Lee Memorial in Parts and Pieces

Melbourne readers, stop by the Marquis of Lorne Sunday afternoons in July to catch Karl Smith of Lee Memorial (and ex-Sodastream) playing solo.

Joining him through the month will be the great Matt Bailey (Paradise Motel), fellow Lee Memorial buddies, Tom Lyngcoln (Nation Blue) and Laura MacFarlane (99) as well as new friends, Otouto (Hazel Brown).

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash.

Lee Memorial launch album in Melbourne this Saturday

'just as rewarding musically as lyrically, and every note seems to be hung exactly in the right place' - Inpress

'a compelling record' - Beat

'Smith is clearly a man with the Midas Touch... one of the best local releases of 2009' **** TimeOff

'a touching journey of extreme social, political and daily relevance, delivered through beautifully realised metaphor and honest personal recount... a striking debut' - The Vine

Lee Memorial are launching their album this Saturday in Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club, supported by Witch Hats and Matt Bailey (ex Paradise Motel).

Lee Memorial started out as a ramshackle solo project of Karl Smith from Sodastream, but after enlisting the help of a brigade of unlikely cohorts from Ninety-Nine, The Nation Blue and Gaslight Radio, the project soon took on a life of its own. They tumbled in and out of luck through 2008; recording and playing sporadic live shows, all-the-while battling illness, relationship breakdowns, death and uncooperative computers. But now they’ve dusted themselves off, combed their hair and are now ready to share their debut album – the lives of lee memorial – with anyone who’ll listen.

LEE MEMORIAL (album launch) with Witch Hats and Matt Bailey
Northcote Social Club
Sat 9 May (Doors 8.30) Tickets: $12 at the door only


The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash.

Heinz Reigler, Karl Smith + Tom Lyngcoln Melbourne gig tomorrow

Heinz Reigler, who once fronted Nightstick (and Not From There), is in Melbourne this weekend, performing a solo show tomorrow afternoon with Karl Smith (Lee Memorial, Sodastream) and Tom Lyngcoln (Nation Blue, Lee Memorial).

Nightstick's self titled ep was our very first release on Dot Dash.

Catch Heinz, Karl and Tom tomorrow Sat 2nd May at The Old Bar, 74-76 Johnston St, Fitzroy from 2pm.

And don't forget Lee Memorial's Melbourne album launch Sat 9th May at Northcote Social Club.

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash.

Lee Memorial take up the One Mic Challenge on TV tonight

Lee Memorial are bravely stepping up to the One Mic Challenge, live on Channel 31's Dancing About Architecture tonight.

If you're in Melbourne, tune in at 10pm to see how Karl, Laura and Maddie fair. Otherwise you can check it online later.

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now.

Lee Memorial - instore performance at Polyester this Friday

Lee Memorial's debut album The Lives Of Lee Memorial is released this week. To celebrate, the band will be appearing at Polyester Records, 288 Flinders Lane Melbourne at 6pm for an instore performance.

Free entry and all ages!

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash.

Lee Memorial - new mp3, album out this Saturday

Lee Memorial's debut album 'The Lives Of Lee Memorial' hits the cd racks this Saturday.

FBi Album Of The Week
RTR Album Of The Week

The band played a gorgeous set at their Melbourne single launch of Berlin a fortnight ago. The new songs went down a treat with many a head nodding and foot tapping. A few wry smiles were also spotting in the audience as they watched accomplished musicians from numerous well known local outfits, come together in an all together different outfit - ex Sodastream Karl Smith fronting a ROCK band hollering Private Joseph Skelling, and guitarist Tom Lyngcoln (usually of Nation Blue) trying his best to restrain his usual onstage thrashing while still unleashing his subdued-by-comparison melodic pop hooks, and Laura McFarlane providing vocals from behind the drum kit.

Enjoy another mp3 from the album.
Long Days In Bed [mp3]

WARNING: this song will be stuck in your head for days on end

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash

Lee Memorial bring Berlin to The Tote this Fri 13th

Lee Memorial started out as a ramshackle solo project of Karl Smith from Sodastream, but after enlisting the help of a brigade of unlikely cohorts from Ninety-Nine, The Nation Blue and Gaslight Radio, the project began to take on a life all its own.

Lee Memorial tumbled in and out of luck through 2008. They played sporadic live shows and chipped away at their album, all-the-while battling illness, relationship breakdowns, death, unhappy computers and the devastating effects of cheap shampoo. So now, after having shaken off last year’s blues, Lee Memorial return to the Tote on March 13 with their new record – the lives of lee memorial - tucked under their spindly little arms and a whole lot of nervous energy to burn.

Friday the 13th seemed a fitting date for this unlucky and accident-prone bunch to launch their new single, Belin. To celebrate making it this far, they’re giving away a free single to the first forty haircuts through the door; the rest get to buy themselves a beer.

Supports on the night will be Dot Dash labelmates St Helens, and Lakes.

Berlin single launch at The Tote, Melbourne
Lee Memorial 11.30- 12.30am
St Helens 10.15- 11pm
Lakes 9- 9.45pm

Berlin [mp3]

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out through Dot Dash on March 28.

Introducing Lee Memorial

Lee Memorial is Karl Smith’s new band.

Lee Memorial is also the latest signing to Remote Control’s Dot Dash label, home of Wolf & Cub, New Buffalo, Snowman, St Helens and Ned Collette. Their debut album The Lives Of Lee Memorial will be released late March 2009.

Karl was one half of Sodastream, who were based first in Perth and then in Melbourne. Between 1999 and 2006 Sodastream:
- Released 4 albums, 5 EPs and a live recording
- Signed with Rough Trade US and Tugboat Records (part of Rough Trade UK)
- Toured Europe 7 times, as well as the USA and Japan
“Quite wonderful” said John Peel, “A blindingly beautiful beam of light” said the Sydney Morning Herald

Lee Memorial is named after a guesthouse in Kolkatta, India where Karl’s family used to stay when he was a child. (Karl lived in Bangladesh and India until he was thirteen).

With Lee Memorial Karl wanted to try something a bit different to Sodastream, to present his new songs with a full band.

Joining Karl in Lee Memorial for the debut album are:

- Laura MacFarlane, one time drummer with Sleater-Kinney and founder of Melbourne outfit Ninety Nine
- Tom Lyngcoln from Nation Blue plays lead guitar, a perversely appealing notion given the somewhat diametrically opposite sounds of the two bands
- Madeline Spawton who has no ragged pedigree, which in many ways is a good thing, but plays clarinet and cello which is exactly what Karl was looking for
- Matt Bailey (ex-Paradise Motel) plays bass (Matt has now departure to pursue his solo project, and Steve Thomas from Zond has taken over bass duties)

Lee Memorial is a band - and a band with genuine chemistry, more than evident by the fact that they recorded eleven of the album’s songs in four days.

The debut album The Lives of Lee Memorial will be released late March 2009 through Dot Dash.

Berlin is a hint of the treat in store [mp3]

They will be launching the single at Melbourne's The Tote on Friday 13th March, supported by St Helens and Lakes.

myspace.com/leememorial