The Middle East fanboy rears his head once more, this time having heard and swooned over this pair of tracks from The Middle East’s Mark Myers, who performs under the moniker of The Starry Field. I say “now” but if I remember correctly, The Starry Field supported a Middle East show I saw at the Spectrum and that must have been at least 5 years ago. So then it seems, perhaps, maybe, The Starry Field is no new thing. Of the solo projects that each former TME band member has to their name, this may be the one I’ve best connected with. Here’s a brief overview of what the others have been up to:

● BREE has released just the one single so far, the haunting yet beautiful Winter and is now a part of Matt Corby’s ensemble.

● ROHIN is in the process of recording that jaunty disconnected acoustic fare he’s been dishing out (rough yet promising). He’s also contributed a single called ‘All My Friends At A Petrol Stop‘ to Why Don’t You Believe Me’s BANANAS

● JORDAN has been touring Europe in support of Holly Throsby but is back in the country. Here‘s a taste of what isn’t yet on record.

● JOSEPH has released a Kurt Vilesque EP with his band Joseph Liddy and the Skeleton Horse, purchasble via itunes. Maybe slightly heavier than Kurt Vile, but in the same vein.

● JACK has worked under the name Skeleton Jack but everything that was once available seems to have drifted into the ether. Here’s a solo track he recorded live at one of The Gate’s living room shows about two months ago.

● JAVED is playing drums in Holland who have an EP out which you can listen to here. Before that, though I think they’re now inactive (?) he sang in Sydney band Huntings have a pair of tracks available for your downloading pleasure on their Unearthed page. He’s also playing bass in Bexley de Lion who have a new EP out next month

That’s all I know for now but feel free to point me to anything that I’ve overlooked. The songs at hand, these are of the hardworking Mike Myers, a man who, since the parting of The Middle East, has spent less time on stage and more in studio. He’s been behind the production for artists such as Tin Sparrow, Emma Louise, The Medics, Courtney Young, Founds and Faith Lee. It’s not a list to be scoffed at with some few of those budding and blooming even as we consider the musical labours of Mr Myers himself but he’s always seemed fairly content to stay out of the spotlight like all true former Middle Easterners. PR was never their strongest suit as they annoyingly talked down their music in the rare interviews they took but it’s hard to keep songs this emotive from seeing the light, even if they’ve taken five years to surface properly. Boy I sure had a task ahead of me figuring out what ol’ order we’d listent to these but I’m going for the safer option first with the more bizarre ‘Man From The Future’ bringing it home. I can’t get enough of that quavering, fragile voice, and that’s before it drags me back into sweet memories of the golden Middle East.

The Starry Field – ‘If All Your Troubles Were A Sea’ [DOWNLOAD]

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The Starry Field – ‘Man From The Future’ [DOWNLOAD]

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Here’s a track that Mark contributed to an EP called Dragging Pianos which came come couple with a children’s book a few years back but I believe is now out of print. Also, if anyone has a line on the record by Starry Field, we need to talk.

Dragging Pianos – Peel The Carrots

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What better way to start your first week back at uni than with a new track from the Middle East. It’s finally upon us. Well, almost. It’s our second taste of their sophomore record I Want That You Are Always Happy, due out on the 8th of April. Keen to hear your thoughts.

The Middle East – Black Death 1349

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

The new Middle East track Jesus Came to my Birthday Party is now available to download on itunes. Alongside the new single are two other new tunes. Western is an upbeat toe tapping country rock number that reminds me a little of Graveyard Train (and sees Bree’s vocals once again on the sideline) while Sydney to Newcastle is an instrumental with some samples of moving trains and station announcements. I couldn’t tell you if they’ll be included on the upcoming record but my gut instinct tells me no. Download the three unreasonably priced mp3s here.

It’s been a long time between drinks if you’re a fan of the Middle East but at last we have something new to sate the thirst. It’s been three years since the Recordings of the Middle East was released (the full length, not the EP) and a year since they released Dirty Looks but a few days ago Triple J played the new song Jesus Came To My Birthday Party.

There are differences and similarities to The Recordings. Bree’s vocals now seem to be the main focal point of the harmonies and it’ll be interesting to see if that continues to be the case with the rest of the album when that drops, whenever that drops. Anyway, enough from me, just listen to it. I’d provide a stream but the mp3 isn’t available yet.

If the Middle East aren’t already on your radar then heaven knows where you’ve been the past five years. They’ve got an ever tightening strangehold on the Australian folk scene and with an impending full-length release in 2010 it’s probably a case of the up and up. Anyway, this isn’t just a ‘heads up’ for an artists that’s been ‘making waves’ for ‘ages’. I write this to bring to light a new song they’ve released as part of a special edition release of ‘The Recordings of the Middle East’ on itunes. If it sounds familiar it’s probably because they’ve been playing it live for the past year or so. I had thought it would surface on the forthcoming released yet here I stand, dead wrong but pleased.

The song can be downloaded here

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/visitthemiddleeast