New Signings & Team-Ups: August 31

ARE GOLDEN ROBOTS NEW SIGNING JAILBIRDS READY TO TAKE ON AIRBOURNE?

Australian heritage and hard rock label Golden Robot Records signed Jailbirds – two Sydney brothers Axel and Jay McDonald who moved to Dublin and formed a band that all the swagger and boisterousness of AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Airbourne.

The Golden Robot deal will begin with their second album, due out later in the year.

Label founder and president Mark Alexander-Erber said, ‘Having known the brothers for some time and watching them develop through a few bands I knew it was time to sign the Jailbirds before the rest of the world found out how exciting they were.

“With some involvement from Golden Robot and our worldwide team the sky is the limit I think they can take the mantle from ACDC and Airbourne with their debut album (for us). But, hey, no pressure now!”

ALLY BROOKE JOINS WARNER

Ally Brooke has become the final member of Fifth Harmony to land a solo deal while the band is officially on hiatus.

She signed with Latium Entertainment/Atlantic Records in America.

She’s been “working my tail off” on new music but so far her only released product have been as a featured vocalist on DJ Topic’s Perfect and Lost Kings’ Look At Us Now.

She posted next to the Atlantic logo: “Story time friends… I had a dream since I was 12 years old to be signed to a label.

“My parents brought me from San Antonio to LA at that tender age, simply because they believed in me.

“We didn’t have much, but we sure had a dream.

“We took every meeting, every session, every opportunity imaginable, and worked our behinds off for YEARS. Laughing, crying, sacrificing, hoping, wishing, and praying.”

KANYE CONFIRMS SCOOTER BRAUN MANAGING HIM

 Kanye West has confirmed that Scooter Braun is back in his management team. He’s technically a co-manager but it’s more of an adviser’s role.

In April West dumped the manager, famously tweeting, “I no longer have a manager. I can’t be managed.”

But two months later, when interviewed onstage at MIDEM, Braun let it slip they were still talking, and that he was helping West release five upcoming albums.

This week West made it official in a US radio interview that Braun is part of the management team, as is John Monopoly, who looked after West during his first three albums.

I no longer have a manager. I can’t be managed

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018

ABOVE THE NOISE HAS FAITH… AND GOSPEL-TECHNO

New Melbourne management company Above The Noise has added Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir to the fold.

Above The Noise is a media and management company formed by Michael Parisi Management and Anthony & Gabby Colombi of Global PR Pool.

The Disco Faith Choir is the brainchild of renown DJ (and Revolver Upstairs Saturday morning resident) Sunshine whose gospel house/techno sound is played live backed by a 15-piece choir.

The concept is taking DJing and the live experience across sold out shows at Melbourne venues Revolver, The Prince of Wales and The Night Cat, where they are in the middle of a monthly residence.

Says Sunshine: “I’m super excited to be working with the great team at Above The Noise.

“My vision is to take the Sunshine and Disco Faith Choir project and spread our unique style of gospel house and techno far and wide both here and internationally with live shows and original music.”

THUNDAMENTALS LAUNCH POP-UP STORES & LISTENING PARTIES

Hip-hop outfit Thundamentals announced a string of pop-up stores and listening parties to celebrate the launch of their September 21-due album I Love Songs.

The run of pop-ups is called I Love T-Shirts include all capital cities and Newcastle, starting on Wednesday, September 5 at Blutes Bar Brisbane and finishing in Sydney at Lady Hampshire on Thursday, September 20.

Fans can hear songs from the fifth album, pre-order the record and buy exclusive merch.

HERE COMES SUNNY

On San Francisco band Sonny & the Sunsets’ latest visit to these shores, they’ve curated their own festival.

Sonny Daze, hailed “a mini-festival” across two stages, is held at the Curtin in Melbourne on October 20, and features bands they like—including RVG, Terry, Native Cats, Ciggie Witch, Primo, Traffik Island, Marty Frawley, Stroppies, Mod Con.

There’ll be roving entertainment in the Curtin restaurant, named Sonny in Sonny Smith’s honour.

 DASHVILLE ACTS CREATES COMPILATION FOR FARMERS

Acts from the upcoming Dashville festival – including CW Stoneking and The Waifs – have banded together to release a 40-track compilation for drought-stricken farmers

Dashville Skyline also reached out to the Country Women’s Association of NSW to give free passes to families doing it tough.

The album can be bought during the festival (September 28—30, Belford, NSW) or online from their website.

TICKETMASTER/ HEARS OUT SAMSUNG’S BIXBY

Ticketmaster has partnered with Samsung’s virtual assistant Bixby to promote its concerts.

Samsung Galaxy Note9 users can ask Bixby “what concerts are playing this weekend in this town” or “find tickets for this game”.

“Ticketmaster is constantly looking for new ways to make it easy for fans to discover events and buy tickets, and voice is an exciting technology,” said Jared Smith, president of Ticketmaster.

“We’re excited about this partnership with Samsung because fans will see a personalized experience based on the artists, teams and events that they love the most.”

At this stage, the partnership covers only North America, with no word on whether it’ll make it to Australia.

ALESSO CLOCKS IN WITH UNIVERSAL’S 10:22 PM

Billboard reported that Swedish DJ/producer Alesso has hopped on to Universal Music Group’s new EDM label 10:22 pm, with his first release Remedy out in the US today.

“I always strive to create music that feels a year ahead, and Remedy sounds like 2019 already to me,” says Alesso.

“So launching the track and creating future progressive music, with such a progressive team is a perfect fit for me.”

NEXT WAVE BECOMES PART OF MELB UNI’S PRECINCT

Next Wave has become a creative partner in the University of Melbourne’s New Student Precinct Project, a development at its Parkville campus.

During the multi-year construction, there will be arts and cultural experiences provided.

Next Wave will curate artistic activations on campus and creating unique mentoring programs to involve students in their conception and delivery.

These have begun with pop-up screenings, a writer’s program, an outdoor karaoke booth and several large public artworks by leading Australian artists.

Later in 2018, students will have the opportunity to participate in a series of collaborative creative workshops led by artist collectives Centre for Everything, Public Assembly, Jamie Lewis and Dan Koop.

PANIC! AT DISCO’S WEEKES GETS FEARLESS

 Panic! At The Disco bassist, Dallon Weekes signed his side project I Don’t Know How But They Found Me to Fearless Records.

The duo – with Weekes on vocals and Ryan Seaman on drums – have been performing since 2016.

They named themselves after a line from Back To The Future.

The track Choke tracked up 5.3 million Spotify streams.

FOXTEL’S NEW VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICE

Foxtel is lashing back at the dilemma it faces of declining user revenues while an APO approaches.

It’s launched a streaming video on demand service, Foxflicks with over 1,000 titles.

BUBLÉ PLAYS IT SMOOTH

 Michael Bublé is playing a concert on October 6 in Sydney exclusively for smoothfm listeners.

This takes place the night after his one-off return to Australia to play at the Allianz Stadium before it closes.

Those wanting Buble tickets have to register their details at www.smooth.com.au and answer their phone with the words “I love smoothfm” to be put in the draw to make Michael Bublé’s Million Dollar Call.

A registered listener will be randomly selected. If Bublé answers on the phone number chosen by the listener, they will win a million dollars.

CONCRETE PLAYGROUND ADDS CHATBOX

In a team-up with Heineken, Concrete Playground will run a new chatboxNuntil December which provides users find venues based on their taste and mood at the time.

SHANNON NOLL TROLLS AND ROLES

Shannon Noll knows how to take the piss out of himself – and does so in a new ad for online sports betting Sportsbet, during which he reads out the idiotic comments made on his social media pages by trolls.

STEVIE JANE WITH GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

Northern Territory singer-songwriter Stevie Jean has marked her return after a gap year in a team up with Global Headquarters to make a video for the new single.

It’s a wide release of the track Hell In Every Religion, the demo of which had her discovered by triple j Unearthed.

She was 14 at the time, now after graduating high school and taking a gap yeartravellingg through Europe, the 18-year old follows up a BIGSOUND appearance with a East Coast tour.

“I wrote Hell In Every Religion when I was fourteen in chapel at an Anglican school.

“The kids who were christened were allowed to partake in communion but the kids who weren’t had to sit and watch; they were excluded.

“I was really fixated on this idea of indoctrination, and how these young minds where being impressed with these myths.

“It felt a little rebellious writing this song in a chapel, that questioned the entire system that it represents.”

EARMUSIC GETS GARY MOORE TRIBUTE

Earmusic has the rights to a tribute album for Irish guitar hero Gary Moore, who died in February 2011.

From Thin Lizzy to Colosseum II, together with his solo hits Parisienne Walkways and Out In The Fields, Moore “influenced a whole generation of guitar players and guitar playing,” the label says.

The set was put together by Australian-born bassist and producer Bob Daisley who says, “Gary was one of the best guitarists who ever lived. It was an honour for me to have worked with him and to have known him so well.”

Those on the set include John Sykes, Steve Morse, Don Airey, Glenn Hughes, Eric Singer and Joe Lynn Turner among many others.