friday's news

Splendour In The Grass takes on scalpers

Organisers of this year’s Splendour In The Grass festival - strongly tipped to feature the Arctic Monkeys - have made changes to their ticketing system in an attempt to eliminate scalping. There are three major changes: separate day tickets are no longer available - one ticket gains you entry for the entire weekend; tickets can only be purchased from event organisers, either online (www.splendourinthegrass.com) or by phoning the sales centre on 1300 762 54; most significantly, all ticket holder’s names and dates of birth must be supplied at the time of purchase (this includes names and birthdays of anyone you are buying tickets for). Once you have completed the ticket transaction, your name and date of birth will be printed onto the ticket. To gain entry, you will have to provide valid photo ID showing the very same name and date of birth as printed on your ticket. Tickets for the festival, which takes place in Byron Bay on Saturday July 23 and Sunday July 24, go on sale Monday May 15. The first line-up announcement will be made Wednesday April 26.

Arctic: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3543198


The Audreys score Canadian deal

Following the critically acclaimed response to debut album Between Last Night & Us ("Prairie laments, unsettlingly upbeat murder ballads and speakeasy torch tunes (with) I-could-cry-or-hurt-you-any-minute vocals… it's smart work all around" – Sydney Morning Herald) bluegrass-tinged folk-pop practitioners The Audreys have scored a Canadian deal. The album will be released on True North Records on June 20, with a Canadian tour to follow. The band will then tour the UK, France and Russia from May to July, which will include performances at various festivals, including the Brighton Festival Fringe in the UK. Here in Australia, the band’s first single, "Oh Honey", has been well received and supported strongly by Triple J and community radio. The band will tour the country nationally from July through to September - all details on their website.

Website: http://www.theaudreys.com.au/gigguide.html

Francoiz Breut tour dates

Acclaimed Gallic chanteuse Francoiz Breut is returning to Australia this April/May in support of her recently released stunning third album, Une Saison Volée. Like her previous two albums, Une Saison Volée sounds impossibly exotic, with Breut's sultry and sexy vocals again transporting the listener on a cinematic journey, caressing each syllable with a languid, velvet touch. On her 2004 tour, Francoiz Breut, aided only by the incredible guitar textures of Boris Gronemberger, had Australian audiences quite simply spellbound, and it's this simple yet incredibly powerful configuration we will once again be treated to. Catch Francoiz Breut in Australia on the following dates:

Thursday April 27 – Fly By Night, Perth
Saturday April 29 – The Corner, Melbourne
Sunday April 30 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Tuesday May 2 – Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane
Wednesday May 3 – At Newtown, Sydney

ABBA musical bound for the silver screen

Hollywood film-trade bible Variety reports Tom Hanks's production company, Playtone, has signed on to produce a film adaptation of the hit ABBA stage musical Mamma Mia! No word yet on casting, but we're suggesting Colin Farrell as Bjorn (simply to give that ridiculous blonde fringe he displayed in Alexander a proper home), Jack Black as the hirsute and slightly pudgy Benny (sample dialogue: "Pass me the fondue you f#ckin f#ck!"), Toni Collette as Frida (because she did it so well in Muriel's Wedding) and Scarlett Johannssen as Agnetha (well, this is our casting couch after all).

Abba: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502562

John Lennon's schoolbook fetches mammoth sum

[source: NME.com] John Lennon's schoolbook sold for a mammoth £126,500 last night at an auction in London. My Anthology belonged to the Beatle when he was 12, and contained his thoughts, drawings and poems. The lot exceeded its reserve price of £100,000 at the event, which took place at Madame Tussauds. "It was a fantastic sale and it is fitting that one of the earliest items from Britain's greatest songwriter has fetched such a significant amount," auction-house Cooper Owen's Director of Acquisitions Ted Owen said. "The schoolbook is a unique item of huge importance to Beatles collectors." My Anthology also contained an illustration entitled "The Walrus And The Carpenter", which sellers claim reveals an early inspiration behind The Beatles' classic song "I Am The Walrus". In other key lots, Lennon's christening bracelet fetched £28,000, while the jacket he wore at The Beatles' Shea Stadium gig went for £10,000. A 1966 Rickenbacker guitar owned by The Byrds' Roger McGuinn went under the hammer for £110,000, a Gibson guitar belonging to Sex Pistols axeman Steve Jones was bought for £40,000 and Madonna's "Like A Virgin" 1984 worn wedding dress was snapped up for £7000.


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Pistols: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501856
Madonna: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3534378

Moby to produce new Courtney Love album?

[source: NME.com] Moby has revealed he's been in talks to produce the next Courtney Love album. However, the techno boffin is still unsure whether he'll be working on the songs that will make up the follow-up to 2004's America's Sweetheart. "I'm not sure we're working together," Moby said. "The truth is, I actually don't know. I mean, I've known Courtney for a long time, and I find her to be remarkably talented and just a fascinating person, so we might work on something together. It's just been some friendly conversations at this point." Moby, whose remixing and producing credits include the likes of Metallica and Britney Spears, told MTV News that Love's new songs will "surprise" people and are "really powerful". "It's actually really well-written songs that are very earnest, very passionate," he said. "So I'm sure she'll make a wonderful record. It's got a humble strength to it." Moby, who will release a career-spanning best-of compilation later this year, is currently working on two soundtracks - Southland Tales and the big-screen adaptation of the classic 80s American cop show Miami Vice. Speaking of the latter, he said the TV series was "very dark and it's got a lot of pathos to it, so the music is dark and laden with pathos".

Moby: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3507082
Courtney: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502983
Britney: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501556


Rogue Traders to release new single in May

After creaming the charts and airwaves with massive club tracks "Voodoo Child", "Way To Go!" and "Watching You", Rogue Traders are putting their rock'n'roll caps on for thundering fourth single "We’re Coming Home". The band filmed the video for the single during a marathon 16-hour shoot at Sydney’s Fox Studios last weekend. "We’re Coming Home" will be released next month.

Rogue /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502340

thursday news

Athlete begin work on new album

[source: NME.com] Athlete have begun work on their new album, according to a posting on their official site. The album will be the follow-up to 2005's Tourist. "It's coming along soooooo well… Just can't wait to get in now. It's been a good week all round. Joel [Pott, singer/guitarist], Tim [Wanstall, keyboards] and I got together to play each other our ideals and do a little recording and we've booked into a rehearsal studio for two days next week so we can all start playing over ideas together," bassist Carey Willetts wrote. The album is expected sometime in 2007.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502011

Chris Isaak announces promo visit

Chris Isaak has announced he will visit Sydney and Melbourne in early June to promote his first ever best-of set. The Best Of Chris Isaak showcases Isaak's numerous musical personas, from the rockabilly rebel ("Dancin'", "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing", "Speak Of The Devil") to brokenhearted crooner ("Wicked Game", "Somebody's Crying") and acoustic storyteller ("San Francisco Days", "Two Hearts"). As we've come to expect, it also includes two brand new songs (the elegant "King Without A Castle" and break-up exhortation "Let's Have A Party"). There are two covers included on the album: Cheap Trick's power-pop anthem "I Want You To Want Me" (a live favourite previously unavailable on any of his Cds) and an inspired version of his hero Roy Orbison's classic lovelorn ballad "Only The Lonely". There's also a stirring never-before-heard acoustic version of "Forever Blue".

Isaak: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500348
Cheap trick: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500138
Orbison: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501854

The Exploders get The Silents treatment

This month two of the country's freshest young bands are joining forces and taking to the highways to bring their rock to the sweaty hordes. The Exploders will showcase material from their recently re-released self titled debut, while The Silents - currently receiving airplay on Triple J for their track "Nightcrawl" - will perform their first shows outside Western Australia. Tour dates:

Thursday April 27 – Enigma, Adelaide
Friday April 28 – National Hotel, Geelong
Saturday April 29 – Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne
Wednesday May 3 – Sodens, Albury
Thursday May 4 – ANU, Canberra
Friday May 5 – Northern Star, Newcastle
Saturday May 6 – Spectrum, Sydney
Sunday May 7 – Oxford Tavern, Wollongong
Wednesday May 10 – Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour
Thursday May 11 – Great Northern, Byron Bay
Friday May 12 – Sol Bar, Coolum
Saturday May 13 – Ric's Bar, Brisbane

Exploders: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3539754

Evermore announce intimate theatre tour, set release date

Evermore are set to drop their massively anticipated second album, Real Life, on Sunday July 9. Meanwhile, they've announced a series of intimate theatre shows for May, with a full national arena tour to follow in June. Fans who attend the May shows will also receive a limited edition EP containing the track "My Guiding Light" from Real Life, as well as two exclusive B-sides and a track from support act The Exploders. Evermore recorded Real Life in a studio near a lake in Massachusetts with producer Jon Alagia (Dave Matthews, Ben Folds). Drummer Dann Hume describes the album as "sounding like a brother to [debut album] Dreams. An older, cooler brother who owns a car instead of a bike. Or something like that. A few tunes have rocked up since we took them over - and some are half as long!" Tour dates:

Theatre shows:
Thursday May 18 – QPAC Playhouse, Brisbane
Friday May 19 – York Theatre (Seymour Centre), Sydney
Saturday May 20 – National Theatre, St. Kilda
Friday May 26 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
Saturday May 27 – Octagon Theatre (Uni of WA), Perth

Arena shows:
Wednesday June 7 – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thursday June 8 – Sydney Entertainment Centre
Friday June 9 – Sydney Entertainment Centre
Sunday June 11 – Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
Monday June 12 – Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
Wednesday June 14 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Friday June 16 – Perth Burswood Dome

Evermore: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3506453
Matthews: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501533
Folds: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502066

Michael Jackson starts work on new album

[source: NME.com] Michael Jackson has begun recording his first new material since 2001. The singer is releasing the album through Bahrain-based label Two Seals. According to a statement from the label, Jackson has signed a deal with Abdulla Hamad Al-Khalifa, a member of the Bahraini royal family. "I'm enjoying being back in the studio making music," Jackson said in a statement, adding that he was "incredibly excited" about the new album. Jackson has been living in the Middle East since being acquitted of child abuse charges in 2005. The star has been charting regularly in the UK this year after his classic singles were the subject of a reissue program similar to the one Elvis Presley enjoyed last year.

MJ: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500107
Elvis: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=35015800

wednesday news

Kernaghan hails The New Bush

Australian country star Lee Kernaghan will release his eighth studio album, The New Bush, at the end of this month. The album title was inspired by the technological changes implemented in the country over the last few years. "As I travel around I am seeing something new emerging… It is a new way of doing things – taking the great traditions that made the bush what it is today and blending it with the new. There's innovation, new technology and new potential… it's almost as if there's a quiet revolution going on… some people call it 'the new bush'." Kernaghan said the album took a year to make and, as with his previous releases, represents another chapter in his life story. "In many ways, these 13 new songs mirror how I feel about life, love and spirit. [It's about] the stories I've encountered and the mood of things out there."

You can have it so much better with $67m… Franz can't!

The Scotsman newspaper reports Franz Ferdinand have refused an advertising deal that would have netted them a cool $67 million. Singer Alex Kapranos told the newspaper: "The advert meant we had to completely surrender all of our identity and integrity to this product that was being advertised. It wasn't… Coca Cola or anything like that. It was just a thing that needed some music associated with it. We just had to say no because of the gut reaction. It wasn't because we didn't want to sell more records. It was just because it didn't feel right."

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503189

Neil Young: "Let's Impeach the President"

Neil Young has revealed in a ticker on his website that he's set to release a ten-track anti-war album called Living With War. The album was recorded over three days with a "power trio" and features trumpet and a 100-strong choir. Young describes the album as "a metal version of Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan… Metal folk protest?". The song "Impeach the President" features excerpts of Bush's voice set against a choir chanting "flip-flop". Other tracks on the album include an acapella version of "America the Beautiful" and "Looking For a Leader". The title track includes the following lyrics: "I'm living with war every day. I'm living with war in my heart every day. I'm living with war right now and when the night falls I pray for peace. Try to remember peace (visualise). I join the multitudes, I raise my hand in peace, I never bow to the laws of the thought police. I take a holy vow to never kill again, to never kill again." This is Young's second attack on a Bush presidency: Young's 1989 classic, "Rockin' In The Free World", was a scathing attack on the policy of George Bush Sr.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500364

White Stripes' message of love

You can hear the long-awaited White Stripes-penned Coca Cola anthem here. Called "Message of Love", the minute-long song features these lyrics: "Love is as good as it gets. And you'll get more if you give it. It's the right thing to do, and you know it. It's inside of you, so just show it… In the arms of a mother and father, in the eyes of a son and a daughter – it's everywhere, you just have to care." The song premiered in an-ad break during the recent Australian MTV Music Awards.

Link for clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWoLu_Hvbbw

Elvis home for sale on eBay

The first home bought by Elvis Presley is for sale on eBay. Elvis purchased the four-bedroom home at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis on March 8, 1956, and lived in it for a year before privacy concerns saw him move to the larger Gracelands estate. Bidding is set to end Sunday May 14.

Elvis: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501580

P!nk tells KFC to kick the bucket

Don't expect to see P!nk hoeing into a KFC bucket when she arrives in Australia next month. The singer has jumped on board a Kick The Bucket campaign by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that targets the fast food chicken giant. On her website, P!ink made her feelings clear. "[The campaign] is simply asking KFC to modernise its methods and stop boiling birds alive in the defeathering tank and stop pumping them so full of growth drugs that they cripple under their own weight."

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3504108

tuesday news

Tool lock in release date for 10,000 Days

Californian rock act Tool will break a five-year silence on April 29 with fifth studio album 10,000 Days. The project is the follow-up to 2001's Lateralus, which debuted at number one on the ARIA album chart. Tool will play their first US show since late 2002 when they headline the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 30 in Indio, California. The band will then spend the first portion of the northern summer playing the European festival circuit, with dates running through until July 9 at Finland's Turku Festival. No Australian dates have been announced.

Cult writer directs Keane video

[source: NME.com] Keane have teamed with Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh for the video shoot to forthcoming album track "Atlantic". The cult Scottish writer agreed to make his directional debut for the short film after the band approached him. "We met with Irvine in the studio as "Atlantic" was coming together," Keane frontman Tom Chaplin said. "We talked and felt he was the ideal person to put our song into pictures. He, in turn, felt "Atlantic" could prove the perfect soundscape for his directorial debut. The result is a dark artistic statement that adds a new dimension to the song." Keane will release first single "Is It Any Wonder?" in May, with their album (Under The Iron Sea) following in June.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503275

U2's "One" tops poll

[source: NME.com] U2 have finished top in a poll to reveal England's favourite lyric. The band's classic single "One" - currently enjoying a new lease of life in the UK as a duet with Mary J Blige - lived up to its name by finishing first in a poll conducted by VH1. Although the track was written by Bono about the end of a relationship, the optimistic refrain of "One life with each other, sisters, brothers" won through in the poll of 13,000 people. Coming second was a passage from The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" ("so you go, and you leave on your own, and you go home, and you cry and you want to die"). Nirvana's "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us" (from "Smells Like Teen Spirit") came in third. Other top spots were claimed by Bob Marley, Eminem, Coldplay and Radiohead. Mary J Blige and U2 are currently at number three in the UK singles chart with the new version of "One", performed together in aid of the Hurricane Katrina benefit.

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Smiths: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501736
Nirvana: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502764
Marley: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502560
Coldplay: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501550
Bilge: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502423
Radiohead: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501830

Eminem breaks silence in Proof’s death

Eminem has released a statement paying tribute to best mate and D12 colleague Proof. "You don't know where to begin when you lose somebody who's been such a big part of your life for so long. Proof and I were brothers. He pushed me to become who I am. Without Proof's guidance and encouragement there would have been a Marshall Mathers, but probably not an Eminem and certainly never a Slim Shady. Not a day will go by without his spirit and influence around us all. He will be missed as a friend, father and both the heart and ambassador of Detroit hip-hop." Eminem also commented on the controversy surrounding Proof’s death. "Right now, there's a lot of people focusing on the way he died. I want to remember the way he lived. Proof was funny, he was smart, he was charming. He inspired everyone around him. He can never ever be replaced. He was, and always will be, my best friend."

Eminem: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502728

Producer sues White Stripes

Detroit producer Jim Diamond is suing The White Stripes for a share of their royalties. Diamond is credited as a co-producer on the band’s 1999 self-titled debut and sound mixer on 2000’s De Stijl and believes he is entitled to royalties. The band claim Diamond was paid $35 per hour for his services, with their lawyer insisting it's a "meritless case which will be defended with vigour". The trial is set for June 12.

Writing underway for new Stooges album

Iggy Pop has told billboard.com The Stooges are writing their new album in "a little cottage in the boonies on a little river" in Florida. The album, set for release next year, will be their first since 1973’s Raw Power. "We [have] experimented a lot," Pop said of the album. "We're stubborn people. We could have just started out and in ten minutes we would have sounded like us, but that would have been too easy." The album will be produced by Steve Albini, who produced Nirvana’s raw-boned final studio outing, In Utero.

Iggy: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503135
The stooges: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3507020
Nirvana: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502764

thursday's news

APRA turns 80

APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association), the grand old dame of the Australian music industry, will celebrate its 80th birthday at its annual APRA Awards ceremony in Sydney on June 5. With the prestigious peer-voted Song of the Year award (last year won by Missy Higgins for "Scar") at the heart of the event, the awards give songwriters and publishers who have achieved outstanding success the chance to be honoured by their peers. Nominations in the following categories will be announced on May 11:

Song of the Year
Songwriter of the Year
Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Breakthrough Songwriter Award
Most Performed Urban Work
Most Performed Blues and Roots Work
Most Performed Dance Work
Most Performed Australian Work
Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Most Performed Foreign Work
Most Performed Jazz Work
Most Performed Country work

Missy: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3506353

Youngest Pointer Sister dies

June Pointer, the youngest sister in the Pointer Sisters trio, has died of cancer in her Los Angeles home. Originally a quartet, The Pointer Sisters released their self-titled debut album in 1973, but found real success as a trio in the late 70s and early 80s with a succession of singles that hit the upper echelons of the charts. The band's first big hit, "Slow Hand", was sultry country-pop, but their sound was best characterised by the high-energy dance-pop that followed ("I'm So Excited", "Jump (For My Love)" and "Neutron Dance"). In a family statement, it's revealed June died "in the arms of her sisters, Ruth and Anita, and [with] her brothers, Aaron and Fritz, by her side." June Pointer was 52.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3504226

R.E.M. honoured by their home state

[source: NME.com] R.E.M. are to be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame later this year. The band formed in the city of Athens in the southern US state in 1980 and will receive the honour at a ceremony on September 16 in Atlanta. Other inductees will include Gregg Allman and Jermaine Dupri. R.E.M. are currently on a break after their Around The Sun world tour concluded last summer. On April 1 they briefly got back onstage with former drummer Bill Berry to perform a version of "Country Feedback" at the Georgia Theatre.

Allmann: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3516884

Kylie Minogue for Glastonbury 2007

[source: NME.com] Kylie Minogue is in line to play next year's Glastonbury Festival after she missed last year's bash through illness. The singer was due to headline on the Sunday night in 2005, but was forced to cancel all her live commitments last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. However, according to Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis, Minogue is still keen to play the festival. "I speak to her people regularly," Eavis told Teletext's Planet Sound. "They're hopeful. I do hope she's fit enough; she really wants to do it." Meanwhile, Eavis and many of the other festival organisers were in London last night for the premiere of the film Glastonbury. Charting the festival's 35-year history, the film, which uses a mixture of official and fan footage, was watched by festival veterans Billy Bragg and Rolf Harris along with Eavis and director Julian Temple.

Kylie: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501554
Bragg: Kylie: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500233

wednesday's news

Eminem's best mate shot and killed

D12 rapper Proof has died after being shot in the head last night at a club on Detroit's 8 Mile strip. At this stage, no details regarding the shooting have been made public. Proof was the best man at Eminem's wedding just three months ago, and also appeared in Em's semi-autobiographical flick, 8 Mile. Ironically, in the video for Eminem's "Toy Soldiers", Proof was filmed bleeding to death in an operating room after being involved in a gang feud. Proof's former manager paid tribute to the rapper (real name DeShaun Holton). "He looked out for everybody. He's one of the prototypes for the music biz in Detroit. Proof was everywhere - that was part of his thing. He was in clubs, he was a street guy, a people's person. He reminded me of Peter Tosh or Tupac, [the way] he had his house open and welcome to everybody. He had the biggest heart I've ever known in my life." Proof was 32 years old.

Em: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502728
D12: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502724

Stephanie McIntosh signs to Universal Music Australia

Everyone's favourite Neighbour has a new address. Stephanie McIntosh (Skye
Mangel) has signed a recording contract with Universal Music Australia and is currently putting the finishing touches to debut album Tightrope. The actress collaborated with some big pop names for the album, including Max Martin (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears) and Tom Nichols (All Saints, Kylie, Jessica Simpson). "As cliché as it sounds, this really is a dream come true for me," McIntosh said. "Recording Tightrope has been a lot of hard work. That said, I have no doubt the real challenges are yet to come. But I can't wait! I'm ready for this ride." McIntosh shares management with John Farnham's right-hand man (and former Delta Goodrem manager) Glenn Wheatly, who said he was impressed from the outset. "When I first saw Steph perform, she stole the show. The release of Tightrope is the culmination of a lot of talent, hard work and dedication. Steph is about to steal the show again."

Backstreet: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501555
Britney: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501556
All saints: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501080
Kylie: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501554
Jessica: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500043
Farnham: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502677
Delta: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501561


The Veronicas become wildlife ambassadors

Jess and Lisa Origliasso (better known as The Veronicas) have been announced as global ambassadors for the Steve Irwin supported Wildlife Warriors, a conservation organisation that operates the Australian Wildlife Hospital in Queensland, manages research projects on koala disease and crocodile behaviour, and supports tiger and elephant conservation programs in India, Bhutan, Cambodia and Indonesia. Executive Manager of Wildlife Warriors Michael Hornby said the appointment of The Veronicas is one of the organisation's most important steps. "Our aim is to encourage more people to get involved with the care and protection of wildlife and habitat. Jess and Lisa relate so well to an audience [and] that will be absolutely essential to the future of conservation." Research has shown only three per cent of Australians support environmental organisations and Wildlife Warriors aims to target the 97 per cent who don't.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3533338

Michael Jackson's dad establishes hip-hop boot camp

Joe Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson musical clan, has set up the Joe Jackson Hip Hop Boot Camp so "the most promising young talents can be identified, showcased and promoted before worldwide audiences, the media and the music industry". In what appears to be a hip-hop take on the Idol format, singers will perform on a show in front of three yet-to-be-announced judges. All unsigned artists - solo or groups - aged 18 to 32 from all countries are eligible to participate. Head to the official page for more information.

http://hiphop.buildpage.com/newsite/index.php
Jackson 5: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503240

Pearl Jam's fruity new album

No, we don't know what it means either. But we can reveal Pearl Jam's new self-titled studio album will feature a sliced avocado on its cover (see left). Frontman Eddie Vedder described the avo – sorry, the album, which is set to drop at the end of this month - as "hard-driving" but said the album's two slower tracks ("Parachutes" and "Come Back") "could be our best attempts yet at pulling the disguises off of loss of life, and even love." Tracklisting for Pearl Jam is:

"Life Wasted"
"World Wide Suicide"
"Comatose"
"Severed Hand"
"Marker In The Sand"
"Parachutes"
"Unemployable"
"Big Wave"
"Gone"
"Wasted Reprise"
"Army Reserve"
"Come Back"
"Inside Job"

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500019


The Beatles head to Las Vegas

[source: NME.com] Music by The Beatles is set to feature in a new Las Vegas show. Songs from the Fab Four are being developed for a theatrical production with cabaret troupe Cirque du Soleil and the band's old producer Sir George Martin. It's understood surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are also involved in the project and a selection of new songs and a new album will accompany the production. "The show involves the creation, by the remixing and remastering of The Beatles' recorded performances, of completely new music, which will be featured in the show and should lead to the release of the show album," Apple Corps' Neil Aspinall told the Daily Telegraph. The idea for a show dates back to late Beatles guitarist George Harrison, who was friends with
Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. The production is expected to open next summer at the Mirage Casino. The Beatles last played in Las Vegas in 1964.

Mccartney: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3534969

Chris Martin names baby after Coldplay song

[source: NME.com] Chris Martin is a dad again and he and wife Gywneth Paltrow have named their second child after a Coldplay song! The pair are celebrating after their new baby, a boy, was born in New York over the weekend. They've named the kid Moses – a song of the same name appears on Coldplay's Live 2003 DVD, although it never made it onto any of the band's studio albums. At the time, it was suggested the track was based on Martin's relationship with Paltrow. In other news, Coldplay have just completed a North American tour and are taking time out. The band will tour Australia in July.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501550

tuesday news

End Of Fashion announce second Sydney show

Due to overwhelming demand, Perth band End Of Fashion have added a second Sydney date to their national tour. Tickets go on sale today for the licensed all-ages show at the Metro Theatre on Sunday May 14. The band's national tour, which begins on Saturday April 29 in Maitland, will promote the band's fourth single, "The Game", released commercially at the end of May. The band will also perform "O Yeah" at tomorrow night's second annual MTV Australian Video Awards, where they are nominated in the Spankin' New Artist category.

EOF: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3529328

Robbie Williams kicks off 2006 world tour

Robbie Williams kicks off his 2006 world tour tonight with a gig in Durban, South Africa, where he'll play to a crowd of more than 52,000 people. After South Africa, the tour continues across Europe with Robbie visiting 14 different countries on 44 different dates. All up, the Rock DJ will play to more than 2.6 million fans worldwide. Although tour dates have yet to be confirmed, Robbie's Australian record company, EMI, have said he will perform a series of shows Down Under at the end of this year.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501553

The Who to release "condensed opera"

[source: NME.com] The Who are planning a limited edition release ahead of their long-awaited album this year. Surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are currently working on their first studio record in 24 years, but have revealed plans for an extra release. Recalling their 1969 rock opera Tommy, guitarist Townshend confirmed the group have returned to the extended concept format. Writing on petetownshend.co.uk, Townshend said he and Roger had "completed the condensed 11-minute mini-opera, played it to the folks at [record label] Polydor, and are all set to release - probably as a limited edition - in June, prior to the release of a conventional CD in September". A full album from The Who was delayed after drummer Zak Starkey committed himself to playing with Oasis last year. But with summer gigs and a headlining appearance at this year's T In The Park confirmed, The Who now look set to return to action.

The who: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502431
Oasis: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500110

Fatboy Slim unleashes greatest hits

[source: NME.com] Fatboy Slim has revealed full details of his forthcoming greatest hits compilation. The 18-track album, Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder, will be released in June. It will include singles from the star's entire back catalogue, alongside remixes of Cornershop's "Brimful Of Asha" and Groove Armada's "I See You Baby" and two exclusive new tracks - "Champion Sound" and forthcoming single "That Old Pair Of Jeans". A limited edition version, complete with a DVD, will also be released. The set will feature ten of his best videos, including "Praise You" and the award-winning "Weapon Of Choice" with Christopher Walken. A full DVD release (The Greatest Hits - Why Make Videos) will follow in July. The full tracklisting for The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder is:

"The Rockafeller Skank"
"Praise You"
"Brimful of Asha" (Norman Cook remix) by Cornershop
"Weapon of Choice"
"Gangster Trippin"
"I See You Baby" (Fatboy Slim remix) by Groove Armada
"Wonderful Night"
"Right Here, Right Now"
"Going Out Of My Head"
"Sunset (Bird of Prey)"
"Everybody Loves A Carnival"
"Don't Let The Man Get You Down"
"Demons"
"Sho Nuff"
"Slash Dot Dash"
"Santa Cruz"
"Champion Sound"
"That Old Pair of Jeans"

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3506493

Wilco road-test new material

Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche has told billboard.com the band have demoed 18 new songs for the follow-up to 2004's A Ghost Is Born, and "maybe four or five have creeped [sic] into the live set". He says "Either Way" is "a beautiful soul number closer to Bill Withers", "On And On And On" is "a gorgeous ballad with a build throughout the whole song", and "Walken" is "a swamp rocker with total, full-on guitar". Kotche went on to say the new songs are "kind of all over the place". "We're going to continue demoing to see what shape the record takes. We're not really forcing anything. We're just writing songs that we like and crafting good songs together. We'll see what rises to the top."

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500294

Fred Durst blasts Borland

Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst has attacked guitarist Wes Borland and his new band Black Light Burns in a song on his myspace page. Over a rudimentary beat, Durst raps: "Stop making plans to manipulate fans and finally stick to something you believe. 'Cause you had us all fooled and, I'll admit, even me. Manipulating like a crook who's arrestable. It's unacceptable, fu#king unacceptable." Durst's attack is inspired by Borland's earlier comments (reported here) that referred to Limp Bizkit as a "dying animal".

http://www.myspace.com/limpbizkit
limp: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502721

monday news

Wolfmother announce national tour

International buzz-band Wolfmother will finally return home in July for their first Australian shows since they tore up the Big Day Out in January. Tickets for all concerts will go on sale at 9am on Thursday April 20. The Sydney trio are currently criss-crossing the globe to help spread the word about their debut album. The band’s Australian tour will be slotted among performances at some of the world's best festivals, including Coachella and Lollapalooza in the US, Reading and T In The Park in the UK, Fuji in Japan, and a coveted spot on the famous Roskilde Festival in Denmark. With their debut album scheduled for release in the US and the UK in late April and early May respectively, all this international excitement can only serve to fuel the anticipation for the group's forthcoming Oz tour. Special guests at all Australian dates will be influential Swedish rockers Dungen. Dungen's (pronounced Doon-yen) contemporary masterpiece of 70s-inspired psychedelia, jazz and rock, Ta Det Lungnt (loosely translated as "take it easy"), won spots in last year's Top 50 albums lists in Rolling Stone USA, NME, The Times, Spin and Uncut. Opening the shows will be up-and-coming local indie band and original fantasy rockers Tucker B's. Tour dates:

Thursday July 13 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide;
Saturday July 15 – Festival Hall, Melbourne;
Sunday July 16 – Challenge Stadium, Perth;
Thursday July 20 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney;
Saturday July 22 – Riverstage, Brisbane

Wolfmother: artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3537444

New York Dolls reveal new album details

[source: NME.com] New York Dolls have revealed details surrounding the release of their first studio album in 32 years. The band are currently at work in Manhattan's Shed Studio with producer Jack Douglas, who was the engineer on the group's 1973 self-titled debut. Despite moving away from the Dolls' original lipstick-and-mascara sound, guitarist Sylvain Sylvain said the root of the music still remains the same. "When you took off the make-up and spiked heels, at the bottom of it all it was the blues," he told Rolling Stone. "[We] were a blues band. We played those three-chord progressions." Due out in June, tracks set to appear on the as-yet-untitled LP include "Beauty School" and "Plenty Of Music". Sylvain and singer David Johansen are the only surviving New York Dolls. Guitarist Johnny Thunders died in 1991, drummer Jerry Nolan in 1992 and bassist Arthur Kane passed away in July 2004 of leukaemia, just a month after reuniting with the group for two shows at London's Meltdown festival. The band now consist of Johansen, Sylvain, guitarist Steve Conte, bassist Sam Yaffa and drummer Brian Delaney. Speaking about the new album, producer Douglas said: "When I heard the new songs, I knew they were capable of sounding like the Dolls but not as nostalgia. They had the stuff." New York Dolls released just two albums during their highly influential career: New York Dolls and 1974's Too Much Too Soon.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3511467

Eskimo Joe reveal new single and tour

Eskimo Joe have recorded the follow-up to 2004's double platinum A Song Is A City, with first single "Black Fingernails Red Wine" due in May. Joel, Stu and Kav bunkered down in The Grove Studios with producer Matt Lovell (The Mess Hall’s Notes From A Ceiling) for six weeks over Christmas 2005 to record and self-produce their 12-track album. To coincide with the single’s release, the band have also announced a small run of dates at venues that will bring the music up close and personal. Plus, everyone who attends has the chance to get their hands on a limited-release recording only available at the gigs. Head to the band’s official site for tour dates.

http://www.eskimojoe.net
Eskimo: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501596
Mess hall: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502670


The Doors turn 40

Billboard reports The Doors will celebrate their 40th anniversary with a swag of reissues, a documentary film and a series of books. A 12-disc box set will include the band’s six studio CDs (remastered), accompanying DVDs with bonus material, and a stereo 5.1 mix. A documentary, a TV special, two coffee-table books by former Rolling Stone reporter Ben Fong Torres, and a Las Vegas stage show are also in the works.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501133

Arthur Lee diagnosed with leukaemia

A Love fansite reports singer and songwriter Arthur Lee is receiving treatment for leukaemia. Love were at the forefront of the West Coast psychedelic rock movement and their third album, 1967’s Forever Changes, is critically revered as a classic.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501284

friday april 7

Damon Albarn set to split Gorillaz

[source: NME.com] The future of Gorillaz has been thrown into doubt after Damon Albarn admitted 2005's Demon Days is "probably the last album we make". The star was speaking after the fourth show of the cartoon outfit's five-night New York Harlem Apollo residency. Albarn told BBC 6 Music that, although he was happy with the way things were going within the group, he thinks they may have taken the concept as far as it can go. "At the moment… that's probably the last album we make," Albarn admitted. "I don't think we could make a better album than Demon Days, for what this is and how it works." However, he left a door open. "Last night we thought, 'Surely this isn't the end'. And I don't know… We're saying it's the end again, but it's quite a hip-hop thing to retire and come back, you know." The issue has been clouded further by the revelation this week by Blur bassist Alex James that the band reconvened recently to make new music, their first since the release of 2003's Think Tank LP. The grand finale of Gorillaz' NYC residency takes place tonight. As at their Manchester Opera House residency in late 2005, guests De La Soul, Ike Turner, Neneh Cherry, Shaun Ryder, Roots Manuva and Martina Topley-Bird all joined the band to perform Demon Days in full. However, last night actor Dennis Hopper joined the band onstage to perform live vocals on "Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head" for the first time.

Gorillaz: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501981
Blur: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501548
De la soul: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502080
neneh: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501838
Roots manuva: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3520299

Eminem divorce drama

[source: NME.com] Eminem is to divorce wife Kim less than three months after they married for the second time. Court papers filed in Michigan reveal a "breakdown" in the relationship. The pair wed in January this year after initially marrying in 1999. Eminem and Kim have a daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, and the rapper is seeking joint custody. "I can confirm the divorce papers have been filed," the rapper's US spokesperson told Reuters. "Beyond that we have no comment." Eminem's relationship with Kim has been the motivation behind a number of songs over the years, most famously "Kim". Their original divorce was in 2001.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502728

Peaches names new album

[source: NME.com] Peaches has roped in some famous friends to help out on new album Impeach My Bush. The follow-up to 2003's Fatherfu#ker is set for release in July. Among the guests helping out on the record are Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, former Hole drummer Samantha Maloney and Joan Jett, one-time member of The Runaways who scored a massive worldwide hit with The Blackhearts in 1982 with "I Love Rock 'N' Roll". Songs confirmed to appear on the album include "Tent In Your Pants", "Hit It Hard", "Fu#k Or Kill", "Boys Wanna Be Her", "Downtown" and "Rock the Shocker". Peaches will return to live duty in June when she joins Nine Inch Nails on the second leg of their US tour. The dates kick off on June 16 in New Jersey. She's then expected to hit the UK.

Queens: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502731
Joan jett: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3506734
Hole: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502983
NIN: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502720

From Raconteurs to Saboteurs

The Raconteurs, the new band fronted by Jack White from The White Stripes and singer/songwriter Brendan Benson, will now be known as The Saboteurs in Australia to avoid any confusion with an Australian band already operating under the name. Jack and Brendan's band will continue to be The Raconteurs in all other countries around the world. The name change comes only weeks before their debut album Broken Boy Soldiers is issued and ensures the Australian release remains in synch with the rest of the world. The decision to mutate into The Saboteurs was made days after the band were informed of the existence of an Australian group already using the name.

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502670

Gomez reveal how they operate

Soulful and experimental British sextet Gomez will release their fifth studio album in May. How We Operate is the follow-up to last year's live album Out West. Producer Gil Norton said How We Operate marks the first time the band have actually done any pre-production. "We got together in a room to really work out each song before we recorded them in the studio," Norton said. In a blog on the band's official site, guitarist/vocalist Tom Gray said they've made a "different" kind of Gomez album. "That is sort of the point of Gomez. If we had a manifesto it would read something like: Gomez will try really quite a bit more than somewhat to avoid doing the same thing twice." Gray also hints the album is more linear than previous releases. "We left the bells and whistles of sound experimentation [behind] and we tried hard to create a more universal kind of sound without losing our uniqueness. I really hope you all love it. Indeed, I'm very optimistic about that, but if you don't… well, we'll be around making music forever and you can jump back on board somewhere else in the creative arc." How We Operate's tracklisting:

"Notice"
"See The World"
"How We Operate"
"Hamoa Beach"
"Girlshapedlovedrug"
"Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol"
"Tear Your Love Apart"
"Charley Patton Songs"
"Woman! Man!"
"All Too Much"
"Cry On Demand"
"Don't Make Me Laugh"

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502031

Troy Cassar-Daley announces tour dates and new single

After winning four Golden Guitar awards at the Tamworth Country Music Festival earlier this year, Troy Cassar-Daley has announced new show dates and details of a new single. "Getaway Car" is lifted from his gold-selling album Brighter Day and was written with the legendary Don Walker (Cold Chisel; Tex, Don & Charlie). The track also features long-time friend and fellow artist Kasey Chambers. "[The song] is the story of a Bonnie & Clyde couple who decide to do one last job." Cassar-Daley said he found the last verse quite distressing. "I really wanted to paint a picture of pain. The line that still gets me is where he's obviously been shot and it goes, 'I say keep driving, she says don't let go'. That is the thing that makes you proud to be a songwriter, when you can describe things that way." Tour dates:

Sunday April 16 – Byron Bay East Coast Blues & Roots Festival, NSW;
Thursday April 20 – The Vanguard, Newtown, NSW;
Friday April 21 – Rooty Hill RSL Club, NSW;
Saturday April 22 – Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, NSW;
Saturday April 29 – Urban Country Music Festival, Caboolture, QLD;
Saturday May 6 – Ord Valley Muster, WA;
Tuesday May 9 – Oenpelli Community, NT;
Saturday May 20 – Mossman Music Festival, QLD;
Friday June 9 – Victorian Blues Festival, VIC;
Sunday June 11 – Mean Fiddler (venue opening), Sydney, NSW

Troy: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3536353
TDC: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3535959
Kasey: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502032

System of A Down head to Washington

System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian and guitarist John Dolmayan will spend three days in Washington DC seeking Congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The Armnenian Genocide refers to the death of more than one-and-a-half-million Armenians at the hands of the Turkish government between 1915 and 1923. "It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide," Tankian said. "Those actions continue to be covered up by the Turkish government, the US State Department, Turkey's allies in the defence and oil industries, and by our present US Administration. Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against Humanity, Hitler might not have thought he could get away with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will repeat itself unless we stop that cycle."

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500027

thursday apr 6

Clare Bowditch to support James Blunt

Melbourne singer/songwriter Clare Bowditch has been handpicked to support James Blunt on the Australian leg of his Back To Bedlam world tour in April. In a recent Rolling Stone magazine poll, Bowditch was voted the third most popular Australian female performer of 2005, while her album, What Was Left, came in at number six in the Album of the Year category. Bowditch’s new single, "Little Self Centered Queen", is released this month. Tour dates (with James Blunt):

Thursday April 13 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney;
Friday April 14 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney;
Saturday April 15 – Festival Hall, Melbourne;
Tuesday April 18 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide;
Thursday April 20 – Convention Centre, Brisbane

Clare: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3536445
Blunt: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3520190


The Sleepy Jackson return with Personality

Perth’s The Sleepy Jackson, led by brilliant singer/songwriter Luke
Steele, have announced details of their new single, video, album and special launch dates. The album is called Personality (One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird) and is set for release locally in July. It will be preceded by uplifting first single "God Lead Your Soul", which goes to radio the week. Personality was recorded over a 12-month period at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney and produced by Scott Horscroft and Luke Steele. A press release from the band’s record company, EMI, describes Personality as "possibly one of the most ambitious Australian albums ever recorded". It went on to say it "channels all the treasured moments of Brian Wilson and Beck whilst seamlessly stitching it with the drama and theatrics of Gilbert & Sullivan". We can’t wait. To mark the release, the band will perform the following special launch shows:

Friday June 16 – Fremantle Town Hall, Perth;
Friday June 23 – Paddington Town Hall, Sydney;
Saturday June 24 – Ormond Hall, Melbourne

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501602

India.Arie to offer Testimony in July

Inspirational singer/songwriter India.Arie - who begins her Australian tour next week - will release new album Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship in July. The album is her third studio album and her first since 2002’s acclaimed Voyage To India, which reached number six on the Billboard Top Albums chart. Testimony was produced by long-time collaborators Shannon Sanders and Mark Batson (Seal, Beyonce). Since emerging in 2001 with platinum-plus debut Acoustic Soul, the singer has been nominated for an impressive 12 Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for her work with Stevie Wonder on the title track of his most recent album, A Time To Love.

India: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502467
stevie: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503140

Logies tickled P!nk

US pop singer P!nk will jet into Melbourne to perform at this year's star-studded 2006 TV Week Logie Awards at the Crown Entertainment Complex on Sunday May 7. The singer’s new album, I’m Not Dead, is released this month and features a duet with folk-rockers the Indigo Girls on inflammatory anti-Bush track "Dear Mr President".

P!nk: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3504108
indigos: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500141

Gene Pitney Dies

Rock and roll legend Gene Pitney has died aged 65. The singer’s manager, James Kelly, told Associated Press he was found dead in his hotel room in Cardiff, Wales, at 10am yesterday. Pitney had performed a show in the city the previous night. "We don't have a cause of death at the moment," manager Kelly said, "but it looks like it was a very peaceful passing. He was found fully clothed, on his back, as if he had gone for a lie down. It looks as if there was no pain whatsoever." A writer and a performer, Pitney enjoyed vicarious success when Bobby Vee ("Rubber Ball"), Ricky Nelson ("Hello Mary Lou") and The Crystals ("He’s A Rebel") all took his songs to the top of the US charts. But Pitney’s perhaps best remembered for his versions of the Bacharach-and-David-penned "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance".

Vee: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3517781
Bacharach: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503226


The Clash spark terror alert

[source: NME.com] The Clash and Led Zeppelin's music sparked a recent terror alert on an aeroplane in the UK. Harraj Mann from Hartlepool was pulled off a London-bound flight at Durham Tees Valley Airport on Thursday March 30. He was questioned under the Terrorism Act after his choice of music made a taxi driver suspicious. Mann was able to play his own music through the cab's stereo on the way to his flight, but it seems the driver did not approve. "I played Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" first, which the taxi man liked," Mann explained. "I figured he liked the classics, so I put on Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song". Then, since I was going to London, I played The Clash ("London Calling") and finished up with "Nowhere Man" by The Beatles. He didn't like Led Zeppelin or The Clash, but I don't think there was any need to tell the police." It seems The Clash's lyrics, which include "War is declared and battle come down", alarmed the cabbie, who alerted police. Of course, Led Zeppelin's line about "The hammer of the gods will rive our ship to new lands, to fight the horde", probably didn't help. Durham Police then acted on "information received" but admitted to The Mirror that "by the time it was established the man did not pose a security risk, the plane had taken off". Mann, however, saw the funny side of the incident. "I was laughing about it, but all my mates are absolutely furious," he told local newspaper the Hartlepool Mail. "It's just left me bemused. I can agree there's a culture of fear. They acted on the information they had. I'm just frustrated that it happened to me. It's a mystery."

Clash: artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500109

wednesday apr 5th

You Am I reveal Convicts tracklisting

You Am I have revealed the tracklisting for their seventh studio album, Convicts, which will hit stores in May. The album was recorded with producer Greg Wales in 16 days, in five studios, across a five-month period. Convicts' 12 tracks are described as "a quick [36 minutes], slightly grubby and occasionally freaky reminder of Messrs Rogers, Hopkinson, Kent and Lane's collective charm". If fresh, high-octane first single "It Ain't Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore" is any indication, calls that "this is the tightest and loosest You Am I have ever sounded" are spot on. Tracklisting:

"Thank God I've Hit The Bottom"
"It Ain't Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore"
"Friends Like You"
"Nervous Kid"
"Secrets"
"Thuggury"
"Be My Own Hand"
"The Sweet Life"
"Gunslingers"
"Constance George"
"Explaining Cricket"
"I'm A Mess"

You Am I: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502670

European file-shares face new lawsuits

European music industry body International Federation Of The Phonographic
Industry (IFPI) today announced nearly 2000 new legal cases against individuals uploading large amounts of copyrighted music. The actions target users of all the major unauthorised p2p networks, including FastTrack (Kazaa), Gnutella (BearShare), eDonkey, DirectConnect, BitTorrent, Limewire, WinMX, and SoulSeek. The actions are being launched in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland.

Wonder Stuff star killed

[source: NME.com] Former The Wonder Stuff drummer Martin Gilks has died in a London hospital following a motorcycle accident. The band enjoyed massive success in the late 80s and early 90s before splitting in 1994. They scored a number one hit in 1991 with their cover of Tommy Roe's "Dizzy", while other hits included "The Size Of A Cow", "Welcome To The Cheap Seats" and "Don't Let Me Down, Gently". After the group disbanded, Gilks, 41, went into management, working with A, Reef and Hundred Reasons. A spokesperson for his company, Furtive, told the BBC he was "greatly loved by many and will be sorely missed by all his family and friends".

Wonder Stuff: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503178


The Polyphonic Spree orchestrate change

The Polyphonic Spree have revealed their forthcoming third studio album, The Fragile Army, will be less orchestral than previous efforts. But fear not: the choir and robes remain intact. "It's definitely going to have that element, but it's our most urgent record to date," frontman Tim DeLaughter told Rolling Stone. "It's a bit resonant of the times. There's a song called "The Fragile Army" and it's basically an ode-to-Bush song. It's disgruntled with how things have been going and how split up it seems we are as Americans. There is a sense, for me, of trying to create some sort of unity with people."

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3510942

Jessica Simpson to sing about D.I.V.O.R.C.E.?

Jessica Simpson, the singer who transformed her career by turning her marriage into the reality TV show Newlyweds, has reportedly delayed the release of her new album - originally due out last November - so she can incorporate "a lot of things I'm going through". That wouldn't include cashing in on her split with bubby Nick Lachey, would it? "I think that with my music, you can't help but tell people a story about your life," Simpson told mtv.com. "I believe every artist, that's their artistry - it comes out of them naturally, through lyrics, through music, through instrumentation. So with this next record, you will see and hear a lot of things I've been going through. And if that can offer any inspiration to anybody else going through the same situations, so be it. That's why I'm here." Reports Simpson is planning a cover of Tammy Wynette's D.I.V.O.R.C.E remain unsubstantiated…

Jess: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500043
Tammy: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501629

monday news

Human Nature take Motown on the road

Human Nature will bring multi-platinum Motown tribute album Reach Out: The Motown Record to life in a limited series of theatre shows around Australia. The concerts will feature a nine-piece band with full brass section and the soulful vocals of Doug "The Soul Man" Parkinson as MC and opening act. Tickets go on sale this Friday April 7. Tour dates:

Friday May 19 and Saturday May 20 - Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne;
Saturday May 27 - Geelong Arena;
Monday May 29 - Festival Theatre, Adelaide;
Thursday June 1 - Concert Hall, Perth;
Monday June 5 - Brisbane Convention Centre;
Tuesday June 6 - Gold Coast Convention Centre;
Wednesday June 7 - Win Entertainment Centre, Wollongong;
Thursday June 8 - Newcastle Entertainment Centre;
Saturday June 10 - Royal Theatre, Canberra;
Tuesday June 13 and Wednesday June 14 - Capitol Theatre, Sydney

/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503365

Coldplay had biggest selling album of 2005

[source: NME.com] Coldplay had the biggest selling album of 2005, according to official figures. The band's third LP, X&Y, sold 8.3 million copies around the world last year, beating off competition from Mariah Carey and 50 Cent. The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry (IFPI) revealed that Carey's The Emancipation Of Mimi shifted 7.7 million copies, while 50 Cent's The Massacre sold 7.5 million. The figures also show that digital music sales tripled last year, despite global music sales falling by 3 per cent. Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas was fourth in the worldwide chart, followed by Green Day's American Idiot. Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor came in sixth place, ahead of Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway. Meanwhile, Curtain Call - Eminem's greatest hits collection - came in at number eight. Next was James Blunt's Back To Bedlam, which sold 5.5 million, and Robbie Williams's Intensive Care (5.4 million). From $615 million last year, the value of digital music sales jumped to $1.5 billion, the IFPI said. However, record company revenue for CDs and music DVDs dropped by 6.7 per cent, despite accounting for most of the market. "Physical music sales declined again for a combination of reasons, including digital and physical piracy, competition from other entertainment products and the shift in consumer spending to online and mobile," IFPI chairman John Kennedy said. "In 2006," he added, "we expect to see continued growth online and more innovative mobile services attracting music fans into the legal digital market. All our member record companies are now aggressively licensing and marketing music in digital formats."

Coldplay: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501550
Mariah: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3523594
50: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502576
black eyed peas: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502555
green day: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501383
Madonna: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3534378
Kelly: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501572
Eminem: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502728
Blunt: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3520190
Robbie: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501553


Audioslave get funked

Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello has told mtv.com the band's yet-to-be-finalised new album incorporates a 70s funk and soul edge and "sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Earth, Wind & Fire". "If you want your ass kicked, you've come to the right place," Morello said of the album. "And you may have the opportunity to shake that ass too." The band have completed recording with producer Brendan O'Brien (Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen) and are currently mixing the album.

Audio: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=35006975
Earth: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3507027
RATM: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3508776
bruce: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500039

Courtney sells her stake in Nirvana

Rolling Stone reports Courtney Love has sold 25 per cent of her share in Nirvana's music publishing for a reputed $70 million. Love, who inherited a 98 per cent stake in Nirvana's publishing after the death of husband Kurt Cobain, told Rolling Stone of the move. "I took on a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me co-manage the estate because it was overwhelming... The affairs of Nirvana are so massive... and it proved to be too much for me. I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation."

Nirvana: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502764
Courtney: /artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502983