New Signings & Team-Ups: Wondercore Island signs first act; INXS soundtrack for Bonds ad; Dorsal Fins win MMP contract; Foals lassoed by GoPro

Wondercore Island Records signs first act

Wondercore Island Records, the new label set up by management company Wondercore Island and Warner Music Australia announced eclectic Melbourne band Jaala(pictured) as its first signing with an album out in October. Wondercore Island looks after Hiatus Kaiyote and Oscar Key Sung and periodically offers free downloadable mix-tapes promoting emerging Australian producers and bands. Director Si Jay Gould, said, “We have been have been extremely lucky to be surrounded by so many innovative musicians at this particular time.”

Wondercore Island Records will be distributed through ADA [Alternative Distribution Alliance], Warner’s independent division, across A/NZ.

INXS soundtrack for Bonds ad

INXS songs continue to reap rewards for the veteran band that is no longer touring. Aside from an announcement on the weekend that a musical based around INXS songs will premiere in Sydney in 2017, Australian underwear company Bonds is using What You Need for its 100th birthday TVC. Bonds’ Senior Marketing Manager Emily Small said that the campaign aims at Australians of all demographics, and “the INXS track captures our Australian spirit, and we felt it was fitting for our 100-year celebration.”

Big Village adds Perth’s Mathias to posse

Sydney hip hop label Big Village Records announced via YouTube it’s added fast rising award-winning Perth MC and producer Mathas. The deal, through Perth’s The Community Records, sees his second album Armwrestling Atlas drop in October. Mathas, one of the sharpest and freshest lyricists in the country, won the WAM urban category for the past three years and included in triple j’s Next Crop 2014. He joins a roster which includes Soul Benefits, Suburban Dark, Reverse Polarities, True Vibenation, Ellesquire, P. Smurf and Rapaport.

Dorsal Fins winMMP recording contract

Dorsal Fins won the 2015 Mushroom Music Publishing Recording Grant. They get $10,000 towards making their follow up to their debut album Mind Renovation on Gripless / Remote Control. The grant was set up by Michael Gudinski in 2013 to get more original local music in the market.

New management for Zayn Malik

Aside from a new record deal with RCA/ Sony (as announced last Friday by TMN), former One Direction member Zayn Malik has signed management with UK’s Turn First Artists and being handled by Sarah Stennett.

Overseas deals for Marlon Williams

Australian-based New Zealand country music singer songwriter Marlon Williams is flexing his muscles in the northern hemisphere. After selling out his debut London show, he signed with 13 Artists who represent Radiohead, Alabama Shakes and Tame Impala, among others. He is about to ink major agent and label deals in North America and will tour both continents in October, including an appearance at CMJ Music Marathon.

Locally, Williams is starring in a major ABC-TV series which airs here in October, and will start shooting a feature film in New Zealand in spring. After his sell-out run last month, Williams and his band The Yarra Benders are on the road in Australia for 19 dates between November 5 and December 11, with Ben Salter opening to promote his new The Stars My Destination album.

Foals lassoed by GoPro

US manufacturer of action cameras, GoPro, is using UK band Foals’ new track Mountain At My Gates to produce a music video to highlight its new virtual reality technology as used by director and visionary NABIL.

Behind Lexus’ will.i.am notes

The new spectacular Lexus NX ad in Europe sees a fleet of cars roaring up a racing track triggering musical notes to recreate a remix of will.i.am’s That Power. The ad, in which the Black Eyed Pea was heavily involved, required 65 technicians working over seven days, three stunt drivers, and 350 projection mapped motion and audio sensitive lasers and lights on a disused runway to look like a real-world version of the Rock Band video game interface.

will.i.am said: "Working with the stunt guys to hit the laser targets in time with the music wasn't easy to get right but the result was awesome. The combination of technology, design and music in this project was out of this world."

It releases Taipan Tiger Girls

It Records’ first release for 2015 is the debut album by instrumental trio Taipan Tiger Girls, which features Melbourne electro-pioneer Ollie Olsen of Max Q and Whirlywirld fame.

Google Play Music partners with Samsung

Google Play Music has partnered with Samsung in Europe, offering a free six-month subscription with new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge devices. The two had a similar partnership last year covering 17 Latin American countries.

Caitlyn Shadbolt moves forward with ABC Music

Gympie-based country act and X Factor Australia contestant Caitlyn Shadbolt announced she signed with ABC Music/Universal after talks began in January. A self titled EP is rushed out on August 21 to coincide with the Gympie Muster for which she is an Ambassador.

DJ Yo! Mafia shoots up 123 Agency

Aussie-based international DJ Yo! Mafia has joined the 123 Agency roster. This year she set up Yo! Mafia Entertainment to bridge a gap between her club and corporate gigs, the latter with big names as MTV, Nike, Nova, Adidas, Reebok, G-Shock, Puma, Create Awards, Lee Jeans and Sol Beer.

Last minute ownership change for Staging Connections

Australian $50 million event service company Staging Connections is not going through with its sale to America’s PSAV. A Scheme Implementation Agreement was announced a few weeks ago. But at the last minute, the company’s new owner is Dallas, Texas-based global event service family firm Freeman, which offered “a superior offer”, Staging CEO Tony Chamberlain advised staff.

Italian underwear brand a sponsor of MTV awards

Italian underwear brand Tezenis is a sponsor of the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards. To be held on October 25 in Milan, it will be screened in Australia. Tezenis will sponsor the Best Look Award for the most stylish pop star. A competition is launched for the best fashionista of its European viewers to attend the ceremony. Russell Samuel, VP Viacom International Media Networks for Advertising Sales and Brand Solutions called MTV EMA “an unrivalled platform to reach highly engaged and passionate young people.” He said the awards attracted over half a billion votes last year and 389 million social media mentions.

Push for Darwin festival to drop Santos

51 Northern Territory artists signed a letter to the Darwin Festival to drop oil and gas producer Santos as a major sponsor, citing its links to fracking in NT. A petition has started at Charge.org. The festival includes a number of such companies to provide funds. Any such move would most certainly affect funding from the Federal Government.

Authentic Entertainment to manage CollegeHumor in Oz

Authentic Entertainment is appointed by Turner International and Electus Digital to manage the new Australian version of CollegeHumor. The US site already had many Australian followers. The Australian edition, its first outside the US, will add localised editorial to the American content, with Australian comedian, writer and video producer Giles Hardie appointed Managing Editor.

Musicians in a cage

Redland City Council in Queensland is funding a new initiative by The Cage (Youth Foundation) to help local musicians write, record and perform live an album at the Cage’s recording studio. A partner in the initiative is Al Buchan’s A&R and promotional company fRETfEST which on the weekend starting workshops with the young talent.

Nickelodeon consumer products gets ANZ distribution

David Born’s clip licensing firm Born Licensing will license Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products in Australia and New Zealand. The brand’s portfolio includes SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora the Explorer with shows as The Ren and Stimpy Show, Rugrats, Hey Arnold! and Rocko’s Modern Life.

Capital Radio buying Nautel transmitters

The Capital Radio Network entered into an agreement to purchase 22 Nautel transmitters of various power sizes and in FM and AM bands. CRN’s Greg Spencer said, ”Nautel is the world leader in the manufacture of FM and AM transmitters and this purchase will provide efficient and reliable transmission at all our transmitter facilities.”