HAS SHE GIVEN UP?

We don't know what in the world is going on in the Madonna camp at the moment. Perhaps she's decided that given the 'Celebrate' project will be her last for Warner Music, she'll just put any old thing out, but the artwork for the single 'Celebration' is truly appalling. We love you Madge, we truly do. But this just doesn't work for us. The single is officially serviced to radio by Warner Music in Australia on Monday.

ALCAZAR GOES CAMPING

Well not camping per se, but could this album be one of the campest albums ever released? We managed to get our mitts on the new Alcazar album ‘Disco Defenders’ direct from Sweden this week and although it’s been played only once so far, we truly reckon it’s up there as one of the five campest albums we’ve ever heard. And if the new album wasn’t sugar-pop sweet enough, they’ve also tacked a ‘best of’ album (featuring ‘Crying At The Discoteque’, ‘Don’t You Want Me’, ‘The World We Live In’ etc) on a second disc. We’ll try and whack up a review sometime over the weekend.

ALL AMERICAN REJECTS PULL UP A PEW

We gave you a little hint this time last week as to who'd soon be hitting the stage at the Paddington Uniting Church in Sydney as the next guest for the 2009 season of Live At The Chapel.
We can finally reveal to you officially that it will indeed be the All American Rejects. Taking time out of their Australian touring commitments with fellow US outfit Hoobastank, the Rejects will take to the chapel stage on Thursday August 20 for the invitation-only performance. Their performance is the third in the 2009 series, following on from Lady Gaga and Jessica Mauboy.

COLDPLAY : Strawberry Swing

Who'da thunk it!? Just when we'd automatically assumed that the whole Coldplay 'Viva La Vida' project was done and dusted, the boys take us by surprise with this rather incredible clip for new single 'Strawberry Swing'! Some of the most extraordinary pavement art we ever did see, coupled with an abundance of costumery and a devilishly clever plot that completely and utterly hooks you in. In fact, it might possibly be the most incredible pop clip this year.

JESSICA MAUBOY BREAKS COVER

Here's your very first look at the cover image for the brand new deluxe repackaging for Jessica Mauboy's debut album 'Been Waiting'. And a sexy new cover image it is too! Combined with extra tracks and a DVD of all of the clips, we reckon this one's going to go flying off the shelves when it hits stores on August 21.

IN THE SHOPS FRIDAY JULY 31, 2009

Boyz II Men – Motown : A Journey Through Hitsville (DVD)
Ciara – Work (CD single)
Diafrix – Concrete Jungle
Chris Isaak : Soundstage
Michael Jackson – The Stripped Mixes
JLS – Beat Again (CD single)
Kings Of Leon – Notion EP
Lisa Mitchell – Wonder
Modest Mouse – No One’s First And You’re Next EP
OST – Handy Manny
Ricki-Lee – Don’t Miss You (CD single)
Various – Onelove Presents : Toolroom Knights

PAUL DEMPSEY HITS THE SHOPS

With his extremely limited 'Ramona Was A Waitress' CD single now in the shops (in selected shops, admittedly), Paul Dempsey is set to head instore to meet public and sign copies of it. So far, the Something For Kate singer has announced instore dates for both Brisbane and Melbourne, but a Sydney date isn't far from being confirmed. His first instore takes him to Brisbane on August 14, where he'll sign for Rockinghorse Records at the stage in the Queen Street Mall from 6pm. The second instore is at JB Hifi's Bourke Street store in Melbourne on August 15 from 12 midday. Paul's also announced a limited edition covers EP called 'Counterfeits And Forgeries', to be sold as part of the deluxe version of his 'Everything Is True' album.

THE pOp RADAR

NEW ALBUMS COMING SOON:

3OH!3 : WANT
AGNES : DANCE LOVE POP
CHRISTINA AGUILERA : LIGHT & DARKNESS
AMERIE : IN LOVE & WAR
PETER ANDRE : ORDINARY MAN
ANNIE : DON'T STOP
MELANIE B : REIMAGINED
BACKSTREET BOYS : THIS IS US
BANANARAMA : VIVA
BASEMENT JAXX : SCARS
TONI BRAXTON : PULSE
BWO : BIG SCIENCE
JAMIE CULLUM : THE PURSUIT
DRAGONETTE : FIXIN' TO THRILL
MISSY ELLIOT : BLOCK PARTY
EVE : FLIRT
DAVID GRAY : DRAW THE LINE
MACY GRAY : THE GRAY LIFE
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA : COME TO LIFE
JUST JACK : ALL NIGHT CINEMA
BEVERLEY KNIGHT : 100%
MARIA LAWSON : EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
ROBYN LOAU : ONLY HUMAN
JENNIFER LOPEZ : GREATEST HITS
MASSIVE ATTACK : WEATHER UNDERGROUND
MGMT : CONGRATULATIONS
JANELLE MONAE : METROPOLIS
N.E.R.D. : BEST OF
MICHAEL PAYNTER : THIS WELCOME DIVERSION
P DIDDY : LAST TRAIN TO PARIS
QUEEN LATIFAH : PERSONA
RICKI-LEE : HEAR NO, SEE NO, SPEAK NO
RINOCEROSE : FUTURINO
RÖYKSOPP : SENIOR
SANTANA : SUPERNATURAL 2
SHAKIRA : SHE WOLF
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO : TEMPORARY PLEASURE
SNOOP DOGG : MALICE IN WONDERLAND
STING : IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT
JOSS STONE : COLOUR ME FREE
ASHLEY TISDALE : GUILTY PLEASURE
USHER : MONSTER
ZERO 7 : YEAH GHOST

PLUS: AVALANCHES, DANIEL BEDINGFIELD, NATASHA BEDINGFIELD, ALEXANDRA BURKE, ANTHONY CALLEA, DIRTY LAUNDRY, SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR, KATE HAVNEVIK, INFUSION, JAMIROQUAI, AVRIL LAVIGNE, MIKA, SHANNON NOLL, PAULINI, AMY PEARSON, RIHANNA, KELLY ROWLAND, SALMONELLA DUB, THE SATURDAYS, SCISSOR SISTERS, SUGABABES, SHANIA TWAIN, THE VERONICAS, NIKKI WEBSTER, ROBBIE WILLIAMS

NEW SINGLES COMING SOON:

3OH!3 : STARSTRUCK
AGNES : ON AND ON
PETER ANDRE : BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
BACKSTREET BOYS : SOLDIER DOWN
BANANARAMA : LOVE COMES
BASEMENT JAXX : FEELING’S GONE
BOOTY LUV : SAY IT
MUTYA BUENA : FALLIN'
TINA COUSINS : SEX ON FIRE
DASH & WILL : PAINFUL
ERASURE : PHANTOM BRIDE
JADE EWEN : MY MAN
GOSSIP : LOVE LONG DISTANCE
JONAS BROTHERS : FLY WITH ME
JUST JACK : THE DAY I DIED
BEVERLEY KNIGHT : BEAUTIFUL NIGHT
LITTLE BOOTS : REMEDY
PIXIE LOTT : BOYS AND GIRLS
MADONNA : CELEBRATE
MAPS : I DREAM OF CRYSTAL
DANIEL MERRIWEATHER : IMPOSSIBLE
NOISETTES : EVERY NOW AND THEN
SANTOGOLD : SAY A-HA
SEPTEMBER : WHEN YOU LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND
SMASHPROOF : ORDINARY LIFE
STREETS : EDGE OF A CLIFF
SUGABABES : GET SEXY

NB - all releases subject to change & list is updated bi-monthly

TORI ADDS SECOND FOR SYDNEY

The incomparable Tori Amos has announced a second concert for Sydney as part of her upcoming Australian tour, tickets for which go on sale at 9am tomorrow. The new show takes to six the number of shows she's currently scheduled to play. The tour kicks off at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on November 12.

November 12 : Melbourne (Regent Theatre)
November 16 : Sydney (Opera House Concert Hall)
November 17 : Sydney (Opera House Concert Hall)
November 19 : Adelaide (Thebarton Theatre)
November 21 : Perth (PCEC Riverside Theatre)
November 24 : Brisbane (QPAC Concert Hall)

INTERVIEW : Ricki-Lee

She’s experienced a heck of a lot in the past 12 months – not least of which was the very public breakdown of her short-term marriage to a childhood sweetheart. But Ricki-Lee Coulter knows a thing or two about being a survivor. She’s been doing so ever since her shock early exit from Australian Idol in 2004. Signed to independent Aussie label Shock Records, Ricki has gone on to become the most successful female ever to emerge from the show, amassing a string of chart triumphs. She’s also returned to the television show that made her a household name, to provide mentoring support to the latest batch of wannabe artists.
So it comes as no surprise that following the end of her relationship, and a subsequent writing trip to the United States, she’s back with a new found sense of self, and in her words, is now “independent, strong, happy and proud”.
“One of the things for my healing process was being completely raw and honest about it and for me being able to pour that into my music – it was like intense therapy. I confronted everything again – I took myself back to those times of all the ups and downs and it really was healing for me to do that. But also in terms of an album, it provided great material for me to draw on,” she tells auspOp.
The first single from Ricki’s forthcoming new album is the cheeky ‘Don’t Miss You’, a song written about her feelings for her former husband. It drips with angst and contains at least one expletive, so we ask the singer about her filthy, dirty potty mouth and what she’d been through.
“Well you’ve got to put yourself in my position where I was in a relationship for seven years – the only relationship I’d ever known – and obviously you don’t write a song with lyrics like that if everything was happy as. It was very painful and humiliating going through the break up in front of the whole country. For me, that song is not about being bitter or anything. That song is about representing me turning the corner and finding my feet again.”
She reveals that it was in New York during her recent writing trip to the United States that she finally turned that emotional corner and wrote what was to become the first single from her new album.
“Anyone who’s been through a break-up knows there’s a long period of time there where you just don’t know what’s around the corner – you don’t know when you’re going to wake up again and start smiling. For me, that moment came in New York when I was writing. On that very first day in New York, I woke up and I finally had a smile on my face and it was genuine. So I wanted to celebrate that and write an anthem that kind of represented how great I was feeling at that moment in time.”
‘Don’t Miss You’ also takes the singer in a slightly different musical direction. While Ricki’s previous singles have been infused with a distinctly R&B flavour, the new track introduces the audience to an intriguing blend of pop, rock and dance.
“It’s a sound that just naturally developed while I was overseas. The stuff I was writing really lent itself to this fusion of pop and rock and electro and I think it suits my voice. I’ve always had that big powerful voice and it really lends itself to that rocky kind of sound,” she said, “And I think because of what I’m singing about and because there’s a bit of angst and emotion behind what I’m singing, it’s great to be able to grit my teeth and really belt it out. I’m loving the new sound and I can’t wait to get up on stage and do it all live.”

Speaking of getting up and ‘doing it all live’, we ask her if she followed up her much talked about nudie balcony incident at a hotel in Thailand with a subsequent episode in America. We reckon she dodged the question.
“Well we did do a weekend in Vegas, so, yes we had lots of fun,” she said, continuing that her writing trip to the US trip was ‘amazing’.
“LA was great – I was there for seven weeks and you know, there were so many friends there – caught up with heaps of Australians, caught up with Rai from Thirsty Merc, Guy Sebastian. When I was in New York, I had friends fly over from Australia to come and hang out for a week and come to Mexico with me. I also met up with a really good friend of mine in Paris,”
Ricki-Lee assures us, however, that she stayed well clear of infamous Mexican party town Cancun, instead taking in the sights of Cabo San Lucas.
Last year, Ricki’s name popped up as a writing credit on UK soul singer Bryn Christopher’s incredible single ‘Smilin’. We ask her how it came about and whether she’d decided to include that track on her new album.
“No I haven’t put that on the new album. That was a song I wrote two or three years ago that represented where I was at a moment in time. That song was written about being overseas and telling your partner, ‘no matter how much distance is between us, thinking of you puts a smile on my face’. And it doesn’t really work for this album,” she laughs.
Asked if writing for other artists is something that she’s considering doing more of in the future, Ricki-Lee replies, ‘Definitely. There have actually been a handful of my songs picked up around the world and released by different artists. There’s a big one coming up um… soon, which when we can talk about it, we will. It’s very exciting.”
We decide that little tid-bit of information is nowhere near enough for our eager readers, and we know the name she so desperately wants to reveal is on the tip of her tongue, so we push her to tell us exactly who she’s talking about.
“No, I can’t (she SO wants to spill). I can’t. Um. But it is very exciting. I can’t. It’s in Europe but that’s all I can say.”
After her shock early exit in the 2004 Idol competition, many expected the then Gold Coast-based singer to be snapped up by Idol’s record company partner Sony BMG. That didn’t happen, and the singer instead signed with Melbourne-based independent label Shock Records. Seven top twenty singles and two hit albums later, we ask Ricki if any of the major labels had seen the error of not signing her earlier and had subsequently made her an offer she could refuse.
“Not anything official but there have been little whispers. But for me, my creative control is worth it’s weight in gold. It is tough ‘cause as an independent artist, I’m competing in the pop market - up against the big names that have the multi-million dollar budgets and endless resources and thousands of publicists and things like that.
And we’re a small team working out of Shock, but we make it work and I work my arse off and so does everybody in my team. For me, the creative control that I have over my music and the freedom I have to go overseas for three months and come back and go ‘here’s the album, guys’ is an amazing thing and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I’m very very lucky and I really value that freedom and that creative control that I have.”
Ricki’s new album, ‘Hear No, See No, Speak No’ is being readied for an October release and though there are some undoubtedly lyrically dark moments on there, she assures us that there’s also a lot of positivity to be found.
“The whole album is like a diary of the break up. It’s the confusion, the not knowing what to do, the ups the downs, it’s a rollercoaster and merry-go-round of a break up. It’s the not knowing what to do and making the decision of ‘no, that’s it’ and then finding empowerment and finding strength to walk away and then having to deal with loneliness and being alone for the first time and trying to find my feet and getting to know myself again.
“I think the thing with me was that I lost myself in that relationship because it was all I’d known – I was 16 when we got together and at the same time my career was blowing up. I had Idol and single and albums and all of this stuff and it’s a really not normal life, I guess, in terms of having a relationship. But I didn’t know myself. All I knew of myself was my career and my relationship.
In the last year, I guess moreso in the last six months since I’ve turned that corner and really found my feet again, I feel amazing.
“Everybody is kind of sickened by how much I’m gushing. But I really feel that this is the happiest I’ve ever been. Six months ago, behind closed doors, the Ricki-Lee that was telling everyone she was okay was actually not.
“For me to be standing here and be feeling the way I do right now as an empowered, independent, strong, happy woman makes me incredibly proud.
Comparing that to where I was eight/nine months ago – it really is a big change and I want to celebrate that and throw my hands in the air and sing ‘don’t don’t don’t Don’t Miss You’.”
Ricki-Lee remains extraordinarily unaffected, down to earth and genuine, possessing an incredible passion for her craft and a simple determination to serve up nothing less than the very best.
And with radio, print and online media, retail, her record company, management team and the general public firmly in her corner, we reckon that the celebrations for Miss Ricki-Lee Coulter don’t look like ending any time soon.

Ricki-Lee’s new single ‘Don’t Miss You’ hits stores tomorrow.
She begins a five-date in-store tour at Westfield Plenty Valley in Melbourne this Sunday.
Australian Idol returns on Network Ten on Sunday August 09.
Ricki’s album ‘Hear No, See No, Speak No’ is due in-store in October.

TOURING : Gomez

British indie rockers Gomez are bringing the show on the road to Australia this October for their seventh visit to our fair shores. The band will perform tracks from their latest album 'A New Tide', which was released earlier in the year through Shock Records. They'll play dates in all the major centres, rounding off the tour with two dates in Fremantle (on October 31 and November 01). Tickets for all dates are on sale on Monday August 03.

October 22 : Sydney (Metro Theatre)
October 24 : Canberra (ANU Bar)
October 25 : Brisbane (HiFi Bar)
October 28 : Melbourne (HiFi Bar)
October 30 : Adelaide (Governor Hindmarsh)
October 31 : Fremantle (Fly By Night)
November 01 : Fremantle (Fly By Night)

PHRASE : All Good

Aussie hip hop artist Phrase has unveiled the clip to accompany his latest single 'All Good' and while it looks like they may have scrimped on the single artwork, the same most certainly can't be said for the video, which looks a million dollars. In the middle of the woods, Phrase sets about using some futuristic illuminated tool to fashion himself all manner of amazing things - it's a totally spectacular effect. He rides through the streets of his home town in the early morning, there are shots of him performing live to screaming fans and throughout, we're taken back to the forest where he continues to fashion himself out a rather lovely home.

NEWS WRAP

* Looks like there's another tween superstar on the block. Disney princess Demi Lovato has hit the big time, debuting in the No.1 position on the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the US with her new long player 'Here We Go Again'. It's due for release in Australia on August 14.
* British outfit the Arctic Monkeys are to take part in an exclusive web transmission early tomorrow morning. The band, whose new album 'Humbug' hits the stores on August 21, will perform tracks from it from 6am Australian eastern time on their OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
* Checking the latest iTunes chart in Australia and it would appear that pop is making a comeback in a very big way. David Guetta's new single 'Sexy Bitch' is up to No.2 today, with Cascada's 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' bulleting up to No.11! The Gossip's 'Heavy Cross' has made it all the way to No.5 (with a physical single now confirmed for Australia) and Alesha Dixon's 'The Boy Does Nothing' has moved up to No.33.
* And due to popular demand, British singer songwriter Jamie T has added two more shows to his forthcoming Australian tour. He'll play a second show in Sydney at the Metro on September 16 and a second Melbourne date at HiFi Bar on September 19. Tickets are on sale now.

TOURING : Cliff Richard / The Shadows

While he's not really graced the singles charts in Australia for a great number of years, the 'Peter Pan Of Pop', Cliff Richard, is still considered pop royalty. And it's with much excitement that after teaming up with his former band The Shadows, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment has announced he'll tour Australia at the start of next year. Cliff and the Shadows were responsible for a string of incredible hit singles throughout the 1950s and 1960s including 'The Young Ones', 'Livin Doll', 'Summer Holiday' and 'Bachelor Boy' and will tour Australia as a group in February for the first time in 49 years. Tickets for all shows will go on sale on Friday August 14.

February 06 : Perth (Burswood Dome)
February 10 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre)
February 13 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena)
February 16 : Gold Coast (Convention Centre)
February 18 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre)
February 20 : Hunter Valley (Hope Estate Winery)
February 21 : Sydney (Entertainment Centre)

THE AUSTRALIAN pOp CD NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE

August 07
Anjulie – Anjulie
Bertie Blackman – Thump (CD single)
Dada Life – Just Do The Dada
Dandy Warhols – The Dandy Warhols Are Sound
Cassie Davis – Do It Again (CD single)
Paloma Faith – Stone Cold Sober (CD single)
Freemasons ftg. Sophie Ellis Bextor – Heartbreak (CD single)
Little Einsteins – Little Einsteins Musical Missions
Pixie Lott – Mama Do (CD single)
Matisyahu - Light
Chrisette Michele – Epiphany
OST - Balibo
OST – Bandslam
Katy Perry – One Of The Boys (Tour Edition)
Katy Perry – One Of The Boys (Tour EP)
Pink – Funhouse (CD single)
Pitbull – I Know You Want Me (CD single)
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That (CD single)
Nick Skitz – Come Into My World
Various – Girlforce
Various – Leave Them All Behind III
Various – Mashed 5

August 14
All American Rejects – When The World Comes Down (Tour Edition)
autoKratz - Animal
Cobra Starship – Hot Mess
Daughtry - No Surprise (CD single)
Cassie Davis – Differently
Paul Dempsey – Everything Is True
Paul Dempsey – Everything Is True (Limited Edition)
Calvin Harris – Ready For The Weekend
Demi Lovato – Here We Go Again
Kate Miller-Heidke – The Last Day On Earth (CD single)
Rolling Stones – Jump Back : Best Of Rolling Stones
Seal – Soul Live
Short Stack – Stack Is The New Black
Short Stack – Stack Is The New Black (Collector’s Edition)

August 21
Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Athlete – Black Swan
Andy Bull – We’re Too Young
Andy Bull – We’re Too Young (Limited Edition)
Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone (CD single)
Andy Cowan – When The Night Comes In
John Farnham – Essential 3.0
Newton Faulkner - If This Is It (CD single)
The Fray - Never Say Never (CD single)
Gossip - Heavy Cross (CD single)
Jet – Shaka Rock
Kid Confucius – Let Go (Tour Edition)
Sean Kingston - Fire Burning (CD single)
Kisschasy – Seizures (CD/DVD)
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lil’ Wayne – Rebirth
Jessica Mauboy – Been Waiting : Deluxe Edition
The Next – Light Of Day EP
OST – Hannah Montana 3
OST – Wizards Of Waverly Place
Sean Paul – Imperial Blaze
Tex Perkins – The Best Of
Pitbull - Hotel Room Service (CD single)
Andre Rieu – Champagne Melodies (DVD)
The Script - Before The Worst (CD single)
Shakira – She Wolf (CD single)
Various – Dad Rocks!
Various – Just Dance
Various – Karaoke Hannah Montana Movie
Various – Songs For Dad
Various – Young Money Presents
Matt Walters – Echo On EP
J-Wess – Anything For You (CD single)
Wiley – Race Against Time

August 28
Jimmy Barnes – The Rhythm And The Blues
Patrizio Buanne – Viva La Dolce Vita
Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough
Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough (Deluxe Edition)
Dash & Will – Up In Something
DJ Nino Brown – Blazin Presents : The Afterparty 2
David Guetta – One Love
OST – Fame
OST – Funny People
Pitbull – Rebelution
Various – Chillout Sessions XII
Various – Triple J Hottest 100 Of All Time
Various – Wild Energy : Gold Edition
Young Punx – Your Music Is Killing Me

September 04
Aqua – Greatest Hits
Beyonce – I Am… Sasha Fierce (Platinum Edition)
Liam Finn – Champagne In Seashells EP
Delta Goodrem – Believe Again Live (DVD)
Whitney Houston – I Look To You
Michael Jackson – Hello World : The Motown Solo Collection
Lost Valentinos – Cities Of Gold
Planet Funk – Planet Funk
Andre Rieu – Be My Love (DVD)
Sundance Kids – Fall Into Place
Various – OneLove : Classics

September 11
Boys Like Girls – Love Drunk
Mariah Carey – Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel
David Gray – Draw The Line
Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky
Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky (CD/DVD)
Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky (Collector’s Edition)
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33 Remixes
OST – I Love You, Beth Cooper
Rushcutter – Call High Water EP
Smashproof – The Weekend
Various – Mushroom Evolution (DVD)

September 18
Erykah Badu – New Amerykah : Part II
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee
Julian Casablancas – Phrases For The Young
Nick Cave/Warren Ellis – White Lunar
Kid Cudi – The Man On The Moon : The End Of Day
Paloma Faith – Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful
Nelly Furtado – Mi Plan
Mika – We Are Golden
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Guy Sebastian – Like It Like That
Various – Feel Good : Sounds Of Summer
Various – Triple J Hottest 100 Of All Time (DVD)

September 25
Harry Connick Jr - Love Is The Answer
Miley Cyrus – Time Of Our Lives
Madonna – Celebration
Madonna – Celebration (2CD set)
Madonna – Celebration (DVD)
Maps – Turning The Mind
OST – Phineas And Ferb
Barbra Streisand – Love Is The Answer
Various – R&B Gold 5
Gin Wigmore – Holy Smoke
Gin Wigmore – Holy Smoke

October 02
Brandi Carlisle - Giving Up The Ghost
Andre Rieu – My Music, My Life
Andre Rieu – My Music, My Life (DVD)

October 09
Wolfmother – Cosmic Egg

October 16
The Roots – How I Got Over

October 23
Britney Spears – The Singles Collection
Britney Spears – The Singles Collection (Multi CD Box)
Various – Onelove : Mobile Disco 2010

October 30
Jack Johnson – En Concert (CD/DVD)

NB - all release dates subject to change & list is updated weekly

RICKI-LEE : Don't Miss You

It premiered on Channel 10's Video Hits on Saturday morning and now we can also bring you the brand new video for former Idol contestant Ricki-Lee. Shot in Sydney, we see action Ricki-Lee as she takes to the road on two wheels as a pillion. She employs her potty mouth, attempting to 'piss' someone off and imploring the subject of her anger to kiss her behind. Gosh. She takes to the harbour with her slick new black 'do' for the second chorus, enjoying a couple of drinks with the girls while taking in the fresh salty air. Then it's off to the city for a rooftop party and a spot of dancing. Something tells us she's really not missing that former part of her world and she's having a blast on her own.

TOURING : Kid Confucius

The boys from Sydney outfit Kid Confucius have announced a national tour across Australia's east coast, making stops in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra. To celebrate the live dates, kicking off on September 13, the band is also releasing a tour edition of their 2008 album 'The Let Go'. The new edition, in-stores on August 21, will include exclusive remixes, along with videos and the previously unavailable track 'Daydreaming'. Tickets for the live dates, meanwhile, are on sale now.

September 13 : Bondi (Beach Road Hotel)
September 19 : Brisbane (Troubadour)
September 24 : Canberra (Transit Bar)
September 26 : Sydney (Oxford Arts Factory)
October 08 : Melbourne (Toff In Town)

RICKI LEE HITS THE SHOPS

She's back with the feisty new single 'Don't Miss You' which lyrically deals with the rather public breakdown of her marriage and now Ricki-Lee is heading into the stores to meet public and sign copies of it. She'll be hitting a Westfield centre in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia over the coming weeks. Ricki reveals in the press release that the series of instores almost didn't happen.
"We all know physical sales have dropped dramatically the past 12-months, making in-stores an expensive exercise and a rarer occurrence. I’m definitely still old school in the sense that performances and signings by my musical Idols when I was a kid was what I lived for, so I had to put up a fight when my label said they weren’t going to happen this release. I want to keep this level of interaction alive and kicking for my fans as long as I can," she said.
The instore dates kick off this Sunday August 02 at Westfield Plenty Valley in Melbourne.

August 02 @ 12:00pm : Victoria (Westfield Plenty Valley)
August 06 @ 06:00pm : New South Wales (Westfield Hornsby)
August 08 @ 02:00pm : Western Australia (Westfield Carousel)
August 13 @ 06:00pm : South Australia (Westfield Marion)
August 15 @ 12:00pm : Queensland (Westfield Carindale)

* Keep your eyes peeled for our interview with Ricki-Lee within the next 24 hours!

JESSICA'S DELUXE EDITION

If news about a deluxe edition of Beyonce's album 'I Am' wasn't exciting enough to awake to this morning, news just through is that Jessica Mauboy's album 'Been Waiting' will also get a deluxe reworking over the coming weeks. The new repackaged album will feature SEVEN bonus tracks and a DVD containing the clips plus live performances. 'Been Waiting - Deluxe Edition' is set down for an August 21 release, so punters won't have to wait long. We'll post artwork as soon as it lands on our desk.

CD TRACKLISTING
01. Running Back (ftg. Flo Rida)
02. Been Waiting
03. Burn
04. Used2B
05. Empty
06. Because
07. To The Floor
08. Time After Time
09. Back2U
10. Up/Down
11. Let Me Be Me
12. Breathe
13. Been Waiting (Champion Lovers Remix)
14. Do It Again
15. Chinese Whispers
16. That Girl
17. Running Back (ftg. Flo Rida & Israel)
18. Burn (Jason Nevins Remix)

DVD TRACKLISTING
01. Running Back
02. Burn
03. Been Waiting
04. Because
05. Burn (live Idol Grand Final)
06. Medley (live MTV Awards)
07. Up/Down (live at the Chapel)

BEYONCE'S PLATINUM EDITION

She's hitting the country shortly on her 'I Am' tour and to celebrate, Sony Music Australia is releasing a deluxe edition of B's album 'I Am... Sasha Fierce'. Someone at Sony Music needs to be congratulated on compiling this release 'cause it's most certainly one for the fans and will most definitely be exported throughout the world. The 'Platinum Edition' is truly exceptional value with 20 tracks on the CD and all the clips on a bonus DVD and is set to hit stores on September 04. The repackage will feature new songs, album exclusives and iTunes bonus tracks on the CD and the DVD will house video clips and behind the scenes features. An awesome collector's edition.

CD TRACKLIST
01. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
02. Diva
03. Ego
04. Halo
05. If I Were A Boy
06. Smash Into You
07. Sweet Dreams
08. Broken Hearted Girl
09. Scared Of Lonely (exclusive)
10. That's Why You're Beautiful (exclusive)
11. Hello (exclusive)
12. Radio
13. Video Phone
14. Ego (remix ftg. Kanye West)
15. Why Don't You Love Me
16. Honesty (Billy Joel cover)
17. Save The Hero
18. Satellites
19. Disappear
20. Ave Maria

DVD TRACKLIST
01. If I Were A Boy
02. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
03. Diva
04. Halo
05. Broken Hearted Girl
06. Ego (remix ftg. Kanye West)
07. Ego (fan exclusive)
08. Sweet Dreams
09. Behind the scenes of the videos

CASSIE DAVIS BREAKS COVER

It's extraordinarily colourful, we'll give her that. And no doubt it'll stick out like the proverbial dog's balls on the shelves of retailers throughout the country. But here's the cover shot for the debut album for Sony Music songstress Cassie Davis. We've been lucky enough to score a preview copy of the album, so stay tuned for our review. In the meantime, the album gets it's release on August 14, with the latest single 'Do It Again' out on August 07.

JA RULE POSTPONED

We were none the wiser that US rapper Ja Rule had postponed his concert at Sydney's Luna Park last week, but we've been advised today that the delay was due to visa issues with the Department Of Immigration. Organisers of the concert say all relevant details are now with the authorities and are confident that everything is in place for a rescheduled show on Saturday August 29.

STARTING MONDAY

We had a reader comment earlier this week with regards the most added songs to Australian radio each and whether we could start providing a list on a weekly basis. Well looky here! Thanks to our ace mates at The Music Network magazine (a weekly subscription-based industry mag), we'll kicking off a list of the most added tracks at radio each week beginning next Monday!
So keep your eyes peeled for this new addition to our site!

www.themusicnetwork.com.au

BANANARAMA : Love Comes

It's been way too long, but with new record label Fascination (the home of Girls Aloud and The Saturdays) and new album under their shiny pop belts, the girls of Bananarama are back with brand new single 'Love Comes'. The track is set for release in September via a physical CD single along with digital bundles and two vinyl singles. And thanks to one eager fan, we can show you the clip too! It's colourful, bright and modern - and Sara and Keren never seem to get any older - how do they do it!?
With the industry cloud of arguably the world's No.1 pop music label and a fun, up-tempo new single, could the girls have a massive hit on their hands? Time will tell.

ROBBIE'S NEW LOOK

It has to be said that Master Robbie Williams is looking particularly swoon-some in this new pic from his new-look official website. And though we suspected the countdown on his site may have had something to do with the announcement of a new album and/or single, it was simply to relaunch ROBBIEWILLIAMS.COM. The new site features plenty of great new features, with 'a very special treat' being revealed in the coming weeks.

NAT'S ON THE ISLAND

She's taken a great deal of time in signing the distribution rights to her new album, but Natalie Imbruglia has finally inked a deal to release her forthcoming LP 'Come To Life' with Island Records. The company will release the new album, the singer's fourth, throughout the world, with Universal Music Australia set to release the album locally (Australia and New Zealand) in October.

MILEY'S NEXT MOVE?

Details are incredibly scarce at the moment, but Universal Music has this week hinted that a new Miley Cyrus album may just be on the way. The teen singer, whose popularity has boomed through the 'Hannah Montana' movies, is set to release the album 'Time Of Our Lives' in Australia on September 25. No more information at this stage.

WOLLONGONG'S PLAYDAY

The buzz in Wollongong is growing louder with every passing day as the city counts down to it's biggest ever outdoor concert event. Playday is set to take place at the city's WIN Stadium on Saturday November 21, and will bring together some of the biggest names in Australian music. Ready to hit the stage for the inaugural festival of music are Evermore, Dash & Will, Phrase, Bertie Blackman, Hook 'N' Sling and a feast of local talent. Tickets for the event are on sale tomorrow morning at 9am. More details are available over at the OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

SOUND RELIEF'S JUST REWARD

The incredible, all-conquering Sound Relief concerts, held in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year to raise funds for both bushfire and flood relief, have been honoured with a Helpmann Award. The March mega-shows raised in excess of eight million dollars with some of Australia's and indeed the world's biggest artists donating their time to perform. In addition to the monies already raised, a four disc DVD set of the concerts is set to be released on October 02. All artists, publishers and labels associated with the DVD release have provided their music royalty-free and it's anticipated that the DVD release will set a new Australian sales record.

GIVEAWAY

Well good afternoon! Another week and again, another batch of delicious goodies to get your chops around. This week, the magnificent team at EMI has given us a couple of copies of this incredible FIVE disc set - 101 90s Hits! Not content with giving us 50, 60 or even 100 hits, the team has packed 101 classic hits onto five CDs!
There's Geri Halliwell, Stars On 54, Britney Spears, Eiffel 65, Eternal, Martika, Utah Saints, Christina Aguilera, Nicki French, Everything But The Girl and even that bloody incredible (and hard to track down) song by Efua, 'Somewhere'. The man behind this compile is the same man who created the truly incredible 'futurePOP' compilations, so you know it's good.
So... thanks to EMI, we have two copies of this five CD set to give away. Send your name and address in an email with the subject '101 Giveaway' to auspOp@ymail.com and you're in with the chance to win!

Competition closes at 12 midnight eastern time this Sunday, August 02.
None of your personal details, email addresses, names, addresses, favourite Spice Girls etc are retained post-competition, so you're assured NOT to get any annoying spam mail from us anytime forever and ever amen.


THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

RUSHCUTTER : Call High Water

Melbourne outfit Rushcutter has spent the past year and a half perfecting their sound, gigging around the traps and working with some incredibly big names in the music industry. All this incredible hard work will one day pay off with their debut album, but for the moment, fans are appeased with the 'Call High Water' EP, available at the band's live shows and in the shops on September 11. Enter the clip for the title track of the EP. Filmed entirely in black and white, the video entails the camera chasing the boys around a very sparsely decorated home. Lead singer Jaime soon tires of this and decides to pop out for a walk instead, pausing artistically in front of a tiled wall. We're fans of the washing machine on the rooftop - and of the song. It's incredibly reminiscent of the glory days of '70s American soft rock - and we reckon the US will lap it up.

NEWS WRAP

* Europe won't be the only ones having all the fun as of next year with the inaugural 'AsiaVision' Song Contest coming our way. With 13 countries already on board, including Australia, and a host nation yet to be announced, the countdown is on! Click on the logo to find out more.
* The gang at Girls Aloud Australia has let us know that the girls' recent single 'The Promise' has somehow made it's way onto the Australian iTunes store.
* Boy band JLS has retained their position at the top of the British singles chart for a second week with their single 'Beat Again', while Michael Jackson retains his place at the top of the UK albums chart.
* Pearl Jam scored the most added song to Australian radio last week with their brand new single 'The Fixer'.
* Thanks to auspOp reader Phixxit for letting us know, but the Robbie Williams website is counting down to a major announcement tonight. It's timed to go off at 11pm Australian Eastern time (2pm UK time).
* Aussie rockers Grinspoon have announced a three date tour in support of their upcoming album 'Six To Midnight'. They'll play in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on September 16, 17 and 19 repectively, with tickets on sale on August 13.
* And it seems you don't have to be an Aussie these days to qualify for the 'Australian' singles charts! In a little error this week (picked up by eagle-eyed auspOp reader Tuvak), the team at ARIA has classified Swedish songstress Agnes as one of our own, adorning her with a No.12 chart placing on this week's Australian singles chart (pictured).

UNCOVERED WINNERS

Well what a blisteringly good compilation album this one is! The 'Uncovered' compilation by Ministry Of Sound features some of today's biggest artists covering some of the biggest songs of all time. Sarah Blasko does Crowded House. Duffy does Paul McCartney (figuratively speaking). Pixie Lott does Kings Of Leon. Tiga does Nelly. 43 big tracks, two CDs - and thanks to Ministry Of Sound, three lucky auspOp readers are walking away with a copy. The winners are;
Martin from Eaton in Western Australia, Cruise from Singapore and Paul from Zillmere in Queensland! Congratulations gents! A copy of the double comp will soon be winging it's way to you.
Congratulations must also go to Daniel from Casula in New South Wales who won the special copy reserved JUST for our Twitter followers!
Thanks so much to everyone who entered and if you were unsuccessful - don't panic - another chance to win is coming up shortly, with another sensational giveaway coming your way...

TOURING : Short Stack

A very solid No.2 debut on the Aussie singles chart this week is the perfect catalyst for Universal Music Australia to announce another tour for teen dreams Short Stack! The band has only just finished their recent national tour, but with a hot No.2 single under their belts and their new album 'Stack Is The New Black' just a couple of short weeks away from dropping into stores, it's always wise to strike while the iron's hot. So, the boys will hit the road for the 'Stack Is The New Black' tour in December, taking in six dates across the country. Tickets for all gigs go on sale this Friday, July 31.

December 11 : Doyalson (Doyalson RSL)
December 12 : Adelaide (Thebarton Theatre)
December 13 : Perth (Metro)
December 16 : Brisbane (Tivoli)
December 18 : Melbourne (Festival Hall)
December 19 : Sydney (Enmore Theatre)

TOURING : Rob Thomas

He's in Australia for a promotional tour throughout this week, so the timing is perfect for Michael Coppel to announce a national concert tour for Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas. The singer, whose new album 'Cradlesong' and single 'Her Diamonds' have been occupying the top five in recent weeks, will play a series of concerts in February, including 'A Day On The Green' events in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Tickets go on sale on Friday August 07, with tickets for the Sandalford Wines gig on sale Monday August 10.

February 05 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena)
February 07 : McLaren Vale (Leconfield Wines) ADOTG
February 11 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre)
February 13 : Hunter Valley (Hope Estate Winery)
February 14 : Bowral (Centennial Vineyards) ADOTG
February 17 : Sydney (Acer Arena)
February 20 : Yarra Valley (Rochford Wines) ADOTG
February 21 : Swan Valley (Sandalford Wines) ADOTG

SNEAKY TIESTO'S THE WATER

One of the world's most respected and in-demand DJs, Tiesto, has teamed up with our very own Sneaky Sound System for his new single 'I Will Be Here'. The Sneaky team are set to support Tiesto (along with Calvin Harris) for his massive Victoria Park gig, taking place in London later this week. Warner Music has taken this single to radio locally today and it's anticipated that with one of the biggest names in Aussie dance/pop and one of the world's biggest DJs teaming up, at very least night radio play throughout the country is assured.

CHART WATCH

It's Michael Jackson again this week on the official albums chart, while the Black Eyed Peas continue their reign over on the Aussie singles chart. Here's this week's chart watch;
SINGLES : If the Black Eyed Peas' dominance of the ARIA singles chart of late wasn't enough, they've actually strengthened their stranglehold on the No.1 spot this week with a marked increase in the sales of their single 'I Gotta Feeling'. Last week, it sold just over 15,000 units to be No.1. This week, that number increases to an impressive 18,681 (including 747 physical copies). And even though Short Stack's debut at No.2 with new single 'Sway Sway Baby' is incredibly impressive, they were more than 7000 copies off the No.1 spot, bagging 11,358 sales on debut.
(Who says the physical single is dead!? - Short Stack sold a rather solid 4310 copies last week to debut on top of the physical singles chart!)
Lady Gaga drops down to No.3 with 'Paparazzi', a further 9873 copies of that single in the bag, while Jordin Sparks moves up to No.4 with 'Battlefield' (6991 sales).
The biggest mover of the week comes courtesy of Channel 10's Neighbours. Kate Miller Heidke's track 'The Last Day On Earth', which was used in a commercial for the popular soap, rockets up to No.7 (up from No.35 last week) with 6332 sales, giving Kate a much-deserved hit from her album 'Curiouser'.
Pink's 'Funhouse' single makes it into the top ten for the first time - at No.10 with 5756 sales and Gossip scores a belated chart hit with 'Heavy Cross' (No.16) thanks to good national radio airplay on the Austereo network (though they're playing the Fred Falke remix), with 3707 sales.
Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden get 'Bonkers' at No.18 (3471 copies), while Rob Thomas takes a hit with ''Her Diamonds' sliding nine places to No.21 (3148 sales).
Further down, a debut for Jeremih with his single 'Birthday Sex' (which is approaching 94 million plays on his OFFICIAL MYSPACE) at No.37 with 1877 sales.
There are also debuts at Nos.46 and 47 for Daughtry and Eminem (1559 and 1542 sales) respectively.
Outside the top 50, former Mis-teeq singer Alesha Dixon scores her highest chart yet with the single 'The Boy Does Nothing' - it's up to No.54 this week with 1320 sales, Jet's new single 'She's A Genius' moves up 18 places to No.57 (1253 sales) and further down, there are a few debuts;
Channel 10's 'Glee' debuted on the back of the Masterchef final last week and 1115 people were moved enough to buy the cast's single 'Don't Stop Believin' (No.65).
Shakira's fortunes debut at No.68 this time around with single 'She Wolf' selling 1094 copies, The Frames are in at No.71 with 'Falling Slowly' notching up 1074 sales and Swedish songstress Agnes hits the top 100 at No.83 with 'Release Me' (919 sales).
ALBUMS : Once again it's Michael Jackson atop the Australian albums chart and once again he's doing so by a massive margin - his 'Essentials' collection this week bags another 20,293 sales, almost 7000 in front of his nearest rival, Australia's Got Talent winner Mark Vincent (13,128 sales).
Pink's 'Funhouse' moves back up five places to No.5 (8856 sales) while the Michael Jackson compilation 'The Motown Years' bullets up to No.14 with 4019 copies sold.
Florence & The Machine sells 3189 copies of 'Lungs' to enter the charts at No.16 this week, with Jordin Sparks' album 'Battlefield' coming in much further down at No.34 (1662 copies).
Also in the top 50, debuts for Billy Talent at No.44 (1146 sales) and Diesel at No.50 (1039 sales).

OFFICIAL ARIA CHARTS

ABRAHAMS VS LOAU

It's been rather a long time since we heard from former Girlfriend member Robyn Loau - her last single 'She Devil' picked up community radio airplay last year, making it's way into the physical singles top 20 chart in the process. It was also just over 12 months ago that the singer saw her debut album 'Malaria' released after an incredible 14 years. But great news for Robyn's fans is that the singer is about to unleash her next single - with a little help from Melbourne DJ Josh Abrahams. 'Hard' follows similar musical stylings to Josh's previous collaboration with Amiel, 'Addicted To Bass'. It's entirely danceable, incredibly familiar and should do big business. Heads up too - Robyn's set to release her brand new album 'Only Human' in September... And as the short teaser clip below shows, she's looking and sounding as amazing as ever.

ANOTHER SPLASH OF GIN

It's one week since we last told you about the goings-on in the world of New Zealand songstress Gin Wigmore, but there have now been further developments. Hew new single 'Oh My' is now streaming over at her OFFICIAL MYSPACE page and it will hit radio across the country next Monday, August 03 and digital retail on Friday August 07. Says Gin of the single, "'Oh My' is a song I wrote when I was 19. I’d had boyfriends I’d broken up with where everything was so dramatic and it was like, 'Oh my God – I’ve been beaten in the game of love… I’ve got to get this one out.'"
It's the first track to be lifted from her forthcoming album 'Holy Smoke'.

BANANARAMA : Help

We could've really picked better when it comes to classic Bananarama clips, but given the girls have a new single and album on the way soon and that French & Saunders are in the final stages of their Australian Farewell Tour, we thought it was prudent of us to feature the clip to 'Help'. Teaming up with 'Lananeeneenoonoo' (French, Saunders and Kathy Burke), the trio popped their way all over the Beatles classic, in the process raising funds for Red Nose Day 1989 and notching up a top five UK hit.

CD SINGLE STOCKISTS : Update

At the end of last month, retailer JB Hifi announced that from the start of the new financial year, they would no longer stock CD singles in their stores. So we decided to put the call out to you to let us know where your fellow pop lovers can now buy the format. And you've responded. We're now compiling a list of retailers throughout the country where punters can still buy the trusty ol' physical single.
We've also created a link in the right hand column which will take you directly to the page where you'll find all the stockists we've compiled so far.
So wherever you are throughout Australia, let us know! We're starting to get a good number of New South Wales stockists on board, but would love more. Same too for South Australian and Queensland stores. But the lists for Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, ACT and NT are still sadly empty. If you're in one of those states and know of any stores that still stock a good range of CD singles, let us know and we'll add them to the list!
In the meantime, you can check out our current list HERE.

THE auspOp DIARY

WEEK COMMENCING JULY 27, 2009

Jul 27 : BRISBANE – Pink (Entertainment Centre) – RE-SCHEDULED SHOW
Jul 27 : BYRON BAY – Downsyde (Great Northern Hotel)
Jul 27 : SYDNEY – The Specials (Enmore Theatre)
Jul 27 : TIX ON SALE – Jimmy Barnes (Melbourne)
Jul 27 : TIX ON SALE – Kate Ceberano (Melbourne)
Jul 27 : TIX ON SALE – Paul Dempsey (Nationally)
Jul 28 : ADELAIDE – Phrase (Governor Hindmarsh)
Jul 28 : MELBOURNE – Doves (Palace Theatre)
Jul 28 : MELBOURNE – Kisschasy (Ding Dong Lounge)
Jul 28 : SYDNEY – Friendly Fires (Manning Bar)
Jul 28 : SYDNEY – The Specials (Enmore Theatre)
Jul 28 : SYDNEY – White Lies (Metro Theatre)
Jul 28 : SYDNEY – Yves Klein Blue (Metro Theatre)
Jul 28 : TIX ON SALE - Eddie Kowalczyk (Perth)
Jul 29 : ADELAIDE – Phrase (Governor Hindmarsh)
Jul 29 : JINDABYNE – Downsyde (The Station)
Jul 29 : MELBOURNE – Friendly Fires (Prince Bandroom)
Jul 29 : MELBOURNE – Pink (Rod Laver Arena)
Jul 29 : WOLLONGONG – Eskimo Joe (Wollongong University)
Jul 30 : BUNBURY – Something With Numbers (Prince Of Wales)
Jul 30 : HOBART – Hilltop Hoods (City Hall)
Jul 30 : MELBOURNE – Pink (Rod Laver Arena)
Jul 30 : MELBOURNE – The Specials (Palace Theatre)
Jul 30 : MELBOURNE – White Lies (HiFi Bar)
Jul 30 : MELBOURNE – Yves Klein Blue (Hifi Bar)
Jul 30 : SYDNEY – Doves (The Metro)
Jul 30 : SYDNEY - Eskimo Joe (Hordern Pavillion)
Jul 30 : SYDNEY – Shannon Noll (The Basement)
Jul 31 : EPPING – Shannon Noll (The Epping Club)
Jul 31 : GOLD COAST – Tokenview (Miami Shark Bar)
Jul 31 : HEPBURN SPRINGS – Naked In The Woods
Jul 31 : MANDURAH – Something With Numbers (Players Bar)
Jul 31 : MELBOURNE – Jimmy Barnes (Palais Theatre)
Jul 31 : MELBOURNE – Hilltop Hoods (The Palace)
Jul 31 : NEWCASTLE - Eskimo Joe (Newcastle Panthers)
Jul 31 : NEWCASTLE – Lost Valentinos (The Cambridge)
Jul 31 : SYDNEY – Downsyde (Annandale Hotel)
Jul 31 : TIX ON SALE – Tori Amos (Nationally)
Jul 31 : TIX ON SALE – Little Birdy (Nationally)
Jul 31 : TIX ON SALE - Short Stack (Nationally)
Aug 01 : ADELAIDE – Hilltop Hoods (Thebarton Theatre)
Aug 01 : BLACKTOWN – Shannon Noll (Blacktown Workers)
Aug 01 : BRISBANE – Tokenview (The Troubadour)
Aug 01 : CANBERRA - Eskimo Joe (ANU)
Aug 01 : MELBOURNE – Naked In The Woods
Aug 01 : MELBOURNE – Pink (Rod Laver Arena)
Aug 01 : MELBOURNE – White Album Concert (Hamer Hall)
Aug 01 : PERTH – Jimmy Barnes (Burswood Theatre)
Aug 01 : PERTH – Doves (Capitol)
Aug 01 : PERTH – Something With Numbers (Amplifier)
Aug 01 : SYDNEY – Downsyde (Annandale Hotel)
Aug 01 : SYDNEY – Lost Valentinos (Oxford Art Factory)
Aug 02 : MELBOURNE – Pink (Rod Laver Arena)
Aug 02 : NEWCASTLE – Downsyde (Cambridge Hotel)
Aug 02 : PERTH – Jimmy Barnes (Burswood Theatre)

REVIEW : Evacuate The Dancefloor

German dance outfit Cascada have made a name for themselves over the past few years releasing totally banging club tunes that regularly break the 140BPM mark.
But with new album ‘Evacuate The Dancefloor’ and the title track from it - a recent No.1 hit in the UK, it seems they’re trying to satiate their hardcore fans, while steering themselves in a slightly more mainstream pop direction.
That’s not to say ‘Evacuate The Dancefloor’ the single isn’t dance – it’s more than danceable, what with it’s meaty tempo and soaring chorus, but it’s more Lady Gaga than the Cascada we’ve come to know.
‘Hold On’ kicks off with drum sticks clicking, before a pleasing guitar riff kicks in. But just as you’re lulled into a false sense of security that perhaps the album may just contain a ballad, the pulsing dance beat comes in to remind you that the band’s most certainly not wishing to abandon the audience that’s got them to where they are.
‘Everytime I Hear Your Name’ harks back to the early ‘90s when Todd Terry’s name was stamped on each and every chart remix, while ‘Ready Or Not’ ups the tempo even more to a place that nobody dared to go – nobody except perhaps Scooter.
If it’s the mainstream audience that the band’s chasing with this album, track five ‘Fever’ would be the perfect follow-up to ‘Evacuate The Dancefloor’, while ‘Hold Your Hands Up’ brings the tempo right down, allowing us to hear Nat’s smoky vocals without the thumping din.
‘Breathless’ wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Natalie Bassingthwaighte’s latest album with it’s roots firmly planted in pop territory (it sounds very similar to ‘Not For You’), while ‘Dangerous’ is smattered with ‘80s synths, remaining purely high energy dance at it’s core. ‘Why You Had To Leave’ is also a great pop/dance track.
‘Evacuate The Dancefloor’ isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s an entirely listenable pop/dance album that will satisfy both fans the band picked up courtesy of their very pop new single, and the legions of fans that have followed them on their quest for global club chart dominance.

REVIEW : Shakedown 2

It has to be said – Russell Small and his partner in crime James Wiltshire of Brighton dance duo Freemasons have set an entirely new and virtually unassailable benchmark for remixers around the world.
Since they burst onto the scene four years ago with their debut single ‘Love On My Mind’, the Freemasons have set about changing the face of dance music one remix at a time.
Their debut long played ‘Shakedown’ was one of the finest collections of remixes we’d ever wrapped our listening gear around, even after licensing issues forced the removal of the boys’ rather sublime remix of Luther Vandross’s ‘Shine’.
Two years on and umpteen remixes later and the boys are back with the imaginatively titled ‘Shakedown 2’, once again jam-packed with hands-in-the-air pop/dance goodness.
Disc one opens with the remix of Beyonce sister Solange’s single ‘Sandcastle Disco’ which then melds seamlessly into the truly incredible Freemasons remix of Jamiroquai’s ‘Don’t Give Hate A Chance’. No such seamless transition into the next track, featuring ‘son of a preacher man’ Peyton on vocals, but ‘Love Is The Answer’ is still entirely danceable. The beats hush into nothingness before the piano riff from the Alanis Morissette cover ‘Uninvited’ is eerily introduced.
The mix into Axwell/Bob Sinclar’s ‘What A Wonderful World’ works well, same too for it’s blend into the brilliant ‘Disco Lies’ by Moby.
The Freemasons then take on the Outsiders who in turn take on Robyn with their cover of ‘Keep This Fire Burning’ – it’s another fine Freemasons moment.
Further down the tracklist, James & Russell turn their attention to the recent Eric Prydz club banger ‘Pjanoo’, shading it with the acapella of previous hit ‘Watchin’.
They do similar business, melding Calvin Harris’s ‘Colours’ with Ultra Nate’s ‘Free’ before closing the disc with self-hits ‘When You Touch Me’ and a new version of ‘Love On My Mind’.
Disc two is the more pop of the two, featuring the likes of Kylie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and an exclusive remix of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’.
Their remix of Beyonce’s ‘Ring The Alarm’ (never released in Australia) is worth the price of admission alone – truly one of the most incredible remixes/club anthems of the past ten years.
From one Destiny’s Child member to the next with the re-‘work’ of ‘Work’, complete with mid-remix tempo slide to remind you why the world fell in love with the radio version. Their remix of New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ feels a bit ‘plonked’, but all is forgiven as the familiar sounds of Kylie’s ‘The One’ slowly make their way to the fore. It’s a glorious club anthem.
Deadmau5’s ‘Ghosts & Stuff’ works well as a bridge to the Lisa Stansfield classic ‘People Hold On’, ‘Disco’s Revenge’ sounds as fresh as ever and the album exclusive remix of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ that follows showcases the Freemasons at their very best.
The brilliant Eurythmics experience sours only slightly when the Red Carpet/Kings Of Tomorrow mash-up marches in without warning – or mix, it would appear. The same goes for the mix into ‘Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)’.
But there’s no denying the song, under the classy pop guidance of Sophie Ellis Bextor, is one of the club anthems of 2009.
But the piece de resistance is the final track. Whoever it was that decided to mash up the Freemasons’ ‘Rain Down Love’ with Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ should be made to sit on the top of the pop throne for all eternity. Quite simply put, it’s genius.
‘Shakedown 2’ picks up where ‘Shakedown’ left off – giving us a wonderful postcard of all the dancey pop goodness Russell and James have bestowed upon us over the past couple of years. The Freemasons are quite literally at the top of their game – and long may they reign.

GUY'S SINGLE ART REVEALED

Here's your first look at the cover image for Guy Sebastian's forthcoming single 'Like It Like That'. The track is the first from the singer's upcoming album of the same name. The album is set to hit retail stores on September 18, while the single is made available digitally from next Friday, July 31, while a physical single hits the shops on August 21.