Category: News

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Corner Hotel Hosts Grand Final Eve Fundraiser for Kids with Cancer

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t “get” AFL. I was raised on rugby league, so perhaps it’s just not in my genes. So when I heard The Corner Hotel was throwing a Grand Final Holiday Eve party, I nearly deleted the press release. But then I spotted that the event has some kickarse bands and it’s raising funds for kids with cancer. That’s the sort of stuff you just can’t ignore.

The Great Rock ‘n Roll Pie Night features entertainment from Dallas Crane, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, The Draught Dodgers feat. Tim Rogers, The Pretty Littles, and You Am I’s Davey Lane as guest DJ. Warwick Capper will MC the event which raises funds for the Challenge Organisation, Victoria’s first organisation providing support and recreational opportunities for families living with cancer.

Get behind the Challenge Organisation and enjoy some superb music and pies at the Corner Hotel on September 28. Tickets are on sale now.

Image used with permission from Chrissie Vincent Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anthony Callea’s Symphony Album Tops the Charts

When I reviewed Anthony Callea’s newie ARIA Number 1 Hits In Symphony during the week, I said I wouldn’t be surprised if it does as Backbone did and found itself at the top of the ARIA charts. So I’m not shocked to see it’s pushed Ed Sheeran’s ÷ off its perch, but I am thrilled. It’s a really special album that deserves all the accolades.

Paul Kelly’s Life is Fine has also slipped a little this week, from number two to number five. But it’s far from a bad result five weeks after its release.

Another outstanding former number one Go Farther Into Lightness by Gang of Youths rounds out the top ten.

Sadly our Aussies aren’t doing so well on the singles charts. Hopefully “Lay It On Me” by Vance Joy can continue its ascent and end up in the top 10 soon.

Top 10 Albums
1. ARIA Number 1 Hits In Symphony – Anthony Callea
2. Sleep Well Beast – The National
3. All the Light Above it Too – Jack Johnson
4. ÷ – Ed Sheeran
5. Life is Fine – Paul Kelly
6. Slowheart – Kip Moore
7. Moana – Soundtrack
8. Villains – Queens of the Stone Age
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 – Soundtrack
10. Go Farther in Lightness – Gang of Youths

Top 10 Singles
1. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith
2. “Look What You Made Me Do” – Taylor Swift
3. “… Ready for It?” – Taylor Swift
4. “New Rules” – Dua Lipa
5. “What About Us” – P!nk
6. “Glorious” – Macklemore feat. Skylar Grey
7. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
8. “Dusk Til Dawn” – Zayne feat. Sia
9. “Friends” – Justin Bieber & BloodPop
10. “1-800-273-8255” – Logic feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Do Yo Thangs Release “Those Days” Single Ahead of November Residency

Melbourne’s The Do Yo Thangs continue to do their own thang with their new single “Those Days.” It marks a bit of a musical departure from the band who brought us the One Plus One EP. The song is a little darker, a little more electronic, but those angelic stacked harmonies are spot on and silky smooth.

The single is available now, but the band is letting us sit with it for a while before launching it with a residency at Fitzroy’s The Evelyn Hotel this November. See them every Wednesday in November from the 8th to hear a sneaky listen to new material from The Do You Thangs’ forthcoming album.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Gang of Youths on Top of ARIA Charts

Sydney band Gang of Youths has scored its first number one album after debuting in the top spot with sophomore LP Go Farther in Lightness. It’s an impressive debut for the Sydneysiders and the seventh Australian album to go to number one this year.

There are plenty of other contenders for that title though, with Aussies claiming four of the top five spots on the ARIA charts. There’s Paul Kelly of course. Last week’s number one, Life is Fine, has slipped one spot to number two this week. The prolific King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are at number four with Sketches of Brunswick East, their third release of 2017. You might think they deserve a holiday after all that, but we’ll see another two albums from them before the end of the year. Local deathcore outfit Thy Art is Murder round out the top five with Dear Desolation.

Here’s how the top 10 charts look this week.

Top 10 Albums
1. Go Farther in Lightness – Gang of Youths
2. Life is Fine – Paul Kelly
3. ÷ – Ed Sheeran
4. Sketches of Brunswick East – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
5. Dear Desolation – Thy Art is Murder
6. Science Fiction – Brand New
7. Rainbow – Ke$ha
8. The Peace and the Panic – Neck Deep
9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 – Soundtrack
10. Moana – Soundtrack

Top 10 Singles
1. “What About Us” – P!nk
2. “Friends” – Justin Bieber & BloodPop
3. “Glorious” – Macklemore feat. Skylar Grey
4. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
5. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber
6. “Feels” – Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean
7. “Unforgettable” – French Montana feat. Swae Lee
8. “Strip That Down” – Liam Payne feat. Quavo
9. “Praying” – Ke$ha
10. “New Rules” – Dua Lipa

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Curtin Hosting Girls Rock! Australia Fundraiser

The world of rock music is predominantly a man’s world. However, Girls Rock! Australia gives me hope that perhaps we’ll see more diversity in future generations. At the very least, this organisation will help empower more young women, which is a very good thing.

Girls Rock! Australia is a network of non-profit camps running in Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Wollongong, and soon, Sydney. Each one is open to female, trans, and gender-diverse young people aged 10 to 17. During the camps the young people involved write songs, play instruments, and work together to create music. They’ll also enjoy mentorship and performances from some of the nation’s coolest female musicians. Courtney Barnett, Camp Cope, Cable Ties, Rainbow Chan, and Jen Cloher have all performed at local Girls Rock camps. But these camps are about much more than music though. They help empower women, building their self-esteem and sense of community.

These camps do so much good, but they can’t do it without your support. So Camp Cope, Gen Fricker, Totally Mild, Brodie Lancaster, June Jones, and some other fine musos, comedians, writers, and podcasters will come together for Good Luck #1: A Fundraiser for Girls Rock! Australia. It all happens at October 8 at The Curtin in Melbourne. You get a great day out and every cent collected will help Girls Rock! Australia fund full and partial scholarships. This makes sure all motivated young people can attend these camps, regardless of their financial situation. It’s a win for everybody, so get out and show your support Melbourne!

Image used with permission from Super Duper

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Temper Trap Set to Strip Down Sound for Melbourne Recital Centre Show

We’re used to hearing The Temper Trap with a big epic sound. But the Aussie expats will be stripping things back for a very special show at the Melbourne Recital Centre in November.

This very special show isn’t so much about turning the volume down as it is about presenting The Temper Trap’s music in a brand new way. The band hopes the show will bring fans closer to the heart of these songs and help them appreciate the music in a new light.

The Temper Trap plays Elisabeth Murdoch Hall in the Melbourne Recital Centre on November 24. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 am via the Melbourne Recital Centre website and the venue’s hotline, (03) 9699 3333. I don’t need to tell you they’re going to sell quickly!

Image used with permission from Little Old Me Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Paul Kelly Earns His First Number One Album

Paul Kelly is a true national treasure, so it’s amazing to realise this week he’s scored his very first number one album. Life is Fine, his 23rd studio album, has zoomed to the top of the charts on debut, unseating the Ed Sheeran’s heavyweight ÷.

Jen Cloher is another Aussie making her presence known with her new self-titled album. The follow-up to 2013’s In Blood Memory has debuted at number 5.

Sadly we don’t have any Aussie songs in the top 10 singles … or the top 20 … or the top 30. Come on Australia! Our artists are releasing some wonderful songs!

Anyway, here are this week’s top 10s.

Top 10 Albums
1. Life is Fine – Paul Kelly
2. ÷ – Ed Sheeran
3. Rainbow – Ke$ha
4. Moana – Soundtrack
5. Jen Cloher – Jen Cloher
6. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
7. Melodrama – Lorde
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 – Soundtrack
9. Evolve – Imagine Dragons
10. X – Ed Sheeran

Top 10 Singles
1. “What About Us” – P!nk
2. “Glorious” – Macklemore feat. Skylar Grey
3. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber
4. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
5. “Feels” – Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean
6. “Praying” – Ke$ha
7. “Strip That Down” – Liam Payne feat. Quavo
8. “Unforgettable” – French Montana feat. Swae Lee
9. “Wild Thoughts” – DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller
10. “Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt

Image used with permission from ARIA

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ali Barter Teams With Gift Box To Help Homeless Women Access Sanitary Products

Periods are a pain, in more ways than one. I bitch and moan for the duration of mine, I have severe cramps, and so many hormones race through my body that I wonder how my husband stays with me. But my periods would be so much worse if I couldn’t afford the sanitary products that help me go out and put my best foot forward every month. Ali Barter agrees, so she’s teamed up with an exciting new start-up Gift Box.

Gift Box is the brainchild of Aussie actress and entrepreneur Saskia Hamplele, who you may remember as Georgia Brooks on Neighbours. Her company is the world’s first one-for-one organic tampon brand. Whenever customers buy tampons through Gift Box, the organisation donates the same amount to the estimated 46,000 homeless women in Australia that struggle to access sanitary care through its partnerships with Share the Dignity, The Period Projects, and Essentials for Women.

So where does Ali Barter come in? She’s teamed up with Saskia to create a collaborative tea towel, featuring a design from illustrator and tattoo artist Lily Gloria, which you can find at her upcoming One Foot In shows. Money raised by the tea towel’s sales will benefit Gift Box.

“We all get our damn periods so I love that if I buy a box of tampons from Gift Box Organic, it means someone more in need than me gets one too. It’s important that all women have access to sanitary care, and tampons are, for many, non-negotiable,” Ali said.

“The mission of Gift Box has really been driven by a sisterhood of ‘women supporting women’, so to join forces with Ali Barter’s powerful voice has been very exciting,” added Saskia. “Ali’s generous contribution will not only provide many more homeless women with tampons, it also adds to the conversation of women’s lack of access to sanitary products and will help reach a wider audience for this commonly overlooked issue.”

You can see Ali and get the tea towel at the following shows. And if you’re not getting along to the gigs, you can still help out through the Gift Box website.

25 August 2017 – Workers Club, Geelong
1 September 2017 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
2 September 2017 – Republic Bar, Hobart
8 September 2017 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
9 September 2017 – Fat Controller, Adelaide
15 September 2017 – Player’s Bar, Mandurah
16 September 2017 – Rosemount Hotel, Perth
22 September 2017 – The Northern, Byron Bay
23 September 2017 – The Courier-Mail Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Brisbane
28 September 2017 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
29 September 2017 – The Small Ballroom, Newcastle
30 September 2017 – Stuart Park, Wollongong
1 October 2017 – Transit Bar, Canberra

Image used with permission from Inertia Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Jezabels Hitting The Lansdowne

You might have assumed your days of seeing The Jezabels in pubs were over. However, if you’re in Sydney, you get another chance. Or seven to be precise. You see, the band is scheduled to perform seven shows at The Lansdowne over seven consecutive nights this month.

“We had a few reasons for doing seven nights at the Lansdowne,” explained Hayley Mary. “We wanted to play a bunch of small, intimate shows to our Sydney fans where we could change up the set and play some songs we wouldn’t normally have time for and the reopened Lansdowne represents such an awesome new era for Sydney that it seemed right it should be there. But mainly, we felt a sadistic kind of pleasure in making the staff listen to us over and over to the point of sheer disdain.”

Each show will feature a different opening act before The Jezabels take you on a musical journey through their back catalogue. If you’re lucky, you might even be among the first to hear some new tunes.

Tickets for all shows are available through Oztix.

21 August 2017 – with special guest, Didirri (solo)
22 August 2017 – with special guest, Sunscreen
23 August 2017 – with special guest, Soma
24 August 2017 – with special guest, Angie McMahon
25 August 2017 – with special guest, Planet
26 August 2017 – with special guest, Borneo
27 August 2017 – with special guest, Big Time

Image used with permission from Riot House Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Aussie Hip Hop Elite Raising Money for Oxfam in Melbourne

L Fresh The Lion, N’Fa Jones, Mantra, Mistress, and other leading Aussie hip hop talents will hit The Penny Black in Brunswick on August 13, all for a good cause. Money raised will benefit OXJAM, an Oxfam initiative looking to end poverty and homelessness through the power of music.

Not only are ticket sales helping the charity, The Penny Black will give 50 percent of the bar takings as well. With Young Henrys, 42Below Vodka, and Bacardi Fuego supplying the drinks, you’ll want to indulge. This promises to be a great night out for a great cause. Melbourne residents, get on it!

Image used with permission from Riot House Publicity