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February, 2003

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Wednesday, 26th

Peabody kick off their Rockwell tour this week in Geelong, with the tour winding its way up the east coast till mid March. In other news the single Stupid Boy is due out March 17, with a film clip in the works. Further details »

The Shake, a new weekly dose of live music and DJs, opens Saturday March 1 @ Spanish Club, Level 3, 88 Liverpool St, Sydney. Performing on the night will be Youth Group, Dappled Cities Fly and The Fangs, plus DJs Berko and Charlie No.4 spinning all your fave indie tunes till 3am. Entry is $8 or $5 after midnight, with happy hour $2 beers till 9pm. For further info consult www.popfrenzy.com.au

Tuesday, 25th

Bluebottle Kiss, before focusing on their next album and heading overseas, hit the road for a run of east coast dates during late February and March. The band's latest album Revenge Is Slow is set for an April 28 release in the US on In Music We Trust and a UK release in May. To the promote this a tour of the US and Europe is planned for the mid-year. Further details »

Shutterspeed have finished recording their new album Custom Made Hit Parade, currently pencilled in for a May release. The next single Under Control, one of three tracks on the album mixed by engineer Tim Whitten, is due for release late March or early April. The single will be accompanied by b-sides 'This Monster Must Be Stopped', 'Different Drum' and a solo acoustic version of 'Good Little Monkey'. In the meantime the band helps launch a new live room at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel in Kedron on Friday Feb 28, and performs in Sydney on Saturday March 1 @ The Annandale supporting Blueline Medic.

Rapid Festival 2003 is happening June 28 @ Lawnton Showgrounds, Gympie Rd, Lawnton. The festival is an all ages, drug and alcohol free event that is held in Pine Rivers, Starthpine, Queensland, and is organised by a group of young people aged 16-21. All bands, solo artists, DJs and comedians that are interested in applying for a place on this year's lineup should visit www.rapidfestival.com and lodge their submission by Friday March 28.

Thinktank tour Europe in March and April in support of Here Is The Moment out through European label Household Name Records. The tour will see them performing dates in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Before heading overseas they play one final Australian all ages show on Saturday March 8 @ Enigma Bar with Embodiment 12:14, Mere Theory and Cheapshot. Further details »

Strange Tenants reform for one show only on Saturday March 29 @ Corner Hotel. The band will be launching Ska'd For Life, a selection of 13 of their classic ska and reggae songs recorded in the early 1980s, taken from their first two mini-albums (never before available on CD) and some rare some b-sides. Special guests are Loin Groin Commisioner Gordon, Houstons Dilemma, and tickets are now available from the venue.

Sarah Blasko a Sydney singer-songwriter has signed to Dew Process, with the label re-releasing her debut EP Prelusive on March 31. In the meantime, Sarah performs an acoustic set for the Channel V Music Bus at Bateman's Bay on Thursday, February 27. Following that, Sarah and band hit the road to play a series of selective gigs with Genevieve Maynard at The Healer Feb 28 with Genshen; March 1 at The Hopetoun Hotel with speedstar & Shane Nicholson and March 8 at The Empress Hotel with Genshen.

The Lovetones take a break while Matthew J Tow heads off to the US in early March to be the guest guitarist for the Brian Jonestown Massacre's spring US tour. This tour will coincide with The Lovetones album being released in the US thru Bomp! Records. April will be spent writing/demoing new material with the BJM's Anton Newcombe as well as promo stuff for the Lovetones album in the US. The Lovetones will reconvene in LA at the beginning of May to play dates across the US with the Brian Jonestown Massacre.

The Lost Weekend Festival, a celebration of Australian independent guitar pop, is happening in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth consecutively during the month of March. The event will run for three sessions over an entire weekend in each city. An accompanying 23 track compilation CD has been released jointly by Laughing Outlaw Records and Zip Records. It features the following artists: Starky, Major, Sarah Sarah, Showbag!, Ice Cream Hands, City Lights, Pyramidiacs, Shifter, The Innocents, Superscope, The Kubes, Magneto, Adam Power, The Chevelles, Even, Michael Carpenter & King's Rd, Spencer Tracy, Danny McDonald, Challenger 7, Lynchpin, Ruteger, Treetops and Groundswell. For further information consult www.lostweekend.com.au Further details »

STR venture out of their hometown of Adelaide in March to embark on their first east coast tour. In support of their latest single How To Live Today, the tour winds its way through Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Adelaide. Further details »

Regurgitator tour the UK, with the odd date in Istanbul, in late April / early March. This follows the UK release of Jingles on the independent label Kennel. Further details »

The Stalkers and Sixffthick team up for a short east tour during late February / early March. Further details »

Wednesday, 19th

Tales From the Australian Underground - Singles 1976-1989 is the first release for the new Feel record label dedicated to the re-issue of the sounds of Australia past, launched by the touring company of the same name. Five years in the making, the 45 track double CD collection highlights selections from the previous careers of acts like Hoodoo Gurus (The Victims & Fun Things), Gangajang (The Riptides), The Cruel Sea (Sekret Sekret), Dave Graney (The Moodists), Big Heavy Stuff (Ups & Downs), You Am I (The Bamboos), Tex Perkins, (Thug), Dirty Three (Venom P. Stinger) as well as classic early releases from Radio Birdman, The Saints, The Scientists, Triffids, Died Pretty, The Mark Of Cain and the Hard-Ons. In addition, the compilation includes a selection of seminal tracks, previously un-released on CD, by Pel Mel, Sunnyboys, Sardine, Psycho Surgeons, The Leftovers, Do Re Mi, The Numbers, Tactics, X and Wet Taxis among others. Accompanying the double CD is an extensive 36 page booklet. The double CD is in stores from February 24 and via mail order through www.feelpresents.com

Indyfest, an independent music festival held annually in Canberra, is happening on Friday April 4 and Saturday April 5. Prior to this will be a warm up event on Saturday March 8 @ Commonwealth Park, Canberra as part of the National Multicultural Festival. The event is aimed at providing a showcase of talent of all styles and genres from the ACT and interstate to the music industry and public alike. Artists confirmed so far are locals Recipe, Hashemoto, Penguin, Kintama, Meatbee, Gravity Well, James Jesse Band, Beanort, Spoil, Laney, Baron Samadhi and Newcomer Jenny. They will be joined by Lucid, Laura Jean and At Sea from Melbourne plus Full Circle, Further, Amanda Easton from Sydney.

You Am I release the single Deliverance, the second single taken from the album of the same name, in stores March 10. The band will be supporting Rolling Stones on Tuesday March 4 and Wednesday March 5 at their two Brisbane performances before hitting the road on their own national mini-tour.

Tuesday, 18th

Shake Yer Popboomerang is a new compilation of Australian pop out now on Melbourne based label Popboomerang Records. The 23 track CD features unreleased and rare tunes from Dom Mariani (Stems, DM3), Charles Jenkins (Icecream Hands), Smallgoods, Danny McDonald, Starky, Superscope, Groundswell, Tim Reid, Treetops, Sarah Sarah and more. The Melbourne launch of the compilation happens Sunday March 2 @ Rob Roy, kicking off at 6pm and featuring Andy Star, Tim Reid, Sarah Sarah, Her Majesty's Finest, Chuck Jenkins, Groundswell, Treetops and Smallgoods on the bill.

Fourth Floor Collapse launch their new single Sun on Saturday February 22 @ Rosemount Hotel, North Perth. Special guests are Ikey Mo, Tragic Delicate and Katie Steele. The single is released through the band's own record label Congregation and is the leadup to their new album, planned for release in Spring 2003. The single is accompanied by three other tracks: 'Let Me Down' a new song recorded during the 2002 sessions, 'Dirtside (the downward spin version)' a reworking of the song which appeared on the 2002 Kiss My WAMI CD and 'Made Believe (the believable mix)' remixed by Trilby Temperley. In other news the band will be performing at the Eclectic Festival on March 15 and undertaking a tour of Sydney in late March.

International Karate launch their debut LP Weapons Of Mass Protection on Friday February 28 @ The Empress of India Hotel in Nicholson St, Nth Fitzroy. Support will come from Oneironaut and Season. Their debut album is available in-stores now via Sensory Projects/Inertia Distributions.

Ruteger head out on the road during March for a tour of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth as part of The Lost Weekend Pop Festival. In other news their second album will be finished in April and should be out in September on an undisclosed label. Further details »

Semicolon release their debut 6 track EP Teach yourself to think on March 26. To co-incide with its release the band will embark on an east coast tour during March and April, kicking off with their EP launch on Thursday March 27 @ The Zoo, Brisbane w/ Genshen and Shifter. Pre-orders for their debut EP can be placed at their website www.semicolon.info

Rifter is the new title for the band formerly known as Shifter, with the name change prompted by the discovery of another band with the same name. They will play their upcoming shows on the 'Hits From The Gong' tour as Shifter and the self-titled CD will continue to be available until sold out. All future shows and recordings will be under the new name.

Dappled Cities Fly play their first headline show at the Annandale in Sydney this Thursday February 20. Supports will be Melbourne outfit The Night Terrors plus locals Spod and Isherwood. The band is also performing on Saturday March 1 with Youth Group and The Fangs for the opening of new venue The Spanish Club, the corner of Goulbourn and George St. In other news their new single Chameleon Girl will be out March 17 on Wash Records.

Monday, 17th

For Amusement Only will be the main support for Good Charlotte when they tour the east coast of Australia in late February / early March. All shows on this tour are all ages. Further details »

Brindle during the month of March will head out on an east coast tour. The tour is in support of their new EP Classification, available nationally on MRA through FunkFolk. Amongst the dates on this tour will be several shows by The Peachfish, an acoustic duo featuring Brindle singer Deb Suckling and guitarist Craig Spann. Further details »

Friday, 14th

The Wells Collective, a side project for Darren of The Sound Platform, will be recording an album in March set to be titled Along Sydon Drive. They are also performing the following dates Saturday February 15 @ Bar 303, High Street, Northcote w/ Gelfling, The Broke and Monday February 24 @ The Rob Roy w/ Kirsty Stegwazi.

Dexter makes his first Sydney performance for 2003 on Friday February 28 @ The Gaelic Club. Back recently from a six week tour of the UK and Europe, Dexter will be performing one night only in Sydney. Joining him will be follow member of The Avalanches, James De La Cruz, as well as special guests. Tickets are $16.50 plus booking fee, available from Metro Theatre Box Office, Redeye Records, Fishtix.

The Songs Of St Kilda compilation CD of local young singer-songwriters will be launched at St Kilda Festival on Friday February 14 @ The Esplanade Hotel, Gershwin Room. They will be joined in the Gershwin Room by very special guest Mark Seymour; (doors at 8.30pm, tickets $10 at the door). The CD is available from St Kilda Youth Service and all good record stores. All participants in the project will be performing on both dates; Melia Naughton, Felicity Buckingham, Matt Easton, Owen Eales, Tobias Cummings, Eva Popov, Peter Kowarsky, porcelainskin and Mighty Tight Find. For more info visit : www.skys.org.au/songsofstkilda/

Sandro after 6 years have decided to call it quits. The Melbourne three-piece will play their final show on Saturday February 15 @ Rob Roy Hotel with supports Maersk (featuring ex-members of Little General) and Ollie Browne (Art of Fighting). Copies of the band's last three releases, Christmas, The Blood Plums, and The Flux will be available at the door for the price of $5.00 each. Further details »

The Monstrous Blues, Shifter and Rockafella all team up for the 'Hits From The Gong' tour that kicks off late February and takes in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT and Queensland. The aptly titled tour refers to how all three bands share the common ground of hailing from Wollongong, as well as being label mates and also having new releases out in the first quarter of 2003. Shifter's self-titled CDEP and The Monstrous Blues's debut album Colourblind are out now, the self-titled CDEP from Rockafella is out March 3 on High Beam Records. Further details »

Hee Haw launch their debut EP How To Pay Your Debts When You're a Genius with two shows in NSW before taking their show on the road in March. They perform Friday February 14 @ Oxford Tavern, Wollongong w/ guests and Sat February 15 @ Club 77, Sydney w/ Sh'mantra. The five track release was recorded with Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios in 2002 and is out now on High Beam through MGM.

Thursday, 13th

The Channel V Billabong Bus - Free Ride Tour, a showcase of music and surf / skate culture, is happening through out February and March. The free tour will weave its way though regional and metropolitan areas of NSW, ACT, VIC and all shows are open to all ages. Artists so far confirmed to take part include Killing Heidi, Frenzal Rhomb, 28 Days, Grinspoon, Resin Dogs, Zephyr Timbre, The Stalkers, Jerk, Palladium, Waikiki, Butterfly Effect, Pnau, Another Race, Motorace, The Androids, The Superjesus and many more. Further details »

Sydney outfits The Fangs and Laissez Faire team up for a tour of Melbourne in late February. They perform Friday February 21 @ The Pony w/ The Chunky Monroes and The Ground Components; Saturday February 22 @ The Tote, Melbourne w/ Machine Translations and Oneironaut; Sunday February 23 @ The Rob Roy w/ Origami and Cockfight Shootout.

Decoder Ring will be performing at the Hopetoun, Surry Hills over two nights this February. They perform Friday Feb 21 with Symbiotic System from Melbourne who will be launching their compilation 'Ants Farm Aphids', as well as Curse ov Dialect and Terminal Sound System. Then on Saturday Feb 22 with Toydeath, Music v Physics & Echo.

The Casanovas release their new single Shake It in stores March 17 out on Rubber Records. The single will be accompanied by a video clip produced by Matt Weston. Currently the band is undertaking a nineteen date tour of Europe with The Datsons. Following that they head to London for a gig on March 8 to launch their UK single Nasty out through The Singles Society.

Just Bands, an ACT website/zine now coming up to its fourth monthly issue, will be officially launched on Friday February 28 @ University of Canberra bar as part of Welcome Back Week celebrations. On the night will be Matt Handley of Pollyanna, local bands Meatbee, Little Smoke, Redletter, Mr Fistar, Newcomer Jenny and Planets Collide. Entry is $8 (or $4 for UC Students) and copies of the zine will be available on the night. For further information consult www.littlesmoke.com/justbands/

Cog head out on a mini tour in the latter half of March in support of the maxi single Open Up released March 3 on Little Samurai Records. The band will not be touring Australia frequently this year due to recording and international forays so make sure you don't miss out on these limited capacity shows. Further details »

The Cannanes are finishing a 3 inch CD for release by New York DJ Douglas Wolk and new full length CD provisionally titled Nobody Loves An Albatross. Plans are also on foot for Japanese tour in September. In the meantime they are peforming Friday February 21 @ Warren View Hotel, Enmore and Saturday March 15 @ Alley, Brisbane.

New Buffalo, singer / songwriter Sally Russel, returns to Sydney after a long absence to perform Thursday February 20 @ Hopetoun Hotel with supports Starboard and Via Tania (ex-Spdfgh). Over the past year Sally has been steadily working on new material, having travelled to the US to record with Jake Davies and Van Dyke Parks, as well as local contributors Jim White of Dirty Three and Laura MacFarlane of Ninetynine.

Remake Remodel tour Sydney in early March performing Thursday March 6 @ The Kelts Bar Katoomba w/ Peabody; Friday March 7 @ The Hopetoun w/ Peabody and Satursday March 8 The Imperial (daytime show) for the Scooter Collective. The band will also be touring regional Victoria in March / April with Legends of Motorsport thanks to a government touring grant. Then in June of this year they will undertake their first tour of the USA performing as part of Ladyfest OutWest in Denver, with shows in LA, San Fran, Portland, Seattle, Olympia and New York also on the cards.

Area 7 hit the road during February and March for a run of east coast dates. These shows will be some of the first with new bass player Chris Meighan who comes from Melbourne outfit Trojan Horns. Further details »

David McCormack is embarking on a run of east coast tour dates scattered through the months of late February till early April. The dates are a mixture of solo acoustic shows and full band shows with The Polaroids. In other news, the new single Short Leash will be out in mid March. Further details »

Beat Your Shallow Chest is a Heavy Records night together with works by emerging artists on Friday February 21, 7pm till late. It is happening at the Knott Gallery + Frequency Lab Share Space, Room 107 Hibernian House, 342 Elizabeth street, Surry Hills (enter via glass doors on Elizabeth St and proceed to level 1). Featured on the night will be music by Saddleback (Tony Dupe Solo), The Woods Themselves, Matthew Toohey (Browning), Tania May-Bowers (Sunday, ex-Spdfgh) and Founder. As well as works by Andrew Newman, Jo Quintanilla, Kevin Platt, Simona and Kurt Sorensen. The first 20 people receive a free Heavy Records CD sampler, entry is $5, BYO alcohol.

Wednesday, 12th

Architecture In Helsinki are touring in March in support of their debut album Fingers Crossed out this week on Trifekta. They perform Friday March 7 @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne; Saturday March 15 @ Hopetoun Hotel; Wednesday March 19 @ Zoo, Brisbane.

Tuesday, 11th

The Dirty Three return to local shores for a national tour during late February and early March. The tour coincides with the release of their sixth studio album She Has No Strings Apollo on February 17 through Shock Records. Further details »

Adam Said Galore and Purplene team up for a run of Sydney / Brisbane dates during late February and early March. They perform Thu Feb 27 @ Hopetoun, Sydney w/ Centipede; Fri Feb 28 @ Valley Rotunda, Brisbane (acoustic); Sat Mar 1 @ The Healer, Brisbane w/ Brindle; Sun Mar 02 @ The Alley, Brisbane. Adam Said Galore are touring in support of their new album Of Lost Roads.

Monday, 10th

The Tall Poppies head out on the road during February / early March for a run of dates in support of their debut EP The Rare, Hard To Find EP, released through Lagoon Records mid February. The tour runs for three weeks, with shows in Melbourne, Albury, Canberra and Sydney. Amongst the dates is two CD launches with an all ages show on Friday February 28 @ EV's Croydon w/ Sarah Sarah, Andrew Kitchen (Antiskeptic), Mighty Boy and an overage launch on Saturday March 1 @ The Cornish Arms Hotel w/ Debase, Dirty Lucy. Further details »

Friday, 7th

Rocket Science head out on a brief run of Sydney and Melbourne dates during February, they play Friday Feb 7 @ Annandale Hotel w/ The Mess Hall + The Meek; Saturday Feb 8 @ Annandale Hotel w/ Peabody + Neon; Friday Feb 21 @ Hi Fi Bar w/ supports to be announced. In other news the band look set to head back to the U.K. by mid year, where they have signed a record deal and will be releasing Contact High. Plans are also underway for the band to head to NYC before the end of the year.

End Of Summer Back To School Party is a day of music at the Annandale, Sydney happening on Sunday February 9. Bands on the bill are Rumanastone, Sea Life Park, Starboard, The Fangs, Oneironaut (Melbourne), Quarter Acre, Seaworthy, Phreaddee (Newcastle), The Prostitutes, The Stockholm Syndrome, Kuybyshev and Little Sky. Further details »

City Lights are currently recording at Stage Fright Studio in Sydney, with work on their debut record almost half done. They plan to release something by mid year but in the meantime the band's first official release comes via the forthcoming Lost Weekend compilation, which features their track "You Stand Accused Young Man". The compilation looks set to be released late Feb, and the band have just finished filming the companion video with clip maker Todd Sheldrick

Cog release their new single Open Up in stores on March 3 out through Little Samurai Records / MGM. The song is a cover of the John Lydon / Leftfield track.

Flee The Capital launch their debut EP on Saturday February 15 @ The Metro Roma Room. They will be supported on the night by Cube 60 and Underpass featuring Al Prior on bass. The 5 track EP was recorded at Damien Gerard Sound Studios in Balmain.

The Sinking Citizenship launch their self-titled EP on Valentine's Day, Friday February 14 @ The Rob Roy. Special guests will be Limit Of Shunt who are reforming for this event and The Night Terrors.

Speedstar are about to head out on an east coast tour during the month of February. Further details »

March, 2003 » January, 2003 »