Lior’s debut album Autumn Flow did big things in 2005, scoring a handful of ARIA nominations and achieving gold status. Now he’s set to replicate this success with album number two, Corner of an Endless Road.
“These new songs are intensely personal and candid,” says Lior. “Corner of an Endless Road is a true representation of my musical landscape; think Led Zeppelin jamming with Nick Drake at a teahouse somewhere in the Middle East.”
That’s some description! Sadly we’ll have to wait until February 9 to hear the new disc, although the first single “Heal Me” is out in November.
But fans will have a sneak peek of the album when Lior takes the new songs on the road in November. He’ll play some very special intimate shows, starting at the Governor Hindmarsh in Adelaide on the 16th. From there he’ll visit Melbourne, Sydney, Fremantle, Brisbane, Port Douglas, Cairns, and Byron Bay. Full details of the shows are available at Lior’s website.
The Adelaide Advertiser ran a fascinating article today where (mostly) Australian artist spoke about the albums they couldn’t get enough of.
It’s little surprise to know our own talented troubadour Ben Lee is a big Bob Dylan fan, or that Silverchair dumming whiz Ben Gillies took his cues from Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham.
But I was a little more shocked to read that softly spoken singer/songwriter Josh Pyke can’t get enough of the Gunner’s rock classic Appetite for Destruction. And who would have thought that our newest pop princess Amy Pearson loves the grit of Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Like the local stars featured here, my favourite album isn’t an Australian one either. I still can’t go past Matchbox Twenty’s Yourself Or Someone Like You for a front-to-back compelling listening experience. I bought it as an angsty teenager (that’s showing my age) and more than a decade later I love it just as much.
But what about you? I’d love to know what album really rocks your world, whether it’s Australian or not!
Ben Lee has released the feel-good album of the year. The appropriately titled Ripe is a mature effort, bursting with happiness and good vibes.
A more cynical critic may argue that this disc is weaker for its lack of angst, but such positivity is refreshing and very easy to listen to. These critics tend to equate negativity with depth, but to dismiss Ben Lee’s newie is to miss the album’s subtleties.
He’s a very clever lyricist, and this prevents the album’s love songs from drowning in a sea of frothiness and fluff. The quirky phrases are modern and intensely believable. The single “Love Me Like the World Is Ending” is a great indication of the original romantic tunes contained on the disc. The 50s-inspired duet with Mandy Moore, “Birds and Bees,” is also really sweet.
But it’s not all about love. Lust gets a run too in the brutally honest “Sex Without Love.” Ben’s ode to an American urban megastar, “What Would Jay-Z Do?” is surprisingly more convincing than it sounds.
She may have lost the Australian Idol crown to Damien Leith, but there was no second prize for Jessica Mauboy last night. The teen sensation was named Artist of the Year at the Deadly Awards.
The Deadlys celebrate the achievements of indigenous Australians in music, sport, entertainment, and the community.
“Being part indigenous, it does mean a lot,” said Jess, whose mother is Aboriginal.
“I see the youth having difficulties knowing what they want to do and I really want to be a role model.”
It’s been a big week for the 18-year-old from Darwin, who was also just named as the newest Young Diva. She replaces Ricki-Lee Coulter in the Idol supergroup, which also features Kate DeAraugo, Paulini Curuenavuli, and Emily Williams.
Entertainer Jimmy Little was honoured with the lifetime achievement award for his music and charity work for improved indigenous health.
Kev Carmody’s Cannot Buy My Soul was named album of the year, while Queensland’s Black Image took home the band of the year award.
Troy Casser-Daley’s “Going Back Home” won the song of the year, recognising the most-performed indigenous song in 2007.
He’s got the number one album in the country at the moment, and James Blunt is heading to Australia to say thank you!
His second album, All The Lost Souls, wasted no time making an impression with a number one debut this week.
James Blunt will be in Australia to promote his new record (not that he needs to!) from October 13 to 19.
“I am so excited to be returning to Australia,” he said in a recent press release. “I have a lot of friends over there and this will be my chance to thank everyone for their phenomenal support.”
Most of James’ time will be taken up with media obligations, but he will perform for his Sydney fans on October 18. If you want to be there make sure you listen to Nova radio for your chance to win the tickets!
The Veronicas are coming home for Christmas to perform some massive shows around the country! The Origliasso twins, now based in America, have not played in Australia since last year’s Coke Live arena tour.
The Hook Me Up tour will showcase the sisters’ new electro-pop sound, a dramatic departure from their original rock-pop harmonies.
The tour will be The Veronicas biggest headlining tour of Australia. It will kick off in Perth on November 30, before heading to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The Veronicas new album, Hook Me Up, is released in November 3, so there’s plenty of time to learn all the words before these shows!
Sydney was treated to an outstanding rock show last night when American band Daughtry joined Brisbane’s Small Mercies at The Gaelic Theatre. It took me some effort to drag myself to Sydney for the show, as I’d been feeling unwell all day, but I’m so glad I did.
The tiny Surry Hills venue was crowded with hundreds keenly anticipating Daughtry’s first Sydney appearance. The upper level, usually the place to be for a relaxed concert experience, was reserved for VIPs, leaving the average punters packed in like sardines. I really didn’t think I was up to standing all night, but a lovely security guard took pity on my poor health and promptly found me a stool and water. I may not have lasted til the end of the show without him!
Now comfortably sitting and a little more hydrated, I was feeling pretty good when Small Mercies took the stage. I’d never seen these guys before, but they’ve been big in Queensland for years. After seeing their set, I’m glad the rest of the country appears to be catching on. The four-piece showed real diversity in their half-hour slot. Their heavy tracks pleased the rock-loving crowd, who also enjoyed singing along to the new single “Innocent.”
Daughtry were up next, with a blistering set that matched the anticipation in the room. They made it clear they were there to rock, opening with “Crashed.”
Chris Daughtry is such an engaging frontman. He didn’t take his foot from the throttle at any point, delivering each track with maximum intensity. And there’s no denying that he’s sexy as all get out.
But I also appreciated the way he engaged with the audience. Yes, he encouraged the crowd to sing along and clap their hands, but his efforts went beyond that. He’d only been in Australia for a few days, yet he managed to weave some of our more colourful terms into his banter. He called us “mates,” asked how all the “sheilas” were, and even admitted that he was a “bogan.”
The concert was billed as an album showcase, so it was little surprise to hear most of the tracks from Daughtry’s self-titled album. Their killer cover of Alice in Chains’ “Nutshell” was an unexpected treat. The hour-long set was over far too quickly and soon we were hearing the last song of the night, the frantic “There and Back Again.”
Chris said they’ll be back next year, and I look forward to doing it all again then. Of course, next time they’ll play much larger venues than this, and the tickets will be more expensive. Knowing this just makes me appreciate last night’s gig that much more.
If you couldn’t make it to the show, or you’d just like to relive it, here’s a video my husband took last night during “It’s Not Over.” Unfortunately he realised he was filming side-on a little too late, but he does right it during the first chorus!
Delta Goodrem has proved she’s the comeback queen. Her new single “In This Life” has debuted at number one on the ARIA singles charts. This is Delta’s eighth Australian number one, but she hasn’t had a hit since “Almost Here” in 2005.
She joins Ricki-Lee whose dance hit “Can’t Touch It” is sitting at number 10 after seven weeks.
The album charts saw another impressive Australian debut. Shannon Noll’s latest album, Turn It Up, has landed at number three. The only other Aussies in the album charts are The Waifs. Their newie, Sun Dirt Water, slipped from number three to number eight this week.
After consistently bad reviews, Lana Krost bowed out of the Australian Idol finals last night. Her performance of Moloko’s “Sing It Back” was undoubtedly her strongest, but it wasn’t enough to convince Australia.
The pretty Perth teen took the news well, declaring “I’m going to look at it like I came 10th out of 35, 000 people.”
Good for her! The elimination probably came at a good time, as Lana can now focus on her year 12 final exams next week.
The biggest surprise of the night wasn’t Lana’s elimination, but the other Idols standing with her in the bottom three. Despite solid performances, Tarisai Vushe and Daniel Mifsud failed to connect with the voting public.
They’ll be looking for stronger performances on next week’s acoustic show. This is a theme I’m definitely looking forward to, as the singers can play instruments. This is what being an artist is all about, so the show will give us a real indication of the star potential of our top nine.
Last night our Australian Idol hopefuls showed they can bust a move with outstanding disco grooves. There were plenty of top-notch performances, but last night’s standout was Matt Corby who scored the season’s first touchdown.
Tarisai Vushe started the night with the disco classic “Hot Stuff.” She definitely looked the part, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by her performance which verged on shouting in places. It was a solid effort, but not the showstopper I expected from her.
Ben McKenzie almost scored a touchdown for his take on “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” I loved how Ben built this, taking it from emotive ballad to dance floor filler. He had all the moves down and interpreted the song perfectly. A really good job.
Mark Da Costa played it smart, choosing “Nutbush City Limits.” The song fit the disco genre without forcing Mark to stray too far from his rock roots. He matched Tina Turner’s rasp perfectly and got the crowd dancing.
Lana Krost also made a smart song choice with Moloko’s “Bring it Back.” So often performers stumble by choosing songs they don’t really understand from decades before. By keeping it contemporary, Lana really shone. She’s still a bit weaker than some of the other performers, but every week she’s improving and that needs to be commended.
Jacob Butler was one of the performers most likely to struggle with disco. Unlike Mark, who chose a rock-edged disco number, Jacob decided to tackle one of the genre’s modern masters with Jamiroquai’s “Canned Heat.” I admire that he embraced the genre and decided to play it straight, but it didn’t quite work for me. Jay Kay’s vocals are so demanding, and Jacob’s voice wasn’t really up to the task.
Marty Simpson decided to give Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” a reggae vibe. While the judges’ verdicts were mixed, I personally love what he did here. I’m not a huge disco fan, but I think he actually delivered his best performance this competition. It was a really clever choice for a guy that was always going to struggle with straight disco.
Daniel Mifsud also gave one of his best performances with his cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” Song choice was always going to be critical this week, with so many Idols stepping into unfamiliar territory. This was another canny decision, combining disco with Daniel’s preferred genres of rock and soul. I felt this was his most believable performance since the auditions, a real return to form.
In my mind, Carl Riseley was last night’s surprise package. No one could accuse him of straying from the genre this week, with his traditional delivery of Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” His falsetto was a bit weak, but it didn’t matter. What I loved most about this is that it looked like Carl was having fun for the first time this year. And that’s exactly what disco is all about!
Matt Corby also decided to dazzle us with a little Earth, Wind and Fire. His version of “Got To Get You Into My Life” actually earned him the season’s first touchdown. Great vocals, great interpretation, a touchdown that was well deserved.
If we hadn’t seen a little Gloria Gaynor on disco night I would have been sorely disappointed. Natalie Gauci came through with the goods, delivering a near perfect rendition of “I Will Survive.” I say near perfect, because like Mark the vocal gymnastics bug me too. Hopefully she takes this advice on board and gets that touchdown next week.
It’s going to be a close race before tonight’s elimination. My heart thinks Jacob Butler might go, considering how close he came last week. It’ll be a real shame though, as he certainly gave this week his all. Lana Krost’s run may also come to an end, which would also be a shame as she’s learning so much. Still, I’m at that point where I don’t really want anyone to leave! Who’s your pick to go?
