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PIERS TWOMEY'S STRANGE ADVICE
"Hats off for going it alone," Piers Twomey sings at the
start of his debut solo album, Strange Advice (out now on
Laughing Outlaw Records), "for taking what you know and
making new things grow." The album is different to Piers'
previous work with indie rock band Transporter, who became
known as The Fragments. "It's like folk music turned upside
down," said Triple J's Dom Alessio, comparing the Strange
Advice sound to Grand Salvo and Rufus Wainwright. Rolling
Stone called the record "quietly charming", referencing
Bon Iver and Sun Kil Moon; The Sydney Morning Herald's Bernard
Zuel compared Piers to Kings of Convenience and Angus and
Julia Stone; Drum Media's Ross Clelland called the record
"luminous"; while Howzat! hailed the album as "intimate
and intriguing". "I've definitely been thrilled with the
reaction," Piers says, adding that all the comparisons "have
been apt for the most part. Everyone's got an opinion, that's
what the song Strange Advice is about. When everyone's throwing
advice at you, you've just got to listen to the voice in
your own head. If you follow your inner-voice, you'll be
okay."
Piers has already started work on his second solo album,
working with his old Transporter buddy Damian Press, who's
now a member of Expatriate. "I want to keep it as acoustic
folk, but push the boundaries," he says. Piers and Damian
are also members of "post-rock" instrumental band Grun.
Piers is clearly a multi-faceted artist. His prized possession
is a copy of Boston's More Than A Feeling, which he loves
"throwing on at parties and singing". He also has a Sepultura
CD, signed by the drummer.
Piers wife, Joy Howard, was a member of acclaimed Sydney
pop band The Whipper Snappers. She provides some delightful
backing vocals on the album, and she'll be playing with
Piers at his Melbourne shows: this Sunday at the Empress;
Tuesday at the Toff, supporting Krystle Warren; and next
Wednesday at the Toff, supporting Ben Sollee.
WHERE IS HE NOW?
It was great to read the credits of the new Working Dog
movie, Any Questions For Ben?, to find "Vehicle Wrangler:
Juno Roxas". Juno, one of the great personalities in Oz
rock, fronted Roxus, who released their debut album 21 years
ago.
CIAO DAVY
It's one of the great untold stories in Australian music
- how a Melbourne teenager ended up hanging out with Davy
Jones and going on the road with The Monkees and Jimi Hendrix.
Sadly, both Lynne Randell and Davy have now left us. Lynne
checked out in 2007, aged 57, while Davy, 66, died of a
heart attack last week. In October 1966, Lynne, 16, did
an interview in Hawaii. "What do you think of The Monkees?"
the DJ asked. "Monkeys," Lynne replied, "are there monkeys
in Hawaii?" Soon after, she went to a Dusty Springfield
show in New York. A short guy with a big entourage walked
in; Lynne got a waiter to give him a note: "I'm the number
one singer from Australia, I would like to meet you." She
was invited to Davy's table, and went out for coffee with
Davy and Carole Bayer after the show. The next morning,
Davy introduced Lynne to Gloria Stavers, the editor of teenybopper
bible 16 Magazine. She took photos of Davy and Lynne, calling
Australia's Miss Mod "the Monkees' friend". Go-Set's Ian
Meldrum jumped on the story, asking Lynne, "Is there any
truth to the rumour that you are going steady with Davy
of The Monkees?" Lynne later revealed to Howzat!: "I did
stay with Davy at his place in LA. I don't think I was what
he was used to. My idea of sexy was wearing a chiffon nightie.
I remember we had a big Friday night out on the town with
his mates Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote several
of the Monkees' hits. It consisted of Davy getting really
stoned and driving up and down Sunset Boulevard. Me, I was
bored out of my brain." Lynne confirmed there was some Monkee
business, but recalled she "was no big thrill, in my nightie
and white cotton knickers. And Davy wasn't a particularly
good host - I had to leave his house because twin strippers
were arriving from Vegas." Lynne went to stay with Peter
Tork instead, but that's another story.
AMPED
Gotye has conquered the world, but will he win the Australian
Music Prize for Album of the Year? All will be revealed
this Thursday when the seventh Amp winner is announced.
Gotye is vying with Abbe May, Adalita, Boy & Bear, Gurrumul,
Jack Ladder, The Jezabels, Kimbra and The Middle East. The
winner gets $30,000.
CHART WATCH
New dad Guy Sebastian spends his 15th week in the Top 30.
Boys Like You 360 & GOSSLING (number four)
I Love It HILLTOP HOODS & SIA (13)
Into The Flame EP MATT CORBY (16)
Set It Off TIMOMATIC (17)
Don't Worry Be Happy GUY SEBASTIAN (30)
Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (31)
Dirty Three arrive at 31.
Falling & Flying 360 (number seven)
Moonfire BOY & BEAR (18)
Making Mirrors GOTYE (23)
Vows KIMBRA (24)
Toward The Low Sun DIRTY THREE (31, debut)
The Best Of COLD CHISEL (40)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Strange Advice PIERS TWOMEY
5678! BUTTERFLY BOUCHER
Dirty, Dirty JIM KEAYS
Going Straight LACHLAN BRYAN
Before Now CAITLIN HARNETT
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