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.

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 2^nd December: Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Tuesday 4^th December: Brisbane, The Hi-Fi
Thursday 6^th 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.