Mei Lai Swan is Triple J Unearthed's Top Song comp winner for the NT!
Influences
In no particular order... joni mitchell, bjork, nina simone, jill scott, sodastream, missy elliot, tori amos, jeff buckley, portishead, massive attack, fiona apple, bach, joanna newsom, pirates and whores, m'um, boards of canada, cinematic orchestra, gotan project, miles davis, gillian welch, catpower, ayub ogada, rokia traore, david bowie, cleis pearce, astor piazzola, cocteau twins, tom waits, frou frou, angus and julia stone, sufjan stevens, ben harper, jolie holland, ani, belle and sebastien...
Sounds Like
creak squeak boom la
'CALLING THE SKY' available now only on iTunes
BUY 'THE MORNING TREE' EP NOW AT www.vitamin.net.au OR IN-STORE AT JB HI-FI OR YOUR LOCAL INDIE RECORD STORE.
Out through Vitamin Records.
MC MEI LAI in... Standstill, a TAC cinema clip by filmmaker Callum Cooper, with the Curse ov Dialect boys, a la 2004... ah the good ol dayz... too funny!
..
For a girl who grows up too fast there are two options: get old quick, or live life a little backwards. Mei Lai was a smart girl, so she chose option two...
She sings, she plays, she dances, she kanoodles, she cracks whips, n sometimes a few other circus tricks. Oh sometimes she even… ah, not even!
But some old habits die hard. Especially geek habits: edit geek, study geek, party geek, sneaker geek…
She likes geeks, whips, shakers n tambourine, big trees, people who talk loud and sometimes inappropriately, red dirt, scrabble, music that makes the soul sing or the booty shake, neuroscience (geek), friends who perform funny things, justice, big ginger cats and big bold boundary-pushing adventures.
She’s done some pretty fun things: played all round the country and at some pretty cool festivals with her band. Adventured overseas with famous Thai artists, Transylvanian gypsies and Somalian pirates (ok, that one was made-up). Played and recorded songs with a bunch of talents like Lothlorien, Love Outside Andromeda, Ned Collette. Made lots of cool tracks with Aboriginal kids in the desert. Toured internationally with Chamber Made Opera somersaulting down staircases. Hung out in random galleries, bars, pubs as a glorified wall fly. Played violin upside down from a trapeze in an Alice Springs circus show. Started a brand new electro-trash-pop project called Bullet Electra (ooh it’s hot!)...
But that’s not this project: Mei Lai sings out a thumping heart that’s full to bursting, plays cello, loops it up, programs a few beats, a touch of violin, maybe a little keys. She has a drummer, a double bass player and a hot little trumpet player under her green thumb. They grow some pretty nice things together. She has an EP out (The Morning Tree, 2007) and she’s writing her first album…
I'm going to visit Australia someday, the individual I make music with lives in New Zealand, I here if you live in New Zealand you don't need a work visa to move to Australia, someday I will come to Australia, someday
Hey!! Thanks for accepting!! Can you do us a favour? If you haven't already, could you add PICTURE PERFECT SKYS? You will love them. There amazing!! www.myspace.com/pictureperfectskys OR go to our top friends ;) x katey
You really must decide where your allegiances lie. melbourne or Alice springs. When shit goes down, who's backs are ya gonna get. In the meantime, if yer in town there's this.
With an all star line up:
Eddie Perfect
Paul Capsis
The Conglomerate
Abbie Cardwell
Sophie Brous
Tommy Spender
Casey Benetto
Video Day
Steve Sedergreen
Jan Skubiszewski
Marc Testart
Xani Kolac
Peter 'The Dog' Burgess
Ben Hendry
Brother Grim
Jelly Tub Rollers
and
Clairy Baby Brown & The Bangin Rackettes
Update on our event (Roll Up Your Sleeves for Refugees) last Friday night, July 31 09 ...
... We
raised enough @ this small event alone to help fix up the water supply of the kids in the image
below, Afghan refugees living outside Quetta (Pakistan), three hours from the the
border of Afghanistan.
We hope you continue supporting the cause :)
Peace,
Kate - Hope AFAR (A Future for Afghan Refugees)
PS - RE: IMAGE BELOW: This tragedy is happening now! Every little bit helps. Give them some hope!
Come along to our fundraiser, next Friday July 31 (last day of July) @ Southpaw, 189 Gertrude Street.
We're
raising money for forgotten Afghan refugees on the Pak/Afghan border
region - WE ARE VOLUNTEER RUN & SELF-FUNDED, ALL PROFITS GO TO
THOSE WHO NEED THEM!
The night includes:
Live DJs
Live African music & tabla
Rare Afghan vintage jewelery for auction
Art on auction
Photography on auction
Henna painting
great food
And lots of Fun!
There are heaps of ways you can contribute on the night.
Entry is free, but we'll be taking donations, big or small. Every bit counts! and if you can't make it, there are ways to donate via the website www.hope-afar.org
