album is a must” – Heavy Magazine

Songs Of The Third and Fifth is The Mark Of Cain’s fifth studio LP. It lands in stores  November 2nd and to celebrate, they would like to announce their first national tour in six years.

“Call it violent soul music, call it cold fear rock. This is music to be felt in the fist, the gut and the base of the spine!” – Murray Engleheart / Remedy

TICKETS ON-SALE NOVEMBER 12th. See the tour dates for details.

Work on The Mark Of Cain’s fifth studio LP began as far back as 2006 when Adelaide brothers John and Kim Scott caught up with drummer John Stanier while he was touring through Australia with his band Battles. The desire to produce another TMOC record was strong, but the reality of geographical distance (Stanier being based in the USA) and his constant touring commitments with his other bands, coupled with John and Kim’s day jobs and family commitments made it logistically impossible.

“I write better with the entire band present rather than trying to work out material at home. In order to help progress the writing I worked with a local drummer, Ben White, “ says John (Scott).  “He and I would jam at Frank’s Custom Music in Adelaide once a week and Heart of Stone, Milosovic and Avenger came from those sessions.”

John Stanier’s other bands Battles and Tomahawk have a strong presence on the Australian live scene, which provided the trio a number of opportunities to get together and develop the rest of the songs for the record. They would spend one or two weeks jamming in Adelaide whenever he was out here, working the songs and recording the bare bones so that when Stanier left, John and Kim could continue to work the material into cohesive tracks.

In early 2008 Stanier returned to Australia with Battles for the Big Day Out, and the trio entered Adelaide’s Broadcast Studio with Evan James recording, engineering all of the beds (bass, drums, guitar) before Stanier returned to the USA.

During his 2008 Australia talking tour, long time friend and producer of their breakthrough record Ill At Ease, Henry Rollins, wrote and laid down a spoken word vocal part to the track Grey 11.

2009 and 2010 saw the breakdown of John’s (Scott) long-term relationship and subsequently two years of attempts to deal with the results of the split, while maintaining a job and trying to limit the ongoing personal turmoil which resulted in hindering the singer getting into the studio on a frequent basis to complete the record in a timely fashion. It wasn’t until May 2011 that John (Scott) and long time manager Tim Pittman joined engineer Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Cog, Birds Of Tokyo) at Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios to start mixing of the LP, which would be completed in December 2011.

Now, in 2012, four years after they began making this album, and ten years since their last studio recording, The Mark Of Cain make a triumphant return to the Australian music scene with Songs Of The Third and Fifth.

THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION

“Ladies and gentlemen right now I’ve got to tell you about… The fabulous, the most groovy… “

BLUES EXPLOSION!!!

Get ready for the musical hysteria as The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion bring their fuzzed-up freaked-out live show back to Australia for Golden Plains 2013 plus a handful of headline shows across the country. Last here in January 2011 following a reissue campaign that saw much of their unavailable catalogue brought to light once more, JSBX blew the roof off venues in Australia and New Zealand, playing their classic album Orange in it’s entirety and selling out shows in Sydney and Melbourne.

“The band burn through Orange and into the red – into the white-hot speed-driven rock, a full 90 minutes of sure-shot raw powered amps-to-11-sleaze.” – Inpress

This time they bring with them a new album, Meat + Bone – their first in 8 years. 12 feverish tracks, burning with a renewed intensity and sense of self – this is Blues Explosion at their finest, a mature album that solidifies JSBX as the originators and the best. It hits the ground running with first single Black Mold, swaggers boldly through album highlight Bag Of Bones, while Danger is a pure punk-thrash attack pushed to it’s limits by Simmins’ pounding rhythms. This is dangerous, raw, rock n’ roll – as good as it gets; the real deal – the kind of music that rips into your soul and makes you want to howl at the moon. Check out the addictively disturbing new clip for Black Mold. View Black Mold here

Joining them across the country will be San Francisco’s Moon Duo. Formed in 2009 by Wooden Shijps guitarist Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada, Moon Duo’s fuse the futuristic pylon hum and transistor reverb of Suicide or Silver Apples with the heat-haze fuzz of American rock ‘n’ roll to create tracks of blistering, 12-cylinder space rock.  You can view the Sleepwalker video, with some very special cameos from a couple of members of King Khan and The Shrines. View Sleepwalker here

JSBX are back baby and they’ve got something to tell you. Prepare to stand up and testify – THE BLUES IS STILL #1!!

Meat + Bone is available now through FUSE.

www.thejonspencerbluesexplosion.com

JSBX on Facebook

Follow JSBX on Twitter

DINOSAUR JR


Having completed a sold-out solo east coast tour earlier this year, J Mascis returns to Australia in 2013 for a national tour. This time, however, Mascis is bringing his pals, drummer Murph and bassist Lou Barlow, along with him as they prepare once again to give listeners a dose of the live aural-onslaught that is Dinosaur Jr.

The tour comes off the back of I Bet On Sky, the third album to be released by the iconic trio since their unlikely reformation in 2005. And like it’s post-2005 predecessors, Farm and Beyond, Sky… is yet another critical and fan-fave and continues the phoenix like rise of these alt-rock superheroes.

Holy Smoke, Dinosaur Jr have delivered another rockin’ album! – Rip it Up

It flippin’ rocks! – Musicfeeds Sept 2012

May they never stop. – Stack Sept 2012

Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival were the first to offer Dinosaur Jr an invite – a repeat performance following a stand-out show at the same event in 2010.

Dinosaur Jr. was the highlight of the festival. The songs were spot on and despite them playing to a field of drenched rats, the crowd was loving every minute. That was the best fun in the rain I’ve had in a long time. – Undercover March 2010

But that’s not all, joining Dinosaur Jr across select dates is a who’s who of underground rock ‘n’ roll royalty (and those soon to be anointed) including LA ‘s supreme power-pop outfit Redd Kross, the glorious howl of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Sydney’s raw punk exponents Royal Headache and space-rock outfit Moon Duo – a veritable record store clerk mixtape! Check the schedule below for full details.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Friday November 16th.

Watch The Corners, the latest video from Dinosaur Jr here.

Stream J Mascis live from Sydney Festival in 2012 here.

Listen (then have a good lie down) to Heavy Blanket here.

I Bet On Sky is out now on Liberator.

REDD KROSS

Stand-out performers at this years inaugural Dig it Up! Invitational, Redd Kross return to Australia this March as guests of the Golden Plains Festival, Dinosaur Jr and for a headline show of their own.

Redd Kross proved once and for all why they are perhaps one of, if not the greatest live rock n roll band ever. Non stop hits punched out at the crowd, blow after blow of guitars bass and drums not to mention awesome vocals from bothers Jeff and Steve. I don’t know that there is a word to describe the greatness of Redd Kross. – Undercover (Dig It Up review)

Earlier this year, Redd Kross also delivered Researching The Blues, their first album in fifteen years, it contains all the punch of earlier classics: Born Innocent, Neurotica and Third Eye with added ‘power’ as so promised in the genre classification.

10 perfectly crafted pop rock masterpieces full of melodies that only the McDonald brothers could manage… – Happy Days Music

Instead of three or four separate albums between 1997 and 2012, we just get one “greatest hits” package for the entire era. – San Diego Reader

The shows with Dinosaur Jr are a tag team made in heaven! (or a record store clerks ipod…) J Mascis crunching rhythms and melancholic melodies shaking hands with Redd Kross and their joyous odes to rock ‘n’ roll’s glorious naivety.

Redd Kross played a packed 45 minute set, and got the punters singing. “Jimmy’s Fantasy” and “Lady In The Front Row” received huge applause, and many in the crowd believed this band were a highlight. – The AU Review

The Redd Kross show at Northcote Social Club this year was one of the best shows (of anyone) I’ve seen in years – Marty Boulton (The Age)

Don’t miss one of rocks great live acts, Redd Kross, touring Australia this March.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Friday November 16th.

March 9th: Meredith, Golden Plains
Online from: goldenplains.com.au

March 12th: Melbourne, The Espy
Tickets: $44.00 + bf
Online from: theespy.com.au

March 14th: Brisbane, Hi-Fi (with Dinosaur Jr)
Tickets: $58.00 + bf
Online from: thehifi.com.au or feelpresents.com.au
Phone: 1300 HIFI.

March 15th: Coolangatta Hotel (with Dinosaur Jr)
Tickets: $48.00 + bf
Online from: thecoolyhotel.com.au

March 16th: Sydney, The HiFi (with Dinosaur Jr & Royal Headache)
Tickets: $60.00 + bf
Online from: moshtix.com.au, feelpresents.com.au
Phone: 1300 THE HIFI
In person at all Moshtix & Oztix outlets.

KING OF THE LYRA: PSARANDONIS



Adonis Xylouris, aka Psarandonis, comes from a renowned Cretan musical family and is known as the most idiosyncratic lyra player on the island. An exponent of tripped out Cretan music, Psarandonis’ unique three-stringed lyra playing style, his distinctive voice and his inimitable rendition of traditional folk songs has made him a cult legend in Greece and beyond, particularly with a younger generation of Cretan music lovers. Seeing Psarandonis live is considered to be a once in a lifetime experience. In January 2009, Psarandonis gave memorable performances at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival curated by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and hosted on Cockatoo Island, Sydney and Mt Buller in Victoria.

The input of Cave’s current artistic muse and Bad Seed protagonist Ellis was no more evident than in the choice of Greek lyre player Psarandonis who, despite limited prior exposure, whipped the crowd into a dancing frenzy to conclude Saturday night’s proceedings on the small stage. – Review from ATP Mt.Buller.

Psarandonis is a Greek musical legend and master of the lyra, a traditional Cretan folk instrument. Accompanied by his son George Xylouris (Xylouris Ensemble) also on lyra and Jim White (Dirty Three) on drums they were a breath of fresh air from the electricity filling the island air. The mood was different and the crowd gave a standing ovation for his instrumental and singing mastery. It was a musical education for many of the audience who got to hear him. – Review from ATP Sydney

George Xlyouris and Jim White will again join the master lyra player as they weave a way into your skull with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Castlemaine in addition to the already announced performances at Womadelaide and at Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival.

Witness the power of Psarandonis here and here

Tickets for all headline shows are on-sale Wednesday 23rd January.

CAT POWER

In a press release from early 2009 Chan Marshall a/k/a US songstress Cat Power, suggested her days with Dirty Delta Blues (her illustrious backing band including members of Dirty Three and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) maybe drawing to a close. Turns out that was no idle threat… her current touring band includes just one former-DDB member, keyboardist, Gregg Foreman. The remaining members, all female, having been drawn from lengthy auditions.

Sun, the first Cat Power album of all self-penned material in six years, also follows that reinvention with all tracks bar those on lead single Ruin (the sole contribution by Dirty Delta Blues) having been played and produced by Cat Power herself.

“Written, played and produced on her own, this is the rebirth of Cat Power… It’s an inspirational album that’s musically very strong.” – Yen Magazine

“Her most joyful, sonically adventurous album to date, the best record she’s ever made… One of 2012’s biggest surprises and best records: an irresistible collection from an inspired, fearless and curious artist.” – NPR

Visually too, changes are apparent. Gone are the trademark locks, replaced instead by a mohauk. Mad Max style. A statement of intent. While the revised stage show takes on arena-like proportions. This is Cat Power circa 2012.

Marshall’s grandiose lighting and projections – travel photos, radiant sunlight, a giant gorilla, intermingling with a triangular LED-speckled picture frame – Crazy schemes for indie acts wanting to leave a lasting impression, going quite literally for broke laying everything on the line. – The Vancouver Sun

“When I moved to New York in 1992, I had a severe breakup and I cut my hair super-duper short. And that’s the (Sun) album cover. At first, I just cut all of the damn length off. Four months ago I had a difficult time, not a midlife crisis, like a midlife awesomeness, and during whatever I was going through, I just kept going shorter and shorter. The ‘Cherokee’ video is kind of apocalyptic. I had a mohawk the summer of seventh grade, but I had never dyed my hair before, so this time I did.” – The Daily Beast

With all that awesomeness in mind, Feel Presents are proud to once again bring Cat Power to Australian and New Zealand shores. Touring at the invitation of Meredith’s Golden Plains Festival and the Perth International Arts Festival, this is Cat Power’s most extensive antipodean tour to date and follows 2010’s sold out national tour.

“The enigma that is Chan Marshall (ala, Cat Power) did nothing Sunday night to solve the mystery of the driving force that is her being. The enigma remains in tact. Her stage show is merely complementary to the body of work that is as imposing as any artist in the past 12 years. And, she’s still getting better.” – The Way That He Sings October 2012

Cat Power – Sun is out now via Matador / Remote Control

FOUR TET

Undoubtedly one of the electronica’s most talented and prolific artists, Four Tet returns to Australia at the invite of Meredith Music Festival, performing a live late night set. With seven original albums under his belt, remixes for Aphex Twin, Sia, Battles and Radiohead (to name but a few) and recent collaborations with the likes of Burial and Thom Yorke, Four Tet‘s career has run the absolute gamut of genres and influences. Witness it in his live show – guaranteed to be a Friday night highlight!

SPIRITUALIZED – HELLO SPACEBOY.

Already announced as a co-headline at this December’s Meredith Music Festival, Feel Presents are pround to announce additional shows for UK space-rock giants Spiritualized.

Sunday 2nd December: Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Tuesday 4th December: Brisbane, The Hi-Fi
Thursday 6th December: Melbourne, The Hi-Fi

Jason ‘Spaceman’ Pearce and co. were last here in 2011 presenting their magnum-opus Ladies & Gentleman We Are Floating In Space for two special shows at the Sydney Opera House Theatre. Prior to that they appeared at 2009’s inaugural All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival held in the picturesque locations of Victoria’s Mt. Buller and on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.

An undisputed highlight at those events they return this time with a new album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light and their same all-encompassing live performance.

“J Spaceman opened the set with a rugged run through of Amazing Grace before playing the heartstrings with Soul On Fire and Shine a Light… but the set truly rose to epic scale with the stirring Come On. Only the hardest of hearts could have failed to be moved by the power of the performance and the rapturous response proved Spiritualized place as one of the standouts of the weekend.” – Fasterlouder, Mt Buller ATP

Sweet Heart Sweet Light is Spiritualized’s seventh album. It was released earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim and is arguably their best since Ladies & Gentleman…

”Truly, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light is one of those gorgeous things and, if nothing else, the most profound late statement Spaceman has given us in a decade.” Tiny Mix Tapes

“Sweet Heart, Sweet Light covers a broad aural spectrum from surrealistic haze to outward pop and as such, is some of Jason Pierce’s and Spiritualized’s best material since Ladies and Gentlemen.” Consequence of Sound

While in a traditional sense Sweet Heart Sweet Light may not the ‘pop record’ that the mastermind behind Spiritualized, J Spaceman, set out to make, online indie-bible Pitckfork still refers to it as “probably the most uplifting album of his career… Exhilarating.”

Witness album highlights Hey Jane and Little Girl for further evidence and experience the sonic and visual spectacle that is Spiritualized, live in Australia this summer.

THE RETURN OF TURBONEGRO!

Norwegian death-punks Turbonegro return to Australia this December appearing at the Meredith Music Festival and for headline appearances in Sydney and Melbourne. It is the band’s second visit to Australia and their first since 2003.

Turbonegro hit the high water mark in 1998 with the release of their fifth album, Apocalypse Dudes, an intoxicating mixture of glam, punk and US hardcore garnished with a healthy sense of the absurd and ribald and / or tongue in (ass) cheek humour.

“Apocalypse Dudes is the perfect mix of classic 70’s US punk / rock’n’roll like The Dictators, The Heartbreakers & The Ramones… every tune on this release is fucking brilliant”.- Moshable

Despite the relative success of that album, and following two sold-out European tours in the same year, Turbonegro announced that they were breaking-up and collectively and individually withdrew from the music industry.

In their absence a sizeable cult following developed with fanclub chapters, dubbed Turbojugend (Turbo Youth), springing up around the world – Sydney included. A tribute album, Alpha Motherfuckers, was also released and featured performances by Queens Of The Stone Age, Nashville Pussy and Therapy? amongst others.

In 2002, Turbonegro responded positively to a request to reform for a Norwegian Festival and in 2003 announced their intention to continue by releasing their sixth studio album, Scandinavian Leather, and touring Australia with fellow deathpunks, Hard-Ons, for the first time.

Another album, Party Animals (co-produced with Steve McDonald, bassist with L.A. glam-punks, Redd Kross) followed In 2005 and featured arguably the band’s best known track, the anthemic All My Friends Are Dead.

In 2010, Turbonegro were again forced into semi-retirement following the departure of long serving (and long troubled) singer Hank Von Helvete. Determined not to let this setback derail them, Turbonegro quickly announced the signing of Tony Sylvester (formerly of London based hardcore band The Lords Of Nothing) on vocals, alongside new drummer Tommy ‘Manboy’ Akerholdt, debuting the new line-up in July of 2011.

“The Duke of Nothing, owned his new job and killed it… it was a monumental set from the newly reformed band and a big bold statement that “WE ARE BACK!” To be completely honest, I’ve never heard Turbo sound better.” – Volcom

In 2012, their trajectory ever on the up… Turbonegro released their ninth album, Sexual Harassment to a universally ecstatic response.

“Sexual Harassment is an ass-kicking, face-punching, booty-shaking slice of rock ‘n’ roll on par with the group’s best efforts. Even with a new vocalist out front, this is very much a Turbonegro record, and it’s hard to imagine any fan of the band not loving Sexual Harassment.” punknews.org

With long standing members Happy Tom, Euroboy and Rune Rebellion also on board, Turbonegro are excited to announce their first visit to Australian soil since 2003.

“Most rock ‘n’ roll bands start as a riot but end up as a parody. We started up as a parody but ended up as a revolution.”- Happy Tom

Don’t miss the ONLY AUSTRALIAN SHOWS for Turbonegro this time around (extra curricular activity denying anything further).

As the lead singer / songwriter for Paisley Underground-era act The Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn penned one of the great albums, not just of his or their generation, but of all time. Days of Wine and Roses, featuring the undisputed classics Tell Me When It’s Over and That’s What You Always Say sits nicely alongside Neil Young’s ‘After the Goldrush’ or the ‘Velvet Underground & Nico’ album as a definitive piece of noir-rock. Proving they were no one-underground-hit-wonder, The Dream Syndicate followed that masterpiece with another in The Medicine Show, then a live album and further studio works before calling it a day in 1990. Since then Wynn has appeared as a solo act or as the frontman for The Miracle Three and The Baseball Project (the latter featuring R.E.M’s Peter Buck) and returns to Australia for the first time since 1986 appearing in duo-mode with his wife and drummer Linda Pitmon. It is our pleasure to welcome Steve Wynn back to our shores.

Tuesday 24th April: Sydney, Sandringam Hotel
Tickets $36.00 + bf on-sale now from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, www.moshtix.com.au, all Oztix & Moshtix outlets or phone 1300 GET TIX.

Friday 27th April: Melbourne, Yah Yahs
Tickets $36.00 + bf on-sale now from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, all Oztix outlets or phone 1300 762 545

THE FLESHTONES – SUPER ROCK!

The Fleshtones: they’re one of my all-time favourite bands. I’ve seen these guys perform more than I have any other artist ever! – Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus)

Formed in 1976 in Queens, New York by vocalist Peter Zaremba and guitarist Keith Streng, The Fleshtones combine fuzzed guitar and Farfisa organ with 50s rockabilly and 60s R&B into a potent retro stew they called “Super Rock”. Contemporaries of Suicide and the Cramps on the late-70s NY scene, the group became a huge influence on early ‘80s garage-rock revivalists Dream Syndicate, Plimsouls, Hoodoo Gurus etc.

“I first saw The Fleshtones in NYC in 1979. That night they gave me an object lesson in how to deliver high-energy, soulful rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve seen them dozens of times since then all over the world and sometimes I’ve even had the privilege of joining them onstage for a few songs. In all those times I’ve never seen a bad show. The Fleshtones play music as if their lives depended on it – and they’re still showing the rest of the world how it’s done”. –  Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus)

Early Fleshtones albums like Roman Gods and Hexbreaker are classics of their genre but the band have delivered in excess of 15 studio albums and countless compilations all packed full of garage-rock, or Super Rock goodies, resulting in one super energy-charged show.

“I’m always thrilled, but a little bit scared, to play alongside The Fleshtones: scared because they’re quite capable of blowing us offstage, they just take no prisoners when it comes to their live shows.” – Brad Shepherd (Hoodoo Gurus)

Last here in 1993, The Fleshtones have been confirmed to return appearing at the behest of the Hoodoo Gurus for Dig It Up! and now Feel Presents are pleased to announce two headline shows for these ‘Super Rock’ pioneers.

Tuesday 24th April: Sydney, Sandringam Hotel
Tickets $36.00 + bf on-sale now from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, www.moshtix.com.au, all Oztix & Moshtix outlets or phone 1300 GET TIX.

Friday 27th April: Melbourne, Yah Yahs
Tickets $36.00 + bf on-sale now from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, all Oztix outlets or phone 1300 762 545

You Tube: Shadowline

And joining The Fleshtones on both shows will be former Dream Syndicate front-person and another invitee of the Hoodoo Gurus on Dig it Up! Steve Wynn. Mr.Wynn, of course, is responsible for two of the Paisley Underground-era highlights in the Dream Syndicate albums, Days of Wine and Roses and The Medicine Show. In more recent times he has headed up The Baseball Project which also includes R.E.M’s Peter Buck.

You Tube: Tell Me When it’s Over

Don’t miss this exceptional line-up: The Fleshtones and Steve Wynn, intimate and exclusive. Tickets for both shows on-sale now!

 

REDD KROSS PLAY BORN INNOCENT AND THE POSH BOY EP.


Californian deities Redd Kross will perform their genre-defying classics Born Innocent and the Posh Boy ep as side shows to the inaugural Dig It Up! series of events this month.

Released in 1980 and featuring teenage brothers Steve (12) and Jeff (16) McDonald alongside future Black Flag singer Ron Reyes (on drums) and future Circle Jerks and Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson, the Red Cross or Posh Boy ep as it has become known is more snot-nosed punk than the hardcore their credentials might suggest, indebted to the sounds of late seventies New York and L.A with their own teenage mentality thrown in. Song titles like I Hate My School, Clorox Girls and Standing in Front of Poseur both showed and belied their age and at little more than six and half minutes, Red Cross was an audacious debut suggesting great things to follow.

Born Innocent took the formula further (though not much) and upped the obnoxious quota with a cover of Charles Manson’s Cease to Exist and their own Kill Someone You Hate alongside trash obsessed nuggets in Linda Blair and Look On Up at the Bottom (the latter a cover from the low-budget movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls) paving the way for future Redd Kross releases and in the process cementing their identity in the canyon of rock ‘n’ roll visionaries.

Having already been performed in the USA as part of the ATP Don’t Look Back series, Feel and Dig It Up! are more than chuffed to present one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most iconic and identifiable bands in their first Australian visit since 1993. Ladies and Gentleman, Redd Kross!

Tickets on-sale now!

REDD KROSS PERFORM BORN INNOCENT AND THE POSH BOY EP & MORE.

Tuesday 24th April: Sydney, Oxford Arts Factory + Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys and Bloods.
Friday 27th April: Melbourne, Northcote Social Club + Iowa

Hear the entire Red Cross ep here

You read that right garage-rock pioneers The Sonics (special guest invitees of the Hoodoo Gurus on their national Dig It Up! tour) are to perform a one-off headline show this April when they appear at Oakleigh’s Caravan Music Club in the outer-suburbs of Melbourne.The godfathers of garage-rock, The Sonics laid down the blueprint for garage-rock back in 1963 with the release of their first single The Witch. They followed this 5 star release with even more gold soaked nuggets in Psycho, Boss Hoss, Cinderella, Strychnine, He’s Waitin’, Shot Down and Have Love Will Travel before calling it quits in 1968. Reuniting briefly in 1972 and again in 1980, The Sonics then took permanent leave while the rest of the world caught up with them.

Revered and covered by the likes of The Cramps and The Black Keys (alongside a list of Australian bands too lengthy to mention), the influence and spirit of The Sonics has never waned and in 2007 they answered the call reforming at the invitation of the New York garage festival Cavestomp and followed that up with an appearance at Barcelona’s giant Primavera Festival, the London Meltdown (curated by The Kinks’ Ray Davies) and now Dig it Up! Ladies and gentlemen does it get any better than this? The Sonics!

Tickets for this rare, intimate and exclusive headline show are on-sale Wednesday 14th March.Tickets for Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational, Wednesday 25th April at The Palace in Melbourne, starring The Sonics, Redd Kross, Died Pretty, The Fleshtones, Steve Wynn, Hard-Ons, The Lovetones, Royal Headache, Beaches, The Frowning Clouds, guest DJ’s and more, are on-sale now from www.digitup.net.auDon’t miss this!

THE SONICS plus guests Fearless Vampire Killers

Friday 27th April @ Caravan Music Club, Oakleigh
Tickets from $52.00 + bf available from www.caravanmusic.com.au

The 5.6.7.8’s, Japan’s premier garage-rock group, stars of Quentin Tarantino’s 2004 blockbuster Kill Bill Vol. 1, and special guests of the Hoodoo Gurus on their national Dig It Up! tour in April, have announced three select headline shows for Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart. All three shows are limited in capacity and include new Sydney venue The Factory Floor, which can be found on the ground floor of The Factory Theatre complex in Marrickville.

A little about The 5.6.7.8’s from their bio…

The 5.6.7.8?s was formed in 1986 and still rocking in their very own DIY way around the world. This all female Tokyo garage-trio has released numberless singles and albums and have toured America, Europe and Australia round & round. After Quentin Tarantino has invited them to his “Kill Bill” movie (& on the Soundtrack as well), the trio’s cult popularity exploded into a really big bang. Their “Woo Hoo” cover featured on the soundtrack run around the world as well as the band, which had also shared the Redding festival main stage with The White Stripes, New York Dolls etc…. 

In 2010, Jack White (White Stripes/The Dead Weather) invited ‘em to Nashville and recorded live show also two singles on his label “Third Man Records”.

Don’t miss these most-excellent fun-packed shows

DIG IT UP! THE HOODOO GURUS INVITATIONAL
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF RECORDED HISTORY IN 2012


Come along as the Hoodoo Gurus invite some of their favourite acts and key influences for a one-of-a-kind tour that celebrates 30 years since the release of Leilani (le Hoodoo Gurus iconic debut 7”) and a career that has delivered more than 30 timeless hit singles (I Want You Back, Bittersweet, What’s My Scene?, 1000 Miles Away, The Right Time et al). Their nine studio albums have also enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim in equal measures and they have the reputation of being one of Australia’s most consistent and powerful live acts.

Invitees include the legendary garage-rock pioneers The Sonics, brothers-in-spirit, Redd Kross and The Fleshtones the moody & compelling Died Pretty, Japanese all-girl legends The 5.6.7.8’s plus a hand-picked selection of local celebrities: Royal Headache, The Lovetones and Hard-Ons among them.

But that’s not all! In a personal celebration of this milestone, the Hoodoo Gurus have announced they will perform Stoneage Romeos (their landmark debut album) in its entirety plus a selection of their other hits. How excitement! Stoneage Romeos is a permanent fixture on various lists of Australia’s top albums including the 2010 book “The 100 Best Australian Albums” and Triple J’s Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time in 2011. Stoneage Romeos was also the subject of its own tribute album ‘Stoneage Cameos’ featuring covers by The Living End, You Am I, The Drones and a host of high profile contemporary acts of the day.

But that’s still not all…

As part of the celebration of this momentous milestone in the band’s career, Sony Music will release GOLD WATCH: 20 GOLDEN GREATS, a new Greatest Hits collection covering the bands entire 30 year career including the new single “Use-By Date”. “Gold Watch” will be released on Friday 16th March.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday 30th January. Sign up to the Dig it Up! mail list @ www.digitup.net.au for your chance to purchase pre-sale tickets.

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind celebration: Dig it Up! The Hoodoo Gurus Invitational.

For full details head over to www.digitup.net.au

 

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS FINAL SHOWS: SYDNEY, CANBERRA & MELBOURNE SHOWS

Recently reunited as part of Sydney’s On the Street live series, the Lighthouse Keepers, featuring original band members Greg Appel, Juliet Ward, Stephen O’Neil and Michael ‘Blue’ Dalton promptly sold out their show the quickest of all OTS shows and left a smile on the dial of all that attended.

Juliet Ward still chewed gum while she sang, Blue Dalton still looked half surprised and half asleep as he hooked up another harmonica run and several songs still ended in another fine mess – but upstairs at the Sando this night we were all bouncing along, singing along, giggling along exactly as we had back then.  – Sydney Morning Herald September 12, 2011

Following that modest success, The Lighthouse Keepers have decided to crank up the engines once more and take the whole shebang out on the road again, heading down to Victoria for two performances at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club and the Caravan Music Club in Oakleigh, before heading back up North for dates in Sydney and Canberra.

At all shows the Lighthouse Keepers will be performing two sets each night and with a guest speaker in support.

Three sets later we walked out hot and sticky (but now mercifully not stinking of smoke), humming one of those Greg Appel melodies and feeling good about the world. It was just like the old days.

Thursday 5th January: Oakleigh, Caravan Music Club
Tickets $22.00 + bf (General Admission) or $27.00 + bf (Reserved Seating) from www.caravanmusic.com.au or phone 0411 569 180.

Friday 6th January: Melbourne, Northcote Social Club
Tickets $25.00 + bf from feelpresents.oztix.com.au, phone (03) 9486 1677 or in person at the Venue Box Office.

Friday 3rd February: Canberra, The Polish Club
Tickets $25 on the door.

Saturday 4th February: Sydney, Camelot
Tickets $25.00 from www.trybooking.com/BBHG or phone 9550 3777

DIRTY THREE – NEW ALBUM FEBRUARY 2012, AUSTRALIAN TOUR MARCH 2012


In early 2012 Dirty Three will boldly break cover with an extensive Australian tour, including their own headlining shows, festival appearances and their first ever performance at the Sydney Opera House. The band will also release a remarkable new album in late February.

“I think we may have cracked it. This may well be the definitive album from Dirty Three.”  – Warren Ellis, November 2011

Dirty Three’s last tour of Australia was in 2009 when they performed their album Ocean Songs in its entirety as part of the Don’t Look Back classic albums series, a run of shows that sold-out across the country. This was a tour that confirmed Dirty Three’s status of one of the greatest live acts in the world.

“Dirty Three assailed and attacked the hot and humid Enmore Theatre on Australia Day with full and absolute effect. Playing in total their classic album ‘Ocean Songs’ we witnessed a band that is ageless and timeless. One of, if not the, greatest band that this country has ever produced.” – Oceans Never Listen

“There was not a single person in The Forum that would deny the sheer power of the Dirty Three’s songs live.” –  The Dwarf

“It’s safe to say that everyone should see the Dirty Three.” – The Vine

The planets will once again align in 2012 as Dirty Three tour Australia and release their first new album since 2005’s Cinder.

JASON LYTLE (GRANDADDY) – AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle, returns to Australia this February for the first time since 2004 and Grandaddy’s sole Australian tour.

The man responsible for such melancholic classics as The Crystal Lake, Hewlett’s Daughter and Now it’s On, and albums Under the Western Freeway and The Sophtware Slump (recently re-released in deluxe 2CD format) has kept a low profile since Grandaddy’s split in 2006 releasing just two albums: Yours Truly, the Commuter, on Epitaph records offshoot Anti in 2009 and Merry Xmas 2009.

Yours Truly occasionally provides pummeling feedback rock (‘It’s the Weekend’), but when Lytle’s lullaby vocals suggest, “You should hold my hand / While everything blows away / And we’ll run to a brand-new sun,” it’s like Bruce Springsteen’s open highway finally reached a melancholy kid from Modesto. – SPIN

Despite the low album output, Jason Lytle has continued to perform live in solo mode and next February will take on a road trip of the east coast of Australia and amongst the usual sight-seeing, fishing and skateboarding has offered to drop in for a few shows along the way.

Whether fronting Grandaddy or standing alone on the stage Jason Lytle is consistently a class live act. He has an uncanny power to render you gooey eyed with dreamy nostalgia and no matter what torrent of noise he raises up around his vocals his words are always crystal clear, shining out with dazzling clarity through perfect sound production. – Chimpomatic.com

Expect new classics and old treasures as your favourite Grandad, Jason Lylte, drops by for a visit next February.

Tickets for all shows are on-sale now!

Earlier this year, Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Ed Kuepper reunited with former sparring partner drummer Mark Dawson to re-imagine the Kuepper classics Electrical Storm and Today Wonder in their entirety.

Those shows proved so popular , selling out all Spiegeltent performances in Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin as well as further headline shows in Newcastle, Sydney and the Gold Coast, that Ed and Mark decided to continue with the reformation and expand on that original idea.

Loosely described as “ambient-rockabilly”, the new two-piece show sees Kuepper (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Mark Dawson (drums) presenting selections not only from those two albums but also from material from right across Ed’s lengthy career.

“Evocative would be the catchphrase of this collection of Ed’s music. This is music to drive long distances to, the thrumming rhythms like tyres on the open road, the lyrics the kind of things your mind might wander to when your surroundings become numbing; desperate tales of love and longing.” www.i94bar.com

Ed Kuepper and Mark Dawson will present this show over two sets with no support. Don’t miss this rare opportunity.

PERHAPS YOU KNOW A.A BONDY BETTER THAN YOU THINK…


Making his maiden voyage to our shores this January, A.A. Bondy. (the initials stand for August Arthur), hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

A grunge disciple originally via the critically adored alt-rock outfit Verbena, Bondy chose the solo route once Verbena disbanded in 2003 and in 2007 released his debut solo album ‘American Hearts’ which showed a marked change of musical direction mixing folk, Americana and swampy blues into a lethal concoction all of his own.
A second album, ‘When the Devils Loose’, followed in 2009 cementing Bondy’s abilities as a songwriter and featured the tracks ‘A Slow Parade’, ‘Mightiest of Guns’, ‘False River’ and the title track, which appeared in major TV shows Bones, One Tree Hill, House and Packed To The Rafters.  

Most recently, A.A. Bondy has been spotted on the Triple J Hit-List with ‘The Heart Is Willing’, the first single from his new album ‘Believers’.

http://soundcloud.com/fatpossum/aa-bondy-the-heart-is-willing

And now we here in Australia get to experience what all the fuss has been about when A.A.Bondy visits (in full three piece band mode) for Sydney Festival (at The Famous Spiegeltent) and for club shows in Melbourne.

“It seems like there’s a certain quality that you have to have to be a singer-songwriter in the ilk of A.A. Bondy and be able to pull it off, especially live. It’s something that doesn’t come from merely being a good songwriter, but from life experience. It’s what some might call “authenticity,” and Bondy certainly has it” – onethirtybpm.com

Don’t miss the Australian debut of A.A. Bondy live this January.

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

LEWIS FLOYD HENRY


For the past few years, one man band Lewis Floyd Henry has pitched up on street corners around London gradually spreading the word of the blues and rock to passers by and the oddly curious. He arrives armed with a pram carrying a battery-operated amplifier and a custom-made drum kit bashing out covers of Jimi Hendrix, T-Rex, The Stooges and has accrued 100,000 YouTube hits for a performance of the The Wu-Tang Clan’s Protect Ya Neck performed outside Tottenham Court Road tube station.

Protect Ya Neck

In addition to his cover versions, Lewis also crafts his own tunes diversifying beyond his initial folky-blues style into high-velocity rock grooves worthy of the mighty Jimi Hendrix Experience. His debut album ‘One Man & His 30W Pram‘ is testament to this fact.

An intoxicating mix of humdinger riffs and country-blues twangs, psychedelic-folk tunings and beats, it’s raw and honest and thrilling – **** MOJO February 2011

This uniqueness has also lead Lewis to festival performances around the UK and earlier this year Henry made his Australian festival debut at the Perth International Arts Festival and for a small series of headline east coast dates.

Lewis Floyd Henry returns this summer at the invitation of both The Falls Festival in Lorne and Sydney Festival. In addition, Lewis will perform a special new-years eve support to Regurgitator in Melbourne alongside some select headline appearances.

“Others were convinced that the unbilled Lewis Floyd Henry was the ultimate highlight, a busking one-man band who played Stooges’ songs by the lake and a 20-minute version of Free’s “All Right Now” with a fuzzbox, tiny practice amp, toddler-sized drum kit and guitar solos played with his teeth” – The Independent 12.8.09

Don’t miss the rattle and hum of Lewis Floyd Henry when he returns to Australia summer 2011-2012.

URGE OVERKILL – ROCK & ROLL SUBMARINE

They have no right to be this good, really they don’t. Fifteen years since their last release Chicago-born hep-cats Urge Overkill return with a brand new album Rock & Roll Submarine – and no better way to celebrate than a welcome return visit to Australia this coming March.

“From Mason Dixon’s struttin’ Southern boogie and the title track’s exhilarating echo of the Stones’ Soul Survivor, through to the adorably vulnerable Quiet Person–what a hoot”  – Mojo May 16th 2011

In the live setting, the band have effortlessly picked up from where they last left off. Stopping by for a brief visit to Australia in 2006 after initially reforming, the shows, including a performance at Canberra’s Stonefest reminded everybody of just what great presence Urge Overkill possess.

“Urge Overkill took the stage and launched into an incredibly loud and powerful set, blowing away any pre-conceptions of “Will they be any good, have they still got it?” They were quite simply, fucking amazing” –  Fasterlouder.com.au

And now here they are back in all their crushed velvet glory, fully armed with a back-catalogue of solid gold nuggets to launch at us – Sister Havana, Positive Bleeding, Bottle of Fur, The Break, Somebody Else’s Body, Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon as well as firing off some new tunes from Rock & Roll Submarine all guaranteed to have you stompin’ for more.

Witness: Effigy from Rock ‘n’ Roll Submarine.

Appearing at the invitation of the Golden Plains Festival and for a series of east coast headline shows, Urge Overkill are men on mission!

 BONNIE ‘PRINCE BILLY’ – STRANGE FORM OF LIFE

Six years, six albums and countless singles, eps and collaborations later, and finally this February – March, we are blessed with a return visit from our favourite royal, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy.

Born Will Oldham in Kentucky USA some 40 years ago, Oldham christened the Bonnie mantle after the dissolution of his previous outfit(s), the hugely influential alt-country outfits Palace Brothers and Palace Music. Since then Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy has amassed a catalogue of some twelve studio-albums, all weirdly inventive takes on the roots genre: country-western, bluegrass, Appalachian folk, and which has seen cover versions from the likes of Johnny Cash, Cat Power and Mark Lanegan while the list of renowned public admirers would fill a press release on its own.

His most recent release, Wolfroy Goes to Town, continues in his own unique tradition but in true maverick style moves ever sideways from expectation, this time with the addition of vocalist Angel Olsen – a solo performer in her own right – and guitarist Emmett Kelly; Billy’s most recent consistent collaborator and the one-man band known as the Cairo Gang. It is these performers plus drummer Van Campbell who will be joining the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on this Australian tour.

Aided by vocalist Angel Olsen, Wolfroy Goes to Town is perhaps his strongest and most consistent collection for years. In fact, the entire thing is an absolute, unerring joy. NME 8/10

 

Live one can never know what to expect from Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy other than to hugely entertained.

Oldham is made for this kind of gig, looking as he does like a pastor from the American South; he waves his arms theatrically as he delivers his lyrics, at times bending double as if the emotional weight of the song is a heavy cross to bear. – The Fly.Co.UK 

Safe to say those of us who have followed Oldham as he has toured shyly and quietly in support of his seven earlier BPB releases have never seen anything like the Oldham who was energetically bounding around the stage on Sunday like a little yoga Buddha-slash-monkeyman in blue leotard and bare feet. – heyreverb.com

Call it country, call it folk, call it what you Will… it’s safe to say that there is nothing out there quite like Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy.

Tickets for Melbourne & Castlemaine on sale Monday 21st November @ 9am. All other appearances on sale now. 

BATTLES

Anyone who witnessed NYC group Battles at the Big Day Out in 2008, at their sold-out Sydney Festival Becks Bar show in the same year, or at either of their sold-out Sydney Opera House Opera Theatre shows for the inaugural Brian Eno curated Luminous (nee Vivid) festival in 2009 will testify to their greatness as a live act. The former four-piece (now a three piece) are like a force of nature, rhythmically compelling and visually stimulating using both their skill as musicians and the technology available to them to create a sound and presentation of all their own invention.

There are few greater privileges than to see a band like Battles in a setting like the Opera House. They’re a sonic volcano that erupts with every note they play. In short: It was fucking incredible. – Luminous review – Faster Louder 2009

And while the band no longer features sometime frontman Ty Braxton they do still retain core-members Ian Williams (guitar, keyboards, electronics), guitarist, bassist, programmer Dave Konopka, and drummer and cult-hero John Stanier, a member of US group super-group Tomahawk and drummer for Australia’s premier hard-rock band The Mark Of Cain.

A man revered by many, he takes centre stage, sweating through his white button-up shirt as he pounds at his miniscule drum kit, destroying drumstick after drumstick like a golfer stuck in a deep sand bunker. The well-documented two-metre high cymbal stood above the band like a sunflower, yet was not spared in Stainer’s constant barrage of beats. The man is by every definition more drum kit than human. – Luminous review – Faster Louder 2009

Battles return to Australia in 2012 to perform at all six Big Day Out Festivals and for headline appearances in Sydney and Melbourne. These will be the band’s first Australian appearances since 2009 and the first since the release earlier this year of their second album Gloss Drop, a ten-track odyssey that includes cameo performances from electronic pioneer Gary Numan, Blonde Redhead vocalist Kazu Makino and underground dance music hero Matias Aguayo.

Gloss Drop is the most ride-the-groove record Battles have ever made, owing plenty to both the straight-forwardness of house and rock and the crazed syncopations of soca and dancehall. And considering Battles are possibly the tightest man-machine unit going now that LCD Soundsystem are dead, you can imagine how hot these grooves burn, and how meticulously they’re constructed – their most audacious attempt yet to make the line between “programmed” and “played” completely invisible.. – Pitchfork review – 2011

Don’t miss Battles live this January.

Tickets for both shows are on-sale November 28th.

J MASCIS – SEVERAL SHADES OF HUH?

Folk-rock troubadour J Mascis makes his long awaited solo-acoustic tour appearance this summer appearing at The Falls Festivals in Marion Bay and Lorne and for a series of headline shows along the East Coast.

Mascis has toured Australia in solo mode before of course, both as a headliner and as support to Sonic Youth, but this tour is the first to feature J and an acoustic guitar and comes off the back of his impressive debut solo-acoustic release and his first for Sub Pop, Several Shades of Why.

After two decades of creating influential music, the fact that this astonishing album features some of his best songs to date makes this as important as it is unfalteringly beautiful. – KERRANG

The result is a beautifully fragile acoustic record that positions him as the missing link between Kurt Cobain and Johnny Cash. – ROCK SOUND

And though the electric may have been swapped for an acoustic the intensity and even the decibel levels remain intact (relatively) as does Mascis’ ability to tear shards out of his instrument whether it be hollow or solid bodied.

Mascis opened with “The Wagon,” a stand-out track from Dinosaur Jr.’s iconic 1991 major label debut, “Green Mind,” a bone to the many long-time Dino fans in the packed Hi-Dive, the perfect setting for his soul-baring set. Much of the performance was comprised of Mascis laying down several-minute loops and then playing over his own intricate leads. I’ve seen other guitarists use this method of “playing with themselves,” but none as impressively as this. Mascis created something complex and spontaneous; his guitar lines were not simple rhythm parts, but melodic lines for him to weave intricate harmonies atop. – REVERB

In classic Dinosaur Jr fashion, there was plenty of the “quiet loud quiet” dynamic to Mascis’ set: his wired-up Gibson easily parlayed between jangly acoustic lines and screaming electric solos. – REVERB

Check-out the fabulously freaky videos for Listen to Me and Is it Done from Several Shades of Why and don’t miss J Mascis, live, this January.

All headlines shows on sale Monday 17th October.

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS – STANDING ON THE VERGE OF GETTIN’ IT ON!

“Black Joe Lewis was the Friday highlight. They were probably booked off their live rep, and the astonishing spectacle of the slight Joe screaming curse words like a modern day Howlin’ Wolf was a sight to behold. With a swaying Honey Bears horn section (swaying!) and a tinny, but still brutal, double-guitar attack, any “modern-day pastiche” fears were put to rest with the call-and-response on ‘It’s Alright’ getting louder as it went on. A raucous ‘Booty City’ (check it here at Coachella) followed, featuring the band screaming together into the one mic as Black Joe stretched his wail to breaking point — they were that good.”  The Vine (Splendour in the Grass 2011)

“A lengthy walk to GW McLennan for Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears proves totally worth it as the Austin, Texas combo virtually breathe fiery, feisty rock & soul. “This lot would have easily killed at Bluesfest” is the thought going through many heads – including ours – as many, many more feet keep dancing to the horn-drenched stompers.” AAABackstage.com

Having conquered Splendour in the Grass, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears return to Australia for an encore presentation performing at the request of Golden Plains Festival and for headline shows in Sydney & Melbourne. Catch a glimpse of what to expect via an appearance earlier this year on the David Letterman show

“I don’t know what to say – let’s have that every night!” – David Letterman 

Formed in Austin, Texas in 2007, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears quickly built a formidable live reputation leading to opening slots with all manner of acts from Spoon to the New York Dolls before the launch of their debut-album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is, in 2009. Taking cues from Parliament-Funkadelic, Howlin’ Wolf, The Stooges, James Brown – even Australia’s Saints – BJL&TH delivered in spades. Their first visit to Australia came soon after in January 2010 appearing three times for the Sydney Festival as well as an appearance at the MoNA/FOMA Arts Festival in Hobart. A new album, Scandalous – featuring Living in the Jungle – was released early in 2011 and was followed by a much-talked-about series of performances at SXSW that lead to the invitation to Splendour in the Grass, and now… here they are again!

“It was Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears who were Splendour’s most unexpected triumph. Their modernised take on old school funk and blues set them apart from the 2004 hype bands which built the crux of the line-up’s remainder. With simple, measured grooves their spine, the Honeybears complemented the broken moan of Joe Lewis to perfection; the mingling of Matt Strmiska’s solos making for one of the festival’s early highlights.”  Sound Republic

Don’t miss the surprise highlight of Splendour 2011, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, touring the Australian East Coast this December.

NEWS FLASH! Black Joe Lewis will appear on national TV Rockwiz Saturday 15th October!

Tickets for all shows are on-sale Monday 17th October

DEAN WAREHAM plays GALAXIE 500

Following the re-release of Galaxie 500’s three classic albums on Domino Records last year, former G-500 frontman and guitarist, Dean Wareham, set out on tour playing a set of all-Galaxie 500 material with a three-piece band featuring his wife Britta Phillips (Luna, Belltower) on bass and drummer Anthony Lamarca.

Wareham’s voice is as haunting and inviting as it was over 20 years ago, and his guitar work alone is worth the price of admission. One of the benefits of seeing Wareham up close is getting a look at his expressive non-expression, where the muscles in his face are relieved of duty, eyelids refusing to come down, as he loses himself in each song. All the while cranking out gorgeous solos. – Heaven is Loud August 2010

Dean Wareham was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1963 and lived in Wellington and in Sydney, Australia, before moving to New York City in 1977. Galaxie 500, formed in Boston in 1986 and recorded three studio albums — Today, On Fire and This Is Our Music — for Rough Trade. They met with much acclaim in their short time together but dissolved in 1991.

When new bands play guitar music heavy on reverb and slow in tempo- a combination that drapes tunes in a sublimely druggy dream-pop haze – I can be slow to embrace them. It’s not that there isn’t plenty of good music in this vein being made. It’s that one band, 20 years ago, did this sound so well with so much personality, theyt set a difficult standard for newcomers to meet. – Pitchfork 2010.

And now Dean Wareham and his three piece band are bringing the music of Galaxie 500 to Australia for the very first time performing shows in Sydney and Melbourne before embarking on a three show run in his native New Zealand.

They open with the understated brilliance of ‘Flowers’ and it’s hard not to smile as Dean sings, “…baby, you’re a lunatic…” Dean introduces ‘Strange’ as a song about twinkies, they play ‘Snowstorm’ and my heart melts. These songs have soundtracked many a solitary moment, such is the personal nature of these tender compositions but tonight these songs are for everyone. They play ‘Tugboat’, one of the finest songs ever written and it’s worth the entry fee alone. This is our music. – Soundlab Feb 2011

And joining Dean Wareham for the Australian shows are fellow astral-planers, Sand Pebbles, proud owners of a new album, Dark Magic – their fifth – that features guest spots from Dean Wareham and Britt Phillips as well as Death in Vegas’ TIm Holmes.

Don’t miss Dean Wareham performing the music of Galaxie 500 with special guests Sand Pebbles. Tickets for both Australian shows go on-sale Friday 26th August.

“Galaxie 500 became bona fide treasures of indie rock.” – Mojo

“Galaxie 500 purred while others shouted.” – Chris Roberts

“One of the era’s best bands” – Byron Coley

THE MOFFS

Loveable ex-moptops The Moffs will reunite in 2011 to perform the hits of 1985. The original line-up of Tom, Smiley, Alan and Nick will dust off the cravats to bring an evening of psychedelic and British blues influenced classics. From the timelessness of indie-chart topping single Another Day in the Sun (recently featured on TV show Spirited) to the garage jams of Tombstone, to any of the many cover versions The Moffs explored, expect to be transported back to a Sunday afternoon at the Strawberry Hills Hotel in Surry Hills in 1985 – except you’ll be in Newtown and upstairs at the Sandringham Hotel in 2011… Support comes from Geelong’s freaky Frownin’ Clouds which makes this a must for those who like to trip…

The Moffs
The Frowning Clouds
Friday 23rd September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown

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THE HUMMINGBIRDS

Following a powerhouse comeback at the 2011 Big Day Out, The Hummingbirds reunite once more for this one-off Sydney headline appearance. Expect to hear the hits & more including anthemic singles Blush and Alimony from their 1990 debut album loveBuzz, recently voted into the 100 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time sharing space with such disparate acts as the The Loved Ones, Hoodoo Gurus, InXS, AC/DC and Kylie Minogue. A major achievement for a band who once called Darlinghurst’s tiny Palace Hotel their second home. A major event that will be sure to sell very quickly.

The Hummingbirds
The Laurels & Where’s Jerome?
 Saturday 17th September: Sydney University Manning Bar

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feedtime

Although largely unheralded in their home country, Sydney’s feedtime recently played a reunion show in San Francisco some 22 years after they first broke up! The show was put together by US record label S.S, a vinyl only label who will be releasing a 12? of feedtime rarities later this year. It’s not the only forthcoming US release for the band though, with indie-giant Sub Pop also releasing a comprehensive 2CD collection The Aberrant Years that will bring together virtually all the band’s recordings for that iconic independent Australian label. Energised from the San Francisco show, feedtime have also agreed to perform a show for the Sydney Fringe and Feel Presents couldn’t be more proud.

feedtime
Useless Children & Three Toed Sloth
Friday 16th September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown.

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UPS & DOWNS

Brisbane natives Ups & Downs produced some of the finest pop-rock songs of the era. Many will recall the indie-chart topping singles The Perfect Crime & The Living Kind (as heard on Bondi Rescue) as well as their take on the Neil Diamond classic Solitary Man taken from the brilliant Sleepless mini-album. Ups & Downs will be reconnect this time (having previously reformed for the in 2006 Brisbane only Pig City Festival alongside the original Saints) to launch the CD version of Sleepless, a best of, that also features all the a-sides, various b-sides, ep tracks, rare tracks and more from this very memorable band. A collection and event not to be missed!

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

Contemporaries of The Triffids, The Lighthouse Keepers bowed out in 1986 via a sold-out Graphic Arts Club show. Along the way the band had released an album, a mini-album, three singles (including two genuine Australian classics in Gargoyle and Ocean Liner) and spent serious amounts of time based in London and touring around Europe. Original band members Greg Appel (seen at the Fringe last year in the guise of producer/writer for the stage play Van Park, which starred Steve Kilbey & John Paul Young), Juliet Ward, Stephen O’Neil and Michael ‘Blue’ Dalton will reunite to launch a new single CD collection Ode to Nothing – the Very Best of The Lighthouse Keepers.

Friday 9th September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. Lighthouse Keepers play two sets + mystery guest speaker.

Check out the Youtube clip put together by Greg Appel featuring classic pics and early press clippings to the tune of Lip Snipe Groin.

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THE HUMMINGBIRDS, FEEDTIME, UPS & DOWNS, THE MOFFS & LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

There’s been a lot said and written about Sydney’s inner-city music scene of the eighties and early nineties – and rightly so. For many it represented the city’s most fertile period of musical activity and produced an amazing array of talent who, if they didn’t achieve mainstream success or particularly lengthy careers, left a legacy large enough to be considered news-worthy so long after the event.

Feel Presents has long been a supporter of this era having released two volumes of the 2CD collection Tales From the Australian Underground: 1976 – 1990 as well as promoting tours for Radio Birdman, The (original) Saints, Died Pretty, Laughing Clowns and more.

This time around Feel are showing their support for the era via a series of live shows entitled On the Street (a term familiar to all discerning gig goers of the time) and this September, together with the Sydney Fringe, will present a month of gig-going activity recalling that recalls those heady times.

But it’s not all about fond memories with support coming from a selection of bands carrying on the traditions of these pioneers, eager to keep the flame of the originals alive. Got you highlighter out? Here’s the gig guide.

Tickets for all shows on sale Friday July 15th from www.feelpresents.com

Contemporaries of The Triffids, The Lighthouse Keepers bowed out in 1986 via a sold-out Graphic Arts Club show. Along the way the band had released an album, a mini-album, three singles (including two genuine Australian classics in Gargoyle and Ocean Liner) and spent serious amounts of time based in London and touring around Europe. Original band members Greg Appel (seen at the Fringe last year in the guise of producer/writer for the stage play Van Park, which starred Steve Kilbey & John Paul Young), Juliet Ward, Stephen O’Neil and Michael ‘Blue’ Dalton will reunite to launch a new single CD collection Ode to Nothing – the Very Best of The Lighthouse Keepers.

Friday 9th September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. Lighthouse Keepers play two sets + mystery guest speaker.

Brisbane natives Ups & Downs produced some of the finest pop-rock songs of the era. Many will recall the indie-chart topping singles The Perfect Crime & The Living Kind (as heard on Bondi Rescue) as well as their take on the Neil Diamond classic Solitary Man taken from the brilliant Sleepless mini-album. Ups & Downs will be reconnect this time (having previously reformed for the in 2006 Brisbane only Pig City Festival alongside the original Saints) to launch the CD version of Sleepless, a best of, that also features all the a-sides, various b-sides, ep tracks, rare tracks and more from this very memorable band. A collection and event not to be missed!

Saturday 10th September: Annandale Hotel .Ups & Downs + Knievel + The Worker Bees.

Although largely unheralded in their home country, Sydney’s feedtime recently played a reunion show in San Francisco some 22 years after they first broke up! The show was put together by US record label S.S, a vinyl only label who will be releasing a 12″ of feedtime rarities later this year. It’s not the only forthcoming US release for the band though, with indie-giant Sub Pop also releasing a comprehensive 2CD collection The Aberrant Years that will bring together virtually all the band’s recordings for that iconic independent Australian label. Energised from the San Francisco show, feedtime have also agreed to perform a show for the Sydney Fringe and Feel Presents couldn’t be more proud.

Friday 16th September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. feedtime + Useless Children & Three Toed Sloth

Following a powerhouse comeback at the 2011 Big Day Out, The Hummingbirds reunite once more for this one-off Sydney headline appearance. Expect to hear the hits & more including anthemic singles Blush and Alimony from their 1990 debut album loveBuzz, recently voted into the 100 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time sharing space with such disparate acts as the The Loved Ones, Hoodoo Gurus, InXS, AC/DC and Kylie Minogue. A major achievement for a band who once called Darlinghurst’s tiny Palace Hotel their second home. A major event that will be sure to sell very quickly.

Saturday 17th September: Sydney University Manning Bar. The Hummingbirds + The Laurels.

Loveable ex-moptops The Moffs will reunite in 2011 to perform the hits of 1985. The original line-up of Tom, Smiley, Alan and Nick will dust off the cravats to bring an evening of psychedelic and British blues influenced classics. From the timelessness of indie-chart topping single Another Day in the Sun (recently featured on TV show Spirited) to the garage jams of Tombstone, to any of the many cover versions The Moffs explored, expect to be transported back to a Sunday afternoon at the Strawberry Hills Hotel in Surry Hills in 1985 – except you’ll be in Newtown and upstairs at the Sandringham Hotel in 2011… Support comes from Geelong’s freaky Frownin’ Clouds which makes this a must for those who like to trip…

Friday 23rd September: Sandringham Hotel, Newtown. The Moffs + The Frowning Clouds

ED KUEPPER – REARRANGED


Having successfully reunited with drummer Mark Dawson to re-imagine the albums Electrical Storm and Today Wonder, Ed Kuepper has decided to keep the engine running and has added more shows including spots at the Famous Spiegeltent at both the Darwin and Brisbane Festivals, which follow sold out shows in the same venue earlier this year in Melbourne

Loosely described as “ambient-rockabilly”, the new two-piece show sees Kuepper (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Mark Dawson (drums) expand on the repertoire of that earlier tour presenting selections from both albums alongside other Kuepper classics.

Evocative would be the catchphrase of this collection of Eds music. This is music to drive long distances to, the thrumming rhythms like tyres on the open road, the lyrics the kind of things your mind might wander to when your surroundings become numbing; desperate tales of love and longing. – March 2011 www.i94bar.com

Ed Kuepper and Mark Dawson will present this show over two sets with no support *. Don’t miss this rare opportunity.

Tickets for all shows on sale now except where noted.

August 17th & 19th: Darwin Festival
Tickets $36.00 + bf (concessions available) via phone on (08) 8943 4222 or at darwinfestival.org.au

September 9th: Melbourne, Northcote Social Club
Tickets $26.00 + bf from www.feelpresents.com and northcotesocialclub.com
On sale July 13th.

September 10th: Oakleigh, Caravan Music Club
Tickets $30.00 + bf from www.caravanmusic.com.au.

September 16th: Currumbin, The Sound Lounge
Tickets $25.00 + bf from thesoundlounge.com.au
On sale Monday July 11th.

September 20th: Brisbane Festival Spiegeltent *  Performing Electrical Storm and Today Wonder in their entirety.
On sale Monday July 11th from www.brisbanefestival.com


ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN: SHE & HE

She: Isobel Campbell, former cellist, keyboard player and vocalist for Glaswegian indie-pop smiths Belle & Sebastian; co-writer and lead vocal for that same bands only ever UK top 20 and Australian alternative radio hit, Legal Man, and owner of four critically acclaimed solo albums (the first two released under the non-de-plume The Gentle Waves).

He: Mark Lanegan, the gravel voiced former lead singer for the Screaming Trees, part time front man with Queens of the Stone Age & Soulsavers, partner with Greg Dulli in The Twilight Singers and owner of a string of booze soaked solo albums including the stunning 1994 debut Whiskey for the Holy Ghost and the brilliant covers album I’ll Take Care of You.

She & He: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, a true renaissance duo channelling the dusty desert sounds of Texas and LA, via the red dust encrusted highways of Las Vegas courtesy three stunning collaborative albums including the Mercury Prize nominated debut Ballad of the Broken Seas, the much celebrated follow-up Sunday at Devil Dirt and their latest, Hawk.

“the chemistry between the two is riveting… Campbell’s songs are simple, direct, gorgeous… If, after the brilliant Ballad, you had said that this pair would reunite and make an even better album, I wouldn’t have believed you – but I think they just have” – Sunday Times – 5 Stars ***** (CD of the Week)

“Campbell and Lanegan are seriously making their mark… They’ve surpassed the Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazlewood comparisons to create an intense, fluid sound that’s uniquely their own” – MOJO – 4 Stars ****

And now the unique couple of Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan have made their way to Australia for the very first time appearing at the giant Splendour in the Grass festival and for a series of headline shows. Backed by a four piece comprising drums, guitar, keyboards, electric bass upright bass and cello you can be assured of the full Campbell & Lanegan experience.

You Tube link: You Won’t Let Me Down Again.

Tickets for all headline shows go on-sale now!.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan live this July and August. Don’t you dare miss them!

Friday 29th July: Sydney, The Factory (Marrickville) + Red Ghost
$56.70 + bf  available from www.feelpresents.com, www.ticketek.com.au, phone: (02) 9550 3666 or in person at all Ticketek and OzTix outlets.

Saturday 30th July: Woodfordia, Splendour in the Grass
Tickets on-sale now

Monday 1st August: Melbourne, National Theatre (St.Kilda) + Ron Peno (SOLD OUT)
$60.60 including fees (transaction fees may apply) from www.ticketek.com.au, phone: 132 849, in person at the venue 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda or from www.nationaltheatre.org.au or via phone 9525 4611.

Tuesday 2nd August: Melbourne, Thornbury Theatre + Ron Peno
$55.00 + bf  from www.thethornburytheatre.com. Also available at Polyester Records, Greville Records, The Espy Bottleshop, National Hotel, Geelong and Thornbury Australian College of Trade, Brunswick.

Wednesday 3rd August: Fremantle, Fly By Night Club + The Ghost Hotel
$52.00 + booking fee from www.flybynight.org, phone (08) 9430 5976 or in person at the Fly by Night box office.

LEWIS FLOYD HENRY – ONE MAN & HIS 30W PRAM!

For the past few years, one man band Lewis Floyd Henry has pitched up on street corners around London gradually spreading the word of the blues and the knowledge of his genius to passers by and the oddly curious. He arrives armed with a pram carrying a battery-operated amplifier and a custom-made drum kit beating out covers of Jimi Hendrix, T-Rex and The Stooges and has accrued 100,000 YouTube hits for a performance of the The Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Protect Ya Neck’ performed outside Tottenham Court Road tube station.

In addition to his cover versions, Lewis also crafts his own tunes diversifying beyond his initial folky blues style, into high-velocity rock grooves worthy of the mighty Jimi Hendrix Experience. His debut album ‘One Man & His 30W Pram’ is to be released later this month and streamed for you right here.

His uniqueness has also lead to him to festival performances around the UK and this month, Lewis Floyd Henry lands in Australia  as special guest of the Perth International Arts Festival and for a series of east coast dates.

‘Others were convinced that the unbilled Lewis Floyd Henry was the ultimate highlight, a busking one-man band who played Stooges’ songs by the lake and a 20-minute version of Free’s “All Right Now” with a fuzzbox, tiny practice amp, toddler-sized drum kit and guitar solos played with his teeth’ – The Independent 12.8.09

 

The unlikely Hit of the Big Chill, Henry sets up in fields, armed with a guitar played with his teeth and tiny drum kit played with his feet. A one-man-band. Possibly quite mad, but brilliant.’ The Guardian Film & Music P.2 14/9/09

Don’t miss Lewis Floyd Henry’s Australian debut this March. Tickets for all shows available at the door unless otherwise noted.

Lloyd Cole returns to our shores next February, this time in the guise of the Lloyd Cole Small Ensemble, an acoustic three-piece featuring the talents of Lloyd Cole on vocals and acoustic guitar plus Mark Schwaber on acoustic guitar and mandolin and Matt Cullen on acoustic guitar and banjo. The tour comes off the back of his new studio album Broken Record

“…and, between mandolins and banjos, he signs-off again on an impeccable collection of songs in which mellow country-pop (“Like a Broken Record”), plethoric pop (“That’s Alright”, “Oh Genevieve” and “Writers Retreat”) and those folkier moments – some of which are also the most beautiful – are no more than excuses to pull one more ace up his sleeve, another classic album in the best possible sense of the term. A classic, that’s what it is.” – Rockdelux

“An unbroken record of essential albums continues” – Americana UK

Additionally Cole has released the mail order and show only release Small Ensemble, an acoustic romp through Lloyd’s back catalogue and features re-workings of the Cole classics: Perfect Skin, No More Love Songs, Are you ready to be heartbroken? and Undressed, amongst others. It’s these tracks and more that you can expect to hear from the Small Ensemble when they visit Australia in February.

“It is quite possibly the best Lloyd Cole-edition ever, with never-ending highpoints; from the old ‘Rattlesnakes’ (on mandolin) to the new fantastically beautiful ‘Why in the world’.” – DN (Swedish paper)

With his most recent Australian solo tour having been a complete sell out this first band outing of Cole’s for over twenty years is sure to follow suite.

Tickets for all shows * on sale Monday December 20th.

Thursday 10th: Brisbane, Old Museum
Tickets $50.00 + bf from www.feelpresents.com, phone 1300 762 545 or in person at all Oztix outlets

Friday 11th: Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Tickets $61.60 (includes GST and booking fee, some transaction fees may apply) from www.ticketek.com.au, www.enmoretheatre.com.au, phone (02) 9550 3666 or in person at all Ticketek outlets and the venue.

Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th: Melbourne, Thornbury Theatre
Tickets $53.00 + bf from www.thethornburytheatre.com only.

Wednesday 16th: Adelaide, The Gov
Tickets $49.60 + bf from www.moshtix.com.au, www.venuetix.com.au or phone: 1 300 GET TIX & all moshtix and Venuetix outlets.

Thursday 17th: Perth International Arts Festival, Becks Music Box * on sale December 14th
Tickets $50.50 (some transaction fees may apply) from www.perthfestival.com.au or phone (08) 9484 1133

CAT POWER

The inimitable Cat Power returns to our shores this January performing at the Sydney Opera House, Perth’s outdoor venue ‘The Quarry’ and for select headline dates.

It’s the second successive summer drop-in for Cat Power who is a firm lover of our isle dating all the way back to 1998. That visit saw Cat Power a/k/a Atlanta born songstress Chan Marshall, in solo mode, supporting the Tren Bros – the side project of the Dirty Three’s Mick Turner & Jim White – in venues as intimate as Sydney’s now defunct Hopetoun Hotel, Byron Bay’s tiny Railway Hotel and Melbourne’s also defunct Punters Club. Turner and White (along with STM bassist Andrew Entsch) also backed Chan up on that visit for the recording of her much loved Moon Pix album which featured the ground breaking Crossbones Style.

Over the years Cat Power has continued to visit Australia on a semi-permanent basis (usually in our summer) and has appeared in solo mode and trio mode, in pubs, dining rooms and theatres and most recently with the services of ‘Dirty Delta Blues’, a purpose-built five-piece combo featuring Dirty Three drummer Jim White and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion guitarist Judah Bauer. The size of the shows have also built since then and in recent times Cat Power has appeared on the main stage at the Pyramid and Days Like These Festivals as well as headlining sold-out performances at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, Brisbane’s Powerhouse and Tivoli Theatres, Melbourne’s Forum Theatre and Perth’s Astor Theatre, amongst many others.

Cat Power returns this time showcasing material from her new album (currently in progress and largely recorded by Chan herself) as well as old favourites and will again feature the talents of Jim White and Judah Bauer.

Tickets for all shows are on sale Friday December 10th (except *) and are expected to sell fast!

TUMBLEWEED ALBUM & TOUR – ‘THE WATERFRONT YEARS’

Musical legends in Australia, the ‘stoner rock’ riffs of Wollongong’s Tumbleweed inspired a whole generation of music lovers when they emerged in 1990s from the seeds of the Proton Energy Pills and The Unheard. Tumbleweed burst onto the scene in a huge way by gaining infamy courtesy of a national support slot to the one and only Australian tour by the legendary Nirvana back in 1992.

Originally signed to the revolutionary Australian independent label, Waterfront Records, the band’s debut release was a 7” single, “Captain’s Log”, recorded by Mudhoney frontman Mark Arm and legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino. With their single “Stoned”, an EP titled Weedseed and the single “Acid Rain” making them bigger by the day, the ‘Weed’s self-titled debut album (out locally on Waterfront Records) was released to massive praise and chart sales, resulting in a rather quick signing to the American giant Atlantic Records’ subsidiary Seed – although that’s another story!

It didn’t take long for Australia’s major labels to realise that a national treasure existed in the five piece, after which Polydor Records became the recording home of Tumbleweed in ‘92. Tumbleweed released the (in)famous albums Galactaphonic and Return To Earth, all the while undertaking countless tours around the country as well as throughout the UK.

Despite their chequered history with its many ups and downs including several band line-up changes, Tumbleweed have let bygones be bygones and the original line up is once again on speaking terms and playing  and writing together for the first time in almost fifteen years. Add to this a double cd recently reissued – “The Waterfront Years” – out now on Aztec Music. It contains all of the bands recordings from the first single until just before they signed the deal moving from Waterfront to Polydor Records.

To celebrate this release, Tumbleweed will embark on some special NSW shows in late December 2010 and early January 2011. This will be Tumbleweed’s first Sydney headlining show with the original line up since 1994 and the fact that old mates The Meanies are on the Metro show  makes for an even bigger event not to be missed!

ED KUEPPER (WITH MARK DAWSON) PLAY THE CLASSICS

With a recent run of sold-out solo shows under his belt, Ed Kuepper is pleased to announce a March tour this time featuring his former sparring-partner Mark Dawson (on drums) as they re-imagine the Kuepper classics: Electrical Storm and Today Wonder.

Electrical Storm was Kuepper’s first solo album recorded in early 1985 shortly after the dissolution of Laughing Clowns. Musically a departure from his earlier bands (the original Saints and Laughing Clowns), Electrical Storm proved to be the most raw and stripped back recording of Kuepper’s long career and featured some of his most enduring songs including the title track, ‘Car Headlights’ and ‘Rainy Night’. Lyrically it was more straight forward, yet with the songs seemingly interconnected, its foreboding atmosphere is lightened up with glimpses of Kuepper’s trademark humour such as the musical quote from the Spiderman cartoon show in ‘When the sweet turns sour’.

Today Wonder was the album that began Kuepper’s wrecking ball-like prolific recording stretch in the 1990s. Recorded and mixed live in the studio over two days in early 1990, it features only Kuepper on effects-laden acoustic guitar and vocals, with Mark Dawson on drums and cardboard box. Kuepper described the sound at the time as “ambient rockabilly” and stated more recently that it was the album that enabled everything after it. Today Wonder draws on a host of Kuepper’s earliest influences and incorporates them into something new and adventurous. Several covers become originals and originals become covers in a seamless blend which still sounds unique to this day.

Tickets for the Kuepper/Dawson shows are on-sale now.

Before all that, though, Kuepper will appear in solo mode as special guest to Grinderman at their Sydney & Melbourne legs of their Australian Big Day Out tour. You can never have enough Kuepper.

BLUES EXPLOSION!!

“Energy means sweat and sweat means action and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (The Blues Explosion!!! or JSBX to you) wants everyone to take that, rub it all over and spread the word.”

Continue reading →

SWERVEDRIVER – NEVER LOSE THAT FEELING

Arguably Creation records’ greatest ever signing, Swervedriver return to Australia this February to perform at the Perth International Arts Festival and for a string of headline appearances in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.Continue reading →

CARIBOU & FOUR TET – DOUBLE THE FUN!

It’s true! One of the most anticipated tours of the new year is no longer a mere message board fantasy. Dance music most creative properties, Canada via Camden’s Caribou and Camden local Four Tet, are confirmed for a double-bill of these parts taking them to Auckland and the Splore Music Festival, to Sydney and the Playground Music Festival, to the Perth International Arts Festival and various points in between.

In the last twelve months both Caribou and Four Tet have achieved respective career peaks. In the case of Caribou – a/k/a Dan Snaith – this has come via the release of his stunning new album Swim. As an artistic statement Swim rewards on all fronts. Not only does the music of Swim beguile but the accompanying video for lead single Odessa (just shy of 1,000,000 you tube hits) and second single Sun, showcase the artistry of a performer at the top of his game. Hell, Caribou even landed himself solid alternative radio-play with Odessa!

“I got excited by the idea of making dance music that’s liquid in the way it flows back and forth, the sounds slosh around in pitch, timbre, pan… Dance music that sounds like it’s made out of water rather than made out of metallic stuff like most dance music does,” Snaith says.

Four Tet (a/k/a Kieran Hebden), mean-time, followed the release of his hugely received 2005 album Everything Ecstatic and 2008 mini-album Ringer with his 2010 opus There is Love in You. Featuring the techo-trip out that was first single Sing and the bliss of second track Angel Echoes (remixed by both Caribou and John Hopkins) the one-man ensemble continued to push the boundaries like only he or his friend Caribou would.

 

“To me, music’s like this sacred thing; its like my escape, the thing that helps me through life. When I started making this album, I wanted to make music that touched on those moments that make me feel on fire inside, make me feel sublime.”

 

Another recent milestone for Four Tet was his collaboration with fellow UK artist Burial – a former school friend of Four Tet. The resulting single, Wolf Cub, released on Four Tet‘s own label imprint Text Records went on to become the UK’s biggest selling 12″ for 2009. All the while Four Tet continued to hold down a monthly residency, DJ’ing at London’s Plastic People club playing 5-6 hour sets one Saturday every month for 15+ months.

It’s not the first time the dynamic duo have toured Australia though. The first time was back in 2004 and served as an introduction for Caribou and a first return visit for Fourtet. Between them they have since returned four times performing at Splendour in the Grass and Sydney Festival (Caribou) and Sydney Festival and intimate club shows (Fourtet). This time, however, be no such intimacy…

Ladies and Gentleman we are proud to present the amazing double bill of Caribou and Four Tet.

Tickets on-sale November 16th (unless otherwise noted)

NOT YOUR AVERAGE INDIE-ROCK BAND

Having made their Australian debut on 2008’s Falls & Southbound Festivals, Built To Spill return this summer for another round of festival activity, this time as special guests of both the Peats Ridge and Pyramid Rock Festivals.

Over time, Built to Spill have developed an especially dedicated following – among them Matt Groening, who curated the May 2010 edition of the UK based All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. Groening invited Built To Spill to play alongside heavyweights: the reformed Iggy & The Stooges, Spiritualized, She & Him, Joanna Newsom, Deerhunter & others.

“The true appex of the evening was an epic, stirring rendition of “Conventional Wisdom” from 2005’s You In Reverse… The band’s slowly building dynamics through the song were near perfection and led to a transcendent three-guitar harmony break down that continued to build to new layers of loudness and density, even when it seemed that the peak had already been reached.” RIVERFRONT TIMES.

Conventional Wisdom

Earlier this year Built to Spill released their seventh studio album There Is No Enemy which influential North American website Pitchfork declared:

“easily the best Built To Spill album of the decade –an improbable late-career reawakening and heartening evidence that becoming dependable doesn’t mean having to settle for being predictable.” PITCHFORK.

Check out http://pitchfork.com/tv/ to see the brand new video for Hindsight, taken from There Is No Enemy. The inspiration (seemingly) coming from Built to Spill’s  last Australian tour and their surprise show at Sydney’s Petersham Bowling Club.

With all that in mind, Feel Presents are now proud to announce a full national tour for Built to Spill taking on headline dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth as well as playing the aforementioned Festival dates. Tickets for all non-festival shows on-sale Friday September 24th.

Built to Spill – not your average indie-rock band – touring Australia this summer.

LOW: AUSTRALIAN TOUR

(and Robert Plant declares his love…)

Already confirmed for the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Feel Presents are now pleased to announce two additional shows for North American trio LOW.

Friday 22nd October at The Factory in Marrickville (Sydney) and Saturday 23rd at The Bakery in Northbridge (Perth).

Formed in 1993 in Duluth, Minnesota, Low are famed for their stark and original sound (often referred to as slow-core) that recalls the drama of Joy Division, the intensity of Big Black and the harmony of a church choir.

Low have visited Australia three times previously the most recent being 2008 when the band performed their 2001 album Things We Lost in the Fire as part of the Don’t Look Back classic album series. This time though, Low will perform material from across their entire catalogue including tracks from their 2005 album The Great Destroyer two songs of which Robert Plant has chosen to cover on his new album Band of Joy. Yes, you read that correctly. Robert Plant, the former-Led Zeppelin front man is a huge fan of Low and has covered the tracks Monkey & Silver Rider for his new solo album.

Says Robert “I’ve been a fan of Low for a long time. That whole spook element. Monkey is such a great song – I don’t think I could write anything half as good as that”.

And of Silver Rider “I had to try and make it more creepy-crawl than them. It could be This Mortal Coil’s kid sister, a 4AD release from 1991”.

See the video for the original version of Monkey here and the video for Robert Plants version of Silver Rider here.

We too are huge fans of Low and now you should be too!

Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

Don’t miss the unique sounds of Low touring Australia (and New Zealand) this October.

JOAN JETT and the BLACKHEARTS

In the recent biopic based on the rise to fame of Joan Jett’s seminal 1970’s punk rock troupe ‘The Runaways’, former child star Dakota Fanning portrays lead singer Cherie Currie as an underage minx lost in a haze of drugs, booze and sexual abandon. Jett, played by Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame, is her equally decadent but somewhat wiser sidekick. In the 70’s, at a time when American music was dominated by males, The Runaways were an all-girl breath of fresh air. Forget doe-eyed Hollywood starlets; these girls were the real child stars.

Since that trailblazing era, Jett has forged a reputation as one of the hardest working American songwriters of her generation. Huge hits like I Love Rock and Roll, Crimson and Clover and Cherry Bomb all feature on the Greatest Hits album released this year and have made her a defining figure in the punk-rock canon. Once described as the “Godmother of Punk” – her songs have been used in shows such as Freaks and Geeks as well as movies like Detroit Rock City and Juno.

“I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation” Joan Jett insists on her 1980 hit Bad Reputation. Even if she doesn’t give a damn, fans around Australia certainly will as she teams up with her faithful band The Blackhearts and unleashes a myriad of fist pumping punk-rock anthems on her devoted audiences. Sometimes a bad reputation can be a very good thing.

Just announced – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will perform their one and only headline Sydney show at the infamous Annandale Hotel on Friday 7th January 2011.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts take their amazing repertoire, culled from 6 platinum and 2 gold albums, to Sydney.

This is a once in lifetime chance to see Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in a small club. (The choice of venue has come from Joan Jett herself).

You will never have a chance to see this legendary act perform in a more intimate setting than the Annandale Hotel.

Tickets for this extraordinary one-off will be available from www.annandalehotel.com: 9.00am Tuesday 16th NOVEMBER and are expected to sell out on release.

For a chance to register for pre-sale tickets join the Feel Presents mailing list right here on the website.

Ed Kuepper

With the Kuepper/Bailey reunion behind him, Saints, Laughing Clowns and Bad Seeds guitarist Ed Kuepper returns to NSW this November for three intimate shows on Thursday 11th: Sydney – The Vanguard, Friday 12th: Newcastle – Lizottes and Saturday 13th: Central Coast (Kincumber). The central NSW shows follow-on from a spot at on October 23rd at Lismore’s Northcoast National (think Sydney’s Easter Show) where Ed will appear alongside showgirls, a food expo, Bachelor of the Year, a Rodeo and so much more! Where to look?

Mr. Kuepper will also be playing a very special one-off this September as part of the annual Brisbane Festival. A Brisbane resident himself, Ed will be joined on stage by Linda Neil (violin) John Willsteed (lap steel, bass and banjo) and a six piece choir all of which justifies the term ‘special’.

Over 90 minutes: no support act and with one interval, Kuepper and co will be drawing on material from across Ed’s extensive catalogue as well as debuting some soon-to-be-recorded new material.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now through the Lizottes website or the Vanguard’s website.