Press
JEFF MARTIN and THE ARMADA, self-titled (Kingdom Records) Okay, let’s get this out of the way first up- Jeff Martin’s new band, The Armada, sounds very much like his seminal band of the 90s, The Tea Party. Very much. And you know what? That’s a damn good thing. While we all enjoyed Martin’s various post-TP projects (solo acoustic, acoustic wit tabla player, acoustic with tabla ensemble and acoustic with had percussionist), it was the crash and thud of the Middle- Eastern blues-rockin’ of the Tea Party that endeared him to us the most. So to see him back with an electric guitar fronting a three-piece rock’n’roll band after four years of not, well, fuck me if this isn’t the business. Now, fans of The Tea Party will know that you can’t just expect to go out there and replicate the sounds of old. I mean, you can’t recreate what we once had- and so this is where the Armada’s self-titled debut stands up. While it is obviously very much the work of Tea Party front-man Jeff Martin, if differs enough sonically to be judged on its own merit. As Martin said in an interview late last year, it’s the drumming of Wayne Sheehy, in particular, that sets this apart from what we know of Martin’s previous work. Sheehy, mostly known for his work with Ronnie Wood, Michelle Shocked and Bo Diddley, is a powerhouse, and it’s this power he generates that puts the Armada somewhere different enough to allay the “this sounds the same” notion. Martin’s voice too, mellowed somewhat (not losing any power though) and enhanced I think by his solo work, is different as well- it cuts deep, the power and intricacy evident in songs that have you sitting, just listening. Broken, in particular is a good example of this. However, I just want to rock the hell out, and The Armada have given me the means with which to do that. Very Tea Party, but also very Armada- welcome back Jeff Martin, welcome the hell back. JEFF MARTIN and THE ARMADA, self-titled (Kingdom Records) Globe-trotting rock dervish plugs in and embarks on another musical journey. The mighty Tea Party may be history, but as soon as Jeff Martin’s sturdy, mainly acoustic solo album Exile and the Kingdom came out in 2005, it became evident the Canadian rocker was not going to stop his blues/ Indian/ Middle-Eastern music explorations, either alone of r in a band guise. This time around, the double Irish/ Western Australian resident enlists veteran drummer Wayne Sheehy, cranks up his Marshall stacks and unleashes some prime vintage mojo. Suffice to say, the Armada kick almighty arse: the Led Zep grind of harmonica- laced opener Going Down Blues barely subsides before followed by the appropriated oriental tinged, but no less crunchy Chinese Whispers. Back to back ballads Broken and Line in the Sand may not exactly reach the grandeur of Heaven Coming Down and Physchopomp, yet possesses incredible hooks to keep the listener enchanted while the sinister, honour killings- condemning Morocco is a classic, 7/8 rhythm propelled Jeff Martin rocker. On an even trippier scale, the Rosary swirls and jangles like a bangles-covered gypsy dancer and Tomorrow Never Knows referencing Baby’s Come Undone features Martin’s tastiest sitar work since his Edges of Twilight- era days. Ending with the twin ferocious stomp of Closure and Invocation, the eponymous- titled album contains a nice little surprise in the shape of a melodic hidden track (with a sweet E-bow outro to boot). The Marrakesh Express is running again. JEFF MARTIN and THE ARMADA, Morocco (Kingdom Records) Jeff Martin returns to the three piece set up that introduced the now Ireland-based Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist to the world. This follows his stint as a solo artist and just as he did in The Tea Party, Martin is happily exploring the same territory he was mining with the ‘Party. That of course includes unashamedly following in his idol Jimmy Page’s footsteps. So Going Down Blues is pure Zeppelin-stained Robert Johnson, complete with Tarot references, recalling Page’s “magickal” interests, while Morocco mines Page’s fascination with the Middle East. All Martin needs is Plant. JEFF MARTIN and THE ARMADA, self-titled (Kingdom Records) …While I doubt that Jeff Martin will ever shake away the memories of the Tea party, not that he should, I think this album shows that he is far from becoming insignificant. The Armada is a strong record and one that will easily pull in fans of what has made the Tea Party great to begin with. Martin is playing things safer this time out by revisiting the elements that made his past so successful and there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s managed to bring new life to his sound and produced a solid rock album.  CINEMA PRAGUE, Snakes Alive (Independent) They are one of the finest and most forward-thinking bands to have ever come out of Australia, let alone Perth, and all the evidence needed to back up such a claim comes from the fact that Snakes Alive sounds as exciting and fresh as any new release you would find, yet it was recorded twelve years ago. With Rob Grant at the desk, Cinema Prague took to recording their quirky “punk-meets-jazz-meets-pop” in 1997, heading back to Poons Head studios in 2007 to finish the project. And, no shit, start to finish fuckin’ amazing. Personally, Cinema Prague have always been for me what Primus are for other people - a fun exploration of “no rules” music, as performed by players with a freakish level of skill…with the difference being that no-one in Cinema Prague has a voice that sounds like a cartoon hillbilly with his balls caught in a bicycle chain. Wacky without being stupid, and virtuosic without being wankers about it; Cinema Prague has found Snakes Alive, are what happens when incredible players have fun, rather than show off. And boy, if this isn’t some of the most fun music you could find. Because a lot of these songs are so below the overall skill level of the people playing it the execution is flawless, nay, effortless, which leaves a massive expanse for the boys to goof around. Lyrically, the band are just as sharp, and the overall sensation is that every song is done, finished, perfected. In many ways, Cinema Prague follow the same path as Canada’s impossibly good jazz/ punk/ whatever trio nomeansno, though CP are the more lighthearted sheen to nomeansno’s darker matte. That is, Snakes Alive will not only appeal to musician’s who will instantly recognize skill, but also t the people who don’t give a fuck how good someone plays, just how good it sounds at the end. It may have taken twelve years to have seen the light of day, but this puppy is a classic piece of Perth history that will, with any luck, break the rule that history never repeats. Eleven outta 10… no doubt about it. 
CLAIRE NINA NORELLI - Piano Noir (Firestarter) Undeniably the music for bed hoppers I bought a block of dark chocolate the other day. It was called Noir. It was rich, deliciously naughty and had a taste that could only be described as sensual. Once I had finished eating the chocolate, I listened to Claire Nina Norelli’s Piano Noir and felt like I was suffering déjà vu. Listening to this EP is like devouring a 70% cocoa treat, but it substitutes the calories for a lot of sexual angst. Norelli has a voice on her that would make glass windows brace themselves in fear. The artwork is much like dark chocolate too: dark, brooding and full of taste. A Case of Wishful Thinking is positively smouldering in longing. Longing fr what, you ask? I think you know. I’ll keep it tasteful like Piano Noir. What I’m really saying is that if you like dark chocolate, you’ll love this musical indulgence. (Is anyone else singing Isaac Hayes’ Chocolate Balls right now?- JS) 
INSTITUT POLAIRE, The Fauna & The Flora (Pop Frenzy) … Within seconds of starting the first of the EPs five songs, Kentucky Society Drought, a lazy Americana tune similar to the Lemonheads The Outdoor Type, it will have grabbed your hopes and attention ad by the second track The Fauna and The Flora are too closely allied, Institute Polaire will have sunk their eighty fingers into your heart. Broadly close to the sound of the Decemberists, with maybe a bit of Augie March, Institute Polaire are the brightest light to shine out of the hazy perth constellation of rising stars for some time. INSTITUT POLAIRE, The Fauna & The Flora (Pop Frenzy) After growing from a three-piece to an eight piece, wining WAM song of the year, triple J unearthed, scoring a deal with boutique Sydney label Popfrenzy, and being names Perth’s next big thing for almost their entire existence, Institut Polaire have finally delivered their long- promised debut EP. Songwriter Erik Hecht has constructed five glorious pop songs that build from simple ideas to lush, layered affairs complete with horns and strings. He never lets the layers destroy the original intent of the song thugh and even with their painstakingly constructed intricacies, each tracks beauty lies in its core ideas. Worth the wait. INSTITUT POLAIRE, The Fauna & The Flora (Pop Frenzy) It’s with heartfelt gusto that this Perth collective bursts from the blocks, this debut EP holding more within its modest five tracks than most bands grasp over albums. With more members than you can fit into most lounge rooms, the Fauna and the Flora encompasses out of its cute pop heart, a backwoods country twang sweeping epic melancholy, jumped-up mod and an overall intoxicating jangle that’s all but impossible to not fall for. INSTITUT POLAIRE, The Fauna & The Flora (Pop Frenzy) Institut Polaire’s is the EP of the month by a long shot. The Flora and the Fauna is a terrifically vast piece. Driven by the clean vocal talent of Erik Hecht, the band weave their heavy instrumentation creating a lush, unique country vibe. Brilliantly produced by Rob Grant, the horns and violin bring texture and life and the vocal harmonies add a splash of gracefulness to the scene. “The Flora and the Fauna are Too Closely Alllied” is the long-titled centerpiece for the EP, violin and trumpet offset each other gorgeously as Hecht sings the potent line, “I think I’m probably too young to be ticking off my days”. Perhaps a tad depressing in terms of lyrical content, Institut Polaire nevertheless sound like they’re having an utter ball. “East West and I” is another country ballad chock full of harmonies and Johnny Greenwood-esque guitar licks. “Lullaby for a Warmonger” should be, in al respects the EP’s low-point. The “Everybody Hurts” guitar, the cringingly pretentious quote “Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest”, the cheesy harp, on paper suggesting pretty lame. In actual fact, it’s nothing short of stunning and far more graceful than Dan Kelly’s “Cock-sucker Motherfucker” rant. Without going into nauseating extremes, the Fauna and the Flora is an indulgence as Institut Polaire successfully balance their orchestral bent with their down to earth influences. INSTITUT POLAIRE, The Fauna & The Flora (Pop Frenzy) Current Triple J favourites (and soon to leave Perth for greener pastures), Institut Polaire have finally placed their debut EP in stores. It is a delight to see a band that has always carried a sound that borders on bursting at the seams that have hit the studio and have discovered that less can indeed be more. The well textured Kentucky City Drought opens things up in a fine form with a classic build, but it the Flora and the Fauna Are Too Closely Alligned that is the EPs best titled and most epic and clever track by quite a distance. The band round out the disc with the song that lead to their rapid spike in popularity, City Walls and Empires and it would have been nice if the band had tipped their hat to the local scene that nurtured them by leaving it off the EP, making it only available by the Love Is My Velocity label. If you like the band’s live show, then you are sure to love the Fauna and The Flora. Well done chaps and lasses. 
SEAHORSE RADIO, Prime (MGM Distribution) If vocalist Keren Letheby put any more attitude into her work she'd be conscipted as this country's entire defense strategy. One minute sultry and inviting, the next brutal and empowered. Letheby is a force to be reckoned with. The music does its best to keep up, incorporating manic drum and bass feels with orchestrated peaks and the occasional stab of horns, Interestingly enought the band's massive - occasionally verging on cluttered sound - is all created by just two other musicians (Nathan Winterflood on drums and sampler and Ronan Charles on keys,sax and guitar). Songs like 'Something About You' and 'Tell Your Mama' leave the listener gasping for air, whereas some of the more spacious tunes such as 'Creeper' and 'Consolation' sneak along with jazz-tinged grooves that belie the sparse configuration of the band. The group are one of the newer breed of Australian artists exploring the more ambitious and creative areas of the electronic rock genre. And whilst the rest of the world goes gaga over Australia's garage rock scene, it's bands like Perth's Seahorse Radio who are going to provide the follow-up when guitars just aren't cool anymore. SEAHORSE RADIO, Prime (MGM Distribution) This is funky shit. Beats, Rhodes, samples, and a huge voice out the front - what more could you want from your groove? Seahorse Radio manage to get a truly massive sound out of a small amount of instrumentation, and Keren has a voice with character and power. Opener 'Eye for an eye' is a funked up, chunky slab of groove that will have you nodding your head along in no time, while 'Something About You' reminds me a little of the Supreme Beings of Leisure, all laid back grooves, insistent bottom end and some breathy vocals. 'Speed' dishes out some drum & bass, and picks up the pace nicely as does 'Valley of the Dolls' a little later on. 'My New Place' is an exercise in syncopation and off-timing, with drummer Nathan showing just how many chops he has, and he gives an encore performance in 'Prime' the album's closer. The production on this LP is great - very chunky, with nice big slabs of bottom end but also nice definition in the upper registers of the Rhodes, and Keren's voice is detailed and prominent in the mix. There is good diversity on the album too - swinging from drum & bass, groove, laid back funk & soul and even some Motown-ish harmonies thrown in at times. The musicianship on display is excellent and the songs flow as a comprehensive unit rather than a random collection of tracks. Seahorse Radio, on the strength of this release, are deserving of some serious attention from the industry and punters alike. The only thing that might be working against them is their unconventional lineup and the fact that pigeonholing their sound s almost impossible. This isn't 'obvious' music. Of course, the same could be of a number of bands - George immediately spring to mind - and I personally find these two traits refreshing and even bigger reasons to check these guys out. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Seahorse Radio - track 'em down and have a listen - it's worth your while. 
Seahorse Radio, ShORTCUT (MGM Distribution) Triple J, Australian Music Show, Wednesday 4th October, 2000 "...Seahorse Radio, "Lost & Distorted" the name of that piece.. from their very impressive E.P which is called SHORTCUT...stunning...the sound of that voice is all I'm interested in. Keren, Keren Letheby is the name of the singer from Seahorse Radio." Triple J, Friday Morning with Francis Leach, 10th October, 2000 Richard Kingsmill: Richard Kingsmill: Francis Leach: Seahorse Radio Online hEARD MAGAZINE REVIEW 22/10/2000 Yet another superb band out of Western Australia, Seahorse Radio have one of the more unique sounds I've heard from any band in quite a while. The sounds are pretty hard to describe, but there's elements of jazz, rock & some great vocals from Keren Letheby which are stunning. The opening track is "Lost & Distorted" and features a wonderful intro, before the vocals kick in. Along the way, the highlights are pretty much all the 5 tracks, with "Burning In Water", "HiJacker" & the simply awesome "Amnesty", which closes out in a PJ Harvey inspired frenzy. Definitely a band with a lot yet to do - I can't wait for more. Shortcut is out now through Phantom.
Xpress Review [Issue 715] 26/10/2000 It’s been a while coming but the wait has been worth it. Probably one of Perth’s most elusive and under-rated bands, Seahorse Radio simply kick massive butt with this sweet little five song treat, their second release. Combining sly jazz with anything from funk to hip hop, the full booty sound is even more impressive given the fact that they are a three piece, all that fullness comes from Ronan Charles’ mastery of the Rhodes, sax and guitar. Pretty slick huh? Of course, where would it all be without the sassy, powerful vocals of Keren Letheby ? Her velvety voice has a forcefulness and soulful maturity that belies her age and a vocal range to be the envy of similar singers. The full, yet uncluttered grooves sound great amid the smooth washes of smoking drummage courtesy of Nathan Winterflood. Basically it’s party music. Big time. The CD starts with Lost and Distorted which is typical Seahorse styling, but it is tracks like Hijacker, Burning In Water and Amnesty that really stand out as places where the band have pushed things into more ambiguous territories, straying away from that overt ‘jazz act’ pigeonhole, while still remaining dangerously funky. We could all talk gushingly about this disc forever, basically you have to get it. Get it now. DERAILLEUR, Spirit of Progress (MGM Distribution) Playing energetic garage-style rock similar in approach to Melbourne’s Rocket Science (though without the charm of a howling organ), Perth band Derailleur have the grunt and raw groove to make their rambling guitar tunes work. Energetic drumming and some beautifully eccentric singing ensure that this is a good fun debut. 
THE BEERGOGGLES VS BOREDUMB, Untitled (Roundhouse) So there is still room for a concept album that isn’t a completely ostentatious wank. Beergoggles Vs Boredumb - a tough choice. The answer is posed by two ripping hardcore punk outfits as they throw three songs each into a classic struggle to discover the truth of sex, drugs and rock & roll. 
Mission Blue - Project One Over the last two years, The Mission Blue have developed a reputation as the "quiet achievers' on the local scene. Through playing with a healthy crossover of bands around Perth, their profile has deservedly risen and not so long ago, they launched their debut CD 'Project One' to a more than healthy crowd at Mojo's Bar. Recorded at Poons Head with Poons head honcho Rob Grant in the Producer's chair, 'Project One' is a wonderfully tidy package from the Mission Blue. The opening track, 'Lady', enchants with Jodie Tesoriero's vocals being a powerful presence. 'Games' has some truly intricate moments, while 'Barcelona' popped up on the Kiss My WAMI CD which stands as a testament to its beauty. With strong song writing from Tesorieo and guitarist Simon Leach, 'Project One' is rounded off with 'Late At Night' and 'Take You Out', two more tender moments. 'Project One' comes recommended even more when combined with a spliff and a couch. 
Halogen, Into The Crash Barrier Halogen launched their debut EP Into The Crash Barrier in mid December at Mojo's Bar in what is believed to have been one of the more entertaining CD lanches Perth saw in 1999. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Rob Grant at good old Poons Head Studios, Into The Crash Barrier does Halogen and their unique sound mighty justice. It's the combination of Jasmine Yee's fantastic voice mixed with a wash of guitars courtesy of Jason Clemo that make Into The Crash Barrier so enjoyable while under the surface, the rhythm department of Franz Bisschop and Jeff Bullen power away happily. Quiet/ Loud (Dragging Me Down) is a bit of a highlight off the EP with its emotive feeling but it's all pretty darn good. May we look forward to another serving soon please? 
Honey - self titled Local act Honey's first full length album captures the acoustic based trio's song writing strengths while enhancing their folk tones with more immediacy than in live shows. Recorded with additional musicians (including Bob Patient on Hammond organ) a full band sound and a warm, earthy mood strings this release together, most notably on 'Tomorrow, Take Me Back' and 'Five Mins'. The gentle side of Honey plays an equal part in the recording, as Nicolie Hatch's husky-yet-sweet vocals ripple through delicate songs such as 'Wish, Can't See', and 'Can't Sit Here'. It is when harmonies are incorporated by Ian Cambell and Steve Muslovich that the three fully accentuate their talents. The overlapping vocals during 'Holy Water' and 'Don't You Want My Love' serve to add a great dimension and layered effect to the songs. Recorded locally at Poons Head with Rob Grant engineering, this release has superb production that simply heightens the infectious quality of this band's music. Delightful. 
Kim Salmon and the Surrealists - Essence (RedEye through Polygram Not only is 'Essence' worth the wait, it is even better than expected. Coming almost two years after the Surrealists' previous release, 'Just Because You Can't See It...' fans and followers will have heard a good portion of the album during shows throughout the past year. 'The Cockaroach', 'The Butterfly Effect', 'Lightning Scary' and even 'Sea Anemone' have been developing toward their marvelous conclusions for a while. 'I'm Keeping You Alive' has taken on a personality of its own, almost independent of performers, and as an examination of obsession and perception, it may well be without precedent or peer. 'Essence' achieves the variation and subtlety that usually remains in the minds or best intentions of many lesser acts. The dozen selections traverse much stylistic ground without getting lost in banality or mired in eclecticism. 'Zero Blank', with its lilting repetition of "every gun makes its own tune", directs your attention to serious pop capability, '26 Good Words' tackles the conceptual end. Bassist Brian Hooper and drummer Tony Pola have taken a greater hand in composition and their input is what provides the well-rounded finish to Essence. Joining front man Kim Salmon as rhythm section for the Beasts Of Bourbon (in addition to Surrealists' duties) seems to have contributed to those instinctual personal and performance links that distinguish the head from the heard. 'Essence 'is the type of album that can restore your faith in everything from humankind to the Australian music industry. Simply grand. |