Amy Shark, Genesis Owusu Lead ARIA Awards Charge

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like the awesome music our local artists created was the best thing to come out of the last 12 months. Today ARIA announced the talented artists who are up for the 2021 awards. It’s a diverse list which serves as a real testament to the talent in this country.

Amy Shark and Genesis Owusu lead the charge with six nominations a piece. They’ll face off in half of those categories: Album of the Year, Best Artist, and Best Australian Live Act. Note that Best Artist replaces Best Male and Best Female artist categories this year, a move that should help this year’s ceremony feel a little more inclusive. Not far behind we’ve got Midnight Oil, The Avalanches, Vance Joy, Tones and I, Masked Wolf and Budjerah all with five nominations each. With so many artists putting in such a good showing, it’s going to be really interesting to see where the awards land. You can see for yourself when ARIA streams this year’s awards on its YouTube channel on November 24. Until then, check out all the nominees. Who are you backing?

Album Of The Year
Amy Shark – Cry Forever (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth (OURNESS / AWAL)
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – The Makarrata Project (Sony Music)
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You (Modular / EMI Music Australia)
Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music

Best Artist
Amy Shark – Cry Forever (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP) (Warner Music Australia)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth (OURNESS / AWAL)
Keith Urban – The Speed Of Now Part 1 (CAPITOL – NASHVILLE / EMI Music Australia)
Kylie Minogue – Disco (Liberator Music/Mushroom)
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ (Teamwrk Records/ADA/Warner Music)
Ngaiire – 3 (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’ (Columbia/Sony Music)
Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’ (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group)

Best Dance Release
Cosmo’s Midnight – Yesteryear (Nite High/Sony Music)
Dom Dolla – ‘Pump The Brakes’ (Sweat It Out/Warner)
Jolyon Petch – ‘Dreams’ (TMRW Music)
KLP & Stace Cadet – ‘People Happy’ (Medium Rare Recordings / Sony Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – ‘Alive’ (Rose Avenue Records/Reprise/Warner Music)

Best Group
AC/DC – Power Up (Leidseplein Presse / Sony Music)
Gang Of Youths – ‘The Angel of 8th Ave.’ (Mosy Recordings / Sony Music)
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – The Makarrata Project (Sony Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – ‘Alive’ (Rose Avenue Records/Reprise/Warner Music)
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You (Modular / EMI Music Australia)

Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP) (Warner Music Australia)
Gretta Ray – Begin To Look Around (EMI Music Australia)
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ (Teamwrk Records/ADA/Warner Music)
MAY-A – Don’t Kiss Ur Friends (Arcadia Music / Sony Music)
Ngaiire – 3 (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)

Best Pop Release
Amy Shark – Cry Forever (Wonderlick Recording Company)
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You (Modular / EMI Music Australia)
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber – ‘Stay’ (Columbia/Sony Music)
Tones And I – ‘Fly Away’ (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’ (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group)

Best Hip Hop Release
B Wise – jamie (Semi Pro Sound)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth (OURNESS / AWAL)
Masked Wolf – ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ (Teamwrk Records/ADA/Warner Music)
The Kid LAROI – ‘WITHOUT YOU’ (Columbia/Sony Music)
Youngn Lipz – Area Baby (Biordi Music/Virgin Music)

Best Soul/R&B Release
Budjerah – Budjerah (EP) (Warner Music Australia)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune)
Ngaiire – 3 (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Tash Sultana – Terra Firma (Lonely Lands Records/Sony Music
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)

Best Independent Release
Archie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane (Bloodlines/Mushroom)
Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music (Prawn Records/ Inertia Music)
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover (Hopestreet Recordings/The Planet Company)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth (OURNESS / AWAL)
Vance Joy – ‘Missing Piece’ (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group)

Best Rock Album
AC/DC – Power Up (Leidseplein Presse / Sony Music)
Ball Park Music – Ball Park Music (Prawn Records/ Inertia Music)
Holy Holy – Hello My Beautiful World (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest (EMI Music Australia)
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – The Makarrata Project (Sony Music)

Best Adult Contemporary Album
Big Scary – Daisy (Pieater/Inertia)
Crowded House – Dreamers Are Waiting (EMI Music Australia)
Kylie Minogue – Disco (Liberator Music/Mushroom)
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage (Goliath / AWAL)
Odette – Herald (EMI Music Australia)

Best Country Album
Brad Cox – My Mind’s Projection (Sony Music)
Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham – The Song Club (ABC Music)
Shane Nicholson – Living In Colour (Lost Highway Australia/Universal Music Australia)
The Wolfe Brothers – Kids On Cassette (BMG/WMG)
Troy Cassar-Daley – The World Today (Tarampa Music / Sony Music)

Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album
Alpha Wolf – A Quiet Place To Die (Greyscale Records / Cooking Vinyl Australia)
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound (What Reality?/Virgin Music)
Tropical F**k Storm – Deep States (TFS Records/Virgin Music)
Yours Truly – Self Care (UNFD/The Orchard)
A. Swayze & the Ghosts – Paid Salvation (IVY LEAGUE/MUSHROOM)

Best Blues & Roots Album
Archie Roach – The Songs Of Charcoal Lane (Bloodlines/Mushroom)
Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – Crossover (Hopestreet Recordings/The Planet Company)
Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald – Push The Blues Away (Ivy League/Mushroom)
Martha Marlow – Medicine Man (Independent/The Planet Company)
Ziggy Alberts – Searching For Freedom (Commonfolk Records / The Orchard)

Best Children’s Album
Amber Lawrence – The Kid’s Gone Country 2 (Fun For All The Family ABC Music)
Bluey The Album – Bluey (Ludo Studios / Demon Music Group / BBC Studios / Rocket)
Diver City – Dance Silly (ABC Music / Universal)
The Wiggles – Lullabies With Love (ABC Music)
Various Artists – The Moon, The Mouse & The Frog: Lullabies from Northern Australia (ABC Music)

PUBLIC VOTED AWARDS

Best Video
24k – Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Muecke (Dew Process/Universal Music Australia)
Astronaut In The Ocean – Masked Wolf, Daniele Cernera (Teamwrk Records/ADA/Warner Music)
could cry just thinkin about you (Full Version) – Troye Sivan & Jesse Gohier-Fleet (EMI Music Australia)
Dance – Julia Stone, Jessie Hill (BMG/WMG)
First Nation – Midnight Oil ft. Jessica Mauboy & Tasman Keith, Robert Hambling (Sony Music)
Higher – Budjerah, Mick Soiza (Warner Music Australia)
Love Songs Ain’t for Us – Amy Shark, James Chappell (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Missing Piece – Vance Joy, Annelise Hickey (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group)
The Divine Chord – The Avalanches, Jonathan Zawada (Modular / EMI Music Australia)
Won’t Sleep – Tones and I, Nick Kozakis, Liam Kelly (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)

Best Australian Live Act
Amy Shark – Cry Forever Tour 2021 (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Ball Park Music – The Residency (Prawn Records/ Inertia Music)
Budjerah – Budjerah 2021 Aus Tour (Warner Music Australia)
Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth Album Tour (OURNESS / AWAL)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Micro Tour (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard/Virgin Music)
Lime Cordiale – Relapse Tour (Chugg Music Pty Ltd)
Midnight Oil and First Nations Collaborators – Makarrata Live (Sony Music)
The Avalanches – The Avalanches Live (Modular / EMI Music Australia)
The Teskey Brothers – The Teskey Brothers (Headline Shows + Festivals) (IVY LEAGUE/MUSHROOM)
Thelma Plum – Homecoming Queen Tour (Warner Music Australia)

Song of the Year
Amy Shark Feat. Keith Urban – Love Songs Ain’t For Us (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Dean Lewis – Falling Up (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)
Hooligan Hefs – Send It! (db Music / Warner Music Australia)
Keith Urban & Pink – One Too Many (CAPITOL – NASHVILLE / EMI Music Australia)
Masked Wolf – Astronaut In The Ocean (Teamwrk Records/ADA/Warner Music)
Sam Fischer & Demi Lovato – What Other People Say (Sony Music)
Spacey Jane – Booster Seat (AWAL Recordings)
The Kid LAROI with Miley Cyrus – Without You (Columbia/Sony Music)
Tones and I – Fly Away (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)
Vance Joy – Missing Piece (Liberation Records/Mushroom Group)

Most Popular International
Ariana Grande – Positions (Universal Records USA / Universal Music Australia)
Doja Cat – Planet Her (RCA Records / Sony Music)
Justin Bieber – Justice (Def Jam / Universal Music Australia)
Kanye West – Donda (Def Jam / Universal Music Australia)
Luke Combs – What You See Ain’t Always What You Get (Columbia Nashville / Sony Music)
Machine Gun Kelly – Tickets To My Downfall (Interscope / Universal Music Australia)
Miley Cyrus – Plastic Hearts (RCA Records / Sony Music)
Olivia Rodrigo – Sour (Geffen / Universal Music Australia)
Pop Smoke – Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon (Universal Records USA / Universal Music Australia)
Taylor Swift – Evermore (Universal Music Australia)

Music Teacher Award
Aaron Silver – Wodonga Primary School, Regional VIC
Ashley Baxter – Pimlico State High School, Townsville QLD
Daniel Wilson – Star Struck, Newcastle NSW
Zoë Barry – Sacred Heart School, Melbourne VIC

ARTISAN AWARDS

Best Cover Art
Ngaiire Joseph & Dan Segal for Ngaiire – 3 (Dot Dash Recordings / Remote Control Records)
Eben Ejdne for Odette – Herald (EMI Music Australia)
Kofi Anash & Bailey Howard for Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth (OURNESS / AWAL)
Jonathan Zawada for The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You (Modular / EMI Music Australia)
Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton for Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse (Bad Batch Records / Sony Music)

Engineer Of The Year
Chris Collins
Eric J Dubowsky
Konstantin Kersting
Matt Corby
Tony Espie

Producer Of The Year
Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer
Konstantin Kersting
M-Phazes
Matt Corby
Robert Chater

FINE ARTS AWARDS

Best Classical Album
Christian Li – Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Decca Records Australia/Universal Music Australia
Emily Sun & Andrea Lam – Nocturnes (ABC Classic)
Genevieve Lacey and Marshall McGuire – Bower (ABC Classic / Universal)
Grigoryan Brothers – This is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia (ABC Classic / Universal)
Nat Bartsch – Hope (ABC Classic / Universal)

Best Jazz Album
Australian Art Orchestra, Reuben Lewis, Tariro Mavondo & Peter Knight – Closed Beginnings (AAO Recordings/The Planet Company)
Kristen Beradi, Sean Foran & Rafael Karlen – Haven (Earshift Music / The Planet Company) Mildlife – Automatic (Inertia Music / [PIAS])
Petra Haden & The Nick Haywood Quintet – Songs from my Father (ABC Jazz / Universal)
Vazesh – The Sacred Key (Earshift Music / The Planet Company)

Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album
Angus & Julia Stone – Life Is Strange (BMG/WMG)
Antony Partos – Rams (Original Motion Picture Score) (ABC Music)
Caitlin Yeo, Maria Alfonsine, Damian de Boos-Smith – Wakefield Season One Official Soundtrack (MADBS Composing Palace)
Sia – Music: Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture (Atlantic Records / Warner Music
Yve Blake – Fangirls (ADA/Warner Music)

Best World Music Album
Bob Weatherall & Halfway, with William Barton – Restless Dream (ABC Music)
Bukhu – Bukhchuluun Ganburged – The Journey (Bukhu/Distrokid)
Eishan Ensemble – Project Masnavi (Earshift Music / The Planet Company)
Joseph Tawadros – Hope In An Empty City (Independent / The Planet Company)
Kuya James – ISA (Settle Down Records / MGM Distribution)

Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Archie Roach Celebrates Emerging Indigenous Talent With New Online Series

Living treasure Archie Roach is opening his heart and home for a brand new webseries, Kitchen Table Yarns. The series sees Archie chatting with up-and-coming First Nations artists about their songs, communities, and language.

“When I started off in music nobody had much of a clue about who I was and what I was writing about,” Archie explained. ”I was considered a curiosity. Yarning at my kitchen table with these young artists will help people understand who they are and give them another platform to promote their music. The kitchen table has always been a place of inspiration for me. It’s a place where I’ve written most of my songs, drank many cups of tea, ate meals, played music whilst my children ran around making plenty of noise. It represents family, community and love. We thought it would be a great idea to have a YouTube series and conversation at the kitchen table. It’s important their voices are heard so they don’t have to go through what I went through. They are our future and when the time comes for us older singer-songwriters to finish up we know it’s in good hands.”

Unlike so many people his age, Archie is an old hand at producing online content. When 2020 wiped out what was meant to be his final national tour, he launched a YouTube series celebrating the songs from Charcoal Lane to connect with his audience.

The first two episodes of his new 12-part series, featuring Allara Briggs Patterson and Marlon X Rulla, drop on Archie’s YouTube channel on August 4 and 18. We’ll get a new episode on the first Wednesday of every month after that.

Archie also plans to get out on the road again next week. Tickets are on sale now for his Tell Me Why tour.

16 July 2021 – Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide
6 August 2021 – Archie Roach in Conversation at Byron Writers Festival, Byron Bay
7 August 2021 – Norpa, Lismore
8 August 2021 – Saraton Theatre, Grafton
11 August 2021 – Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour
12 August 2021 – Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie
13 August 2021 – City Hall, Newcastle
14 August 2021 – Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul
17 August 2021 – Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, Bathurst
18 August 2021 – Dubbo Regional Theatre & Convention Centre, Dubbo
12 December 2021 – Perth Concert Hall, Perth

Amazing Artists Showcased by Cuthbert Corner

I believe the best place to really discover what a musician can do is the live arena. There’s no auto tune or second take, just an artist creating the best music they can. So I was thrilled to discover an organisation called Cuthbert Corner, who records up-and-coming musicians and promotes their songs online.

Take a look at Sounds of Oz favourite Anna Cordell playing her song “Blue Rose” at Melbourne’s Krimper Café. It’s such a beautiful live recording which really showcases how special Anna is as an artist. After you’ve watched this, let YouTube take you to another Cuthbert Corner video, and another. If you love new Australian music, there’s plenty to keep you entertained here.

YouTube Sensation BriBry Announces Aussie Tour

I must admit, I’m a little out of the YouTube loop. I’m fascinated by the fact that people can become celebrities and amass thousands of followers because they post amateur videos, but I couldn’t tell you the handles of any of them. So when I discovered that Irish YouTube sensation BriBry was planning to tour the country, I figured I’d check him out. Apparently he’s been here twice before when he sold out shows, so it seems I might be one of the last ones to discover his genius.

I intended to watch just one video to get a taste of what he does, but I think I’ve watched around 10 clips now: original songs, cover version, and candid clips where he speaks to his future child and shows viewers his apartment. I’m thoroughly charmed, both by his music and his personality. Knowing that he donates all his YouTube revenue to charity just makes him that much sweeter. He actually founded his own non-profit #CutCakeNotWrists to help young people dealing with depression. Could he be any more wonderful?

BriBry will tour Australia with his equally talented fiancé Candice and fellow YouTube sensation Dodie Clark. Here are all the places you can see him play.

26 June 2015 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
27 June 2015 – Old Museum, Brisbane
28 June 2015 – The Lair @ Metro Theatre, Sydney
29 June 2015 – Wrangler Studios, Melbourne

Image used with permission from AAA Entertainment

See Virtual Slow Chase Show to Celebrate Single Release

Australian-UK collaboration Slow Chase are showing plenty of swagger with their new single “Exorcism.” It’s a down and dirty slice of blues which marks a return to form for the band which haven’t released anything since their 2012 debut EP.

Slow Chase will celebrate the October 13 single release with a live YouTube show at 9pm AEST before hitting the road for a string of dates.

17 October 2014 – Musicman Megastore, Bendigo
18 October 2014 – The Loft, Warrnambool
25 October 2014 – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide
31 October 2014 – Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
14 November 2014 – Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong
20 November 2014 – Frankie’s Pizza, Sydney

Aston Passes Magic Million Views, Announces Tour Dates

Way to go Aston! The Sydney-based classical pop act has just notched up more than a million views on their YouTube channel. This number was no doubt boosted by the recent release of the new single “Bulletproof.”

To celebrate the milestone the band has announced a handful of New South Wales dates this September. Hopefully we’ll see them venturing out of their home state really soon! Until then, you can catch the band at the following shows, and on The Matty Johns Show every Thursday night.

14 September 2010 – Raval, Sydney
17 September 2010 – Orange Conservatorium, Orange
18 September 2010 – Mitchell Conservatorium, Bathurst
19 September 2010 –  Mitchell Conservatorium, Lithgow

Image source: The Harbour Agency

The Whitlams Join YouTube

To celebrate the release of The Whitlams’ greatest hits Truth, Beauty, and a Picture of You today, the band have launched their very own YouTube channel. This is a must for fans thanks to Tim Freedman’s videos revealing the stories songs like “Blow Up The Pokies” and “No Aphrodisiac.” The film clips are also included, so you can listen to the song’s with a new understanding.

Sadly there isn’t a lot to see right now, but hopefully they’ll add more soon! In the meantime, here’s the clip for one of my favourites, “No Aphrodisiac.” No matter how many times I hear it I still love it.