Tim Rogers is sitting at a primo table, having a drink while he reads a book. Catherine Britt’s ma is out back selling the merch and the “older” crowd are finishing off the last of their dinner. Welcome to the madhouse AKA the Sydney debut for Australia’s very own alt-country supergroup, The Hillbilly Killers.

The hip hop duo Hermitude have taken away the 8th Coopers Australian Music Prize, winning $30,000 from the PPCA for their fourth feature album HyperParadise.

Saturday night saw the Basement do away with its usual setup of catering to the forty plus “dinner and show” audience, and enter into “dance-floor mode” to provide ample room for the predominantly younger audience who had braved the ferocious weather to attend a sold-out performance by New Orleans’ Tuba Skinny.

A lethargic round of Wednesday night applause went up from the largely middle aged “dinner and show” audience the Basement is famous for, as the improvisational trio known as The Necks graced the stage. Chris Abrahams began proceedings with a piano introduction of drawn out complexity, eventually moving into a Philip Glass flavoured minimalistic vamp as double bassist Lloyd Swanton began his droning bow. So quite was the introduction that patrons were compelled to whisper drink orders over the bar.

In this issue: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announce new show, The Presets discounted tickets, From The Jam cancel Australian tour, Godspeed You! Black Emperor exclusive ticket release and more!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band announce new show

Woodford might’ve ended a few days before, but with The Basement hosting a few of its notable acts on Friday, (soloists such as Andy Brown, Jodi Martin, and Dave Gunning, and the headlining duo Folk Uke), us Sydneysiders were treated to our own mini-folk festival.

A microphone, a spotlight and a piano are all prolific Australian songwriter and founder of The Whitlams needs to captivate the crowded Basement. Tim Freedman commands attention as soon as he walks out onto the low stage, immediately breaking out into a catchy series of chords to which most of the audience catch onto and sing along, some better than others.

Talented jazz singer Kylie Auldist performs at The Basement on the 17th of November as part of the launch of her new album "Counting On You".

While I’ll admit that the pun in the title convinced me to go as much as the idea of a night of female talent did, the abundance of the latter was the reason I stayed. Lily So & Co, Lucy B, Miss Little, and Rainbow Chan might have only played six song sets, but together these skilled women provided a great night of entertainment and variety.

Pictured: Miss Little.

Australian fans of The Fray will have the opportunity to see the band in a more personal setting when they visit Sydney to play one exclusive headline show.