Adrian Whitehead

Adrian Whitehead -’ Caitlin’s 60s Pop Song’

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Melbourne’s Adrian Whitehead has a voice and song-writing ability reminiscent of Elliott Smith circa XO.

His debut album, One Small Stepping Man, shows off a pop sensibility that makes a vintage sunshine aesthetic sound fresh and exciting. Fittingly, the opening track is called ‘Caitlin’s 60’s Pop Song’ – both an apt name and a solid example of Whitehead’s sound and ability.

The right stuff to get you in the mood for Summer.

www.myspace.com/adrianwhitehead

Andy Bull – Small Town Girl (Laptop Version)

The talented Andy Bull has recorded a very special laptop version of his pop gem Small Town Girl especially for whothehell.net! This is the first post of many Laptop Version series coming in the near future. For now enjoy this awesome song and catch Andy on tour this month.

www.myspace.com/andybull

Empire Of The Sun – ‘We are the people’

Empire Of The Sun – ‘We are the people’

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A ‘teaser’ single released on iTunes recently ahead of the October 4th album release, just over a week away. I have high expectations from this album and I know a lot of people do. This song starts off slow but the chorus triumphs thanks to Luke Steele’s unique voice and gift of melody. Have to say that I wasn’t expecting a sci fi themed artwork when I first heard of this project, but I guess it doesn’t really matter.

www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound

The Hungry Kids of Hungary

The Hungry Kids of Hungary – ‘Set It Right’ (mp3)

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Little more than a year old, Brisbane’s Hungry Kids of Hungary are winning hearts with their unique blend of soul, blues and sweet vocal harmony.

If The Shins had formed in London circa 1968, this is what they would have sounded like.

The Kids’ self-titled debut EP bounces from the sparkling pop of ‘Arrest This Heart’ to the loping swagger of ‘One By One’.  The highlight though is ‘Set It Right’ which leaps from from its bed of handclaps and electric strums transforming into a foot-stomping sing-a-long replete with falsetto chorus and shimmering keys.

www.myspace.com/hungrykidsofhungary

Andy Bull

Andy Bull – ‘Small Town Girl’

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I’m glad that Andy Bull have finally got a good single out on a label big enough to push his music out to the mainstream market. I first learnt about Andy through his manager the lovely Julia Kosky whom I met in an industry forum. On her recommendation I checked Andy out on a small gig at Sydney’s Ruby Rabbit, not really a venue but a long terrace bar/club style. Andy was behind a set of keys and on the bass was producer Tony Buchen aka Buchman aka one of the Baggsmen. Young Andy Bull had a great voice, a soulful voice for a boy from Sydney whom I thought would be too ‘American’ to work the indie gigging circuit in Australia. That was a few years ago and I thought he has disappeared or given up or moved away but fortunately he has come back with a fantastic pop soul number. Small Town Girl is a classic soundtrack tune; I get flashbacks of the Cameron Crowe movie Almost Famous, the scene when Zooey Deschanel’s character leaves the family home to become an airline stewardes. If that movie wasn’t set in the 70s, this song would be perfect. Actually, it doesn’t matter when it’s set cos this song has an ageless quality.

www.myspace.com/andybull

British India: ‘I Said I’m Sorry’

British India – ‘I Said I’m Sorry’

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I’ve never got British India. Are they a hard rock band, or an indie band? Their popularity seems to have exploded, despite the fact they’ve never released anything that’s actually worthy of such grand acclaim. I guess there’s something to say for a catchy chorus. ‘I Said I’m Sorry’ is OK, but there’s nothing all that exciting about this song. Sure, they’re aping the Clash in the chorus, but aside from that the song is just one big plateau.

http://www.myspace.com/britishindia

Gabriella Cilmi: ‘Save The Lies (Good To Me)’ video

http://www.myspace.com/gabriellacilmi

The Seabellies: ‘Prairie’

The Seabellies - ‘Prairie’

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Has anyone else noticed the resurrgence in piano accordian use? First Holly Throsby, then Baseball and now the Seabellies on their new single ‘Prairie’, continuing their trend for ‘08 of releasing only digital singles. This follows on from ‘Heart Heart Heart Out’ and finds them returning to their Canadian music influences, building a bombastic tune not alike that of Arcade Fire but compressing their multilayered sound into more standard song structure fare. It’s build nicely, there’s plenty of textured harmonies, but at the time of writing this, the song hasn’t grabbed me just yet – and I’m a fan of these guys. Maybe I just have to give it time.

http://www.myspace.com/theseabellies

Kate Miller-Heidke: ‘Mama’ Clip

Brisbane’s pop pixie Kate Miller-Heidke has teamed up with Jefferton James, one of Sydney’s most favoured artists when it comes to indie acts, to create an animated video for her latest single – and highly likely, last from her album Little Eve – ‘Mama’. Expect some new KMH material by the year’s end.

http://www.myspace.com/katemillerheidke