Gabriella Cilmi was one of the best arrivals of 2008 with a fantastic album and a set of cracking singles – ‘Save The Lies’, ‘Warm This Winter’, ‘Sanctuary’ – but unfortunatley, apart from ‘Warm This Winter’ making an appearance on Co-Op adverts, she’s STILL only really known for ‘Sweet About Me’, the unavoidable track from a much-played hair advert that put her in danger of being a one-hit wonder.

She’s been busy recording album number two, and has put this watchable “behind-the-scenes” clip on her website. Choirs, huh.

No release date or title have been announced yet, giving the impression that this could take a while to get a release, but producers have been named as Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse, and Girls Aloud hitmakers Xenomania, who worked on her debut as well. To be honest a second album is not very likely to set UK charts on fire, but if it takes off in Australia then it may at least not be her last. Pessimistic, but probably true.

I was just sent this song by Gabriella Cilmi, Sweet About Me, which I think is amazing. I was sad to find out that this came out in Australia in April ‘08 and I’m just hearing about it. It’s hard to classify her music, but very similar to Duffy and Amy Winehouse so it’s a brand of crossover/pop jazz. Time to make up for lost time and enjoy!

Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi turns 18 today!!!

Picture Credit: www.heraldsun.com.au

Nice. Shame about defunct personality.

Amy é a quem se pode chamar de Dona Encrenca. Tem que bater um tambor, nega!

O fenômeno não é recente, mas está ficando cada vez mais evidente.

Enquanto a negrada só quer saber de rap e R&B, a moçada branquela cai fundo na soul music - me faz lembrar The Commitments, divertido filme.

O babado é o seguinte: o soul está embranquecendo graças ao talento da pá virada da inglesa Amy Winehouse (A drogadita tá internada é? Ninguém nunca mais falou dela), da lourinha britânica Duffy (ela nasceu no País de Gales e foi segunda colocada no American Idol do seu país, enquanto o fama da Rede Globo catapultou para o anonimato os seus vencedores) e a joinha australiana Gabriella Cilmi.

Vejo aqui no Terra que Amy não se cura mesmo. Ela teve um encontro secreto com o mala do Blake Fielder-Civil, segundo o o tablóide News of the World. Eles jantaram, tomaram um drink e ela chamou o camarada para dormir com ela. De nada adiantou Amy procurar os trabalhos de um curadeiro,  pelo visto.

Gabriella estourou com Sweet about me

Duffy participou do American Idol no País de Gales. Mercy ficou em primeiro lugar nas paradas

Η μουσική είναι μια και οι μουσικοί πολλοί…Κι εμένα μου αρέσουν η μεν και οι δε…Με αυτό το σκεπτικό λοιπόν και με αυτή τη διάθεση βρέθηκα στις 5 του Οκτώβρη 2008 στην Αθήνα για τη συναυλία που διοργανωσε το νεοσύστατο τότε MTV Greece… (MTV Greece: ανακοίνωση της συναυλίας).Οι συμμετοχές ενδιαφέρουσες και το event σπουδαίο στα μουσικά και τηλεοπτικά δρώμενα. Ο λόγος όμως που βρέθηκα εκεί ήταν το μεγάλο όνομα της βραδιάς: REM.

Έχω την εντύπωση ότι ορισμένα πράγματα, σημεία, γεγονότα δεν καταφέρνουμε σχεδόν ποτέ να τα εκτιμήσουμε εν τη γενέσει τους, ούτε ακόμα ίσως και στη λήξη τους. Η πορεία τους στο βάθος του χρόνου είναι τελικά αυτή που καταδείχνει την αξία και τη σημασία τους.

Βάσει αυτού λοιπόν ξεκίνησα να γράψω το παρόν, γιατί αισθάνομαι τυχερός που βρέθηκα στο μέρος εκείνο τη συγκεκριμένη μερα. Η εντύπωση που έχει μείνει είναι ότι το συγκρότημα αυτό κατάφερε να δημιουργήσει μια πραγματικά σημαντική βραδιά, ανεξαρτήτως της αφορμής της παρουσίας τους (και χωρίς να παραγνωρίζουμε την αξία των καλλιτεχνών που προηγήθηκαν). Τις εντυπώσεις λοιπόν από τη συναυλία αυτή καταθέτω παρακάτω…

Μετά το «συναρπαστικό» ταξίδι μέχρι την Αθήνα με το πρωινό Intercity και τη συνάντηση με την παρέα, βρεθήκαμε να συμμετέχουμε κι εμείς απο νωρίς το μεσημέρι στη διαδικασία της αναμονής για να πιάσουμε μια «καλή θέση». Όσο περνούσε η ώρα το πλήθος και η ανυπομονησία μας αυξανόταν. Οι σκιές ήταν όλες πιασμένες και η ζέστη μας δυσκόλευε λιγάκι. Αν θυμάμαι καλά οι πόρτες επρόκειτο να ανοίξουν στις 18.30 κι έτσι γύρω στις 16.00 ο κόσμος άρχισε να πληθαίνει και να σχηματίζονται οι πρώτες ουρές (με μας φυσικά σε πλεονεκτική θέση). Οι δοκιμές του ήχου (soundcheck επί το ελληνικότερον) είχαν από ώρα σταματήσει και η ώρα έναρξης πλησίαζε όλο και περισσότερο…

Κώστας & Κώστας

Καλλιμάρμαρον

Η εμπροσθοφυλακή των θεατών ξεχύθηκε στο Καλλιμάρμαρο (λόγια δεν έχω για το χώρο αυτό) και η παρέα μου – μαζί κι εγώ φυσικά – βρεθήκαμε στην πρώτη σειρά! Αισθάνθηκα τόσο προνομιούχος  τότε…Η αίσθηση είναι εντελώς διαφορετική και η θέαση του γεγονότος ακομά περισσότερο ζωντανή. Από τη θέση αυτή είχαμε τη δυνατότητα να παρακολουθούμε τις διεργασίες που γίνονταν μπροστά και πάνω από τη σκήνη (στήσιμο καμερών, φώτα κλπ), οι άνδρες της ασφαλείας να ελέγχουν και να παίρνουν κι αυτοί θέσεις και γενικά τα συνεργεία του MTV να δουλεύουν πυρετωδώς.

Front Row

Front Row

Όταν επιτέλους φτάσαμε έναρξη και τελείωσαν οι πρώτες συνδέσεις από το χώρο της συναυλίας, τα φώτα έπεσαν και οι καλλιτέχνες βγήκαν. Την αυλαία σήκωσε η ελληνική συμμετοχή, οι C:Real, οι οποίοι μας έκαναν ένα πολύ καλό ζέσταμα για τη συνέχεια. Τα τραγούδια γνωστά, με καλή σκηνική παρουσία και με μια ακόμα πιο εντυπωσιακή τραγουδίστρια…Ακολούθησε η Αυστραλέζα Gabriella Cilmi, που μάλλον έκανε μια αμήχανη αρχή, αλλά τελικά κέρδισε το χειροκρότημα…Κακά τα ψέματα, όλοι περιμέναμε τους REM…Last but not least, υποδεχθήκαμε τους Kaiserchiefs, που ήταν αρκετά ορεξάτοι και κατάλληλοι να «ανάψουν τα αίματα» πριν το μεγάλο όνομα. Ο τραγουδιστής τους δεν άφησε πυλώνα που να μην σκαρφαλώσει αποδεικνύοντας ότι ο επαγγελματισμός και η κατάλληλη παρασκηνιακή προετοιμασία (sic) αφήνουν ευχαριστημένους τους θεατές.

C:Real

Gabriella Cilmi

Η σημαία με το θυρεό που είχαν στη σκηνή οι Kaiserchiefs

Όταν πια ήρθε η μεγάλη στιγμή, θα το πω απλά: έγινε χαμός. Από τη στιγμή της έναρξης, κατά τη διάρκεια και μέχρι το τέλος. Αν και είχα την εντύπωση ότι η σκηνική τους παρουσία θα είναι σύντομη και διεκπεραιωτική, οι άνθρωποι έπαιξαν κοντά 2 ώρες, τα έδωσαν όλα και -κυρίως- έδειξαν να το χαίρονται. Τίποτα πρόχειρο, τίποτα τυπικό, απολύτως επαγγελματικό και διασκεδαστικό. O Stipe έφτασε μέχρι τα κάγκελα με τους θεατές, πέταξε τα χαρτιά του, χοροπήδησε, αστειεύτηκε…Οι Mills και Buck έδιναν ρέστα όπως και όλο το συγκρότημα. Η συναυλία μας επιφύλασσε μια πανέμορφη ακουστική εκτέλεση του Let Me In (το τραγούδι που επρόκειτο να πουν με τον Kurt Cobain: Let Me In – DMavridi YouTube ), τα πασίγνωστα The One I Love: The One I Love – DMavridi YouTube, Losing My Religion ( δείτε στο link τι έγινε: Losing My Religion – DMavridi YouTube ), το What’s the frequency Kenneth?, το Electrolite Electrolite – DMavridi YouTube και τελείωσαν πανηγυρικά με το It’s the end of the World ( as we know it ): It’s The End of the World – DMavridi YouTube. Πάνω απ’όλα όμως έπαιξαν το Drive (υπάρχει επίσης link – συγνώμη για την κακή λέξη που εκστομίζω: Drive – DMavridi YouTube). Και δίνω έμφαση γιατί είναι το αγαπημένο μου τραγούδι και επίσης γιατί στην προηγούμενη συναυλία (στον Άγιο Κοσμά το 1999) δεν το έπαιξαν και είχα μείνει με το παράπονο ότι πήγα σε μια συναυλία τους και δεν άκουσα…Ε λοιπόν πήγα σε μια δεύτερη κι ευτυχώς το είπαν…Και θα ξαναπάω με το καλό σε μια τρίτη (αν υπάρξει).

Michael Stipe

Peter Buck

REM

Δε θα αναφερθώ στο ποια ήταν η αίσθηση να βλέπει κανείς ένα μεγάλο συγκρότημα και να το βλέπει απο την πρώτη σειρά. Κι αυτό γιατί πολύ απλά δεν περιγράφεται. Αυτό όμως που περιγράφεται είναι η μέρα εκέινη και αυτό έκανα εδώ…Αν εξαιρέσω τη μικρή ταλαιπωρία στην έξοδο και την αναζήτηση ταξί (αμελητέα θέματα κατά τα άλλα), αυτό που μένει είναι η αίσθηση της παρουσίας σε κάτι ωραίο, μοναδικό -όπως όλα τα ωραία- και δια βίου αξιομνημόνευτο….

Standing ovation

Grand Finale

* Αφιερώνεται στον Κώστα και τον Κώστα.

Single released 7 September 2009

A beautifully crafted pop song with powerfully delivered lyrics form the backbone of She’s Got You, a rhythmically uplifting tale of love and friendship. She’s Got You is the introductory pop single from the incredibly talented 19 year old Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan Jarvis aka COSMO JARVIS. The musical breadth showcased in his live performances is astounding, supporting the likes of Reverend and the Makers, Panic at the Disco, Gym Class Heroes and Gabriella Cilmi, COSMO JARVIS has proved that he is not just a competent singer, songwriter and film maker, he is also a stunning showman. Keep your ears tuned in to Cos’mania!

Quantas músicas bacanas!
Uma atrás da outra. Sem parar!

Conheci essa cantora no dueto com o James Morrison pela tv italiana e nem dei muita bola.
Achei a participação dela OK na música Broken Strings. Nem de longe ela conseguiu ofuscar o brilho da Mrs. Furtado, a verdadeira voz por trás do single.
Antes disso, a Mari lá do trampo havia me mostrado a Gabriella com Sweet About Me. Acho que essa todo mundo conhece.
Mas foi ouvindo Got No Place To Go que eu realmente compreendi que o potencial da Mrs. Cilmi era outro.

Fantastic!
There’s a caterpillar in my soul.
Soou meio pokémon… Hehehe…

Hoje, passei o protetor solar, pluguei os fones no ouvido e fui a pé até a academia.
Ouvi esta música no repeat até chegar lá.
Descobri ela hoje, sem mais nem menos e viciei.
Simples assim!
_________________________

Lyrics:

Fuel can take a minute to light
Wonderland aint built in a night
Two can burn a bridge in a day
Now one of us is walking away
Don’t believe the stories your told
Not everything that glitters is gold
Love is just a word that we say
Now one of us is walking away – away – away

And I, I got no place to go
Yeah I hate it when I am feeling cold
Only get it when I’m feeling low
Way back then my soul brother was my home
There’s a caterpillar in my soul
It’s what you get when you don’t get no
_________________________

Ps1: Estou tentando descobrir o nome de uma música da Oi Fm que passou esses dias e eu fiquei encantado. Ela diz mais ou menos assim: “la la la posibby mistake la la la…”. Alguém æ sabe o nome?
…
…
…
Acheiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, acheiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A cantora tem nome esquisito!
Próximo post eu coloco a mp3 pra todo mundo ouvir;

Ps2: Já sabem! É praxe aqui clicar na imagem para fazer o download da mp3.

Master Shortie

I don’t like to blow my horn.. or ring my own bell for that matter. But in this case… toot toots and ding dongs are in order. On the 22nd of April I wrote a lil’ somefing-somefing about up-and-coming Urban acts, including a short and sweet blurb about this dude Master Shortie – rapper and entrepreneur extraordinaire whose brand of cock-sure Indie-Rap is really starting to turn heads, shake hips and tap toes. So much so in fact that he has been getting a lot of heat on national radio; is currently Myspace’s featured artist; and will be playing at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. You heard it here first people… Toot!

Pixie Lott

Ok it’d be bold of me to claim that I spotted this one. On the 10th of June I talked Pixie up big style and about a week later she was the hottest thing in the charts, with Mama Do reaching the dizzy heights of number 1, and my little site was raking in around 300 people a day looking for info on all things Pixie.. presumably because there weren’t many other sites picking up on this talented and stunning Pop-Soulstress.. Cheers Pixie!

Enough of all this bragging and boasting though.. I really began this little article to point you in the direction of two more effortlessly talented songstresses who just happened to remind me of the Pixie Lott success story.

Felicity Kaya

18 year old Felicity Kaya blends Jazz, Pop, Rock and Lounge in her arrangements, over which her soulful, rich and versatile vocals reminisce of the likes of Amy Winehouse, Gabriella Cilmi and of course everyone’s favourite current Soul diva Pixie Lott. Kaya offers more to the intelligent Pop fan than most of today’s quirky-girl-Popstars though: the moody and meandering Time To Hold displays an impressive vocal prowess; diverse ‘Kurdish meets western popular culture’ influences; and complex and irregular time signatures. Apollo meanwhile is a delightful Lounge track that smacks of sipping screwdrivers at 3am in a smokey Jazz Bar. Prominent walking basslines, drum lines heavy on the crash, and subtle, delicately positioned key and brass licks make this a beautifully crafted track. Perverted Eyes, my personal favourite, is a more driven Rock-Pop track, displaying Edge from U2-Esque guitar work and production, and what sounds a bit like a bluesy Deep Purple-era Hammond Organ. Catchy, poppy and quirky-cool, this track will appeal to all the Amy fans out there, and is easily chart-worthy.

In short boys and girls, Kaya has the talent, the look and the tracks to make some serious progress, and now under management and signed to Out Of Bound Records, who knows what might happen. I just hope that whoever’s in charge gets the ball rolling on a Myspace page and starts realising the vast potential for online advertising, marketing and most importantly social networking! Until that happens though, check out some samples by clicking the image and heading over to her label homepage.

Daisy Dares You

I’m convinced that in the not too distant future I will be saying a big ‘I told you so’ about this girl. At just 15, Daisy Dares You already displays an incredible ear for a catchy Pop track, as Number One Enemy clearly demonstrates. The track opens up like a Tetris theme tune and breaks into a sparse bass ‘n’ bleep verse which really allows Daisy’s vocal talent and quintessential cockney Nash-esque charm shine through. The chorus is a straight 4/4, lightly distorted guitar driven, simple but anthemic Pop-hook, and I can already hear hordes of teeny bopper fans chanting back the words. And if it ain’t broke… the same formula is used for Talk About The Weather, an equally catchy and endearing soft-Rock track reminiscent of some kind of London-answer to Kelly Clarkson. Daisy Dares You, the self-titled track, and Next Few Minutes are slightly quirkier electronics-infused tracks which nod to Synth-Pop monsters Hello Goodbye and Shiny Toy Guns. Unashamedly Poppy; at times anthemic; always catchy; and undoubtedly endearing – Daisy Dares You definitely has all the ingredients to be a smash… Watch this space!

australia week: a loud call from down under

It’s 1981. Olivia Newton-John, already a household name thanks to her performance opposite John Travolta in ‘Grease’, spends 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with the suggestive pop anthem ‘Physical’. The album of the same name peaks at #6 on the Billboard 200 and is later certified double platinum. Six years later, in Olivia’s native Australia, a popular young soap star named Kylie Minogue is coaxed into a rendition of the Little Eve classic ‘The Loco-motion’ at a charity benefit with her fellow ‘Neighbours’ cast members. Her recording of the song becomes the highest-selling single of the ’80s in Australia and spawns a recording career which has seen her thus far sell over 60 million records, a large chunk of those sold throughout the UK and Europe.

Newton-John and Minogue are no doubt two of Australia’s biggest musical exports, but they do not even begin to scratch the surface in terms of the breadth and depth of female talent currently on offer from those distant shores. Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, Lenka Kripac, Sia Furler, Kasey Chambers, Missy Higgins and Lisa Mitchell are just a few of the names who have made or are beginning to make an impact both in Australia and overseas; some of them criminally overlooked by the Australian media (Furler), others earning their place among the most sought-after live acts (Blasko). Perhaps now more than ever independent Aussie females are making their mark on the international circuit, and making the Australian music industry sit up and take notice.

Within the mainstream, too, things are looking promising. The Veronicas have just earned a number one single in Ireland with their electro-pop swinger ‘Untouched’ (having already hit the top 10 in the UK and top 20 in the States), Kylie is about to embark on her first ever US tour, and then there’s young Gabriella Cilmi. In spite of criticisms that her sound was largely an imitation of Amy Winehouse, Cilmi last year hit the upper reaches of the UK charts with her irresistibly catchy debut single ‘Sweet About Me’ and subsequent album Lessons To Be Learned. She was rewarded for her efforts with six Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) awards, including nods for Best Female Artist and Single of the Year – a phenomenal achievement for a 17 year old.

Without belittling Cilmi’s success or doubting her talent, her ARIA wins follow a disturbing trend within the Australian music industry of rewarding its female musicians only once they achieve international acclaim. It is worth noting that Cilmi won the accolade for Best Female Artist over Holly Throsby and Clare Bowditch, both of whom, from a critical perspective, offered more established albums last year, and that Adelaide-born Sia, whose third album Some People Have Real Problems (deemed “[2008's] first great pop album” by Slant Magazine), wasn’t even nominated. The industry’s indifference towards Furler is somewhat baffling, given her continuing critical and commercial success in the US in particular. But it seems even there the tide is turning; Sia’s recent Australian tour was a big success, suggesting there is hope for her to gain the hometown recognition she deserves yet. 

The icons: Olivia Newton-John, Christina Amphlett, Marcia Hines, Kylie Minogue

The soap stars: Dannii Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, Delta Goodrem, Holly Valance

The new visionaries: Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, Sia Furler, Kate Miller-Heidke

Indeed, female artists are becoming much more of a drawcard for Australian audiences than they have in the past; in 2007, the organisers of the prestigious Homebake festival bravely marketed the year’s festival as the ‘Ladies Domain’. Headlined by the irrepressible Christina Amphlett of the Divinyls, along with Sarah Blasko, Missy Higgins, Operator Please and others, the event was an unprecedented sell-out, proving that Australian audiences were just as interested in their female charges as they were in AC/DC, INXS and Silverchair. Amphlett is often credited with leading the way for Australian female artists who did not fit the passive, safe, pop prototype. In an era where the two most popular Australian females were Newton-John and disco diva Marcia Hines, who was voted ‘Queen Of Pop’ for three successive years in the mid-1970s, Amphlett broke the mould with her aggressive, sexually charged performances and intimidating stage persona.

Despite the controversy surrounding ‘Physical’ and its accompanying video, Newton-John’s image was ultimately wholesome and clean-cut, as was Hines’s; Amphlett’s was anything but. Her howling vocal style was hardly technically sound and her wild stage shows became notorious – she is reported to have urinated on stage several times in the band’s early tours. (No footage of this has been produced, although when asked about the claims years later, Amphlett conceded that it was possible given the intensity with which she performed). As the frontwoman of Divinyls, one of Australia’s premier rock bands, Amphlett enjoyed considerable success on the domestic front, earning four top 10 albums and several hit singles. The band would later find success internationally with their ode to female masturbation ‘I Touch Myself’, which hit the top 10 in the UK and top 5 Stateside. Their reformation for Homebake 2007 was one of the biggest musical events of the decade.

In the wake of Kylie Minogue’s success, a host of Australian television personalities tried their hand at a music career, with varying degrees of success. Few have been able to replicate Minogue’s career path, though Holly Valance managed to score a #1 hit in the UK with the ridiculous ‘Kiss Kiss’, and Minogue’s younger sister Dannii, who appeared on rival soap ‘Home & Away’, has impressively had more consecutive #1 hits on the UK dance chart than any other artist – including, surprisingly enough, her sister. It came as quite a surprise, then, when Natalie Imbruglia hit the top of the charts around the globe with her cover of little-known band Ednaswap’s song ‘Torn’. Imbruglia’s sound owed more to the confessional singer-songwriter stylings of Alanis Morissette than it did to Kylie’s dance-pop, but for a while Imbruglia was the bigger star, a favourite among critics and fans alike, and winner of the 1996 ARIA award for Album of the Year. While her subsequent releases have not had quite the same level of commercial success, they have been relatively well received by critics. A new album from Imbruglia is reportedly due later this year.

Fellow ‘Neighbours’ graduate Delta Goodrem has also enjoyed considerable success since pursuing a recording career. Signed to Sony Music at the tender age of 15, Goodrem received a lukewarm reaction from Australian audiences for her debut single ‘I Don’t Care’. A few years later, having taken control of songwriting responsibilities and built up her profile through ‘Neighbours’, Goodrem achieved phenomenal success with her debut album Innocent Eyes. The album sold a staggering one million copies in Australia and would later make its mark in the UK charts, peaking at #2. While Goodrem was plagued with negative media coverage in Britain following her romance with Brian McFadden, ex-flame of Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona, in Australia she quickly became a media darling. Her girl-next-door image ensured universal appeal, and when she was tragically diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma shortly after the album’s release, the public support for her was overwhelming. She has since recovered from the illness and continues to achieve multi-platinum sales. While her attempts at cracking the US market have thus far proved fruitless, this has perhaps been more a result of record label hesitation than the quality of her music.

The personalities: Lenka, Clare Bowditch, Butterfly Boucher, Kasey Chambers

The young guns: Missy Higgins, Gabriella Cilmi, Lisa Mitchell, Bertie Blackman

The bands: Little Birdy, The Grates, The Veronicas, Spinnerette

In terms of the current musical landscape, the two most exciting Australian female vocalists are arguably Sarah Blasko and Holly Throsby. Blasko released her third album As Day Follows Night only 10 days ago, debuting at #5 in the ARIA album charts – her highest charting release to date. Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden with Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn & John fame, it’s her first album to be entirely recorded overseas and we can only hope that exploring her range with European producers could provide the quirky songstress with an opportunity to crack the elusive international market. Throsby also recorded her third and most recent album A Loud Call overseas – this time in Nashville with producer and engineer Mark Nevers of Lambchop. Complete with a Will Oldham duet, the album sounds more accomplished and confident than Throsby’s earlier work, with Nevers’ production adding an extra dimension to Throsby’s sweet, melodic songs. Like Blasko, Throsby’s determination to experiment with and expand her sound could pay dividends around the world.

And Blasko and Throsby are not the only promising young women flying the Aussie flag. Ex-’Australian Idol’ contestant Lisa Mitchell has also been working with a host of songwriters in the UK and released her debut album Wonder in the UK last week. Butterfly Boucher finally overcame contract wranglings with Geffen Records to release her long-awaited second album Scary Fragile at the beginning of June. Former Decoder Ring singer turned solo artist Lenka has been making waves in the US and Europe with recent single ‘The Show’ and self-titled album, and has become a favourite and fixture on the schedule of Hollywood’s influential Hotel Café. And on the band front, Brisbane trio The Grates are about to release their second album Teeth Lost, Hearts Won in the UK in September, followed by The Veronicas’ Hook Me Up in early October. A fourth album is expected from Architecture In Helsinki by the end of the year. Howling Bells are about to release their second album Radio Wars in the US. And let’s not forget the true nationality of Spinnerette’s Brody Dalle – her music may be as American as you can get, but she’s a Melbourne girl at heart.

Waiting in the wings for their international breakthrough moment are Western Australian rock outfit Little Birdy, fronted by gifted singer-songwriter Katy Steele (sister of Luke Steele from The Sleepy Jackson and, latterly, Empire Of The Sun). The Perth-based band has been scoring rave reviews for their latest effort Confetti, an album which flirts with folk and even country, but at its heart is simply Australian rock at its best. Meanwhile, Sydney’s Bertie Blackman has scored universal critical acclaim with her recently released third album Secrets & Lies, on which she boldly traded her love of guitars for a more electronic sound. Once again, her bravery could see her earn the overseas recognition she deserves. A host of others, such as the fearsomely talented, Christina Amphlett-influenced, opera-trained Kate Miller-Heidke, are also preparing their work for international release. Judging from the huge success of Miller-Heidke’s recent UK tour, labels will be scrambling to add her latest album Curiouser to their schedules.

The Australian music industry has come a long way since the 1980s, when Kylie and Olivia helped to generate international interest in Australian culture. The ladies making their mark on the international scene today are indebted to Minogue and Newton-John, but also have their own distinct sounds which have won them legions of fans both in Australia and overseas. As the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close, it will be interesting to see how Blasko, Throsby and their all-female army fare in the overseas market, but only the harshest critic would doubt their potential to achieve success. After all, these women represent a new generation of Australian female artists; aware of what has become before them, but consistently looking toward the future.

Dane Hodges

Hier je suis allé aux Ardentes, je n’ai pas fait tous les jours parce que ce n’était pas prévu et parce le meilleur était ce jour-là.

Je me dis que parfois je suis un peu à la masse musicalement parce que je ne connais pas assez de choses sur de bons groupes comme The Subways qui dégomment vraiment. Les concerts étaient vraiment bons et c’est une super journée que j’ai passé là-bas. C’est difficile de dire un mot de tout le monde qu’il y avait. Je dirais juste que c’est moins cool les concerts qui étaient à l’intérieur parce que l’acoustique y est pas trop bonne et qu’il y fait étouffant.

Il y avait au festival Gabriella Cilmi dont je suis un grand fan. C’est clair que j’ai pris plus de photos d’elle que de Supergrass ou Ghinzu, allez savoir pourquoi!

Cette jeune artiste dont on aime dire qu’elle est fort jeune pour le talent qu’elle a est tout de même une artiste confirmée capable de performances qui ont fait vibre tout le monde. Bon, il faut avouer que l’on ne connait qu’une seule chanson d’elle mais ses autres interprétations procurent énormément de plaisir. De plus, elle nous a donné deux reprises dont une des Led Zepplelin (Whole lotta love) qui était enhivrante!

Il y avait égallement Julien Doré que j’étais impatient de voir mais malgré son énergie et son charisme, ses chansons manquent d’un quelque chose. On est tellement habitué à ses performances d’interprétation que ses propres chansons ne passent pas forcément bien.

La soirée s’est bien finie avec Ghinzu et leur impressionnante folie musicale.

La semaine prochaine, c’est les francofolies de Spa! C’est nul que Gabriella y aille pas.

“Dance, Dance, Dance” by Lykke Li

“Manhattan” by Kings of Leon

“Weekend Wars” by MGMT

“Society” by Eddie Vedder

“Use Your Love” by Katy Perry

“Sweet About Me” by Gabriella Cilmi*

*(They play this at Finz Restaurant where I work and I hear it so much I had to find it. Literally I searched for twenty minutes.)

Photo: Lykke Li from googleimages.com

Hello world,

Melaniecaitlin.com has barely been online a month and we’re already looking at roughly 1,000 views. I couldn’t think of a better way to start this first real blog. I’m extremely happy to finally be able to showcase my work in such a big way. For the last couple of months Daan has worked extremely hard on these pages and I couldn’t thank him enough.

With that said, what you are looking at now is approximately 90% of the final design. A few small changes still need to be made, like the font size and a flash animation for my so called ‘quotes’. Another big thing that will be worked on over the next couple of weeks is the change of my gallery to a real flash gallery, like you might have seen around the web. For a good example of that, I suggest you check out Chris Ramsey’s gallery. While you’re at it, taking in some of his photography wouldn’t be bad at all.

As for my photography; I’m still learning how to use my website properly so for now all of my new photos will be posted on Flickr. The last few weeks I have posted up photos of artists like Ane Brun, bands like New Found Glory and festivals like Bpop ‘09– all of which have been published elsewhere too. Last Saturday I had the privilege to attend a show of the wonderful Ilse DeLange. I’m extremely content with the outcome of those photos. It’s waiting for the final approval of her management now, which is due this week. So be sure to keep checking The 405 for those and a live/album review.

vând două bilete Best Fest 2009 pt ziua de 3 iulie

Artişti:

Orbital
Franz Ferdinand
Klaxons
Gabriella Cilmi
Alternosfera
Oceana
AB4
Funkstar De Luxe

Nu cer mult deloc având în vedere că nu am timp să caut clienţi pt că am bacul, aş prefera să le dau cuiva din Braşov sau care se poate deplasa până în Braşov. Nu cer nici mai mult nici ami puţin decât 60 lei/bucată, asta e mai puţin decât jumătate, preţul real fiind de 130 lei/bucată iar la intrare 150. Până la urmă le vând şi cu 100 pe amândouă(50 lei-bucată). Chestia e că le-am câştigal al un concurs şi nu pot să merg că am bacul în perioada aia, adică nu vreau să plec nicăieri până nu aflu rezultatele.

Concert 2 of 3 of the concert weekend I had on the 20th and 21st of June.

The Sweet About Me single got probably played to death over here. Probably in a bunch of countries. It has to be the most annoying song on her album, not just because it’s the single. I just don’t like it very much. I like Sanctuary a lot better as a song and single.

Enough about the album. I was already on planning to go to the Silversun Pickups show on this day, June 21st. While browsing the venue’s website I noticed that Gabriella Cilmi would be playing the same venue on the same day, but this would be a concert in the afternoon. We decided to hang out earlier and go to this concert too.

Unlike any other concert at the Melkweg ever this started at 3pm sharp. By this time the Max (the large room of the venue) was probably only a quarter full. Maybe a little bit more, but not much. Half of the people there were parents with young children and some younger people. Younger than the parents that is. The most awkward thing before the concert was the music being played. It went from pop-punk to louder music to full blown metal, something I wouldn’t be playing right before a pop concert was about to start. Maybe the DJ had his reasons. I don’t know.

The concert started with some quiet songs, of course Sweet About Me was somewhere along those songs. It sounded pretty good, it would have been better if there would have been some upbeat songs just to not get too… boring. Enough time for a break to go to the toilet during the umpth mellow song. The second half of the concert consisted of more upbeat songs, which are also the songs I like most on the album. I’m still not much of a fan of the Justin Timberlake song. Maybe it’s the song, maybe it’s the person, maybe even a combination of both.
After about an hour the band walked off stage only to come back a minute or so later for an encore. The encore started with a real quiet song, probably the most quiet song of the afternoon. The encore ended with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, which rocked.

Around 4:15pm we left the venue to look for some books and eventually something to eat before going to see the second concert of that day.

Verão é sinónimo de férias, lazer e também festivais, concertos, concentrações etc… O Final Encounter dá uma ajuda para decidirem, quais os festivais a que vocês querem ir, e quando é que estes se realizam.

Delta Tejo

Alto da Ajuda, Lisboa, de 3 a 5 de Julho

Bilhetes: entre 25 euros (um dia) e 40 euros (passe de três dias)

3 de Julho: Orishas, Skank, Bajofondo Tango Club, Buju Banton, Monobloco

4 de Julho: Vanessa da Mata, Deolinda, Sara Tavares, Bossa Nossa

5 de Julho: Alexandre Pires, Banda Calypso, Irmãos Verdades, NBC

Site Official:http://www.deltatejo.com/

OptimusAlive 2009

Passeio Marítimo de Oeiras, de 9 a 11 de Julho

Bilhetes: entre 50 euros (um dia) e 90 euros (passe de três dias)

PALCO OPTIMUS 9 de Julho: Metallica, Machine Head, Mastodon, Slipknot, Lamb of God

10 de Julho: Prodigy, Placebo, Eagles of Death Metal, The Kooks, Os Pontos Negros

11 de Julho: Dave Matthews Band, Chris Cornell, Black Eyed Peas

PALCO SUPER BOCK 9 de Julho: TV On The Radio, Klaxons, Crystal Castles, Erol Alkan, Delphic, Silversun Pickups, Air Traffic

10 de Julho: The Ting Tings, Late of the Pier, The Gaslight Anthem, Hadouken!, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Fischerspooner

11 de Julho: Los Campesinos, Trouble Andrew, A Silent Film, Lykke Li, Ghostland Observatory, Deadmau5 e autoKratz

Site Official:http://www.optimusalive.com

SuperBock Super Rock

Bilhetes: entre 40 euros (um dia) 70 euros (Porto + Lisboa)

SUPER BOCK SUPER ROCK PORTO Estádio do Bessa, 11 de Julho

Depeche Mode Nouvelle Vague Peter Bjorn and John Motor Soapbox (vencedores do concurso Super Bock Preload)

SUPER BOCK SUPER ROCK LISBOA Estádio do Restelo, 18 de Julho

The Killers Duffy Mando Diao Brandi Carlile Walkmen Bettershell (vencedores do concurso Super Bock Preload)

Site Official:http://www.superbock.pt/SuperMusic/sbsr15/

Marés Vivas

Gaia, de 16 a 18 de Julho Bilhetes: entre 25 euros (um dia) e 38 euros (três dias)

Site Official:www.festivalmaresvivas.com/

Paredes de Coura

Alto Minho, de 29 de Julho a 1 de Agosto

Bilhetes: entre 40 euros (um dia) e 70 euros (três dias).

29 de Julho: Patrick Wolf

30 de Julho: Franz Ferdinand, Supergrass, The Rascals, Chew Lips e Holy Ghost (after hours)

31 de Julho: Nine Inch Nails, Peaches, Blood Red Shoes, Kap Bambino e Punks Jum Up (after hours)

Site Official:www.paredesdecoura.com/

Rock One

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, 5, 6, 7 e 8 de Agosto

Bilhetes:desde 15€…(240€- 4 bilhetes x 4 dias), (80€-1b x 4dias)ou 50€ (1b x 1 dia)

Site Official:http://www.rockone.pt/

Sudoeste TMN

Zambujeira do Mar, de 5 a 9 de Agosto

Bilhetes entre 40 euros (um dia) e 80 euros (três dias) Ainda sem data: Mariza Recepção ao Campista

5 de Agosto – David Guetta

6 de Agosto Palco TMN: Buraka Som Sistema, The National, Ebony Bones

Palco Planeta Sudoeste:Marcelo Camelo, Devotchka, Mallu Magalhães

Espaço Electrónico: Miss Kittin com The Hacker

7 de Agosto Palco TMN: Madcon

Espaço Electrónico: Ame Schwarz Dixon

9 de Agosto Palco TMN:Lily Allen, Basement Jaxx,Amy Macdonald

Palco Planeta Sudoeste: Caravan Palace,Amadou & Mariam

Palco Positive Vibes: Antony B,Third World

Espaço Electrónico: Dubfire

Site Official:http://www.tmn.pt/swtmn09.html

Ilha do Ermal

I Acto - de 27 a 30 de Agosto – Sepultura, Obituary, Pestilence, RAMP, Angra, Disbelief, Heavenwood, One Man Army and the Undead Quartet, Hatesphere, Textres, Desire, Korpiklaani, W.A.K.O., Pitch Black, RCA

Blog Official:http://festivalilhadoermal.blogspot.com/

O problema era seu sorriso. Tudo o mais em seu rosto era absolutamente normal, seus suaves olhos castanhos, o modo como suas sobrancelhas subiam e desciam alegremente quando ela fala com sua voz angelical, seu cabelo sedoso e perfumado, até mesmo o lindo narizinho arrebitado, tudo dentro do que se poderia chamar de normal, bela mas não arrebatadora, alguns até diriam comum. Mas quando ela sorri… Oh, Senhor! É magia pura! E em doses potencialmente fatais! Não há nada que você pode fazer, quando ela sorri você vira história, já era! Escravizado para sempre, de livre e espontânea vontade, até a hora em que ela quisesse brincar com você, usar você, acabar com você, ela teria. E sem uma única reclamação, nem uma mísera palavra contra. Apenas pedidos desesperados de mais, mais, mais… Seria todo o conjunto da boca, as pequenas rugas que se formam ao lado dos olhos, o jeito travesso como seus lábios se moviam? O que diabos ela tem naquele sorriso que faz isso comigo, que me deixa de pernas moles, quebra minha vontade, me hipnotiza? Seria isso o tão falado amor?

Mas quem se importa? Ela está aqui, não? E me quer, não quer? E sempre – SEMPRE! – com uma brincadeira nova, com algo novo para ensinar. E são tantas coisas que já aprendi… Já fui amarrado com quilômetros de grossas cordas, preso com fita adesiva ao chão (fiquei parecido com uma múmia, ela disse sorrindo, maldição!), enjaulado como um animal, acorrentado à parede, trancado em uma asfixiante sauna seca, jogado dentro de uma caixa… E ela diz que eu ainda não vi nada! Ah, essa mulher!

Ela está vindo, caminhando – não, flutuando como uma bailarina, suavemente, delicadamente.  Hoje vai ser diferente, vou mostrar para ela que não sou seu escravo, não sou seu cachorrinho. Um homem tem que honrar seu nome, sua dignidade! Hoje as regras do jogo vão mudar e ela é que vai aprender alguns truques e brincadeiras novas, com certeza! Agora, parada bem a minha frente, mãos na cintura, olhos faiscantes a me dominar. Essa ansiedade! Então ela sussurra, como uma brisa da primavera:

- Você já viu o mundo de cabeça para baixo, garoto? È tão divertido, você vai gostar, tenho certeza…

E sorri para mim… Ah, dane-se tudo! Estou aqui, querida! Por favor, faça tudo o que quiser, mas não pare, nunca, jamais! Estou pronto, meu amor, vamos brincar, por favor, vamos brincar!

Quando la senti, questa canzone, non puoi fare a meno di fischiettarla e battere i piedi a tempo. Assolutamente trascinante, come solo certi tormentoni sanno essere.  Con un video sbarazzino e fresco, come è fresca l’immagine di questa cantante, all’esordio dopo una lunga carriera di attrice, all’età di 31 anni. E’questa la canzone per l’estate che vi proponiamo stavolta.

Lei si chiama Lenka Kripac, in arte solo Lenka, ed è nata e cresciuta in Australia da mamma locale e padre emigrato dalla allora Cecoslovacchia. L’album “The show“, del quale il motivo il lancio è omonimo,  sta andando alla grande in patria (però, come è prolifica l’Australia con gli oriundi: dopo Nathalie Imbruglia e Gabriella Cilmi ora Lenka) e adesso sta marciando spedito alla conquista dell’Europa. E indovinate un pò da quale zona è partito? Ovviamente da quelle di origine della famiglia, oltrechè da Polonia, Romania e paesi dell’est.

Ma il motivo è veramente freschissimo e siamo certi, arriverà presto anche sulle nostre radio occidentali. E poi lei ha una faccia che aiuta molto, oltre ad una vocalità, un aspetto ed uno stile che l’avvicina molto a Yael Naim, della quale si ricorda l’altro tormentone “New Soul“. Tutto molto bello, tutto molto gradevole. Complimenti.