On June 1 & 2 we’re launching our ‘Frank the Poet’ compilation album at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. Over two nights we’re inviting 16 artists to hit the stage and  play the songs that feature on the album.  For the occasion we’ve assembled a ragged bunch of musicians to provide . . . → Read More: Introducing: The Beastly Treated]]>

On June 1 & 2 we’re launching our ‘Frank the Poet’ compilation album at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. Over two nights we’re inviting 16 artists to hit the stage and  play the songs that feature on the album.  For the occasion we’ve assembled a ragged bunch of musicians to provide backing for all of the solo artists. Not just any bunch of musos but four of the finest – most in-demand artists – going ’round at the moment.

The Beastly Treated will be playing for two nights only and will provide backing to the likes of Cal Williams Jr, Nick Kipridis, Sean McMahon (Melb), Jimmy Dowling (NSW),  Max Savage, Tom West, Snooks La Vie and a whole stack more. It will be well worth the $20 just to come and see these guys play. Get Tix here

MATT WALKER needs no introduction.  He’s an ARIA award winning songwriter and musician based in Melbourne. He’s widely regarded as one of Australia’s truly original roots guitarists and vocalists.  He’s collaborated/played with everybody from Broderick Smith to Kim Salmon to Mia Dyson to Ashley Davies and is currently wielding his axe in Tex Perkins’ ‘Band of Gold’.

Four songs on the album were recorded in Matt’s 8 Track Shack, including his own haunting rendition of ‘Bold Jack Donohoe’

CHRIS PARKINSON is one of Austrlaia’s truely gifted roots guitarists. The tone and atmosphere that he can lull from his trusty danelectro guitar is instantly recognisable and is gaining a reputation across the nation.  He’s played with some of the best, including a long stint as side man to the late-great Jimmy Little. Alongside Robyn Chalken in The Yearlings, he has recorded a haunting version of Moreton Bay on the album. A true  gem on Adelaide’s scene.

HEATH CULLEN hails from Candelo, NSW (where the fuck is that?). But don’t let his small town origins fool you.  Over the past decade, Heath Cullen has established a career as one of this country’s most promising and adventurous young accompanists – His driving guitar and ethereal lapsteel parts grace the records of some of Australia’s finest indie artists.  Heath joined with his band ‘The 45s’ to release the critically accliamed ‘A storm was coming but I didn’t feel nothin’ and is currently planning to hit the studio in the US with legendary Jim Keltner, Marc Ribot and Larry ‘The Mole’ Taylor.

BJ BARKER is a fine and sensitive drummer. Don’t let the goatee and iron maiden t-shirts give you the wrong impression. Beej is an in-demand drummer in the roots music community and plays with the likes of Kasey Chambers, The Huckleberry Swedes, The Yearlings,  The Baker Suite and, I’m sure, many more.

On the 8th of February 1840, the Sydney Gazzette published a poem some consider to be thick with the code of Irish rebels.

It was printed under the name Francis MacNamara and then forgotten for a hundred years.

Over 172 years later that same poem has been brought back to life by one . . . → Read More: Nick Kipridis: ‘A Dialogue Between Two Hibernians in Botany Bay’]]>  

On the 8^th of February 1840, the Sydney Gazzette published a poem some consider to be thick with the code of Irish rebels.

It was printed under the name Francis MacNamara and then forgotten for a hundred years.

Over 172 years later that same poem has been brought back to life by one of Adelaide’s most revered singer-song writers Nick Kipridis, lead vocalist and guitarist from The Streamliners.

In the lead up to the June 1 & 2 launch of Banished From My Native Shore: The Verse of Frank the Poet we’ll be showcasing a number of songs from the album and sharing snippets about each of the artists, their songs and how they approached their compositions. We’ll kick off the series with Nick Kipridis and his song ‘A Dialogue Between Two Hibernians In Botany Bay’. If like some of us you’re a visual learner, then here’s a little video we’ve put together for Nick’s song. Of course if you’d like a real treat, then don’t forget to buy a ticket for Saturday June 2  when he’ll be performing his song live at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton.

The poem ‘A Dialogue Between Two Hibernians In Botany Bay’ recounts a sorrowful discussion between convicted Irish cousins Paddy and Darby who following their exile to Australia, are reunited by chance upon the shores of Botany Bay. ‘Rediscovered’ in 1952 and conclusively attributed to Irish convict Francis MacNamara (AKA Frank the Poet) in 1979, ‘A Dialogue Between Two Hibernians In Botany Bay’ is one of 13 of Frank’s poems to be featured on the upcoming Stobie Sounds compilation release ‘Banished From My Native Shore: The Verse of Frank the Poet’.

Musha welcome to Botany, Paddy, my dear,

Yer the last man in Ireland, I thought of seeing here.

But how did this lagging of yours come to pass?

I’m inclined to think you neglected the mass.

And robbed your poor soul of felicity’s joys,

By joining yourself to the cursed White Boys.

Stobie Sounds had the opportunity to chat with Nick about his song during a series of interviews with contributing artists. Among other things, we were interested to discover something about his processes.

Quizzed on how he set about writing music to the piece Nick offered the following insight. “I didn’t really think about music first. I just wanted to get some singable verses happening. It rambles on. It rhymes here and there. If you look at it, it’s more or less a short story.” A short story ideed, a ‘A Dialogue Between Two Hibernians In Botany Bay’ is one of Frank MacNamara’s longest poems, in all containing 24 verses, each of four lines. Unlike most of the other artists, Nick was ‘allocated’ a poem, despite being one of the first to put his hand up as an album contributor. He took it pretty well though and joked with a laugh that it “ended up being the longest bloody poems outta the lot!” Due to the length of the poem, verses and lines necessarily needed to be cut to keep the song from continuing infinitum. It is clear that Nick has chosen his verses, lines and words carefully, ensuring both the chronology and woeful tone of the dialogue is maintained. However he said it wasn’t a quick process, “it took a few goes….20 takes or something.”

For those of you who’ve heard Nick perform before, you’ll know he’s all about tone, both musical and lyrical. When questioned about the poem’s themes of loss and loneliness he’s articulate. “That was the tone of the poem so I thought I’d keep the music the same to sort of match that. So it ended up sounding dark, which is good ‘cause I like dark. Always have been a fan of dark music.”

Nick’s decision to go solo this time round was influenced by the vibe of the poem. He’d considered getting a band together but in the end opted to keep it “pretty stark sounding”. “It has that element of loneliness to it, you know, vocals, guitar and harp.” The decision to keep it sparse and uncomplicated has a powerful effect on the lonesome feel of the song. Although you never know, one day the song may make it into The Streamliners set list. Nick wraps up the interview with a tease, “Well it can be adapted ya know.”

It’s obvious from Nick’s contribution that he’s approached this project great passion and thought. Listening, you wouldn’t guess that it’s been composed a bloke that’s never really put music to poetry before.

Cursed Daniel O’Connell the great agitator

Is in my opinion a double faced traitor

From his seditious harangues had I kept away

I ne’er should have visited Botany Bay

Stobie Sounds Business Model: Genius or fools luck?

It’s interesting to see that a number of the music industry’s medium sized fish are . . . → Read More: Stobie Sounds: Leaders of the New School?]]>

Stobie Sounds Business Model: Genius or fools luck?

It’s interesting to see that a number of the music industry’s medium sized fish are devising interesting new ways to run record labels. What’s more interesting is that the model developed at Stobie Sounds in 2009 is becoming a popular solution to the conundrum of running a label in the 21st century.

With the rise of Inertia Access and Dew Process’ Create/Control, we thought it was timely for a bit of a reflection of our first years of life as ‘Australia’s Favourite Community Based Roots Record Label’.

A few years back, when Stobie Sounds sprang to life off the back of a 4 track EP,  music industry boffins were using adjectives such as ‘crisis’, ‘terminal decline’ and ‘Holy Shitballs’ to describe the state of the recording industry. The ‘big four’ record labels (now the big three) were owned by Russian oil tycoons, investment bankers and straight up crooks who spent the best part of the 80s and 90s becoming bloated profit making behemoths that had somehow forgotten that music is an artform. Labels had become brutally efficient at defrauding artists and appealing to the lowest common denominator.  In this context, our decision to form a record label was often met by smirks. I recall one day early on I was dropping off a batch of Kirk Special’s debut at a record store when the owner provided  his views on our new venture: ‘If you don’t sell more than 5000 copies it’s a vanity project’.   I didn’t have the balls to tell him we only made 100 copies and had no plans to make any more.

By the time we sat down to hold our first AGM the doubters had left an impression on us. So we spent a lot of time trying to articulate what we wanted to achieve and how to model our business around our lofty ideals. We hit the libraries and interweb researching how everything fit together. We learned about the history of the recording industry, copyright, publishing, licensing, contracts, intellectual property and then forgot it all and tried to devise something new. And we aren’t alone.

Our central aims were to set up a community-based record label operating on a not-for-profit basis that supports great independent musicians whilst generating enough income to pay artists a decent chunk and be self-sustaining. Sounds like a walk in the park.

What we came up with is a simple model that works well on a small scale.

The centrepiece of our model is great music written by great songwriters played by great musicians. We cannot overstate how important this is. Our belief is that if the music supported by our label is strong then over time we will be successful in our goals.

Rather than trying to own every step of the process,  we come on board for a short burst. Artists come to us with their album fully recorded and ready to go. They retain full artistic control and ownership of copyright in their recordings. Our role is to take that recording, manufacture the albums,  promote the hell out of ‘em and organise gigs, facilitate tours – and sell records. Our agreements with bands are short term.

This is pretty much what the peeps over at create/control will be doing (think Splendour in the Grass, Powderfinger etc). With the exception that they’ll do it  with more cash, great networks, heaps of experience and years of knowledge… We’ll be watching closely how they go about it.  We hope they make it work on a much larger scale than we do it.

Our releases are glued together with an annual compilation album based on a theme. This year’s outing is based on the poetry of Irish convict Francis McNamara and will feature some of our favorite established artists like Mia Dyson, Jimmy Dowling, Heath Cullen and the Yearlings alongside some of our favorite emerging bands such as Max Savage, Tom West, Bearded Gypsy Band and The Timbers.

We are also different in that our manufacturing is all done in-house. All our sleeves are hand printed using traditional methods. We spend a lot of time honing our printing skills, writing liner notes and trying to create a sleeve that is given as much love and attention as the music inside it. This method is labor intensive and immensley satisfying which keeps our output to a maximum of 500 copies per release (with most being 100-200). But given people don’t tend to buy physical albums anymore this tends to work in our favour and means we don’t have cupboards full of unsold albums lying around.

We’ve tweaked our system along the way. It’s still got it’s foibles but we’re keeping the good bits and forgetting about the mistakes.

We differ from the traditional business model is that we don’t spend our precious time and money recording albums in fancy studios, nor do we try to sign up bands to long term ‘record deals’. We don’t have an A&R man, a lawyer or an accountant.

So, after a three years, ten album releases and two compilations, we think we’re getting better at what we do.  Each release is a new opportunity to get funk-ay. Time will tell if it’s a solid new way to sell records.

We spent Sunday-just-gone printing up some tees for Bearded Gypsy Band’s WOMAD merch.  We took the modified the silk screen and cut down the lino cut from their album launch posters from Feb 2011 (I know, time flies).  The tee’s feature the ‘camel with instruments’ silhouette on the front and the bold ‘Bearded . . . → Read More: Bearded Gypsy WOMAD Merch]]>

We spent Sunday-just-gone printing up some tees for Bearded Gypsy Band’s WOMAD merch.  We took the modified the silk screen and cut down the lino cut from their album launch posters from Feb 2011 (I know, time flies).  The tee’s feature the ‘camel with instruments’ silhouette on the front and the bold ‘Bearded Gypsy Band’ text on the back.

The gypsies will be flogging these at WOMAD and beyond (while stocks last). We’ve also got a handful of these tees to sell. You’ll be able to grab them at our merch stall at the Wheaty on February 11.

They’ll be up in our online store soon!

Click here to grab tickets to the fundraiser gig....

We’re getting revved up for our Frank The Poet Fundraiser next Saturday. Two of our town’s finest outfits are gonna stand on the stage of Adelaide’s finest music venue and deliver some of the finest music you’ll hear anywhere in the . . . → Read More: Music as Medicine]]>

Click here to grab tickets to the fundraiser gig....

We’re getting revved up for our Frank The Poet Fundraiser next Saturday. Two of our town’s finest outfits are gonna stand on the stage of Adelaide’s finest music venue and deliver some of the finest music you’ll hear anywhere in the world. And what’s more is that they’re raising funds for a cause that may not be of global import but worthy of a night out for $15.

A few words from our secretary regarding the concert:

There’s a lot of music out there that takes the piss. Made for no other reason than to have a laugh and a good time. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for all that stuff. But every now and then I seem to lose my grip and life becomes chaotic and confusing.  Everything is fleeting.  And no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to slow the pace. Regain my perspective. Breathe.

As I sit and contemplate this fundraiser concert the stone is gathering pace on the hillside. Days flash past as a series of split decisions and I need some medicine to slow things down.  It’s times like these that music needs to be serious.

Proper serious.

Next Saturday night I’ll be taking two doses of medicine. The Yearlings and Max Savage will administer the drug.  I’ll be the guy sitting up the back, lost in the moment, making sure that every note flows through me. Just like it should. By the end of the night I’ll be reset. Settled. Realigned. And ready for 2012.

We tend to agree with our illustrious secretary’s analysis. Max Savage wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s deadly fucking serious about his music and we give him props for that. With his False Idols he’s making a name for himself as one of Australia’s finest writers of what we’d call an idiosyncratic  Australian country music. Don’t even get us started on the quality of the music eminanting from his backing band – The False Idols - who he plucked from the likes of the Shaolin Afronauts and Transatlantics.  Journey to the Stone Country is no doubt influenced by his experiences living in Central Australia. Not many people have the courage to write about that subject matter with such unflinching candour.   He’s forcing us to consider some serious history here.

Max recently said of his songwriting ethic:

Back when Neil Young was making records there was serious shit going down and he was writing serious music. With indie music it’s great, but there’s a sense of removal from the themes of what’s going on. Like, ‘We’re this fun, hipster indie band, we’re having a great time and we’re going make some Vampire Weekend record. But we’re not a part of these stories.’ All the songs that we write mean a lot to me, so I want to try really, really hard.”

The Yearlings have been serious in recent times about honing their sound around a swag of songs that any self-respecting songwriter would kill for. We’ve seen this duo countless times over the past few years but they’ve recently, and mysteriously, developed a mesmerising stage performance that is completely engaging.

There is an almost indescribable musical lexicon that surrounds a Yearlings performance, and it is one that
can barely be described, it must be seen and heard for one’s self.
Jackorybell, FasterLouder

Chris Parkinson’s tremolo drenched guitar weaves in and around the raspy vocals of Robyn Chalken like smoke through your fingers. At a recent Sunday afternoon gig the start of their set competed with chit-chat from the crowd. By the middle of the second song the entire crowd was transfixed. True story.

To the first person who’s actually read to the bottom of this rambling blog, you can redeem a free double pass to the Frank The Poet Fundraiser by contacting us and give us your name, postal address and phone number.

For everybody else, tickets for next Saturday’s concert are $15. You can buy yours at the bar of the Wheatsheaf Hotel, or if you live dangerously, at the door.

The Yearlings

Max Savage

We’ve got a couple of versions of ‘For The Company Underground’ being recorded for our Frank The Poet compilation. One is coming from our stone country rambler Max Savage. The second comes from Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson. Hat, a guitar slinging Queenslander and Cara, a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist hailing from Northern . . . → Read More: Sneak Peek: Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson Refuse To Go Underground!]]>

Hat 'n Cara

We’ve got a couple of versions of ‘For The Company Underground’ being recorded for our Frank The Poet compilation. One is coming from our stone country rambler Max Savage. The second comes from Hat Fitz and Cara Robinson. Hat, a guitar slinging Queenslander and Cara, a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist hailing from Northern Ireland  are a perfect fit to participate in our celebration of early Irish convict poetry.

For The Company Underground is a defiant stand against going down into the mines to work in dangerous conditions for little pay. This rawcus rendition is a rabble-rouser that we’re sure Frank would approve.  Hit play for a sneaky peek of the tune.

We’re excited to see that the duo are in Adelaide from February 2-5 playing a few shows.

Thu Feb 2 : The Gilbert St Hotel, Adelaide.
Fri Feb 3 : The Woodcroft Tavern, Woodcroft.
Sat Feb  4 : The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton.
Sun Feb 5 : Semaphore Workers Club, Semaphore.

The earliest record of  ‘For The Company Underground’ comes from The Trimingham Manuscript, a tiny 32 page handwritten book that was created sometime in the late 1830s, most likely 1839. within it’s pages are written four poems that we now attribute to Frank The Poet. Some say the manuscript is written by McNamara himself. Others dispute it. It’s just another of the beautiful mysteries that haunt the story of this poetry.

When thieves ever robbing on the highway
For their sanctity are renowned,
MacNamara shall work that day
For the Company underground.

We don’t know if McNamara did actually work in the coal mines of the east coast of Australia. What this poem tells us is that he was strongly against going underground. And didn’t mind saying it.

The Yearlings and Max Savage are capping of our month of fundraising by putting on a concert at the Wheatsheaf Hotel this Saturday Night (11 Feb).

You can get you ticket at the door tonight!

This is the first time these two great Australian purveyors of country-esque music have appeared . . . → Read More: Frank The poet Fundraiser: The Yearlings and Max Savage.]]>

get tix here...

The Yearlings and Max Savage are capping of our month of fundraising by putting on a concert at the Wheatsheaf Hotel this Saturday Night (11 Feb).

You can get you ticket at the door tonight!

This is the first time these two great Australian purveyors of country-esque music have appeared on the same bill. Most of you would know that both bands fill the bandroom at the Wheaty when they play solo shows so if you’re keen to see the show you should show up early (doors at 8pm) or pre-book a ticket Tix at door still available. As Don Morrison says: This Could Be Big

Both bands are recording songs for our Frank The Poet compilation album which will be released in late autumn/ early winter.

Nationally recognised artists such as Mia Dyson, Matt Walker, Hat Fitz, Sean McMahon and The Yearlings will contribute to the album along side the emerging generation of musicians such as Tom West, Todd Sibbin, Max Savage, The Timbers and Bearded Gypsy Band. The album will be a truly contemporary re-imagining of an important body of Australian colonial poetry.

We’ve been advised that Heath Cullen spent a couple days down at The Yearlings My Sweet Mule Recording Lounge and laid down his rendition of Jim Jones at Botany Bay for our Frank The Poet compilation. We caught Heath for the first time at the Wheaty in mid . . . → Read More: Heath Cullen at Botany Bay.]]>

Heath Cullen. Photo: E. Green.

We’ve been advised that Heath Cullen spent a couple days down at The Yearlings My Sweet Mule Recording Lounge and laid down his rendition of Jim Jones at Botany Bay for our Frank The Poet compilation. We caught Heath for the first time at the Wheaty in mid 2011 and are wondering how we’d missed him. He stands about 6′ 10″ is lankier than a bar stool and writes beautiful songs that seem to bear witness to all the great music to come out of the 20th century. His 2010 release ‘A Storm Was Coming But I didn’t Feel Nothing’ is an absolute pearler. Haven’t got it? Grab it.

His chosen song for the album – Jim Jones at Botany Bay -must have been quite the revolutionary ditty in its day. To be honest, the final stanza would any modern-day tyrant shit his dacks:

And some dark night when everything is silent in this town
I’ll kill the tyrants one by one and shoot the floggers down
I’ll give the law a little shock remember what I say
They’ll yet regret they sent Jim Jones in chains to Botany Bay

the origin of the poem. like most of the material associated with this project, is a bit of a historical mystery. It was first published in 1907 but it was already old then, and has been a mainstay in the Australian protest singer’s kit bag since the 50s. Some say Francis McNamara wrote it. Others dispute it.  Mark Gregory says of the poem:

Is Jim Jones the work of Francis MacNamara? The evidence in the song itself suggests it is … its unusual defiance, its unusual construction, absence of moralising conclusion. The first three verses, threats in the voice of the English judge, the next three of description,defiance and retribution in the voice of the English (or Welsh) prisoner. The song is set to an Irish tune Irish Molly O, a tune MacNamara would certainly have known. The verses sound Irish (Celtic?) when read aloud. MacNamara often put the names of his heroes (and his enemies) in his verse in this case Jack Donahoe and Jim Jones.

Bob Dylan recorded a desperate and gnarly version of the poem for his oft overlooked gem LP ‘Good as I Been to You’. We haven’t heard Heath’s version yet so we’ll have to leave you with a short video of him playing ‘Fullerton’s Bridge’ during the Candelo Village Festival….. with a few friends you might recognize.

Throughout January and February our team of volunteers and supporters are passing around the hat to raise funds to ensure that Banished Now From My Native Shore is release in the Autumn of 2012.  Stobie Sounds has managed to fund 90% of the project out of our own coffers but need a little . . . → Read More: Frank The Poet Fundraiser: How can I help out?]]>

Throughout January and February our team of volunteers and supporters are passing around the hat to raise funds to ensure that Banished Now From My Native Shore is release in the Autumn of 2012.  Stobie Sounds has managed to fund 90% of the project out of our own coffers but need a little bit of help to get the project finished.

Our fundraising efforts will go toward:

• Three studio sessions to record the final tracks for the album.
• Compiling and mastering the final album,  and
• (if there’s enough in the kitty) pressing the final album on 12″ vinyl for release.

Click here to grab tickets to the fundraiser gig....

‘How can I help?’ we hear you say.

It’s pretty easy to help out. You can do one of three things.

1. Attend the ‘Frank The Poet Fundraiser Concert’ at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on February 11 featuring sets from The Yearlings and Max Savage. Entry is $15 and you can get tickets HERE. Tix available at the door.
2. Throw some of your spare change into our pozible crowdfunding campaign. Any amount will make a difference but a donation of $30 will get you a copy of the album when it’s released. It’s kind of like a socially conscious lay-by system!
3. Help us out by letting your friends know about our plight. Post a link to this post on facebook, website or any other place you can think of.  Share this Video (vimeo.com/34776778) with your friends.