My first thought when hearing Love Like Hate’s EP “Down the rabbit hole” was “How have I not heard of these girls before?!” I distinctly remember thinking this again when witnessing the duo’s live show at The Tempo Hotel on Friday the 26th of April. As the support act “Smoking Martha” took to the stage, I instantly became aware that I was going to see some incredible talent. Though only formed in the last year, Smoking Martha play as if they’ve been playing together for years, all of the members generating an extraordinary amount of energy which was met with unwavering enthusiasm by the audience. A special mention needs to go out to the lead vocalist Tasha. Tasha powerfully captures the audiences attention through her incredibly dynamic stage presence, this young woman can own a stage like no other, and once you are drawn in, she keeps your attention with her dark and powerful voice, a voice I can only describe as that of of a dominatrix angel.  (Seriously…you need to hear it…stop facebooking right now and check them out). As incredibly disappointed as I was when their set came to an end, I tingled a little with excitement, as I knew what was coming next.

Love Like Hate are Heather Cheketri and Sonja TerHorst and they played a stunning set. The Brisbane duo’s delightful melding pot of influences give them a very distinct sound, a sound I don’t believe there is enough of in the Brisbane music scene. With nods towards PJ Harvey and The Jezabels, Love Like Hate’s songs are beautifully crafted works, each orchestrated perfectly to allow rich and powerful timbres with dynamic versatility. Armed with just a guitar and piano, the two instruments blend perfectly, grungy lead guitar lines are framed beautifully by the piano’s chime-like melodies. The compositions though incredibly catchy, also keep the listener on their toes through incredibly well executed shifts in mood and tempo that really distinguish their sound from a lot of other artists of the same style. The inclusion of a drummer in the set was extremely wise, as it really helped emphasize a lot of these changes. Heather’s voice is soothing yet mournful, seamlessly and beautifully guiding the audience through each song. ‘Not My Heart” is the single from the EP and definitely showcased this, standing out as a highlight of the set. Another standout was the final song of the set, a new song that the girls only decided to play at the last minute; the song is equally as melancholy as it is likely to get stuck in your head, an extremely difficult fete! The support for the band was incredible, with the audience really investing in the performance; this created quite an intimate and enthusiastic atmosphere perfect which just added an extra element to the night.  Love Like Hate are really starting to make a name for themselves in Australia, and rightly so! I for one am incredibly excited to hear what these talented artists do next!

Aerosmith took to the stage on Wednesday night at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Siting just to the left of the stage I had no idea what to expect, part of me felt that this would be another old rocker who was pasted his prime, I have never been more wrong. Steve Tyler proved that he wasn’t done yet, he was the definition of sex, glam and rock and roll. The king of glam rock who wasn’t ready to give up his throne. For a man into his mid sixties he still had all the dance moves of his youth, bouncing around the stage using the mic stand more as a prop covered in scarves rather than a stand.

Guitarist Joe Perry, or JP has he is more commonly known, seemed to think there was some rule against using the same guitar twice. Even a guitar change after every song wasn’t good enough. He decided it would be a good idea to have a guitar change mid way through a song so he can play his solo. It was an extraordinary sight to see this man with one guitar strapped to his back and another in his hands as he ripped up the fret board with a mind blowing solo.

Drummer Joey Kramer showed he wasn’t just a back ground drummer when the rest of the band left the stage to give him time to solo. He started off slowly moving to more complex poly-rhythms, he continued to build even further upon this by getting Steve Tyler back on stage to play the same drum kit at the same time. Eventually he gave up on using sticks and instead used every other part of his body including his head.

They had the audience captivated from the beginning to the end without a dull moment I between. They even graced the stage a second time for an encore performance which started with their hit dream on. This was one concert that shouldn’t have been missed.

The assortment of new music and sounds to hit the indie scene so far this year is thrilling for fans of real and true music. It’s also encouraging to see much of this coming from our own homegrown artists in Australia with one such artist featuring on traxx this week.

Brisbane artist Miss Elm burst onto the stage in 2011 with the release of her first single ‘Little Trees.’ It was a quirky and vibrant creation with intriguing vocals from the high-pitched Erin Harrington.

The recent addition of Lucinda Bopf’s flute and melodica combined with James Peeters on drums and James Lord on Bass has seen Miss Elm gain a growing fan base that’ll only extend with the recent release of her new EP, Idle Away.

Brisbane cutie Phil Hancock has released his debut EP “Oh So Serious” and the number one thought on my mind is that anyone who hasn’t heard it yet is completely missing out. I’ve been waiting impatiently for this EP since I interviewed Phil on traxx last year, and it was well worth the wait. Last Saturday night, Phil, supported by Sports Fan and traxx radio’s Australian album of the year winner for 2012 Deena, celebrated the launch at X&Y Bar in Brisbane. Wearing a shirt patterned with happy faces and one of his trademark bow ties, he was happily welcomed on stage by his adoring fans. In fact, at one point of the night I heard him say, “I’m playing now, I can’t touch you” to an enthusiastic fan in the front row.

Beginning the entertainment was Sports Fan, a power-pop trio made up of Dion Read, Vincent Kemp and Benjamin Webster. A fusion of angry piano with bellowing drums and moody bass, you wouldn’t think that it would mesh together, but it does. Their stage presence was cheeky and refreshing – definitely a band to keep an eye on throughout 2013. Next up came the gorgeous Deena, who performed with her trademark soulful whimsicalness (before you rush to Google, it is a word) and captured the crowd with her beautiful lyrics and sublime vocals. Deena is about to embark on a tour through Asia, but look out for her local gigs when she returns.

Backed by Adriano Le Mura (lead guitar), Adam Brill (bass guitar) and Kai Patch (drums), Phil opened his set with ‘Sugar Rush’, the single he released late last year. Following up with a couple of old favourites ‘Bitch’, ‘Extraordinary Love’ and ‘Who We Fall For’ was an excellent way to warm up the crowd. Then he moved on to performing the hits from his new EP. First up was ‘Cloud’ a song he wrote for the people in his life who bring him happiness. It is a moving ballad with a slow, rolling keyboard accompaniment. I picture it as perfect study music, soft and soothing. His second song ‘Castle in the Air’ was slightly more upbeat, a motivational story about success. It has a steady beat and the crowd couldn’t help but dance along.

The next song was my personal favourite. Phil gave us a little introduction and dedicated it to our most annoying of exes (you all know the ones) who break our hearts and then want us back. Though, as he said with a flick of his hair, who can blame them? ‘Geez (Get Over Me)’ is poppy, cute and the lyrics are hilarious. As well as embarrassingly relatable! This song is already reaching high play counts in my car. Finally, the title song ‘Oh So Serious’ is an upbeat pop song, and the perfect way to end the gig.

I would recommend 10/10 that you guys check out Phil Hancock’s EP ‘Oh So Serious’ right now! Don’t forget you can hear Phil’s latest tracks spinning on traxx as well. I look forward to the next colourful, bowtie filled performance from Phil <3

Here at traxx radio, we make no secret of our love for Brisbane cuties the Cub Scouts. Perhaps that is why music director Candace and I spent the past couple of weeks counting down the days until the Cubbies’ “Pool” tour arrived at the Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane. After arriving, and wishing we had dressed a little more “hipster”, we scored ourselves a perfect place in the crowd, front and centre of the stage. Don’t believe me? Ignore our crazy demon eyes and check out this photo taken from the Cub Scouts’ facebook and instagram feed, that’s me holding the beach ball (which you will hear more about later).

For those of you living under a rock, the indie-pop five-piece features Tim Nelson (lead vocals/keys), Zoe Davis (bass/vocals), Sam Netterfield (keys/vocals), Andy Williams (guitar) and Daniel Puusaari (drums).  Their first single was released in October 2011 and their debut EP “Told You So” followed in 2012. As I mentioned earlier, this particular gig was promoting their latest release “Pool”, which was also the first song of the night. Throwing large inflatable beach balls into the crowd was an excellent, and well-themed, touch. As you can see in the photo, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a beach ball when Zoe kicked it towards me during their final song, and the entire band was nice enough to sign it for me at the end of the night. Thursday night was the Cubbie’s first ever sold out show, and the crowd certainly showed their enthusiasm to be a part of it.

Crowd favourites performed included “Hands”, “Do You Hear”, “Told You So” and “Scream”, as well as new song “Paradise”, which is definitely one to keep an ear out for over the coming months. Then of course came the well anticipated Destiny’s Child cover, a mash up of “Say My Name”, “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” and “Crazy in Love”. I am surprised the floorboards of Black Bear Lodge survived, I could feel them bouncing under the dancing feet of the full capacity audience. The final song performed was “Evie”, during which the front row was hit in the face with confetti bombs, hence why I woke up the next morning with glitter still in my hair.

The Cub Scouts are not only excellent musicians but also fantastically entertaining performers. Next up the Cubbies are heading overseas to the UK, but I strongly recommend keeping an eye out for their next Australian tour. I will see you there. Don’t forget that “Pool” is currently spinning in platinum rotation on traxx, so tune in now!

Peace, love and giant inflatable beach balls.

Hey Geronimo is a Brisbane five-piece that has recently celebrated their first birthday. Featuring Pete Kilroy, Greg Chiapello, Ross Pearson, Andrew Stone and Tony Garrett, this indie-pop group released their debut self titled EP at a launch tour in September. Having spent 2012 supporting acts such as Ball Park Music, Bluejuice, Owl Eyes, Stonefield and Hungry Kids of Hungary, as well as headlining gigs with The Griswolds, Hurricanes and Thelma Plum to say a few, Hey Geronimo have made quite a name for themselves in the music scene this year.

On December 22, Hey Geronimo wrapped up their December tour with a 60s themed XMAS party at The Zoo in Brisbane. Supported by local bands Little Odessa, The Worriers and Babaganouj, it was a night of flared pants and checked shirts galore. You can blame a mixture of christmas holidays, top 50 preparations and bitchy technology for my delayed review but I really couldn’t miss spreading the word about my new favourite musicians. At the gig, I managed to grab a spot in the front row with perfect viewing, listening and dancing space so I knew I was in for a good time. The Zoo is such a fantastic venue and I always find myself surrounded by such enthusiastic crowds when I go there. This gig was certainly no exception. I quickly made friends with the girls standing behind me simply because I agreed to dance like crazy with my arms above my head, something I was already planning on doing anyway (but don’t tell them that!)

The music was a mix of 60s covers and originals. The Beatles were certainly strongly featured with “Hey Bulldog”, “Girl” and “Get Back” all being performed. My favourite cover of the night was probably “Cecilia” by Simon & Garfunkel, purely because I love that song so much I am a little biased. As great as the covers were, the fans were most impressed by the Hey Geronimo originals, as you would expect! Crowd favourites included “Dreamboat Jack”, “Co-Op Bookshop” and “Why Don’t We Do Something”, all from their 2012 EP.

In order to remind the crazy audience that we were, in fact, at a Christmas party, the group performed Silent Night complete with a visit from Santa Claus in a rather revealing red morph suit. I can’t describe this with words to do it suitable justice, but hopefully my horrible quality picture will do.

This may be an inappropriate time to mention my massive crush on band member Greg, and my complete fangirling of Hey Geronimo as a whole, but seriously if you guys had been there in the front row with us you would completely understand. The entire band just had so much enthusiasm and there is nothing I can say to fault them or the night. For those of you who are new to the Hey Geronimo scene, I must recommend checking out a few of their music videos whilst acquainting yourself with their songs. The band won music video of the year at the Traxx Top 50 for “Dreamboat Jack” but my personal favourite is “Why Don’t We Do Something” which you can find right here –> Why Dont We Do Something. What will 2013 bring for Hey Geronimo? I don’t know but I certainly can’t wait to find out! Keep an eye out at their facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/HeyGeronimo?fref=ts) for any upcoming gigs and check out their latest tracks spinning on traxx radio right now.

Peace, love and awesome music videos. Kaity.