Josh Pyke never fails to impress me. I first heard “The Lighthouse Song” during his set at Bimbadgen Blues, and it was love at first listen. This is Josh doing what he does best: crafting a deceptively simple melody and overlaying some beautiful poetic lyrics. The gorgeous animation adds just the right amount of whimsy.

It’s been a massive year for indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, and it looks like 2009 could be even bigger.

His ARIA Award winning debut Gurrumul has attracted the attention of distributors worldwide, who plan to release the album in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

In January Geoffrey will capitalise on the American hype with a show at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall. It looks like the sky’s the limit for this talented singer-songwriter!

Image source: Newscom

Kate Miller-Heidke is one of the most intriguing Australian musicians, so it makes sense that her second album is titled Curiouser.

It’s an eclectic collection of songs, from the sunny pop opener “The One Thing I Know” to the moving ballad “The Last Day on Earth.” The tunes might sound markedly different, but they’re unified by Kate’s clever lyrics and sense of fun.

This is a more commercial affair than Kate’s debut Little Eve, and initially that may disappoint some fans. Her operatic trills are scaled back, and songs like the single “Can’t Shake It” will sound right at home on sandwiched between Britney and Beyonce on the radio. But Kate cleverly stays just left of the mainstream, no matter how close to it she veers. These songs are more accessible to the masses, but they’re still highly original.

The tunes all clock in at around three minutes, helping the disc move at a frantic pace. I needed to play it through three times just to absorb it all, particularly those cheeky lyrics. I think every girl will relate to the sentiments in “God’s Gift to Women” and “I Like You Better When You’re Not Around”!

Kate Miller-Heidke has gone from strength to strength with Curiouser, a complex album that gets richer with every listen. I always knew she was brilliant, but this might just be the CD that convinces the rest of Australia. Take a look at this video for a taste of the album!

Wes Carr has taken out this year’s season of Australian Idol, beating Luke Dickens in a thrilling season finale. Luke was clearly the underdog, but we all know that in Australia that means nothing as everyone loves to see the Aussie battler get up. But after standout performances every week, it’s exciting to see Wes come through with the goods.

It’s also a good thing that Wes’ first single “You” is fantastic, because we’re going to hear a lot more of it in the coming weeks! It’s at radio and available for digital download now, with the CD single to come on December 3.

The single will include some highlights of Wes’ Idol journey: new recordings of “Get Back,” “Desire,” and “If I Were a Carpenter.”

Sony Music chairman Denis Handlin says he’s “very excited” about working with the boy from Bondi.

“This year’s Idol series has uncovered an exceptional array of talent. The changes to the format this year have proven very successful and most importantly Australian Idol has discovered an outstanding winner in Wes,” he said.

“In keeping with the exciting changes of this year’s show and overwhelming public support for the finalists, we are very happy to announce that the winner’s single will be released now before he heads into the studio to work on his debut album.”

Wes’ album should be in stores in the New Year!

Congratulations Wes!

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Coldplay are bring their Viva La Vida tour Down Under. Lead singer Chris Martin has told The Sunday Telegraph he needed to ensure the concerts were flawless before bringing the show to our shores.

“For us, touring in your country is kind of exotic, so we feel like it’s kind of a treat. So we wait until we feel like we deserve to go to Australia,” he explained. “We don’t like to play in Australia until we’ve perfected our concert.”

The tour announcement coincides with this weekend’s release of a deluxe edition of Viva La Vida: Prospekt’s March, which features eight new tracks.

Coldplay tickets are available through Ticketek from 4 December. Here are the dates!

27 February 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth
3 and 4 March 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
8 and 9 March 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
11 and 12 March 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney

Image source: DaigoOlivia @ Flickr

With irresistibly catchy hook-laden tunes, Red Ink has gotten under my skin. You probably haven’t heard of this rocking quartet from Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, but it’s only a matter of time.

Patch from Motor Ace has produced the songs they’ve recorded thus far, and they’re going to mix the single with Tom Larkin (Young & Restless, Reptiles) in the new youth. We should hear the single on radio in February, before we get the chance to see the lads live in March and April.But you don’t have to wait that long to listen to them – just check out their MySpace to hear three songs including my favourite, “An Elaborate Plan to Run Away.”

Red Ink will clearly relish the chance to front their own show, after getting a taste for touring with the likes of The Galvatrons, Children Collide, Young & Restless, and Grinspoon.

These guys are all around 21 years of age, and they bring that youthful energy to the songs I’ve heard. They might be young, but their songs have a professionalism beyond their tender years. If this is what they sound like at this stage of their careers, the sky truly is the limit.

Image used with permission from Red Ink

We all know So You Think You Can Dance runner-up Rhys can bust a move, but did you know he’s also a mean singer? We’ll soon get a chance to hear him flex his vocal chords on his debut single Hot Summer.

Just like Rhys’ moves on the dancefloor, his sound is anything but predictable.

“For me music and movement have always gone hand in hand. I like anything that makes me wanna dance. Be it indy and disco, to soulful house and gospel,” he explained in a press release.

“Growing up at the Johnny Young Talent School has definitely defined my eclectic tastes. Throw in some electro, breaks and I’m there! Major influences on me have been the likes of Prince, ELO, Madonna, Queen, Daft Punk, Madonna and Basement Jaxx. I’m also totally inspired by some amazing Aussie acts at the moment, like the Presets, Midnight Juggernauts, Gotye and Van She.”

The addictive “Hot Summer” will be Network Ten’s advertising soundtrack, so we’re sure to hear a lot more of it!It’s also available for download from iTunes on Monday.

Image source: Rhys Facebook page

With their new release O Tempora! O Mores! Heartbreak Club has created one of the most addictive EPs I’ve heard in a long time. The five songs are the perfect blend of punk, pop, and rock music. The tunes are accessible but the clever quirky lyrics ensure these tunes stay left of the mainstream.

I want my readers to hear these songs, so make sure you read on to find out how you can score one of three copies of this brilliant EP. But first, I caught up with Heartbreak Club singer Teddy. Here’s what he had to say about this release, life on the road, and what 2009 holds for this fantastic Aussie act.

You worked with Ed Rose (Motion City Soundtrack, The Get Up Kids) and Anthony The (The Vines, Youth Group) on O Tempora! O Mores! What did they bring to the recording?
An amazing cross-pollination of Australian rock and American production sensibilities. Ed totally got what the band was about, and in addition to pulling and mixing some huge sounds, he worked us really hard to extract our best performances. Ed was crucial in making the CD accessible to a broad audience and radio, while not compromising the tongue-in-cheek nature of the project.

This is your second EP, and I’ve got to say five songs just doesn’t seem long enough. When can we expect a Heartbreak Club album?
We’re talking to Ed about flying him out for a month or so in early 2009. We would be looking at releasing the new album, which is almost completely written, in August-September 2009. It will have at least 12 tracks, as we totally agree, 5 tracks is just not enough!

This EP has such a great energy. How do you manage to keep those songs sounding so fresh after months on the road?
Live audiences always keep the songs fresh, particularly with all the new faces in the crowds this tour! Sure it may sound non-rock to say so, but I want people to like us – and that means we have to have the energy and freshness at every live show. Bands have gotta earn a crowd, y’know?

You’re in the middle of a national tour at the moment. What do you love most about playing live?
When we win over people who have never seen us before. It usually takes about three songs before it ‘clicks’, but by the end of the set, if they are up and dancing then we’re pretty chuffed. Also spontaneous moments – we played in Canberra on the weekend, with a fill-in bass player (due to exceptional circumstances). We rehearsed for three hours, then played a show for a crowd that for the most part were not into our style of music. But then we got offered to play a set at The Phoenix next door, and despite being exhausted we said yes. It turned out to be one of the best shows on the tour – great reaction, dancers, singalongs, and a very eclectic crowd. Meeting people on tour is also another major incentive to playing live.

Read the rest of this entry…

I’ve been a longtime David Campbell fan but his latest album Good Lovin’ had a special appeal to me. I was dying to hear him jamming with his old man, music legend Jimmy Barnes, on the soul classic “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” I caught them performing it on Sunrise this morning and it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately Sunrise don’t have embeddable videos but after a little digging I’ve found the next best thing to share with you: the music video. I only hope this isn’t the last time we hear this formidable father-son team collaborating!

Congratulations to Luke Perkins, Design, and Courtney. They’re the lucky winners of my recent The Go Set giveaway! They have each won a copy of The Go Set’s fantastic new album Rising.

Keep an eye on Oz Music Scene tomorrow when I announce another great giveaway!

Image source: Paulo Correa @ Stock.xchng