Marcus Holden
Media reaction to the release of Soloist, Composer, Producer & Multi-Instrumentalist The Brolga is the Marcus Holden’s new album The Brolga has been overwhelmingly positive.
The Brolga is the second of Holden’s ‘folked up classics’ albums and features tunes from his childhood, some lingering in the recesses of his mind for years, while others are more recent additions. In some cases, fragments of the original melodies are used to create almost entirely new works.
Like it predecessor, the critically acclaimed Cicadas & Roses, The Brolga features works from Satie, Bach, Rimsky-Korsakov, Bartok and many more re-interpreted by Holden to create approachable, contemporary and interesting sounds - anything from Bluegrass to Bossa with lots of familiar tunes in new settings along with an original composition ‘Trying to Get to Sleep’.
Here’s what the press are saying …
The merging of Country and classical music was never even considered until Marcus Holden made it all happen. His own special arrangements, with the addition of banjo, Dobro and assorted guitar sounds usually associated with country music create a brand new sound. This would have to rank as one of the most relaxing CDs I have ever encountered. A glass or two or your favourite red, a good stereo, a comfortable chair and “The Brolga” and you've got it made. (Twang Talk, Burt Everett, Dec 2016, News Mail)
Marcus always comes up with something new, refreshing and very interesting. (Bob Cady, Highland FM)
Exquisite
(Judy Baker, ArtSound FM)
Now that is what I call music! What an artist! He is brilliant.
(Merle Scott, Sweet FM)
Marcus has come up with a fascinating album by offering his own interpretation of some familiar melodies (familiar even to a folkie like me). He always seems to give a strongly individual twist to whatever music he's playing ... and it works. The album cover is gorgeous as well. Warren Fahey said to me once: "Ah, Marcus is a force to be reckoned with" and that he is. (Bruce Cameron, 'Come All Ye', 2MCE Bathurst)
We just dropped in to let you know that Marcus Holden's CD " The Brolga " has arrived safe and will be added to our programs. Great tracks and should do good things for Marcus.
(Joy and Pejay, Country Roads)
It's a great album. (David Milne, Huon FM)
Look & listen out for Marcus Holden on ArtSound FM (Album of the week), 5GTR (Feature Album), Highland FM 107.1, Radio Eastern 98.1 Croydon, 2MCE, Sweet FM, PBS FM, Radio Adelaide Folk Show, Radio Northern Beaches, 101.5 fm and the CRN National Community Radio Folk Show, Country Roads, 94.7 FM The Pulse Community Radio, 94.7 Coral Coast Community Radio, Huon FM, Acoustic Harvest Bay fm 100.3, Edge Radio 99.3 FM, Eastside Radio, Australian Country Radio, 5EBI, 3MDR, Today’s Country 94One, 2RRR, 2VOX, 3NRG, 2AIR, Amrap Community Radio Network & in the BUNDABERG GUARDIAN.
The Brolga is OUT NOW digitally through iTunes and on CD through MGM Distribution or directly from Undercover Music via mail order. The digital release contains an additional eighteen bonus tracks, twelve of which were composed by Marcus himself.
More Information: Artist Page
NGARUKURUWALA
The songs of the Tiwi Islands meet with classical and jazz in a new take on an old culture. Using archive recordings from the last century, the voices of the ancestors are back in the recording studio, inspiring musical improvisation in an on-going dialogue between the past and the present.
Great concept, and beautifully executed! (CAAMA Music)
Genevieve Campbell, the driving force behind the project remarks … “The Tiwi language spoken today is very different from the old language in which the songs are sung. Only a very few Elders know that old language well enough to sing and to translate the texts of the archived recordings. That’s partly what inspired this work - to bring the old language and its poetry to life again in song.”
Rouseabout's latest release featured recently on ABC RN’s The Daily Planet. Listen in for some amazingly good music fusion.
Horn player Genevieve Campbell and a crew of 'southern' musicians collaborate with singers and archival recordings from Melville Island to continue a tradition that's always new.
The project and recording evolved in parallel to Genevieve's thesis on the music of Melville Island and a trip to Canberra with members of the Tiwi Strong Women's from there to reclaim the recordings which had been made between 1912 and 1981. The southern musicians add their jazz, blues and free improv interpretations to the Tiwi songs in the sort of cultural sharing that brings out new shadings and understandings. (Source: ABC's Daily Planet)
Speaking of Radio National and the decision by the ABC to cut its music programs, Rouseabout Records Executive Producer Warren Fahey took to Facebook to vent his frustration … “Here's why ABC should leave the Radio National music programs, especially The Daily Planet, alone. Sadly, the countdown to the very last show is rapidly approaching. As a record producer I am ANGRY and I invite you to listen to yesterday's broadcast featuring a new release on my Rouseabout Record label. Rouseabout, part of Undercover Music, is a small, indie label issuing culturally important recordings. We do it for love not money. We also do it because it is culturally important - today's featured music came to my attention when my fellow label operator, Nick Wales, returned from a musical collaboration with Genevieve Campbell. I subsequently caught up with Genevieve, heard the recordings, and said 'We MUST make this available'. The recording is out on Rouseabout and the music is sublime. Forget all your preconceptions (if you have any) of indigenous music and revel in this musical adventure. This is exactly why the Daily Planet and ABC RN played such an important role in Australia's musical world. Without airplay we might as well pack up our label and go walkabout. Yes, I am ANGRY.”
For fans of Gurrumul, Archie Roach & Mandawuy Yunupingu, Ngiya awungarra – I am here, now (RRR75) is OUT NOW digitally through iTunes and on CD through MGM Distribution or directly from Undercover Music via mail order.
Listen out for Ngarukuruwala on ABC Radio National (Daily Planet Feature album), Monaro FM, 5EBI, 2VOX, 90.1 Happy FM, BAY 100.3 FM ACOUSTIC HARVEST, 2BOB, Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation, 2BACR-FM 100.9, Eastside Radio 89.7 FM, RTRFM, WMAfm, Radio Alexandrina Community Broadcasters Inc, HHH, Horsham (96.5), radioksa, Voice of The Avon 101.3FM, 98.9 North West FM, Wangki Radio, ArtSound FM, 99.9 Voice FM, CairnsFM 89.1, Nambucca Valley Radio 2nvr 105.9fm & NRG FM.
For more information/interview requests:
Email | YouTube | Artists Page | Spotify| Facebook | iTunes | SoundCloud
JIM LOW
On the back of an appearance on Country Radio Singles CRS Volume 194 and a load of national airplay Jim Low’s ‘Journey’s End’ the title track of his most recent LP found its way into the Country Tracks Top 40 Chart peaking at #35 – a very well deserved acknowledgement for the Blue Mountains based singer/songwriter who creates and sings songs that get to the heart of the story, entertain and beg to be listened to again.
More Information: Album Page
Eric Bogle
Eric Bogle launches his latest album ‘Voices’ at a series of concerts at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February with Ami Williamson.
Eric continues to write songs that cut to the heart of the matter and performs all over the world, engaging audiences with self-deprecating wit and a commonsense view of the world. Eric has written some songs that have pretty much become Australian classics of their particular genre. His songs have been recorded by Joan Baez, Mary Black, Donovan, Slim Dusty, John Williamson, Billy Bragg, The Pogues and The Furies, just to name a few.
(Source: www.adelaidefringe.com.au)
Voices sees Bogle team up again with long-time buddy and touring partner John Munro to create another amazing collection of songs - eight from Eric himself, two from John, one from producer Peter Titchener and a song sent to Eric by Simon Wilkins. The album has been well received by fans and media alike and has been album of the week on ArtSound FM & 5GTR.
Bundaberg Guardian’s Burt Everett pens “Eric’s ability as a tunesmith, and songwriter stand second to none. His so very popular, “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”, told in Bogle’s “straight from the shoulder” delivery, set the benchmark for songs of war, and he has “chinned the bar” at the same height from then on. “Voices” is well up to the standard that is to be expected from an Eric Bogle release, and a must for his fans. If you don’t include yourself as member of this fraternity, have a listen to “Voices” and you well may be by the end of track twelve.”
Judie Crosby continues in New England Home & Lifestyle … “It would be harder to find someone more in tune with the Aussie ethos than Scottish-born Eric Bogle. Voices is a beauty that delves into the true heartland in everyone’s makeup with some great new songs. Highlights are well, every track actually, so get two copies – one for yourself and one to put in someone’s Christmas stocking.”
Tony Hillier in The Weekend Australian remarks “Eric Bogle’s songs have assuredly tugged heartstrings through the years. The expat Scot master songsmith continues to pen cogent commentaries.”
In a very amusing anecdote about an interview Tony did with Eric for the now defunct Cairns based Appearance magazine back in 1986 he recounts “When I asked him how he rated himself as a singer and as a guitarist, he replied, in his thick Scottish brogue and with enormous gusto, something along the lines of: "Ooooh, I've never been much of a singer, laddie, and I'm a piss poor guitar player, but you know what: I'm a f*#king GREAT songwriter". And so he is!”
On a more serious note Eric reflects on Voices … “We all look for somewhere where we’ll be happy and at peace and free… we still cling to optimism and hope as a human race, it’s one of our saving graces… even when the world seems to be going to hell around you, we always hope for something better, some vision splendid over the horizon.
As I say in the notes, it’s out there somewhere, or maybe it’s inside us somewhere.
I think it’s an internal thing, I don’t think it’s a physical place… somewhere you find in your own heart.
One of the few – and there are very few – advantages of getting older, is, I think, we come at peace with ourselves. Not necessarily with the world around us, but we get to the stage where we accept our limitations, accept our triumphs and losses and live with it and are grateful that we are still going on with it. Whether it will last as the years mount, I don’t know, but I’m feeling in a pretty good place at the moment… so long may that feeling last.” (Source: New England Home and Lifestyle)
You can sample songs from the album at SoundCloud or stream the album on Spotify.
For registered AirIt Radio Users three songs from the album are now available on Amrap's AirIt catalogue: First The Children (which made it into the Amrap Regional Charts), The List, Once Upon A Time.
Look & listen out for Eric Bogle on ABC Radio National, ArtSound FM, 5GTR, 2VOX, Country Roads, Highland FM 107.1, Tribe FM 91.1 Community Radio Willunga, 5 Triple Z, 5EBI, 5EFM, 2YOU, PBS FM, 2SER, Radio Adelaide, Eastern FM Croydon, 2MCE, 90.1 Happy FM, Australian Country, Radio1629am Newcastle, 3CR, Monaro FM, Acoustic Harvest Planet Radio, Eastside Radio 89.7, 2QN, Valley FM, Today’s Country 94One, Sweet FM, KIX FM Kangaroo Island, Edge Radio 99.3FM, Clan Cleland Society, Hobart FM, 94.7 Coral Coast Community Radio, Coonamble Community Radio, Sunshine FM 104.9, 2NUR, Gin Gin’s Own 104.9FM, 2UUU, PBAFM, Radio Alexandrina Community Broadcasters Inc, BayFm 99.9, Nambucca Valley Radio 2nvr 105.9fm, 3MDR Mountain District Radio 97.1FM, Phoenix FM 106.7 3PFM, Whitehorse Boroondara fm Community radio, 99.9 Voice FM, Alex-FM, 96.5 Inner FM, 5WOW (WOWFM 100.5), Albany Community Radio, 2BACR, 2AirFm, Joy 94.9, Nambucca Valley Radio 2NVR, Casey Radio, Hills Radio 88.9 FM, Port Stephens FM 100.9, Fraser Coast FM, 2SEA, Fleurieu FM, 5 Triple Z, RPP - Radio Port Phillip, Noosa Community Radio, 3NRG Inc, UGFM - Radio Murrindindi, 2MIA fm95.1, Fra Hills Radio 88.9FM, 3WAY-FM, Three D Radio, 2CHR 96.5, Coast FM 101.9, Radio Dungog, Highland FM, KCR FM, 98.9 North West FM, 2EAR FM, 3rpc 99.3 fm community radio & in Country Music Capital News, The Weekend Australian, Trad&Now, the Bundaberg Guardian, New England Home and Lifestyle & Campfire News.
Voices is OUT NOW digitally through iTunes and on CD through MGM Distribution or directly from Undercover Music via mail order.
More Information: Artist Page
Michael Fix, Daniel Champagne & Peter Hicks
From January 12 to 15, 2017, the historic Slacky Flat Showgrounds at Bulli (Wollongong, NSW) will become a mecca for musicians, dancers, singers, songwriters, poets, yarn spinners, choirs and lots of people who want to listen or involve themselves in a session.
The 32nd Illawarra Folk Festival will host 180 acts from all over the world with sounds of traditional folk, klezmer, gypsy, bluegrass, middle eastern, country, parody, dance, roots and more. (Source: Country Music Capital News)
For more information: Illawarra Folk Festival
Artists performing include Michael Fix and Daniel Champagne who feature on Down by the Billabong (Acoustic guitar arrangements of Australian folk songs and bush tunes) (RRR69) along with Pat Drummond & Peter Hicks who have contributions on Stand Up & Shout (Hard-hitting songs for social change and a new Australia) (RRR43). Both these albums are available digitally through iTunes and on CD through MGM Distribution or directly from Undercover Music via mail order. You can listen to it on Spotify.
|
