Looking back at my gig/interview diary, I think I have known about Josh Orange since 2012 – and what is amazing is that they are still together!
Their previous albums have had that folk/pop feel to them whereas Midnight Lights shines above those other albums, as good as they are.
Starting off with Little Miss America (already a hit single) is like listening to a vocal blend of Dire Straits/Dylan with Byrdsian jangling guitar filling out the background. It is an amazing track and so different to the band’s previous work. Listening to the album, I had trouble moving on past this track! This is very much an international song and I hope the band get their well-deserved exposure.
The title track, Midnight Lights, has that almost dream pop backing with Gordon Burke’s vocals directing where every instrument should fit in and with Andy, Alex and Gav being as tight as ever and giving the band their unique sound.
We’re All On The Run is one of the more ballad like numbers on this album and it relates to all our frailties as we ARE all on the run from something/someone. This should carry a warning as it could be a real tearjerker for many people, both male and female. Gordon’s ability to write in so many styles is amazing and the band’s interpretation of them is outstanding. This band has musically matured so much over the years and we need to hold onto them before they gain fame and fortune overseas.
Gordon’s songs are not far behind Paul Kelly’s, yet they are different and very much of Gordon and the band’s making. The tightness of the rhythm section is something more bands should listen to, with the guitars at just the right level and not overwhelming the songs. The lead guitar is spot on-no seventies solos here!
The gentle use of brushes in the percussion and the heights Gordon’s vocals soar to with the rest of the band carefully and quietly following is something I have not heard on other recent tracks.
Who is JOSH ORANGE? If this intro to them has not interested you go to Soundcloud and listen to the real thing and if you disagree with my overall perception of this band, I will only be able to think you were listening to the wrong band!
Too many bands head overseas for good as they do not gain the recognition due to them and hence base themselves in Europe or The States; let us not let this band slip the net as it would be a loss to our Australian music scene.
What more can I say about JOSH ORANGE and MIDNIGHT LIGHTS? A lot, but I would prefer it if you would purchase their work and help support and retain one of our most talented bands.
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned – 3MDR.com

From wannabe weatherman to Country singer extraordinaire, CLINT WILSON has found his niche in what is now an incredibly competitive field.
There is no holding back with Clint, he sings it as he sees it and his tales are outstanding; Country is often mistaken for being all about a dog called Bluey but times have changed and Clint gives us his version of Americana.
High School Sweethearts (with Gretta Ziller) is the nearest to Country you can expect on this album and is beautifully performed and a very visual song, taking one back to those school days and first love. Gretta’s harmonies are tailor made for Clint.
‘The windscreen wipers sing’; now, who could come up with a phrase like that? But one can imagine that journey on The Road To Grantville as it is so explicit and can be related to so easily. Clint’s lyrics are not simple, but they are meaningful and with every song the story goes on.
There are two versions of ‘Couldn’t promise you rain’ on the album with very subtle differences, so take your choice! I promised you love but couldn’t promise you rain; what a great line in a song full of the hardships of outback living. Do not mention the mortgage man! A real tearjerker for those who know anything about outback life.
This is an album to listen to and not to be used as background music; Clint’s musical journey to date has given us some great songs and he continues to do so.
Grab a drink, sit in front of that winter fire and enjoy!
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned
www.3MDR.com

Coincidences occur and sometimes they are good and at other times not so good.
SUNFLOWER was, according to their agent, travelling down the East Coast on tour and would like to drop into the 3MDR studios and have a chat/play, could we accommodate them?
All of this was literally just prior to the discovery of Covid 19 and the lockdown. On the day they were available Uncut and Unsigned (the program that would feature SUNFLOWER) already had a band booked, but with a bit of gentle diplomacy we were able to make alternative arrangements for the pre-booked band to change dates.
To date, Matt, the sound engineer and myself (Tony) the presenter, still feel that this is one of the tightest bands we have had on U and U for quite some time.
SUNFLOWER is a 5 piece band lead by Kahlia on vox, guitar and keys ably assisted by, Dan on lead, Lawson on vox/guitar, Willow on bass and Sean on drums. This combination makes for a real powerhouse or a gentle quintet and I have not seen their likes before.
Kahlia’s voice is so versatile and her compositions are stories of everyday life or powerful feelings and when harmonising with Lawson it takes on a whole different dynamic. No bubble-gum pop here!
The rest of the band play along like the pros they are, and that rhythm section is inseparable musically, an amazing feat.
One might say, yes, but these guys have had plenty of experience in other bands and hence have a head over others. This is true to an extent, but plenty of other bands are made up of people from diverse bands and it just does not work. SUNFLOWER works and to watch them is not only a pleasure but an experience too. One becomes immersed in their work which is quite mesmerising.
Their work is definitely power pop but not of the usual variety, as it is stronger and more meaningful and very SUNFLOWER centric. This band borrows from nobody and is its own master.
Better with Me, Better Days have similarities but are then in direct contrast to
Weak, both musically and vocally.
This band should be going places, well it is, but somebody, somewhere will
grab this band and we will here far more of them then.
A sheer musical delight.
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned
3MDR 97.1 FM

​Every opening on all the tracks is straight into the song-there’s no procrastinating here and what’s more, no fill ins.
To be able to write tracks like these, shows how some musos have well and truly followed life’s path and taken everything thrown at them until that certain stage when it is time to shout ‘enough’!
Misha’s electronic style owes some of her style to the 80s, but this is very much 2020 and if only the 80s had been like this, I would have been one very happy person.
Take ‘Toy Boy’ for example, there’s even a partial waltz in there that is not out of keeping with the rest of the track.
To totally review this album, I would need Freud and Jung sat next to me and that is no bad thing, as it shows how mature an album this really is. Within HEART GALLERY are many stories of a life well, and at times, harshly led; not many writers would be that willing to put so much coded truth into their work, but Misha goes straight for it.
Her voice soars and swoops eagle like and can take you by surprise. She has no equal (perhaps I should say currently) and I doubt she will. Lyrics and music such as this need to be out there hitting you in the face, or more preferably ears.
How many modern artists would start off an album and a song with the words ‘pretty in pink’? Not exactly 2020 is it, but it works and that is where Misha differs from other artists, she is not afraid to take that leap and give us the music we need. There’s no moon/June on this album (thankfully) but there are plenty of tales of caution, woe, betrayal and love found.
You will have noticed that there is no breakdown of the individual tracks, although mention is made of some and the reason behind that is to let you the reader and prospective purchaser try and get into the ‘Misha Mood’ for only then will you have understood and be able to truly follow this outstanding artist.
I will forego a bit of what I have said above and that is I am hooked on SUGAR COATED and feel it should be a single-radio land would love it.
Misha has given of her best in this album, with exemplary production, a different type of vocal and lyric and, yes, you’ll love it.
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned

I have listened to Scotty’s work over the years and have watched his musical maturity bloom in front of my eyes/ears.
Scotty writes simple, but not simplistic, pop of the type one would have heard during the Merseybeat time but a very much up to date version.
He originally submitted a song that I could not put to air because of its production, content and construction; now I am asking for songs from him as he has taken the appropriate advice/lessons and learnt how to supply radio friendly tracks and I admire him for this.
He has within him, a lot of songs that I await with due anticipation.
He does not write ‘fillers’ for his songs are of a far higher standard now and he deserves to have his work heard everywhere.
FIERCE has just that write musical approach that many others might well wish they had written.
Tony Bates
3MDR 97.1FM

“Peace raise us up”
Seraya’s single gives us something that is currently lacking in our time of real danger and despair – PEACE.
She has a way of gently introducing us to her songs and then drawing us in fully until subconsciously that tune is part of the self. How Seraya does it I do not know.
The single is hard to define genre wise, but I’d like to call it electro new folk; It has a message to send (as per folk songs) and yet is right up to date with the use of electronic music neatly arranged almost symphonically.
I cannot and will not compare Seraya to any other singer/songwriter (dead or alive) as it would do her a disservice. Instead let us just follow Seraya on her musical journey as she progresses through each new song and accompany her too.
Seraya has this uncanny way of writing lyrics that can be interpreted personally and universally and at times she lets the two run side by side
The song emanates positivity from a topic of possible despair; where is peace as we need it now worldwide and personally too. “PEACE LIFT US OUT OF THE DARK”.
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned

The latest EP by Glenn and other assisting musos has some great backing, almost as though the band has been together for many years. Artists such as these should be world touring showing what Australian musos have to offer.
The genre is hard to define as it has Alt Country and what I call Australiana (the equivalent to Americana) and the song topics are typical of this genre. There are some great lyrics interspersed with just the right amount of beautifully played musical breaks.
Where do these guys get their inspiration from to form such good songs?
Horoscope Girl is the typical search for answers and understanding which is really already a repeat of what is known by the singer; this makes it harder in life to find these things. The lead guitar interludes are very neatly played and placed-not often found these days.
Be Mine is a male’s promise to his partner about ongoing fidelity, love and nurturing one another; although this is a ‘love’ song with Glenn well and truly wearing his heart on his sleeve with one tattooed on his forehead as well (!). the song is not the usual soporific sounds that emanate from certain artists.
The musical backing on the next track, Something You Are Not, is raw rock at its very best and gives an insight into how, if one is twice bitten, then one is definitely not going to be three times bitten or taken in again; a sad song, but not sombre just purely open and honest. If this does not make you move, then you must be wearing clogs that are solidly welded to the floor.
The final track has just that right amount of balance so that the EP does not finish on a ‘slushy’ number but one that is very adult and insightful and ties the EP down.
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned
www.3MDR.com

Have no worries, this has nothing to do with the LNP/Politics, just pure Folk music.
Ruby opens with some great banjo playing and vocal harmonies and some clever guitar playing as well. This is FOLK as it used to be played in the clubs in the early sixties and it is good to see it thriving at Selby Folk Club, where It was recorded live. I’m sure Gillian Welch will feel that this duo has done her composition proud. (And what a great way to open a gig)
Lena Blanche is a true folk song in all aspects; a story told with character and insight. Folk music can often be related to a diary of life, and this story would take up many a page in a diary that we, in this century, would find almost unbelievable as it is so far out of the norm compared to these days. Be warned-sadness abounds in this track, but the music carries the story so well.
Whiskey Hole must be one of the few tales of a prospector leaving his claim because of what he feels he has seen. That is the great thing about Folk music, in so much as it tells tales, just as the troubadours of yesteryear carried news, both good and bad, our current folk musicians continue to value their work and hence preserve it whilst sharing it with one and all.
Moonshine Coalition have managed to put out an album that is contemporary yet reminiscent of years gone by; their harmonies are superb and the interplay twixt guitar and banjo is outstanding.
If you are a true folkie, you can do no better than purchase this album, no matter what your age is. This is semi vintage folk of a very high standard and carries the genre ever upwards and onwards.
 
Tony Bates
3MDR.Com

http://www.moonshinecoalition.com/

Opening his album, Clint goes for a song about doubt and self-recrimination -quite a way to draw a listening audience in! Not quite the normal way to start an album but he pulls it off as only he could. All I can say is ‘daring’.
Socks Off is a memory of a childhood past and has some clever phrases such as soft and cold, like the other side of the pillow, don’t turn it over yet and all backed with a different guitar style that stays melded in one’s mind only to crop up later in the day.
The next track is very ‘Australiana’ with a link to Neo - Country Music, but do not mistake this for Country Music. Clint’s playing (and those who assisted him compile this album) is, without doubt, faultless. The tales told are real and are easily related to. The whole composition is waiting there for you to reach out to and listen to the interaction that is so finely balanced between each and every instrument.
Clint has obviously striven hard to produce this album and it works; he has this voice that is so adaptable that it becomes like one of the instruments being played and the outcome is intended to be listened to; not loudly, not gently but with thought. What Clint sings about is happening somewhere, here and now and that is the beauty of the album as it is almost tangible.
I Saw The Lightening with the organ, guitars, percussion, harmonies and insightful lyrics deserves full airplay; it is full of beauty, sadness, pathos and a degree of mental confusion and that lead guitar-what can one say?
One can best describe this album of Australiana meets neo Country and they exchange talk and borrow musical licks from one another. Even the songs of sorrow do not make one upset as they are true (or could be) incidents and do not depend upon the old clichés of Bluey the Dog running for miles only to be killed by an oncoming truck.
That is the thing with Clint, one never knows what’s coming next and he needs greater exposure to share these treasures with others.
To publish an album, like this, with no fillers, no bubble gum but pure country observations and tales is a masterpiece. But wherein lies the REAL Clint? His previous EP, Red Headed Thief, differs from this album, thus showing musical growth, but one day Clint will let that mask drop and we will have one helluva album to listen to. I feel he is still finding his feet and comfort zone, even though he is light years ahead of many of his contemporaries.
As they say, Dark Waters run deep and perhaps therefore Clint named this album so. Who knows as he has this aura of mystery about him and his work.
You could not go wrong by purchasing this album, which is due out in October, as you’ll be able to relate to it so well; if you cannot relate to it, I’m afraid you have not lived life!
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned
www.3MDR.com

Sometimes I look at so called Folk music CDs with utter despair-purely because they do not fall within that genre at all, but with Benoit’s latest EP it is all positive feelings.
The track ‘Now That It’s Spring’ has opening chords typical of one Donovan Leitch and the words flow from there with descriptive, in fact artistic, outlook. This is one track that, musically and lyrically, Donovan would have loved to have written and recorded.
The chord sequences take one back to those great singers of the 60s and this CD should be filed alongside them: Donovan, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Arlo Guthrie and to an extent Pete Seeger. Folk music is ever evolving but needs to remain within its given genre and Benoit manages this very adeptly.
The tracks consist of travels undertaken (physically, mentally and emotionally) and can be related to by one and all.
Benoit has managed to compose some gems, but I will not name them as your gem is different to mine.
To hear folk music that is very much of the 60s era but is well and truly sitting in the 2000s needs talent to undertake and that is no easy task.
Fifty Miles is a must buy for those who not only yearn for days gone by but who want well written, composed, produced and played folk music, that despite its 60s roots, is very much of this era too.
 
Tony Bates
Uncut and Unsigned
3MDR.com