Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Does Pink

I’m a little late with my Australian Idol recap this week. Blame the heady excitement, then crushing defeat of the NRL grand final. When you’ve waited 23 years for your team to taste victory, it takes a few beverages to ease the pain of loss. But I digress.

Last night was Pink night on Idol, which may very well be the lamest excuse for a theme ever. That’s particularly true when the colourful one herself is nowhere to be seen. I think there should be a rule that there can’t be a performer-centric Idol theme until that person or band has notched up at least 15 years in the biz. But again, I digress.

Before we were saturated with Pinkness it was time to send one Idol packing. With all the girls safe, we were left with an all-male bottom three. Those unlucky lads in for a nervous wait were Scott Newnham, James Johnston, and Tim Johnson. I really didn’t mind who left us, although I felt James had definitely done enough to stay. As it turned out, we said goodbye to Mr Bland, Tim Johnson. I’ll probably miss his generically handsome face, but that’s about all.

Nathan Brake lived up to his early promise with an incredible performance of “Just Like a Pill.” I love Nathan more than any other Idol, so I may be a little biased, but I thought this was brilliant. He stripped back the layers and allowed himself to be raw, vulnerable and beautiful. He seemed on the verge of tears through most of it, and that was compelling. I haven’t been wowed by Nathan in recent weeks, and that was making me nervous. This was just what I needed to hear from him.

After tonight’s stint in the bottom three, Scott Newnham needed to pull out something special. “So What” may have been the worst possible song choice for him. This is where experience comes in. The song isn’t dynamic enough to really showcase what he can do. It’s a lot of fun to belt out in the car, but that’s about all. The result was something that felt incredibly karaoke. I also didn’t see him connecting with the lyric, which was the only thing that could have saved it. Far too much joy, not enough venom.

Stan Walker reminded me a little of my Parramatta Eels this week. It was clear that something was wrong in the first section of the song. He could have so easily have fallen in a heap. But he picked himself up and kept going to create something that, in the end, he could be proud of. His performance of “Dear Mr President” wasn’t the best of the night because of its early flaws. But it was wonderful and moving nonetheless.

Continue reading “Australian Idol Does Pink” →
Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bliss n Eso Launch Clothing Line

Bliss n Eso are going the way of Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani and launching their own clothing label.

Flying Colours Clothing is more than just another collection of music merch. The band has collaborated with brand manager Tom Macdonald to create a line “intended to push the boundaries of how music, culture, and fashion collide.”

“Attention to detail and maintaining a high level of quality across all of BnE’s projects and releases is paramount to the group,” they said in a statement. “From the music we create right down to the quality of the BnE threads we rock, and our fans rock.”

The first full Flying Colours Clothing collection is scheduled to drop in winter 2010, with limited releases over summer 2009.

Image source: Bliss n Eso press kit

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Go-Betweens Get a Bridge

One of the most influential bands, The Go-Betweens, to come out of Brisbane has been honoured by their hometown. The Hale Street Link Bridge, which crosses the Brisbane River and links Milton with South Brisbane, will now be known as the Go-Betweens Bridge.

The name change came about by public vote, but it’s one that Lord Mayor Campbell Newman heartily endorses.

“The band produced music that just absolutely lives and breathes Brisbane,” Cr Newman said.

Founding band member Robert Forster says it is an unexpected honour. But he won’t commit just yet to a comeback concert when the bridge officially opens next July.

“It could be a little bit windy; it could be raining, you never can tell, anything can happen,” he said.

Sounds to me like a polite way of passing on that reunion show!

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Delta Goodrem Does Christmas Concert

Delta Goodrem is celebrating the festive season with a very special Christmas concert at the Sydney Opera House on December 6.

“I’m thrilled to be able to perform at the Sydney Opera House and to my incredible fans during a time of celebration and togetherness,” she said in a statement.

Delta will perform a selection of her greatest hits and, of course, plenty of Christmas carols. Make sure your favourite Christmas song makes the set list by putting your vote in on Delta’s website.

Tickets start from $75. They go on sale through the Opera House website at 9 am tomorrow morning.

Image source: zeigh_x @ Wikimedia Commons

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

A Baby Girl for Ben Lee

Congratulations to Ben Lee and Ione Skye! The couple are celebrating the birth of their daughter, Goldie Priya Lee. She was born on Thursday September 24 at the very civilised time of 8 am.

Ben said he is “over the moon” at the arrival of his baby girl. He’s already bringing her up right, with a steady diet of Curb Your Enthusiasm DVDs! It’s very important to educate the young! You can see a photo of the pair at Ben’s blog.

Goldie is the first child for Ben, who married Ione in a traditional Indian ceremony last December. She is also mum to an eight-year-old daughter, Kate, from her previous relationship with designer David Netto.

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Idol Does 80s

80s night is always my favourite night of Australian Idol. These are the songs I grew up with, unashamedly daggy, flamboyant, and fun. But before we could get into the good stuff, we had to say goodbye to one our Idol hopefuls. Kim Cooper, Sabrina Batshon, and Nathan Brake found themselves in the bottom three. It was understandable I suppose, but hard to hear that one of my faves would be leaving the comp. Sadly that person was Sabrina. I guess her big personality was just a little much for some. It’s a shame; I was really hoping to see her bust out something amazing this week.

I was very concerned when I heard Nathan Brake was taking on Bon Jovi’s rock anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer.” It’s one of my favourites, and I doubted whether Nathan had the grit to really deliver it. He really didn’t. He hit all the right notes, but it just didn’t feel believable to me. There is so much 80s stuff that would have suited him a lot better.

Scott Newnham took on “Let’s Groove.” I couldn’t fault the vocals, but the delivery was a little bland for me. His “dance moves” were also really awkward. Honestly I wanted Gary Pinto to take the microphone from him and finish the song.

Hayley Warner busted out a little Bruce Springsteen with “Dancing in the Dark.” I really enjoyed this. It wasn’t deep or meaningful, but neither was the 80s. It was incredibly fun, and exactly what she needed to do. It felt like this was the first time someone actually “got” the decade.

Toby Moulton went for a little Foreigner with “I Want to Know What Love Is.” I’ve always said that more Idols need to sing power ballads, but not like this. This was completely devoid of the passion that you need in a power ballad. Did he even listen to the lyrics? They go something along the lines of “In my life there’s been heartache and pain, I don’t know if I can face it again.” I heard none of that desperation. This was more Mariah than Foreigner, and it was much poorer for it.

Continue reading “Australian Idol Does 80s” →
Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Andre Rieu Goes to the Movies

Andre Rieu fans who can’t get to his show at Sydney’s Acer Arena on October 16 don’t have to miss out. The concert will be broadcast live in cinemas across the country.

Thanks to CinemaLive, the event will screen in New South Wales regional centres, including Wagga Wagga, Tamworth, Broken Hill, Orange, Bowral, and Griffith. It will also go to all other states and territories around the country. Around 50 cinemas are planning to screen the show.

I’m not a fan of Mr Rieu, but I do find the concept intriguing. I’d love to see more bands making their concerts accessible to folks in regional areas, and those who can’t afford those big ticket prices.

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Music Sales Steady Despite Economic Downturn

Despite all the financial doom and gloom, music sales have remained steady in Australia. In fact, sales in the first half of the year are up compared to the same period in 2008.

Digital sales are the biggest area of growth. Single track sales increased by 36.46% while digital album sales were up 56.81%. That corresponds to a 44.18% drop in CD single sales, and a 4.48% drop in album sales. Of course, the single sales may have been that much worse because singles are simple so hard to find!

Musical purists like myself may be happy to note the whopping growth in vinyl sales. 9680 vinyl units were sold in the first half of 2008, but in the first half of this year that rose to a massive 38, 364 units. It’s similarly pleasing for me to see ringtone sales fall from 2, 316, 864 to 1, 992, 231. Does that mean we’re finally done with fads like the Crazy Frog?

“It is extremely heartening to see the market leveling out like this when, given the economic climate, people may have expected to see a general decline,” ARIA Chairman and Warner CEO Ed St. John said in a statement.

He adds that digital is the way of the future. “It’s the most positive sign we’ve witnessed in a long time that the digital format is firmly established and well on it’s way to replacing any value lost via the physical format decline. What we are seeing is the first tentative evidence of a return to growth.”

Image source: Paulo Correa @ Stock.xchng

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kram Sells Vodka and Video Games

Kram may be poised for international stardom after his solo songs have been added to several global media ventures.

The most lucrative deal sees Kram’s song “Silk Suits” used for the next Smirnoff Vodka marketing campaign. The song will be used in a 12-month campaign which will be seen in several countries including the United States.

“Good Love” will be used in a television campaign for the racing game Dirt 2. Meanwhile “The Best Thing” has attracted the ears of Hollywood. The song will feature in two upcoming American films.

All tracks come from Kram’s first solo album, Mix Tape.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Peter Andre Makes UK Chart Splash

And here I was thinking Peter Andre’s career comeback was destined to fail. But it seems that the Brits are still mad about the impossibly tanned Aussie expat and his perfect six-pack.

His new album Revelation has made an impressive number three debut on the UK charts. That sees our Peter outselling the likes of Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, and all those reissued Beatles albums. Something’s just not quite right about that!

But seriously, good luck to him. With his divorce from Jordan starting to get messy, Mr Andre will probably need all the extra cash he can get!

Image source: Newscom