Brisbane’s self-proclaimed kings of riff based intelligent hard rock (IHR) music, Giants of Science, are returning for some shows and a little recording.
Giants have been peddling their particular brand of rock’n'roll for much longer than is healthy, but like all good vices they are hard to kick, except when passed out on your floor.
Their music is a blend of frenetic rock, monstrous riffs and shoegazer atmospherics, all tied together by vocals that can swing from a demented croon to a gut busting scream in the space of a verse. It is a sound which led Dave Grohl to hand-pick Giants of Science as support for the Foo Fighters QLD flood benefit gig in March 2011. Other supports of note include Swervedriver, DKT/MC5, Radio Birdman, Mudhoney, Rollins Band, J Mascis, Mark of Cain, Powderfinger, You Am I, Front End Loader, and A Perfect Circle. Honestly.
Giants of Science have recorded and released two studio albums (The History of Warfare and Here is the Punishment), one live album (Live at the Troubadour) and two EPs (“Blueprint for Courageous Action” and “Sisters”). Now, 2012 sees them lurch once more onto the stage and into the studio, in what could only be described as a series of frivolous acts of masochism. It hurts being this good.
CATCH GIANTS OF SCIENCE IN FEB/MARCH!
SAT 25th FEB – The Beetle Bar, Upper Roma Street, Brisbane - 1am slot. w/Dollar Bar, Microflora, Captain Moonshine and The New Young Liberals
FRI 2nd MAR – The Retreat, Brunswick, Melbourne w/ Damn Terran
SAT 3rd MAR – The Old Bar, Fitzroy, Melbourne, supporting Dollar Bar, w/The Peep Tempel & Mass Cult
FRI 9th MAR – The Patch, Wollongong, w/Shifter, Bruce! & Handlebar
SAT 10th MAR – The Square, Sydney w/Lomera, The Turps & Skinpin
WE ALL WANT TO spent 3 weeks in August 2011 hunkered down over the recording console armed with bouzoukis, tambourines, xylophones and an omnichord, but more importantly an army of electric guitars, loud amps and fuzz pedals.
In 2010 the group’s debut album highlighted a band of diverse genres finding their feet; the new album is the sound of a confident rock band turning on and tuning in. Punk rock ist nicht tot.
First single YOU USED TO BE FUNNY is a bratty blast of playground pop, a bittersweet duet done fast and loud. It will be released digitally and also on limited edition flexi disc in March 2012.
Sat March 31 The Loft, Gold Coast w/ Silent Feature Era and Tall Tails
Thurs April 12 Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast w/ Halfway and Nick Barker Read On…
2011 saw Halfway play Big Day Out and receive AIR and Q Music award nominations for ‘Best Album’.
Before taking time off to record their forth LP, Halfway are doing a final run of local and interstate shows with label mates We All Want To.
This tour includes a special 4 piece acoustic performance in the GoMA Matisse up-late series.
Special guest at selected shows will be Melbourne’s Nick Barker.
Feb 24 – GoMA, Brisbane – Matisse Up Late Series (Acoustic 4 pce)
Mar 4 – Powerhouse, Brisbane – w/Sue Ray
April 12 – Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast – w/We All Want To
April 14 – Beetle Bar, Brisbane – We All Want to & Nick Barker
April 21 – Powerhouse, Brisbane – Songs of Protest/Children of the Revolution
April 27 – Oxford Arts Centre, Sydney – w/We All Want To & Nick Barker
April 28 – The Phoenix Bar, Canberra – w/We All Want To
May 3 – Exeter Hotel, Adelaide – w/We All Want To (Acoustic Duo)
May 4 – Metro Hotel, Adelaide – w/We All Want To & Nick Barker
May 5 – Empress Hotel, Melbourne – w/ We All Want To & Nick Barker
May 6 – Kew RSL, Melbourne – w/We All Want To & Nick Barker
Two of the country’s finest bands are heading out on the road in March for a co-headline launch tour.
Launching a brand new live album and a new flexi-disc single respectively, The Gin Club and Texas Tea will be hitting all east coast capitals in a folk /country/rock celebration. It’s been almost two years since the release of Deathwish, The Gin Club’s critically acclaimed fourth album. Since then, the band (and their various side projects) have been busy.
They’ve toured the country numerous times, done their traditional Christmas shows and relocated to every corner of the country (and the globe). Now, the nine-piece collective are set to release their first-ever live album, appropriately titled The Gin Club Live.
Completely funded through crowd sourcing site IndieGoGo, the band raised over $8000 from fan pledges alone. The album has been assembled from a stockpile of shows recorded over their eight year history, including: a pair at the East Brunswick Club in Melbourne; their three CD launches at Brisbane’s Troubadour in 2010; a few festival appearances; and their set at the Troubadour’s last-ever night.
Available now on preorder from The Gin Club Bandcamp page, the album will be officially released on 11th February.
Two-piece indie country kids Texas Tea may appear to have been pretty quiet over the past year or two however behind the scenes things have been hectic for Ben and Kate. Ben’s legendary Brisbane garage rock trio Vegas Kings parted ways, the duo took a few trips to Europe and the UK, toured the east coast of Australia, gained a cult following in France and generally enjoyed life as one of Brisbane’s most well respected alt-country outfits.
Now, after heading into the studio with legendary producer, Magoo, Texas Tea have emerged with “I Don’t Write No Sad Songs”, the first taste of their upcoming third album – due out September 2012. Better yet, the band is releasing this new single on limited edition flexi-disc vinyl (remember the vinyl you used to get for free in magazines?) with numbered handcrafted cardboard packaging.
The song will also be available for free download from 1st March from the Texas Tea Bandcamp page .
GIGS
Friday 23rd March Beetle Bar, Brisbane QLD
http://beetlebar.com.au/ 350 Upper Roma Street, Brisbane
Tickets $18 from beetlebar.com.au
Saturday 24th March The Spectrum, Sydney NSW
http://www.exchangehotel.biz/ 34 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
Tickets $18 from moshtix.com.au
Saturday 31st March John Curtin Hotel, Melbourne VIC
http://www.johncurtinhotel.com/
29 Lygon St, Melbourne Tickets $18 from johncurtinhotel.com
February 21, 2012