The SoundLounge

Boy And Bear

Just as the dust settles from their debut Splendour appearance, Boy & Bear are looking to kick up some more across the nation. In their biggest tour yet, the Sydney five-piece will step onto stage in each state to celebrate the release of their third single ‘Blood To Gold’.

To say the past year has been a whirlwind for Boy & Bear would not only be a cliché, but also an understatement. Since the band’s dulcet tones !rst hypnotised listeners across the radio waves in February 2009 Boy & Bear have found themselves in the spotlight. "eir single ‘Mexican Mavis’ had the industry whispering and music fans clambering. However, it wasn’t until the single earned the quintet the triple j Unearthed gong (landing them a spot on Homebake’s stage) that just how much of a gem this band was became apparent.

The Chemist

I once read on the back of an orange juice lid that Albatross can sleep whilst flying...

A very dear friend of mine asked me, "How would a scientist learn this piece of information? What tests would be performed?"

I thought about it for a couple of days & realized Albatross most likely snore.

Passenger

Tongue in cheek sinister pop songs about stalking? Meet Passenger.

The brainchild of 26-year-old Brighton born singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg, Passenger is redefining the troubadour for the 21st century. Formerly a five-piece band, Passenger has now pared back to basics, quite literally bringing music to the streets on a series of lengthy busking journeys across Australia, America and the United Kingdom. A classic journeyman musician, cut from the same mould as Van Morrison, Neil Young and John Prine, Passenger has the unique ability to move from the humorous to heartbreaking with every song.

After a year spent crisscrossing the UK and US with his debut album Wicked Man’s Rest, Passenger’s markedly stripped down and soulful second album Wide Eyes Blind Love was brought to the public as it was created: on the road. Setting up on street corners across the UK and Australia, Passenger halted passers by in their hundreds; all connecting to the mellifluous tones and powerfully hewn lyrics emanating from this lone figure and his guitar. This is music as Passenger means it to be, unvarnished and honest, just pure talent and powerful tunes that tap straight into the heart of the crowd.