• It’s your Saturday edition of The Purge and we’re kicking it off this week with the new single from ‘X Factor’ favourites Jess & Matt, ‘Bones’. The track dropped at digital retail late last month, but it’s only this week that we’ve seen it make its way to Australian media. The track was co-penned with the boys from DNA in Sydney and lyrically deals with deep, passionate love.
• Porter Robinson and Madeon have teamed up for a joint new single release entitled ‘Shelter’. Featuring Madeon (aka Hugo Leclercq) on vocal duties, the track came about rather organically, with both sharing a studio space in France to create the project together. “Our intent was to make music that would reflect our friendship,” Madeon said of the release. The track’s out now.
• US singer songwriter Jack White (of The White Stripes fame) will release a new acoustic album early next month. Entitled simple ‘Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016’, the double disc or double LP release will comprise 26 songs recorded throughout his career, including a previously unreleased White Stripes song called ‘City Lights’. It’s out at retailers everywhere on September 09.
• The boys from Green Day have confirmed October 07 as the release date for their new album ‘Revolution Radio’. It’s the band’s 12th studio album and is available for pre-order now, with those who do getting lead single ‘Bang Bang’ as a grat track. Recorded in Oakland, California, the LP comprises 12 songs overall.
• Melbourne performer Chris Watts set pulses racing earlier this year with his rather smashing single ‘Wrong Or Right’, on which he collaborated with Amy Sheppard. But this time the 24 year old has decided to step onto the stage solo, revealing a one-off gig at The Toff in Town in his home city on Saturday August 20. Tickets are on sale now.
• New Zealand reggae outfit Katchafire will visit Australia later this year for a mammoth 22 date tour of the country in support newly-released single ‘Burn It Down’. Everything kicks off in Adelaide – at Governor Hindmarsh – on Thursday October 06, with shows to follow in the suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, through regional cities like Gosford, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Toowoomba, then across to the West for shows in Rockingham, Gosnells, Duncraig and Dunsborough. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.
• Universal Music Australia has launched a new imprint. Casablanca Records Australia is now home to Running Touch, Just A Gent, St.Albion and Vera Blue and will nurture both established and emerging Australian electronic and indie-pop artists. “Casablanca is such a storied label from its 70’s heyday,” explains Universal Managing Director Michael Taylor. “To revive and launch the label now in Australia, with a focus on electronic alternative, just feels like a perfect marriage (but more like a messy late-night Vegas style marriage actually).”
• US hip hop supremo Travis Scott, who’ll be on our shores for the Listen Out Festival late next month, has confirmed headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne as part of his visit. He’s set to play 170 Russell in Melbourne on Tuesday September 27, with a show at Sydney’s Metro Theatre the following night. Tickets for both are on sale from 11am this Wednesday, August 17.
• Also readying Sydney and Melbourne (and Adelaide) sideshows as part of his upcoming Listen Out appearances is A$AP Ferg. He’ll also play 170 Russell in Melbourne (September 23), will swing to The Gov in Adelaide on September 28 and wraps things up at the Metro Theatre in Sydney on September 30. Tickets are on sale from midday this Wednesday, August 17.
• In festival news, Sydney’s MoVement Festival will return in October this year, and it’ll deliver a number of great performances across a number of venues throughout Sydney, including a world premiere performance from new outfit Mind Gamers (made up of Sebastien Tellier, Daniel Stricker and John Kirby). Also part of the line-up thus far are Wave Racer, Honey Soundsystem, Nicole Millar, Indian Summer, GL and Go Freek. Tickets are on sale from 9am on Wednesday August 17.
• The line-up for the 26th edition of the mighty Meredith Music Festival has landed and it’s a doozy. Headlining for the 2016 bill is Peaches, but there’s plenty more where that came from, with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard also locked, plus Sheila E (yes, THE Sheila E), Angel Olsen, Archie Roach, The Triffids, Jagwar Ma and many, many more. The ticket ballot for the December 09, 10 and 11 event is open until 10:26pm this Tuesday night.
• Speaking of ballots… Changes are afoot for the Falls Festival this year, with organisers confirming that the ticket ballot, a staple of the event for a great many years, is no more. Instead, Optus customers will be the first in line for tickets via Optus Perks (for 24 hours from 9am on August 25), while general public tickets will hit the sales desk at 9am AEST on Tuesday August 30. Further details are available at the Falls website.
• The Yours & Owls Festival in Wollongong has given birth to a baby festival. Well, when we say ‘baby festival’, we mean it’s a very special Under 18s version of Yours & Owls with a stellar line-up of talent. Hermitude, Nicole Millar, Hockey Dad, Skegss, Bec Sandridge, The Pinheads, The Vanns and James Crooks will all perform at Waves in Wollongong specifically for a younger audience on October 01. Tickets are on sale from 9am this Monday.
• Justin Bieber almost knocked Justin Bieber off the top spot on the UK singles chart this week. Well, truth be told, both tracks feature the Canadian pop superstar, but one (Major Lazer’s ‘Cold Water’) maintains its No.1 position, while the other (DJ Snake’s ‘Let Me Love You’) debuts in the No.2 spot. Its premiere at No.2 sends the previous Nos.2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 positions dropping, while Twenty One Pilots’ track ‘Heathens’ cracks the UK top ten, jumping from No.20 to No.9. The Chainsmokers also jump with ‘Closer’ (No.33 to No.12).
• Over on the UK albums chart, UK outfit Blossoms claim the No.1 position on debut with their debut self-titled album, saying of the honour, “We’re absolutely made up that the album has gone to Number 1. From the scaffolding yard to the top of the charts, who’d have thought it?” Giggs premieres in the No.2 spot with ‘Landlord’, while albums from Drake, ELO and Viola Beach make up the rest of the top five. Wild Beast’s ‘Boy King’ claims No.9 for its own on debut and No.10 belongs to another new entry; Moose Blood’s ‘Blush’.
• Sia maintains her No.1 heading on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with her smash ‘Cheap Thrills’ again this week, though it seems that Drake’s ‘One Dance’ isn’t done just yet, moving up one position to be right behind Sia at No.2. It’s the Major Lazer track dropping from No.2 to No.5 that’s caused everyone else in the top five to jump one spot this week. The Chainsmokers notch up another top ten chart position alongside Halsey (the debut of ‘Closer’ at No.8 makes it two entries in the top ten Stateside – ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is steady at No.6). Twenty One Pilots continue their flight to the top ten with new single ‘Heathens’ (No.15 to No.11), but P!nk’s ‘Just Like Fire’ is starting to flicker out, down five spots to No.17.
• Can you believe that Drake’s not No.1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart!? Yes, he’s now lost this No.1 position too; succumbing to the new DJ Khaled album ‘Major Key’, which premieres in pole position. Behind him it’s Drake (surprise!), Twenty One Pilots, a No.4 debut for Jake Owen’s ‘American Love’ and a No.6 debut for Fantasia’s ‘The Definition Of…’. Hillary Scott & The Scott Family’s ‘Love Remains’ is the week’s other top ten debut – No.7 – while Blake Shelton’s LP ‘If I’m Honest’ bullets from No.24 to No.9.
• And yes, The Purge may be all but wrapped for another Saturday morning, but we’ll still be here with you again for Chart Watch tonight at 7pm on the East Coast. We’ll take a look at what’s happening – as we do each Saturday – on the ARIA top 100s.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY AUGUST 15 : Alexisonfire (Nationally)
MONDAY AUGUST 15 : Yours & Owls Under 18s (Wollongong)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 : A$AP Ferg (Sydney, Melbourne)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 : Missy Higgins (Nationally)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 : MoVement Festival (Sydney)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 : Passenger (Nationally)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17 : Travis Scott (Sydney, Melbourne)
Australia's first stop for pop!