In the tradition of fine singers everywhere, Vika and Linda Bull let the songwriters create the tunes while they concentrate on interpretation and delivery. Some of the songs on their new album, Love is Mighty Close, such as the Stephen Cummings-penned title track, were already in existence. But others, including Paul Kelly's To Be Good Takes A Long Time (To Be Bad No Time at All), were written especially for the Bull sisters. So how personal is a lyric like that?
``Paul observes us; he knows what we're like,'' Linda Bull says with a mischievous laugh. She says they let it be known they were looking for songs, and before they knew it they had offers from some of Australia's finest: Cummings, Jeff Burstin, Rob Snarski, Barry Palmer and Caroline Kennedy, Cyndi Boste, Chris Wilson, David McCormack, Dan Brodie and David Hosking. ``We said we wanted the songs to have country instrumentation, with violins, mandolins and pedal steel, but other than that there was no theme. We knew once the songs came in, a theme would develop.'' Is there an art to interpreting other people's songs? ``We only listen to them once or twice, to get the gist and the words, and then we do the melody and everything from memory, so we come up with our own version,'' Linda says.
The Bull sisters released the album independently after they were let go by their label, FMR, and Linda says it allowed them more freedom. ``We've always been conscious of budgets and working quickly anyway, because we didn't want to get in debt or waste someone else's opportunity. But this time we borrowed an amount of money from our mum and dad that we knew we could repay, for the recording, rather than from the record company. Now we're not A&Ring for radio, we've just made a record we like very naturally.'' Vika and Linda launch Love is Mighty Close at the Athenaeum Theatre tomorrow night with guest Cyndi Boste. Tickets through Ticketmaster7.
Winter used to be a quiet time for international tours, but no longer. A promoter took advantage of the fact that dozens of quality northern hemisphere bands made it to the Mount Fuji festival in Japan each July and thought he would entice them to Australia for the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay. So this week we get to see bands play material from some of the best albums of recent months. And, out of nowhere, Dr Funkenstein, aka George Clinton, finally plays here for the first time to cap off a huge week. Now it looks likely another excellent northern festival, Livid, will make its way down the coast from Brisbane to Sydney and Melbourne in October this year. Oasis and Jane's Addiction are rumoured to be headliners - expect an announcement next week. But there's more! Seminal late'60s rockers the Dictators will also make it to Australia next month for shows at the Corner and the Tote. Plus, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will hit Melbourne on their respective world tours early next year. Unfortunately, Big Star look too pricey for Meredith, but some other great acts are being considered, and fingers crossed for Brian Wilson in December.
The band formerly known as Shihad, Pacifier have shown with recent single Comfort Me that they've gained a stadium-rock sheen while recording with producer Josh Abraham (Korn, Limp Bizkit) in LA, but they've lost none of their melodic power. But other bands continue to take the mickey out of them for changing their name. First, Frenzal Rhomb claimed they were changing their name to Shihad to capitalise on the band's hard work in the US, and now a band calling themselves Jihad Against America are playing at - wait for it - an Access TV/Food Not Bombs benefit at Pony on Wednesday. A spokesman says the band aren't concerned about their controversial name. ``It's clear a jihad (holy war) has been declared, and the United States are the prime target. We're just stating the obvious.'' You can catch Pacifier with the Butterfly Effect at the Corner tonight and the Armadale Hotel tomorrow.
Chant Down Productions are celebrating Haile Selassie's birthday tomorrow night - Rastas can give praise at the tree he buried in the Botanic Gardens - with a reggae party, Rastafari!, featuring sets from Jesse I, Ras Crucial, Jessie Proverbs, Dreadlock Trinity and Andy Ites, at Deep 11, Queen Street, city.
In gigs tonight, Ed Kuepper and Caroline Kennedy play a dinner and show at the Cornish Arms; Rhubarb play the Evelyn Hotel; Conway Savage and Penny Ikinger play at the Rob Roy Hotel; Casio Nova (Rock God), a comedy routine about the mind of an '80s homekeyboard fetishist, tops a benefit bill at the Gooch in Thornbury; or check out new soul and r'n'b club Rhythm and Soul at 101 Smith Street, Collingwood, featuring live bands (this week it's the Grand Wazoo) followed by funky DJs until dawn.
Tomorrow, Ross Wilson plays a dinner-and-show event at Uncle Neil's Place, Upwey (book on 9754 1177); Silver Ray launch their New Love EP at the Corner Hotel with Dan Kelly; PreShrunk play the Duke of Windsor Hotel in Prahran; Wendy Rule and Monique Brumby play Carlton's Dan O'Connell Hotel; Mirth play Collingwood's Prince Patrick Hotel; and Gata Negra, 99 and Hospital Brothers are at the Tote.
On Sunday, Kerri Simpson plays the Cornish Arms from 4pm with Steve Boyd; the Sand Pebbles, the Spoils and Treetops play the Builders Arms from 7pm; gospel band Heart and Soul and Alex Burns launch their self-titled CD at the Corner Hotel at 6pm; and Gata Negra play the North Melbourne Town Hall Hotel.
On Wednesday, Tim Freedman plays Whitlams songs and signs copies of their new album, Torch The Moon, at Borders' Jam Factory store at 6pm, and HMV in Bourke Street on Thursday, July 25, at 12.30pm; and the Lowriders play the Greyhound Hotel. On Thursday, Jona Byron plays the 9th Ward, city.