One man band ALYOSHA bestows his latest definitely joyful single (WE WON’T LET IT) GET US DOWN, a stripped down and analog-instrumented offering providing a subtle sea change from 2020’s SHUT UP CAIN album release, and this year’s electro-gospel-pop tracks THE GREAT DREAM and GO ANOTHER WAY. 

Running for 2 minutes and 28 seconds, (WWLI)GUD is performed and recorded by one adult male over multiple takes, featuring a simple unchanging chord structure, and an unostentatious arrangement of drums, guitars, keys, vocals and percussion. It is a well written song with effective lyrics, utilising audio editing and mixing techniques including compression and vocal tuning to enhance the mildly charismatic though slightly flawed vocalist and instrumentalist that is ALYOSHA. 

Self proclaimed as “too old for Triple J”, and claiming to have written roughly 50 presser’s on himself, ALYOSHA is a man who has a regular name (Michael Strong specifically) in the regular world. He has released many songs of many genres under many names. He works as a producer and engineer in Perth (You’re Weird Mixing), capturing sounds for the likes of Pat Chow, Odlaw, Lonesome Dove, and Dolce Blue, to name a few. 

(WWLI)GUD is uplifting, joyous, raw, and honest in it’s sound and content, pulling the threads of fears and insecurities, and weaving them into reassurance that somehow we will be enough, and we won’t let it get us down. 

Praise for ALYOSHA: 

“With this Alyosha project, Strong has produced pop-rock with a conscience.” -X-Press Magazine

“The sound is raw, old school guitar pop. It’s upbeat, true and so damn catchy. It’s music bristling with meaning and purpose. And hooks. And guitarmonies.” - Music Link WA

ALYOSHA - (We Won't Let It) Get Us Down - 2021 new single

Bred in regional WA on farming culture and 60's cover bands, Girl York crafted their trade in rustic country pubs and sporting clubs. Their debut single Body Lies is launching with a video in September, a lush piece of warm piano pop. 

Live, Girl York are loaded with staunch musicality and the magic dynamism of their two piece roots. Frontman Shaun Martin, a working class country kid smashing tradie stereotypes, ferociously attacks his keys in the best piano pop tradition while his accomplished songwriting pulls everything together. 

Body Lies is a dreamy slow dance pop track pulled from Girl York’s upcoming debut EP, mixed by Andy Lawson (Eskimo Joe, Little Birdy), mastered by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Chet Faker) and produced by Brian Mitra (Sugarpuss, Rainy Day Women, Dead Owls) before he joined the band on bass and completed the lineup. The debut EP is due late 2014.

“Girl York filled the stage with a contagious energy matched by their consummate music making abilities” - The Music

--------------------------------------------

Body Lies Tour Dates

Friday September 5
The Odd Fellow, Fremantle
with special guests: Trigger Jackets, Horror My Friend (SA), and Late Night Hysterics

Saturday September 6
The White Star Hotel, Albany
with special guests: Like A Thief, and James Bosley

--------------------------------------------

Girl York - Body Lies

Variation & Illness is a brutal piece of Freudian experimental electronic. You might want to consider not listening to it. 

Taken from Strong’s upcoming second album Neurotica, the follow up to 2016’s Amalthea, an RTRfm feature album and “no stroll in the park.” (RTRfm)

Variation & Illness - Michael Strong

ODLAW write indie post-emo suburban Folk tinged rock songs. After releasing an EP called “Soup Herb” in 2016, and their debut album “Regret City” in 2017, the evolving outfit have channelled the leftover good feelings into a catchy little song about Sunday morning (or Tuesday depending on your line of work).

To celebrate the launch of new music, lead songwriter and grey haired weirdo Mark Neal, heads on a solo tour around his old neighbourhoods. A rare opportunity to see some intimate moments of reminiscing on past mistakes, spread between tales of childish adventures, and a handful of tears. Plus a special full band city show in August.

Recorded and produced by Michael Strong at Brainiac studios, SEMI POLENTA is out now on BLUE GREY PINK.

Semi Polenta

THE DISAPPOINTED drop the title track to their debut album ESCAPISM out in October

It’s been four years and several bouts of depression in the making, but Perth 90s infused alt-rock outfit The Disappointed have (finally) finished their first album.

Formed in 2012 from the offshoots of other WA bands, like a group of misfit toys, Power rangers looking for pop vibes in 80s rock anthems, and rock songs in 90s ballads.

They grew together through three EP’s, ‘Stranger’ in 2013, ‘Weird Peace’ in 2014, and ‘Disappear’ in 2017. They toured nationally a few times, did some support shows playing with The Matches, Tired Lion, John Toogood of Shihad, and even ventured as far as Singapore to play a beer festival.

Then like many musical journeys before them, they retreated to a studio and started trying to tackle the ambitious first album. 

It didn’t go well.. hours of songs and ideas written and rehearsed, demo’d and.. then.. trashed. 

Months, weeks and over a year spent in close quarters rehearsing in divey studios writing song after song. After all that work and money spent, these five (almost) middle aged humans found a happy middle ground. They stopped trying to be a working band and started to enjoy the process and it was good.

Enter ESCAPISM, the epic 90s alt rock track that screams Radiohead alongside heavy doses of TOTO and XTC. A fun rock anthem with chunks of throwback vibes.

The Disappointed - Escapism (Radio Edit)

ODLAW unveil new twisted pop single titled I SMELL YOU EVERYWHERE. 
the second taster from mildly-anticipated sophomore album coming out in 2020
 
ODLAW are an indie rock outfit drizzled with hints of folk and punk aesthetics. The project from WA bred musical mind, Mark Neal. 

Recorded and produced with co-conspirator Michael Strong at Brainiac studios “I Smell You Everywhere” is a bonkers pop song. A wacky lo-fi love story splattered with emotional mistakes and backed by the enjoyable chaos of Strong and his knack for glitch beat recording.

After releasing an EP called “Soup Herb” in 2016, and their debut album “Regret City” in 2017, the evolving outfit channelled a few leftover good feelings into the daunting process of the second album. In 2018 they released the first single “Semi Polenta” and continued to sporadically work on the album between normal life, and the occasional live show.

Neal is lucky enough to make a living working in the WA music community. “My hours are hell, but the jobs are challenging and super rewarding. I love it! but it hasn’t left me a lot of time for my own creative output.” 

“when you think about music all day and work with music all day every day, it can be hard to take any spare time you have and put it into your own music. Songwriting is still very therapeutic for me, and I’ll always use it as a way to unleash some stupid feelings, but now more than ever the process really needs to be fun. and you can hear that all over this single.” 

I SMELL YOU EVERYWHERE is out 27/11 on Blue Grey Pink.

Odlaw - I Smell You Everywhere

COSY UNLEASH FRANTIC NEW SINGLE ‘BUTTONS’

WA 3 piece Cosy have evolved over 10 years of messy side projects bands and off-shoot formations. Musical mates Oscar Van Gass (drums), Albert Pritchard (bass), came together around the sounds of songwriter Sam Rocchi (guitar, vocals). The trio have sculpted a delicate balance between drama and love with their textured songwriting and chaotic live show.

‘Buttons’ is about how love promises much more than it will give you, it’s there to break the fall but will step aside when you need it. Recorded with Mitch McDonald (the Love Junkies) at Blackbird Sound Studios (Spacey Jane, Drapht) this is the latest offering since the single ‘Blue’ at the beginning of 2020 and their EP ‘Borrowed State’ in 2018.

Collectively these talented humans have performed in many WA bands including, Noah Dillon, New Nausea, Shit Narnia, Mung Dahl, The Chlorines, Priscilla, and many more. But in Cosy they shine like the sun in your eyes on a hungover morning, it should hurt but it's the last taste of a well lived night and you want to cling to that feeling as long as you can. 

Raucous and loud music. Rambling and passionate lyrics. They keep things moving between sprawling lyrical passages and straight up rock-dogging band chops.

BUTTONS Single Launch
Fri Oct 9 - Barbes, Perth 
With special guests: Trolley Boy, Leah Grant, & Urusla

Cosy - Buttons

2020 has been a weird ride. When I (Mark Neal) released this album I really didn't expect anyone to care much. When it came to my own songwriting and band (odlaw) I had almost totally given up on it. But there was some weird little part of me that just wanted an excuse to write songs and I was emotionally prepared to cling onto any validation I could get.

Turns out people that I know, that I love, and that I respect would end up really liking this record. Probably partly because it was more selfish and more me than I had ever been before, but definitely mostly because it was fun and carefree while still being pretty raw and honest. Actually you probably can’t be carefree without being raw and honest.

Anyways.. The album dropped, people said nice things, RTRFM featured it, Bandcamp wrote nice words, people I never met before bought it and said nice things, so I put together a band and we said yes to some amazing shows. RTRFM let us play their spring party, Pat Chow invited us onto their launch, we got to share the stage with Sly Withers post lockdown, and I have an urge to celebrate the album a couple more times before the year is out.

On Friday December 11 and Saturday December 12 we will present the album live with special guests in Albany and Fremantle. Playing it in full from start to finish, and to sweeten the deal I have 2 reworks of the tune (KANGA)ROO-PAULZ DRAG RACE dropping on Friday November 13.

Come to a gig. Dance awkwardly. Thnx for caring about my tunes
xoxox Odlaw (aka Mark Neal)

ODLAW - (kanga)Roo - Paulz Drag Race SAX EDITION Ft BRIDGET CLEARY

ODLAW and their new single DENMARK 1998

After nearly disappearing into obscurity, ODLAW are back with a new single about anxiety, country living, youth, and renting vhs tapes. 

When Odlaw’s 2nd album debut dropped in 2020, songwriter Mark Neal wasn’t expecting high demand for a live show, and he wasn’t really expecting too many people to even listen to the album. But to his surprise, people loved it! They responded with kind words, it got great reviews from people Mark cared about, and suddenly a bunch of supportive people had banded together to form the new Odlaw band.
 
The now expanded 6 piece band feature a front person heavy lineup consisting of Michael Strong (drums/Frontperson in The Disappointed & Alyosha), Veronica Zurzolo (guitar/Front person in Dolce Blue), Damien Goerke (keys/Front person in Sugar Wife), Lee Napper (guitar/Front Person in Gap Year), Skinny O’Leary (bass/Front person in Sail On Sail On), and Mark Neal now prepare for a whole new chapter.

Denmark 1998 is a heavier offering from Odlaw. Angry and tense, Neal recounts memories of growing up in the great southern of WA, reciting the quirks of rural town and youth gone by. While following in the footsteps of previous album “Debut” this new single shines with lo-fi angular and twisted recording stylings, but leans more towards the punk anxiousness of the first album “Regret City”.

Denmark 1998 Master

Blue Grey Pink is a new Australian Music Label. The best in thoughtful indie pop. Bookings, management, production, media and publicity. We look for the truth of an artist and build everything around that. It’s innovative modern PR, and it goes beyond booking shows and putting out records. It’s about helping artists find unique and innovative ways to connect with their audience. It’s about building something bigger, fuelled by love of music, love of media, love of the audience.

Blue Grey Pink

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