Shock Records is thrilled to announce that they have officially solidified their long-term relationship with Razor & Tie. The two record labels entered a formal agreement which will see Shock Records promote, market and release the US label’s heavy music priorities in Australia & New Zealand.

Shock and Razor & Tie have teamed up in recent years to work on individual acts such as All That Remains, Brand New and Norma Jean. Under the new arrangement, the first acts brought to the forefront will be P.O.D. and For Today with new albums from both acts due out in 2012.
Continue reading Industry News: Shock Records and Razor & Tie form exclusive partnership on rock releases →

triple j’s weekly Saturday Night party mix HOUSE PARTY is one of the most popular alternative dance radio shows nationally. Spinning the newest sounds for HOUSE PARTY every Saturday from 6pm, is DJ mixmistress extraordinaire NINA LAS VEGAS, as she offers up the best of the brand new singles and remixes from the hottest bands.

Now, for the first time ever, triple j’s HOUSE PARTY is available on CD for fans to host their own party with the ultimate triple j soundtrack; two discs jam packed with the freshest mixes around from such acts as Hilltop Hoods, M.I.A, Knife Party, Hot Chip, Diplo, Django Django, The Presets, Beni, Urthboy and many more…… all seamlessly mixed by Nina Las Vegas!
Continue reading Upcoming Release: triple j HOUSE PARTY: Mixed by Nina Las Vegas (2CD) →

This July House of Shem–one of New Zealand’s premier reggae bands–land on Australian shores to take on their debut nationwide headlining tour. Traversing the country and taking in historic venues throughout, House of Shem will be venturing to new spots in Australia they have yet to perform in.

They take to the road with a selection of favourites from their debut album Keep Rising and 2011’s Island Vibration. Both records have been certified Gold in New Zealand and anticipation is building for the release of the bands third album, due to be recorded upon returning from tour.
Continue reading Tour News: House of Shem (NZ) Debut AU Headline Tour – July 2012 →

Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel is one of Australia’s most respected musicians with a professional career spanning five decades. Relentless touring has garnered Emmanuel hundreds of thousands of loyal fans worldwide. His unique style is akin to playing guitar the way a pianist plays piano, using all ten fingers. Rather than using a band for melody, rhythm, bass and drum parts, Tommy plays all that – and more – on one guitar.

Guitar legend Chet Atkins was one of the first to inspire young Emmanuel to try this “fingerpicker” style. Decades later, Atkins himself became one of Emmanuel’s biggest fans. Guitar players of all levels come to his shows to witness the magic hands of the ‘Guitar Wizard of Oz,’ but his appeal goes far beyond musicians. Tommy Emmanuel’s message is pure love for the guitar and the music and his delight in sharing it with the world, one audience at a time
Continue reading Tour News: Tommy Emmanuel Australia 2012 Tour – August 2012 →

Having just been announced as finalists in the upcoming QLD Music Awards (Electronic / Dance category), the main supports for Van She’s upcoming QLD shows, and with some other BIG news coming very soon as well, you’d think Brisbane five piece live electronic / dance band Pigeon might take even just a small moment to pause and reflect.

But au contraire. The band have just announced an national tour to accompany the release of new single ‘Oh Hebe’, their first new material for 2012 and the first hint of what to expect from their forthcoming EP (due out October).
Continue reading Tour News: Pigeon – ‘Oh Hebe’ Single Tour | August-September 2012 →

with ENGINE THREE SEVEN (single launch), BELLUSIRA, THE KHYBER BELT, SUB ATARI KNIVES, MOROCCAN KINGS, FISKER, ONE, KETTLESPIDER, THE FIGHTING and HOTEL ON MAYFAIR

Friday 3 August sees the fourth instalment of SHOWDOWN AT THE CORNER featuring 10 of Melbourne’s best live acts rocking out across the venue’s two stages. This year sees Byron Bay expats ENGINE THREE SEVEN headline the event, breaking their six month hiatus, while also launching their new single. BELLUSIRA are having a big year, which has seen them release ‘Culprit, their most popular single yet, and a music video to go with it, plus their highly anticipated debut album is in the works too. THE KHYBER BELT are on fire, having already supported Evanescence nationally, as well as The Butterfly Effect and Dead Letter Circus this year, they are one band you don’t want to miss. SUB ATARI KNIVES exploded onto the live circuit six months ago and are o ne of the most talked about bands on the local scene. Also playing are the always impressive MOROCCAN KINGS, the mighty FISKER who will be launching their new single, hard-hitting up ‘n’ comers ONE, young instrumental band KETTLESPIDER, three-piece rockers THE FIGHTING and the female-fronted HOTEL ON MAYFAIR.

Venue: Corner Hotel, Melbourne
When: FRIDAY 3 AUGUST 2012
Time: DOORS 6:30PM

Visit http://cornerhotel.com/ for all details

In 2011 over 400 artists participated in the Harvest arts program across the three cities – Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Across four dedicated stages, 50 installations, and 2 virtual experiences, the skin of festival-going folk goosebumped with sensory delights from some of Australia’s most creative talents. This year, the arts programming team are seeking stage performance, live art happenings, site installations, roaming performance, spoken word, comedy, circus, digital and ecological arts projects – and everything in between to once again tantalize, shock and mesmerize.

In its debut year, Harvest scooped up Best Major Festival in the FBi Sydney Music and Arts Awards, was named Best Touring Festival by AU Review, and was voted Number 2 Best Australian Festival of 2011 in the Street Press Australia national survey and this year it has grown even stronger.
Continue reading HARVEST ARTS: Arts Submissions Close July 14th! →

Adele Pickvance and Glenn Thompson are two of the most loved and respected musicians in the Australian music community. Best known as the gun rhythm section for the incredibly successful second incarnation of The Go-Betweens. Glenn was also an original member of Custard and if you study your liner notes their names will appear regularly on plenty of your favourite albums.

ADELE & GLENN have taken their musical kinship to another level finding the inspiration to create their very special debut. CARRINGTON ST was recorded in Glenn’s studio in Sydney’s inner west giving the album the time and tender loving care it deserved.
Continue reading Tour News: ADELE & GLENN On Tour – July 2012 →

Poison City Records have revealed that burgeoning buzz band The Smith Street Band will release their second album Sunshine And Technology on August 24, 2012. To celebrate its release the band will tour extensively, playing headlining shows in capital cities Australia-wide.

The much loved Melbourne band’s debut album, 2011’s No One Gets Lost Anymore, was the sound of a band that had found their feet. Greeted with accolades, Beat Magazine wrote “happily one of the best Aussie albums in recent memory” and Triple J’s Stu Harvey added “The Smith Street band need to be heard”. Website Bombshellzine took it even further, voting it THE best album of the year.
Continue reading The Smith Street Band Announce 2nd Album & National Tour →

Siren Lines are about to embark on their inaugural mission into live music venues down the East Coast of Australia in support of their brand new single ‘Dance in Clouds.’ The song was produced by Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels) and mastered in New York at West Side music by Alan Douches (Ben Folds, Brand New, Mastadon). The single is the first taste from their upcoming Debut EP, due for release later in 2012. It will be released on July 20 for free via the bands Bandcamp account as a taste of things to come from the band.

The Sydney four-piece create instantly relatable indie pop rock tunes that fill your heart with equal parts joy, hope and elation. Featuring intricate delay-driven guitar work, pounding, swelling, heaving drum parts, dancing bass lines and alluring and emotional vocals intended to make you swoon, Siren Lines effortlessly fuse eclectic sonic ideas into a cohesive soundscape you will find hard to not connect with.
Continue reading SIREN LINES Single Launch – August 2012 →

THE LIVING END have announced that they will embark on an unique and ambitious tour this year. THE RETROSPECTIVE TOUR will see Australia’s legendary rock’n’roll sons play each of their six albums IN FULL, back-to-back, start to finish, across 35 shows in five capital cities.

This will be the very FIRST TIME each album has been performed live from start to finish, and the feat will almost certainly be the first time any Australian band has undertaken such an inspired tour. The Retrospective Tour will not take in stadium-sized venues either. Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and of course Melbourne will get seven shows across seven nights in intimate club venues, each with a limited capacity. Seven shows and only six albums you ask? Well, eponymous Australian classic album ‘The Living End’ will get two airings in each city.
Continue reading Tour News: The Living End – ‘The Retrospective Tour’ | November-December 2012 →

Photo: Public Domain

Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Continue reading Louis Armstrong →

Photographer: Cynthia Lee

Photographer: Cynthia Lee
Continue reading Photo Gallery: Tigertown @ Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane with Cold and Need, Archdukes – 1 July 2012 →

THE ARACHNIDS are a four-piece rock band from Brisbane that wears their heart on their hips. More interested in having fun than being cool, their energy harks back to the irreverence that Brisbane bands Regurgitator/Custard brought to the fore in the nineties.

Already gaining the reputation for lighting up rooms all over the nation with their energetic live shows, THE ARACHNIDS first single “No More Reason” is a call to arms to forget the bullshit and enjoy yourselves. The debut EP “The Vulture” is the first volley in a statement of intent to shake the music community out of their style over substance malaise.
Continue reading Double Pass Giveaway: The Arachnids EP Launch @ The Beetle Bar, Brisbane – 20 July 2012 →