CRAYON FIELDS US DATES

Sunday March 14 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo, Crayon Fields on stage at 7.10pm (Aussie BBQ showcase)

Monday March 15 Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake Lounge, Crayons on stage at 8pm

Wednesday March 17 Austin, TX – Gibson Studios, Crayon Fields on stage at 5.30pm (KEXP live broadcast)

Thursday March 18 Austin, TX – Ghost Room, Crayon Fields on stage at 12:45pm (Austin Town Hall Party with Lets Wrestle, Surf City, Dappled Cities, The Loom, Lovely Feathers)

Friday March 19, Austin, TX – Chupacabra, Crayon Fields on stage at 1:45pm (Pegstar.net Party, with James Husband, Wave Machines, The Invisible, Ume, Robert Ellis, The Forecast)

Saturday March 20 Austin, TX – Maggie Maes, Crayon Fields on stage at 12.05pm (Popfrenzy Aussie BBQ showcase, with Best Coast, Sally Seltmann, Surf City and more)

Saturday March 20 Austin, TX – Mi Casa Cantina, Crayon Fields on stage at 9.00pm (Official SXSW showcase)

Tuesday March 23 Williamsburg, NY – Bruar Falls, from 8pm (with Richard Davies, Kath Bloom and Guy Blackman)

Wednesday March 24 Brooklyn, NY – Sycamore, from 9pm (acoustic show)

Thursday March 25 Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House, Crayon Fields on stage at 7.40pm (Aussie BBQ showcase)

Friday March 26 Manhattan, NY – Pianos, from 8pm (with Yawn + TBA)

Sunday March 28 Los Angeles, CA – Echo Curio, from 3pm (with Guy Blackman + TBA)

Stem is the second album from Evelyn Morris, aka Melbourne folk-psych wunderkind Pikelet. It builds on the heady, swirling loops of her 2007 self-titled debut, sailing into the psychedelic pop stratosphere with the addition of a full backing band. The album is a joint release between Melbourne labels Chapter Music and Love+Mercy.

Recorded with Chicago expat producer Casey Rice (Tortoise, Sea And Cake, Liz Phair, Ben Lee), Stem is an incredible expansion of vision. New Pikelet inductees Shags Chamberlain (synths), Tarquin Manek (bass, clarinet, backing vocals) and Matthew Cox (drums) bring a cosmic space-prog edge, infiltrating Evelyn’s wide-eyed style with mind-expanding results.

The album opens with woozy casio symphony Toby Light, coursing through the elegant march of Smithereens and the dream-inspired imagery of Introducing. Gameland’s distant vocals echo over loops of sped-up percussion, while shuffling, shimmering first single Weakest Link stands out as a bona-fide pop classic. By the time you get to delicate closer Elbow Equals Bend, it’s clear that Stem is the work of a woman enchanted.

The album is available in stores and via iTunes!

It builds on the heady, swirling loops of her 2007 self-titled debut, sailing into the psychedelic pop stratosphere with the addition of a full backing band.

It only takes one listen to realise that Stem is an incredible expansion of vision. New Pikelet inductees Shags Chamberlain (synths), Tarquin Manek (bass, clarinet, backing vocals) and Matthew Cox (drums) bring a cosmic space-prog edge, infiltrating Evelyn’s wide-eyed style with mind-expanding results.

After her 2009 world tour that took her everywhere from LA to Latvia, and recent shows with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Kaki King, Frida Hyvonen and upcoming shows with Dirty Projectors, it seems the sky is the limit for Pikelet. But actually that’s not quite right – as Stem proves, not even outer space can contain her!

Stem is in stores now, and available on iTunes!

Bella Union at Trades Hall

Level 1, Trades Hall, Corner Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton (enter from Lygon St)

this is an over 18s event

tickets $27+bf from www.bellaunion.com.au

$30 on the door if available

Running Times

Doors 8.00pm

Pikelet 8.45-9.30pm

DJ Jens Lekman 9.30-10.00pm

Frida Hyvonen 10.00-11.15pm

DJ Jens Lekman 11.15 til close

SYDNEY – THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11

Paddington Uniting Church

395 Oxford St, Paddington

this is an all ages, no alcohol event

tickets $27+bf from www.moshtix.com.au / 1300 348 849

$30 on the door if available

Running Times:

Doors open 7.00pm

Pikelet 7.30-8.15pm

Frida Hyvonen – 8.45-10.00pm

Chris Robison and his Many Hand Band

Not only that, Many Hand Band is a totally freewheeling and unique album, coalescing all the

sensory overload of downtown New York City life in the early 70s. It touches on folk, psychedelia rock, Latin funk and more, all filtered through Robison’s sly and cheeky personality.

Not only that, Many Hand Band is a totally freewheeling and unique album, coalescing all the

sensory overload of downtown New York City life in the early 70s. It touches on folk, psychedelia, rock, Latin funk and more, all filtered through Robison’s sly and cheeky personality. There is no “woe is me” self-pity here, just an uplifting sense of fun and natural self-expression. Recorded almost totally by Chris himself late at night in a cut rate studio, Many Hand Band is one of the few remaining undiscovered classics from the period, gay or otherwise. As friend Angie Bowie says, “Many Hand Band is a musical history of alternative sexualities…

Chris’ bisexual stance and pretty pout invigorated rock’n’roll.”

It’s difficult to appreciate now, more than thirty-five years later, how daring and how ground-

breaking songs like Looking For A Boy Tonight and Italian Boy were on their release. In the album’s comprehensive liner notes, filled with rare photos and a frank interview with Chris, he talks of RCA records turning him down because they didn’t want another “faggot” on their roster (aside from Lou Reed and David Bowie). Meanwhile he became a poster boy for the burgeoning gay lib movement, playing Washington Square Park with Bette Midler in front of thousands in 1973.

After Many Hand Band and its followup Manchild (to be released by Chapter Music in 2010)

Chris would go on to play with pre-Kiss group Wicked Lester, as well as join the New York Dolls for their Japanese tour of 1975. His later band Stumblebunny toured Europe supporting the Hollies and wrote their later hit Stormy Waters. In the 1980s Chris turned his life around, settling down to get married and raise two children, who claimed none other than Peter Allen as their godfather.

Bonus tracks come from a rare single, released in 1974 on Buddah Records, featuring the all-

time-shoulda-beena classic I’m Gonna Stay With My Baby Tonight, subsequently covered by Ronnie Spector and George McCrae, and a European hit for soul singer Tony Sherman.

It’s a wild and fascinating story, but Many Hand Band contains the seeds of it all – all the hedonism, passion and beauty of Chris Robison’s life condensed into one incredible record.

His 1973 self-released solo album Many Hand Band is a pioneering document of gay liberation, as well as being totally freewheeling and unique album, coalescing all the sensory overload of downtown New York City life in the early 70s. It touches on folk, psychedelia

rock, Latin funk and more, all filtered through Robison’s sly and cheeky personality. There is no “woe is me” self-pity here, just an uplifting sense of fun and natural self-expression. Recorded almost totally by Chris himself late at night in a cut rate studio, Many Hand Band is one of the few remaining undiscovered classics from the period, gay or otherwise.

As friend Angie Bowie says, “Chris’ bisexual stance and pretty pout invigorated rock’n’roll.”

Chapter announces Arks Up, the debut release from Melbourne quartet Dick Diver. It’s the second in Chapter’s new EP series, featuring a vinyl single accompanied by a CD with extra tracks.

Dick Diver have only been at it for less than a year, but already have the hallmarks of a modern classic. There’s something in their combination of widescreen Australian sweep, 70s New York punk edge and scratchy 90s indie rock that transcends influences to become truly rare and exciting.

They’re launching Arks Up in Melbourne at the East Brunswick Club on Friday December 4, with support from the Nation Blue and the Twerps!

Maybe it’s the dual songwriting of guitarists Alastair McKay and Rupert Edwards, which lobs Dick Diver up alongside Go-Betweens heroes Forster & McLennan. Or perhaps it’s the epic but non-ridiculous guitar solos they trade off, with faint echoes of Television or Yo La Tengo. It could be the punk credentials of bassist Al Montfort (UV Race, Straightjacket Nation) that give the band some extra heft, or even the laconic drumming and casual harmonies of Steph Hughes (ex-Children Collide).

Whatever it is, Dick Diver are definitely making an big impression. Their debut release is the Arks Up EP, part of a new Chapter Music series that pairs a vinyl single and a CD with bonus tracks. It kicks of with instant classic Walk For Room, one minute and 57 seconds of pure lazy pop magic, followed by the eerie Keys and the genius songwriting of Tender Years. The CD adds three extra tracks for a perfect introduction to one of Australia’s most instantly engaging young bands.

The release takes the form of a three song vinyl single, plus a CD with three bonus tracks.