Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Boys Like Girls and Hot Chelle Rae Unite for Aussie Tour

Boston pop-rockers Boys Like Girls are joining Nashvile quartet Hot Chelle Rae for one big Aussie tour this July.

The spunky lads from Boys Like Girls are here to promote their sophomore album Love Drunk, which features the top 100 single of the same name. The disc is the ideal showcase for the band’s catchy hooks and rich sound. It’s not often bands marry traditional rock instruments with electronic sounds and a string section, but that’s just what makes this one so intriguing.

Hot Chelle Rae are another act on the rise. Riding high on rave reviews for their dance-rock debut album Lovesick Electric, the band are a great addition to the bill.

Next time these musos tour here they’ll be doing so in much bigger venues. Make sure you get in this time around when tickets go on sale on May 7.

9 July 2010 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane (18+)
10 July 2010 – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane (Under 18s)
11 July 2010 – Roundhouse, Sydney (Licensed/All Ages)
14 July 2010 – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne (Under 18s)
15 July 2010 – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne (18+)
16 July 2010 – Fowlers, Adelaide (Licensed/All Ages)

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rogue Traders Get Hearts Beating with Socceroos World Cup Song

The Rogue Traders hope to lead the Socceroos to World Cup victory with their song “Pulse of the Nation.” The track will be the team’s official 2010 FIFA World Cup song, and you can be part of it.

Pulse of the Nation events will be held at Westfield shopping centres around Australia this week. At these sessions the heartbeats of shoppers will be recorded via special digital stethescopes. These heartbeats will then form the beat for the Rogue Traders track. The names of all heartbeat donators will be printed in a commemorative book to be presented to the Socceroos during their World Cup campaign in South Africa.

52nd TV Week Logie Awards - Awards Room


“Being asked to support the Socceroos on their World Cup campaign is perhaps the greatest single honour we have received in our careers. We are also delighted to be able to involve the general public in the creation of this song – to literally bring together the heartbeats of our nation – and to combine them into one, inspirational moment. That way we can all cheer our boys onto victory,” said Rogue Traders’ James Ash and Mindi Jackson in a statement.

You can listen out for your heartbeat when the song becomes available online on May 24. It’ll also feature on the Rogue Traders upcoming album Night of the Living Drums, which will hit stores on June 25.

If you want to get involved, just visit the following Westfield shopping centres.

Westfield Bondi, NSW (6-9 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm daily and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday
Westfield Liverpool, NSW (6-9 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm daily and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday
Westfield Carindale, Qld (6-9 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm daily and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday
Westfield Fountain Gate, Vic (6-9 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm daily and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday
Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, SA (6-9 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday, 11 am to 4 pm Friday to Sunday
Westfield Carousel, WA (6-8 May 2010) – 10 am to 3 pm daily and 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“We’re Not Alone” – Chemical Transport

Chemical Transport have burst onto the music scene with their debut EP We’re Not Alone. This is the kind of recording that grabs you instantly with its big hooks and energy. It’s not too different from the kind of pop-punk we’ve seen from so many American acts in recent years, but that’s not a bad thing.

While the first few songs didn’t strike me as incredibly innovative, they were very slick and immensely likable. It’s not the kind of music I usually warm to, yet I found myself tapping my feet to those infectious beats.

Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh on the lads, but their anti-scenesters tag made me expect something which turned music on its head. This EP isn’t it, but it does hint that the band has the potential to create something which does push the envelope. After the upbeat sounds of opening tracks “Alluropoda” and “We’re Not Alone,” the earnest love song “The Hardest Goodbye” took me by surprise. It was exciting to see another side of the band revealed, and it’s one I hope they explore more in future releases. The atmospheric instrumental closer “Melanoleuca” was another bolt from the blue. It’s not the kind of thing I expected to hear on this EP, and that’s exactly why I like it.

On We’re Not Alone, Chemical Transport hint at the exciting sounds they’re capable of. They’re not wowing me yet, but this disc suggests that given time they could.

Image source: Chemical Transport MySpace

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Song Obsession: “Waiting For You” by Basement Birds

“Waiting For You” is the first single from Aussie supergroup Basement Birds. With Josh Pyke, Kav Temperley, Kevin Mitchell, and Steve Parkin all lending their creative talents to the project I knew I’d love it. And I do, even though it’s not the sort of song that grabs you by the throat. It’s perfect Sunday arvo fare, the kind of thing you’d stick on while entertaining friends or recovering from a big night out.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aussies Win Top Honours at International Songwriting Awards

V8 Supercars - Rock All Night Concert Series

Australian artists have picked up a swag of gongs at the International Songwriting Awards.

Chris Cheney of The Living End earned first place in the rock category for his song “White Noise.” Sarah Blasko took out the folk/singer-songwriter category for “Bird on Wire.” Brother-sister duo Emma and Anthony Hewitt of Missing Hours won the adult contemporary award for “Missing You.” Kevin Mitchell, aka Bob Evans was named best pop/top 40 artist for his track “Pasha Bulker.”

The annual contest is open to songwriters all over the world. It’s judged by a veritable who’s who of music, including this year Tom Waits, Ben Folds, Ben Harper, Jeff Beck, and Robert Smith of The Cure.

Well done to all the winners!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Powderfinger Sell Out Concerts Around Australia

If you hoped to catch Powderfinger on their final tour, you might be out of luck. Tickets were snapped up quickly this morning; shows sold out in minutes, and when more were added many of those sold out just as fast.

As we write, here’s what the Sunsets tour schedule’s looking like. If you want to see any of those shows that aren’t sold out, I suggest nabbing tickets quick smart. More shows may be added, but I wouldn’t want to wait around and find out!

Powderfinger Announce Australian Tour


1 September 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Newcastle (SOLD OUT)
3 September 2010 – Convention Centre, Gold Coast (SOLD OUT)
4 September 2010 – Riverstage, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
5 September 2010 – Riverstage, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
7 September 2010 – Regional Entertainment Centre, Tamworth
9 September 2010 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong (SOLD OUT)
10 September 2010 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
11 September 2010 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
14 September 2010 – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart
16 September 2010 – Memorial Drive, Adelaide (SOLD OUT)
18 September 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney (SOLD OUT)
19 September 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Sydney (SOLD OUT)
23 September 2010 – Supreme Court Gardens, Perth (SOLD OUT)
24 September 2010 – Supreme Court Gardens, Perth (SOLD OUT)
26 September 2010 – Gardens Ampitheatre, Darwin
28 September 2010 – Convention Centre, Cairns
1 October 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Townsville (SOLD OUT)
2 October 2010 – Entertainment Centre, Townsville
3 October 2010 – Showgrounds, Mackay
7 October 2010 – Showgrounds, Rockhampton
8 October 2010 – Kings Beach, Caloundra
9 October 2010 – University Of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
12 October 2010 – University Of Canberra
13 October 2010 – Sports Ground, Albury
15 October 2010 – Showgrounds, Bendigo
16 October 2010 – North Gardens, Ballarat (SOLD OUT)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Angus & Julia Stone Announce Massive Aussie Tour

Following the release of their number one album Down The Way, Angus & Julia Stone will embark on their biggest Australian tour later this year.

The disc isn’t just doing big business at home. It came in at number 19 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart in America, and reached number 40 in France. The duo recently sold out dates around the United Kingdom, and they’re about to play Europe, including a slot at The Great Escape, and a handful of dates in North America.

Angus & Julia Stone will return home to play Splendour in the Grass in July, followed by their national tour through August/September.

Tickets go on sale from May 7. Fans can purchase theirs with the new single “Big Jet Plane” for a discounted package price. The single includes three previously unreleased tracks: “Living on a Radio,” “My Malakai,” and the unexpected cover of “You’re the One That I Want.”

Angus & Julia Stone will play the following intimate shows around the country.

18 August 2010 – Moncreif Theatre, Bundaberg
19 August 2010 – Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton
20 August 2010 – Andergrove Tavern, Mackay
21 August 2010 – Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville
22 August 2010 – Botanic Gardens, Cairns
25 August 2010 – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
26 August 2010 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
1 September 2010 – Llewellyn Hall ANU, Canberra
2 September 2010 – University Hall, Wollongong
3 September 2010 – Grandstand Hall @ Showgrounds, Hobart
4 September 2010 – The Saloon, Launceston
10 September 2010 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
11 September 2010 – Town Hall, Meeniyan
17 September 2010 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
18 September 2010 – Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth
25 & 26 September 2010 – Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Original Matters

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hashbang Spacestar Release Debut EP

Electropop act Hashbang Spacestar are preparing to release their debut EP Memories Travel at the Speed of Light.

If you love the sounds of The Presets, Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, and PNAU you should give these guys a spin. They’ve got a bunch of free MP3 available through their website, or you can catch them in the live arena when they launch their EP at Sosueme, Q-Bar in Sydney on May 7.

Image source: Hashbang Spacestar

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with The Black Ryder’s Aimee Nash

When we last touched base with The Black Ryder they were preparing to release their debut album Buy The Ticket, Take the Ride. A lot has happened since, so I recently caught up with Aimee Nash to talk about all these exciting events.


When I spoke to Scott last year he was hopeful that your album Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride would be released overseas. Since that time you’ve signed deals for release in Japan and the United States. How does it feel to have that dream realised?
To be honest it’s been so busy the last few days/weeks/months that I don’t think either of us have had time to think about how we feel. Since the beginning of this musical project/happening, we’ve always thrown ourselves into every aspect of it, including the business side of things, which sadly can take up a lot of time (particularly lately!).

I guess there’s certainly a feeling of relief that things are coming together, but there’s no time to rest or get too silly about things; there’s plenty more to be done.

You’ve signed up with relatively small record labels overseas. Why did you choose that route over the larger, more commercial labels?
I wouldn’t necessarily call Mexican Summer a ‘small’ record label, but more of a strong independent.

I was over in NYC and LA in November/December having meetings with different labels with our manager at the time. We met with a fair few bodies; interestingly enough one of the meetings we’d had with a really large/commercial label, which resulted in Mexican Summer getting in contact with us.

Things seem to fall into place at the right time with the right people. We’re still in discussions regarding a UK/Europe release, hoping to make more announcements on this front soon.

Are you planning trips abroad to support those international releases?
Most definitely, more on this later.

You don’t often play live shows, but you’re heading on the road next month to support The Cult. Are you looking forward to getting back in front of an audience?
Very much looking forward to the tour.  We had a lot of fun playing at Playground Weekender at the beginning of the year. We have a new drummer playing with us now as well, Nick Kennedy, who brings something quite incredible to our music. Jules and Archi are still playing with us, we all enjoy playing together. I believe we’re close to announcing our own run of dates soon post Cult tour. I know that we haven’t played many of our own shows but it’s all feeling good right now so we really do want to get out there and play some more, not too much though. Less can sometimes be more, and we never wanted to be a band who plays every other weekend.
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