• We don't know about you, but we can certainly feel things slowing down as we fast approach the Christmas break. The number of new songs out to radio has slowed to a trickle, with only a handful being serviced to media this week, including the clean radio edit of P!nk's new single 'F**kin Perfect'. • Warner Music has this week sent out the new single from Biffy Clyro called 'Booooom, Blast & Ruin', Goo Goo Dolls' new single 'Notbroken' and the new Plan B track called 'She Said'. • Universal Music, meanwhile, have sent out new tracks for country artists The Wilson Pickers and Lee Kernaghan, along with the aforementioned Dane Rumble single 'Don't Know What To Do' and the new Ou Est Le Swimming Pool track 'The Key'. • UK outfit Klaxons have been raising eyebrows with the video for their brand new single 'Twin Flames'. So much so that the clip's been banned by Youtube - and it's not hard to see why. Described as a "body horror fantasia", the clip certainly slaps you around the face with its quasi-nudity and disturbing body-melding themes. You'll need to sign in to view it HERE. • The Eagles kick off their tour of the country with a show in Sydney tonight, but Frontier Touring has this afternoon advised that a limited number of tickets have just been released for all shows around the country. But punters will need to get in quick. The band will perform for more than 150,000 people during their visit. • Sarah McLeod is helping disadvantaged kids cope with the festive season, by raising funds via her latest single 'Dancing In The Dark' - her cover of the Bruce Springsteen classic. All proceeds from the sale of the single via iTunes between now and Christmas will go directly to Father Chris Riley's 'Youth Off the Streets' program. Better still, Ministry Of Sound and VDG will match Sarah's contributions dollar for dollar. So click on the link, download away and know that you'll be making someone's Christmas just that little bit brighter. • UK dubstep producer Shackleton is about to release his take on the popular Fabriclive compilations. Featuring 22 of the producer's tracks, many of which have never been released, volume 55 in the popular album series is slated for a local release on December 11. • On the UK charts this week, the X Factor finalists have debuted in the No.1 position with their charity cover of the Bowie classic 'Heroes'. All proceeds from the track go to 'Help For Heroes' to provide support for British servicepeople who've been involved in global conflicts. Last year's X Factor runner-up Olly Murs is in at No.4 with his new single 'Thinking Of Me', while Rihanna enters the top ten further down with her new single 'What's My Name'. • And on the UK album chart this week, Take That has held off all comers for a second week with their latest LP 'Progress'. The album sold another 200,000 copies in Britain this week to bring total sales so far to close to three quarters of a million in two weeks. Fellow boy band JLS saw their new LP 'Outta This World' debut in the No.2 position and astonishingly, another boyband - Westlife - debuted in the No.3 spot with their new LP 'Gravity'.
With no need to take over the steps of the Sydney Opera House and much less fanfare and production than the awards ceremonies from overseas, Australia's humble J Awards were handed out in a simple ceremony at Melbourne's Ding Dong Lounge yesterday afternoon. Launched in 2005 to celebrate Australia's album of the year (as voted on by the Triple J music team), the awards have since grown to include two more categories - those for Unearthed Artist of the Year and the Best Music Video. Perth outfit Tame Impala picked up the J Award for Album Of The Year for their debut 'Innerspeaker', while Boy & Bear picked up the coveted and much publicised 'Unearthed' award. Megan Washington picked up the other award - for Best Music Video - for the black and white French inspired clip to her single 'Sunday Best'. Check all the guff, including some of the reasons for the judges' choices HERE.
Once again, it's not just the animals who'll be making all the noise at the Melbourne Zoo come January 15, with the ever popular Zoo Twilights returning for a 2011 season. Astonishingly, the Zoo Twilights program this year celebrates its 22nd anniversary and they'll be doing so with another awesome lineup of entertainment. Kicking off for 2011 will be amazing Aussie singer Wendy Matthews, who'll be ably supported by local outfit The Hello Morning. But beyond there, there's the likes of James Reyne, Ross Wilson, Babba, Diesel, Ryan Meeking, Dragon, Ian Moss, Daryl Braithwaite, Leo Sayer, Pseudo Echo, Michael Paynter and many more. The shows run every Saturday and Sunday night through 'til March 13, with tickets for all on sale from tomorrow. More details including performers schedule are available at www.zoo.org.au.
Evil forces are at work within the British record buying public, with anti X Factor campaigners aiming to sabotage this year's show by consistently voting for the person with the least marketable appeal. In this case, it's 54 year old retired Brazilian gym teacher Wagner Fiuza-Carrilho. Week after week, Wagner had been sailing through the competition on the public vote despite a series of diabolical vocal performances. But with a double eviction on Sunday night's show, his time was finally over, with a unanimous judge's decision to send him home. After the decision by judges Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell let his relief be known to the television audience. "Why I am happy with the decision though," he said, "Is that there were people out there trying to derail this show for different reasons and what has happened tonight is that we've put the show back into the hands of the public and we're backing talent. And no disrespect Wagner, but she (50 year old contestant Mary Byrne) sang you off tonight." Of course, it's not the first time that outside forces have attempted to slow the X Factor juggernaut. Last year, lobbyists had followers purchase the Rage Against The Machine track 'Killing The Name Of' in the same week that winner Joe McElderry's single was released. It worked - and McElderry's winners single 'The Climb' debuted at No.2. This year, saboteurs are aiming to get The Trashmen's '60s classic 'Surfin Bird' (featured in a recent episode of Family Guy) to the No.1 spot in place of the X Factor winners single.
Aussie fans of little Polly Jean will be happy to hear this little piece of news... PJ Harvey's brand new album 'Let England Shake' (pictured) has been given a local release date by her Aussie record company Universal Music. The new LP is the follow-up to 2007's 'White Chalk', which hit the Australian top 20 and PJ's 2009 collaborative album 'A Woman A Man Walked By' - an album that ultimately hit the top 30 here on its release in March last year. 'Let England Shake', meanwhile, is scheduled to hit Australian retail on Friday February 18.
You've got to love a band with a quirky sense of humour - and Scottish indie-pop outfit Belle & Sebastian fits that mould perfectly if the picture supplied to us by Michael Coppel is anything to go by. After an absence of almost five years from our fair shores, the touring company confirmed an Australian visit from the band in March. They'll play the Golden Plains Festival in Meredith, along with three headline shows - one each in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Tickets for all three dates are on sale this Thursday, December 02. Meanwhile, the band's latest album 'Belle & Sebastian Write About Love' is out now.
March 07 : Brisbane (The Tivoli) March 10 : Sydney (Sydney Opera House) March 12 : Melbourne (The Forum)
As you're probably aware by now, our Chart Watch segment is running late today due to circumstances beyond our control. As soon as we receive the info, we'll whack the segment on up for you. Thanks for your patience.
It's a quiet Monday thus far, so why the devil not? Frontier Touring has late this morning announced that Michael Franti and Spearhead will return to Australia's shores early in the new year for a series of concerts. He'll bring his 'Sound Of Sunshine' concert series down under in April for just three shows - on each in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide - before heading to the other side of the ditch for a one-off show in Auckland. General tickets for the shows are on sale on Friday December 10.
April 18 : Adelaide (Thebarton Theatre) April 19 : Melbourne (Palace Theatre) April 24 : Sydney (Enmore Theatre)
Since virtually vanishing from the music scene post her Australian Idol win back in 2007, Natalie Gauci has formed a rather fab new alliance with Melbourne DJ/Producer Paul Brandoli, also known in the local dance music arena as Antoine Dessante. They have named their project 'Tune In Tokyo' and the duo's first single 'Dreamer' will be officially serviced to radio at midday today. Already racing its way onto the local club chart and reaching the No.5 position this week, the track looks set to be a big club banger over the summer months, with official remixes coming courtesy of the likes of Nick Galea and Sgt. Slick. The video (below) is a relatively simple affair, with a selection of young dancers dressed in all manner of out-there black outfits working in unison around the singer, who is virtually unrecognisable thanks to heavy eye makeup and chopped hair. It's rather stylish, if not a little simple, but our fave bit has to be the glitter falling onto Nat's naked torso. Amazing. Plenty of TIT (Tune In Tokyo) action for all to see. 'Dreamer' is set for a digital release on Friday December 10.
RADIO'S MOST ADDED WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2010
01. DAVID GUETTA FTG. RIHANNA : WHO'S THAT CHICK 02. AMY MEREDITH : FADED WHITE DRESS 03. ART VS SCIENCE : FINALLY SEE OUR WAY 04. FLO RIDA : TURN AROUND (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) 05. CUT COPY : TAKE ME OVER 06. KATY PERRY : FIREWORK 07. MUMFORD & SONS : ROLL AWAY YOUR STONE 08. BON JOVI : NO APOLOGIES 09. PLAN B : SHE SAID 10. NICOLE SCHERZINGER : POISON
Most added tracks to Australian radio courtesy of The Music Network.
It's been a heck of a long time coming, but fans of Aussie singer Robyn Loau have been finally rewarded for their patience, with the singer announcing that her brand new album 'Only Human' is now available on iTunes. Described as "exploring themes of redemption, sexuality, school bullying, infidelity and gun control", Robyn has worked with some famous names in Aussie pop on the record, including Cam McGlinchey, Josh Abrahams and even Robert Conley. As previously mentioned on auspOp, the album also includes a cover version of Kate Bush's iconic 'Wuthering Heights'. Right now it's the naughty, uncensored version of the LP which is up there for all to buy, but a cleaner more tamed down version of the LP will drop early in the new year to co-incide with Robyn's performance at an Australia Day live event at Sydney's Circular Quay. Robyn will also drop a very limited edition physical copy of the LP to selected retail before Christmas. In the meantime, check out a little behind the scenes footage of the album's photoshoot HERE and grab your copy of Robyn's fab new album HERE.
Gotta hand it to the lads from Irish boy band Westlife. Since 1998, they've been churning out plenty of hit singles in the UK, a lot of them cover versions and most of them ballads. And it's the ballads that they do so, so well. 'Safe' is no exception. It's got soaring production with thanks to the amazing John Shanks (who also produced Take That's comeback record 'Beautiful World'), and a video that allows each the boys to do a little bit of acting. The action sequences towards the latter part of the clip just help to build the drama as the song reaches its crescendo. Not a bad tune overall, but still no sign of the album 'Gravity' on the local horizon.
We have simply no idea how it can take so damned long for a song (and the album it comes from) to make its 2000-odd kilometre journey across the Tasman, but almost 15 months since its release in New Zealand, Dane Rumble's second single 'Don't Know What To Do' has now been officially serviced to Australian radio. With a top ten chart position for the single in his homeland, and a No.1 on the country's airplay chart, Dane's aim is to now slowly but surely cast a spell upon Australian audiences before his album 'The Experiment' drops early in the new year. 'Don't Know What To Do' will be released digitally on Friday December 10.
When you're chatting via Skype with two of the hottest properties on planet pop who just happen to be twin sisters who also happen to have very similar speaking voices, things can become a little blurry when it comes to transcribing your chat. Nonetheless, the story of the rollercoaster ride to international fame for Melbourne's NERVO - Mim and Liv - is filled with juicy stories, tales from the catwalk and creating banging tunes with some of pop's biggest names. In our chat with NERVO, they dish up the goss on working with Ke$ha, how the Kelly Rowland track came about and their humble beginnings as glamorous models in Melbourne.
"Modelling was great," says Mim.
"Well we were always doing music at the same time as modelling," adds Liv. "Modelling was just a great job that kick-started our professional career. Oooh – that could be interpreted the wrong way!"
The cheeky humour that has endeared them to artists and producer around the world seeps through our entire conversation, but composing themselves momentarily, they explain that their love of music began at an early age.
"Well we’ve been playing piano since we were five years old," says Mim.
"Yes, it started with primary school, then mum and dad gave us lessons outside of school when we were about eight or nine," says Liv. "And we did it all the way through school. We picked up and dropped a few other instruments along the way. We did violin for a little bit, but the love for music was always there."
"At school they had drama and musicals, so we’d always just get stuck into it, wouldn’t we?" asks Mim.
Liv continues.
"When we were modelling in Australia, a journalist Lillian Frank did an article on up and coming stars of Melbourne and she picked us out at Chadwicks as these two girls who were doing…"
"More than modelling," Mim interjects.
"In the article, they interviewed Mim," Liv continues, "And Mim said that we’d really love to sing and we’d really love to do pop music. So basically from there, a few pop managers contacted us. And a producer. The producer got us to sing some of his demos to test out our voices and he really liked them. But he said that one of the songs was missing a middle eight. He said, 'girls, why don’t you just try and write it yourself?' So we did and I think we did a really good job. He really liked it anyway."
"He loved it!" Mim enthuses. "He said, ‘god you guys have something, come back’ and we wrote a few more songs."
From there, the girls moved to London to be guided by the then tour manager of the Sugababes, who took them under her wing to learn the artistry involved with being a pop star. They were just 20 years old. Unable to secure a record deal, the girls continued writing songs, eventually inking a publishing deal with Sony/ATV that would see their songs marketed to pop artists across the world. Cue the new single for one of Britain's biggest stars of the time - who would facilitate the breakthrough of NERVO.
"It was Rachel Stevens,", they both say in unison.
"She was a pop princess in the UK and was a very hard project to get onto. We were the only unknown writers on that project and we had the first single," says Liv, speaking of Rachel's top ten smash 'Negotiate With Love'.
"So that was our first break and after that songwriting really took the focus for us," says Mim. "People noticed our writing. We always loved to club! And we loved house music, so we naturally gravitated towards some House DJ/producers to work with. After writing and producing with a bunch of DJs, we thought why not try DJing ourselves... It was fun and we got into the clubs for free - double bonus! Now we’re addicted," she says.
"We love that world. We’ve always loved that world," says Liv.
"It’s funny," adds Mim, "We’ve always been going to Ibiza and clubbing and going to all the underground clubs, but also writing pop music. It’s great now to be able to merge the two."
With NERVO songs starting to be picked up all over the world, first in Asia where the girls' leftover "cheesy pop songs" were "eaten up", the focus shifted to the United States where a then unknown singer from Nashville, Tennessee was looking for songs to take her into the mainstream. The girls explain how their connection with Ke$ha began.
"Ke$ha is a really exciting story for us," says Liv. "We met her before she had a record deal. She was from Nashville, living in L.A. and discovering her sound. She and her management heard a song of ours that we wrote with a DJ called Tom Neville. The song was called ‘Fuck Him He’s A DJ’. Anyway 'Ke$h' loved it and so she recorded it, the management loved it and then she flew over to London, stayed at our house and together we developed a more electro dirty sound. Then she went over to America and she killed it," she enthuses.
"So basically from the Ke$ha stuff," Mim adds, "She got a really big record deal and she has blown up and become a massive success. So now what we’ve been offered is… Her old manager is now working at Virgin Records and before she got the job she called us and said, ‘Girls, I really liked what you did on the Ke$ha project, I’d really like to work you in a more formal way’."
That formal way came in the form of an imprint, allowing NERVO to develop artists under their own record label, all while under the global umbrella of Virgin Records.
But it was their massive 2009 club hit 'When Love Takes Over' that really sent the NERVO trajectory soaring to new heights. It was a mammoth club and chart hit across the globe (top ten here in Australia, No.1 in the UK), but the girls reveal that Kelly's old record company had heard it and had rejected it.
"We were in touch with Kelly Rowland’s people to work for her album," says Liv. "So it was purely for Kelly Rowland’s album at first. She was the one who then introduced us to David Guetta. He had given her a load of tracks asking her to work on them for his or her album. So we were all vibing on this one track which was ‘When Love Takes Over’ and we wrote it in her hotel room. The next day we recorded it," she says, rather matter-of fact.
"Then she got dropped!" exclaims Mim. "We delivered that song to her label and they weren’t vibing on it, so David went ‘Great! It will be my first single’. And from that, David said ‘girls, I really like what you do’ and then he got us to work with Chris Willis and Tara MacDonald and all of his peeps."
Though excited that the girls were then working in some esteemed musical company, we're left dumbfounded that Kelly's former label Columbia would a) pass up something as glorious and magnificent as the almighty 'When Love Takes Over', and b) then drop Kelly from their label. But NERVO explains that more often than not, record companies get scared of change.
"It was a very brave move for Kelly," says Liv. "So maybe they weren’t ready. Maybe they wanted her to be more tied to her urban roots. Because when you speak to labels, they’re always going on about ‘your market’ and ‘what you stand for’," she says.
"‘Your Lane’. They always use ‘your lane’," adds Mim.
The girls reveal that they've written more music for Kelly's forthcoming album, but add that it's incredibly hard to complete it when they're seldom in the same city at the same time. Nonetheless, they've written for others too - 'Not Giving Up On Love' with Armin Van Buuren and Sophie Ellis Bextor, 'Put Your Hands Up' on Kylie's latest album 'Aphrodite' and more.
"We’ve worked with Pixie Lott," says Liv. "And Cheryl Cole recorded one of our songs. We didn’t get to meet her though – ‘cause we were in LA when it happened. We did a writing session for Rihanna. They flew us over to L.A. and that was really cool. Rihanna didn’t want the song that we wrote, but J-Lo wants it. So that’s kinda cool," she says.
For now though, the girls are concentrating on their debut artist album for Virgin Records. We ask them what musical form their album will take - will it be pop or will it be dance...
"It’s going to merge both worlds," says Mim. "When they offered us this deal, we were just content being DJs. Writing for others and then DJing on the side. We weren’t really looking for a record deal, were we, Liv?"
"No," answers Liv.
"So we’re allowed to release six club releases a year simultaneously to the Virgin deal. Which is great for us, because it means we can still work with all the indie club labels, as well as on our own record where we feature as vocalists. We’re doing two club releases with Defected, we did one with Loaded, and the current one 'Irresistible' is out on Armada and Positiva."
"Our record is going to be collaborative," adds Mim. "So if there’s ten tracks, five of them will be with other artists that we love."
"We really love artists like Mark Ronson. And Missy – they all have featured artists on their records. Part of our artistry is the fact that we do collaborate," enthuses Mim.
The girls' latest collaboration is with vocalist Ollie James on their single 'Irresistible'. Describing the track as "kinda like a male version of 'When Love Takes Over'", the girls are full of praise for the singer's talent.
"Give him any range – his vocals are just incredible. He’s got a big voice," Mim says. "He's just brilliant."
Armed with a swag of tunes recorded by Miley Cyrus, Cheryl Cole, Kylie Minogue, David Guetta, Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, J-Lo, Pussycat Dolls, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Pixie Lott, Rachel Stevens, Ke$ha and more, it's safe to say that the world is a little less dull with NERVO brandishing their ever increasing pop powers in it.
And with their debut artist album due sometime in the first half of 2011, the next year's looking like it will be the brightest yet for some of the shiniest, most sparkling artists to have emerged from our shores.
NERVO's single 'Irresistible' (featuring Ollie James) is available digitally now. NERVO's debut album is due in the first half of 2011.
After trying (and dismally failing) to recall the MC Skat Kat rap to this with a friend the other day, we thought the timing couldn't be more right to feature Paul Abdul's massive No.1 hit from 1989 - 'Opposites Attract'. And spookily enough - it was released 21 years ago today. Credit where it's due, it's not every day that the sixth single from an album also becomes that album's biggest hit, but that's precisely what 'Opposites Attract' was. A mammoth global hit - No.1 in Australia, No.1 in the US, No.1 in Canada, top five in a selection of other countries. The clip too is a classic - with Paula, sporting a very 90s short dress, performing the song and a selection of dance routines with a cartoon character - no mean feat when she had to perform to thin air while the animators sketched Skat Kat and friends in afterwards. It's the staircase and rooftop scenes, however, that are most iconic - and after all these years, the song still sounds rather fresh. A shame we don't hear tracks like this on the radio anymore.
The gang from Sony did warn us that a tour announcement from US outfit Kings Of Leon would be forthcoming before the end of November, so given that they were fast running out of time, we guess it's no surprise to find one in our inbox this morning. Frontier Touring will bring the band down under for a series of seven shows as part of their 'Come Around Sundown' album tour. The tour will visit the five major centres, taking in two dates in both Sydney and Melbourne, and with tickets for their previous tour selling out in minutes, the demand this time around is again expected to be high. Tickets for all dates are on sale on Monday December 06.
March 05 : Brisbane (QSAC Stadium) March 08 : Sydney (Acer Arena) March 10 : Sydney (Acer Arena) March 13 : Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) March 17 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) March 18 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) March 21 : Perth (NIB Stadium)
TICKETS ON SALE Monday : Doves (Nationally) Monday : I Am Kloot (Sydney, Melbourne) Tuesday : Chris Isaak (Nationally) Tuesday : Katy Perry (Sydney, Brisbane, Newcastle) Tuesday : Return For Forever IV (Nationally) Wednesday : The Like (Melbourne, Brisbane) Thursday : Belle & Sebastian (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) Friday : James Blunt (Nationally) Friday : Usher (Sydney, Melbourne)
Nov 30 : BRISBANE – Paul Kelly (Powerhouse) Nov 30 : BRISBANE – The Lemonheads (The Zoo) Nov 30 : CRONULLA – John Steel Singers (Brass Monkey) Nov 30 : MELBOURNE – Blondie (Trak Lounge) Nov 30 : SYDNEY – Eliza Doolittle (Oxford Art Factory) Nov 30 : SYDNEY – The Eagles (Entertainment Centre) Dec 01 : BONDI – John Steel Singers (Beach Road Hotel) Dec 01 : BRISBANE – Paul Kelly (Powerhouse) Dec 01 : COFFS HARBOUR – Dead Letter Circus (Hoey Moey) Dec 01 : LILYDALE – Hoodoo Gurus (York On Lilydale) Dec 01 : MELBOURNE – Blondie/Pretenders (Palais Theatre) Dec 01 : MELBOURNE – Papa vs Pretty (East Brunswick Club) Dec 01 : MELBOURNE – U2 (Etihad Stadium) Dec 01 : SYDNEY – The Lemonheads (Metro Theatre) Dec 02 : ADELAIDE – Drapht (Governor Hindmarsh) Dec 02 : BRISBANE – Paul Kelly (Powerhouse) Dec 02 : DEE WHY – Casey Donovan (Lizottes) Dec 02 : LISMORE – Dead Letter Circus (One Nightclub) Dec 02 : MELBOURNE – Eliza Doolittle (Toff In Town) Dec 02 : MELBOURNE – The Lemonheads (Corner Hotel) Dec 02 : MILDURA – You Am I (Settlers Tavern) Dec 02 : SYDNEY – The Eagles (Entertainment Centre) Dec 02 : SYDNEY – Papa vs Pretty (Oxford Art Factory) Dec 02 : SYDNEY – Paris Wells (The Vanguard) Dec 02 : WOLLONGONG – John Steel Singers (Grand Hotel) Dec 03 : ADELAIDE – The Audreys (Adelaide Zoo) Dec 03 : ADELAIDE – You Am I (Governor Hindmarsh) Dec 03 : BRISBANE – Paul Kelly (Powerhouse) Dec 03 : BRISBANE – Linkin Park (Entertainment Centre) Dec 03 : BRISBANE – The Vasco Era (Clubhouse) Dec 03 : CANBERRA – John Steel Singers (ANU Bar) Dec 03 : DONCASTER – Hoodoo Gurus (Hotel Shoppingtown) Dec 03 : HOBART – Human Nature (Wrest Point Entertainment Centre) Dec 03 : MELBOURNE – Drapht (Prince Bandroom) Dec 03 : MELBOURNE – The Lemonheads (Esplanade Hotel) Dec 03 : MELBOURNE – U2 (Etihad Stadium) Dec 03 : NEWCASTLE – Jonathan Boulet (CBD Hotel) Dec 03 : PARKWOOD – Dead Letter Circus (Parkwood Tavern) Dec 03 : SYDNEY – The Eagles (Entertainment Centre) Dec 04 : ADELAIDE – Stereosonic 2010 (Bonython Park) Dec 04 : BONDI – Jonathan Boulet (Beach Road Hotel) Dec 04 : BRISBANE – Gotan Project (Powerhouse) Dec 04 : CHELSEA – Hoodoo Gurus (Chelsea Heights Hotel) Dec 04 : MELBOURNE – Stereosonic 2010 (Showgrounds) Dec 04 : NEWCASTLE – Linkin Park (Entertainment Centre) Dec 04 : PERTH – Jack Johnson (Members Equity Stadium) Dec 04 : SYDNEY – Bag Raiders (The Forum) Dec 04 : SYDNEY – Drapht (Gaelic Club) Dec 04 : SYDNEY – Marcia Hines (State Theatre) Dec 04 : SYDNEY – John Steel Singers (Oxford Art Factory) Dec 04 : YARRA VALLEY – Blondie/Pretenders (Rochford Wines) ADOTG Dec 05 : BRISBANE – Muse (Entertainment Centre) Dec 05 : BRISBANE – Stereosonic 2010 (RNA Showgrounds) Dec 05 : MELTON – Hoodoo Gurus (Macs Hotel) Dec 05 : PERTH – Bag Raiders (Scarborough Beach Ampitheatre) Dec 05 : PERTH – The Lemonheads (Rosemount Hotel) Dec 05 : RELBIA – Blondie/Pretenders (Josef Chromy Wines) ADOTG Dec 05 : SYDNEY – Gotan Project (Opera House)
It all started back in September, with Channel [V] rolling out a list of possible candidates for the coveted position of Channel [V] Oz Artist 2010. Then in mid-October, fans were asked to vote on the four finalists - Amy Meredith, Bliss N Eso, John Butler Trio and Short Stack. Having worked with Short Stack in the past and experienced their (let's say) 'dedicated' stack of followers, we knew that Amy, Bliss and John might have a hard time getting things over the line. So... After thousands of entries from all over the country, Channel [V] is thrilled to announce today that Short Stack - those cheeky chaps Shaun, Andy and Bradie - have been officially crowned [V] Oz Artist for 2010! To celebrate their win, Short Stack are currently smack bang in the middle of Circular Quay in Sydney for an exclusive Channel [V] Guerilla Gig, belting out songs including 'Shimmy A Go Go', 'Planets' and their latest single 'We Dance To A Different Disco, Honey'. Congratulations to Short Stack!
Four years after triumphing on Germany's version of the 'Popstars' television competition, Monrose have experienced some pretty decent chart success in and around Germany, and have also released some cracking good pop songs along the way. 'Breathe You In' is the third single to be lifted from the band's most recent album 'Ladylike' and brings the tempo way, way down into balladsville territory. With plenty of stock footage in the video, encapsulating the girls' journey from kids to competition, it also feels very much like the band's 'Goodbye' moment. Which is probably justified - because sadly, it is. The band announced just two days ago that they were splitting up, with all three girls set to embark upon on solo careers. And while we'll be interested to hear what Mandy, Senna and Bahar come up with as solo artists, we doubt that anything will come close to matching the amazingness of singles like 'Hot Summer', 'Strike The Match' or even 'Hit 'N' Run'. It's sad to say goodbye to Monrose, but we'd be most amiss if we didn't say 'thankyou for the music'!
• Rising Sony Music star Michael Paynter is about to head to Afghanistan to entertain the troops as part of a Christmas comedy tour. He'll be providing some musical relief from the constant tickling of the forces' funny bones courtesy of Tom Gleeson, Charlie Pickering, Lehmo and Fiona O'Loughlin. Of the tour, the Melbourne singer songwriter said, "I have some idea of what it's like being away from your family and your home at Christmas time, but I have no idea what it's like being away fighting bravely for your country. It is an absolute honour to be asked to entertain these amazing men and women of duty, and I'm looking forward to this trip being one of the highlights of my career." • Michael Coppel has announced an extra limited release of tickets for Linkin Park's concert next Friday night in Brisbane. It's the band's only show in the Queensland capital, so these extra tickets are expected to be snapped up quickly. • Organisers of the Peats Ridge Festival in the New South Wales Glenworth Valley have revealed the 2010 festival timetable. The three day festival kicks off on December 29 and all the guff can be found at www.peatsridgefestival.com.au. • I Am Kloot and Doves have both announced live dates on the back of their respective appearances at the Playground Weekender. I Am Kloot will play Melbourne's East Brunswick Club on Feb 17 and Sydney's Gaelic Club on Feb 18, while Doves will play Brisbane (Feb 15 @ The HiFi), Sydney (Feb 17 @ Enmore Theatre), Melbourne (Feb 19 @ Forum Theatre) and Perth (Feb 21 @ Metropolis). Tickets for all shows are on sale this Monday. • Sony has announced a 2011 deluxe edition re-release of Primal Scream's classic album 'Screamadelica' (pictured). The March 11 re-release will come in both deluxe and collectors editions. • Californian outfit The Like have announced headline shows in both Melbourne and Brisbane. They'll play The Zoo in Brissy on February 18 before heading down to Melbourne to play the Northcote Social Club the following night. Tickets are on sale this Wednesday. • On the US singles chart this week, Rihanna has pulled off quite the feat - hitting the No.1 spot with the first single from an album - 'Only Girl (In The World)' after a No.1 with the second single from an album ('What's My Name'). Pink's 'Raise Your Glass' and Ke$ha's 'We R Who We R' continue to surge, however, while Cee-Lo Green's cussin' single 'Fuck You' finally makes the top ten. • And on the US album chart this week, Susan Boyle increases her stranglehold on the No.1 position this week, increasing in sales of her new album 'The Gift' week on week. She's now sold more than 650,000 of the album in the US in just two weeks. In the meantime, there's a debut for America's Got Talent child singer Jackie Evancho at No.2 and a debut for Rihanna's new album 'Loud' at No.3. In fact, 13 of the top 20 on this week's Billboard Top 200 album chart were made up of new releases.
Happy Friday afternoon to you! Well as you're probably aware, last Friday we introduced a competition whereby you could win one of five copies of the brand new Take That album called 'Progress'. It is, of course, the band's first album with Robbie in the line-up in 15 years - and it's filled with a selection of mostly uptempo numbers, all produced by the inimitable Mister Stuart Price. The gang at Universal slipped us five copies of the LP and we're thrilled to announce the winners for you right now;
Cheyne from Lavender Bay in New South Wales, Sherry from Runcorn in Queensland, Jan from Thornleigh in New South Wales, Joanne from Heathcote in New South Wales and Kirk from Magill in South Australia!
Congratulations fine folk - a copy of the new Take That album will be winging its way to your place shortly! And as always, big thanks to everyone who entered this week's competition! Two more are live right now over there in the sidebar - so go check 'em out - and who knows, with a little luck your stocking may just be BULGING this Christmas!
Looks like Melbourne's not the only city where Rihanna can sell out a concert these days, with Michael Coppel this afternoon announcing that after selling out her original Sydney date, the singer has added a second date at Acer Arena as part of her 'Last Girl On Earth' tour, which hits Australia in late February. Coppel has also announced the special guests who'll provide support as part of the tour - Calvin Harris and Far East Movement. Tickets for the second and final Sydney date are on sale at noon on Wednesday December 08.
February 25 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre) February 28 : Newcastle (Entertainment Centre) March 04 : Sydney (Acer Arena) SOLD OUT March 05 : Sydney (Acer Arena) NEW SHOW March 07 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) SOLD OUT March 08 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) March 10 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre) March 12 : Perth (Burswood Dome)
EMI has revealed the cover image and the tracklisting for the forthcoming greatest hits package from American outfit N.E.R.D. The collection, to be released physically and digitally early in the new year, will encompass product from the band's time with their label of four years - including some of their biggest hits such as 'She Wants To Move', 'Maybe' and 'Rock Star'. The 16 tracker will also feature bonus tracks such as the b-sides from the 'Lapdance' single 'What's Wrong With Me' and 'Lil Suzy' - the latter featuring Kelis, plus the Sander Kleinenberg remix of 'Maybe' from the original single release. 'The Best Of N.E.R.D.' is slated for an Aussie release on Friday January 14. The band is in Australia over the new year period for the Pyramid Rock Festival on Victoria's Phillip Island and the Summadayze tour.
Tickets for Usher's forthcoming Australian tour went on sale a month ago yesterday and were quickly snapped up by fans eager to see the US R&B star strut his stuff live on stage as part of the Aussie leg of his 'OMG Tour'. So high was the demand for tickets in both Sydney and Melbourne that the star added second shows in each city. But today, Frontier Touring has done it again, announcing that the second Usher concerts in both Melbourne and Sydney have also sold out and that new shows will now be added in both cities. Tickets for the new dates are on sale on Friday December 03.
March 15 : Perth (Burswood Dome) March 18 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre) March 19 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) SOLD OUT March 20 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) SOLD OUT March 22 : Newcastle (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT March 23 : Sydney (Acer Arena) SOLD OUT March 24 : Sydney (Acer Arena) SOLD OUT March 26 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT March 28 : Sydney (Acer Arena) NEW SHOW March 31 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) NEW SHOW
AT RETAIL ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2010
Adalita – Hot Air (CD single) Beyonce – I Am… World Tour (DVD) Black Eyed Peas – The Beginning Black Eyed Peas – The Beginning & The Best Of The E.N.D. Duffy – Endlessly Jackie Evancho – O Holy Night Finger Eleven – Life Turns Electric Flo Rida – Only 1 Flo : Pt.1 Melody Gardot – My One And Only Thrill (Collectors Deluxe Edition) David Guetta – One More Love Jimi Hendrix – Anthology Michael Jackson – Vision (DVD) Little Dragon – Machine Dreams Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday OST – Burlesque OST – Glee The Music : Volume 4 Andre Rieu – Roses From The South (DVD) Regina Spektor – Live In London (CD/DVD) Sting – Live In Berlin (CD/DVD) Swedish House Mafia – Until One (Limited Edition) UB40 – Signing Off : 30th Anniversary Edition Various – Gods Of Guitar Various – Kids Dancing Party : Top 50 Hitz Various – Now : The Hits Of Summer 2011 Various – Summer Of Rock Various – Total Girl : Summer Hits 2011 Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (CD/DVD) Robbie Williams – In And Out Of Consciousness : The Greatest Hits 1990 – 2010 (DVD) The Wombats – Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)
DJ/Producer Laidback Luke has announced that he's Australia bound early in the new year to play a selection of club dates for his eager local fans. And it's those fans that have been promised plenty of familiar club anthems (including some of his recent work), along with a selection of brand new product including his new singles 'Turbulence' and 'Chiuso' (the latter under the Nouveau Yourican moniker). He'll hit all five major centres, also taking the time to play a gig at the Platinum Nightclub on the Gold Coast during his late Jan/early Feb visit. Tickets are on sale now.
Jan 25 : Adelaide (Old Adelaide Gaol) Jan 26 : North Fremantle (Salt On The Beach) Jan 28 : Brisbane (The Met) Jan 29 : Gold Coast (Platinum) Feb 04 : Melbourne (Billboard) Feb 05 : Sydney (Soho)
If you hunted down Kylie's recent live performance of 'Better Than Today' on Britain's version of 'The X Factor' you pretty much know what you're going to get with the video for the single 'cause it's pretty much identical bar Kylie almost sailing arse over tit on the dancefloor. The band members with the Pac Man heads? Check. The '80s-esque graphics on the back screens? Check. 'Backing' singers with mic stand choreography? Check. Kylie looks pretty good in this clip - and why the heck shouldn't she? After all, it was her and her long-time creative gay husband William Baker who've added their directional prowess to its creation. Plenty of colour, plenty of movement. Now all they need is a hit with it and they'll be set.
Okay, okay - we know that this album came out in September this year, but there's every chance that you may very well have overlooked it. Though Scottish singer KT Tunstall hasn't really experienced too much success here in Australia - save perhaps for her 2005 single 'Suddenly I See' - her popularity across the other side of the world has remained rather constant, with her latest album 'Tiger Suit' becoming her third top five album there on its release a couple of months back. So... just in case you missed it... The team at EMI asked us whether or not we'd like five copies of KT Tunstall's latest album 'Tiger Suit' to give away to you. Of course, we jumped at it - 'cause we know how you like free stuff and all.
To enter this competition, simply send us an email containing your name and postal address to auspOp@ymail.com with the subject line 'KT2Go' and you'll be in with the chance to win. Madness.
Competition closes at 11:59pm AEDST on Thursday December 02, 2010. One entry per household. Winners drawn entirely at random using a highly sophisticated raffle ticket in a box system. Five lucky winners will each receive a copy of the KT Tunstall album 'Tiger Suit' with thanks to the good folk at EMI. * Please note that in this instance, we WILL need to pass on your postal address to the team at EMI solely for the distribution of the prizes. Your email address will NOT be disclosed. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. As always. And have you noticed how we simply cut and pasted these Ts&Cs from the previous giveaway? It's a bit slack of us, we know.
While Good Charlotte's might not be the usual kind of album we give away here on the pages of auspOp, you can't deny that November's been a hella big month for the band, especially here in Australia. In the last three weeks, we've seen them not only announce an Australian tour, but also release their fifth studio album 'Cardiology' - an Aussie top five hit. Among its 15 tracks is the lead single from the LP 'Like It's Her Birthday' - a track that recently found itself in the Australian top 10. Anyway, anyway anyway, thanks to the rather fantastic team at EMI, we've got five copies of the band's new album to give away to you! And as always, the whole winning process here is rather painless and simple.
Send us an email containing your name and postal address to auspOp@ymail.com with the subject line 'Good Giveaway' and we'll pop you straight into the draw to win a copy. How much easier could it get!?
Competition closes at 11:59pm AEDST on Thursday December 02, 2010. One entry per household. Winners drawn entirely at random using a highly sophisticated raffle ticket in a box system. Five lucky winners will each receive a copy of the Good Charlotte album 'Cardiology' with thanks to the good folk at EMI. * Please note that in this instance, we WILL need to pass on your postal address to the team at EMI solely for the distribution of the prizes. Your email address will NOT be disclosed. Your privacy is of the utmost importance to us. As always.
Big props go to Labby, Camilla, Stav (pictured, left) and the team behind Brisbane's B105 brekky show, who recently decided to get a little fundraiser happening for the city's children's hospital. They decided to release a single with the vocal and lyrical help of their loyal listeners and have now set it free onto the iTunes chart in the hope that people will download it. Armed with a guest appearance from Hamish & Andy, some dodgy lyrics celebrating all that's great about the Queensland capital and more autotune than Britney's back-catalogue, the imaginatively titled 'Brisbane's #1 Hit Single' is already doing rather well, finding its way into the top ten on the iTunes chart since premiering early this morning. Sure it'd be hard pushed to win any awards, but it's a track brimming with heart - as all proceeds go to the Brisbane Royal Children's Hospital. Get your chops around it HERE.
Australian retailer Target has today started rolling out a whole exclusive new range of Justin Bieber clothing and household items. Kicking off today, young Bieber fans can get their hands on a selection of t-shirts and tank tops in sizes 7-16. Next month, Target will reveal masses of Bieber stationery products, including pens, pencil cases, journals, book labels and stickers, along with backpacks and a laptop bag. Then in January, they'll release a collection of Justin Bieber sleepwear and manchester. The Bieb himself was even involved in the product development. Also just released through www.justinbieber.com.au is an exclusive range of Justin Bieber dolls (pictured - seems the got they hairdo right...), along with toys and teddy bears that are based on Justin's style.
We love a good handwritten note from a band announcing a brand new single - and that's precisely what the boys from UK outfit Coldplay have done, revealing a brand new Christmas single that's set for a digital release on Wednesday night next week (UK time). 'Christmas Lights' will hit Australian digital retail on Thursday December 02 from 7am AEDST.
Katie Melua was the first artist to release a single called 'The Flood' this year - all the way back in May. Then Take That announced that the first single from their new album 'Progress' would also be called 'The Flood'. Now Cheryl Cole's got a single of the same name - and according to reports, the new tune will be one of the first new singles released in the UK next year (out January 03). The video for the single has broken and features the singer hiding out down near the white cliffs of Dover after what appears to have been a painful breakup. Matching the singer's apparent mood, the weather conditions are most bleak. There's plenty of blowin' out matches, some shots that appear to be underwater (she looks hot here) but aren't, and plenty of time spent at that window staring out to the ocean. The song's not much though, and we found ourselves yearning for the reformed pop power of five.
THE AUSTRALIAN CD NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE
December 03 Abba – Gold (CD/DVD) Bryan Adams – Bare Bones The Angels – Dark Room (30th Anniversary Edition) Deadmau5 – 4 x 4 = 12 Tommy Emmanuel – Little By Little Julie Goodwin – Christmas With Julie Goodwin Grouplove – Grouplove Quincy Jones – Q Soul Bossa Nostra Paul Kelly – Live Apples : Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD) Nigel Kennedy – The Very Best Of Beyonce Knowles – The Ultimate Performer Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More (Box Set) Powderfinger – Sunsets Farewell Tour (DVD) Soulja Boy – The DeAndre Way Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People Various – 4Play Gold Various – Best Of Triple JTV (DVD) Various – CMAA Independents Day Various – Jon Savage Presents : Black Hole Robbie Williams – The Definitive Collectors Edition (11CD/6DVD)
December 10 Blackeyed Susans – Reveal Yourself 1989-2009 Bloodhound Gang – Show Us Your Hits Altiyan Childs – Altiyan Childs Ciara – Basic Instinct Damned Things – Ironiclast Feist – Look What The Light Did Now (CD/DVD) Michael Jackson – Michael McFly – Above The Noise Motorhead – The World Is Yours OST – Tron : Legacy OST – Tron : Legacy (Deluxe Edition) Plain White T’s – Wonders Of The Younger Rihanna – Loud (Couture Edition) Robyn – Body Talk Take That – Look Back, Don’t Stare : A Film About Progress (DVD) Various – Running Trax Summer 2011 Paul Weller – Live 2010 (DVD) Grace Woodroofe – Always Want
December 17 Diddy & Dirty Money – Last Train To Paris Supertramp – Breakfast In America (Super Deluxe Edition)
January 07 Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Tour Edition)
January 14 The Decemberists – The King Is Dead Slim Dusty – The Very Best Of Slim Dusty – The Very Best Of (DVD) Keri Hilson – No Boys Allowed N.E.R.D. – The Best Of N.E.R.D. Steel Magnolia – Steel Magnolia Various – CMAA : The Winners 2011 Various – Memories Are Made Of This Various – Video Hits : Summer Festivals Various – When Love Takes Over
January 21 Paul Kelly – Hidden Things Paul Kelly – Live Apples (Deluxe Edition) Paul Kelly – Live At Continental & Esplanade Paul Kelly – Live May 1992 Amos Lee – Mission Bell Raul Malo – Sinners And Saints Pearl Jam – Live On Ten Legs Professor Ratbaggy – Professor Ratbaggy Stardust Five – Stardust Five White Lies – Ritual
January 28 DJ Nino Brown – Blazin’ 2011 Kurt Elling – The Gate Gin Blossoms – No Chocolate Cake Potbelleez – Destination Now
February 04 Cut Copy – Zonoscope Various – Classic Pop
February 11 Tim & Jean – Like What Various – Old Skool
February 25 Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi – Rome Jay Sean – Freeze Time
March 04 Lupe Fiasco – Lasers
All release dates subject to change & list is updated weekly.
Looks like Kylie Minogue could have another top 40 hit on her hands in Australia after all - but it's all thanks to Taio Cruz and their single 'Higher'. Where she failed to get any higher than No.69 with her recent single 'Get Outta My Way', the new version of 'Higher' continues to rise on the local iTunes chart. The clip? Well there's plenty of fast cars and fancy threads - and both Taio and Ms M look great parading and purring around the cavernous warehouse space to the urban/pop track. Now let's see what Kyles can do with 'Better Than Today', which is yet to be serviced to Australian radio. It's not our favourite Kylie single ever, but who knows what the rest of the country will make of it.
As one quarter of Aussie outfit Taxiride, Jason Singh experienced a great deal of success in the band's heyday with two top ten singles, platinum successes, an ARIA award and more. But in 2010, the time has come for Jason to step out from the comfort of a band environment and try his hand at the solo thing with his debut single 'I Can Dream'. Produced by Charles Fisher, 'I Can Dream' marks a distinct change from the rockier-edged productions of his old band, with the singer confirming that this one's all about the pop. "I went through the whole rock thing, which inspired a lot of the Taxiride stuff. But now I’ve gone back to my pop roots," he said in a statement. He also talks about the connection he has with his debut solo offering. "I’m just trying to write about real things, real people,” he says. “I’m not a fantasy writer; I can’t just make up a story. I have to see it or feel it." It's the first track to be lifted from a forthcoming solo album, slated for release in the new year. Take a listen below - and in the meantime, find out more about Jason's upcoming tunes at FACEBOOK.
Sia is the main act to be announced as part of another raft of artists added to next year's Big Day Out festivals across the country. The events have already sold out in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, with tickets for another Sydney date and the Adelaide date selling fast. In addition to SIa, national audiences will also be treated to sets from Washington, The Vines, Matt & Kim and more. Local artist line-ups have also been announced in each centre. Full line-up and further details are available over at www.bigdayout.com.
Seems like the interminable wait for The Beatles catalogue to be released onto the global iTunes store has paid off, with EMI revealing that the band has sold a staggering two million individual songs and more than 450,000 albums globally since the catalogue went live just over a week ago. As Apple CEO Steve Jobs said last week of the Beatles/iTunes launch, "It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we've had since we launched iTunes ten years ago." So with almost a quarter of a million sales in just a week, the wait has most definitely paid off.
The boys from Amy Meredith have had a heck of a ride over the past couple of years, but early in 2011 they'll be serving up something rather special. They've been chosen as the final day entertainment on the 2011 Australian Open concert calendar at Melbourne Park, performing to the assembled crowds at the men's tennis final. Lisa Mitchell will bring her unique acoustic-driven touch to the final of the women's game the previous night. They're just two of 14 different artists who've been chosen to perform across the 2011 carnival, with other acts including Operator Please, Clare Bowditch and Miami Horror. The Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne on Monday January 17. Full-line up details have been revealed over at the NOVA WEBSITE.
Do not adjust your screen - there's nothing wrong with it - it's just that the brand new video from the Black Eyed Peas involved rather a lot of pixellation. The official video for 'The Time (The Dirty Bit)' admittedly features some rather impressive visual trickery where people morph from the standard human being variety into something you'd almost definitely find traipsing around Legoland. Of course, the Peas' avatars (featured on the front cover of their forthcoming LP 'The Beginning') make an appearance and there's a lovely little scene where a girl in the club is down on all fours hurling. Mercifully, that's also pixellated. Clever clip for a song we maintain is 100% dodgy.
Melburnians must really love Evan Dando and the Lemonheads. Not only did the US alternative outfit sell out their first show in the Victorian capital last month, but the band's lead singer Evan Dando has just announced a very intimate one-off solo show in Melbourne on Sunday December 12. The singer will take to the stage with his guitar and nothing else, delivering solo acoustic renditions not only of some of the band's classic singles, but also songs from his solo album 'Baby I'm Bored'. Tickets for the show are on sale now.
Sydney outfit Art vs Science premiered their brand new single 'Finally See Our Way' (pictured) on Triple J on Monday morning. It's the first single from the band's forthcoming album, due early in the new year, and sees Jim, Dan and Dan venturing outside their usual musical comfort zone of dancefloor anthems. 'Finally See Our Way' is a big radio song with a killer chorus that ought to find its way away from the Triple Js of the world and onto commercial radio playlists the country over. In the meantime, the band has also announced that they've scored the coveted support slot on the Chemical Brothers tour of the country in March, on the back of their appearances on the Summadayze and Future Music Festival rosters. 'Finally See Our Way' is released digitally this Friday.
• We don't know about you, but we can certainly feel things slowing down as we fast approach the Christmas break. The number of new songs out to radio has slowed to a trickle, with only a handful being serviced to media this week, including the clean radio edit of P!nk's new single 'F**kin Perfect'.
• UK dubstep producer Shackleton is about to release his take on the popular Fabriclive compilations. Featuring 22 of the producer's tracks, many of which have never been released, volume 55 in the popular album series is slated for a local release on December 11.
