new Warmer EP and live band

Warmer is the singer-songwriter project of John Encarnacao. Under this, name John produced three albums during the 2000s before turning his attention to the more collaborative The Nature Strip, which also features singer-songwriter Peter Marley. A new line-up of Warmer is being unveiled at Django Lounge on Thursday 7 November: Susie Bishop on violin, Tim Byron on keys, Jess Ciampa on drums and Lloyd Swanton on double bass. Event here

Next March will see the release of a new album by Warmer called Wooden Box With Strings but in the meantime you can hear one of the tracks on the Get So High I Can’t Get Down EP

Benjamin Dean Wilson: Play Pretend

“Imagine you took Bob Dylan and gave him to Randy Newman who in turn reshaped him into a seamless boltless Frankenstein storyteller that’s one half Jonathan Richman, one half Noel Coward and one half John Cooper Clarke” – Stereo Embers

The third album from Benjamin Dean Wilson – Pretend – released 24th September 2019.

Benjamin Dean Wilson is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa, OK. With his mixture of sardonic humor and pop sensibilities, Wilson has drawn comparisons to Ray Davies and Randy Newman, yet his songs are firmly at home in the 21st century, finding meaning in the absurdity of the modern world.

Benjamin started off as a part time songwriter, devoting most of his energy to filmmaking in his hometown of Tulsa. While working on commercials, and short films of his own, he found his cinematic experience translated well to music, and began devoting more time to songwriting. The result was his debut album, Small Talk, which was a minor hit, earning a four-and-a-half-star review from Rolling Stone Germany.  Wilson supported the album with a tour of Germany while working on the songs that would become his follow up LP, entitled The Smartest Person In The Room in 2018. It was well received by fans and critics alike, with Alternativa Radical calling it “One of the most interesting albums on the independent plane in years.”

On his latest record, Wilson’s turns his quirky narrative towards weighty topics of family relationships, random acts of violence and pop culture addiction. Entitled Play Pretend, it is a delightfully witty take on the minutia of life and is sure to leave every story-driven heart pounding.

New band and album from Luke Russell – The Wayward Doves

The Wayward Doves were born when three of Sydney’s finest voices – Blazey Best, Nicole Smede, and Kim Shazell – joined forces with singer-songwriter-heartbreaker Luke Russell. Their debut album “Oh Lost Love” gives us the first delicious fruits of their collaboration. read more

The Nagging Doubts: Deug Lane

Half A Cow’s latest band – THE NAGGING DOUBTS – are fresh out of Tempe High School in Sydney’s Inner West. They have just released a six track mini-album with Tim Kevin at Tempe River Studio called Deug Lane.

“The Nagging Doubts are blessing ears and melting minds with all the sensibilities of 60s Bob Dylan, the bittersweet remorse of The Replacements, some Go-Betweens charm and the laid-back sound attack of Pavement.”

The Nagging Doubts launched Deug Lane at the Petersham Bowling Club on Friday 9th August with special guests Paddy Haid (from Key Out) and Elliot Road.

Playing at the Vanguard on Wednesday 20th November with Honeydrip and Liquid Joy. Tickets here!

Have a listen to “Balcony” on Youtube.

Mailorder info

That’s a pile of mailorders in the attached picture. There’s a trip to the post office at least once a week to send off cds and vinyl to all corners of the globe. Currently it’s on a Friday, so if you order something on a Friday night I may not be able to get to the post office until a week later. So please let me know if it’s urgent!

You can order Half A Cow releases through the Big Cartel page, the Bandcamp page or through the listings at Discogs. If you’re in Newtown, Egg Records stocks most of the back cataologue too. And remember, all orders get a free 24 track Half A Cow compilation!

New from John Dowler’s Vanity Project

John Dowler’s Vanity Project have a new EP out. It’s called A Certain Reputation.

Released a mere eight weeks before the new album, this EP consists of one track from the album (“Billy’s Pizza”) and three songs that have been in the Vanity Project’s live repertoire from the beginning. They will be exclusive to this release. “Ordinary Man” and “Let’s Get Rich Together” are new recordings of material from Dowler’s semi-legendary past (from the Zimmermen and Spare Change respectively) while “Cast Your Fate To The Wind” is an interpretation of the Vince Guaraldi standard that dates from the early sixties.

Stay tuned for the new John Dowler’s Vanity Project album 12 Stitches.

Future Silence

OUT NOW!

Future Silence, from Chicago, release their debut twelve inch EP on Half A Cow Records.

Future Silence is the songwriting duo of longtime Chicago musicians Kirk McMahon (Slow Thrills) and Shannon Roberts (STAR, Modern Tyranny). Joined by Rosie Schubert (Sabertooth Rodeo, Slow Thrills) on drums. The self-titled EP was recorded by Balthazar de Ley (Martha’s Music, Balthazar Audio Systems) in Chicago.

Cinematic songs untied to any one genre – the classically beautiful pop ode to Detroit/Chicago architecture flows seamlessly into a dirty garage rock anthem about a city unraveling under the unimpressed gaze of aliens.

Influences include Ennio Morricone, Kathleen Hanna, Velvet Underground, Radiohead, David Lynch, The Shadows, Margo Guryan, Outrageous Cherry, Yoko Ono, Bob Dylan, The Raincoats, Depeche Mode, loss, love and the towering city of Chicago.

In Australia/New Zealand:
https://halfacow.bandcamp.com/album/future-silence

Rest of the world:
https://futuresilence.bandcamp.com/album/future-silence

Youtube teaser

Half A Cow teeshirts

Half A Cow tees are back! Black or Grey
Half A Cow tote bag? Perfect for your toting needs!