Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Daniel Johns Produces The Scare’s CD

Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has stepped out from behind the mic to produce The Scare’s new album. The Sydney outfit, who are now based in Birmingham, returned home to complete the record.

“It’s important for everyone to remember that we came back to home soil in order to find our anarchic-blood-and-guts-sonically eccentric dream team with Daniel Johns and Chris Townend in the producer and engineer chairs respectively,” bass guitarist Wade Keighran wrote on the band’s MySpace page.

“We’ve come home twice in fact and made two albums with Australian producers and engineers in great Australian studios with the help of great Australian musicians … you don’t need to go overseas and spend a fortune to get whatever you want, all you need to do is know what you want and do it right. Anywhere.”

Too true! Australian audiences will get a taste of the band’s new material at their upcoming shows at Sydney’s Supper Club on January 20 and the Big Day Out tour.

Image source: Safetypinheart @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gabriella Cilmi and Other Aussies SXSW Bound

Gabriella Cilmi will head up the Aussie invasion at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin. The March shows are ones for Gabriella, whose album Lessons to be Learned will be released in the United States around the same time.

Gabriella will join a host of other Aussies heading to the festival. They include Youth Group, Kid Confucious, Blue King Brown, Birds of Tokyo, The Drones, Josh Pyke, Angua and Julia Stone, and The Grates.

More than 20, 000 music industry types from all over the world attend SXSW so this is the place for our artists to be seen.

I wish them all the best of luck!

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melbourne Bands Pay Tribute to Linda Gebar

A who’s who of the local music industry will gather at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel next week to remember Linda Gebar.

Linda was one of the city’s key music industry identities. She managed bands including Frente, The Killjoys, and Blackeyed Susans, worked for APRA and PBS, and was a booker for The Punters Club.

Linda passed away at her Mount Eliza home in October, just ten days after giving birth to her second daughter.

The tribute show will feature Not Drowning Waving, The Killjoys, Blackeyed Susans Trio, Charlie Jenkins, The Fish John West Reject, Kim Salmon, Billy Baxter & Gina Hearnden, Juliet Ward & Greg Appel, The Somerfields, and DJs Mary Mikelakos and Debbie Bettlingham.

Tickets are $20 plus booking fee from the venue.

Image source: Facebook event page

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Snowman Scoop Album of the Year Award

It looks like Perth outfit Snowman will be one band to watch in 2009. The Western Australians’ second album The Horse, The Rat and The Swan was named album of the year by Mess+Noise.

The accolade has special significant for the band, as the group broke up several times during the recording process.

“We were challenged mentally and physically to the point where we had to either make a decision to go ahead… and gamble with how people would react to a difficult record, or start again, or just give up,” singer Andy Citawarman told news.com.au.

“I’m glad we didn’t choose the latter options.”

Mess+Noise has a reputation for having its finger on the pulse of the local music industry, so if you haven’t checked out the other albums on their 2008 top ten I highly recommend you do so!

Here are the Mess+Noise Top 10 Aussie Albums of 2008!

  1. The Horse, The Rat And The Swan – Snowman
  2. Havilah – The Drones
  3. Beaches – Beaches
  4. Primary Colours – Eddy Current Suppression Ring
  5. Landlakes – ii
  6. Paradise – My Disco
  7. Romance & Adventure – Ooga Boogas
  8. Cellulite Soul – Witch Hats
  9. Escaping Mankind – Charge Group
  10. Dead Beat – Ohana

Image source: Snowman gallery

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

2008 In Review | The Musical Year That Was

2008 has been a big year for Australian music, with some massive tours, fabulous albums, and fascinating personalities. As I prepare for the big New Years Eve bash tomorrow I figured I’d pause today to reflect on the year that was.

Top 10 Albums

  1. Good Lovin’ – David Campbell
  2. Live & Cooking @ Lizotte’s – Various
  3. Lenka – Lenka
  4. The Last Party – The Hampdens
  5. Losing Sleep – Axle Whitehead
  6. Lessons to be Learned – Gabriella Cilmi
  7. Curiouser – Kate Miller-Heidke
  8. Wish It All Away – Dave Anderson
  9. Rising – The Go Set
  10. Breed Obsession – Gyroscope

Top 10 Tours

  1. Matchbox Twenty
  2. Tony Hadley and Paul Young
  3. Bon Jovi
  4. Howie Day
  5. Jason Mraz
  6. David Campbell
  7. Newton Faulkner and Sara Bareilles
  8. Def Leppard and Cheap Trick
  9. k.d. lang
  10. Santana

Top 10 Aussie Stars

  1. David Campbell
  2. Lenka
  3. Gabriella Cilmi
  4. Wes Carr
  5. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
  6. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
  7. Jessica Mauboy
  8. Sam Sparro
  9. Axle Whitehead
  10. Josh Pyke

Image source: Steve Woods @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Veronicas Glittering Birthday Bash

Aussie pop twins The Veronicas celebrated their recent 24th birthdays with a massive party at the Sydney Hilton Marble Bar last night. 100 of their closest friends joined the girls for the “rock and roll glitter” birthday bash.

Lisa Origliasso told The Daily Telegraph she hoped for a “new camera,” while her sister Jess aimed a little higher, wishing for “world peace.”

The guest list included Jess’ main squeeze Daniel “Azaria” Byrne and her gal pal Ruby Rose, and the new man in Lisa’s life, American singer and actor Reeve Carney.

The girls were born on Christmas Day, but American promotional commitments kept the girls far from their native Australia on the big day. It sounds like last night’s party helped to make up for it though!

Image source: Pacific Coast News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jessica Mauboy Eyes World Stage

Jessica Mauboy has just wrapped up filming her role in Bran Nue Dae, an adaption of an indigenous musical. The former Young Diva will star alongside Ernie Dingo, Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins, and Deborah Mailman in the film which should hit screens in the middle of next year.

Jess seems made for her role of Rosie, a young girl who dreams of a singing career. She recently spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald about the film.

“It’s based in Broome in the ’60s, so you might see us wearing high-waisted coral denim but it’s very cultural and it’s a very joyous movie, and I was very lucky to be a part of it,” she said.

Next on the agenda for Jess is a performance at Wednesday night’s New Year’s Eve concert in Sydney. She will sing her smash hit “Running Back” and the new single, “Burn.” If you’re not in Sydney you can catch her performance on Channel Ten.

2009 looks like a bright year for Ms Mauboy, who hopes to take her music to New York and London. But if her plans for global domination don’t pan out, she knows staying in Australia isn’t such a bad thing.

“No biggie if it doesn’t end up happening,” she said. “Australia’s my home and this is kinda where I wanted to be anyway.”

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Adrian Grenier’s Honey Brothers to Tour Oz

Entourage actor Adrian Grenier is a regular visitor to our shores, and he’s set to show off our wonderful country to some friends.

He’s preparing to bring his band The Honey Brothers to Australia for their first international shows.

“I grew up in New York and have been very critical of other places and not really allowed them to hold a candle to New York. The only place that has even come close is Australia,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.

“I love Australia and am really happy to be able to share it with the Honey Brothers.”

Image source: Bauer-Griffin

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

AC/DC’s Black Ice Goes Double Platinum in US, and Four Times Platinum in Oz!

AC/DC’s comeback album Black Ice has been one of the year’s biggest sellers in the world this year. In America it’s just gone double-platinum.

Sure it’s only half as good as it did locally where the album went four times platinum, but it’s still nothing to sneeze at!

Given the record’s success back home, I bet you’re wondering when those local tour dates will be announced. From what I hear, you won’t be wondering much longer. Word is that AC/DC will announce some Aussie shows at the end of January, and they should arrive here towards the end of 2009.

It sounds like a long time to wait, but just remember how quickly Christmas snuck up on us all this year!

Image source: Newscom