MARK “BARNEY” GREENWAY explains to TOM HERSEY how grind icons NAPALM DEATH have continued to grow without losing sight of the band’s legendary roots.

Be first to comment on this article

Gurrumul Yunupingu (pictured) made a surprise return at the seventh Indigenous Music Awards held at the Darwin Amphitheatre on Saturday night. He’d been ill since June, and forced to cancel an all-important overseas tour. He received a huge roar from the 1500-strong audience when he came onstage to received Act Of The Year for the second time. He also took out DVD Of The Year for History. The other stars of the night were 11-piece “saltwater reggae” band Garrangali who had four wins, including Album  (Garrangali) and Song Of The Year (Searights). Ali Mills got a Special Recognition Award, and singer songwriter Kumanjayi Murphy was inducted into the Hall Of Fame. The full list of winners is at www.musicnt.com.au. Next up is The Deadlys, which takes place at the Sydney Opera House on Sep 27.

Be first to comment on this article

San Francisco’s Girls (pictured), finally get an Australian tour on the back of their lauded debut, Album, of 2009. Employing a loose, sun-soaked psychedelia, the founding duo of Christopher Owens and JR White will be joined by their full band, using a quintet to bring these delicate, sometimes heartbreaking tunes to life. Girls play The Zoo on Thursday Dec 9, with tickets available through OzTix for $43.35.

Be first to comment on this article

When someone describes you as a ‘vocalist/accordionist and lyricist extraordinaire’, you can’t help but be a little curious. Throw in the fact that person is French and has formed a musical and cabaret collaboration with an Australian multi-instrumentalist and you’ll be wanting to buy a ticket to the Belle Du Berry and David Lewis (pictured) show at The Judith Wright Centre on Friday Sep 3. Tickets range from $34 – $45 from the venue.

Be first to comment on this article

The Powerhouse Theatre - Thu Aug 26

Local quintet Swing Manouche open Brisbane’s first Gypsy Jazz festival with a generous set of jazz standards and gypsy originals from their recently released CD, Out Of Nowhere. Original track Up At The Lab is cool and breezy with a spirited clarinet solo, as frontman Ewan MacKenzie and accordion player Kay Sullivan alternately improvise. Saxophonist and vocalist Dan Cosgrove stylishly sings Michael Bublé’s All Of Me to an appreciative crowd of foot stomping retirees. The songs of two-fingered grandfather of gypsy jazz, Django Reinhardt feature heavily, as the quintet finish with his most famous tracks Minor Swing and Dark Eyes.

The Gypsy Swing Quintet of New Caledonia perform a similar set of Reinhardt classics, led by French guitarist Michel Trabelsi. Anniversary Song allows the group’s three guitarists to show off their mastery of “le pompe”, a distinctive percussive technique that takes the place of drums. As Michel speaks in a gentle French accent about “the paschion!” he feels for his music I’m filled with a sense of yearning, perhaps the secret to happiness lies with my dusty old guitar and an early caravan retirement. At any rate the Reinhardt hits keep coming – there’s the melancholy Blue Drag and exuberant Troublant Bolero, faultlessly executed by the acoustic guitar trio, double bassist, and violinist. Jewish folk song Yussel, Yussel (Joseph, Joseph) features extensive and frenetic guitar improvising of virtuoso standards. It just looks so damn easy! Reinhardt’s Minor Swing begins with bluegrass style duelling of the children’s song B-I-N-G-O and if you’ve seen Deliverance you’ll know just how intense these musical standoffs can be. George Gershwin’s well known ‘30s jazz standard I’ve Got Rhythm is met with great enthusiasm before an encore performance of yes, you guessed it … Reinhardt’s Dark Eyes.

MEG COLLIS

Be first to comment on this article

(Eagle Records/Shock)

Frampton comes alive. Again.

Peter Frampton of English blues rockers Humble Pie ironically became the very embodiment of the ‘70s LA sound with his albums Frampton Comes Alive (a super-slick concert recording) and its studio follow-up I’m In You (a title sure to resonate with Ron Burgundy!). He’s continued on his personal musical path ever since, emerging now with Thank You Mr Churchill, an ambitious record of World War II themes, solid blues rock and immaculately crafted song suites. It’s total Dadrock, but one of the more pleasant examples of the genre. Frampton’s voice has aged into a soulful instrument not dissimilar to our own Daryl Braithwaite (fitting, as both Frampton and Braithwaite’s band Sherbet made some of the definitive soft rock ooze of the 1970s). Longtime collaborator Chris Kimsey co-produces with Frampton and together they create an updated, raucous version of the Jeff Lynne formula adopted on 1990s efforts by the likes of Roy Orbison and Tom Petty (big, solid drum sounds, thick guitars etc). The title track opens the record with its straight ahead rock punch, followed by the impressively gutsy Solution. I’m Due A You is pleasant enough melodic rock, though strangely reminiscent of Aretha Franklin’s Who’s Zooming Who. Perhaps the highlight is the blue-eyed soul of Invisible Man, complete with a guest spot from Motown session legends The Funk Brothers. Frampton’s place on the road remains firmly in the middle – but he’s still one of the sharpest AOR operators out there.

***

MATT THROWER

Be first to comment on this article