Marcy over at Lost In Your Inbox wrote a post the other day about the fact that she can’t seem to find any decent female artists to like at the moment and I must admit that I agree with her. Most of the stuff I like right now comes from bands rather than solo artists, and when a solo act does appeal to me, it’s usually a guy rather than a girl. However I’m pleased to say that I have, with some reader assistance, tracked down a female artist that’s producing some seriously beautiful music.
Acting on a hot tip from reader Rampant Chutney Consumerism (which, oddly enough, is not his real name) I’m stoked to tell you about Melbourne’s indie folk/pop artist Georgia Fields. RCC stated that she was one of the best live Melbourne acts around and after checking out her stuff I have to say I’m intrigued. As luck would have it, she’s actually playing this Sunday the 18th at Edinburgh Castle in Brunswick, followed by another show the following Sunday at the same venue. She’s also playing the Folk Fiesta at the East Brunswick Club on Saturday the 31st of January and I reckon I should be able to catch her at some point. Thanks heaps for the tip RCC!
Showcasing her smooth clear vocals, tinkling piano and a talent for quirky lyrics, I have to say that her music does at times draw the inevitable Regina comparisons. She often plays with a backing band that includes cello and violin (yes!) along with the harp, trumpet, melodia, percussion and, apparently, a cordless drill. Her debut EP Drama On The High Seas of Emotion was released late in 2007, with the title track reaching #4 on the Triple J Unearthed Pop Charts, and each copy came with a personally crafted album cover made out of a Little Golden Book. Now that is awesome.
The track that initially caught my attention is ‘One Finger’ which I believe is a new song. I couldn’t find the mp3 of it anywhere, so I point you in the direction of her myspace, so that you can stream it countless times like I have this morning! It’s a seriously catchy tune, very cute, and features some lovely strings.
Make sure you check out the songs below also, all of which are equally as wonderful, with ‘Scars’ probably being my current favourite.
I couldn’t think of a better movie quote to manipulate for this edition. And I thought about including a picture of that short creepy insincere nutbag, but it might make you hurl in your cornflakes.
Instead I give you another handful of coverage for your listening pleasure.
Last year I saw Little Birdy live twice. The Perth indie rockers put on a fantastic show, full of energy and crowd interaction. They’ve been in the studio this last little while, recording their new album which is yet to be given a title, but will include the track ‘Brother’ which features iconic Aussie artist Paul Kelly on harmonica and backing vocals.
I’m glad to hear that Katy Steele’s vocals are as strong and powerful as ever. What’s different about this track in comparison to some of their older stuff is that, while their trademark sound is there, it’s refreshing to hear the track start slow and build, before breaking into the bigger bolder sound that they are known for in these parts. I really enjoy hearing Paul’s distinctive vocals in the background, giving it just that little bit of extra impact and the harmonica adds a slightly mournful tone to the proceedings. Looking forward to the new album I am.
I know next to nothing about They Might Be Giants. They formed a year before I was born and until the other day the only song of theirs that I had heard was ‘Dr Worm’, though I didn’t actually realise that it was sung by them. ‘Dr Worm’ was a huge hit on Triple J here in Oz in 1998 when I was 15 and I remember thinking it was the funniest, most ridiculous song I’d ever heard.
I’ve been checking out some of their other gear this afternoon and I’ve found a few other tracks that I like, including one that asks that age old question ‘Where Do They Make Balloons?’ You could also look upon it as a bit of a cultural lesson as well. I reckon my nephew would like these tracks, and it would make sense given that They May Be Giants have also been recognised in the Children’s Music genre.
I’m also impressed by this little nugget of information from my old buddy Wikipedia:
In 2004, the band created one of the first artist-owned online music stores, at which customers could purchase and download MP3 copies of their music, both new releases and many previously released albums. By creating their own store, the band could keep money that would otherwise go to record companies.
The night before the much lauded Frightened Rabbit performance, Elspeth and I and our friend Pedro headed to the same venue, the Northcote Social Club. Going by the name, we were expecting an RSL type venue, with pokies and a bistro and stuff, but it is actually a really well set up pub, with a bar in the front, a beer garden out the back and a seperate band room which is fairly small, but can easily accommodate a few hundred people.
We had come to check out Aussie indie rock/folk five-piece Dead Letter Chorus, who were being supported by fellow Aussies Small Town Fiasco and a Canadian outfit I’d never heard of called Hey Rosetta! Small Town Fiasco opened the show playing a pretty good set to a crowd that seem to consist of quite a few family and friends, and the banter in between songs was quite entertaining.
Next up was Hey Rosetta! who are:
Tim Baker – vocals / piano / guitar
Adam Hogan – guitar
Josh Ward – bass
Phil Maloney – drums
Kinley Dowling – violin
Romesh Thavanathan – cello
As soon as I saw the cello and violin players up there I had a bit of an inkling that their music would be right up my alley, and my suspicions were quickly confirmed as each song demonstrated their talent for creating lush and vibrant songs that continue to expand with each layer of sound. The band had a fantastic chemistry as well, and it was clear that they thoroughly enjoyed making music together. Reading bits and pieces about them on the net today, I discovered that their live shows have a bit of a rep for being pretty outstanding, and I can certainly back that up after my experience the other night. Between us we bought both their EP Plan Your Escape and the full length Into Your Lungs (And Around In Your Heart And Through Your Blood).
Stand out tracks include ‘I’ve Been Asleep For A Long Long Time’ and ‘Tired Eyes’ (which you can check out courtesy of Elspeth here), along with ‘Red Heart’, ‘A Thousand Suns’, ‘New Goodbye’ and my personal favourite ‘There’s An Arc’. They all feature gorgeous strings, but ‘There’s An Arc’ starts slow and finishes with a wonderful jam that kicks in with about a minute left in the track and the violin is just beautiful.
Turns out that Chris over at Local Vertical has known about these guys for over 12 months now, and you can also check out ‘Red Heart/Lions For Scottie’ here.
Closing the show was Dead Letter Chorus, who are:
Cameron Potts – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Gabrielle Huber – Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Michael Faber – Guitar, Vocals
Lee Carey – Drums, Percussion
Andrew Rose – Bass, Vocals
Since there had been a bit of time to wait before Dead Letter Chorus came out, most people had taken the opportunity to take a seat on the carpet while they waited. When they came onstage, many people remained seated on the floor, which was quite bizarre. It’s true that a lot of people had obviously come to see Hey Rosetta! and had then left, but I found it quite odd that people didn’t stand for these guys. We stood for a while, but eventually sat down with everybody else. While I initially thought this was a bit disrespectful it actually gave it quite an intimate feeling and it turned out to be quite lovely. People were no less enthusiastic than they would’ve been standing up and I thought the response was still quite good.
Both Cameron and Gabrielle share lead vocal responsibilities and while I’d only heard a couple of tracks before seeing these guys I knew that this allowed them to create a diverse sound with some lovely harmonies. I wasn’t expecting to witness such a passionate performance though, most of which stemmed from Cameron, which made for a very entertaining and at times quite moving performance. The closing song ‘Fathers and Daughters’ was particularly touching. Cameron introduced it, saying that he wrote the song for his mother, who at the age of 52 decided to go overseas for the first time. When she applied for a passport she was told that there was no record of a person by her name being born on her date of birth, leading to the discovery that she had been adopted, a fact that had been kept from her all her life. This story, told simply, in few words, rendered everybody silent, allowing the song to build and build. There were a few teary eyes spotted around the place, and listening to it now as I type, around the 3:16 minute mark there’s a bit that gets me a little weepy. Beautiful stuff.
Other highlights included ‘Oscar Moland’, ‘Down In Your Valley’, ‘Fred Astaire’, ‘Wait All Night’ and the gorgeous ‘Magnolia Farm’ which features both Cameron and Gabrielle on alternating vocals and is a sweet song with vaguely country overtones. I’ve had a stab at the lyrics here, I’m pretty sure they’re right.
you can be the writer and I wll be your page
you can be the ocean and I will be your wave
you could hear the sound of melody rising and falling
we could take the train leave this goddam town
you can be the message and I will be the phone
you can be the mason and I will be the stone
you dont have to keep on walking all on your own
we could travel together on down this road
meet in the middle of magnolia farm
meet me in the middle of tonight
its cold and i’m tired but I feel alright
and I ain’t gonna back down tonight
Dead Letter Chorus are still only doing local stuff I think, so unless you’re in Australia you probably won’t get a chance to check them out live any time soon, but it’s definitely worth shelling out some cash for both their EP Listen Carefully (We Shall Say This Only Once) and the 2008 album The August Magnificent.
UPDATE: Had I come across The August Magnificent back in October when it was released, it would definitely have made my Best Albums list. I’ve been listening to a lot of music these last couple of days, but I keep coming back to this album. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Friday night saw myself and Elspeth making our way to the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne to see Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit. We knew that they weren’t due out on stage til after 11:00 so we had several debates about the optimal arrival time. It turned out we ended up leaving 10 minutes later than we’d planned and the fates must’ve been smiling upon us because our timing was nothing short of perfection. As we entered the semi-full band room, my suggestion of beer first was quickly shot down by Elspeth’s desire to suss out the merch situation instead. As we coughed up the dough for our maroon t-shirts, who should appear but lead singer Scott who introduced himself to us – like we didn’t know who he was already – and happily signed our shirts. For once, merch trumped beer. Nice one Elspeth.
Elspeth also deserves praise for some seriously gig savvy manuevering. We found ourselves a spot right up the back, but standing on a step which meant we had a great view above the crowd. She also strategically placed a small table right behind me so that I could lean on it (my knee is still dodgy and it’s hard to stand for long periods of time – I’m such an old woman!) and so that nobody would stand right on top of us.
It wasn’t long before FR took to the stage and immediately launched into ‘I Feel Better’, a great way to kick off what we knew would be a memorable show. Most of The Midnight Organ Fight was played during their hour long set with highlights being the gorgeous ‘Good Arms vs Bad Arms’, ‘Old Old Fashioned’, ‘My Backwards Walk’ and my favourite song of 2008 ‘The Modern Leper’, a performance that actually gave me a shiver or two.
Scott did a lot of chatting in between each song (and seriously, Scottish accents have to be the best in the world) and he told us early on that the first thing he learned after his arrival in Australia was the use of the immortal exclamation ‘shit yeah!’, a phrase which he employed with great effect throughout the night. He mentioned that his week in Australia had been the ‘best week of my life’ and that he wouldn’t mind making the move to Melbourne permanently, a statement which was naturally met with enthusiastic applause. At several times he also expressed genuine shock and delight at the reception they were receiving as the show went on. ‘We can play 50 miles from home and not get shit like this!’ During every song you could hear the crowd singing along and there were times where they would be laughing in surprise as their words were shouted back at them.
They finished the set with a beautiful 10 minute performance of ‘The Greys’ which ended with all band members leaving the stage except for Grant who launched into an energetic drum solo that left the crowd yelling for more. After a couple of minutes of begging, Scott returned to the stage alone to step right up to the front of the stage, ignoring the microphone and beginning a stunning rendition of ‘Poke’ accompanied by nothing but his guitar. A few rude idiots up the back were quickly hushed as the crowd joined in.
Poke at my iris, why can’t I cry about this?
Maybe there is something that you know that I don’t
We adopt a brand new language, communicate through pursed lips
And you try not to put on any sexy clothes or graces
Wrapping it up with the very vocal ‘Keep Yourself Warm’, Frightened Rabbit left the stage to tumultuous applause, making us all wish we could rewind the clock and do it all over again. If you haven’t seen them live yet, make sure you wrangle some tickets somehow. Beg, borrow, steal, whatever. You won’t regret it.
I’m off being all social for the next couple of days so there won’t be too much action here, but next week I’m planning posts on an outstanding band I happened to chance upon last night, the upcoming Frightened Rabbit gig that is just a few short hours away now (!), my new favourite discovery British Sea Power and a few other bits and pieces that I’ve had churning around in my head but still haven’t managed to commit to the page yet.
I’m going to be meeting up with some friends that I haven’t seen for a little while and while we won’t be meeting in the bathroom (we’re not that close), it will be nice to catch up with them all the same!
Back in September I wrote a post about spiders and about how our house is literally crawling with the buggers. Sadly, as the weather has grown warmer they have not abated, rather they continue to mock us, turning up all the over the place and causing me to frequently shriek like a little girl and curse like a sailor.
It was a couple of months ago I think that I walked into the laundry, turned the light on and noticed a juicy fat Hunstman spider lurking on the curtains just above the washing machine, doing its best to blend in with the fabric. I was not fooled however. Swearing loudly, I turned around only to be confronted by another one, double its size, sitting right above the light switch THAT I HAD JUST TURNED ON.
Oh, they knew what they were doing alright. That first one was a decoy, poised ready to scare me into beating a hasty retreat. Little did I know that I’d played right into their creepy hairy hands legs. Bastards.
On other things of the creepy crawly nature, about an hour ago I heard our dogs barking out in the backyard. We have two, a little white maltese terrier/mongrel/bitza and a border collie/kelpie. They have a tendency to bark for no apparent reason, so when they both started up I yelled at them to can it, but after about 10 seconds I realised that they were using their snake barks, which are high pitched and urgent.
Sure enough, when I opened the back door, there they were barking and sniffing, intent. Just as our little terrier darted forward I saw the snake’s tail disappear into the garden bed next to our water tank. The crazy dog continued to go it, and no amount of calling or clapping or growling was enough to distract him from his mission.
Luckily, he finally came away and we locked both dogs up. Hopefully the wretched thing made its way to the back paddock and is long gone by now. I think it was a black snake, also known as a king brown, and if so it’s in our best interests to leave well alone as they are highly venomous.
Even though I hate the appearance of the first snake of the summer, I think it’s good that it’s happened as we do tend to get a little complacent about the bloody dangerous creatures we’re sharing our homes with here in Australia. So, boots on at all times when outside! And perhaps a good mow of the backyard as well.
When I first started this blog I had no idea whether or not it would last. Exactly one year ago today, I was living in a big student house over the summer, working night shift at a department store and spending lazy days surfing the net, reading lots of books and enjoying the fact that I didn’t have to drive anywhere after spending 2 years travelling an hour to and from work every day.
The best thing about the house that I was staying in, apart from the fact that it was huge and that I was the only one there, was that they had super quick broadband. Though I’d already checked out a few blogs in passing, it was around this time that I really started to follow blogs properly and discover tons of new music. After a few weeks of exploring and downloading tracks and blasting my discoveries into the halls of the empty house I thought to myself ‘hey I could do this!’ and lo and behold, yet another music blog was born.
Despite the fact that I tend to get bored easily and that self-motivation is not exactly my greatest talent, I discovered that I loved writing my own blog and sharing the music that I loved with others, and that it was not boring at all – far from it. I kept at it and slowly the traffic climbed and I started to notice a few regular readers.
At this point I feel I should say that I’ve always been a bit skeptical about the whole ‘fostering friendships over the internet’ phenomenon. But I guess the internet is a community like any other and I’ve certainly come to think of a few fellow bloggers and regular readers as friends, despite the fact that I’ve never met them and I doubt I ever will. The people listed below are people who have commented and emailed and linked to my blog, who have offered advice and suggestions and have willingly shared their thoughts, opinions and fantastic taste in music. They’ve certainly made it easy to keep this thing going.
Pedro, who was the one who told me I should do this in the first place
As I’ve been reading this back, it strikes me that this is probably a tad on the sappy side, but I’m leaving it like this because I really do mean every word. Writing this blog, while it’s never going to change the world, has come to mean a lot to me and without a few regular readers I don’t think it would’ve lasted the distance. Thank you!
And for one final appearance, the song that started it all…
Marcy over at Lost In Your Inbox wrote a post the other day about the fact that she can’t seem to find any decent female artists to like at the moment and I must admit that I agree with her. Most of the stuff I like right now comes from bands rather than solo artists, and when a solo act does appeal to me, it’s usually a guy rather than a girl. However I’m pleased to say that I have, with some reader assistance, tracked down a female artist that’s producing some seriously beautiful music.
