Ha. You were thinkin' Mick and Keith Right? Wrong.Actually it's Angus and Julia, and Stone is this brother-sister duo's last name - which gives them more of a right to be called The Stones than The Stones.....
Anyway, this sibling folk outfit from Sydney, AUS is the most interesting new thing to have hit my ears thus far this year. Angus and Julia split time leading vocals on mainly acoustic tracks with plenty of pleasing musical layers. They emerged on the scene in 2006 with two EP's, Chocolates & Cigarettes and Heart Full of Wine. Those were followed by another EP, The Beast, in 2007. That year, The Stones released their debut LP, A Book Like This, in Australia. In 2008, the duo unveiled two more EP's, Just A Boy, and Hollywood. The US release for A Book Like This is set for sometime this year. If you can judge someone's worth by their prolificacy, these two are doing just fine. Plus, they've recently been added to the 2009 SXSW lineup.
Angus flaunts a smooth, effortless voice that leads the melody in his songs; his guitar adding a wandering ambiance. Julia looks like Keira Knightley without the harsh angles and sounds like a more accessible Joanna Newsom. Together they create a completely unique and fresh sound that adds one more notch to the growing list of amazing talent from Down Under.
I first came to know The Stones thanks to a Rollo & Grady post in which he predicted the two were "going to be huge stars." I couldn't agree more.
Soldier
from The Beast [EP] (2007)
Just A Boy
from A Book Like This (2007)
Red Berries
Purple Skivvy
from Hollywood [EP] (2008)
[Website/MySpace/iTunes/eMusic]
Nice one -- I've been a fan ever since someone sent me a copy of Chocolate and Cigarettes late in 2007, and then Angus' solo cover of Joni's River showed up just in time for Xmas that year. Since then, it just keeps getting better. I keep wondering when all these EPs will add up to major attention.
ReplyDeleteIn more general terms: One of these years, I'm going to ditch the teaching gig and the kids, and finally make it to SXSW before I'm too old to do it without dying of exhaustion. I figure I have about four years left 'til the window closes...
Yeah, SouthBy seems a little intimidating, so I still haven't been. Plus it's pretty pricey to see it all. The early registration deals ended just the other day, so now I'd have to pony up a cool $700 to see all the music.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best new digs you've posted, sir.
ReplyDeletePrediction: If they keep making tracks like "Just a Boy" and "Red Berries", the Stones will enjoy commercial success. If they keep making tracks like "Soldier", Joanna Newsom will ask for royalties.
please dont confuse them with The Stones from new zealand.
ReplyDelete