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JAIME ROBBIE REYNE'S AUSTRALIAN LIFE
After stints with Jaime Robbie Reyne & The Paradise Three
and Rushcutter, was it time for Jaime Robbie Reyne to have
just his name on the cover? "I don't know," Jaime laughs.
"After Rushcutter ended, I felt rather emancipated and just
wanted to be out there on my own for a bit; maybe forever,
who knows. I just didn't want to be tied down to a project
name; that or I'm just really boring and unimaginative!"
There's nothing boring or unimaginative about Jaime's debut
solo single, Remember To Breathe. It's a fine slice of rollicking
pop. You get the feeling that after a few years of struggling
for direction, Jaime is back on track. He took the title
from a "cheesy movie". "It just stuck for some reason,"
he explains. "I very rarely have specific subject matter
when I sit down to write a song - I usually just go with
what feels right at the time. Got to let it come naturally."
Remember To Breathe was inspired by everyday life. "Pretty
much every vignette in the song is from me looking out the
tour van window," Jaime says, "trucks, massive shopping
complexes, families coming home from work, cities on the
horizon ... and compiling it into my own little version
of Australian life."
Jaime loves touring - "It always feels good to keep moving
along." He even spent his recent 26th birthday on the road,
having a few quiet XXXXs before his Gold Coast show. After
the 25-date Remember To Breathe tour, Jaime plans to base
himself in the US, where he'll finish his debut album with
Niko Bolas.
Jaime calls Niko "an absolute dude of the highest-order".
He's produced a stack of classic albums, including Neil
Young's Freedom and Warren Zevon's Sentimental Hygiene,
and he mixed Don Henley's The Boys of Summer. Jaime reveals
that Niko also has a signature move. "He'll do this kind
of sway-dance when he's into a tune or an idea. If you see
him doing that, you know it ain't half bad."
Niko produced the Rushcutter EP, Call High Water, which
was the band's only release for Mercury/Universal. "Rushcutter
had just run its course," Jaime says. "We all ended up wanting
different things about a year or so before we broke up.
The end of the band allowed us to go out and try other things;
spread our wings, so to speak."
Jaime was in Neighbours when we got to know him. His character,
schoolboy Taj, even had a fling with Libby Kennedy. Jaime
hopes to do more acting, but right now, he's focused on
music. "It's a cliché, but you're always learning," he says.
"Honestly, the more I learn from doing this, the more I
realise how little I really know." Jaime Robbie Reyne's
"power trio" (bass player Mike O'Dowd and drummer Leigh
Baines) plays the Thornbury Theatre this Thursday, and Revolver
on June 18.
A GLOWING REVIEW
Steve Kilbey has a great voice, managing to sound both reassuring
and menacing. His GB3 collaboration with the Underground
Lovers' Glenn Bennie, Damaged/Controlled, has pulsating
energy. It threatens to explode into big choruses, but never
quite does, which gives the album genuine tension. Steve
and Glenn launch the new single, How Do You Glow?, at the
East Brunswick Club on Friday.
SGV, ATD
Sony boss Denis Handlin believes in it so much, he even
had personalised numberplates made - ATD. No Australian
band has greater "attention to detail" than Skipping Girl
Vinegar. "Who would have thought we'd see so much hard rubbish
at the Arts Centre," singer Mark Lang said at the band's
album launch. The set was adorned with recycled goods, including
an old phone, a wooden tennis racquet and a drum case with
the scrawled message, "Has anyone seen my keys?" The first
50 online buyers of Keep Calm, Carry The Monkey got a special
op-shop gift from the band, and one lucky punter at Saturday's
show got a Flashdance cassette. "The hipsters are into vinyl,"
Mark remarked, "we're trying to bring back the cassette."
Another highlight was keyboard player Amanthi's baked treats.
She delivered not one but four slices - Raspberry Blondie,
Mars Bar, Pistachio and Lemon. Beautiful.
D.RESIDENCY
Howzat! loves a good residency. D. Rogers - who's released
one of 2011's great albums, Natural Disasters - is doing
the next four Thursdays at the Builders Arms. And Bobby
Flynn, who's getting set to release his second album, is
doing Espy Mondays and Empress Thursdays.
EVERYTHING'S ON FIRE
Canada has given us some great things - Ron Sexsmith, ice
hockey and Tracy McNeil. Coming from a cold climate, Tracy,
who now calls Melbourne home, obviously has a thing for
fire. Her duo with Jordie Lane was called Fireside Bellows
and her new solo album is Fire from Burning. Tracy launches
the album on Saturday at Bella Union, before returning to
Canada to get married.
CHART WATCH
Havana Brown hits the Top 5.
We Run The Night HAVANA BROWN (number five)
From The Music THE POTBELLEEZ (18)
Loud STAN WALKER (20)
The Potbelleez album has a Top 20 debut.
Roy DAMIEN LEITH (number eight)
Destination Now THE POTBELLEEZ (17, debut)
Rrakala GURRUMUL (19)
Icehouse FLOWERS (21)
The Life of Riley DRAPHT (28)
Aphrodite KYLIE MINOGUE (31)
You're A Revhead ADAM BRAND (39, debut)
United In Isolation PAPA VS PRETTY (40, debut)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Remember To Breathe JAIME ROBBIE REYNE
Chase The Sun SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR
High Horse TRACY McNEIL
Buyer's Remorse D. ROGERS
How Do You Glow? GB3
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