Month: July 2009

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kram Offers Words of Wisdom Ahead of uncharTED Grand Final

Kram burst onto the Aussie music scene as the drummer for indie darlings Spiderbait. Now he’s making waves with his solo career, and on Thursday July 9 he’ll headline the uncharTED Grand Final at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory.

Kram says competitions like it “are always worth supporting as they give bands a chance for people to check them out and maybe win some dollars, which always helps.”

While these comps often help artists “make it big,” Kram says that should never be the end goal.

“Honestly, don’t try and make it big,” he advises. “You’ll smell of it a mile off. Just make the best music you can and try to do your own thing. Don’t care too much and hope for some luck.”

These nights always have winners and losers, but Kram says it doesn’t really matter which side you’re on.
“Winning is great but losing is not too bad either. I mean you’re playing music not shovelling shit and life is short so good luck to all!”

Image source: Stuart Sevastos @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Michael Jackson Dominates Australian Charts

Following global trends, Michael Jackson’s albums and singles have dominated this week’s ARIA charts. The late King of Pop has an amazing 15 albums in the top 100, and another 34 singles in the charts this week.

MJ is holding down the top three spots on the album charts with The Essential Michael Jackson, #1s, and Thriller. Thriller’s title track is also leading the singles charge, sitting pretty at number three ahead of “Black or White,” “Billie Jean,” and “Man in the Mirror.”

The Michael Jackson sold 62, 015 albums last week, which equates to 29.6% of all albums sold. Not a bad effort at all I’d say!

Click below to see just how Michael charted this week.

Continue reading “Michael Jackson Dominates Australian Charts” →
Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Galvatrons Throw Us a Free "Molotov Cocktail"

The Galvatrons debut album Laser Graffiti is now in stores! To celebrate the release of this instant classic, the Aussie retro rockers are offering fans a free download of a brand new song, “Molotov Cocktail.”

To score the MP3 for nix, just point your browser to The Galvatrons website. While you’re there you can also watch the band’s videos, stay up to date with their news and Twitter feeds, and much more. Check it out!

Image supplied by Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Black Ryder Prepare Debut Release

Australian rockers The Black Ryder burst onto the scene last year supporting Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Since then they’ve shared the stage with The Raveonettes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Charlatans. They’ve generated plenty of buzz, so it’s probably about time they released an album!

Well they’ve been locked away in their home studio for the last few months, and we’re almost ready to hear the fruits of their labour. The Black Ryder will release their debut disc The Anti-Machine Machine on their own label, in conjunction with EMI Music Australia and Original Matters, this October.

The unique release deal allows the band to develop independently and maintain creative control while enjoying the benefits of a major label’s support.

“Since the inception of this project we’ve felt very passionately about allowing the music and everything that surrounds it to evolve in it’s most natural (and for the most part unconventional) form,” explained The Black Ryder’s singer, Aimee Nash.

“This new initiative with Original Matters and EMI Music will allow us to release the album we always wanted to release on our own (newly created) label. To have their support in releasing our album in such a unique way is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for. To say we’re pleased or excited by this outcome would be an understatement. We’re very proud to be a part of this new initiative & direction.”

For a sneak peek at the album, head to the band’s MySpace page where they’re showcasing the track “Burn and Fade.” The song features guest appearances from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Peter Hayes and Leah Shapiro and The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Mr. Ricky Maymi.

If that whets your appetite you can catch the band playing at Spectrum in Sydney on July 24, or the Cherry Bar in Melbourne on July 31.

Image used with permission from Original Matters

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chris Isaak Strikes Again!

I’m starting to think that Chris Isaak should just bite the bullet and move Down Under. That’s right, the charismatic crooner is again gracing our fair land with another tour. Of course, for those ladies he leaves swooning, it still couldn’t have come fast enough.

But blink and you just might miss him. Chris will play just three dates: one in Perth, another in Melbourne, before finishing the tour in Sydney.

Some might argue that announcing a tour just months after the last one is simply a grab for cash. Perhaps, but Chris also has altruism on his mind. A limited number of VIP tickets will go on sale for each date, with proceeds from these seats benefiting the cancer charity Challenge. VIPs will enjoy the show from the first three rows, receive a signed tour pass, and have the opportunity to meet with the man himself before the show.

Tickets for the following dates go on sale on Tuesday July 14.

16 September 2009 – Challenge Stadium, Perth
19 September 2009 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
22 September 2009 – State Theatre, Sydney

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ed Kowalczyk Goes Solo For Aussie Tour

Ed Kowalczyk, the lead singer of Live, is heading out on his own for an acoustic tour of Australia.

Ed will play stripped back shows in some of the country’s most intimate venues this August. They promise to include highlights of his band’s career, from Live’s debut album Mental Jewelry to the monster hit Throwing Copper to their last album Songs from the Black Mountain.

I’ve seen Live play a couple of times, and they always put on such a great show. To hear these incredible songs standing on their own, stripped back and raw, should be something really special.

Tickets for the following dates go on sale on July 10.

9 August 2009 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
12 August 2009 – Octagon Theatre, Perth
15 August 2009 – The Forum, Melbourne
18 August 2009 – Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide
19 August 2009 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Image source: Erwin Winkelman/Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mark Vincent Realises His Dream

15-year-old Mark Vincent wowed the country as this year’s winner of Australia’s Got Talent. And today the talented young opera star is set to do it all again with the release of his debut album, My Dream – Mio Visione.

There are no real surprises here, which is likely to be a good thing for his adoring fans. After all, they’re going to be much happier hearing Mark belt out opera classics “Ava Maria” and “Nessun Dorma” and modern classics “Unchained Melody” and “Hallelujah” than more traditional teen hits.

If you’re a fan of Paul Potts and Il Divo, make sure you check out this kid. If he can sing this well at 15, he’s bound to have a big future ahead of him. If you missed him before, here’s Mark’s first performance on Australia’s Got Talent.

 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Black Eyed Peas Announce Aussie Tour

Their latest album The E.N.D. debuted at number one, and their singles “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow” are sitting at number one and two on the Aussie charts, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect for The Black Eyed Peas to announce an Oz tour. I can almost see the folks at Frontier rubbing their hands with glee Mr Burns style!

The E.N.D World Tour will make a pit-stop in Australia this October, visiting venues in all the major capital cities (sorry Hobart and Darwin). It’s been almost four years since Fergie and co. visited our shores, so we can safely expect this one to be huge.

If you want to score tickets, I wouldn’t delay when they go on sale on Monday July 20 if I were you! Here are all the dates.

1 October 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
2 October 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney
5 October 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
6 October 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
10 October 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

More Green Day After Aussie Concerts Sell Out

Aussie music fans have snapped up tickets to Green Day’s upcoming shows, with the Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane concerts all selling out within half an hour this morning.

Frontier Touring Company has reacted to the demand and added a new show in each city for those fans that missed out, and the die-hards who just can’t get enough!

All new shows are on sale now so if you’re still missing a ticket, don’t delay. These new concerts are bound to go the way of the first before too long!

Green Day will play the following shows in Australia this December.

4 December 2009 – Burswood Dome, Perth
6 December 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
8 December 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane (Sold Out)
9 December 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane (New Show)
11 December 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney (Sold Out)
12 December 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney (New Show)
14 December 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (Sold Out)
15 December 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (New Show)

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kids Rock Out with Kiddyrock

Some of Melbourne’s hottest musicians are exposing kids to the magic of rock and roll through Kiddyrock. The program, which visits kindergartens, early learning centers, and community halls in Victoria, is the brainchild of Ally Spazzy of girl punk outfit The Spazzys.

“Kiddyrock is a brand new project where a load of artists and musicians have come together to create accessibility to alternative music for kids as well as create opportunities for local musicians to continue working in music, in what they love,” Kiddyrock’s Georgie Carpenter explained to Undercover.

“We’re not going to teach anyone how to play the guitar or how to play a drum, but we are going to expose them to some of the artists that we loved, and help them develop an ear to enjoy music in the way that we do.”

The workshops help kids aged between three and six develop a love and understanding of music. They’re also a lot of fun, with the tots getting the opportunity to jam with Ally Spazzy, Shaun Gionis from Trial Kennedy, and Richard Walsh from The Electric Guitars.

The sessions cost $17 per child, or $15 for groups of four or more. If you want to take your youngsters along, check out the KiddyRock website for a list of upcoming workshop sessions.

Image source: James Jordan @ Flickr