Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Reece Mastin & Karise Eden Top ARIA Charts

It’s not likely to silence critics, but local reality TV show graduates have taken the top spots on Australia’s major ARIA charts. Karise Eden’s My Journey album has maintained its number one possie, while reigning X Factor winner Reece Mastin’s nabbed the top single spot with his newie “Shout It Out.”

Again proving their musical might, the singers from the Hillsong Church have zoomed into the albums charts with their latest release Cornerstone. It sits at number two. Keith Urban’s greatest hits also continues to sell truckloads. The Story So Far holds steady at number three.

Click below for the rest of this week’s ARIA charts.

Continue reading “Reece Mastin & Karise Eden Top ARIA Charts” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jacob Butler Signs European Recording Deals

Jacob Butler continues to make inroads abroad. Just months after signing a recording deal in South Africa, the Australian Idol alumn has scored a swag of record deals across Europe.

Hamburg indie label Very Us Records has signed Jacob for a three-album deal which will see his next three albums, including his debut Reason, released in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Reason will hit those markets on August 24, and Jacob will tour around Europe in September to support its release.

“We’re very proud to welcome Jacob Butler,” affirmed Very Us Records’ head of A&R and Marketing, Dennis Grim. “He is an outstanding songwriter and bandleader, and his guitar-driven, seasonable repertoire fits perfectly with our roster.”

Jacob’s also signed a licensing deal with Universal Music Poland, which will see Reason released in Poland and Bulgaria. Jacob’s last single “Come My Way” is also making waves in Europe, where it hit number 47 on the country’s radio charts.

“I’m very excited to be gaining some traction in Europe” Jacob said in a press release. “The combined potential audience of these territories reaches over 150 million people, with Germany alone ranked as the world’s third largest music market.”

Congrats Jacob!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Karise Eden Tops Album Charts

Without a final flurry of The Voice competition to contend with, the ARIA Chart has returned to an even keel. But that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about the show that gripped the nation. Karise Eden’s debut album My Journey has dethroned Justin Bieber to take out the top spot. Her official first single “You Won’t Let Me” is also the only local single to crack the top 10. It’s currently sitting at number five.

Karise Eden LiveKeith Urban’s greatest hits album also continues to perform well. The Story So Far sits at number three. Missy Higgins’ The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle has started its downward descent, but it hasn’t done badly to land at number seven.

Click below for this week’s top ten!
Continue reading “Karise Eden Tops Album Charts” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Voice Dominates ARIA Chart

Ordinarily when I write about the ARIA Charts the local successes are all about the albums. We tend to produce quality product, but the downloading public flocks to the international smash songs that saturate the airwaves. But the tide has turned this week, and it’s all thanks to The Voice.

After her big win, I expected we might find Karise Eden’s name cropping up, but I didn’t expect she’d claim four of the top five spots. Her cover of “Stay With Me Baby” came out on top, but her version of “Hallelujah” showed it had real staying power, maintaining its number two possie.

Even more startling about this week’s chart is that the remaining top five position was nabbed by her Voice comrade Sarah De Bono. Darren Percival also made his mark, with his outstanding original “Damage Down” sitting at number eight.

These results really show the power of this program. We’ve seen reality shows encouraging us to download the live performances before, but by making this action part of the voting process it actually compelled us to do it.

Justin Bieber predictably rocketed to the top of the album charts with his newie Believe, but Keith Urban did a great job to clinch the number two spot. His greatest hits album The Story So Far jumped from number four, and should hold steady with his national tour approaching. That’s seen Missy Higgins slip to number three with The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle.

Click below to see this week’s top tens.

Continue reading “The Voice Dominates ARIA Chart” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Karise Eden Wins “The Voice”

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you know that 19-year-old Central Coast soul singer Karise Eden has taken out the first season of The Voice.

Like most of the country I was on the edge of my seat watching the show, and while I was firmly on Team Darren I didn’t mind one bit when Karise won. She’s got such a distinct voice, such amazing musical instincts, and such incredible power. And she’s from my neck of the woods! She was definitely a worthy winner.

I’m really impressed with the way Channel Nine’s played with the format. I enjoyed the first American season when it aired last year, but Australia’s version is definitely superior. I was thrilled that they scrapped the confusing elimination round where judges weighted an allocated percentage of their votes towards a chosen competitor. And the decision to showcase original songs at the grand final was inspired. I also appreciated the way the voting was all done by the time the Monday night show aired. There were none of the desperate pleas for last minute votes we usually see on these types of programs, and that allowed us to really celebrate the achievements of all the artists. And of course there was that judging panel, a team of real pros who had such a natural chemistry together and commitment to the show and their stars.

As clichéd as it sounds, there were really no losers on The Voice. I’ll be shocked if the top four, as well as some of the other finalists, don’t take their musical careers to the next level. I’ll miss watching them on TV on Monday nights, but look forward to seeing where they pop up next.

Image source: Eva Rinaldi @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Missy Higgins Enjoys Second Week in Top Spot

Missy Higgins has maintained her stranglehold on the ARIA Charts. Her new album The Ol’ Razzle Dazle sits at the top of the albums charts for the second week.

Missy’s managed to fend off stiff competition from fellow Aussie Xavier Rudd. His new album Spirit Bird has nevertheless enjoyed an impressive number two debut.

Keith Urban’s greatest hits album The Story So Far is still doing a roaring trade, which has resulted in a number four finish. While he’ll be off our TV screens once The Voice winds down, yesterday’s tour announcement should ensure it continues to sell.

Speaking of The Voice, Karise Eden showed she’s a real contender for the title with her version of “Hallelujah” sitting at number two. That’s the best chart position we’ve seen of any of The Voice hopefuls; no wonder she’s the odds on favourite to clinch the competition.

Click below to see all the ARIA chart action.
Continue reading “Missy Higgins Enjoys Second Week in Top Spot” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Missy Higgins’s New Album Number One

It’s been a case of musical chairs at the top of the ARIA Albums Charts for some time now. This week we see another Aussie artist sitting on top. Missy Higgins has landed another number one with her long-awaited newie The OI’ Razzle Dazzle.

Keith Urban shows his greatest hits have some staying power. His disc The Story So Far is sitting at number two. The Temper Trap have fallen a bit since they enjoyed their stay at the top, but their new self-titled album is still performing well at number five.

The singles charts are a bit sparse on local talent, but The Voice’s Darren Percival is holding the fort. His version of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe” is sitting at number five, so I guess we can probably assume he’s safe for another week of the competition!

Click below to see this week’s ARIA top 10s.

Continue reading “Missy Higgins’s New Album Number One” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Jackson Firebird Release Rocking Debut

Old school Aussie pub rockers Jackson Firebird will release their debut album, charmingly titled Cock Rockin’, this Friday.

The Mildura natives have earned a reputation for their energetic live shows, and engineer/producer Mick Wordley has managed to capture that spontaneity in the album’s ten tracks. There’s nothing fancy here, but that raw, organic rock should strike a chord with music lovers craving a return to basics.

Of course it’s only fitting for a band that prides itself on its live shows to waste no time before getting back on stage. Jackson Firebird will celebrate Cock Rockin’s June 8 release with the Paper Scissors Rock tour. See what all the buzz is about at the following shows.

7 June 2012 – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick (Free)
8 June 2012 – The Patch, Wollongong
9 June 2012 – The Vanguard, Newtown
10 June 2012 – Great Northern Newcastle
11 June 2012 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
14 June 2012 – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick (Free)
15 June 2012 – Wheelers Hill Hotel, Wheelers Hill
16 June 2012 – Bended Elbow, Geelong
21 June 2012 – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick (Free)
22 June 2012 – The Loft, Warrnambool
28 June 2012 – Retreat Hotel, Brunswick (Free)
30 June 2012 – Settlers Tavern, Mildura

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Catherine Britt Scores Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Slot

Our own Catherine Britt will join a who’s who of international country and folk music at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Oklahoma this July.

Catherine is part of an all-star bill which includes Billy Bragg, Judy Collins, Red Dirt Rangers, and Woody’s son Arlo. This year’s even is especially poignant as it commemorates what would have been Woody’s 100th birthday.

The slot comes at the perfect time for Catherine, who’s preparing to release her fifth studio album Always Never Enough in August. May bigger and better things come from her appearance!

Image used with permission from Thrillhill Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Temper Trap Top ARIA Charts

Keith Urban has vacated his top spot on the ARIA chart to make way for fellow Aussies, The Temper Trap. The Melbourne band has achieved the best result of their career with a number one debut for their new self-titled album.

Keith hasn’t fallen too far though. The Voice judge’s greatest hits album, The Story So Far, has dropped to number four. It’s also impressive to see country darlings The MyClymonts debuting at number seven with their newie, Two Worlds Collide.

Thank goodness for The Voice, because otherwise the singles top ten would strictly be an international affair. However Brittany Cairns showed she’s unlikely to go home this week, as her cover of “Different Worlds” is sitting at number seven. Judge Delta Goodrem’s infectiously catchy single “Sitting on Top of the World” holds steady at number ten.

Click below to see all this week’s top tens!
Continue reading “The Temper Trap Top ARIA Charts” →