Last Sunday I saw a divine (relatively) new country band at the Botany View Hotel in Newtown, Sydney. The Torchsong Country Soul Band are a six-piece outfit - five men and one lovely girl singer, Maree Byrne - and they are doing a very nice line in country, bluegrass, blues and folk. It's clear that this is a 'musician's band'. All players were accomplished and obviously serious about what they do. It showed in the quality of their music, which was better than most acts I've seen at Tamworth or, for that matter, at the Botany View. They're not playing many gigs at the moment - hopefully they'll get a guernsey at next year's Tamworth Festival - but it would be so worth your time to check them out.
torchsong.moonfruit.com
Or on Myspace
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Chambers-Nicholson roadshow at Penrith Panthers
I don't live anywhere near Penrith Panthers, but I was prepared to take the trip in order to see Kasey Chambers play with her husband, Shane Nicholson, and father, Bill Chambers, on Saturday 14 June. It was so very, very worth it - starting with the fact that I'd somehow ended up with front-row seats!
Shane and Bill opened the evening as a duo, alternating the lead role - Shane sang one of his songs, Bill did one of his own, and so on. My band buddy loved Bill; I preferred Shane's stuff. But the band buddy is a folkie - she appreciated Bill's grizzled ol' troubadour style.
After a short break they reappeared with Kasey, who was recovering from a cold but singing beautifully regardless. It was a real treat to have an all-acoustic show featuring Bill's array of stringed and steeled instruments as well as Kasey's trusty guitar - the beauty of Kasey's songwriting was exposed. I've long felt that Kasey is one of Australia's greatest songwriters; the test of a good song is usually when it's played in a stripped-down fashion, and her songs were all revealed as very good indeed.
Kasey likes to chat between songs, and she is endearing and funny and warm. At one stage she made a remark about how her voice must be very hard to put up with for audience members who'd been dragged along to the show. It didn't seem like a disingenuous remark - she obviously knows that some people don't like her voice (I know a few) and is at ease enough with herself to not care. What was most interesting about the show - for me, at least - was how the lack of instrumental adornment allowed her to really push that voice and showcase its range. Her voice is fundamentally a very powerful instrument with beautiful timbre, propelled by a mighty set of lungs.
The absolute highlight of the show was an impromptu version of 'Paper Aeroplane' (from Wayward Angel). The recorded version of the song features only Kasey and a guitar. On this night Kasey announced that they'd found a piano backstage, which meant she could perform the song in its original form - something she doesn't often get to do. Shane played the piano; Kasey stood, so still and without her guitar, and sang. The song tells the story of an elderly man whose wife of 62 years has died; the lyrics alone are enough to touch any listener. But it wouldn't have mattered what Kasey was singing about - I've rarely seen anyone sing so directly from the heart, and the notes that welled up from her seemed to have every single person in the audience in tears. Just a girl and piano, but what an extraordinary musical event.
Other high points were a song performed by the Dead Ringer Band - Kasey's mum and brother, Nash, appeared as Shane exited stage left - and the opportunity for the audience to request tracks from Rattlin' Bones, and actually have the requests played. But I was one of the successful requesters (asking for 'Wildflower') so maybe it was only a highlight for me ...
Kasey said that the Sydney State Theatre show in August will be half acoustic and half a band show - if it's half as good as the Panthers show, it will be an amazing night.
Shane and Bill opened the evening as a duo, alternating the lead role - Shane sang one of his songs, Bill did one of his own, and so on. My band buddy loved Bill; I preferred Shane's stuff. But the band buddy is a folkie - she appreciated Bill's grizzled ol' troubadour style.
After a short break they reappeared with Kasey, who was recovering from a cold but singing beautifully regardless. It was a real treat to have an all-acoustic show featuring Bill's array of stringed and steeled instruments as well as Kasey's trusty guitar - the beauty of Kasey's songwriting was exposed. I've long felt that Kasey is one of Australia's greatest songwriters; the test of a good song is usually when it's played in a stripped-down fashion, and her songs were all revealed as very good indeed.
Kasey likes to chat between songs, and she is endearing and funny and warm. At one stage she made a remark about how her voice must be very hard to put up with for audience members who'd been dragged along to the show. It didn't seem like a disingenuous remark - she obviously knows that some people don't like her voice (I know a few) and is at ease enough with herself to not care. What was most interesting about the show - for me, at least - was how the lack of instrumental adornment allowed her to really push that voice and showcase its range. Her voice is fundamentally a very powerful instrument with beautiful timbre, propelled by a mighty set of lungs.
The absolute highlight of the show was an impromptu version of 'Paper Aeroplane' (from Wayward Angel). The recorded version of the song features only Kasey and a guitar. On this night Kasey announced that they'd found a piano backstage, which meant she could perform the song in its original form - something she doesn't often get to do. Shane played the piano; Kasey stood, so still and without her guitar, and sang. The song tells the story of an elderly man whose wife of 62 years has died; the lyrics alone are enough to touch any listener. But it wouldn't have mattered what Kasey was singing about - I've rarely seen anyone sing so directly from the heart, and the notes that welled up from her seemed to have every single person in the audience in tears. Just a girl and piano, but what an extraordinary musical event.
Other high points were a song performed by the Dead Ringer Band - Kasey's mum and brother, Nash, appeared as Shane exited stage left - and the opportunity for the audience to request tracks from Rattlin' Bones, and actually have the requests played. But I was one of the successful requesters (asking for 'Wildflower') so maybe it was only a highlight for me ...
Kasey said that the Sydney State Theatre show in August will be half acoustic and half a band show - if it's half as good as the Panthers show, it will be an amazing night.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Kasey and Shane: there aren't enough words
I've been slack on the posting front, mainly due to the fact that I spent the month of May just working working working. I missed the Orphanage sessions for the month, and I'll miss this month's too. But I have been in raptures since I took delivery of my signed copy of Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson's Rattlin' Bones. This is one hell of an album and it just gets better and better with each listening. Kasey and Shane's voices sound like they were made for each other, although I imagine they get a lot of chances to practise their harmonies!
The balance of tracks - rough and smooth, sad and happy, rip roaring and mellow - is just right. It's hard to think of a way they could improve on it, really. Even better, they're hitting the road and I've got my ticket to the Penrith Panthers show ...
Now, can EMI explain why Shane's solo CDs are no longer available in this country? Anyone who wants them has to order them from Amazon.
www.kaseyandshane.com
The balance of tracks - rough and smooth, sad and happy, rip roaring and mellow - is just right. It's hard to think of a way they could improve on it, really. Even better, they're hitting the road and I've got my ticket to the Penrith Panthers show ...
Now, can EMI explain why Shane's solo CDs are no longer available in this country? Anyone who wants them has to order them from Amazon.
www.kaseyandshane.com
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bits and pieces: Dan Sultan, Tift Merritt, Nina Gordon
I’ve been slow to pick up on the many talents of Melburnian Dan Sultan (www.dansultan.com) but ever since I first heard the first song – ‘Your Love is Like a Song’ - of his first album (Homemade Biscuits) I’ve been hooked. This is one of the best songs of all time, from Sultan’s gorgeous, rough-edged, expressive vocals to the musical arrangement backing him up. The act that is ‘Dan Sultan’ appears to be a combined effort of Sultan himself and collaborator Scott Wilson; the band behind them contains horns and seems capable of playing country, rock and soul – thankfully, not all in the same song. Homemade Biscuits isn’t perfect but I’d dare suggest it’s iconic, for it marks the start of what is surely a long, illustrious career from a very talented singer-songwriter.
American Tift Merritt (www.tiftmerritt.com) has followed up her 2004 country album, Tambourine, with the more eclectic – and, for this listener, more beautiful – Another Country. Written largely on a piano while Merritt lived in Paris, this album is quite a different journey to Tambourine but it’s worth taking it. Expect to have the CD on high rotation after about five listens.
Nina Gordon (www.ninagordon.com) isn’t strictly country but she had two kind-of-country tracks on her 2000 release, Tonight and the Rest of Your Life. So I’m using that long bow to mention her latest effort, Bleeding Heart Graffiti. Okay, it’s pop. It’s pop rock, even. There’s no country music on it. But she does pop rock so well – and producer Bob Rock does such a good job bringing her pop rock to its fullest potential – that I can’t resist anything she does, and after the long wait between albums I was delighted to find that this one was even better than the last, and I’ve barely been able to stop listening to it. If you love great melodies, unthreatening but comforting lyrics and a completely satisfying, air-punching kind of CD, get it now.
American Tift Merritt (www.tiftmerritt.com) has followed up her 2004 country album, Tambourine, with the more eclectic – and, for this listener, more beautiful – Another Country. Written largely on a piano while Merritt lived in Paris, this album is quite a different journey to Tambourine but it’s worth taking it. Expect to have the CD on high rotation after about five listens.
Nina Gordon (www.ninagordon.com) isn’t strictly country but she had two kind-of-country tracks on her 2000 release, Tonight and the Rest of Your Life. So I’m using that long bow to mention her latest effort, Bleeding Heart Graffiti. Okay, it’s pop. It’s pop rock, even. There’s no country music on it. But she does pop rock so well – and producer Bob Rock does such a good job bringing her pop rock to its fullest potential – that I can’t resist anything she does, and after the long wait between albums I was delighted to find that this one was even better than the last, and I’ve barely been able to stop listening to it. If you love great melodies, unthreatening but comforting lyrics and a completely satisfying, air-punching kind of CD, get it now.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Orphans: Coming into the light
No matter how many – or how few – gigs you see in a life, very few of them will move you to tears. At The Orphans’ show in Parramatta last Saturday night, the 22nd of March, I cried twice, in two different songs. Both songs were about grief, so there was a natural sniffle-inducing narrative framework, but that wasn’t the reason – it was the way the songs were played and sung.
I often think it’s the test of a songwriter’s mettle to have songs played acoustically – there’s really nowhere to hide when it’s just a guitar and a voice. On that measure, Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne of The Orphans have plenty to be proud of. These are simple songs – there are no fancy time signatures or key changes. Perhaps both songwriters know that it’s best to leave strong emotions and words unadorned, so the listener can appreciate them better. It certainly worked for me and everyone else in the audience.
At the first show for the Orphanage Sessions, in February, The Orphans were joined by pedal steel virtuoso Mike Kirkley. Clearly they’d all been rehearsing together since, for Kirkley was a seamless addition to the set for this show and really enhanced the whole experience. Ultimately, though, what made this show special was the band’s connection to their songs and to the audience. The setting made that possible – the space at the Mars Hills Café is ideal for an acoustic gig – but it also seemed as though the band members wanted to sing straight to their audience, and that meant we were all involved in making it a good show.
At one point in the night Nick said that The Orphans have paid their dues in dingy pubs across Sydney, playing to one drunk old man in the back bar or something like that. Now that they have a better venue they also deserve a bigger audience, so make sure you get along to the next show in the Orphanage Sessions (these shows are a great initiative on the part of the band and the venue). As my band buddy said on the night, ‘I don’t like many country gigs, but I REALLY liked that one.’
The Orphanage Sessions are on for the next handful of months. Details at
http://www.theorphans.com.au/theorphanage/default.aspx
or
http://www.myspace.com/theorphansau
I often think it’s the test of a songwriter’s mettle to have songs played acoustically – there’s really nowhere to hide when it’s just a guitar and a voice. On that measure, Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne of The Orphans have plenty to be proud of. These are simple songs – there are no fancy time signatures or key changes. Perhaps both songwriters know that it’s best to leave strong emotions and words unadorned, so the listener can appreciate them better. It certainly worked for me and everyone else in the audience.
At the first show for the Orphanage Sessions, in February, The Orphans were joined by pedal steel virtuoso Mike Kirkley. Clearly they’d all been rehearsing together since, for Kirkley was a seamless addition to the set for this show and really enhanced the whole experience. Ultimately, though, what made this show special was the band’s connection to their songs and to the audience. The setting made that possible – the space at the Mars Hills Café is ideal for an acoustic gig – but it also seemed as though the band members wanted to sing straight to their audience, and that meant we were all involved in making it a good show.
At one point in the night Nick said that The Orphans have paid their dues in dingy pubs across Sydney, playing to one drunk old man in the back bar or something like that. Now that they have a better venue they also deserve a bigger audience, so make sure you get along to the next show in the Orphanage Sessions (these shows are a great initiative on the part of the band and the venue). As my band buddy said on the night, ‘I don’t like many country gigs, but I REALLY liked that one.’
The Orphanage Sessions are on for the next handful of months. Details at
http://www.theorphans.com.au/theorphanage/default.aspx
or
http://www.myspace.com/theorphansau
Friday, February 29, 2008
Caitlin Harnett at the Orphanage
The Orphanage Sessions kicked off on Saturday 23 February with a simply stunning set by Caitlin Harnett. Caitlin is 17 years old and hails from Richmond, on the northern outskirts of Sydney. It is worth mentioning her age only because it's almost impossible to believe that she hasn't been alive longer than that - her songwriting and live skills would put many older singer-songwriters to shame.
Caitlin's set was a mixture of original songs - several of which can be heard on her website and MySpace page - and nicely chosen covers; there was a gorgeous version of Patty Griffin's 'Oh Heavenly Day'. She's a quietly confident performer - not showy, but already relaxed enough to get the audience laughing when she chats in between songs. She's a star in the making, of the Kasey Chambers order.
The venue - upstairs at the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta - was an excellent setting for the songs: cosy, with tables and chairs and couches, coffee and food at hand and no real time pressures. Caitlin's set came first and then The Orphans got up. Although I couldn't stay for much of their set, I saw enough to know I'll definitely hang around for the rest of it next time.
Caitlin's set was a mixture of original songs - several of which can be heard on her website and MySpace page - and nicely chosen covers; there was a gorgeous version of Patty Griffin's 'Oh Heavenly Day'. She's a quietly confident performer - not showy, but already relaxed enough to get the audience laughing when she chats in between songs. She's a star in the making, of the Kasey Chambers order.
The venue - upstairs at the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta - was an excellent setting for the songs: cosy, with tables and chairs and couches, coffee and food at hand and no real time pressures. Caitlin's set came first and then The Orphans got up. Although I couldn't stay for much of their set, I saw enough to know I'll definitely hang around for the rest of it next time.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Madviolet: not really country, but country enough
A few weeks ago I attended a cosy little gig at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Folk Club. The drawcard was Madviolet, a duo from the Maritime Provinces of Canada who have produced two albums (Worry the Jury and Caravan) of folk-type music with a chaser of country. Lisa MacIsaac plays fiddle and acoustic guitar, Brenley MacEachern sticks to the guitar, and both sing. And oh what a treat it was - so much so that I bought both their albums and drove to Canberra to see them last weekend, converting two friends in the process (they swooned at the live performance, then bought CDs).
Madviolet have been touring Australia since the new year, playing at the odd festival. For some reason Hornsby was their only Sydney gig, and that's a shame for Sydneysiders, because those who weren't there missed out on delicate, beautifully balanced playing, good on-stage repartee, wonderful musicianship and joy. These two gals clearly love what they do. I can't even really describe how their sound works, because they can play their instruments so gently that it sounds like the guitars are whispering, yet Lisa really gets stuck into the fiddle in an old-fashioned Cape Breton shindig way. They're also no slouches in the singing department - their harmonies work a treat, and they have lovely clear, strong voices.
So if you're in Melbourne or the south coast of NSW in the next week or so, go and see them. If you're in the Blue Mountains, they're doing a little house concert this Thursday, the 21st of February. If you're not able to see them this time around, cross your fingers for a return visit. I don't know why they didn't play at Tamworth, since they were in the country at the time, but they should be invited for next year. Please!
http://www.myspace.com/madvioletmusic
Madviolet have been touring Australia since the new year, playing at the odd festival. For some reason Hornsby was their only Sydney gig, and that's a shame for Sydneysiders, because those who weren't there missed out on delicate, beautifully balanced playing, good on-stage repartee, wonderful musicianship and joy. These two gals clearly love what they do. I can't even really describe how their sound works, because they can play their instruments so gently that it sounds like the guitars are whispering, yet Lisa really gets stuck into the fiddle in an old-fashioned Cape Breton shindig way. They're also no slouches in the singing department - their harmonies work a treat, and they have lovely clear, strong voices.
So if you're in Melbourne or the south coast of NSW in the next week or so, go and see them. If you're in the Blue Mountains, they're doing a little house concert this Thursday, the 21st of February. If you're not able to see them this time around, cross your fingers for a return visit. I don't know why they didn't play at Tamworth, since they were in the country at the time, but they should be invited for next year. Please!
http://www.myspace.com/madvioletmusic
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