Saturday, May 23, 2009

Custard - Buttercup



Released in 1992 independently by Custard after winning the
Australian Academy of Music's Encouragement Award in 1991
they used the Encouragement Award's prize of $500 recording
time to put down about 13 songs in eight hours, most of which
comprise Buttercup/Bedford, the band's first album.


The dual title refers to the fact that some of the artwork calls
the album "Buttercup" while the rest calls it "Bedford."
The CD was held up eight months in manufacture,
lost somewhere in Canada. In the meantime, after a handful of
tours to Sydney and Melbourne, Custard secured a recording deal
with new label RA, a subsidiary of rooArt
RA wanted to release an EP. Custard insisted on "Bedford" being
used from the "Buttercup" sessions, and, therefore, Gastanked,
Custard 's debut RA EP, consists of one pre-record company track
and five new tracks. This album is a great example of that indy spirit
and is bloody hard to find these days.

Track list
01. Bedford
02. Island Wedding
03. Delerious
04. Fuming Out
05. Charlie Brown
06. Psychobilly
07. 'C' is for Cookie
08. Anna Lucia
09. D-E-A-F
10. Shannon
11. I Live by the River

Download Here

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Pineapples From The Dawn Of Time - Shocker

Its about time for a Brisbane band post.
The classic album from the classic Brisbane band,
only in Queensland could such a band exist.
I saw these guys do their legendary Pig City
reformation gig, what a hoot.

The Pineapples From The Dawn Of Time formed in 1985,
out of the ashes of Brisbane's punk scene from the early
part of the decade. A band was formed out of members
from outre outfits such as Kicks, Riptides, The Ken Palmer
Connection, Tex Deadly & The Dum Dums and The
Kingswood Trio.

Often adorned in ridiculous costumes, the band played
around Brisbane between 1985 and 1987 while gaining a
cult following due to their onstage antics and songs about
mass murderers, science fiction shows and drugs.

In that time, the Pineapples released the double A side single
'Saha/Too Much Acid?' and an LP, 'Shocker' -
both of which sold out shortly after their respective launches.
Somewhere along the line, the band broke up
(as these things happen).


Fast forward to 2000 and the band are asked to reform to
celebrate Brisbane independent broadcaster 4ZZZfm's
25th birthday and the original line-up plays before a packed
house of nostalgia buffs and ambulance chasers alike.
A secret show straight after at Double Helix was planned
and executed.

A year later, founding member Michael Hiron sadly passed
away at his home. A tribute show was organized to
commemorate his passing and thusly The Pineapples From
The Dawn Of Time assembled a line-up as a tribute to this
great contributor to the Australian independent music

scheme of things.
Filling in his big shoes behind the drum-kit, local music
historianand Citroënthusiast Donat Tahiraj was asked
and so the second chapter of the band began. Shortly after,
former Lovs E Blur and Spank vocalist and Sandgate's premier
socialite, Wendy Seary has joined the ranks to augment the
line-up of Michael Gilmore (vocals), Rod McLeod (bass)

and guitarists Clem Lukey and Peter Kroll.
Popular demand brings a sheen to an otherwise dusty
ornament and so the Pineapples From The Dawn Of Time
assemble sporadically at the request of their rather
dodgy punters.



2007 sees the classic 'SHOCKER' album repackaged and
issued on CD
for the first time. The band nearly steal the
show at the historic
'Pig City' concert at Queensland
University, gracing the stage with
The Saints and The
Riptides amongst other legendary Brisbane performers

and officially unleash the album with a gala go-go dancer
filled show
at The Troubadour. Shortly after, the band
bid a sad farewell to
tub-thumper Donat when he takes a
missionary post in Albania.

The band consider their future, contemplate each others
navels
and realize that you can't keep a good bunch of
freaks down.
They harvest their crop of gigantic, gangly,
side-burn brandishing
sidekicks and find Murdoch Noyes
to keep the freak-beat happening and
lasso the cow-poking
plectrum power of Mr. Robert E. Lee to add some

extra grunt to the planet of psycho-sound. More showcase
shows and
recordings are planned, so tell your disfunctional
friends and family...

the circus is back in town!

Download Here

Friday, May 15, 2009

Andrew Pendelbury - Don't hold back that feeling


Andrew Pendelbury's last solo album is a very special album,
half instrumental, half guest vocalist, with many great
artists such as Chris Wilson, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano,
and Dave Steel. All great vocalists, with a fair blues lean and
some of the best this country has to ofter.
Add to that some of Andrews fantastic instrumental work
and you have a memorable album.


Tracklist

01 - Tired of me - Chris Wilson
02 - Summertime
03 - Liberty blues - Deborah Conway
04 - Very early
05 - Crime of time
06 - Calling you - Kate Cerberano
07 - Trinidad
08 - Don't hold back that feeling - Chris Wilson
09 - Barfly
10 - Deep water
11 - Silvertown - Dave Steel
12 - There, there
13 - Sunrise - Kate Cerberano

Download Here

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Songs Of Kev Carmody - Queensland Music Festival

I can't miss an opportunity to tell you all about a fab gig
coming up. This is one, the pick of the bunch mind you,
of a heap of performances and stuff coming up here as
part of the Queensland Music Festival.
Curated by Deborah Conway this year it promises to be
a bloody good showcase of unusual and brilliant local,
national and international acts. Covering all sorts of
music from classical to alternative its a festival to be
proud of. I'm excited about this gig.

Check out the web site for the events.
Here

Kev Carmody, Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, John Butler, Clare
Bowditch, Tex Perkins, The Herd, The Drones and many,
many more join forces in a special twilight concert at Brisbane
Riverstage to celebrate a unique Australian talent.
Powerful, versatile and utterly original, for the past 24 years
legendary singer songwriter Kev Carmody has evoked the
realities of contemporary Aboriginal society with a clarity
and grace that has won him fans across Australia and around
the world. This signature Queensland Music Festival event
sees Carmody's repertoire -from blunt protest songs to poetic
ballads - reinterpreted by a thrilling line-up of Australia’s most
acclaimed singer songwriters and musicians who contributed to
the 2007 album Cannot Buy My Soul,
produced by long-time friend and collaborator Paul Kelly.

Carmody’s music embraces a range of styles, mixing folk and country
withreggae, funk, traditional didgeridoo and mandolin, hard rock,
gospel and his straight-talking, laconic, sharp-edged vocals.
Persuasive, intelligent and committed, Carmody puts this
combination of musical traditions to stunning effect in sung stories
that are wistful, witty, brutal and poignant.

Don't miss this landmark concert in Australian music.

FEATURING KEV CARMODY / PAUL KELLY / BERNARD FANNING /
JOHN BUTLER /CLARE BOWDITCH / TEX PERKINS / THE HERD /
THE DRONES / GLENN RICHARDS /SARA STORER / ARCHIE ROACH /
STEVE KILBEY / DAN SULTAN /THE LAST KINECTION /
THE PIGRAM BROTHERS

“Kev Carmody’s body of work is one of our great cultural treasures” - Paul Kelly.

Presented by Queensland Music Festival, Brisbane City Council,
Brisbane 150 Celebrations and The Courier-Mail.

Riverstage in the City Gardens

Sat 1 August 5.30pm
gates open at 4.30pm

Gold seated: $78 / Conc $68
Silver seated: Full $68 / Conc $58
General Admission: $58 / Conc $48
Gate price: $80

Licensed event. Children under 6 are not permitted. General Admission is BYO seating or standing on grass.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Clan - Shane Howard

"He sounds as though he has drunk deeply
from the same fountain
that gave the world
Henry Lawson, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan".


Bruce Elder - Sydney Morning Herald
January 25th, 2007



Shane Howard's 1996 seminal folk album has been a huge influence
both in Australia and Ireland. Mary Black recorded 3 songs from this
album: Don't Say OK, Free As Stone and Give A Little. This album
explored the links between Australia and Ireland and drew parallels
between colonial oppression of the indigenous Irish and indigenous
Australians. A brilliant masterpiece that does something no one
had achieved before or since, its explores the similar places that
two very different people groups can come from and find common
ground.


In 1993 after 8 years in Northern Australia, I returned
home to South West Victoria. My Irish ancestors came to
this area in the 1850's
This is the story of my people, my ancestral clans.
The story of dispossession of land by an overwhelming
force; the story of famine, resistance and uprisings.,
of exile and survival - the struggle of the oppressed;
the burning desire not for revenge but for equality
and justice.


By the 1850's the Irish famine migrants were arriving
into colonial Australia. They arrived into a world the
native people were already more brutally down trodden
than themselves. These were the aboriginal clans of the
Gunditjmara "nation", so cruelly dispossessed, who were
massacred, died fighting to protect their beloved country
or were rounded up onto missions and subjected to more
than a century of neglect by the state.
I wanted to tell the story of my ancestors and their
eventual exile in Australia. I was curious about the
parallel experiences of the Aboriginal peoples of both
Ireland and Australia.

Shane Howard


Download Here

The Dreaming Festival 2009

On whats called the Queens birthday Long weekend here in
Australia, great we still get a holiday for that isn't it, the
annual Dreaming Festival is on here at the Woodford Folk
Festival site just 45 mins drive from here.


The weekend goes from the 5th to 8th of June and I'm
heading up there for the whole festival this year, camping
on site and getting right into things.
The exciting news is both Shane Howard and Archie Roach
are performing on the opening night and I hope doing some
stuff together.


The Queensland Folk Federation who organize this world
class amazing festival separate from the other world class
festival they do, have put together an expansive and
impressive program which covers just about anything
you could think of as a showcase for first nation peoples
and their culture.


Some 8 or so stages, heaps of
artists in all areas of art and performing arts over 3 days.
Indigenous people from all over the world, Dance,
music, Art, Theater, Film, Workshops, Forums,
so much do see learn and enjoy.


If you live in the area you really shouldn't miss this,
I would love to hear from anyone who planing to be
there.
The entire program can be viewed online and you can
read in detail all about the festival at the web sites

www.thedreamingfestival.com/


Sunday, May 3, 2009

Karate - Andrew Pendlebury & Doug de Vries


What a fabulous Cd this is, a little latin, a little jazz
a little bit of everything. Truly this would convert
any disbeliever that Andrew Pendlebury is
a national treasure.


Take two top Melbourne guitarists, with backgrounds
in jazz
de Vries and rock Pendlebury, let them loose
on an intriguing
array of acoustic standards and
originals from Brazill to
New Orleans and Nashville
or as far afield as Soweto
and the streets of Forbes.
Although each has played on the other's solo records
and they perform together regularly around town,

this is the first duo recording and it's a beauty.
Backing is by Denis Close on Brazilian hand percussion,

bassist Steve Hadley and drummer Peter Jones.
You will recognise tracks such as the quirky
Crepuscle
on the Yarra which featured on the
Moon Over Melbourne
collection, Pendlebury's
Catalina or de Vries's Homestead
and After The
Carousel from their respective solo albums.



The elegant Egberto Gismonti title number contrasts
with
the breakneck Western swing of Stratosphere
Boogie by
Jimmy Bryant - a favourite of Pendlebury's -
and they
swing to a more refined soul jazz metre in
Oliver Nelson's
Hoe-Down trading sneaky licks until
de Vries switches to a
down-home banjo.
Among other impressive tracks a spirited arrangement
of
the New Orleans Mardi Gras classic Big Chief
(no doubt inspired by the Neville Brothers great
concert
rendition), the steady rolling blues of You
Gotta Move,
a languorous rendition of k d lang's
Tears of Love's Recall
and a superb de Vries original
called Winnie based on
South Africa's infectious
township jive.'


Mike Daly

The Melbourne Age




Download Here