The Hipstones

CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW FROM "cdbaby" received on 4 May, 2007 Click here to go to our CDBABY page THE HIPSTONES Tackling soul, funk, and a little bit of rock, this Sydney, Australia nine piece has a real knack for writing modern songs with a vintage feel. Headed up by the core duo of Anthea White and Mark Palmer, this is a band that is flush with method and feeling, slinking and jamming through an hour of upbeat party songs, slower ballads, and smoother numbers that have a definite pop appeal to them. It's a wise diversity in sound that offers a bit of something for everyone, and really allows the band to open up and show their prowess as players. While some songs feature guitar heavily, others rely on string arrangements or tastefully devised horn parts that do a fantastic job of building off the initial structure of the song. This is all held together by Palmer and White, whose harmonies and melodies seem to really lead the way and push these songs along. Their voices meld well together, with each working off the other and neither overstepping their bounds. Like any good modern soul album, this one has a timeless feel to it, but it steps away from being a simple homage and instead treads a new path that makes it memorable in its own right.Get this video and more at MySpace.comThe Dictionary Of Soul & Funk is very much a work in progress and the latest entry is Sydney based nine piece, The Hipstones. Fronted by Mark Palmer (organ/wurly/vocals) and Anthea White (lead vocals), the duo formed their unique partnership in a high rise in the centre of Tokyo, Japan.Their debut album, Something’s Gonna Start is an eclectic and instantly engaging mix of new school funk, soul and jazz, with some Donny Hathaway influenced blues and the occasional rock-out moment. It features an almost entirely original set of songs and some outstanding string and horn arrangements from Australia’s funk’n’ soul guru, Jackie Orszaczky as well as horn arrangements from kiwi sax player Mathew Ottignon. There’s also a guest appearance from Australia’s internationally renowned oud player, Joseph Tawadros.Both on stage and on disc the band delivers a big, warm sound that only comes through an exceptional nine piece lineup of lead vocals, keys, drums, bass, guitar, horn section and backing vocals. Rather than rely on recycling well worn standards they have developed a complete songbook of orginal songs, ranging from soulful moody ballads to fiery dancefloor shakers.In just a short space of time The Hipstones have made a big impression on the local scene, performing at the 3rd Annual Sydney Funk & Soul Festival and sharing the stage with Renee Geyer and Jackie Orszaczky’s Budget Orchestra at a sensational show in The Studio at The Sydney Opera House. They have also appeared twice on Channel Nine’s Morning Show and been in constant demand for club gigs around town.Lost in Translation! – Anthea Recalls “We began writing whilst living and working in Tokyo on a six month contract at the Tokyo Hilton – very reminiscent of "Lost in Translation" as Mark and I got together there as well. Before we recorded the album we surrounded ourselves in old school soul and funk. It was that warm and rich sound quality that really impressed us, so we decided to record, mix and master from tape. We chose Big Jesus Burger because they have all the old school mics and that great vintage vibe. The band was all recorded live and the vocals done separately. At one stage we had about ten vocalists in the room all at once, singing the choir like backing vocals.” You should create your own MySpace Layouts like me by using nUCLEArcENTURy .COM's MySpace Profile Editor !