 |
| HEADLINES
|
| Jet hit #1 but cancel national tour... huge line-up announced for APRA Awards... Throat surgery sidelines Casanovas frontman... Area 7 return with Big Issue... Regurgitator compose music for new Atari game... Human Nature climb the Aria charts (again!)... Sleepy Jackson and Gelbison members form new act... Jet: sold out shows, DVD and ABC special... Bionikworld relocate to Europe... Butterfly Effect silence critics... Abi Tucker gets live and raw ...more news. |
|
| TOURING
|
Australasian artists touring internationally include Peter Andre, The Waifs, Jet and Powderfinger. New dates announced for Something For Kate, Butterfly Boucher, Marty Willson-Piper (The Church), JET and The Datsuns.
---------------------------------
National tours include Sara Storer, Hoodoo Gurus, Sonic Animation, Sunk Loto and Paul Kelly. New dates for The Dissociatives, The Seekers, The Superjesus, Abi Tucker and The Cat Empire ...more tours. |
|
| ENCYCLOPEDIA
|
Author Ian McFarlane is a genuine veteran of the Australian music industry, with a long history in many facets including music journalism. His Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop is the essential home for all lovers of Oz music. The book is legendary in music circles and covers the broadest range of artists imaginable - from the most mainstream to the genuinely obscure. To browse through the artist listings, simply click here.
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
NATIONS BY THE RIVER
HOLES IN THE VALLEY
Add to basket. Please note: this title is available on pre-order and orders will not be completed until the release date of 14-Jun-2004. $17.95 ($US 12.08) (£UK 6.53)
cd
In a deserted Newcastle parking lot, after the mysterious disappearance of a set of car keys, members of Gelbison and The Sleepy Jackson gave birth to a new project, Nations By The River. Faithful to humble beginnings (Edo and Luke jamming with a couple of acoustic guitars), the album's finest moments are minimal acoustic wanderings that benefit from raw vocal performances. The combination of Rein, Steele and the Kahn brothers results in strong ditties communicating heartbreak and longing, in true country tradition. Of course, that's where tradition ends and the term 'alt country' begins. After a wonky start to the tracklisting, the strengths of Steele and the Kahns begin to emerge. You'll find the Sleepy-style choral-edged falsetto (Cracking Up, Kids World) combined with dramatic electric atmos (Heroin) that reminded me of Gelbison's early EP Metal Detector. It's the quiet moments that most impressed me, but the camaraderie in the studio can be infectious, as with the final track We Dance Every Day. This is an album for urban country fans that love the most human elements of music, and for the duration of this LP the listener rarely feels separated from the musicians, who seem to be playing only a few feet away; a rare achievement in a world obsessed by digital technology and robotic musicianship. Initially, I found the off-key moments of this album to be a little too abrasive but the more I listen to Holes In The Valley, the more I suspect that it may actually be a work of flawed beauty; and aren't they the most interesting kind? |
|
|
|
 |
ESKIMO JOE
A SONG IS A CITY
Add to basket. Normally ships within 10 days $26.95 ($US 18.13) (£UK 9.80)
cd
Everyone's giving this album glowing praise but nobody seems surprised; in fact, A Song Is A City is one of those rare moments when an album's build-up is justified by the finished product. The single, From The Sea, gave a solid indication of quality and also highlighted the amazing voice of Kav Temperley, which rides along on waves of melody; a traditional strong point of Eskimo Joe's sound. While the band are dodging the notion that they're 'maturing', it's obvious, from the opener Come Down, that their bratty pop-punk beginnings are behind them and to fill the resulting void, the band have found a richly textured style that remains pop but introduces a more introspective element, both musically and lyrically. Pianos, strings and an array of cinematic sounds garnish electric guitars, but while songs like I'm So Tired and Carousel suggest the band's evolution, Older Than You and Don't Let It Fly retain the energy so often displayed by the earlier incarnation of Eskimo Joe. Bluebottle Kiss has already shown that an act can escape pop origins to successfully mature with their audience and it seems that Fremantle's finest act is ready to make the same transition. The trio have discovered the key to producing fine songs; a philosophy that the band describe with the motto "it doesn't matter what we want, it's what the song wants"; the reason why A Song Is A City will easily take its place among the finest Australian albums for 2004. |
|
|
|
 |
SPEEDSTAR
FORGET THE SUN, JUST HOLD ON
Add to basket. Normally ships within 10 days $27.95 ($US 18.80) (£UK 10.16)
cd
Comparisons with Coldplay have frustrated Brisbane's Speedstar. It's a tag they justifiably label as 'lazy journalism' and despite the obvious breezy melodies and strong vocal performances, the listener can immediately recognise a definite stylised take on cerebral pop from the opening track Are You Feeling Better, Angela? It represents a strong start to a consistently likeable collection of acoustic compositions, expertly nurtured by producer, Tony Doogan (Belle & Sebastian, Reindeer Section). Arrays of diverse instruments add texture to simply written love songs that pass by in quick succession, leaving the listener dazed. Much lighter in intensity than their first LP Bruises You Can Touch, the new LP never quite communicates the same darkness but instead takes a different angle, managing to transmit sadness and hope simultaneously. A good example is The Saddest Summer On Record, which contains the lyrics that inspired the album's title. The single, Unbreakable was obviously chosen for its upbeat feel and tempo: two qualities that don't seem to be important to this talented 5-piece. Attention to detail allows for some amazing sounds whether it be acoustic instruments or analogue keyboards and at times a single chord is given the spotlight, simply because it sounds fantastic. After all, less is more, or so they say. Allister Bell's voice is certainly easy on the ears and with a singer of this calibre the band's more subtle strengths will be easily discovered. For heartbroken lovers and melancholiacs, Speedstar is the perfect musical accompaniment to a good dose of longing and a massive tub of chocolate ice-cream. By the end of the album you may have forgotten your estranged lover and devote yourself to a beauty that won't let you down: Forget The Sun, Just Hold On. |
|
|
|
 |
OFFCUTS
THRIFT SHOP BOUTIQUE
Add to basket. Normally ships within 10 days $23.95 ($US 16.11) (£UK 8.71)
cd
The Homestyle and Paper Bag/Plastic Bag EPs have laid the foundations and now, with Thrift Shop Boutique, Offcutts' ideas can finally be presented as a long-player, somehow packaged together cohesively despite duo's obvious disrespect for genre-related pigeonholes. Really, it shouldn't work, but what could have been disjointed set of compositions, ends up being my favourite album so far this year. A few electronic elements in the production of the lament Papillion D Amour and the pensive Frigid, link the songs to a dose of deep grooves from Homestyle: Gravel Rash, Kitchen Bay and Back To The Music. Those Homestyle tracks are some of the finest and most charismatic songs produced among the electronic music community in the last couple of years. Endearing vocals drift over bubbling bass lines and solid beats to produce something quite magical. A few of the tracks on Thrift Shop Boutique didn't resonate with me originally when they appeared on EPs, but now make sense in an LP format. One of them is Break It, featured on a TV ad and thoroughly rotated on radio; another is Hips, which was the track that first attracted the attention of Australian media. Luckily, for fans of Offcutts, it isn't all a well-presented rehash; you'll find a few fresh tracks to make this CD a worthwhile inclusion to collections. She Said We Could Make It? is a stand-out, but its traditional flavour also shows how diverse the act's repertoire can get, a far-cry from the shadowy groove of my favourite, Mushroom Cloud (Mouthbox Mix). Offcutts can inspire some varied reactions, including laughter, sadness and more than a touch of confusion, but listening to the richly diverse Thrift Shop Boutique, you quickly reach the conclusion that everything is intentional. Despite a few dubious vocal and lyrical moments, this LP is an early highlight for 2004 and as time rolls on, it may be remembered as an historic moment for a rising star of the local scene. |
|
|
|
 |
THE CASANOVAS
CASANOVAS
Add to basket. Normally ships within 10 days $23.95 ($US 16.11) (£UK 8.71)
cd
I can't say The Casanovas is the most innovative release of the year; in fact, it's probably the most derivative, but Tommy Boyce's obsession with pouting, denim-wrapped, aviator-wearing, V8-powered rock'n'roll is no secret and as he says (describing the album): "I really needed to get that out of my system". This type of rock has always been delivered with love and a thinly concealed sense of humour, but often taken completely seriously by the masses. Tell me Angus Young wasn't having a laugh when he first donned the school uniform; or Kiss weren't taking the piss when they strapped on their mums' platforms. Obviously, there's a touch of irony in this style of guitar music and - let's face it - Aussies mastered irony a long time ago. So, it seems, we've also mastered rock and hi-octane favourites like No Time For Love and Shake It (both previous singles) attest to the fact that The Casanovas are straight shooters. AC/DC fans should have a go at this. The majority of the album is set in the 70s and modelled off the early work of our greatest rock export: Acca Dacca. I was dubious after Livin' In The City, which I definitely wouldn't have chosen to open the album, but after sifting through the familiar hits, I discovered Strange Dreams, a slight departure from jagged, minimal riffing; and One More Time, which was like shifting from 3rd to 4th gear. While their songwriting is getting more consistent, 10 Outta 10 is still The Casanovas' coolest track and justifiably ends proceedings. Throw this album into a pile along with your mirror sunglasses, Levis and the keys to your 68 Monaro: together they make a perfect set. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| WHAT'S NEW! |
|
|
|
New releases this week include singles from Damon Boyd Vs Mondo Rock and B-Movie Heroes plus EPs by Opanoni and Waiting For Tom. We've got new albums from Eskimo Joe, Choirboys, Melinda Schneider, The Camels, The City Lights, Gus & Frank, Saritah, Paul Greene, The Others and ShotPointBlank. Nick Cave fans! The new DVD The Videos is now available. The biggest releases of the year are all available on pre-order through Whammo including Kasey Chambers' Wayward Angel and Mental As Anything's Basemental DVD. Make sure you secure your copies. Check our Recommended section for special offers and features. *To receive all the weekly new release info in your in-box, subscribe to Whammo's Weekly Newsletter (it's free!) 10,000 subscribers can't be wrong! Just click here. |
|
|
|
 |
| ARTIST OF THE WEEK |
|
|
|
| PAUL KELLY |
 | |  |
|
| Paul Kelly is widely recognised as Australia's finest songwriter; a reputation that has been consistently maintained with over 2 decades of consistent releases including his solo albums, collaborations and award-winning soundtracks. His latest album, Ways And Means comes at a time when the songsmith's music is finally being lauded by overseas audiences. It was the perfect time to have a long-overdue chat with a national hero ...click here. |
|
|
|
|
|
| GUARANTEE |
|
|
|
Whammo ensures secure shopping online. Australian prices are inclusive of GST. Overseas prices are an estimate and may differ slightly from the final price. Whammo does not pass on customer details or email addresses. If you have any concerns please email us at help@whammo.com.au
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
