Beating winter, Aussie music style
Music from the Motherland has spent the past few months swanning around London enjoying the mild winter and boasting to Aussie UK- winter-virgins of Januarys gone by that were filled with icy footpaths and frozen toes. But who’s laughing now? As we hurriedly dig out the gloves and scarves we curse Mother Nature and ourselves for doubting her.
Then like a warm glow the heat of Australian music beckons over the horizon and we feel the inner warmth as we shuffle London streets. The announcement this week six Australian bands are set to light up a UK beachside festival in May almost gave us sunburn.
Okay, Brighton in England’s south is not exactly a sandy beach heaven and even in May the weather can be temperamental but this is exciting news. These bands will be performing at the UK’s premier showcase festival in the hope they can crack another international market.
DZ Deathrays, Young Magic, Emma Louise, Jinga Safari, Inland Sea and Wim are all part of the initial lineup for the three day festival (10-12 May) throughout Brighton’s many venues, clubs and pubs. We’re guessing most of these will be part of the Aussie BBQ line-up on the Saturday which is a full day of Australian music in the British seaside town. They even have a barbie for the hungry punters. Chin up everyone, we’ll be through this winter in no time!
Celebrating the album
We’ve just got over the Hottest 100 for the year so it seems like a decent time to reflect on the art form that is a musical ‘album’. With the download and instant age, the time of putting on an album and listening to it in its entirety is slowly fading away.
Clicking online and buying single songs or checking out a bands hit on Youtube, we miss the journey a fantastic album can take you. Don’t believe us? What’s your second favourite song on the new Gotye album? Or where even does the name of the hit track ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ come from? (Making Mirrors – for all those scratching their heads). Before we get on our high horse though, we have to admit we’re just as guilty. We spun Boy & Bear’s ‘Feeding Line’ many times before we discovered Moonfire and all its cracking tracks.
So it was exciting to see the bands shortlisted this week for the Australian Music Prize. A stand-alone award it honours the most outstanding album of the previous year as voted by a group of musical producers, journalists and musicians.
As well as the aforementioned two, The Jezabels, Adalita, Gurrumul, Kimbra, The Middle East, Abbe May, and Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders are all in contention. The winning artists will pocket $30 000, which hopefully will fund their next trip to the UK.
Let this be a timely reminder for us to get out there and enjoy the full fruits of a musicians labour and discovering some hidden gems in the process. Long live the ‘B Side’.
It’s time for Young Talent Time
Let’s finish off with some nostalgia. Before X-Factor and all that nonsense, Young Talent Time ruled the roost for up and coming performers in Australia belting out songs and dance moves on TV to a captivated audience.
The original show (1971-1988) launched the careers of several child stars including Danni Minogue and Tina Arena who are still plying their trade today.
Channel Ten has dusted off the cutesy dance routines and sing-alongs with the new show to be hosted by former Australian Idol Rob Mills and joining the judging panel will be former YTT graduate Tina Arena.
Here’s hoping the judges will be bit kinder to the hopefuls than the cut-throat styles of other musical talents shows and along the way we discover the next generation pop-star.