Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sui Zhen Wows Street Press Collective for uncharTED Semis Spot

Sydney songbird Sui Zhen has won her place into the Tooheys Extra Dry uncharTED semi finals after impressing Street Press Collective.

“If she was from Iceland you’d love her; she’s from Australia so you should love her more,” said a spokesperson from Street Press Collective.

She’ll join the other media picks – Ellington Death Battle, and Hot Little Hands – and the top six public-voted bands in the semi finals.

They’ll battle to earn a spot at Splendour in the Grass and an artist development package worth $25,000. You could catch the band live at Splendour simply by voting for your favourite. There’s just one more week of voting to go, so head to the website and make your voice heard!

Image used with permission from Peer Media Group

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Kids on the Block Announce Australian Tour

Here’s the news all girls in their mid-twenties have been waiting for. New Kids on the Block are visiting Australia.

Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Danny Wood paved the way for the likes of Take That, Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync. It might seem strange for a boy band to get back together now they’re middle-aged men, but Joey says their friendship is as strong as ever.

“I think the thing with us is that we always hung onto the fact that we were buddies first. It’s different now, it’s a little more planned out and professional, but we’re still a bunch of guys who love doing this and want every show to be our best,’ said Joey.

Who better to support a middle-aged boy band than an ex boy band star? Former Westlife member Brian McFadden will also be along for the ride.

So have N.K.O.T.B still got “the right stuff?” You can find out at the following shows. Tickets go on sale from the usual outlets on May 28.

1 August 2009 – Burswood Arena, Perth
3 August 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
4 August 2009 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
6 August 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Newcastle
8 August 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
10 August 2009 – Acer Arena, Sydney
15 August 2009 – Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

Image source: PR Photos

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Pez Gives "These Days" Another Spin

Melbourne hip-hopper Pez is following up his smash hit “The Festival Song,” with another surefire chart-topper “These Days 2009.”

The song is a remixed, rerecorded version of fan favourite “These Days.” It sees Pez reunite with Blue King Brown’s Hailey Cramer and some of Melbourne’s finest session musos.

Pez said he was inspired to revamp the song to give back to his loyal fan base.

“I was so amazed by the level of support people gave to the ‘The Festival Song’ when it hit radio late last year – and I’m still amazed at the response it continues to get at shows, online and on the radio,” Pez said.

“At the same time, I wanted to show people who only knew me from ‘The Festival Song’ that there’s not just one side to me, that I’m a diverse artist with a lot more to offer than just that one track. And of course, I wanted to give the loyal supporters – those who’ve copped the album and keep telling me that they want to hear new material – something really special to tide them over until I drop another full-length.

“I think with ‘These Days 2009,’ we’ve achieved all of that. We’ve improved on the original track tenfold and I can’t wait for people to hear it for themselves.”

The release of ‘These Days 2009’ coincides with Pez’s support slot on Bliss N Eso’s national tour. Check out this amazing urban lineup at the following venues!

6 June 2009 – ANU Bar, Canberra (18+)
12 & 13 June 2009 – Festival Hall, Melbourne (All ages)
19 June 2009 – The Tivoli, Brisbane (18+)
26 June 2009 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (All ages)
27 June 2009 – Metro City, Perth (18+)

Image used with permission from Soulmate Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hot Little Hands Make uncharTED Semis

The Tooheys Extra Dry uncharTED competition is beginning to take shape, with the announcement of the MySpace media pick. Melbourne outfit Hot Little Hands have automatically secured a spot on the semifinals, which kick off on May 22. They’ll join the other media picks, Ellington from Brisbane and Death Mattel from Sydney.

MySpace was drawn to Hot Little Hands original sound and stage presence.

“They’re an ‘ORIGINAL’ band – and you can’t say that about a lot of bands,” explained Mark Bulgin, Marketing Manager for MySpace Australia. “They manage to take influences from electro-pop and rock n’ roll and make something unique out of it without any pretention. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re white-hot live.”

Hot Little Hands will join the other media picks and the bands receiving the most public votes at the uncharTED website. Head to the site and cast your vote for your chance to win tickets to Splendour in the Grass!

Image source: Bratha @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Get Starting Sunday Single For Free

Melbourne outfit Starting Sunday are preparing to wow Australia with the release of their brand new EP tomorrow and a national tour kicking off later this month.

As Front Counter, the band quickly established a loyal following in Melbourne and even appeared on Neighbours! Now they’re back with a new name and a new grown-up sound.

“Originally we were going to keep the name, then we started writing more music for this EP and we started to realise that not only had our sound drastically changed and matured, but we as a group had grown and moved on. We didn’t feel like we were Front Counter anymore, so a name change became very important,” singer and guitarist Rhys Thompson said.

“We wanted to portray the idea of a new beginning. It was on a Sunday after a few shows in Brisbane that everything changed. The new band started on a Sunday, so after a while it became pretty obvious what we should call the band.”

You can check out Starting Sunday before your friends with their free download offer. Just head to their website, leave your e-mail address, and you’ll get their first single “When You’re Around” for free. How cool is that?

The track is instantly accessible, with a sing-along chorus and the perfect blend of rock and pop. If you’re into Starting Sunday, make sure you catch them on their national tour. Most of the shows are over 18s, but there are a few all ages gigs for the kids too!

28 May 2009 – “Snitch” @ Rosie’s Nightclub, Brisbane (18+)
30 May 2009 – The Hive, Fortitude Valley PCYC, Brisbane (All Ages)
4 June 2009 – “Hot Damn” @ Spectrum, Sydney (18+)
12 June 2009 – Barwon Club, Geelong (18+)
19 June 2009 – Mischief @ Mynt Lounge, Werribee (18+)
20 June 2009 – Fist 2 Face In Store, Melbourne (All Ages – 1pm)
20 June 2009 – “Bang” @ Royal Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne (18+)
21 June 2009 – Coburg Festival, Coburg (All Ages)
26 June 2009 – Syke @ Electric Light Hotel, Adelaide (18+)
27 June 2009 – We Are Godzilla, Adelaide (All Ages – 1pm)
3 July 2009 – Rubys Lounge, Belgrave, VIC (18+)

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Stars Team Up for White Album Tribute Concerts

They say every musician has been influenced by The Beatles in one way or another. So while it seems like a strange match on paper, it may not be so surprising to hear that Chris Cheney, Tim Rogers, Phil Jamieson, and Josh Pyke will team up to perform The White Album later this year.

The shows will take place in August to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the classic album.

“I always loved the sound of The Beatles when they let loose and sounded tough, and to me The White Album has a perfect balance of rock’n’roll abandonment with the incredible songwriting skills they’re so revered for,” The Living End frontman said in a statement.

“The Beatles were the first band that made any kind of impact on me as a kid, curled up in the front room with my parents’ record collection. The harmonies, the deceptively simple songs, and the amazingly creative production are all elements that I still draw upon in my music today,” added Josh Pyke.

The singers will be backed up by a 17-piece band for the event. These shows are sure to be something special. You can get your tickets from May 22 at the usual outlets for the following dates:

4 August 2009 – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
6 August 2009 – QPAC, Brisbane
7 & 8 August 2009 – Opera House, Sydney

Image source: Marco Raaphorst @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Australian Music Stores Sell Eminem Early

Embargo? What embargo?

That’s the word from Australian music retailers which have put Eminem’s new album Relapse on sale ahead of the official worldwide release on Monday.

The album is now readily available from many of the big name stores around the country, including Sanity, JB Hi-Fi, and Leading Edge.

Universal had kept the album under cloak and dagger, but Eminem himself hasn’t been quite so secretive. He “leaked” several tracks on his official website, YouTube, and various social networking sites.

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Stuart MacLeod from Eskimo Joe

It’s been a long time coming, but Eskimo Joe are back. Their new album Inshalla is set to drop on May 29, and they’re travelling around the country in July to support the release. But before all that I caught up with the band’s guitarist Stuart MacLeod to chat about the new CD, the band’s recent success in Europe, and what it’s like to be home.

You’ve just come back from Europe. What’s it like to be home?
It’s amazing to be home. Leaving home definitely makes you realise how amazing we have it back here in Australia. Stepping out onto the streets of Hamburg in the sleet and the snow, and then you come home and you’re sipping a beer out on your back deck as the sun goes down. That’s quite amazing.

What do you miss most when you’re away?
Family I guess. And the weather.

I believe you’ve got two kids. Are you apart from them all the time that you’re away?
Yeah, at this stage we’re still touring quite lean over in Europe so it’s really just drive, and play, and drive, and play every day. So it’s not really conducive to having two really small bubs on the road. So when they get a bit older, they’ll definitely be down for the hard slog.

What was the response like to your music over in Europe?
They were amazing. They were very excited because a lot of them had been travelling through Australia and seen the band maybe once and bought a CD back. So the excitement of seeing us over there definitely came across in the crowd. There was a freshness to the excitement in the crowd, so it was a real buzz.

Your new album Inshalla comes out later this month. I hear it showcases a fresh sound for the band. How so?
I guess because we’d had some new injections of youth into the band in the form of the little babies that I have, and Kav [Temperley] has also had a son, I guess there’s a real fresh lightness to the band, and a new energy to the band. I guess we allowed ourselves to write a bit more positive, hopeful-sounding music. There is a definitely a kind of real hope on this record, and a lot lighter tone on this record.

Continue reading “Q & A with Stuart MacLeod from Eskimo Joe” →
Posted on by Lauren Katulka

New Song Obsession: "Suitcase" by Shea Fisher

OK, this isn’t exactly my new song obsession. It’s my husband’s. He’s besotted with Shea Fisher, and it’s not hard to see why. She’s a stunner. But she’s more than just a pretty face. This song may not set the world on fire, but it’s a really easy-to-listen to slice of pop. It might just be what she needs to successfully make the move from country singer to mainstream star.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Earl Cole Does Tony Bennett

Earl Cole is back with a brand new standards show to wow Perth. This time around Earl will pay tribute to one of the greatest crooners of all time, Tony Bennett.

With a career spanning almost 60 years, Tony’s recorded so many spectacular songs that this tribute night is sure to be something special. This is Earl’s very first Tony Bennett show, and he’ll perform many of these jazz and swing standards for the very first time.

It’s also Earl’s first show at the acclaimed Boatshed Café (Coode Street Jetty), one of Perth’s most popular riverside eateries.

See Earl Cole’s Tony Bennett show on Sunday 7 June. Tickets cost just $79 including the show and a three-course dinner. Booking are essential and can be made at the venue by calling 9474 1314.

Image used with permission from Earl Cole