Month: July 2007

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Crowded House Announces World Tour

They may have said farewell to the world in 1996 and lost drummer Paul Hester in 2005, but Crowded House are back with a vengeance.

With new drummer Matt Sherrod, Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Mick Hart have released Time on Earth, their first studio album since 1993’s Together Alone.

To celebrate the release, they’ll kick off a world tour with a very special performance at Sydney’s Live Earth gig on July 7. Then it’s off to North America and Europe before the band returns home in November.

The Australian leg of Crowded House’s world tour kicks off in Sydney on November 5. Tickets for these shows are available tomorrow from the usual outlets.

See the Crowded House website for all their tour details.

Image source: JonnyBoyR @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Shea Fisher’s No Everyday Girl

Australia has an unlikely new star in the form of rodeo queen Shea Fisher. The 19-year-old looks to challenge popular opinions about country music with her debut album, Everyday Girl.

“I don’t write about cats or dogs dying or hay bales; I want to write songs about the things that matter to teenage girls,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“I want to break some of the myths about country music, for it to be cool and appeal to a younger market as it does in America.”

For this, Shea travelled to Nashville, the heart of country music, to record her debut release.

While she hopes to hit the mainstream charts, there’s no denying that Shea is a country girl. The Queenslander is the daughter of bull riding champion Eddie Fisher. Shea grew up riding bulls, but has now swapped this extreme sport for barrel racing.

“It’s way too dangerous to combine bull racing and singing,” she joked.

Everyday Girl is released in Australia on Saturday.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Wolfmother’s Missing Grammy

Wolfmother may have won the hard rock Grammy in February, but the Sydney Morning Herald reported the band still hasn’t received the prestigious trophy.

As is the usual practice, the band posed with a dummy trophy on the night. Bands then receive their awards when they have been engraved.

No one’s sure quite what the hold-up is, but the hairy lads aren’t too concerned. They’re too busy preparing for Saturday’s Sydney Live Earth show.

The final details are still being ironed out, with organisers still unsure whether Wolfmother or Jack Johnson will precede headliners Crowded House. My vote’s for Wolfmother. While they may not be the most original band around, at least they’re an Australian one.

Image source: redbeardedwonder @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Something for Kate Release Double Greatest Hits

Something for Kate have had so many hits over their 10-year career, they needed two CDs for their new ‘best of’ album.

The Murmur Years, to be released on August 18, features a whopping 32 massive hits and a new track called “The Futurist.”

To celebrate the release, the indie trio will hit the road in September for a national tour. Kicking off in Melbourne, the tour will visit most Australian states. Tickets are on sale from July 5 at the usual outlets. See Something for Kate’s website for the complete list of tour dates.

If you can’t wait for the new album, Something for Kate have recorded some of their favorite tunes for an iTunes “Originals” session. This very special performance is available for download now.

Image source: Mark Turner @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ben Lee’s Newie Ripe With Talent

Ben Lee‘s latest album, Ripe, is jam-packed with big-name talent.

Ben showed his affection for Good Charlotte in his smash hit “Catch My Disease.” On his sixth solo release, Undercover reports that the indie rocker gets a chance to appear with the punk outfit’s breakout star, Benji Madden.

Ben duets with pop darling Mandy Moore on the light-hearted 50s style “Birds and Bees.” The album also features appearances from Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Chicago songbird Rachael Yamagata, and members of Rooney.

But the big names don’t stop there. John Alagia, famous for his work with John Mayer and Dave Matthews, has produced the star-studded affair.

Ripe will hit Australian and American stores on September 18.

Image source: Guido van Nispen @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Big Names Play Small Towns

Here’s one for the kids in the bush. Indie radio network Triple J will rock the Outback with a series of free outdoor concerts.

Chart toppers Missy Higgins and Something for Kate will perform alongside blues band Blue King Brown at the tour’s first show in Humpty Doo. Around 5,000 people call the Northern Territory community home.

Powderfinger, The Cat Empire and Grinspoon will then star in concerts in Karratha, Burnie and Innisfail.

Local artists will play alongside the headliners at these very special events.

The Triple J Goes AWOL concert series aims to bring some of Australia’s hottest artists to some of its most remote regions.

“We are bringing live music to places that don’t get a whole lot of live music,” said a Triple J spokesperson.

The Triple J Goes AWOL series kicks off on July 21. See the Triple J website for more details.

Image source: ABC website