Feature Album
Bernard Fanning
'Tea & Sympathy'
Universal
It seems a shame to cross reference this much anticipated solo album with Fanning's main music vehicle, Powderfinger, rather than introduce 'Tea & Sympathy' based on its own merits.
The truth is that the majority of European visitors to the site probably wouldn't recognise the name, but their interest might be jogged along when mention is made of the fact that Fanning is, of course, the vocal chops of afore-mentioned Powderfinger. Whilst Fanning is well known in Australia for both fronting this band and his song-writing talents, 'Tea & Sympathy' is his first solo outing and makes for an enticing introduction to those unfamiliar with his work, showcasing the fellas immaculate songsmithery, without the comfort zone of the long term relationship with his usual musical cohorts.
Although the album is still not widely available internationally (try Amazon in the UK), it has, at least (and deservedly so) received critique world wide, and seems to have been neatly pigeon-holed as an alt country album. Indeed, much of the album does have country-tinged elements - temperate twang, country guitar riffs, a small arsenal of instrumentation more commonly associated with the genre (strings and mandolin courtesy of John Beddgood) than the stadium rock of Powderfinger. On the other hand, Fanning seems happy enough to slip his feet into the comfortable slippers of glorious Powderfinger-esque harmonies at some points along the journey, around "Sleeping Rough" and "Which Way Home", and at times 'Tea & Sympathy' is not actually all that far removed from some of that bands more commercial, radio-friendly tunes (circa Odyssey#5, an album that is sometimes regarded as the bands weakest, but my personal favourite).
Some of the songs on the album could very well have been written for a potential Powderfinger album, and hard core fans will feel instantly at home with 'Tea & Sympathy', regarding it as a filler until the new band album is released later in 2006.
For some reason the first impression of the album, based on title and graphics, evoked thoughts of Cat Stevens (and indeed there are hints of Stevens), but with such a strong collection of lyrically poetic and instrumentally rich work, neatly stitched together by production engineer Tchad Blake (Crowded House, Finn Brothers, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits), 'Tea & Sympathy' holds its own in the singer/songwriter category and despite the references to Powderfinger made here (and any imagined Cat Stevens comparisons), Fanning, as a solo artist, is in a class of of his own and his debut solo album is destined to become one of those timeless classics that will dominate many peoples CD collection.
Related links:
Bernard Fanning
Powderfinger
in brief
Over in Australia (sort of), John Butler Trio have a limited edition 2 CD/DVD release, 'Live At St. Gallen', the CD part of which was recorded at the St Gallen Open Air Festival in 2005, with the DVD covering the bands 2004 gig at the Sydney Opera House. Available in Europe mail order through Glitterhouse for a paltry 24 Euros (just under £17).Any serious collector of Australian music should have at least a couple of The Triffids albums. No? Not to worry - much of the backcatalogue is due for re-issue on Domino, the first being the hugely underrated 'Born Sandy Devotional', origianlly released in 1986.
Also noticed on the Glitterhouse web site was Five Horse Johnson's 2006 release, 'My Mystery Spot', not to mention a couple of older classics, 'Fat Balck Pussycat' (1999) and 'The No 6 Dance (2001).
Although a little premature, on August 22nd Yep Roc Records will be releasing the first album of new Radio Birdman material for nearly 25 years, entitled 'Zero Hour' - see the Yep Roc site for more info. Yep Roc also announced the release of The Sadies 'In Concert Volume One', recorded over 2 nights at Lee's Palace, Toronto; the album also features Neko Case, Blue Rodeo, Jon Langford, Kelly Hogan and Heavy Trash. 'In COncert Volume One' is due for release on August 8th.
Amongst the Aussie regulars that were reviewed on the old musicworkz web site, certainly the more popular amongst the UK visitors to the site, Dirty Three released yet another gem to their already bulging backcatalogue by way of 'Cinder' (Bella Union), again forsaking their instrumental roots with guest vocals from Chan Marshall (Cat Power) and Sally Timms. Not content with just a new album on the market, they have re-released their '98 classic, 'Ocean Songs'.
In a twist of fate (or not) the band Horse Stories arrived with a long awaited follow-up to One Hundred Waves with 'Everyone's A Photographer' (Loose Records), a collection of expansive piano-led country tinged back burners. Fellow Melbournites Silver Ray (Pharmacy Records) have recently received some long overdue attention in the UK and follow their well-received 'Humans' (2005) with 'This is Silver Ray', a re-release of their first album.
Still over in Australia, a new face on musicworkz (although no newcomer to the music scene), Angie Nussey has been recommended to me by some of my musician friends based in Oz. Fans of the singer/songwriter genre might like to sample her 'Paint and Turpentine' album on her web site
The Great Crusades (Glitterhouse) might not be one of the best known Chicago bands, but the roadhouse riffs and whiskey soaked vocals of Brian Krumm on 'Four Thirty' are well worth your hard earned pennies.
Perhaps a little better known to the general music buyer in the UK, another US ensemble, Lambchop are still churning out album after album, with nary a duff one in sight, with a new one entitled 'Damaged' due for release in August.
August will also see Xanda Howe release her sophomore album, 'Unresolved' (Songphonic).
Lastly, a real slice of Aussie rock and punk history - a 2 CD collection of some of the bands and music that shaped the Australian music scene and influenced bands world wide. Inner City Sounds (Laughing Outlaw Records) features classics from the likes of The Saints, Sacred Cowboys, Wet Taxis, New Christs, Laughing Clowns, Scientists, The Go-Betweens, X, The Apartments, to name but a handful.
CD Reviews
As before, the site will concentrate predominantly (but not exclusively) 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.
Coming soon - the return of The Wailing Jennys with their second full length album, 'Firecracker', along with albums from Cracker, Angie Palmer, Tamas Wells, a sneak preview of the forthcoming album from Mayfly. Also in the pipeline - Also in the pipeline, reviews of albums from Isaac Paddon and The Tide, Angie Palmer, The Secret Ink, magic Bullet, Caroline Taylor Knight.
Tex Don & Charlie
Tex Don and Charlie
'All Is Forgiven'
Universal
British visitors to the site, certainly those outside of London who might have caught the band on one of their infrequent gigs in the city, might not be familiar with this trio of Australian musical patriarchs. Having said that, the individuals musical CV's read like a WHo's Who of Aussie rock.
Tex (Perkins) is something of a musical chameleon, slipping easily into his role of alt country meister in this side project to his swamp rock and blues outings with his bands The Cruel Sea and The Beasts of Bourbon. Long time musical collaborator Don Walker is perhaps better known for his work with Cold Chisel and Jimmy Barnes than his own songwriting, and legendary journeyman guitarist Charlie Owen has more credits to his name than could possibly be listed here, although the names The Cruel Sea and Louis Tillett would be among those more familiar on this side of the pond.
And so, with the formal introductions over, the debate about whether 'All Is Forgiven' is indeed an alt country album begins.
Since TDC released their last album, the alt country scene that the trios music loosely fits into has a much wider audience,
mainly due to the genre expanding its catchment, to accommodate new unclassified musical genres, and this latest release is likely to receive a warmer reception from fans of the genre than 'Sad But True' did.
Whilst this album might not immediately fall into the easily recognisable alt country twang and 'wide open space' pigeon hole, 'All Is Forgiven' has the elements that make the genre so adaptable. With cracked vocals and expansive guitars the trio certainly fulfill the basic criteria for deciding which genre to place the album in. Perhaps also the general lyrical theme of 'All Is Forgiven' is indicative of which direction the release leans, full of melancholic narrative pieces (circa early Waits) and nostalgic ballads, weaving intricate bruised heart romantics with shuffling social reportage and binding the whole with sonorous thoughtfulness. The world weary lyrical observations
introduce a host of seemingly broken down characters and one is left with an empathy for the predicaments they find themself in (even the swaggering Harry, dumped in Coff's Harbour).
Perhaps the chorus of 'Paycheques' epitomises the content of the album best:
"On weekends, I perform miracles,
I turn paycheques into wine,
One working weeks wage at a time"
OK, perhaps not quite alt country. What about alt semi-rural? Or alt urban country? Or.......
Backing on the album comes courtesy of Jim White (Dirty Three) on drums, Garret Costigan (pedal steel). Shane Walsh (double bass) and Naomi Radom (violin), with contributions from Paul Kelly, Jim Moginie (he of Midnight Oil) and Murray Patterson (from Perkins' Dark Horses side project).
Related links:
Tex Don and Charlie web site
Tex Perkins web site
Don Walker web site
Recommended related listening:
Tex Don & Charlie - 'Sad But true'
The Cruel Sea - 'We Don't Work We Play Music'
Tex Perkins' Dark Horses - 'Sweet Nothing'
Beasts Of Bourbon
Beasts Of Bourbon
'Low Life'
Spooky Records
Sadly, not an album of long awaited new material from this Australian underground rock institution.
Nevertheless, this unashamedly raw live reunion gig, recorded at The Tote (Collingwood, NSW) in 2003 sees the original quintet in fine form, performing unadulterated and, sometimes, what appears to be almost drunken renditions of some of the bands better known midtempo sleaze and swamp rock, along with 2 covers that almost everyone will recognise - the Jagger/Richards penned 'Cocksucker Blues' and 'Ride On (ACDC).
'Low Life' might not make an appealing purchase for the impulse buyer who has never heard of any of the members of the band, or the band as a collective vehicle, but for anyone who has even the slightest interest in Australian rock history, the blend of country punk twang, power drill guitar riffs and inebriated vocal delivery, much of which was inherited from one of Perkins' earliest musical vehicles, Tex Deadly & The Dums Dums, will put this album high on the list of 'must have' albums.
Now, will there be a Cruel Sea reunion album in the foreseeable future? Your guess is as good mine.
Related links:
Beast of Bourbon discography (on texperkins.net)
Spooky Records
Recommended related listening:
Beasts Of Bourbon - 'From The Belly Of The Beast'
The Cruel Sea - 'Down Below'
Deadstring Brothers
The Deadstring Brothers
'Starving Winter Report'
Bloodshot/Evangeline
With this second album from the Detroit exemplars of country rock, there is not much stylistic change from the eponymous debut, which received countless references in press reviews to The Stones/Exile Street and in which frontman Kurt Marshcke was widely touted as a musically spiritual kinsman of Gram Parsons, possibly even Keith Richards himself.
'Starving Winter Report' will indeed appeal to anyone with a hankering for the fusion of blues and country rock that Parsons delivered and perhaps those Stones fans who are looking for an alternative to transfer their allegiance to.
The energetic full band bluster that makes the band so popular at their live shows is also apparent on their studio recordings, 'Starving Winter Report' being no exception, although the studio recordings of their lap steel infused urban tinged country rock is tamed slightly by the gentler riffs that add texture to some of the more
grandiose epics and observational tales.
Live, the band is a stripped down and raw powerhouse, fronted by a swaggering Marschke, sympathetically backed by a keening Marsha Marjeh and funky bass lines from Phil Skarich, along with the input (or output) from a talented collection of touring musicians, often pressed into service at short notice when commitments of regular band members exclude them from the frequent tours on foreign shores. On this album, however, the emotional charge that the band get from enthusiastic audiences at their live shows is replaced with tempered sonic power, neatly textured layers
of a horn section and splendid vocal harmonies.
Pressed, packaged and put on the record shop shelf, 'Starving Winter Report', with The Deadstring Brothers trademark crashed bi-planes on the sleeve cover, makes a more than adequate supplement to ones more contemporary Americana collection of say, amongst others, Drive-By Truckers and Stewboss.
Related links:
The Deadstring Brothers
Bloodshot Records
Related reviews & articles:
'The Deadstring Brothers' review
Musicworkz Editorial (April 2004)
Recommended related listening:
Life of Crime - 'Demos For The Choirbook'
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
'That Striped Sunlight Sound'
Yep Roc
Sadly, during the time it took me to write a review of this CD/DVD release of the bands August 2003 gig at the Tivoli Theatre in Brisbane, Grant McLennan, a co-founder of The Go-Betweens, passed away. With a sad heart, I couldn't bring myself to finish the review.
Now regarded as the bands swansong album, 'That Striped Sunlight Sound' is a fitting end the bands critically acclaimed (if commercially unsuccessful) career.
Grant McLennan and Robert Forster are widely regarded as 2 of Australia's most eminent songwriters, with McLennan's 'Cattle & Cane' recently having voted one of the top 10 Australian songs (sadly missing from this live set). This retrospective of exuberant pop sensitivity and edgy choruses spans almost 3 decades and despite the age of some of the material this is a perfect entree for anyone wishing to explore the music that influenced bands as diverse as Belle and Sebastian and Coldplay and was instrumental in shaping the guitar pop genre.
Bic Runga
Bic Runga
'Birds'
Columbia
Bic Runga is probably one of the best known contemporary music exports from New Zealand (well, perhaps the Finn bothers and Crowded House notwithstanding), certainly hugely popular in the UK since being championed by the major print music press a couple of years ago, in the runup to the release of 'Beautiful Collision'
Our local record shop has had a space reserved on the shelf for this album since the original intended UK release date (March). One assumes that since Runga has a comprehensive UK tour schedule lined up for for May and June that the May release date for 'Birds' is carved in stone.
'Birds' is somewhat a darker, and perhaps more depressing album than, say 'Beautiful Collision', but has a handful of radio friendly songs, with country soul influences and 60's musical references, filled with the usual heart piercing intimacy and appealing sighs. Runga delivers intelligent songs, ones that demand both the listeners mind and ears, with power and elegance.
Once again, Neil Finn
(another fine NZ export) makes an appearance, along with Anika Moa and Anna Coddington (lead guitar and vocals with Duchess).
Bic Runga is on tour in the UK during May & June 2006. It is satisfying to note that her tour schedule covers much of the country this time, rather than a handful of venues that attract predominantly ex-pats.
Related links:
Bic Runga
Neil Finn
Leanne Kingwell
Leanne Kingwell
'New Tattoo'
Krill Records
When an album is touted as 'one of the most exciting rock albums
released in the last decade', a statement pinned to countless albums and applied to every conceivable genre, one is bound to think that that it is over-enthusiastic self-promotion.
'New Tattoo' is certainly not one of the most exciting rock albums
of the last decade. I could easily put my hand in a box under my desk and pull out 10 random Australian albums that have produced far more exciting contributions to the rock music genre in the past decade, although admittedly few, if any, have the raunchy appeal that Kingwell brings to both the metaphorical musical and lyrical tables, all be the lyrical setting centred around bashing seemingly endless ex-boyfriends around the head.
To some extent it appears that 'New Tattoo' is a cathartic vehicle for Kingwell's own demons, in which she goes through a cleansing process by letting loose with a sinewy guitar canon upon anyone who might have pissed her off and a vocal salvo of fiery language that might even make the hookers at Kings Cross blush.
Kingwell's oft droll and predictable licentious (and profanity riddled) celebration of breakups is decorated with rough and ready emotional weight and the break neck sonic power of 'New Tattoo' puts the album into the ' interesting' category, rather than 'exciting', and will almost certainly appeal to anyone who has a love of deceptively exquisite rock guitar arrangements, or someone looking for a less embarrassing alternative to admitting that they have a collection of teen rock chick albums hidden away in their collection. Although Kingwell sidesteps the charming naivety of her peers (amongst others, Mia Dyson), she certainly holds her own when it comes to her nifty guitar work.
Whilst much of the album does reach the hard rock heights that Kingwell aspires to, it is a shame that 'New Tattoo' sometimes sounds a little affected, trying too hard to sound hard rock rather than bubble gum rock, by way of a sleazy, dirty 'fuck you' attitude and vocal two-fingered gestures, the general style perhaps reminiscent of Cath Synnerdahl (X and Tongues).
Rather confusingly 'New Tattoo'
appears to have been re-released in 2006, under the guise of 'Show Ya What', available on CDBaby, with an almost identical track listing, with the addition of a couple of new tunes (and a radio edit of 'Holding Your Gun')
Related links:
Leanne Kingwell web site
Replayed
During the 12 months that Musicworkz hibernated, many of the albums that dropped through the letter box were carefully filed away for a mention if (or when) the site relaunched. Every now and again a handful of these will see the light of day on this page and also archived where appropriate.
Damhnait Doyle
Damhnait Doyle
'Davnet'
Turtlemusic 2003
Much of the more popular musical export from Canada is erroneously lumped into a more general category of being 'American', largely through ignorance. Recently, the more knowledgeable amongst the ever-increasing band of hard-core Americana and Roots fans have discovered a wealth of Canadian talent that they have embraced with open arms on their regular UK tours, the likes of The Wailin' Jennys, Po' Girl and The Bills being amongst those that have enjoyed some success with British music fans.
Other Canadian artists are crawling out of woodwork of local live venues all across the vast expanse of the country, plying their wares to audiences worldwide. Some of them are buried under the contents of sacks of incoming press copies of CD's in magazine offices across the globe, often ending up on second hand record shop shelves without even the courtesy of a cursory glance or listen, never receiving the exposure that they deserve. This is just an observation. I didn't find 'Davnet' in a second hand shop; it was sent to me some time ago (along with albums by Shaye* and Gordie Sampson), just before musicworkz closed the metaphorical doors last year, which explains why the album didn't get a review here. What it doesn't explain is why this enchanting acoustic-led country pop album seems to have had no press outside of Canada.
'Davnet' (the phonetic pronunciation of Damhnait) might not reach the heady heights of some of the radio friendly pop tunes from Shaye's 'The Bridge', such as "Happy Baby", but it does blend elements of restrained commercial pop with acoustic country, probably aimed more at roots and country music fans rather than those looking for the next big thing in the pop world. Doyle's country tinged pop (penned by herself and Gordie Sampson, whose production fingerprints are all over the album) is eloquent and soulful, daintily spiked with sweet honesty and a deceptive hint of emotional vulnerability ("Afterglow" and "Another California Song") and then draping her sexy vocals languidly over trailer park domestic carnage ("Every Hit"). Provocative vocal seduction, tempered with unobtrusive sympathetic backing instrumentation, lends an air of credence to the emotional lyrical themes that Doyle plies.
With a glut of female country pop hitting the market, it is refreshing to note that Doyle avoids that freight train juggernaut of the more commercial end of the genre, leaning instead towards a more personal, lo-fi and stripped down approach, possibly due, in part, to funding most of the album herself, rather than bowing to pressure of big label influence, drawing comparisons to fellow Canadian singer/songwriters Sarah Harmer and Emm Gryner.
- June 2006
Footnote: Daimhnait Doyle has toured with Barenaked Ladies, received a string of nominations for the Juno awards (Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Best New Solo Artist and Video of the Year). Her first full length album was recorded in 2000, entitled 'Hyperdramatic', available through Amazon in the UK.
*Shaye - In an effort to boost some of their flagging female artists, Doyle's label put together girl trio Shaye, comprising Doyle, Kim Stockwood and Tara MacLean (also known for her appearance in Coyote Ugly as the 'open mic girl'), who released a superb pop album in 2003, 'The Bridge', which spawned a couple of radio hits, including "Happy Baby". Notable guests on 'The Bridge' included Gord Sinclair (Tragically Hip), Jeff Burrows (The Tea Party) and Natalie MacMaster. Sadly, the much anticipated follow-up to 'The Bridge' (and indeed anything recent from the individual members of Shaye) seems to have dried up.
Related links:
Damhnait Doyle web site
Gordie Sampson web site
Shaye web site
Stewboss
The Places We Meet and l.e.e.p. (both on Stewsongs Records)
For one of the bands that feature so strongly in my personal playlist, blue collar country rockers Stewboss have seen very little space devoted to them on this site.
Gregg (Sarfaty) sent me 'The Places We Meet' and 'l.e.e.p.') almost 12 months ago, after being stuck in their van on the side of the road for a day or two in a snow storm, in the middle of a tour. There are 2 things that one can surmise from this statement - a) it has taken an awfully long time to get around to giving the 2 discs a mention and b) Stewboss are one of the hardest working outfits I can think of, heading out into predicted snow storms to play a gig.
Whether one believes the band to be hard working or not, the fact that the band haven't scored a record deal yet is a gross music industry injustice. The fact that I have been reluctant to review their music on this site is also an injustice, albeit one that can be remedied with a few strokes on the keyboard. (Incidentally, my neglect in mentioned any of the Stewboss albums on the site is documented on my blog, in an article entitled 'Mainstream? A blessing or a curse').
And so, 3 full albums down the line ['Wanted, A Girl' (2001), 'Sweet Lullabye'
(2002) and 'The Places We Meet' (2004)], the news of a couple of new albums scheduled for release later this year, one entitled Tales Of Fate' the other 'Pilgrims and Runaways', prompts an unscheduled spot on musicworkz for the band.
Whilst other web sites are gearing up for reviewing the next album, I still find myself replaying the older ones, hard pushed to decide which of them is my favourite.
A carefully measured parp of horns announce the arrival of 'The Places We Meet', after which the usual suspects in an americana lineup show their faces - unrequited and broken love, busted pickup trucks on blocks in the backyard, guitars slung in battered vans and headed out on the road, much of it a seemingly personal documentation of Sarfaty's own youth. Hmmm, nothing new then? Well, whilst there's not much difference in general style and lyrical content between the albums, it would be difficult to deny that the 'The Places We Meet' seems to be the most polished of the albums, probably the most mature.
Stewboss tour the UK and Ireland in September 2006
Related links:
Stewboss
Stewboss albums on CDBaby