Posts By Sophie Benjamin

Isaac Graham – ‘Gold and Steel’

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Isaac Graham – ‘Gold and Steel’ (mp3)

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I’m really grateful for the resurgence of manly men singer-songwriters (hellooo Dan Sultan). The James Blunt/Five For Fighting/Jack Johnson era was painfully sissy and boring. It’s possible to express your feelings through song without being a total sap, and Sydney’s Isaac Graham is proof.

Graham has a real Chuck Ragan/Bruce Springsteen/The Gaslight Anthem vibe going on with his music, which isn’t a bad thing at all.  Punk/folk is immune to  accusations of being derivative, because the new guard is adding to the canon of the old guard.

http://www.myspace.com/isaacgraham

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Brisbane’s “The Troubadour” to close.

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Iconic Brisbane venue The Troubadour is closing at the end of the month. There had been rumblings around the Brisbane music scene about rising rents and the changing face of the Valley, but this is the biggest loss to the Valley’s live music precinct since The Rev became a dance club.

Here’s the presser from the venue’s website:

It’s news that will rock the Brisbane music community – the heart and soul of Brisbane’s music community, the iconic The Troubadour will be calling last drinks and closing its doors forever come the end of November.

In what will be a devastating blow to the town with a matter that has gone beyond the control of owners Jamie Trevaskis and Corinna Scanlon, the beloved music venue will close its doors on Sunday, November 21.

More information as to how the venue will be farewelled and why it is closing will be released in the very near future.  The Troub crew would like to extend gratitude to every single band, artist and punter who has graced the venue in the last seven and a half years.

The future of “The Troubadour” name and recognisable aesthetic remains uncertain but for now, the dream is over.

See the bullshit for yourself right here.

Since opening in 2003, The Troub has played host to bands too numerous to mention. Small-time local bands and big-name international touring acts have squeezed onto the small stage and squinted at the crowd through the red stage lights (a photographer’s nightmare).

Share your favourite Troub lineups and memories in the comments.

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Charlie Mayfair – ‘My Delirium’ cover (video)

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I’m not the biggest fan of Charlie Mayfair. It’s mainly the vocal parts that rub me the wrong way – they go way too heavy on the harmonies and the female vocalists bust into American Idol-influenced yodeling whenever they get half a chance.

That said, this cover of Ladyhawke’s ‘My Delirium’ is pretty good. Performing someone else’s material helps them keep their bad points in check, although they still manage to chuck in a bar’s rest after the “Stop!”‘s in the last chorus (Stop. No music. Get it? We’re like, totally clever and musical!) and a time and tempo change for no real reason.

This video is the first in a series, which will see the band perform acoustic covers of songs by previous Sunset Sounds artists in an attempt to raise their profile and get people to vote them into a slot for the 2011 festival.

It should be good, but it’d be even better if the band tried out the ‘less is more’ trick.

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