'Australian Idol' rested for 2010?

According to The Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential, ‘Australian Idol’ may be rested in 2010, despite previously being announced as returning this season.

The article states that Industry insiders believe that the Network Ten reality series has been shelved and that the judges contracts have not been renewed.

The later has been confirmed by Ian “Dicko” Dickson.

It’s widely believed that the network are hoping to avoid another year of embarrassing ratings, following last year’s underwhelming season.

A mere 1.4 million viewers tuned in to watch Stan Walker crowned as the newest ‘Australian Idol’ last year, a long way from the 3.34 million who saw Guy Sebastian win in 2003.

Ten’s upcoming Commonwealth Games coverage have also been linked to the sudden reversal, with the Games running from October 3 to 14 — directly in the middle of the usual ‘Idol’ season.

It’s believed that the network will make their decision on whether to bring ‘Idol’ back in 2011 later in the year.

“[Ten] have asked [production company] Fremantle [Media] for ideas on how to relaunch in 2011,” said one source.

So what do you think? Are Ten making the right decision shelving ‘Idol’ this year? Will it return in 2011? Is this all just a big rumour?

Sound off in the comments.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

It’s the final episode of the year! In the season finale we take a look back at some of our 2009 predicitions — what we got right and what we got wrong.

We discuss the latest television news, including the abrupt end of ‘Rove’, ‘Packed to the Rafters’ creator Bevan Lee’s assault on vampires, the government’s plan to introduce Aussie drama quotas on digital channels and the launch of ABC3.

We see what’s hot this summer, including ‘The Office’, ‘Accidentally on Purpose’, ‘White Collar’, ‘The 7PM Project’, ‘The Middle’, ‘The Vampire Diaries’, ‘Parks and Recreation’, ‘Reaper’ and ‘Private Practice’.

Finally, we look back at some television highlights from the past decade and a brief look at what’s in store for 2010.

Hayley Warner's debut single "Good Day".

The 17-year old ‘Idol’ runner up releases her debut single today.

“Good Day” is now available in stores and online.

Get the single on iTunes.

Hayley Warner

Sony Music today announced the signing of ‘Australian Idol’ runner up Hayley Warner.

The 17 year old rocker will release her first single “Good Day” on December 11.

“I am really stoked to be signing to Sony Music and to be able to make a record with these guys. Sony Music have the coolest acts ever!” said Warner.

Denis Handlin AM, Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Entertainment Australia & New Zealand commented on the recent signing:

“Hayley has great enthusiasm and energy and brings a unique performance style that the public have really responded to.  We look forward to working with her on her first album which will be released in 2010.”

“Good Day” is being delivered to radio stations today.

Warner’s yet to be titled debut album will be released in early 2010.

Source: Sony Music

Damien Leith's new album "Remember June" is out now.

Irish-born singer/songwriter Damien Leith soared into the local music scene when he won the ‘Australian Idol’ back in 2006.

Unfortunately for Leith, his debut album, “Where We Land” probably didn’t receive all the accolades it deserved — part of the stigma many ‘Australian Idol’ artists struggle to overcome.

After a somewhat questionable U-turn with the cover-album “Catch The Wind: Songs of a Generation”, Leith surges back into the mainstream with the powerfully diverse and complex album “Remember June”.

The album opens to the title track “Remember June”, which long time Leith fans will instantly find familiar.

“Golden Line” ups the ante, with a faster rock sensibility. There’s even a little falsetto thrown in for good measure.

Next up is probably the standout track of the album — and possibly Leith’s entire recording history. “To Get To You” is one hell of an addictive track, which will leave you humming the tune for hours after. It’s clearly Leith’s attempt at targeting the mainstream audience with it’s strong pop/rock vibe.

It may sounds familiar to some, who will recognise it from Seven’s promos for medical drama ‘Mercy’. It’s unclear why the single hasn’t received more air play on the radio, cause it’s by far one of the most hit-worthy tracks.

Leith ventures ridiculously close to “epic” territory with the massive track “Forgive, Forget” — think U2 or Coldplay. The chorus simply soars.

“See You Again” feels like an homage to The Buggles’ iconic track “Video Killed the Radio Star”, with its punchy melodic beat. A little kitschy, but memorable none the less.

Other standout tracks on the album are “Don’t Give Up” and “Unordinary World”.

The album “Remember June” is an obvious progression for Leith. It encompasses everything those familiar with his previous music will appreciate, plus an overall shift towards the mainstream.

If you’ve yet to pick up any of Leith’s previous albums, then now is the time to jump in.

Get the album on iTunes.

"Introducing... Stan Walker" out Friday, December 11.

Since winning ‘Australian Idol’ on Sunday night, Stan Walker’s debut single “Black Box” has rocketed to #1 on the iTunes Singles Chart.

The single has also become the fastest selling Sony Music digital release to date.

Stan will film the music video for “Black Box” this week, which will premiere online on Tuesday, December 1.

On Friday, December 11, Stan’s debut album, “Introducing… Stan Walker” will be released – which showcases Stan’s ‘Australian Idol’ journey through the Top 12.

It includes re-recorded studio tracks of some of his standout performances on the the show including “Purple Rain”, “The Climb”, “Ordinary People” and “Superstar”, as well 2 brand new songs, “Think of Me” and his winning single, “Black Box”.

“Introducting… Stan Walker”
Tracklisting:

1. Purple Rain
2. The Climb
3. Man’s World
4. Ordinary People
5. Let’s Stay Together
6. Hallelujah
7. Superstar
8. We Will Rock You
9. Think Of Me
10. Black Box

Get Stan’s debut single “Black Box” on iTunes.

Source: Sony Music

A shocked Stan Walker wins 'Australian Idol' 2009.

Melbourne-born, New Zealand-raised Stan Walker has won the title of the seventh ‘Australian Idol’.

Despite the sweltering heat, the two finalists took to the stage outside the Sydney Opera House as the 2009 winner was announced.

The 18-year old triumphed over his fellow finalist 17-year old Hayley Warner, in the 2-hour live event.

Joining the ‘Australian Idol’ top 12 singers on stage were Michael Buble, Mika, Wes Carr and Guy Sebastian — who performed solo due to Jordin Sparks’ last minute cancellation.

While ‘Australian Idol’ has struggled in the ratings this season, falling below the magic 1 million viewer mark on several occasions — the series is still expected to return in 2010, thanks to the show’s continued “stickiness” on the web, mobiles and through other advertising avenues.

Walker wins a recording contract with Sony Music and a $200,000 artist’s development fund to further his music career.

His debut single “Black Box” is now available on bandit.fm and iTunes.

Hayley Warner and Stan Walker

After three months of auditions, performances and eliminations, the ‘Australian Idol’ grand final is finally here.

Top 2 contestants Stan Walker and Hayley Warner will take to the stage at the Sydney Opera House forecourt next Sunday, to find out who will become the next ‘Australian Idol’.

Joining the Walker and Warner on stage one last time will be this year’s Top 12 singers, plus special guest performers Michael Buble, Wes Carr, MIKA, Guy Sebastian and Jordin Sparks.

The two-hour live event will air 7.30pm next Sunday, following the ‘Talkin’ ’bout Your Generation’ Christmas special at 6.30pm on Ten.

Guy Sebastian's new album "Like It Like That" is out now.

It’s taken him three originals and one cover album to get here, but it seems Guy Sebastian may have finally struck gold with his latest outing “Like It Like That” — not in the top 40 sense, but creatively as an artist.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Sebastian’s previous ‘Memphis’ record has inspired him like no other. From the first beat of his new album, it screams soul. It’s bold, brash, but it works —  it really works.

It’s probably one of the most cohesive albums from Sebastian to date. Listening from start to finish, you truly feel like you’ve experienced a musical journey.

The title track “Like It Like That”, which everyone already knows from Seven’s on air idents, is possibly one of Sebastian’s greatest singles ever. It’s foundations of soul and the accompanying surf guitar makes for a truly addictive 4-minutes.

The second track on the album “All To Myself” is like a bizarre, yet intriguing fusion of old and new. The verses are reminiscent of Maroon 5’s distinctive funk rock sound, yet the chorus is easily motown inspired. It’s quite an odd mix as first, but it actually becomes far more palatable on repeat listens.

Next up is the RnB single “Art of Love”, which Sebastian has recruited ‘American Idol’ winner Jordin Sparks to lend her vocals. It’s likely to be a huge chart topper for Sebastian, and possibly his big break into the US market, but a little misplaced on a motown inspired album. It would however feel right at home alongside Sparks’ similarly powerful duet with Chris Brown, “No Air”.

The track “Attention” does just that — it grabs your attention with its big swinging sounds, courtesy of the precise orchestration of instruments.

“Bring Yourself” is a standout track on the album. It encompasses everything you’d want and expect from a slow jam session. Even the Prince of Motown, Marvin Gaye, would feel comfortable singing this impressive track.

Other notable tracks include “Magic” and “Never Hold You Down”, neither of which are single worthy, but  run with the soulful swing of motown. Derivative, but none-the-less gallant efforts.

The final track “Perfection”, diverts from the motown vibe just once more to offer a rather sickly sweet romantic ballad. Clearly a serenade to his newly-wed wife. It’s poetically beautiful, but amongst the rest of the album, again a little misplaced.

The album, while not without its flaws, is definitely one of the most artistically complex records we’ve heard from an ‘Australian Idol’ artist to date.

It’s rich, multi-layered  and engaging. The motown influences are clear, and it just feels right for Sebastian to be playing in this space. We look forward to seeing where he takes these talents next.

“Like It Like That” is out now.

Buy the album on iTunes.

The podcast returns for ‘Episode 26: The Digital TV Episode’.

It’s all about what’s happening on Freeview and how the government isn’t educating Australians.

We also talk about the ‘Good Game’ debacle, ‘Rove’ being delayed until April/May for ‘The 7PM Project’ and ‘Top Gear’ making the move to Nine.

Our show discussions include: ’Celebrity MasterChef’, ’Beauty and the Geek’, ’Packed to the Rafters’, ’All Saints’, ’Hey Hey It’s Saturday’, ’Australian Idol’, ’Outrageous Fortune’, ’Go Girls’, ’Glee’, ’Curb Your Enthusiasm’, ’How It Met Your Mother’, ’The Big Bang Theory’, ’Cougar Town’, ’Community’, ’Ugly Betty’, ’Greek’, ’10 Things I Hate About You’, ’The Vampire Diaries’, ’FlashForward’, ’Eastwick’ and ’Melrose Place’.

Download the podcast now.

'Idol' shocker - Toby Moulton withdraws from the competition.

Primary school teacher, Toby Moulton, has withdrawn himself from ‘Australian Idol’ in a shocking opener to the “Noughties” theme night, even before the country’s verdict was revealed.

Moulton, 30, expressed his decision return to teaching, following his 3-month journey on ‘Idol’.

“After many, many hours of soul searching and many sleepless nights, I have decided to withdraw from the competition tonight – I’m not sure if it want a career as a singer, and these four people do,” Molton said of his fellow competitors.

“They each have an enthusiasm and drive that I cannot match and I must step aside so that they have the best chance to prosper as young Australian artists.”

Molton thanked his fans for all their support throughout the competition, before host Andrew Günsberg finally revealed the county’s verdict.

Week 9’s verdict placed Moulton in the bottom three with Nathan Brake and James Johnston. Had it not been for Moulton’s decision to leave the comp, 18-year old Johnston would have ultimately been eliminated from the show.

As the show resumed its regularly scheduled programming, the remaining 4 contestants, Haley Warner, Stan Walker, Johnston and Brake took to the stage performing the best of the “Noughties” under the tutelage of Good Charlotte brothers Joel and Benji Madden.

Read Toby’s farewell speech:

After many, many hours of soul searching and many sleepless nights, I have decided to withdraw from the competition tonight.

I have come to a point where I have realised that at this stage I do not want a career in music and these four people do.

They each have an enthusiasm and drive that I cannot match and I must step aside so that they have the best chance to prosper as young Australian artists.

I must be real with myself and feel I can no longer continue on this adventure.

My biggest consideration when making this decision was those beautiful people who have become fans. I will miss the smiles, hellos and beautiful messages you have blessed me with.

I know that many of you have invested many hours and money on me, all I can say is I’m very sorry if I’ve let you down.

I’m sorry to my family and friends who have helped me in so many ways…you know how much…particularly my mum, dad, Locky and Cam, who have travelled from home to be here tonight.

I pray you will understand that I have to make the right decision for me and my future at this time.

I hope I have been able to bring you joy through my songs and through the person I am.

I know many of you identified with me…the school teacher who just decided to have a go…someone who acted on his passion, I hope my decision doesn’t leave you downhearted.

I have had the most amazing experience of my life, I now know who I am.

I am a teacher. I am a teacher who knows he can sing and is no longer afraid from being heard.

To my school kids, I told all of you to have a go, especially at things you are passionate about.

I am sorry if I have disappointed you.

All of Australia knows how much I care about you all, and how much I love my job.

I think it’s taken this experience to realise this.

My decision in no way reflects on Australian Idol and all the wonderful people involved on the show. You have all been incredible, thank you for all your help, encouragement and support. I feel blessed to consider you my friends.

Thank you for all the time and effort, I’ve had the time of my life. I simply know in my heart of hearts I can no longer continue.

Thank you to my fellow contestants, you have been an inspiration to me.

If it’s ok with you guys, I’d love to be up onstage, with you guys at the grand final. I can’t wait!

I’ll miss you all and pray you all continue to shine and never forget the magic of music.

Thank you.

Source: Australian Idol

Ten hopes it'll be a good year, with 'The Good Wife' and 'Junior MasterChef'.

12 months paints quite a different picture for Network Ten, who this time last year boldly cancelled ‘Big Brother’ and announced plans to replace the reality series with a local version of UK cooking format ‘MasterChef’.

Just 9 months later, ‘MasterChef Australia’ is breaking records, becoming the highest rated non-sporting program on television.

But despite the success Ten saw earlier this year, as we head into 2010 it seems that the network’s brave risk taking attitude is no more.

Ten have revealed their plans for next year, with much of the same programming we saw in 2009.

What’s new in 2010? Just 3 new US series, 2 new local mini/tele dramas and 1 new local series.

Of course theres always the possibility that Ten might add additional programs to this list, but for now, here’s what you can expect to see next year.

New Local Series

• Junior MasterChef

New Local Drama

• Hawke (Telemovie)
• Offspring (Miniseries) – Potential series

New International Series

• The Cleveland Show
• The Good Wife
• Modern Family

Sporting Events

• 2010 Commonwealth Games

Returning Local Programs

• Australian Idol (TBC – See post)
• The Biggest Loser Australia
• Bondi Rescue
• Bondi Vet
• Good News Week
• MasterChef Australia
• Neighbours
• The Recruits
• Rove (See post)
• Rush
• So You Think You Can Dance Australia
• Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation
• Ten News
• The 7PM Project

Returning International Programs

• Burn Notice
• Californication
• Dexter
• Glee
• House
• Lie to Me
• Law and Order: SVU
• Law and Order: Criminal Intent
• Medium
• Merlin
• NCIS
• NCIS: Los Angeles
• Numb3rs
• The Simpsons
• Untitled Jamie Oliver Project

The network also have announced plans to launch a third digital channel in 2010, replacing their standard definition lineup One Digital on channel 12. No details on what this new channel will offer as of yet, as the network are still assessing their options.

CarriageWorks

Move over Fox Studios Australia, the Redfern Waterloo precinct is the new home of film and television production in Sydney.

George Miller’s upcoming film ‘Mad Max 4′ will move into a new production facility next door to CarriageWorks. The creative arts centre where Network Ten films ‘So You Think You Can Dance’.

Miller’s production company, Kennedy Miller Mitchell, will convert the existing warehouse space into the new Digital Film Making Studio, with a motion capture stage, art department workshops, a visual effects studio and production offices.

ABC News was there as Miller talked about his upcoming film and the future of Australian cinema.

The former railway carriage and blacksmith workshops will house the upcoming sequel ‘Fury Road’, as well as pre-preduction on Miller’s ‘Happy Feet 2′, the sequel to smash hit animated film.

Australian Technology Park retrofitted for 'MasterChef Australia' heats.

A rendering of the Seven Network's new production offices and sound stages.

Sydney's new film and television hub (front center).

CarriageWorks is just across the train line from Australian Technology Park, which has similarly become a popular spot for film and television production.

‘Australian Idol’, ‘MasterChef Australia’ and ‘Top Gear Australia’ have all used its industrial surrounds for filming.

‘Idol’ holds its Sydney open call auditions at ATP, while ‘MasterChef’ shoots the top 100 heats inside ATP’s expansive carriage bays.

But that’s not all, the Redfern Waterloo precinct is also the future home for the Seven Network and Global Television.

Seven are in the middle of constructing 4 purpose built sound stages and a state-of-the-art broadcast facility within Technology Park’s grounds.

Shows currently filmed at Seven’s Epping studios, including ‘Home and Away’ and ‘Packed to the Rafters’, will move into the sound stages at the new facility in the near future.

Meanwhile, over at Moore Park’s Fox Studios Australia, things aren’t quite as bright.

The studio recently lost the major Hollywood feature ‘Green Lantern’, which director Martin Campbell (‘Casino Royale’) and actor Ryan Reynolds were scheduled to film in Australia. Just last week, Warner Bros. announced that the project would be shift overseas for budgetary reasons — a result of the high Australian dollar vs the weak US dollar.

Fox Studios are however preparing for production to begin on Stuart Beattie’s smaller budgeted feature ’Tomorrow When the War Began’, which stars ‘Home and Away’ actor Lincoln Lewis and former ‘Neighbours’ actress Caitlin Stasey. Production will be based at the Moore Park studios and will also shoot in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

But despite the upcoming project, it doesn’t change the fact that Fox Studios has remained vacant for over a year — following the conclusion of production on Hugh Jackman’s ‘Wolverine’.

The same can’t be said over at Redfern/Waterloo, where it seems there’s no shortage of film and television productions.

With Seven/Global opening their new facility in the near future; Miller’s ‘Mad Max 4′ and ‘Happy Feet 2′ in for the long haul; and returning series ‘Dance’ and ‘MasterChef’, it seems there really is a new film and television hub in Sydney — and it’s not likely to be slowing down any time soon.

Mika

According to TV Tonight, London-based pop singer, Mika, is set to perform on the ‘Australian Idol’ grand final on November 22.

The TV blog quotes the singer as recently posting in his Twitter feed: “Yes am doing Australian Idol soon. Lokkin forward to going back to Aus.” — though this post seems to have since been removed by the singer.

Whether this was a premature announcement or simply a case of reps trying to keep this under wraps remains to be seen.

TV Tonight also speculates that the singer will appear as a guest judge before the finale. Possibly on “Disco Night” on October 25. However, he isn’t scheduled to perform at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney until November 24th. Take this with a grain of salt.

Source: TV Tonight

The top 12 singers await the audience's decision.

The results are in for ‘Australian Idol’s’ first elimination of the season, and they aren’t anything to worth bragging about. The show only managed to pull 990,000 viewers in it’s first ‘Dancing’ free Sunday.

Instead the music comp was pitted against the return of Seven’s ‘Sunday Night’, ‘Border Security’ and ‘The Force’; Nine’s ‘Domestic Blitz’ and ‘60 Minutes’; and the ABC’s ‘Stephen Fry in America’, all of which comfortably cracked the 1 million mark.

‘Idol’, now in it’s seventh season, has struggled in the ratings in recent weeks, when the show dipped below 1,000,000 for the first time for a wildcard/performance night.

The 2009 season saw many changes for the long running format.

Very early on, ‘Idol’ lost co-host James Mathison and musical director John Foreman, both of which had been staples of the show since the series began back in 2003.

Producers also announced a major overhaul to the voting system and the performance and results shows, combining both into one “big” Sunday night event.

Add to this, the controversy surrounding shock jock Kyle Sandilands and introduction of new judge Jay Dee Springbett, audiences were bombarded with so many changes, some of which arguable not exactly for the better.

While these were all large and fairly prominent changes, which may have affected audiences numbers to a degree, the biggest problem I think, is the lack of likeable personalities and fun on the show this year.

With the exception of a few, this year’s top 12 come across as a bunch of self righteous, spotlight grabbing, prima-donnas, who, while gifted, lack this tiny little thing called modesty.

While it’s not fair to class all of them under this banner, several require an urgent reality check.

In the past, ‘Australian Idol’ winners/runner-ups have generally been the more unassuming characters, not the ones that have enormous personalities and egos to match.

Talent only takes one so far in this competition, the more important factor is like-ability, after all, that’s what makes people tune in and vote.

‘Australian Idol’ needs to take a page out of the ‘MasterChef’ book, a show which inspired and helped cultivate talent.

The ‘Idol’ Judges need to get involved! They need to teach and guide these young performers, not just sit back in their chair criticising and giving fluff pieces of advice.

Enough with the bitching, enough with the controversy, its time to deflate some egos and bring the fun back to ‘Idol’!

The top 12 singers took to the stage for the first time in a jam packed two-hour event, which saw the final 4 singers finally announced.

Joining the 8 singers announced last week in the top 12 were Toby Moulton, Hayley Warner and judges choices Casey Barnes and Tim Johnston.

Next Sunday, the finalists will go head-to-head on “rock night” with special guest mentor Suzi Quatro, but not before one of the top 12 are eliminated from the comp.

Who do you think is destined to become our next ‘Australia Idol’? My picks, either Scott Newnham or Kim Cooper.

Kate Cook

Stan Walker

Ashleigh Toole

Nathan Brake

Scott Newnham

Sabrina Batshon

James Johnston

Kim Cooper

Toby Moulton

Hayley Warner

Casey Barnes

Tim Johnston

Network Ten confirmed the UK-born Springbett as the new judge during the show’s Sunday night program.

Springbett, who’s worked as director of A&R at Sony for five years, replaces ousted judge Kyle Sandilands from Monday night’s top 24 round.

Jay Dee Springbett is the new judge on 'Australian Idol'.

Meet our new judge Jay Dee

Jay Dee Springbett is not about to let his new job go to his head. Although he’s incredibly excited about joining Australian Idol as a judge and will become a familiar face on our television screens, Jay Dee cheerfully says he’ll still have to “come home at night and change nappies.” Chatting to us from his home about his new gig, Jay Dee then pauses to ask his daughter in the background to “take that mop off your sister’s head.”

Like a certain other Australian Idol judge, moving to Australia from the UK in 2004 proved to be a good move for this experienced music industry professional. For one, Jay Dee now shares his life with his Australian partner and their two daughters, Jasmine and Marley (“after the great, late Bob”). He has also loved working in Australia as Head of A&R at Sony Music and has now been bowled over by the chance to be a judge on Australian Idol.

“I’ve always been a fan of the show and have worked quite closely with it for for years now,” says Jay Dee. “I never expected it to happen but now the opportunity is here…Take the leap and see how you fall, as my grandfather would say!”

Jay Dee says he’s still “slightly in disbelief” at his new Australian Idol role, which will see him plunged into semi-finals madness for his first week of work. A bundle of nerves, Jay Dee is currently envisioning the moment “when Andrew G asks me something and I’ll just go blank.”

“I’m sure that’ll happen,” says Jay Dee philosophically. “Once I get over my camera nerves, I’ll just perform my day job. I spend all week giving advice to artists, from ones who sell millions to those just starting out.”

Ever since Jay Dee was a six-year-old in the north of England spending his weekly £1.50 pocket money on 7-inch vinyl, music has been his passion. He moved on from touring as a drum & bass MC when he was a teenager to managing bands in London in his early 20s. Jay Dee teamed up with the management heavyweight Jonathan Shalit and went on to work with huge UK acts like Big Brovaz, Artful Dodger and Jamelia. This is one music industry dynamo who knows his stuff and won’t hold back from telling the Idol hopefuls what they need to know.

As to what we can expect from his judging style, Jay Dee says, “I’m just going to me and be honest. There’s no point in being unnecessarily cruel because it doesn’t achieve anything but there’s no point sugar coating something either.” At this point Jay Dee gets a second opinion from a trusted source, “I’m not nasty all the time – Daddy’s nice, aren’t I, Jasmine?”

Source: australianidol.com.au

Lisa Mitchell's debut album "Wonder" is out now.

Lisa Mitchell’s debut album “Wonder” hit iTunes on Friday, rocketing to the top albums spot over the weekend.

Songs from the ‘Australian Idol’ finalist have been featured on television numerous times, including commercials for ‘Home and Away’ and in an episode of ‘Packed to the Rafters’.

The track listings for “Wonder’ are as follows:

Disc 1

• Oh What A Beautiful Morning
• Neopolitan Dreams
• So Jealous
• Coin Laundry
• Clean White Love
• Pirouette
• Love Letter
• Oh Hark
• Red Wine Lips
• Sidekick
• Stevie
• Animals
• Valium
• Heroine (Australian Edition)
• Time Means Nothing at All (Austalian Edition)

Get the album on iTunes.

Disc 2 (Deluxe Edition)

• Remind Me [Demo]
• Oh Nostalgia [Demo]
• Sun Sun Sun [Acoustic Demo]
• Oh Hark [acoustic Demo] [edit]

Get the deluxe edition with bonus tracks on iTunes.

Watch the video clip for Mitchell’s latest single “Coin Laundry” here.

Source: Warner Music

Judgement day: Kyle Sandilands out.

Network Ten today announced that controversial radio and television personality Kyle Sandilands has been fired as judge on ‘Australian Idol’.

Senior executives from network spent the weekend deliberating, following mounting pressure from sponsors, viewers and listeners from Kyle and Jackie O’s recent radio stunt.

During the networks five o’clock news bulletin, Ten’s chief programming officer David Mott said the network had no option but  to let Sandilands go.

“Obviously culminating with the events of last week, we have made the decision that Kyle will no longer be a judge on Australian Idol”, he said.

Adding, “Australian Idol is very much a family program and it’s appeal is very much right across the board. We like to think that all families can enjoy the program in front of the TV.”

Sandilands will still appear in the music comps first three audition/top 100 episodes, as they were filmed several months ago.

Discussions for a full time replacement will take place over the coming weeks, with a string of guest judges expected to fill in until a replacement is found.

Both Sandilands and Jackie O have also been pulled from their breakfast radio spot indefinitely, pending a decision from radio broadcaster Austereo over the embattled radio hosts future.

‘Australian Idol’ returns for it’s seventh season 6.30pm Sunday on Network Ten.

Ten Announcement On Kyle Sandilands and Australian Idol

Monday, 3 August 2009

After significant discussions and consideration over recent days, Network Ten today announced Kyle Sandilands will no longer be a judge on Australian Idol as it heads into season 7, this Sunday, 9 August.

We thank Kyle for his contribution to Australian Idol over the last four years but it has become increasingly clear that as Idol has remained a family focused show, even more so this year with the 6.30pm Sunday time slot, his radio persona has taken on a more controversial position over this period which is not in the interest of the show.

Australian Idol is firmly a family program and the recent controversy surrounding Kyle’s radio program (The Kyle and Jackie O show) has highlighted more than ever the conflicting attitude of the two careers.

This season of Australian Idol will again showcase some of the country’s best singing talent as their aspirations to establish a successful singing career unfold on national television. This season’s crop of hopefuls, are again a diverse, talented and passionate group of artists.

Kyle will continue to be seen in the first three audition/Top 100 episodes of Australian Idol, as they were filmed some time ago.

Discussions regarding a fresh replacement will continue over the coming weeks and a new face will take up the third seat on the judging panel alongside Marcia Hines and Ian “Dicko” Dickson from the live performance shows, which commence August 24.

Australian Idol producers, FremantleMedia Australia are supportive of the decision made.

Source: Network Ten

The new season of 'Australian Idol' returns Sunday, August 9th on Ten.

The new season of ‘Australian Idol’ premieres on Network Ten at the earlier time of 6:30pm Sundays from August 9th.

The hit reality series, now in its seventh year, will return with a 130 minute audition special.  This year Network Ten have removed the Monday night elimination show to compress the performance and result all in the single weekly show.

In a new twist, it is understood the show will start with the elimination each week. This new move places ‘Idol’ directly against Seven’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ on Sunday nights.

Inspired by music legends. Idol' lookalikes Kim Cooper, Danny Raso and Lauren Street.

Ten are usually the frontrunners when it comes to well made, slick and attention grabbing promo campaigns.

Not surprisingly, their newly released ‘Australian Idol’ campaign is no exception. The inspiration is clearly ‘Music Legends’, featuring members of the top 100 dressed as “lookalikes”.

The Daily Telegraph broke the story and had this to say, alonside some juicy hints of what may come this season from judge, Ian “Dicko” Dickson.

It’s beginning to lookalike Idol

From: dailytelegraph.com.au
By Richard Clune

July 12, 2009 12:00am

NO, it’s not a dodgy cruise ship poster, but an exclusive first look at this year’s Australian Idol contestants.

Insider can unveil this season’s glossy new promo for the singing contest, featuring a selection of the top 100 as their musical idols.

Ten has become synonymous for building pre-show hype through its promos (think Dance and MasterChef) with this year’s Idol number no exception.

Belting out a personal take on Mariah Carey’s Emotions, there’s a few early standouts in the ad, including Lauren Street as Madonna and Kim Cooper as Christina Aguilera. There is also a timely appearance from Daniel Raso as Michael Jackson, pictured above.

Ahead of the program’s return early next month, acerbic judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson stated his happiness with the promo and this year’s contestants.

“It’s glossy and aspirational and really shows the ambitions of these guys and girls and their dream of where they want to be one day,” Dickson said.

This year both elements of Australian Idol (performance and elimination) will be packed into a bumper Sunday night program. Host James Mathison has also gone, leaving Andrew G to fly solo.

“There’ll be a few surprise judges this year,” Dicko revealed. “There’s talk that Liza Minnelli might be joining us, how good would that be?”

Indeed.

It’s using some new shapes and colours than we’ve seen so far with this year’s general Network Ten promo template and the song sounds pretty good.

I recognise ‘Lauren Street’ as a semi-finalist returnee from I believe the 2006 season, and the Prince “lookalike” reminds me a lot of ‘Husny’ from 2007’s semis. Could It Be? Wonder if any more familiar faces will pop up this season.

'Idol' musical director John Foreman.

John Foreman, musical director of ‘Australian Idol’, confirmed on Friday that he has finished up on the hit Network Ten series after six years.

His departure from the series follows co-host James Mathison, who also announced his departure from the show late last year.

Foreman said leaving the show was a long and hard decision, but in the end he thought the time was right, having already served with Network Ten for 16 years.

“There was a lot of pacing up and down and sleepless nights thinking about it.

“But the role of musical director takes over your life.

“I got to the point where I thought, ‘I think I’ve done all I can for that show’.”

One of Foreman’s proudest moments on the show was introducing an orchestra, something which has gone on to be copied in local versions around the work.

“It was in Australia that we first put an orchestra on stage on Idol – For me that was a big turning point,” he said.

Before ‘Idol’, Foreman worked with Bert Newton for years on ‘Good Morning Australia’. He also hosted two series of late-night show ‘The Big Night in With John Foreman’.

When ‘Idol’ returns later this year we’ll see Andrew G will host the show solo, a change in episode format and a number of guest judges including Delta Goodrem.

Source: Herald Sun

2006 ‘Australian Idol’ winner Damien Leith is back in the studio working on his new album, set to be released later this year through Sony Music.

The Irish-born singer/songwriter has started a behind-the-scenes video blog on his MySpace page to track the progress of his forthcoming album. Check it out below.

For future video blogs from the studio, visit Damien’s MySpace page.

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of “Nip/Tuck,” comes ‘Glee’, a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher as he tries to transform the school’s Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of them all: Nationals.

The series will most likely make its local debut on Network Ten as part of their output deal Twentieth Century Fox Television who co-produce the series; and with a core focus of music, I can see the series being a strong companion to ‘Australian Idol’, which will return in a rejuvenated format later this year.

A super advanced preview of ‘Glee’ airs tonight in the States (Monday, May 19) on FOX, following ‘American Idol’. It’ll be available as a free download on the U.S. iTunes store tomorrow (May 20).

The series officially begins in September on FOX. Hopefully we’ll see the show make an appearance locally on Network Ten later this year.

“The Way the World Looks” definitely seems like an apt title for Mr. Carr’s debut album as our ‘Australian Idol’; with his career and fame skyrocketing higher and higher each day, life must seem like quite a blessing though this muso’s eyes.

From the first beat, you know the kind of album you’re in for.

It kicks off with a bang with “Any Other Way”, which features the same bouncy British sensibilities of  The Fratellis.

Wes’ catchy no. 2 single “Feels Like Woah” (which is now the 2009 NRL anthem) bridges us to the fist pumping ”Fearless”, which feels like a promo track for Network Ten’s ‘The Biggest Loser’. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw commercials for the next season running with this track.

Other notable tracks from the album are “When We Were Kings”, a strong anthemic rock tune which progressively builds to a grand chorus, and the similarly bold ”Stay Awake”, which is reminiscent of Gavin Degraw’s 2003-04 hit single ”I Don’t Want To Be” (which went on to become the ‘One Tree Hill’ theme song).

The tone shifts for “Hurricanes”, which feels like a Jack Johnson inspired reggae tune. Wes’ states on his website that he wrote the song while trying to escape a hurricane in Fiji at the beginning of the year.

We’re treated to equally different tones in the softer, Aqualung-esque, piano driven ”Light Years”, the chilled out “Love Is an Animal” and the musing tracks “East Coast” and “The Way the World Looks”.

It’s hard to pick key highlights from the album, with all the tracks bringing something new and unique to the ears. I gather it’ll be a difficult decision to choose the next single from the album, as it’s filled with a plethora of iconic and addictive tracks.

It’s definitely one of the most well rounded debut albums we’ve seen from an ‘Idol’ winner so far, but perhaps that’s more due to the fact that Mr. Carr was already such a well defined artist before landing on ‘Idol’.

From Wes’ humble beginnings at the Robin Hood Hotel in Waverley, to centre stage at the Sydney Opera House forecourt last September; it must’ve been quite an adventure for the Bondi local and “The Way the World Looks” is a testament to his achievements.

The future only looks bright for this accomplished artist.

“The Way the World Looks” is available in stores now and online from iTunes.

Jessica Mauboy's debut album 'Been Waiting' will go international this year, with releases planned for Japan and the UK.

She’s come a long way since ‘Idol’, and this year Jessica Mauboy is set to go even further.

Mauboy’s debut album ‘Been Waiting’ will go international, with releases planned for Japan and the UK.

In the mobile phone centric Japan, Jessica’s first Australian single, ‘Running Back’ has already been a no. 2 ringtone on Japan’s biggest ringtone provider ‘Rekochoku’. The album is scheduled for release in Japan on April 22nd.

The album will be released in the UK later this year under the Ministry of Sound label, with the first UK single planned, ‘Burn’, which reached no. 1 on the ARIA Top 50 singles chart.

Jessica’s current single ‘Been Waiting’ is currently at no. 2 on the Australian singles chart. The music video can be seen below.

Jessica’s album ‘Been Waiting’ and singles are available from iTunes.

Also, on Friday night, Jessica took home the ‘Best Aussie’ award at this year’s Vodafone MTV Australia Awards, held in Sydney.

Not bad for a young girl we first saw auditioning for ‘Idol’ in Alice Springs way back in 2006.

The Daily Telegraph is today reporting that James Mathison has left ‘Australian Idol’, after six years as co-host on the Network Ten series.

The 31-year-old hopes to pursue his own music interests as the guitarist for his band, The Punisherz.

“There is a part of me who has a little bit struggled with being ‘that guy from that thing’ and taking a step back totally allows you to do what you want to do without that scrutiny,” he said.

” [Music] is my main interest at the moment.”

“That is why I did the audition all those years ago and when I had a break after Idol last year I just had a real pull towards that initial love of working in music and interviewing bands, doing reviews. I love that stuff,” he said.

“For six years ‘Idol’ has been my life.

“You really don’t have time to do anything else. I might not have been the greatest friend to people because I had no time, so it would be cool to change that.”

One of the first people Mathison told of his departure was Andrew G, who he has worked closely with for over nine years.

“I had to follow my gut and I wanted new challenges,” he says.

The presenter also had to convince Network Ten, that he wasn’t planning to jump ship and sign with a rival network.

“I am not going to be on TV for a while now, not ‘Dancing With The Stars’ or anything like that. I just want to explore other music opportunities while I am here in New York and at home.”

Well, all I can say is, look forward to lots of boring awkward moments from Andrew G on ‘Idol’ this year, when it returns later in 2009.

Wes Carr's new album 'The Way the World Looks'.

Wes’ new album is available from iTunes with an exclusive bonus track. Get it online today.

01. Any Other Way
02. Feels Like Woah
03. Fearless
04. When We Were Kings
05. Hurricanes
06. Love Is An Animal
07. Light Years
08. East Coast
09. Stay Awake
10. You
11. The Way The World Looks
12. It Don’t Matter (Bonus Track)

© All tracks (P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd. except Track 10 (P) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd.

Wes Carr's new single 'Feels Like Woah' is now available on iTunes.

Following on from his platinum selling #1 single ‘You’, Australian Idol winner, Wes Carr is set to convert listeners and make new fans with his new single ‘Feels Like Woah’ (co-written by Wes, T Jay and Adam Argyle, who also wrote ‘You’).

Wes (on the songs title) explains that ‘Feels Like Woah’ is the phrase that you use when you’re looking for a way to describe the indescribable – that attempt to fill the void.

“The song stands for a feeling of hope,” explains Wes. “I really wanted the song to be a feel-good song that evokes a sense of hope & joy, and for it to be that song that makes you stop for 5 minutes and take in the moment.”

Since Idol wrapped up last year, Wes has been hard at work in the studio, putting the finishing touches on his his upcoming studio album, ‘The Way The World Looks’ due for release on March 20, 2009.

The album was produced by T.Jay for Rokstylerz Productions UK and mixed by Brian Paturalski. It will feature 12 songs, 8 that Wes has co-written with T Jay and Adam Argyle, and 3 of his own compositions.

Source: Bandit.fm

‘Feels Like Woah’is now available digitally from  and will be in stores from March 6.

‘The Way The World Looks’ will be available from March 20, 2009.

Wes Carr has won the sixth series of Australian Idol, with no voting results revealed no one knows if it was a clear result, Wes sang his winning single You to over 6000 people in a first outside finale for Idol. 

On behalf of TVAUSCAST, I would like to congratulate Wes Carr on winning Australian Idol 2008. You were the best of them all and deserved the victory over anyone else. Congratualtions and I hope it all goes great for your future career.

Wes Carr’s debut single “You”,  will be in stores from December 3, and online tomorrow.

Tonight the finale of Australian Idol 2008 will conclude and we will have our next winner, for the first time since series 1 there are two males in the final, a final which looks to be a very interesting one.

Wes Carr and Luke Dickens will find that the red carpet has been put away and this year they will have to be content with playing the Opera House forecourt rather than inside. Channel Ten said the changes had been made to provide a better show for the public – with an expected 7000 to watch the live final at the forecourt.

Sydney finalist Carr said the show had already led him in the right direction. And it is a long way from where he was when the 2007 Australian Idol was dominating the screen. ”I was working at the bar at Bronte’s Robin Hood Hotel,” Carr said.

He’ll be singing his own tune at the finale. In a change for the show the formula of one song for both finalists to sing in their own style has been abandoned.

Instead an individual song has been picked for each contestant. For Carr, that is You – a bluesy tune with a pop sensibility. ”I liked it the moment I heard it,” he said.

So tonight you decide who you want to be the next Australian Idol, Wes or Luke…you decide, lets just hope tonight the right decision is made, we all know who is the better out of the two, so lets do the right thing.

Source: news.com.au

Welcome to Australia, home of convicts, criminals and pirates. In honour of the release of Australia’s largest and most expensive film ever, go download this episode and spread the pirate cheer by sharing it on bittorrent. But only if you’re on iiNet, okay?

The fast-tracked grand final of Australian Idol is just over a week away.

In an odd scheduling change this year, Network Ten have pushed forward the grand final of their reality comp in what appears a last minute ratings grab.

Instead of seeing the final-three compete for the usual semi-final sing off two weeks before the grand final. This year Idol will see the final-three whittled down to the final-two over night, with the grand final just a week later so that it falls within the official ratings period (which ends Saturday, November 29th).

Perhaps the programmer over at Ten that original scheduled Idol this season should revise their maths skills. I can’t imagine they actually planned to have this last minute programming hiccup…can you?

Network Ten should probably be put to shame, not just because they’re planning to run a Hilary Duff flick for their Saturday night movie, but because they’re actually spending valuable advertising dollars promoting it.

Why anyone actually needs to know this is on is anyones guess. But what we do know is that Ten should seriously be spending their advertising budget more wisely to promote their other shows such as Australian Idol…etc.

Now unless this show rates like crazy, by all means I will take this back. However the odds of that happening are probably 100000000000000000000 to 1.

“The Perfect Man” will air 6:30pm Saturday night on Ten. Damn! I Just gave Hilary Duff free advertising…

It’s only been a few days since the announcement, but already we’re starting to see the fallout from Network Ten’s new 24/7 sports channel, One HD, which will arrive early second quarter next year.

The biggest question being asked is, what will happen to all my Ten HD shows? You know, the shows that were shafted from their original home on the standard Network Ten channel.

Well, with One HD taking over, it appears as though all those Ten HD shows will once again disappear into the television void. Just when we thought “Hurray to Ten for showing entire seasons of Battlestar Galactica and Friday Night Lights“, they’re taken from us once again and we’re left thinking, “Sport? Who the frack needs that in HD anyway?”

We’re also left wondering, if One HD will be a 24/7 sports channel, what happens to all of Network Ten’s regular shows like Neighbours, Rush and Australian Idol which are all produced in high definition? The networks view seems to be “Dude, SD digital television is awesome – it like totally looks better than analogue, so quit your bitching’ yo!”

Now, while they may not have been so colloquial on their position, they haven’t seemed to have provided any solution at all for those people out there with 42-inch 1080p plasma screens who actually watch Neighbours (I know, there’s like five of them out there at the moment, but still).

The more serious question at the moment seems to be, and bear in mind if your not technically sound, this may bore you to pieces. How will Network Ten broadcast one HD channel and 2 SD channels over a 23mbps signal without reduced image degradation?

As it stands Network Ten current broadcast one HD channel and one SD channel. With the addition of an extra SD channel, the bandwidth for both the existing HD and SD channels will have to be reduced. In other words, the image quality on the current HD and SD channels will be reduced so that the extra SD channel will have reasonable image quality.

Our current digital television quality is already questionable (especially in high motion scenes), reducing it even future would be like going back to analogue. I exaggerate of course, but just exactly how many channels will our television signals be able to support without the picture looking like it’s made of lego?

One solution someone on the Ten.com.au forums pointed out was that they could end up broadcasting the HD channel in 720p rather than higher 1080i format like the existing channel, which would free up quite a bit of bandwidth. But with ‘HD’ in the name of the new channel, it’d seem odd to only broadcast in 1080i’s smaller, less developed HD cousin 720p.

I think Neo Kitten over at the DTV Forum has summed things up quite well, if you don’t have Ten HD you probably wont get it, but for those who do:

I can see clearly now my show has gone
The networks put all these obstacles in my way
I can see more money spent on broadband plans
It’s gonna be a big
Downloady day
Yeah it’s gonna be a big (big! big!)
Downloady day

It seems people want to embrace the new channel, but not at the expense of their current Ten HD programmes or reduce image quality, and until we receive some kind of clarification from the network, we’re all going to be left in a frenzy of confusion and frustration.

Episode 15 brings us up to date with all the latest tv news, gossip and programming developments. We discuss the 90210 full season pick up, The Emmys, Prison Break series finale, NBC’s Kath & Kim, Australian Idol top 10, who is Kyle XY?, AFL Grand Finale coverage, television show recaps and a sort of new segment ‘Most Underrated Show of the Week’.

Well Australian Idol has now knocked out 2 of the top 12, so we decided it was time for a short run down of the contestants still in with the chance to win some Australian Idol glory.

Wes Carr

Born in South Australia, now living in Bondi, NSW, Wes Carr, 26, is a seasoned musician amongst bars and clubs.  Wes can sing, play the piano and the guitar, he is a strong contender to take out Idols 6th season with betting odds currently sitting at $3.

Chrislyn Hamilton

Chrislyn is 17, from Scarborough, Queensland, she is this years Aussie Idol big girl with a big voice.  She has a lot of heart and soul.  Her confidence is high and she could very well go all the way.  Chrislyn is paying $7.

Mark Spano

Mark, 26 from Brighton, Victoria, is this years rock performer.  His strong vocal abilities and vocal experience mean he has a real chance for Idol glory this year.  Mark is paying $5.

Tom Williams

Adelaide’s only contestant, Tom is a teeny bopper fav, at only 16 he is the youngest male contestant of the bunch.  His vocal abilities aren’t the strongest but his good boy looks make up for it.  Tom is paying $16.

Thanh Bui

Thanh is 25 from Abbotsford, Victoria, he wears his heart on his sleeve.  He tries to sing with a lot of emotion but can often be pigeon holed as a boy band type singer.  If Thanh is to make it he needs to continue to put his soul into his performences.  Thanh is paying $21.

Teale Jakubenko

Teale is 22, from Yatala, Queensland, he was the publics choice on a very strong night during the semi finals.  however his vocal talent isn’t quite as strong as some of the other contestants.  Teale is paying $15.

Madam Park

Madam is 23 from Beverly Hills, NSW.  She is one of two Australian Idol diva performers.  She is certainly an awesome vocalist however does not quite have the confidence yet of a true diva.  If she improves her confidence she certainly is a real chance.  Madam is paying $6.50.

Roshani Priddis

Roshani 21 from Ashfield, NSW, previously from Sri Lanka she was adopted at 6 weeks old from an Australian family.  She is the other Australian Idol diva performer this year, with a fantastic vocal ability and a strong stage presence.  Roshani is paying $9.

Luke Dickens

Luke 25, from Young, NSW is a real Aussie bloke.  He is a sheep shearer but always had a love of singing and even managed to teach himself the guitar.  He was one of the judges picks this year as they thought he had something that the public may warm to.  His husky tones could be described to be similar to Jimmy Barnes.  Luke is paying $17.

Sophie Patterson

Sophie 23, from London, United Kingdom, originally from Victoria is the last one left from the London auditions held for the first time this year.  She loves to sing jazz music with her strong voice however the public hasn’t quite warmed to her yet being in the bottom three on both of the top 12 occasions.  Sophie is paying $26.

So that sums up this years contestants.  The group this year seems to be quite diverse but the jury is still out on whether Idol will lead them to much success.  Having said that, this is their chance to shine.

We’re back again with another great episode of TVAUSCAST. This week we discuss the new 90210, Privileged, Fringe, Packed to the Rafters, The Strip, Rush, Taken Out, Australian Idol, Make Me A Supermodel and more. We also go into a long winded discussion on tech and other forum topics. We wrap up with some self congratulatory praise.

The new 90210 debuted on Ten last night, but even with the heavy promotion and fast-tracking, it just didn’t seem to go down well for the viewers. Despite the strong lead in it had with Australian Idol, it just could not keep up with the competition and dropped below 900K for the first hour, the following hour dropped again below 700K, ranking in at 21st place for the night.

Despite the successful premiere in the US, it just didn’t seem to go well down here. Although there was some competition and the fact that it did win the demographic for the night it still didn’t get ratings that were expected. How long will it last on TEN? Who knows. My guess is for the whole series as Ten really have nothing else.

90120 airs 8:30pm Mondays on Network Ten, after Australian Idol.