Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hilltop Hoods Outsell Adele

Many acts have tried, but finally one has toppled Adele, and it’s an Aussie. Hilltop Hoods have ended the current Queen of Soul’s reign with their new number one album, Drinking From The Sun.

It’s been a big week for local urban acts, with 360 also inching up the charts with his album Falling & Flying. It’s moved from number seven to number six. No doubt that performance has been helped along by the success of the single “Boys Like You,” which has dropped one spot to sit at number six on the singles charts.

And let’s not forget Sia’s contribution to Flo Rida’s single “Wild Ones.” Surely her stellar vocals have something to do with its current number three spot on the singles charts!

Click below to see the rest of this week’s ARIA top ten!

Continue reading “Hilltop Hoods Outsell Adele” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Pajama Club Play Sydney

The Pajama Club will play a very special show at Sydney’s Oxford Arts Factory on March 14.

Fans might notice that Alana Skyring is absent from the band photo. That’s because she’s decided to leave the music industry to pursue her dream of becoming one of New York’s best bakers.

Not to worry though, because Neil and Sharron Finn’s kids Liam and Elroy will take a break from their own musical careers to appear alongside their mum and dad at the show. It’s the same Pajama Club you love with an added dose of Finn-ness!

Tickets are available now from Moshtix.

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Autumn Isles Lift my Mood

I’ve been having a bit of a blue week. My husband’s away on a business trip, and my cat and I don’t quite fill our house. I found the pick me up I was looking for in the music of The Autumn Isles, a five-piece rock pop act from Perth.

These guys have actually been kicking around the last six years, but it seems the east coast is a bit slow to catch on to their psychedelic charms. Their sound takes me back to Woodstock with its lush harmonies and big chords. It’s the sort of music my Dad would probably dig, yet it somehow feels fresh.

I’m particularly partial to “Sun Soaked Horizon” from their debut album Kaleidoscopes. It sounds like a pretty apt name for a disc from such a trippy band. Does it float your boat?

Image used with permission from The Autumn Isles

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

SLAM Rally Spreads Across Australia

You might remember thousands of music fans marching through Melbourne last February for the SLAM rally, an initiative designed to Save Live Australian Music. The protest hit out at the Victorian government and its policies which linked live music to violence. Now the event is going national.

To show your support head to the SLAM Rally website and see which venues in your local areas are hosting shows. Make sure you tell your friends about the event you’re going to see and spread the word on Facebook or other social networking spaces to drum up support. With the upcoming closure of East Brunswick Club we should all be thinking about how we can protect our local venues and keep live music alive in our communities.

Will you be attending a SLAM Rally event?

Image source: SLAM Rally website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

PBS Celebrates New Talent with Drive Live

Melbourne community radio station PBS 106.7FM is showcasing local music with its annual Drive Live event.

From February 6 to 10, local acts will take over the station’s drive time shift. Three acts will play each day, with up and comers Graveyard Train, Stella Angelico, and Howl at the Moon already slated to appear.

You could listen to it from the comfort of your car, or if you’re a PBS member you could see the bands in the flesh. You can RSVP from tomorrow, so make sure you keep an eye on the PBS website to find out how.

The website also comes in handy if you’re not local as you can stream the Drive Live broadcasts from your computer anywhere in the world. So there’s no excuse for missing out on the fun!

Image used with permission from Show Off Recordings

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Musings on Wigglegate

I’ve watched with bemusement the media beat-up of The Wiggles since I posted about Greg Page’s return. When I heard the news I was excited, and while I wondered about Sam’s fate it was secondary to being thrilled Greg was back.

It’s unusual for anyone childless in their 30s to care about the fate of a children’s group, but my earliest experiences with the Wiggles came when my little sister Madelyn was young. She’s 20 this year, so she grew up as the Wiggles came of age. That’s a lot of history, and while I’m sure he performed admirably Sam always felt like the new kid for our family.

I’m the first to admit that The Wiggles haven’t sparkled under the glare of the media spotlight over the last few days. They’ve appeared awkward and bewildered by the backlash. I guess they should have expected it, but I think everyone’s been a bit quick to point fingers at the band.

While they’re a beloved part of our culture, we seem to be forgetting that The Wiggles is a business. I’d love if any business paid me a salary reported to be $200, 000 a year. Yes it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the company’s net worth, but it’s still a generous pay packet. I’d also love if any company paid me $60, 000 as it showed me the door.

Circumstances in business change all the time. Any of us could find ourselves out of work tomorrow, and we’d probably feel lucky to have Sam Moran’s financial cushion. Mums and Dads might argue that Sam put his heart and soul into his job, but so does that friendly girl at the local grocery store.

Australia might have loved Sam, but I think they need to remember The Wiggles began with Anthony, Murray, Jeff, and Greg. They built that business up from nothing, and they deserve to reap the benefits. Admittedly Greg sold out his share when he first departed, but the other blokes deserve to take a large chunk from the genius they created. The Wiggles might not have been as kind to Sam as mums and dads would like, but as far as I can tell they’ve been nothing but professional.

Image source: Led2life @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

ABC’s Australia Day Music Programs

The ABC is helping us celebrate Australia Day with some homegrown musical talent.

The main channel’s getting in early with the Australia Celebrates 2012 concert. The show features performances from INXS, The Potbelleez, Spiderbait, Sneaky Sound System, and Katie Noonan back with her Captains. See it on ABC on January 25 at 8:30 pm.

Then the following night make sure you tune in to ABC2. The channel will play Triple Js tribute to Nick Cave, which will see local artists like Dan Sultan, Adalita, Lisa Mitchell, Bertie Blackman, and Kram taking on Nick Cave classics. Now that sounds like it’s worth staying up for! If you’ve got work the next morning you may want to set your DVR for 9:30 pm on January 26.

Image source: Nick Bradsworth @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Greg Page Rejoins The Wiggles

I was thrilled to hear the news that Greg Page will be wiggling in his yellow skivvy once more. Greg left the children’s supergroup, The Wiggles, when he was diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance five years ago.

But it seems now he’s doing much better and he’ll be rejoining the group he founded some 20 years ago. He’ll tour Australia with his old bandmates in March, followed by strings of dates in the United Kingdom and United States later this year.

While I was happy to hear Greg’s back, I also wondered what would happen to Sam Moran, the young whippersnapper who stepped in when Greg departed the group. According to press releases he “graciously stepped aside” when he heard Greg was fit enough to return.

Media reports state Sam will pursue other musical projects, and he’s also been granted access to the Hot Potato Studios. I hope he’s managed to secure some lucrative Wiggles royalties in the deal too!

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Let The Cat Out Roadtest Album in Western Australia

Funky Melbourne five-piece Let The Cat Out will give Western Australian audiences a sneak peak at their new album at some upcoming shows in the state.

The band will play tracks from their soon to be released sophomore album Swimming Upstream as well as some old favorites at the gigs. Let The Cat Out’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist Jane McArthur says the album showcases the band’s lush new sound.

“We’ve added in extra instrumentation where we’ve thought it would add to the message and the vibe of the song, whereas in the first album, we were very much trying to stick to the raw sound of the five of us, and be faithful to how we could recreate the songs live. It’s still Let The Cat Out,” she assured fans, “but it’s got a bit more added fire, and a bit more complexity.”

You can see the way the band’s developed at the following shows.

27 January 2012 – Mounties, Mount Helena
29 January 2012 – Redcliffe on the Murray, Pinjarra
31 January 2012 – Perth Blues Club, Perth
1 February 2012 – Mojo’s, Fremantle
3 February 2012 – Whitestar Hotel, Albany
4 February 2012 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
5 February 2012 – Quindanning Tavern, Quindanning

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

2011 in Review | The Musical Year that Was

It’s that time of year again, time to bid 2011 farewell and look ahead to everything 2012 will bring us. But before we close the door on 2011 I thought I’d look back on the music and that made it special for me.

Top 10 Aussie Albums
1.    Busby Marou – Busby Marou
2.   Let’s Go – David Campbell (a welcome Christmas present – look for the review soon!)
3.    Yearlings – Dead Letter Chorus
4.    I Know This Now – Timothy Nelson and the Infidels
5.    One Thousand Origami Birds – Jack Carty
6.    Home – Adrian Deutsch
7.    Bleeders – The Trouble with Templeton
8.    Blood Thinner – Jordie Lane
9.    Go With the River – Owls of the Swamp
10.    Mighty Big Light – Steve Parkin

Top 10 Aussie Tours
1.    Tony Hadley and Go West @ Belmont 16 Footers
2.    Cyndi Lauper @ State Theatre
3.    Dolly Parton @ Allphones Arena
4.    Jimmy Barnes @ Lizotte’s Kincumber
5.    Joshua Radin @ The Enmore
6.    David Campbell @ West Leagues Club
7.    Eddie Vedder @ Civic Theatre
8.    Cold Chisel @ Newcastle Entertainment Center
9.    Indigo Girls @ State Theatre
10.    Rai Thistlewayte @ Lizotte’s Kincumber

Image source: Billy Alexander @ Sxc.hu