Author: Lauren Katulka

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Timbaland Announces Aussie Tour

Megastar producer Timbaland has announced a whistle-stop tour of Australia this July.

He’s had a meteoric rise topping the Aussie charts with Madonna, Justin Timberlake, One Republic, and Keri Hilton.

There’s no denying he’s very good at what he does, but I can’t help thinking that seeing him without all these singing stars is going to be a massive letdown! It’s one thing to see a guitar legend like Santana without Rob Thomas, Steve Tyler, and Michelle Branch, but seriously … what is he going to do without the big names to back him up?

If you’d like to find out make sure you check him out at the following shows:

12 July 2008 – Challenge Stadium, Perth
16 July 2008 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
19 July 2008 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney

Ticketmaster will sell Sydney tickets and Ticketek will handle Perth and Melbourne. They go on sale on June 10.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Judas Priest Rock Oz

Here’s one for all those old rockers out there. The original Judas Priest line-up is heading to Australia for the first time in their nearly 40-year career.

Yes they’ve visited Oz before, but never with that classic line-up of Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, Ian Hill, and Scott Travis. Most old bands touring these days never have the full line-up, with people falling off the perch or losing interest, so this is a real treat for fans.

Tickets go on sale on Friday June 13 through Ticketek.

Here’s where you can catch them:
10 September 2008 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
12 September 2008 – ACER Arena, Sydney
13 September 2008 – Hisense Arena (formerly Vodafone Arena), Melbourne
14 September 2008 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
16 September 2008 – Burswood Dome, Perth

Image source: e53 @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kylie Turns 40

Happy birthday Kylie Minogue! The woman once dubbed The Singing Budgie has turned 40, and she’s hotter than ever.

I still remember when Kylie played Charlene on Neighbours. Was it really 20 years ago? I didn’t really appreciate her musical career at the time, but my sister was a mad fan. She had a big poster in her room of Kyles wearing some sort of hat which allowed her blond curls to spill out over the top. It was the 80s after all.

In time I’ve come to appreciate the cheesy brilliance of those early songs like “I Should Be So Lucky,” “Hand on Your Heart” and yes, even “The Locomotion.”

Since then she’s reinvented herself more times than Madonna, and like the Material Girl, Kylie still manages to top the charts all around the world. Except America, but the less said about that the better!

She’s preparing to celebrate her 40th birthday in Paris, surrounded by friends and family. Mum and Dad Minogue, little sister Danni and brother Brendan will be there alongside Michael Gudinski and other music industry colleagues.

I hope she has a wonderful time. Here’s to you Kylie!

Image source: sosodave @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Lisa Mitchell’s Back in the Spotlight

It’s no secret that I’m a bit of an Australian Idol fan. One of my favourite performers was Lisa Mitchell. She was too shy and too uncomfortable with the Idol format to ever progress very far in the comp, but what she did was enough to stick in the minds of music lovers like myself.

Far away from the glare of the Idol stage Lisa Mitchell has been quietly working away at her music. And it looks like it’s finally paying off. She scored a record deal with Scorpio Music and she’s currently in London recording her debut album. She’ll work with British producer Ant White, known for his work with Arctic Monkeys and M.I.A., on the release. She’s also written some songs with Clare Bowditch and Kevin “Bob Evans” Mitchell, but she’s unsure whether they’ll make the final cut.

“Some people just write you off after being on Australian Idol, but working with credible artists kind of makes people less doubtful,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

“I am kind of sick of trying to work out what the album is going to be like because you never know until you get in the studio.”

Her EP, Welcome to the Afternoon, will hit shelves on Saturday to tide fans over. The four-track disc was produced by Evermore’s Dan Hume.

“The first track [‘See You When You Get Here’] is a lot darker than maybe my other songs,” she said. “All the tracks are really different – it is really varied.”

Image source: Toby Forage @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Death Cab For Cutie Announce Aussie Tour

Seattle’s Death Cab for Cutie is making a pit stop in Australia during their massive world tour. It’s good news for all those fans that helped their latest album Narrow Stairs debut at number six on the ARIA chart.

Their last Aussie tour in 2006 sold out, so fans will need to grab their tickets fast. All the venues are fairly small for a band of this stature, so those who do manage to snare tickets are in for a real treat.

You can get yours when they go on sale at 9 am this Friday 30 May. Heatseeker are handling the Fremantle show, OzTix are taking care of Melbourne, and Ticketek are selling the rest.

Here are the dates!

17 August 2008 – The Palace, Melbourne
18 August 2008 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
20 August 2008 – Metropolis, Fremantle
22 August 2008 – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Image source: Dunechaser @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Free Goodies from The Boat People

We all like something for nothing, right? So here’s another free download to add to your MP3 collection.

Indie pop kids The Boat People are now giving away their new single “Awkward Orchid Orchard.” Try saying that three times quickly! Point your browser here to score your free download!

If you’re a music nerd like me, you’ll want to check out the song’s film clip below. It features 52 band names represented by some funky visuals. How many can you spot?

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

"Lessons to be Learned" – Gabriella Cilmi

After falling in love with Gabriella Cilmi’s playful debut single “Sweet About Me,” I couldn’t wait to hear more. Thankfully her album Lessons to be Learned doesn’t disappoint.

While listening to the album it’s easy to forget that Gabriella is just 16 years old. Her soulful voice sounds so much older, and the tunes she’s penned show a maturity beyond her years. The comparisons to Amy Winehouse are inevitable. Vocally they do sound very similar and they both share the same penchant for quirky soul numbers. But while Ms Winehouse’s songs speak of sadness and tragedy, Gabriella’s songs are brimming with youthful optimism and joy.

The album opens with a burst of energy in the form of “Save the Lies,” an upbeat lead in to her popular first single. Then the album changes pace a little, with the introspective ballad “Sanctuary.” The bubbly rhythms of “Got No Place to Go” are infectious, and the vintage charm of “Cigarettes and Lies” is loads of fun.

Lessons to be Learned is essentially a pop album but it enjoys flirting with genres, and therein lies its strength. Gabriella dabbles with jazz, adds a dash of blues, and spices it up with a good dose of soul, yet this CD is never alienating. Instead this eclectic mix allows Lessons to be Learned to stand up to repeated listens. Every song is strong, and these days that’s a very rare thing indeed.

Image supplied by Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aussies Score ARIA Number Ones

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Excuse me, but I just can’t help it. For the first time in ages, Australian artists hold the top spots on the ARIA singles and albums charts.

Gabriella Cilmi is still going strong with his massive debut single “Sweet About Me.” And then over on the album charts Pete Murray has debuted at number one with his third major label release, Summer at Eureka. Good work guys!

Vanessa Amorosi is keeping Gabriella company on the singles charts. Her newest single “Perfect” has climbed to number seven this week.

Gabriella pops up again in the albums charts. Her debut album Lessons to be Learned has climbed to the number two spot this week. Pete and Gabriella lead an eclectic collection of Aussie albums in our top ten.

There’s the electronic Apocalypso by The Presets at number four and Damien Leith’s walk down memory lane Catch the Wind at number five.

Pendulum’s In Silico and Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s Rattlin’ Bones round out the top ten. They’re at number nine and ten respectively.

Here’s all the chart action!

Australian Top 10 Singles

  1. “Sweet About Me” – Gabriella Cilmi
  2. “4 Minutes” – Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
  3. “Low” – Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
  4. “American Boy” – Estelle feat. Kanye West
  5. “No Air” – Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown
  6. “Dream Catch Me” – Newton Faulkner
  7. “Perfect” – Vanessa Amorosi
  8. “Love in this Club” – Usher feat. Young Jeezy
  9. “Better in Time” – Leona Lewis
  10. “Take a Bow” – Rihanna

Australian Top 10 Albums

  1. Summer at Eureka – Pete Murray
  2. Lessons to be Learned – Gabriella Cilmi
  3. Waltzing Matilda – Andre Rieu and Mirusia
  4. Apocalypso – The Presets
  5. Catch the Wind: Songs of a Generation – Damien Leith
  6. Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie
  7. Hard Candy – Madonna
  8. Spirit – Leona Lewis
  9. In Silico – Pendulum
  10. Rattlin’ Bones – Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Nick Cave Wants to be a Bronzed Aussie

For some time now there’s been a rather bizarre rumour that Nick Cave wants to raise thousands of dollars to erect a bronze statue of himself in his hometown of Warracknabeal, Victoria. As the story goes Nick wants a full-size likeness of himself, semi-nude and riding a horse.

Now I’m not sure whether all the details are true, but apparently Nick does want that bronze statue.

“It would feel like a very exotic journey if I did make it back how as a bronze statuette,” he told Q magazine. “I don’t dwell on it. I’m not going to pretend it’s not satisfying in some ways. But there’s a lot of work yet to do.”

Righto! No one’s exactly sure where the statue would fit as the little town of Warracknabeal already has two statues: one of a dog on wool sacks and another of a sheepdog and sheep. Surely we could get rid of one dog for a replica of this Aussie living legend, right?

Image source: Alex Ex @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sarah Blasko Does Shakespeare

Not content with winning ARIA Awards and selling bucketloads of albums, Sarah Blasko’s decided to branch out a little. She’s currently composing the score for the Bell Shakespeare company’s latest adaptation of Hamlet.

This is her first foray into the world of theatre, but Sarah told The Sunday Telegraph she’s thoroughly enjoying it.

“I was so nervous about doing it, I came over-prepared,” she admitted. “To sit in rehearsals and watch actors has been really exciting for me.”

And it seems they love having her there.

“It’s just like an angel’s entered the room,” gushed Bell Shakespeare’s associate director, Marion Potts. “When she starts singing at the piano the whole room stops because she’s got such an incredible voice.”

Sydneysiders can hear Sarah’s latest compositions when Hamlet opens at the Sydney Opera House on June 10. Sarah has also been working on her third album, which she hopes to record in October. So it sounds like the rest of Australia won’t be waiting too long before they hear something new from this awesome talent.

Image source: Jalapeno @ Flickr