In This Issue: we look at the plans for a bigger and better Cassette Store Day, the return of the BBR Festival, and the inductees for the Age Music Victoria Hall of Fame, plus the latest signings and the ARIA charts.
BBR Festival Returns to Customs House Forecourt
Since its inception in 2013, the Sydney wintertime European festival has been growing in popularity. The event selects 15 artists out of the hundreds in the New Australian Music Scene and allows them to perform in front of the iconic Customs House building, at Circular Quay. The festival will run from July 10th-12th. The highlights of the festival and their performance time are listed below:
1. Goldheist
Originally hailing from rural northern NSW, her songs tell quirky stories of love, life and adventure, painting vibrant pictures of the Australian bush and country living. Goldheist is a mystifying mix of classic and kooky.
Live concert : 3.30pm - Friday 10th July – Customs House / Main stage
2. Jake Howden
To the nonchalant observer Jake Howden would seem to be your average 19 year old, from the NSW Central Coast… give him a guitar and an audience to sing to, and something extraordinary soon unfurls.
Live concert : 3pm - Saturday 11th July – Customs House / Main stage
3. Allie & Ivy
Allie & Ivy is indie pop up-and-comer, Aleisha Conlay hailing from the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. Her fresh sound and penchant for catchy hooks and infectious melodies have gained accolades both in Australia and internationally.
Live concert : 6pm - Saturday 11th July – Customs House / main stage
4. Napoleonic
With theatrical vocals and a powerful band, Napoleonic will remind you of Queen and No Doubt with a touch of swing/jazz.
Live concert : 5pm – Saturday 11th July – Customs House / main stage
5. Taj Ralph
Taj Ralph is a young singer\songwriter who lives on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. In January 2011, Taj started busking at just 10 years old. He knew only 5 songs – 1 cover song and 4 original pieces. That month, he raised $1,200 for the Queensland Flood Appeal. Since, the money he has earned from busking has allowed him to purchase all of his equipment as well as funded the recent production of his self titled EP
Live concert : 4pm – Sunday 12th July – Customs House / Main stage
6. With Fox
Sydney based band bringing you dreamy, foxy, indie pop tunes. With Samantha on her 12 string guitar, Hayley on vocals and Kirsty on keys, With Fox will draw you in with their delicate acoustic melodies and mesmerising harmonies.
Live concert : 2pm – Saturday 11th July – Customs House / Main stage
7. Soulganic
Soulganic has worked with an endless array of Australian and International artists including: Renee Geyer, Destiny’s Child, Tina Arena, Marcia Hines, Kylie Minogue and many more… They are highly regarded as a band that consistently create a vibe of “FUN” while bringing exceptional vocals (three part harmonies) and complete artistry to every aspect of their performance.
Live concert : 2pm – Sunday 12th July – Customs House / main stage
8. Danielle Deckard
American singer/songwriter Danielle Deckard bypassed the USA’s iconic music cities to make a home in Sydney, Australia. Taking influence from pop heroines Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift, Danielle's unreserved vocals breathe to the beat of her heart. The ‘End Of The World’ EP is Danielle’s bold introduction as a mature artist and songwriter.
Live concert : 5.40pm – Friday 10th July – Customs House
More details about the festival can be found here: http://bbrfestival.com.au/concerts
The Independent Music Charts
This week we bring you the latest from the Independent Music Charts!
Singles
1. The Buzz – Hermitude feat. Mataya & Young Tapz
2. Some Minds – Flume feat. Andrew Wyatt
3. Big Girls Cry – Sia
4. Elastic Heart – Sia
5. Dynamite – Asta feat. Allday
6. Chandelier – Sia
7. Talk Is Cheap – Chet Faker
8. Gemini – What So Not feat. George
9. Forces – Japanese Wallpaper feat. Airling
10. Geronimo – Sheppard
Albums
1. Dark Night Sweet Light - Hermitude
2. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit - Sia
3. 1000 Forms Of Fear - Sia
4. Down To Earth - Flight Facilities
5. Gracetown - San Cisco
6. Dead Set - King Parrot
7. The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas - Courtney Barnett
8. Caress Your Soul - Sticky Fingers
9. Thinking In Textures - Chet Faker
10. Land of Pleasure - Sticky Fingers
Cassette Store Day
Cassette Store Day will make a return this year on October 22nd and bring a day of global celebrations and international partnerships with it. Founded in 2013 by indie labels Suplex Cassetttes, Kissability, and Sexbeat, last year saw the US get in on the action with the help of Burger Records. This year, Rice is Nice will be joining in for Australia, Arch Hill for New Zealand, and Mansions and Millions for Germany.
Co-founder Jen Long of Kissability said, “Cassette tapes aren’t just a format, they’re a culture, and cassette culture is as much about collaboration as doing it yourself. This year we’ve gone even further to try and include as many tape fans around the world. We want as many people as possible to be able to get involved and put out a tape, put on a gig or event, or get hold of that release they really want.”
Applications for stores, events, and labels to be a part of Cassette Day will open on July 11th, with Australians being directed to the Rice Is Nice website to apply. With the exception of a $5 admin fee for labels who wish to list an official release, the event is free to host. This year, online stores will also be able to participate on the day, rather than wait until a week later.
Long continued, “While we still want as many stores as possible involved, we felt there was too much burden on understaffed shops to order from the release list and smaller labels were being left out. We also felt that fans in more remote areas were excluded from the celebrations if they didn’t have a store in their area. Hopefully this way we can include everyone for the best Cassette Store Day yet.”
The Age and Music Victoria Announce Hall of Fame 10th Anniversary Inductees
Started in 2006, The Age Music Victoria Awards have become the largest publicly voted music awards in Australia. As they approach their 10th anniversary, the inductees were chosen by a special voting panel made out of former inductees, musicians, and music professionals. Eligibility required that inductees were Victorian residents when they made a significant contribution to Victoria’s culture.
The one night concert event is to be held on November 20th this year, hosted by RocKwiz’s Brian Nankervis with musical backing by EG Allstars, featuring Pete Luscombe (musical director), James Black, Bill McDonald, and Ash Naylor.
Below are The Age Music Victoria Awards’ 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame Inductees.
• AC/DC
• Bill Armstrong, AM
• John Farnham, AO
• Olivia Newton-John, AO OBE
• The Palais Theatre
• Archie Roach, AM
• Stan Rofe (1933-2003)
• The Seekers
• Sunbury Festival
• The Thunderbirds
Tickets for the event will go on sale on June 19th at 9am.
Kosher and Audiopaxx Join Forces
After an extremely successful 6 months, Kosher has announced that they will be merging their agency roster with Audiopaxx due to the unprecedented success of both companies.
Managing Director and Head Agent of Kosher, Jon Debeere (formerly of Maker & Artist Voice) explains: “We’re absolutely thrilled about beginning this new chapter. With Audiopaxx’s roster joining the already strong family of artists here at Kosher, we are in a great position moving forward. We can’t wait to work with the talented team at Audiopaxx & Swerve to offer our growing roster an exceptional level of service whilst looking to the future in building one of Australasia’s strongest talent agencies."
As Audiopaxx continues to establish itself n a managerial capacity, the new project opening under the banner of Kosher will be lead by Jon Debeere, Josh McAuliffe, Ignacio Garcia, Dominic Furber, Hadi Jowiehan. Their goal will be to further Australia’s thriving musical landscape and open opportunities to younger talents.
The Thin Green Line World Ranger Day Fundraiser Declan Kelly Presents Dieseln’dub
The Thin Green Line Foundation has returned with another event planned for this year to celebrate World Ranger Day. The charity is the world’s only charity solely dedicated to protecting endangered species and threatened ecosystems by supporting park rangers, and this year, they honour the day with Declan Kelly Presents Dieseln’Dub.
The fundraising event will feature performances by soul singer Emma Donovan, soul-hip hop vocalist Radical Son, singer Pat Powell, Kingtide’s frontman Tony Hughes, and Declan Kelly, along with other special guests. The event will be held in Melbourne on the 24th and 25th of July, at The Gasometer.
ARIA MEMBERSHIPS CLOSING 30TH JUNE
If you wish to join ARIA so you can enter recordings in the 2015 ARIA Awards, note that membership applications will be closing on the 30th June, and considered shortly thereafter. Only ARIA Members may enter recordings in the Awards. For further details on membership criteria or to access an application form visit the Members section at: http://www.aria.com.au/
ARIA Members will receive information on the 2015 ARIA Awards criteria and nomination process during July 2015.
Signings This Week
Sydney band Bloods have signed a worldwide publishing deal (excluding Australia and New Zealand) with Seattle-based Sub Pop, making them the first Australians to be signed to the label. The group recently released their music video for their single “What Do I Care”.
ARIA Charts
SINGLES
1. Bad Blood — Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar
2. Start Again — Conrad Sewell
3. You Don’t Own Me — Grace feat. G-Easy
4. Shut Up & Dance — Walk The Moon
5. See You Again — Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
6. Flashlight — Jessie J
7. Hey Mama — David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj & Afrojack
8. Five More Hours — Deorro X Chris Brown
9. Photograph — Ed Sheeran
10. Lean On — Major Lazer Feat. MØ & DJ Snake
ALBUMS
1. Drones - Muse
2. Strange New Past - Seth Sentry
3. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Florence + the Machine
4. Beneath The Skin - Of Monster And Men
5. X - Ed Sheeran
6. Pitch Perfect 2 - Soundtrack
7. In The Lonely Hour - Sam Smith
8. 1989 - Taylor Swift
9. Peace Is The Mission - Major Lazer
10. Dark Night Sweet Light - Hermitude