Country starlet Amber Lawrence is offering fans a free download of her new song, “When It All Comes Down.” The tune is the title track from Amber’s sophomore album, which is in stores now.
The emotional song was penned as a tribute to her father, who died of leukaemia in 2008.
“This is the title track of the album, and the most truthful and heartfelt song on the album,” she explained. “This song asks some pretty hard questions about what life is all about. I wrote this song last year, as I spent the most part of 2008 walking Corridor 10 of the Prince of Wales hospital – visiting my dad as he battled leukaemia.
“Although we lost my Dad, the song has a happy ending – answering what my family and I found out to be the meaning of 2008 – that “When it all comes down to it … it all comes down to love.”
Visit Amber’s website to score the free track!
Image source: Amber Lawrence photo gallery
Despite all the financial doom and gloom, music sales have remained steady in Australia. In fact, sales in the first half of the year are up compared to the same period in 2008.
Digital sales are the biggest area of growth. Single track sales increased by 36.46% while digital album sales were up 56.81%. That corresponds to a 44.18% drop in CD single sales, and a 4.48% drop in album sales. Of course, the single sales may have been that much worse because singles are simple so hard to find!
Musical purists like myself may be happy to note the whopping growth in vinyl sales. 9680 vinyl units were sold in the first half of 2008, but in the first half of this year that rose to a massive 38, 364 units. It’s similarly pleasing for me to see ringtone sales fall from 2, 316, 864 to 1, 992, 231. Does that mean we’re finally done with fads like the Crazy Frog?
“It is extremely heartening to see the market leveling out like this when, given the economic climate, people may have expected to see a general decline,” ARIA Chairman and Warner CEO Ed St. John said in a statement.
He adds that digital is the way of the future. “It’s the most positive sign we’ve witnessed in a long time that the digital format is firmly established and well on it’s way to replacing any value lost via the physical format decline. What we are seeing is the first tentative evidence of a return to growth.”
Image source: Paulo Correa @ Stock.xchng
Kram may be poised for international stardom after his solo songs have been added to several global media ventures.
The most lucrative deal sees Kram’s song “Silk Suits” used for the next Smirnoff Vodka marketing campaign. The song will be used in a 12-month campaign which will be seen in several countries including the United States.
“Good Love” will be used in a television campaign for the racing game Dirt 2. Meanwhile “The Best Thing” has attracted the ears of Hollywood. The song will feature in two upcoming American films.
All tracks come from Kram’s first solo album, Mix Tape.
Image source: Stuart Sevastos @ Flickr
Here’s our first look at Guy Sebastian’s new album Like it Like That. The cover shows Guy embracing his current New York City base, with the Empire State Building standing proudly in the background.
This sneak peek does come with some bad news though. The album, featuring the number one single of the same name, has been pushed back to an October 23 release. I’m sure it’ll all be worth the wait though!
Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia
Jet are currently Stateside spruiking their new album Shaka Kula, but the band hasn’t forgotten about their fans back home.
Since Homebake sold out, the band will also perform sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne in December. They’ll play The Metro on December 4, the day before Homebake, before hitting Melbourne’s The Palace on December 9.
While visiting the US of A the band recently performed “She’s a Genius” on Late Night with David Letterman. Here’s the performance for those of you who were sleeping soundly when it aired!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otv4xVT8iSs]
And here I was thinking Peter Andre’s career comeback was destined to fail. But it seems that the Brits are still mad about the impossibly tanned Aussie expat and his perfect six-pack.
His new album Revelation has made an impressive number three debut on the UK charts. That sees our Peter outselling the likes of Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, and all those reissued Beatles albums. Something’s just not quite right about that. Is it because he bought all the albums himself?
But seriously, good luck to him. With his divorce from Jordan starting to get messy, Mr Andre will probably need all the extra cash he can get!
Image source: Newscom
Tonight the Australian Idol top 10 sang top 10 hits. But first of all we had to get to just 10 by eliminating one of our contestants. I was honestly shocked to see Kim Cooper and Sabrina Batshon sharing the bottom three spots with serial offender Casey Barnes. While I love Casey, when compared with those two girls he really deserved to go.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw5vB0vNaf4]
Sabrina Batshon kicked it off with “When Love Takes Over.” I really liked her enthusiasm, and the different approach she took on this song compared to the serious numbers we’ve had in the past. But I don’t think this was her best vocal performance. It was a little pitchy, and shrieky in places. It’s a shame, because I liked seeing this different side of her.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbML9oTTLqw]
Toby Moulton stripped back and slowed down the ‘80s classic “Take On Me.” I love love love this song, and while it was a very different version, I loved it too. It felt very intimate, and to get that across to a television audience is very special indeed. This was just beautiful.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QePuWHqh5b4]
Kim Cooper embraced her pop roots with Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.” This has never been one of my favourite songs, but I think she brought a new depth and edge to this track. I also appreciated that her vocals didn’t suffer with her dancing. Achieving that balance is a tricky one, and I think Kim managed it.
Read the rest of this entry…
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The hits of recent ARIA Hall of Fame inductee John Paul Young come together in a new greatest hits album cheekily titled I Hate the Music.
The album features many of JPY’s top 40 hits, including the title track, “Yesterday’s Hero,” “The Love Game,” “Standing in the Rain” and the always popular “Love Is In the Air.”
I Hate the Music hits record stores shelves around the country this weekend.
Kiwi expat Gin Wigmore teased us with the release of her EP Extended Play. Now with her debut album Holy Smoke, Gin shows us why she’s one of the most intriguing musicians on the local scene.
The album toes that fine and difficult musical line, remaining accessible while never sacrificing its emotional heart. Recorded in America’s famed Capitol Studios with The Cardinals, it’s no surprise that it sounds incredibly slick. But Gin’s distinctively rasping vocals ensure it never feels superficially polished.
Holy Smoke was written after an intense relationship break-down. While those emotions colour the tracks, they never become too bogged down in the drama. The first single “Oh My” shows the way Gin can defiantly deliver lyrics about being beaten in the game of love against energetic hand-clapping melodies. Gin allows herself to be vulnerable in the fragile closing tracks “Golden Ship” and “Dying Day,” but for the most part this recording is all about strength and bluesy grit.
The brassy soul sounds remind me a little of Duffy, Amy Winehouse, and other British singers of that ilk, but that’s just the start of it. There are more colours in there: blues, jazz, pop, rock, and even a little reggae in the laidback “I Do.” Holy Smoke is an excellent album from one of our brightest new stars.
Holy Smoke hits stores on September 25.
Image source: JB Hi-Fi
80s pretty boys Duran Duran and our own political rockers Midnight Oil seem like chalk and cheese, so it’s surprising to hear that Duran Duran plan to record a cover of the Oils hit “Beds are Burning.”
Duran Duran will join more than 55 other artists and celebrities including Sir Bob Geldof, The Scorpions, Marion Cotillard, and Youssou N’Dour for the track. More artists are expected to join the project before its release on October 1 at Paris Fashion Week.
The song will spearhead a climate change awareness campaign headed by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
The track will be available for free download on its release. It remains to be seen whether it’s got the power of a “We Are The World” or “Do They Know it’s Christmas,” but it’s sounding promising so far! It’s hoped the recording will pressure world leaders to reach an agreement on tackling climate change at December’s United Nations conference in Denmark.
