Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Yacht Club DJs Batten Down the Hatches

You might have caught Yacht Club DJs in the dance tents of festivals like Coaster, Meredith, Field Day, and Splendour in the Grass. Now that the weather is cooling the duo is setting out on their own Batten Down the Hatches tour.

The tour is something of an arrival for the band who are moving away from underground clubs and into some of the top music venues around the country. Brisbane duo DZ and promising young indie rockers Howl will join in the fun.

Apparently we can expect “on-stage nudity, crowd invasions, dancing on the decks, and wild water sports.” If that sounds like your kind of thing make sure you catch one of the following shows!

25 March 2010 – Transit Bar, Canberra
26 & SAT 27 March 2010  – Spectrum, Sydney
1 April 2010 – The National Hotel, Geelong
2 April 2010 – Prince of Wales, St Kilda
3 April 2010  – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
4 April 2010 – Jive, Adelaide
8 April 2010 – Never Land Bar, Coolangatta
9 April 2010  – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
10 April 2010 – The Zoo, Brisbane

Image source: Yacht Club DJs MySpace

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Crowded House Sign with Universal

Crowded House have a new home, with the band leaving long-time record company EMI for Universal Music. The first release under the new deal will be the album Intriguer, which should hit stores in the middle of the year.

Lead singer Neil Finn is apparently delighted with the move, commenting “I look forward to a long and productive relationship with Universal Music, who are obviously the music company setting the benchmark now. We’re delighted to be in the company of music-loving people who believe in us and are eager to spread the word.”

Local fans may get a sneak peek at some of the band’s new material when they play a couple of Australian and New Zealand dates in the next few weeks ahead of their European tour. The band will then head to the United States. Here are all those dates for my readers abroad!

28 March 2010 – West Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Fremantle
31 March 2010 – Enmore Theatre, Newtown
1 April 2010 – Bluesfest, Byron Bay
8 April 2010 – Town Hall, Auckland
18 May 2010 – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle Upon Tyne
19 May 2010 – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow
21 May 2010 – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
22 May 2010 – Music Hall, Aberdeen
24 & 25 May 2010 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
26 & 27 May 2010 – Apollo Manchester, Manchester
29 May 2010 – Royal Theatre and Event Centre, Castlebar
30 & 31 May 2010 – Olympia Theatre, Dublin
2 June 2010 – Colston Hall, Bristol
3 June 2010 – Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth
4 June 2010 – Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff
6 June 2010 – New Theatre Oxford, Oxford
8 – 10 June 2010 – HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
12 June 2010 – Isle of Wight Festival, Newport
14 June 2010 – Train, Aarhus
16 June 2010 – Amager Bio, Copenhagen
18 June 2010 – Vorst Nationaal, Brussels
20 June 2010 – Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam
21 June 2010 – Essigfabrik, Cologne
24 June 2010 – Sala Razzmatazz, Barcelona
25 June 2010 – Sala Heineken, Madrid
26 July 2010 – Filene Center At Wolf Trap, Vienna (USA)

Image source: Alterna2 @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Win Last Chance Tickets for This Week’s Bacardi Express Shows

The Bacardi Express is just about ready to board, and tickets are all sold out. But if you’re still keen to catch La Roux, Art vs Science, Yves Klein Blue, Miami Horror, Cassette Kids, and Sampology, listen up.

Last chance tickets will be given away on the day of the concert, but you’ll need to join the Bacardi Express Facebook page or listen to Nova to get your hands on them. And of course, as this is an adults only event, you’ll need to be over 18.

If you do manage to bag tickets, make sure you tune in to MTV during May. The music network will screen a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the massive tour, so you might just spot yourself in the crowd!

As a reminder, here are the Bacardi Express dates. If you’re still hoping to score tickets, good luck!

25 March 2010 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
26 March 2010 – Club Coffs, Coffs Harbour
27 March 2010 – Panthers, Newcastle (midday)
27 March 2010 – Big Top @ Luna Park, Sydney (7:30 pm)

Image used with permission from Peer Group Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Temper Trap Announce Another Aussie Tour

The Temper Trap clearly love being at home. Despite making waves overseas and playing Aussie shows just a couple of months ago, the local lads will return for a handful of dates this July.

The band will play relatively small venues in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney. Catch them before they start hitting the entertainment centres; tickets for the following shows are available next Monday March 29.

22 July 2010 – Metro City, Perth
24 July 2010 – Festival Hall, Melbourne
27 July 2010 – Hordern Pavillion, Sydney

Image source: The Harbour Agency

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Angus & Julia Stone Debut at Number One

Angus & Julia Stone have debuted at number one on the ARIA charts with their sophomore effort Down The Way. The local brother sister act was no match for last week’s number ones Gorillaz, now sitting at number three, or international touring sensation Lady Gaga, who occupies the number two spot.

It’s great to see Angus & Julia Stone outselling the rest of the pack considering the lack of local talent in the current ARIA charts.

Australia also has a new number one single, with Train moving up one position with “Hey, Soul Sister.” They may not be Aussies, but as a long time fan I’m thrilled to see these boys sitting at the top of our charts once again!

Click below to see the full ARIA top 10!
Continue reading “Angus & Julia Stone Debut at Number One” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Ten” – Gabriella Cilmi

I received Gabriella Cilmi’s sophomore album Ten last week, and I’ve been listening to it sporadically ever since. So many CDs take up permanent residence in my stereo, but this one requires smaller doses.

The problem is that it’s all very samey. Gabriella is clearly enamoured with vintage disco; think Donna Summer and the Pointer Sisters. Upbeat pop gems and softer ballads alike blaze with synthesizers and 80s electro beats. It feels more like a guilty pleasure than the follow-up work of a multiple ARIA Award winner.

The current single “On a Mission” is a real standout, a fist pumping energetic dance track which has me reaching for my nearest hairbrush. The upbeat ditties that follow are also very strong, and when you think you can’t handle another dance track the romantic “Defender” is a welcome change of pace.

But at this half way point the album takes a bit of a nosedive. “Robots” is inoffensive but the lyrics are more than a little silly. “Superhot” also suffers from some juvenile lyrics and grating vocals. I know Gabriella’s a young woman, but this song feels less mature than anything on Lessons to be Learned. The electro revamp of “Sweet About Me” was frankly unnecessary; if you can’t improve on the song, why redo it? The second half of Ten feels like it has a lot of filler, which is surprising considering how much time has elapsed between albums number one and two.

I definitely don’t hate Ten. It’s frothy and fun; the kind of CD I’d put on to power through the housework or fire up a party. But if it replicates the success of Lessons to be Learned, I’ll be very surprised.

Ten is available in stores now.

Image source: auspOp

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gareth Liddiard Goes Solo for Album, Tour

Singer-songwriter Gareth Liddiard is going it alone for his latest album and tour.

The Drones frontman will road test his new material next month with some very special acoustic shows along the East Coast. The concerts will feature songs from Gareth’s solo recording, slated for release later this year, and all your Drones favourites.

Tickets for the following shows are available at the venues.

15 April 2010 – The Troubadour, Brisbane
16 April 2010 – Notes Live, Sydney
23 April 2010 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Bedroom Philosopher Sets Out on Single Tour

Melbourne comic The Bedroom Philosopher has just released “Northcote (So Hungover)”, the first single from his upcoming album Songs from the 86 Tram. You can listen to the song here.

The Bedroom Philosopher has quickly become a Triple J favourite with his witty satire and shoe-gazing rock stylings. I also like that he’s an equal opportunist comedian, similarly at home taking pot shots at hip hop wannabes, bogans, backpackers, and the elderly.

If you were looking for musical comedy that’s a bit edgier than Tripod and Scared Weird Little Guys, The Bedroom Philosopher may just be your cup of chai. You can catch him at the upcoming Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festivals and a few other cities over the next few months. Check him out at the following venues!

25 March -18 April 2010 – Victoria Hotel, Melbourne
28 April 2010 – The Front Café, Canberra
29 April 2010 – The Vanguard, Sydney
5 May 2010 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
6 May 2010 – Alley Cat, Hobart
7 Friday May 2010 – Royal Oak, Launceston
9 Sunday May 2010 – Powerhouse, Brisbane

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Parents Criticise Lady Gaga Shows, But Should Kids Be There Anyway?

Lady Gaga is just two nights into her Australian tour and already parents have jumped on the flamboyant performer. They’re begging us to think of the children and calling for concerts to carry a classification similar to films and albums.

Lady GaGa performs live in concert at Glasgow's SECC as part of her Monster Ball Tour

Personally I think the whole thing’s ludicrous. I’m not a parent, but if I was I wouldn’t take my child to see Lady Gaga. I have nothing against the performer or her brand of entertainment, but it’s one built on shock value. Her recent film clip for “Telephone” contains a healthy dose of violence and nudity, so I’d expect her live concert to feature similar elements. It’s just not something I’d expose a small child to, but I don’t condemn any parent who does.

While I don’t condemn any parent who opts to take their child to see Lady Gaga, I am critical of those who bring children to a show without being informed. I think it’s good parenting to be aware of the content of art your child is consuming and make a choice accordingly. If you want to expose them to entertainment that’s edgy, do it by all means. But don’t attend a performance blindly and then express your moral outrage.

I don’t see how we could possibly give concerts a ratings system. They’re live performances, and at their best completely unscripted. Consider an artist who lets a few f-bombs fly while bantering with their audience between songs. Should they play to a strictly adult crowd, or be forced to watch their language? What I love most about an evening of live music is its spontaneity. If we introduce ratings we lose that, which would be a very sad thing indeed.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Who’s Your Most Eligible Music Bachelor?

Most often I’m a serious music journalist. But sometimes I’m just a woman who loves to admire good looking men. So every year I like to cast my eye over the contenders for the Cleo Bachelor of the Year title to see which local musos are in the running.

Celebrities At Crown Oaks Day

It makes sense for musicians to feature prominently in the list. John Mayer once said that a guitar was the ultimate airbrush, and he’s probably right. Although I’m just as likely to become weak-kneed when a man sits behind a piano or drum kit!

Isn’t it interesting to see Rob Farnham make the list? I remember thinking the Lanstrum singer had the potential to be hot when his band Nana-Zhami toured with John Farnham in the late 90s. Back then he was a little young and it felt a little pervy, but now he’s on my radar!

I still feel it’s a little pervy to consider Short Stack’s Andy Clemmensen as an eligible bachelor, but the 21-year-old has also made this year’s cut. I’m sure the tweens are voting in their droves though!

I’m much more interested in DJ Angus Gruzman. I think my inner hippie chick is responding to all that long shiny hair and all the vinyl behind him.

Rob “Millsy” Mills is another lad right up my alley. I must admit, his appeal was lost on me during his Idol stint. But you whack that man in tights and put him on a musical theatre stage and my heart beats faster.

I’m also a fan of Sam Clark. While he’s better known as a soap actor, he’s showing real promise as a singer-songwriter. He’s also easy on the eyes!

For the indie girls we’ve got Royce Akers of Hot Little Hands. He’s not my cup of chai, but he scores points for loving Tom Waits.

Dave Rennick of Dappled Cities also has that indie cool thing going on, but perhaps a little too much. Honestly he looks like a bit of a tool standing there scowling with his sunglasses on.

If you want to vote for any of these talented musos just click their names in this post!