SydneyUnleashed.com

LATEST NEWS...EMINEM, PEAS BEST OF DECADE: Eminem has confirmed his status as one of the most successful acts of the past decade with his latest album 'Relapse' debuting at #1 on the ARIA Album Chart after only five days of sales. The rapper made a welcome return back to the top of the charts with his first studio album in five years which beat out heavyweight competition from Green Day whose much anticipated '21st Century Breakdown' album got nudged to #2. This is now Eminem's fifth Australian #1 - the only other act to achieve five number one albums this decade is U2. On the singles front, Eminem also scored his sixth #1 with 'We Made You' and has now achieved more #1 singles than any other male artist in the 26-year history of the ARIA charts. Meanwhile, The Black Eyed Peas' 'Boom Boom Pow' has given the group their fifth ARIA #1 single. It places them fifth on the list of groups who've amassed multiple number one singles behind legendary acts The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and ABBA while they also head the list this decade….ARIA #1 CHART AWARDS: Speaking of #1s, ARIA last month recognised local artists to hit the top spot at the ARIA #1 Chart Awards. Held at Doltone House in Sydney on May 13th, eleven of Australia's premiere artists were rewarded in front of the Australian music community for achieving #1 success on the singles, albums or music DVD charts over the past year. Award recipients included Gabriella Cilmi, Cut Copy, The Presets, Pete Murray, AC/DC, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, while award recipients that performed acoustic sets on the day included Wes Carr, Jessica Mauboy, Gyroscope, and Sneaky Sound System. Congratulations to all the winners….HOTTEST 100 OF ALL TIME: The world's biggest music democracy - that is, triple j's Hottest 100 - is turning 20 this year. To mark this special occasion, triple j are asking listeners to name their hottest songs of all time. While it was standard for entries in the old days to come written on the back of coasters, down the side of a spliff, or on the back of carrier pigeons, things are a lot simpler in 2009. Just head on over to www.triplej.net.au/hottest100 to pick your favourite ten tracks of all time. Will it be Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' which topped the poll way back in 1989? All will be revealed when the countdown launches on 7th July and concludes on Sunday 12th July for the big finale….UNCHARTED TOP 10: The Top 10 semi-finalists for the Tooheys Extra Dry uncharTED competition have just been announced. The competition showcases some of the country's emerging talent as voted by the public as well as an industry media panel. The Top six artists as voted by the public were Sydney bands Bridgemary Kiss, The Falls, OnlyTheSeaSlugs and The Deer Republic, Melbournites Foxx On Fire and Perth band French Rockets. Meanwhile, the four media pick bands were Brisbane band Ellington (The Music Network), Sydney-siders Death Mattel (MTV), Melbourne outfit Hot Little Hands (MySpace) and Sydney songstress Sui Zhen (Street Press Collective). Each band is competing for the chance to showcase their wares at this year's Splendour In The Grass festival as well as winning an artist development package worth $25,000! Visit www.uncharted.com.au to cast your vote….TOM WAITS BIO: Fans of Tom Waits should look out for a new biography written by Barney Hoskyns. The fascinating book titled, 'Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits', offers a true insight into the elusive Waits who is notorious for his private persona. This definitive biography is said to be the most "up-close, comprehensive and affectionate book on Tom Waits". It spans his extraordinary 40 year career - from his perilous 'jazzbo' years in 70s Los Angeles to the multiple-Grammy winner of recent years. A must for music lovers….MERRIWEATHER BACK HOME: Local success story Daniel Merriweather is making a welcome return back home to Australia later this month after spending the last three years based in Manhattan. Merriweather will be here for a short promotional visit from June 22-29 to promote his fantastic debut album 'Love & War' which was produced by prominent UK producer Mark Ronson. The 26 year old has been making serious inroads overseas. After featuring on 'Stop Me', the lead track from Mark Ronson's 2006 covers album 'Version', Merriweather then scored a top 10 UK hit last year with the first single ('Change') from the debut album which peaked at #8 there. The single is available now while the album hits the stores on June 5th….EMPIRE'S GOLD: Following on from the platinum sales success of first single 'Walking On A Dream', Empire Of The Sun have achieved another gold accreditation for their 2nd single, 'We Are The People' which has now sold over 35,000 copies in Australia. 'We Are The People' was also a recent #1 club chart hit in Australia and has been moved up to the Radio 1 and BBC Radio A Lists in the UK. Meanwhile, the duo's next single will be 'Standing On The Shore'. The single will be released on June 12th exclusively via iTunes before being available everywhere on June 23rd….SHONEN KNIFE'S SUPER GROUP: Japanese garage pop punks Shonen Knife have just unleashed their latest album, 'Super Group'. The all-female trio, who have been championed by the likes of Sonic Youth and Nirvana, have gone back to the starting point of rock on this latest release. Heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups and early punk rock, the album has already been compared with seminal punk-pop acts such as the Buzzcocks. The album is available now while Shonen Knife will be in Australia this September to play Sounds Of Spring in Brisbane on September 26th….LINKIN PARK, PATTON FOR TRANSFORMERS: Linkin Park are back with their latest single 'New Divide' - the theme song for the upcoming 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' film. The band have also contributed to the film's score with award-winning composer Steve Jablonsky and the score's executive producer, Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer. Linkin Park co-vocalist Mike Shinoda says, "The opportunity to be creatively involved with one of the most anticipated films of the summer is pretty exciting. It's one thing to shoot a video that matches sound and vision, but making music that's built for the big screen is a completely different challenge and we ran with it." 'New Divide' is available now via iTunes while it will also appear on the soundtrack which hits stores on June 23rd. The ever busy Mike Patton, who kicks off his reunion tour with Faith No More in Europe this month, has also confirmed his involvement in the film. Patton has lent his voice to one of the seven vehicles that form Devastator. The film, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro, opens in theatres on June 24th….APRA NOMINATIONS: A host of first timers look set to dominate the Australasian Performing Right Association's night of nights - the upcoming 2009 APRA Music Awards. A record number of first time nominees have been announced for the event which includes 45 songwriters across 21 artists and their performed works. Up for the prestigious APRA Song Of The Year this year are Nick Cave ('Dig! Lazarus Dig!'), Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson ('Rattlin' Bones'), Kate Miller-Heidke with co-writer Keir Nuttall ('Can't Shake It'), Empire Of The Sun's Luke Steele & Nick Littlemore ('Walking On A Dream'), and The Living End's Chris Cheney ('White Noise'). With a 30,000 strong membership of eligible voters, the APRA Song Of The Year is the single, biggest peer voted music award in Australia. Other categories on the night will include: Songwriter of the Year, Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Most Played Australian Work, Most Played Foreign Work, Most Played Australian Work Overseas, Urban Work of the Year, Dance Work of the Year, Blues and Roots Work of the Year, Jazz Work of the Year, and Country Work of the Year. The winners will be announced at an exclusive industry function at the Peninsula in Melbourne on Tuesday June 23rd while the public will be able to catch all the action on subscription TV channel MAX on July 5th at 8.30pm….