The Medics – ‘Yesterday’ (mp3)

There are some fantastic bands coming out of regional Australia at the moment. The Middle East (Townsville, QLD) are playing Splendour, Ellington (Tannum Sands, QLD) have signed a publishing deal with Sony and with any luck, The Medics will be the next band to receive MySpace/Triple J/hipster-fuelled internet love.

Don’t be fooled by the trendy winter clothing displayed in the above promo photo – The Medics are actually from Cairns in tropical North Queensland. Sure, the music has the disco hi-hats, piano and delayed guitars typical of noughties English rock, but the understated melancholy, frustration, passion and honesty of creative young people outside urban areas is present in spades.
The Medics are touring throughout Queensland in June. I’ll be catching them at their Rockhampton show.

www.myspace.com/themedicsband1

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Third albums are often the most interesting albums in a band’s catalogue. Lacking the excitement of  a debut and the scrutiny of a sophomore effort, third albums tend to see a musician either revert to their original winning formula, throw caution to the wind or showcase their artistic growth.

‘All I Want’ is the new single from Sarah Blasko’s upcoming third album As Day Follows Night and while it won’t win her any new fans, at least it’ll keep the old ones happy. Bjorn Yttling’s (Peter, Bjorn & John) production leaves the song clear and polished without sterilising the music and the theremin is a nice touch.

Let’s hope Blasko’s newie revisits the quiet intensity of her previous releases without the crashingly boring bits.

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Paul Dempsey – ‘Out The Airlock’

Early this year singer/guitarist Paul Dempsey quietly took himself away to  Chris Joannou’s studio on the New South Wales coast and recorded his first solo album under his own name.  After fourteen years and five albums with Something For Kate and a little-known known solo album released under the pseudonym “Scared of Horses” in 1998, it seems well overdue.

If you liked the more alt-country moments of SFK’s recent releases or Josh Pyke’s new album you’ll probably like this. I found the double-tracked vocals a bit distracting, but frankly Dempsey could have done a lot worse.

www.myspace.com/pauldempseysolo

Jerry Soer:

I went through a good chunk of my university years listening to Something For Kate and got to see them in action at a free uni bar gig at the Roundhouse. Good to see Paul Dempsey still going at it. You can download this mp3 at his site: www.pauldempseymusic.com

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Skinny Jean – ‘Aliens‘

My world is ending, how ‘bout you? / I’ve got a million things to do.

So begins Skinny Jean’s “Aliens”, a song about singer Shem Allen’s ex-workmate’s bizarre but firm belief in alien rescue from the impending end of the world.

Allen’s performance unashamedly channels Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley but his songwriting is so mature and the band so tight  you barely notice.

Skinny Jean’s debut album Dolce Doggerel is one of the best releases to come out of the river city this year. Get your hands/download quota on it.

www.myspace.com/skinnyjeanband

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Steve Grady – ‘Not Yet, Not Now’ (mp3)

Sensitive acoustic singer-songwriters are a bit like cockroaches – if you kick over a rock, dozens of them will scurry out from underneath it. Whilst Steve Grady‘s music does fall into the above category, it has an intimacy and sensibility which sets him apart from many of the other 70’s-styled troubadours out there.

“Not Yet, Not Now” sees Grady in Ryan Adams mode, with alt-country flamenco guitar playing and a vocal reminiscent of early David Gates.

Steve launches his debut album Hotel Chelsea with a string of east-coast shows in early April.

www.myspace.com/stevegradymusic

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