Globe Trotting: Joe Nisbet Jr - Late Hala - Cameron James Henderson - Georgia Reed

Joe Nisbet Jr - 'Judge Not'

Background promo - Following his critically lauded first album (The Gospel According To Mr Niz), KFM Records is delighted to announce the release of Joe Nisbet Jr's first self-penned song, "Judge Not" on Monday 18th July.

"The positive things people said about the first album gave me the confidence to start writing and recording my own material, which turns out to have a different sound, but doesn't stray far from the usual obsessions - good times, regrets, early r'n'b, drinking, and a bad attitude to authority.

Given the nature of the lyric, I knew the song had to be urgent and honest, so we recorded it very quickly and very live with a group of good friends who just happen to be brilliant musicians - they contributed a level of personality and attitude that you don't often get in the studio - and I think that comes across - although it sounds like a badly behaved gospel meeting in a New Orleans hip-hop club, it's actually a punk record at heart."

“Judge Not just got my bones, makes me happy. I don't why, but I'm crazy in love with this song. I can't remember when something last made me feel so happ!!! Tell your friend,it's such a wonderful song, I haven't danced alone like this in years!!!xxxxx   I got to stop playing it or I'll wear it out...just one more time though....here we go again.....”

As it says above 'Judge Not' is Joe Nisbet Jr's first self penned song, and wow what a superb start! It's got the hooks, melody, upbeat feel good vibes and every other expression I so often use, to describe a song like this. "Follow that" I think to myself, and somehow I reckon Joe may very well do so. 

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Late Hala - Good Thing.

Background  - Late Hala are a Psychedelic/Rock band from London formed in 2015.

Late Hala are cousins Dan and Alexi from London town who started playing guitars together at an early age through a mutual love of the blues scale. Unfortunately life got in the way and a ten year break ensued until 2015 when they both found themselves living in East London.

Using Fuzzy Guitars, Pianos, Delay Pedals, Xylophones, Organs, Samples and accidentally recorded police sirens they created their debut EP 'Dark Clouds'. According to the bands Facebook page, they are now in the process of recording their debut album. 

'Good Thing' is a brand new song from Late Hala, and what a fine song it is. The psychedelic vibes are there from the start, along with something of a sixties American West Coast feel, in part due to the harmonies, and a pretty cool achievement for a band from my old home, London. It's always a grand thing when a song ends leaving you wanting to hear more and Late Hala have done that for me!

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Cameron James Henderson - Lifeboat.

 Background promo - Sydney based blues-folk troubadour Cameron James Henderson is pleased to announce the arrival of his debut album 'Storm Rollin’ In'. No stranger to the stage or studio via his many contributions to the work of others, 'Storm Rollin’ In' follows Henderson’s first venture into solo territory after 2014’s well received 'Distorted Hope Blues'.

Recorded in the Blue Mountains inside a solar powered cabin deep in the bush, the new twelve track collection was produced by much loved folk-artist and good pal Chris Gillespie. Dynamically moving from stomping band tracks to Dylan-esque finger pickers, the record features minimalist arrangements mixed with spontaneous elements of rain, birds and other mountain sounds picked up during the sessions. 'Lifeboat', with its signature pulsing guitar lick, is the first single to be lifted that embodies the raw ‘in the moment’ production and honest feel that reflects Henderson’s piercing songwriting style. Cameron says of the track “Lifeboat is about broken relationships and the frustration of not being able to fully understand someone you love. It looks forward to a time when the brokenness of this world will exist no longer and hopes for the lifeboat to arrive to save us from the rising waterline.”

Boasting a resume that includes forming the psych-surf blues band ‘Dubious Blues Trio’, who released an album in 2014 with the instrumental cut 'Shoemound' airing on triple j, Henderson also composes for film while keeping his chops up with Zombie Cats, Chris Gillespie, Sam Newton, Lyre Byrdland and the Mogadishu Family Band. With a string of launch shows in New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria this week Cameron James Henderson is well and truly set for a busy Spring and Summer. 'Storm Rollin’ In' is out July 15 via all good digital retailers and on CD via Bandcamp.

Thursday July 14 @ Smith's Alternative, Canberra (9pm, $10)
Friday July 15 @ Goulburn Club, Goulburn w/ Joe Conroy (7.30pm, $10)
Saturday July 16 @ Gold Dust Lounge, Bendigo (9pm, Free)
Sunday July 17 @ Golden Vine Hotel - 'Ewes, Brews, Stews & Blues, Bendigo (12.30pm, $15).

The clarity between guitar and vocals makes 'Lifeboat' something quite special. I love the power within the song despite the initially understated soundtrack. Cameron's vocals are just right for a song like this and the developing blues feel as the song progresses, is for me, the icing on the cake.


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Georgia Reed - Helen.

Background - ‘Helen’, the intense, dark and immersive new single from Perth’s Georgia Reed tells the story of a young girl spiralling headlong into hopeless despair.

Written from an outsider’s perspective, the song’s lyrics, “I can’t save you tonight” pave the way for its thundering climax, and further showcase her fierce and brooding signature sound introduced in her previous release ‘Waiting For You To Run’.

“It’s a sad song really, she’s drowning and she can’t see it,” says Georgia.

‘Waiting For You To Run’, Georgia’s debut single, saw her receive fervent support and airplay at triple j and triple j Unearthed Radio. Following a hugely successful launch show to a sold out crowd at The Odd Fellow in Fremantle, Georgia went on to grace the stage as support for the likes of Olympia, triple j’s KLP and Stillwater Giants.

Produced by James Newhouse at Reel2Real Studios and Mastered by Grammy Award Winner William Bowden at King Willy Sound (Gotye, Little May, Empire Of The Sun, Children Collide), ‘Helen’ is a story of lost hope, lost control and a young lost soul.

Second time around on Beehive Candy this year for Georgia Reed, this time with the new song 'Helen', which is due for release on the 5th of August 2016. Georgia has wonderfully distinct vocals and she makes full use of her range with this powerful song. The song may be intense and dark in part, but it builds into a storm of emotion, with anthemic dimensions, love it.

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Genre Wander: Giant Head Collective - Emma Cook - Tempesst

Giant Head Collective - This Time I'll Fight.

Background - Giant Head Collective are a group of musicians who have come together to write and perform a unique crossover style of music.  We blend Americana and Rock with a Celtic undertone. Our philosophy is, that no matter what we do, it has to have a strong sense of melody.  

One minute you could close your eyes and think you are in Seattle, and then travelling via the Appalachian Mountains across the Atlantic to Scotland.  If you love to listen to music that takes you on a musical journey, then please check us out. 

Our journey is a long one and we would love your company along the way! Members: Mark Breingan - Guitar, Brian Robinson - Pipes & Mandolin, Colin Rodger - Vocals, Allister Weir - Bass, Scott Dawson - Drums. Bands Website Here.

From the bands latest album 9 Tales (released last month), we feature the song 'This Time I'll Fight'. This is such a fine album comprising of course of nine songs, that the band describe as, a blend of Americana, Seattle Rock and Celtic Rock. The band have clearly worked hard in developing their sound which really does defy categorising, however one things for sure, they create consistently good music, as the album ably demonstrates.

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Emma Cook - Sixteen.

Background bio - Emma Cook knows what it means to struggle. The Toronto indie-folk singer was well on her way to making a name for herself before a falling tree branch caused a serious head injury and forced her to take a hiatus from music to focus on recovery. After a three year battle with Post-Concussive Syndrome, Emma is releasing a two-part EP this summer and fall of 2016. The first installment, Counting Sheep, showcases Emma’s storytelling ability and beautifully expressive voice. Produced by Mitch Girio (Emma-Lee’s Never Just a Dream) and supported by amazing guest musicians Gary Craig (Kathleen Edwards, Jann Arden), Christine Bougie (Justin Rutledge) and Bryden Baird (Feist), the EP leaves us wanting more, so it’s a good thing that the 2nd installment will be available in a few months. The cover of Counting Sheep, in stores now, shows a single tree branch, an ode to the artists ongoing fight to recover from her injuries and the power of music to get us through the hardest of times.

Before her injury, Emma had logged over 100 shows across Canada, the US and the UK and had official showcases at NXNE, CMW & Indie Week. She was a 2008 Toronto Independent Music Awards nominee and received an Ontario Arts Council grant to record her second album “Hit & Run.” Written and co-produced by Emma, both of her albums have garnered fantastic reviews and sought the attention of campus radio, CBC and the Verge on XM Satellite Radio. The Ontario Arts Council again backed the young artist, awarding her an International touring grant which took her from Toronto down to Mississippi and back in Feb and March 2009, with stops at SXSW, and NYC’s famed Bitter End.

In early 2016 Emma began writing songs again. “They just started pouring out of me” she said, “I am channeling all of my loss and frustration, all of the pain and hardship of the last few years.” Emma will be going into the studio to record later this year and hopes to release her third full length album in 2017. Bandcamp page Here.

The EP 'Counting Sheep' opens with the beautiful song 'Sixteen'.  Emma has an infectious voice and pens thoughtful and engaging lyrics. Musically the songs just glide along, in part because of the skilled musicians and also the terrific production. As a foretaste of what might be on her third album, this is a teasingly good collection of songs.

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Tempesst - Broke Down Blues.

Background promo - Far from the poor man blues such title would suggest, Tempesst approach their latest with reckless abandon and full-bodied revelry. Following back-to-back #bangers, ‘Tidal Wave’ and ‘Too Slow’, new single ‘Broke Down Blues’ celebrates the strange euphoria encountered at breaking point, or somewhere thereafter. Down and out, but richer for it.

“It’s an ode of sorts,” explains vocalist Toma Banjanin. “It’s meant to feel more liberated and triumphant than a whining, entitled artist crying about not having any money. It doesn't represent breaking point, it's celebrating what's already broken.” Since ‘breaking’ onto the scene mid–2015, Tempesst have worked their way up the proverbial ladder; hotly tipped, ones-to-watch-listed and publicly adored by the likes of Noisey/VICE, DIY, NME, Drowned In Sound, BBC Radio 6 Music (Lauren Laverne), Radio X (Maz Tappuni, Communion Presents) and triple j.

Fresh from The Great Escape, NME Awards 2016, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City, Bushstock Festival and recent tours with Albert Hammond Jr and Gary Clark Jr, Tempesst announce a new London headline at Moth Club on September 29. It follows two sold out shows (their first ever headlines), the latest of which called on support from Tame Impala’s Jay Watson under his solo moniker GUM.

There is a little bit of swaggering confidence with the song 'Broke Down Blues', and that's understandable as it's got so much going for it. Melody and hooks galore and a chorus line that just takes it all up another level, and a massive feel good factor makes for one very good song.

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Monday Double: Kyle Britton - Gringo Star

Kyle Britton - Riddle.

Background bio - Inspired by the quiet musings of troublesome love and the path to understanding, the emotionally evocative music of indie-folk singer-songwriter, Kyle Britton, epitomises storytelling in its truest fashion. Britton’s distinctive sound combines undeniable dark undertones with roving melodies and atmospheric refrains, offering a unique experience for his listeners.


“Riddle”, the first of two singles, is a song detailing the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows. “Never able to accept love again, every man who she came across from then on was in for a world of pain and heartbreak”, confides Britton. As the song builds, the Belle Epoque-inspired strings render the listener to a melodic montage.

On “Villain”, Britton successfully demonstrates diversity as both a lyricist and performer. The dramatic self-confession, encapsulates its audience through the use of defiance against typical folk arrangements, opening us up to our ‘villainous’ side.

Britton enlisted help from Los Angeles’ most seasoned musicians including Kyle Crane on Drums (Daniel Lanois, Elle King) and renowned violist, Ginny Luke (Rihanna, Dave Matthews Band). Famed engineer, Darryl Swann (Macy Gray), made sure to highlight Britton's warm and natural vocals.

Perhaps it was growing up in a military family which led to Britton's desire for non-conformity and individuality. Britton expressed on his father's influence "I grew up with my dad telling me that if music is not evoking an emotional response it's not doing its job."  The EP is a demonstration of Britton’s continuous hard work towards his childhood dream. His natural dedication has led him from ‘fake-playing’ his 7-year-old rendition of Def Leppard’s ‘Pour some sugar on me’ to creating an EP that actively analyses his decisions in life, whilst convincing us to do the same. Riddle was released July 8th worldwide.

'Riddle' may be a song about (and we quote) "the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows", it's also a very touching and beautiful song, that showcases the musical and vocal talent of Kyle Britton. It's also just one aspect of his songwriting and music on the four track EP, which I have to say is quite exceptional.

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Gringo Star - Heading South.

Background promo - Nevado Music is thrilled to welcome Atlanta, GA psych-rockers Gringo Star to their expanding label roster. Gringo Star will release The Sides And In Between on August 26. Gringo Star’s Nick Furglueles told Pure Volume, “‘Rotten' to me, is about not letting societal standards prevent you from doing or expressing how you want and not waiting till it's too late to do what you love.” He adds, “It's about an establishment designed to keep people in check, and dismantling that establishment.”

Gringo Star are insouciant explorers, tossing the paddles overboard and drifting on the currents of their lackadaisical curiosity across a rippling sonic ocean, out to the far edges of rock & roll. Shots pulsing from a vintage Leslie speaker, their guitars, keys and vocals create the psychoactive ingredients of their echo-slathered, doo-wop-indebted indie gems; psychedelic garage bangers, gritty R&B shuffles and spaghetti western weirdness. Taking cues from Santo & Johnny, The Stooges, Ritchie Valens, Marc Bolan, Percy Faith, Sam Cooke, the men working on the chain gang—uh! ah!—they’re all here, their electric ghosts reaching across time, tapping Gringo Star on the shoulder like the crossroads devil to Robert Johnson, bestowing secrets, passing torches.

If you know a little about brothers Nick and Peter Furgiueles’ roots, it all makes sense. “Our grandad started out in radio in the ’40s and ’50s in Columbus, GA.,” Nick explains. “He was a huge promoter of R&B back when it was still super segregated, and he was playing black music and putting on shows with Little Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers, a lot of Gospel shows. So we grew up hearing all these stories, listening to all this music. Our grandfather was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame posthumously. And my grandma—all her photo albums are like Jackie Wilson shirtless backstage, hanging out.” Not to mention how Nick and Peter used to raid their parents’ record collections, cutting their teeth on the likes of Buddy Holly, The Animals and The Kinks. “Our favorite music comes from the ’50s,” Peter says, “and that music influenced all the ’60s bands we like.”

The band has toured relentlessly across the U.S. and Europe building a diehard underground following while sharing bills with everyone from Cat Power and Feist to The Black Angels and Weezer, and also touring with Wavves, Best Coast, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead and fellow Atlantans The Black Lips.

'Heading South' is but a flavour of Gringo Star. The band have a very distinctive sound that they take in many different directions. One consistent feature is the hooks within their songs, another is the difficulty in placing the band in any particular genre (which is a plus). The album is consistently appealing across all ten tracks and well worth checking out.

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Sunday Four: Canary - David Nyro - The Attics - The By Gods

Canary - Burning Man.

Background promo - Melbourne's Canary have just released their second studio album I Am Lion, to be followed by a three-date album tour.

I Am Lion, self-produced by bassist Isaac Barter & the band as a whole, is "emotionally and thematically heavy". The release was born out of a particularly intense breakup that frontman & songwriter Matthew Kenneally struggled through. Each song is the embodiment of an emotional state that Kenneally lived & breathed at some point during the aftermath of this poignant life event. The breadth of humanity's capability to be bitter & ugly is openly on display, dichotomously captured in deceptively peaceful, refined ways in tracks such as 'Smile' or 'Last Resort'.

In many ways, Kenneally acknowledges that I Am Lion is somewhat of an extension of the themes he previously explored in debut album Dear Universe. And how could it not be? Canary's first LP explored the bass notes of that which makes us human: self-loathing, heartache, frustration. But I Am Lion is underpinned by a more solid musical vision, aided by the ever-present choir lending chops to the record. The vitality that drives even the most dulcet of tracks on I Am Lion forward is a result of the three days Canary spent holed up in Greg Walkers' (Machine Translations) home studio in Gippsland, recording every track live.

'Fickle Heart', the current single from I Am Lion, quickly gathered accolades from sources online including Rolling Stone Australia and cutting edge US blog Indie Shuffle. Also showered with praise from the airwaves, triple j gave 'Fickle Heart' its official radio premiere, Double J called it a "perfect balance of big and brash, and subtle and tuneful moments" and adding it to rotation alongside taste-making Sydney station FBi radio. They've supported acts such as Saskwatch, LANKS, Ainslie Wills & Hein Cooper and are set to embark on their I Am Lion tour with dates in Victoria and New South Wales.
 
Tour Dates:
Fri Aug 12 - World Bar, Sydney, NSW w/ special guests
Fri Aug 26 - The Workers Club, Geelong, VIC w/ special guests
Sat Sept 03 - The Toff In Town, Melbourne, VIC w/ special guests.

'I Am Lion' is a really good album that sees Canary mix their musical styles with the featured song 'Burning Man' demonstrating the softer side of the band. Musically the band are totally capable of exploring and delivering ideas and vocally everything just combines in a beautiful manner. This is an album and band that really do deserve to be heard.

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David Nyro - Happiness.

Background - With the release of “Writer of Wrongs, Singer of Songs,” modern pop’s poignant poet, the soulful singer/songwriter David Nyro, shares six immaculately produced folk pop confections.  A prolific writer whose retro pop has earned him comparisons to Jackson Browne and Don Henley, Nyro (pronounced “nee-ro”) has connected with audiences through his stories of discovery, love, and loss. Nyro’s EP was recorded at legendary Robert Lang Studios (Nirvana, Death Cab for Cutie) and mastered by Grammy winner Tom Coyne (Adele, Beyonce).

With many of today’s music listeners investing in vinyl records after having rediscovered the magical charm and simplicity of 1960s and ’70s pop and rock, the time is now right for David Nyro. Much like the prominent songwriters of decades past, Nyro has recruited some of today’s most talented and reputable singers and musicians to collaborate on his project. Collaborators on Nyro’s newest songs include vocalist Mycle Wastman (The Voice), violinist Andrew Joslyn (Macklemore), drummer Ben Smith (Heart), bassist Garey Shelton (BB King, James Brown), and drummer Jeff Kathan (Paul Rodgers).

'Happiness' is one of six quite delicious songs on 'Writer of Wrongs, Singer of Songs'. David Nyro pens incredibly beautiful music, and collaborates with some very talented individuals, to ensure the final product does justice to the material.

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The Attics - Bluffing.

Background - The Attics release their new single “Bluffing” - a bright yet hazy picture of adventure in their most addictive release to date.

In 2016, a whimsical return to the band’s beginnings sees The Attics once again embracing electronic elements that bring to mind future pop and 80s synth-driven ballads. Guitars jangle over infectious bass hooks while soft programmed electronica sounds and hip-hop style beats are blended into pop music that’s informed by the past, yet forward thinking. This is pop songwriting buried in swirling reverberations begging to be played under flickering disco lights.

Based in the country town of Colac in South-West Victoria, The Attics formed in 2011 dropping a dark and moody indie rock EP based around the minimal electronic music Cameron Wade had been producing on his computer. Since then, the band has tumbled endlessly through change. If one thing has remained a constant, it’s the importance of the melody around which their songs are formed.

Returning to the studio The Attics have once again teamed up with Isaac Barter (Canary, Life Is Better Blonde) to record, mix and master their latest effort. With an EP on the not-too-distant horizon, “Bluffing” points to the future for the band. Swaggering vocal delivery and warm production lend a sense of comfort to the track, that’s otherwise sitting somewhere other-worldly. Sonically a step forward, but surely only the first of many more to come. A string of headline dates will be announced in support of The Attics dreamy new single, “Bluffing”. The live show will hit a bunch of regional centres through Victoria as well as Melbourne and Sydney stop-offs.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for The Attics, who continue to impress in a very big way. This is a musically upbeat song, with vocals and harmonies ensuring the bands distinctive sound. There is also a confidence in the bands performance that suggests they are comfortable with what they are doing, even when that includes testing out alternative ideas.

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The By Gods - Where Do You Come From.

Background - If it feels like Nashville’s The By Gods are trying to drill through your skull to plant their hook-laden songs in your grey matter, that’s precisely the point. Squalls of feedback interrupting repetitive chords signaling the return to a chorus, it’s what we’ve come to recognize as the formula; a recipe for loud/quiet/loud. On their latest outing, Phone Calls, The By Gods have bucked such formulae by purposely pushing the repetition.

The By Gods, composed of Tye Hammonds and husband and wife duo, Natalie and George Pauley, sound at times to meld into a single organism. This is certainly the result of their skills being honed by a steady touring regimen. Tightening the screws an extra turn on an already tight unit seems to have allowed the band to loosen up; favoring mid-tempo chugging to a frantic burnout.

Despite the vibrance of the music there’s a vein of anger masked behind the songs’ hooks, like a polite smile to accompany a middle finger. The chorus of the title track “Phone Calls” - “Please pick up my phone calls… Please pick up my phone calls.” invokes the image of a phone ringing in another room, like an itch you can’t scratch, as the song gradually builds into a fury. The song “Good Lie” wraps a bitter pill in a sweet melody as it serves up an admonishment of the age-old annoyance of the “humble brag”, a phenomena that has only worsened with the advent of the ability to curate, via social media, how others see your life.

Phone Calls is the third release in as many years from the Nashville-based band and the second as a trio. The EP manages to capture the urgency of their live show as expertly recorded by Mike Purcell (Lees Of Memory, Tom Pappas Collection, Hurts To Laugh) at County Q in Nashville.

'Where Do You Come From' is the first of four songs on the 'Phone Calls' EP. The trio pound out the guitar and vocal hooks, with bass and drums powering the message home. It's good old raw, no nonsense rock music, delivered with passion and feeling.

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Helen Henderson - London (Album)

Helen Henderson - Windows Of Gold.

Background promo - Kiwi born L.A. based singer/songwriter Helen Henderson is pleased to announce the release of London – a collection of beautifully crafted, honest folk/rock offerings penned and recorded in London in the 70’s, capturing the special time and energy of a bygone era.

 Arriving in London as a young woman with just fifty pounds in her pocket and relying on the kindness of ex-pat NZ friends, Henderson was introduced to Nigel Grainge who signed her to Ensign Records – home to The Boomtown Rats, The Water Boys and Sinead O’Connor.

With the help of some of London’s top session musicians, Henderson recorded a selection of songs at Advision Studios, the home of many a hit record. These tracks captured the attention of Geffen Records in Los Angeles. The only artist signed to Geffen’s new label at that time was John Lennon. Henderson flew to LA in November 1980 to meet with Geffen, only to be stalled and deeply shocked by the death of John Lennon on December 8th.

Henderson recalls, “Rock and roll suffered a huge blow. Nothing would ever be the same. My world turned upside down. As the dust settled I put down roots in LA.” Henderson rewrote ‘River’ and ‘Chameleon Woman’ in LA and rerecorded them plus ‘Anyone’s Baby’ at Phantom Vox Studios in Hollywood with such esteemed LA musicians as friend and guitarist Doug Pettibone. “It was challenging but gratifying to revisit the songs here in LA and breathe new life into them”, says Henderson. The songs on London have a pure, uncontrived quality and conjure the likes of Sandy Denny, Sharon O’Neill and Chrissie Hynde.

London is now available for purchase on CD Baby and all good digital outlets. Physical copies are available from Bandcamp.

'Windows Of Gold' is the second of ten songs on the London album. This is a fine collection of songs, with plenty of emphasis on rock. There are three gentler folk ballads, whilst the majority of songs certainly test rock music's borders from blues orientated rock'n'roll, through to country rock. Helen Henderson delivers the vocals with real quality, above a very high class soundtrack. Despite originally being written in the 1970's there is a consistent freshness and quite timeless feel across the collection.

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