Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ry Cuming Inks Major Record Deal

I’ve been a Ry Cuming fan for a while now, so I was thrilled to read he’s just signed a worldwide record deal with Jive!

The Aussie expat has wasted no time in getting to work on his debut release. And with Mark Batson (James Blunt, Dave Matthews Band, India.Arie) at the helm, it should be a ripper.

Ry is currently based in Los Angeles, which is a long way from his Aouth Australian hometown of Angourie. He cites Jack Johnson, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder as his biggest influences, which give you some indication of the sort of laid back soul music he makes.

His album should be out later this year, but you don’t have to wait that long to hear his awesome tunes. Check out his MySpace page to hear music from Australia’s next big thing, and watch the video below to learn more about him!

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Will Kanye Go to the Aussie Outback?

Will one of hip hop’s hottest name head Down Under next year? That’s the word from America, as planning for the second series of the US program 4Real gets underway.

The series sends celebs to some of the world’s most remote communities, and an Australian Aboriginal village is on the short list for an upcoming episode. The little Queensland locale of Cherbourg has already been discussed as a possible site. Producers apparently want a hip hop star like Kanye West or Lauryn Hill to visit, as indigenous children have embraced this musical genre.

Whoever comes out, they’re likely to lead music workshops in conjunction with Music Outback. Won’t that be a buzz for these kids!

“There’s some really cool stuff going on in these indigenous communities, and it ain’t all doom and gloom,” Polly Armstrong, the program’s Australian coordinator, told AAP.

“There’s all these young leaders doing this wicked shit and it’s about shining a light on them, because they’re the real movers and shakers.”

Image source: Chris Doerr @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Coaster Festival Kicks Off

There’s a brand new all-ages festival bringing the cream of Aussie talent to the Central Coast. It’s called Coaster, and it’s on for the very first time on September 20 at Gosford Showgrounds.

The lineup is massive, with The Living End, Kisschasy, The Potbelleez, Blue King Brown, Cog, and the Coast’s favourite sons Something with Numbers leading the charge.

With bands like this on the bill tickets won’t last. So make sure you get yours, and take advantage of the $10 earlybird discount, when they go on sale on Wednesday 2 July.

Image source: Pop Weasle @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Paul Greene Hits the Road

Paul Greene is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. His album Distance Over Time recently hit number one on the iTunes blues and roots charts, and critics are raving about it.

Paul’s sold almost 30,000 albums locally, and played everything from major festivals to bar rooms to concert halls. You might have also caught him recently supporting American singer-songwriter supremo Patty Griffin and country king Adam Brand.

He’s just announced a bunch of new dates supporting this brand new disc. There are plenty of shows in the regional centres and capitals, so he’s bound to play near you soon. If you haven’t checked Paul out before, now’s the perfect time.

Click the link below for all the dates!

28 June 2008 – Royal Hotel, Corowa
29 June 2008 – Home Tavern, Wagga Wagga
3 July 2008 – Pot Belly, Canberra
10 July 2008 – Locomotive Hotel, Tamworth
11 July 2008 – Gunnedah Services Club
12 July 2008 – Moree Golf Club
20 July 2008 – Bateau Bay Hotel
25 July 2008 – Colac RSL (with Adam Brand)
26 July 2008 – Kinross Woolshed, Thurgoona (with Adam Brand)
30 July 2008 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
31 July 2008 – North Star Hotel, Melrose
1 August 2008 – Pier Hotel, Port Lincoln
2 August 2008 – Ceduna Sailing Club
7 August 2008 – Tanglehead Brewing Company, Albany
8 and 9 August 2008 – Quindanning Tavern
9 August 2008 – Cape Wine Bar, Dunsborough
10 August 2008 – Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
14 August 2008 – The Railway Hotel, Fremantle
15 August 2008 – Ronsard Bay Tavern, Cervantes
16 August 2008 – Freemason’s Hotel, Geraldton
27 August 2008 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay (with Andrew Morris & The Huckleberry Swedes)
28 August 2008 – The Troubadour, Brisbane (with Andrew Morris & The Huckleberry Swedes)
29-31 August 2008 – Toyota Muster, Amamoor State Forest via Gympie
6 September 2008 – Bimbadgen Blues, Pokolbin (with Josh Pyke, Chain and more)
7 September 2008 – CoastFest 2008, Point Wolstoncroft (with Jeff Lang, Epicure and many more)
4 October 2008 – Deni Ute Muster, Deniliquin (with Kasey Chambers, James Reyne & Mark Seymour, The Living End)
23 October 2008 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
24 October 2008 – Milton Playhouse Theatre
25 October 2008 – Kidgee Ridge Music Festival, Lake Conjola
26 October 2008 – Heritage Hotel, Bulli

Image supplied by Australian Music Biz

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Operator Please Play Valley Fiesta

The lineup for Brisbane’s biggest free music festival, Valley Fiesta, was announced today and it’s an absolute doozie.

The coolest kids around, Operator Please, will headline the star-studded lineup, which includes Urthboy, DJ Dexter of The Avalanches, Jeff Lang, Little Birdy’s Katy Steele, Sparkadia, and stacks more.

You can catch all the fun in the Fortitude Valley from September 12 to 14.

Image source: Christoph! @ Flickr 

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Daniel Johns Snares a Triple at the APRAs

Last night Daniel Johns became the first person in history to win three APRA Awards in one year.

The Silverchair frontman was named Songwriter of the Year for the number one hit “Straight Lines,” which also won Song of the Year and Most Played Australian Work gongs.

The other awards showed the diversity of Australia’s musical landscape. Melbourne’s Sally Seltmann won the Breakthrough Songwriter title for “1, 2, 3, 4,” the monster song made famous by Feist.

The Rogue Traders took home the Dance Work of the Year award for “In Love Again” while John Butler bagged the Blues and Roots gong for “Good Excuse.” Troy Casser-Daley’s song “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” proved to be somewhat prophetic, as it helped the singer bag the Country Work of the Year title. Jade McCrae proved she’s one of Australia’s brightest stars, taking home the Urban Work of the Year award for “In the Basement.”

Manager extraordinaire Roger Davies was awarded the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

I Have Def Leppard Tickets!

I bought my ticket to Def Leppard and Cheap Trick today. It was both a positive and negative experience, so I figured what better place to sound off about it than here.

On the bad side, it was pricey. Tickets always are these days, but this is the first time I’ve participated in one of those “pay for the privilege” presales. I assume the extra $20 they make people cough up these days has something to do with discouraging scalpers, but I don’t like paying it. The only reason I did was because I’d already made the decision to travel to the Brisbane show. Once you decide to throw money at plane tickets, what’s another $20?

I was also annoyed with the Ticket Privilege club for not the first time. I joined a couple of months ago. I bought tickets to Jason Mraz, a concert which the club wasn’t selling for, so there was no advantage there. Today I had received no word from the club, so I opted to go for the Visa presale. An e-mail about a Privilege Club presale came through a few hours after my transaction was complete. Thanks Ticketek. It was interesting to see they were also charging the $20 fee to book. Shouldn’t my $100 Privilege Club membership cover that? Why is it more expensive to buy Privilege Club tickets than regular ones? I certainly hadn’t expected that.

Those gripes aside, I got great seats – front row in the second block back from the stage on the sides. I guess that $20 fee might be worthwhile after all. I’d like to think the ticket agencies could come up with a better way to stop scalpers than fleecing us for more cash, but until they do I guess I’ll swallow the fees.

So I’m all set for my trip to Brisbane in November. I don’t make a habit of travelling to concerts around the country, but I couldn’t pass this one up. My husband didn’t want to see the show, and my Brisbane dwelling best friend had no one to go with. Rather than spend money on my reluctant hubby’s tickets, I figured the cash would be better spent on airfare. With the show slated for Saturday night, I plan to spend a girly weekend in the Sunshine State. I can’t wait!

Image source: Crumj @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Rocket Science Dare to be Different

Melbourne rock gods Rocket Science are back with a brand new album and tour.

Their fourth release, Different Like You, is due out in July. Hopefully it will bring a change of fortune for this unlucky band. It’s their first album since singer Roman Tucker was involved in a car accident which left him a coma. Paul Maybury broke his leg not long after.

Barring anymore nasty mishaps, the laps will embark on a national tour in August. Here are the dates!

21 August 2008 – The Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc
22 August 2008 – The Corner Hotel, Richmond
23 August 2008 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
28 August 2008 – Jive, Adelaide
29 August 2008 – Sandbar, Mildura
30 August 2008 – Green Room, Canberra
4, 5 and 6 September 2008 – Hopetoun Hotel, Surry Hills
11 September 2008 – Prince Of Wales, Bunbury
12 September 2008 – The Norfolk, Fremantle
13 September 2008 – Amplifier Bar, Perth
11 October 2008 – Sounds of Spring Festival, RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

"The Last Party" – The Hampdens

They say every day deserves a soundtrack. If that’s true then I’d pick The Hampdens’ debut album The Last Party for my Sundays. This isn’t your dance til your feet hurt and drink til you puke kind of party. Instead it evokes chilled-out cocktail parties, with some mellow jazz in the background and some good conversation.

It’s one of those sleeper albums, which may not immediately grab you on the first listen. Instead, it wraps around you slowly, and becomes richer with each and every listen.

Susannah Legge’s voice is exquisite, ethereal and warm all at the same time. Her lush vocals sit nestled in the mix of synthesizers and strings, a strange blend but one that somehow works.

“Asleep on the Lawn” and “Croupier” are standouts, but this album is really bigger than its parts. The tracks are sewn together to create something rare and beautiful which begs to be played again and again.

Image source: JB Hi-Fi

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mahalia Barnes’ Star-Studded Debut

Mahalia Barnes’ musical pedigree is impeccable. So as you’d expect, some of Australia’s biggest names appear on her debut album, Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates.

There’s her uncle Mark Lizotte, band buddy Mr Percival, pals Jade McRae and Daniel Mifsud, and that’s just for starters.

“They are my dear friends, but they are also my musical inspiration,” Mahalia told The Sunday Telegraph. “They are also great teachers and friends.”

Her dad Jimmy Barnes even pops up to show he can play some mean percussion.

“He taught me everything and it just so happens that he is the bet tambourine player I know, so it was really great to have him involved,” she said.

Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates hit stores on June 21.