Dion Read & The Afterthoughts

For those who are unaware, the time of the Afterthoughts is almost over. I have been wooed by a temptress to the fair weather of Queensland, and alas; my merry minstrels (sorry boys, realise that sounds a little gay, but you are in pastel shirts) are staying in Melbourne to live out their own fairytale lives.

So it’s not the end for me, just this particular chapter. The Afterthoughts name will be retired, but I think I’ll keep the Dion Read bit. And for those in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, get used to the idea of me tramping on your turf.

But we will go out in style! We have one last show together that will farewell me from Melbourne, but more importantly celebrate the contribution that Kyle and James have made to my music and my life. The details are:

Saturday Nov 21 @ Fad Bar & Gallery, 14 Corrs La Melbourne (Chinatown). 8pm. Completely Free and definitely fancy free.

There will be plenty of giveaways and good times, interstate visitors, a special support slot from Yeo, and a manically happy/sad dude in a white shirt and tie.

From Martin Raybold at whisperinandhollerin:

“Great pop songs are light without being lightweight. Take, for example the lines from The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 classic .”Cool town, evening in the city /Dressing so fine and looking so pretty” which a sense of a time, mood and place with great economy.

It’s a difficult balancing act to pull off but Dion Read makes a fair stab at it with the five snappy songs on this ep. It helps that Read is the type of guy who appreciates girls with freckles and is not impressed by fancy clothes (a fact which is obvious enough from glancing the cover photos of him and his band looking like male models for Top Shop!).

Fashion is definitely not the be all and end all here, if it were we’d likely be hearing another blast of arty-punk or avant-rock. Instead, Read takes his cues from the melodic song writing skills and piano playing of Ben Folds: “most of my knowledge of chords and structures stems from there” he freely admits.

Given the sunny mood of this record it is appropriate that Read grew up listening to songs from his father’s 60s pop collection in the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia.

His songs are sharp and unpretentious reflections on, you guessed it, summer, the city and pretty girls.

The best is the most self reflective. ‘Air Balloons’ epitomises Read’s ‘no worries’ philosophy as a young man who lives for the heart rather than the head. This song tells how he feels as lost as the hot air balloons he has seen on TV but, ever the optimist, he consoles himself the thought: “I think the best things in life are gonna pass me by / that’s okay ’cause I’d only ever put them all to waste”.

A nice, feel good record to add to next summer’s playlist.”

From pennyblackmusic.co.uk

“Dion Read and the Afterthoughts: Be Here Right Now

Reviewed By: Benjamin Howarth
Label: DRA Records
Format: CDS

Dion Read and the Afterthoughts are a piano-bass-drums trio, based in Melbourne. ‘Be Here Right Now’ is their second five-track EP.

Obviously influenced by that other piano-bass-drums trio, the Ben Folds Five, there are moments here that could have been taped during the sessions for ’Whatever and Ever Amen’. To be fair to Read, he never hides the influence - it was Folds’ songs that he played during his childhood piano lessons when he wanted a break from the classical music his teachers preferred.

And yet, there is evidence here of a spark of individual talent. Dion Read is a fabulous pianist and has the talent to emulate his hero Folds, while the Afterthoughts are more than just a backing band, adding drive and texture to Read’s power pop.

Though Read (at this stage in his career) lack Folds’ skills as a lyricist - he does not seem to have Folds’ sharp wit - his compositions are easily melodic, to the point where you quickly forget that you’ve heard something like this before.

The record closes with ‘Air Balloons’, a gorgeous ballad - the kind Ben Folds specialises in and one that he would surely have been happy to have written.”

From Hubbub UK:
“Fresh out of Melbourne comes this new offering from Dion Read and his piano power pop outfit, The After Thoughts. Originally from Queensland before re-locating to Melbourne Read manages to combine thoughtful and meaningful lyrics with superb piano accompaniment. Backed up by strong musicianship from James K Pere on bass and Kyle Goldsworthy on drums the trio who have been together since 2007, bring you quirky stories of love and lust along with everyday dramas, whilst maintaining an upbeat dynamic tempo. After tales of a lovers tiff in the title track “Be Here Now” the EP then flits to besotted adulation in the catchy “In the City” before a dose of realism strikes with the final track “Air Balloons”, finishing with the line - I think the best things in life are gonna pass me by, there they go, I don’t put up much of a fight. This is a well produced and superbly performed collection of songs, a new album must surely be in the pipeline.”

From The Dwarf:

“Title track Be Here Right Now - if not the whole EP, depending on who might be listening to it- whispers Coldplay, with a tinge of cheer- the kind Chris Martin seems unable to reproduce in his musical endeavours, but abundantly so in his casual persona.

The quirky and charming songwriting of frontman Dion Read is still as ever-present as in The Shoes & Gloves EP. “I’m so in awe of the way you can smile when you haven’t had your coffee” he croons over the band’s piano-based pop stylings on In the City, an endearing modern-day love song (certainly a realistic one.) “I don’t know how you do it but you make the most out of your horrible work clothes” he tells some faceless lover, whom we can only imagine is as effervescent as our protagonist.

Make my Day settles for somewhat more songwriting-by-numbers lyricism but is still airily pleasant. The EP ends with the heartrending Air Balloons, where Dion tells us, “I know that I’ve been a disappointment to all of you, but that’s okay, ‘cause I’m still young and foolish and that’s just what we do” and you believe him because he sounds ever so remorseful.

Dion Read is quickly rising in my top recommendations list, and not just because he’s a top bloke, but also for his original lyricism and ability to foster a sort-of young and upbeat Tim Freedman vibe. Check it out, and try and tell me I’m wrong.”

From Absolute Powerpop:
“Last year, Dion Read & Co. had one of the more promising debuts with their Shoes & Gloves EP. Now the Aussie piano power popper is back with his second EP, and it’s another treat. Since it’s de rigeur to compare piano power poppers to Ben Folds, let me analogize in this fashion: Read’s new EP is to his last one what The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner was to Whatever and Ever Amen. For the Folds-unfamiliar, the new EP is more understated affair than the first, which doesn’t mean it isn’t fine in its own right. The title track is the peppiest of the bunch, while “The Blame” recalls Folds’ “Don’t Change Your Plans” from Messner. And the closer “Air Balloons” is a wonderful ballad that ranks up there with “Smoke” or “The Luckiest”. Don’t let this one be an afterthought.”

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