• Hello and welcome to your weekend edition of The Purge. And welcome to the newest musical output from former One Direction star Zayn Malik. ‘Too Much’ landed at both digital retailers and Australian media yesterday. It’s a collaboration with producer Timbaland, who pops up on guest vocal, co-writing and production duties. It’s the latest song to be lifted from Zayn’s upcoming second album project, which Sony tells us we should be seeing later in the year.
• Matt Corby’s also got a new album coming later this year and yesterday he dropped the latest single from it, ‘No Ordinary Life’. “We were using Willy Wonka as a reference, literally, as a way to write melodies,” Matt says of the new single. “I know that sounds a bit crazy, but that film has some strong melodic ideology. For some reason when you say Willy Wonka, it sets a mood – this magical, hyper-melodic, crooning, beautiful thing, a journey into the whimsical. We tried to make this song and a few others in that vein – as joyous as possible, which is definitely a change to what I used to do.” Catch the new track HERE.
• Also new yesterday was the latest track from up and coming chart star Bazzi. You might remember Bazzi from his chart smash ‘Mine’ (a double platinum success here in Australia), but now he’s teamed up with former Fifth Harmony starlet Camila Cabello for a rework of his track ‘Beautiful’. Bazzi was the special guest on Camila’s recent tour across North America. “Working with Camila is really cool because she gives a similar vibe of what I’m trying to portray,” Bazzi explains. “A nod to ‘80s nostalgic music that really creates an experience. I think she really captures that and I’m excited for people to hear our moment together.”
•We scored ourselves a new single from The Cat Empire called ‘Stolen Diamonds’ during the week. The track is the second of seven new singles the band is dropping on the first of each month between now and the end of the year, following on from ‘Ready Now’ last month. The seven new songs will all feature on the band’s upcoming seventh studio album.
• The Cat Empire aren’t the only ones dropping a single per month between now and the end of the year. Sydney duo Set Mo have been all over the ‘new track every month’ thing for a few months now. They’ve got plenty more up their sleeves between now and the end of the year; ‘Wish You Were Here’ their latest output. The boys will also head out on the road from October for a series of ‘Stamina Sessions’, kicking off at ANU in Canberra on October 05. Head to www.setmomusic.com for dates and details.
• Brisbane hip hop performer Cking has dropped a brand new single and accompanying video. The track’s entitled ‘Sorry’ and it’s the latest in a string of releases for the young performer, who’s already dropped two albums, an EP and several singles. Wrap your watching gear around ‘Sorry’ HERE.
• RNB Fridays Live will return to Australia in November this year; the team at Frontier Touring promising another mammoth event with a stellar line-up of talent set to hit cities across the country. The dates are already locked (November 09 for Perth, November 10 for Melbourne, November 11 for Adelaide, November 16 for Brisbane and November 17 for Sydney). The line-up is set to be revealed on Friday morning at 7:30am AEST. Watch this space.
• The Red Hot Summer Tour has grown; The show at Bella Vista Farm in Baulkham Hills on Saturday March 30 has now officially sold out. And with demand for tickets still strong, organisers have decided to add another at the same venue just one day later (that’s Sunday March 31 for the slow ones). As with the first show, punters will be entertained by John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite, Jon Stevens, Vanessa Amorosi, Thirsty Merc and Dragon. Tickets are on sale from 9am AEST on Monday August 13.
• Carmada has been added to the already beefy line-up to the upcoming Snowtunes event on August 31 and September 01. The boys are set to join an already stellar line-up of talent, which includes the likes of Rudimental, Violent Soho, Bec Sandridge, Set Mo, Thandi Phoenix, Mec Mag, Slumberjack and many more. Head to www.snowtunes.com.au for all the guff.
• Perth’s Origin Festival is no more (boooo!). But huzzah, in its place is the Origin Fields Festival (huzzah!). Don’t worry… it’s the same festival, just reborn under a new brand name and expanded later this year to a two day festival. It’ll be back at Langley Reserve in the city from later this year, held on December 30 and 31. Line-up announcements will happen in the weeks to come, but you can already register for pre-sale tickets at www.originfields.com.au.
• Still ON the music festival bandwagon and organisers of the NYE On The Hill event in Victoria have announced that they’ll be back in the hills of South Gippsland from December 30 to January 01 for another cracking event. They’ve also confirmed that Melbourne’s own The Smith Street Band is the headliner for this year’s event, tickets for which are on sale now. Details HERE.
• Music legend Bob Dylan will play a second and final show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Sunday August 19. Final tickets remain for his previously announced show at the ICC Theatre on August 18 (and only limited tickets remain for his shows at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena on August 13 and 14). Tickets for the new Sydney show are on sale from 9am AEST on Monday.
• Australian Music Week will take over Cronulla Beach in Sydney’s southern suburbs from November 07 to 11 this year, giving people the opportunity to scratch beneath the surface of the music industry. “Australian Music Week is about breaking down barriers to the music industry,” Conference Manager Jon Howell explains. “We bring in national and international guests to give practical, career-changing advice for artists and industry workers at the coalface finding their feet in the music industry day-in, day-out.” Wanna find out more? Head HERE.
• Clare Bowen will be back in Australia next month for a series of intimate theatre shows. The run of dates kicks off at the Astor Theatre in Perth on Thursday September 27 ahead of Wollongong (Town Hall on Sep 29), Sydney (Enmore Theatre on Oct 02), Brisbane (The Tivoli in Oct 03) and Melbourne (Athenaeum Theatre on Oct 05). Tickets are on sale from 2pm local time on Monday, August 06.
• And just 50 minutes away from Sydney Airport, the Mount Hunter Stampede will take over the K Ranch Arena from October 12 to 14. It’s a big ol’ celebration of country music and country life and will be helmed by performances from both Jasmine Rae and Christie Lamb, along with Drew McAlister, Adam Harvey and Adam Brand. Tickets are on sale now; further details are right HERE.
• It’s now three week on top for Drake’s latest ‘In My Feelings’ on the UK singles chart and it’s showing no signs of slowing. Neither, it has to be said, are George Ezra’s ‘Shotgun’ and Jonas Blue’s ‘Rise’, both of which hold their places in positions three and four respectively. But the new DJ Khaled single ‘No Brainer’ (with Quavo, Chance and a little known performer by the name of Justin Bieber) makes a big splash, entering at No.4. It’s the week’s only top 30 debut.
• Over on the UK albums chart, the entire top five is steady this week; the ‘Mamma Mia : Here We Go Again’ at No.1, the ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack at No.2, Drake’s ‘Scorpion’ at No.3, George Ezra’s ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ at No.4 and the original ‘Mamma Mia’ soundtrack at No.5. Halestorm’s new album ‘Vicious’ is the only real highlight in an otherwise rather dull top ten, debuting at No.8. Just missing the top ten on debut are new albums from Catherine McGrath (‘Talk Of This Town’ at No.13), Daughtry (‘Cage To Rattle’ at No.14) and All Saints (‘Testament’ at No.15). Underworld and Iggy Pop make it into the top 20 (at No.20) on debut with their collaboration ‘Teatime Dub Encounters’.
• Drake makes it three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA this week with his latest global smash ‘In My Feelings’. And though Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ and Maroon 5’s ‘Girls Like You’ maintain their positions at two and three respectively, the top five is shaken up by the No.4 debut of 6ix9ine’s new single ‘Fefe’ (with Nicki Minaj). Post Malone’s ‘Better Now’ edges from No.7 to No.5, while Tyga gets a ‘Taste’ of top ten life (No.13 to No.10).
• It might be dropping around the world (including here in Australia), but Drake’s latest album ‘Scorpion’ holds for a fourth successive week on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Post Malone’s ‘Beerbongs And Bentleys’ edges from No.3 to No.2, while the new ‘Mamma Mia : Here We Go Again’ soundtrack soars from its No.20 debut last week to No.3. Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ is back in top ten action, improving five spaces from No.14, while the week’s highest debut comes courtesy of The Internet (‘Hive Mind’ at No.26).
• And that would be your lot for an action-packed Saturday serve of The Purge, but fear not… we shall return at 5pm AEST with another smattering of chart information, albeit with a local flavour. It’s ARIA Chart Watch, our weekly wrap of the ARIA top 100s. And it’s live from 5pm AEST this afternoon.
TICKETS PLEASE
MONDAY AUGUST 06 : Clare Bowen (Nationally)
MONDAY AUGUST 06 : Bob Dylan (Sydney)
MONDAY AUGUST 06 : The Smyths (Nationally)
MONDAY AUGUST 06 : Keith Urban (East Coast)
TUESDAY AUGUST 07 : Roger Hodgson (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth)
TUESDAY AUGUST 07 : Rodriguez (Nationally)
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 08 : RL Grime (Nationally)
FRIDAY AUGUST 10 : Anne-Marie (Sydney, Melbourne)
Australia's first stop for pop!