Slow Dancer celebrated the release of his second album In A Mood tonight with an album launch at The Gasometer Hotel. Opening the evening was Tim Harvey's latest project Real Feelings. The four piece band, which also contained Liam Halliwell from The Ocean Party, had some lengthy jams and a bit of a groove to their songs. Next up was POPPONGENE (aka Sophie Treloar) and her band, which had a very guitar-based sound with a bit of shoegaze at some points. We thought they sounded really good.
Slow Dancer (aka Simon Okley) was in his usual white jeans and jacket as he took to the stage with his band and started with "In The Water," the opening track off In A Mood. The crowd was very attentive and polite throughout his set, with highlights being "Don't Believe," "Bitter," "It Goes On" (which may be my favorite song released this year), and beautiful versions on acoustic guitar of "Please" and "I Would" that had everyone captivated. Simon joked that we were missing the start of the Tour de France coverage (which was amusing as I had a conversation with Ebony before he started playing about Peter Sagon's disqualification) and also acknowledged it was NAIDOC week. The evening finished with "Cornerstone" and the funniest moment of the night when Simon realised he forgot to take the capo off his guitar as he hit the first chorus. Unfortunately there wasn't an encore, but it's always an enjoyable experience to get to see Slow Dancer perform live.
During December Slow Dancer has been doing a Sunday residency at Some Velvet Morning in Clifton Hill. I finally managed to get down there this evening to check out the final show. Opening this week was a three piece version of Hollow Everdaze, who have moved away from a psych-garage sound to a more 1980s inspired indie guitar one. I enjoyed their short set quite a lot and thought they sounded good (much better than when I saw them a couple years ago).
Slow Dancer's set consisted mainly of new songs, with "It Goes On" the highlight of the new material for me. Simon was joined by Nicholas Lam on bass and Myles Wootton on drums for the set, which lasted 40 minutes. Older tracks played were "Took The Floor Out," "Leave It To Me" and "Cornerstone" off his excellent debut album Surrender. The chilled vibes of the set were perfect for an early Sunday evening show, and they finished by playing the latest single "Don't Believe." It's not many artists that have such an instantly recognisable sound as Slow Dancer, and I'm really looking forward to the new album.
It's been a couple of years since Slow Dancer (aka Simon Okely) released his debut album, so it was exciting to see the announcement for a last minute semi-secret show occurring tonight at Some Velvet Morning in Clifton Hill. This was my first time at the venue, which was a small, intimate space the size of a living room.
DXHeaven (aka Nicholas Lam) opened the evening by playing solo on piano and then electric guitar for his last two songs. It was a lovely set of stripped back music where Nicholas' soulful voice shined through.
A clean shaven Slow Dancer then took to the stage, joined by Nicholas Lam on bass and Robert Bassey on drums. The set list was a mix of old and new songs as Simon tested out some of the tracks he has been working on for his next release. The new material sounded great and continues the chill Slow Dancer vibe and excellent guitar work we've all come to know and love. It was good to hear some old favorites played such as "Took The Floor Out," "Leave It To Me" and "Cornerstone." We also got treated to the new single "Don't Believe" where Simon invited old Oh Mercy bandmates Eliza Lam and Annabel Griggs up to sing backing vocals. It was such a nice opportunity to get a glimpse of these new songs, which I hope see the light of day sooner rather than later.
While it's sad that Brisbane's Hungry Kids Of Hungary are no more, out of the ashes of that band have emerged several new projects, including Rolls Bayce featuring Dean McGrath. Tonight they played their first Melbourne show at The Curtain on Lygon Street. Opening the evening was the lovely Slow Dancer. Simon played his set solo on electric guitar and did stripped back versions of his songs,including "Took The Floor Out," "Leave It To Me," "Please" and "Doesn't Matter." He also treated us to a cover of The Go-Betweens' "Streets Of Your Town." Next up was Melbourne five piece Playwrite, who had these big anthemic songs and made it through their set despite the fact their lead singer had the flu.
Rolls Bayce were immediately impressive for a band that hasn't been playing together live for that long. Their set contained new songs as well as "Mutate," the hit single "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "On My Own" off their EP. All three members are such amazing musicians and fed off each other as they played extended jams. I loved the chunky guitars and psych sound to their songs, and it was great to hear Dean singing again. Rolls Bayce are such a talented band that they should have no trouble rising in popularity quickly.
To celebrate the release of his debut album Surrender, Slow Dancer (aka Simon Okely) did an album launch over the past two Sunday evenings at The Workers Club. Last week the opening act was DXHeaven, featuring Nicholas Lam on vocals, keyboard and samples. The group had an electronic/R&B sound to them which I enjoyed, and for one song they invited Eliza Lam and Simon on stage to play with them. Next up was Melbourne indie six piece band Ciggie Witch, which contains two-thirds of The Ocean Party (Zac, Lachlan and Liam) and sounds a bit similar but less polished than them. Unfortunately they seem to be contributing to an annoying trend I've noticed at gigs over the past few months: having multiple people in a band on lead vocals when not all of them should be. If you can't sing in tune, please spare the audience having to sit through it.
This week's show opened with Dr. Doctor, a four piece band featuring Eliza Lam on lead vocals. The songs were really driven by
the groove of Eliza's bass lines, and it was good to see Rohan Sforcina out from behind the drum kit and playing guitar (an instrument he has only picked up in the last few months). Next on stage was singer-songwriter JP Klipspringer (aka Jack Poulson). He started solo on electric guitar and then invited his band on stage, playing songs from his recent EP as well as some new ones.
It's been a while since I last saw Slow Dancer play and I was excited to get to see him live again as I love Simon's guitar playing and the general chill vibes of his songs. His set lists over the two Sundays included some of my favorites such as "Too Great," "We All Make Mistakes," "Home," "Leave It To Me" and "Cornerstone." Simon invited many of his musician friends up throughout the evening to play with the band, which led to the funny comment "I'm collecting Lams and Woottons" as siblings took over the stage. The final song for each night was a cover of Womack & Womack's "Teardrops." Do yourself a favor and buy Surrender- I promise you won't be disappointed.
Here's the video for the latest single "Took The Floor Out" (which I think is a secret tribute to Body Balance):
The last two nights have been spent at the Northcote Social Club with Tash and Mary (on Thursday only) to catch the last Melbourne shows for a while by Oh Mercy before they relocate overseas. It was coined as a celebration and both evenings were a bit of an Oh Mercy fest.
The opening act was Slow Dancer (aka Simon Okely) accompanied by James Harding on bass and Myles Wootton (The Panics) on drums. They played an excellent set both nights. There is such a great groove to all of Simon's songs, especially the single "Leave It To Me" (see video below) which has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it over a year ago. I can't wait for his debut album Surrender to be released sometime this year.
Next on the bill was Alexander Gow solo on electric guitar playing some older Oh Mercy songs. He began with "Hold Out Your Hand" and "Blue Lagoon" from Great Barrier Grief. I was so thrilled to hear "Salvation Jane," which is one of my all time favorites and a b-side from one of their first singles. Interestingly it was "In Good Time" (only played on Thursday) and "By The Collar," the two Privileged Woes tracks, that sounded the strongest to me in the set. This could be because I haven't heard them live in years.
Alex did covers of songs by Kieran Ryan (Thursday) and The Panics (Friday) and Jae Laffer of The Panics returned the favor by singing his version of Oh Mercy's "Labour Of Love." Alex also invited Gossling (aka Helen Croome) onto the stage to sing their duet "La Minute De Silence," which was recorded for the Melodie Francaise album of French songs sung by Australian artists. He finished the set with the Deep Heat b-side "Lady Eucalyptus."
Here's the video for "La Minute De Silence," which was shot in Paris a couple months ago:
For Oh Mercy's set Alex returned to the stage with Rohan and began with "Europa" before Eliza and Simon joined them for "Lay Everything On Me." The set was mostly songs off Deep Heat including my favorites "Rebel Beats," "Pilgrim's Blues," "My Man," "Still Making Me Pay" and "Drums." We also got a few Great Barrier Grief tracks with "Keith St," "Stay Please Stay" and Kieran Ryan's lovely cover of "Doldrums."
The funniest moment of the two shows revolved around Simon's birthday on Thursday, which his band members completely forgot about until he announced it on stage. The reason they gave was that they did so many fake celebrations of his birthday at shows that they didn't know the actual date. To make up for it they brought out a birthday cake (complete with a penis drawn on the top) and Jagermeister shots on Friday as we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Simon.
The band was quite sentimental at both shows since these will be the last Australian shows for at least a year. Alex thanked all the familiar faces in the crowd who have supported them over the years. They finished the night with a ripping version of The Waterboys' "Fisherman's Blues" before taking a final bow on stage. It will be a new chapter for Oh Mercy with Alex and Rohan moving to the US for a while but I have
great faith that we will get their best album yet from the experience.
Last night Mary and I went to the John Curtin Hotel to see The Ocean Party launch their latest single "Young Love." First up for the evening was Slow Dancer, who played a great set. Simon was once again accompanied by Rohan Sforcina on drums and James Harding on bass. "Leave It To Me" and "Home" were my highlights and it was nice to see Simon's Oh Mercy bandmates out to support him.
The second band on the bill was Melbourne three piece ScotDrakula. They played a very energetic set of punk/indie sounding songs with a hint of rockabilly as well. I really liked them and it was good to see a female drummer in the band. Next was The Eliza Band, a side project of Rory Cooke, the lead singer of Gaslight Radio. They played songs from their debut album Firework Dogs, of which "The Preston Front" was a stand out, and finished their set with a Gaslight Radio song.
Surprisingly there was just a small crowd in the bandroom by the time The Ocean Party took the stage. Nevertheless they played a solid set of songs from their various releases, including "The Dogs," "Deadbeat," "Shaking Like A Leaf" and their new single "Young Love." After the show Mary and I scored their entire back catalog for $10, which was an amazing offer. Their debut album The Sun Rolled Off The Hills will be released in February.
Another year is coming to a close which can only mean one thing- time for all those end of year top ten lists. Not to be left out, here are my top ten favorite songs for 2011 (aka songs that make me want to hit repeat after having just listened to them).
10. Slow Dancer "Leave It To Me" Slow Dancer is the solo project of Simon Okely from Oh Mercy. "Leave It To Me" is the first song he has put up online and I really love the laid back feel to Simon's music as well as his excellent guitar playing. Definitely one to watch for 2012.
9. The Good China "No More Maps, No More Roads"
2011 saw the return of The Good China to the Melbourne live scene after nearly a year's hiatus. The single "No More Maps, No More Roads" was a live favorite and has all the great hallmarks of a Good China track, including lots of hand claps.
8. Boy & Bear "Feeding Line"
It has been a monster year for Sydney's Boy & Bear, having won 5 ARIA awards for their debut album Moonfire. "Feeding Line" was the first single off the album, and signaled a new musical direction for the band from their previous EP.
7. The Harpoons "Keep You Around"
Another favorite band of mine that reemerged this year was The Harpoons. "Keep You Around" showcases Bec Rigby's soulful voice in this song about love with the great lyric "when you smiled at me I was a hopeless case." I am definitely looking forward to their debut album coming out in 2012.
6. Liam Finn "Don't Even Know Your Name"
This song was not a single but it's my favorite track off Liam Finn's latest album FOMO. "Don't Even Know Your Name" has a driving beat and an optimistic energy to it, and I absolutely love the chorus (which for some reason reminds me of "Panic" by The Smiths). Here's a live version of song, but do seek out the album track.
5. Brous "Streamers"
The first single off of Brous' self-titled debut EP, "Streamers" sounds like a song from a 1960s James Bond film. Sophia Brous' voice is quite amazing and I love how the first verse of this song keeps speeding up. There is a definite cinematic quality to her music and it will be interesting to see what she produces next.
4. Seeker Lover Keeper "Even Though I'm A Woman" Seeker Lover Keeper is the female Australian supergroup made up of Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby. One of the initial singles off of their self-titled debut album, "Even Though I'm A Woman" is a song about long distance love sung by Holly and written by Sally with some biting lyrics such as "I love you more when I'm missing you, it's why I'm always away." The song is a bit of an anthem for female independence.
3. Kimbra "Cameo Lover" Kimbra is originally from New Zealand but has been living in Melbourne the past few years. "Cameo Lover" come off of her debut album Vows and won her the 2011 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition as well as an ARIA award for best female artist. I love the contrast between the verses and chorus of this song as well as its fantastic video.
2. Gotye "State Of The Art"
You may have thought that I would pick Gotye's biggest hit to date, but no, my favorite song off of his latest album Making Mirrors is "State Of The Art." Only Wally would write a song about his beloved Lowrey Cotillion organ. My favorite part of the song is when the bossa nova rhythm kicks in to the lyric "start the bossa nova beat and limbo from the living to the kitchen." The video animation by Rubber House is also exceptional.
1. Oh Mercy "Stay Please Stay"
My most played song of the year is Oh Mercy's "Stay Please Stay," the first single off their second album Great Barrier Grief. I absolutely adore the chorus of this song, especially Thomas Savage's beautiful jangly guitar. It also has a great closing lyric by Alexander with "what can I do with a love that gathers dust in a busy room?" An indie pop classic.
After a drink at Tuscan Bar and dinner with Chantal, I headed to The Toff last night for Georgia Fair's sold out All Through Winter album launch. There were already a fair number of people in the venue when I arrived, and it was a very young crowd. The first act of the night was singer-songwriter Carry Nation (aka Jessie Warren). She played a solo set on electric guitar and had some interesting thoughts that she shared in between songs, including her obsession with whales.
Next up was Slow Dancer, which is Simon Okely from Oh Mercy's solo project. Simon played the first couple songs solo on guitar and then was joined by James Harding on bass and Rohan Sforcina (also from Oh Mercy) on drums. The songs had a really great laid back vibe and groove to them, and as expected, excellent guitar playing by Simon. I was very impressed with his set, and he finished with "Leave It To Me." I grabbed a free Slow Dancer postcard from Eliza Lam, who was working the merch desk, and told her I'd see her next week for Oh Mercy's gig at the Hi-Fi Bar.
The room was absolutely packed for Georgia Fair, and Tash, Jessie and Heath arrived just as they started their set. Jordan and Ben played most of the songs with a band but also did a few by themselves. Their set consisted of songs from the new album as well as a few from their previously released EP. "Picture Frames" got the biggest reaction from the crowd, and other standouts were "Times Fly," "Float Away," "Simple Man" and "Where You Been?" Thankfully the crowd were respectful and attentive for the tracks from new album, which are more mellow songs. The boys have recently moved to Melbourne, so hopefully there will be more local shows in the future.
Here's the first single off the album, "Where You Been?"
