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Monks of Mellonwah | Music Profile

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monksofmellonwahMonks Of Mellonwah Release ‘Ghost Stories’ Single

The year 2013 has so far shaped up to be a busy and successful year for Australian Alternative Rock band the Monks of Mellonwah. After 3 EP’s since 2009, the band has recently departed with their 3rd release, ‘Sky And The Dark Night’ and is now celebrating their new partnership with company A&R Worldwide (Muse, Coldplay) with the release of single ‘Ghost Stories’. Ghost Stories features the single ‘Ghost Stories’ and two new tracks fast-tracked from their debut album ‘Turn The People’, which is set for release in late 2013.

The band has been described as the ‘birth child’ of bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, noted as their primary influences. Their music includes hard-hitting Alternative Rock combined with elements of space and electronica, and their forthcoming releases are a testament to this. Their most recent EP, ‘Sky And Dark Night’ explores elements of classism and film music, noting Hans Zimmer as their primary inspiration for it. The three track EP takes the listener on an epic journey of discovery and musically marks the continued evolution of the band into a darker, more intense exploration of their combined talents and influences.

The Sky And The Dark Night Trilogy was released in March and has since been reviewed by over 50 blogs worldwide, being described as “nothing less than symphonic artistry in its purest and rawest form? (Limerence Magazine 2012). The 8-minute long Trilogy has also enjoyed significant airplay in its entirety across a number of radio stations in Australia and NSW, and to celebrate it’s success, the band has just released the Trilogy on limited edition 10” vinyl.

The ‘Ghost Stories’ release coincides with the bands’ recent selection to play at Singapore?s acclaimed Music Matters Festival, as well as their involvement with A&R Worldwide. Having won respective awards for ‘Best International Rock Band’ and ‘Best Indie Rock Band’ at the LA Music Awards and AIM Music Awards in 2012, and following an East & West Coast tour of the US, the recent deal with A&R Worldwide marks the bands continual push at breaking into US and International Markets. The release of a full-length album in late 2013 will also see the band doing further touring both nationally and internationally.

 

The Monks of Mellonwah are a four-piece alternative/indie rock band based in Sydney, Australia. The band has toured nationally and traveled to the United States twice, winning awards for Best Indie Rock Band (2012 AIM Awards) and Best International Act (2012 LA Music Awards). Their two EP’s and subsequent music videos have gained them worldwide critical acclaim, airplay on MTV’s network and extensive radio play.

Strongly influenced by rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Muse, Pink Floyd and the Chili Peppers, the Monks’s music displays a masterful and unique blend of intense space, driving riffs and sharp metaphors. As their sound evolved, so did their love for both classic rock and modern progression/experimentation.

Their first EP, “Stars Are Out” found the Monks receiving significant radio play across Australia on community radio. The band released their first music video “Swamp Groove” in April 2011 and enjoyed airplay on ABC’s music program RAGE. “Swamp Groove” also claimed first prize at a music video night at “Harold’s Shorts” short film festival, receiving great reviews and the award from legendary music historian and personality Glenn A Baker.

The Monks released their second EP “Neurogenesis” in May, 2012, along with a new video for “Neverending Spirit”, to an overwhelming response. In addition to international and national radio play, College Radio in the US and Canada, “Neurogenesis” received hundreds of reviews and features worldwide, including coverage on MTV, Big Takeover Magazine, CMJ, Kings of A&R, Noise 11 and Tonedeaf. The media attention earned them licensing spots through a number of production companies in the US including Discovery Networks and Bunim Murray.  The video for “Neverending Spirit” also received high profile exposure in the US including MTV Networks. The College Music Journal (CMJ) featured the track on their MixTape for May along with a feature of the band in their magazine.

The Monks successfully toured for “Neurogenesis” throughout Australia in Summer 2012 working with Tone Deaf, and continued their outreach with a United States tour organized by President Entertainment.

Their debut full-length is currently in production, partly with legendary producer Keith Olsen and partly self-produced. The Monks have also signed a development deal with A&R Worldwide (Adele, Muse, Coldplay). Intensive touring plans are in the works for both Australia and the United States in 2013.

On April 1, 2013, the band released the progressive and experimental EP/single “Sky and the Dark Night”, an emotionally charged, heavy offering showcasing the band’s new direction that was hinted at with “Neurogenesis”. It was released on limited edition vinyl and digital only.

Now the Monks have taken a turn again with “Ghost Stories”, truly showcasing the bold new sound they’ve developed over the past year of touring, writing and studio work. Rock, electronic, and strong pop sensibility infuse this offering, meant as a preview of their forthcoming full-length.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES (Queensland and other dates will be announced shortly. The tour will be 16 stops.):

29th June – Live @ The Brewhouse, Kings Street Wharf, Sydney, NSW
2nd  July – Revolver Upstairs – Prahan, Melbourne, VIC
3rd   July – Noise 11 – Live acoustic performance + interview, Melbourne, VIC
3rd   July – Grace Darling Melbourne, VIC
4th   July – Tote – Melbourne, VIC
12th July – The Fitzroy, Windor, NSW

3rd   August -The Annandale, Sydney, NSW
14th August – Yours & Owls – Woolongong, NSW
15th August – The Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill, NSW

Band: Monks of Mellonwah (Sydney, NSW)
Style: Indie, Alternative, Progressive
Similar to: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, John Frusciante, Incubus, Black Keys
Release: Ghost Stories (June 29, 2013)
Members: Vikram Kaushik (vocals), Joe de la Hoyde (backing vocals/guitar), John de la Hoyde (bass), Josh Baissari (drums)
Websites: www.monksofmellonwah.com, www.facebook.com/monksofmellonwah, http://www.youtube.com/user/MonksofMellonwah, www.twitter.com/monksofmellonwah

Production: Produced, Recorded and Programmed by Joseph de la Hoyde at Aston Villa Studios 2012/13, Track 2 drums recorded at Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, by Keith Olsen and Rob Katz and Assisted by Kevin Luu 2012

Rocksmith Game Review

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God bless software developers Harmonix and Red Octane for creating the gaming culture of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. A culture that, for a time was relatively revered amongst gamers all over the world. But my gosh, they didn’t know how to stop riding the gravy train like a ‘bat out of hell’ until the wheels came off.

Now, those plastic guitar shaped controllers that ‘used to be cool’, suddenly became…erm…well rather embarrassing; generating feelings akin to seeing your dad step onto the dance floor or hearing your mum sing along to Tupac with wild abandon. Those pieces of plastic have ‘now gone to rest’ in the cupboard of anyone with a sense of shame. And so they should.

For a long time it used to be a criticism by ‘real guitar players’ that although you are ‘playing’ along to a track you were never actually ‘playing the guitar’ but really just pressing a range of coloured buttons in time with the beat. I used to feel like the child the other kids laughed at in school, the one that no one talks to because whilst my friends could play ‘no woman, no cry’ in real life on a real guitar all I could do was download the track pack from PSN and bop around my front room like a fool.

Well, they’ll all pay now, because whilst Rocksmith is very similar to games significant of its genre, it’s not the same at all. Yes you have to hit sequences of notes in time, yes they come down a ‘virtual highway’ and yes it has that whole ‘You Rock!’ mentality with a playlist that opens up in time the better you get, but no, it is not the same, not the same at all.

In Rocksmith you see, you use a real guitar. Not a plastic guitar. Or a controller shaped like a guitar; a real guitar with real strings and real notes. You will hear no clicking as you flick the fret or press the buttons because there are none. For a non-musician like me it was almost overwhelming putting it on – there was this whole ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ feeling. I’m not going to lie here I felt like a man.

Using the RealTone cable included in the box I hooked my real guitar up to my PS3 and that was it. Like Rock Band the game takes you really slowly through how the game mechanics actually work. As I said before for those who have played Guitar hero or Rock Band you will feel right at home and I think this is what the developers wanted; familiarity. At first you’re just hitting single notes as they move down towards the virtual neck of the guitar, the notes even rotate to show when to hit them. With single notes it is easy to think you are a rock god because you are playing riffs from Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ or hitting note after note in ‘Go With the Flow’ by Queens of the Stone Age. I found it very rewarding and pleasing to both the eyes and ears.

However it is then that the difficulty is ramped up as you are introduced to chords, solos and other things that make you appreciate the playing dexterity of Clapton, Sting or Queen, yes, playing the guitar is a craft in itself.

Thankfully there are a wealth of options  users can access which provide mini-games, practice arenas and challenges to help you in your bid to become more proficient. Technique challenges include chord play, slides, sustains, hammer-ons and pull-offs. Challenges adopt the same dynamic difficulty setting as the main game, and this ensures players grow accustomed to techniques before mastering them. There is also a Guitar-arcade which contains a technique-based mini-games which is fun, transforming genuine skills into enjoyable side quests.

I thought the soundtrack ranged from o.k to good, but even then it was nowhere near as good as it should be. However I spared a thought for the developers Ubisoft who are going to have to go through the nightmare of negotiating licence fees etc. It is well documented how horrendous it was for the developers of Guitar Hero and let’s face it you weren’t actually playing a guitar back then so you weren’t actually learning the chords or could play it away from the game. Here you could actually learn the chords on a friends machine and play it on your guitar at home so how much fun is going to be had with copyright issues remains to be seen.

My only other criticism of this game and perhaps the most important issue is that guitar games have been done to exhaustion. Yes it’s different, yes you can learn guitar playing skills from the game (obviously it can’t prevent you from having bad form or bad technique, that would be for a tutor to correct) but in doing so you have lost the whole pick up and play value from the game. Granted many young people may want to learn to play the guitar and I am not for one second saying the game isn’t fun, but you’ll have to not only spend the money for the title and guitar but be dedicated to essentially learning a new skill. I just can’t help but feel some of the accessibility is gone – however, it must be said if that was what was needed to rebuild music games of this type on the consoles then that was exactly what needed to happen and more power to Ubisoft for doing something which should have happened a long time ago.

O.k so onto the verdict –

Rock Band games of old have finally come to maturity. Rocksmith isn’t provide a fast-track solution to guitar playing and won’t magically turn you into a rock god however it will motivate players to keep on playing and even better get more players together. Rich in rewards, progress and achievement it is a great title to have. However this title is not for everyone, but if you’re prepared to put in the hours and make those fingers ‘hurt real bad’, Rocksmith can be a useful learning perfect learning tool, hitting all the right notes.

8.5 / 10

ENERGIE START AW 12 ‘MAKE NOISE’ CAMPAIGN WITH UK ROCKERS ‘RUBBER KISS GOODBYE’

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ENERGIE KICK START THEIR AW 12 ‘MAKE NOISE’ CAMPAIGN WITH UK INDIE ROCK BAND ‘RUBBER KISS GOODBYE’
For their AW12 collection, Italian menswear brand Energie has captured the urban feel of the brand with a new campaign titled “Make Noise” fronted by UK band Rubber Kiss Goodbye.

The Energie ”Make Noise” campaign previews in the brands anticipated AW12 collection, presenting
a new means of expression through dress that is fully reflective of Energie’s identity to stand out from the crowd. The “Make Noise” collection presents a mix of black and white urban-style graphic t-shirts that are not for the faint hearted and a denim collection synonymous with the cutting
edge British indie scene.

Rubber Kiss Goodbye are proving to be one of the UK’s hottest new bands around, consisting of Tara Ferry, son of English singer, musician and songwriter Bryan Ferry along with other band members Oliver and Peter. Energie also appointed the Swedish photographer Alex Lindhal to follow the band in their natural environment where they live and work, capturing their every move. In turn resulting in a range of retro black and white campaign shots reminiscent of backstage scenes of indie-rock groups on tour, identifying and exalting the spirit of Energie’s “Make Noise” collection, for an independent and unmistakable style that goes beyond mere seasonal trends.

Rock Band 3 {Gaming Review}

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The Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises – are considered by many to be the most influential video games of the first decade of the 21st century. First released in 2005 it seemed as if air guitarists of a generation could finally unite. I remember the first time I picked up my plastic guitar and fretted along to a track. The whole idea of being a mini rock god in my bedroom just seemed to work.

However, that was a long time ago and a long time before they decided to milk the cash cow dry. Over the past number of years it seems as if we have been inundated with rock games. If I bought a new guitar each time a new game came out I reckon I would own about ten by now. To make things worse this year we have not one but two releases and you better believe it both are aiming to reach the number one spot on your Christmas list. I managed to get my hands on a copy on an early edition of Rock Band 3 to find out if I should still be rocking on.

As mad as it seems there is a reason for all of these games; Rock Band and Guitar Hero (and their sequels) are in fact the creations of separate rival software developers – Harmonix and Neversoft; and in numerous ways they have their own distinct diverse approach on how to make a rock and roll video game great and how to sell it.

Take Rock Band for example. Rock Band has always aimed for maximum playability with a large selection of pop rock type tracks. When they have gone for serious rock they usually pick tracks that are well known and they provide strong online support. Also in my view on the easier difficulty level the player is never actually really tested. Contrast this with Guitar Hero and Neversoft who seemed to cater mainly for the serious rock fanatics. Anyone who has played Band Hero will recognize their disappointment at going online and finding out that there was little if any online tracks to support their foray into popdom. Try too tackling Band hero on easy and your wrists will be sore. It might be a game but it doesn’t play nice.

Check out their titles too, once Neversoft and their publisher Activision realized that they had a market in plastic guitars they seemed almost like a bat out of hell-bent on riding the rock train until the wheels came off; delivering a new title almost every year – often with just new tracks and tweaks being the whole USP. Thank heavens for the term ‘market saturation’ because when the rock train was about to terminate at the next stop they turned their hands to the Vinyl and came up with the admittedly very polished DJ Hero. Out went the classic rock and in came the classic Hip-hop. Contrast this with Harmonix and the very incredible looking Beetles Rock Band – they always seem to go for quality over quantity.

To be fair to Neversoft they do have a flair for spotting innovative design because each new release of a ‘Hero’ has brought something new, however small and Rock Band 3 has capitalized on each and every aspect that they brought that worked. They also listened to their many fans

Game Play remains the same as before; successfully complete a song by using your controllers to strike the correct notes in time with note tracks shown on the game screen; or, in the case of the vocalists, to sing in the relative pitch to the original artist. Each player has a performance meter, which increases when correct notes are hit and falls when notes are missed; a band performance meter represents an average of all players. If a player’s meter should drop to zero, that player will temporarily drop out, silencing their part, and the band’s performance meter will start to drop. If the band’s meter hits zero, the band will fail the song and be booed off stage, and can either restart or change their difficulty level.

Rock Band 3 allows for several players, locally or for the first time online, to play the roles of lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. I was pleased to see that Rock Band 3 had support for backup vocal harmonies with the lead singer (a feature previously introduced in The Beatles: Rock Band), and one playing an electric keyboard. (Yes it’s not just a new guitar you will need to buy this time).

Talking of which, it has often been a personal criticism that to plough the amount of time that you need to in order to get good at this game you are far better learning to play the guitar or drums in real life. Well this is a criticism put to rest because although this game is compatible with existing guitar controllers from previous Rock Band and Guitar Hero games. Mad Catz has just produced a new guitar controller, based on the Fender Mustang with real strings. Instead of five colored buttons, there are 6 buttons across 17 different frets, culminating in a total of 102 buttons to play. This idea is quite exciting me, as this game could redefine the whole term ‘fun learning’.
So on to playability. The game features a more in-depth career mode; and as before you can design your own character.

Reportedly the career mode includes over 700 career goals. The game also includes some 83 songs, ranging from Evanescence to Bob Marley and I was pleasantly surprised to see that all of my original downloaded content from previous Rock Band games transferred quickly and without additional cost. This gave me the feeling that this title is all about consolidating your Rock Band music. And that can only be a good thing. Tracks from the actual titles though such as Rock Band 2 required the purchase of a key but the transfer was quick and simple. I am always taken aback by Rock Bands online support and at time of writing there was over 2,000 songs available in the store for download. One word: wow. Developers of Guitar Hero should take note.

I found the game play to be rounded and a decent enough internet connection is all you need to ensure online play. Although, personally I found many tracks lacked sufficient challenge. The storyline was literally non existent – we all know the score: group of gang-banger wannabes decide to form a band and you have to help them scale to heights of success.

I do have a few gripes. Firstly the graphics – I was disappointed. Whilst functional they are no where near as polished as they should be, even if you were to take Band Hero which was out over a year ago and put these titles side by side graphically it would be stronger.

Secondly for me the sound mixer could have done with some refinement. For example I found it hard hear the vocal track if you are singing or vice versa. Guitar Hero 5 eradicated that problem ages ago. I couldn’t help but wonder why it is still here.

So what’s my view? – Well, despite its faults if you are going to get a Rock Band game then this is the title to get. In terms of game play and online support it has a much stronger, richer library. It is also the game you will return to and download tracks for and complete. More importantly it will keep you entertained without doubt through Christmas.

By Junior Smart