SEAN McMAHON & THE MOONMEN with JARED BRENTNALL

Sat 21st May 8:30pm

An engaging, energetic performer and a true believer in the song itself, Sean McMahon writes the kind of songs that more than hold their own, and has a voice to back it up

He's a versatile artist with an unmistakable style that rings true across a variety of sonic landscapes captured in his highly regarded recording career to date, through the densely textured electric-guitar soaked alt country of Downhills Home, the sombre, sparse, bluesy hues on concept album 'Welcome to Gippsland', and the raw, dusty folk on 'Live At The Last Hotel' with acoustic trio Western Union.

While his last album could be described as a journey through heartfelt alt-country that beautifully conveyed a singer/songwriter's love affair with the American songbook and a 1930's Kay guitar, his latest offering sees him move away from an acoustic, singer/songwriter approach, instead exploring a more eclectic blend of elements within blues, psychedelic country, folk, and rock'n'roll with his new band the MoonMen.

After eventually reuniting with members of Downhills Home (Josh Duiker on drums and Michael Hubbard on bass), The 'MoonMen' hit Matt Walker's studio to lay down the basic tracks for 9 songs, before bringing in Ben Franz on Pedal Steel and overdubbing the finishing touches to the new album, 'Shiner'.

'Shiner' is at times personal and reflective, at other times ambiguous and playful, but as always, loaded with poetic phrase and melodic hooks, and all hung from the pickups of a 60's Harmony Rocket

Jared Brentnall is a Kyneton born and raised now based in Melbourne singer songwriter. Jared's band, Jarek have been a long-term fixture of the Melbourne instrumental music scene. In recent years, Jared has crafted his solo shows into a diverse collection of original material, covers and ambient soundscapes.

www.seanmcmahon.com.au

www.jaredbrentnall.com

HOT WINGS and LA BASTARD

Sat 14th May 8:30pm $12

Hot Wings are the brainchild of stellar guitarist Lizzie Sedman (The Charlies, Telltale) a guitar goddess that has been hot and wingy for years! With influences drawing far and wide from Les Paul, to Stevie Ray Vaughan, to The Break, to The Ventures,  Liz has carefully handpicked a band to bring her new surfy, swingy, guitar boogie sounds to life. This flaming hot bucket of wings is made up of Melbourne’s finest musicians, Scott Cherry (The Charlies) is nothing but brilliance on the bass. A musician that stands out from the pack and draws on his many musical experiences and influences such as Carol Kaye, Kyuss and The Bob Cats to masterfully give Hot Wings the bass of a lifetime.

Picture Nancy Sinatra jamming with Dick Dale and the Gun Club at the best party of the year. Because that’s precisely the type of exciting and eclectic mix of 50′s rock ‘n roll, 60′s surf and 80′s punk attitude that best describes the sound of Melbourne, Australia four-piece La Bastard.

Forming in late 2010 and quickly signing with respected garage rock label Off the Hip, the band have been acclaimed for their tight, reverb-drenched sounds and their notoriously wild live shows, which see band members crowd-surf, clamber onto tabletops, bars and furniture, and entire audiences join the band up on stage.

www.hotwingsband.com

www.labastard.com

TWIN HAUS

Sat 30th April 8:30pm

Recently signed to Brisbane indie label, Bedlam Records, Twin Haus now look to their fourth successful national run this April, bringing an energetic and mesmerising live show to stages around Australia. The band’s diverse brand of psychedelic and ambient rock has recently seen them perform in support of acts such as; Tonstartssbandht (USA), Viet Cong (CAN), Dune Rats, Millions, Gang of Youths, Tijuana Cartel and The Medics, to name a few. 2015 saw them headline Brisbane’s renowned Psych Night, perform at Port Macquarie’s Festival of the Sun, as well their most recent single ‘I Used to Think’ premiered on Rolling Stone Australia which continues to receive attention nation-wide from the likes of Triple J, Fbi, Triple R, PBS Melbourne and 4ZZZ. The band’s awaited follow up EP, recorded by Steve Kempnich and produced by ARIA award winning producer Tim G Carr, is scheduled for full release March, 2016. 

www.twin-haus.com

FREYA JOSEPHINE HOLLICK plus JOSHUA SEYMOUR

Sat April 23rd 8:30pm $10

A beguiling and ethereal album of love songs for easy listening. 

Freya Josephine Hollick is a whimsical, folk musician from the Goldfields. She sings of breathtaking, bucolic scenes, and has perfectly articulated those things about love and loss most can scarcely put into words.

Special guest Joshua Seymour 

SEAN SIMMONS (THE SPOILS) and CHARLIE MARSHALL & THE BODY ELECTRIC

Sat 9th April 8:30pm $10 presale $15 door tickets http://www.trybooking.com/183671 

In the fifteen years since their inception, The Spoils have enchanted audiences across Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands with their tales of mystery, murder and the macabre.

They have released three studio albums, contributed soundtracks and toured with the likes of Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds, Bonnie Prince Billy, Catpower, The Church, The Drones, Rowland S. Howard, Mick Harvey, The Flying Burrito Brothers, David McComb and more.

They have had various incarnations but the one constant has been founder and chief songwriter Sean Simmons. 

From Feb through to April, Sean goes out alone taking in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and regional Victoria.

 Charlie Marshall & The Body Electric is a Melbourne indie guitar band that started in the 90s and has featured members of the Dirty Three, Beasts of Bourbon and The Avalanches in the past and the current lineup includes Bryan Colechin (Hugo Race True Spirit) and Ashley Davies (Steve Lucas X). 

BEN MASON & MADELEINE DUKE

Sat April 2nd 8:30pm $12/$15 door

An evening with Ben Mason & Madeleine Duke, performing songs they wrote alone and songs they wish they wrote together. 

Ben Mason continues his love affair with Kyneton (or Kind Town as he affectionately calls it) as he returns to Major Tom's in April along with 2014 Darebin Music Feast Songwriter Award Winner Madeleine Duke. 

“A knack for balancing the classic and the left-field, the gentle side of ‘60s psych and ‘90s indie pop” - Rhythms Magazine

www.benmason.com.au 

MITCH POWER & WILL WOOD (NZ)

Melbourne singer/songwriter and guitarist Mitch Power has spent the last decade as an in-demand player with Deep Street Soul, Kylie Auldist and many more, playing shows nationally, in New York, Europe and at the iconic Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK. 

Now Mitch’s focus is on his promising solo career which has quickly gained momentum since playing at the Northern Beaches Music Festival, Jamgrass Music Festival, being a finalist in the Australian Songwriters Awards and having his debut EP No One’s Waiting Anymore recorded and produced by three time ARIA winner Jeff Lang. 

Mitch writes songs in the rich and emotive storytelling style of Americana music. Residing at the alt-country end of the genre, he dials into a world greatly influenced by Dylan, The Band and Neil Young and currently populated by artists such as Ryan Adams, Jason Isbell and Ryan Bingham. 

Surrounding himself with a stellar collection of some of Melbourne’s finest alt-country players in Ben Franz, Cat Canteri, Craig Kelly, Jeff Lang and Alison Ferrier, Mitch has recorded an EP that serves as a calling card for his songwriting talent and solidifies his reputation as an important and accomplished songwriter on the local and national scene.

Since the release of his debut LP 'Broken Man' Will Wood has kept up a constant busy touring schedule playing across New Zealand, Australia and Europe and has also recorded a sophomore LP to be released in early 2016. His songwriting is noted for its country/folk aspect that draws from a wide timeline of influences who exuded the same forthright attitudes and story-telling songs, ranging from the original folk troubadour/activist Woody Guthrie through to early Johnny Cash and onwards through Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons and more recent influences like Billy Bragg and Justin Townes Earle.

FRANK SULTANA plus guest LUCAS ROAD

Sunday March 20th 3pm free

Sydney bluesman, Frank Sultana is back with a new solo single, ‘Six Foot in the Ground’, taken from his fifth release, and forthcoming EP ‘Abstract in Blue Volume 1’. A murder ballad of sorts, ‘Six Foot in the Ground’ is the latest instalment in what is becoming an impressive catalogue of modern urban blues which has its roots firmly planted in the pre WW2 Mississippi delta sound. ‘Six Foot in the Ground’ is set for release at the end of Feb and the EP ‘Abstract in Blue Volume 1’ will be out mid-March. Coinciding with this, Frank is set to hit the road for an extensive run of solo shows. Special guest support for the tour will be Sydney’s Lucas Road. The ‘Abstract in Blue Tour’ kicks off in February in Sydney, taking in all east coast capital cities as well as regional and coastal centres, and includes 5 shows with iconic Australian guitarist Diesel…….

THE STIFFYS

Sat 5th March 8:30pm $15 tickets http://www.trybooking.com/KLRT

‘The Stiffys Go Driving’ tour sees Melbourne’s Art Rock pioneers back on the road after a massive year - which included 50 shows across the country, the release of widely acclaimed ART ROCK ONE and the addition of a guitarist. The band will venture beyond its usual capital city fan base thanks to new guitarist Dev owning a car, explains bassist Jason Leigh. “IT’S REALLY GREAT NOW THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE BAND WHO IS CAPABLE OF DRIVING BECAUSE ADAM AND I ARE BOTH QUITE FOCUSSED ON ENJOYING THE ROCK AND ROLL LIFESTYLE.” “IT’S BEEN A LOT EASIER FOR US TO TOUR REGIONAL AUSTRALIA SINCE WE TRANSITIONED FROM SAILORS TO ASTRONAUTS AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE BECOMING LESS CONFUSED BY US.” ‘The Stiffys Go Driving’ tour will see the band visit Belgrave, Moruya (NSW) and Kyneton for the first time while returning to Ballarat, Canberra, Fitzroy, Warrnambool and Wollongong.