Alternative Indie | Musicosity

Alternative Indie

Anita Lester

Anita Lester is an Australian based musician, writer and painter.

Having spent years touring the world with rock outfit ‘Lester The Fierce’, in March 2020, Anita released her debut solo EP ‘Erato’. Whilst the timing of the release was ominous, tracks from the work eventually resonated- notably ‘Wrong Time’ and Anita’s cover of ‘You Want it Darker’ by Leonard Cohen - being picked up by film and television including ‘The Walking Dead’, epiloguing her viral live video of the same song- praised by Leonard himself prior to his death.

In June 2021, Anita released her single ‘Sun and moon and stars’, produced by legendary Australian troubadours, Husky.

Over the last decade and a half, Anita has quietly and gracefully established herself as a force in not only music, but visual art, literature and film.

Her last short film ‘Noch Am Leben (I’m Still Alive)’ was shown in over 50 festivals globally, including multiple Oscar contenders. Additionally it is the winner of 23 award laurels.

Her paintings are irreverent, technical and striking, all with a nod to mythological stories- which is shown in her upcoming book ‘The Seven Palaces of Breath: The Mysteries of the Flying Hobbler‘.

Her most recent official portrait of Flea from the 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers', gaining praise far and wide from artists and critics, including Patti Smith, Cat Power and Chris Rock, to name a few.

Anita is also an accomplished poet and storyteller with her work appearing in over a dozen books. Her musical release ’Erato’ is also accompanied by a book of poetry, including the widely publicised ‘Ode to Oz’.

Though there are many facets to Anita Lester’s art practice, it is all grounded in a unique storytelling style that has a red thread woven throughout with links to death, sex, love, longing, slavery and spirituality.

Willowbank Grove

Willowbank Grove is an alternative rock band from Melbourne’s North East. Their sound has been described as “Red Hot Chilli Peppers meets the Arctic Monkeys” by Marshall Street Studios Blog. Taking inspiration from the 90s alt rock scene and combining that with the modern Australian sound has produced a unique style of the music that is nostalgic and fresh all at once. Since their first gig in October 2019, Willowbank Grove have been a staple of the Melbourne music scene selling out venues such as the Northcote Social Club and Leadbeater Hotel as well as opening for Shag Rock and Mickey Kojack among others. Their debut EP was released in June 2021 to a positive reception from fans, with tracks ‘Wasted Days’ and ‘Vibin’ receiving airtime on Triple J and Triple R. Willowbank Grove’s recent single ‘The Parlour’ along with 3 other songs of theirs are featured on the soundtrack of a new Aussie teen drama ‘More than This’ that premiered on Paramount plus March 4th.

The Ugly Kings

Coming off the release of their second full length album 'Strange, Strange Times', their first under powerhouse European label Napalm Records, The Ugly Kings are eager to take their unique power-blues sound to the stage and unleash their electrifying performances across Australia. Supporting on the night are Melbourne riff beasts A Gazillion Angry Mexicans and soul wizard Millar Jukes.

Cam Butler

Cam Butler has a large collection of solo releases going back to the early 2000's. His new album, ‘Solar’, for electric guitar, chamber string orchestra and percussion will be released on August 11, 2022.
He is currently the guitarist and co-songwriter with Australian music icon, Ron S. Peno, in his band, Ron S. Peno & The Superstitions.

Skyscraper Stan

A gaunt 6’6”, Stan cuts an ominous figure on stage and has developed a loyal national

following through his charismatic live performance, both solo; "In half an hour, Skyscraper

Stan stole the evening, his songs complex and engaging" - 13th Floor, and with his band the

Commission Flats; "A towering and compelling figure with an allure that could rival Nick

Cave" – Something You Said.

Originally classing himself as a country musician his earlier influences included pre-war blues, the Laurel Canyon songwriters, Nick Cave and Sam Cooke. Since arriving in Australia in 2009 The Drones, Peep Tempel and Paul Kelly among others have been added to the list.

His debut studio album, Last Year’s Tune, received 4 stars in the Syndey Morning Herald, the Sunday Herald (New Zealand) and No Depression (US) and five stars in New Zealand Musician Magazine. Since its release Stan has toured Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam, released a live album and written a song for academy award long-listed documentary 25 April. He has shared bills with artists such as James Reyne, Ian Moss, Marlon Williams, The Troggs, The Animals, The Church and C W Stoneking and has appeared at major festivals around Australia.

His debut album “Last Year’s Tune” was released in March 2015 under the “Skyscraper Stan

and the Commission Flats” moniker. A solo record “Live at Some Velvet Morning” was

released in March 2017. His sophomore album "Golden Boy (Vol I. & II.)" is currently under production.

Bagful of Beez

'Do Androids Dream of Electric Beatles’ is Link McLennan's first release under the moniker Bagful of Beez. Link is the founding member of seminal Australian acts The Meanies, Tomorrow People, The Bakelite Age and Sun God Replica amongst others. His latest project Bagful of Beez is a melting pot of all those acts, and the results are astounding.

Kirin J Callinan

It’s 2022 & Kirin J Callinan has just released “…in ABSOLUTES (the song)”; the composition of the year so far and his most profound & stirring work to date. Yes, that includes Landslide, Love Delay, Embracism, Bravado, Big Enough, S.A.D, The Homosexual et al & his many, many eclectic collabs.

Often sighted as one of Australia’s most original songwriters & amongst the best live performers in the country, dubbed “a national treasure” by Tunde Adepinde of TV on the Radio and described as “raised by Unicorns” by Jane Campion; he has courted controversy, confusion, attention and arousal, always.

After a year of accolades as co-writer / co-conspirator with Genesis Owusu & The Black Dog Band; winning 5 ARIA’s, The Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, The Australian Music Prize, The NME Award and the Triple J Award for Album of The Year ~ attention turns now to his next highly anticipated solo release.

Recorded whilst living & working in remote exile in an isolated, cliff top batch overlooking the black sand beaches o’ west coast New Zealand, even shooting his stunning red & blue music video here, “…in ABSOLUTES” is an exquisite & ambitious morsel from what promises to be his most open hearted opus yet.

Kirin will play solo and, fingers crossed, be joined live by his formerly fired band o’ beauties Tex Crick & Mahne Frame, who had both been hiding out in Tokyo ‘til now.

Hope D

Emerging from Brisbane, alt pop-rock artist Hope D began writing and playing music at the early age of 9 years old. Previously performing solo, she now has a passionate 5-piece band behind her, and shows have become more engaging and energetic than ever.

Tamara & The Dreams

Tamara & the Dreams is the beloved 'zeitgeist capturing' indie pop project of Melbourne's voice of a generation, Tamara Reichman. Born in bedrooms and grown in bandrooms, it is based on a deep love for songwriting that makes you laugh, cry and feel understood. Inspired by indie heroes like Mitski, Courtney Barnett, and Alvvays, Tamara’s candid observations and charisma are filtered through whimsical, fuzzy guitar songs. Armed with the superpower of cutting to the core of idealism, angst, longing, love and the internet, and conjuring instantly relatable, catchy pop, Tamara & the Dreams has captured the affection of many in the Australian and global music community.

The band has supported an endless list of indie favourites and friends including The Beths, Hachiku, Gabriella Cohen, Cry Club, Moaning Lisa, Bugs, Eliza and the Delusionals, Annie Hamilton, Fritz, and have been part of Melbourne’s CHANGES festival, Brunswick Music Festival

u can follow @tamaraandthedreams for more info :)

Members
Tamara Reichman
Laura Hancock
Shulah Orloff
Em Chen

The Lemon Twigs

The Twigs are legends – teen sensations, k pop stars, BrotherLovers, Twiggy Cola Lite. Their songs exist as cultural freebase. Cocaine, water, baking soda, and DNA. (o.k. )
While the White Smile Face People appoint Garage Girl, Digital Bass Face or Shitbag Boy as the new FreakoftheWeek, the Twigs have lived 26 cat lives from here to japan making real life bonafide Humans rejoice in the pagan art of Magick Pop Freebase. There are millions of fans, You see; the twigz are more Popular than You, they are Greater than Your Favorite Band, they are a phenomenon.
And now it’s been more than three years since they showed up with their masterpieces and the kids went berserk.
You loved “Meet the Twigs,” you loved the fucking monkey.
Well Music For the General Public is the ultimate ride cocksucker.
Because the Twigs heated up the bottom of their spoons and let their chemicals morph into oil-slick-rainbow clumps. 12 of them. Each song is Twigs from concentrate: seven times more concentrated than the initial juice.
A noseful for every junkie, sparkling as the cream smeared across the mythical holy Ghost-Teen’s high waisted vintage-ass JEANS.

THE TWIGS are celebs. They are in Rado’s dusty bat cave, one of several spots they’ve been chipping at their fuck puzzle. They have nothing to prove. They don’t care. Everybody who’s the face of a designer clothing campaign is because the twigs passed first.
//~ Michael lives in the studio and lays down his tracks at night. He has become a reluctant studio engineer in the Twigs’ home studio in Long Island and can run the machines himself. He is working on the album’s opener, ‘Hell on Wheels,” in which His searing cartoon visions of dirty screaming teenage deathkids ripping down the Strip parade us into into the throb of the album. He mopes around. The subject matter of his songs is dark. His songs are Masterful and bombastic, exploding and shining black, while his lyrics seem preoccupied with incest, broken homes, loneliness. Welcome.
Now It’s daytime. Brian’s in love. He and his girlfriend Anastasia have shown up after her shift at Squaresville vintage clothing store. Brian sprinkles sweetgrass around. Brian’s songs have become Too Good – they are DMT jesters of themselves, cartoon crack. You can wind a Brian Song up and watch it go BOING BOING BOING down the hallway with art deco birds towering above, snirting their snorters into snakey red inkwater.
And here you are, in your stupid fake clown costume, with your Twigs merch, hitting your vein again.
You clown, you fanboy. you love this shit.
Admit it sucker. you need this shit.