Category: News

Soundgarden’s ‘Superunknown’ song ‘4th of July’ was inspired by an acid trip Chris Cornell had on a Native American reservation.

Silverstone has revealed that Pete Tong, the renowned British DJ, producer, and broadcaster, will make history by becoming the first DJ to perform on the grid at the British Grand Prix. This groundbreaking set will take place before the race on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Additionally, Tong will perform on the main stage on Saturday …

Pete Tong to DJ at Silverstone Grid for 2024 British Grand Prix

Flavor Flav shared the stage with ‘Do The Right Thing’ director Spike Lee at the 35-year-anniversary celebration of the film in New York City.

Post Content

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has published its annual Infinite Dial report, assessing trends in Australian radio consumption – and how it compares to music consumption through other formats – over the past year.

Findings from the study, conducted by Edison Research, show that Australia’s commercial radio market is stronger than some pundits have reported in recent times – according to the data, radio reaches 81 percent of the country’s population (some 21 million people), an incredible 27 percent more than radio in the US. Altogether, it’s said that five times more Australians listen to the radio than ad-supported Spotify.

Bucking the idea that young people no longer care about the radio, the study showed that radio reached 82 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds over the last week. 25-to-54-year-olds fared slightly better with 84 percent tuning in, while the figure slumps down to 79 percent for those aged 55 and up.

Furthermore, 25-to-54-year-olds are listening to more radio online, increasing their streaming efforts by 100 percent over the past three years. Podcasts are also doing incredibly well, with listenership increasing by 20 percent over the past two years; as it stands, podcasts are streamed in Australia more than anywhere else in the world. It helps that smart speaker ownership has doubled since 2020, now matching the US.

Most Australians’ commutes are also soundtracked by the radio, with 76 percent of people more likely to tune in to a live broadcast over other sources of music. Radio consumption via streaming in cars has also risen by 75 percent in the last two years. For comparison, it’s reported that 50 percent of drivers listen to music through streaming services, and 30 percent still listen to CDs.

Speaking on the 2024 Infinite Dial report – which you can read in full here – Jo Dick, CRA’s chief commercial officer, said the findings represent “significant engagement across all demographics, proving Australia is a world-leader for radio listening”. She added: “The results show Australian radio continues to go from strength to strength, delivering content to audiences whenever and wherever they choose to listen.

“Radio continues to be a popular and important part of people’s everyday lives, but the findings are also timely reminder of why we need to work with both government and industry to ensure that radio remains easily and reliably accessible in connected cars and on smart speakers.”

The sentiment was echoed by Edison Research president Larry Rosin, who said in his own statement: “The Infinite Dial 2024 Australia study demonstrates the strong global position of the Australian audio industry, with robust engagement across different platforms, including traditional AM/FM/DAB+ radio, online radio, and podcasts. These findings underscore the industry’s ability to adapt and innovate, providing diverse and compelling audio content for listeners.”

Meanwhile, last month saw the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) release its Radio Fair Play report, laying out significant benefits the Australian music industry could see if the government removed caps on the royalty amounts commercial radio companies have to pay to license the music they air.

Post Content

Barry Keoghan unknowingly posted the names of two Sabrina Carpenter tracks on Twitter 10 years before they were written.

READ MORE: Why is Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ taking over Spotify algorithms?

Eagle-eyed Keoghan fans went down the rabbit hole that is the actor’s social media accounts, and have discovered tweets referencing a couple of words and phrases that would eventually turn into some of Carpenter’s – the two of whom are now dating – biggest hits.

On November 10, 2014, the actor posted on Twitter (now known as X): “This time last year I told you that I would be an Espresso Addict.” Fast forward nearly a decade, and Carpenter would release ‘Espresso’ in April 2024, which would go on to become a global hit.

this time last year I told you I would that I would be an Espresso Addict.Show Martin @DavidMillarFilm @sbaigcasting pic.twitter.com/ZaMdzIL9lo

— Barry Keoghan (@BarryKeoghan) November 10, 2014

In July 2013, Barry tweeted: “Can someone Please please please lend me The Sporanos…”. On June 7 2024, Carpenter released the follow-up hit ‘Please Please Please’, which came with an accompanying video that starred Keoghan.

Can someone Please please Please lend me The Sopranos..

— Barry Keoghan (@BarryKeoghan) July 16, 2013

Carpenter is set to release her sixth album ‘Short N Sweet’ on August 23 via Island Records.

In other Sabrina Carpenter news, the ‘Espresso’ singer last month (June 20) announced details of the North American ‘The Short N’ Sweet Tour’, which is set to kick off later this year.

It’ll kick off at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on September 23. From there, she will make stops in major cities such as Toronto, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Orlando, Austin, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and more. Visit here for remaining tickets.

She also recently spoke about giving ‘Nonsense’ a special Saltburn-themed outro at Coachella, and revealed that she hadn’t given Keoghan a heads up. It is now common for her to freestyle cheeky lyrics in its outro while on stage, and during the festival set she sang: “Made his knees so weak, he had to spread mine / He’s drinking my bath water like it’s red wine / Coachella, see you back here when I headline”.

The post Barry Keoghan posted Sabrina Carpenter song references on Twitter a decade ago appeared first on NME.

Days after Ability Fest was confirmed to return for 2024 – and make its grand debut in Brisbane (Meanjin) – the event’s team have swung through with its enormous lineup, boasting the likes of Cub Sport, King Stingray, Middle Kids and ONEFOUR.

The impressively eclectic bill sports a total of 28 acts, however each edition will feature a few of their own exclusive performances: ONEFOUR, for example, will only play at the Melbourne (Naarm) date – which is set to go down on Saturday October 19 at Alexandra Gardens – while Middle Kids will only play at the Brisbane date (slated to go down a week later, on Saturday October 26, at Victoria Park).

Also exclusive to Melbourne’s show will be Floodlights, Crybaby, DAWS, Kuzco, NayNay and Wax’o Paradiso. And for those heading to the Brisbane gig, you’ll catch exclusive sets from Eves Karydas, Cheq, Mikalah Watego, Moss, Neesha Alexander and Xeimma.

As for all the other acts playing both dates, highlights include Asha Jefferies, Bag Raiders, Eliza Hull, jamesjamesjames, Kita Alexander and Ocean Alley – not to mention a special appearance from US stalwart brenn! in his Australian debut. There’s also a few brilliant up-and-comers rounding out the bill: Boone, Dewbs, Jordan Brando, Jordz, and of course the as-yet-unannounced triple j Unearthed pick.

Tickets for Ability Fest 2024 go on sale at 12pm next Thursday (July 11), following a presale that kicks off at the same time a day earlier (July 10) – head here to sign up for the presale, or bookmark this link for the general sale.

As always, this year’s Ability Fest will be held as a non-profit endeavour, with all proceeds going directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation “to help empower young people with disability to achieve their ambitions”. Alcott himself developed the original concept of Ability Fest, launching the first edition in 2018.

In a press release, Alcott said of the festival’s return: “First and foremost, Ability Fest is a ripper festival at its core, but with the added plus that it can bring people of all abilities together. We’ll have a completely accessible venue with elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones and sensory areas, ensuring that everyone has the ability to have an unreal day.”

The sentiment was shared by Steve Dimopolous (the Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events), who said in his own statement: “Ability Fest’s dedication to making events more accessible and diverse creates a positive impact on both our local community and tourism sector, showcasing that Melbourne continues to be the vibrant and inclusive city we call home.”

Likewise, Queensland’s Minister for Tourism and Sport, Michael Healy, said of the festival’s debut up north: “With around 5,000 people expected to attend Ability Fest in October, this is a great opportunity to witness world-class musical performances in a completely inclusive and fully accessible environment.”

Embedded Content

ABILITY FEST 2024 FULL LINEUP (A-Z)

Asha Jefferies
Bag Raiders
Boone
brenn!
Cheq^
Crybaby*
Cub Sport
DAWS*
Dewbs
Eliza Hull
Eves Karydas^
Floodlights*
jamesjamesjames
Jordan Brando
Jordz
King Stingray
Kita Alexander
Kuzco*
Middle Kids^
Mikalah Watego^
Moss^
NayNay*
Neesha Alexander^
Ocean Alley
ONEFOUR*
Wax’o Paradiso*
Xeimma^

* Melbourne only // ^ Brisbane only

Saturday October 19 – Naarm/Melbourne, Alexandra Gardens
Saturday October 26 – Meanjin/Brisbane, Victoria Park

Tickets: abilityfest.com.au

Now that the NBA season is over, SHAQ, aka DIESEL, will make his way to Las Vegas, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Orlando, and more with plenty of bass.

The post DIESEL Announces SHAQ’s Summer Of Bass Tour appeared first on EDM Identity.