Old Man River - Trust

YOURZ

Phew, after the hard-as rush of Mastodon yesterday, Old Man River is like stepping outside a packed, hot, sweaty venue into the air of a cool summer evening. 

Yet another associate of one of our favourites, Luke Steele, Old Man River is the stage and band name for Ohad Rein, a Sydney-based musician who first came to our attention through his association with Nations By The River, who we've previously reviewed here. 

Crossing the line between pop and alt-country, Old Man River aren't trying to rewrite the popular music songbook.  Instead, they're bringing a sensitivity and timelessness to what is often times a tired genre.  It helps that Rein has a effortlessly pleasing voice and the ability to write tracks that stick in this listener's head for days. 

And thanks to some quick thinking by Mine, it looks as though we'll be seeing him live later in the month.  What a lovely way to start what looks to be a very busy few months for us on the live music front. (Mine says: always the way in the southern hemisphere summer, but who's complaining? Gorillaz here we come!!!)

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Another in our seemingly-endless selection of "beautiful music" - which has prompted me to create a playlist for the iPod.  Sleepy Jackson, M Ward, Nations By The River, Elliot Smith, Martin Craft - who else?  I could go for days just listening to one gorgeous, dreamy pop song after another.  My life would float by in a haze of roses and light.  Soma for the ears.

I wonder how long I'd last before the need for some serious dirty rock emerged.  And will this output sometime in the future make its way on to a "beautiful music" radio station?  Does this mean I'm listening to the equivalent of Simon and Garfunkel?  (YourZ sez: no, this is better in so many ways)  Do I know what I'm talking about?

Whatever I mean, I'm glad we have this CD.  Long live dreamy pop.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://trustomr.com/

Nations By The River - Holes In The Valley

YOURZ

Reportedly formed in a carpark while waiting to see if some lost car keys could be found, Nations By The River combines some of the best independent Australian talent and some of our personal favourite artists, including Luke Steele of Sleepy Jackson and Empire Of The Sun and who now tops the mentions in this blog for any Australian artist, the Kahn brothers from Gelbison and Ohad Rein from Old Man River. Various guests also make appearances, including another personal favourite, Sarah Blasko.

We saw Nations when they supported Gomez a few years ago.  They started their set as wandering minstrels, walking out onto the floor of the Metro Theatre, singing and playing to the stunned punters.  The ensuing set won both Mine and YourZ (truly) over very quickly.  That we got to see them with our favourite English lads only made the gig all the more memorable.

Holes In The Valley was recorded very quickly, over three days, during breaks from busy touring schedules.  But this only adds to the charm and, if anything, the lack of production pretence suits this set of stripped back songs, instead giving it something more akin to a folk record of bygone years.  But this is not pastiche.  This is a celebration of great song writing and is a truly joyous record to hear.

While the careers of the various players have taken twists and turns, Holes In The Valley will always remain a testament to a friendship forged in a common love of pop music.  I just hope the friendship continues in the future.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

So this band came into our collection, as YourZ says, because we saw them supporting Gomez a few years ago.  This is a major departure for me and I do have to thank my husband for it.  You see, in my previous band-watching career, I've rarely arrived to see the support act, usually only making the effort if I knew and liked them.

But YourZ has made me realise, if I like the headline band enough to see them, chances are I'll enjoy the band they've chosen to support them.  And if they're less than impressive, well, the bar's not far away!

I guess this is the last of Luke Steele - given that we've done The Sleepy Jackson and Empire of the Sun... is that it?  Makes me a little sad.  I wonder what he'll do next.  But anyhow, this glorious sound is one I can heartily recommend to anyone who likes their harmonies close, their melodies sweet and uplifting, and a sound that approaches the symphonic. 

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nations_by_the_River

Little Birdy - Big Big Love

YOURZ

Prior to writing this review, I hadn't listened to Big Big Love for ages.

I don't know why, I just hadn't, 'kay?

Katy Steele is the lead singer, guitarist and main song writer.  Her pedigree is without doubt.  She is the daughter of Aussie blues legend, Rick Steele and the sister of Luke, from Empire Of The Sun and The Sleepy Jackson and whose talent we've discussed numerous times on this blog.  And this album is a cracker.

The same pop sensibilities exist in Katy's writing as in her elder brother's tracks but where Luke has exploited the inner-kookiness while Katy keeps these melodic affectations to a minimum.  Yet the heritage is apparent.  Come On Little Heartbreaker could have been straight out of the same songbook as he used for Sleepy Jackson's Lovers.  First single Relapse still jumps out of the speakers.  And closer, Andy Warhol, is suitably wigged-out.  I imagine live, this song would really rock out.

So there is plenty of reason for me to say I should have listened to this album more often.  So I will.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Some time ago, before this blog existed, I was driving home from work and happened to hear Little Birdy being played on the commercial radio station that used to employ me.  I came bursting in and asked YourZ if he'd heard of them... always a silly move, as he generally also knows who does their dry-cleaning and what the name of their first pet was.

Of course he knew that the lead singer was Luke's sister Katy - oh *snort* good thing her parents didn't name her Leia, right? - and therefore was from Perth and he probably told me what label the band was on and how long they'd been together and what brand of toothpaste they used, but frankly after a while it's all white noise to me.  Anyway, I determined I'd purchase the album immediately, and then forgot about it for a while. (YourZ sez: I'm really not as bad as she makes out, folks...)

When YourZ (as usual) finally did buy it, I was delighted.  And now I'm annoyed, because I really do love it.  I'll admit some purists may find Katy's voice a little on the less-mature side (she's got a touch of helium in those sweet, sweet tones) but her songwriting credentials are just as impressive as her brother's.  So this album's got to move up into higher rotation.  OK?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information go to: http://www.littlebirdy.net

Gelbison - See The World

YOURZ

Gelbison, named after a mountain in Italy (or so I'm led to believe) were a Sydney-based band who released two well-received albums before calling it a day.  In reality, the name was only ever a vehicle for songwriting brothers Edo and Nadav Kahn, who now front a band called, appropriately, Kahn Brothers.

Mine and YourZ (truly) came to Gelbison in a roundabout fashion, having first heard of the brothers through their involvement in a band we've yet to review here, Nations By The River.  This band also features Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson (and yesterday's Empire Of The Sun) and Sarah Blasko, who we've reviewed here and here.  The album was produced by Ian Ball, of Gomez, one of our very favourite bands and who we've also reviewed here.  So, really, there wasn't much doubt we were going to love this album.  But this doesn't account for the fact it has languished in our collection, forgotten for so long.

See The World is an absolute listening pleasure and not only includes appearances by the aforementioned Australian indie luminaries, but also from Ben Lee and Ohad Rein (Old Man River) among others.  There are definite overtones of Ball's day band, but this similarity is more due to the strength of the song writing and the smart production.  Instead of singling out any particular songs, I'm just gonna simply say listen to this record.  It is truly a Forgotten Gem.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Oh, I have to agree... and then I don't.  You see, while the songwriting is terrific - love the jangly guitar-pop - and the arrangement and production only serve to highlight how truly beautiful the songs are, that can't be said for the singing.  Not on all the songs, I hasten to add, but on most of them.  That lead vocal has the whiny slacker/stoner indie-band inflection I just can't stand.  And it's not that Edo Kahn can't sing, I can hear him actually singing in parts, it's that he chooses to barely push the notes out in a monotone during the verses and then suddenly remembers how to sing in the choruses.

I loved this album.  And I hated listening to it.  I'm confused. 

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/gelbison

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

MINE

The magic of Luke Steele once again, this time paired with Nick Littlemore from P'Nau.  I can't be objective about this album, as it's been on my gymPod since we first got it - days after it came out, I think.  The only problem with Walking on a Dream is that I don't really know the names of any of the songs, so I've had to do a quick run-through with the Amazon sampler to identify my favourites.  And I don't have any.  Song follows song, and each is as individually beautiful and fantastically produced as the next.

I can say that Country sounds like the theme from Twin Peaks - Swordfish Hotkiss Theme is just cool bouncy dance - and Without You always makes me close my eyes.  Dangerous while driving.  Which is strange because the opening two songs, Standing on the Shore and Walking on a Dream are possibly two of the best-ever driving songs I've heard.  Makes me want to take to the country on a warm summer's day with the windows down and not another car in sight.

But for anyone who loves really well-put-together pop music, BUY THIS ALBUM.  There you go, Luke, did I do well?  Well enough that you'll come and play music at our place some time?  Ah, go on....

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

I like Luke Steele.  I like that he consistently remains unpredictable and interesting.  When I first heard he was joining up with Nick Littlemore, of dance duo P'nau, it really made me wonder what the results might be.  Thankfully, they're suprisingly good.

Walking On A Dream straddles the past and the future beautifully, without giving in to either.  There are tracks on here that could easily have sat at the top of the charts in the mid-80s and tracks that sound so now, you can almost taste their freshness.  There are overtones of Steele's other band, The Sleepy Jackson, as well as Littlemore influences as well.  Given the disparate sounds both employ, this set is surprisingly coherent and cohesive.

I can't help but think of Bowie when I listen to this, such is its inventivness, from the pop beauty of We Are The People, the surreal repetitiousness of Swordfish Hotkiss Night and the bouncing energy of Half Mast.  Only time will tell if Steele's output has the same influence as Bowie's has done, but so far, it's looking very good.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.walkingonadream.com/

The Sleepy Jackson - Lovers

YOURZ

I can't remember the first time I heard The Sleepy Jackson, but this album, in particular, has been one of those I go back to time and again.  It is, quite simply, superb.  It's also a testament to Luke Steele and his multi-faceted talents.  As you're about to read, Mine feels exactly the same way about him as I do.

The Sleepy Jackson are another of those bands that not only provide me an emotional attachment to their music but also inspire me to be creative as well.  The frustrating thing is that I'm often listening to this at times and places where I can't just run away and lock myself in my little studio.  I mean, I do have to spend some time socially interacting otherwise I'd be accused of being a recluse.  And I'm just too young and good-looking to wear such a tag.

As a debut album, Lovers stylistic range is a wide as as this great island we call home. There's a little bit of just about everything in it, showcasing Steele's quixotic musical nature, from the alt-country stylings of Old Dirt Farmer through to the indie dance of Tell The Girls.  More tellingly, Lovers sounds particularly Australian without resorting to clichéd devices or using a didgeridoo, while also sounding positively international. I believe in years to come, this album will be hailed as one of the greatest documents of its time.

If you've not heard any Sleepy Jackson before, don't waste any more time reading this.  Click here or here and see for yourself.  I will say it again: it is superb and you won't be disappointed.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

I love Luke Steele and I don't care who knows it.  I previously mentioned his side project Nations by the River in our Gomez review, and I'm hopeful the pointy stick will land on Empire of the Sun sooner or later.  To quote Ben Lee: They play Sleepy Jackson on the radio/ And that's the way I like it.

Luke is another one of those frighteningly-talented musicians (YourZ sez: the only thing frightening about Luke Steel is his penchant for makeup) who can just roll out pop song after pop song, and it makes me so glad he's an Aussie - though he does hail from West Australia, which is like another country to me.  No, REALLY like another country.  OK, how about I put it this way: Perth (the capital of WA) is more than 3,300 kilometres away from Sydney, where I live.  It would take me five to six hours to fly there.  That's less than LA to New York, but still... there's a whole lot of NOTHING in between, unlike the USA, which is supposedly filled with shopping malls and obesity (how they manage to fit all those people in when they're getting fatter every year is beyond me).  The last time I visited Perth I was five years old, and arrived by ship from Singapore.  The only story I know about my time there is that I managed to give my parents the slip and wandered off hand in hand with a nice lady I picked up, chatting freely.  How little we change...

But I digress.  Lovers is a great album, moving from pure pop to alt-country, with nods to the Beatles and the Velvet Underground.  Luke's voice in this incarnation reminds me of the softer songs produced by seminal punks the Saints (from across the other side of Oz) and his voice is a little reminiscent of their lead singer, Chris Bailey. This CD is dangerous to play in the car, as one track makes me want to lie back and close my eyes, not recommended on the freeway.  And I love how the final song - Mourning Rain - ends with the sound of rain.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://thesleepyjackson.com/

In our collection, we also have Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird

Gomez - In Our Gun

YOURZ


There is a great anonymous quote that goes "music is what feelings sound like."  But I think there is more to it.

Some music is great to listen to and admire.  It gives the listener an emotional snapshot of the writer's feelings at the time.  Some music stirs up the creativity in listener, filling them up until they have to create too.  Some music does both.

For me, Gomez is one such band.  I've seen them live more than any other single band in my life.  In fact, it is almost weird not to see them at least once a year.  Their gigs are always brilliant not only because of the show they put on but because of their fans as they really attract the nicest people (even if I do say so myself).

In Our Gun, more than any other album of theirs, is the one I go back to time and again.  It is nearly perfect (and I love its imperfections too).

Mine and YourZ (truly) were talking recently, playing hypotheticals.  This one was 'if you could be in any band from any time, what band would you be in?'  I unhesitatingly said Gomez before I even thought about it.

Do I really need to say any more?  I'll let Mine do the gushing this time.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

How do I love thee, Gomez?  Let me count the ways.

I love that this is a band I actually introduced YourZ to, though I only had a home made copy of Liquid Skin (on MiniDisc, remember that?) after I'd borrowed it from a friend.

I love that it really doesn't matter which of your albums we put on, we have a groove going right away. Although this one is a corker, no doubt about that, including Shot Shot and Ping One Down (always a crowd favourite at the gigs).

I love that your best-ofs are real party starters, especially Get Myself Arrested.  (Got some friends in a BMW...)

I love that your gigs always feel like it's great party we've wandered into because the crowd is just another bunch of mixed-age mixed-background hipsters out to have some fun.

I love that you always have truly excellent backing acts supporting you, which prompt us to go out and buy their music - most notably Nations By The River featuring the sublime Luke Steele (of whom more, later). That was that great gig I managed to score record company tickets to because I'd forgotten to buy real ones and you were sold out and I was working at the radio station and the programming department was right next to the newsroom and they told me they could help me out...  saved my ass that time and no mistake.

But most of all I just love your music.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information:http://www.gomeztheband.com/

In our collection, we also have: Bring It On, Liquid Skin, Out West, Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline, How We Operate, Split The Difference, A New Tide and Five Men In A Hut (I guess you could say we like them, huh?)