Edward Guglielmino » interviews & reviews

Time-Off Review Gin Club, Mexico City, Edward Guglielmino & The Show, Lion Island.

ed — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:04:02 +0000

THE GIN CLUB, MEXICO CITY, EDWARD GUGLIELMINO, LION ISLAND

THE ZOO: 27.11.09
It’s a strangely quiet start to The Gin Club’s first proper hometown show in quite a while. To a smattering of attendees, local up-and-comers Lion Island kick off their set. Eight members strong and incorporating banjo, double bass, ukulele, trumpet and violin into their line-up – along with some well orchestrated gang vocals – the group’s songs take a simple theme and layer it, building in rising waves that drop off again. Half the band leaves the stage for the stark ‘Aurora Borealis’ before returning for a self described “token bluegrass” tune.
Neighbourhood enigma, dancin’ Edward Guglielmino is up next, the twanging reverb’d and glittering guitar, coupled with Ed’s sweet and low voice necessitates inclusion on a John Huges film’s soundtrack. Cure and Smiths-type melodies, sans posturing, soaring vocal harmonies and booming stadium pop manage to distract from the fact that Ed’s guitar strap is on backwards (who does that?). Midway through the set the band brings the noise to a heavier number, and the whole thing is bloody lovely.
Mexico City benefit from The Zoo’s open space and decent noise levels, crashing in with the jungle drum stomp of ‘Raised An Empire’, which gets a few enterprising lasses dancing. From Brown Bird the song ‘Ghetto’ slows the pace down and eases into ‘When You Say You Love Me (I Don’t Believe You)’. The fellas drop a couple of covers: Lefty Frizzell’s country ballad ‘Long Black Veil’ and Elvis Costello’s ‘Watching The Detectives’.
By the time The Gin Club hits the stage attendance has swelled to a more respectable size, with Adrian Stoyles leading out of the gate for the opener and the following ‘Heartbreaker’. From the get go it’s a mostly loud set from the Ginners tonight, filled with the typical instrument swapping madness that the band has become known for, though when the gentle beard of Conor Macdonald steps up to the mic it’s invariably a more sensitive point of the set. Scott Regan gets down with tambourine, and the glorious epic ‘Ten Paces Away’ reminds the crowd that for all of the band’s folksier leanings, they do also know how to rock the fuck out. Mr Stoyles takes the front again for the obtuse lyrics of new single ‘Rain’, followed by Mr Ben Salter charging into Junk’s ‘Gas Guzzler and Gin Club classics ‘Wylde Bitch’ and ‘Drugflowers’.
TAL WALLACE

Rave Review – We play the gold coast arts centre tonight.

ed — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:30:20 +0000

ED GUGLIELMINO / BRIAN CAMPEAU / COWPER
Alhambra Lounge – Wed Nov 21
Alhambra Lounge is such a pretty venue on nights
like this, when the bands are quieter and the crowd
more subdued. The tables are lit with little candles
and dim lamps hang from the ceiling, creating a soft,
shadowy atmosphere. Cowper is the fi rst of three acts
and sets the right mood with his folksy acoustic songs
and strong, husky voice. The gentle guitar notes mingle
pleasantly with his bluesy singing.

Brian Campeau plays second this evening, tonight
being his album launch. He begins alone, playing folksy
tunes on his acoustic guitar, before bringing his band to
the stage, which consists of a drummer, cellist and support
singer, who also plays various percussion instruments.
With his band supporting, the songs become
louder and more eclectic, with the percussion a prominent
feature of the music. He has a strong voice that
weaves melodiously with the percussion and guitars.

Ed Guglielmino plays slow, moody indie-pop rock
that immediately strikes as more interesting than many
musicians of this genre. He plays electric guitar supported
by a band of four, including bass, keyboard and
drums. The original sound of the music is supported by
Guglielmino’s deep and somewhat unusual voice. He
doesn’t focus on generating smooth and sweet notes
but growls out his songs, aiming for something more
off beat than a perfectly polished sound.
NINA ATKINSON

Article in Courier Mail

ed — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:51:09 +0000

Kathleen Noonan

October 23, 2009 11:00pm

LOUNGE
room shows offer a fresh approach to performing that works for artist
and concert-goer who meet and talk about how the music is made.

iN New York, they are called loft concerts. Here, singer/songwriter Deborah Conway likens them to Tupperware parties.

In Mark Cryle’s old Queenslander at Dutton Park, the music bounces
off the timber walls in the lounge room. And his wife serves curry
afterwards.

Welcome to the world of lounge room concerts, where the suburbs are
alive to the sound of music in true do-it-yourself indie style and the
main act takes over your living room, crashes in your spare bedroom and
eats your food.

The trend is becoming a breath of fresh air for audiences wanting to
avoid parking and queuing hassles and get an up-close-and-personal vibe
that is a little bit special. Musicians – who inhabit a landscape
peppered with diminished returns, fewer live venues and rowdy bar
crowds – get a gig, a meal, maybe a bed for the night, a handful of
cash and, usually, a roomful of new friends and fans.

Cryle, Brisbane singer/songwriter of Spot the Dog fame, has been
holding lounge room parties for musicians he admires such as US singer
songwriter Kristina Olsen, Canadian duo Mad Violet and folk singer
David Francey.

“I’ve an email list of friends who like the kind of music I like and
they feel it’s something special to go to a lounge room gig,” he says.

The relaxed vibe of house concerts taps into the music lovers’ need
for intimacy and authenticity and the independent musicians need for,
well, income.

The bring-the-gig-home trend received more oxygen this year during
the Brisbane Festival with the Brisbane Backyards concert series, as
bands set up on people’s lawns and tennis courts. Outgoing festival
director Lyndon Terracini programmed the series for the first time last
year to extend the festival’s reach to people who wouldn’t normally
come to bigger venues.

The move was bang on an international trend that has a revolutionary
feel. It cuts out the middle man and puts audiences and musicians in
the same room.

In Canada, the loft concert trend started to peak last year when
inner-city music lovers decided they wanted to enjoy live music from
their lounge room chairs.

Stephen Morrissey’s Edmonton living room became a symbol of its
popularity when he and his partner started holding concerts. Word of
mouth turned into an email storm.

Next thing he was getting emails from thousands of people wanting to
come. His living room room could take about 30 people. They were voted
Best House Concerts of the Year.

In the UK, House Concerts York, an independent non-profit venture,
is a popular house concert outfit with a playlist that includes Seamus
McLaughlin, Jay Nash and Angie Palmer. Brisbane’s Kate Miller-Heidke is
also on their calendar.

The growing worldwide popularity is due mainly to people yearning for something different and to connect, says Cryle.

“They get to meet and talk to the person making the music. They
don’t have transport and parking costs into the city and don’t have to
jostle for a drink at the bar. And every CD is signed.”

For independent musicians, the house concert circuit can be a
blessing. To put it bluntly, it’s a guaranteed amount of money without
the financial risk of booking a gig in a bigger venue.

It worked for Suzannah Espie, who did a two-month national tour of
house concerts with her partner Ian Collard and Adelaide duo The
Yearlings several years ago.

They created their own national touring circuit called Bless This House.

“It’s definitely an alternative route for musicians to go without
the stress and financial worry. Plus it takes you to some amazing
places. I ended up on a property in rural Australia playing to a crowd
who had turned up from all around,” says Espie.

Conway’s Tupperware analogy certainly fits with musicians getting up
in someone’s home and showing off their wares. At a time when her three
daughters were small and touring was hard, a series of home concerts in
2004 was a much easier option to promote her CD Summertown.

Her pitch was: “If you buy a minimum of 30 copies of Summertown from
us we will come to your house to deliver them, sign them AND play a
20-minute, un-amplified set for you and your office mates, your
mother’s club, your neighbours or your ex-boyfriends. We recommend a
maximum of between 50 and 60 people.”

They played more than 100 homes.

It’s not just for folkies. There’s avant garde Brisbane musician
Edward Guglielmino whose sound falls somewhere between rock, pop, folk
and noise. He played at a friend’s place in Bardon as part of a series
of house parties called the Letterbox Lullabies.

“Australian pub crowds can be tough,” says Guglielmino. “Especially
the more they drink. At a house concert the audience is there for you
basically, so there’s no talking during sets, it’s intimate. The
concert we did had the best buzz.”

Guglielmino, who calls himself a troubadour for the 21st century,
says the concert was intimate but also went out to a global audience
via streaming. You can see it at
http://vimeo.com/tag:guglielminoletterbox

For younger bands and novice musicians, the lounge room concert is
vital for gaining confidence and exposure. Exciting Brisbane five-piece
outfit The Honey Month, a bunch of 18 to 20 year olds who bring to mind
The Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, love the vibe of having an audience
up close and sweaty.

“When we play in someone’s lounge, we’re about having fun. Having
people up close and squishy creates a good vibe,” says co-founder and
drummer Liam Eaton. “Actually being up on a stage away from the crowd
can sometimes feel awkward.”

The band started with two Brisbane boys at school with a keyboard
and a love of punk, and now combines unconventional instruments and
wild gypsy-folk. They play the Valley Fiesta today at 7pm and the
Troubadour on December 17.

As an attendee of a US house concert says: “It was a night where
heroes became humans, rock stars became fathers and the performer
complements your wife’s cooking. Really, is there any reason for me to
buy nose-bleed seats for an impersonal arena concert again?”

Article in Brag (sydney)

ed — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:55:18 +0000

A late review from Mess & Noise.

ed — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:34:20 +0000

Edward Guglielmino
Late At Night

10 Track, LP (2009, Independent)
Related: Edward Guglielmino.

Late At Night is a nocturnal soundtrack, not just in name but in the moody streetlamp photo on the back case and the lyrics of almost every song (“Late at night I feel all right,” is a typical example). It’s gentle, largely acoustic music for solitary nights in darkened rooms; like Burial’s Untrue if you took out most of the electronics and replaced them with guitar and drums, then took out the haunting samples and stuck in Guglielmino. His voice – a blend of Bryan Ferry’s deep croon and Antony Hegarty’s caged-bird warble with a touch of Robert Smith thrown in – is well-suited to lonely music for lonely people.
‘Fail With Me’ is musical consolation, describing the inevitable failures of a relationship that hasn’t even started yet. “I don’t think we’ll get married/I don’t believe in bliss/So come on – fail with me,” he sings. It’s one of the more energetic tracks, with ironically chirpy whistling and even a few handclaps thrown in at the end. The title track is more representative of his central thesis, with metronomic guitar, bubbling spacey effects and lovelorn singing about the fuzzy-headed glamour of insomnia. Nicoletta Panebianco takes over the vocals on ‘Take Me Home Tonight’ and manages to capture the album’s vibe in the first line: “5am in the morning and I’m feeling fine.” Her singing is complemented by piano and the glum hiss of rain.
Late At Night is a perfect snapshot of a very specific feeling, all airy tones, building guitar drones and dreamy sing-song vocals. It’s an accomplishment that’s easy to appreciate on a cerebral level, but I outgrew insomnia and I’m too old to play night owl. Most of Late At Night just makes me feel sleepy, but I’ll be keeping ‘Fail With Me’ on the playlist for a while yet.
by Jody Macgregor

Media Interview with Ed G.

ed — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:06:26 +0000

Art Brute

EDWARD GUGLIELMINO

MANY MUSICIANS argue on unconvincing grounds that there’s something unique about their musical endeavors. That they are artists – when, in fact, they’re merely conformist mouthpieces perpetuating the commercially-oriented status quo. These are the people that ensure that actual artists are reduced to scraping and scratching for the attention their art deserves.

Local icon-in-the-making Edward Guglielmino is a fitting example of the polar opposite – a young singer-songwriter with an authentic take on ‘music as art’. The uniquely artistic strain in Guglielmino’s music was recently recognised with due regard when he was short-listed for the inaugural and prestigious Grant McLennan Scholarship.

‘It was really flattering for me, especially because I’m a really big fan of The Go Betweens and have been for quite a long time,’ Guglielmino beams about his short-listing. ‘My father used to play them to me in the 90s; that’s one of the reasons why I applied.

‘But I really didn’t think they’d like my music, so I was so surprised when I was short-listed. They wanted 20 minutes [of recordings], so I sent in five songs – three from the EP and two new recordings, which were ‘Devils Eyes’ and ‘Crushed By A Late Night Dream’.’

Guglielmino – who has had songs from his aforementioned debut Tacky [A Very Tacky] EP spun on Triple J – has just released one of those acclaimed new recordings, ‘Devils Eyes’, as his next single, and the dark, autobiographical tune has already received national critical acclaim.

‘I wrote it in high school,’ Guglielmino explains of the single. ‘I was 17 and went to this block of show homes – we found one with a key in the mailbox. We went in and drank vodka and cooked on the stove, I passed out in one of the cupboards. I woke up at three in the morning and called my girlfriend, and the first line of the song is from that.

‘When I came home the next morning I wrote it in my bedroom and recorded it. I had a different voice when I was younger, so it was different. But I started playing it again recently and people started telling me they really liked it, so I recorded it. It’s been doing quite well, which is really funny because I wrote it when I was 17 – maybe I should go back to high school.’

‘Devils Eyes’ is just another overt illustration of Guglielmino’s passion for creating rather than recycling, something which is quite close to the young lad’s heart.

‘I’m quite proud of the fact that I’m doing something innovative,’ he says. ‘I think that’s making it harder for me in Australia than it would be if I was doing what a lot of the artists who get attention in Australia do, which is emulate stuff from artists overseas.

‘I mean, you can definitely hear my heroes in my music – Nick Cave and Kurt Cobain are there – but I really think that if we want to evolve as a nation we need to have Triple J play more of the innovative stuff and less of the copied stuff. A lot of the [Triple J] presenters own my records and are quite aware of my music, but they can’t get it on the air because it’s too ‘weird’.’

Edward Guglielmino plays The Troubadour ((((ACTUALLY BARSOMA)))) Monday Sep 17. Tacky [A Very Tacky] EP out now independently.

JUSTIN GREY

Lost of Love six pack

ed — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:51 +0000