Australian Guitar Magazine has named its top fifty Aussie guitar heroes. Accadacca's Angus Young tops the poll, followed by Tommy Emmanuel and Ian Moss, with The Living End's chris Cheney and Rick brewser of The angels rounding out the top five. Precious few ladies make the cut, one notable exception being Magic Dirt's Adalita, ranked a respectable 12th on the list. Magazine editor Lachlan Marks says of the list “Basically, if you’re a unique guitar player that spent a good stretch of your time Down Under, pushed the envelope and inspired others to do so, there ...

Where is The Dirty Skanks’ Nathan Cavaleri? That’s surely the question on everyone’s lips following Australian Guitar Magazine’s list of the Top 50 Aussie Guitarists. Topped by AC/DC’s Angus Young, the list includes many worthy (ie. M+N -approved) contenders such as Deniz Tek, Lobby Loyde, Adalita, Tim Rogers, Marty Willson-Piper, Mick Harvey, Spencer P Jones, Gareth Liddiard (pictured left, giving Dan Kelly an impromptu guitar lesson), Brad Shepherd, Kim Salmon, Ash Naylor, Tom Lyngcoln, Oren Ambarchi and, of course, the late Rowland S Howard, who recently had a custom pedal made in his honour ...

Triple J’s celebration of ‘Oz Music Month’ sees the station highlighting and showcasing the cream of Australia’s music crop, as well as fresh artists just breaking out, proving that local talent is still going strong, even against the commercially popular American material holding top chart positions here. The Straight To You tour was just one of the ways Triple J gave Australian music and musicians a pat on the back, hosting a national tribute tour to one of the country’s most prolific songwriters, Nick Cave . Gathering together a cast of talented musicians, Cave’s songbook got a ...

In the world of music journalism, David Fricke is an immensely influential and inspirational character. A senior writer and former editor of US Rolling Stone since the mid 1980s, Fricke’s CV is one that music critics world wide acknowledge with nothing but awe and envy. The writer has conducted famous interviews with the likes of Kurt Cobain , Patti Smith and , appeared in numerous rock documentaries and written liner notes for a long list of album compilations. On top of this, Fricke has demonstrated a true passion for the Australian music scene, covering artists including Midnight Oil , INXS and Silverchair ...

In this issue: Opportunities galore with applications open for Unsigned Only, Bigsound and the Red Bull Music Academy, while opportunities are dwindling in venues at St Kilda. Adele still holds onto the number one spot on the ARIA charts, and Song Summit adds more acts to it's conference. All in this weeks Industry round up. UNSIGNED ONLY LOOKING FOR TALENT A new international music competition for musicians not signed to a major label record company or any of its affiliates has started up. Unsigned Only is looking for “talented artists: a band, singer, or solo artist, a newcomer or ...

This week, Caeser parts way with Children Collide, a New Zealand win in the International Songwriting Competition, and a new way to see the ARIA charts. CAESAR PARTS WAY WITH CHILDREN COLLIDE Ryan Caesar in a mutual decision has parted ways with Children Collide last week. Caesar has played with the band since early 2007, the fourth drummer since Children Collide’s inception in 2004. The announcement co-incides with their recently completed their third album 'Monument', which Caesar contributed to. Recorded at Melbourne’s Red Door Sounds with Paul ‘Woody’ Annison, the album will be released on April 20 THE ...

Sydney foursome The Jezabels are the winners of this year's Australian Music Prize. The band beat off the likes of Gotye, Boy & Bear, Adalita, Gurrumul and Kimbra to take out the 30 grand prize for their debut album Prisoner . Currently touring overseas, the band said in their remote acceptance speech "From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the Australian music industry, the Australian public, and of course The Australian Music Prize for this incredible honour". Source Link:  Mess and Noise Attached Image(s):  The Jezabels - Splendour 2011 07

At a special lunchtime event at The Basement in Sydney, Sydney group The Jeazabels were announced as the winners of the 7th Australian Music Prize (the AMP) was announced today in front of a room of judges, media, industry representatives and members of the public. ...but not before keynote speaker David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine had the chance to deliver an impassioned speech about his love affair with Australian music (in particular Midnight Oil and Radio Birdman), his dislike of technology ("I still don't have a cell phone!") and general adoration of the music industry in general. It ...

The Jezabels have just been announced as the winner of this year’s Australian Music Prize (The AMP) for their debut album Prisoner . The Sydney four-piece have won $30,000 courtesy of PPCA, beating out the likes Gotye, Boy & Bear, Adalita, Gurrumul, May">Abbe May, Kimbra and Jack Ladder. Priosner failed to place in our critics’ Top 50 albums of the year , but came in at #19 in our Readers Poll . It was described by M+N contributor Doug Wallen as “a mirage cast in outsized 3D.” . Held at the Sydney Opera House, the AMP ceremony featured a keynote address ...

In his keynote address at the Australian Music Prize in Sydney on March 8, 'Rolling Stone' US senior editor David Fricke reveals how he found his thrill for Australian rock’n’roll on Strawberry Hill(s). Transcribed by HUGH ROBERTSON , reprinted by express permission of The AMP. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a hardcore New Yorker. I love the idea that I can jump on the subway a block from my apartment, get off at 34th Street, ride the escalator up to Madison Square Garden and then see U2 and Bruce Springsteen blow the roof off the place ...

Adalita will win today’s Australian Music Prize, ahead of records by May">Abbe May, Jack Ladder and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. This is what you told us in a snap poll conducted yesterday on M+N ’s Facebook page . Out of the 51 votes, 17 went to Adalita’s self-titled debut , well ahead of May">Abbe May’s Design Desire (nine votes) and Jack Ladder’s Hurtsville (seven). M+N forum whipping boy Gotye polled five, Gurrumul four, while ARIA winner Kimbra – Gotye’s foil on the Hottest 100-winning ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ – was rank outsider, polling only ...

The Australian Music Prize needs to work out whether it wants to be a peer-voted or critically appraised award, writes DARREN LEVIN ahead of today’s big announcement. In the lead-up to last year’s Pazz & Jop poll – a survey of critics published annually in The Village Voice – outspoken US critic Christopher R Weingarten openly questioned the credentials of the 700 writers who cast their vote for their album of the year. “They should close Pazz and Jop ballots to anyone who heard less than 500 new records this year,” he Tweeted to his 13,000-plus followers. Why should the AMP be any different? While it’d be somewhat unfair to hold the judging panel to the inflated standards of a guy who calls himself the “Last Rock Critic Standing”, Weingarten’s point still stands. Taking into account population size, if you didn’t listen to at least 100 new Australian records last year, then you have no business judging the AMP. Over a three month period (late-October to mid-January), the AMP’s 40 judges (myself included) would typically listen to 80 titles. These titles were to be adjudicated “purely on their own merits” with the expectation (as laid out in a judges charter) that the album would be listened to from start to finish. That works out to roughly an album a day for three months, leaving very little room for repeated listens. While you probably don’t need two listens to work out whether you like Royal Headache’s Royal Headache or Gilgamesh by Gypsy & The Cat, more “difficult” albums such as HTRK’s Work (work, work) , Snowman’s Absence , +DOME by Seekae or Ex Tropical by Lost Animal, could’ve really benefited from a few extra spins. (It’s worth noting that none of these five titles made the nine album-strong shortlist.) While The AMP’s short time frames are almost unavoidable – they need to allow for records released in the latter half of the year, which in late 2011 saw excellent releases from Geoff O’Connor, Dick Diver, Nick Huggins and Witch Hats – judges should’ve heard at least 70 percent of the records that came across their desk (roughly 56 titles). Sure, there were anomalies (each year there’s the inevitable batch of self-recorded projects that should never leave the bedroom, or wonderful surprises like Fred Smith’s Dust Of Uruzgan ), but most of these records are not on the margins. They’re commercially available, or sent out by publicists, and if you’re not aware of most of them, you’re probably not fit to weigh in. Of the AMP’s 40 judges, 13 are so-called critics, six work in radio and nine are retailers. I’d say the vast majority of these judges will listen to 100 new Australian record in an average year. The remaining 12 judges are mostly working musicians; most of whom, I believe, would fall way short of that benchmark. The reason is simple. While I have absolutely no idea what Kram listens to while jogging, or what Cloud Control’s Ulrich Lenffer spins on the road, it’s not their job to listen to music for a living. It’s their job to play it. (Unless, of course, you’re Robert ...

(Detailed playlist , with listening links.) 1. Richard and Mimi Farina - "One-way Ticket" - Celebrations for a Grey Day (Vanguard) 2. Charlie Feathers - "Deep Elm Blues" - Get With It: Essential Recordings 1954-69 (Reverant) 3. The Chaumonts - "I Need Your Love" (Bay Sound) 4. Rockin' Horse - "Oh Carol, I'm So Sad" - Yes It Is (Sing Sing) 5. Cate Le Bon - "Put Me To Work" - Cyrk (The Control Group) 6. Adalita Srsen & Robert Scott - "That's What I Heard" - Split EP with The Puddle (Fishrider) 7. Alvarius B - "The dinner party" - Baroque Primitiva (Abduction) 8. F.C. Judd - "Musique concrete is fascinating" - Electronics ...

An Australian Music Prize judge has removed himself from the final stages of judging less than a month away from the winners’ announcement at the Opera House in Sydney. Street Press Australia Group Managing Editor Andrew Mast has informed organisers of the $30,000 prize that he has no intention of participating in the final stages of judging. “I don’t think this year’s shortlist is a true indication of the quality and variety of great Australian music that was released in 2011,” Mast told theMusic.com.au . Acts nominated for this year’s prize include May">Abbe May ...

The inaugural SLAM Day will take place across the country on February 23. More than 100 venues have already signed up for the event, which coincides with the two-year anniversary of the SLAM rally in Melbourne, where 20,000 protested the draconian liquor licensing laws that lead to the Tote’s closure in January 2010. Now because 100 simultaneous gigs around the country is a lot to take in, below are some highlights. Full gig listings here . You’ll also be able to view a gallery of musicians including Tim Rogers (pictured above) and Adalita holding up speech bubbles detailing ...