Feature Album
Bernard Fanning
'Tea & Sympathy'
Universal
Feature album this time round is a solo album from Powderfinger frontman, Bernard Fanning, entitled 'Tea & Sympathy'....
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Musicworkz Roundup
Still fighting the clock - this temporary re-launch issue sees reviews of albums by Bernard Fanning, Tex Don & Charlie, Beasts Of Bourbon, Bic Runga, Leanne Kingwell and The Deadstring Brothers. Coming soon - the return of The Wailing Jennys to the reviews page with 'Firecracker', along with albums from Cracker, Angie Palmer, Tamas Wells, a sneak preview of the forthcoming album from Mayfly.
The replayed section looks at a handful (well, almost a handful) of albums that were released last year but never got reviewed on musicworkz due to the fact that the site closed, including albums from Daimhnait Doyle, Waking The Witch and Stewboss.
The gigs page has been revived with a a smattering of gigs (most related to albums that have been reviewed this time). In the past the site has concentrated on foreign artists touring the UK, but I am also highlighting gigs that have significance to other features on the site, in Australia and the US.
The editorial revolves around the premise that once bands become popular, or reach the mainstream market, they fall out of favour with some fans who have been with the band since their (sometimes) humble beginnings.
Did I forget something? Oh yeh, the new Shit CD of the Month page. I should have called this page 'When the shit hits the fan', because there is no doubt that many people will find my choice each month outrageously unfair.
Recent Reviews
Tex Don & Charlie - 'All Is Forgiven'
Beasts Of Bourbon -'Low Life'
The Go-Betweens - 'Striped Sunlight Sound'
Bic Runga - 'Birds'
Leanne Kingwell - 'New Tattoo'
Deadstring Brothers - 'Starving Winter Report'
Damhnait Doyle - 'Davnet'
Stewboss - various albums
Waking The Witch - 'Hands and Bridges'
Coming Soon
Although the review archive has been trimmed extensively, regular visitors to the site will notice that the most popular reviews from the past 3 years are still available.
It goes without saying that since the site closed a year ago some of the bands have, or are about to release new albums -
some of my personal favourites coming up for review include albums by The Wailin' Jennys, Mayfly and Tamas Wells. Also in the pipeline, reviews of albums from Isaac Paddon and The Tide, Angie Palmer, The Secret Ink, Magic Bullet, Caroline Taylor Knight.
Site News
After a long break (a very, very long break - 12 months to be exact), musicworkz ezine has relaunched. Why? Because music matters. To me, and to a lot of other people.
As before, commitments elsewhere means that there is sometimes a delay in getting the most recent reviews online, which, in turn, means that the reviews are sometimes slightly outdated. Nevertheless, I hope that everyone visiting the site will find something of interest. Also as before, the site will concentrate predominantly on music from outside of the European music scene, with an emphasis on indie and small label releases from Australia and North America, in an effort to bring the music and their creators to a wider audience. Having said that, the site is a personal project, and prone to personal likes and dislikes - if I find something that I think makes a valuable addition to the site, it'll make it into the database.
Grant McLennan: 1958 - 2006
Another sad loss in the music world, with the passing of Grant McLennan., on May 6th, 2006.
It was a sad day for fans of both The Go-Betweens and Grant McLennan’s solo music when news of Grant’s death filtered through the music news network.
Grant McLennan was a founding member of The Go-Betweens. With a string of internationally acclaimed albums under their belt, the earlier albums since re-issued, the band saw something a revival in recent years, with a spate of new releases (amongst others, ‘Friends of Rachel Worth’ and ‘Oceans Apart’), gathering a new generation of fans into the fold.
As a collective vehicle, the band, with original founding members McLennan and Robert Forster, produced timeless guitar pop gems and have influenced other bands world wide, including the likes of Belle and Sebastian, R.E.M., Teenage Fanclub and Coldplay. Ever popular at live gigs, live radio shows and in-store appearances The Go-Betweens released their first DVD this year, a visual addition to the ‘That Striped Sunlight Sound’, alive recording of their Brisbane gig at the Tivoli (August 2005), now regarded as The Go-Betweens swansong (since McLennan’s death, Forster has stated that "The Go-Betweens have made their final album. They have played their final show. We let it rest at that, being very proud of what we have done”.).
Whilst Grant McLennan’s solo releases were hardly prolific, his work was internationally regarded as being inspirational and McLennan featured strongly in most Australian critic’s top list of homegrown songsmiths. McLennan’s auto-biographical masterpiece 'Cattle and Cane' was recently voted by the Australian Performing Rights Association as one of the ten greatest Australian songs of all time. Although McLennan’s solo albums are not regarded as mainstream, and therefore not widely available in the UK, no doubt his passing, along with the renewed recent interest in The Go-Betweens, will awaken an interest in his solo work and the albums will resurface on the high street record shop shelves. Along with classics such as 'Watershed', ‘Fireboy’, the epic 2CD ‘Horsebreaker Star’ and ‘In Your Bright Ray’, there is hope that some of McLennan’s long awaited newer material might finally see the light of day.
Other related and recommended albums:
The eponymous ‘Jack Frost’ album , with Steve Kilbey (The Church) 1991
Useful links:
All of Grant's solo albums are available through Beggars Banquet in the UK. McLennan’s solo albums ‘Horsebreaker Star’ and ‘In Your Bright Ray’ are also available for digital download at eMusic
Most of The Go-Betweens albums are also available for digital download at eMusic
‘Live at the Tivoli’ is now also available, the CD being the audio part of the recent ‘That Striped Sunlight Sound’ CD/DVD release.
‘That Striped Sunlight Sound’ and ‘Oceans Apart’ are available directly from Yep Roc Records