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AUGUST - <WIDESCREEN>

A 5 piece hailing from Melbourne, August have certainly gotten themselves a fair interest in a number of different styles of music & they have certainly put down some excellent material on this 6 track ep which is apparently their debut.

The songs here are all pretty cool, though a couple suffer just a little from seemingly rushed recording, only really affecting the sound, not the delivery. There are a couple of real standouts here, particularly the closing number "My Cousin The Ghost", which is a brilliant quieter track, backed ably by "Monkey", another track which is excellent, staying in a similar vein for style.

Another excellent track, moving in a much louder sort of style is "Shimmy", which opens up & shows the band at their rocking best. The band have certainly put their best foot forward here & show the beginning of a band with much promise.

For more information, write to krystle@alphalink.com.au

BEK MOORE - THE INKY JUICE DEMOS

A great selection of 3 songs which reflect a very mature songwriting ability, Rebecca Moore's voice is one of her greatest assets, shown in these 3 rather diverse in style songs, taking the instrumental on an interesting journey.

The opening 2 songs are "Factory" & "Uluru", which take somewhat different approaches to the same sort of style, seemingly influenced by a country feel, though moving away from that easy pigeonhole with little difficulty. Both songs have a very strong vocal presence & deserve your immediate attention.

Even better is the closing track "Tasmania", which I loved, a song that opens up with a very 'bouncy' thing happening early on with Rebecca's voice again at the forefront of the song. This reminds me just a little of the Killing Heidi single Mascara & should see some decent radio airplay happening for her. If you're into good vocals, then you'll love this artist, especially as there's some great songwriting involved too.

For more information, write Ute Totterdell, 57 Blackett St, Downer, ACT 2602, Australia or captainquality@yahoo.com or inkyjuice@yahoo.com

BOB MELROSE - ALL AWARE

Scottish born, London based artist Bob Melrose has an excellent selection of material with which to fill his new album All Aware, following up his series of work with other artists. The music here ranges from an acoustic based format, to some nice electronic samples & a number of songs with an electric guitar feel to them, as well as one track which features both piano & a string section.

Bob's vocal style is great, providing a number of different styles, the closing number "Left Of You", one of the best, featuring Bob's voice out the front of the aforementioned piano segment & a very nice string section running over the top.

Pick for me is the title track, which features all the elements of the album, coupled with some great drum samples & loops, finishing the track out nicely, though there are definitely other highlights like "Julia Jones", "Beautiful Parade" & the opener "Blind". Bob certainly has a feel for what works in his songwriting & has managed to put it on record. I'd expect to find something very close to this if you went to see him live - nicely presented.

For more information, write to 24 Dagmar Rd, Camberwell, London, SE5 8NZ, England or bobmelrose@yahoo.com

THE BROTHER EGG - (SELF TITLED)

A 4 piece coming out of the US, particularly from Portland, Oregon, which has a pretty well developed music scene & which has spawned numerous well known bands. Whatever is in the water there is obviously still having an effect, as this 3 track single is definitely one that will attract the band some more attention than they've already received.

The opening track is the slightly country infused "Billy Barty's Brains", which has a great feel, backed up well by a great vocal out front. Second track is "Dark Workmanship", which has a great feel to it, with some great piano interspersed with the cool melody, the single closing out with the somewhat similarly styled "Dormant Podling". The band have a great playing ability, which shines through from the songwriting & any fan of the solo work of George Harrison, John Lennon, or to a certain extent, the acoustic Nirvana work, will love The Brother Egg's music.

For more information, write to PO Box 3767, Portland, OR 97208, USA or slynch@thebrotheregg.com

FRODO - CPU

It's been a while, but I had previously heard of Frode Holm for some reason, who is the main person behind the Frodo project. Accompanied by a number of well known singers, Frode has assembled a bunch of tunes which will sit well in the mainstream arena.

The album opens pretty much as it continues, with a catchy pop tune called "Dedicated To My Love For You", which has a great groove, as do "Waiting For You", which is my pick here, plus "Secrets", all of which have some funky attitude, wrapped in a sort of mid-80s sentiment.

Comparisons abound, but the one which I'd have to mention the most would be between Frodo & the music of hit band Wang Chung, so if you're into that band, then this album will certainly be of interest to you I'm sure.

For more information, write to "1226 E Montecito St, Santa Barbara, CA 93013, USA or frode@frodocpu.com

JACO'S INVENTION - (SELF TITLED)

Coming out of the US are Los Angeles based duo Michele & Danny Jaco, otherwise known as Jaco's Invention. Having already produced a couple of demo tapes, the pair decided to put their talents to producing a full 5 track CD, the end result of which is very good at worst, marvellous at best.

One of the real assets to the band is the vocal style & delivery of Michele, who really makes the songs shine, though both artist's playing abilities are well up to the job too. The opening track "Eagles Fly Alone" & "Cinderella's Wish" both have a more upvibe feel to them & these couple of tracks are good enough, but it's the remainder that really put an edge on the ep as a whole.

The remainder of the tracks are a more stripped back style, running an electrified acoustic sound. Closer "Restless" & "Peaceful, Quiet Days" are great examples of the band at their best, but the pick of the ep overall is the exceptional beauty of "The River Song", which just struck a chord with me (no pun intended). If anyone reading this article is considering the band as a potential signing, this is the song that will seal the deal. Surely a band to keep your eye on, who have a wide road ahead of them in their chosen career in music.

For more information, write to PO Box 642466, Los Angeles, CA 90064, USA or jacomusic@earthlink.net

MELOPHOBIA - STRATEGIC MARKETING

A wholly remarkable debut release from Canadian band Melophobia, formed a couple of years ago by Mike Southworth & Craig Newnes, who have since recruited a vocalist, bassist & drummer, completing the band to give us some amazing performances that take comparisons with a number of bands but stand their ground with originality & flair.

The opening track "My Last Shadow" is apparently a first single, featuring a great 'angsty' chorus that will grab many listeners & hook them into the whole album, well placed at the head of the album. Along the way, we're treated to a series of fascinating & diverse numbers, not the least of which is the softer but still very interesting "Elegy (For The Dreamless)".

The pick for me is the more rocky moments of "Lumen", which surely must be the next single, while the closing 2 numbers "My Synthetic Heaven", a track which will have Ben Folds Five fans in ecstasy, plus "Refrain" will cement a friendship with the band's new found fans. Most definitely a band we'll be hearing more of in the near future.

For more information, write to 715 Cedar St, Nelson, BC V1L 2C6, Canada or info@melophobia.com

MICO - (SELF TITLED)

A fascinating album's worth of music from a new Australian band set to launch themselves on the world. The sound is certainly reminiscent of bands like Boyz II Men, Another Level & the like, but thankfully manages to avoid the pitfalls of just being another 'soundalike' by providing some good grooves as well as some seemingly intelligent songwriting.

The band's debut album opens with a flash, "Best Intentions", which in the tradition of all good songs, comes across as a rather catchy pop tune, complete with some interesting backing instrumental. Some other highlights include "I Need Love", which is definitely in the dance vein, while others like "In A Dream" & "Old Man's Ways" are obviously candidates for a next single.

The pick here for me is the rather infectious sound of "Havana Moon", my personal favourite. The band have taken a different tack to many in the independent scene & would seem destined for the attention of both the mainstream music buying public, as well that of major recording labels on the lookout for a new sound.

For more information, write to the band c/o Andy Watson, 5/6 Vale St, Pascoe Vale, 3044, Australia or squatter@corplink.com.au

POPE JANE - HIDE ME FROM THE MOON

This fascinating US based trio make a return with a great album's worth of material that will attract fans of mostly acoustic guitar based pop songs, accompanied by some great lyrics & vocals too. This is apparently the band's 3rd album & the songwriting on this one certainly outlines that the band have matured their music & direction over that time.

There's some truly exceptional songs here, mostly of a softer nature, following in the footsteps outlaid by opener "Lay Down Your Life" & "The One", while "Duality" takes a somewhat harder line than some of the others here, countered by the closing number "Are You Happy".

The best thing on the album is the brilliant centrepiece "Kaycee's Song", which features the band's best performance, with an amazing set of acoustic guitar, fabulous vocals & a superb bassline throughout the track. This is an album that will keep you transfixed throughout it's remarkable length & fans of artists like Ani DiFranco & Indigo Girls will certainly find a lot to enjoy here.

For more information, write to Kelly Strantz Management, 898-1122 East Pike, Seattle, WA 98112, USA or mailbox@popejanemusic.com

RAT WAKES RED - DIZZY ON DADDY

A superbly crafted release from New York based duo Rat Wakes Red, released on their own label Rat Disk. It's a superbly crafted selection of 17 tracks in total, reminiscent just a little of the music of Simon & Garfunkel, taking you on some amazing journeys of sound, driven largely by acoustic guitar, vocals, keyboards & viola, surprisingly without any percussion throughout.

The opening track is simply titled "Intro" & that's exactly what it is, followed by a wonderful vocal performance on "Stoned & Ravished" & "Dead Ringer". The album is stacked full of highlights & it's very hard to pick a clear favourite from the tracklisting here.

Other highlights include ""Gold", "Grave Wide Open", "Silverfish" & "Day Haze", but I think "Higher Places" would have to be the clincher for my liking. Every song without exception sees this most interesting of bands make their mark on your mind & it's to their credit that they've stayed with a stripped back sound rather than resorting to technical trickery or high amplification to try & improve their already impressive sound as it's already about as good as it gets.

For more information, write to Rat Disk, P.O. Box 6049, New York, NY 10128-9991 USA or james@ratdisk.com

STU - GOODTIME RUSH HOUR

The debut ep for Melbourne artist Stu Harcourt, Goodtime Rush Hour runs through 5 songs, each showcasing a slightly different aspect of the Harcourt style, which rings of both funk & medium rock, as well as having both a harder & a softer side to the music.

The pick for me here is the hardest number "Way Of A Woman", which has a great rock feeling, with some slicing riffs & an interesting vocal over the top of the backing instrumental. The rest of the tracks here differ slightly in style, though all have a real funky feel to them without actually being funk & again Stu's vocals grab your attention. This is a great debut, backed by some superb musicians, taking some great grooves & making obvious how few bands seem to make it to the attention of more than their local area, but deserve much more.

For more information, write to 15 Newton Crescent, Lalor, 3015, Australia sharcourt@optusnet.com.au

SUSAN COTCH - DRUGLESS HOPE ADDICT

Those hEARd readers who regularly check out the various areas of the material reviewed, will remember the name Susan Cotchin, who has since revised her name to just Susan Cotch. It's a little while since I reviewed Susan's first ep & here she's sent her second, which is just as impressive as the first was.

Interestingly, Susan is an Australian artist, though currently residing in London, with the prospect of being signed to a couple of labels. As she says, it's quite a shame that artists have to go overseas to gain recognition, but that's the lot of many struggling artists in Australia. Nevertheless, I'm straying from the subject at hand, so it's back to the ep.

There's 6 songs here, all wonderful. I was particularly impressed by the second last track "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", which makes marvellous use of a Hammond organ in the backing instrumental. There's just a touch of a funk element throughout most of the tracks here, especially "Soul Tuned" & "Falling Again", while the angst of the title track reminded me just a little of another Australian artist Diana Ah Naid. Definite talent here & it's little wonder that she has some interest from labels. I fully expect her next submission for review to come from the successful bidding label.

For more information, write to PO Box 200 St Kilda, VIC 3182, Australia or susancotch@hotmail.com