Iggy And The Stooges Australian Tour – March/April 2013

“From the ’60s to this moment, IGGY POP has been a solid reminder of what happens when an artist stays true to himself only and doesn’t give a damn about the rest of it … IGGY POP is the Heavyweight Champion of rock and roll.” Henry Rollins, LA Weekly, April 2012

A decade after the Godfathers of Punk reunited, IGGY AND THE STOOGES will return to Australia in March 2013 for three headline shows. Iconic frontman Iggy Pop will once again lead guitarist James Williamson, drummer Toby Dammit, bassist Mike Watt and sax player Steve Mackay into rock and roll battle.
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RODRIGUEZ National Tour – March/April 2013

“Just climb up on my music and my songs will set you free…” – Rodriguez CLIMB UP ON MY MUSIC

42 years has passed since the release of his debut album Cold Fact, andfinally, Rodriguez is getting the recognition and success he deserves. His last tour in Australia in 2010 saw Rodriguez sell out multiple shows in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as selling out his show in Adelaide and two show-stopping appearances at Bluesfest.

Now – an award-winning documentary on the ‘Mystery Man’ has launched Sixto Rodriguez into a global spotlight. ‘Search for Sugarman’ – the story of two South African fans and their search over three decades to discover their hero – claimed two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, the Best Documentary Award in Moscow and the Audience Award at the Melbourne, Los Angeles and Durban Festivals.
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Tour News: Nantes – ‘Drones’ Tour – November 2012

It’s been a massive year for Sydney duo Nantes. After smashing out two EPs (featuring three outstanding singles ‘Fly’, ‘Charlie’ and ‘Unsatisfy’) the band are currently setting their sights on their debut album, due for release early 2013. The first single, ‘Drones’ will be released November 2nd, but for now they’re happy to announce one final live stint for the year, finishing 2012 with shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Referencing the legacy of UK and US post-punk with an alternative edge, Nantes’ distinctive sound has been firmly established via their first three successive radio singles, with ‘Unsatisfy’ maintaining high-rotation status on triple j for the last eleven weeks in a row. In the US, college radio stations have followed suit, spinning ‘Fly’ and other tracks from their debut EP to register spots in the CMJ College Radio Charts over the course of four weeks. Other recent successes for the bands’ all-killer-no-filler year, includes signing with leading global independent music publisher peermusic.
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Laneway Festival Presents: BAT FOR LASHES

“Spacious, boldly orchestrated, and emotionally rich, Khan’s latest is another step forward for the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, and one of the year’s mostbeguiling albums 8.4/10.” – Pitchfork

The reception for Bat for Lashes’ third album The Haunted Man has cemented Natasha Khan’s place in the canon of exceptional female story-tellers, alongside PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, Cat Power et al. Armed with rave reviews from Pitchfork, The Guardian, The Age, The Vine and loads more locally and around the globe, Bat for Lashes is heading out to Australia for some of the most anticipated shows of the summer.
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Laneway Festival Presents: JESSIE WARE Intimate Club Shows

“Jessie Ware will be the star her songs deserve… Devotion is a record filled with moments that bring you to your knees. 8/10″ – NME

‘If we’re talking pop singers, Ware could be one of the greatest.” – Consequence of Sound

As one of the UK’s break-out stars in 2012, Brixton’s Jessie Ware is poised to do the same in Australia.

After guesting on high profile tracks like SBTRKT’s ‘Right Thing To Do’, the 27-year-old broke away with her seductive, universally acclaimed debut, Devotion. Her electronic, soulful pop is delightfully restrained (see breakout hit 110%) and in equal parts immediate and classy. No wonder she’s a serious contender for this year’s Mercury Prize.
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THE CRIBS announce summer headline shows for Sydney & Brisbane

The Frontier Touring Company confirm that English band of brothers The Cribs are returning to Australia this January, bringing along their charming brand of garage rock.

Coinciding with their performance at Pyramid Rock Festival, the trio will be performing two rocking headline shows for lucky audiences in Sydney and Brisbane.

Music has flowed through the Jarman brothers’ veins from an early age; the trio hosted their debut performance at a family party in the late 80s when twins Gary and Ryan were nine years old and younger brother Ross was just five.
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CD Review: Twelve Foot Ninja – “Silent Machine”

Review by Billy Geary
Just about every time you think music is becoming stale, over-saturated or downright boring, there’s always a band ready and waiting to put your faith back in music. Twelve Foot Ninja are one of those bands. Forming in 2007, Twelve Foot Ninja quickly rose to prominence, releasing two EPs packed with genre bending moments of reggae, metal, funk, dub and hardcore, sometimes within the same song. Their debut album, Silent Machine shows the same tendency, with added heaviness and polish.

After the first few verses of opener ‘Coming For You,’ for those new to the band one thing is immediately obvious, Twelve Foot Ninja aren’t afraid to mix contrasting genres mid-song. In fact, they thrive on it. ‘Coming For You’ is vintage Twelve Foot Ninja, blending reggae and metal, with a smattering of electronics evoking thoughts of Mr Bungle and Tomahawk. Throughout the record, the comparisons with various Mike Patton projects will inevitably continue, however to pigeonhole Silent Machine in such a way would be unfair to the band.
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FACE THE MUSIC (music industry conference) the Arts Centre, Melbourne – 16 & 17 November 2012

FACE THE MUSIC
16 & 17 November, 2012 – the Arts Centre, Melbourne
Featuring Key Guest Speakers Martin Atkins (USA) and Almudena Heredero (SPAIN)
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The music industry will come together for one of the most important events on the Victorian music calendar, when the annual non-profit music summit Face the Music returns to the Arts Centre for its fifth year on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th November, 2012.

The two day event plays host to a smorgasbord of local and international industry professionals, and in partnership with Melbourne Music Week once more, will see this year’s key speakers including renowned US label owner, entrepreneur, artist and educator Martin Atkins and Primavera Sound Festival’s Almudena Heredero.
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Q&A with Mik Easterman – THE LAMPLIGHTS

Q&A with Mik Easterman, drummer of Gold Coast 5 piece THE LAMPLIGHTS

:: What track changed your life ::
Underground by Tom Waits. Hearing that song as a kid was almost like proof that giants were real. You can almost hear the stomping of huge feet. Not only that but to realise that a melody doesn’t have to be pretty to be catchy was amazing.

:: What is your favourite Album ::
Rubber Soul by The Beatles
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THE LAMPLIGHTS Release Second Album “What Love Is”

THE LAMPLIGHTS are a 5 piece band from the Gold Coast.
They are masters of their instruments and they have a message to share with you.

THE LAMPLIGHTS live to play music and you can find them most weekends plying their trade at unconventional venues all over South East Queensland. This approach saw them sell over 6,000 copies of their debut self-titled album without any traditional distribution. They also walked away with wins in three categories at the Australian Songwriters Association Awards, a first in its 32 year history.
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Kentucky cellist Ben Sollee is returning to Australia – December 2012/January 2013

Gaynor Crawford Presents has announced that Ben Sollee returns to wow Australian audiences in January 2013, this time as a duo with the hyper-versatile percussionist Jordon Ellis.

“Cellist Ben Sollee is like Andrew Bird with a little more soul, or Arthur Russell with a bit more bounce.” Lost At E Minor

“Fusing unique instrumentation with a soulful and sometimes playful voice, Ben Sollee defies convention.” World Cafe Live

When you think of the cello, you normally don’t think of it as a foot-tapping kind of instrument. But for the past decade, Kentucky cellist Ben Sollee has been changing minds all over the world with his brand of soulful, indie-tinged folk, with his voice and said stringed implement up front.
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Live Review: Clave Contra Clave 2012 – Sydney Heat – UNSW Roundhouse – 20 October 2012

Written by Jose Eduardo Cruz
The final heat to find Australia’s best Latin band took place in Sydney and the motors are well and truly running now. Each week the competition has grown harder and the musicians better and better. Sydney’s Australian Latin bands did not disappoint. Two weeks ago in Brisbane everything started to wake up, last week in Melbourne the movement got more intense, this week in Sydney the anticipation for the grand finale has brought the entire Australian Latin scene one week away from an all mighty climax.
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Tour News: AT THE GATES – Australian Tour – Oct/Nov 2012

Destroy All Lines and Blue Murder announce a rare and heavily anticipated tour from recently reformed Swedish death metal legends At The Gates this October/November.

Known for masterfully mixing a ferocious blend of melody and brutality into memorable metal breakdowns, this beloved five-piece have built a reputation for delivering genre-defining albums and frenetic live performances, which Australian audiences will be privy to this year when the band hits Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth on their first ever Australian tour.
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