CYNDI BOSTE

FOOTHILL DANDY Cat# SV0534

Melbourne contemporary singer songwriter, Cyndi Boste, has just released her fourth CD. The oddly named 'Foothill Dandy' takes it's name from the foothills of Melbourne's Dandenong ranges where Cyndi grew up. It's a return to her formative years in those foothills, the intensity of childhood experience and the doors that it opens and shuts. In these foothills, trannie to ear, Cyndi absorbed a wide range of musical influences from Fleetwood Mac and Janis Joplin to Jim Reeves, Peggy Lee and Patsy Cline.

"This is my most country album, so far", says Cyndi. It's also more diverse than her previous three critically lauded cd's (Home truths, Push comes to shove, Scrambled eggs) "It's really got a retro vibe about it" Cyndi explains. "It's a bit like distilling a five hour slab of Magic 693am and making a bunch of new tunes to old flavours".

The feels and styles of 'Foothill Dandy' encompass gospel, pop, driving blues, torch songs, grungy pop and barefaced country.
Track one, the sunny and totally country, Maybe I might, is followed by swamp city's raunchy electric slide and loping back beat. It's Cyndi's 'money for nothing, chicks for free song, but it also highlights Melbourne's incredibly fertile musician scene: "you can pull a band together in a couple of hours/get the job done/even make it sound pretty"…….

Listeners report hearing echoes of Tom Petty, KD Lang, Roy Orbison, Bobby Gentry, The Byrds and JJ Cale, and though the strength, raunch and warm maturity of Cyndi's voice evoke names such as Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt, she's more your gutsy inner-city kid than your country diva.

The album's diversity also runs to it's themes: love, of course, in it's lost, found and on-the-rocks incarnations, frustration, youthful discovery, and there's perceptive and sympathetic triptych of portraits. Just as many songs, however, are dedicated to the joys and woes of hard working musicians. (Swamp city, I'll pay you back, and You serve me well). "Well , you gotta have a bitch sometimes" Cyndi Chuckles. "It's good to get it out".
Though Cyndi's music can be passionately blue, it never whines. You're more likely to be touched and healed than sent scuttling for Prozac.

It's usually the hooky music, smoky intimacy and bluesy musicality of Cyndi's voice that ensnare the casual listener, but it's her lyrics that make them life long fans. Listen well and on your tenth playing, you can still pick up sly jokes, sneaky word play and wry insights in a song you took for a toe-tapper.

Recorded at Audrey studios in Coburg Victoria, and co produced by Cyndi and the artful Craig Pilkington. The CD features the core of her live show sidemen, with Dave Folley on drums, Stephen O'Prey on Bass and the unspeakably talented Garrett Costigan on pedal steel. Equally pivotal is the genius keyboard of Bruce Haymes, on both swirling broody Hammond and striding, rocking piano. Matt Walker's searing guitar and lap steel are almost a second voice on songs such as 'Best kept secret'', Swamp city', and 'Asleep at the wheel'. Gerry Hale also makes an appearance on Fiddle, mandolin and banjo. Add Craig Pilkington's guitar's and trumpets and you're in for quite the musical ride……..and that's not to mention Rob Price's wailing harmonica and some vocal support from the likes of Kerri Simpson, Nichaud Fitzgibbon, Kylie Auldist and Rory Boast.

Check out any three tracks from this latest release from Boste's 'Foothill Dandy' and you'll want all eleven for your own…..Guaranteed!

SCRAMBLED EGGS Cat# SV0422

Cyndi Boste turns up the heat in the kitchen on her latest album "Scrambled Eggs - The Rose St Sessions".
It's Sunday morning, the bacon is crisping, coffee brewing, and the scrambled eggs are taking musical shape as Cyndi Boste and friends collaborate on an album celebrating some of Australia's finest songwriters.

"Singing your own songs can become very solitary, and there's a lot of great songwriters around me that I wanted to acknowledge" says Boste of the new album. The album features songs by Viki Simpson (The Waifs), Dirty Lucy, Andy Cowan, Suzannah Espie (Git), Tiffany Eckhart and Barb Waters, and vocal and musical contributions by good friends including Linda and Vika Bull, Mia Dyson, Dave Steel, Garrett Costigan and Tonchi McIntosh.

Between enjoying the success of her last album 'Push Comes To Shove' and working on songs for her new album due for release early next year, this album allowed Boste to recorded a collection of her favourite songs, the result - a great new album called 'Scrambled Eggs'

Also featured on the CD are two live tracks from the Port Fairy Folk Festival - 'Roller' and 'Holy Waters' from the acclaimed album 'Push Comes To Shove'.

PUSH COMES TO SHOVE Cat# SV253.2

This second release from Boste picks up where Home Truths left off. It's from the same heart, the same strong yet tingly sensual voice, but something more...

It's maturity, it's confidence, it's the people and places in Boste's life now, not only those reflected in memories of dreamy summers or dark scary places that Boste has visited.

Our spirit warrior has been there-but she's come back. Not with a heavy hand to make those of us who cannot lay claim to gut wrenching events somehow feel alienated, but more with an enlightened view of how life can be, and to share, though unwittingly, those expressions with us on Push Comes to Shove.

Cyndi has teamed up again with producer/musician Kerryn Tolhurst (who apart from being a legendary member of the Dingoes, has a bio which by itself is to be seriously admired). Tolhurst's tasteful (deceptively sparse) production and superb musicianship (guitars/lap steel/ dobro) work beautifully with Boste's songs and style. They are a strong musical combination.

Other musicians who appear on the album are Dave Steel, Andy Swan, Paul Hester, Andy Cowan, and her brother Rory Boast on bass and vocals. Tolhurst's pulling together of some of this country's best blues and roots talent to back Boste has resulted in a seamless work of which he, and all associated with Push Comes to Shove should be very proud.

HOME TRUTHS Cat# SVCB001CD

Home Truths is Cyndi Boste's acclaimed debut album, released in 1999. Produced by Kerryn Tolhurst, this is the album that caught the attention of music critics the world over, which lead to reviews in the highly regarded US country/roots bible No Depression, New York’s Villiage Voice, and the LA Times.

After years spent lost in the wilderness of the Australian music scene, Boste finally resolved to record a solo album of her own. There were a couple of songs that had survived the tyranny of years, and a good 10 or more yet to be written.

With an ever growing sense of urgency, Boste managed to pull together the necessary material to record Home Truths, a deeply moving and evocative effort. Her hauntingly rich vocals blend beautifully with the chillingly atmospheric dobro/guitar playing of Kerryn Tolhurst, and the driving rhythm section of Andy Swan and Stuart Speed. Driven by a deep southern sound, these songs are a collection of stories from days gone by. At times a cathartic expression of experience, and expectations dashed. A difficult album to write, nonetheless a brave and honest recording that gets to the heart of matters, warts and all.

A deep and thought provoking work that deserves all the attention it currently enjoys. Very much worth a listen…

Visit: www.cyndiboste.com.au