Category: Ω And much, much more!

On November 20th, 1820 an 80-tonne sperm whale attacked The Essex, a whaling ship from Nantuket. This event inspired Moby-Dick to be written.On November 20th, 1917 Ukraine was made a republic. On November 20th, 1985 Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released On November 20th, 2013 Alex and the Shy Lashlies will celebrate Mexican Independence Day by launching their brand new AA 7″ single While You Were Sleeping/Eleven Hours at The Toff In Town. Lending heavenly support on this occasion will be the charming songstress Ali E and the prolific, rambling songwriter Dan Parsons. Come and celebrate freedom with them.

DOORS: 8.00pm
Tickets: $10.00 +BF / $10.00 On the Door

The Controllers are thrilled to present the first single ‘Twins,’ to be launched 13 December at the Brunswick Hotel, 140 Sydney Road, Brunswick from 9pm with Among Giants, Squarehead and Chop Squad.– Free Entry!

‘Twins’ is the tale of two twins – one virtuous, one slightly tarnished and a decision between duty and desire, which is reflected in the design on the single cover by up and coming Melbourne artist Madison Griffiths.

The Controllers count Against Me!, Refused, The Audition, Comeback Kid and Chick Corea as their musical influences and drummer Kieran recently won Australia’s Best Up and Coming Drummer Competition, $3000 worth of prizes and sponsorship from Pearl, Zildjian, Remo and Vic Firth.

Bassist Ben Tyler and drummer Kieran Rafferty met at the tender age of 8 years while attending Grade 3 at Haileybury College and were instant best mates, sharing the common bond of musicality and of both of their mums teaching at the school.

Enter new kid Zac Connelly (guitars/vocals), who came to the school in Year 7 (2007) and was classified as a ‘jock’ rather than a ‘muso.’ like Kieran and Ben.

As it happens, the school was putting on a battle of the bands and Zac, Ben and Kieran were put into a band with 3 other classmates. The band then consisted of 3 bad guitarists, one bad drummer, a mediocre singer, one good drummer and a good bassist.

After much shuffling and many reformations a 4-piece band called Happy Accidents was formed. They went on to win multiple school battles of the bands and a couple of Freeza events. But eventually all things must pass, and at 16, Happy Accidents disbanded to concentrate on completing school.

Fast forward to NOW and at the age of 19 and fresh out of high school, Zac, Ben and Kieran have reformed as The Controllers with a more mature sound and a musical sensibility that belies their tender years.

‘Twins’ is the first single to be lifted from their forthcoming debut 5 song EP and it’s sitting at #17 on the overall charts and #5 on the rock charts on Triple J’s unearthed page. You can download ‘Twins’ here:
www.triplejunearthed.com/TheControllers

GIO – ‘REAL’ SINGLE LAUNCH FROM DEBUT LONG PLAYER

Freestyle hiphop artist and multi-instrumentalist Giovanni ‘Gio’ Agosta is proud to present the title single from his upcoming album ‘Real.’

Gio grew up in Werribee exposed to multiple musical genres and soaking up various multi-ethnic influences.

Gio said, “When I was about 12 years old I used to sit in my room with my guitar singing ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ over and over and I’m a massive fan of Bob Dylan. I guess I was about 14 when I found 2pac, Biggie, JayZ, Lil Wayne.

Shortly after that I moved out of home and lived in a bunch of places pretty down and out commerical flats – and really started to take rap seriously because I didn’t want to be stuck in the flats all my life and I feel like there are things I want to say.” Other local artists such as Jimmy Cupples also had an impact on Gio as he discovered basic vocal scales, rhymthic patterns and chord progressions which he says “…had a huge impact on Real.”

Now nineteen years of age, Gio lists Kendrick Lamar, Hoodie Allen and Aussies like Illy, Bliss N Eso, Allday as influences.

For his album ‘Real’ he enlisted producer Gio enlisted producer Mark Belcastro of Cavern Sound Studios for ‘Real’. Belcastro says, “When Gio’s on stage, he steps it up to a whole new level, he instantly connects and activates with the crowd and they become part of his show.”

After creating a small but persistent buzz with his 2012 mixtape ‘Evergreen’, Gio has shared a stage with Stretchy, Codix, N’fa Jones, Mind Over Matter & M-Phazes to name a few.

Gio will launch ‘Real’ on 16th of November at Revolver Upstairs. Doors open at 9pm.
Supports: MCMJD, Real Music, Stretchy & High Nights. Tix at the door – $15 plus booking fee.

Listen to ‘Real’ at Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/gioay/real

Visit Gio here:

www.giofficial.com

Lou Reed. The antidote to all that hippie bullshit. I loved him for that. For the shock treatment. For the drag queens and the bisexuals. For being a glorious bastard. For the drugs. For not giving one fuck what anyone else wanted. For the truth and for the lies, too. For the streets of New York. For Berlin. For the art and the grit and all three chords. And for the words – like graffiti on my heart. There wasn’t anything Lou couldn’t do with the words. He had the intellect, the courage and a mighty power. Remembering the magic and feeling the loss today.

The Drones lead the nominations at the inaugural Age Music Victoria Awards, scoring three nominations for best album, best band and best live act, while a clutch of acts including Paul Kelly, Adalita, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Dick Diver and Clairy Browne and the Bangin Rackettes each scored two nominations.

Two new regional awards for Best Regional Venue and Best Regional Act were introduced and Geelong, Castlemaine and Ballarat venues and acts were prominently represented with Gold Fields, Hunting Grounds, Yacht Club DJs, The Karova Lounge, The Barwon Club, Theatre Royal and The Bridge Hotel amongst the bands and venues receiving nominations. Nominees were chosen by a panel of over 20 music industry broadcasters, journalists, festival curators and record store owners.

Special prizes will be handed out this year with the APRA Best Song winner to receive a $5000 cash prize, and the winner of the Best Emerging Artist award will be flown to Brisbane’s BigSound Conference with full accommodation, where they will be playing a high-profile showcase slot.

Nominee for Best Album, Big Scary will open The Age Music Victoria Awards show with a 30 minute set at Billboard the Venue on Wednesday 20th November. The best Australian soul singers including Daniel Merriweather, Dan Sultan, Kylie Auldist, Archie Roach, Nkechi Anele will join the EG Allstars in an Australian Soul Revue.

The Age Music Victoria Awards are the largest publicly voted awards in Aus with an average of 80,000 votes and the awards continue their long association with the musicians’ charity Support Act Limited, donating $5 from each ticket to the organisation.

The music-loving public can have their say and vote for the best Victorian music for 2013 at theage.com.au/agemusicvictoriaawards.

Music Victoria CEO, Patrick Donovan, said “Music Victoria is thrilled to be in partnership with The Age to transform the Age EG Awards into The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2013. The only difference this year is that we are just celebrating Victorian music now – of all genres. It is still the people’s awards – fans can vote for their favourite music of the year, and buy a ticket to the Billboard show to rub shoulders with their heroes, see them perform and cheer for them as they take home a trophy.”

3RRR Station Manager, Dave Houchin, said “3RRR 102.7FM is very proud to be presenting The Age Music Victoria Awards in 2013. Music Victoria’s involvement, the introduction of the genre awards, the Soul Revue format hosted by Triple R’s own Chris Gill, and the induction of Renée Geyer into the Hall of Fame are exciting developments for 2013 and will create a fitting occasion to proudly celebrate Victoria’s diverse music culture.”

The public award nominations were announced last night at the presentation of the genre awards at The Age Atrium.

The 11 winners are:

Best Blues Album – presented by Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society – Three Kings for ‘Three Kings’
Best Country Album – presented by Addicted To Noise – Dan Waters for ‘La Vita E’Bella’
Best Soul, Funk, R’n’B and Gospel Album – presented by PBS – Kylie Auldist for ‘Still Life’
Best Jazz Album – presented by Dixons Creek Estate – Allan Browne Trio for ‘Lost In The Stars’
Best Hip Hop Album – presented by Capi Sparkling – Fraksha for ‘My Way’
Best Electronic Act – presented by Select AV – Nick Thayer
Best Heavy Album – presented by Wifire Music – King Parrot for ‘Bite Your Head Off’
Best Indigenous Act – presented by Songlines – Crystal Mercy
Best Global or Reggae Act – presented by Australasian Worldwide Music Expo – Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Best Experimental/Avant-Garde Act – presented by GI & Sanicki Lawyers – Judith Hamann
Best Folk Roots Album – presented by White Sky – Archie Roach for ‘Into The Bloodstream’

THE 2013 AGE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Presented by SAE and 3RRR 102.7FM
Wednesday 20th November 2013
Billboard The Venue, Melbourne
8.00pm
Starring:
Renée Geyer
The EG Allstars Soul Revue with
Dan Sultan
Archie Roach
Daniel Merriweather
Kylie Auldist
Lance Ferguson
Nkechi Anele (Saskwatch)
Henry Wagons
Remi Kolawole
Talei Wolfgramm
Linda Bull
Ella Thompson
Big Scary (just announced!)
MC Chris Gill and DJs Vince Peach, Pierre Baroni, Johnny Topper and Chris Johnston

Tickets are on sale now for $50+bf through Oztix: http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=38149, ph: 1300 762 545 and Oztix retail outlets. ($5 from every ticket sold donated to Support Act Limited)
Voting for The Age Music Victoria Awards is open online at theage.com.au/agemusicvictoriaawards so have your say now!

See you all at the 2013 The Age Music Victoria Awards!

facebook.com/theagemusicvictoriaawards @AgeMVawards
theage.com.au/agemusicvictoriaawards

The Age Music Victoria Awards 2013 nominees are:

Best Album – presented by The Age EG
All Day Venus – Adalita
Calendar Days – Dick Diver
I See Seaweed – The Drones
Not Art – Big Scary
Spring and Fall – Paul Kelly

Best Band – presented by City of Melbourne
Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes
Dick Diver
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Saskwatch
The Drones

Best Song – presented by APRA
Nono/Yoyo – Standish/Carlyon
Head On/ Pill – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
History Eraser – Courtney Barnett
I’m In Love – Cash Savage And The Last Drinks
Riptide – Vance Joy

Best Male Artist
Archie Roach
David Bridie
Gotye
Mikelangelo
Paul Kelly

Best Female Artist – presented by TheMusic
Adalita
Courtney Barnett
Evelyn Morris (Pikelet)
Jen Cloher
Kylie Auldist

Best Emerging Artist – presented by Travel Beyond / Bigsound
Andras Fox
Brighter Later
Damn Terran
Fraser A. Gorman
Hiatus Kaiyote

Best Live Band – presented by RockWiz
Bombay Royale
Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes
Harmony
Money For Rope
The Drones

Best Venue – presented by Mountain Goat
The Caravan Club
The Corner Hotel
The Forum
The Old Bar
The Toff In Town

Best Festival – presented by Crumpler
All Tomorrow’s Parties / I’ll Be Your Mirror
Boogie
Golden Plains
Meredith Music Festival
Sugar Mountain

Best Regional Act
Gold Fields
Hunting Grounds
Quarry Mountain Dead Rats
Stonefield
Yacht Club DJs

Best Regional Venue
Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Meeniyan Town Hall, South Gippsland
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
The Barwon Club, Geelong
The Bridge, Castlemaine

Melbourne based singer songwriter Delsinki Records (aka Craig Johnston) is pleased to launch the second single from his debut EP on Sunday, October 6 at Toff In Town from 7pm.

He will be joined in a rare Melbourne appearance by Sydney troubadour Karl Broadie, who is launching his long awaited new album and by pirate shred specialist Citrus Jam.

Burnt Out by the Light was written in memory of Johnston’s former band mate and harmonica player Sonny Lewis who passed late last year and you can view the companion animated video clip here: http://youtu.be/fs4fPT1aC5A.

Delsinki Records is the first solo ep Johnston has released and earlier this year he took it on the road, playing Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne, also appearing at the Adventure Bay Blues & Roots Festival and the inaugural Leaps & Bounds Music Festival.

The four song ep also contains three other tracks – In Over My Head, Sanchez and What You Dream Is Not Your Fault, Each track has a corresponding film clip, which will be shown at the Toff as part of the multimedia presentation to launch Burnt Out By The Light.
Prior to Delsinki Records, Johnston was the founding member of a band called Gretchen Lewis (2002), still a going concern whose high-octane sound continues to captivate Melbourne audiences.

Last year he performed at the Sydney Opera House, The Perth Concert Hall and the Wool Shed (Gnaraloo) as part of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s The Reef – a creative collaboration between Richard Tognetti, Mick Sowry & Jon Frank. This trip was the inspiration for some of the material on this EP.

Craig also sang along side Brian Ritchie from (The Violent Femmes) as a part of the 2013 The Reef Australian/Hong Kong Tour, which started in Brisbane and finished up in Sydney at the Opera House before finishing with a flourish in Hong Kong.

Tix $10 on the door at Toff In Town, Second Floor, Curtin House, 252 Swanston St, Melbourne on Sunday, October 6 from 7pm.

Visit:

Delsinki Records – www.delsinkirecords.com
Karl Broadie – www.youtube.com/user/kbroadie?feature=watch
Citrus Jam – www.reverbnation.com/citrusjam

Hot on the heels of a huge year in the studio with producer Stuart Stuart and following energetic performances at Dead of Winter Festival, Big Day Out 2013 and supporting Presidents of the United States in March, Queensland-based Lilly and her band are ready to embark on their Australian tour.

Flame haired hell raiser, front woman and songwriter Ms Lilly Rouge is equally comfortable singing anthemic rockers and more subtle ballads, all backed by her thumping backing band of fine young men featuring:

Paul Craig on guitar
Barney Gicckel on bass
Matt Schrader on drums

The first single to be lifted from the five song EP is the title track ‘Switchblade’, a blistering pop rocker complete with handclapping, attitude, hard guitars and frenetic percussion.

“I love Switchblade because it has attitude as well as a super catchy riff and I can really jump around to it onstage,” Lilly said. “It’s great for pumping the crowd up during our live show!”

LILLY ROUGE BAND TOUR DATES:

11 October – The Hoey Moey, Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour NSW. Tickets $5 on the door
16 October- The Small Ballroom, 138 Maitland Road, Newcastle NSW. Tickets $5 on the door
17 October – Valve Bar @Agincourt, 871 George Street, Sydney NSW . Tickets $10 on the door
18 October – Bass Bar (Upstairs), 142 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga NSW, Tickets $10 on the door
19 October – The Basement, 2 Cohen St, Belconnen ACT, Tickets $14.40 on the door
25 October – The Overlander Hotel, 97 Benalla Road, Shepparton VIC
26 October – The Newmarket Hotel, CNR Charleston Road and Nolan Street, Bendigo VIC
27 October – Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane Melbourne. VIC – FREE Entry
2 November – Your Break, 1/62 Liebig Street, Warrnambool VIC. Tickets $5 on the door
8 November – The Cavern (All Ages) 136 North Ave, Adelaide SA
15 November – The Railway Hotel, 44 Tydeman Road, North Fremantle WA. Tickets $10 on door
16 November – Civic Backroom, 981 Beaufort Street, Inglewood WA. Tickets $10 on the door

Look out for more dates and keep up with Lilly and the band at https://www.facebook.com/thelillyrougeband

“The frustration at not (yet) getting a second Oscar+Martin record has been replaced by excitement over Brothers Hand Mirror (left). The subversive, hip-hop hoochie homeboys (so much ‘h’alliteration today, huh?) are Oscar Vincente Slorach-Thorn and Grant Gronewold.

Download their ‘Picture Tape’ album for free at wearetar:bandcamp.com/album/picture-tape-ep.

ACCA, 111 Sturt St, Southbank, Sept 27, Free”

Excerpted from Mikey Cahill’s 12 September Rock City column in the Herald Sun. Read Mikey’s blog at blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/mikeycahill.

After the huge success of last months show at The Toff In Town, we’re ready for the next one featuring three fantastic acts performing three great albums.

Shannon Bourne is undoubtedly one of Australia’s best guitarists and his take on The Jimi Hendrix Experience album Are You Experienced was magnificent in stripped back form in the Pure Pop courtyard. Can’t wait to hear it at full volume!

All the more appropriate as Sept 18 is the 43rd anniversary of the passing of Jimi Hendrix.

Sarah Carroll delighted the Pure Pop audience with her interpretation of Jonathan Richman’s brilliant album Jonathan Goes Country. Joining her on stage will be special guest Marcel Borrack.

Wanting to open the show with a bang I couldn’t go past Simmeau who’s Robert Plant has to be heard to be believed. A complete performance of Led Zeppelin IV should shake the cobwebs off the evening.

Hosted by Crispian Winsor and Maddy Macfarlane from PBSFM’s The Breakfast Spread PBS 106.7

$15 presale $20 at the door.

Get tix here:

http://tickets.thetoffintown.com/event/view/dkp2qztn1