The Sunday Washup Review

Ball Park Music w/ City Riots and Millions

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:06:00 +0000

Millions are a fucking cool band. The Brisbane garage-pop-whatever band have risen from the ashes of several defunct bands (Comic Sans, Moonfleet, Stature::Stature) and have taken no time at all to place their indelible stamp on the scene. Saturday night at Alhambra saw a tight performance from the boys, pulling out songs like Citrus and Those Girls which already feel like old favourites, probably due to all the Triple J love. Dominic's voice has got real character, charm, swagger and all that other jazz that makes a good singer so damn good, and the other boys go all right too. The bass was sounding sweet, especially in Those Girls where it gets a chance to shine, the electric guitars were mixing to create that brilliant indie sound everyone loves of late, and James Wright was rocking out on the drums as usual. It was a great warm up show for these guys as they prepare to rock out at Splendour this weekend, and we wish them all the best!

Next to grace the stage were Adelaide band City Riots, who've been trekking about with Ball Park Music for the whole of their tour. Busting out some poppier rock songs, I wouldn't be surprised if I saw these guys making it in the mainstream world. The second half of the set started to warm up when they got to 'the business end of things' playing us their singles and more refined tracks. The crowd was lapping up the music, and it looked as though they already had quite a few fans in the crowd singing along to their songs. After a good, fun set, the climax came when Brisbane boy Dan James (Drawn From Bees) was invited to the stage to share in the vocal duties for a cover of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark. It was legendary, and topped off an awesome set from the Adelaide boys. It also didn't hurt that they continuously stated how much they detest their city and lavished praise on our town instead.

Most of the crowd was there of course to see the amazing Ball Park Music, and considering the gig eventually sold out, it's no wonder the floor suddenly started to fill up. Launching straight into their first big hit iFly, it was obvious we were in for a treat. If you were to spot lead singer Sam Cromack in the audience earlier in the night, he would come across as being quite tame and unassuming, but the second he takes the stage he lets it rip. Charisma oozes everywhere as he spends half his time crowd surfing, and might I add, he does an admirable job of singing at the same time. With spot on harmonies and a bit of fun trombone every now and then, Ball Park Music put on a show to be remembered that got the crowd jumping. Newest single It’s Nice to Be Alive and another few newies show how promising their upcoming album is going to be, but as the finale, Ball Park Music finish with Sad Rad Future Dude. It was a ridiculously fun performance. The audience screamed their lungs out matching word for word even when Sam Cromack stopped the song just to repeat the second verse, ‘cause it’s that fucking awesome. I fucking love you, Ball Park Music. x

Rave Magazine 20th Birthday Gig

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:56:00 +0000

Friday the 15th of July was a night to be remembered, with Rave Magazine putting on an amazing show at The Zoo to celebrate their 1000th issue and 20th birthday!

An eclectic lineup was on the cards and each band delivered, starting with the enigmatic Velociraptor. A healthy dose of guitars, guitars, more guitars and finally a touch of attitude kicked off the night perfectly. Jeremy Neale and his boys proved the buzz surrounding this band is well deserved.

A bit of a genre change occurred next, and we were treated to the dazzling tunes from everyone's favourite folk/pop outfit, Inland Sea. Although they were lacking in the cello and violin department, they performed with as much gusto as usual, possibly because it was bass player Steele's birthday as well as Rave's! The 5 part harmonies were spot on. Staple songs off their EP, such as the song Traitor, were as beautiful as ever, and there were some newer, rowdier songs that worked a treat on the audience.

After spying a Noonan in the crowd (Katie), all eyes in the building turned to Dave McCormack and The Polaroids. They were having that much fun up on stage that it became pretty infectious, and the older patrons in the crowd were partying like it was 1999. Dave McCormack is one of Brissy's best, and the Custard hits went off.

So onwards and only upwards we went, to The Brisband Experience. Featuring Katie Noonan (George, Elixir), Dan James (Drawn From Bees), Caleb James (Rhubarb), Thomas Murphy (The Bloodpoets), Ben Dalton (HKoH), Tony Garrett (The Boat People) and Steve Pope (Transport, Kate Miller-Heidke), plus a bunch of other guests, it was clear from the get go this set was going to be a good one. Katie Noonan started it off and had us reliving the wonderful George days. Comprising of a bunch of each member's songs mixed with some covers, it was the version of Savage Garden's To the Moon and Back that was the set's highlight. Dan James put on a fantastic show on vocals and it only took a few seconds before the whole audience decided to give in, and sing along.

The mystery headliner turned out to be Regurgitator, just as most predicted. A stunning show put on from the second they walked on stage, opening with crowd favourite I Will Lick Your Arsehole. People walking by must have been a bit frightened by the chorus of voices carrying that lyric out into the street. Thanks to catchy songs like Black Bugs and the slick pop hit Polyester Girls to songs like My Friend Robot and Kung Foo Sing, the overruling opinion of the night was that Regurgitator rock. Despite always being attributed as a 90's band, Regurgitator are still going strong and in the past 2 years they have put on some of my favourite shows. Long live the 'gurge.

Sunday July 17th - playlist

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 01:49:00 +0000

Songs are not in any exact order, they are listed as closely to when they were played from 8pm - 12am.

Tennis Party - Mr. Maps
In the Cloud - Sunrise Beach
Sleep - Pools and Trumpets
Time and the Goat - Shady Bliss
Beautiful Prison - Veralyn (Live Wello Washup)
Fine Lines - Veralyn (Live Wello Washup)
The Deep - My Escapade (Live Wello Washup)
Rest of Me - My Escapade (Live Wello Washup)
Hey Suzanne- Velociraptor
Hot Trash - Tin Can Radio (Feature Artist)
Mayan Dawn - Greenthief
Skeletons - Tin Can Radio (Feature Artist)
Gnarly Army - SEALS
Third Complex - Tin Can Radio (Feature Artist)
Forever Ago - Tin Can Radio (Feature Artist)
The Gun - Aisle 101
Love Tunnel - Tourism (Thanks for the chat Joe!)
I Believe in Love, Kid - Oh Ye Denver Birds
Soldier - Ca Va
Of Seas - Bixby Canyon (Feature Artist)
Summer - Matt Hickey
Seed - Bixby Canyon (Feature Artist)
Red, Yellow, Blue - Dan Acfield
Lucred - Bixby Canyon (Feature Artist)
Empty - Bixby Canyon (Feature Artist)
Esso - Boss Moxi
Tuesday - Camels in Croatia (Feature Artist)
Breaking the Silence - Yo Yo Ma
Aeroplane - Camels in Croatia (Feature Artist)
Mind - Grape Soda
El Grande Lesbos - Camels in Croatia (Feature Artist)
The Do - Hannah Macklin and the Maxwells
Last Boat - Montpelier
Lonely Hearts - Eyes of Azure
Slip - Dunsinane
Good girl - Goldentones
Untitled track - Marcy Prospects (Let us know if you have a good name for this track!)
Down the Doorway - Kennigo
Jungle - Emma Louise
Half of it - Yes You

Thanks to our feature artists - Tin Can Radio, Bixby Canyon, Camels in Croatia and also to Joe from Tourism for a quick chat.

Tune in from 8pm next Sunday on 100.3FM for another batch of great local music.
D & K

Sunday July 10th - Track Listing

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:41:00 +0000

Songs are not in any exact order, they are listed as closely to when they were played from 8pm - 12am.

I believe in love, Kid - Oh Ye Denver Birds
Waking Up - Marcy Prospects
All I want is you - Ball Park Music
Holograms - Founds
Citrus - Millions (Feature Artist)
When I get home - The Belligerents (100 songs project)
Those girls - Millions (Feature Artist)
Somewhere Better - Vasy Mollo
Cruel - Millions (Feature Artist)
Blacklisted - Epithets
Time and the Goat - Shady Bliss
Aurora - Desert Ghost
Breaking the Silence - Yo Yo Ma (Feature Artist)
Satellites - The Benedicts
Telepathy Needed - Yo Yo Ma (Feature Artist)
The Gulf - Surface Paradise
Bells will Ring - Yo Yo Ma (Feature Artist)
Esso - Boss Moxi
Tuesday - Camels in Croatia
She's a Dreamer - Grand Atlantic
Half of It - YesYou
The End of Me - The Secret Whisper (Feature Artist)
I wrote a novel - The Trouble with Templeton
Remember When - The Secret Whisper (Feature Artist)
Lightning - After Opening
Pretend - The Secret Whisper (Feature Artist)
Cops & Robbers - The Secret Whisper (Feature Artist)
No Silliness - Moonfleet
Mayan Dawn - Greenthief (Feature Artist)
Salad Days - Greenthief (Feature Artist)
I Don't Want To Get Old - Massai
Goodbye Gemini - Elephant
Slip - Dunsinane
Mirrored Walls - Friends of Ben (Live)
A.S.A.P - wheeleR
Mechanical Love - My Escapade
Strangers - Veralyn
Strangers - Rawr Vanity
Mr Polite - The Jungle Giants
Morning Light (Softwar remix) - Mitzi

Tune in next Sunday from 8pm on 100.3BayFM for another cracking line up. Again thanks to Millions, Yo Yo Ma, The Secret Whisper and Greenthief for being our lovely feature artists!

Tinian’s Boy w/ Oceanics and Locus Wimple

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:24:00 +0000

Saturday night, oh Saturday night. If only I could have split in half, or better yet, split into about 6 pieces - there were that many great shows happening I would have loved to be at. The Zoo won out though, with Tinian’s Boy there to launch their latest film clip and kick off their east coast tour.

Unfortunately the crowd didn’t come in waves, but this didn’t stop Locus Wimple from putting on one of their best shows yet. You wouldn’t expect lead singer Matt Powell to have such a great voice, but he does, and he effortlessly lead the way through a set of awesome indie songs. Locus Wimple’s EP was recorded solely by Matt in his bedroom, and it wasn’t ‘til later that the band members were found to fill out the live show. The EP has an amazing sound, and Locus Wimple measured up on the live front. Apparently, their drummer had only been with them a week, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell this as he was firing on all fronts. The bass was pumping, and the synth added that extra needed layer atop of Matt Powell’s electric guitar.

Oceanics came next, and they brought with them 4 dedicated fans who stood in front of the stage, recognising what a treat was about to be unfold. Although these guys are quite a young band and had to resort to playing two covers to finish off their set, they have a very, very, well-polished sound happening. One thing these guys have plenty of is talent. I was impressed with each of them at one stage during the set, but you can’t go past Elliot’s soulful Kooks-esque singing and Jackson’s guitar solos, which there were plenty of. Their track Romancer is a gem, the highlight of their EP, and the one that makes you think yeah, these boys are going places. It’s a shame they hadn’t brought along more fans to fill up the floor and groove along to their danceable tracks.

Enough time passed for Tinian’s Boy’s front man Adam Stonehouse to suit up, and then they were on stage. Not a moment was wasted before they dove head first into a set of energetic rock songs, the enthusiastic performance from the whole band taking the audience on an hour long ride. The highlight of the night was watching Adam Stonehouse as he roamed the stage with his microphone, jumping around, rolling onto the stage, breaking two tambourines, and nearly breaking a cowbell. I felt tired just watching him, but his energy infected most of the audience who were like putty in his hands. The Sea Orchids, a real sing-a-long track, shone amongst the otherwise heavier songs, and Animal was another standout. Midway through their set, we got a look at the clip for Animal, which was shot on the legendary Red One Camera (Social Network, District 9). And it looked fucking amazing! Watching people smash televisions to bits is always fun. They finished off their set with just as much gusto, and even had the crowd begging for an encore. It’s a shame the crowd turn out was smaller than usual, but props to the boys for giving it their all regardless - it was a hell of a show. They’ll be back in Brisbane to play one more show to top off their tour. Be there!   x

End of tour party - Brisbane 

6th of August @ x&y

Support from BigBozza Band + Smiles, Lies and Gunfire

FREE ENTRY

Seals w/ Tin Can Radio and The Jungle Giants

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:04:00 +0000

So yeah, this one took me a little while to get to. Oops...

If we rewind the clocks two weeks back, the boys and I were at Seals’ EP launch/going away party. It was a massive night, partly due to the outstanding support acts also gracing the zoo’s stage. Unfortunately we missed Moses Gunn Collective! Big apologies there, but there was a buzz in the room when we arrived shortly after they finished.

The next band however, were amazing. The Jungle Giants made it into the studio for an interview with us a little while back, so as usual it was a pleasure seeing these guys putting on a stellar show. It’s not often you see a girl playing lead guitar in an indie band, but yep, The Jungle Giants had that covered. The drummer got right into it as well, and so did the energetic bass player. Front man Sam Hales delivered a tight performance as usual, hitting all the notes as they played through a high energy set. No One Needs To Know and Mr Polite are true indie pop gems and they sounded fan-friggin tastic played live.

Then came Tin Can Radio. These guys had their headline show here only a month earlier, and although the crowd wasn’t quite as big this time, they still managed to feed off the crowd’s energy and get on with it. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - these boys are something special. They’ve taken things up a notch since the first time I saw them a year-or-so ago, and the crazy synth, trumpet, and saxophone solos have never sound better. Playing songs off their album Chase the Sun, Hold the Night, the crowd had no chance ignoring the infectious fun happening down the front, and plenty of people started dancing and singing along to the catchy choruses. It’s a shame they didn’t have a longer set as it was definitely over far too soon.

We finished the night with a fun show from Seals. The three boys were decked out in matching red sweaters, and palm trees on the stage matched in with the beachy vibe their latest track Long Slow Summer sends out. In my mind, there’s nothing too fancy about Seals’ music, no bells and whistles to get caught up in; It’s just good indie rock stuff, something I would imagine stumbling onto a few years back. All of their songs are pretty catchy, and on the night their set was just a rollicking bit of fun. Nick, Euan, Dimity and Andy played well together, feeding off each other to put on a cracking show. There were even some guests who joined them on Trombone and Violin that were a stunning addition to their sound. What a great way to kick off for our weekends! They’re off to conquer the UK now, so hopefully they’ll be in Brisbane to play again soon.

x

Blame Ringo + Skipping Girl Vinegar w/ Charlie Mayfair

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:10:00 +0000

After being swooped by plovers whilst running through a pitch-black New Farm Park, I eventually made it to the Powerhouse in time for Blame Ringo's final night as residents. I regret being late though, because fuck, they're awesome.

This month has seen an altered line up and a bunch of new tunes from Blame Ringo, and the new dream band put on a punchy gig of shameless pop songs. You may have heard these guys before (they're the dreamworld band) and you'll definitely be hearing more of them, I guarantee it. There were catchy hooks left, right and centre, a tonne of harmonies, a Johnny Cash impersonation and a special guest appearance by the bald, bearded Danaj, rapping about having his face on a t-shirt. Wow. Keep your ears open for Blame Ringo in the future.

Here is the said t-shirt by the way:

Part II of the night took place at The Old Museum, where Skipping Girl Vinegar were putting on a show for the release of their new album Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey.

The first act was Colleen Hixenbaugh, wife of the sort-of famous Ron Sexsmith. She dropped some big names such as Ray Davies (The Kinks) - whom she recently bumped into - and who also once complimented her husband, saying he has a great voice. Nevertheless, fame and fortune aside, the Canadian singer seemed like she'd be better suited to a quirky book shop opening. Songs about ladybugs and Christmas seemed a bit out of place, but her music still had it's charm. Maybe some of the younger kids at this all ages gig found her more appetising.

Then came Charlie. Brisbane locals Charlie Mayfair have been making waves with the release of their latest song, Tell Her, and deservedly so. It rocks, and so too did their set. We heard quieter songs, which let Dave and Hannah show off their amazing voices, along with a lot of their newer, edgier work. The token 3 part harmonies were spot on as usual, and along with plenty of floor toms, sleigh bells, and even a bit of electric drum sampling at one point, they had everything that was needed for an enjoyable and fast-paced show. The new direction these guys are heading in is exciting to say the least, so get along to a show if you have the chance!

Skipping Girl Vinegar were the last to grace the stage, and they'd decked it out in fairy lights and gold stars to enhance the mood. I hadn't heard much of these Melbourne folk before, other than the odd play on the radio, but by the end of the night I was feeling pretty warm and fuzzy inside. That may have been the beer of course. Although the lead singer looked neither like the folk singer you'd expect, nor the sailor he was apparently dressed as, his voice was perfectly suited to the wonderful, upbeat, folk music that Skipping Girl Vinegar play. The highlight of the night was when the band unplugged for a good ol' sing-along of their song River Road. Oh, and the lemon slice they baked! One bite was definitely not enough. x

Unconvention Brisbane

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Unconvention Brisbane, 2011

Last weekend saw us immersing ourselves in Brisbane’s very own music conference, Unconvention. And boy, was it awesome!

This independent, not-for-profit conference was a blast; we spent two days at panels, workshops, alcohol-fueled networking events (yes please) and generally just had a good time.

The panels covered a broad range of topics, from the Kellie Lloyd-led Sustaining the Chaos to the very interesting Music Geekery with Jaymis Loveday. Now, we’re not usually up and about by 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning, but we made it to the first panel nice and early, and we weren’t disappointed. The first discussion - which was all about failure - turned into an interesting talk about what defines failure, and it was a credit having people such as Leanne De Souza (manager of The Medics), Rick Chazan (manager of The Boat People, Emma Louise) and local muso Edward Guglielmino, among others, there to impart interesting personal stories. The great insight these presenters provided continued throughout the whole weekend and set up the conference to be a success, not a failure.

Saturday’s lunch time show (what good music conference doesn’t involve live music?) started with Hannah Macklin & The Maxwells, whose brand of soul lifted the mood on such a dreary, overcast day. Then came Velociraptor. After hearing front man Jeremy Neale talk on one of the panels the next day, we’ve decided to give him and his band a touch more respect - but at the time... we weren’t really fans. About 8 out of 12 ‘velociraptors’ turned up on the day, and I’m kind of glad they weren’t all there. It basically seems like Jeremy Neale asked his friends who wants to start a band and then didn’t have the heart to say no to the 9 or so guitarists who put their hands up. We probably had more fun watching the guitarist from Hannah Macklin’s band jumping around in a Spiderman suit and tackling one of the drunk/high guitarists. Props to the band for not giving a shit though. They sure looked like they were having fun, and in an indoor venue with a better sound setup, their garage/brit rock sound would probably hit the spot!

The heat turned up at the next panel, which saw a discussion on Documenting Brisbane Music present different viewpoints from the eclectic presenters, one of whom was music critic Everett True. It was an awesome discussion from him and the other panelists, but lets just say we decided not to go to his workshop after hearing what he had to say. Instead we popped in to learn about How To Run Your Own Venue with Annie Te Whiu. Much valuable networking was done, and a bottle of red was shared. Cheers Annie.

The highlight of the weekend was had at the networking drinks on the Saturday evening. Along with good music from Jhonny Russel, Potato Masta and Pear and the Awkward Orchestra, we quite enjoyed the free booze. A bar tab of $1000 is ALWAYS a good idea... Except when Sunday’s panels start at 10am. But after a wonderful night of drinking, laughing, and that cliche of a word we heard so much about - networking, most people turned up the next morning to get back into the swing of things. Lets just forget about the hangovers, okay?

Sunday involved a lively discussion-slash-argument about live venues in Brisbane, which probably could have gone on for a few more hours, but had to be cut short for lunch and our next treating of live music. The lovely Blame Ringo put on a stellar performance for the somewhat weary eyed attendees, and I’m sure Goodbye Gravity did the same. However when we saw an electric drum kit, we ran, instead deciding to have a quick nap upstairs.

After a look into the hiphop/electronic/nintendo side of the music scene, Unconvention finished on a high with one of the most intelligent discussions of the weekend. Kellie Lloyd, Dan Kelly (yes, him!), Dom Miller, Jeremy Neale, Julia Bridger and Chris Hunter spoke about how the music industry has affected their lives. It was a pretty cool end to a great weekend.

We had a bunch of fun, made some connections and new friends, had a couple of drinks, ate about 20 free snags and felt a whole new surge of inspiration. Oh, and it was only $35, so yes, you did miss out. We cannot wait for next year’s Unconvention!

Husky, Montpelier & The Trouble With Templeton.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:55:00 +0000

The eve of the Queen's pretend-birthday holiday was a great night for music. Many were out in force enjoying the long weekend, and the luckiest of that bunch were at The Beetle Bar for a dream lineup of Husky, Montpelier, and The Trouble With Templeton. The crowd was ready to enjoy themselves, and enjoy themselves they did.

The first killer act was The Trouble With Templeton. We reviewed this fantastic band last week, and it was a pleasure to see Thomas Calder's project again so soon. He's garnered a lot of attention lately thanks to Rare Finds - for good reason - and by the end of his set, the crowd knew that this guy has got it. Playing without a full band, he worked through a great bunch of songs, many being accompanied by one beautiful red head on backing vocals. His two singles Bleeders and I Wrote a Novel really got the crowd's attention, but it was the blues number midway through the set that really did it for me. Tom's gravelly vocals mixed well with the lovely lady's ethereal harmonies to create a truly awesome number.

Photography - Andrew Tallon

As Montpelier's set neared, the crowd gathered a little bit closer to the stage and I found myself a spot right up the front. I'll just warn you that these guys are probably my favourite band in Brisbane... nay, the world! So in saying that, I apologise for any bias. This was Montpelier's last gig until September - they're finishing up work on their new release over the next few months - and it was clear that they really enjoyed themselves up on stage in this one final hurrah. Their set was flawless, never suffering from a low point and never lacking in energy. They opened with a slow building number that got the crowd's attention, cranked it up a bit more with their last single Last Boat, and then moved into Harder Times. This song differs a touch to their their usual style, but is definitely a winner. The stunning guitar solo from Dave Butler was one of the standout moments of the night and the guest harmonies from Hannah Shepherd (Charlie Mayfair) added that little bit extra to an already beautiful song. They ripped through another couple of songs and left the crowd in a great state. Although I was enjoying myself a bit too much in the front row, I could hear others behind me singing along and cheering vivaciously. It really is a shame these guys are taking a 3 month break.

Most of the audience were there to see Melbourne's Husky, and they filled out the floor in front of the crowd, leaving myself displaced at the back. Husky, fronted by Husky Gawenda (what a name!) are one of the best bands going around at the moment. I hadn't seen these folks live before and I'm very happy to say that their recordings translate beautifully to the live setting. For nearly an hour we were treated to some great music by a great band. History's Door was one of the best offerings; this amazing song is deserving of the 5 star review Richard Kingsmill (Triple J) awarded it. They finished off their fine set by unplugging and stepping out into the audience. Although it was a bit hard to hear over the noise of the bar, their vocal harmonies sounded ridiculously good, just like a bunch of bearded angels sent from above (or something like that). The fact that most of the audience actually shut up to listen was a true testament to the power of their music.

You can catch these guys again in a months time when they support Jinja Safari at Lambda on the 14th of July. Be there or be a big loser.

The Trouble With Templeton, Kate Martin and Surface Paradise.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:15:00 +0000

There are always good weeknight gigs happening in Brisbane, you just have to be lucky enough to know about them.

This Wednesday night just gone, Dave, Kieren and I (their roaming reporter in the field) ducked over to The Zoo to witness the birth of a new star, Thomas Calder. His band, also featuring some fantastic musicians on Drums, Bass and Keys, is called The Trouble With Templeton. I suggest you keep an ear and an eye open for these guys, ‘cause they were phenomenal.

I’m getting away from myself a bit, because this quiet Wednesday night show also was home to two fantastic support acts. First up was Surface Paradise, the brainchild of well-known local producer Matt Redlich. The music was fantastic. On one song he even laid down a ten second beat boxing track, with his friend putting it on a loop. It was pretty darn brilliant to be honest and I’m quite keen to see Surface Paradise play some more gigs. I'd also just like to point out how good the name is. On checking if there was a facebook page (sadly, no?), I discovered quite a few people had checked into ‘surface paradise’ instead of Surfers Paradise. Wow, there are some clever kids out there.

Shall we move on though? Next up on the night was the absolutely wonderful Kate Martin. Performing solo, she played through a tight set comprising of some songs off her album Synthetic Shoes, Leather Boots. I suggest you buy it. In fact, I order you to. This lovely young lady from Townsville is a killer guitar player and has a sweet, almost child-like voice, which perfectly suits the songs she writes. I know I sound like I’ve been paid to say only good things, but I haven’t - she’s just that good. So good that she’s supporting The Middle East for their hometown, Townsville show in a few days!

After the charming Kate Martin, it had progressed to the relatively nice and early time of just-before-ten, and we welcomed The Trouble With Templeton to the stage. I have to say that I was basically transported to heaven for an hour, and I managed to forget it was still only the middle of the working week. I could not find fault to any of the songs in their set, but of course I favoured the fantastic Bleeders and I Wrote a Novel, two acoustic tracks which you can download for free now. Alternatively you can show your support by purchasing them from iTunes, which reminds me that I didn’t. Cue guilty feeling. However I did fork out (the measly) $8 price for the gig!

It’s been little more than a month since these two songs were released, and already the single Bleeders has received rave reviews and some plays on Triple J. On this fine Wednesday night, we were treated to a stripped down version, with just Thomas on acoustic guitar and his trusty friend playing some fantastic electric guitar. He then moved into I Wrote a Novel, a song which I think is pure genius in every sense of the word (just listen to the lyrics thank you kindly), and it stood up well in solo mode. The full band then came back to the stage to finish off the rest of the set, playing a bunch of moody, electric guitar led tracks which you’ll get to hear when their album is released in September.

Seriously though, just have a quick listen to The Trouble With Templeton. You will be hooked. Otherwise you can come along for the live experience on either next Friday the 10th, where they’ll be supporting Stu Larsen at The Old Museum; or on Sunday the 12th, either at The Powerhouse during the afternoon or supporting Montpelier and Husky at The Beetle Bar that night. Tom is a real delight to watch on the stage, showing a raw passion and honesty for his songs that you don’t often see these days. I hope to see some more faces at his next shows, ‘cause this is a band on their way up. I’m telling you!

Peace Out - the other K.

Playlist for Sunday May 29

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sun, 29 May 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Mostly in the correct order.

Blow Up the Sun - Massai

Long Slow Summer - SEALS

Love Tunnel - Tourism

Wrote a Novel - The Trouble With Templeton

Half Of It - YesYou

Jungle - Emma Louise

Devil On My Shoulder - Transvaal Diamond Syndicate

These Hands - The Belligerents

Last Boat - Montpelier

Such A Crime - The Belligerents

Barefoot Daze - Lunch Tapes

Bye Bye Bye - The Belligerents

Take Me Back - The Belligerents

All I Heard - Mitzi

Mr. Polite - The Jungle Giants

Those Girls - Millions

No One Needs To Know - The Jungle Giants

Hot Trash - Tin Can Radio
All The Wrong Places - The Jungle Giants

Mechanical Love - My Escapade

Romancer - Oceanics

Voices - Hard Graphic

Naked Django - Tinian's Boy

History's Door - Husky

Fix - The Panda Band

Young Liveral - Nikko

Slip - Dunsinane

Under the Sea/Hey Laura! - Elephant

Good Girl - Goldentones

Traitor - Inland Sea

Lightning - After Opening

No Silliness - MOONFLEET

Disaster - Blair Jackson

Run - Charlie Mayfair

Looked Good in the Daylight - Black Market Rhythm Co.

Ideal - Whitny Kapa

My Head - Capital Control

Mirrored Wall - Friends of Ben

Down the Doorway - Kennigo

Wooo! - Dune Rats

Lunch Tapes Single Launch w/ Keep On Dancin's, The Deer Republic and Kate & Max

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sun, 29 May 2011 06:23:00 +0000

Saturday night saw us (Kieren, a friend, and I - Kieren's mysterious blog helper) back at The Zoo for an awesome $5 show. Lunch Tapes were releasing their latest single 'Barefoot Daze' and were being backed up by some fantastic supporting bands!

The Zoo is probably my favourite venue, and I quite enjoyed seeing that one of the graffiti conversations on the walls in the girls bathrooms had been updated.

LAURA K is a slut bag
I'm sure she is lovely. Be nice. xx
no shes a pretentious bitch
WITH BEANS

I liked the latest line. Anyway - on to the gig review! First up were the amicable Kate & Max. Sounding like a better version of Angus and Julia Stone, these guys worked their way through a strong set of songs, warming us up for the night to come. Kate's interesting, mature voice (think along the lines of Sarah Blasko) combined with Max's dulcet tones to create some beautiful harmonies, backed up simply by their two acoustic guitars. They were joined by members of Moonfleet on a couple of songs to provide some drum work and electric guitar, showing the direction these guys could head in if they branched away from the duet style. 23rd of June was probably their best, putting a melodica to good use! All in all we were pretty impressed with these guys, and so was one fan who danced her heart out in front of the stage for the whole set, on her lonesome. One thing's for sure - we'll definitely be heading out and see them again.

Image from Kate and Max's Fbook - image by: Ebony Harrison and Jack Loel

The second act for the night were The Deer Republic. These sydney lads were playing their first show in Brisbane and treated us to a well polished set of their indie pop-rock. Their songs were all backed up by a punchy bass line and their bassist was sporting a wicked fro, so they got top marks from me on that point. The best was delivered when they broke into their song Feel Like Dancing halfway through the set, with a good bunch of the more energetic fans up the front getting into it. I suppose they felt like dancing. The Deer Republic put on a pretty good show, and I especially liked the last song featuring a bit of organ style synth from the Korg. They definitely managed to get more love than the sole busker across the road outside of McWhirters.

Taken from Keep on Dancin's Fbook

Keeping up with the dancing, the next support were the Keep on Dancin's. They pumped out what they call surf/dream pop, featuring reverb drenched electric guitar, bass, drums, female lead vocals, and tambourine on every song thanks to their tambourine player. Yes, they had someone solely playing the tambourine! She was a legend, perhaps so content with what she was doing that she never turned around to face the crowd. From the first song, I was drawn in completely. Not everyone reacted the same though, with one couple making out for the entirety of the first set before hurriedly leaving to continue their business elsewhere. The rest of the crowd though? They were hooked. I really liked their slow, rock'n'roll style, all featuring really strong vocals from the beautiful blonde vocalist. These guys could go far, sitting in that style of music that's had a strong resurgence of late. They finished off with a faster, surf standard song and the crowd was jumpin'.

Whilst Lunch Tapes were doing their line check, the normally blank screen behind the stage was used to show us the video for their new single Barefoot Daze, which they were launching. One guy was so inspired by the clip, at the end of the video he fell onto his back, spilling his beer everywhere and bruising his ego as well as his spine. There was honestly no one there who could have pushed him, so it was either a poltergeist, or the amazing video. Your choice.

After a couple of minutes, the boys and girl from Lunch Tapes take to the stage, opening with a slow building instrumental that lures most of the patrons down, nice and close to the stage. My favourite comes midway through the set. I Never Knew is a well written, catchy song that did pretty well on the jjj unearthed charts in it's day, if I remember correctly. Lunch Tapes have really honed in their sound since the last time I saw them, at one of their earliest shows at an old New Farm reception venue where only 20 people were in attendance.

These guys play a pretty unique brand of indie rock, with the strange and haunting voice of front man Joel, and a heaping of electric violin from Harriet. It works though, with the violin tying in well with the lead guitar from Julian to create a busy and exciting sound. Nearing the end of the night, it's time for the single Barefoot Daze to get a play, with the crazy moustached bass player Tobias telling us to take our shoes off. This is probably against health and safety rules, so it's lucky that the dedicated fans dancing didn't bother, instead just wanting to get right into it. Barefoot Daze takes advantage of an easy chorus that everyone can dance to and sing along the simple 'Barefoot Daze' line on repeat.

Coming back from an encore, they welcome at least 20 people up on stage with them for the last song. It looks chaotic but it's clear the band is loving it, and it's just lucky Harriet didn't take out anyone's eye with her bow.

If you haven't heard much of these guys yet, then here's a look at their song Barefoot Daze.

Jac Stone @ Vinyl Bar (Nanna Night)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:06:00 +0000

This week, we decided to head back to our favourite Wednesday night location - the wonderful Vinyl Bar in West End.

Tonight's acoustic act was the lovely Jac Stone, who you may remember was just recently in the Bay FM studio as our Feature Artist.

Photography: http://www.katenutt.com/

We grabbed ourself a table out the front with the wind and rain still having it's fun around Brisbane, and were treated to two magical sets from Jac and her guitarist Yanto. The stripped back, acoustic setting didn't stop Yanto from bringing four guitars however, treating us to some fabulous reworking's of Jac's songs.

For a relatively cold and dreary night there was still a good crowd of people who'd made it out to Vinyl. It's hard to say what the highlight of the night was, considering all of the songs off of Jac Stone's EP are amazing, but I must say the two songs which featured some beautiful, muted trumpet were quite spectacular. She also played a couple of covers including Use Somebody by Kings of Leon. Her rendition walked all over the original, and any KOL haters there that night would have found themselves enthralled in Jac's version.

Nanna Nights at Vinyl are turning out to be a great way to spend your Wednesday night, relaxing with a few drinks, a bite to eat, and a bit of free music for your ears!

If you haven't seen Jac Stone yet, she's supporting The Little Stevies at The Sound Lounge in Currumbin on Friday the 27th of May! Be sure to make the trip down if you are looking for some sweet music to listen to.

We also have the last ten minutes of our live interview with Jac from last weekend, and you can have a listen right here.

Jac Stone - Feature Artist Apr 24 by The Sunday Washup

Tourism & Rob Robot - Another Thirsty Thursday at Barsoma

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:07:00 +0000

Well it has been a little while since our last blog post but we've been pretty busy with the familiar verses of life and work.

So let's take a step back to last week, Thursday 7th April where Dave and I found ourselves heading into a regular venue of ours, Barsoma, for Thirsty Thursdays, and let's be honest, where else can you go on a Thursday night and get wicked music and a $5 pizza? ...we are a sucker for cheap pizzas!

Moving on though, we were in for a treat that night with headline act Rob Robot being supported by Tourism and Chris Drage. I had caught Rob Robot at the Zoo about a year ago and to be honest, with no real expectations, was absolutely blown away. So there were high expectations for round 2! :)

Chris Drage started off the trio of acts with some good ol' acoustic tunes, joined by his trusty drummer. It made for some great listening considering it was a guitar and drums set up with no other fancy instruments - that was until Chris got the harmonica out, adding a sense of ownership to his style of music with very Australian sounding songs. Lyrically, simplicity was the key thanks to well worded songs injected with Chris's own personal twist on them, and a strong Aussie accent that makes for a great acoustic set. Check him out as I believe he will be playing many more gigs, or so I hope.

Thanks to Tourism's Facebook for pic

Next we head on to the lads from Tourism. Now for those playing at home, we have been giving their song 'Vacation' a spin on our show of late, and with good reason. It's upbeat and very, very catchy. The band is made up of Ben on drums, Adrian on lead guitar, James on bass and Joe on guitar and vocals. Tourism are looking at recording their first EP at the moment and having a rest from live music... which is a bit of a shame as I am now addicted.

They started their set strong and never looked back. With fast paced bass riffs and amazing sounds coming from Adrian's guitar, it makes you wonder how these guys have flown under the radar. What a stellar act, with foot stomping music for the whole set. They jumped all over the stage when it came time to play 'Vacation' and even the crowd were starting to tap along to the cool tunes. Such an energetic act with an arsenal of fantastic songs, with similar sounds to bands like Cloud Control and especially The Strokes, you're presented with a very professional act. And let's not forget about the solid drumming, and superb vocals by Joe, who was trying not to lose his voice as he took the songs to places im sure they have never been before!

Check out their song here, oh and rate their track while you're there too - on JJJ Unearthed. They're currently sitting at a deserved place of 19 overall - but let's help them push it up to #1!

Thanks to is/was Photography - Rob Robot

After a few waters and a pitstop at the little mens room, it was the time for Rob Robot to take over the stage. With high expectations, it didn't take long before I had gotten my money's worth. These guys comprise of Jamie on vocals/guitar, Pat on lead guitar, Jak on bass and Kane on the drums. Like I mentioned earlier, these guys have played at some decent venues, including just recently supporting The Bloodpoets at the Hi-Fi. With a very Indie/rock vibe it is easy to get lost in some of the guitar riffs they put out. Solidly fronted with great vocals from Jamie, he knows how to hold a note and keeps you guessing to whether or not he has got any air left in his lungs.

With my personal fav, 'Sadie' getting an early play, I was a happy man. Mind you the set had it's bumpy parts. With a little bad luck, poor Pat missed a few chords on the next song as he encountered a few technical difficulties, but thanks to the lads from Tourism for swapping guitars over we were soon back on track. In the meantime we were treated to a bit of ad-lib from the boys playing some Johnny B Goode. Jamie was then out after some crowd involvement with some hectic break dancing during one of the songs, and we watched as the fans all made their way up to the front of the stage, finishing up with old favourite 'Shit Yeah Bulk Keen'.

All in all it was an amazing set, regardless of the difficulties that were endured, and the night itself was a winner thanks to all the amazing bands who graced the statge. Check out Rob Robot on myspace, have a listen, and check out their upcoming shows.

Another successful night of live Brisbane music, and now Dave and I have another few bands to play on the show. If you're new to this, then make sure you tune in every Sunday night at 8pm, on 100.3 Bay FM, to hear The Sunday Washup with Dave and Kieren.

Oh Mercy Review - Alhambra Lounge 01/04/11

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 14:37:00 +0000

Why hello there mysterious music lovers.
The boys were locked up in the studio on friday evening, so they sent me out instead (as their secret agent), and I checked out what was happening in the world of live music. So here's a quick fill in!

Friday night saw an amazing artist grace the Alhambra Lounge stage - the lovely Oh Mercy were in town and as expected, played to a sold out crowd!

Unfortunately, I missed out on the local support act for the night, Montpelier. You all know how much we love Montpelier here at BayFM, so it's a shame we missed it. Sources tell us they put on a darned good show as usual, to an adoring home crowd.

The main support for Oh Mercy on their current tour, is the amazing Helen Croome, aka Gossling. This delightful melbournian has a strangely innocent voice, similar to Julia Stone and Lisa Mitchell, and the young singer writes very powerful, emotive music. From what I heard on friday night (unfortunately only a total of one song), she filled the room with her beautiful voice, and the crowd was undoubtedly gathered in close.

Here's the official video to one of her more outgoing songs, 'I Was Young'.

I managed to make it to Alhambra in time for the outstanding main act, Oh Mercy. Their debut album 'Priveleged Woes' was one of the best albums of 2009, and they've just released a brand spanking new record. Last year I actually managed to see Oh Mercy for an intimate show at The Spiegeltent, so I knew they could hold their own, but I was interested to see how they'd sound in a different venue.

Of course, they were bloody fantastic! Thanks to my small stature, it took me a couple of minutes to find a spot where I could actually see the stage, but after clambering up next to the DJ's turntables, I had a pretty decent view of the band. They pumped out song after song off their latest offering, the impressive Great Barrier Grief. And the crowd was loving it. They dipped into their last album for a few songs, including stunners 'Lay Everything On Me', 'Get You Back', and even the lesser known 'Broken Ears'. Alexander Gow truly knows how to write a stunning pop song, whilst still maintaining integrity and also keeping it simple. Paul Kelly has even endorsed their new album, saying that, "listening to Great Barrier Grief is like sailing on a beautiful boat on a calm blue sea under a cloudless sky. Only there's a shadow moving under the water."

With words like that coming from Paul Kelly himself, then stop being a time-wasting layabout, and get some good music into your bellies!

Oh Mercy's music can be found on iTunes, or over here if you like it physical.

KD x

The Belligerents gig review - with Young Men Dead and Millions.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:43:00 +0000

If you weren't at Woodland bar on Saturday night, then you should hang your head in heavy sadness. You missed a ridiculously fun time! The Belligerents kicked off their Less Arty More Party EP Tour and managed to sell out the show! 290 tickets were sold beforehand, which is a massive feat in itself, and the last 50 or 60 so tickets were all sold after 10 minutes of the doors being open.

Sure, The Belligerents have had some love from jjj with a spin on friday, sure they've got 1,864 fans (soon to rise) on facebook, and sure they supported big bands such as Metronomy (UK) and Neon Indian (USA) last year, but really - selling out a gig in Brisbane is usually left to the big guns from out of town.

They probably had some help from their support acts. Millions are newcomers to the scene, playing what was possibly their second gig ever, if I've heard correctly. But they've had some rave reviews on triple j unearthed, and a bit of airplay on the station itself on thursday. All very deserved too - their track citrus is crazy good indie rock! Their second support Young Men Dead also brought the crowd in, these guys have been making the rounds on triple j as well, and they've snagged the local support slot for The Holidays gig at The Zoo in two weeks time.

Onward and upwards to the gig review!
I got in early to the Woodland bar, at about 9pm. Half an hour of doors being open and it was still pretty much empty bar the usual faces. But by the time Millions started 40 minutes later the crowd was slowly trickling in. A few brave souls got up and danced right in front of the stage, but mostly the crowd was happy to stand about and let the music wash them over. I was a bit worried all the hype over Millions would make them a bit of a let down, but they proved to be a really strong band. These guys will go far. You can download their first two tracks for free - so what are you waiting for! Go forth and listen!

I headed back over to the bar and by then heard the rumour was true - the gig was officially sold out. I had time enough to grab a beer and mingle with the likeable crowd before Young Men Dead stepped up to the stage. The 5 piece are quite reminiscent of Yeasayer in my mind, but definitely have their own originality. Interestingly enough, electric guitar was only used once in the whole set, but unlike other bands with a heavy keyboard/synth sound, these guys were phenomenal. With an eccentric front man leading the band, they did nothing wrong. He even pulled out a saxophone for a solo in one song - perfect. Obvious set highlights for me were the play of songs Anchor & Chain and My Sister. Both of these tracks are up on triple j unearthed here, so don't take my word for it - go check them out and see what I mean, these tracks are crackers. I regret not seeing these guys open for Jonathan Boulet and The John Steel Singers last week, 'cause these guys can hold their own.

Sometime at the beginning of Young Men Dead's set the venue finally filled up. The dance floor had been full, and when The Belligerents finally stepped up for their big set, even more fans streamed in to get closer. They didn't waste much time before getting into their song 'These Hands'. Wow. The crowd was going nuts and they'd only been playing for about 5 minutes. I have to say, The Belligerents are a pretty fantastic band. The crowd didn't stop dancing and cheering, and the boys may as well have been the biggest band in the world that night. And they knew it. I haven't seen so much crowd surfing in a long while. The Belligerents are even better live than on cd, because the energy level basically triples. The woodland bar had the sound mix perfect too, with the vocals as strong and as charismatic as ever. Every member killed what they were doing and I hope these guys are walking around on a cloud for at least the next week, because the fact is, they were awesome. Confetti, balloons falling from the roof (snaps to hannah for the decorations) and an encore. Hell yeah.

You can buy their EP here on bandcamp to download.
Or here if you'd like a hard copy.

If you missed the show, then try and make it to Elsewhere at the goldy on April 8th or Byron Bay on April 29, 'cause it'll be worth your time and cheap pennies!

Tune in to BayFM 100.3 this sunday at 8pm for The Sunday Washup with Dave and Kieren.

Rusty Datsuns & The Baby Seal Club - gig reviews.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 05:46:00 +0000

Hey folks.

Sorry about the delayed blog post, but what can we say, it's been a very busy couple of weeks full of organising our radio show!

If we can just rewind a little bit, we want to have a chat about the Thirsty? Thursdays Barsoma gig we caught on Thursday the 10th of March. The Rusty Datsuns played their hearts out, and so did Bessy-Lou, their support. She waltzed onto stage and grabbed us by surprise, impressing the crowd with her amazing vocals. She knew how to hold the high notes and her 3/4 size guitar packed a mighty fine sound. I highly recommend checking out her song Umbrellas. After such a great little set, we knew we were in for a special treat then, when the main act took to the stage.

Photo by Bigfry Photography

The Rusty Datsuns are a great blues'n'roots band who only formed in the recent Brisbane floods. Featuring members from a bunch of other well known brissy bands, and Bessy-Lou (surprise surprise), these guys have come a long way in a short time. Al Skinner was tearing it up on the ukulele, and also the banjo - which he'd only learnt to play the week before. Fantastic. Hopefully these guys will keep this project going strong for a long time coming. Their next gig is at The Spotted Cow in Toowoomba on March 25th, enjoy!
Check their music out here on that fiendish old myspace website.

Skipping forward a bit, our next gig was on this past Wednesday night, where we had the absolute pleasure of ducking into West End after work for a bit of music from The Baby Seal Club. Much more chilled than heading into the valley, the venue for Wednesday's gig was the fabulous little Vinyl Bar. Which is really quite a nice little place, you should definitely check it out. Performing as part of Mucho-Bravado's fortnightly Nanna Night scheme, The Baby Seal Club played a cracking set. They'd even dragged the drum kit down, which is the first I've seen at one of these low key events, so we were treated to the full shebang.

They gave us two sets throughout the night, which went down nicely, alongside the beers. Pumping out the tunes, Nick and Euan shared around the lead vocals, which provided us with a bit of light and shade. The acoustic guitar worked well for them, and Andy on drums and Dimity on keys were on top of their game.

I really like these guys, there's something honest about their song writing. There's no over-the-top production, and really it's all just a bit of fun. Songs like Creepy, Happy Too and Red Green Blue shone, as did most of their other songs, forgotten names aside.

If you missed out on this gem of a night, don't stress yourself out. These guys won't let you down, so there's no need to check into the local psychiatric ward. You can catch them very soon, as they head out on their 'Gnarly Army' Single Launch Tour! They'll be playing at The Loft (Gold Coast) on the 1st of April, then down to Byron Bay, back up to Brissy on the 8th of April (ALL AGES), and lastly a show in Toowoomba. They've got some great support acts for this tour, so don't miss out! Or you really will need a psych evaluation.

Tune in to hear them on the show this Sunday evening, Bay Fm 100.3, 8pm-12am.

My Escapade Review - Wed Mar 09.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:22:00 +0000

Last night, a fine Wednesday night, saw Dave and I heading to an unusual destination for the first of this week's gigs. (which The Sunday Washup will cover on Sunday)

Pic courtesy of Club 299

Off to see My Escapade, Locus Wimple, and Royal Zephyr, we made it to Club 299, a first time visit for us. Once we figured out how to enter through Hot Gossip, we made it upstairs to a nice, spacious room. There were plenty of couches, a decent bar serving cheap drinks, the little stage in the corner, and a massive club dance floor, which oddly enough, ended up getting a work out later on in the evening.

Pic - thanks to Ash, from My Escapade FBook

Our sights for the night were mainly set on My Escapade, as our encounter at Barsoma last Thursday was too short but very sweet, leaving me wanting more. Also on the cards for the night were the young sounds of two local bands, Locus Wimple and Royal Zephyr.

My Escapade did not disappoint, opening straight up with one of my favourites, Of A Future. They released this as their single back in November, and it's a good sign of what to expect off their new EP, which is to be released very soon. They played a few songs off their older EP 'Soul's Reflection' including The Rest Of Me, which is a real gem with a cracking bass riff I will never tire of hearing. They also pumped out a cover of the Gorillaz track 'Feel Good Inc' that worked really well.

These guys are professionals at putting on a decent live show. Better than decent in fact, 'cause they're pretty darn amazing. Such a well-polished act, one of their main draw cards is lead singer Jason's grand vocals. He's got his own astounding sound going on, an amazing falsetto voice, and has the ability not only to crank it up, but also to take it down a notch on some of the slower tracks. They've also got a really strong keyboard & drum set up, which really shines in their live show.

If you want to catch these guys live, they're playing a show tomorrow night (Friday, 11th March) at Balcony 153, then they'll be heading down to their homeland of Tassie, before coming back to play some shows around Brisbane in April & May. We will post up the dates as it gets a bit closer.

Their new EP is due out in April, but you can buy their old EP 'Souls Reflection' on itunes if you like:

Souls Reflection cover art from itunes

1. It's your move
2. All that confronts you
3. A Whisper
4. Rest of me
5. Get to find
6. Setting Sky
7. Heavens Kisses

So back to the show. Next up were a young band called Locus Wimple, and they had a really good feel going on. These guys are a band to look out for in the future. I would definitely recommend checking out their myspace and giving them a quick listen, it'll be worth your time! They had a very mature sound for a band that has only been around for a while, well done lads, you got the crowd going! With some awesome guitar riffs and some really chilled out vocals on a few of their songs, the music just fit together really well. The band is made up of, Matt, Andy, Jenni and Damien. These guys have already played a few big gigs, at Caxton st and also at The Loft down at the Gold Coast so watch out for them.

Pic - Thanks to Royal Zephyr Fbook

Last off for the night we had Royal Zephyr, who were a real throwback to the earlier days of rock n roll. They had a lot of people in the room up and dancing, even a few who looked like they may have been on an acid trip. (I must mention, to the guy with the Nirvana shirt who was doing some weird and wonderful butterfly dance, you are my hero). All in all they played a good set of some classy sounding tunes, that made me think, if these guys were born in the 80's, they would have been gods. But I'm sure they will get to this status after a short while as I can see a few people buying their EP when the time comes, again well done lads, good show. Check out their myspace for some of their songs. The band is made up by - Andrew, Sam, Lewis, Elliot and Reuben.

We will be playing a few tracks from these guys on this Sunday's installment of The Sunday Washup so make sure you tune in to Bay FM 100.3 from 8pm every Sunday for all the best music from these local bands.

To finish off we'll you with MY Escapade's video to Of A Future.

Thursday night reviews - 3/3/11- Montpelier

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:46:00 +0000

Last night, my coverage of Brisbane's live music scene continued!

My thursday evening consisted of a mad dash between two venues in the valley. I began the night at The Zoo, where a night of ultra smooth funk was being laid down thanks to Le Suits, The Ride and His Merry Men. Le Suits did a superb job of opening the night before handing if over to the boys from The Ride. These guys played a thoroughly enjoyable set, and the fair-sized crowd would have to agree. The highlight for me? Definitely the saxophonist's performance, who was from His Merry Men. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stick around for their performance, as the second gig of the night was calling to me from a few streets away.

Photo stolen with love from http://www.barsoma.com/

I walked down the road, past Kerbside, and slipped into Barsoma. My stint at The Zoo meant I had just missed Tourism, the opening band for Barsoma's first run of their new Thirsty Thursdays. My sources tell me that Tourism played a tight set of solid indie rock tunes, including a surprisingly good cover of One (Blake's Got a New Face) by Vampire Weekend. Sucks a bit that I missed that, it's such a cracker of a song. Although only young, these virtually unknown lads pulled a really great sound.

Luckily, I was in time to catch most of My Escapade's set. Originally from Tasmania, lets thank our stars that they relocated to QLD last year. These guys had a strong presence and looked at ease on the small stage, drawing in many of the patrons' attention. I cannot wait until their new EP drops, which is said to be happening this month. I'll keep you updated on that.

My Escapade closed up their set and I quickly found a seat to settle down in, smack in front of the stage. The last time I saw tonight's main act Montpelier, they put on an amazing show at The Zoo, but this time I knew a few more of their songs. In fact, we gave two of their songs a spin on our show last Sunday! So anyway, it was time for the amazing Montpelier to come on stage, and they delivered a set that was just that. Amazing.

Opening with Suburbia, the Montpelier boys pushed through some minor sound issues in the first song to deliver the perfect start. Progressing through a set of sonically beautiful songs, it struck me how well these guys fit together as a band. With Dave Butler (vocals, guitar) and Greg Chiapello (vocals, bass) up front, these two vocalists put their vastly different voices together and manage to create such a good sound, nailing every harmony. Backed up by the equally talented Andrew Stone who does some pretty swish stuff on keyboard, and John Pickering playing some fantastic drums, the combination of all these performers and their instruments create something akin to magic.

Photo stolen with love from Montpelier's facebook

Their set went from strength to strength, and I enjoyed the feeling of being immersed in a little bubble of wonderful music. Looking around, the clever bunch of fans (clever in the sense that they made it to the show, despite it being a drizzly night) were all having a blast. Montpelier delivered what felt like hit after hit. Take a Picture showed off singer Greg Chiapello's amazing set of pipes as he really let loose. When they moved into Harder Times, I knew I was in for a treat. The boys swapped instruments in this song, leaving us with Andrew on Bass while Greg moved to the Piano. Starting the song, Greg called everyone's attention to the stage. Slowly building up the song into a steady groove, we then witnessed a fantastic solo by Dave Butler, who appeared to be one with his electric guitar - wow. Their most recent recording, Last Boat, also proved to be a real winner for the night, and they topped off the show with a stirring rendition of an older song, piano-led gem The Rafters.

Their last show for a while, Montpelier will be back bigger than ever with the long awaited release of some new material. I'll be holding my breathe for that one, but for now you can buy their first EP from here. It's a good'n, recorded in Los Angeles with Producer Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids, The Black Keys).

I hope everyone else enjoyed the show, and if you missed out, get along to see some of these amazing bands in the near future. My night covered funk and soul to indie and pop, so get amongst it, there's no excuse not to.

Don't forget to tune in to our show this Sunday at 8pm, on 100.3 Bay FM! We'll definitely be playing songs by some of these bands during our Aus Music Hour (8pm - 9pm) and our Live Gig Guide Hour (9pm - 10pm)

PS like our page if you get a chance! : )

What's on tonight PLUS Pensive Penguin and The FireTree review!

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:31:00 +0000

After a massive week of gigs last week, this week is much the same.
Tonight (thurs mar 3) is a double header. We will be running between gigs at The Zoo and Barsoma.

At The Zoo tonight we have His Merry Men, The Ride and Le Suits, meanwhile at Barsoma, Montpelier are headlining a free show with support from My Escapade and Tourism.

Photo taken from Pensive Penguin's Facebook

The real fun kicked off last night, when Dave and I headed back into the valley to visit the X & Y bar.
To start the night we were treated to a solo set from Pensive Penguin, aka Denis Hamilton. He ran us through a short but sweet show which included some new songs and some old - which can be found on his EP, "Life Was Given To The Birds." We also saw Greg Chiapello (from Montpelier) and Hannah Shepherd (from Charlie Mayfair) take to the stage and sing backing vocals for a few songs, delighting the audience with strong, rich harmonies. All in all, Pensive Penguin's deft lyricism and ingenious acoustic guitar meant Denis almost stole the show.

However, the main act for the night, The FireTree, did not disappoint. They were simply amazing. Enough said...But in all seriousness, you should check these guys out! These days it's hard to find such a class act, demonstrating well developed songs which sounded great being performed by a full band. Alongside lead singers and guitarists Dale and Josie, stood an amazing bassist and talented drummer.

Photo taken from The FireTree's Facebook

Showing off their amazing aptitude for harmonising with each other, Dale and Josie's vocals topped off the cruisy, acoustic vibe the band had going on. They also managed to amp it up on their hard-hitting tracks, not holding anything back. For a measly $10 you can find yourself enjoying their tunes too, so head on over to their store and buy The FireTree's debut EP "The Space Between" - which is hot off the press!

Have a good one.

Back to the roots - Feature Album/Artist for The Sunday Washup 6th March - "Unlikely Superheroes"

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:35:00 +0000

So it all started when Dave and I made our way to Barsoma one Thursday night to see Winter Solstice, Foxes and of course the headline act Unlikely Superheroes.
Artwork for Cover by Lix Bacskay @ Wealth & Hellbeing Media

Unlikely Superheroes are Riley and Emma.

Starting the night, Winter Solstice played an amazing set which earned them our 1st week's feature artist spot, as you may remember. Foxes finished the night, playing one of their first live gigs but still pulling off some fantastic originals and also covers, including Tegan and Sara and Missy Higgins. They managed to do well in putting their own indie rock spin on the songs.

Photo taken by Matt Hutchison - matt@matthutchison.com.au
The middle act for the night were Unlikely Superheroes, a band whom to our ears were unheard of, until that night. After the first song we knew we were in for a very special treat. With an indie/pop sound mixing with some cool, folk vocals, it was a laid-back set. Also including a full band on half of their songs, the acoustic guitar was joined by drums, and either bass or violin. They produced an impressive set with minimal but well-suited accompaniment from the drummer and very creative sounds coming from the violin.

The stand out songs had to be 'Miss you' and 'Where did I go wrong?' ('Can I just add, where did I go wrong?' is easily my favourite song of the month, who says I can't have a fav? ha)

Anywho, these young musicians have so much potential and have only just begun to scrape the ice with their first EP. This is a classy release from Unlikely Superheroes and they make it look and sound too easy!

So their first EP is called 'Shooting Doves' and has 7 rockin tracks:
Photos by Lix Bacskay

1. Morally Grey
2. Aeromelon
3. Miss You
4. Fool
5. Where did I go wrong?
6. Other such things
7. This damn weather

You can jump onto itunes and buy the whole album if you like at - itunes/unlikely superheroes.

MORE INFORMATION -
Photo by Hannah Barnard

After playing an awesome warm-up set at Barsoma to open up the week, they then went on to headline at their "Shooting Doves" EP launch at the Tank Hotel in Brissy, where around 150 people crammed in for the music spectacular.

With such guests playing before them as, Eyes Of Azure, Eli Cavanagh, Stephen Denham, Foxes, Kitsunegari, Zander Hulme. It was certainly a massive way to get their EP out in the market with an eye opening line up.

Make sure you watch out in the near future as they will be getting bigger and bigger and playing at other state's venues before you know it, sharing the unique sounds with the rest of Australia.

Check out their sounds on Myspace - Unlikely Superheroes. They also have their own website where you can choose to buy a CD from, contact them, or just follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Also worth checking out is their Triple J Unearthed page. (you know which song I voted for..)

After having a listen, I'm sure you'll agree that they are a worthy band to jump into the Feature Artist spot for our next show. That's happening this Sunday the 6th of March - The Sunday Washup on BayFM 100.3. Riley and Emma will be chatting with us live in the studio from 9pm, but be sure to listen in at 8pm for our Aus music hour!

Hats off to you guys, some not so 'Unlikely Superheroes' after all.

Cheers Kieren

Oceanics, Glass Towers, The Cairos and The Seabellies - At the Globe (Yes all in one night!)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:30:00 +0000

Sat 26th Feb 2011

For our third gig night straight, we took to the valley once again, this time with The Globe playing host.

Now for those playing at home, the line up for the gig featured Oceanics, Glass Towers, The Cairos and The Seabellies.

I was lucky enough to catch The Seabellies when they played at the now defunct Troubadour last year, so from the beginning of the night I had this tingling feeling in my bones telling me it was going to be a cracker of a night.

The first group Oceanics are all local boys from the Gold Coast - meet Elliot, Jay, Andy and Tom. They have been pulling some decent crowds for well over a year now and from the start of their set they didn't miss a beat, even catching the crowd by surprise with their upbeat, well-defined indie sound that was quite reminiscent of british band The Kooks. Playing a handful of great songs which you could have listened to all night, the one that 'had me at hello', so to speak, was Romancer - a track which is available to purchase on iTunes.
   These guys are definitely a band to watch out for. They've hit the ground running, and with the ridiculously good guitar riffs it's almost like you could lose yourself for a moment only to surface at a Santana concert or the like (certainly not a bad thing). The two electric guitars and strong vocal performance really meld in well with the strong bass and drum section! Check out their current songs on "Myspace - Oceanics".

Our second cab off the rank for the night were Glass Towers, consisting of Ben, Sam, Cameron and Daniel who had traveled up from their homebase of Byron Bay. These guys are only young and fresh to the scene but with songs like 'Gloom', 'Holiday' and 'Castles' (Castles definitely my fav from this bunch) you could mistake them for being a band that's been making music for a decade. With some really quick drum beats, rocking bass constantly backing up the guitar and vocals, these guys get you on-board after the first song.
   I can guarantee that upon seeing these guys live, you won't leave the room until the set is complete. There's honestly not one bad song in their arsenal! I will certainly be paying close attention to these guys as they progress, but for now you can check them out at Unearthed on the J's website to have a listen to a couple of their songs, or jump onto Myspace - Glass Towers.
ps - what a cool profile pic, done well lads!

Next we had The Cairos. These lads have 2 EP's out on the market with 'Lost at Sea' and 'Summer Catalogue' containing great tracks like 'Nothing at All', 'I remember' and my fav 'Listening Party'. You can grab these off of Itunes, or just go to one of their gigs and pick up a copy for yourself. Now, this was their first show in Brisbane for the year, and The Cairos did not muck around. Getting straight to what they do best, the groove was strong with some crazy bass strumming from Reuben, sweet and distinctive riffs coming from Alfio's guitar, some hectic drum beats coming out of BC. Michaels and vocals that weren't held back in the slightest from Alistar. The Cairos are a well established band with a good mix of songs. There are plenty of change ups and some great riffs that will please your ears featured in some of those mentioned songs. They played out their full going from strength to strength, taking everyone in the room on an indie/post punk/ambient/alt rock ride, that you could easily lose yourself in. Check out their tracks on Myspace - The Cairos, and support these local Brissy boys! They'll make you proud.

Now for the Headliners - The Seabellies, which as I mentioned, I'd seen on their first tour following the release of their debut album 'By Limbo Lake'. That show was a treat and had everyone in the room feeling near blown away, and this set was much the same. They played magical songs like 'Paper Flames' and 'Armour', which had the crowd smiling, they then blew us away half way through the set with crowd favourite 'Trans Ending'. Featuring an amazing horns section with biting trumpet and sax, we also saw Trent ducking back and jumping onto the drums while Sean took hold of the aforementioned trumpet. If that wasn't enough, they then closed with their first track off their album, 'Ices (death & love)'. This song shows off how a sequencer can work wonders when put to good use, and the crowd was loving it.
   The great thing about this band is that they are constantly swapping instruments, proving just how skilled these guys are. The band consists of 6 band members: Anthony, Eddie, Kyle, Trent. Sean and Steph, and they formed this amazing band in Newcastle, making it big when getting a gig at Sydney's V festival. The shows only came faster after that! Those who attended were also treated to 3 new songs that the guys/gals had been working on, and all I can say is watch out for their next release, because it's gonna be a hell of an album! After this current tour they'll be enjoying some down time and beginning work on recording the new material, and I can't wait.

Jump on their Myspace - The Seabellies, and check out some of their tracks.
I've attached the video to 'Trans Ending' so have a gander at that first!

Cheers again, I hope you've enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed the music.
Kieren

Friday night at Woodland Bar - Inland Sea & The Honey Month

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:52:00 +0000

Last night I returned to another gig to chase some fresh new Brissy music for our show!

So I decided to chance the odds and skip down a questionable alley and up some rickety old stairs without my partner in crime, Dave, to check out a single launch for $10. (Dave I feel, missed out on a mad night).

It just turns out that it was one of the best local gigs I've made it along to, situated at the Woodland Bar in the valley. Very cool set up for Bar with plenty of dance space for keen fans and a few booths for those who just want to sit back and listen in.

First up we had Inland Sea take to the stage, and I've got to say it doesn't hit you until you see 5 guys and 5 girls jump to the stage - we were definitely in for a treat. It was absolutely packed up there and got me thinking we must have some wicked harmonies coming up as there were 5 vocal mics set up on stage. The Band includes: Jeremiah Hunter, Dani Marano, Tahlee Frith, Claire Whiting, Alastair McRae, Steele Chabau, Chloe Richardson, Jack Gleeson, Beau Frith, Danielle Golding.

They opened up with "Lord I am Waiting" which showed no instrumental work, just pure vocals, yet this was enough to blow you away. I could have jumped ship but felt confident that my $10 had been spent justly. They next played Traitor, the first track and one of my personal favourites off their current EP. Other stand outs included the tracks All Fall Down, also off their EP, and No Time, both displaying some amazing 5 part harmonies and beautiful melodies. All round a really solid set from this up and coming local band.

So now it was time for the headline act for the night, The Honey Month. They were here to release their new single The Owl and put on a damn fine show. Constantly swapping instruments between their 5 (sometimes more) members, it was clear these boys are all very talented multi-instrumentalists. With drums, keys/synth and guitars filling out the core, even more special were the number of songs featuring ukulele, double bass, piano accordion and glockenspiel. I for one have never seen someone playing a double bass pull off such crazy dance moves, but there you go.

Their number one track of the night was most definitely Foliage, the first single off their current EP and the one that's had the biggest bashing on triple J since it's release. Despite some technical difficulties, these young brisbane boys went form strength to strength, showing off some strong song writing skills.

All and all it was a good night at the Woodland Bar, cheers to the bartender for the free cokes.
Until next time.

The Loft - Chevron Island - Thurs night gig with sweet bands

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:47:00 +0000

So we have decided to talk about the bands from last night's gig down at the Gold Coast.

Dave and I managed to slip down to the Loft at Chevron Island last night for a $10 gig.

Lets just say we got our money's worth, starting off with a band who are just out of school, but sounding like they have been playing together for years. Sweet Continuum consists of, on vocals - Renee Emily, and on guitar Taylor Duggan and Thomas Rose. They played a few covers including - 'More than Words' and had some original stuff which also gave the boys a chance to blow us away with their talented guitar work. Definitely a band to look out for and as soon as they get some songs together and put out an EP, we will be giving them some air time at the studio!

Also to look out for is Candice Mcleod who is currently doing a bit of a tour around brissy, with heaps of gigs for you to make it to. She has her own unique sound happening, with either her melodic guitar riffs or cool and upbeat piano to back up her amazing vocals. She graced the room with chilled out, smooth music for her wonderful set which you couldn't drag your ears away from. Check out her current music and tour dates at - Candice Mcleod.

Up next we had Veralyn - who were stripping back their usual heavy hitting drum and bass sound, for an acoustic set. With their bassist and drummer absent the line up for the band consisted of Zac (vocals), Michael (Guitar, vocals) and Glenn (keys, vocals). Getting straight into their set,they played us some breathtaking tunes which were really defined by Zac's vocals. He used his voice to create some very sweet sounding tunes. The laid back show definitely worked for them tonight, their songs holding up with the acoustic set. These old horses have been around for a bit and have certainly found their form, even throwing in some catching harmonies on a few tracks. Their EP is out now, just jump on their site to have a look at some of Veralyn's music - Veralyn.

To finish up we had Stonemason who recently shot up in Triple J unearthed status in 2009 following the release of EP Noise and Haste. Band members are Phoebe Parkinson (vocals and keys), John Beynon (guitar), Thomas Stevens (bass), and their drummer. They opened straight up with some fast moving indie, punk rock, with synths thrown in, pumping out a really modern sound. If you are into hectic guitar riffs backed by some rocking bass, keyboard synths and steady drums, then these guys are for you. Definitely batting above their average for some young kids off the block with some cool music.

Well that sums up the concert, thanks to Grant and the guys down at the Loft for a cracker of a Thursday night. Well worth the drive down from Brissy. We'll try and be down there next week and so should you!

Peace
Kman

The Sunday Washup

noreply@blogger.com (The Sunday Washup Review) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Hey Gang, just created a blog so I could use it to have a look through at some up and coming bands and share some music with you to keep you hungry.

Tell me what you think of the bands or songs, always interesting looking at fav tracks!

Cheers
Kieren
The Sunday Washup Bay FM 100.3