As we near the very last legs of twenty-fourteen, most music fans (including myself) are pondering what albums, songs and moments truly shaped the year that (is very nearly almost) was. But in true Quarter 4 fashion, there are still a handful of albums to come that could change all of our final lists. In what is almost always the best time of the year when it comes to music releases, lets take a peek at what’s still to come.
Los Angeles is brimming with freedom and creativity, so much so that it was inevitable for these four artistic souls to have teamed up on a collaborative affair. Purple Crush, legendary producer Josh Peace and world renowned drag queen Raja Gemini worked for six months, on-and-off, on the production of ‘Shock and Awe’, a truly hypnotic and Yoko Ono-inspired slab of dance music that has already shoehorned itself as one of the best releases of the year.
Tina Arena has always been one of my all-time favourite artists. Over the last 30 years she’s soundtracked a number of important hallmark moments with her music. Too young to have been won over by her on Young Talent Time, my first exposure to Tina was through the release of her second single in 1990, the iconic ‘I Need Your Body’, whose video clip saw Arena dancing about what looked like Melbourne’s The Forum, almost bursting out of her tightly-fitted and booberiffic ensemble.
After what could only be described as the most turbulent twelve months of her career, Lady Gaga finally sounds at peace with life on her meticulously crafted duets album with Grandfather Bling himself, Tony Bennett.
We were going to put together a complete ‘What You Need to Know’ guide for Madonna’s upcoming fourteenth studio album release this fortnight, but have decided against it … at least for now. Whilst we are now being told not to expect the album until 2015, some believe Madge is going to ‘Beyoncé’ the record over the next month and surprise us with her latest collection of jams.
In the very early stages of 2008, I received an email from a music promotion firm asking me if I was interested in an interview with an upcoming artist named Lady Gaga. I agreed, having heard some of the tracks from her then unreleased debut album on a few music blogs across the web. I was certainly interested in her, and the interview marked Gaga’s first-ever Australian press commitment; long before the release of her life-altering debut single ‘Just Dance’.
Aussie-bred Flight Facilities have been knocking about on an underground/commercial cusp since their debut in 2009. As a way of celebrating the past five years of exceptional releases, here is the Splinters Beginner’s Guide to the phenomenal Flight Facilities.
“I’m so glad you came tonight Adem!” How on earth do you react when your favourite Aussie pop star thanks you for coming to their show? In an eight year obsession that is fast approaching ten, Sneaky Sound System’s Miss Connie has not only proven to be the most genuine, honest, loving and caring pop star I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know, she also fronts the greatest Australian club/pop group this current generation are likely to ever see.
The global eruption of Australian-bred pop-rock outfit 5 Seconds of Summer has been a long time coming. Splinters was first introduced to the compelling four-piece at the beginning of 2013 as they supported boyband One Direction during their UK tour. What was most interesting about this gig was that the Aussie quartet proved to deliver so much quality entertainment that they virtually eclipsed One Direction’s own show with their bravado, talent and charm.
Love, loss, anger and betrayal are just some of the harrowing, movie-ready topics underneath the folds of Lana Del Rey’s return to music in 2014. Having only been on the market for a few weeks now, Ultraviolence has already topped the charts across the globe, debuting at Number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart upon its release and sweeping the US by storm.