The most popular news, interviews, blogs, reviews, gigs, streams and videos from the last seven days.
Gotye: Pic by Josh Groom.
NEWS
1. EXCLUSIVE: Senator Conroy: 'Thanks Gotye, But Community Radio Can Fund Itself'
The Federal Minister for Communications Senator Stephen Conroy has confirmed he's received the open letter from Gotye regarding the funding of community radio, but but denied that the sector's funding had been cut and urged it to chase “community-sourced revenue”.
2. Support Grows For Chrissy Amphlett Laneway Push
An online petition lobbying Melbourne City Council to dedicate and name a laneway after the late Divinyls vocalist Chrissy Amphlett is gathering steam, with local industry representatives throwing their support behind the proposal – and suggesting it should be in Geelong.
3. As I Lay Dying Frontman Arrested Over Wife Murder Plot
Tim Lambesis, frontman of Christian metal outfit As I Lay Dying, has been arrested on charges of trying to hire a hitman to kill his wife.
4. Bon Jovi Announces With Telstra Ticket Deal
The Australian leg of Bon Jovi's international tour has been officially announced with Telstra jumping on board as a presenting partner to leverage their 'Thanks' ticket program.
5. At Least Lauryn Hill's Not A Cannibal... Five Bizarre Musician Jail Stints
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You think Lauryn Hill's three month stint in the big house is pretty bizarre? She has got nothing on a few renowned musicians who have been jailed for some pretty serious and bizarre shit over the years.
6. Wee Waa's Weekend Vines Festival Cancelled
The Weekend Vines festival, which was to take place in the New South Wales town of Wee Waa following the town's Daft Punk album listening party, has been cancelled, with organisers saying that they had "no choice" but to pull the event.
7. Here's What Aussie Boomtown Rats Fans Are Missing Out On
As quickly as it was announced, the reformed Boomtown Rats' scheduled tour of Australia has been pulled due to poor ticket sales, it was announced recently.
The first announcement of speakers and bands for BIGSOUND has dropped at a launch in Sydney tonight and it is a seriously impressive list of names that any event on the planet would be happy to host.
9. Making 'The Hobbit' No Picnic Says Actor
When you sign up to a franchise such as The Hobbit, you're basically signing your life away for eighteen months, according to actor Richard Armitage.
10. FIRST LISTEN: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Our reviewer Bryget Chrisfield became one of the few people on the planet to hear the new Daft Punk record in full last week and she's given us a track by track rundown on what to expect.
INTERVIEWS
1. Richard Armitage - Short And Sweet
“It's a bigger commitment than just making a movie; it's a whole lifestyle change, going to the other side of the world for 18 months or more."
2. Beastwars - Better Than Bublé
“You can see a photo of the charts on the internet and there's this painting of a skull [from the album's cover] right next to Michael Bublé's face."
3. Alison Moyet - Back To The Future
"I wanted to make something in electronica, but I wanted to maintain a fidelity to the song and to melody."
4. Karl Urban - Shadows And Shades
“For better or worse, a film never turns out the way you first imagined it."
5. Martin McCreadie - Beneath The Surface
”There are some moments of ballet, which are juxtaposed with the violence."
"I mean, I have a Sunday best album that I always play on Sunday, and maybe I hope that one day one of my albums can be that special for someone.”
7. Of Monsters & Men - A Song Of Iceland's Fire
“The response has been very… I want to say unexpected, but you know, it's been great. I don't think we really expected to be where we are today, touring and doing all this stuff. But we're really happy with it.”
“All of the academics and other experts or artists or performers [at Nerd All Star Gala] are in some ways trying to challenge or extend what we know as truthful."
9. Al Cappuccino - Illusions Of Grandeur
“When you're writing something new, to a new formula, you never know if it's going to work. It might come out like a flat cake.”
“We basically got asked to do the Ozzfest in Japan, so we figured while we're doing that, we'd come down and go to Australia, which is always awesome."
BLOGS
1. Shihad - Shihad Tour Diary: Part Four
"When we were introduced as the support band Shihad, he retorted,"Shihad? You guys must be fookin' crazy calling yourselves that! I mean, New York? Iraq?" Yes that's right, Ozzy called us crazy!?"
2. Shihad - Shihad Tour Diary: Part Six
"Touring with Sabbath was one of the absolute highlights of my life - not only because the band has been so pivotal to our musical genetic makeup but also because we were treated so well by Sabbath and their team."
3. The Decline - The Decline Tour Diary: Part One
"At our first show in Nenzing, Austria, our lighting guy (or more appropriately, lighting kid, as he was 13) was drinking and smoking behind the desk. Maybe that's too far?"
4. Anthony Carew - Film Carew: Star Trek: Into Darkness
"Our hero is, theoretically, Pine, whose Cap'n Kirk comes in shades of Cruise: a hotheaded dickwad who plays hard, drinks hard, and hits on the dames hard."
5. Shihad - Shihad Tour Diary: Part Five
"I got a call from a Danny Green asking if I could sort him a meet and greet [and beer] with the band, I told him it would be fine but if he makes any trouble back stage I would have to sort him out..."
ALBUM REVIEWS
1. Jinja Safari - Jinja Safari
"With this album Jinja Safari prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are a force to be reckoned with and that they have carved themselves a very secure place in the future of Australian music."
"Metal or not metal, Satanic or just a gimmick band, the music on Infestissumam is going to stick with you."
"They've just embarked on their first European tour and Monstrorum Historia points as to why; this is world class."
"It's hard to differentiate the chorus of Head Is Not My Home and Dark Doo Wop – but the hidden gems between the bombastic anthems make it a worthwhile listen."
"If you're sick of pop choruses and festival fodder and yearn for a return to the grimy Australian underground of old where emcees battled and beats left a hole in your chest cavity then Illville is calling your name."
Melbourne Ska Orchestra: Pic by Angela Padovan.
LIVE REVIEWS
1. Melbourne Ska Orchestra - Metro Theatre
"The crowd was one of the liveliest in recent memory and they matched the band with their zeal and exuberance. It was a total party."
2. ShockOne - Oxford Art Factory
"ShockOne presented a huge night of epic electronic proportions and the more than six-hour endurance of people moved by the music was a testament to his variety and skill."
"The almost religious fervour that greeted this performance – absence of new material or not – would suggest this run was a success on all fronts."
4. Groovin' The Moo - Townsville Cricket Grounds
"If ever you're considering it; people have trekked far further for far worse festivals."
5. Black Sabbath - Allphones Arena
"Paranoid inevitably closed a memorable two-hour display that, without being an all-time classic, still exceeded most or all expectations."
EVENTS
1. Dream On Dreamer - Corner Hotel
3. Corner Hotel
STREAMS
2. Hanni El Khatib - Head In The Dirt
3. Vance Joy - God Loves You When You're Dancing
