BIGSOUND returns for its 12th year in 2013 and tonight, they have revealed the first lot of artists and industry professionals set to perform and speak at the music conference in Brisbane later in the year. The September 11-13 event will be represented by some of the best in the international and local market, with the following artists set to perform, with more still to be announced:

Xavier Rudd
Washington
The John Steel Singers
Bleeding Knees Club
Stonefield
The Jungle Giants
Spit Syndicate
Dune Rats
Clubfeet
Thelma Plum
Citizen Kay
Little Bastard

Industry professionals and musicians set to engage in discussion throughout BIGSOUND are set to provide quite the riveting discussion this year - the first announcement is below:

Billy Bragg (UK)
Amanda Palmer (US)
Kasey Chambers (AUS)
Regurgitator (AUS)
Simon Raymonde - Bella Union (UK)
John Watson - John Watson Management/Eleven Music (AUS)
Brad Jones - Producer (US)
Matt McDonald - CMJ (US)
Nic Warnock - RIP Society (AUS)
Grimur Atalson - Iceland Airwaves (ICELAND)
Chloe Goodyear - Woodford (AUS)
Billy Jones - Pianos (USA)

Early bird tickets for BIGSOUND are available through www.qmusic.com.au/bigsound/2013 from May 20, while BIGSOUND Live passes are available in June.

Despite winter insistently creeping through the last cracks of summer the word on the street is JOY and the streets are paved with GOLD. News from Vance Joy, JOY 94.9 and Laine Lane and The Amity Affliction go gold.

VANCE JOY SIGNS TO ATLANTIC RECORDS

Riding the last ripples of the wave of his sold out Australian EP tour, Vance Joy is welcomed into the bosom of iconic label Atlantic Records. The label will release Joy’s ‘God Loves You When You’re Dancing’ internationally over the course of the next few months. The album has already had plenty of local love since its release here in March with airplay of single Riptide being favourited by stations nationwide. You can spot him live at Splendour In The Grass this year or while he’s supporting Bernard Fanning on his Departures tour.

LOUD, HARD, GOLD – THE AMITY AFFLICTION HAVE THE MIDAS TOUCH

Local hardcore act The Amity Affliction have debuted at #1 position on the ARIA charts with third studio album ‘Chasing Ghosts’ and officially gone gold in Australia. This is the first time a local hardcore band has taken out the honour and has caused excited surprise amongst industry folk. On the live scene they have seen a lot of action during the summer finishing off their national headlining tour, as well as playing Soundwave, and now they’re off to the US.

LET JOY REIGN OVER YOUR RADIO

Imagine a world without joy? Pretty miserable innit. Well to prevent such a tragedy from happening turn on your radio and tune into JOY 94.9. Joy is Melbourne’s local gay and lesbian community station which, like most community radio stations are completely funded by the public and in struggle town because of all the stupid funding cuts. Boo. Joy is launching a week-long membership drive in June and kicking action off with Radiothon “Joy to the World” on May 31.

www.joy.org.au

LANIE LANE TAKES ‘TO THE HORSES’ TO GOLD

In the midst of her already glowing success Lanie Lane has taken it to the next level with her debut album ‘To The Horses’ announced as achieving gold status this week. The record released via Ivy League Records is a tale of love, heartache, and celebration all performed with Lane’s unique sound with the support of her equally talented band. Of the achievement she says:

“It's a massive achievement to receive a gold record, and it gives all the people involved a chance to acknowledge and reflect on their hard work. My bandmates, management, everyone involved in recording, mixing and mastering, Ivy League & Mushroom Group are all an integral part of everything I do. This would not have happen without their passion, skills and dedication! I am so grateful and very proud of everyone. I also thank profusely all the people who bought the album. You are the ones who make it all worth it; I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it!”

Record numero two is on its way later on this year.

BASS, PHONES, AND HARMONY

Tired of all those derelict kids playing music through the tiny tinny speakers on their pay-as-you-go phones? Well HTC are looking to make that a thing of the past with their new phone the HTC One and to make sure the message gets across loud and crystal clear they have teamed up with The Temper Trap and Birds of Tokyo as well as Speaker TV to bring us LIVE@HTC. The bands, along with special guests, will be playing shows along the East coast in May with more acts to be announced.

THE TEMPER TRAP @ THE HI-FI BRISBANE – MAY 6
W/ SPECIAL GUESTS YESYOU & EMERSONE SNOWE
SOLD OUT
BIRDS OF TOKYO @ THE HI-FI MELBOURNE – MAY 22
W/ SPECIAL GUESTS ASTA & ALL THE COLOURS
TICKETS AVAILABLE: http://bit.ly/YrAMaF
BIRDS OF TOKYO @ THE HI-FI MELBOURNE – MAY 23
W/ SPECIAL GUESTS ASTA & ALL THE COLOURS
TICKETS AVAILABLE: http://bit.ly/ZpoZPb

GOODBYE BROZMAN

We pay tribute this week to Vale Bob Brozman, legend and master of the steel guitar and influential figure in the Blues and Roots world. Brozman left this world aged 59 on April 23, 2013. The artist was known for incorporating styles from across the globe into his music and transforming the traditional boundaries of music.

ARIA CHART MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Well Passenger has been knocked off the pedestal this week on the singles chart by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams with single ‘Get Lucky’. It’s no wonder really with all the hype around their anticipated new album. And what’s this? Michael Buble, takes number one on the albums chart with ‘To Be Loved’.

ARIA Albums Chart
1. Michael Buble ‘To Be Loved’
2. ShockOne ‘Universus’ (debut)
3. Bruno Mars ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’
4. Flume ‘Flume’
5. Jason Owen ‘Life Is A Highway’ (debut)

ARIA Singles Chart
1. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams ‘Get Lucky’
2. Passenger ‘Let Her Go’
3. Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell ‘Blurred Lines’
4. Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding ‘I Need Your Love’
5. Paramore ‘Still Into You’

Anniversary celebrations are coming up for both the iconic Hottest 100 and the legendary FBi Radio this month, and Laneway has unveiled its lineup for the Detroit leg of the festival. Also new signings, a new short-form record label named after an obscure webcomic (as far as we can tell), and a great opportunity for songwriters. Here is the industry news for the last week!

Hottest 100 Turns Twenty

This year, Triple J's massive yearly music poll is celebrating its 20th birthday, and wants everyone to share in the birthday gifts. Starting from Tuesday, Australian music fans will have 20 days to vote for their favourite songs of the last 20 years, and a few lucky fans will be given the chance to fly anywhere around the world to see their favourite artist of the last 20 years play. Voting can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/alltime/20years/voting/, as can hints, tips, tricks, and tid bits from the last 20 years of the Hottest 100.

Detroit Laneway Lineup Announced

Remember a few weeks ago when everyone was talking about Laneway's American debut? Well, the line up for the Detroit edition of Laneway has just been released. The festival will be headlines by Sigur Ros and The National, who will be joined by almost two dozen acts, including Solange, Deerhunter, Icona Pop, and My Brightest Diamond. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 18th, Detroit local Time.

Dew Process Signs London Grammar

In the latest round of Dew Process signings, the label has announced the addition of British three piece London Grammar to their line up. Australian fans have been hounding the band's social pages for an Australian release, and this Friday the 17th of May, their prayers will be answered. Their four-track EP, Metal & Dust, featuring the track 'Hey Now', will receive an Australian release through Dew Process this week.

FBi Radio Wants To Be Your Friend

FBi Radio is launching a series of fundraisers – collectively titled All Our Friends – around Sydney in celebration of their tenth anniversary this year. Running from June 14th to July 27th, the seminal Sydney radio station is joining together heroes of the Sydney music scene such as Astral People, Popfrenzy Records, and Broken Stone Records to curate a series of fundraisers showcasing the strength, depth, and diversity of the Sydney music scene. Visit www.fbiradio.com for more information.

APRA Songwriting Contest Now Open

APRA|AMCOS has announced the the opening of the 2013 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, with a prize worth $50,000. The entry fee for this unique charity competition is $50 AUD per song, and all proceeds go directly to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. So if you want to help a worthy cause and perhaps join such Vanda & Young alums as Kimbra and Megan Washington (with an extra $50,000 in your pocket), check out www.apra-amcos.com.au for more details.

Say Hello To Nook Nook

Everybody say a big hello to Australia's newest short-format introduction label, Nook Nook Records. The new imprint of Create/Control aims to uncover and release short-form (EP) releases from Australia and around the world, helping to introduce talented up and coming artists from Australia and around the world to the Australian public. The first two releases on the new label are the debut single, 'Pilgrim', from glitch-pop outfit MØ, and LA-based duo Bom Bom's EP (title TBA).

The National Indigenous Music Awards have announced that the legendary Yothu Yindi will be celebrated at this year's ceremony. Along with some top performances by some of our best indigenous acts, the NIMA's will be dedicating the event to the iconic musical group and their legacy.

Says Music NT's Manager Mark Smith:
"It’s a very exciting time with so many Indigenous artists doing so well. We are talking to a number of indigenous artists and they all want to jump on stage to be a part of this historical NIMA concert. With so many artists across the country we look forward to an amazing celebration of Yothu Yindi and the bands legacy."

The full line up for the ceremony is to be revealed in June, but for now, it has been announced that some of the original members of Yothu Yindi will perform, as well as Kutcha Edwards. Triple J's Unearthed program has also launched a competition where, for the second time, the station will be looking for the freshest sound in Indigenous music - like Thelma Plum before them, the winning act will perform at the ceremony.

The NIMA's will be held at the Darwin Ampitheatre on August 10. Head to www.nima.com.au for more information.

For the fist time ever for Digital & Music Matters, YouTube in conjunction with their partner HP will be bringing the stars of YouTube to the conference held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia in Singapore on the evening of 20-21 May.

A two-night live YouTube showcase featuring a star-studded roster of 20 breakout artists with over a BILLION followers. The YouTube FanFest with HP is designed to give fans and the digital media industry an opportunity to get up close and personal with the stars who are succeeding in the digital space.

The scheduled performers include the following:

Monday 20th May
Steph Micayle
Mychonny
Namewee
Cooking with Dog
HIKAKIN
David Choi
Natalie Tran (via Google Hangout)
Mighty Car Mods
Chester See

Tuesday 21st May
Joseph Vincent
The Viral Fever
Eat Your Kimchi
GAC
Nicko's Kitchen
Dome Pakorn Lam
Boyce Avenue
Ryan Higa
Little Boots

Check out all the details at www.youtubefanfest.com/

Over the past 10 years, FBi Radio has been the launchpad for many burgeoning Sydney artists and has continued to foster a creative and supportive networks for the artistic community. The station is proud to announce a series of fundraisers called 'All Our Friends', a run of gigs which are set to celebrate a decade on air.

Personally selecting some of its favourite crews and friends to help curate the shows, the 'All Our Friends' shows will see the likes of Future Classic, Astral People, Rice Is Nice and Popfrenzy Records take part in presenting some killer gigs.

FBi 94.5 - 'ALL OUR FRIENDS' FUNDRAISING SERIES

June 14 - Curated by Future Classic & Astral People
GoodGod Small Club // $15 or $10 (FBi Supporters)

Panama
Cosmo's Midnight
Rainbow Chan & Moon Holiday
Victoria Kim
Future Classic DJs
Astral DJs

June 21 - Curated by FBi & Broken Stone Records
Oxford Art Factory // $15 or $10 (FBi Supporters)

Special Guest Headliner
Step-Panther
Palms
Bloods
Caitlin Park
Melodie Nelson
Magnetic Heads
Sister Jane
Catcall (DJ set)

June 22 Oxford Art Factory // $15 or $10 (FBi Supporters)

Richard in Your Mind
Day Ravies
Unity Floors
SPOD
Donny Benet
Shady Lane
Alyx Dennison (Kyu)
Straight Arrow DJs
Adults

June 27 - Curated by Modular & FBi
Oxford Art Factory // $15 or $10 (FBi Supporters)

Special guest TBA
Movement
Softwar
Wordlife
Slow Blow
Club Mod DJs

This week we say farewell to a legend, breathe life into the forgotten stomping grounds of St Kilda, and celebrate the birthday of an industry icon. Here is this week’s news.

FAREWELL TO ‘THE DOORS’ FOUNDER RAY MANZAREK
One of the most prolific bands of last century – controversial, poetic, and enduring – The Doors has lost their founding member, keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Sadly he passed through this world late last night after a battle with bile duct cancer. His legacy will persevere through the music he created with Jim Morrision which to date has seen them achieve 19 Gold, 14 Platinum, and 5 multi-platinum albums just in the US.

Industry heavyweight Kevin Gore, President and CEO of Rhino Entertainment and Warner Music Global said this of the departure –

The Rhino family is devastated to hear about the loss of our dear friend Ray Manzarek. Ray’s astounding talent and deep passion have been a perpetual positive presence around Elektra Records, and then Warner Music, since The Doors’ debut in 1967. Ray was a true music pioneer and composed songs that were so undeniable and profound that they continue to resonate today with fans around the world. His music and legacy will surely be celebrated for generations to come. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Dorothy and family in this time and encourage anyone wishing to pay memorial to Ray to make a donation in his name at www.standup2cancer.org .”

THE SOUTH IS RISING! THE ST KILDA RENAIISANCE BEGINS

Alas, I hardly ever go South. It’s like a foreign land – lots of gelato, palm trees, and singleted folk. Amidst all of this tropical splendour though are the forgotten art deco ruins where once music was played in reverie and people from suburbs near and far would come and revel.

This week has seen the music world band together to stop a loved establishment from ruin. Pure Pop Records both a record store and venue faced the wrecking ball on account of council noise regulations (boo, hiss) and complaining neighbours (hiss, boo). The place is run by the son of AC/DC’s Bon Scott (RIP) and was saved by the aid and protestations of the likes of Tim Rogers, Paul Kelly, Gotye, and Ella Hooper who advocated the campaign to ‘Buy a Brick’ to help re-establish the venue. Raising $55,000 the proceeds will go towards soundproofing the building.

What’s more the beautiful St Kilda Memo will soon be hosting regular gigs and other venues worth checking out and supporting include The Prince Public Bar, St Kilda Bowling club and underground Saloon Bar at The George.
Go. Be a patron. Affect change.

THE CAT EMPIRE EATS THE ITUNES WORLD CHARTS

Nom, nom, nom. The brilliant talent of Cat Empire has taken a firm grasp of the world with the release of their new album “Steal the Light”. On the iTunes world charts the album has achieved #2 on the Australian chart, #5 in Canada, #19 in Switzerland, #20 in Germany, #20 in Holland, #25 in South Africa, #26 in the UK, #40 in Austria, #53 in France and #80 in Belgium!

The film clip from title track also Steal the Light premiered recently on Channel [V] and showcases Melbourne’s skyline. The video, filmed on the same night as the city’s White Night extravaganza, is a mere Polaroid of the energy and vigour they bring to the stage for their live performances.
Touring off the back of the album launch, eagerly awaiting fans can see the six-piece live for themselves as they traverse the nation.

AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2013
Adelaide: 6th Sep @ Thebarton Theatre
Perth: 7th Sep @ Red Hill
Darwin: 8th Sep @ Discovery
Melbourne: 12th Sep @ The Forum
Melbourne: 13th Sep @ The Forum
Canberra: 19th Sep @ UC Refectory
Sydney: 20th Sep @ The Enmore
Sydney: 21st Sep @ The Enmore
Brisbane: 27th Sep @ Tivoli
Brisbane: 28th Sep @ Tivoli

AUSTRALIA COUNCIL CHAMPION S CREATIVE FREEDOM FOR ARTISTS

It’s a tough and dedicated life as an artist. All the noodles and cheap wine are of no consequence when you have staunchly made a conviction to creativity. It’s admirable at the least as most of us, though we hate to admit it, are desk jockeys. I think it is also easy to criticise the government on the part that they play in society but in comparison to most countries, one thing we can say about our politics is that it stands by and supports artists to a far greater extent.

The Australia Council have announced their choices for this year’s recipients for the second annual Australia Council Creative Australia Fellowships. Originally only designating five fellowships, the judges were so impressed by the calibre and quality of the applicants that they decided to dish out a further six awards.
The recipients span across all genres from dance, installation, photography, composition and animation.

The government. They care: "The Fellowships are an investment in the long term sustainability of each artists’ career. So from the perspective of the Australia Council, this is an investment in the future of art."– Mr Rupert Myer, Australia Council Chair.

SPOTIFY RELEASES FIRST YEAR FIGURES

So music streaming. How about 42.5 million hours of music streaming? Well that’s the figure that Spotify has recently announced on how many hours Australian listeners have clocked to date since the online giants swooped into the Oz market. That marks the first 12mths in their pacific romance and it seems that we have taken to the service like antennae to reception. Local artists that took centre stage included Flume, Tame Impala, and The Rubens while overall Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Florence + The Machine and Rihanna took out the top spots.

THIS WEEKS ARIA CHART MOVERS AND STAYERS

Well for the first time this year the top five in the singles charts has remained the same two consecutive weeks in a row with Robin Thicke feat. T.I & Pharrell with Blurred Lines hold on to number one. All the while Michael Buble is holding tight at number one on the albums chart with “To Be Loved”.

ARIA Top 5 Singles
1. Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell ‘Blurred Lines’
2. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams ‘Get Lucky’
3. Passenger ‘Let Her Go’
4. Jason Derulo ‘The Other Side’
5. Bastille ‘Pompeii’

ARIA Top 5 Albums
1. Michael Buble ‘To Be Loved’
2. Ricky Martin ‘Greatest Hits’
3. Agnetha Faltskog ‘A’ (debut)
4. Original Soundtrack ‘The Great Gatsby’ (debut)
5. Bruno Mars ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’

Okay, welcome to this week! APRA Music Award Nominees have been announced, so congrats to all of them. Signings, releases, and ARIA news abounds, of course, and in case anyone was wondering - yes, Daft Punk is doing well.

UNFD Announce Equal Vision Partnership
Aussie record label UNFD (We Are Unified) has just announced a new partnership with iconic American label Equal Vision. From now on UNFD will be distributing, marketing and promoting Equal Vision's new releases as well as relaunching a selection of their back catalogue. UNFD has already released Say Anything's three disc rarities collection, and the rest of 2013 will see many more records from Equal Vision's impressive roster.

The Almost Sign to Shock Records
Aaron Gillespie (of Underoath fame) and his alt-rock cohorts in The Almost have signed to Shock Records in anticipation of their new album Fear Inside Our Bones. Does anyone else remember listening to these guys back in high school? They were pretty good back then, it'll be interesting to hear what their next album sounds like. Best of luck.

APRA Music Award Nominees Announced
Are you into talented musicians patting each other on the back for managing to make it in Australia's small music industry? Then this news is for you. APRA has released its list of songwriters nominated for the 2013 APRA Music Awards. The talent-filled list includes Tame Impala, Seth Sentry, Mia Dyson, and Ash Grunwald. The awards are being held Monday June 17th at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, hosted by Jonathan Biggins and Clare Bowditch.

Disclosure Remixed
UK electro-siblings Disclosure are ramping up the hype in advance of their debut record Settle this Friday the 31st of May. The young producer duo have released a series of remixes of their lead single 'You & Me (ft. Eliza Doolittle)' in order to psych up the fan base. Is there seriously an artist called Eliza Doolittle? That is seriously cool, props to her. Anyway, look out for Disclosure's debut this weekend, and check out the lead single now.

Daft Punk Rules The Album Charts
Did anyone not expect Daft Punk's latest album Random Access Memories to get to number one sharpish? I seriously hope no one is betting against Daft Punk, because that is a sure loss. Anyway, unsurprisingly, Daft Punk's highly anticipated album Random Access Memories hit number one on the ARIA album charts this week, to the shock of nobody. By all accounts, it's a pretty great album. Indie alt-country darlings The National'sTrouble Will Find Me came in, followed by The Cat Empire'sSteal The Light at number three and 30 Seconds To Mars'Love Lust Faith + Dreams at number four. Other highlights include Jinja Safari's self-titled album, debuting at number twenty-seven and Escape The Fate's (are there any original members left in this band?) Ungrateful at thirty-four.

Robin Thicke Back For A Third Week
Robin Thicke's track 'Blurred Lines' (feat. T.I. & Pharrell) is hanging on to the top spot on the ARIA charts for the third week in a row and is still getting stronger. In fourth place is Bastille's'Pompeii' followed by Harrison Craig (of The Voice, apparently) at six with 'Can't Help Falling In Love With You'. So there you have it. Go forth and buy music, good AU Readers.

Today, MusicNT released it's first lot of details regarding the 2013 intune Darwin music conference. The biggest music conference in the region is taking place from June 21-22 this year and will be featuring some of the best and sharpest minds in the Australian industry.

Just SOME of the names headed to the NT this month include Adalita, Bliss from Bliss n Eso, plus representatives from the Big Day Out, Universal Music and Sounds Australia. The conference will see these industry members sharing their knowledge with local musicians in the NT, in response to the growth and strength the local scene is clearly undergoing at present.

AMRAP will be hosting a community radio session in terms of how it supports local music on a national level, while the official launch of the Association of Artist Managers NT Chapterplus a Live Music Summit to be faciliated by Dr Ianto Ware from Sounds Australia is also set to go down over the weekend.

To register, visit www.intunedarwin2013.eventbrite.com. Head to www.intunedarwin.musicnt.com.au.

2013 intune darwin Music Conference
June 21-22, Darwin Convention Centre

Round One Speaker Announcement

Adalita - Artist, Magic Dirt
Adam Jankie - Illusive Entertainment
Alicia Kish - Sounds Australia
Anne-Marie Middlemast - ABC Darwin|Off The Leash
Bec Young - Artist Voice
Brooke Olsen - AMRAP (Australian Music Radio Airplay Project)
Caiti Baker - Artist, Sietta
Caroline Gates - FBi Radio
Catherine Haridy - Catherine Haridy Management
Clara Iaccarino - Artist Manager, Mama Kin & Tinpan Orange
Courtney Barnett - Milk Records!
Heath Johns - Universal Music Publishing
Dr Ianto Ware - Sounds Australia
Jack Tinapple - Powerfunk Records
Jane Gazzo - MAX TV, Foxtel
Jen Cloher - Artist, I Manage My Music
Joanna Cameron - AIR
Johanna Greenway - Big Day Out
Jonathan Notley - Artist, Bliss n Eso
Kirsty Rivers - APRA
Lynne Small - PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Aus)
Mark Smith - MusicNT|Artist Manager, Sietta & Damn Moroda
Matt Bern - Territory FM
Meg Williams - AAM (Association of Artist Managers)
Owen McKern - PBS 106.7FM
Rowan Robinson - Ten To Two Records|No Dice Artist Management
Russell Temple - Promoter, BASSINTHEGRASS
Scot Crawford - Pledge Music
Stephen Green - Australian Music Biz
Stephen King - Media Arts Lawyers|INK Publishing
Vanessa Hutchins - Artback NT

Do you like Spotify but wish it had more Siri? Then hold onto your hats, because here comes iTunes Radio! Also, the Hottest 100 of the last 20 years announced, House vs Hurricane calls it quits, and Robin Thicke hangs on at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart. Welcome to this week in the industry.

Apple Announces iTunes Radio

Do you love Spotify but wish it was a little more apple-flavoured? Well then you're in luck – say hello to iTunes Radio. The consumer electronic giant Apple (you may have heard of them?) announced this week that they'll be launching the service, which includes radio stations tailored to your iTunes listening habits, in the American 'Fall' (so, our Spring). The service will run kind of like Spotify and other subscription radio services – it'll be free as long as you don't mind being interrupted with ads, and iTunes Match subscribers (iTunes match costs about $25 USD per year) will have an ad free service plus extras. Also, it'll be Siri integrated so you get to talk to your cool personal robot secretary while you tell her to play a radio station based off your favourite songs, and that will never not be cool.

Triple J Hottest One Hundred Writing On The (Wonder) Wall

Did you vote in the Triple J Hottest 100 of the last 20 years? Did you vote for 'Wonderwall'? Because apparently most of the country did. Australia's favourite song of the last 20 years is Oasis' iconic Brit-Pop hit. It was a little bit surprising at first, but then again, have you ever a met a person who could stop themselves humming this song when they heard it? It's a genuinely good song. The rest of the top five included 'Seven Nation Army' (The White Stripes) at number 2, Jeff Buckley's'Last Goodbye' at number 3, Adelaide's own Hilltop Hoods at number 4 with 'Nosebleed Section', and The Verve's'Bittersweet Symphony' at number 5.

House vs Hurricane Call It Quits

Melbourne band House vs Hurricane announced this week that they've decided to go their separate ways. The band still plans to tour with I Killed The Prom Queen and Buried In Verona later this month, as well as playing the River Sessions Festival in Mackay. As of right now, these are the band's last shows, so if you're a House vs Hurricane fan you'd best get to one of these shows and say goodbye. Good luck with whatever endeavours the members of House vs Hurricane decide to take up next, it's a loss for the Australian music scene for sure.

WAM Song Of The Year Competition Now Open

The Western Australian Music Industry Association's annual song competition Song Of The Year is now open to WA songwriters who feel like they're talented enough to share some of the $35,000 worth of prizes. Do you think that's you? If so, check out www.wam.asn.au/songoftheyear. Good luck!

Robin Thicke Still At Number One

Robin Thicke's track 'Blurred Lines' (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) is sitting pretty in the top spot of the ARIA Charts for the fifth week in a row – impressive. The rest of this week's top 5 looks pretty familiar with Passenger's'Let Her Go' at number 2 and Daft Punk (featuring Pharrell Williams) at number 3 with 'Get Lucky'. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu's song 'Bayini (Live)', featuring Delta Goodrem & Musicians Of The Sydney Symphony, debuted at number 4, and Bastille's'Pompeii' closes out the top 5. Over in the album charts, Queens Of The Stone Age's...Like Clockwork debuted at number 1, displacing Daft Punk'sRandom Access Memories, which fell to number 2. The Great Gatsby Soundtrack is at number 3. City and Colour'sThe Hurry and the Harm and Disclosure'sSettle debuted at number 4 and number 5 respectively.

Australian artists wishing to apply to attend the 2014 SXSW conference and festival have the opportunity to submit their details earlier. The organisers of SXSW have acknowledged the extra costs, time and distance that Australian applicants deal with each year, having to travel the longest distance to attend.

Applications for Australians will be opening from July 9 this year and are to be done online with an EPK via http://sonicbids.com - through here, the artists are allowed to upload recordings, bios, press material and more. Artists will be charged $33 from July 9, $45 on September 6, and will be closing a month earlier than normal, on October 11. Delegates registration is open from August 1.

SXSW - 2014 Dates

Interactive: March 7-11

Film: March 7-15

Music: March 11-16

This week in the industry, the Annandale Hotel will keep it's doors open to musicians for a while longer yet, a few more local bands are getting their break overseas, and Nickelodeon brings back Slimefest, their festival for the tween set. All this and more in this week's State of Affairs. Enjoy, and have a good week.

Annandale To Keep Rocking

Dan and Matt Rule of the Annandale Hotel announced today that the new owners of the legendary venue – The Oscars Group – are intending to keep the live music aspect of the hotel running after it changes hands on July 31st. The Annandale Hotel is often at the centre of fears regarding the continued existence of homegrown Australian venues as the music and the news that one of our greatest rock venues will keep it's doors open to musicians for the foreseeable future. So do yourself (and the Annandale) a favour get out there and support our local venues and bands!

The Falls Sign US Deal

Sydney indie duo The Falls have signed American booking and management deals off the back of their SXSW showcases in Austin, Texas. The pair are being managed by Evan Winkler of Creed and Co and are being booked by Jefferey Azoff and Lee Goforth at Creative Artist Agency (CAA). Closer to home, The Falls have signed to Artist Voice over here in Australia, joining artists such as Matt Corby, Chet Faker, and Angus & Julia Stone.

Big Time Rush Rushing Sydney This September

Nickelodeon's kid-friendly gross-fest Slimefest returns this year with Nickelodeon's very own boy band Big Time Rush (they have their own TV show, kind of like The Jonas Brothers but for the Nick Channel, and I am far too old to know nay of this). The tween sensations are appearing alongside Aussie singer Guy Sebastian. The festival will be held on 27th of September at the Sydney Olympic Park, so prepare to be dragged along by your little sister I guess.

sleepmakeswaves Gets Released Overseas

Sydney post-rockers sleepmakeswaves have licensed UK based Monotreme Records to release their ARIA-nominated album ...and so we destroyed everything, along with the remix album ...and then they remixed everything (wow, these guys hate capital letters), overseas. The album was originally released through Australian independent label Bird's Robe Records in 2011. The remix half of the two CD deluxe edition (...and then they remixed everything) features artists such as 65daysofstatic, Rosetta, Kyson, and Klue. Sleepmakeswaves has also announced an Australia-wide tour and will announce further international tour information before they get stuck in to their next album.

Peter Garrett To Give Keynote Address On Digital Entertainment

Australian rock legend and Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth Peter Garrett (you know, from Midnight Oil) is set to give the keynote address at the inaugural event for TILT (Tomorrow's Ideas Leading Today), an initiative of The Australian Institute of Learning (AIM). The event, which takes place on July 5th and the AIM in Surry Hills, brings together some of the best minds in Australian entertainment to discuss the future of the industry in the face of rapidly changing technology, especially the digitisation of the industry. Let's hope they have nice things to say about music websites!

Robin Thicke Won't Go away

Kidding, kidding of course, but seven weeks is a decent amount of time to stay at the top of the charts. That's right, Robin Thicke's single 'Blurred Lines' (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) has clung on to the top spot on the ARIA charts for the seventh week in a row. In other chart news, Ricky Martin's single 'Come With Me' has debuted at number three on the charts this week, and Daft Punk's'Get Lucky' (featuring Pharrell Williams) is hanging around at number four.

Details of the second Electronic Music Conference have emerged today, including a venue change, new dates and an expanded program for attendees to get amongst. The conference will held at Carriageworks in Sydney this year, providing a base for one of the most innovative and unique electronic music conferences in the world.

Carriageworks is set to host a series of panels, production masterclasses, exhibitions and much, much more. The conference will also be utilising some of Sydney's best music venues, with a series of opening and closing events, as well as the return of the EMC Emerging Artists Showcase, which was a massive hit in 2012. The December run conference's theme for 2013 is 'Asia in Focus', with the spotlight and focus particularly on Australia's place in the Asia-Pacific region.

The first round of speakers for the EMC 2013 will be announced in July, but for now, head to www.electronicmusicconference.com for more information!

BIGSOUND has continued to add some musical brilliance to their already awesome line up for 2013, with a staggering 80 artists added to the live performance line up. BIGSOUND's Live Program will be held over two nights in Fortitude Valleys, taking over 12 stages in September.

Joining the previously announced list of performers including Xavier Rudd, Megan Washington, The John Steel Singers and more, the following musicians are set to showcase their goods at the Brisbane-run event this year - check the full list out below!

Xavier Rudd
Megan Washington
The John Steel Singers

Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Darren Middleton
Natalie Pa'apa'a of Blue King Brown
Gossling
The Trouble With Templeton
Yukon Blonde
The Jungle Giants
Calling All Cars
Stonefield
Chance Waters

Bleeding Knees Club
Regular John
Clubfeet
Jonti
Thelma Plum
KINGSWOOD
Dune Rats
Eagle and the Worm
Hey Geronimo
Tigertown
The Toot Toot Toots
The Griswolds

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Grey Ghost
Diviney
Halfway
Spit Syndicate
Elizabeth Rose
Dubmarine
Davey Lane
Feelings
Sheppard
The Audreys
Cub Scouts

Surecut Kids
Tales In Space
Songs
Buchanan
Citizen Kay
Cosmo's Midnight
Them Swoops
Jess Ribeiro and the Bone Collectors
Way of the Eagle
Jeremy Neale
Little Bastard
Band of Frequencies

Lime Cordiale
Breaking Orbit
Eden Mulholland
Electric Horse
The Walking Who
Damn Terran
MT WARNING
Glass Towers
The Lazys
Bored Nothing
The Guppies
The Love Junkies

Spender
Rainy Day Women
BLOODS
JONES Jnr
Clap Clap Riot
Gay Paris
SHE REX
Money For Rope
Lanterns
The Starry Field
Patrick James
Simone and Girlfunkle

Bec and Ben
Sidney York
Mining Boom
Your Favourite Enemies
Fun Machine
The Peep Tempel
The Orbweavers
Bed Wettin' Bad Boys
Saidah Bahbah Talibah
Good Oak
Tkay Maidza
Clowns

Two Cartoons
Born Lion
Zeahorse
Mr Cassidy
Ride Into the Sun
The Sinking Teeth
Karl S. Williams
The Demon Parade
Slip-on Stereo
Willow
New Brutalists
Mustered Courage

Head to www.bigsound.org.au for information on getting your hands on passes to the event, more information on the artists set to perform and present at panels and all the good stuff!

In an Australian first, the royalty of YouTube will be converging on the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in a very special YouTube Festival. That's right - Australia is hosting a YouTube Festival, named VIDinc. This August, VIDinc will attract anywhere up to 10,000 pop culture fanatics and YouTube devotees, as they feature some of the hottest stars of the uploading platform including Jenna Marbles, Ryan Higa aka Nigahiga and Keenan Cahill!

The convention will also give fans the chance to see live performances, compete for prizes, get caught up in a frenzy only gamers understand and will gain access to some excellent, cutting edge, gadgets and accessories. For full information about the convention, head to www.vidinc.com.au.

The main event will be on August 18, while special workshops for those interested in marketing, creating and managing online content will be held at the following dates:

VIDINC - Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Saturday, August 17 - Workshops on developing video content including scripting, presenting, recording, producing and commercialising videos.

Sunday, August 18 - Entrepeneurs, students and corporates: learn online marketing and social media from experts.

In the wake of the moving memorial for Dr Yunupingu, the organisers of the 2013 National Indigenous Music Awards have revealed that they have received an overwhelming amount of calls from artists who have wanted to be involved in the special Yothu Yindi tribute that had been planned to go down at the ceremony in August.

In addition to the already planned list of performers set to pay tribute is Gurrumul Yunupingu (who rarely plays Darwin), David Gulpilil, Rrawun Maymurru, Grant Nundhirribala (Yilila), Djolpa McKenzie (Black Arm Band), Rolku Band, Kahl Wallace& Jhindu Lawrie (The Medics) with Bunna Lawrie, Jimblah, Shellie Morris, Kutcha Edwards and Dewayne Everettsmith.

The NIMA's will be broadcast to free to air channel NITV so even if you can't be at the ceremony, you can still catch the magic of the performance from home. For more information on the August 10 ceremony, head to nima.musicnt.com.au!

There's gotta be something in Brisbane's water to be producing the wealth of talent it has been over the past 12 months, with singer-songwriter Robbie Miller following Thelma Plum's lead in winning the triple j Unearthed NIMA competition for 2013!

The 24 year old, descendant of the Anangu Pitjantjara Yankunyjatjara people, hails from Biloela and is a recent graduate of QUT. With a debut EP set for release later in the year, Miller's career is only going upwards from here, we're sure of it. Miller was chosen from a pool of over 650 songs submitted by artists for this competition, a number signifying the growth in the interest of the competition and the strength of the connection the NIMA's and triple j have.

Miller will fly to Darwin for the National Indigenous Music Awards in August and perform alongside current Indigenous stars including Gurrumul, Shellie Morris, Kahl Wallace and Jhindu Lawrie from The Medics, and more. For more info, check out nima.musicnt.com.au.

The AU Review congratulates Robbie and wishes him all the best for the rest of the year to come - no doubt, like Thelma Plum before him, we'll be seeing his name around the place more from now on!

Welcome to another week of Industry News! Can you believe it's been 30 years since the ARIA charts began? Signings, ARIA charts, and competitions announcements are aplenty - and some disappointing news for Midnight Oil fans...

Brisbane Powerhouse welcomes new artistic director Kris Stewart

After directing his final Festival of Voices in Hobart, Kris Stewart has taken on the role of Artistic Director at Brisbane Powerhouse. After an international search for the role, Stewart was chosen owing to his strong industry experience, including founding Sydney Fringe Festival and New York Musical Theatre Festival as well as a role as resident director for blockbuster musical, Wicked.

Submissions now open to be included on Kiss My WAMi CD/DVD

WA’s music showcase compilation is now open for submissions for Kiss My WAMi, a four disc set comprised of the best music from WA and a DVD with local video clips. All are selected by an independent panel of music industry experts and it receives wide exposure through triple j, 96FM, NOVA 937, RTRFM and other commercial and community radio across Australia.

Midnight Oil has no plans to reform

Speculation following Peter Garrett’s resignation from politics about the reformation of Midnight Oil has been put to rest with Gary Morris, long term manager, announcing that he is relinquishing his role in the wake of this recent assumption.

“Midnight Oil’s legacy is undeniable, we have achieved great things together, there is much to be proud of in the band’s list of achievements, we are brothers in arms and I will always be there for them,” said Morris. “However in light of recent speculation as to whether the band will reconvene now that Peter is quitting the political arena, now is the time to make my own position clear as to my future involvement with Midnight Oil.”

Queenscliff Music Festival 2013 emerging artist grant applications now open

The QMF 2013 emerging artist grant, funding up to $10 000, are now open and will close on Wednesday July 31st at 5pm. The grant is a huge leg up to budding artists to start putting themselves out there with the use of these funding boost.

Avicii and P!nk top this week’s ARIA Singles and Album Charts respectively

Avicii has come in at number one on the ARIA Singles top five this week with the song, ‘Wake Me Up’, followed by OneRepublic’s ‘Counting Stars’, Robin Thicke’s relentless ‘Blurred Lines’, Lorde’s ‘The Love Club’ and Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop’, in that order.

The albums top five are as follows:
1. P!nk ‘The Truth About Love’
2. Harrison Craig ‘More Than A Dream’
3. Jay Z ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’
4. Robin Thicke ‘Blurred Lines’ (debut)
5. Bliss N Eso ‘Circus In The Sky’

The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Awards nominees announced

The Queensland Music Awards and The Courier-Mail have announced this year’s nominees for the People’s Choice Awards, a vote-driven competition that allows the public to decide. By voting, fans have the chance to win a festival prize back valued at over $2500 including passes to Splendour in the Grass, Big Day Out and many, many more of Queensland’s biggest events. Head to http://www.qmusic.com.au/index.cfm?contentID=614&articleID=10176 for more information.

BIGSOUND 2013 live artists announced, tickets on sale now!

A massive lineup of tomorrow’s hottest artists has been announced, including Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Jonti, KINGSWOOD, Darren Middleton, Gossling, Blue King Brown’s Natalie Pa’apa’a and many more. Head to www.oztix.com.au for one and two day passes on September11-12.

Deadly Awards finalists announced

The finalists for the 2013 Deadly Awards have been announced across all categories with public voting open now. ABC TV’s award-winning drama, Redfern Now is a multiple finalist and favourite across television and acting categories in the awards. To vote, head to www.deadlys.com.au/vote.

The Music Licensing Directory launches music crowdsourcing service

The Music Licensing Directory has launched a music crowdsourcing service where music supervisors, advertising agencies, production companies and individuals who need music for any purpose can launch a context and find music to license for their needs. For more information, head to www.musiclicensingdirectory.com.

The Newcastle Music Industry Forum announced

MusicNSW in partnership with the University of Newcastle Conservatorium of Music has announced that “The Newcastle Music Industry Forum” will be held for local music lovers, aspiring artists and the Newcastle music industry as a free panel at the Newcastle Conservatorium at 6.30pm, Thursday 15 August. To RSVP, email creativearts@newcastle.edu.au.

Diamond in the Rough 2013 Artist Talent Search now open (New York)

All artists on ReverbNation are eligible to submit their music at www.GypsyDiamond.com/enter to be in the running to win a record label contract, production deals, and other sponsorship prizes.

Victory Records to distribute Mutant League Records (Chicago)

Chicago-based label, Mutant League Records, has entered into a worldwide distribution agreement with Victory Records. The deal will commence with new full-length album releases from Seaway and Knuckle Punk in coming months. For more information, head to www.victoryrecords.com.

Summer Flake signs with Rice is Nice

Rice is Nice records has welcomed the Adelaide indie-pop artist, Summer Flake, set to release her debut album, You Can Have It All. To celebrate, she’s released her first single, “Blue”, which you can listen to here: http://www.riceisnice.net/news/rice-is-nice-welcomes-summer-flake/.

Details for the Art Music Awards announced

The Art Music Awards, presented by APRA and the Australian Music Centre, now in its third year, will return on Monday Augut 26 at Parade Theatre, NIDA in Sydney, hosted by James Morrison to celebrate the achievements of Australia’s outstanding talent in contemporary art, music, jazz and experimental music. For more information, head to www.apra-amcos.com.au/.

Sydney Festival’s Reconciliation Action Plan(RAP) to be launched this Friday July 26

The Sydney RAP will be launched at Sydney’s Town Hall by Reconciliation Australia’s Karen Mundine, General Manager of Communications and Strategic Directions on Friday July 26 at 9.15am.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard sign with Dot Dash/Remote Control

Record label Dot Dash/Remote Control have welcomed psychedelic-garage punk band from Melbourne, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. To celebrate, the band will release their third album, Float Along – Fill Your Lungs on September 27 this year.

In Hearts Wake join New World Artists for Australian bookings

In Hearts Wake have formed new partnerships with We Are Unified, New World Artists and Avocado Booking. These new affiliations also come with the announcement that the Byron Bay based hardcore band will tour with The Amity Affliction.

4ZZZ announces gold prizes for Radiothon 2013

4ZZZ’s annual ‘survival themed’ membership drive will be taking place from August 24 until September 2 with a stack of prizes up for grabs if you subscribe. Subscribing during the 2013 Radiothon means you’ll go in the draw to win massive prizes, such as a party and bar tab at Chilliwow, a motorized scooter, a gold pass to the Dendy and a festival pack including tickets to events like Big Day out and Soundwave.

The ARIAs celebrate 30 years of the charts

The very first chart was released on July 10, 1983, with Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at the top. Since that time ARIA has published over 1500 weekly ARIA Charts, resulting in 440 #1 Singles, 527 #1 Albums and in the process became the country’s authoritative guide to the music that the Australian public are buying and listening to each week. In thirty years of ARIA Charts history, Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ is the longest running #1 Single, clocking up 13 weeks, while Dire Straits ‘Brothers In Arms’ is the longest running #1 Album at 34 weeks.

Jono Fernandez joins Select Music

One of Australia’s most accomplished artists in dance music, Jono Fernandez has joined Select Music, with a discography of over 50 releases. His next release, “Things Can Only Get Better” is out on Onelove Jul 26, with his new single to be release in August followed by a national tour in September to be announced soon.

TA-KU hosting Pedestrian Coach Sessions

Perth producer TA-KU is holding sessions for readers to interact live online with him and learn how he makes his beats. To sign up for the course, head over to Pedestrian: http://www.pedestrian.tv/coach/profile/ta-ku/269963e4-8f7d-4ae2-9cf4-301....

Australian Singing Competition announces semi-finalists

10 young singers have been selected from over 80 entrants around Australia and New Zealand to compete in the semi-finals of the 2013 IFAC Australian Singing Competition, where competitors are vying for a number of awards and opportunities valued at over $170000. The semi-finals concert will be held on Wednesday 11 September at the Independent Theatre, North Sydney.

Dayna Young joins Select Music as Senior Agent

Formerly of Archery Club, Young also brings her assistant, Joel Siviour and artists such as DCup, The Aston Shuffle, Miami Horror and Sampology.

So, you're holding a party. Whether it's a birthday, an anniversary, a farewell do or just a good old-fashioned gathering of friends, music (amongst other elements) is crucial in dictating how well your party will go. The crew at Ultimate Ears have taken the traditional music player idea next level in creating 'UE BOOM', the world's first ever social music player, a product that will change the digital music experience indefinitely. You can check out what we thought of the product HERE.

The player, wireless speaker jam-packed with a set of specific features, is the first stereo speaker offering 360-degree sound in a battery-powered device. Forget about chunky stereo systems, this speaker (with 15 hour rechargeable battery) is portable, slick in design, stain resistant and waterproof, meaning you can literally take the best tunes and plant them in whatever atmosphere and situation you may be in. If more people decide to rock up to your event, simply connect two UE BOOMs through the free app to play them in stereo-to-stereo mode, or left/right stereo mode.

General Manager of Ultimate Ears, Rory Dooley, acknowledges the need to move with the times - marking the UE BOOM as a perfect example of this change.

"The digital age has changed how we listen to our favourite songs and interact with music... while online music services have made it easier to access your music, it's remained a challenge to have an anytime, anywhere listening experience that can be shared with others. UE BOOM solves that problem. Ultimate Ears strives to amplify the social experience of listening to music, bringing people together around the music they love."

This social aspect of the UE BOOM is highlighted even further, with the launch of 'The Social Music Experiment', a examination of the effect music has on people in social environments. A light-hearted observation series initiated by Ultimate Ears, the team has gotten together with YouTube comedy channel JASH and Reggie Watts in producing the four-part, original series that can be checked out via http://jash.com/social-music-experiment.

Be a part of this revolution in the way you experience music and have it feature as part of your social life.

The UE BOOM is available from Dick Smith, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Myer, The Good Guys and Apple stores for $199.95 RRP.

http://www.ultimateears.com/en-au/boom
http://www.facebook.com/LogitechAustralia
http://www.twitter.com/Logitech_AU

#ueboom #logitech

All the latest industry news can be found right here. This week: triple j share their Splendour In The Grass experience with the masses, a new government grant hopes to save live music, and Karnivool debuts at #1, in addition to the usual label signings, competitions and awards news.

triple j share Splendour in the Grass Coverage.

triple j recorded a mass amount of photos, videos and audio over the Splendour in the Grass weekend, and it can now be experienced at your leisure. View photos of all the bands on the triple j facebook page, and watch videos and listen to select songs at their dedicated Splendour page here: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/events/splendour/13/

Federal Government announces National Live Music Office

The federal government has allocated $560,000 to revitalise the live music industry. Over three years, the National Live Music Office will be created to review and advocate for state based regulatory reform in support of live music venues, which can only be good news for gig goers and arrangers alike.

Karnivool debut at #1 on the Aria Album Charts

Perth prog wonders Karnivool have debuted at the top of the Aria charts with their third album Asymmetry. This is the first debut #1 for the band, in addition to being the second debut #1 album this year for singer Ian Kenny, who's other band Birds Of Tokyo also topped the charts earlier this year.

As far as the Singles chart goes, Avicci has topped it for the fourth week in a row with "Wake Me Up"

A Dying Regime sign to Dying Scene Records

Melodic Hardcore act A Dying Regime have signed to Dying Scene Records. The band will be releasing their next EP Shuttles on their new label on September 3rd. The first single “Burroughs” is available for free here: http://dyingscenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/shuttles

Remote Control Records launches Recon Music

Record label Remote Control have launched a new arm to their company. Called Recon Music, the new service will handle album and tour promotion for the company, among other things. The website is now live at http://reconmusic.com.au/

2013 Art Music Awards announce finalists

APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) and the AMC (Australian Music Centre) have announced the finalists for this years Art Music Awards. Among those nominated are the Gondwana Choir, who are nominated for two awards (Excellence in Music Education and Excellence in a Regional Area), and Paul Kelly and James Ledger for their piece Conversations With Ghosts. The full list of finalists can be found here http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/2013ArtMusicAwards/index.html.

The awards are said to “celebrate the outstanding achievements of composers, performers and educators in the dynamic fields of contemporary classical, jazz and experimental music.”

Last Chance to donate to Kiss My Camera competition.

Kiss My Camera, the music photography competition that teams WAM, (West Australian Music Industry Association) with the WA Museum, will end its pozible campaign this Friday at 10:49 A.M. The competition seeks to “help promote and reward the inspiring work of WA music photographers”.

Donations can be made here: http://www.pozible.com/project/27950 with a variety of rewards for those who donate.

Big Rig Records to handle Palaver Music's online distribution

Big Rig Records have announced that it will be handling the online distribution for experimental label Palaver Music. Palaver Music is a subsidiary of Palaver Press, and serves to release founder Jeremy Young's own soundworks, as well as other like-minded experimental artists.

Neil Finn, Paul Kelly and Bruce Springsteen win Helpmann Awards

Neil Finn, Paul Kelly and Bruce Springsteen were the big winners of this year's Helpmann Awards. Finn and Kelly won the Helpmann Award for “Best Australian Contemporary Concert” for their run of joint shows, while Bruce Springsteen took out the “Best International Contemporary Concert” for his amazing run of shows at the start of the year.

The Helpmann Awards recognize achievement and excellence in live performance, and were held on Monday, 29th July.

FBi announce more acts for their 10th birthday celebration

FBi have just announced the second batch of acts to play at their 10th birthday party. In addition to Seekae, Decoder Ring and Thundamentals, acts playing now include Sarah Blasko and Kirin J Callinan, among many others.

This is not the final announcement of acts; another announcement is promised before the event.

Qantas SOYAs entries close in one week.

Entries for the music category of the Qantas Spirit Of Youth Awards will close in one week. Entrants have only until 2 p.m on August 6 to submit. The competition offers musicians of the age of 30 and under $5000 in Qantas flights, $5000 cash and a mentorship with producer Lee Groves (Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp)

Birds Robe Records sign Teal

Sydney band Teal have just signed to Birds Robe Records ahead of the release of their debut EP Hearth. The EP is set for release on August 23, after which the band will head off on an East Coast tour.

Applications for Vivid Light 2014 now being taken.

The Vivid Light event is one of the centrepieces of the Vivid Sydney festival every year, and the festival is now taking applications and expressions of interest for next year.

Application forms can be downloaded from here: http://www.vividsydney.com/