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Harry Angus Composes New Greater Western Sydney Theme Song

Pete — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

We love our footy, here at Gaga –– AFL football, that is. We're all certified tragics, going into hibernation over the summer months, and babbling ceaselessly from March through to October about our beloved, and usually perennially underperforming, teams.

Which makes us hugely excited to announce announce our involvement with the new Greater Western Sydney Giants theme song, which has been unveiled today.

The new theme, ‘The Mighty Giants’, was written and produced by acclaimed songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Harry Angus, of Cat Empire and Jackson Jackson fame. The track hearkens back to the grand old footy theme songs of yore, and, if we do say so ourselves, it’s an absolute cracker.

‘The Mighty Giants’ came about while we were researching 1920s music with Harry for Underbelly Razor and the ABC’s new 20s Crime drama, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Our research led us to some classic 19th century football songs, and inspired Harry to try his hand at writing a theme for the AFL’s newest team.

Ditching the contemporary approach of other younger clubs, the new Greater Western Sydney theme song takes you back to the early days of football, where games were watched from wooden seats in the grandstand or atop empty beer cans in the outer, exclusively on a Saturday afternoon.

The sound of ‘The Mighty Giants’ is the sound of a simpler era of football –– a time before replay and nose-bleed grandstands, when you’d all head out onto the newspaper-strewn ground after the final siren, regardless of the result, for a game of kick to kick.

'I started to become interested in this idea that there exists an entirely different genre of music that is the old classic football song,' Angus says. 'It got me thinking about how easy it could be to make a new song sound old.'

'I began to research where some of these old classic songs had come from, to understand the mindset of the old captains and players who created these pieces of music. It became clear that the beauty of these great songs is their simplicity.'

‘The Mighty Giants’ gives heritage to the AFL’s freshest club, and more than holds its own against the league’s other grand old songs. Wrap your ears around the new song in our player above, and listen out for it tomorrow night, when the GWS players run onto the ground for their opening NAB match at Blacktown International Sports Park.

PAPA: A Good Woman Is Hard To Find

Pete — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

L.A.-by-way-of-New York outfit PAPA started up a couple of years ago, while pretty much all its members were doing time in other bands. Principle songwriter Darren Weiss and brother Evan were touring with indie darlings Girls (Darren is no longer with the band; Evan recently Australia as the band's guitarist); on one tour, PAPA opened for Girls, the two brothers backing up each night in both acts.

In 2011, Weiss, with music partner Danny Presant, laid down the group's striking debut ep, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, which is out this week in Oz and NZ on Gaga Digi. PAPA is Weiss' baby. He started it with a simple goal: to make 'American soul music with a punk-rock mentality'. Five songs full of devious truths and well told lies, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find rolls along with a natural, well-worn swagger, combining moments of aggression with stretches of easy bliss, the whole release handsomely endowed with harmony, melody and style.

In its best moments, Weiss' earnest vibrato takes on a Springsteen-like growl; his stories and the songs' effortless grooves coming across both sexy and somehow broken.

It’s a modern, rough-and-tumble take on classic soul; an ode to what's wrong with modern romance, but so full of spark it makes you want to get up the floor and give it all another go.

We like it very much. But don't just take our word for it: have a listen to the whole EP in our player above.

A Good Woman Is Hard To Find is out now on iTunes via Gaga Digi. Check out the video for 'I Am The Lion King', the first single from the EP, below.

On the Roof: Big Scary

Pete — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

If 2011 was a big year for Big Scary, this year promises to be even bigger, with the acclaimed Melbourne pop duo soon to head off on their first overseas tour, which will include showcase shows at the whirlwind that is SXSW.

When they return, the indefatigable twosome will then take off on a national tour, playing with the likes of Geoffrey O'Connor and Adelaide's Fire! Santa Rosa Fire! Ever prolific, Tom and Jo are currently in the process of writing more material to follow up their widely adored debut lp proper, Vacation, which came out in October last year.

Tom and Jo recently stopped by Gaga HQ to gift us with a great acoustic take on Gladiator, one of the many highlights from Vacation, for our On the Roof series (check out our earlier instalments with Aleks and the Ramps and Kate Martin). Enjoy:

Our Top Five Songs For Lovers

Pete — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Love goes better with music. This much we know for sure. But what to do if, faced with a moment full of romantic possibility, you can't find the right song?

Never fear: we have you covered. With Valentine's Day almost upon us, we've chosen five of our favourite love songs from our catalogue.

From the earnest and heartfelt to the wild and warped, here are five numbers guaranteed to sweep that special someone off his/her feet:

Donny Benet: 'Sophisticated Lover'

Miracle Fortress: 'This Thing About You'

Dent May: 'Love Song 2009'

Holly Throsby: 'Now I Love Someone'

Best Coast: 'Crazy For You'

On the Roof: Kate Martin

Pete — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Next month, Townsville pop chanteuse Kate Martin will release her much awaited second album, Hand Me My Bow And Arrow.

The new album, Kate says, was a long time in the making, and was her first album recorded with a band, The Shallowsea Choir. The genesis of the album came with a chance visit to a garage sale, where Kate found a beautiful old Stratocaster. The new/old guitar inspired a new way of writing and playing, and its rich, warm tones are all over the record.

Hand Me My Bow and Arrow is a rewarding, diverse listen, the sound of a great with Kate showing increasing confidence

Kate recently stopped by our office to record a wonderful version of Apples, the gorgeous first single from the new album. Check it out below:

The second single from the album, Candle Burnin', Wax Drippin', is out next week. Hand Me My Bow and Arrow is out on March 23 through Shock in Australia and NZ, and through Gaga Digi for the rest of the world.

On the Roof: Kate Martin

Pete — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Townsville pop chanteuse Kate Martin recently stopped by our office to perform a wonderful version of Apples, the gorgeous first single from her upcoming new album, Hand Me My Bow And Arrow, for our On the Roof series. (Check out our first instalment here.)

Hand Me My Bow And Arrow is the much awaited follow up to Kate's striking debut lp, Synthetic Shoes, Leather Boots. The new lp, Kate says, was a long time in the making, and her first album recorded with a band, The Shallowsea Choir. The genesis of the album came with a chance visit to a garage sale, where she found a beautiful old Stratocaster. The new/old guitar inspired a new way of writing and playing, and its rich, warm tones are all over the record.

Hand Me My Bow and Arrow is a rewarding, diverse listen, full of subtle flourishes and assured popcraft –– the sound of a songwriter we'll be hearing a lot more from.

Check out Kate's On The Roof performance below:

Apples is out now on iTunes via Gaga Digi. The second single from the album, Candle Burnin', Wax Drippin', is out next week.

Hand Me My Bow and Arrow is out on March 23 through Shock in Australia and NZ, and through Gaga Digi for the rest of the world.

Watch: Little Barrie 'Surf Hell'

Pete — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

English blues pop trio Little Barrie took their time creating their third album, King of the Waves –– five years in fact, during which time singer/guitarist Barrie Cadogan rendered his services to the likes of Paul Weller and Primal Scream.

King of the Waves finally arrived in the middle of 2011, and it was entirely worth the wait –– twelve tracks of tightly coiled, gritty pop that The Times, in a four star review, called 'a string of hard, fast and strikingly inventive songs, confirm[ing] that Little Barrie is a band with a much bigger future.'

NME wrote that the lp 'rekindles the band’s effervescent spirit but injects a fiery determination into Barrie’s blueprint.' It's well worth a listen. Wrap your ears around a couple of tracks in our player above, and check out the great new video for the album's first single, 'Surf Hell', below.

Little Barrie are on Gaga Pub via Touch Tones Music.

Pre-order Aleks and the Ramps' Facts Now

Pete — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

We're very happy to announce that Facts, the wonderful third album from acclaimed Melbourne experimental pop outfit Aleks and the Ramps, is now available for pre-order on iTunes.

Incurable romantics, the band will be gifting the world with the new album on Valentine's Day, which makes perfect sense: Facts would be a perfect gift for a lover, cousin, grandparent or pet –– anyone, sentient or no, is likely to love this record.

We've been going on about our love for Facts for a while now. The band's third long player, Facts is the band's most rounded, immediate and satisfying lp to date, a shimmering pop gem full of sudden hooks and strange charms, all of it presided over by frontman Aleks' wonderfully dry, dark wit.

It's strange, wonderful, addictive stuff; a true album's album in an age of throwaway singles, full of deep cuts and hidden treasures.

Listen to the two singles released so far from the album, Bummer and Middle Aged Unicorn On Beach With Sunset, in our player below.

We recently had the Ramps stop by our rooftop to premiere the title track from the album, a winsome banjo-led thing that we like rather a lot. Check it out below:

In support the album, Aleks and the Ramps will be heading off on a national tour in March; they'll also be taking the stage at NZ's Camp a Low Hum festival.

Check out the Australian dates below:

01-03 Canberra – ANU Bar

02-03 Wollongong – The Patch

03-03 Sydney – GoodGod Small Club

04-03 Newcastle – Chinos

08-03 Byron Bay – The Rails

09-03 Toowoomba – The Spotted Cow

10-03 Brisbane – Tym Guitars (in store)

10-03 Brisbane – The Waiting Room

22-03 Geelong – The National Hotel

23-03 Melbourne – Northcote Social Club

24-03 Adelaide – The Hotel Metro

31-03 Hobart – The Brisbane Hotel

Premiere: Bree Tranter 'Winter' Video

Pete — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

One of our favourite songs from last year was Winter, the gorgeous debut single from Bree Tranter, formerly of The Middle East.

Winter is hushed, spectral folk-pop at its best. Folk Radio UK called it 'a beautifully crafted folk song reminiscent of Marissa Nadler's work'; blog And Pluck Your Strings, meanwhile, called it 'five minutes of beautiful, haunting, powerful music that equals just about anything we got from The Middle East, which is high praise.'

We're very happy to premiere the great new video for Winter. Check it out below, and pick up a copy of Winter over at our store.

Bree has begun work on her debut ep, which we'll have more news on shortly. Stay tuned.

New Dulux 'The Coast' TVC. feat. Rohin Jones

Pete — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Update: 'Coast, the', Rohin's beautiful composition for the Dulux spot, is now available on iTunes.

Last year, much loved Townsfolk indie folk outfit The Middle East called it quits, after two critically acclaimed albums, a couple of lps, and a heap of touring. Since then, the various members of the band have kept themselves more than busy: Bree Tranter has released her gorgeous debut single, and Jordan Ireland and Rohin Jones, the band's two primary songwriters, have pursued various recording projects, including playing in Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse with fellow Middle Easter Joseph Ireland. Joseph Liddy are releasing a three-part album via Gaga Digi.

Rohin recently created a beautiful composition for a Dulux commercial about the Australian coast. The beautifully shot spot also featured none other than The Bis. Check out the spot below.

Lorna Jane

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Tinpan Orange's 'Lovely', from their Bottom of the Lake lp, recently featured in this Lorna Jane 'Love Yourself' spot.

Dulux: The Coast

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Rohin Jones, formerly of The Middle East, recently had a beautiful solo composition featured in this Dulux commercial about the Australian coastline. For more on the spot, head over to our blog.

Twenty Something

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Big Scary's Autumn and Falling Away were recently featured in the ABC2 series Twenty Something.

Pura Light Start

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

The Lucky Dragons' 'Givers', from their Dream Island Laughing Language lp, recently featured in this Pura Light Start spot, via Mistletone.

Ford Territory