PALLOT'S PEEK

British singer songwriter Nerina Pallot has been a busy bee of late - not only co-writing tracks on Kylie's latest album 'Aphrodite' ('Aphrodite' and 'Better Than Today'), but also working on her own forthcoming album called 'Year Of The Wolf'.
She's also rumoured to have offered Kylie the lead single from her new LP - a song called 'Put Your Hands Up'. Sadly, given Kylie already had a track called 'Put Your Hands Up' locked in for her LP, this track was passed up.
But Kylie's loss is indeed Nerina's gain - it's a sublime little pop song that has a toffee-sweet chorus that's bound to get stuck between your teeth. Just perfect for radio, one listen and you wonder why she offered it up in the first place.
No word yet on local release dates for Nerina's new material.

THE AUSTRALIAN CD NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE

April 08
Architecture In Helsinki – Moment Bends
Cage The Elephant – Thankyou Happy Birthday
Daft Punk – Tron Legacy : Reconfigured
Marianne Faithfull – Horses And High Heels
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Serge Gainsbourg – Double Best-Of
Glasvegas – Euphoric///Heartbreak
Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy
Human League – Credo
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow : Best Of
Ronan Keating & Burt Bacharach – When Ronan Met Burt
k.d. Lang – Sing It Loud (Deluxe Edition)
The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy
OST – The Loved Ones
Josh T Pearson – Last Of The Country Gentlemen
The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo
Andre Rieu – Moonlight Serenade
Rise Against – Endgame (Australian Edition)
Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant
Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant (Collectors Edition)
Short Stack – Heartbreak Made Me A Killer EP
Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What
Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What (CD/DVD)
Simply Red – Greatest Hits
Sonny & The Sunsets – Hit After Hit
Tim Stevens Trio – Scare Quotes
Tiesto – Club Life Vol.1 : Las Vegas
Various – Bluesfest 2011
Various – It’s All About Love
Various – Music For Royal Weddings
Various – Music From The Circle
The Wombats – The Modern Glitch

April 15
About Group – Start & Complete
Joan Armatrading – Live At The Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD)
The Aston Shuffle – Seventeen To Midnight
Bachelor Girl – Loved & Lost : The Best Of
Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
Billy Ray Cyrus – ICON
Melissa Etheridge – ICON
Gorillaz – The Fall
Dave Graney – Rock N Roll Is Where I Hide
Jimi Hendrix – South Saturn Delta
David Hobson – Best Of David Hobson
Jebediah – Kosciuszko
Jebediah – Kosciuszko (Collectors Edition)
Jodeci, K-Ci & JoJo – ICON
Alison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplane
Damien Leith – Roy
Loretta Lynn – ICON
Barry Manilow – Ultimate Barry Manilow Live (DVD)
The Mavericks - ICON
Cass McCombs – Wits End
Sergio Mendes – Celebration : A Musical Journey
Roy Orbison – The Monument Singles
Parliament – ICON
Lone Pigeon – Time Capsule
Eli Paperboy Reed – Come And Get It
Rolling Stones – Singles Box Set : 1971 – 2010
Royal Bangs – Flux Outside
Salt-N-Pepa – ICON
Sebadoh – Bakesale (Deluxe Edition)
Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary
Rod Stewart – ICON
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light (Collectors Edition)
Various – 100 Best Hardcore
Various – Australia’s Best Acoustic Songs
Various – Central Energy 2011
Various – That’s Music
Various – Triple J Hottest 100 Vol.18 (DVD)
Various – Ultimate Heartland Country Collection
Various – We Will Remember Them

April 22
About Group – Start & Complete
Katy B – On A Mission
The Diggers – The Diggers
Dom – Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP
Dr.Dre – Detox
Drive-By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
Morrissey – Best Of (Limited Edition)
My Friend The Chocolate Cake – Fiasco
OST – Glee : The Warblers
Various – 80 From The 90s
Various – CMAA Mothers Day
Various – Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Various – Hallelujah
Various – The Lady Loves Soul
Various – Ministry Of Sound : Sound Of Dubstep
Various – Songbird
Various – Songs For My Mum
Various – When I First Met Your Ma
Various – Wild Nights 2011

April 29
The Airborne Toxic Event – All At Once
An Horse – Walls
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Pt.2
Ry Cuming – Ry Cuming
Designer Drugs – Hardcore Softcore
Caro Emerald – Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor
Mick Harvey – Sketches From The Book Of The Dead
Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me
Enrique Iglesias – Euphoria (Repackage)
Adam Lambert – Glam Nation Live (BluRay DVD)
Jennifer Lopez – Love?
Sara MacLiver – Seraphim
OST – Get Low
Sade – The Ultimate Collection
Bruce Springsteen – The Promise (DVD)
Various – 100 Best Hardstyle Ever!
Various – 100 Crazy Dutch Anthems

May 06
Colbie Caillat – All Of You
The Cars – Move Like This
Ray Charles – Live In Concert
Crossfade – We All Bleed
Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math
Barry Manilow – Music & Passion : Best Of
Sarah McKenzie – Don’t Tempt Me
Matthew Morrison – Matthew Morrison
Stevie Nicks – In Your Dreams
Sixx AM – This Is Gonna Hurt
Various – The Royal Wedding Album
Matt Walters – Farewell Youth
Wild Beasts – Smother
Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting
Young Guns – All Our Kings Are Dead

May 13
Austra – Feel It Break
Kate Bush – Director’s Cut
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Boatman’s Call (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Let Love In (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – No More Shall We Part (Collectors Edition)
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi – Rome
Guillemots – Walk The River
Ben Harper – Give Till It’s Gone
Bruce Hornsby & The Noise – Bride Of The Noisemakers
Miles Kane – Colour Of The Trap
Lil’ Wayne – The Carter IV
Moby – Destroyed
Poison – Double Dose : Greatest Hits
The Reels – Quasimodos Dream
Sade – The Ultimate Collection
Jay Sean – Freeze Time
Various – Essential R&B 2011

May 20
Foster The People – Torches
Iron Maiden – From Fear To Eternity : Best Of 1990 – 2010
Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard Of Ozz (Deluxe Edition)
Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman (Deluxe Edition)
OST – Lemonade Mouth
OST – Pirates Of The Caribbean 4
Owl City – All Things Bright & Beautiful
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Collectors Edition)

May 23
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
Lady Gaga – Born This Way (Collectors Edition)

May 27
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Smoking In Heaven
Mona – Mona
Papa VS Pretty – United In Isolation
The Potbelleez – Destination Now
Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs

June 03
Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
Depeche Mode – Remixes 2 : 81-11
The Vines – Future Primitive

June 10
The Japanese Popstars – Controlling Your Allegiance

June 17
Junior Boys – It’s All True

All release dates subject to change & list is updated weekly.

DIAFRIX FTG. DANIEL MERRIWEATHER : Simple Man

Aussie soul god Daniel Merriweather can do no wrong in our books, so when he pops up in a guest vocal capacity on 'Simple Man' - the new track for Melbourne hip hop duo Diafrix - we feel it our pop duty to sit up and pay attention.
The gang from Illusive premiered the video clip for the single late yesterday - and it's mostly centered around a gentleman with a big set of balls and a gorgeous girlfriend (played by Rush's Nicole da Silva) who looks like he's aiming to bring a little colour and laughter into the world. Sadly, it's not working.
Meanwhile, Momo and Azmarino are in attendance at a backyard barbecue that's either suffering from an overactive smoke machine or a bad cook.
Though Mister Merriweather is nowhere to be seen visually, his vocals provide plenty of soul and balance here, helping to create something that's entirely listenable and radio-ready.
The single is schedule to hit iTunes on Monday.

CENTRAL ENERGY 2011

We're astonished to learn that Central Station Records' iconic 'Central Energy' compilation series this year celebrates its 24th anniversary - and hasn't it been a banging two point four decades.
And the Central team certainly aren't in danger of slowing down anytime soon if this latest release is anything to go by.
Three discs, mixed by Alex Kidd, Anne Savage and XDream, are packed to the hilt with plenty of thumping club tunes that are set to get you bounding towards the nearest dancefloor.
'Central Energy 2011' will hit retail on Friday April 15.

COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION : Serbia

NINA : Caroban

Here's the story for Serbia's entry for Eurovision 2011. Once upon a time there were three songwriters, each tasked with writing a song that could become Serbia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. One of said writers spied then unknown 21 year old Nina Radojčić performing a song on Youtube and chose her to sing her song. The song was called 'Caroban', the Serbs voted in the Pesma za Evropu and the rest is history.
The song itself harks back to the swinging sixties, with a feel good, toe-tapping vibe and some pretty impressive vocals from the young starlet. Could Serbia be in with a chance of progressing beyond the second semi-final? We like their chances.

www.eurovision.tv

INCOMING : Jennifer Hudson

Sony Music will release Jennifer Hudson's new album 'I Remember Me' in Australia at the end of next month.
The new LP, released in the United States last week, is the singer's second, following on from her eponymous debut back in 2008 and is set to debut on the Billboard album chart this Thursday.
The lead single from the album is called 'Where You At', a song that perfectly showcases Jen's soul-packed, powerful vocal - albeit in her brand new slimline frame.
'I Remember Me' will be in the shops locally on Friday April 29.

SONY'S ULTIMATE SADE

Stunning cover image, huh? Sony Music has this afternoon confirmed the upcoming local release of Sade's best-of.
Entitled 'The Ultimate Collection', the double disc plus DVD set will include some of the band's most iconic songs, including 'No Ordinary Love', 'Your Love Is King' and 'Smooth Operator'.
It will also feature cuts from their latest album 'Soldier Of Love', along with three new songs, one of which ('Moon And The Sky') features Jay-Z in a guest vocal capacity.
'The Ultimate Collection' will be released in Australia on Friday April 29.

KATY ADDS ZOWIE

There's another great reason to head along to Katy Perry's tour this morning, with touring agent Michael Coppel announcing that New Zealand pop vixen Zowie (pictured) has been added to the bill for all dates.
And with all Katy's dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle now officially sold out (and Brisbane's shows edging ever closer), it seems a lot of people are about to discover Zowie's irresistible blend of power pop.
Zowie's single 'Bite Back' is currently at Australian radio, is doing big business over at Triple J and has caught the ear of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who's a massive fan.
According to her recent interview with auspOp, we can expect her debut album to drop later this year.

April 28 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) SOLD OUT
April 29 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena) SOLD OUT
May 02 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT
May 04 : Sydney (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT
May 05 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre) LIMITED TIX REMAINING
May 13 : Newcastle (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT
May 14 : Sydney (Entertainment Centre) SOLD OUT
May 15 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre) LIMITED TIX REMAINING

TOURING : Miley Cyrus

Here's one that's bound to get kids, teens and tweens in a spin - Miley Cyrus is touring Australia for the very first time!
Presented by Dainty Consolidated, the local leg of her 'Gypsy Heart' tour will kick off in Brisbane on June 21 before visiting the other four major centres.
Incredibly, the concerts will also mark Miley's first ever visit to Australia.
Naturally she'll be playing all the hits, including the 2010 smash 'Can't Be Tamed', the platinum successes 'The Climb', 'See You Again' and 'Party In The USA' and many more.
Tickets for all the dates go on sale on Tuesday April 12.

June 21 : Brisbane (Entertainment Centre)
June 23 : Melbourne (Rod Laver Arena)
June 26 : Sydney (Acer Arena)
June 29 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre)
July 02 : Perth (Burswood Dome)

STAR RISING

They won over the team at Triple J with their previous single 'All The Things We Did' and had its clip featured on Video Hits, Channel [V] and Rage. But now Melbourne outfit Radio Star (made up of Zack, Patrick, Jake and Will) have followed that up with their new single 'A Common Tale', the second in a trilogy of songs to be released this year.
It's a high-energy explosion of fresh local power-pop infused with '80s punk vocals and it's accompanied by a cute video set in the great outdoors.
Radio Star will officially launch the single at gigs in Adelaide and Melbourne next month.
Catch them at these venues;

April 16 : Adelaide (Producers Bar)
April 21 : Melbourne (The Evelyn)

COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION : Netherlands

3JS : Never Alone

Dutch three piece 3JS are certainly no strangers to success in their homeland. Their 2007 debut album 'Watermensen' hit the top ten in Holland and their subsequent releases have both entered the top five.
The band has also spent plenty of time on the singles chart across the past four years.
Chosen to represent the Netherlands through the Nationaal Songfestival, the 3JS has entered the song 'Never Alone'.
The track itself is a mid-tempo radio friendly pop/rock number that has a slight country feel about it.
3JS will try their luck in the second semi final on Thursday May 12 in the hope of making it through to the grand final on Saturday May 14.

www.eurovision.tv

PATRIZIO'S AUSSIE EDITION

Warner Music will release a special Australian-only edition of Patrizio Buanne's latest album this Friday.
The self-titled set, originally released back in August 2009, will benefit from a repackage containing all new photographs, new renditions and four new songs, including the lead single 'This Kiss Tonight', which was released to digital retail last week.
Patrizio has also penned a track on the new LP - called 'Solo Tu (My Baby)', while Guy Chambers and Diane Warren also contribute new tunes.
Another Australian tour is expected.

EXTRA HOLIDAYS

Sydney indie-pop outfit The Holidays announced back in January that they would be hitting the road in April for a live jaunt around the country to play to their growing legion of fans.
But their record company Liberation has this afternoon revealed that the boys have added a few more dates to the tour and will now kick things off tomorrow night at the University Of New England in Armidale.
Also added to the schedule are shows in Wollongong, Newcastle, Ballarat and Canberra, along with an extra show at Melbourne's East Brunswick Club.
The Holidays will also be performing as part of the Groovin' The Moo Festivals in Bendigo, Townsville, Maitland and Canberra.

March 30 : Armidale (University Of New England)
March 31 : Wollongong (Wollongong Uni)
April 01 : Newcastle (Cambridge Hotel)
April 02 : Sydney (Oxford Art Factory)
April 06 : Ballarat (Karova Lounge)
April 07 : Melbourne (Federation Square)
April 08 : Hobart (Republic Bar)
April 09 : Melbourne (East Brunswick Club)
April 10 : Melbourne (East Brunswick Club)
April 14 : Gold Coast (Elsewhere)
April 15 : Brisbane (The Zoo)
April 16 : Byron Bay (Great Northern Hotel)
April 20 : Bondi (Beach Road Hotel)
April 21 : Mona Vale (Mona Vale Hotel)
April 23 : Canberra (Transit Bar)
April 28 : Perth (Amplifier)
April 29 : Adelaide (Fowlers Live)

SYDNEY SUPAFEST SELLING SUPAQUICK

A quick heads-up for Sydneysiders who've yet to get their mitts on tickets for this year's incredible Supafest urban music party...
Organisers have this afternoon confirmed with us that tickets for the Sydney event, set down for Saturday April 09 at the ANZ Stadium, have almost sold out.
They've announced that only a handful of general admission tickets remain for the event, with more than 24,000 tickets already sold.
To cope with the anticipated demand during the last week, 5000 additional general admission tickets will be made available for sale from this Friday morning at 9am.
Still haven't got your tickets to Supafest? Hit the links below to nab 'em before they're gone!

April 09 : Sydney (ANZ Stadium) TICKETS HERE
April 10 : Perth (Joondalup Arena) TICKETS HERE
April 16 : Brisbane (RNA Showgrounds) TICKETS HERE
April 17 : Melbourne (Melbourne Showgrounds) TICKETS HERE

MUSIC COMES FULL CIRCLE

Whether you're a fan of morning television with its endless infomercials or not, it's difficult not to love Channel 10's offering 'The Circle'. The four girls (Chrissie, Yumi, Denise and Gorgi) gel brilliantly together on screen, providing hours of mirth and mayhem every week with not an ounce of pretentiousness to be found.
No wonder, then, that Chrissie's the hot favourite to take out this year's Logie Award for the best new talent.
If you're a regular follower of the show, you'll have marvelled as the girls took you on a semi-regular musical journey into the worlds of, for example, B-BAD and K-CAD (Boy Band Appreciation Day and Key Change Appreciation Day for the uninitiated).
So naturally, they had to come up with their own compilation album, announced on the show this morning.
'Music From The Circle' brings together 38 of the girls' favourite songs from across the years, including tracks that have featured in their 'appreciation days'.
Also included is their own track called 'Circle Song' - co-penned by Yumi and Aussie singer Clare Bowditch.
The compilation will also raise $5000 for Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia and for a taste of what to expect, hit the clip below.
'Music From The Circle' hits shelves on Friday April 08.
The Circle airs weekdays at 10am on Network 10.

NEWS WRAP

• We know we made mention of the recent Foo Fighters' gig on Sydney's Goat Island and the fact that it'll premiere on Channel [V] this Saturday at 11am, but we couldn't resist running this rather spectacular photograph (above), sent through from station publicists late yesterday. The show will be simulcast on the Triple M network nationally.
• Nicole Scherzinger's new single 'Don't Hold Your Breath' may have found itself in the No.4 position on this week's Most Added songs to Australian radio, but it's done so without officially being serviced to radio. The Nova network added the single nationally last week solely on the back of its outstanding performance on the UK chart. Yes, the UK chart! According to our Universal insider, the track will be rush-serviced to radio this week, with a digital release date not far behind.
• Jennifer Lopez' album 'Love?' appeared on the local release schedule last week, locked in for an April 22 release. One week later and the album's local instore date has been delayed to April 29. She remains in the No.1 position on the ARIA singles chart with her current smash 'On The Floor'.
• MTV's Hits channel will celebrate the release of Lady Gaga's new album 'Born This Way' with a Gaga special on Sunday May 22. Entitled 'GagaTV', it'll air from 10am on the day prior to the album's official release date.
• Something we were completely unaware of is the local digital release of Aqua's new single 'How R U Doin?'. It's available from the local iTunes store HERE.

• Singer Nadia Ali first came to prominence as the frontwoman for US dance Iio, which had a hit in 2002 with the single 'Rapture'. Nine years later, she's back with the song, though this time it's produced by Tim Berg under the guise of Avicii. And after conquering the club chart, the song's been sampled to radio this week.
• Also at radio from the Universal stable this week are new singles for Escape The Fate and Imelda May, along with Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life'.
• Sony Music has sampled a remix of Jessica Mauboy's latest single 'What Happened To Us', along with the Deadmau5 remix of the Foo Fighters' 'Rope' and the new Vines single 'Gimme Love'.
• And plenty from the team at EMI this week, with new singles from 30 Seconds To Mars, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, King Creosote, About Group, Josh T Pearson and Mirrors.
• Brazilian songstress Fernanda Takai will arrive in Australia midway through April for two very special shows. She'll play the All For Japan Benefit at Canberra's Playhouse Theatre on April 19 and at The Basement in Sydney on April 20. Tickets are on sale now.
• On the UK chart, Nicole Scherzinger has relinquished her No.1 position after just one week, dropping to No.2 and see-sawing with Adele and her megahit 'Someone Like You'. The Black Eyed Peas' new single 'Just Can't Get Enough' has soared into the top ten at No.3, while the week's highest new entry was the Comic Relief duet 'I Know Him So Well' by comedian Peter Kay and Sony songstress Susan Boyle at No.11.
• And on the British album chart this week, The Strokes can't budge Adele's album '21' from the No.1 position. They can't budge Adele's album '19' from the No.2 position either, so they have to settle for a No.3 debut with 'Angles'.
New at No.5 is the Ronan Keating/Burt Bacharach album 'When Ronan Met Burt', Nicole Scherzinger's new album 'Killer Love' is in at No.8 and Chris Brown is in at No.10. Duran Duran popped in at No.11 with their new album 'All You Need Is Now'.

COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION : Slovakia

TWiiNS : I'm Still Alive

It's been a couple of years since we last featured Slovakian sisters TWiiNS here on auspOp. At the time, they'd released their single called 'I Don't Know Why'. Daniela and Veronika Nízlová are 24 years of age and have enjoyed high profile television careers in their homeland, and along with stints in musical theatre and a swag of pop releases, they've now been chosen to represent their country in this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
TWiiNS will perform as part of the second semi-final, to be held on May 12.
'I'm Still Alive' is a mid-tempo ballad in a similar vein to Atomic Kitten's 'Whole Again', with lush layered vocals and a radio-friendly chorus.
The clip features the girls in a studio set-up, while (we're assuming) images of Slovakian pride are intercut.
Nice tune.

www.eurovision.tv

TOURING : Art vs Science

With their debut album 'The Experiment' now in the shops, and a No.2 placing on the ARIA albums chart on debut, Dan, Dan and Jim from Art vs Science have announced from afar (they're currently on tour in the US) that they're hitting the road to give the fans what they really want... Local live shows.
This will be the first time that fans of the trio will have the chance to hear tracks from the new LP in a live setting.
They'll be kicking things off at Perth's Metro City on June 30, before visiting Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, finishing up in Brisbane on Saturday July 09.
Up and coming electro outfit Strange Talk will play the support role for all dates.
Tickets for the shows are on sale on Thursday April 07.

June 30 : Perth (Metro City)
July 01 : Adelaide (HQ)
July 02 : Melbourne (Forum Theatre)
July 08 : Sydney (Enmore Theatre)
July 09 : Brisbane (The Tivoli)

GLEE! THE WARBLERS RELEASE

Sony Music has moments ago confirmed the Australian release of the 'Glee : The Warblers' soundtrack.
Yes, the Glee franchise is branching out from the regular warblings of Mister Schuester, New Direction and co. and will release a new compilation made up entirely of music from their rivals - the boys of The Dalton Academy Warblers.
On the covers list this time around are tracks from Destiny's Child, Train, Katy Perry and even Thicke and there are two album exclusives - covers of Barbra Streisand's 'What Kind Of Fool' and Rod Stewart's 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'
'Glee : The Warblers' will be released locally on Friday April 22.

1. Teenage Dream
2. Hey Soul Sister
3. Bills, Bills, Bills
4. Silly Love Songs
5. When I Get You Alone
6. Animal
7. Misery
8. Blackbird
9. Candles
10. Raise Your Glass
11. Somewhere Only We Know
12. What Kind Of Fool
13. Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?

COUNTDOWN TO EUROVISION BEGINS TOMORROW

Can you believe that it's almost that time of the year again? Yes, in less than 50 days, some of the kitchest, some of the wildest, some of the craziest performers in all of Europe will take to the stage in Dusseldorf, Germany, for the 56th running of the Eurovision Song Contest.
As always, the competition will be broken up into three sections - Semi Final #1 (on Tuesday May 10), Semi Final #2 (on Thursday May 12) and the Grand Final (on Saturday May 14).
The big five (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France and Italy) automatically qualify for the grand final, while the other 38 countries will battle it out for the remaining 20 positions.
Who'll make it through? Who's your early favourite? Who's the hottest? The cutest? The sexiest? Who'll have the most outrageous outfit? How many key changes will feature? Who do you think we should all keep an eye on? And will you be playing the drinking game at your place?
So many questions, but only one Eurovision.

SBS will once again broadcast the 2011 competition in three sections;
Friday May 13 : Semi Final #1
Saturday May 14 : Semi Final #2
Sundy May 15 : Grand Final

And as we've done for the past couple of years, auspOp will take a daily look at the contestants for Eurovision 2011, including a little info on the performer and a video clip/live performance where available. You have been warned.

www.eurovision.tv

SENDING SUPPORT TO JAPAN

Credit where it's due... When disaster hits - anywhere in the world - the record industry are always among the first to put their money where their mouths are in order to raise much needed funds.
So it is again - this time for the people of Japan.
The images of both the earthquake and tsunami devastating the eastern towns and cities of Honshu in Japan have left many of us in shock and the scale of the destruction is truly mindblowing.
But if the initial response to the new album 'Songs For Japan' is anything to go by, the people of Japan are most certainly not alone.
After being rush-released to iTunes over the weekend, the compilation has rocketed to the No.1 position on the its album chart.
Its tracklist reads like a who's who of the music business, with artists from all the major labels coming together for the common good.
Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Rihanna, David Guetta, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Bruno Mars - they're featured among the first dozen or so tracks. Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Cee-Lo Green, Bon Jovi, U2, R.E.M. and Michael Buble are others who have contributed.
A 36 track double disc set is also currently well into production and will be rush-released into stores from Monday April 04.
All proceeds from the sale of both the CD and the digital download will go directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society to assist in the relief and recovery effort following the cataclysmic 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck earlier this month.
Buy from iTunes HERE.
(Tracklisting in the comments section below)

UNIVERSAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO 'MA'

Universal Music will pay tribute to inspirational women late next month when they release the brand new compilation album 'When I First Met Your Ma'.
The album contains a collection of originals and cover versions, performed by some of Australia's most cherished musical stars such as Washington, Clare Bowditch, Bertie Blackman and Gurrumul.
Among the tracklist is the title single, an acoustic version of a tune penned by Paul Kelly and originally released on his 1992 album 'Hidden Things'.
Washington delivers a new recording called 'Lightwell', while Little Birdy frontwoman Katy Steele performs a track called 'Newborn'.
The cover versions include Andy Bull's take on the Lennon/McCartney track 'Mother Nature's Son', while Gin Wigmore gets all Judy Garland on us with her version of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'.
'When I First Met Your Ma' will be released to retail on Friday April 22.

01. Paul Kelly – When I First Met Your Ma
02. Oh Mercy – With You
03. Julia Stone – Oh Baby
04. Gin Wigmore – Somewhere Over the Rainbow
05. Washington – Lightwell
06. Gurrumul – Djarrimiri
07. Bertie Blackman – Gold Dust Woman
08. John Butler Trio – Treat Yo Mama’ (live)
09. Jenny Queen – Early Freeze
10. Matt Walters – Mother & Child Reunion
11. Katy Steele – Newborn
13. Andy Bull – Mother Nature’s Son
14. The Dead Leaves – This Must Be the Place
15. Clare Bowditch – Lucky Life
16. Troy Cassar-Daly – Ladies In My Life
17. Matt Corby – Lighthome

KASEY & SHANE ADD VIC DATES

Kasey Chambers and her husband Shane Nicholson will hit the stage on Thursday night in Rooty Hill for the first show in their 'Little Birds & Bad Machines Tour'.
Dates for South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland have already been revealed, but the singers have today announced dates in Victoria, to be tacked on to the current schedule.
The shows will encompass both singers' back catalogues, including tracks from their collaborative album 'Rattlin' Bones', along with music from their Kasey's latest album 'Little Bird' and Shane's new long player 'Bad Machines'.
Tickets for all are on sale now.

March 31 : Rooty Hill (Rooty Hill RSL)
April 02 : Mildura (Setts Bar & Function Centre)
April 03 : Broken Hill (Civic Theatre)
April 05 : Port Lincoln (Nautilus Civic Theatre)
April 06 : Whyalla (Middleback Theatre)
April 07 : Port Pirie (Keith Michell Theatre)
April 08 : Renmark (Chaffey Theatre)
April 09 : Beachport (Recreation Centre)
May 04 : Lismore (Workers Club)
May 05 : Boonah (Cultural Centre)
May 06 : Tweed Heads (Twin Towns)
May 07 : Caloundra (Caloundra RSL)
May 08 : Redcliffe (Cultural Centre)
May 11 : Coonamble (Bowling Club)
May 12 : Dubbo (Regional Theatre & Convention Centre)
May 13 : Bathurst (Panthers)
May 14 : Katoomba (Katoomba RSL)
May 15 : Goulburn (Soldiers Club)
May 25 : Hallam (Hallam Hotel)
May 26 : Sale (Sale Theatre)
May 27 : Lilydale (The York On Lilydale)
May 28 : Melbourne (Palms At Crown)
May 29 : Mooroopna (Westside Performing Arts Centre)
June 01 : Ballarat (Regent Theatre)
June 02 : South Morang (Commercial Hotel)
June 03 : Geelong (Gateway Hotel)
June 04 : Wangaratta (Performing Arts Centre)
June 05 : Bendigo (Capital Theatre)

MOST ADDED

RADIO'S MOST ADDED
WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY MARCH 28, 2011

01. THE POTBELLEEZ : FROM THE MUSIC
02. FLO RIDA FTG. AKON : WHO DAT GIRL
03. JAY SEAN FTG. LIL WAYNE : HIT THE LIGHTS
04. NICOLE SCHERZINGER : DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH
05. NEON TREES : 1983
06. SICK PUPPIES : MAYBE
07. PAPA VS PRETTY : ONE OF THE ANIMALS
08. THE SCRIPT : IF YOU EVEER COME BACK
09. WE THE KINGS : CHECK YES JULIET
10. GOOD CHARLOTTE : LAST NIGHT

Most added tracks to Australian radio courtesy of The Music Network.

BOMBS AWAY!

The boys from Perth outfit Bombs Away have spent the past ten weeks hypnotising the country's clubbers with their spanking new single 'Swagger'.
And Central Station is capitalising on the track's club success by taking it to local radio this week.
Mixing hip hop, bass and electro, the track peaked inside the top 20 on the ARIA club charts a few weeks back and is still floating around within the top 50.
The buzz for the track has also spread internationally, with signings throughout Europe, in the UK and Japan.
Check them out HERE.

FREE CUT COPY

The gents from Cut Copy are currently living it up in the United States, playing sold out shows across the country to their adoring fans. Of course, it's not too long before they're back on home soil to be part of the Groovin The Moo Festival and to play a selection of headline shows.
But while they're living the high life thousands of miles away, it's nice to know then that they haven't forgotten their fans back here in Oz - and have decided to give away a free remix of their single 'Need You Now'.
The remix is by fellow Aussie popsters Architecture In Helsinki and the band warns that it's the first in a series of remixes that are about to be unleashed.
You can head HERE to nab it free!
Cut Copy's Aussie solo dates kick off in Melbourne on Thursday May 05.

TOURING : K.D.LANG

The team from Dainty Consolidated Entertainment has announced this morning that Canadian songstress k.d.Lang will tour Australia in November.
The singer will bring her brand new band The Siss Boom Bang along for the ride, taking in dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, kicking off in the Swan Valley on Saturday November 05.
She'll be playing tracks from her extensive back catalogue, along with songs from her latest album 'Sing It Loud', which hits the stores on Friday April 08.
Tickets for the tour are on sale on Monday April 18.

November 05 : Swan Valley (Sandalford Winery)
November 07 : Canberra (AIS Arena)
November 09 : Sydney (State Theatre)
November 10 : Sydney (State Theatre)
November 12 : Melbourne (Sidney Myer Music Bowl)
November 13 : Adelaide (Entertainment Centre)
November 22 : Brisbane (Riverstage)

LOOKBACK

URBAN COOKIE COLLECTIVE : Feels Like Heaven

It would have been easy to just feature the British techno outfit's megahit 'The Key : The Secret', but their second single 'Feels Like Heaven' - also a top ten hit here in Australia - is also worthy of an airing every now and again, despite its repetitive lyrical simplicity.
The collective were riding on a wave of success brought about by their aforementioned debut single and only ever experienced chart success with the singles from their debut long player 'High On A Happy Vibe'.
The clip features vocalist Diane flailing her arms wildly on a beach, while people dressed in great swathes of coloured fabric dance around her. This essentially continues 'til the sun goes down on the clip and we become a little lost by the distinct lack of verses.

THE auspOp DIARY

WEEK COMMENCING MARCH 28, 2011

TICKETS ON SALE
Monday : Bliss N Eso (Melbourne)
Monday : Miami Horror (Nationally)
Wednesday : Herbie Hancock (Sydney)

Mar 28 : ADELAIDE – Motorhead (Thebarton Theatre)
Mar 28 : BRISBANE – Cyndi Lauper (QPAC)
Mar 28 : SYDNEY – Usher (Acer Arena)
Mar 29 : BRISBANE – Cyndi Lauper (QPAC)
Mar 29 : MELBOURNE – Lionel Richie (Rod Laver Arena)
Mar 29 : PERTH – Neil Diamond (NIB Stadium)
Mar 30 : MANDURAH – The McClymonts (Performing Arts Centre)
Mar 30 : MELBOURNE – Lionel Richie (Rod Laver Arena)
Mar 30 : SYDNEY – Motorhead (Luna Park Big Top)
Mar 30 : WOLLONGONG – Sparkadia (Uni Centre)
Mar 31 : BUNBURY – The McClymonts (Regional Entertainment Centre)
Mar 31 : CANBERRA – Papa vs Pretty (Transit Bar)
Mar 31 : GOLD COAST – Oh Mercy (Neverland)
Mar 31 : MELBOURNE – Usher (Rod Laver Arena)
Mar 31 : NEWCASTLE – Sparkadia (Bar On The Hill)
Mar 31 : ROOTY HILL – Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson (Rooty Hill RSL)
Mar 31 : SYDNEY – Cyndi Lauper (State Theatre)
Apr 01 : ADELAIDE – Illy (Fowlers Live)
Apr 01 : BRISBANE – Oh Mercy (Alhambra Lounge)
Apr 01 : GOLD COAST – Motorhead (Convention Centre)
Apr 01 : MELBOURNE – Stonefield (Northcote Social Club)
Apr 01 : MELBOURNE – Usher (Rod Laver Arena)
Apr 01 : PERTH – The McClymonts (Burswood Theatre)
Apr 01 : PERTH – John Steel Singers (The Rosemount)
Apr 01 : SYDNEY – Cyndi Lauper (State Theatre)
Apr 01 : SYDNEY – Papa vs Pretty (Oxford Art Factory)
Apr 01 : SYDNEY – Sparkadia (Metro Theatre)
Apr 01 : WARRNAMBOOL – Adalita (The Loft)
Apr 02 : BUNBURY – John Steel Singers (Prince Of Wales)
Apr 02 : GERALDTON – The McClymonts (Queens Park Theatre)
Apr 02 : MELBOURNE – The Little Stevies (The Toff In Town)
Apr 02 : MILDURA – Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson (Setts Bar & Function Centre)
Apr 02 : MOUNT LAWLEY – Adalita (ECU Bowls Club)
Apr 02 : NEWCASTLE – Cyndi Lauper (Entertainment Centre)
Apr 02 : NEWCASTLE – Papa vs Pretty (CBD Hotel)
Apr 02 : PERTH – The Script (Challenge Stadium)
Apr 02 : SYDNEY – The Holidays (Oxford Art Factory)
Apr 02 : SYDNEY – Sparkadia (Metro Theatre)
Apr 02 : YARRA VALLEY – Lionel Richie (Rochford Wines)
Apr 03 : BROKEN HILL – Kasey Chambers/Shane Nicholson (Civic Theatre)
Apr 03 : FREMANTLE – John Steel Singers (Newport)
Apr 03 : MCLAREN VALE – Lionel Richie (Leconfield Wines)
Apr 03 : MELBOURNE – Kisschasy (The Arthouse)
Apr 03 : MELBOURNE – The Little Stevies (The Toff In Town)
Apr 03 : SCARBOROUGH – Adalita (Indi Bar)

SATURDAY NEWS WRAP #45

• EMI has announced that they'll be releasing the second in the series of Depeche Mode remix albums in early June. Though details are extremely light on the ground for the time being, the set is called 'Remixes : 81-11' and will be released down under on Friday June 03.
• Nick Cave fans, however, will have to wait for another week to get their mitts on the collectors edition re-issued albums due in May. Slated for a May 06 instore date, they've now been pushed back just one more week to Friday May 13.
• Universal Music has announced that The Naked And Famous's album 'Passive Me, Aggressive You' has now been awarded a gold sales certification here in Australia for sales into stores of more than 35,000 copies. Their latest single 'Young Blood' gets an iTunes bundle release on Friday April 01.
• Those up early tomorrow morning will have the chance to see Weekend Sunrise reporter James Tobin having a natter with the Foo Fighters. Catch James' chat from 9:30am.
• Speaking of the Foo Fighters, their exclusive gig at Sydney's Goat Island this week was recorded by the peeps at Channel [V] and will be telecast on the network on Saturday April 02 at 11am. You can also catch the simulcast on Triple M nationally.
• The gang from Aussie outfit Tales In Space are hitting the road shortly for a series of shows across the east coast of Australia. The 'Set In Stone' tour is in support of their latest single of the same name. It's released on April 01, with tour dates HERE.
• The third annual Cairns Bluesfest will take place on Saturday May 07. Featuring a cavalcade of local blues musicians, it will be headlined this year by US singer songwriter Eric Bibb. Details are on the OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
• Tim & Jean (left) have debuted their debut album 'Like What' on their Facebook page for all to see (and hear) ahead of its official release to retail this Friday. All fans have to do to hear it is to 'Like' their page. And you can do that HERE!
• Universal Music has unveiled the local release date for the new Eddie Vedder album. Entitled 'Ukulele Songs', the LP will be available in the shops on Friday May 27. Its in-store date will be complemented by a concurrent live DVD release entitled 'Water On The Road'.
• Frontier Touring Company this week announced the cancellation of the White Lies concerts in both Sydney and Melbourne. It's due to the cancellation of their Japan shows, which in turn was brought about by the mammoth earthquake and subsequent tsunami and nuclear emergencies. The band announced that the tour would be financially unviable for them and refunds are available from the place of purchase.
• Michael Coppel announced that Boys Like Girls have withdrawn from their support role on the forthcoming Good Charlotte tour. The schedule of recording their new album has changed and as such, the boys have had to pull out. But Sydney outfit New Empire are in, joining Short Stack in the support role.
• Up and coming Melbourne based artist Rav Thomas has scored the coveted support slot on the forthcoming Michael Franti live dates. He's also appearing in the Lion Nathan Marquee at tomorrow's Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park. He's currently working on new material to follow up his 2010 debut 'Like A Gameshow Host'.
• Lady Gaga just keeps clocking up weeks at No.1 in the US with her single 'Born This Way'. It's the single's sixth week in the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, staving off a challenge from Katy Perry's new single 'E.T.'. Rihanna's 'S&M' is hot on their heels however, and the Black Eyed Peas' new single 'Just Can't Get Enough' bullets into the top 20 at No.5. The original Glee track 'Loser Like Me' debuts at No.06, while Chris Brown and Jeremih also conquer the top ten.
• And on the US albums chart this week, Adele has made it back to the top with her album '21'. No.2 is a debut from Rise Against and their latest long played 'Endgame', while last week's No.1 from Lupe Fiasco is now down at No.03. Blink 182's Travis Barker sees his debut solo offering 'Give The Drummer Some' debut at No.9.

SO FRESH WINNERS

When did Friday come around again? Is it just us or do they come around a little quicker each week? Well of course, last night we cut off our most recent competition - one in which you had the chance to win one of five copies of the latest 'So Fresh' compilation (pictured), generously supplied to us by the fine folk at Universal Music.
But now to the all-important reveal. The draw's taken place, the winners are in. So who's picked themselves up a copy of this damn fine compile?

Why that'd be Yvonne from Elizabeth Downs in South Australia, Bronwyn from Elliminyt in Victoria, Cyndie from Mosman in New South Wales, Da'Ron from Illinois in the United States and Craig from Hughes in the ACT!

Congratulations to you fine peeps - a copy of the 'So Fresh' compile will be winging its way to your place shortly. And as always, a big 'thankyou' to everyone who entered the competition.
There are still double passes to 'Creamfields' up for grabs, and no doubt we'll have more fine album giveaways coming soon!

TOURING : Gypsy & The Cat

Melbourne duo Gypsy & The Cat spent the best part of last year spellbinding everyone with their fab blend of indie electronic pop. Their debut album 'Gilgamesh' received rave reviews and earned them the respect of music industry pundits across not only Australia, but around the globe.
Their music championed by national broadcaster Triple J, Gypsy & The Cat went on to achieve top 20 success on the ARIA albums chart, all the while gaining a new legion of fans during live appearances at both the Big Day Out and Future Music Festivals.
So it's with great excitement that the band this afternoon announces their 'Jona Vark' national tour.
They'll in dates across the country, kicking off in the city of churches on Friday May 06, before hitting Perth and a number of east coast centres.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

May 06 : Adelaide (Governor Hindmarsh)
May 07 : Perth (Capitol Theatre)
May 13 : Melbourne (The Palace)
May 14 : Brisbane (The HiFi)
May 15 : Gold Coast (Coolangatta Hotel)
May 19 : Wollongong (Uni Bar)
May 20 : Sydney (Metro Theatre)
May 21 : Newcastle (Cambridge Hotel)

AT RETAIL ON FRIDAY MARCH 25, 2011

Alterbridge – Live From Amsterdam (CD/DVD)
The Church – Starfish
Cloud Control – Bliss Release (Tour Edition)
Derek & The Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now
Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now (Deluxe Edition)
Forever The Sickest Kids – Forever The Sickest Kids
Josh Kelley – Georgia Clay
Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns (CD/DVD)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live Forever
Mirusia – Always And Forever (DVD)
Shane Nicholson – Bad Machines
Roy Orbison – The Soul Of Rock N Roll
OST – Paul
Panic At The Disco – Vices & Virtues
Pearl Jam – Vitalology (Legacy Edition)
Peter Bjorn & John – Gimme Some
Protest The Hero – Scurrilous
Radiohead – The King Of Limbs
Sally Seltmann – Heart That’s Pounding (Deluxe Edition)
Sia – Healing Is Difficult
Soundgarden – Live On I-5
Britney Spears – Femme Fatale
Rod Stewart – The Best Of The Great American Songbook
Sum 41 – Screaming Bloody Murder
Those Darlins – Screws Get Loose
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
Various – #1s
Various – 101 Housework Songs
Various – 101 Power Ballads
Various – American Idol 10th Anniversary : The Hits
Various – Pump It Up Vol.3
Various – Top Gear : Seriously Rock N Roll
The View – Bread And Circuses
Roger Waters – The Wall : Live In Berlin (20th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)
Yelle – Safari Disco Club
Yuck – Yuck
Hindi Zahra - Handmade

VARNISH SHINES

Why here's a slick new piece of electro pop that's come right out of the suburbs of Melbourne.
Newcomer James Varnish bursts onto the scene with his desperately confident debut single 'Compare', which has been described as "a darkly romantic marriage of suave synths, insistent beats and Varnish’s distinctive, emotive vocals".
Consider us sold. It's actually rather strong.
Though interested in music, James spent his first few years out of high school studying graphic design, until such time as the growl of the pop demon within grew loud enough for him not to ignore it anymore. And after years of hard work perfecting a sound, garnering plenty of support along the way, Mister Varnish is ready to sparkle.
'Compare' is due to be released next month.

THE AUSTRALIAN CD NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE

April 01
Chase & Status – More Than Alot
King Cresote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
Drapht – The Life Of Riley
Due Voci – The Songs Of Dianne Warren
Bob Dylan – The Original Mono Recordings
Billy Joel – Live At Shea Stadium
Wiz Khalifa – Rolling Papers
The Kills – Blood Pressures
Ladytron – Best Of 00-10
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up (Tour Edition)
Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis – Here We Go Again
Noah & The Whale – Last Night On Earth
OST – Rio
OST – Rock Of Ages : Original Broadway Cast Recording
Queen – Queen 40
Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Serious Songs
Dane Rumble – The Experiment
Rumer – Seasons Of My Soul
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water (40th Anniversary Edition)
The Subs – Decontrol
Tiki Taane – Past Present Future
Tim & Jean – Like What
Tim & Jean – Like What (Collectors Edition)
Various – Celtic Gold
Various – Country 4 Mum
Various – Fabriclive 56
Various – Ministry Of Sound : Electro House Sessions 4
Various – NOW Autumn 2011
Various – Sweet Little Bird
Various – Triple J’s Best Of One Night Stand (DVD)

April 08
Architecture In Helsinki – Moment Bends
Cage The Elephant – Thankyou Happy Birthday
Daft Punk – Tron Legacy : Reconfigured
Gloria Estefan – The Love Songs
Marianne Faithfull – Horses And High Heels
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Glasvegas – Euphoric///Heartbreak
Hollywood Undead – American Tragedy
Human League – Credo
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Somewhere Over The Rainbow : Best Of
Ronan Keating & Burt Bacharach – When Ronan Met Burt
k.d. Lang – Sing It Loud (Deluxe Edition)
The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy
Josh T Pearson – Last Of The Country Gentlemen
The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo
Andre Rieu – Moonlight Serenade
Rise Against – Endgame (Australian Edition)
Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant
Robbie Robertson – How To Become Clairvoyant (Collectors Edition)
Short Stack – Heartbreak Made Me A Killer EP
Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What
Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What (CD/DVD)
Simply Red – Greatest Hits
Sonny & The Sunsets – Hit After Hit
Barbra Streisand – The Ultimate Collection
Tim Stevens Trio – Scare Quotes
Tiesto – Club Life Vol.1 : Las Vegas
Various – Bluesfest 2011
Various – It’s All About Love
Various – Music For Royal Weddings
The Wombats – The Modern Glitch

April 15
About Group – Start & Complete
Joan Armatrading – Live At The Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD)
The Aston Shuffle – Seventeen To Midnight
Bachelor Girl – Loved & Lost : The Best Of
Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
Billy Ray Cyrus – ICON
Melissa Etheridge – ICON
Gorillaz – The Fall
Dave Graney – Rock N Roll Is Where I Hide
Jimi Hendrix – South Saturn Delta
David Hobson – Best Of David Hobson
Jebediah – Kosciuszko
Jebediah – Kosciuszko (Collectors Edition)
Jodeci, K-Ci & JoJo – ICON
Alison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplane
Adam Lambert – Glam Nation Live (DVD)
Damien Leith – Roy
Loretta Lynn – ICON
Barry Manilow – Ultimate Barry Manilow Live (DVD)
The Mavericks - ICON
Cass McCombs – Wits End
Sergio Mendes – Celebration : A Musical Journey
Roy Orbison – The Monument Singles
Parliament – ICON
Lone Pigeon – Time Capsule
Eli Paperboy Reed – Come And Get It
Rolling Stones – Singles Box Set : 1971 – 2010
Royal Bangs – Flux Outside
Salt-N-Pepa – ICON
Sebadoh – Bakesale (Deluxe Edition)
Snoop Dogg – Doggumentary
Rod Stewart – ICON
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Collectors Edition)
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light (Collectors Edition)
Various – 100 Best Hardcore
Various – Australia’s Best Acoustic Songs
Various – Central Energy 2011
Various – CMAA Mothers Day
Various – Hallelujah
Various – Songbird
Various – That’s Music
Various – Triple J Hottest 100 Vol.18 (DVD)
Various – Ultimate Heartland Country Collection
Various – We Will Remember Them
Russell Watson – La Voce

April 22
About Group – Start & Complete
The Diggers – The Diggers
Dom – Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP
Dr.Dre – Detox
Drive By Truckers – Go-Go Boots
Jennifer Lopez – Love?
Various – 80 From The 90s
Various – Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Various – Ministry Of Sound : Sound Of Dubstep
Various – Songs For My Mum
Various – When I First Met Your Ma

April 29
The Airborne Toxic Event – All At Once
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Pt.2
Ry Cuming – Ry Cuming
Designer Drugs – Hardcore Softcore
Caro Emerald – Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor
Mick Harvey – Sketches From The Book Of The Dead
Sara MacLiver – Seraphim
OST – Get Low
Bruce Springsteen – The Promise (DVD)
Various – 100 Best Hardstyle Ever!
Various – 100 Crazy Dutch Anthems

May 06
Colbie Caillat – All Of You
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Boatman’s Call (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Let Love In (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads (Collectors Edition)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – No More Shall We Part (Collectors Edition)
Crossfade – We All Bleed
Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math
Barry Manilow – Music & Passion : Best Of
Sarah McKenzie – Don’t Tempt Me
Matthew Morrison – Title TBA
Pitbull – Planet Pit
Sixx AM – This Is Gonna Hurt
Various – The Royal Wedding Album
Matt Walters – Farewell Youth
Wild Beasts – Smother
Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting

May 13
Austra – Feel It Break
Kate Bush – Director’s Cut
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi – Rome
Ben Harper – Give Till It’s Gone
Lil’ Wayne – The Carter IV
Moby – Destroyed
The Reels – Quasimodos Dream
Jay Sean – Freeze Time
Various – Essential R&B 2011

May 20
Foster The People – Torches
Iron Maiden – From Fear To Eternity : Best Of 1990 – 2010
Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard Of Ozz (Deluxe Edition)
Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman (Deluxe Edition)
Owl City – All Things Bright & Beautiful

May 23
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
Lady Gaga – Born This Way (Collectors Edition)

May 27
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Smoking In Heaven
Mona – Mona
Papa VS Pretty – United In Isolation
The Potbelleez – Destination Now
Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs

June 03
Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
The Vines – Future Primitive

June 10
The Japanese Popstars – Controlling Your Allegiance

June 17
Junior Boys – It’s All True

All release dates subject to change & list is updated weekly.

SAME LAMBERT, DIFFERENT PACK

What do you get the Adam Lambert fan who has everything? Why a different packaging of an existing release, of course!
Sony Music's latest schedule has revealed that they'll release Adam's 'Glam Nation Live' in Australia again mid-way through next month. But apparently the difference is that this one comes in a DVD case, accompanied by the live CD instead of the other way 'round.
Certainly one for the collectors.

SHIRIN'S UPSIDE DOWN

The Shirin project continues overseas - and this time around, she's bravely venturing into diva cover version territory, with a version of Diana Ross's classic 'Upside Down'.
The cover is just one of five tracks on the 19 year old's new release called 'The Afternoon Tea EP', which is available for download through her Soundcloud account (a link to which is below).
And it seems like the Shirin story just continues to get louder in her native UK, where she's now placing inside the top 95 artists (out of more than 10,000) in a nationwide search to uncover the latest 'Live & Unsigned' talent.
How far she gets - only time will tell. But in the meantime, have a listen to the EP below;

POTBELLEEZ BACK ON SCHEDULE

The Potbelleez' new album is back on the release schedule. Originally slated for release back in October, the 'Destination Now' LP was delayed to January, then February.
The band spent this time recording more new tunes and tweaking others already featured on the album.
But with their new single 'From The Music' due at radio any moment now (it was originally due to head out last Friday), the ball is beginning to roll again.
According to the latest report from Universal Music, 'Destination Now' is now scheduled to drop on Friday May 27.

ROYAL ALBUM ALERT!

We don't quite know what the team at Universal Music are doing up so late past their bedtime, but they've literally just sent through details about the official album of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
And this time around, the entire wedding will be recorded live and released digitally within hours of the service ending.
The album will later be released on CD, vinyl and (for those who still remember them) a cassette tape, ensuring people of all ages will have the chance to experience the event over and over again.
The album, already available for pre-order through various Aussie online retailers, will be released on Friday May 06.

JENNIFER'S APRIL LOVE?

The latest Universal Music release schedule has been sent through to us this afternoon - and the good news for Aussie fans of Jennifer Lopez is that the singer's new album 'Love?' will be released in Australia next month.
J-Lo is currently riding high on a wave of popularity off the back of her position as judge on the evergreen American Idol competition, along with the mammoth chart success of her 'comeback' single 'On The Floor'.
The single finally hit the No.1 spot on the ARIA singles chart this week after four weeks in - and has already sold in excess of 35,000 copies locally, giving her a gold accreditation.
All this success bodes well for the release of 'Love?' on Friday April 22.

AXLE SET TO DELIVER SUNSHINE

Axle Whitehead's new single 'Sister Sunshine' (pictured) will finally hit radio on Monday.
The track has been featured over recent weeks in promotional spots for Channel 7's new drama series 'Winners & Losers', which premiered last night to an audience of more than 1.6 million people.
It's the first single to be lifted from Axle's forthcoming second album and is set for digital release on Friday April 08.
Fans can pre-order (and preview) the two tracker on iTunes HERE.
A new Axle album is expected later this year.

KYLIE STEPS BACK IN TIME

Kylie Minogue has thanked her fans across the world for so far making the 'Les Folies' tour such a screaming success by releasing this cute little video.
It's a reworking of the Nervo-penned album track 'Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)' by one of her old PWL production partners Pete Hammond.
Pete's been adding his magical retro touch to plenty of cool remixes over the past couple of years, including Alphabeat's amazing 'Boyfriend'.
Warner Music Australia... We're feeling an Aphrodite album tour repack coming on. Please please please include this (and any relevant extended mix) where applicable.
And PS Kylie.... Your fans are gonna wanna get their hands on this. Get it up to iTunes globally STAT so we can at least have the chance to BUY it! That is all.

auspOp EXCLUSIVE : BACHELOR GIRL TRACKLIST REVEALED

Things are most certainly moving ahead in the Bachelor Girl best-of stakes, with the band revealing the cover image for the forthcoming compilation via their OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE earlier this morning.
But this morning, auspOp can exclusively reveal the album's tracklist (below).
The names of the four previously unreleased tracks are 'Radio', 'To Whom It May Concern', 'No Ordinary Day' and 'We're A Natural'.
The best-of will also include Bachelor Girl's version of Duran Duran's 'Come Undone' - lifted from the Aussie covers album 'UnDone', released back in 1999.

01. Buses And Trains
02. Permission To Shine
03. Treat Me Good
04. I'm Just A Girl
05. Lucky Me
06. Blown Away
07. RollerCoaster
08. Drowning Not Waving
09. This Must Be Love (Like It Or Not)
10. Waiting For The Day
11. Can't Wait To Meet You
12. Gotta Let You Go
13. Come Undone
14. Radio (previously unreleased)
15. To Whom It May Concern (previously unreleased)
16. No Ordinary Day (previously unreleased)
17. We're A Natural (previously unreleased)

'Loved & Lost - The Best Of Bachelor Girl' hits stores in Australia on Friday April 15.

TOURING : Miami Horror

Where HAS the time gone? It's almost a year since the lads from Miami Horror unleashed themselves upon unsuspecting live audiences around the country on their 'Moon Theory' tour.
But they've announced today that they've got just one more national tour in them before they hop on the plane to La La Land in order to create tunes for what will ultimately be the follow-up to the amazing 'Illumination'.
Seven dates make up the 'Summersun' tour - and it all kicks off in Ballarat in country Victoria on June 29, before marching on through the capital cities, winding up at The Metro in Sydney on July 16.
Tickets for all dates are on sale this Monday.

June 29 : Ballarat (Karova Lounge)
July 01 : Brisbane (The Zoo)
July 07 : Perth (Villa)
July 08 : Adelaide (Governor Hindmarsh)
July 09 : Melbourne (Forum Theatre)
July 14 : Bateau Bay (Entrance Leagues Club)
July 16 : Sydney (Metro Theatre)

GEORGE MICHAEL : True Faith

There's been a heck of a lot of debate in music circles about George Michael's new single - a cover of New Order's classic 'True Faith' - and the star's continued use of the good ol' vocoder throughout. Purists are up in arms.
At the song's heart, however, is the chance to raise funds for Comic Relief - it's one of the official charity singles for 2011 - and love it or loathe it, the song's aim is planted squarely in the fundraising pot.
It's a shame, therefore, that they didn't make the track available to purchase outside the UK.
George was also one of a number of British celebrities to throw himself into a sketch on the Comic Relief telecast in the UK (HERE), showing he certainly knows how not to take himself too seriously. Such fun.

INTERVIEW : Jessica Mauboy

Jessica Mauboy has experienced a slightly uneasy return to the Australian pop psyche since coming home from the United States armed with a bagful of slick R&B/pop songs for her latest album. Though the Aussie public lapped up the LP's second single 'Saturday Night', they seemingly weren't quite so enamoured with its predecessor - the album's title track 'Get 'Em Girls'.
Now onto single No.3, we plonked on the couch with Jess and talked designer footwear, a forthcoming repackage of her latest album and being chained to a chair. But we kicked off by asking her why she thought the lead single just didn't connect with her normally adoring public.

"It wasn’t meant to be ‘the one’ that would change everything," she admits. "There was just a little part of me that wanted to show what I could do. It’s a style of music that I’ve fallen in love with. I hoped it would have done a bit better. It was unexpected, but I think I’ve put myself in that position where anything can happen and I'll just go with the flow. So when I was writing the album, that’s where my headspace was."

However, despite the single limping into the Aussie top 20 (it peaked at a disappointing No.19), Jess remains full of praise for her co-star on the track - Snoop Dogg.

"He is a real gentleman," she says. "He lives such a crazy life… but he was really cool. He loves the song. I just remember him saying ‘we’re gonna make this number one’. I’m sure he was on something." She laughs.

"I know I was excited inside, but I felt that it was an honour working with him. I was just enjoying the ride. I guess I got to see him with his people and how he worked. I thank him for wanting to be a part of my music and my album."

Jess's follow-up single was the Ludacris-featuring 'Saturday Night'. Though not a No.1 hit, the single made it into the top ten and has gone on to clock double platinum sales, making it her most commercially successful single since her debut 'Running Back'. She reveals a sense of relief that it succeeded where its predecessor had failed.

"I tried to forget everything that had happened with ‘Get Em Girls’," she concedes. "And I think that ‘Saturday Night’ was THE single. It didn’t explode, but it happened gradually. I’m very proud of it and I’m really glad that we got it up to that level.

"It was that ‘getting ready’ kind of song. Your anthem song when you’re about to go out and you’re just screaming to get out the door. I really wanted that type of song for the album."

We ask cheekily, given that Jess had name-checked Malaysian shoe designer Jimmy Choo in the lyrics for her last two singles, whether or not the brand had come to the party with any little freebies.

"They have not. But I must say I am a fan of Jimmy Choo shoes," she smirks wryly. "But I wasn’t looking for anything like that. I wanted things to be a little bit tongue in cheek. I thought that would be really fun. Just to kind of give it a little added flavour."

That's not to say Jess has her eye solely on one designer brand of footwear. Oh no. She's also got her eye on a pair or two from Prada.

"They are very beautiful," she says. "We did a photo shoot in L.A. for a few days. I saw Prada heels and asked for them for the shoot. We didn’t end up getting them in the photo shoot, but I ended up buying them and taking them home."

The latest single to be lifted from 'Get 'Em Girls' is one of our personal favourites - the Jay Sean duet 'What Happened To Us'. And it soon becomes apparent that the track holds a special place in Jess's heart too.

"It's definitely one of my favourites. I shouldn’t say that I have favourites, but this was a special song – and one that I really contributed to, along with Billy Steinberg who wrote ‘Like A Virgin’ for Madonna among many other famous hits." (Billy also co-penned 'Eternal Flame' for The Bangles, 'So Emotional' for Whitney Houston, 'I Touch Myself' for The Divinlys and 'True Colours' for Cyndi Lauper among many many others.).

"He just had this beautiful melodious bed track. We just started working on it and he just lyrically stunned me. I didn’t know what to say," Jess says. "After we finished the track, I remember asking to listen to it back a few times because I was loving it. I loved the strength of it, but I asked (Jess adopts a sheepish voice) ‘Billy… What do you think about someone else being on the track? I really believe that we should get someone really special to duet on the track.’

"I remember saying, 'Billy, how would I get Jay Sean on this track?' He replied with a 'meh – we’ll get something happening.'

"So I was on my way back home to Australia and I got an email with ‘What Happened To Us’ attached to it. I was listening back to it and I went insane as the second verse came in. I yelled “NO YOU DIDN’T!!?’." She then bubbles over with laughter in her chair.



'What Happened To Us' also seems to be finding favour at local radio and retail, with the song moving up into the iTunes top 20 last week. This release is also coupled with a (very limited edition) signed physical CD single. And Jessica is quick to point out that yes, she's hand-signed them all.

"Every one of them. They tied me up, they chained me to the chair and they told me I wasn’t going anywhere before I signed all of them," she says, very tongue in cheek. "Not until the last one. Sometimes that can get really tiring. By the end of it it was all kind of ‘JM’. No squiggles or ‘Jessicas’. No I’m kidding. I really did sign every single copy and I think it’s a beautiful thing. Most of my fans want to get their hands on something that’s more exciting than just a digital track."

And it delights us to find out that the physical version of 'What Happened To Us' is not just one of those dreaded one-trackers either.

"The physical single has the two remixes of ‘What Happened To Us’ on the b-side. The remixes really amazed me. I was curious to find out what they’d do to the track in remix form. I’m really thrilled with the way they’ve turned out," she says.

Late next month, Jessica joins the Chris Brown tour in the role of support act and she's brimming with excitement at the prospect of taking her live performance up another notch.

"Going back to the Beyonce tour, I just performed to track with two dancers, so this is going to be something completely different," she says. "I’ve been working with a live band, so we’re going to rock it out. We’re going to put some electric and percussion in there and take it to another level."

She also tells us to expect the Justice Crew boys to drop by.

"Yeah, the Justice Crew boys are there too. That’s going to be interesting because every time I do a gig with them, we always seem to do a collaboration. You never know. Perhaps they may come out randomly and do their thing on one or two songs.

"But with a whole tour, it’s usually a case of towing the line with what the big act’s team is after. We could be on the third song and they could want us off the stage. We’re just preparing for the worst. I just remember doing the Beyonce tour and her guys asking us to cut it because they were running out of time."

Jessica also says that plans are already well advanced for the "what comes next" phase following on from the current single, saying her fans can expect much more to come from the 'Get 'Em Girls' project.

"We’re trying to take the album straight through to Christmas," she says, hinting at more. "We might even be doing a re-package, which is really cool. All new photos. This might happen next week – I don’t know. I guess it really depends. But before Christmas would be lovely.

"I’ve also been in the studio again. I’ve had some of the previous producers I’ve worked with send me some new stuff and I’ve just been working on it. Putting my thing on it."

Despite all the naysaying about the performance of Jessica's latest project, 'Get 'Em Girls' the album has already achieved a gold sales status and has charted inside the top ten - higher than her debut album 'Been Waiting' which, after countless singles and a repackage, went on to achieve double platinum sales.

"It’s interesting, because the more people hear, the more they end up getting curious about the album," Jess says. "I’m so excited. This is the part where we can really ramp it up."

Jessica's latest single 'What Happened To Us' (featuring Jay Sean) is available digitally now.
The limited edition signed physical single is available from her official website (link below) until Thursday March 24, 2011.
Jessica's album 'Get 'Em Girls' is available digitally and physically now.
Catch Jessica on tour with Chris Brown nationally throughout late April and early May.
www.jessicamauboy.com.au