Adelaide double act Atlas Genius might just have what it takes to be our next big export. The lads are putting in the hard yards now after the recent release of their debut album When It Was Now.

The album showcases the pop sensibilities and synth-laden riffs that had crowds buzzing at South by Southwest. You can get a taste of all that with the band’s latest video “Centered on You”.

South by Southwest was months ago, but it seems Atlas Genius are in no rush to return to home shores either, as they’ve got a stack of shows coming up around the US and Europe. They’ll even appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on May 2 (or May 3 Australian time). Make sure you set your PVRs Aussies! Here are all the places music lovers abroad can see them play. Hopefully we won’t lose this hot new act permanently!

3 May 2013 – Penguin in Soho, New York (Free All Ages Acoustic Show)
4 May 2013 – The Piazza at Schmidt’s, Philadelphia
7 May 2013 – Electrowerzk, London
8 May 2013 – Prinzenbar, Hamburg
18 May 2013 – KROQ Weenie Roast, Irvine
19 May 2013 – Live 105 BFD Festival, Mountain View
20 May 2013 – Soho Restaurant and Music Club, Santa Barbara (SOLD OUT)
22 May 2013 – Harlow’s, Sacremento
24 May 2013 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland
25 May 2013 – Sasquatch Festival, Quincy
26 May 2013 – Venue, Vancouver
29 May 2013 – Kilby Court, Salt Lake City
31 May 2013 – Bluebird Theatre, Denver (SOLD OUT)
1 June 2013 – The Black Sheep, Colorado Springs
4 June 2013 – Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis (SOLD OUT)
6 June 2013 – Deluxe at Old National Centre, Indianapolis
7 June 2013 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus
9 June 2013 – 3rd & Lindley, Nashville
11 June 2013 – The Norva, Norfolk
12 June 2013 – The Canal Club, Richmond
14 June 2013 – Bayou Café, Albany
15 June 2013 – The Sinclair, Cambridge (SOLD OUT)
17 June 2013 – Met Café, Providence
18 & 19 June 2013 – Bowery Ballroom, New York (SOLD OUT)
20 June 2013 – Wolf Den, Uncasville
21 June 2013 – Firefly Music Festival, Dover
23 June 2013 – The Opera House, Toronto
24 June 2013 – Shelter, Detroit
27 June 2013 – Summerfest, Milwaulkee
30 June 2013 – The Pagent, St Louis
6 July 2013 – Kelowna’s Waterfront Park, Vancouver
10 July 2013 – Ottawa Blues Festival, Ottawa
13 July 2013 – Bunbury Music Fest, Cincinnati
2 August 2013 – Lollapalooza, Chicago
4 August 2013 – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, Montreal
11 August 2013 – Golden Gate Park Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco
20 September 2013 – Sleep Train Ampitheatre, Chula Vista

After winning Australia over with their love of facial hair, The Beards are taking on the world.

The hirsute ones are currently spending time in North America, warming up for a return to home soil for a handful of holiday festivals. Then it’s back on a plane to dazzle European audiences before they arrive home triumphant for the world tour finale. It’s an ambitious schedule, but one that’s been carefully thought out by the band who decided to concentrate on the world’s most developed nations.

“People living in developed countries are more susceptible to shaving.” explained the band’s frontman, Johann Beardraven. “They are a high risk group, so it’s important for our message to reach them before it’s too late.”

Indeed. You can hear The Beards’ message at the following shows.

23 March 2013 – Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (daytime show)
23 March 2013 – Bovine Sex Club, Toronto
24 March 2013 – Sons Of Essex, New York (daytime show)
28 March-1 April 2013 – Byron Bay Bluesfest, Byron Bay
25 April 2013 – The Gum Ball Festival, Hunter Valley
11 May 2013 – 4AD, Diksmuide
12 May 2013 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
13 May 2013 – Molotow, Hamburg
14 May 2013 – Fraanz Club, Berlin
16 May 2013 – Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
17 May 2013 – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
19 May 2013 – Bearded Theory Festival, Derby
20 May 2013 – Hoxton Square Bar, London
21 May 2013 – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham
22 May 2013 – Deaf Institute, Manchester
23 May 2013 – The Louisianna, Bristol
24 May 2013 – Leadmill, Sheffield
26 May 2013 – Scrumpstock Festival, Somerset
31 May 2013 – Jive, Adelaide
7 June 2013 – Amplifier Capitol, Perth
8 June 2013 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
13 June 2013 – Pelly Bar @ Pier Live, Frankston
14 June 2013 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
15 June 2013 – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne
21 June 2013 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
22 June 2013 – The Northern, Byron Bay
27 June 2013 – The Cambridge, Newcastle
28 June 2013 – Waves, Wollongong
29 June 2013 – The Metro, Sydney

Image used with permission from Riot House Publicity

If you weren’t paying attention, you might have missed the release of Katie Noonan’s new album. There was little fanfare when Songbook hit record store shelves recently, but it’s an album which shouldn’t fly under the radar.

The disc sees Katie reinventing key songs from her career with the help of a lush strings section. This version of “Breathe In Now” from her George days made me melt. I’m desperate to wrap my ears around the rest of the album.

Songbook is available in limited numbers through Katie’s website and iTunes. It’s been launched in conjunction with a real songbook which features sheet music, rare photographs, and the stories behind the songs that made Katie a household name.

This is such a personal album that it’s only fitting that Katie wants to introduce it to her fans in a series of intimate shows. Making them extra special, Katie promises to share the stories behind the songs she plays with her audiences. She’ll also play her first ever shows in America this week as part of the Songbook tour before returning home for the Australian dates.

27 February 2013 – Tin Angel, Philadelphia
28 February 2013 – Rockwood Music Hall, New York
2 March 2013 – Room 5, Los Angeles
7 March 2013 – Garden Of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide Fringe Festival
6 April 2013 – Old Museum – Concert Hall, Brisbane (with string quartet)
11 April 2013 – Heritage Hotel , Bulli
12 April 2013 – The Abbey, Canberra
13 April 2013 – The Basement, Sydney (with string quartet)
14 April 2013 – Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba
27 April 2013 – Flinders Performance Centre, Buderim
2 May 2013 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
3 May 2013 – Lizotte’s, Dee Why
4 May 2013 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
5 May 2013 – Lizotte’s, New Lambton

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

It’ll be a double-dose of Aussie talent when Perth’s The Growl joins fellow statesmen Tame Impala on their North American tour next week.

The bands are no strangers to one another after The Growl joined Tame Impala on their Aussie tour to launch Lonerism. They won plenty of new fans on that tour for their raw brand of bluesy rock, and they’re sure to do the same when they get in front of American audiences. The US shows are the perfect warm-up for the band, who will return home in April for the release of their debut LP What Would Christ Do?? I’m told that a national headlining tour isn’t too far away.

Until then it’s time for North America to discover these rocking Aussie acts. Here are all the places my US and Canadian readers can see them play!

19 February 2013 – Terminal 5, New York City
20 February 2013 – 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
21 February 2013 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
22 February 2013 – The Orange Peel, Asheville
23 February 2013 – The Georgia Theater, Athens
25 February 2013 – Fitzgerald’s, Houston
26 February 2013 – Stubb’s, Austin
27 February 2013 – Granada Theater, Dallas
28 February 2013 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa
2 March 2013 – Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville
3 March 2013 – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaulkee
4 March 2013 – First Avenue, Minneapolis
6 March 2013 – Vic Theater, Chicago
7 March 2013 – St. Andrews Hall, Detroit
8 March 2013 – Newport Music Hall, Columbus
9 March 2013 – Kool Haus, Toronto
11 March 2013 – Metropolis, Montreal
12 March 2013 – House of Blues, Boston

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water

Award winning hip hop act 360 will play shows in the United States early next year, including his first in New York City.

Considering the busy 2012 he’s had, no one would blame him if he took some time off until those dates, but it seems he wants to say goodbye to his fans in Oz properly. He’ll play a string of local gigs, including slots at the Big Day Out tour, before taking off for America’s bright lights.

More American dates will be added to 360’s schedule, but for now here are all the places we can all see him play over the coming months.

29 December 2012 – Oxford Street Party @ The Riverbank, Rockhampton
30 December 2012 – Pyramid Rock Festival, Phillip Island
31 December 2012 – Inserts to Play @ Supreme Court Gardens, Perth
18 January 2013 – Big Day Out @ Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
20 January 2013 – Big Day Out @ Gold Coast Parklands, Gold Coast
25 January 2013 – Big Day Out @ Adelaide Showgrounds, Adelaide
26 January 2013 – Big Day Out @ Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
28 January 2013 – Big Day Out @ Claremont Showgrounds, Perth
10 March 2013 – Breath of Life @ Inversek Park, Launceston
18 March 2013 – Santos Party House, New York
23 March 2013 – Viper Room, Los Angeles

Image used with permission from Crucial Music

Jacob Butler is taking advantage of the buzz he’s building abroad with a month long European promotional tour.

During his time in Europe, Jacob will play acoustic showcases in Germany, Sweden, and Poland. These appearances include an album release event at the Australian Embassy in Stockholm and a show in the Swedish capital’s Aussie Boomerang Bar on October 24. Jacob’s album Reason will hit Swedish record stores on November 15.

Jacob has also just signed a licensing deal with Richard Branson’s V2 label, which will see his debut album Reason released in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg early next year.

Image source: Jacob Butler Facebook page

Angus Stone will warm up for his Australian solo tour with shows in North America and Europe. Angus will kick off his Broken Brights World Tour in Los Angeles on Tuesday and tour through until local shows in January.

Angus is particularly excited to take his brand of “prairie dog blues” to the United States, where he’ll play some of the country’s most iconic nightspots.

“We’re playing really cool venues and it’s become much like it has here [in Australia] in the way we can play solid shows,” he explained. “Going to places like Salt Lake City and making our way up to Canada, in through all the rural parts of the States, it’s amazing how your music can trickle into all those different rivers of another continent.”

Europeans shouldn’t feel too short-changed either. While Angus won’t be in the region too long, he promises to return in 2013. Until then, Angus Stone fans around the world can look forward to the following shows.

11 September 2012 – Troubadour, Los Angeles
12 September 2012 – Slim’s, San Francisco
14 September 2012 – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
15 September 2012 – The Crocodile, Seattle
16 September 2012 – Electric Owl, Vancouver
18 September 2012 – The State Room, Salt Lake City
19 September 2012 – Fox Theatre, Boulder
21 September 2012 – Park West, Chicago
22 September 2012 – The Crofoot @ Pike Room, Pontiac
23 September 2012 – Opera House, Toronto
24 September 2012 – Cabaret Du Mile End, Montreal
25 September 2012 – Brighton Music Hall, Allston
28 September 2012 – Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington DC
29 September 2012 – Bowery Ballroom, New York
30 September 2012 – World Café Live, Philadelphia
8 & 9 October 2012 – The Lexington, London (SOLD OUT)
10 October 2012 – The Point FMR, Paris
12 October 2012 – Rotonde, Brussels (SOLD OUT)
13 October 2012 – Tivoli De Helling, Utrecht (SOLD OUT)
15 October 2012 – Gruner Salon in der Volksbühne, Berlin
1 November 2012 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
2 November 2012 – Level One @ Newcastle Leagues, Newcastle
3 November 2012 – Waves, Wollongong
7 November 2012 – Great Northern, Byron Bay
9 November 2012 – The Hi Fi, Brisbane
10 November 2012 – Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast
11 November 2012 – Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast
17 November 2012 – Perth Zoo, Perth
21 November 2012 – The Palace Theatre, Melbourne
23 November 2012 – Ferntree Gully Hotel, Ferntree Gully
24 November 2012 – Pier Live, Frankston
28 November 2012 – Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide
1 December 2012 – Tanks Art Centre, Cairns
8 December 2012 – Homebake @ The Domain, Sydney
28 December 2012 – 1 January 2013 – The Falls Festival, Lorn (SOLD OUT)
29 December 2012 – 1 January 2013 – The Falls Festival, Marion Bay
4 January 2013 – Southbound Festival @ Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton

Image used with permission from International Music Concepts

Chet Faker has just signed a deal with American label Downtown Records which will see his debut EP Thinking in Textures released across the United States. The CD will hit US stores on May 22 with a vinyl release to follow on June 19.

No doubt Chet will be keen to return to the States to capitalise on the release, but right now he’s ready to kick off his United Kingdom tour. The Brits loved his EP when it was released there through Chess Club Records in March. He’ll be back on home soil soon enough too. Chet’s already booked in to support The Temper Trap as part of Sydney’s Vivid Festival, and he’s got some slots at Splendour.

Here are all the places you can see Chet Faker play in the coming months:

8 May 2012 – BBC Introducing @ Social, London
10 May 2012 – YoYo @ Notting Hill Arts Club, London
11 May 2012 – Chess Club & Neon Gold Showcase @ The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
12 May 2012 – Sounds Australia Showcase @ The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
31 May & 1 June 2012 – Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House, Sydney (supporting The Temper Trap)
27-29 July 2012 – Splendour in the Grass Festival, Byron Bay

Image used with permission from Remote Control Records

I don’t expect that Melbourne’s Frowning Clouds have long faces at the moment. Following packed out local launch shows for their single “All Night Long” and a supporting slot on Eagle & The Worm’s national tour, the band is taking flight.

The indie rockers will commence a run of European dates later this week, culminating with a slot at Spain’s Purple Weekend Festival. Europeans can see this exciting new Aussie act at the following venues.

25 November 2011 – Zoo Zoo Club @ The Blues Kitchen, London
26 November 2011 – Sonic Ballroom, Cologne
27 November 2011 – King Kong Klub, Berlin
1 December 2011 – Le Mojomatic, Montpellier
2 December 2011 – Le Deep Inside, Dijon
3 December 2011 – Le Mechanique Ondulatoire, Paris
4 December 2011 – Purple Weekend Festival, Leon

Image used with permission from Singhala Music

After wowing Australian audiences with his A to Z shows, Paul Kelly’s preparing to do it all over again in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.

Paul will play tunes from A to Z to support the international releases of The A to Z Recordings and his book How to Make Gravy. One hundred of his most beloved works will be performed acoustically in alphabetical order across four nights in the UK. It seems Americans will need to do a bit of travelling if they want the complete A to Z experience as he’s only stopping in each city for two nights. Fans can buy individual tickets or multi-night bundles.

Paul Kelly is one of Australia’s best kept secrets, and most acclaimed singer-songwriters. I really hope plenty of international readers get out to these shows to discover for themselves just how brilliant he is.

30 August – 2 September 2011 – Bush Hall, London
7 – 10 September 2011 – Sugar Club, Dublin
12 & 13 September 2011 – Schuba’s, Chicago
14 & 15 September 2011 – Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles
18 & 19 September 2011 – Electric Owl, Vancouver
23 & Sat 24 September 2011 – Dakota Tavern, Toronto
26 & Tues 27 September 2011 – Rockwood Music Hall, New York

Image source: Andrew Braithwaite @ Wikipedia Commons