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CAT WOODS Tash Sultana – Notion Date Published: Wednesday, 9 Novem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 week ago
Thank goodness Tash Sultana ditched her catering job and braved the wild world of music recording, touring and performing. Notch another gold medal for the Melbourne music scene. Self-taught muso Tash has said she now “feels the love” from radio, despite not chasing the attention or even focusing on studio work. Her initial and ongoing focus has been travelling and performing live. She claimed that she picked up a guitar at the age of three; the natural relationship she has with it emanates from latest album Notion. Sultana’s tour dates sell out within hours all over Australia and internationally. Whether in Byron Bay or London, chances are you’re too late to the party but then again, Sultana shows no signs of wanting to get off the tour bus any time soon. Rolling Stone Australia likened her sound and style to Ani Difranco, but her sound is more along the lines of raw, nature-loving, rootsy Michael Franti and Spearhead, Blue King Brown and even a hint of Australian country heartbreak sounds. The loopy, echoey guitar and percussive handclapping, foot tapping beats will also appeal to any fan of John Butler Trio and Butler’s wife, Mama Kin (Danielle Caruana). Like aforementioned bands and performers, Tash Sultana is a no-nonsense, heart on her sleeve lyricist and singer. She is also a festival stalwart and hones her songwriting on the road. Notion began with the lyrics and days of “jamming”, before solidifying with this titular single that has gained so much traction on Triple J and indie radio more broadly. It was, according to Sultana, recorded in one single take. Just 21-years-old, Sultana’s artistic sense and instinctive writing and performing style could convince an uninformed listener she is twice her age. There’s undoubtedly a long and fascinating career of recording and performing ahead. Get on board this wagon now and travel along with her. Unless you’ve been lucky enough to score your tickets to her performances early, don’t bet on availability now. Rather, get yourself a copy of sixtrack EP Notion and keep an eye out for future touring dates. CAT WOODS
Skepta – Konnichiwa Date Published: Wednesday, 9 Novem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 week ago
“I turn into MC Hammer; they can’t touch me.” Indeed, perhaps they can’t because Skepta is at the top of his game. This is classic UK grime, in the spirit of Wiley and Dizzee Rascal. Personal, political and cultural affairs are all mined for killer lines. A truly skilled poet and wordsmith, Skepta rose on the UK grime scene – a potent mix of jungle, rap, dubstep and drum ‘n’ bass – via pirate radio stations. Unafraid to embrace dance and electro into the mix, Skepta managed to progress UK garage sounds closer to the “Eskimo” dance style Wiley and Dizzee had introduced to the mainstream in the early 2000s. Konnichiwa is Skepta’s fourth studio album and amongst the many notable grime-scene guest artists is everyone’s favourite fashion, music, production guru, Pharrell Williams. Several of the tracks made the Top 40 charts in the UK, including bangers ‘That’s Not Me’, ‘Shutdown’ and ‘Man’. UK music mag of note NME awarded the album 5 stars and said, “Konnichiwa is a landmark in British street music, a record good enough to take on the world without having to compromise one inch in the process.” The judges of the esteemed Mercury Prize clearly felt the five-star rating was justified in choosing Skepta as the Mercury Prize Winner of 2016 (beating the anticipated winner, David Bowie and also Radiohead and fellow grime artist, Wiley). This is the annual award for the best album released in the UK and Ireland, judged by music producers, journalists, producers and festival organisers. So what does it sound like? It sounds like Drake’s slow grinding RnB, meets Dizzee Rascal’s angular, sharp, rebellious, whip-smart one liners and deep bass rolling and roiling under every track. If you only have limited time or you want to sample three tracks as a taster for this album, make sure you do the Pharrell-spiked bouncer ‘Numbers’, which is just a fun, danceable kick in the guts to accountants, music management and haters generally who put data over delivering authentic art. And this is authentic art. This is, as haughty as it sounds, the UK underground meets the mainstream. In the spirit of the most mindblowing and memorable music, Skepta has skilfully adopted flavours from many musical styles and knitted them together seamlessly. Ragga, jungle, oldschool RnB, disco sirens, two-step, dubstep, rave. “Look sharp, fix up.” Get your mitts on this kit. CAT WOODS
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Korn – The Serenity of Suffering Date Published: Wednesday, 9 Novem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 week ago
The height of my Korn obsession was dressed in a Jonathan Davis inspired Adidas tracksuit, braving the front row at Festival Hall in Melbourne, 1997. For those who remember the late ‘90s heavy metal/rock powerhouse that assaulted and also deduced the senses, it will be with a great deal of trepidation that you approach a new album – but fear not. In fact, rejoice. The Serenity of Suffering is on form and more. Sharing a producer with Deftones, Foo Fighters and Mastodon has given shape and structure to their 12th studio album. r The rumbling rage and haunted vocals are classic Korn. But it doesn’t sound recycled or hackneyed in the least. It sounds raw, authentic, fresh. This is a throwback in the finest mettle. ‘Rotting In Vain’ and ‘Black Is The Soul’ are standout tracks. Just as Slipknot have reformed and hit the touring circuit – both acts are irrefutably killer at delivering on stage – so Korn are bringing their magic back. In fact, Corey from Slipknot makes a guest appearance. Old dogs, not so new tricks, but since they were on top of their game over two decades ago, why go flipping the formula that works? James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch are still on board and looking much the same, scarily enough. Perhaps Welch will give away some anti-ageing tips in his book on returning to Korn (With My Eyes Wide Open: Miracles and Mistakes On My Way Back To Korn). It’s a safe bet this is one for fans only. The album artwork is a good indication of what to expect from the sound and the lyrics: a nightmarish carnival where a teenage fan carries a demented version of the doll that appeared on 1999’s Issues album artwork. A harking back to the peak of Korn’s prowess, in the dark, dystopian way only they can deliver. CAT WOODS
Client Liaison – Diplomatic Immunity Date Published: Wednesday, 9 Novem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 week ago
“International in flavour, cosmopolitan in style” is the promise by Melbourne duo Client Liaison. Tongue-in-cheek, ‘80s flavoured suits and permed hair that would put a Shampooera Warren Beatty to shame are their calling cards and the excess style, big colour and big hair extends to their ‘90s indie disco sounds. Danceable synth-pop has defined their output so far, which is four singles and an EP. Monte Morgan and Harvey Miller are a solid live performance act though, and the time spent outside the studio purveying their “business chic” has paid off with a loyal and fervent fan base around Australia. Their new release Diplomatic Immunity kicks off with a distinctive kookaburra call echoing over Flashdance style beats and, believe it or not, audio from Parliament. Yes, ‘Canberra Won’t Be Calling’ will have you lamenting Australia’s political theatre while also pulling shapes on the dancefloor. Possibly in legwarmers and slingback stilettos. ‘A Foreign Affair’ invites Australian icon Tina Arena to make a classy guest appearance. This is a Genesismeets-Darryl Braithwaite synth pop masterpiece. Bananarama would be crying into their Cornflakes that they didn’t create this. “Get set, feel this foreign affair!” Indeed. ‘Where Do We Belong’ is bleepy, early ‘90s computer dance beats and surprisingly thoughtful lyrical reflections on what it means to be Australian in 2016. Could this be the anthem to indigenous recognition in the constitution? Perhaps not, but the didgeridoo sample and the toe-tapping goodness is surely a contender for Aussie icon status. Is this a one-note joke? Can a power-suited, power ballad band with more style panache than authentic musical authority stand up to real scrutiny? It doesn’t really matter. Client Liaison has a dedicated following that will get their sequin-gloved mitts onto this without a second thought. Whether it will win over new fans will be an interesting prospect. Those nostalgic for a bit of Bowie, Young Americans and public servants who don’t mind mixing parliamentary sittings with a drum beat will lap this up. Unless, of course, they lived that era, moved on, and would rather their music without the smarmy satire and a bit more sincerity. I can’t provide any sort of immunity here. This is good, but not killer. CAT WOODS
The Hit by Nadia Dalbuono Date Published: Wednesday, 12 October 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 month ago
This Italian crime drama is notable more for what is missing, than what it provides. A thin storyline, fleshed out only slightly by unexpected tangles and intrigues fails to ignite. Scandi noir has become a cult style the world over, with rich depictions of landscapes both urban and wild, and lone wolf detectives with a sense of time and history conveyed. The Hit merely rehashes clichéd American crime TV in book form. The only notably Italian flavour to this book are the names. There is barely any description of the city, the weather, the external landscape at all. There’s no food or history, no art or culture. This could just as easily be a story set in Los Angeles for all the lack of detail. That said, this does work well enough as an airport or long-trip distraction. A high-earning TV executive with a nasty cocaine addiction and a nefarious addiction to gambling, actresses, travel and praise, Micky Proietto is the most unsympathetic victim possible. Within the first two chapters, his family are abducted in a brazen scheme that leaves the authorities and Micky to unravel who has masterminded this whole operation. Leone Scamarcio is the detective who must investigate, interview and try to untangle the web of deceit and debts that Proietto has entangled them both in. There is so much to lament here too. There are constant references to Scamarcio’s childhood and history in Calabria – home of the Mafioso – and yet very little detail. While this might work on television with some dark lighting and some smoky, half-imagined flashback sequences, it is not enough to make vague implications in a novel and never flesh them out. There is no end to the quality of both crime fiction and Italian fiction in the world. It is both brave and perhaps reckless of Dalbuono to introduce the sketchily-drawn Detective Scamarcio. With so little back story, so little to invest in by readers and so sorely lacking any sense of Italian history, culture, landscape and personality, this can never compete with Patricia Cornwell, Stieg Larsson, or really any other crime novelist you can name. Good for a distraction that you’ll quickly forget. This is the Cherry Ripe from the service station that suffices between stop-overs, but if you want something truly meaty, rich and rewarding, head for Andrea Camilleri,
Jean-Claude Izzo or Massimo Carlotto. CAT WOODS
The Good People by Hannah Kent Date Published: Wednesday, 12 October 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 month ago
Phenomenal talent, Australian author Hannah Kent has leveraged her masterful storytelling power, proven in Burial Rites, to deliver on that promise with her sophomore release. This is another story that fully immerses the reader in a place, time and world of well-drawn characters. The environment, from weather to plant life to heaviness of the air are all richly hued and fully alive from page to page. I expected to be drawn in, transported and absorbed and I was all of these things. Seek this book out and indulge in it. Set in 1825 in a claustrophobic community of Ireland where myths and facts hold the same value, the mysticism and madness threaten chaos at every meeting. Michael, a seemingly traumatised autistic child, is also maybe a devil that can be cast out with magical intervention. The possibility of a healthy child returned to his grandparents after the death of their beloved daughter and the child’s mother is powerfully alluring. The risk and potential consequences are devastating. Nora Leahy genuinely believes that the real Michael, a well and healthy child, has been spirited away and replaced with a demonic, speechless creature, a ‘changeling’. Local woman, the elderly and isolated Nance Roche, believes he is borne of the fairies and can be returned to them. She convinces Nora that the true Michael will be recovered if they can banish this creature. Nance, Nora and Nora’s young and fearful maid become embroiled in a dangerous series of rituals that may or may not result in Michael’s return to the mysterious fairy world, or the death of a poorly child. The power of an illusion, when met with encouragement and in a desperate state of mind, is compelling. Nora, for all her flaws and desperate beliefs, is also a genuinely compassionate and loving mother, grandmother, wife and aunt. Kent skilfully combines her viewpoint with a wide-angled view of how it must appear to the outside world. This ability to zoom in and out on particular characters and the minutiae of their daily lives and thoughts, enriches each of them. Just as Burial Rites was rich with historical fact and folklore, so The Good People follows suit in being a wellresearched and entirely immersive experience. Kent has an academic background and her dedication to research, analysis and weaving facts into a narrative is masterful. The Good People has echoes of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in its depiction of women as depraved and demonic when they deviate from societal norms. Miller’s book was counter to the American political landscape of the time (“witch-hunting” for communist artists and activists). The Good People has no overt political message, but all of us can identify with the desire for some sort of magic or mystery to make possible the dream job, relationship, life, escape. If it was promised when we were exhausted by life, and the alternative is living in exactly the same way otherwise, wouldn’t we risk it? CAT WOODS
Led Zeppelin - The Complete BBC Sessions Date Published: Wednesday, 12 October 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 1 month ago
Led Zeppelin. Studio sessions. Live. Never heard before recordings. The big news for fans is that the BBC Sessions recordings unearthed a previously unheard track, ‘Sunshine Woman’. These eight unreleased recordings add to the expanded and remastered 1997 BBC Sessions release. This will be enough for any Page and Plant devotee, naturally. This is not a review that will sway those rusted-on Zep fans either way, but if you are hovering at the edges of whether you need more Led Zeppelin taking up space in your iTunes or whether you ought to lash out and spend the potential mortgage payments on the vinyl version (180 grams, 5 LPs), here’s why you ought to let go of the house. ‘Sunshine Woman’ is a bluesy boogie with trademark pounding piano and Robert Plant’s heartrending howl. It is reputed to have been widely bootlegged but never officially recorded. Is it worth the entire box set? No, but the super deluxe edition contains a 48-page booklet of photos and insight into the recording sessions as well as a limited edition print of the original album artwork. Versions of ‘Dazed and Confused’, ‘Communication Breakdown’ and ‘You Shook Me’ are all worth listening to over and over again, however many times you’ve played them. If you already have the 1997 BBC Sessions, the only new addition is the third CD in the release. Still, for the sake of being a true collector and completist, nab the whole set. While recent interviews suggest Page wouldn’t hesitate to get back on the road, Plant has been doing his solo and side projects for a long time now and hasn’t risen to the bait. The old adage that you should never meet your idols perhaps applies here, only modified. You should never see your idols return to the stage, reluctantly, 30 years after their prime live performance era. From 1969 to 1971, Led Zeppelin’s sound was particularly bluesy rather than stadium-ready, superstar sounds that characterised their later 1970s work. At the time of the BBC recordings, Page and Plant were emerging from the period of establishing themselves as iconic to being canonised as gods of rock. The timing means they are perched right on the edge of superstardom, but still ferociously hungry and uncertain enough about this to perform and create, as if it might all end tomorrow. Listen to the floor-shaking guitar on ‘How Many More Times’ and the signature wails and moans of Plant in his most primal state on ‘Dazed and Confused’. ‘Whie Walls’ offers eight minutes of non-stop guitar riffs. The songs may remain the same, but there’s enough bonus material to justify the investment here. CAT WOODS
Warpaint - Heads Up Date Published: Tuesday, 13 Septem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 2 months ago
The third studio album from indie darlings Warpaint channels the energy, ferocity and femininity of classic ‘90s girl bands like L7 and Sleater Kinney, with the dreamy, harmonic vibe of Sofia Coppola’s movie The Virgin Suicides. It’s been two long years since the selftitled album Warpaint raised so many music critics’ heads and drew loyal fans worldwide. Since then, the band’s prolific members have been pursuing side projects in music and beyond. Far from exhausting their artistic cache, it seems these adventures have only made them hungrier to return to the fold for Heads Up. The dreamy, indie rock that has
vague Sonic Youth feels (‘Whiteout’, ‘By Your Side’) gives way to the bouncing, hands-in-the-air of ‘New Song’; coming to a club near you (“you got the moves, bang bang baby...”). Jenny Lee Lindberg, Emily Kokal, Stella Mozgawa and Theresa Wayman have done what so many artists are failing to do in the era of single song obsessions and pay-per-download. They have made a consistently, listen-the-whole-way-through, all killer, no filler album. No surprise they have made the choice to release on vinyl also. Putting the needle on it and dancing around on the worn carpet of your lounge room is almost nonnegotiable. Interviews with the band have focused on how the side project travails have introduced a greater flexibility towards the girls’ roles in the band. They have embraced new sounds and new methods of making and delivering them. Heads Up is radio friendly, intelligent, sensitive and addictive listening. It is going to attract new fans who had no prior experience of the band. It’s also fair to say that Warpaint are pretty easy on the eye. My prediction? You will be listening to Heads Up on repeat (‘So Good’ really is SO good), as you walk past billboards featuring the girls in their Calvin Kleins. I’d put money on it, if I had any. Don’t just take my word for it – check out the new video for ‘New Song’ – the first single – then listen to Heads Up in full. If this is the result of two years of side projects with musos, authors, fashion designers and multimedia artists, then here’s hoping the members of Warpaint go wandering into the wilds again. Just not for so long next time. CAT WOODS
Frank Ocean - Blonde Date Published: Tuesday, 13 Septem ber 16 | Author: Cat Woods |
| 2 months ago
Echoey synths, thunking heartbeat style drums – bring it, Frank. But kicking off Blonde with a vocoder voice effect? No, no, no. Where’s the heavenly, heartbreaking voice we loved so much on Channel Orange? Thankfully, less than a minute away – panic stations averted. Blonde comes a hefty four years since Frank Ocean’s debut album, although technically, Blonde was preceded by visual album Endless, which streamed on Apple Music days before Blonde was released. Fans were hungry for this one too. Blonde struck number one in both the UK and US album charts within days. So here’s the lowdown. 17 tracks. Independently released. The Telegraph labelled it “messy, pompous and pointless”. Pitchfork said, “richly emotional songs for a quieter … space”. Perhaps the truth is that it’s both, and somewhere in the grey space between both polarities. Ocean published an essay on his Tumblr revealing that he had been inspired by a photo of a child in a moving car, hands covering her face. He imagined the feeling of being constrained by the seatbelt and yet, overwhelmed by the ultimate freedom of travelling on a smooth, high-speed trajectory; vulnerable and alive with the possibility of new places, people and ideas. Blonde is unashamed R