It is so exciting to see local musicians releasing albums on vinyl and, if you want something to kick-start your own home-grown collection, look no further than Cub Callaway's latest offering.
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Fall of the Empire was recently launched as a limited vinyl release during an energetic gig at Smith's Alternative. The show was a cracker and so is the album.
Callaway has a solid history in the Australian rock music scene and has worked in various capacities with iconic bands such as the Saints and the Triffids. An excellent guitarist and songwriter, Callaway has in more recent times been quietly living in Murrumbateman and making outstanding music.
Fall of the Empire is his best album to date and captures everything that was classy about Aussie post-punk. Callaway hand-picked some of the best of his musician mates from the finest Australian bands of that golden era.
The album features John Hoey, of Died Pretty fame, Phil Hall, of the Lime Spiders, Richard Ploog, of the Church, and Millie Hall, of Bridezilla, along with guest appearances by well-known Canberra artists Zika Vuletic and Alex Ross.
However, there is no doubting that the driving force behind this exquisite musical offering is Callaway himself. Not only has he written most of the songs on the album, but he takes care of the guitars and lead vocals.
Callaway's songs are imaginative, blunt and at times in your face. The title track, which opens the album, is a standout. The joys and otherwise of inner-city living is a recurrent theme throughout.
There are a handful of covers, including Keep Your Eyes on the Hole, a nod to the 1986 Triffids album, , which Callaway produced.
There's no doubting vinyl is the new black (even coloured vinyl is the new black), and more power to it.
I had an interesting conversation with a suburban music retailer a couple of years ago, who said he stocked only CDs, because he had no room for vinyl. He wasn't too visionary, because other CD stores were stocking LPs at the time. Now, this retailer has caught up.
There is something special about holding and playing a real record. Art looks so much better on 12-inch covers and the cover art on Callaway's Fall of the Empire is simply brilliant. Kim Nelson's painting, Fallen #3 is stunning. You will want to pin the cover on the wall.
This kind of music is perfect for the vinyl medium, and it's a very cool thing that is being produced right here in our own backyard.
