Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Chet Faker Comes Home

Chet Faker’s been quite the jetsetter over the last couple of months. He toured Europe with The Temper Trap and played big international festivals South by Southwest and The Great Escape. But these were just the warm up shows for his forthcoming Australian tour to celebrate the release of his new single “Love and Feeling.”

The track is the latest to come from Chet’s album Thinking in Textures, which has earned critical acclaim in the UK, the US, and his native Australia.

Chet will kick off his Australian tour with a slot at Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass before hitting the country’s best clubs.

27-29 July 2012 – Splendour in the Grass Festival, Byron Bay
3 August 2012 – The Bakery, Perth
4 August 2012 – Mojos, Fremantle
16 August 2012 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
17 August 2012 – Trinity Bar, Canberra
24 August 2012 – Cats @ Rocket Bar, Adelaide
7 September 2012 – Revolt, Melbourne
14 September 2012 – Up Late @ GOMA, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Circle Step Into Studio for The Middle

Sydney’s Circle have stepped out of their bedrooms and into the studio for their latest album The Middle.

Despite recording six albums, this is the first recorded in a proper studio. That should bring a bit of refinement to the band’s 70s inspired pop rock tunes. Don’t think we’ll lose the band’s originality though. Circle founding member Radi Safi produced the album, with the aid of industry vet Mike Stavrou (America, David Bowie, Kate Bush).

Look for The Middle in stores on August 1.

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

I, A Man Take The Scenic Route

I, a Man are celebrating the release of their dreamy new single “The Scenic Route” with an East Coast tour.

The song has such a lush quality, with jangly guitars, hypnotic drum beats, and Daniel Moss’ easy vocals. It’s definitely the kind of tune that can blast you out of a winter funk.

The accompanying tour will be your last chance to catch I, a Man for a while, as the band are heading into hibernation to write and record their debut album. We should see that in stores in the first half of next year.

I, a Man kick off their Scenic Route tour tonight in Geelong. Here are all the places you can catch them in the coming weeks:

19 July 2012 – Beavs Bar, Geelong
21 July 2012 – Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
26 July 2012 – Lambda, Alhambra
29 July 2012 – Dan & Ash Acoustic @ Pure Pop Records, St Kilda
2 August 2012 – The Front Gallery and Café, Canberra
4 August 2012 – Kittens @ The Spectrum, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

First Australia, Then the World for The Smith Street Band

Indie punk act The Smith Street Band are celebrating the upcoming release of their second album Sunshine and Technology with a national tour.

The album showcases the way The Smith Street Band have matured since the release of their debut No One Gets Lost Anymore last year. It’s incredible to see the strides they’ve made both lyrically and musically in such a short time.

By the time the disc drops on August 24, the band will already be on the road with American support act Restorations. This tour will act as a bit of a warm up for The Smith Street Band, as they’ll head to China and the United States once it wraps for their first international dates.

Catch The Smith Street Band before they mount their global assault at the following shows:

The Smith Street Band17 August 2012 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
25 August 2012 – The Tote, Melbourne
30 August 2012 – Enigma Bar, Adelaide
31 August 2012 – Rosemount, Perth
6 September 2012 – X & Y Bar, Brisbane
7 September 2012 – Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle
8 September 2012 Annandale Hotel, Sydney
9 September 2012 –Phoenix Lounge, Canberra

Image used with permission from Deathproof PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Living End Ready Retrospective Tour

The Living End are taking us on a trip down memory lane with their Retrospective Tour. The run of dates will see the band playing each of their albums in their entirety over seven nights in the major capitals.

This tour actually marks the first time each of the band’s six albums will be played from start to finish. Six albums and seven shows? I know. It seems The Living End enjoy their self-titled album so much they’ll play it twice in each location.

This tour’s the sort of thing bound to inspire fans to see multiple shows, but it’s not just a money making exercise. The Living End will really give back to their fans in intimate club venues.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow from Oztix. If you’re going to buy plenty I suggest indulging in The Big Red Ticket, which will allow you to see the band playing every album in your city for a heavily discounted price. Now on to the dates!

The Rosemount Hotel, Perth
1 November 2012 – State of Emergency
2 November 2012 – Modern Artillery
3 November 2012 – The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating
4 November 2012 – Roll On
5 November 2012 – The Living End
6 November 2012 – The Living End
7 November 2012 – White Noise

The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
11 November 2012 – Roll On
12 November 2012 – The Living End
13 November 2012 – The Living End
14 November 2012 – White Noise
15 November 2012 – State of Emergency
16 November 2012 – Modern Artillery
17 November 2012 – The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating

The Hi-Fi Bar, Sydney
21 November 2012 – White Noise
22 November 2012 – State of Emergency
23 November 2012 – Modern Artillery
24 November 2012 – The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating
25 November 2012 – Roll On
26 November 2012 – The Living End
27 November 2012 – The Living End

The Zoo, Brisbane
1 December 2012 – The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating
2 December 2012 – Roll On
3 December 2012 – The Living End
4 December 2012 – The Living End
5 December 2012 – White Noise
6 December 2012 – State of Emergency
7 December 2012 – Modern Artillery

The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
11 December 2012 – The Living End
12 December 2012 – White Noise
13 December 2012 – State of Emergency
14 December 2012 – Modern Artillery
15 December 2012 – The Ending is Just the Beginning Repeating
16 December 2012 – Roll On
17 December 2012 – The Living End

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Bluejuice Tour Unis

Bluejuice will entertain the country’s scholars next month with a tour of Australian universities, and a few honorary converted clubs. Their Winter of Our Discotheque tour kicks off at Newcastle Uni’s Bar on the Hill and wraps up almost three weeks later at Lismore’s SCU campus.

It’s all about Bluejuice reinventing their own experiences of winter as a uni student. The kids might still be shivering and unable to afford any meals of substance, but they’ll be entertained. If you’re looking for extra value (and what uni student isn’t?) make sure you turn up early to see support acts Deep Sea Arcade and The Preachers.

8 August 2012 – Bar on the Hill @ Newcastle University, Newcastle
9 August 2012 – The Stro @University of New England, Armidale
10 August 2012 – University of Technology, Sydney
11 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ University of Wollongong, Wollongong
14 August 2012 – Anu Bar, Canberra
15 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ CSU, Albury
16 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ Monash University, Gippsland
17 & 18 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ Deakin University, Melbourne
21 August 2012 – Uni Branded Night @ Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay
22 August 2012 – Uni Branded Night @ The Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
23 August 2012 – Red Room @ University of Queensland, Brisbane
24 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ Griffith University, Gold Coast
25 August 2012 – Uni Bar @ SCU, Lismore

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Karise Eden Still on Top

Karise Eden continues to be a musical force to be reckoned with. Her debut album My Journey retained its top spot on the ARIA chart for the third consecutive week.

Australia seems willing to forgive Chris Brown; his new album Fortune’s jumped in to the number two position. That’s forced the Hillsong Church’s new album Cornerstone and Keith Urban’s The Story So Far down to the number three and four spots respectively.

Missy Higgins has returned to the top ten this week, but only just. Her album The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle is sitting at the number ten spot.

After his impressive number one debut last week, Reece Mastin’s disappointingly slipped out of the top ten completely. Thankfully we’ve got Justice Crew, with their new single “Boom Boom,” flying the Aussie flag.

Click below to see this week’s top ten.

Continue reading “Karise Eden Still on Top” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Kenny Rogers Headlines Bigger & Better Darwin Festival

Darwin’s often neglected by touring acts, so it’s exciting to see some of entertainment’s big names heading to the territory’s capital for this year’s Darwin Festival.

This year’s eclectic line-up includes an unforgettable show featuring Washington and Kate Miller-Heidke, hip hop act Hermitude, rockabilly songbird Lanie Lane, hot young things San Cisco, drag sensation Pam Ann, and the one and only Kenny Rogers.

“Darwin shines most brilliantly in August and we can’t wait to share a program that will keep you sizzling for the Hot August Nights,” the festival’s artistic director Edwina Lunn said in a press release. “We encourage everyone to load up their August and maximise the dry season good times because after all, we can sleep through September!”

This year there’s so much entertainment that Darwin needed to add another festival hub. George’s Green will see bars, eateries, and entertainment taking over the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens and The Amphitheatre. Also new this year is the Idolize Spiegeltent, an old fashioned hall of mirrors with musical and cabaret shows.

A free shuttle bus will operate every night of the festival to take party goers between the regular Festival Park and the new George’s Green. The Darwin Festival runs from August 9 to 26. Head to the website for the complete program.

Image used with permission from AUM Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Wailers Headline Island Vibe

Island Vibe is heading back to Stradbroke Island this October for its seventh big year.

The 2012 line-up includes some stellar international reggae, soul, and dub acts including The Original Wailers, fellow countryman Prince Alla, Canada’s JPod, and Gaudi from Italy. Aussie performers including Kooii, The Upsteppers, and Chant Down Sound also have a place on the bill. And there’s more to come, with a second artist announcement planned just before the festival.

I think it all sounds like the perfect opportunity for a beach holiday, don’t you? Tickets are now on sale through the Island Vibe website.

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Melissa Etheridge @ Opera House, Sydney – 11 July 2012

We’ve all got those albums that nurse us through hard times. You move on from those moments, but they always occupy a special place in your heart. Melissa Etheridge’s self-titled album was one of those discs for me. It was on my periphery on its release, but eight years later when I was a teenager pining over a relationship that never was it all clicked. Melissa’s raw emotion and the lyrics she wrote echoed the heartbreak I felt like nothing else could.

It was that connection I felt so many years ago that took me to the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday night. We’ve bought gotten older, but it was wonderful to cross paths again.

The Melissa of today is much more optimistic than the one that delivered that painful debut. That spirit was encapsulated in her opening number “Fearless Love.” She soars in those strong powerful numbers, but I was thrilled to see she can still tap into that hurt from years gone by. I was floored by a stripped back version of “Precious Pain,” one of the little known numbers from that first disc. The desperation of “I Want to Come Over” was palpable, and the anger of “Somebody Bring Me Some Water” filled the room. Newer positive songs like “Falling Up” can’t quite match the intensity of those earlier tracks, but they bring some necessary balance to her set. So too does her easy banter with the crowd. Her joy at performing in Australia after so long, at a venue she holds in such high regard, was evident.

Melissa closed the night with “Like I Do,” a number that’s everything I love about her. She rocked hard and left her heart on the stage. This tour was a long time coming for her fans, but she gave us everything we could have wished for. Hopefully we won’t be waiting so long for the next go round.

Image source: Angela George @ Wikimedia Commons