News

It’s become pretty much the norm these days, but WAM (West Australian Music) are taking the Awards Party for their 2020 Song of the Year competition online this year. The virtual awards party will be coming to you live from WAM’s Facebook page, this Wednesday, July 29th from 7:30pm (AWST). With Odette Mercy on MC duties,…

It was announced earlier this week that the 5th Annual National Live Music Awards would be returning in 2020, delivering an event on October 20th at The Triffid in Brisbane – as part of the opening night festivities at BIGSOUND. The event, which normally holds 8 events around the country, will only hold the one…

The lineup for the rescheduled Yours & Owls Festival has been announced, and it’s an absolute belter. To ensure that the lineup stays as advertised, the festival is ‘staying local’, with the best of Australia and New Zealand showcased at this postponed edition of Y&O. The organisers have stated that they will be working with…

In what is great news for the music industry in Australia, the organisers of BIGSOUND have confirmed that the 2020 edition will proceed. This will be sixth edition of this important showcase of the best and brightest of emerging talent within the music industry. BIGSOUND will be held again in Fortitude Valley, over a condensed…

Today the nominations for this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards were announced, with Miiesha and Baker Boy leading the way with three nominations apiece.  The awards, with their sizeable geographic and genre range, honour the best of First Nations musical talent. The twenty-four finalists are spread across seven categories and represent a diverse and rich…

It’s been announced today that Cannot Buy My Soul, the seminal Kev Carmody tribute album first released in 2007, is set to be re-released. Out on August 21st, the 2020 edition will feature new recordings of Carmody’s songs from artists such as Courtney Barnett, Kate Miller-Heidke, Alice Skye and Electric Fields.  Carmody is one of…

As live music slowly crawls back to the fore, a total of six “Unplugged & Intimate” Sydney shows have been announced by DMA’S. The four-time ARIA-nominees and constant hitmakers will be highlighting forthcoming third album The Glow, giving fans in their hometown the chance to be the very first in the world to hear the…

With the launch of The Last of Us Part II in Australia today, PlayStation have roped in Australian muso Tash Sultana to cover one of the game’s most haunting tracks. The song, Through The Valley, was originally recorded by Shawn James. It was later featured as an in-character cover by Last of Us 2 star Ashley Johnson…

Since the world has gone into isolation, we’ve been enjoying a plethora of never-before-seen live streams coming online. For the last 11 weeks, the Portland festival Pickathon have been releasing new videos daily on YouTube, raising money for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. One of the best performances is Nathaniel Rateliff, performing solo at the festival’s incredible…

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) held their 9th annual Libera Awards digitally today, out of New York City, “the largest Independent music award show in the world.”. The event capped off days of panels and one-on-one meetings as part of “IndieWeek”, which moved onto a digital platform for the 2020 event. The awards…

Our entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit by social distancing practices, but with restrictions loosening, it’s time to bounce back. Many of our favourite artists have responded with innovation: live-streaming their performances, actively engaging with their fans on Instagram, and even hosting online parties. However, nothing beats going to a gig, feeling…

It’s been a sad (though perhaps inevitable) run of news this week for some of our favourite music festivals. Billboard are reporting that iconic Californian Festival Coachella are set to officially cancel their rescheduled 2020 dates, along with their sister festival Stagecoach. This follows on from Splendour in the Grass in Australia, who officially announced…

Following the cancellation of Primavera Sound 2020 and the announcement its accompanying conference Primavera Pro would move online, today Primavera Sound Barcelona is gearing up for 2021, by announcing the first 100 acts set to play what will now be the festival’s 20th anniversary event. The event will take the #bestfestivalforever theme that the 2020…

Duo Hockey Dad have found a novel way of launching a new album. They will be launching their new LP Brain Candy at the Bulli Showground in Wollongong, on the 31st July. The album will be played in full, including  “I Missed Out”, “Itch” and “In This State”. The night will be similar in style…

Sitting alongside one of the world’s best music festivals, Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Primavera Pro has spent the last decade growing into a leading industry conference that leveraged the large amount of industry that was finding its way through the city to attend the iconic festival – which was supposed to celebrate its 20th anniversary…

It’s been ten years since the legendary Ghostface Killah jumped on Twitter one day and started letting loose a stream of personal hygiene tips for his followers, one of the first public statements that Wu-Tang Clan is deadly serious when it comes to not just protecting your neck, but your wellbeing. Now, the hip hop…

Radiohead frontman and all-round brilliant person Thom Yorke now has his very own radio station as one of the first programs as part of new streaming service Sonos Radio. Over 60,000 radio stations will feature on the platform, as well as dedicated artist stations, which is where Yorke comes in, curating songs along the simple…

Established in 2002, The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is the world’s largest international songwriting competition, and in 2019 it received over 18,000 entries from 140 countries. And this year, the ISC has bestowed its highest honor to Australian artist and songwriter Tones And I for the song “Dance Monkey.” The Grand Prize consists of $25,000…

The organisers of Falls Festival have announced that the December 20/ January 21 edition will be limited to an All-Australian lineup. Recognising the uncertainty that awaits us in the recovery phase from Covid-19, they have made the decision to ‘go local’ to provide some certainty to the lineup. Jess Ducrou and Paul Piticco, co-producers of…

Amidst the COVID-19 quarantine, musicians have been left practically and financially uncertain, losing a substantial portion of their income having lost the ability to play live shows. Thankfully, new opportunities are popping up, and in a time where the touring industry has been effectively made redundant, the music industry has found a new way to…

We were lucky enough to attend our first Folk Alliance this year in New Orleans; held in late January, the event was held shortly after the first case of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the United States. But the thought that the event in the following year, which had been scheduled for February in Kansas…

90s alt rock festival Spring Loaded has today announced a new date for its Sydney event. Grinspoon and Frenzel Rhomb will now tear up The Lawn at Royal Randwick on November 7th. Original tickets will remain valid. A new date for the Bribie Island event, set to take place at Sandstone Point Hotel, will be…

Although legendary festival Coachella may not be around for its usual April timestamp, an important part of the event’s history will still be taking place this month. Postponed until October, due to COVID-19, those with tickets to the annual pilgrimage may have to wait a few more months before giving themselves over to what many…

Indie record stores across Australia, like so many retailers, are doing it tough at the moment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The postponement of Record Store Day, often those stores biggest trading day of the year, until later in the year will only have added to the pressures. Independent record stores, along with our live…

With the COVID-19 shutdown bringing the arts industry to a standstill, there are plenty of ways you can help out those affected by the current crisis. The first port of call for the Australian music scene is the Sounds of Silence website – an industry initiative to bring together various industry bodies to collate efforts…

Virtual music festivals are fast becoming the norm in this time of covid-19 and social distancing, so it’s only right that one of the most famous live music destinations in the world jumps on board. The city of Memphis has today announced a digitised festival to bring entertainment and stress relief to those around the…

Taking place entirely on social media, ISOL-AID has been speedily pulled together with a cracking Aussie line-up to adapt to a post-covid world. As the coronavirus continues to decimate industries around the world, the live music scene has been dramatically effected due to the understandable need to practice strict social distancing. In a bid to…

If you haven’t heard yet, the fusion pop-punk-emo band from Boston, Boys Like Girls is returning to Australia, after almost a decade, to perform a national tour. After forming the band in 2005, the success of their self-titled album in 2006 spread across the world leading with their smash hit singles ‘The Great Escape’ and…

Glitoris are a political punk rock outfit, known for their strong political stances, and phenomenal high-energy performances. Their latest release “Slut Power” is a powerful call to arms against the scourge of violence against women. It is International Women’s Day today, and Glitoris have chosen to mark the day with the release of their manifesto. It…

House, blues, hip hop, gospel, and just about every other culturally important form of music you can think of. It’s all in the Windy City. And it’s everywhere, and anywhere, as it should be. Chicago is one of the most sacred cities in the world when it comes to music history. From legendary jazz clubs…