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Welcome to Undercover Music News for April/May 2009...

This Month...

+  Gary ShearstonNew Acoustic Double Album!
+  sounditoutRelease debut EP on Yep! Records
+  Eric BogleNew album & Live DVD
+  CODASent Beyond
+  Mic Conway's National Junk BankLatest tour dates
+  The LovetonesFrench dimension
+  SouthendMore digital love from Ministry of Sound
+  Waren Fahey2009 Performance Diary

This month’s edition of UCM Radio features songs from the new Gary Shearston acoustic double album, a sneak preview of the new Eric Bogle album, some rockin’ electro pop from sounditout’s debut EP along with a classic Southend ‘rave anthem’, The Lovetones, Mic Conway’s National Junk Band and new CODA.

Check It Out Here!

sounditout

sounditout are set to make a huge splash on the local electro scene with their self-titled debut EP.

A Sydney duo made of equal parts cloak and daggers, smoke and mirrors, menace and mystery, sounditout make magic out of mushrooms and conjure dance from the dead with an inspired take on modern machine music.

Jason King and Jeremy Green have been carving the sounditout sonic niche for around two years and have distilled that niche into the form of an electric 6 track self-titled EP, set for a March 20 release on Undercover Music’s Yep! Records through MGM Distribution.

The EP is receiving airplay on alternative radio nationwide especially FBi 94.5 FM and has been added to Satellite Music Australia’s playlists. Expect to hear tunes from the EP on a TV near you soon with some exciting licenses requests already in the pipeline.

Tracks from the EP are featured this month on UCM Radio.

More Information:  Artist Page  |  Artist MySpace

The Lovetones

The Lovetones latest album Dimensions was recently reviewed in France’s 3rd largest newspaper called 'Liberation' (see translation below) with another review slated soon in a large French music magazine. Not bad considering the record is not released there. Now all the boys need is someone to pay for the European tour!

"In the front line of 'the new psychedelic revolution', Australia’s The Lovetones,
led by songwriter Matthew J. Tow, distil pop songs directly inspired by the 60s. At the
beginning of the millennium, on the ashes of the band Drop City, Tow surrounds himself with good musicians rocked by The Byrds and The Beatles. A tour with Morrissey and collaborations with the Brian Jonestown Massacre settle the reputation of the band. Dimensions, produced by Rob Campanella (BJM, The Quarter After), follows the tradition of Axiom, released in 2007 with hauting pop melodies (Journeyman), Floydesque instrumental (Moonlight Suite), gently sung ballad (There Is No Sound). Added to that, a more energetic version of A New Low In Getting High. Too modern to be simple revival, their music crosses temporal boundaries with a freshness always palpable."
Liberation, France, March 2009

'Dimensions' (YEP010) is out now on Yep! Records via MGM Distribution

More Information:  Artist Page  |  Artist MySpace

Southend

Two more Southend classics have now been licensed by MoS for the digital version of 'Rave Anthems.'

Joining Nik Fish’s Musiquarium Mix of ‘Take Me Up’ are ‘If You Believe’ and ‘Utopia’ to be released on iTunes.

To celebrate Yep! Records will soon release Southend’s entire catalogue online through MGM Distribution.

CODA

Sydney’s chameleon pop orchestra CODA continues work on their new vocal based studio album after recent shows in Melbourne & Sydney. Listeners of 3PBS & Triple R got a taste of things to come with ‘Microbat’ featuring songbird Michelle Martinez receiving solid airplay.

Listen to it on this month’s edition of UCM Radio.

CODA’s renowned sonic landscapes and cinematic escapades Salut, La Chasse & Curtain Fall have been licensed for a short film titled Sent Beyond (envoyé au-delà) directed by Pierre Thibaudeau for MetroScreen.

More Information:  Artist Page  |  Artist Website

Gary Shearston

One of the nation's most eulogized singer/songwriters, Gary Shearston "...occupies a singular place in Australian music history" (Keith Glass, The Australian) and his work has been likened to that of both Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan.  On his new double album The Best Of All Trades he delivers 24 previously unreleased songs that are among the best he has ever written or recorded.
 
Accompanied by David Hume on acoustic, slide and electric guitars, the production is deliberately stripped back, allowing the songs and Shearston's unique vocal style to take centre stage, and that they do in their most inimitable style.
Gary will be featured throughout February on ‘Australia All Over’ with Ian McNamara who traveled all the way to his home town of Tenterfield to catch up with the great man.
 
The Best of All Trades (RRR46) has been some time in the making and will not disappoint. It is due for release this month.

Listen to this month’s edition of UCM Radio to hear songs from the 2CD release.

 

Mic Conway's National Junk Band

Australia’s king of vaudeville continues wowing audiences everywhere he performs with his National Junk Band having just been invited to the Blue Mountains festival on the back of recent shows in Sydney & Newcastle.

Mic has also been performing in stripped back duo mode with one of Australia's finest guitarists and driest wits - Robbie Long (The Lawnmowers, Kate Fagan band). They wowed audiences at the Illawarra Folk Festival with their idiosyncratic tunes that will make your jaw drop and toes tap. A circus of comedy, magic and music - featuring some Matchbox songs (including their hilarious version of "Masochism Tango") and many more that Mic has been holding close to his chest until now.

The duo have been invited to Darwin Festival (August 2009), following a storming festival tour by Mic Conway's National Junk Band that included Woodford Folk Festival (QLD), Cygnet Festival (TAS) and EastCoast Bluesfest (Byron Bay 2009). Stripped back, irreverent and shameless, Mic Conway and Robbie Long will give you their Blues while taking yours away.

Check our gig guide (right) for all the latest Mic Conway tour dates.

More Information: Artist Page | Artist Website | Artist MySpace

 

Eric Bogle

Eric’s latest studio masterpiece The Dreamer has landed in the Undercover Music hood and will surely please his adoring fan base built up over more than 30 years thanks to his extraordinary songs such as 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda' which is just one of hundreds he has written and given wings. On The Dreamer eleven more gems take flight.

You can hear two of them on this month’s edition of UCM Radio.

If that’s not enough, after year’s of harassment Eric has finally been captured live on DVD which to quote the great man himself has “scrubbed up pretty well considering the subject matter, I'm happy enough with it. 21 songs in all plus an interview with John Munro and I on the end of it. Otherwise it's all concert, no silly graphics, smoke bombs or quotes from Bono....”

The Dreamer (RRR47) will be released in May 2009 on Rouseabout Records through MGM Distribution with Eric Bogle: Live at Stoneyfell Winery (RRR48) released later this year. In the meantime the best of Bogle’s classic back catalogue Singing The Spirit Home goes online this month.

Eric performed earlier this month at a special SOLD OUT concert of the same name held at Sydney’s Seymour Centre to help promote the BRIDGE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS FOUNDATION. Also on the bill were Colcannon, Chris While & Julie Matthews (UK), Martyn Wyndham-Read (UK), John Williamson, Judy Small, Graeme Connors and Redgum’s John Schumann.

For more information: www.asylumseekersfoundation.com.

More Information:  Artist Page

 

Warren Fahey

2009 marks Warren’s 40th year of collecting and performing bush songs and stories and he is delighted to advise he has what looks like his busiest year to date.

The highlight will undoubtedly be the release of ‘Australia: Folk Songs and Bush Verse’ – a 10 CD series – which will be released by ABC Music and launched at the National Folk Festival this Easter. His diary is already looking solid, especially for performances with my musical larrikin mates.

6th May

Art Gallery of NSW. Gallery After Dark Concert for the Archibald Prize.
The Larrikins return to the wonderful Art Gallery of NSW for a concert inspired by Mr Archibald and his famous art prize.

7th May

Kings Cross Library. Free concert in the library celebrating its 50th anniversary.

20th May

University of the Third Age. Lecture on Folklore.

24th May

The Harp. The Larrikins – the Sydney launch of the 10 CD set.

June WEA

As part of the WEA Autumn adult education program Warren will be presenting two short, three week courses on folklore. ‘Tucker Track’ will look at the folklore and curious history of Australian food – from colonial days to takeaways. ‘Ratbags & Rabblerousers’ will deal with 20th century eccentrics, politicians and social change as seen through parody.
 
For more information on Warren Fahey and Australian Folklore please visit the Australian Folklore Unit website.
 
Warren Fahey can be contacted via email.

More Information:  Artist Page

Big Pond Music

Undercover Music releases are also available online through BigPond Music

 

Mic Conway's National Junk Band

  1. 9th-13th April, Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
  2. 17th – 19th April, Fairbridge Folk Festival, Pinjarra, WA
  3. Monday 20th April, Cullen Wines, Margaret River, WA
  4. Thursday 23rd April, Northcliffe Town Hall, WA
  5. 24th-26th April, Harboursound Festival, Albany, WA (TBC)
  6. Saturday 16th May, Brookfield Vineyard, Hobart, TAS
  7. Sunday 23rd August, Darwin Festival, NT

More Information: Artist Page