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News
Goyte’s ‘Somebody That I
used To Know’ has passed the 50 million views mark on YouTube. Time to
break out the champagne? Let’s do the sums. Here’s how it works. To get paid by YouTube you need to become
a “partner”. YouTube is owned by Google and once a clip shows signs of
popularity their people talk to your people. Google wants to associate one
of their advertisers with your clip. As the video grows in popularity the
rate might increase, but they’ve got you over a barrel haven’t they? Even
if you wanted to you couldn’t withdraw your clip. So the rate for a popular
clip is anywhere between a third of a cent per play to a cent a play. So Gotye MIGHT have earned anywhere between
$165,000 to $500,000, not a bad payday – if you get there. Subtract the painting of the background
mural, the month’s pre-shoot planning, the day and night setting up the
camera, 6-8 hours applying the bodypaint, 26
hours of actual shoot – Gotye’s end plea was shot
50 times – and of course the cost of the crew itself. That would have
happened if the video had not been watched by one person. 50 million views
is just reward. Does it mean subsequent record sales? It could be argued
that you’re actually leaking potential sales. Fans can satisfy themselves
by watching and listening to the song over and over again until they’ve got
bored and returned to a dog doing somersaults or kids trashing a room. This is
the delimna of today’s music maker. There’s money
out there but for the most part its art – music and video – for art’s sake.
- Ed.Nimmervoll
Oz x SxSW
Over 200
acts from Australia applied to showcase at SxSW
(March 13 - 18) in Austin Texas of which 60 have been selected to receive
invitations. So far 40 have accepted and will be making the journey
including Bliss N Eso, Big Scary, Bleeding Knees
Club, Lanie Lane, Emma Louise, Dead Letter
Circus, DZ Deathrays, Gold Fields, Husky and Oh
Mercy. (Jan 17)
Boy
& Bear manage
Just
weeks after dominating the 2011 ARIA Awards with 5 wins Boy& Bear have
split with their management to join the Wonderlic
stable which already boasts Grinspoon, Airbourne, Marvin Priest and Josh Pyke.
Former manager Rowan Brand graciously wished them well. (Jan 6)
Missy
butterfly catcher
The
long-awaited third Missy Higgins is a step closer with the revelation that
it is being produced by Adelaide singer songwriter Butterfly Boucher who
has recently been playing bass in Missy’s band. Boucher also has two albums
to her credit and is now based in Nashville where she’s part of Ten Out of Tenn ten artists perform on stage all at once and
perform each other’s songs. Missy is a long term fan of Butterfly’s. Both
are noted for the Australian “voice” they use in their performances on
record and stage. Butterfly Boucher is the middle child of seven daughters.
Her sister Becca played bass in the band Mercy
Bell. (Jan 3)
Tina knighted
Tina
Arena has been awarded one of France’s highest honors,
the Knighthood of the Order of National Merit. Tina has lived in France
since 2008 and during that time has recorded a number of
French-language albums. Arena said the French have a deep respect for
people who embrace their culture and that the award recognizes her effort
to learn about the nation's history and way of life through her
contribution to the arts. (Dec 15)
Temper
Trap’s new condition
The
Temper Trap have started recording sessions for
their second album with Beck producer Tony Hoffer
in LA's Sound Factory studio. The band have spent over nine months writing
over 40 tracks for the record, which included a stint in Spain, before they
whittled down the songs to be laid down in the studio. They've also made their live keyboardist
and guitarist Joseph Greer an official fifth member of the band. (Dec 10)
Vine
tangle
The
Vines’ turbulent history continues playing Homebake
on December 3 as a three piece after singer Craig Nicholls sacked two
thirds of his band just days beforehand and hired a new drummer for the Homebake show. Although Nichols had never been on a
stage or written a song when he first formed the band that became The
Vines, from the moment they released the debut album ‘Highly Evolved’ in
2002 the band was hailed with interest from critics and fans, but their
progress has been dogged by trouble surrounding Craig Nicholls, banned from
doing interviews with the press, has insulted audience members, had band
members walk out on him, problems which at one point explained by a
neurological disorder which was diagnosed and he was treated for. (Dec 10)
Oz Grammy
contenders
Even
the Grammy Awards nomination announcements have become a headline event, but
amid all the glitz, glamour and hoohah you might
have missed three Australian Grammy “contenders”, most notably Cut Copy who
have been nominated for Best Dance/Electronica Album for ‘Zonoscope’. The other two Australian “nominations” are
a bit more tenuous. The Kanye West and Jay-Z
nominated Watch The Throne features Sneaky Sound System’s vocalist Connie
Mitchell. After Kanye’s famous Taylor Swift
incident can you imagine him leyying Connie up on
stage? Nick Cave’s suet with Neko Case on the
Zombies’ ‘She’s Not There’ is part of the Best Compilation Soundtrack For
Visual Media nominated ‘True Blood:
Volume 3. True Blood’. That award won’t even be announced on the big night.
(December 1)
Boy & Bear
& Moonfire
Nu-folk
quintet Boy & Bear were the big winners of 2011’s recording industry ARIA Awards.
The Sydney band were awarded five accolades for their debut album 'Moonfire'; taking home Best Group, Best Album, Best
Adult Alternative Album, and – a sign of their newness - thney werte also named the Album Breakthrough Artist and
Single Breakthrough Artist
“We
were lucky that we could have done almost anything for this record,” the group’s
lead singer Hosking has said. “We thought for a while about producing it
ourselves, but in the end decided at this point of our careers we’re better
off soaking up as much wisdom as we can from other people rather than
thinking we know everything already.” That decision led them to American producer Joe Chiccarelli, known for his work with acts like My
Morning Jacket, The Strokes and The Shins.
“We
wanted to work with someone who could push us,” says Hosking. “Someone who
could take us out of our comfort zone and add a real rock/pop flavour to
things. We wanted this to be more than just a ‘new folk’ record, because we
really feel like we’ve out-grown that tag.” ‘Moonfire’
was recorded in early 2011 with Chiccarelli
in Nashville’s world-renowned Blackbird Studios.
The
2011 ARIA Awards other big winner was Gotye — aka
Wally De Backer — almost predictably
winning Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and Single of the Year for his
runaway hit of 2011, 'Somebody That I Used To Know' (featuring Kimbra). (Nov 28)
Cat Empire asylum
seekers
Cat
Empire are the latest Australia artists to add their support to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre with the release
of ‘Asylum’ a selection of rare and unreleased songs from The Cat Empire
and its side projects is available for the next few months only from Tunes for Change , a fundraising
organisation that releases four albums annually in exchange for donations. Past albums have featured tracks from artists like Nick Cave, Sarah Blasko and Gotye. (Nov 21)
Hunter and
Collector
Aussie
rapper Hunter died
at 7 am Thursday 20th at Murdoch Hospice Western Australia.
The hip hop artist, whose real name was Robert Hunter, was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer while on tour in Adelaide
November 2009. Hunter is credited as one of Australia's first high-profile
rap stars. He previously was a member of hip-hop group the Syllabolix Crew (SBX), which featured artists such as Drapht, Dazastah, and Layla. He released four albums during his career, and
at the time of his death was working on a charity record in aid of a youth
cancer organisation. 100 percent of the profits will go to CanTeen to aid other young people battling cancer. It
was hoped Hunter would be around to see the result of his efforts. The
release features new tracks from Hilltop Hoods, Drapht,
Chase and more and will be out before Christmas. (October 21)
Agencies merge
Australian
music agencies Village Sounds and The Atlas Agency have merged under the
banner of Village Sounds, bringing an impressive list of local and international
artists from The Atlas Agency roster including, The Drones, Clutch, Ash Grunwald, Blue King Brown, Gareth Liddiard,
The Black Seeds, Kora, Cog, The Beautiful Girls
& Salmonella Dub to name a few. These acts now join the Village Sounds
family alongside the likes of Art Vs Science, Bernard Fanning, Birds of
Tokyo, The Grates, The Mess Hall, The Vines, Violent
Soho & Washington. (October 12)
Local
and/or general
-.
Anna - better known as Mary - Yandall a member of
the famous New Zealand Yandall Sisters
music group has died
The
Underground Lovers are playing
two February shows in Sydney and Melbourne before bunkering down in the
studio to finish recording a new batch of songs.
-Fontana,
Universal’s independent marketing, sales and distribution company, has
signed an exclusive agreement with the Hilltop
Hoods’ Golden Era Records label for the US release of upcoming album
Drinking From The Sun.
-Melbourne
punk outfit A Death In The Family have announced their split, “As a
band we’ve done more than we ever imagined and made life
long friends in many parts of the world.”
Sydney
electro band, Ghoul, have split
up. In a post on their facebook page, the band
have announced that after 4 years they are splitting up
-Melbourne-based
post-hardcore outfit House Vs
Hurricane have appointed current Nazarite Vow
singer Dan Casey to the band for their next album.
- Country star Catherine Britt has recorded a
version of Paul Kelly’s ‘How To Make Gravy’. Wanting to perform it from a
female perspective she asked Paul whether she could rewrite the lyrics. His
answer? “Songs are for changing”.
- Amy Meredith has left Sony
and will release their second album independently
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