First Aid Kit touring Australia – March 2012

Returning to Australia this March with their warm vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk-influenced songs is Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit.

The stunning video for ‘Emmylou’ was released into the world this week, and is the second single from First Aid Kit’s forthcoming album (in stores January 27). A tribute to some of the band’s favorite country musicians – Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, June Carter and Johnny Cash – the song struck a chord with Johnny’s daughter Roseanne Cash, who tweeted “I don’t usually like ‘tribute’ songs but this is beautiful. Heartening that such young girls know the stories.”
Continue reading First Aid Kit touring Australia – March 2012

LAMB OF GOD Release Third Album Trailer From ‘Resolution

THIRD TRAILER RELEASED FOR LAMB OF GOD’S ‘RESOLUTION’

Following 2 album teasers featuring the songs Ghost Walking and Desolation, Lamb of God today release the final teaser for the album, Resolution, set for release in Australia on January 20.

The video features the song King Me, which closes Resolution – the band’s seventh studio album. The track is one of the most musically ambitious the band has ever put forth, features a full orchestra as well as opera singer Amanda Munton.

Watch the King Me teaser video

RESOLUTION Trailer from Lamb of God on Vimeo.

Continue reading LAMB OF GOD Release Third Album Trailer From ‘Resolution

Push Over festival returns to Melbourne – March 2012

Victoria’s longest-running all ages live music festival Push Over returns to Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent on Monday 12th March with a killer line-up of upcoming Aussie talent, the freshest young Victorian acts, some of the country’s most fast and furious hardcore and metal bands and a full arena of bouncing hip hop music and break dance!

Firing thriller beats across four sound stages will be: Parkway Drive, 360, Tonight Alive, Yacht Club DJs, Alpine, Dangerous!, Snakadaktal, Mantra, Redcoats, Eagle and The Worm, Glass Towers, 8 Bit Love, Northlane, Skyway, Hands Like Houses, Mindset, Hallower, This Town A Forest, Awaken I Am, and Boris The Blade plus more to be announced.
Continue reading Push Over festival returns to Melbourne – March 2012

STRIKE HARD BOOKINGS CLOSES ITS DOORS

After years of providing quality shows to an ever growing and appreciative audience, Strike Hard Bookings will be closing its doors as of 30th January 2012.

Forming in May 2007, Strike Hard Bookings moved from booking shows at makeshift venues in Wollongong onto an international touring company that has presented some of the world’s best alternative artists to Australian audiences – from Unearth to Shai Hulud, from The Black Dahlia Murder to Cruel Hand, from Emmure to All Shall Perish.

Founder Daniel Misztal, will join the ranks of the Staple Group having accepted a position with Destroy All Lines. He will be the National Booking Agent for the Australia’s leading alternative nightclubs and booking international tours.
Continue reading STRIKE HARD BOOKINGS CLOSES ITS DOORS

JOHN FOGERTY WILL BE ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER AT BLUESFEST!

JOHN FOGERTY WILL BE ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER AT BLUESFEST!

John Fogerty - photo by Stuart Blythe17th of January 2012 – The 4th round of artists to perform at Australia’s much awarded and loved Bluesfest has today been announced.

It’s the Festival’s biggest announcement yet for 2012; presenting more than 30 artists, including some very special headliners, the return of previous favourites, and opening the Bluesfest door to some exciting new discoveries.

Festival director Peter Noble says, “We’ve unveiled some amazing headliners and celebrated bands coming to Byron Bay for Bluesfest 2012, but now our fourth announcement is the final touch which really tips the scales into overdrive.

It’s certainly one of the best Bluesfest’s I’ve ever booked. Following on from the big headline acts in earlier announcements, our fourth artist unveiling is full of more headline surprises.

Bluesfest will be held at its home at Tyagarah Tea Tree farm just off the Pacific Highway, 12 minutes north of Byron Bay from Thursday April 5 through to Monday April 9, 2012.
Continue reading JOHN FOGERTY WILL BE ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER AT BLUESFEST!

Olivia Newtwon-John causes a stir with twitter about new ‘Olivia’ video clip

Flying into Australia this weekend, Olivia Newton-John will be here to promote the release of her new film “A Few Best Men”. However, it’s not the new film that has Olivia fans and Olivia herself tweeting today, but a new video clip from Australian’s own The Swamp Dandies.

Best known for his 1992 Top 10 hit single “Happy Birthday Helen”, The Swamp Dandies is the new project for Things of Stone & Wood’s lead singer Greg Arnold.
Continue reading Olivia Newtwon-John causes a stir with twitter about new ‘Olivia’ video clip

Children Collide – Sword to a Gunfight | Video


Children Collide are back in full force with a brand new single ‘SWORD TO A GUNFIGHT’ unleashed on radio, internet and TV today, Monday 16 January. In true Collide fashion, the band will embark on a tour across the country in March/April giving audiences their first taste of the new album.

Frontman Johnny Mackay expounds on the new single: “I was paddling down the river somewhere between Primal Scream & Boney M and ended up falling out of the boat into a time-travelling disco space-punk song which I still think is hilarious.”

Late 2011, the band locked themselves away in Melbourne’s Red Door Sounds with Woody Annison (Red Riders, Cabins, Young Revelry and who also co-produced their sophomore album) to record their third album ‘MONUMENT’.

‘MONUMENT’ is the follow up album to the ARIA nominated Top 5 album ‘Theory Of Everything’ which spawned the singles JELLYLEGS (reached #22 in The Triple J Hottest 100) and LOVELESS, which was accompanied by a world class music video directed by the multi-award winning director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) and also Nominated for an ARIA Award.

Johnny reveals of the sounds to come; “There’s post-punk still, there’s sort of Krauty-psych influence in a lot of it. It gets a bit dancey…”

“We tried to build our own aural theme-park out of twelve different kinds of song. There’s one or two ghost trains, a few rollercoasters and even a couple of tea-cup rides. It’s always hard to describe these things from the inside but the sound and production feels very here and now to me”

Single ‘SWORD TO A GUNFIGHT’ is the first taste of the theme-park. The band enlisted Natalie Van Den Dungen to direct and produce the video. Her previous works include ‘Persecution Blues: The Battle For The Tote’ documentary and music videos for Seeker Lover Keeper, Wagons and Dan Deacon.

Relish in the unmistakable Children Collide sound punched with a swagger and rhythm unlike beforeand get ready for the ride in 2012. Full tour details below.

CHILDREN COLLIDE

Official video for Children Collide’s brand new single Sword to a Gunfight, from the album ‘Monument’ due April 2012. Touring Mar/Apr DATES BELOW…Tickets on sale Thu Feb 02 via http://childrencollide.oztix.com.au/
Continue reading Children Collide – Sword to a Gunfight | Video

The Illusionists – Sydney – January 2012


Get ready to be blown away by the biggest, boldest and most spectacular magic show ever to be staged in Australia!

The Illusionists is a world first. 7 of the greatest magicians on the planet are coming together for the first time, bringing with them the very best of their individual acts and a whole team of magical assistants. The result is a brand new show packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.

From never before seen illusions to jaw dropping acts of levitation, mind-reading and escapes, The Illusionists is revolutionary, bringing the age old art of magic into the 21st century. Cutting edge and contemporary, don’t expect rabbits and top hats, but do expect to be mesmerised by these grand masters of magic and illusion, each with their own speciality and mind-blowing signature act.

The Anti-Conjuror – Dan Sperry
David Copperfield meets Marilyn Manson.
Speciality: Shock illusions and master sleight of hand.
Continue reading The Illusionists – Sydney – January 2012

2012 BIG DAY OUT SPECIAL GUEST ADDITIONS!

Brand new sets added from Das Racist, Grinspoon, Grind Time Now Australia and The Living End!

There’s just under a week to go! The 2012 BIG DAY OUT will kick off its 20th Anniversary trek on Friday, 20 January, making its very first pit stop in Auckland, New Zealand. Maps and playing times for each city of the tour are now online (along with a swanky new mobile App, where fans can get busy creating their very own custom schedules?).

Now there’s even more additions for punters to include! We’re chuffed to announce four special guest artist performances in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Start your engines …

SPECIAL GUESTS SYDNEY: GRINSPOON
Thursday, 26 January, 2012 – Sydney Showgrounds
Essential Stage: 8.30pm – 9.20pm

Australia has a history of producing killer rock bands, and few come finer – or play harder – than GRINSPOON. No strangers to BIG DAY OUT punters, it was way back in 1997 that the then Lismore-based outfit first smashed through the airwaves with their debut album, Guide to Better Living. Since then they’ve churned out hit after hit: Just Ace, DCX3, Ready 1, Chemical Heart, Lost Control, Hard Act To Follow and much more.
Continue reading 2012 BIG DAY OUT SPECIAL GUEST ADDITIONS!

New Order to play Sydney and Melbourne sideshows – Future Music Festival

NEW ORDER ANNOUNCES SYDNEY & MELBOURNE HEADLINE SHOWS IN MARCH 2012

It’s no exaggeration to say that New Order are up there with The Beatles and The Velvet Underground as one of the most influential acts of all time. Future Entertainment are delighted to announce that the band are playing two very special sideshows at The Festival Hall, Melbourne (March 1) and The Hordern Pavilion, Sydney (March 7) as part of their Future Music Festival co-headlining tour.
Continue reading New Order to play Sydney and Melbourne sideshows – Future Music Festival

So Frenchy So Chic – Double Bill: Moriarty & ASA – Brisbane Powerhouse – 20 January 2012

So Frenchy So Chic is synonymous with the best sounds of the current French music scene. Just to prove the cool and chic-ness gets cooler and chic-ier, get ready for indie bluegrass band, Moriarty and French-Nigerian songstress Asa to grace the stage in one incredible night of music.

Back after a sell-out show in 2009, super cool and sexy Moriarty return with their irresistible style of French blues led by the haunting vocals of the enigmatic songstress, Rosemary. Taking its cue from the worlds of Depression era American folk and European cabaret, Moriarty has mastered a smoky sound that draws comparisons to early Neil Young, folk country, blues, jazz and even Americana.

“A real troupe of modern bohemian gypsies, their concerts are like happenings. Free, innocent and magnificent, like music should always be.” The Guardian
Continue reading So Frenchy So Chic – Double Bill: Moriarty & ASA – Brisbane Powerhouse – 20 January 2012

Interview | Daniel Page – Forever the Optimist

There are a lot of bands to look out for in 2012. You will read various lists and recommendations. One that needs to be added to those lists is from Brisbane. They are from the birth place of many independent and unsigned bands that are making some killer-rock sounds at local and National gigs. They are …..Forever the Optimist.

Forever the Optimist just released their newest single and video clip “My Design” from the their self titled debut EP “Forever the Optimist”. Having played with some great bands in 2011 such as Thousand Needles in Red, Calling All Cars, The Redcoats and Floating Me, the future is looking great for this hard rocking alternative band.

Life Music Media (LMM): I just had a good listen to your self- titled album the other day and it is a fresh and fearsome achievement for your first EP. How has the ride been so far?

Daniel Page: The rides been great. It’s interesting how far we’ve come in the last year since recording that record. We went in the studio with six months worth of songs and it came together, we did the best job we could and we’re really happy with it. This year has been flat out. We’ve been doing a lot of gigs and playing with some awesome bands with great opportunities. We went on a mini East Coast tour with some friends of ours “Stellar Green” and it’s was excellent. We’ve been getting a really good response to our shows and a lot of positive comments towards the record. So we are pretty happy.
Continue reading Interview | Daniel Page – Forever the Optimist

New Found Glory + Taking Back Sunday – Australian Tour – April 2012

NEW FOUND GLORY are continuing their dominance in a genre they pioneered well over a decade ago, providing a breath of fresh air in a scene starved of creativity.

Paying homage to the bands that inspired them to pick up their instruments NEW FOUND GLORY’S new studio album ‘Radiosurgery’ showcases a band at the top of their game and “proves beyond any doubt that New Found Glory are as fired up now in 2011 as they were when they first emerged in 1997” – Kerrang!

NEW FOUND GLORY has never sounded more incredible, and as their legion of Australian fans can attest to they have taken the genre by the throat and are arguably ‘the greatest pop punk band in history’ – Brett Gurewitz

TAKING BACK SUNDAY are truly in a league of their own.
Continue reading New Found Glory + Taking Back Sunday – Australian Tour – April 2012