The Basics return with a new song and a new tour! Catch them on the dates below.

SYDNEY – Friday 17 July
Sydney Opera House

BULLI – Saturday 18 July
Heritage Hotel

CRONULLA – Sunday 19 July
Brass Monkey

CANBERRA – Thursday 23 July
Transit Bar

HOBART – Friday 24 July
Republic Bar

LAUNCESTON – Saturday 25 July
Hotel New York

BRISBANE – Thursday 30 July
The Zoo

SUNSHINE COAST – Friday 31 July
Woombye Hotel

BYRON BAY – Saturday 1 August
Beach Hotel

CAIRNS – Saturday 8 August
Tanks Arts Centre

www.myspace.com/the3basics

Chaingang – ‘Day n Nite’ (Kid Cudi cover) (mp3)

The Chaingang boys and girls recently went over to Nashville to record their new release, and in a daze of jetlag and studio delirium, recorded this cover and tweeted their progress, and sent it across to whoever was following. So here it is in case you missed it.

www.myspace.com/chaingangpower

Boy and Bear – ‘The Storm’ (mp3)

Boy & Bear – If The Shins and Fleet Foxes made babies..

Sydney singer/songwriter Dave Hosking has taken a slight change of direction with his new outfit Boy & Bear. Releasing his first EP ‘Marmalade Hill’ late last year, Hosking has decided to abandon the songs from the album (which I was still rather fond of…) and start fresh, writing towards a more mature and original sound. Producer of the first EP, Andrew Macken, has proven to be a great collaborator with his intricate and almost narrative based approach to the arrangement and production. On the bands first single ‘The Storm’, Hosking’s vocals are superb, slowly building throughout the track to release with the heart warming vocal harmonies, while the guitar motif provides an interesting counterpoint melody.

Judging from what this young Sydney band have offered so far, I’m excited to hear the rest.

www.myspace.com/boyandbearmusic

Joysticks – ‘Your House’ demo

There’s a lot of new bands that I wish I’ve seen live in Sydney but never had the chance to. I did however get to see  Joysticks in show mode recently twice in a short amount of time, both occassions in Spectrum. Which is funny because they remind me of a younger Red Riders I saw five years ago, at the opening night party of the rock institution that is Spectrum on Oxford St. This recording don’t really show it that well, but it’s obvious to see that we’re gonna be hearing from these guys a lot more in the near future.

www.myspace.com/joysticksmusic

Washington – ‘Cement’ (Exclusive)

Megan Washington is the voice behind these coarsely caramel croonings, and the deft fingers behind the soaring piano crescendoes that are the plinth of this dark but catchy tune. Megan’s spontaneous collaborations from New York to Lisbon to providing the vocals on a popular Bamboos cover of ‘King of the Rodeo’ by Kings of Leon, coupled with her cloak and dagger past as a successful jazz artist, have meant she does well out of the odd google search. Now with winners like ‘Cement’ and ‘Clementine‘, she’s paving the way for all round triumph with her eponymous band Washington.

You can catch Megan on the tail end of her whothehell.net-presented tour, tomorrow night at the Sydney Opera House. Nab tickets here before it’s too late.

The Scare – ‘Could Be Bad’

There’s quite a few good tracks on the new Scare album, I’ve had this one for a good few weeks now and it’s still on the playlist so that’s saying something!

www.myspace.com/thescare