“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

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.

LOW

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)