Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Eskimo Joe Head Stateside

Eskimo Joe are the latest Aussie sensation to land a US record deal. The Perth indie rockers will head to America next month to celebrate their international success.

Alternative record label Ryko will release the group’s award-winning album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine, in September. The album’s spawned four massive singles in Australia, and should do big things in the States.

Eskimo Joe will kick off their brief US tour in New Orleans on August 10, before visiting New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. See their website for all the tour details.

Black Fingernails, Red Wine will hit American record stores on September 25.

Image source: Chrisjtse @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Italy In Love With Old Man River

Old Man River‘s infectious single “La” is the perfect antidote for the cold Australian winter. This catchy pop slice reminds me of warm sand between my toes and lazy summer weekends.

The irresistible ditty has become a surprise smash in Italy, racing up the national airplay charts. The song is sitting pretty at number 19 on the Italian national airplay chart, up 12 spots from two weeks ago.

Not a bad effort for a boy from Sydney. To see what all the fuss is about, be sure to watch Old Man River performing “La” on the ABC’s Sideshow below!

If you like what you see, catch Old Man River when he visits your town soon! Check his MySpace for all the tour dates.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Operator Please Plans Global Assault

The Brits are going wild for Brisbane’s bubble gum punksters, Operator Please.

The Aussie quintet has just been added to the lineup for next month’s Reading and Leeds festivals. Their hyperactive single “Just a Song About Ping Pong” has also been added to London’s BBC Radio 1 and XFM playlists.

But these Aussie teens are no overnight success story. They’ve been perfecting their bluegrass-tinged punk since they won their school’s battle of the bands comp in 2005.

Perez Hilton also named Operator Please his “favourite new band.” With the backing of this influential tabloid blogger, world domination may be just around the corner.

Image source: Michael Spencer @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea Gives Theatre a Try

As if “The Prayer” wasn’t demanding enough, pint-sized pop star Anthony Callea plans to take up a new challenge. He’s signed on to join the cast of the acclaimed opera, Dead Man Walking.

This is Anthony’ first live theatre role, and despite some early jitters he’s looking forward to the experience.

“I was unsure at first,” he told the Sydney Star Observer. “It’s not one of the lead roles, but I have a few lines and sing a few songs. I’ve always wanted to do a musical – I’m throwing myself in.”

The stage production, based on the Academy Award winning film and award-winning biography, will run from September 27 at Sydney’s State Theatre. But before that, Anthony will kick off his New Chapter tour in Rooty Hill on Friday.

Image source: Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mia Dyson Tours America This Week

With a sound reminiscent of Pat Benatar and Suzi Quatro, Mia Dyson is sure to make a splash when she arrives in America this week.

The 25-year-old Victorian displays maturity beyond her years, with a world-weary voice and amazing guitar skills.

Mia also counts Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt, amongst her famous fans, and was thrilled to support both on their recent Australian tours.

In her latest album, Struck Down, Mia sings about finding her place in the world, and losing it just as quickly.

Mia Dyson will kick off her American tour at New York’s FalconRidge Festival on July 28. Struck Down will be released in Australia on August 27.

Image source: kingArthur_aus @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

"Nine Lime Avenue" – Kate Ceberano

I have a confession to make: I love the 1980s. It’s not the coolest thing for a music blogger to admit, but the frivolity and fun of the decade that fashion forgot always makes me smile. And so I had high expectations for Kate Ceberano‘s latest release, Nine Lime Avenue.

The album showcases Kate’s favourite tunes of the era, a time when she was growing up in Victoria’s Lime Avenue and dreaming of becoming a star.

She is one of Australia’s musical treasures, and her voice on this record is as strong and rich as ever. She brings the right amount of tenderness to “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Her take on The Pretenders’ “Brass In Pocket” is suitably sassy.

However, many tracks suffer from dramatic reworkings which seem to sap the fun from them. “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” and “It Must Be Love” lose their bounce and playfulness, instead becoming laboured ballads. An easy listening take on Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” seems equally sacrilegious.

For a disc that stemmed from such fond memories of childhood, it’s disappointing that Nine Lime Avenue fails to inspire the same nostalgia in its listeners.

Image source: Kate Ceberano website

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Airbourne Rocks the Airwaves

Does it ever seem like music is going soft? If you like your rock served straight up and dirty, you’ll want to check out Melbourne band Airbourne.

Their latest single “Too Much, Too Hard, Too Fast” forced Australia to sit up and take notice, and the rest of the world is sure to follow suit. The quartet just signed a deal with Roadrunner Records, which will see their music released in the United States and Europe.

“I am so excited we signed Airbourne,” gushed Ron Burman of Roadrunner. “They are a young, fists-in-the-air, high-energy, in-your-face type of hard rock band. I saw them play a few times in Austin at South by Southwest, and they blew me away.”

Airbourne’s debut album, Runnin’ Wild, was released in Australia in June. It is slated for global release in early 2008.

Image source: ANSPressSocietyNews @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

AC/DC Set to Launch Massive Comeback

There must be something in the water. Following the successful reunions of Crowded House and The Saints comes the news AC/DC are planning a comeback.

It’s been seven years since Australia’s original hard rockers released their last studio album, Stiff Upper Lip, but they finally have another one in the works.

“Malcolm and Angus [Young] are in the studio,” frontman Brian Johnson told media at the Classic Rock Cares tour. “There’s an album in the works, and a tour, too, I think. The boys are working on something special. They don’t want to do just another album.”

No doubt the album and coinciding tour will be a raging success. Despite a considerable absence from the world music stage, AC/DC were the sixth highest grossing Aussies in the BRW Top 50 Entertainers List. Looks like next year they may give top earners The Wiggles a run for their money.

Image source: Newscom

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Country Starlet To Perform Free in Canberra

Australia’s national capital isn’t exactly synonymous with country music. But Canberrans who like their music with a bit of twang will be happy to hear the genre’s newest star, Amber Lawrence, will perform a free show at Rose Cottage next month.

The old saying that you get what you pay for isn’t true in Amber’s case. Her latest album, The Mile, has won her a legion of fans and made an impressive debut at number 13 on the ARIA country chart. The Sydneysider insists she just wants to introduce her music to as many people as possible.

“It is the biggest buzz to see people enjoying my music,” Amber told Undercover. “When people come to my shows and sing along to my songs, it’s just the best thing in the world.”

If you’d like to sing along with Amber, be at The Rose Cottage in Tuggeranong on August 12.

Image source: Avlxyz @ Flickr.com

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

TV Alert: "Great Australian Albums"

Music history buffs should stay home next Saturday to catch SBS‘s fantastic new series, Great Australian Albums. It will screen each Saturday night at 8:30 pm.

Taking its cues from the UK’s fantastic Classic Albums series, the programs will chart the progression of Aussie music by focusing on four landmark albums from four different decades.

The series kicks off with a study of Silverchair‘s Diorama, before covering Crowded House‘sWoodface, The Triffids‘ Born Sandy Devotional, and The Saints‘ (I’m) Stranded. Each episode promises to feature rare live footage, interviews, photographers, and artwork.

I’m thrilled to see Australians creating documentaries to celebrate our musical history and creativity. However, I really hope these initial four programs are just the start of things to come. I’d love to see a follow up series, perhaps focusing on AC/DC’s High Voltage, Cold Chisel’s East, Savage Garden’s Savage Garden, and John Butler Trio’s Sunrise Over Sea.

I know there are plenty more albums worth considering, so I thought I’d pose the question to you, dear readers. What do you consider worthy of a closer look on Great Australian Albums?

Image source: Athletics Australia website

Image source: The weredingo @ Flickr.com