Musicadium Blog

Ellington are a band from Queensland, Australia who are consistently in the top 10 independent musicians on Australian MySpace.  Their massive efforts in gaining a myspace fan following has resulted in them being picked up by boutique management agency, Billy Blue Music and touring extensively as major support for Something with Numbers.

Tim from Musicadium has known the Ellington boys Jake Bosci (vocal/guitar) and Michael Beatson (guitar) for a few years now, having booked them in their early days in Rockhampton and Gladstone, Queensland.

Their latest release, More Like A Movie, Less Like Real Life,  was recorded during a self-funded trip to Atlanta USA with legendary producer Mat Malpass (Copeland, Lydia).

Already the EP has captured the imagination of a new generation of fans, with their website and MySpace (800,000+ total plays, 500,000+ profile views) gaining a torrent of attention from fans all over the world.

Hailing from the small town of Tannum Sands in Central Queensland, the Ellington story began when songwriting duo Jake
and Michael began playing together in high school. After the underground sensation that was their debut EP, 2006’s The Joy We Keep In and the bands two-month long journey to Atlanta in April this year, last month saw the duo ink a publishing deal with Sony BMG Australia.

“Mick and I saved up and went to the States on a gut feeling,” Jake explains.

“We set our little minds on getting over there and finding an awesome producer and studio to expand our
minds and skills and music to the next level,” Michael continues.

The six-track EP has catapulted Ellington to international attention, thousands of people smitten by their sweet harmonies and honest lyrics. Jake Bosci’s warm and inviting vocals barely register a whisper above the atmospheric, dream-like guitar work. “She said it’s not hard to fall in love / The hardest part is proving that love is what you wanted / and what you’ll need for the rest of your life,” sings Bosci on Wide Awake and Smiling, glimmering with sentiment and optimism.

More Like A Movie, Less Like Real Life is out now through iTunes, MySpace, and available at shows.

To celebrate the release of the new EP and the first single lifted from it for radio Wide Awake and Smiling, Ellington are about to depart on The Summer Love Tour. Jake and Michael will be accompanied by their newly assembled touring band, consisting of Stevie West on drums, Lloyd Budd on bass and Anita Goldsworth on piano and backing vocals.

If you like their music, buy them on

Melbourne’s stealthy hard rock act, Twelve Foot Ninja, is a band on the rise.

We asked Steve from the band about their awesome comic strip, their live show, upcoming shows at Pyramid Rock Festival and with Mammal and his non-existant guitar amp.

We in the Musicadium office were super-impressed at Steve and the bands’ outlook on their live show. They like to stay on top of how their listeners think and listen to music. They believe that people are firmly engrained in the IPod Shuffle mentality, listening to a single track and moving on to another band and perhaps another genre entirely with the click of the next button.

To combat this fan boredom, they write music that varies wildly in genre and mood, though it is all tied together through their multimedia approach which includes artwork, a comic strip, online content and literature available through TFN’s website.

Steve said that their music is basically ‘clever music for the iPod generation’ i.e. people who get bored very quickly with their music listening.

When asked about their upcoming performance at Pyramid Rock Festival, Steve said that they are going to bring something different to what the crowd has seen before. Steve said that they are very critical of their live set, they are always trying to perfect the show, but not choreograph it, so that the improvisation and creativity does not wither and die.

We at Musicadium loved talking to Steve and we really want Twelve Foot Ninja to come and play in Brisbane, Queensland!

Buy their music on

Boyne Island/Tannum Sands Band Epidemic…Over (that’s in Central Queensland for those who aren’t locals) have scored their biggest tour support to date as the main support on Shihad’s (http://www.myspace.com/shihad) new QLD tour.

Previously, the boys have supported bands such as Gyroscope, Dead Letter Circus, British India, Melodyssey and Sydonia at one-off gigs.

They play 27th November at McGuire’s Tavern in Mackay, 28th November at Bundaberg’s Sugarland Tavern and 29th November at Sands Tavern in Maroochydore.

The Epidemic…Over boys have been Musicadium artists for nearly 12 months.

They describe their music as heavy, melodic alternative rock.

Epidemic…Over have also scored their first headline gig at the Sands Tavern on December 5th.

Check out Epidemic…Over’s gig dates at their myspace, http://www.myspace.com/epidemicover.

Epidemic…Over’s Self-Titled Debut EP can be purchased from Itunes.

The Shiny Brights had better come to Brisbane soon. After hearing about their on-stage antics, costumed tigers, unstoppable energy and current prospects which include sponsored trips to NYC, I think these Adelaide boys are right up my alley in terms of fun-tastic bands that don’t take themselves too seriously. Check them out yourself - you’ll probably want to don a tiger-costume and do the running man adorned with David Bowie make-up. I sure as hell do.

Check them out at

How did the band get together?

The band started when we were all in high school. The other four had already been together for about 6 months when I joined the band.

What is the best gig you’ve ever done and why?

My favourite gig by far was our EP launch in August. We put a lot of work into it and it was so rewarding to see it all pay off. We aimed pretty high by choosing the biggest venue in town (The Gov) and it was packed. Everyone was really excited and it was a pretty crazy night. We had all these costumed tigers running around and everyone was crowd-surfing. It was nuts.

What artists influence your music?

We all have such diverse influences in our music which is great because we all bring something different to the table. I’d say that our common influences are musicians like David Bowie, Rolling Stones, The Pixies, The Libertines, The Beatles…. we could continue that list forever.

I know some artists hate being asked this question, but I’m curious.. so where did the bands’ name come from?

We originally had another name but we felt that we had evolved a lot since that band and we needed a change. We went through some huge lists of names and it took ages to cull them down but we all thought that The Shiny Brights suited us really well. We like to have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously so I guess the idea that we’re clean cut and polished and shiny is a bit of a joke to us. We also rehearse in this huge warehouse down by the river that is full of old washing machines so the whole squeaky clean laundromat theme fits perfectly really.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be, and why?

I’d have to say George Harrison or Louis Armstrong. Purely because I think that they’re the two coolest cats ever.

You’re about to perform at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York, with artists such as Coheed & Cambria, Bear Hands, A Place To Bury Strangers, Roisin Murphy, how did the opportunity come about?

It’s pretty funny how it’s all fallen into place so quickly. It started out earlier this year when we heard about this campaign that Japanese label Onitsuka Tiger were designing called ‘Electric Tigerland’. The concept was about Tokyo and the nightlife where fashion, culture and music all come together. We loved the idea of a neon utopia in Tokyo and so we wrote a song about it and decided to send it off to them as a bit of fun. We were stoked when they got in touch and said that they loved it. Then one thing lead to another and they invited us to perform at CMJ, where they are one of the major sponsors We can’t wait to go to New York and check out some of the other bands and just run amok in the city. We’re actually going to be blogging about the experience for fasterlouder.com.au so do check it out in a few weeks time.

What are your plans for 2009?

We’re going to have a bit of a break early in the year so we can write some new material, then we’re going to look at going back into the studio and maybe releasing another EP, followed by a tour. We really want to focus on playing more shows interstate and building our fanbase so that’s going to be a bit of a priority for 2009.

The Musicadium office has had James Grehan’s EP ‘Space Between the Silence’ on high rotation since it came into our hot little hands a few weeks ago, but we aren’t the only ones taking notice of this local Brissie talent. After obliterating the Q Song awards in August, James has gone on to find a true fan in none other than triple j’s music director - Richard Kingsmill. We had a chat to James about how it feels to be hand-picked by one of Australia’s most influential musical minds and what he has in store for the coming months.

Richard Kingsmill (Music Director of triple j) is a fan of your music and you have now been added to mid-hi rotation on triple j. How did you find out this news and how did it feel when you did?

I found out through the grapevine actually. I had received an email from Richard that he was into the new album so I had an idea JJJ might be giving me an add. It was a pretty big buzz, receiving regular national airplay’s always pretty exciting!

What is the first piece of music you can remember absolutely loving?

John Farnham, ‘The Voice’ when I was a little kid, I have no idea why and I don’t think I can ever forgive myself. It was either that or I think it was Beethoven’s 7^th symphony orchestra on the sooty show, neither are very cool though really! Sooty, I loved that little guy.

What are the Aussie acts that are inspiring you at the moment?

Jac Stone, Kate Miller-Heidke and Tara Simmons.

Do your parents have good taste in music and did they open you up to different influences?

My parents grew up in an era where pretty much everything was cool. Acts like the Beatles, Led Zepplin, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, David Bowie, the list goes on. This music was hugely influential for me and influences what I’m into today.

Finally, what are your plans for the next few months?

Over the next few months I’ll be doing lots of gigs, both locally and interstate. I’m heading back into the studio to finish of some recordings I started at the beginning of the year and am really looking forward to demoing some of the new material I’ve been writing.

Cheers James! Check out ‘The Space Between the Silence’ at

Musicadium faves the Quills have experienced some great successes since their conception, but show no evidence of rock star arrogance or a complacent attitude toward their fans. Their humble approach to creating brilliantly crafted music belies their talent, as they could afford to put on rock star airs but thankfully choose not to.

Long time Musicadium friends, we believe the Quills have an exciting future ahead of them due to their talent and also to their intelligent use of online marketing tools. They played at the infamous Brisbane venue The Zoo this week to kick of their South East QLD tour. Check out their myspace here and their debut EP ‘Some New Place’ which debuted at the # 1 position on the 4ZZZ charts when it was released.

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Musicadium artist and Internationally-renowned composer Mike Beever (Crash) has had such an interesting career that it was difficult to narrow it down to a few questions. For over 24 years, Mike has been producing music and immersing himself in a vibrant industry that is constantly changing and becoming more exciting by the second. As he mentions, equipment that would have cost millions and have been available to the elite few only ten years ago is now accessible to all.

We thank Mike for taking the time to talk about an exciting aspect of the music industry that can produce limitless opportunities for aspiring composers.

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After years of touring Australia and playing to packed-out crowds, CC the Cat’s latest release ‘Nicotine’ has been turning heads and gaining recognition for good reason. Apart from impressing triple j’s Roots n All presenter, Sarah Howells, CC and the members of her band have been smoking up the Musicadium office with some smooth grooves and funky beats. No stranger to performing, CC and her band have at different points shared the stage with esteemed Aussie acts such as Blue King Brown and The Cat Empire. We caught up with CC to talk career highlights, tours and dead cows….

Q. What’s new in CC’s world?

I’m in love baby! What’s not new is that my car is broked.

Q. I noticed that you played a gig in Byron over the Splendour weekend, “Splendour in the Pub” - What was that like?

It was HUGE!! It was part of our Nicotine launch tour and we got a huge local posse in to rock with us. Everyone was on a high off the splendour vibe and 300 or so of us rocked the house in a hippalicious happy way. There were a few amazing moments where it seemed like the whole crowd was singing along with us in reggae bliss. Mental. Beautiful. Why we keep on pushing through the sh*t.

Q. You have been touring throughout Oz over the past three years- What have been some career highlights so far?

Our five-week residency at the Roebuck Bay Hotel in Broome WA last year was definitely a huge highlight, playing 5 nights a week a the local watering hole where the waifs kicked off their career. We infiltrated the entire town with funky reggae like they’d never heard before and they loved it! Got down with the deadly local mob. I got to pretend i was Janis for a month and it was great.

Q. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at a gig?

A chopped up dead cow on the stage.

Q. What can people expect from your live shows?

A power-trio with a HUGE sound, wicked live beats, fat funky flawless bass, cc on electric and acoustic guitars, huge cc vocals, sweet harmonies and maximum crowd participation. Catchy tunes, hot performers, wicked live sound and funkysexy people in the crowd rockin next to you.

Q. Finally, what lies ahead for the rest of ‘08? Any plans for an overseas tour in the next year or so?

I’m checkin out the US market at the moment. Looking for Oz and US management. Finish recording the debut album. Play ozzie festivals this summer. Touring Oz/US 09. Peace out x

Cheers CC!

Digital Love,

From all the team @Musicadium.

To keep up to date with CC’s latest news and grooves head to:

http://www.myspace.com/ccthecatmusic

or purchase her latest tunes here:

Kahibaloo (meaning “conscious” or “know”) are a two-piece production team that are breaking down boundaries between different musical genres and are gaining a solid reputation throughout the hip hop scene in the process. Jad Dapat and James Mangohig both have roots from the Philippines and together share years of musical experience with national tours and high rotation airplay in both the Philippines and Australia. Kahibaloo incorporate futuristic sounds with tribal rhythms brought together to create what they describe as a ‘Tribal Boom’. When asked how punters should dance to their music, the boys told us that some people want to ‘get all warrior’ and stomp around. Any kind of music that creates that kind of reaction has got to be a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Check out Kahibaloo and their party track ‘Fiesta’ which features Ozi Batla from Aussie Hip Hop crew The Herd – bound to get anyone stomping around all ‘warriorlike’ on a Saturday night. Availble at the itunes store.

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This week Musicadium features Brisbane band The Gallant who have just released their self titled EP. The release of the EP follows a few solid years of local shows around Brisbane and mini tours to Sydney and Melbourne. The four-piece who originally formed in high school deliver a charismatic and captivating live show, wooing audiences with every performance.

The Gallant have supported artists such as Birds of Tokyo, The Dirty Secrets, British India and Small Mercies and have proved themselves as one of Brisbane’s up and coming bands. We were lucky enough to catch up with the guys to talk about drums and Dr Dre.

How did the band get together?

We started off at high school doing some punk covers and Limp Bizkit medleys before we started trying our hand at writing originals. There were arguments, line-up and band name changes along the way. James See (Vocals/Guitar) initially started on drums before he briefly left in mid 2001 and was replaced by Sam Thomson (Drums) who had changed schools that year. The current line-up, which is rounded off with David Byrne (Guitar) and Jordan Lawson (Bass), have been together since late 2002.

You’ve just released your EP, how did you find the writing and recording process?

It was an easy transition taking our songs from our rehearsal room into the studio. We were working with a producer who is a friend, so it made the “work” environment fun. It was interesting hearing our songs played back for the first time as if we were hearing it live. Alex Markwell (Producer) was always full of ideas to help bring out the best in our songs.

What are the plans for the band now that your EP is finished?

Now the EP is finished, it’s a case of giving everyone a chance to hear it. We want to use it as a step forward towards bigger shows and something that helps us land support slots with touring bands, both Australian and International.

What artists influence your music?

We all have such varied tastes in music that we often surprise ourselves how we can find a median between the lot of them to help write a new song. Some influences would be The Mars Volta, Death Cab for Cutie, The Faint, Panic at the Disco and Bloc Party.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Holding a copy of our first EP in our hands was pretty special. It felt like it had been a long time coming so it put an end to the recording saga and has started a new chapter for the band. Playing with one of our favourite bands The Faint in September will also be a highlight.

Tell us about your song writing process.

It all starts with a bit of spontaneous jamming on particular riff, which carries on for awhile before one of us stops and decides we should try and write a song out of it. From there we work out the transitions between verses and choruses to make the song flow, while vocal melodies are tried out. Once we have song completed instrumentally, it is then vocal parts are finalised with lyrics.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

We agreed that if ever we get the opportunity, we want to work with Eminem and/or Dr Dre. It’d bring something completely different to the table. Also Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy would be amazing.

You have quite a loyal following in Brisbane; do you have plans to tour nationally/ internationally?

We have done brief tours to Sydney and Melbourne but we’d love to do a more extensive national tour so we can play in the states we haven’t already visited. As for International touring, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Check out their rocking new self-titled EP on