This week in the column: news on the upcoming ARIA Awards, the Screen Music Awards get awarded, and Jonti gets signed to a huge deal with Universal.
ARIA CHART WRAP
AC/DC's eventual move to make their catalogue available digitally has seen them score a number of places in the ARIA chart this week, as fans embrace the ability to purchase their music through Apple’s iTunes store. The band stuck out within the chart this week as a number of their classic songs managed to take up positions. The highest being 'Thunderstruck', re-entering the chart at #48, spending its 25th week in the chart since release.
The other major news from the singles chart this week was X-Factor contestant Samantha Wade debuting at #1 with her song 'What You've Done For Me', signifying that she is favourite to win the series. Guy Sebastian rockets up the chart as well into the top ten with his track 'Get Along'. The only debut in the chart being 'Rest Of My Life' by Ludacris Featuring Usher & David Guetta, in at #21. Psy's ‘Gangnam Style’ fever is seemingly waning off now, with a drop down to #6 from his stoic time either at #1 or #2 with the viral track.
It wasn't just on the singles chart that AC/DC shared their hits. The band's new live album Live At River Plate grabbing #11 spot on the ARIA Album Chart, though it didn’t sell as well as Led Zeppelin's collection of tracks, Celebration Day, which managed to debut at #3. It seems that Christmas presents are showing through on the charts as well, with Susan Boyle's collection of cover in at #6 with Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs From The Stage. Rihanna also debuts at #8 with Unapologetic. One Direction holds #1 for a second week with Take Me Home.
ARIA AWARDS NEWS
This Thursday sees the night of nights for Australia’s music industry (or some may say). Despite the award show being about Australian artists and talent, there seems to be an inclination of importing people to present awards for some reason. I fail to comprehend why there is a need for these drop-in’s to ruin our already somewhat ruined show to make it more of a run down spectacle, but, hey, I ain’t ARIA. Anyway, Russell Brand, Nicki Minaj and The Madden Twins have been announced along with Taylor Swift with what promises to be a revamped 2012 ARIA Awards.
MORE AWARDS
Dead Can Dance’s Lisa Gerrard, former Models member Roger Mason and singer/songwriter Lior picked up Screen Music Awards for their work composing for Australian film and television last week. While Sydney star composer Antony Partos led the night for picking up three awards - for Best Television Theme (The Slap), Best Music For A Mini-Series Or Telemovie (Mabo) and Best Soundtrack Album (The Slap), Gerrard won the big gong in the form of Feature Film Score Of The Year (Burning Man). Mason won Best Music For A Short Film (This Dog’s Life) and Lior took the award for Best Original Song Composed For The Screen (‘Hey Hootabelle’ from Giggle & Hoot).
OPPORTUNITIES: ISC WANT YOUR LOVE SONGS
Do you have a great love song? If so, you could possibly win a bit of moolah by entering it into the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) special love song promotion through December 3rd.
All artists entering a love song in any category (excluding Lyrics Only and Music Video) will be included on the ‘Sing Your Heart Out’ Valentine's Day channel on Myxer.com, a Top 10 Mobile website, in February, 2013. Also, your songs will be entered into ISC's 2012 competition with a chance to win up to $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a $25,000 cash first prize. Artists can enter their song here.
OPPORTUNITIES: CALLING ALL DJ’S
Melbourne's DJ talent are asked to submit their tracks for the Calling All DJs 2012/13 competition. Open to DJs of all ages and genres, the winner will be given the opportunity to perform at the Future Music festival in Melbourne next year. Weekly heats will take place at Melbourne community station Kiss FM with the public determining the winners of each heat. The first heat happens on the 7th of December and will continue for eight weeks. Semi finals will be held on the 18th and 25th of January and the grand final will be contested on the 15th February.
FRESHLY INKED: JONTI
Universal Music Publishing has today announced that they’ve signed Jonti Danilewitz (otherwise known simply as Jonti when performing) to an exclusive global deal. Originally working under the band moniker of Danimals, (as well as Djanimals), he has been turning heads since moving to Los Angeles and basing his progressing music career there. UMG have announced new projects for the artist will be forthcoming.
PSY BEATS THE BEIBER
He may be sliding down the ARIA charts, but Spy had been climbing up YouTube charts, if you want to think of them that way. He has taken the number one spot for most views on YouTube for the ‘Gangnam Style’ video that now has 823 million views, beating Justin Beiber’s music video for ‘Baby’, which now has a paltry 805 million views. As for my video where I play a recorder, I can report I have doubled my viewers to 4 views.
BACK IN FAME
Keeping with the AC/DC news, their album Back In Black has been inducted into the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame. Recordings are included in the Grammy Hall of Fame on the basis of so-called ‘musical, cultural and historical significance’. Back In Black was released in 1980 and was the band’s first album with their current singer Brian Johnson, who joined the band after the untimely death of Bon Scott that same year.
ESKIMO JOE ASKING FOR A BIT OF FUNDING
Perth band Eskimo Joe has announced that they will be looking to raise $40,000 through crowd funding to record their next album. The band will campaign direct to fans via the Pozible platform, with the $40,000 target set to be the biggest fan-based contribution towards music by an Australian artist on the platform. They have set 80 days to reach the goal, and people can go a pledge here.
REGULAR JOHN GETTING REGULAR US ROTATION
More US stations are adding Regular John’s single ‘Slume’ to their playlists, taking the number of stations adding the song to rotation to 60. The track has hit the top 30 airplay chart stations such as KCSB in Santa Barbara, and KAOS in Olympia, WA. The track also received two prestigious additions on WIXQ in Millersville, Pennsylvania and WNSU in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
GROHL TO GIVE SXSW KEYNOTE SPEECH
The South By Southwest (more succinctly known as SXSW) Music and Media Conference have announced that Dave Grohl will be a keynote speaker for the 2013 event in Austin, Texas. The keynote will take place on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at the Austin Convention Center. Applications and hotel requests for the six-day music feast are now being accepted. For more information on every aspect of SXSW head off to http://www.sxsw.com.
FOUR FOR [V]
The award for Channel [V]'s award for Oz Artist of 2012 has been whittled down to four artists. One million votes from fans have been registered and the TV station has announced Ball Park Music, Delta Goodrem, Reece Mastin and Seth Sentry as the finalists. The award will be handed out to the winner in three weeks. [V] are asking for people to decide by casting their votes at http://www.vmusic.com.au.
TEN SINGER-SONGWRITERS DISCOVERED FOR TAMWORTH
Ten aspiring Australian singer-songwriters have made the top 10 of the Telstra Road to Discovery national talent development program. The announcement, made at the Queenscliff Music Festival in Victoria on last weekend, will compete at the Telstra Road to Discovery Final, at the 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. The artists who have grabbed the opportunity to play there are James Sidebottom, Melody Pool, Morgan Bain, Karin Page, Gretta Ziller, Genevieve Chadwick, Sarah Raine Dyson, Gena Rose Bruce and John Lingard.
ALBERTS AND SONY STILL IN BED
Sony has decided to renew their deal with Australian music rights management company Alberts. The multinational will continue to work with Alberts on the release of its artists in a long-term deal in terms of publishing for Australia and New Zealand. Some artists that Alberts manages include Vanda & Young, Wally DeBacker (Gotye), Megan Washington, writer/producer Lee Groves, Hungry Kids of Hungary and San Cisco.
RED BULL BEDROOM JAM WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The winners from phase one and phase two of the year-long, country-wide Red Bull Bedroom Jam band competition have been announced. Go Mason Go and The Vanns who won the first phase, will be joined by four wild card performers Altitude, Syd Kids, Tired Lion and Blueberry Circuit will join the line up of Homebake on the 8th of December on their own stage.
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