New Signings & Team-Ups: March 7

AC/DC TRACK IN TRAILER FOR REBOOTED ‘ROSEANNE’

US network ABC is using AC/DC’s 1977 track ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ in the trailer for its reboot of Roseanne Barr’s hit sitcom Roseanne, which airs in America from March 27 with the original cast.

The trailer made its debut during the Oscars telecast.

Emerging on the Let There Be Rock album, it was written by Bon Scott about a brief encounter with a Tasmanian woman who is described in the song as “a large-made woman whose measurements were 42″-39″-56””.

AC/DC very seldom allow their tracks to be synced, but apparently allowed the song to be used as the sitcom is about a working-class family.

JACK LADDER & THE DREAMLANDERS JOIN REMOTE CONTROL

Remote Control will release Sydney-based Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders’ fifth album Blue Poles on May 4 in Australia and New Zealand, and have already issued a single ‘White Flag’.

The label describes the act as “one of the most singular characters in Australian music.

“Sentimental and mournful, sardonic and surreal. Jack Ladder brings that towering and tender baritone to bear on tales of beauty, love, hope and redemption.”

The album will be released by Terrible Records in North America and Self Portrait/ Kartel in the UK and Europe.

The video for ‘White Flag’ was shot in Indonesia, directed by Jim Pillion with Wilk listed as Director of Photography.

“It’s written from two perspectives”, says Ladder. “I didn’t want to duet so I sang both parts.

“It allows for more mystery.”

JAALA SIGN TO BEDROOM SUCK/REMOTE CONTROL

Melbourne band Jaala announced that their new album Joonya Spirit is out on April 20 through Bedroom Suck Recordings / Remote Control Records.

A track ‘Horn’ has been issued as the lead-off single.

Since the release of their debut album Hard Hold in 2015, they’ve added Carolyn Schofield (synth) from Fia Fiell, and moved “towards a more haunting, dreamy experimental pop movement as opposed to the guitar shredding melt your face prog rock vibes of yesteryear.”

According to a Facebook posting, the album will be issued in the USA through Captured Tracks, the UK and Europe on Cargo Records and in Japan by P-Vine.

METALLICA TO LAUNCH WHISKEY BRAND

Metallica, who early in the piece did a cover of Irish drinking song ‘Whiskey In The Jar’, are planning to launch their own brand of the spirit. What’s more, unlike Motorhead and The Rolling Stones, they’re using their millions to set up their own distillery.

The band are in the process of choosing where to set it up – either their hometown San Francisco, Louisville in Kentucky (which is the home of bourbon), or Nashville (which also has its share of distilleries and even has a street called Bourbon Street).

Metallica released a limited edition beer back in 2015, in a team up with Budweiser.

UNIVERSAL TO SHARE SPOTIFY MONEY WITH ARTISTS

Universal Music confirmed to Music Business Worldwide (MBW) it will share with its artists the money it generates from the sale of its Spotify stock.

Universal is the third major to commit to this, after Sony and Warner announced their intention two years ago.

Sources told MBW that Universal delayed an announcement until Spotify announced its IPO, which it did last week.

Spotify’s F-1 document (the registration paperwork required of certain securities by foreign issuers) revealed that between them, Universal, Sony, Warner and Merlin claimed the recorded rights to 87% of streams hosted on the platform in 2017.

If Spotify is valued at US$20 billion, as suggested, then Sony’s 5.7% stake in the streaming company would be a very cool US$1 billion.

PUBLISHER WITHDRAWS BOOK ON BLACK WOMEN IN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC

NewSouth Books has withdrawn music and socio-cultural author Clinton Walker’s tenth book Deadly Woman Blues: Black Women and Australian Musicfrom the market after just a few weeks.

The book looked at the secret 100-year history of black women in Australian music in graphic form (Walker was an art student) – even going back to early 19thcentury names such as cross-dressing actNellie Small.

It looks at both the sexism and racism they encountered as well as their positive achievements, and includes an impressive chronology of their recordings, many which have disappeared in the mist of time.

In every way, Deadly Woman Blues is a worthy companion to Walker’s 18-year-old ground breaking Buried Country, a look at indigenous influence on Australian country music – which went on to become a documentary, soundtrack album, stage show and national tour.

Unfortunately, a number of those portrayed went public with their criticisms of some errors of fact – which Walker has taken responsibility for and made a public apology,

One of those upset by the release was Lou Bennett from Tiddas.

She told NITV News that Walker’s claims that Tiddas had been dropped from their record label Phonogram/PolyGram and were referred to in past tense “makes me feel violated as an Aboriginal woman.

“It makes me feel that again my voice has not been heard. It makes me feel angry.”

NewSouth Publishing also apologised, and “will be publishing a list of corrections on (our) website when confirmed by those parties involved”.

IT RECORDS CELEBRAES FOURTH YEAR

Kate Reid’s Melbourne underground label It Records celebrates its 4thanniversary with a bash at the Tote on Saturday March 24 with eight bands and guest DJs.

Since 2013, its roster additions included Liam Kenny, Miles Brown, Little Desert, The Metronomes, White Hex, Taipan Tiger Girls, Mollusc and Habits.

This year will see releases from Primitive Calculators, Ned Collette, New War, plus a re-press of the sold-out In Time LP from Time For Dreams.’

ANDREA BOCELLI PARTNERS WITH DECCA

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Sugar Music have finalised new partnership with Decca Label Group.

Bocelli is now the most successful classical recording artist of all time – having sold over 90 million albums, according to Sugar Music – and was hailed Best Classical Artist at the recent inaugural Global Awards in London.

GIRLFRIEND JOINS WITH GEN Z INFLUENCERS

Pacific Magazines’ title Girlfriend has joined forces with ten Australian Gen Z influencers to launch the ‘Girlfriend Movement’, a new campaign to empower the next generation of women.

Over the next 12 months it will reach 2.5 million audience touchpoints with activations covering entrepreneurship, career goals, tech, healthy living, and self-esteem and body love.

The ten ambassadors are Samantha Harris (model), Olivia Deeble (actress), Liv Phyland and Teigan Nash (Girls Who Glow), The Greene Sisters (professional surfers and equality campaigners), Alana Wulff (Girlish), Isabella Dymalovski (Luv Ur Skin), and Kate Gibbs and Georgia Wasley (self-described body image warriors behind Instagram account Any BODY Co).

WARNER CHAPPELL SPINS FELIX JAEHN

Warner/Chappell Music has signed German DJ and producer Felix Jaehn to a global publishing deal.

He came to attention in 2015 with his remix of Jamaican artist OMI’s song Cheerleader, which propelled the song to #1 in 68 countries including Australia, the UK and US.

Since then songs he was involved in have generated 1.5 billion Spotify streams.

Jaehn’s own recordings have included his Mike Williams collaboration ‘Feel Good’, his new single ‘Cool’ featuring Marc E Bassy and Gucci Mane, the Elf project which topped the German charts in 2016, and an album released last month.

DOWNTOWN SCORES GRAMMY WINNER

Downtown Music Publishing’s latest addition is Grammy-winning record producer and songwriter Bill Bottrell, in a deal that covers his past and future work.

Bottrell’s co-writes have included Michael Jackson’s ‘Black Or White’ and ‘Dangerous’, his discovery Sheryl Crow’s’Leaving Las Vegas’ and Five For Fighting’s’One More Love’.

Downtown opened an office in Sydney earlierthis year.

LEGACY RELEASING SECOND WAVE OF PINK VINYL

Legacy Recordings/Sony will, on the eve of Pink’s Australian winter tour, release the second wave of double album 12” numbered vinyl.

Set for local release on May 4 are I’m Not Dead, Funhouse (which generated 7x Platinum in Australia) and The Truth About Love.

YAMAHA GREAT START GRANT FOR SCHOOLS

Yamaha Music Australia has announced its second annual Great Start Grant – a nationwide initiative that will see one school awarded a $50,000 music grant, plus be treated to a performance from Dami Im.

Theprize consists of $45,000 worth of Yamaha instruments (the equivalent of 42 new instruments), a day of training by its education specialist Peter Wardrobe and the Im show.

CULTURE SHOCK FUNDS ‘SUDANA’

The Culture Shockhas funded a single called ‘Sudana’ and an accompanying tour in April. The project is based around newcomers facing a culture shock when arriving in Australia, as well as the contribution traditional cultures have made to modern Australia.

The track was recorded by Sudanese singer Ajak Kwai and African Intelligence frontman Lamine Sonko about the connection of African and Australian culture.

FRAYZER GETS GLOBAL RELEASE

‘Don’t Say’, the debut single from Australian bedroom producer/singer-songwriter Frayzer gets a global release through Dino.

It is the moniker of Matthew Connelly, who enlisted Australian electronic and house producer Kilter to get the track’s modern pop sounds.

On working with Kilter, Frayzer said: “It started with a demo I had produced at home that I was sitting on and not really sure what to do with.

“I’d been a fan of Kilter’s for a while and thought why not ask if he wanted to jump on it to produce, and to my surprise, he said yes.

“We collaborated and it fell together so seamlessly. What he did to the track took it to another level and it felt like the beginning of something new.”

BLAIR DALY AT CONCORD

Concord Music has brought under its wing US country songwriter and producer Blair Daly.

Hits have included Kelly Clarkson’s ‘People Like Us’, Rascal Flatts’ ‘Stand’ and Uncle Kracker’s ‘Smile’ while his songs have also been recorded by Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Lynyrd Skynyrd.