THE auspOp DIARY

WEEK COMMENCING MAY 20, 2013

TICKETS ON SALE
Monday : Bon Jovi (Nationally)
Monday : Clubfeet (Nationally)
Monday : Robert DeLong (Sydney, Melbourne)
Tuesday : Taylor Swift (Nationally)
Thursday : P!nk (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane)
Friday : Bliss N Eso (Nationally)

May 20 : BRISBANE – Boomtown Rats (Entertainment Centre)
May 21 : BENDIGO – Guy Sebastian (Capital Theatre)
May 21 : PERTH – Deftones (Metro City)
May 21 : SYDNEY – Boomtown Rats (Entertainment Centre)
May 22 : BENDIGO – Guy Sebastian (Capital Theatre)
May 22 : BYRON BAY – San Cisco (Great Northern Hotel)
May 22 : CANBERRA – The Rubens (ANU Bar)
May 22 : CRONULLA – Bonjah (Brass Monkey)
May 22 : MELBOURNE – Trail Of Dead (Corner Hotel)
May 22 : PERTH – Martha Wainwright (Astor Theatre)
May 23 : BALLARAT – Lee Kernaghan (Regional Multiplex)
May 23 : BALLARAT – San Cisco (Karova Lounge)
May 23 : MELBOURNE – Boomtown Rats (Hisense Arena)
May 23 : PERTH – Matt Corby (Astor Theatre)
May 23 : SYDNEY – Bonjah (Oxford Art Factory)
May 23 : SYDNEY – Boomtown Rats (Enmore Theatre)
May 23 : SYDNEY – Evermore (The Basement)
May 23 : SYDNEY – Trail Of Dead (Metro Theatre)
May 23 : TOOWOOMBA – The Chemist (Spotted Cow)
May 23 : WOLLONGONG – The Rubens (Wollongong Uni)
May 23 : WOOMBYE – Emma Louise (Woombye Pub)
May 24 : ADELAIDE – San Cisco (Governor Hindmarsh)
May 24 : BRISBANE – The Chemist (Beetle Bar)
May 24 : BRISBANE – Jinja Safari (The Zoo)
May 24 : BRISBANE – Emma Louise (The HiFi)
May 24 : BRISBANE – Trail Of Dead (Coniston Lane)
May 24 : BULLI – Bonjah (Heritage Hotel)
May 24 : CASTLEMAINE – Something For Kate (Theatre Royal)
May 24 : FRANKSTON – British India (Pelly Bar)
May 24 : PERTH – Owl Eyes (Amplifier)
May 24 : REVESBY – Evermore (Workers Club)
May 24 : SYDNEY – The Rubens (Enmore Theatre)
May 24 : WARRNAMBOOL – Lee Kernaghan (Lighthouse Theatre)
May 25 : ADELAIDE – Something For Kate (Governor Hindmarsh)
May 25 : BRISBANE – Dragon (Eaton’s Hill Hotel)
May 25 : FERNTREE GULLY – British India (Ferntree Gully Hotel)
May 25 : GEELONG – Lee Kernaghan (Costa Hall)
May 25 : GOLD COAST – The Chemist (The Loft)
May 25 : GOLD COAST – Emma Louise (Arts Centre)
May 25 : KUNUNURRA – Guy Sebastian (Jim Hughes Ampitheatre)
May 25 : MELBOURNE – San Cisco (Corner Hotel)
May 25 : PERTH – Boomtown Rats (Challenge Stadium)
May 25 : PERTH – Jinja Safari (Amplifier)
May 25 : PERTH – Trail Of Dead (Rosemount Hotel)
May 25 : ROOTY HILL – Evermore (RSL)
May 25 : RYE – Bonjah (Baha’s)
May 25 : SYDNEY – The Rubens (Enmore Theatre)
May 26 : ADELAIDE – Matt Corby (HQ)
May 26 : BYRON BAY – Emma Louise (Great Northern Hotel)
May 26 : COFFS HARBOUR – The Chemist (Hoey Moey)
May 26 : HORNSBY – Evermore (RSL)
May 26 : LISMORE – Kate Miller-Heidke (Star Court Theatre)
May 26 : PERTH – Andy Bull (The Aviary)

CHART WATCH

The top five on the singles chart remains completely unchanged this week, but over on the albums chart, there's a rather spectacular debut for one Agnetha Fältskog. Find out where 'A' dropped and plenty more with this week's Chart Watch!

SINGLES
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, no changes to the ARIA top five this week, with the exception of a fresh platinum accreditation for our No.1 single - Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines'. But he's not the only one earning a platinum gong this week, with Will.I.Am and Justin Bieber's '#ThatPower' (No.6) and Paramore's 'Still Into You' (No.9) also hitting the mark.
The week's highest new entry comes courtesy of 'The Voice' with crooner Luke Kennedy's version of 'Time To Say Goodbye' debuting at No.8 after topping the iTunes charts following his performance on the show.
Rudimental's new single 'Waiting All Night' edges into the top 10 (No.10) and achieves a gold accreditation while Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding slip from the top ten (No.11), but hit double platinum.
There's a second 'Voice' debut at No.15 - from jazz chanteuse Emma Pask and her track 'Mas Que Nada'. She's also in action on the albums chart with her independently released LP.
Big moves for Bruno Mars' 'Treasure' (No.28 to No.17), Emeli Sandé's 'Next To Me' (No.25 to No.18) and Bruno Mars' 'When I Was Your Man' (No.35 to No.21). James Arthur's 'Impossible' hits four times platinum, but drops five spots to No.22.
Mariah Carey returns to top 30 action this week, with her and Miguel's new single '#Beautiful' up from No.71 on debut to a very healthy No.26.
More 'The Voice' new entries at Nos.28 and 29 for Caterina Torres ('If I Was A Boy') and Celia Pavey ('Woodstock') respectively before a jump for Imagine Dragons' 'Radioactive' (No.47 to No.30) and a debut for Bliss N Eso's 'Home Is Where The Heart Is' (No.31).
The Wanted's new single 'Walks Like Rihanna' premieres at No.33 and Birdy's 'Skinny Love' is back in the top 50, rising from No.75 to No.34.
Psy's 'Gentleman' is in no danger of matching the success of 'Gangnam Style', falling 15 places to No.38. Empire Of The Sun's 'Alive' edges into the top 40 at No.39.
Michael Stangel's 'Voice' performance of 'Home' is in at No.41, the new Taylor Swift single 'Everything Has Changed' (with Ed Sheeran) is up from No.82 to No.47 and Lana Del Rey's 'Young And Beautiful' makes up some ground on last week's huge drop, rebounding from No.74 to No.50.
Lyric McFarland's cover of 'Let's Stay Together' impresses enough for a No.51 debut.
Demi Lovato's 'Heart Attack' resuscitates at No.61, with the new Armin Van Buuren track 'This Is What It Feels Like' in Aussie chart action at No.62 on debut and Sheppard's self-titled EP re-entering at a new peak of No.65. Re-entries too for Selena Gomez' 'Come & Get It' (No.71) and Phillip Phillips' 'Home' (No.72).
New entries at Nos.77 and 81 for Knife Party's 'Haunted House' and Demi Lovato and Cher Lloyd's 'Really Don't Care' respectively, with another debut at No.84 for J-Lo and Pitbull's new collaboration 'Live It Up'.
More action from 'The Voice' further down the chart; Mitchell Anderson's 'The Letter' in at No.88, Jac Stone's 'Luca' in at No.92 and Danny Ross' 'All Along The Watchtower' premiering at No.93.
But what goes up must come down - and Harrison Craig's version of 'Home' did so in spectacular fashion, plummeting from No.13 last week to No.94 this week. His cover of 'You Raise Me Up' plunges from No.52 to No.99.
Jackie Sannia is another one from 'The Voice' losing out big time this week - 'Arithmetic' freefalling from No.24 to out of the top 100. Also gone are tracks from Miss Murphy, Steve Clisby, Michael Paynter, Kiyomi Vella and Alex Gibson.

ALBUMS
So Michael Bublé's still atop the ARIA albums chart and Ricky Martin has been travelling the country doing instores, so his 'Greatest Hits' rises from No.4 to a new peak of No.2, but how's about the sensational debut at No.3 for Agnetha Fältskog and her album 'A'!? Yes, there was an interview with her on last week's 'Sunday Night', but No.3!
She debuts one place higher than the 'Great Gatsby' soundtrack and four places higher than Vampire Weekend's 'Modern Vampire Tales Of The City'.
Rudimental's 'Home' drops from No.2 to No.10.
Demi Lovato's album 'Demi' is in top 20 action, debuting at a respectable No.14 and Andre Rieu's 'Mother & Child' improves to No.16, but Flume's self-titled set drops eight spots to No.20.
MS MR's 'Secondhand Rapture' premieres at No.22, Bon Jovi's best of rises 12, Olly Murs' 'Right Place Right Time' improves from No.61 to No.31 and Emma Pask's independently released LP 'Some Other Spring', which was doing big business on iTunes during the week after her elimination from the show, debuts at No.32.
He's Dr.House to many, a comedic mastermind to others, but Hugh Laurie's blues career's still ticking along, with his album 'Didn't It Rain' debuting at No.35.
Birdy's 'Birdy' sings in the top 50 again (No.44), but Anthony Callea's 'Thirty' slides out of the top thirty - down from No.26 to No.45.
Natalie Maines' 'Mother' rounds out the top 50 debuts at No.50.
The announcement Keith Urban's new single sparks interest in his 'The Story So Far' (No.75 to No.52), ShockOne's 'Universus' - a No.2 debut just a couple of weeks back - drops from No.25 to No.56 and a debut for Noah & The Whale's 'Heart of Nowhere' at No.62.
Fall Out Boy's 'Save Rock And Roll' drops from No.46 to No.71, Tame Impala's 'Lonerism' from No.36 to No.73 and a debut for independent songstress Abbe May's 'Kiss My Apocalypse' at No.76.
Alicia Keys' 'Girl On Fire' re-enters at No.82, Pistol Annies' 'Annie Up' is in at No.84, but a big drop for She & Him's 'Volume 3' from its No.53 debut to No.93.
Yiruma's 'The Best' and 'Stay In Memory' (which debuted at Nos.33 and 71 respectively last week on the back of promotional appearances) both fall out of the top 100.

For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the new-look ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE each and every Sunday from 6:30pm AEDT.

SMOOTH, THICKE AND INBOUND

Nice to know that he cares about us all the way on the other side of the world, but when we've just gifted him his first ever No.1 single, why the hell wouldn't he want to head down under.
Yes, Robin Thicke, currently ensconced in the No.1 spot with his single 'Blurred Lines' featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams, has announced that he'll hit Australia in the middle of next month for a whirlwind promotional visit.
On the ground for just four days (no doubt appearing on 'The Voice'), he'll be here in celebration of the smash hit - and to promote the 'Blurred Lines' EP, which his label Universal will release next Friday.
Thicke's biggest hit in Australia prior to 'Blurred Lines' was his 2003 debut 'When I Get You Alone', which peaked just inside the top 20.
Robin will be in the country from Sunday June 16 - Wednesday June 19.

FRESH FRANZ

Scottish outfit Franz Ferdinand has overnight announced the forthcoming release of their highly anticipated fourth studio album 'Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action'.
It's the band's first album in four years and will feature ten new recordings containing, "painterly lyrical detail, heavyweight hooks, precise aesthetic vision and that uncanny ability to marry arch artistic sensibility with pop punch" (according to the box).
'Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action' is due at Aussie retail on Friday August 23.

01. Right Action
02. Evil Eye
03. Love Illumination
04. Stand On The Horizon
05. Fresh Strawberries
06. Bullet
07. Treason! Animals
08. The Universe Expanded
09. Brief Encounters
10. Goodbye Lovers & Friends

JANOSKIANS DROP 'BEST FRIENDS'

They've been teasing their fans about it for weeks and now, hot on the heels of a tour announcement, those cheeky pranksters The Janoskians have today dropped their brand new single 'Best Friends' to both radio and retail.
Co-penned by none other than Jay Sean, the new single tips its hat to Wallpaper's track 'Best Song Everrr', while hopefully gifting the boys a top 20 follow up to their debut single 'Set This World On Fire'.
'Best Friends' is available digitally now.

AT RETAIL ON FRIDAY MAY 17, 2013

Trace Adkins – Love Will…
Airbourne – Black Dog Barking
Sam Amidon – Bright Sunny South
Burt Bacharach – Anyone Who Had A Heart : The Art Of The Songwriter
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Eve – Lip Lock
Family Of The Year – Loma Vista
Jinja Safari – Jinja Safari
Jinja Safari – Jinja Safari (Deluxe Edition)
Bobby McFerrin – Spirityouall
The National – Trouble Will Find Me
New Politics – A Bad Girl In Harlem
OST – Underbelly : Squizzy
R.E.M. – Green (Deluxe Edition)
George Strait – Love Is Everything
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Love Lust Faith + Dreams
Thirty Seconds To Mars – Love Lust Faith + Dreams (Deluxe Edition)
Various – The Great Gatsby : Tales Of The Jazz Age
Various – Love Song Dedications 2013
Wampire – Curiosity

* Universal Music is no longer sharing digital release information

EUROVISION SEMI FINAL TWO : THE RESULTS (SPOILER ALERT)

48 hours after the results of the first semi final were decided, the second batch of finalists hit the stage in the Swedish city of Malmö last night for semi final No.2 at Eurovision 2013. And here come the spoilers, so avert your gaze if you want to remain blissfully unaware so you can watch the second semi final tomorrow night on SBS none the wiser.
Another ten countries made it through to tomorrow night's Grand Final, where they'll line up alongside the countries who made it through from the first semi final on Tuesday night, the host nation Sweden and the "big five" of Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom.
So firstly to the countries that didn't make it through last night.
Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Latvia, Macedonia, San Marino and Switzerland were the countries that missed out on a Grand Final berth this year, leaving the ten countries moving through as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Malta, Norway and the kooky Cezar from Romania with his falsetto vocals.
Countries already confirmed to take the stage (via the first semi final) are Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine.
SBS' Eurovision coverage kicks off tonight from 7:30pm with a special called 'The Heart Of Eurovision', hosted by Julia Zemiro. The first of the semi finals will follow at 8:30pm. Semi Final #2 is telecast on SBS tomorrow night from 7:30pm, with the Grand Final on Sunday night from 7:30pm.

* FYI... We will NOT be publishing any details of the Eurovision winner on auspOp over the weekend until such time as the winner has been broadcast on the Australian East Coast. We will then publish the winner, being careful to include spoiler alerts for our readers in other time zones.

CARMEN SMITH : Breaker Of Hearts

Famously booted from TV series 'The Voice' last year because of her high profile appearance in Guy Sebastian's 'Gold' video clip, Sydney-based songstress Carmen Smith seems to have got her own back a little via the video for her latest single 'Breaker Of Hearts, which broke yesterday.
The animated affair sees our leading lady battling all sorts of terrible monsters, including some who put her on a hamster wheel on a TV talent show (something looks spookily familiar here).
"It's a bit cheeky but I feel like no other contestant could have done a video like this because my situation is very unique," Carmen says of the clip. "I was the first contestant ever to be disqualified from 'The Voice', worldwide, for singing...it's slightly ironic."
The track is available on Carmen's EP 'They Don't Know Me', which is out now.

NEW DAY DAWNS FOR ALICIA

Sony Music has dropped the third single from Alicia Keys' latest album 'Girl On Fire' to Aussie media.
'New Day' was produced by Dr.Dre and Swizz Beats and follows on from the album's triple platinum title track and 'Brand New Me'. It seems, however, that Australia is going to miss out on the seriously sexy 'Fire We Make' with Maxwell... Possibly not quite commercial enough for us at this stage.
'New Day' is super industrial in its sound; heavy on the percussion and was the first track leaked from the new album last year. We brought you the official free download on July 24. Now, however, it's getting its chance to shine in the mainstream. And there's a video to boot;

THIS BEAT IS...

Why this beat is Technotronic, of course! And the '90s dance sensations have announced a one-off Melbourne show in the middle of next month.
The Belgian outfit first hit the charts in 1989 with their smash single 'Pump Up The Jam', enjoying a string of subsequent successes including 'Get Up (Before The Night Is Over', 'This Beat Is Technotronic' and 'Spin That Wheel'.
They take the stage at Jett Black Nightclub on Friday June 14.