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ROCK LIVES!
There are not many rock stars left. A friend sent us an
email last week: "I am looking at the ARIA singles chart
and I can't see any rock bands … is rock 'n' roll dead?"
Coincidentally, her email arrived when Howzat! was listening
to the new Kings of the Sun album. Rock lives! The album
title says it all: Rock Til Ya Die. Clifford Hoad is a rock
star. Old school. When Howzat! and RRR's Neil Rogers interviewed
Cliff recently, he greeted us by singing part of a new song,
Reach For The Bottle: "Night-time comes and I'm ready to
rock/ Daytime comes and I'm sleepin'/ Who or what's at the
end of the road/ I don't care 'cause I'm peaking!" Kings
of the Sun released their self-titled debut 25 years ago
this month. They should have conquered the world. Howzat!
loved 'em. Earlier this year, we heard that drummer Cliff
was making another Kings album - without his brother Jeff,
who was the band's singer. We were dubious. But Rock Til
Ya Die is the year's greatest rock 'n' roll surprise - Cliff
has delivered. The Kings are dead, long live the Kings!
"Journey has just begun," he sings in the opening cut, Fire
On The Mountain, "fire burning in your soul." "I felt that
I had to continue and I couldn't wait around for anybody,"
Cliff explains. "He [Jeff] has got his family now and he's
putting his heart and soul into that. I'm sure he'll get
back into music, but I couldn't wait - I was in a desperate
state to play again. Therefore, I had to find a singer and
who better than myself?" Cliff admits it was an audacious
move, "and a lot of people doubted me." But the riffs are
huge, the rhythm section swings, and all the songs are epic
and dynamic (check 'em out at kingsofthesunband.com). "I'm
just so happy that someone still loves the classic Aussie
rock sound," Cliff smiles when we reveal how much we love
the record. Indeed, if you dig rock 'n' roll, you'll dig
this album. It's as simple as that. As Cliff declares in
Rockpile: "The rock came back today."
WAGONS JUNIOR
Melbourne's music scene has a powerful new singer. Congratulations
to Henry Wagons and Melvis Crawford - proud new parents
of daughter Casper.
FAMILY FIRST
Paul Andrews is the singer in Howzat!'s favourite Sydney
band, Lazy Susan. They're on hiatus, but Paul has a new
project, Family Fold. Their first release is a delightful
duet with Sarah Humphreys, New Friends, which is available
as a free download at www.familyfold.bandcamp.com.
HOT LINE
"Help me be the best I can be, because I'm worried how you'll
remember me" - Nick Batterham, Help Me Do Right This Time.
CHART WATCH
Jessica Mauboy's new single debuts at two.
Pop A Bottle (Fill Me Up) JESSICA MAUBOY (number two, debut)
Bridge Over Troubled Water DAMI IM (15, debut)
Riptide VANCE JOY (21)
The Horses TAYLOR HENDERSON (27, debut)
Youngblooods ILLY FEATURING AHREN STRINGER (38, debut)
The Hunters & Collectors tribute album lands at number three.
Crucible: The Songs of Hunters & Collectors VARIOUS (number
three, debut)
We Are Young & Free HILLSONG YOUNG & FREE (six, debut)
Fuse KEITH URBAN (nine)
March Fires BIRDS OF TOKYO (31)
Harlequin Dream BOY & BEAR (36)
Atlas RUFUS (37)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Fire On The Mountain CLIFFORD HOAD'S KINGS OF THE SUN
Help Me Do Right This Time NICK BATTERHAM
Make A Racket MISS EILEEN & KING LEAR
Say It Isn't So RON S. PENO & THE SUPERSTITIONS
Superhuman JUAN ALBAN
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