Album Review: Chelsea Wilson - Chasing Gold

Roughly 5 years ago Chelsea Wilson released her stellar debut album I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me. The release of this album coincided with the beginning of my "career" (and I use this term VERY loosely) as a DJ playing tunes in local bars around Melbourne town. At the time, my collection of Vinyl records that you could dance to was very limited and I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me had more than a few danceable tunes on it so I used it A LOT! At the risk of sounding like I am exaggerating, I lost count of the amount of times someone come up to me while spinning this record to ask "who is this?" If that isn't the sign of a quality release/artist I don't know what is.
Fast forward to 2019 and Chelsea's sophomore album Chasing Gold has finally been unleashed onto the world. Chasing Gold is a very different animal to I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me which is immediately evident from the moment you hear the (sublime) Golden Age of Hollywood Movies style strings that introduce the album. While both albums are designed to get you shaking your booty on the dance floor Chasing Gold owes more to 70's Disco/Funk/Boogie than it's predecessor which was straight out Melbourne style Soul music. Over the years Disco has had more than it's fair share of critics and while some would say deservedly so, just as many would say the opposite. Listening to this album there's no doubt as to which side of the argument Chelsea is supporting as she unashamedly embraces the genre causing even the hardest Disco critic to reconsider their stance. The biggest compliment however that can be paid to this album is that it contains some of the finest examples of "songcraft"  (a term which gets bandied about far too frivolously for my money). The attention paid to the songwriting and arrangements of these 9 songs is evident and the results are there for all to see. I expect this album to garner many more "who is this?" comments from Melbourne pub goers once I finally get my paws on a copy. In the words of one reviewer on the bandcamp.com website "Loving this! More please... a lot more!"
P.S. The addition of the song "Word Is Out" as a bonus track is the perfect homage to one of Chelsea's musical heroes Kylie Minogue and a great way to round out the album

OOLLUU live @ Bar Open 4th Nov 2017

I’ve seen many a live show since my last live review many moons ago and while there have been some great shows none have inspired me to put pen to paper (metaphorically speaking) so I can tell the everyone willing to listen about what I witnessed.
There were 4 acts in total on the bill this night but I was there to see one & one only and that was OOLLUU. I had seen these guys once before opening for another great act Glasfrosch and was thoroughly impressed but that was a mighty long tome ago. Were they really as good as I remember…? Would they live up to my expectations…? Well to say that my memory served me correct and that they lived up to my expectations would be an understatement. They were ginormagantuanly, fantasmagorically amaze balls!
OOLLUU play a style of music that I really don’t know how to describe. It’s electronic, but it’s heavy. It’s rock music, but there’s no guitar. It’s intense, but it’s poppy and danceable. There’s many contradictory elements in their music and things that probably shouldn’t fit together that somehow seem to blend wonderfully well and create a soundscape that will leave you on a euphoric high once it’s over.
Playing to a crowd of roughly 50 people on a “stage” that barely fit the band on it the performance these guys put on was a thing to behold. Stage right was Bassist Davarj who in his mind I’m sure was playing to a sold out crowd at Wembley Stadium or Madison Square Garden. Stage left you have Ehsan on Synths (“fluent in 3 languages… Linux, IOS and Windows”) who while is somewhat restricted in movement was no less a giving it his all. The interaction between these 2 “frontmen” of the band was fantastic and a joy to watch. The smiles on their faces as they were playing evidence of just how much they were enjoying themselves. Lastly, hidden from view slightly was Drummer Ben Crook who was driving the band like his life depended on it.
Sure there were a couple of little mistakes, but the crowd most certainly didn’t mind (or probably even notice) and I’m sure these guys gained a few more fans on the night. 

There were 2 more bands on after OOLLUU and while I’m sure they put on admirable performances I didn’t stick around.

Album Review: El Colosso - Pathways

I’ve re-connected with the Heavy Rock scene in recent times after being absent for a little bit and am loving what I’m hearing. The latest band to catch my attention are El Colosso. Having caught them playing around Melbourne town a few times recently I was eager to get my hands on a copy of the bands debut full length release Pathways and they have not disappointed. The riffs are heavy with crunchy distortion, the guitar solos are jaw droppingly flashy while still keeping to the adage of “The Song Is King” and the Bass is front and centre in the mix and once again as heavy as fuck. As soon as you press the play button on your CD player or drop the needle on your Vinyl copy you will be blown across the room and through the wall behind you.
While each and every song on this album is killer, at times I think some of the lighter songs on the album such as Pathways and King Ink don’t quite fit in with the rest of the tunes. The songs most certainly don’t suck, in fact if you heard them come on the radio they would most certainly make your ears stand to attention, but the flow of the album perhaps would have been better served by keeping the balls to the wall sound throughout.
The highlights of this release I would most definitely have to say is the relentless pace of the song Leatherhead and the nearly 10 minute epic closer Moving Mountains with it’s slow groove, added Hammond organ and the brilliant dual lead guitar work of Benny James and guest Dave Ferguson of Fuck the Fitzroy Doom Scene.
This album has all the ingredients you can expect from the Stoner Rock genre and while most of the influences the band lists I am not familiar with, I suspect that they listened to the album Carnival Of Souls by Kiss at least a couple of times during the recording of this album. While Pathways doesn't necessarily contain any surprises that’s not to say that this is a bad thing. This band has delivered an awesome heavy rock album of a caliber many others could only hope to achieve. Don’t miss seeing them play live and while you're in the process of grabbing a copy of their album grab yourself a copy of the Cannonball EP also.

Album Review: Tequila Mockingbyrd - Fight And Flight

Phwoah, does this album pack a punch or what??!! Having seen this band play a few times in the past I had purchased their debut EP the 1st time I saw them play, so I was very much looking forward to this release.
From the opening riff of the anthemic "I smell rock n roll” to the closing notes of “Good Time” this is feel good boozy rock music as it’s supposed to be played. Rose Tattoo meets The Screaming Jets meets The Baby Animals meets The Superjesus this band has all the right ingredients needed to bring back heavy distorted guitar riffage to the mainstream charts again (and I hope they do!). Full of piss and vinegar this is perfect getting ready for a big Saturday night music designed to be played at maximum volume.

The songs on the aptly titled Fight And Flight are primarily a celebration of the good things in life such as enjoying the weekend with friends but also send out the empowering message of grabbing life by the throat, which we all know but at times forget. The most telling sign of the quality of these tunes is that you will almost certainly be singing each and every chorus of each and every song after only one listen. Slick without being overproduced this is a brilliant debut guaranteed to get this band noticed and will almost certainly put them on the world stage.
                                       
If you’re of an age with the ladies delivering these tunes this album will most certainly strike a chord and if you happen to be past the age of regular Saturday night booze ups this will transport you back to that age.

“Clear the street because we’re coming through, side by side and two by two"

Some April gig highlights

Well as always it's been a great month of gig going in Melbourne town and there's been some doozys! (yes I did just use the word doozys) where to start, where to end, who to include and who to leave out? I am without a doubt going to forget something/someone but here's a short list of the stuff I can remember off the top of my head.

Z-Star Delta
Style: Psychedelic-Acoustic-Blues-Rock
 

Hailing from the UK this duo know how to paint a picture with and take to you on a journey with their storytelling style lyrics. Using loops and effects to build layers of interweaving sounds which help you visualize the images the songs convey this was their 2nd tour of OZ in as many years and I was stoked to finally catch them as I had only seen the flyers for their last tour after the fact. Think of what The Doors might sound like if Jim had a drum kit in front of him while Robby played his bottleneck style blues licks and you might get an idea of what they sound like. Hopefully they will be back sooner rather than later and they will get noticed by much larger audience. Miss them at your peril!

Lachy Doley
Style: Progressive Blues, Rock and Soul

I've lost count of how many times I've seen Lachy doing his thing at Bar 303 in Northcote. There was a bit of a question mark hanging over this show as although Lachy has been doing shows at 303 for around five years or so the last few
shows have been slightly down in attendance so he was pre-selling tickets this time around and had to sell at least 50 of them for the show to go ahead. Thankfully he did and the show did go ahead. He's played with the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Mahalia Barnes, Powderfinger, The Dead Daisies and even former Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes has specifically asked for his services. Playing the only whammy clavinet known to exist in Australia his croaky vocal drawl was used to full effect as always. As many times as I have seen him play he always gives his all and always wins over new fans at the night and this time around was no different. People were lining up at the end of the gig to buy his CD's and to say how much they enjoyed his show. Why he is not playing sold out shows to rooms of a much larger capacity stills boggles the mind.

Backwood Creatures
Style: Jamming Swamp Blues

Wahooooooo what a ride that was! You know a band is good when they are jamming on stage and it all sounds pre-planned. Although all 3 members of the band are smoking hot musicians the highlight for me was Grant Cummerford playing is Bass as if he was the lead guitarist. While it's not unheard of for the bass to be used as a lead instrument I've never seen it played in quite this way before. This may have been my 1st time seeing these guys play but it most certainly won't be the last.

Kumar Shome
Style: Stunt Guitar Instrumentals

Not the 1st time I've seen Kumar play but the 1st time I've caught him playing his own tunes. I'm guessing that Kumar has not heard the saying "the notes you don't play are just as important as the ones you do" because I think he played every note known to man in every combination possible during the 60 or so minutes he was on stage. Now this may sound horrible to some people but as a kid who grew up worshiping the playing of people like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen and their like this was like being transported back 20 years and watching the fingers of these guitar heroes in wide eyed wonder. All this being said make no mistake, even though the guitar wankery factor was turned up to 11 Kumar still knows how to play with feel and know which notes to play and which notes not to. This was by no means a free for all and composition was/is still king in his musical ethos. Special mention also to the 2nd guitarist in the band Mickey Chan who also got to show off his shredding skills.

Well there's just 4 of the many shows I did attend and while I have been on a bit of a blues rock kick as of late I still subscribe to the theory of there are only 2 types of music, good and bad, regardless of what genre label you choose to attach to them. With the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Stonnington Jazz Festival just around the corner I imagine the shows I will be talking about in the coming months will be of a different style.

Album Review: The Ivory Elephant - Time Here is Up

The Ivory Elephant - Time Here Is Up

Well once again those doomsayers talking about rock music's demise will be eating their words after hearing this EP by Melbourne power trio The Ivory Elephant. Foot stomping, thigh slapping, head bobbing, beer swilling heavy riffage abounds on this corker of an EP. While this release has been out for a little while now I only recently found out about this band when they were playing on the same bill with another great local act Wichita (better late than never right?). The blistering guitar work from frontman Trent Sterling (who is also a member of the afrobeat band The Seven Ups) will have you dusting off your air guitar and jumping around the house imagining you are on the Woodstock stage playing in front of a half a million strong audience, while the rhythm section of Arthur Witherby & Donald Sargoog on Bass & Drums respectively provide a rock solid foundation which hits you right in the chest and leaves you gasping for breath like you have just been sucker punched. Further adding to the kaleidoscopic/tie-dyed feel is some tasty uncredited keys/organ playing which sits perfectly and unobtrusively in the background allowing the power trio sound to be the main focus.
While the sound on the 5 tracks of this EP unashamedly hearkens back to the classic rock era of the 60's & 70's and you could quite rightfully pin many "they kinda sound like..." tags to this band there is still something very much their own in the psych/rock/blues songs and sounds they are producing.
If you are a fan of rock music or just a fan of good songs grab yourself a copy of this latest EP and their previous self titled release and be sure to check them out when they are next playing live.

Live Review: KISS with The Dead Daisies 9th Oct 2015

It had been a mighty long time since I had gone to see a major rock show and when I heard that KISS were coming to town again I was more than a little bit tempted especially seeing as I have been a fan of the band since I was a kid. Some of my earliest memories are of watching the 1980 Melbourne show at VFL park on the TV and collecting KISS cards and buying KISS ice cream from my local milk bar/corner store. That being said, I have seen that band numerous times in the past and having heard countless people mention how Paul Stanley's voice has deteriorated I was also somewhat hesitant as I didn't want to be disappointed by seeing a band past their prime struggling to keep it together. In the end 2 days before the show I bought my tickets and headed to Rod Laver Arena the night of the show prepared for the worst but still hoping for the best.
Well, to say I was not let down would be the understatement of the year. While the accounts of Paul Stanley's voice having deteriorated are accurate the band still delivered the goods in spades. Tearing though a setlist of classic tunes which kicked off with the brilliant opener Detroit Rock City, the band pulled out all the stops for this show and from beginning to end it was a non-stop over the top rock show which allowed you to forget about your job/mortgage/whatever for a couple of hours and enjoy the spectacle.
At one point in the show Paul Stanley asked the crowd "How many of you have never seen us before?" after which he commented that the show will be "a night you will never forget" which is quite a statement of confidence but if there's anyone that can live up to such a statement and deliver on said promise it's KISS!

Obligatory end of the night pyro show Drum Riser and Paul Stanley smashing his Guitar

KISS seem to be a band that people love to hate and which fans of the band will go to any length to defend. No matter which category you fall into one thing that can't be denied is the fact that 40+ years on the band still delivers a show that very few other bands/artists can match. See them while you still can as I'm uncertain how long anyone of their vintage can continue doing what they do.

Marco Mendoza & John Corabi of The Dead Daisies

Mention should also be made of the opening act The Dead Daisies who are a great band in their own right and whose two records to date are probably some of the best rock releases in the past 2 or 3 years. Made up of an all star line up featuring players from bands such as Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Baby Animals and others these guys know how to deliver great rocking tunes. Despite the slightly apathetic crowd (which caused singer John Corabi to quip "There was more noise at my Grandmothers funeral") they managed to deliver 45 minutes of great rocking tunes which I'm certain would have won them a number of new fans on the night. From the opening notes of Midnight Moses to the final notes of the closing number (a rocking rendition of) Helter Skelter they know how to put on a great show. These guys may just be the saviours of Rock and given the connection they have to Australia I'm sure we'll be seeing them visit our shores again in the not too distant future which is certainly not a bad thing at all.

Album Review: Glasfrosch - Aubades & Nocturnes

I love when I discover new music that challenges my listening habits. I love it even more when that music refuses to fit nicely into any one style of music but straddles multiple genres simultaneously.
The two albums in question here are really one album divided up into two parts. The music is cinematic in scope and will transport you through space and time if you just close your eyes and let it. Glasfrosch is essentially the brainchild of Justin Ashworth however full credit needs to be given to everyone playing on these albums without who I'm not sure this album would have been able to come to life. There's elements of Jazz, Rock, Electronic (eek!), Ambient even Classical at times (to these ears anyway). If you are after an album of three minute pop tunes then look somewhere else, but if you want to hear music that is so much more than this then look no further than these two sister albums produced by this group of stellar musicians.
There are so many various moving parts to this music that I would recommend you make listening to it an event. Set aside time in your day, remove all distractions and really listen to what is on offer here. While essentially trying to create a mood this is no mere background music to be played in a local cafe while you sit sipping your coffee on a Sunday morning. This music commands and deserves your undivided attention. The production on here is also worth mentioning, with so many parts it would be easy for the various elements to become muddled and indiscernible but everything you need to hear is clearly audible and sits perfectly next to/underneath/on top of (and every other dimension also) one another. This music is a living breathing entity.
I think perhaps the best way to describe how one should listen to these two albums is with the quote by Timothy Leary who said "turn on, tune in, drop out"

P.S. If you like what this guys hear I would recommend checking out the album by Ghost Note Project which is available for free download here

Live Review: The Queenscliff Blues Train 16 May 2015

The Blues Train Engine

I've been meaning to get to the Queenscliff Blues Train for a little while now and yesterday I finally got around to taking the 2 hour drive from Melbourne to check it out.
I had seen/heard 2 out of the 4 Artists on the line up (Jimi Hocking and Andrea Marr) so I knew I was going to enjoy at least half of the acts that were playing, but I was hoping that I would learn some new names that I could also look out for around town.

Once again I needn't have worried as my (high) expectations were met in spades. I started off in carriage D which is known as the dancing carriage seeing as there is no seating. As the train took off for the journey Andrea Marr and her band kicked things off with their brand of funky soulful blues sou
nds which had the small Carriage D crowd shaking their booty's to the tunes. A pocket rocket who's sassy vocal stylings were are perfectly suited to what is expected of Carriage D riders. Special mention has to be made of the guitarist in the band (who's name I can't remember) who despite his amplifier playing up and cutting out halfway through a guitar solo managed to keep his cool get it sorted and then continue playing.

Andrea Marr

After the 1st stop and the opportunity to top up my drinks bucket it was onto carriage A where Brian Fraser and Wayne Jury were playing. After the boogie worthy performance that Andrea Marr delivered on Carriage D it was good to have the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the music. Performing a mix of well known Blues classics as well as some slightly lesser known numbers intermingled with some originals it was an absolute treat to see these guys up close in such an intimate setting. Being a big fan of the slide and resonator guitar sounds I was on cloud 9 watching these guys do their thing. The interplay between them was just brilliant and Wayne's singing was perfectly suited to the what they were delivering. As the train came to it's 2nd stop for the night I heard someone comment that it would have been worth the price of the ticket for Brian and Wanyne's performance alone and I couldn't agree more.

John McNamara

Onto carriage B to catch John McNamara another name I had not heard of before. John was the 2nd of the 4 performers on the night that I had not heard of before and once again I was keen to find out what he was all about. Performing solo with one acoustic guitar and a couple of effects pedals I was completely blown away by John's playing and singing. As everyone was boarding and taking their seats I was watching John noodling away and thought to my
self "this is definitely going to be good."
Just before the train took off again we were advised that for this part of the journey it was recommended we all remain seated as it's mostly a downhill ride and the train picks up quite a bit speed as it's travelling. Unfortunately not everyone heeded this advice and one woman who decided to stand up in the tiny empty space in front of John ended up losing her balance and falling on him and almost knocking him off his feet also. After picking herself up with a little assistance from security John managed to carry on unfazed (how's that for professionalism?). Highlights of this performance would have to have been his version of the Etta James classic Damn Your Eyes. I couldn't help but grab a copy of his CD as the train once again came to it's final stop for the night before the end of the ride.

Onto carriage C to catch the inimitable Jimi Hocking and his Blues Machine...

Jimi Hocking

Well what can I possibly say about Jimi that has not been said before? A veteran of the Australian music scene sinc
e the 80's a Jimi Hocking performance is something that is guaranteed to be entertaining. With a sense of humour to match the best stand up comedian and nimble fingers that are enough to make any budding guitarist seriously think twice about pursuing their chosen profession, Jimi is the ultimate rock 'n' roll nice guy. Quite simply if you are a fan of rock music and a fan of the blues and you have never caught a Jimi Hocking show then you are doing yourself a disservice and should waste no time in catching one of his gigs around town.
Overall the night has got to go down as one the highlights of my 2015 gig going experiences and there have been many already!

Live Review: Women Of Soul Album Launch

                                                Women Of Soul @ Shadow Electric
                                                          Saturday 11 Apr 2015

Wowzers! Just... Wowzers! What can I possibly say about this night? I knew this was gonna be a good show but... goddam this was a GOOD show. This is not the 1st time I have been to a Women of Soul gig (and it will most certainly not be the last) . Each one I have attended has been no less than great but they really outdid themselves this time around.

For the uninitiated a Women Of Soul show is a revue style performance whereby each vocalist sings 2 or 3 songs backed by the same group of musicians. Christina Perfection of the Perfections kicked off proceedings and practically tore the roof off the venue with her banshee like vocal stylings. Once everyone was whipped into a frenzy after Christina’s performance you could be forgiven for thinking “how the hell is anyone else going to follow THAT?!” Well the great thing about a W.O.S. show is that each singer has their own distinct style which all tie in perfectly with each other so there’s no need for anyone to try to top or compete with the previous performer.

As with the Women Of Soul album the show was the perfect balance between funky and danceable numbers and heartbreaking ballads and it was great to see/hear these songs come to life in a live setting. Any attempt at pointing out highlights from the show would be an exercise in futility seeing as, with a production of this caliber, the whole show is a highlight. Each and every one of these singers is a great talent in their own right which is proven by the fact that they each lead their own bands.

It should also be mentioned that the band backing the singers on the night were seriously smoking. Made up of some of Melbourne’s finest they were one finely tuned machine playing the songs as if they had been playing them for years. 5 years on and things are only just getting started for Women Of Soul. Big things are afoot for these ladies catch them now while you can and before they start selling out major venues around town.

Live Review: Zevon and The Werewolves of Melbourne

Zevon & The Werewolves Of Melbourne live @ Yah Yah's

2nd January 2015 

I had been looking forward to catching a show from this band for a short while now and even more so after catching a live set from them on the radio (which can be heard here.)

Once Zevon & his Werewolves took to the stage the energy in the room lifted to a whole other level. Each and every one of the players in the band are seasoned veterans of the Melbourne music scene so I was expecting alot from their set. Needless to say

Zevon & The Werewolves of Melbourne

they did not let me down. Kicking proceedings off with the Freddie King classic Big Legged Woman. Zevon's guitar work blew me away, he knows how to strike the perfect balance between flair and playing for the song which is not an easy thing to do. Also showing that he's not only a great player but a great showman as well his command of the stage was fantastic cracking jokes throughout the set while encouraging the crowd to get into the tunes. Perhaps my favourite "stage move" of the night (which although is nothing new still works perfectly) was the use of a beer glass as a slide towards the end of the show. Their high octane brand of Bluesy Rock 'n' Roll is right up my alley and something that I will be looking forward to seeing again. Once again my faith in the Blues has been restored and I can't wait for the next show.

Album Review: Women Of Soul

Artist: Women Of Soul (Various)

Release: Women Of Soul

Style: Soul

OK so this is by no means a new discovery and it’s been reviewed by others before me but this album will almost certainly be in my top 5 2015 releases at the end of the year so…
I had been eagerly awaiting this release since I heard about the project in late 2014. I have heard each of these singers previously doing their own thing and so I knew roughly what to expect but hot damn these tunes are catchy! The album starts off with the Candice Monique tear jerker “Beautifully Broken Heart” who up until very recently I was not overly sold on. I’ll now say I am not only sold but am left wondering how I could have previously thought she was anything other than awesome.  The 1st half of the album continues along the same lines with mellow tunes delivered with some serious soul that will have you swaying to the groove the deliver. Sassiness is the name of the game for the 2nd half of the album delivered in inimitable style by Christina Perfection, May Johnston & Rita Satch that will get you up out of your chair and dancing around the house while singing into a hair brush (or whatever else is at at hand). This is a great collection of tunes from some of Melbourne’s finest female singers and hopefully this is just the 1st of many more to come. Credit also has to be given to the band backing the singers who are top notch and without who this album would most definitely not have been of the calibre it is. Once again what I am essentially getting at is that if you don’t have this album in your collection already then you should waste no time in getting it. 

Preview 2 songs from the album and purchase it from:
http://womenofsoul.bandcamp.com/album/women-of-soul