The Waifs, Mama Kin, The Gov, 15/3/2011

Australia somehow has a penchant for producing bands that create album after album off their own backs, tirelessly working independently and touring many miles to play shows in front of people that tend to come back time after time to witness their performances. The Waifs most certainly fall into this category, and it was clearly evident in the near capacity crowd at The Gov this evening. Many were keen to catch a glimpse of this Western Australian trio playing songs that marked a moment in their life, songs that meant something to the fabric of their being, and songs that have made the band an influential force in Australian independent roots music for many years. Yet, after this week’s entrance into the ARIA album charts at #3 with new LP 'Temptation', it is clear The Waifs still have the attention of the listening public with every new album they produce, with so many stories and observations still to be conveyed. However, they were almost upstaged by a brilliant opening set from someone very close to their traps.

Daniella Caruana, more famously known under her stage name Mama Kin, warmed the crowd up brilliantly, providing everything you could want to see in an opening set. Caruana, who works under the same independent label as The Waifs, never quite outperformed the headline act, yet put on a show that had many dancing and others in the mood for an enjoyable night ahead. Accompanied only by her brother Michael on keys and percussion and another member known only as George taking the limelight on the sticks, the sound that was released in this 45 minute opening could be described as nothing more than pulsating. It seemed like there were bass lines almost appearing out of thin air, with Mama Kin’s brand of piano-based swampy roots-rock becoming even more emotive in a live setting. Caruana also showed her witty sense of humour, aiming on numerous occasions to rouse the crowd still hovering around the bar, before eventually succumbing to the fact “they’ll never listen, will they?” She flails around the stage like a goddess on tracks like 'To My Table' and 'Whistle and a Light', then takes things down a notch on 'Tore My Heart Out' and 'Beat and Holler'. The latter provided an inducing singalong with the audience, who were at first mildly apprehensive but slowly gained their voice and lived up to Adelaide’s potential of being the most participatory fans, according to Caruana. Closing off on 'I’m Gonna Do It', Mama Kin easily proved she is not just living in the shadow of famous husband John Butler, but is a true all-round entertainer and will be around for many years to come.

After a short interval and some indifferent microphone testing techniques from one particular roadie, The Waifs arrived and kicked straight into gear with new tracks 'I Learn The Hard Way' and 'Buffalo', which went down well with the now fully attentive crowd. The highlight of the night for mine came in 'London Still', a song which represents a period of singer Donna Simpson’s life that so many regular people can now relate to. The sense of longing - not only in the lyrics but also the tempo and wailing guitar solos – throughout the track is a reference point for a great period in Australian acoustic music, when artists like Butler, Alex Lloyd and Sarah Blasko were beginning to create a brooding and authentic scene through lush production elements and an amazing sense of place and time. In a way this track could be a measuring stick for the band’s career, yet it needs to be put aside in order to fully appreciate the songwriting ability of this group.

Brilliantly accompanied by Ben Franz on bass and David Macdonald on drums, The Waifs have a beautiful onstage chemistry that extends through to their audience, who become thoroughly captivated as the set wears on. Falling was one of the highlights of the band’s newer material on show, with 'Moses and the Lamb' proving to be one of Simpson’s more favourable songs from 'Temptation'. The vocal of Vikki Thorn was another highlight of this extensive set, showcased beautifully on 'Sun Dirt Water', where Thorn was accompanied only by a barren bass line from Franz. Guitarist turned vocalist Josh Cunningham also provided a great moment in 'Temptation', a more laid-back affair that showed the band’s more country-esque leanings from their current long-player. Clear crowd favourites though came with the older tracks, as the band delved into their back catalogue with songs like 'Lighthouse', 'Fisherman’s Daughter', 'One Highway', and one of the band’s signature singles in 'Bridal Train'. As the setlist came to a close The Waifs remained on stage, not wanting to leave the great energy they had been provided with a by an audience completely in raptures all night. They finished with another early track in 'Gillian', and, after leaving the stage, they returned immediately for a two-song encore.

It almost felt fitting that The Waifs finished with 'Take It In'. The three founding member played acoustically the first track listed on their debut self-titled album, and was a very emotional ending to what was a journey through a magnificent career compiled into a blissful near 2-hour set. To take it in was to be appreciative of something special and live in the moment. The band continually made mention to their love affair with The Gov over the years, always making them feel at home with their wood-oven pizzas and fantastic bar service. But what they may not understand is how much at home their songs can make an audience feel, and how proud we all are of bands like The Waifs for creating songs that we can honestly relate with, a band that we can proudly call our own.

The Harry James Angus Band, Jive, 12/3/2011

Everyone is familiar with the work of Harry Angus as the trumpet player and vocalist of Australian collective The Cat Empire and Jackson Jackson, but I’m sure those attending this gig had no idea how things were going to pan out at this special show as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. The description given in the official festival guide proclaimed that Angus and his band would be performing songs from the post-war era, with elements of nostalgia and reminiscence for those of older generations. Yet the majority of the crowd this evening appeared under 30, which goes to prove the power that members of The Cat Empire have over their adoring fans, considering they have only been around for just on 10 years.

It is fair to say Jive was the perfect venue for this performance, with the theatre style stage evoking images of the movie 'Ray', where Mr. Charles himself was depicted playing tunes to dim-lit bars in front of many swingers looking for a good time. This affair however was far more laid-back, with many choosing to sit down and soak up the immense ability of Angus and his band. There was a minimal amount of fanfare upon the band’s entrance, with a subdued Angus introducing the first track 'Shake Me or Break Me'. This subtlety would continue throughout the set, as the trumpeter opts largely to let the music take over.

The tracks on show this evening were very much in the style of vaudevillian swing, with a twee-like harmonious jazz element. Songs like 'Just A Closer Walk With The' and 'I Thought About You' all involved harmonies between band members, almost in a barber-shop fashion made popular throughout the 50s and 60s. Angus’ voice is absolutely sublime, and in this setting, has a far deeper timbre than his work in The Cat Empire; the vocalist has the ability to hit notes that many wouldn’t dare attempt, all the while keeping control of each note as the brilliant 5-piece backing band picked up the pieces. Consisting of saxophone, trombone, Hammond organ, double bass and drums, the accomplished band was a real standout of the evening. Of particular note was the saxophonist’s ability to really enhance the authentic swing sound that the band had re-created, and even singing on 'Just A Gigolo', which also featured the beautiful harmonies mentioned previously.

A few of the band’s favourite tracks were also thrown in for good measure, with Angus introducing 'Stardust' as possibly the greatest song ever made, while 'Drybones', now more familiar as a children’s sing-a-long, was performed succinctly with the movements to match. Finishing with 'Murder', a track that evoked some sort of Hitchcock thriller, the band left the stage with a rapturous reception, and returned to the crowd’s delight with one more track in 'Shanghai Honeymoon'. After a 90 minute set of classic tunes and great stories, it was hard to know where the time had disappeared to at the show’s conclusion. For the majority, this performance was most likely an education both in the history of this classic style of music and also the ability of Harry Angus as a genuine all-round performer. His musical appreciation is far and wide, and it is clear he has more tricks up his sleeve than just his other party-starting band. Through all this he still knows how to make people have a good time, and this was certainly evident at Jive this evening.

• As a sidenote, The Cat Empire play 3 Adelaide shows as a part of their 10th anniversary tour this April. The shows at the Crown & Sceptre Hotel on the 28th and Jive on the 29th are completely sold out, however tickets are still available for their performance at the Thebarton Theatre on the 30th of April.

The Seabellies, The Cairos, Glass Towers, Jive, 6/3/2011

I’ve always thought of The Seabellies as Australia’s answer to Arcade Fire on a much smaller scale. The band possesses a great penchant for punching out tracks that are on a massive scope; somewhat cinematic in nature if that is possible. As a 6-piece, this Novocastrian group makes the most of their size by implementing any instrument they can get their hands on in a live format, every part sharing an equally important piece of the overall sound. And they certainly did well to make their Jive performance a success, despite the venue’s small stage area.

A slow-building crowd witnessed sets firstly from two promising young interstate bands in Glass Towers and The Cairos. Both bands hold a far greater rock edge than their headlining counterpart, with raw and uncompromising live shows that demonstrated a lot of promise and future potential for the two. With an average age of only 18, Byron Bay’s Glass Towers take a more conventional indie-rock direction with their songwriting, and have enough licks on display through each track to keep the listener entertained. Meanwhile, Brisbane 4-piece The Cairos displayed an element of youthful grit that proved they are certainly going places in the near future. Lead vocalist Alistair Richardson screamed his lungs out in many tracks, perhaps reminiscent of Children Collide singer Johnny Mackay. The band played tracks mostly from their freely downloadable EP 'Summer Catalogue', with set closer 'Listening Party' a particular highlight as the crowd began to feel their way into the evening.

Beginning their set with 'Orange X', The Seabellies immediately had everyone’s full attention, displaying all the elements of their music that make the soundscapes on debut album 'By Limbo Lake' so rich and fulfilling. Each instrument had their time in the sun when necessary, with no one particularly over-powering another at any stage. The band’s sound is probably best summated on lead singles 'Young Cubs' and 'Trans Ending'. The former is exuberant and carefree, and the band is exactly that on stage throughout the track, with guitarist Kyle Grenell perfectly recreating the ever-so-catchy lick that accompanies 'Young Cubs'. 'Trans Ending' shows The Seabellies’ aforementioned instrumental talent, as vocalist Trent Grenell and stickman Sean Kelleher swap positions as Kelleher takes front spot with a joyous trumpet performance that underpins the grandiose nature of the track. The band interspersed their well-known pieces with some newer material, which overall sounded like an extension of 'By Limbo Lake' with a slightly more mellow twist perhaps. Needless to say these songs sounded great, and all bodes well for fans of the band with a nice sophomore release seemingly ensuing in the not-too-distant future.

Older track 'Armour' and current single 'Board The Apartment Up' provided two more enjoyable moments for the enthusiastic patrons, with the latter showing off the flawless harmonies between lead vocalist Grenell, keyboardist Steph Setz and bassist Eddie Garven that make it a bona-fide hit on Australian radio at present. It was fantastic to see the band perform album track 'Paper Flames', one of the most mature-sounding songs on 'By Limbo Lake'. For those unacquainted, this song is so reminiscent of an Australian sound, if such a thing exists, and without trying to provide too many comparisons evokes the same form of lyrical articulacy as great bands like The Go-Betweens and The Panics. The night is then finished off with the cinematic album opener 'Ices (Death & Love)', leaving everyone with a great lasting impression of their Adelaide stopover. This is a band well and truly hitting their straps and it seems with every tour they continue to gain a new band of followers cottoning on to the immense talent this band holds. Their next visit, which, according to the band, will occur in the next month or so, is certainly not to be missed.

New Music Monday - Lacey, Cogel, Sky Squadron

Last Friday evening's viewing of rage was somewhat eye-opening in that one after another, great Australian tracks continued to appear. Songs and bands I had never heard of, yet given a slot in our most well-respected music program at a reasonable hour. This run was ultimately ended by Kylie Minogue's new track, however some may say that the run in fact cranked up from there... Anyhow, I thought I would display these tracks on here in video form.

Lacey - Set

Perth band Lacey have been kicking around since 2007, and, after being found on triple j Unearthed in 2009, have since released their debut EP 'Ropes' which spawned the single 'Afraid Yet?' (which also has a cracking clip, as I've found). Latest single 'Set' shows the band in a softer light, with inviting electronics and a thumping bass drum setting the scene for a track that perfectly blends acoustics and electrics.

Cogel - Aquarium

Cogel, with the help of production team ChocFish, have created some fantastic imagery with this video for 'Aquarium', a slow burner that thrives on minimalism on the whole. The track sits somewhere between David Gray and Snow Patrol in essence, though if you are not a fan of either of those artists do not feel the need to tune out. The voice of Nic Cogels carries 'Aquarium', a song that introduces Cogels to the world in sublime style.

Sky Squadron - IPQR

Another brilliantly shot clip, this one coming from young Sydney band Sky Squadron and completing the run of great new tracks this week. Beware of the wondrous twists and turns this track takes. Once the raw edge is taken away from this band, mark my words they will be something incredible.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Radiohead are known for surprising the music community. Their 2007 release ‘In Rainbows’ gave fans the opportunity to purchase the album from the band’s website at whatever cost was seen fit, the first time anything of the like had been attempted in the music industry. It was somewhat of an attempt to make known the influence of the electronic age in music and how the Internet has influenced the purchasing power of the consumer in releasing a record. The album itself also incorporated far more electronic methods of songwriting than anything Radiohead have produced in their career as a collective release. This album followed on from Thom Yorke’s solo release ‘The Eraser’ in the previous year, which gave the listening public into an electronic world and most likely gave a great indication into what fans may expect from the forthcoming Radiohead record.

Fast forward to 2011, and Radiohead surprise the music community once more with the announcement of their 8^th studio album ‘The King of Limbs’, largely without fanfare, to be released on the 19^th of February through their website. Three weeks on from its release and it appears the immediate attraction surrounding ‘The King of Limbs’ has massively died down, allowing perhaps for more accurate analysis of the album and its impact. Impact is something that challenges a band such as Radiohead, with their previous attempts marking the amount of pressure on them to release timeless music with each record they produce. However, ‘The King of Limbs’ does not quite have that ear-catching effect that even its predecessor carried.

This is not to take anything away from the brilliance of the album as a creative effort. Opener ‘Bloom’, with its off-kilter rhythm and scattered electronic samples, creates a completely different feel to any other Radiohead albums as the band veer off into more experimental soundscapes. This is continued with ‘Morning Mr Magpie’ with its muted guitar rhythms rooting a far deeper, darker sound even to that of ‘In Rainbows’. This darkened atmosphere shines through on the majority of ‘The King of Limbs’, as much as perhaps Yorke may attempt to conceal this feeling through his conceited vocal effort. Two tracks that go against the grain in this sense are 'Little By Little' and 'Give Up The Ghost'. The latter is quite possibly the album stand out, with a clear and concerted effort on adapting the right instrumentation to build the song adequately. The lyric “Don’t haunt me” is repeated throughout the track in an ironically haunting manner, with Yorke mildly expressing fears of past experiences over lush acoustics and bold brass notes that truly give the song an overcoming feeling.

‘Lotus Flower’ is perhaps the only track, other than ‘Give Up The Ghost’, that is truly memorable on ‘The King of Limbs’ as a result of its prevalent mix of new and old Radiohead with a powerful vocal performance (and dance style that can be witnessed in the video below) from Yorke. That seems to be the moral of the story here; Radiohead are at their best when Thom Yorke’s voice is soaring, demanding the listener’s full attention rather than simply blending in to the mix as a useless instrument. Album closer ‘Separator’ ends ‘The King of Limbs’ strangely. As ‘Give Up The Ghost’ concludes, it almost feels like the album is ready to kick-start again with the up-tempo song, but, coming in as the 8^th track on the record, that is where ‘The King of Limbs’ ends.

At the end of the day we are left with a record that is simply good but not great. ‘The King of Limbs’ may be remembered for being an album in where Radiohead took some risks with the adaptation of their sound, but it can be assured the die-hard fans will love every minute of this new chapter in the band’s career. The phenomenon of its release has been and gone, so how long this album will remain a prominent fixture in the music world in 2011 is yet to be known. What is certain though is that Radiohead continue to carry an element of surprise with their every release, and it is often the unexpected nature of their music that can be most appreciated on the whole.

• We can only hope for a Radiohead Australian jaunt in the near future, and, if some rumours are to be believed, it is certainly in the band's planning to come to the country perhaps in the next year. The King of Limbs will be released on CD and 12" vinyl on March 28.