Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Hipstones

New York based The Hipstones are on a musical odyssey that has taken them from the clubs and music festivals of their home town Sydney (Australia) to the recording studios of the Big Apple. It’s just another chapter in a truly international story that began when the group’s two founders Mark Palmer (keys/lead voc) and Anthea White (lead voc) formed their unique partnership in a high rise in the world’s most populous city, Tokyo, Japan. The recent move to New York is a part of a natural progression that brings the duo closer to their musical roots and their great love of the American soul, funk and jazz traditions. Internationally, The Hipstones have taken home the runner up award for 2009 song of the year (funk category) for “Feeling Alright Now” in the Just Plain Folks Awards. Another career highlight was sharing the bill with the likes of Chaka Khan at Indonesia’s Java Jazz Festival - with a massive 100,000 festival attendees. With one highly successful album Something's Gonna Start already behind them in Australia, The Hipstones have welcomed the opportunity to complete their long awaited second album, Dreamers, in New York, cementing the talents of Anthea White and Mark Palmer as two of this countries most talented and innovative musicians. Back in Australia The Hipstones hit the prime time TV airwaves when their debut album’s title track Something’s Gonna Start was selected to appear on the Logie Award Winning soap, All Saints, during their “episode of the year”. Their numerous performances, using their nine piece lineup, on the National Nine Network’s top rating Kerri-Anne morning show were so well received that they were asked to become the first ever “House Band”. The group also performed at the ‘After Tour Party’ of multi-platinum and internationally acclaimed group, "Human Nature”, and had everyone dancing their feet off. Exposing America to The Hipstones engaging blend of soul, pop and body shaking grooves, has started on the right foot, with regular performances at New York’s notable, The Living Room, as well as performances at Joe’s Pub, Union Square Summer Stage, Rockwood Music Hall, Webster Halls Basement, The Bitter End, and various LA venues. In their own backyard, they have twice performed at The Sydney Opera House as well as playing numerous festivals, and receiving regular rotation on local radio stations. Regular performances at Sydney’s notable The Basement, Opera Bar and popular Sydney venues have developed this hardworking band into one of Australia’s finest.

Eric Reitz

Equal parts wandering poet and live performance mainstay, Eric Reitz delves into folk, rock, and alternative country to couch his purpose-driven lyrics. Eric Reitz hails from Reading, Pennsylvania, something of paradoxical place; though a suburb of Philadelphia, it likewise neighbors Lancaster County—Amish country. Culture clash is inevitable. Eric wearily studied piano as a boy, but he secretly longed for the guitar—its shape, its allure, its legacy. Alas, Eric's parents, witnesses to his apathetic piano plunkings, prevented him from pursuing guitar until he had learned "The Entertainer" on keys. Even this he couldn’t manage. Yet somehow Eric convinced his parents to rent him a guitar, an axe pulled from the pages of a heavy metal magazine. Not quite the tool he’d seen in the hands of idols like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Eric soon returned that ol’ lightning bolt to the rental shop. The musical muse had been quieted. A few years older, wiser, and more motivated, Eric picked up his older brother's acoustic guitar and taught himself chords and progressions. Wholly intrigued, Eric then bought his own acoustic. He also discovered an insistent but unpolished urge to sing. He’d imitate popular songs, a tentative first step toward vocal training. Now years removed from that mimicry, Eric has developed his own peerless voice and delivery. Alongside an unquenchable songwriting thirst that’s seeped into his debut album, 12 (South).

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