Loene Carmen - It Walks Like Love

LOENE CARMEN
IT WALKS LIKE LOVE

Australian singer/songwriter Loene Carmen's fourth album hits the stores this month. While it was recorded in Sydney under the watchful eye of producer Burke Reid (The Drones, Jack Ladder, Mess Hall), it sounds - as with her previous offering - like a slice of genuine Americana.

The first single to be plucked from it, garage-soul duet Oh Apollo!, is a playful paean to New York's Apollo Theatre and perhaps a nod to Carmen's admiration of the collaborations between Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, with her breathy vocal juxtaposed by the deep grumble of Mess Hall's Jed Kurzel.

Plenty of other familiar characters turn up, including members of Holy Soul and The Scare. Tex Perkins also lends his voice, while Carmen also employed the talent that lies within her own family, with father Peter Head on piano and Bridezilla's Holiday Sidewinder (Carmen's fittingly talented daughter) adding some delicious vocals.

The frighteningly catchy chorus of Mimic The Rain sees Carmen at her poppiest. "If you want your garden to grow/You've got to mimic the rain," she tells us. By the second time you hear it, you'll be singing along as if you'd known it your whole life. You'd think such a delightful slice of pop would be the highlight of the record, but even better is to come with the thoughtful Gauloises Blue. As the song approaches its climax, rather than hollering her lungs out as many artists may have done, Carmen's voice barely raises above a gasped whisper. Then ooh and aahs accompany frenzied guitars and delicate piano to bring the song to a dizzying finish.

Sultry vocals and intelligent lyrics continue to intertwine with raw guitars throughout the ten tracks, and the quality never dips, even for the slightest second. It Walks Like Love is a truly outstanding record and, with it, Loene Carmen has not only created her finest piece of work to date, but also one of the albums of the year.

Big Day Out Hot Produce stage feature

WITH BIG DAY OUT FAST APPROACHING, ROB TOWNSEND TALKS TO SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING LOCAL ACTS SET TO APPEAR ON THE HOT PRODUCE STAGE

Sarah Kelly from The Redsunband, Bree Carter from Wow and Kiss Reid from The Scare are enjoying a post photo-shoot drink when one of them makes a bold claim. “We’re the best band in the whole world,” Kiss says with a devilish grin. “I want people to realise the album that we’ve just recorded is the greatest punk album ever made in history.”
“Have a bit more confidence in yourself,” Sarah jokes. Cue laughter all round.

While the animated frontman of Sydney’s dark punk rockers has his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, the bullishness that he and his fellow interviewees are feeling is understandable as they, along with other emerging local artists, have been hand-picked to play the Hot Produce stage at Big Day Out. Considering just how many young bands are vying for attention amid a buzzing Sydney scene, these artists are obviously doing something special to stand out from the crowd. “Basically, it’s about your live performances and being that little bit different,” Kiss states as he pulls hard on a cigarette. “So many bands want to join a scene, but it’s the people that don’t do the generic thing that get ahead.”
Bree, whose band’s live show offers high-energy techno/dance bounciness, concurs. “Yeah, that’s true. Be different. Be yourself.”
“The natural bands push forward over the bands that are fake and transparent,” vocalist/guitarist Sarah adds. “You’ve got to be lucky as well though, and it’s also about people wanting to help you out. It helps if you are really good at talking.”
“I’ve just got a good drummer with a really big mouth,” Kiss says. “He’s a great talker.”
“Which one’s your drummer?” Sarah asks.
“The one that talks a lot and always looks kinda like a 70s porn star,” he replies, as though that is explanation enough.

So, having got ahead of the chasing pack and scored a coveted place on the Hot Produce stage, how will the bands approach the occasion? Do they look at it professionally – a big chance to win over new fans – or is it just a day getting drunk in the sun that happens to be punctuated by a 40-minute set? “It’s like being out and being the driver when everyone else is pissed. It’s not as fun unless you’re part of it,” Bree says.
Kiss agrees. “That’s the way it is. We’ve played at festivals in England and I’ve tried to be professional and I hated it.”
“It’s fun to play a festival. I don’t think there’s heaps of pressure on you necessarily,” says Sarah, whose band has graced Big Day Out before with its dark, heavy dream-pop. “It’s pretty relaxed and it can be really interactive. Festivals are basically the only all-ages shows we get to play. So it’s all about playing to 16-year-olds, because they’re the best fans you’ll ever have. They’re so into it.”
“People are there to have fun,” Bree states. “You feel it from the stage. It breaks down barriers straight away, from the second you get up there.”

When talk turns to expectations of the day, Bree speaks with enthusiasm about the recent growth of her band from a duo to a quartet. “We’re trying to improve our live show as much as possible, so we have now got Stephen J. Mitchell from Emergency Emergency on synths and electric guitar and our friend on drums. Drugmoney is his official name.”
Kiss meanwhile, in spite of his general ebullience, has decidedly modest aspirations. “I hope I give a better performance than at Homebake. Every single one we’ve played has been disastrous. Too drunk.” Indeed, because of his band’s dipsomaniac tendencies, last year they were only allowed access to their rider half-an-hour before they performed. “We still drank it all. I fell off the front of the stage straightaway and got concussion. I’ll try to stay on the stage a little longer at Big Day Out.”

Once their sets are done, there is one particular band that members of Wow and The Scare are sure to head to watch. “I’ve seen The Prodigy before and the crazy energy they bring is just amazing,” Kiss recalls. “People were losing their shit. It was really exciting.”
Sarah, meanwhile, explains how she is more interested in seeing some closer-to-home acts, including The Drones and recent tour-buddies, Youth Group. “It was so fun,” she says of last year’s travels around Australia with them. “We were in a 12-seater van, travelling all together. I think it’s a great way to do it. Any inter-band tensions are defused because there are so many people around.” As an afterthought she adds: “It’s cheaper too.”

Enthusiasm levels vary when the discussion moves on to whether any of the bands have dreams of ever headlining the main stage at Big Day Out. Sarah greats the idea with indifference. “It’s not something I aspire to, because, generally, I like the smaller stages for watching bands or for playing.”
Bree has an easygoing attitude. “It’s not on my list of things to do, so it wouldn’t really matter if it never happened, but of course it would be great.”
Enter Kiss, with a typically devil-may-care approach. “I could do it,” he says with a smile.

Talk turns to fantasy festival line-ups. As is becoming the accepted dynamic, Kiss leads the conversation. “I’d take about five acts from the All Tomorrow’s Parties line-up. I’d throw Talking Heads in there and I’d get Swans back together.”
As he pauses for breath, Sarah takes the opportunity to request Mazzy Star. “But they’d have to play after dark,” she insists. Obviously putting plenty of thought into the logistics of her dream line-up, she also requests The Kinks, “really early in the day.”
As Sarah adds The Black Angels to her wish-list and Kiss explains how he could spend all day naming bands, Bree remains strangely quiet; the enormity of being asked to curate her own fantasy festival seemingly sending her brain into meltdown. “There are way too many,” she shrugs as an answer is teased from her. “For some reason I can only think 80s though. I’d love to see Bowie.”

As seasoned festival-goers, both as performers and punters, the trio offer up some tips for Big Day Out virgins. “I’m white as hell so I’d say wear sunscreen,” Bree says, studying her moon tan. “Oh, and take some sort of smuggling device, because I think you’re only allowed two drinks at a time.”
Surreally, Kiss adds: “Get a carrier pigeon.”
Meanwhile, amongst some helpful advice about bringing a big hat and not wearing black, Sarah suggests a slightly harder to acquire necessity. “A backstage pass is the best thing you can have at Big Day Out; shorter lines, cleaner loos.”

So there you have it. Forget sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, being an artist at Big Day Out is all about the joys of doing a wee in comfort. If ever there was a reason to form your own band and attempt to score a place on next year’s Hot Produce Stage, surely this is it. After all, have you seen the length of those lines for the toilets?

Global Young Leaders fundraising show

I attended the Global Young Leaders fundraising show at Sydney’s Annandale Hotel last Sunday:Bridezilla frontwoman Holiday Sidewinder is heading to America for the Global Young Leaders conference in June, so to raise funds she put on a show with a little help from her friends and family. First up were brother and sister duo Hunter Dienna, whose minimalist sound required just one guitar and the occasional accordion, yet was still dizzyingly atmospheric and gothic. Thomas' low-down growl juxtaposed nicely with Xanthe’s softer vocal, landing them not a million miles from the collaboration between Mark Lanigan and Isabel Campbell.

The ever-captivating Loene Carmen (below) was next up, and she was backed by a supergroup comprised of some familiar faces as she rattled though songs from her latest long-player, Rock n Roll Tears. “So you fucked it up,” she snarled in that amazing vocal at the start of Don’t Let Her Slip Away, which was indicative of the equally vitriolic and seductive nature of her barnstorming set.Even by the high standards they have set for themselves, Bridezilla, frankly, were magnificent. Oozing confidence and sass, they were watched by the largest crowd of the day. Holiday’s presence as frontwoman grows increasingly strong with each gig, while her fellow band members also looked like they were born to be on stage. In front of drummer Josh – who looked especially suave in his suit - Pia and Millie were assured and cool, while Daisy, always the firebomb to Holiday’s left, prowled atop the bar.

The Scare polished things of with a riotous display which had the fans at the front going nuts, as vocalist Kiss Reid - animated, mesmerising and a bit terrifying – expelled a throat-busting vocal. Having been joined for one song by the evening’s hostess, they brought proceedings to a close with Bats! Bats! Bats! which saw Kiss roam around the room and stagedive. No-one could accuse him of not giving it his all.

Holiday dashed onto stage at the end to thank everyone for coming. The fact that she did so amid chants of her name and requests for more songs suggests that the day was a success. Ten bucks well spent.