MEGA-MIDWEEK NEWS WRAP

• The gang at Neon Records is understandably excited about the forthcoming release of Gorgon City’s brand new album ‘Sirens’. The London production duo has roped in a host of big name vocalists for the project, including Sweden’s Erik Hassle, MNEK (on their recent club smash ‘Ready For Your Love’), Maverick Sabre (‘Coming Home’ and ‘Hard On Me’) and Ms Jennifer Hudson on ‘Go All Night’. With 13 tracks in all, ‘Sirens’ (cover image above) will drop at Australian retailers on Friday October 03.
• Rising to prominence via her 2013 Rudimental collaboration ‘Waiting All Night’ – a top ten hit here in Australia – British starlet Ella Eyre will release her debut album in Australia in early October. Including the rather smashing lead single ‘If I Go’, the album is called ‘Feline’ and will drop locally on Friday October 03.
• Also confirming the release of their new album is US outfit Foo Fighters. The new LP, the band’s eighth, is called ‘Sonic Highways’ and the vinyl edition will be released with nine different cover images, one depicting each of the cities the album was created in, as well as a ‘forever’ cover. The vinyls are available exclusively through THIS website. The album will be released worldwide on Monday November 10.

• New music doing the rounds this week includes the latest single for Counting Crows. According to EMI, ‘Scarecrow’ (cover image left) is the lead track from the album ‘Somewhere Under Wonderland’, which is due for release down under on Friday September 05.
• Other tracks in the mix for radio additions this week include Prinnie’s new single ‘One Night’, London Grammar’s ‘Hey Now’, Guy Pearce’s ‘Storm’ and the previous mentioned Zinc/Sneaky Sound System collaboration ‘Show Me’. Check out the more comprehensive list of new tunes on our FACEBOOK page tomorrow.
• The album announcements keep coming, with Shock Records confirming they’ll be releasing the new album by hip hop star The Game in the middle of next month. ‘Blood Moon : The Year Of The Wolf’ follows on from 2012’s ‘Jesus Piece’ and will drop at Aussie retailers on Friday September 19.
• Oh Mercy guitarist Simon Okely has branched out on his ownsome, bringing his moniker Slow Dancer back with an organic, blues-fuelled single called ‘Took The Floor Out’. He’s due to launch the track at Melbourne’s Workers Club on August 24 and 31. Check it out HERE.

• Brisbane’s The Blurst Of Times Festival has a line-up. The Saturday October 18 event is set to take over three venues in the Queensland capital and will rock to the sounds of DZ Deathrays, Dick Diver, Major Leagues, Babaganouj and many more. Tickets are reportedly selling like hotcakes. More info HERE.
• Il Divo star Sebastien Izambard has signed up as a global ambassador for the Sanfilippo Foundation Australia. Manly couple Meg and Al Donnell started the foundation to raise awareness and funds for a clinical trial, which aims to uncover a cure for the rare and fatal degenerative disease Sanfilippo Syndrome, which sadly both their children were born with. Check HERE for more information on how you can help.
• The PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia) has announced a new round of recording grants in conjunction with the Australia Council. Following on from a successful round of $15,000 grants last year (some of which went to the Grigoryan Brothers, Ben Salter and The Bamboo’s Lance Ferguson), another series will be offered this year. Applications for the grants are open now, but will close on November 25. All the information is available HERE.

• It looks like the UK is starting to follow Australia’s lead when it comes to their chart favourites. After sending Magic!’s former Aussie hit ‘Rude’ (No.2 here eight months ago) to the top spot on the UK charts last week, they’ve done it again, this time with the Nico & Vinz single ‘Am I Wrong?’, which also hit the No.2 spot down under in June. ‘Am I Wrong?’ bullets from No.52 to land the top spot this week, with Magic! down to No.2 and a debut for OneRepublic’s ‘Love Runs Out’ at No.3.
• And there’s still no budging Ed Sheeran from that top spot on the British albums chart; his latest album ‘X’ maintaining its No.1 position in front of Dolly Parton and Sam Smith. In fact, the only debut in the top ten is at No.10… from Charlie Simpson’s ‘Long Road Home’. Pixie Lott’s self-titled album pops into the countdown at No.15.

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