The Good, The Bad and the Hey Jude

Dear Trespassers,

On New Years Eve, Liv and I attended a New Years Eve party. One very inebriated party-goer who considered himself a music aficionado/budding musician cracked out his guitar and his own microphone, at nobody’s request but his own. We were treated to a special 20 minute rendition of Hey Jude. Now, don’t get me wrong, I adore this song in its 7.05 minute form (and I daresay still slightly prefer the original) but this guy’s committed version was long.. The extended version performed by our new friend even included forced audience participation for every second ‘naa naa naa na na na na’ part. Probably more effective with a larger audience than two people. There is only so much ‘now just the girls’,'now just me’ you can take.

I think it is a fair assumption to say that within each of us is a desire to perform. Whether you’re someone with a minute urge buried deep within you, or you are the proud owner of every Sing Star disc ever released, we all have a favoured song we enjoy performing, a particular track cracked out at karaoke perhaps. This week, I want to know what is that song for you. What is your karaoke song of choice?

For me – I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston. I never said that it was a good rendition.

So this week on Trespass we sit down with the exceptionally talented, singer/songwriter Andy Bull. We share our thoughts on the latest album from Blue Mountains group, Belles Will Ring. We also touch on Maroon 5′s most recent release, Katy Perry’s new ballad and give you our picks for must see gigs.

Welcome to 2009, and Happy Trespassing.

Local CD of the Week: Belles Will Ring – Broader Than Broadway

Broader Than Broadway is the latest album Belles Will Ring, a four piece band hailing from the Blue Mountains. It may only be a 7 track mini album, but what lacks in quantity is made up in quality. This is their second album, following on from their debut record Mood Patterns (2007) that received much praise and international attention. The album has a fantastic blend of psychedelic and pop sounds, with a mixture of multi-layered ballads and straight forward rock songs. Another reason why they are worth the listen, their harmonies are insanely smooth. They are rich, engulfing but never overdone or take away from the lead vocals. To be honest, I can’t give you two or three stand out tracks. Listen to it all; it will only take you 25 minutes to get through this extremely infectious sun soaked album. It is true what they say, great things do come in small packages.

Local Single of the Week: Small Town Girl – Andy Bull

Love it for

His magnetic vocals
Awesome piano
His chocolate locks

International CD of the Week: Maroon 5 – Call and Response: Remix Album

Lets be honest, a remix album is often seen as cliché and just another lazy way for a band to make an extra $20 from their loyal following. However, if you are a Maroon 5 fan, the latest offering Call and Response: Remix Album will not disappoint. The LA quintet seemingly make it work. The impressive line up of artists and producers include Pharrell Williams, Mary J Blige, Mark Ronson, Just Blaze, Questlove and Swizz Beatz. Each artist offers their own interpretation and gives their individual flavour to 18 of Maroon 5‘s most famous tracks. The first half of the album has a distinct hip hop influence while the second is skewed towards dance remixes.

Stand out tracks include

Makes Me Wonder
If I Never See Your Face Again
Wake Up Call
Secret

International Single of the Week: Katy Perry – Thinking of You

Love it because:

Solely written by Katy Perry
Infectious ballad impossible not to lose yourself in. n.b – sing with car windows all the way up.
A little more stripped back relying more on her vocals, than her previous two releases.