Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Martha Wainwright Back in Oz

Acclaimed singer songwriter Martha Wainwright is bringing her latest show Down Under.

Martha and her band will play some intimate venues all around the country to support her latest album I Know You’re Married, But I’ve Got Feelings Too. Fans can look forward to new tracks from the new record as well as some old favourites.

Get your tickets when they go on sale next Wednesday, 10 September. Martha will play the following venues in November.

12 November 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
13 November 2008 –  The Forum, Melbourne
15 November 2008 –  Meeniyan Hall
18 November 2008 –  The Tivoli, Brisbane
19 November 2008 –  Wrest Point, Hobart
21 November 2008 –  The Gov, Adelaide
22 November 2008 –  Fly By Night, Fremantle

Image source: Dave W Clarke @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jason Donovan Plans Musical Comeback

It’s one of the most unlikely comebacks in the business. Jason Donovan is recording a new album.

The former Neighbours heart-throb hasn’t had a hit in 15 years, and those tracks were pretty pathetic. But he’s not going to let that stop him. At least this time around Jason’s going to have some good songs! His album Let it Be Me features a mix of covers and originals inspired by the music of the 50s and 60s.

“Well, I’ve finished the vocals and it sounds pretty good,” he said yesterday. “But I haven’t finished the whole production side of it. I think you’ll like it.

“There’s a good selection of songs on there. It’s sort of difficult doing a cover-based album, but there’s three new songs on there.”

But that’s not all. Jason’s also planning a tour to support the release.

Let it Be Me is scheduled for release on November 10.

Image source: Jennifer Barnard @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chrislyn and Wes Head to Australian Idol Finals

Australian Idol semifinal two got straight to business tonight, announcing Chrislyn Hamilton and Wes Carr have made Microphoneit into the Top 12. I’d suspected it might go this way, and I’m definitely not disappointed. They’re such different performers, but both so very strong. I look forward to watching their journeys!

Luke Dickens was up first to perform with “Mustang Sally.” I thought it was a perfect song for his big raspy voice, and I really enjoyed it. His performance was a bit stiff, but you can learn that sort of stuff. He’s so likeable and quintessentially Australian. A really solid start.

Oh Brooke Wilkie. My heart broke for her. I was really enjoying her take on Paulo Nutini’s “New Shoes” for the first verse, but then her lack of voice seemed to catch up with her. She’s clearly sick, and without the experience of knowing how to handle it the whole song came crashing down around her. She’s a talent and hopefully she’s feeling better for the wildcard round. It’d be a shame to have her journey end just through bad luck.

Tom Williams was probably thrilled to follow Brooke. It made his version of “You Raise Me Up” seem almost adequate. The truth is, he’s just not up to a song like this. It started out OK, but he by the end it was paling it comparison. I really hope the teenage girls don’t vote him through just because he’s cute.

Things really kicked up a notch when Natalie Colavito took to the stage. I’ve heard Idol contestants sing “Listen” time and time again. It’s one of those songs, with all the big notes and inspiration lyrics. Yet Natalie brought something different to her performance and I lapped it up. There’s a sincerity about her, a quiet strength, which is just so appealing.

Amanda Grafanakis followed with Pink’s “Who Knew.” I really like the different flavour she brings to the competition, but I’m not sure she really showed us what she can do here. It’s a shame. We need a rock chick. While it was enjoyable, I’m not sure she did enough to comvince the voters of that.

Thanh Bui closed the show with a rousing rendition of “One.” There’s no denying this guy has a killer voice. It reminds me a lot of John Farnham’s, which isn’t a bad compliment is it? He hits some big notes, but he also delivers them with the passion that I’ve felt has been missing in some Idol contestants of the past. The stand-out of the night for me.

If this was just a singing competition, I’d say Thanh Bui’s going through to the finals and that either Natalia Colavito or Luke Dickens will join him. But it’s not. And I’m a little concerned that because of that Tom Williams may just claim one of those elusive top 12 positions.

Image source: Guillame Leroy @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Neil Young to Headline Big Day Out

The official announcements don’t come until the end of the month but one cat is already out of the bag. Neil Young will headline the 2009 Big Day Out.

Festival promoters Lee and West confirmed the exciting news to Undercover News today.

No doubt all the kids still getting turned on to Harvest so many decades after its release will be thrilled at the news. While the BDO bill is sure to be killer, it’s probably not going to excite a lot of Neil Young’s older fans.

They’ll be pleased to know he’s already announced some sideshows in the major capitals. Tickets for these gigs go on sale on September 19.

See this living legend at the following venues:

21 January 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
24 January 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney
28 January 2009 – Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne

Image source: Yle.fi/pop @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Semis Kick Off

The Australian Idol semifinals are underway! Predictably there were some nerves and some flashes of brilliance. So let’s get into it!

Chrisyln Hamilton was up first. What a big job for a 17-year-old, but she showed she was up to the task. Her decision to take on Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary” was a little predictable, but it was also a smart choice. It allowed her to show a little light and shade and deliver those big crowd-pleasing notes. This girl’s got bucketloads of personality and I’d love to see her in the finals.

Country boy Mitchell Steele’s another one of our teenagers. He made a really smart choice, singing Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway.” It stayed true to his country roots while veering a little closer the mainstream. Vocally there wasn’t a lot to fault, but he really needs to loosen up. He was holding on to the microphone stand for grim death and he looked petrified when he left it!

Jaden Dowd was up next with “Finally.” It’s such a big song and I honestly didn’t feel like she did it justice. Was it just me or was she pitchy? She did perform the hell out of it, but I think perhaps the energy she gave there made her vocals suffer. Either way, it was disappointing.

Olly Corpe performed next with James Morrison’s “Wonderful World.” He didn’t do a bad job of it, but it was a little shaky. He’s a young kid and the Idol stage is such a high pressure environment, it’s not surprising he was nervous! Despite a few pitchy moments though, I enjoyed it. When his voice really kicked in, it soared. Olly’s got a lovely presence. But I wonder whether he might feel a little more comfortable if he chose those quirkier tracks as Dicko suggested.

Nicole Banks was like a breath of fresh air with her jazzy take on Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold.” Again I find myself agreeing with Dicko: it was an inspired song choice and one which will hopefully pay dividends with the voting public. I’ve always liked her, but seeing her sing alongside everyone else I grew to love her.

They really did save the best for the last tonight. Wes Carr followed Nicole with an excellent take on the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.” The reworking was fresh without losing the song’s intent. Wes is such a natural performer, and his experience showed.

If Wes doesn’t get through tomorrow night I’m a poor judge. I’d like to think Nicole will take the second slot in the top 12 based on her performance tonight, but there’s a lot of support out there for Chrislyn so she may scrape through to the finals. I think I’d be happy either way. There’s always the wildcard round after all!

Image source: Creative Daw @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

More Great Australian Albums

Like all good music history buffs, I was glued to my television when SBS aired the first season of Great Australian Albums. But with just four album profiles, it was simply far too short! Thankfully it’s back again this year bringing us four more Aussie gems.

Season two kicks off at 10 pm this Saturday with a look at The Go-Between’s 16 Lovers Lane. The series will also include profiles on the brilliant Murder Ballads by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Human Frailty by Hunters and Collectors, and Odyssey Number Five by Powderfinger.

What a great collection of albums. I can’t wait.

Great Australian Albums will screen after the new episodes of RockWiz. With that sort of double, music fans might have to start staying home on Saturday nights!

Image source: Dey @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Flo Rida Runs with Jess Mauboy

Flo Rida is adding a dose of cred to the first solo album of former Young Diva and Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy. The hip hop megastar joins Jess on her first solo single, “Running Back.”

It appears Jess may follow in Ricki-Lee Coulter’s footsteps. Ricki-Lee’s career flourished once she left her Diva band mates, and if the hype is any indication Jess will taste the same success. The Darwin teen is already being compared to Rihanna by some industry insiders for her strong vocals and songwriting prowess.

“Running Back” will hit radio in the next couple of weeks. Jessica Mauboy’s debut album will be released early next year.

Image source: Foraggio Fotographic @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Gets Top 24

The wannabes and attention seekers are long gone, and Australian Idol now has a top 24. I haven’t written about this season yet, partly because the action has been so fast and furious, but now as we head towards the finals I figured I’d share my views.

There’s been some major changes this year, and so far so good. I thought it was great to tear through the auditions by screening them every night of the week. I think the top 100 night was less successful though. By cramming all that action into a single episode, rather than the usual two, we missed a lot of singing. Having said that, there were some really positive changes in the format like scrapping the group songs and bringing in a band and audience. And I love that we now know who makes up our top 24.

And it’s a really solid group of performers. They represent so many musical styles, but generally they seem to come from a really organic place. You won’t see any manufactured pop princesses in this bunch. Many of my early favourites made the cut including Matthew Parsons, Roshani Priddis, Chrislyn Hamilton, James Spargo, and Wes Carr.

But there were a few questionable choices. I’m sure the teenage girls will flip over young Tom Williams, but his dodgy Top 100 performances tell me he’s not really ready for the comp. I’d have much rather seen his place go to Simon Phillips who wowed me in the auditions, only to be glimpsed during the Top 100 show. Such is the nature of this compressed format. He apparently didn’t crash and burn spectacularly like my other fave Casey Freeman, so his disappearance puzzles me.

Tomorrow night the semifinals start. This year we’re doing mixed groups, which makes so much more sense to me. Talent isn’t gender based, so I never understood why we needed an even mix. You can catch the semis over the next four nights and the wildcard round on Sunday.

After that we’ve got the newly revamped finals. The introduction of a “Sing for Your Life” round on Mondays should make for a much more interesting watch. Hopefully it’ll also ensure the good contestants don’t leave just because their fans thought they were safe. If only we had it last year, we might not have lost Ben McKenzie!

Here are the Australian Idol Top 24, and the nights your favourites will sing!

Semifinal 1 (Monday 1 September)

  • Chrislyn Hamilton
  • Jaden Dowd
  • Mitchell Steele
  • Nicole Banks
  • Olly Corpe
  • Wes Carr

Semifinal 2 (Tuesday 2 September)

  • Amanda Grafanakis
  • Brooke Wilkie
  • Luke Dickens
  • Natalie Colavito
  • Thanh Bui
  • Tom Williams

Semifinal 3 (Wednesday 3 September)

  • Brooke Schubert
  • Mark Spano
  • Matthew Parsons
  • Roshani Priddis
  • Sophie Paterson
  • Teale Jakubenko

Semifinal 4 (Thursday 4 September)

  • Brooke Addamo
  • Irae Schwenke
  • James Spargo
  • Jonny Taylor
  • Kayla Vanzetta
  • Madam Parker

Image source: Wikimedia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Cool Stuff at Coaster

Some exciting promos ensure Coaster will be more than just another festival.

Firstly the event has its very own mascot: Coasterman. It sounds a bit naff at first, but Coasterman is anything but. Apparently punters can look forward to Coasterman performing death-defying feats on his “killer scooter.” Now that just might be something worth seeing.

Artist signings are nothing new, so Coaster has spiced things up a bit with artist meet and greets. Fans will be able to spend half an hour hanging out with The Living End, Kisschasy, Blue King Brown, or one of the other artists on the Coaster bill. Only 50 tickets for each meet and greet will be available, ensuring those who put their cash down get value for money.

Inspired by the Tour de France, Coaster plans to give their favourite fans their own yellow jerseys. The Coaster Crew will choose someone they feel embodies the Coaster spirit to receive the honour. This Coaster with the Moaster will watch the bands from the side of stage, receive drink and food vouchers, and a souvenir T-shirt. When the crew finds someone else deserving of the yellow jersey, it’s passed on to them.

All sounds like a lot of fun! The first Coaster festival will hit Gosford Showgrounds on September 20.

Image source: Ilker @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Catch "Easyfever"

Some of Australia’s finest musicians have come together to pay tribute to local rock pioneers The Easybeats. Easyfever will feature the works of new kids like Skybombers and Dappled Cities alongside industry veterans like Neil Finn and Iva Davies.

The album will also include a real treat for fans: a previously unreleased song called “Motherfigure.” Harry Vanda and George Young penned the song in the 70s, intending it to be the first single from Stevie Wright’s third solo abum. Of course that album never came. Stevie’s rerecorded the track with another of Australia’s favourite sons, Jimmy Barnes.

“The Easybeats are an integral foundation stone of Australian rock and roll,” explained Albert Music CEO Tim Prescott.

“As a band they really were the first truly ‘Oz Rock’ export; and as songwriters, performers and producers, the band became the genesis of so much amazing Australian music – with Harry Vanda, George Young and Stevie Wright in particular all writing many hits, and George and Harry playing a hand in the careers of some of our greatest artists (including AC/DC , The Angels, Rose Tattoo, John Paul Young and of course Stevie’s solo career). Despite all this history, well known to music industry pundits, with the passing of time, The Easybeats and Stevie probably haven`t received the public accolades, or broad recognition, that they so richly deserve.

“Therefore to have this tribute album, featuring these extraordinary homegrown artists, playing Easybeats songs, is really a fitting testament to The Easybeats, and their long standing influence as songwriters and performers of some of the greatest songs that shaped our industry.”

If you know the music of the Easybeats, you already know these songs are amazing. If you don’t, this is the perfect education to songs like “Friday on My Mind,” “Sorry,” and “I’ll Make You Happy.”

Easyfever will be in stores on October 4. Here’s the amazing track listing!

  1. “Sorry” – Skybombers
  2. “Guitar Band” – The Living End
  3. “Wedding Ring” – Resin Dogs
  4. “Good Times” – The Veronicas
  5. “Women (Make You Feel Alright)” – Neil Finn
  6. “She’s So Fine” – Thirsty Merc
  7. “For My Woman” – Dappled Cities
  8. “Somethin’ Wrong” – Dash & Will
  9. “Come And See Her” – The Cruel Sea
  10. “I’ll Make You Happy” – Faker
  11. “The Music Goes Round My Head” – Old Man River
  12. “Sad And Lonely And Blue” – Iva Davies
  13. “Friday On My Mind” – Ben Lee
  14. “Heaven & Hell” – Gyroscope
  15. “Motherfigure” – Jimmy Barnes and Stevie Wright
  16. “St. Louis” – Grinspoon
  17. “Black Eyed Bruiser” – Children Collide
  18. “Evie Pt. 1 (Let Your Hair Hang Down)” – The Wrights feat. Nic Cester
  19. “Evie Pt. 2 (Evie)” – The Wrights feat. Bernard Fanning
  20. “Evie Pt. 3 (I’m Losing You)” – The Wrights feat. Phil Jamieson

Image source: Eric Koch @ Wikimedia Commons