The Fabergettes to launch their debut EP at Sydney's Good God Small Club

We're big fans of up-and-coming retro-inspired garage band The Fabergettes. So we're excited to announce that they are releasing their much anticipated debut EP at Sydney's Good God Small Club on Friday March 9. This comes after a year of outstanding live shows that has earned the band a strong following for their unique take on the 60s girl group sound.

The Fabergettes have risen to the attention of the Sydney music scene following a recent stint as Triple J’s Unearthed feature artist that saw them praised for their infectious blend of doo-wop harmonies and cosmic surf licks. They’ve also recently supported Eleanor Friedberger’s shows.

The band is fronted by the sassy Nat Martin, a former choir girl from Cuthbert & the Night Walkers. Nat now shares the stage with the classic doe-eyed string formation that includes Bec Allen (Catcall) and Cipi Morgan along with their male bestie Marten Culity on drums. Nat says that whilst the band pays homage to the traditional 60s girl band formula, they take inspiration from all things vintage and kitsch “The name ‘Fabergettes’ comes from ‘Faberge’, those decorative and slightly naff Russian eggs that people collect for some reason”.

Like the band's pin-up poster girl, Barbarella, The Fabergettes have a penchant for both the trashy and saucy which manifests itself in the tongue and cheek tone of their first self-titled EP offering. The self released EP will feature Ding Dong, a psychedelic surf mash-up inspired by cult sci-fi films.

It's not just Bobbysix.com that is getting all weak at the knees for the trio either. Our old mate Dom Alessio from Triple J is gushing too: “One day this will soundtrack a Tarantino grindhouse flick,” he enthused, while our brothers over at The AU Review are also impressed. “The Fabergettes not only walk the walk and talk the talk, they definitely sound like being the next Big Thing.”

Doors for the event at on March 9th will open early at 7.30pm and you would be a goddamn fool to miss it.

Cuthbert and the Night Walkers - Mr Pickwick's Camera

Sydney seven-piece Cuthbert and the Night Walkers come bounding along armed with trumpets, cowbells and goodness knows what else for their second album of effervescent, plinky-plonky indie. Strangely though, for a band whose live shows are all fun, movement and noise - like a scaled down Polyphonic Spree - the gentler songs are actually the album’s highlights. Walk to Work is stripped-back and beautiful, as lead-singer Richie Cuthbert tells a downbeat love story over sparse piano and, later, pretty melodica. Similarly, album-closer Negatives is sorrowful and touching. “I can’t bring myself to kiss you goodnight in front of your friends,” Cuthbert sings. He may not be the most natural vocalist in the world - at times he is a little whiny - but his voice is certainly varied and the way he jabs at words in some of the more upbeat songs is kinda jaunty. Consistently adorable though, are the female backing vocals, which are as arresting and delicious as those of The Magic Numbers, and there are some great boy/girl duets, like the Spanish-tinged and theatrical Wonderland.

The inclusion of the album’s more sombre tracks reigns things in from becoming overtly kooky and act to counterbalance the likes of High Horse, which treads a precarious path between being catchy and quite annoying. However, for the most part the hectic multi-instrumentalism and harmonies are great. Importantly, Cuthbert and The Night Walkers’ quirkiness always comes across as perfectly natural, and not in the slightest bit contrived, which is why this band is so very likeable.

SoKo - Oxford Art Factory

SOKO
CUTHBERT & THE NIGHTWALKERS
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney 29/12/08

Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers offered more percussion than you could shake a stick at, including melodicas, tambourines, xylophone, cowbell, shakers, finger-clicks and a whistle. With cute female vocals backing the male lead, the Sydney seven-piece sounded like an even more twee version of Belle and Sebastian, if such a thing is possible. While so many bands are all about haircuts and posturing, this bunch of dags are a breath of fresh air; their catchy songs were played with exuberance and a smile, in a performance that was heart-warming and simply brilliant.

Trying to out-cute the support act would prove difficult for most artists, but SoKo, Stephanie Sokolinski to her parents, took the challenge in her stride. “Because of jetlag I will start with a little lullaby,” she said in a tiny French voice before playing a delicate solo number that made everyone in the crowd want to put her in their pocket and take her home. After pausing the set to “do something very important” (light a scented candle and place it on the keyboard), the diminutive French chanteuse was joined by her two-piece band as she cried her way through the heart-breaking, Happy Hippy Birthday. I’m Feeling Shitty Today followed, as she plucked at a ukulele.

It wasn’t all angsty stuff though, and while the slower numbers revealed a raw, Kimya Dawson-esque tenderness, there were plenty of upbeat and silly moments which came closer to Dawson’s previous band, The Moldy Peaches. The 21-year old wore a tiger on her head during I Wanna Look Like a Tiger. I Never Meant To Hurt You saw her bash seven shades out of the drum kit, during Baby Cat she invited the audience to join in for some meowing, while Sweet Peanut Butter was a protest song about convenience stores not stocking her favourite spread. Wet Dreams and radio-favourite, I’ll Kill Her, went down a storm too.

With no set-list to speak of (“We brainstorm after every song,”) it was a ramshackle affair and, after two hours, she eventually said goodbye with I Will Never Love You. While the set was insanely long for an artist who has yet to release an album, there was enough variation to keep it interesting as her style varied from delicate indie to punk/new-wave via country-folk. Ultimately though, it was the sheer charm and charisma of this sweet singer made the evening so utterly enchanting.

Review and pictures by Rob Townsend.