Performance Guide

Love Story, a night by 1928 - aka Adam Burnell, the man behind STROBE and Saturday nights at Eurotrash. Featuring 1928 with rotating guests Tranter, Rad Pitt (Beat TV), Megawuoti, Sleeves (Strobe) and many more, playing everything you love in club/electro/techno/indie/disco. The Toff in Town has been voted as one of the worlds Best Clubs in V Magazine (New York). The setting is literally wonderful and the venue has one of the best sound systems in Melbourne. Every Thursday from 11:30pm until 5am. Free entry every week. International and interstate guests monthly. You will love this night.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/lovestoryclub )

DJs Prequel & Edd Fisher (Tomorrowland) provide a thought-provoking aural accompaniment to your inner city late night rendezvous at The Toff In Town Carriage.

Edd Fisher is a music collector, selector, DJ, producer & radio presenter. Not your average disc jockey, Edd is a graduate of Australia's premier music school WAAPA with a bachelor in Jazz Composition and presents a radio show (Tomorrowland) fortnightly on PBS106.7FM. Edd’s sets span a mixed bag of Rare-Groove, Funk, Soul, Future Beats, Disco, Hop Hop & Jazz. A fine selector across broad genres Edd's sound is a seamless blend of old and new creating a distinct and modern take on the dance floor.

DJ Prequel is the result of a record buying addiction, a fear of hairdressers and a secret love affair between Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. From 45 Funk and Soul sets to Hip-Hop jams, you can find Prequel boppin’ along behind the Toff's DJ cage championing his unique blend of rare gems, original production and quality music past, present and future.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/toffmidnightexpress )

Announcing… The Perch Creek Family Jugband's ""Farewell Australia"" show at The Toff In Town Thursday 17th May!
That's right folks, the PCFJB will be skipping the Melbourne winter and shooting off to Europe to play the European festival circuit and soak up the summer sunshine. The Europe tour combined with Eileen's extended travel plans mean that the band won't be doing any shows in the Southern Hemisphere until November - yikes!. But don't be sad, folks, come along to the Toff dressed in your old-timey Sunday bests and help to merrily send us on our way. By the way, we plan to film the night, so make sure you're looking nice and spunky!
Support by The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats and The Fletcher.


The Fletcher 8.15 - 8.45pm
The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats 9.00 - 9.30pm
The Perch Creek Family Jugband 10.00 - 11pm
  ( link: http://www.perchcreek.com/ )

PopRocks at The Toff every Friday from 9 playing no brainers, guilty pleasures, club classics and the best in Pop from Chuck Berry to Katy Perry and everything in between.
8 hours of hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s, including (but not limited to) Disco, Boogie, Rock, R&B, KPop, House, Club, Funk, Soul, Motown, New Wave, No Wave, Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip Hop, Rocksteady, Ska, Dancehall, AOR, MOR, DOR, oddball covers, Latin, Salsa, Cumbia, Bounce, Psych, Country, Jump Up Jungle, Jump Blues, Doo Wop, Soca, Mento, proper Electro, Miami Bass, Girl Groups, foreign language tunes, ESLs, Freestyle, Gangsta Shit, Gospel, Italo, Hi NRG, Jazz, Surf, Swing, Vegas tunes, Yacht Rock and maybe even a show-tune and / or a Power Ballad. All mixed and blended into the musical gumbo from hell. The party starts at 9.00pm and entry is always free!

Visit our playlist at www.facebook.com/ToffPopRocks and make a request.

FREE MUSIC!
It's free and contains lots of Friday night favs with everything from
Chuck Berry to Katy Perry.
Follow this link to our latest mix.
Enjoy!  ( link: http://www.mediafire.com/?y22egaka3zz8og2 )

Disco is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. Its the overuse of the word that has leant people no glance at the glorious debauchery it once stood for. Luckily a small band of dancefloor dessi's are giving meaning back to the much overused & undermined term.... Step into The House de Frost: a weekly Saturday night at The Toff running into the wee hours of Sunday morning, a place where to dance is to live, the home of some of Melbourne's wildest parties and vogue balls, a place where you can indulge those curiosities you've always had but never acknowledged. With hourly shows from 2 of Melbourne's craziest club kids TYRA & EMMAN, guest dancers, performers, Disney on ice stars, you never really know what you're gonna get... apart from the music that is! The only place you can truly appreciate disco music the way it was made to be heard. The Toff boasts the best sound-system in Melbourne and exclusively plays vinyl tuned on a weekly basis by one of Melbourne's most adroit selectors. They say that backwards is the best way forward, and this is about as backward as you're gonna get!

Buckley Ward will be launching their new album ‘So Pretend’ across a number of their favourite local venues when they head out on the road this Aril/May. Foreshadowed by the single ‘Into the Darkening Blue’ and title track ‘So Pretend’, Buckley Ward’s forthcoming album is due for release on April 20 through Shock Records.

So Pretend is an album with pop at its heart, and something less definable in its veins. On the surface, the shimmering melodies and pitch perfect harmonies dominate, but listen closer and the album’s
darker undercurrents snap sharply into focus.

Since the release of the album’s title track and first single in late 2011, momentum has been steadily building behind the band and has seen them hand selected to open for such names as Jungle Giants, San Cisco and Big Scary, the latter taking them on a national tour.

For more information and full tour details head to  ( link: http://www.buckleyward.com/ )

Come and grab some Sunday afternoon delight in the Carriage room at The Toff with DJs AndyBlack and Haggis….

"The Sunday Set" features YOU plus musical meanderings, trainspotter tracks and unlikely samples for your pleasure. In addition: food, drinks, good looking people, gravy and occasional nonsense. Each week we’ll provide you with a musical ‘set’ – and we’d love your ‘variations on a theme’.

Join the set and add your musical perspective on Facebook - just search 'The Sunday Set' – or email  ( link: emailthesundayset@thetoffintown.com )

Hot on the fashionable heels of her recent sold out “Mixtape” performance at The Famous Spiegeltent, Melbourne songstress OWL EYES last week released her first new song since the breakthrough single ‘Raiders’.
‘Crystalised’, Owl Eyes’ new single, was premiered nationally on triple j last week almost one year to the day since the release of ‘Raiders’ and signals an exciting and confident new direction for the girl most likely!
Taking a short break between writing songs for her debut album Owl Eyes is set to launch ‘Crystalised’ on a short run tour of small, intimate venues on the East Coast and Adelaide. This will be the first chance that Owl Eyes fans will have had to hear some of the new songs, and possibly the last chance to catch the wonder of Owl Eyes in smaller, up-close-and-personal venues.
With a string of sold out shows over the past year, chosen by the Sydney Morning Herald music writers as one of Music’s “Next Big Things” for 2012, two entries in the triple j Hottest One Hundred and a Facebook fanbase that threatens to burst at the seams it is little wonder that ‘Crystalised’ is already garnering strong interest from a Goyte hungry international music community.
From this point on the rules have changed, and if 2011 was a massive year for the girl, then 2012 will surely be gargantuan!  ( link: www.facebook.com/ThisIsOwlEyes )

Tek Tek Ensemble, formerly known as Croque Monsieur, is a revitalised anthropological dance band consisting of guitars, trumpet, trombone, violins, percussion, double bass, piano accordion, and the human voice. Tek Tek Ensemble creates hybridizations of most of the worlds music incorporating a startling variety of ethnographic and popular genres. The encyclopaedic repertoire of the ensemble is bound by the strict yet simple stipulation of danceability. As long as it has a fever of unbridled festivity, Tek Tek Ensemble plays it.
Mondays in May Tek Tek Ensemble will be presenting three very special acts as part of their residency at The Toff.

May 7th ; Sljivovitz Orchestra, Australia's most authentically explosive Balkan band will be playing their final show after years of featuring at Melbournes most esteemed World Music events and festivals. Come and bid a farewell to Sljivovitz on what is sure to be a wild send-off.  ( link: www.tektek.com.au )

The past year has been a busy one for Melbourne acoustic singer-songwriter Siobhan. She was selected to participate in the 2011 FreeZa Central Mentoring Program which saw her being mentored by Jen Cloher, and her track Penny Farthing released with the July 2011 edition of Triple J Magazine
Siobhan spent the majority of 2011 working closely with engineer Ross Calia at Tone Collective Studios in North Fitzroy, jointly producing her highly anticipated debut album Soldier Heart.
The First single Don’t Take Her Heart If You’re Gonna Let Her Down released in February this year, is slowly establishing Siobhan as one of Melbourne’s 2012 ‘artist to watch’, with her album set for release on 23rd May 2012.  ( link: http://www.siobhanmusic.com.au/ )

Love Story, a night by 1928 - aka Adam Burnell, the man behind STROBE and Saturday nights at Eurotrash. Featuring 1928 with rotating guests Tranter, Rad Pitt (Beat TV), Megawuoti, Sleeves (Strobe) and many more, playing everything you love in club/electro/techno/indie/disco. The Toff in Town has been voted as one of the worlds Best Clubs in V Magazine (New York). The setting is literally wonderful and the venue has one of the best sound systems in Melbourne. Every Thursday from 11:30pm until 5am. Free entry every week. International and interstate guests monthly. You will love this night.  ( link: www.facebook.com/clublovestory )

Expatriate are excited to announce a run of shows throughout May covering Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The run of shows will give fans a sneak peak of tracks from the bands forthcoming album 'Hyper/Hearts' out in early July
+ a few favourites from the bands debut album 'In The Midst Of This'.  ( link: http://www.expatriateband.com/ )

DJs Prequel & Edd Fisher (Tomorrowland) provide a thought-provoking aural accompaniment to your inner city late night rendezvous at The Toff In Town Carriage.

Edd Fisher is a music collector, selector, DJ, producer & radio presenter. Not your average disc jockey, Edd is a graduate of Australia's premier music school WAAPA with a bachelor in Jazz Composition and presents a radio show (Tomorrowland) fortnightly on PBS106.7FM. Edd’s sets span a mixed bag of Rare-Groove, Funk, Soul, Future Beats, Disco, Hop Hop & Jazz. A fine selector across broad genres Edd's sound is a seamless blend of old and new creating a distinct and modern take on the dance floor.

DJ Prequel is the result of a record buying addiction, a fear of hairdressers and a secret love affair between Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. From 45 Funk and Soul sets to Hip-Hop jams, you can find Prequel boppin’ along behind the Toff's DJ cage championing his unique blend of rare gems, original production and quality music, both past, present and future.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/toffmidnightexpress )

PopRocks at The Toff every Friday from 9 playing no brainers, guilty pleasures, club classics and the best in Pop from Chuck Berry to Katy Perry and everything in between.
8 hours of hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s, including (but not limited to) Disco, Boogie, Rock, R&B, KPop, House, Club, Funk, Soul, Motown, New Wave, No Wave, Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip Hop, Rocksteady, Ska, Dancehall, AOR, MOR, DOR, oddball covers, Latin, Salsa, Cumbia, Bounce, Psych, Country, Jump Up Jungle, Jump Blues, Doo Wop, Soca, Mento, proper Electro, Miami Bass, Girl Groups, foreign language tunes, ESLs, Freestyle, Gangsta Shit, Gospel, Italo, Hi NRG, Jazz, Surf, Swing, Vegas tunes, Yacht Rock and maybe even a show-tune and / or a Power Ballad. All mixed and blended into the musical gumbo from hell.

Visit our playlist and make a request.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/ToffPopRocks )

Disco is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. Its the overuse of the word that has leant people no glance at the glorious debauchery it once stood for. Luckily a small band of dancefloor dessi's are giving meaning back to the much overused & undermined term.... Step into The House de Frost: a weekly Saturday night at The Toff running into the wee hours of Sunday morning, a place where to dance is to live, the home of some of Melbourne's wildest parties and vogue balls, a place where you can indulge those curiosities you've always had but never acknowledged. With hourly shows from 2 of Melbourne's craziest club kids TYRA & EMMAN, guest dancers, performers, Disney on ice stars, you never really know what you're gonna get... apart from the music that is! The only place you can truly appreciate disco music the way it was made to be heard. The Toff boasts the best sound-system in Melbourne and exclusively plays vinyl tuned on a weekly basis by one of Melbourne's most adroit selectors. They say that backwards is the best way forward, and this is about as backward as you're gonna get!

Supremely talented newcomer ELIZABETH ROSE is pleased to announce her first headline dates across the country.  
The 21-year-old electronic-pop producer has turned heads since her debut track 'Never Fear' surfaced on community radio and triple j airwaves as well as countless blogs late last year.  She was named a Next Crop 2012 artist by triple j in December.
Her skilful blend of astral beats, shadowy samples and lofty pop melodies prompted an impressive list of invitations to play Parklife, Harvest, Peats Ridge, Field Day and support tours for Chairlift and most recently, 
Snakadaktal on their sold-out national run.  Elizabeth has also been busy with collaborations with UK producer Sinden and remixes for locals Jinja Safari and Flight Facilities.Check out the wild video for 'Ready', the first track from her forthcoming EP, due mid-2012.  The head-spinning clip is directed by Ben Wilson and perfectly captures the charisma of this rising star.

"...Intoxicating layered vocals with bubbling beats and fizzing electronics in the tightly packed production."  - Hyperbole
"...a skilled songstress, imbuing her craft with an additional dimension beyond an explicit ambient focus." - FasterLouder
"With little more than a laptop and a keyboard, Rose commanded her audience with both a charming sweetness and a strong voice that floated atop her unique synth-driven tunes." - Groupie
"The reason you need to hear (and ideally watch) Elizabeth Rose is because she’s an electronic perfectionist who has ears of gold and the voice to match." - One A Day
  ( link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVNcEsuzxAA&hd=1 )

Come and grab some Sunday afternoon delight in the Carriage room at The Toff with DJs AndyBlack and Haggis….

"The Sunday Set" features YOU plus musical meanderings, trainspotter tracks and unlikely samples for your pleasure. In addition: food, drinks, good looking people, gravy and occasional nonsense. Each week we’ll provide you with a musical ‘set’ – and we’d love your ‘variations on a theme’.

Join the set and add your musical perspective on Facebook - just search 'The Sunday Set' – or
  ( link: emailthesundayset@thetoffintown.com )

Perth-based sisters Nadija and Adriana Begovich are trekking across the Nullarbor for a string of shows on the eastern sea board with their full-band in May-June, 2012.
Blanche DuBois' music is a unique blend of sweet acoustic pop, tinged with a hint of country and a smattering of heart. It's the beauty in the ordinary, the every day...
They've supported artists such as Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker, Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, Missy Higgins... even The Bangles.
Recent reviews of their record 'Young Heart' have gone a little something like this:
"...there's plenty to like in the airy orchestral sighs of Perth's Blanche DuBois - sisters Nadija and Adriana Begovich. Their Young Heart is a deeply melodic and ever-so-haunting album. I suspect the bedroom is the frontline they're referring to in such heavy-hearted swoons as The War In Me, think Love Is A Battlefield updated for a twenty-something audience." -- VOGUE MAGAZINE, AUSTRALIA
"Young Heart is an exploration of love, loss and life and, as cliche as these themes are, personal experiences often make the best songs. Pleasantly, nothing is overproduced, resulting in an array of honest and unblemished, yet imperfect pop songs... In the end you'll be saying 'Not another break-up album' when in your head you're clinging onto every single word..." DRUM MEDIA, PERTH  ( link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCVDRn7diYk )

Dr Sketchy Melbourne's heralds the return of its ultimate Muse. This elusive, globe trotting star of the stage has not been sketched by Art Monkey's since December 2007.
The glorious blue eyed, crimson lipped, and large lunged (pun intended) Simone Page Jones will be gracing us with her award winning persona - the foul tempered, loud and petulant Russian cabaret diva Sveta Dobranoch. After winning the Spinning Wheel Award - Best New Cabaret Artist, Sveta went on to tour with Strut and Fret’s ‘A Company of Strangers’, picking up The Advertiser Award in 2009 and was later nominated for a 2010 Helpmann Award.
Her most recent theatre credits include The Blacklung’s ‘Glasoon’, Hayloft Project’s ‘Delectable Shelter’ and ‘The LoveBirds’, an original cabaret work devised, written, composed, directed, choreographed and performed by Simone herself as part of the 2011 Melbourne International Arts Festival, which also recently toured to Adelaide as the headline act in the Spiegeltent, Garden of Unearthly Delights.
"Dobranoch is amazing; a diminutive, tempestuous force of nature, a thing of pure soviet kitch and high-velocity promiscuity...Funny, rousing and even a little bit touching"
Liam Pieper, RHUM
"Picture Toulouse Lautrec on acid. In a tent. With feathers. Multiply that image by a thousand and it still won’t do The LoveBirds justice. It’s the way cabaret should be... ★★★★'s" ArtsHub
Join us for a ridiculous fusion of exotic cabaret, seduction, kitsch, hedonism, glitter, fur and feathers...
  ( link: http://drsketchymelbourne.com/ )

Music Activism - Save Live Australian Music (SLAM) - where are you now?
In 2010, The SLAM rally saw 20,000 marchers descend on Victoria’s parliament house to demand the link between live music and violence be removed. Two years on where does live music sit now? What changes have been made? How can planning decisions assist? What more needs to be done to save live Australian music? Hear from our panel of passionate live music advocates and have your say to progress the cause.
The SLAM rally was considered as an unprecedented protest. The work with SLAM galvanised the music community protecting the right to cultural practice, it was also the catalyst for Liquor Licensing Law reform. The SLAM rally has been described as: “the biggest cultural rally in Australia’s history, a sea change that has put the arts firmly on the political agenda for years to come.
Panellists include:
MC James Young - Cherry Bar
Dr Kate Shaw - Research Fellow, University of Melbourne and music activist
Helen Marcou - C0-Founder SLAM - Save Live Australian Music
Cr Ken Ong - Chairman Future Melbourne Planning Committee, Melbourne City Council

NOTE: After the talk there will be a screening of the documentary Persecution Blues — the Battle for the Tote .

Daniel Champagne launches his exciting new record ‘Real Live’ capturing the energy and spirited atmosphere of his ‘show-stopping’ live performance, honed over more than four years on the road. Brilliant live performances here and internationally have seen him sell thousands of albums at shows and festivals around the world. His phenomenal guitar abilities often make him sound more like a three-piece band than a solo performer, pushing the instrument to beyond its boundaries, and Daniel’s now signature explosion of 2-hand tapping, body percussion and fiery runs in a variety of different tunings, alongside sublime jazzy finger picking and tasteful improvisation have become hallmarks of his impressive live shows.  ( link: http://www.danielchampagnemusic.com/ )

For the first time in late May and early June, Melbourne, Sydney, the Blue Mountains & Adelaide will be graced with a one woman show like no other by San Franciscan Zoë Keating, a one-woman orchestra who completely transcends this world with her music.
Zoë Keating performs by using a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate, haunting and compelling music. Throughout the US and Europe, Zoë is known for both her use of technology - which she uses to sample her cello onstage - and for her DIY ethic which has resulted in the sale of over 45,000 copies of her self-released albums and a devoted social media following with over 1.3 million Twitter followers.
Zoë's grassroots, label-less approach has garnered her much public attention and press. She speaks regularly on artist-empowerment, sustainable careers and the concept of artist-as-entrepreneur (most recently as special guest “Artist Ambassador” at France’s MIDEM conference) and has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Zoë spent much of 2011 touring across North America, young baby in tow, to support her latest album, Into the Trees, which spent 49 weeks on the Billboard classical charts, peaking at #7. Her first self-produced album One Cello x 16: Natoma spent time on iTunes as both No.1 on the classical chart and No.2 on the electronica chart.
Classically trained from the age of eight, the Canadian born artist continued to play cello ever since. Her early 20’s saw a period she dubs her ‘detour’, during this time Zoë worked as an engineer at a tech startup and simultaneously moonlighted as a cellist in rock bands. She eventually combined the cello and the computer, developing her signature style of live-layered music by improvising for late night crowds at her San Francisco warehouse.
Over the years, Zoë has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists, including Imogen Heap, Amanda Palmer, Tears for Fears, DJ Shadow, John Vanderslice, Rasputina, Pomplamoose and Paolo Nutini. She is a regular collaborator with WNYC's Radiolab and is also known for her work in film and dance. Commissions include music for the San Francisco MOMA and soundtracks for the films Ghost Bird, The Devil's Chair and Frozen Angels.
As an avid appreciator of independent artistry and the innovative and fresh perspective, Zoë makes an effort to reach audiences wherever they are, performing on radio, television and webcasts, outdoors in the desert, in churches and concert halls, at universities, museums, technology conferences, executive brainstorming sessions, airports, house concerts, bars and rock clubs around the world. Her show’s are inspiring, uplifting and truly out of this world and something not to be missed.

Australia will be the first territory where Zoe’s albums will see planned physical distribution. Both of her albums have previously been self distributed globally. On May 18th, Instrumental Recordings/MGM will oversee the release of both albums simultaneously.
"...a distinctive mix of old and new -- layers of sound, that feel more like orchestrations than a solo instrument. " - National Public Radio
Swoon-inducing. Like taking a tripleshot of Absinthe before stepping outside of the bar just in time to see the sun exploding.
- San Francisco Weekly
...uses live looping to transform solo performances into multipart masterpieces. 
- Electronic Musicial  ( link: http://www.zoekeating.com/ )

Eliza Hull's EP, Dawn is here, and on May 31 Eliza will be celebrating with a full band and special guests!
Dawn, the debut EP of Melbourne singer Eliza Hull, heralds the emergence of a passionate creation.
Three years of dedicated crafting give rise to a heat-laden solo musical career as Eliza’s seven-track EP embodies true stories, delivered by a voice described as ‘fragile, yet strong’ - Beat Magazine
Dawn was recorded and produced with Jonathan Steer and Leigh Fisher (Gypsy and the Cat), and features collaborations with Mark Pearl (Texture Like Sun), and Ainslie Wills. Recording in home studios, garages, and churches has added depth to the already lush and textured tracks which feature string and horn arrangements, and give a nod to nineties electronica.
The self-funded EP is released following a successful stand-alone single launch, Five, which generated strong reviews, Rage coverage, community radio play, and a capacity crowd at the Northcote Social Club launch.
Dawn will be available on iTunes and through all good record stores from Friday the 18th of May.
**************************************************************
Sophie Koh will be supporting by launching ‘I Understand' with her live band featuring Melbourne's own D. Rogers, Tim Reid and Phil Collings.
Sophie will be showcasing a bunch of new songs from her upcoming album 'Oh My Garden' due for release in July.
  ( link: www.elizahull.com )

Due to overwhelming demand, we are pleased to announce a second show for Zola Jesus at The Toff In Town on Saturday 2 June. Nika Rosa Danilova and her band  will be headlining the show, which already features New York's Light Asylum and Melbourne's Forces.  
“There is an undeniable, classic heft to LIGHT ASYLUM.” – The Fader
“She [Shannon Funchess] manages to route her sinewy vocal through the cold-blooded seething of Ian Curtis the deadpan drawl of Grace Jones and the full-tilt intensity of Henry Rollins circa Damaged.” – Pitchfork 
“LIGHT ASYLUM is catchy but raw, music you can lose yourself in.” – T Magazine
Mexican Summer is pleased to announce the release of LIGHT ASYLUM’s self-titled debut LP, out May 1, 2012.  The “Shallow Tears” single and “Genesis” b-side is available now on 12-inch vinyl on Mexican Summer. LIGHT ASYLUM 
The debut full-length album by LIGHT ASYLUM has been a long time coming, but not without rabid anticipation. As their self-released In Tension EP circulated and resonated with leagues of new listeners worldwide, the reputation of duo Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello has steadily sweltered via their intense live show, collaborations, and remixes. LIGHT ASYLUM marks Funchess’ and Coviello’s return to the recorded fray with renewed intent, emotion and visceral energy, all to powerful effect. 
Described as ‘able to hypnotize and hold an audience in a state of bondage.’ Funchess has sealed a reverent status through her vocal breadth and captivating expression. Having shared recordings with the likes of Teengirl Fantasy, Telepathe, TV On The Radio, !!!, and Ford & Lopatin, the muilt-instrumentalist’s vocal talents stay in steady demand.  LIGHT ASYLUM cements Funchess’ reputation as a singular voice. From the guttural intonations and militaristic drills to the melancholic leading melodies and operatic tenor, Funchess’ range remains wide but balanced and carefully controlled.
Having spent years touring and performing as synth pop project The Dreamies, Coviello channels a different strand of influence and completes the LIGHT ASYLUM sound alongside Funchess. The result is an uncompromising, rugged mixture of coldwave, EBM and electro-industrial structured through pop of the toughest sensibilities. A LIGHT ASYLUM production straddles underground electronic club music and radio song culture - part introverted, aggressive vehicles, part bright, jubilant fanfares - passages of carefully devised harmony and melody bloom between stabs of driving keyboards and drum machines. 
LIGHT ASYLUM is a collection of ten songs that are contemplative and starkly necessary. From the heated synth punk of ‘IPC’, ‘Pope Will Roll’ and ‘At Will’ to the cinematic modesty of earnest love songs like ‘Angel Tongue’, ‘Shallow Tears’ and ‘A Certain Person’; the basement-found emotions of ‘Hour Fortress’ and ‘Sins of the Flesh’ to the melodic dramas of ‘Heart of Dust’ and ‘End of Days’, LIGHT ASYLUM have achieved an exhilarating, genuine and important moment.
Listen to “Shallow Tears” and B-side “Genesis”:
  ( link: http://soundcloud.com/mexicansummer/sets/light-asylum-shallow-tears/s-pNp1p )

“You don’t hear singers like this every day, or even every year."– Pitchfork Media
Equally commanding and fragile, L.A’s Zola Jesus transcends genre with her shape-shifting mix of cinematic synth pop and darkly anthemic balladry.
Just announced on Vivid LIVE, Nika Rosa Danilova and her band will perform Melbourne & Brisbane headline dates when making their long-awaited Australian debut this June.
Danilova’s visionary mix of the traditional and futuristic has seen her heralded among America’s most compelling young musicians, and at 22, she has performed alongside Fever Ray and The XX and collaborated with David Lynch and M83.
Artfully rendered and impeccably arranged, her recent long-player Conatus bookends a prolific run of releases – from her 2009 debut The Spoils, the Stridulum & Valusia EPs and their critically acclaimed, striking follow-up, Stridulum II.
But it’s Danilova’s timeless voice that is her trump card. From the one-two punch of Conatus stand-out ‘Vessel’ to her soaring, resonant lead on recent single ‘Seekir’, the one-time opera singer’s powerful voice holds the intensity to bare her soul.
Rich with live drums and synthesisers, and set to a thundering electronic soundscape, the band’s revered live show is crowned by Danilova’s intense visual presence and electric vocal range.
Performing from their expansive catalogue of darkly arresting works, Penny Drop are pleased to present Zola Jesus’ first Australian appearances this June.
“Each song overflows with emotion: dark and moody, yet buoyant. As dark as they may seem, the songs have the capacity to induce comfort, even jubilation.” – NPR
“Thoroughly bewitching.”– L.A Times  ( link: http://www.zolajesus.com/splash/splash.html )

See the burlesque stars of tomorrow in the official opening of the Australian Burlesque Festival 2012!A showcase of the best emerging burlesque talent in Australia, the contest will feature burlesque artists with less than two years burlesque experience and will be judged by a panel of industry professionals. The winner will be invited to perform at the festival’s gala event, “The Big Tease” among other fabulous prizes for them and the runners up.Our previous year’s Baby Bombshells have gone on to become stars in their own right and we are thrilled to show you the next generation of tease!This event is designed to encourage and promote our emerging artists with audiences able to lend a hand in choosing the overall winner and crowd favourites.Tassels will twirl and feathers will fly!.. But who will shine the brightest?
Seating is limited, first in best dressed.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/events/109004635897045/?context=create )

Among The Leaves is the 5th full length album by Mark Kozelek under the Sun Kil Moon moniker. Played almost entirely on nylon string guitar, this 17-song all original album was recorded between October 2011 and January 2012 in San Francisco. Among The Leaves - words which caught Mark’s attention from a John Connolly novel - finds Mark relaxed, singing playfully about his life as a musician while retaining the melancholic spirit of his 20 year catalog. Mark’s love for San Francisco and Northern California are at the heart of this new album. “My first album (Down Colorful Hill) was released in 1992” says Kozelek, “but creatively, I feel like I’m just beginning. The new album was written and recorded impulsively, without second guessing. I didn’t have that kind of confidence in the past.” Unlike Red House Painters’ epic Rollercoaster, described by Rolling Stone as “the slowest and mopiest self revelations ever put to tape” or Sun Kil Moon’s Ghosts of the Great Highway, whichBillboard Magazine called “heartbreaking,” Among The Leaves displays a more raw and humorous side of Mark’s songwriting. Aaron Prellwitz, recording engineer of Red House Painters and all 5 Sun Kil Moon albums describes the latest effort as “wonderfully direct." Kozelek curiously ties together legends Joe Frazier, Bobby Fischer and Ed Gein in ‘The Winery’, ‘‘Song for Richard Collopy’ is a touching tribute to the late San Francisco guitar repairman, and ‘Sunshine In Chicago’ – written just before taking the stage at a Chicago venue last year – is a funny, self deprecating poke at life on the road. Though Among The Leaves is mostly in the solo, nylon string style of Admiral Fell Promises, a new ensemble of players joined Mark for a portion of the record, recalling the same spirit as April andTiny Cities, but with a fresh, new sound.  ( link: http://www.markkozelek.com/ )

Agility are finally releasing their Debut EP! To Celebrate they're hosting a big fucking party at Toff in the Town on Queen's Birthday Eve!!
AGILITY
The Hosts of the Party! Playing a blend Psychedelic grunge pop. Featuring songs off the new EP as well as the fan favourites. Wear solid shoes because there will be broken stuff everywhere.
Joining them on the ride are some of Melbourne's loosest party bands The McQueens, Young Maverick and The Corsairs! and some sweet dj's playing mad tunes late into the night.  ( link: http://www.facebook.com/events/310447385698724/ )

After performing around the world with French super group Nouvelle Vague, Australian-born songstress Nadeah Miranda returns home with her first solo album, Venus Gets Even. Developed like short films or scenes from a play, her songs whether intriguing, cheeky or slightly disconcerting are all clad in dazzlingly bright fabrics, lively arrangements and distinctive lyrics.... The rich and sophisticated orchestration, devised by Nicola Tescari, sounds as if Tom Waits and his accompanists were launching into a frenzied albeit classy, punk musical.
LE FIGARO: ‘Catchy orchestrated pop, folk, sometimes extravagant and psychedelic’
LE MONDE: ‘Her song sparkles…’  ( link: nadeah.com )

To mark the release of their most recent album ‘Collected’ The Audreys have announced an intimate duo tour in a hand picked selection of theatres and clubs across Australia. The shows will see Taasha and Tristan playing songs off all three albums, plus some new material.
“Collected” is a unique package containing their three ARIA winning albums from 2011, 2008 and 2006 respectively along with a rare collection of demos, b-sides, live tracks and videos including the previously unreleased song “Train Wreck Blues”. “Collected” comes in a beautifully designed digipak with a unique digital code to access this brand new material.

In a first for The Audreys they are teaming up with PETA, People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, and speaking out against the cruel live export trade. As committed life long vegetarians, animal lovers and PETA supporters, Taasha and Tristan are helping bring attention to the ill treatment of animals in this trade.
A campaign featuring the band members will soon be launched.
The Audreys shot to the forefront of the Alt. Country/Roots genre with their 2006 debut "Between Last Night and Us" which quickly reached Gold certified status. “When The Flood Comes”, their 2008 record, cemented their status as a favorite of Australian critics, with the album appearing in the best album polls of that year including Rolling Stone's Top 50 albums of 2008. “Sometimes The Stars”, their third record, was released in Australia in October 2010, debuting at #28 on the national ARIA charts and #2 on the national Blues & Roots Chart.  ( link: http://www.theaudreys.com.au/ )

New Empire is set to embark on one of the busiest periods of their burgeoning career, with live dates that commence in May and culminate in a performance slot on the prestigious Vans Warped Tour in the US throughout July. Prior to heading off overseas, they’ll hit the road for shows with indie rockers The Getaway Plan, before packing their bags and heading up and down the East Coast on their acoustic tour.
In another big win for the band, their inspirational song ‘One Heart/Million Voices’, from last year’s album ‘Symmetry’, will feature in the Nine Network’s broadcast of the 2012 London Olympics. Produced by lead singer Jeremy Fowler and manager Andy Mak, ‘One Heart/Million Voices’ was tracked in sessions at The Grove Studios and Chris Joannou's Central Coast studio. The delicate, sparse arrangement is immediately arresting and will no doubt strike a chord with the millions of Australians watching the Olympic Games in coming months.
Following The Getaway Plan shows, New Empire will embark on their own headline tour, a series of intimate, acoustic shows that will showcase their material to perfection. These dates run throughout June, concluding July 1, and take in a selection of venues across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. With the Vans Warped tour later in July to look forward to, along with a gig on the Dangerous Summer Tour, Jeremy Fowler sums it up succinctly, saying, ‘Life’s pretty good right now! It’s going to be a massive few months ahead, but we’re relishing the challenge!’
New Empire has just played to more than 10,000 punters on the main stage at Easterfest and collected a whole new legion of fans playing stateside with New Jersey singer/songwriter Jenny Owen in February. Last year their sophomore LP ‘Symmetry’ debuted in the ARIA Album Chart top 40 and they reached the top 5 in Channel V’s Oz Artist of the Year. They have released the singles ‘Give Me The World, ‘Here In Your Eyes’ and ‘Ghosts’ from the ‘Symmetry’ album, winning over thousands of passionate supporters with their quality releases and consistent touring.
‘SYMMETRY’ is available from iTunes and all good record stores NOW  ( link: http://www.myspace.com/newempiresound )

MONIQUE DIMATTINA, Fulbright scholar, singer/songwriter and regular Triple R guest returns to the Toff with a smashing new SINGLE..
Known for exquisite piano stylings & rootsy jazz-pop versatility, diMattina worked with Lou Reed, Bjork and Brian May while living in New York City, penning the critically acclaimed Welcome Stranger CD upon her return to Melbourne in 2010-
“Jazz smarts sculpt elegant pop”- ABC Limelight
“Sophisticated and playful” – Dave Graney, 3 RRR
“Swinging!” – Lucky Oceans , ABC RN
“She sings New Orleans stompers as confidently as supple, tiny lullabies; this album is about us and from the place we live.”- The Age
Opening the show: special guest NADIA ACKERMAN touring her New York City band to promote The Ocean Master- out now on Spectra Records. The Ocean Master is named after Nadia’s late fathers’ Fish and Chip shop on Narrabeen Beach. To mark the 20th anniversary of his passing, Nadia is returning home to tour the record and scatter her fathers ashes.  ( link: www.moniquedimattina.com )

KING CANNONS don’t much care for what is supposedly cool. Since day one, their manifesto is to be a band for the people. The type of band that actually means something. A band with a career that is based on substance over style.
KING CANNONS debut album “The Brightest Light” in unleashed on the world on June 22nd with releases confirmed in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.
Having recently returned from the biggest tour of their career, a month long blast through Europe. The album launch set will be a white knuckle ride through their assured debut with a couple of old favourites and new surprises thrown in for good measure.
Tom Larkin from Shihad is one of the best loved rock drummers in the world. He produced the lions share of “The Brightest Light” and KING CANNONS are proud to announce him as their special guest drummer for these album launch shows.
Featuring ex-Little Red baritone crooner 'Major' Tom Hartney, Major Tom & The Atoms are an explosive 6-piece rhythm 'n' blues orchestra that perfectly fit the bill as the main support for these very special shows.
KING CANNONS – “THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT” OUT JUNE 22ND
Physical album ticket bundle options are available (To collected at the venue on the night of the show)  ( link: http://www.kingcannons.com/ )

Paris Wells started as a fairfax employee, playing underground shows with DJ friends around Melbourne... It wasn't long before she built a monstrous buzz in Melbourne, signed to Illusive Sounds and short afterwards released her debut EP. The release, "Mum Hasn't Slept Yet" was a catalyst for her supporting slot in Justin Timberlake''s FutureSex/LoveShow tour in Australia and New Zealand. Since then she has performed at Australia's best music festivals and along side other artists such as Bliss N Eso. Her latest release, "Various Small Fires" has sent her on an East Coast Tour of Australia and won her a Melbourne Design Award for her video clip, "Let's Get It Started".
Paris Wells will provide an acoustic performance at The Toff as well as showcasing some new material before she heads off to the UK to complete her upcoming EP.  ( link: http://www.pariswells.com.au/ )

Singer/songwriter Jay Brannan is a New Yorker by way of Texas, California, and several stops in between. He first made headlines as an actor in John Cameron Mitchell's indie film sensation "Shortbus”, offering an international platform for his first full-length musical release, entitled goddamned, which made its debut as the No. 25 overall Top Album on iTunes.
One Billboard-charting covers EP, three world tours, and a slew of YouTube videos later, Brannan brings us Rob Me Blind, his second full-length album of originals, produced by Grammy-winning producer David Kahne (Regina Spektor, Paul McCartney, The Bangles, Lana Del Rey, etc.).
Brannan’s tenor voice combined with painfully honest lyrics surrounding taboo subjects has caught the attention of critics at such influential outlets as Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, which proclaimed that Brannan “makes even the saddest lyrics easy on the ear.'  ( link: http://www.jaybrannan.com/ )

At once familiar and mysterious, Jimmy Hawk and The Endless Party is the sound of road trips, sunsets and romance – requited and otherwise. With a penchant for luscious melody and expressive lyricism; Hawk’s musical dreamscapes have endeared him to a steadily growing fan base and has seen him performed along side favourites such as Cold War Kids, The Temper Trap, Little Red and The Shins.
The new album 'Liberty Sunset Blue' will be Hawk's third album in three consecutive years and his second with The Endless Party. Masterfully performed and recorded, 'Liberty Sunset Blue' marks their first foray into blue eyed soul and bookends a prolific run of releases – from 2010 critically acclaimed debut album, 'Echo Park', to last year's self-titled sophomore album 'Jimmy Hawk & The Endless Party'.
Recorded last November in Los Angeles by Dan Horne (Ben Kweller, Beachwood Sparks) and mastered by Peter Mew (David Bowie, Syd Barret, Donovan) at Abbey Road, 'Liberty Sunset Blue' is arguably set to be their biggest release yet.

The band are excited to launch their new album on June 30, with special guests Gosteleradio & Brave Face.  ( link: http://www.jh-ep.us/ )

Melbourne dark synth heavyweights The Night Terrors emerge from the depths of the studio to launch their brand new double A-side 12” Monster / Lasers for Eyes on OSCL Records.
Since the release of their debut long-player Back to Zero in 2009, The Night Terrors have taken their theremin-fueled synthscapes across the world, supporting the likes of Goblin, Hawkwind, Lou Reed, Black Mountain, Serena-Maneesh, Black Mountain, Melt-Banana, Bardo Pond & Pink Mountaintops.
Monster / Lasers for Eyes is the first glimpse of the Night Terrors new album Spiral Vortex – moving beyond the post-prog stylings of their earlier work to focus on a broader universe of warped psychedelic electronics and the darker corners of the dancefloor.
The 12” features remixes by Berlin Italo-disco legend Antoni Maiovvi (repaying the favour for the Night Terrors’ 2011 remix of his single Murderfunk) and Australian synth legend Ash Wednesday (The Metronomes, The Models, Einstürzende Neubauten).
The Night Terrors launch their new 12” on Saturday the 7th of July at the Toff in Town, Melbourne, with support from local goth / EBM sensation Forces and a special improvised audiovisual set by Ash Wednesday.
  ( link: http://thenightterrors.com/ )