Paul Dempsey - Everything is True - Album Review

*****
On his debut solo album, Paul Dempsey has kept everything that is great about Something for Kate and made a fresh and unique sound that I can't get enough of. I've been listening to this album on repeat for over 2 weeks now and have not come close to tiring of it yet. Even the latest single "Romona Was a Waitress" which is getting fairly heavy airplay still sounds fresh. The songwriting on Everything is True is Dempsey's strongest effort since SFK's Elsewhere for 8 Minutes and the simple yet catchy acoustic guitar is the perfect accompaniment to his clever and insightful lyrics. All the instruments on the album are played by Dempsey and he also wrote and co-produced the debut with Wayne Connolly, who has previously worked with The Fauves and Josh Pyke, proving that he is truly one of Australia's most talented artists. It's hard to pick highlights on such a strong album but I am really loving "Fast Friends", "Bird in a Basement" and current single "Romona Was a Waitress". The bonus disc features four covers played acoustically and is a nice addition, if only for the great MGMT cover of "Time to Pretend. You can find his cover version of classic 90's Teenage Fanclub track "Sparky's Dream" on iTunes as well which is probably my favourite of the cover versions. This fantasic debut is the current leader for Album of the Year at this stage and I am looking forward to seeing a full live show at the Palais in Hepburn Springs on the 11th Sept, having seen a sneak preview at RRR's Performance Space in July before hearing the album. I strongly receommend this album, even if for some stupid reason Something for Kate is not your cup of tea. 5 out of 5.

Everything is True
1. Bats
2. Fast Friends
3. Out The Airlock
4. Ramona Was A Waitress
5. Take Us To Your Leader
6. Bird In A Basement
7. Theme From Nice Guy
8. Have You Fallen Out Of Love?
9. The Great Optimist
10. Safety In Numbness
11. Man Of The Moment

Counterfeits and Forgeries
1. Time to Pretend (MGMT)
2. Heaven (Talking Heads)
3. So Like Candy (Elvis Costello)
4. Disappearer (Sonic Youth)
5. Sparky's Dream (Teenage Fanclub) iTunes Bonus Track

Here are the latest tour dates for Paul Dempsey

Thurs 10 September – Ruby’s Lounge
Fri 11 September – The Palais, Hepburn Springs
Sat 12 September – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Wed 16 September – Lizottes, Kincumber
Thurs 17 September – Wollongong University, Wollongong
Fri 18 September – Brewery, Newcastle
Sat 19 September – Manning Bar, Sydney
Fri 25 September – The Sound Lounge, Gold Coast
Sat 26 September – The Zoo, Brisbane
Thurs 1 October – The Gov, Adelaide
Fri 2 October – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
Sat 3 October – Fly By Night Club, Fremantle
Fri 9 October – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sat 10 October – Westernport Hotel, San Remo

Ben Harper and Relentless7 - White Lies for Dark Times - Album Review

1. Number With No Name
2. Up To You Now
3. Shimmer And Shine
4. Lay There And Hate Me
5. Why Must You Always Dress In Black
6. Skin Thin
7. Fly One Time
8. Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)
9. Boots Like These
10. The Word Suicide
11. Faithfully Remain
Rating: ****1/2

Ben Harper's new band Relentless7 has given Harper a new spark and he is showing some of the passion of his earlier releases. The album begins with "Number With No Name" featuring some trademark Harper slide which is good to hear again, especially with distortion. White Lies for Dark Times is Harper's heaviest album to date with his lyrics illustrating some of the anger that the title hints at. "Shimmer and Shine" shows off the talents of his new band with drummer Jordan Richardson adding some excellent percussion fills. As good as his slide is to hear again, Harper's greatest instrument though is his voice which is in fine form as usual. "Keep it Together (So I Can Fall Apart)" has Harper wailing over his wah driven slide which is featured again on "Boots Like These". The slower numbers like "Up To You Now", "The Word Suicide", "Faithfully Remain" and "Skin Thin" work on the album to show off Harper's songwriting talents. " The bluesier rock numbers "Why Must You Always Dress in Black", "Boots Like These" and "Lay There and Hate Me" have Relentless7 in their comfort zone and are a perfect fit for Ben Harper's style. White Lies for Dark Times is a return to form by one of the best musicians of our time and hopefully it will not be the last we hear from Relentless7.

Doves - Kingdom of Rust - Album Review

1. "Jetstream" – 5:30
2. "Kingdom of Rust" – 5:11
3. "The Outsiders" – 3:28
4. "Winter Hill" – 5:18
5. "10:03" – 4:04
6. "The Greatest Denier" – 3:59
7. "Birds Flew Backwards" – 2:51
8. "Spellbound" – 5:39
9. "Compulsion" – 5:14
10."House of Mirrors" – 4:20
11."Lifelines" – 4:26

Rating: ****1/2
The 4th studio album from UK band Doves is my favourite album of the year so far. I hadn't listened to Doves since they released Some Cities in 2005 and had somehow forgotten how good they are. I have rediscovered their back catalogue in a big way after hearing Kingdom of Rust which was an easier first listen than their previous releases. They have a small following outside the UK, despite rave reviews around the world, like fellow underrated Manchester lads Elbow. They also released their 4th and most accomplished album last year, taking out the Mercury Prize for The Seldom Seen Kid. Kingdom of Rust is of the same quality and is my early tip for this years Mercury Prize. Doves were nominated for their first two albums Lost Souls and The Last Broadcast but missed out. Both bands have taken great steps on their 4th albums and with Gomez are the best bands out of the UK at the moment.
Opening track "Jetstream" is a perfect example of Doves epic sound and they do it naturally without overdoing it. First single "Kingdom of Rust" is an instant classic that starts with a Spaghetti Western feel and soars into an epic piano driven chorus. The highlight of the album appears on the 9th track "Compulsion" and it's all about the funky bass. The whole album is excellent and although it might not achieve commercial success, it will be a favourite among real music fans and critics alike.

Gomez - A New Tide - Album Review

Rating: ****
1. "Mix"
2. "Little Pieces"
3. "If I Ask You Nicely"
4. "Lost Track"
5. "Win Park Slope"
6. "Bone Tired"
7. "Airstream Driver"
8. "Natural Reaction"
9. "Very Strange"
10."Other Plans"
11."Sunset Gates"

I have waited a few weeks to let Gomez's 6th studio album sink in before making any judgment on it and after repeated listens, A New Tide has started to grow on me. It is not their best but they are a band that don't make the same album over and over and that's one of the reasons I love them. It is less radio friendly than their previous effort How We Operate, sounding more like their underrated 3rd album In Our Gun. Not to say that they are no catchy somgs on the album with tracks like "If I Ask You Nicely", "Natural Reaction" and excellent first single "Airstream Driver" all having an upbeat vibe. The acoustic guitar is heavily featured on this album and all 3 vocalists share the lead on singing duties, with some excellent backing vocals on every track. Their latest offering has received mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it as whole album, even though there were not as many stand-out tracks as usual. I may be biased though because they are probably my favourite band. The distinctive vocals of Ben Ottewell on "Little Pieces", "Lost Track", "Bone Tired" and "Sunset Gates" are reason enough for Gomez fans to be excited about another release. I am glad I persevered with this album becuase it is getting better with every listen and a worthy addition to their impressive catalogue. I will look forward to seeing them back in Australia to tour this album, hopefully this year sometime.

Lady of the Sunshine - Smoking Gun - Album Review

01. Silver Revolver
02. Home Sweet Home
03. White Rose parade
04. Jack Nimble
05. Big Jet Plane
06. Smoking Gun
07. Daisychain
08. The Wolf
09. Anna
10. Kings Black Magic
11. Dead Mans Train
12. Lady Sunshine
Rating: ****
Ever since hearing the first single"White Rose Parade" played on JJJ I have been anticipating the new album by Lady of the Sunshine, Angus Stone's side project . Smoking Gun is a more eclectic album than previous releases by Angus and Julia Stone with his sister. The album is great on it's louder moments when he swaps the acoustic guitar for an electric on "Smoking Gun" and lead single "White Rose Parade" . "Kings Black Magic" starts nice and gentle with an acoustic guitar strumming over soft vocals but then morphs into a thumping chorus which provides one of the albums highlights. "Big Jet Plane" is one catchier songs on the album featuring a chorus that has been stuck in my head many times, same goes with opening track "Silver Revolver". The slower acoustic numbers highlight Stone's songwriting talents, particularly on "The Wolf", "Daisychain" and "Anna". "Jack Nimble"and "Lady Sunshine" show off Stone's impressive vocal range and are standout tracks. Hopefully this will not be a one-off project for Stone but there have been no live dates announced as yet. A fantastic debut showing a new side to a very talented musician.

V Festival Melbourne - 4th April 2009 - Review

This years V Festival line-up was not quite as impressive as 2008's but as the festival was so well run I decided to go again. This time it was with a 10 strong posse to celebrate my friend Ako's 30th. After starting the day off with several schooners at the Newmarket Tavern we got through the gate as The Do were playing their fantastic song "On My Shoulders". After grabbing some beers at the bar we headed straight for That Stage to catch the band that I and a few others were most looking forward to seeing, Elbow. The Seldom Seen Kid was one of the best albums of last year and was featured heavily in the hour and fifteen minute set. Opening track from the latest album "Starlings" opened the set with the whole band playing trumpets and it sounded fantastic. Also joining the band on stage were 2 identically dressed violinists who also played in moved in unison and added something special to the stage. "The Bones of You" and "Mirrorball" from the Mercury Award winning album followed and sounded as good if not better than the recorded versions. Singer Guy Garvey interacted with the crowd with ease as he told jokes and introduced the songs with the confidence that comes with 18 years of playing live. The title track from the bands previous album "Leaders of the Free World" upped the tempo a bit and the crowd seemed to be getting into it, even the though it was not as big as it should have been. The crowd favourite from the set would have been "Grounds for Divorce" featuring the best guitar slide riff ever and would have been the best track of the day had it not been for the set's closer "One Day Like This" which I'm still getting chills from just thinking about it. It is a mystery why this band isn't bigger than Radiohead and should have attracted the biggest crowd of the day. Even more baffling was when half of my friends left to see Vanilla Ice try to steal another 15 minutes of fame. But for those who were there to see it, it was an amazing performance and my favourite set of the day.
After Elbow finished I was free to enjoy the day without worrying too much about the timetable. Razorlight were up next on This Stage (Main Stage) and decided to catch half of their set before seeing The Kills. They sounded great and I got to see plenty of their hits including "Back to the Start", "Stumble and Fall" and "In the Morning" before heading the The Other Stage for The Kills. I only started listening to The Kills about a month ago when it was announced they would be playing V Festival and have become an instant fan. For a 2 piece they pumped out some volume and played a great set with the highlights being "U R A Fever", "Black Balloon" and the excellent "Cheap and Cheerful". It was another great set that had the crowd dancing and singing along.
Next up were Kaiser Chiefs who played a great set that had the crowd singing due to their easy to remember and repetitive choruses ("Ruby", "Na Na Na Na Naa"). At a festival after a few beers though it is exactly what you want. It was the most fun we had for the day and was surprised at how many hits they had over 3 albums. Highlights were "I Predict a Riot", "The Angry Mob", "Never Miss a Beat" and the sets closer"Oh My God". I decided to have a look at Snow Patrol but after high energy performance of Kaiser Chiefs they seemed a bit dull so we headed back for the final act The Killers. I've never been a fan of The Killers before but everyone else I went with were big fans of Hot Fuss and were excited to see them so I gave them a chance to win me over. I was glad a did because they played a good set, especially when they played anything from Hot Fuss and the crowd went ballistic. The newer material didn't receive as good a reception but they spaced out their hits for the first half of the set before they finished with a string of crowd favourites (see setlist below), "All These Things That I've Done" and "When You Were Young" were my personal highlights. Once again the V Festival has organised a great day and although the lineup didn't impress me much on paper, in the end there was great live music played all day and I will be back next year as long as there is one great band on the list like Elbow to get me there.

The Killers Setlist
Spaceman / Losing Touch / Somebody Told Me / For Reasons Unknown / This Is Your Life / Joy Ride / Human / Bling (Confession of a King) / Shadowplay / Smile Like You Mean It / A Dustland Fairytale / Sam's Town / Read My Mind / Mr. Brightside / All These Things That I've Done
Encore: Bones / Jenny Was a Friend of Mine /When You Were Young

Kram - Mix Tape - Album Review

****1/2
1. Good Love
2. Ridin High
3. She's My Girl
4. Turn A Light On
5. Burnin Sands
6. Silk Suits
7. Live A Long Time
8. Won't Be Home Tonight
9. Harmonies
10. Satellite
11. The Best Thing
12. Thankyou Mr Ludwig
13. Get To It
14. Long Cold Night
15. Down The Line

The debut album from Spiderbait singer/drummer Kram lives up to it's title Mix Tape as it changes gears seamlessly across the 15 tracks as all good mix tapes should. What makes it even more impressive is that with the exception of a few cameos from Tumbleweed's Ritchie Lewis and Jet's Nic Cester, Kram has played all the instruments himself.
First track "Good Love" could appear easily on any of Spiderbait's albums and starts the album in high gear. The following track "Ridin' High" heads in the opposite direction with a wah-driven guitar riff, smooth bass and funky beat which was briefly visited on Spiderbait's previous album Tonight Alright's highlight "Picky". Kram channels Beck for another cruisy foot tapper "She's My Girl" and as "Turn a Light On" starts with an acoustic guitar strum and piano it is clear this album intends to take the listener on a musical journey. "Burnin' Sands" is another excellent track showing off Kram's vocal range with some great falsetto vocals. First single "Silk Suits" sounds like the Kram we have known and loved for all these years and is accompanied by a great clip featuring Kram and Alicia Molik head to head on the tennis court filmed at Rod Laver Arena.
The album continues to bring the hits in the second half and plays more like a best of than a debut album. Other highlights include "Satellite", "Long Cold Night", "Get To It" and the percussion instrumental "Thankyou Mr Ludwig". It is the perfect album for road trips, parties or just listening by yourself with headphones. It is my favourite album of the year and as there were 50 songs recorded for the album, another album could be on the cards in the future.

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love - Album Review

The latest release by The Decemberists sounds more like a rock opera than an album and it is a pleasant change from albums that have 3 or 4 good songs and the rest filler. Each of the 17 songs have their place on the album, even the small instrumental tie-ins, and sound best when played in sequence as a full album. It is a good way to spend an hour though and Colin Meloy’s distinctive voice is always good to hear. Although they sound like the same band, some excellent riffs show up throughout the album which are unexpected at first but after repeated listens become the core of the album.

This press release sums up the story of what the album is about better than I can:

"The album began when Meloy – long fascinated by the British folk revival of the 1960s – found a copy of revered vocalist Anne Briggs’s 1966 EP, titled The Hazards of Love. Since there was no actual song with the album’s title, he set out to write one, but was soon immersed in something much larger.
"The Hazards Of Love tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake, who recounts with spine-tingling ease how he came 'to be living so easy and free' in the aforementioned “The Rake’s Song”. Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock and The Spinanes’ Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. The range of sounds reflects the characters’ arcs, from the accordion’s singsong lilt in “Isn’t it a Lovely Night?” to the heavy metal thunder of 'The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing”."

After only a few listens it has already become one of my favourites of the year so far and is getting better with every listen. Below is the tracklisting and an audio sample of "The Rake's Song" from the new album as well as a couple of great film clips from the previous albums.

1. "Prelude" - 3:04
2. "The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)" - 4:19
3. "A Bower Scene" - 2:09
4. "Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)" - 4:07
5."The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)" - 4:26
6. "The Queen's Approach" - 0:29
7. "Isn't It a Lovely Night?" - 3:29
8. "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" - 6:27
9. "An Interlude" - 1:40
10. "The Rake's Song" - 3:16
11. "The Abduction of Margaret" - 2:07
12. "The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing" - 3:56 .
13."Annan Water" - 5:12
14. "Margaret in Captivity" - 3:08
15. "The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)" - 3:22
16. "The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)" - 1:31
17. "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" - 5:57