New signings and team-ups w/e March 14

More Aussies say: stop the world, I want to get on

R&B singer and songwriter Alston Koch this week moved to Los Angeles to work with Prince’s music director and chase up soundtrack offers. He has been confirmed to sing his song We Can Beat This Climate Change at the International Coalition of Tourism Partners’ green growth program at the Seychelles Carnival, April 25-27.

Sunshine Coast DJ tyDi, crowned the country’s top DJ when he was 19, is also moving to Los Angeles after becoming the first DJ to be signed by Rondor Universal in more than 30 years.

Cloud Control, who are already locked in for UK and European shows, this week were announced the main support for Metronomy on their North American tour, and added to Washington’s Sasquatch Festival in May.

Confirmed for Belgium’s Pukkelpop lineup over three days in August are Flume, The Cat Empire, Dub Fx and Boy & Bear.

ABC Music adds Lachlan Bryan to roster

ABC Music has signed Melbourne-based country and roots performer Lachlan Bryan to its roster. Bryan’s Black Coffee won the 2014 Golden Guitar for Best Alternative Country Album.  The act emerged in 2009 as singer and songwriter with alt-country The Wildes before launching a solo career which saw him tour extensively through the United States and Black Coffee top the ARIA Country Charts.

Keith Urban learns to be a T’s

T-shirt couture pinup dude Keith Urban has taken the next logical step by launching his own T-shirt range. The Aussie expat says his criteria was to make cool T-shirts but which could socially make a difference.  He teamed up with Haiti garment factor Industrial Revolution II which gives back 50% of its profits to the local community, and Canadian fashion, art and music photographer and artist Raphael Mazzucco for the range’s images of paint cans, seahorses, key chains and American flag-printed trailers.

Run To Damascus joins I Forget, Sorry!

Sydney-based label, promoter, management and promotions company I Forget, Sorry! has swelled its roster with rap duo Run To Damascus. It features lyricist and rapper Luke Girgis and multi-instrumentalist and producer Jon Reichardt. Their single Hide & Seek was co-produced by rapper Chance Waters, an I Forget, Sorry! act alongside Mind Over Matter.

Modular, Carriageworks, partner for Modulations

Modular and Sydney art space Carriageworks have teamed up for the three day Modulations in winter. The June 6-8 event will present exclusive music performances, art, installations, contemporary ideas and innovative food as part of the Vivid Music programming for the Destination NSW-owned Vivid Sydney (May 23 to June 9). Modulation will be headlined by Pet Shop Boys as the only Australian stop of their 2013/14 Electric world tour,

Boris The Blade slice up Faction/Sony

Melbourne heavy rock band Boris The Blade have landed a record deal with Faction/Sony and will release their debut album The Human Hive on May 19

Brett Oaten expands client list

Sydney-based entertainment law firm Brett Oaten Solicitors has expanded its client list with young acts Lime Cordiale, Little May, Okenyo and Troye Sivan.

Delta Riggs land AFL ad sync

The Toyota Australian Football League’s new TV, radio and print Everything’s Possible campaign for its 2014 premiership season uses Melbourne band The Delta Riggs’ track Scratch Flower. It’s from their debut album Hex Lover Killer released April 2013.

More join Sydney Late Night Alliance

More associations, venues, music companies and media have put their weight behind the Sydney Late Night Culture Alliance, which was set up in response to the state’s lock out legislation. The inaugural members were MusicNSW, FBi Radio, The Music Network, SLAM, Oxford Art Factory, Goodgod Small Club, The Music.com.au and inthemix. Also joining in are Astral People, Australian Freelance Musicians Alliance, Australian Independent Musicians Association, Blackwire Records, Blunt Magazine, The Brag, Frankies Pizza, Fuzzy, Kings Cross Hotel, Mad Racket, Modular People, Niche Productions, Pennydrop, Polaroids of Androids, Popfrenzy Records, Positive Feedback Publicity, RIP Society Records, Select Music, Shrug, Siberia Records, Spark & Opus, Spice Cellar, The AU Review, The Basement, The Cliff Dive, The Lyceum, The Square and World Bar. The SLNA’s petition has now gathered over 13,000 signatures.

More signings for Battle Worldwide Recordings

Darren Smallman’s Battle Worldwide Recordings announced two more signings: Aussie-born London-based electronic artist ASx who releases her debut single Obstacle Of My Affection on March 31, and UK band Alarm Bells (ex-Danananananaykroyd) to re-release their two self-issued EPs.

Womadelaide benefited from sponsorship

Some of the sets at the weekend’s Womadelaide in Adelaide were streamed, due to its long-time sponsorship deal with net broadcaster Internode. With audio and visuals handled by Internode staff, appearances by Dub Inc, Carminho, Arrested Development, Rachid Taha and Saskwatch. were seen in real time and replayed on Internode’s website.

Call out for three WA acts to impress Asian market

The Singapore WA Music Exchange program looking for three West Australian acts to impress the Asian market.  The program is a partnership between WAM (the West Australian Music Association) and Singapore’s Timbre Music. The three acts will play the Timbre-curated Beerfest Asia 2014 in Singapore (June 12 to 15) before 30,000 and do additional club sets. 

Wrokdown goes national

Melbourne community TV network C31’s Wrokdown show is going national after striking a deal with Foxtel. The Aurora channel will from early April air interviews with Australian baby boomer artists and music executives from its first eight series. C31 will broadcast the latest episodes, hosted by Wendy Stapleton and produced by Anita Monk.

New mentor program for arts philanthropists

The Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Partnerships Australia have partnered on a new program to build leadership in arts philanthropy. The Philanthropic Mentoring Program will provide up to 10 mentoring opportunities for philanthropy managers or executives in the not-for-profit arts sector whose key role is to fundraise for their arts organisation. Those selected are matched with a mentor to develop their skills to increase revenue through philanthropy.

Victorian Government appoints jazz archive

The Victorian Government has appointed the Victorian Jazz Archive museum to the Public Record Office Victoria’s Places of Deposit network. The network has 150 community facilities that store and preserve public records of

local significance. The Government also signed a new lease to secure the museum at its current Wantirna, Melbourne, premises for the next 21 years. Set up in 1996, the Archive has collected, preserved and exhibited recordings and materials that trace the history of jazz in Australia from the 1920s. It is one of the largest collections of jazz history and research material in Australia, Minister for the Arts Heidi Victoria said.

Melbourne plans tribute concert for late promoter

A group of Melbourne’s managers, promoters and musicians are planning a major tribute concert for the late promoter Laurence J. Richards. His death was confirmed last week. An important catalyst of the punk and new wave scenes in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Richards founded seminal venues as the Crystal Ballroom, the Jump Club, the Tiger Lounge and Kingston Rock. Manager Ian Lovell, one of the organisers, told The Music Network a date and venue would be firmed after discussions with Richards’ family.