MIDWEEK NEWS WRAP

• Last year’s ‘X Factor’ winner Samantha Jade revealed on Monday that her brand new single was to be called ‘Firestarter’. Naturally, we gave you a little heads-up three days earlier, revealing the title and released date of the single (HERE). The track, co-penned by the DNA boys, will be released on Friday June 28.
• Remember Barenaked Ladies? They had a top 20 hit here in Australia with their 1998 single ‘One Week’, but then virtually disappeared from radar. That is, except, for contributing the theme song to hit TV show ‘The Big Bang Theory’. Well they’re back again – and they have a brand new album called ‘Grinning Streak’ that’s set for release here in Australia on Monday June 17.

• There’s a slew of new releases doing the rounds at media this week, including ‘Anywhere Else Tonight’ – the brand new single for Melbourne-based dance outfit Vandalism. It’s already been winning fans on dancefloors around the country, notching up a top 15 spot on the ARIA club chart, but it’s now ready to cross over to the mainstream. Vocals come courtesy of former Pet Shop Boys backing singer and Sony UK performer Nick Clow.
• Also doing the rounds at radio this week are remixes of The Wanted’s latest single ‘Walks Like Rihanna’ (hello 7th Heaven mix!), OneRepublic’s ‘Counting Stars’, Bernard Fanning’s ‘Tell Me How It Ends’ and AlunaGeorge’s ‘You Know You Like It’. Check out our FACEBOOK page tomorrow for a more comprehensive list of this week’s new tunes (and there are many).
• Brisbane’s Ball Park Music will this Friday re-release their album ‘Museum’ with a bonus live CD. Recorded at Sydney’s Manning Bar back in February, the new disc features live renditions of eight of the band’s tracks including crowd favourite ‘Surrender’.

• There’s a growing amount of local love for Brazilian quartet CSS, so the gang from Stop Start is crowing from the rooftops in announcing that the band’s new album ‘Planta’ (cover pictured above) will be released in Australia next week. Of the new record, the girls said, “We wanted to make a record where every song is part of the whole story. You can relate to the real human emotions of it—like finding your voice or falling in love. We want to do this forever.” ‘Planta’ is released on Friday June 14.
• Sydneysiders Bliss N Eso have added another hometown show to their forthcoming national tour after their July 04 gig at the city’s Enmore Theatre fully sold out. The second gig takes place the following night, with tickets on sale now.
• Tickets to the Sydney and Melbourne shows for UK outfit Foals sold out early last month, with hints that extra dates may well be added. Fans’ wishes have been granted this week, with second Sydney and Melbourne dates now locked in – Thursday September 26 at Melbourne’s Palace Theatre and Sunday September 29 at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Tickets for both are on sale this Friday.

• Naughty Boy has relinquished his No.1 UK singles spot after just one week, giving up the coveted position to Robin Thicke’s global hit ‘Blurred Lines’, which premiered in top spot. Thicke knocks positions one, two and three down one peg, before a No.5 debut for the new Jessie J single ‘Wild’. Olly Murs’ ‘Dear Darlin’ improves and Demi Lovato hits the top ten with ‘Heart Attack’. Daniel Merriweather is back in action with his brilliant single ‘Red’ after contestants performed the track on the UK version of ‘The Voice’ last week.
• No slowing Daft Punk down over on the UK albums chart, with ‘Random Access Memories’ atop for the second successive week. Laura Marling’s new LP ‘Once I Was An Eagle’ is the week’s highest debut at No.3, with albums for Bastille, Bruno Mars, Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sandé all hitting the top ten. Stooshe’s album ‘London With The Lights On’ debuted at a respectable No.8.
• And don’t forget that our weekly Chart Watch segment is now live from 7pm Saturdays to bring it in line with the new ARIA publishing time.