Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes release their debut album 'Baby Caught the Bus' "Really great soul revue done exactly the right way… Sounding contemporary and old at the same time - it's a really great record." -Richard Kingsmill, JJJ Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes, celebrate the release of their debut album,Baby Caught the Bus. Eleven tracks of hard-edged rhythm and blues featuring a full nine-piece band with a horn section and keys, the ‘Rackettes’ back-up singers and Clairy Browne’s smoky vocals. The record has been in the making for two years and was recorded with and produced by the gifted, Steve Schram (Little Red, Little Birdy, Cat Empire, Eagle and the Worm, Ground Components). Baby Caught the Bus is an incredibly accomplished first release, moving through heart wrenching doo-wop wailing, to drunken pianos, party hysteria and tough, hard hitting soul. This collection of songs is delivered with dynamic vocal harmonies and the force of the rhythm section, with Clairy’s big soul voice and the horns leading the procession. More information here: www.clairybrowne.comFrankie is an upbeat dance hall track peppered with loose and limber lead breaks while I'll Be Fine sees the band nailing it with a passionate gospel number. She Plays Up To You has a more contemporary feel to it with sultry vocal tones and could find popularity with the Duffy and Amy fans, but the band is still not even close to pushing the neo-soul envelope. For the most part Clairy's voice lies somewhere between Diana Ross and Koko Taylor: sweet and soulful one minute, dirty and grinding the next. The Rackettes backing vocals are perfectly complementary and necessary in the band, never over shadowing Clairy's voice and their reworking of Bang Bang by Sonny and Cher really shines as a result, making it a fantastic inclusion on the album. Aeroplane deserves a special mention, with its infectious rollin' piano riff (reminiscent of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band) luring you in and its hard-hitting chorus cementing it as a standout song on the album. Baby Caught The Bus is a winner. It grinds and grooves in all the right places. It can get you shaking your hips or dimming the lights and slipping into something more comfortable. An album made by talented musicians who know their game and the genre they play like the back of their hand. – Krystal Maynard, Beat Magazine album review "This lot obviously have their live act down, but they also now have a recording that will blow a great wind across the music scene. Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes are set to take on the world." - Tim Ritchie, ABC Radio National Shaun Kirk releases his first full-length album 'Thank You for Giving Me the Blues' 
Since the independent release of his award winning debut album ‘Cruisin’ in 2010, Shaun has been captivating audiences across the country with his charming style of boogie blues & soul. With a bevy of new material, Kirk’s first full-length album, ‘Thank You for Giving Me the Blues’ sees the twenty-three year old troubadour take a leap in musical maturity.
Pinned as “the real thing” (John Carver - PBS FM), Kirk’s new release, offering seven original tracks and three covers, has all the passion and vigor you can ask for in a contemporary blues/soul record, with Shaun’s blood, sweat and dedication to his art shining through. The album moves from slow and soulful ballads like ‘Find Somebody To Love’, to witty tales of life on the road in ‘Chicken & Corn’, with raw, stripped back instrumentals like ‘The Howlin Harp Boogie’ and hard-hitting yet energetic grooves such as ‘The Drug Got a Hold Onto You’. Shaun’s innovative arrangements of old blues standards by the likes of Willie Dixon and Bo Diddley show his inclination to take the genre to places it hasn’t been. This production delivers not only emotive guitar playing and animated blues harmonica but enough thick drum/percussive grooves to inspire even the most docile listener to boogie. Topped off by a cameo performance with Australian blues legend Lloyd Spiegel and Shaun’s resilient, grinding vocal abilities, this is undoubtedly Kirk’s most accomplished work to date.
To celebrate the new release, Shaun is taking his ‘one man show’ on the road with launch dates all around the country. Surrounded by a stomp box, tambourine, high hat, cymbal, kick and snare drum, Shaun’s flair for playing six percussive sounds with his feet, whilst delivering quality guitar and blues-harmonica performances, is undeniably impressive! The album is available on iTunes from December 1st. For more information visit: www.shaunkirk.com
RITES OF PASSAGE TATTOO CONVENTION AND ARTS FESTIVAL APRIL 27th – 29th AT THE ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING, CARLTON GARDENS Rites of Passage Tattoo Convention & Arts Festival is a three day arts, tattoo and music festival with a focus on tattoo history & culture held at the Royal Exhibition Building Carlton Gardens Melbourne. The festival will provide an opportunity to see or be tattooed by some of the worlds most respected, renowned and up-and-coming tattooists, showcasing their artwork on living canvas. The 2012 Rites of Passage Festival features performances from tattooing tribes around the world, Australian Tattoo Industry Awards, seminars, tattoo history museum, tattoo competitions, fashion shows, face of Tiki Town 2012, Dr Sketchy & Lars Krutak aka Tattoo Hunter, plus many more to be announced. With a huge emphasis on celebrating creativity as a means to connect, Rites of Passage hopes to create a dynamic, shared space. The festival will to take you on a journey to lands forgotten and cultures undiscovered, to re-explore the real reason people get tattooed in both the modern and ancient world. This unique event aims to be as eco-friendly as possible, showcasing everything from organic, locally grown produce, to eco-friendly tattoo supplies. 100% of the profits made from the festival will go towards buying old growth forest and/or agricultural land, which will be replanted with native rainforest and various Indigenous Australian charities. For more information and online tickets visit: www.ritesofpassagefestival.com |
