THE WEEKLY WRAP | 16/02/2024

The Weekly Wrap is a look at the biggest stories in music all collected in one place for your reading ease

By Tobias Handke

Adelaide Fringe Officially Kicks Off Today

The City of Churches comes alive this weekend with the Adelaide Fringe officially underway today. Running for just over four weeks (February 16 – March 17), this year’s program is stacked with awesome events covering everything from music and comedy shows to cabaret performances and interactive art displays.

At the heart of the festival is The Garden of Unearthly Delights and Gluttony, the festival’s two large entertainment precincts where you can meet friends for a drink and taste an array of world foods before catching a show at the multiple venues sprinkled throughout the festival playground.

Pick up a copy of the latest edition of The Note for our top festival picks or check out the full Fringe program here and be sure to get along to as many shows as possible and support the artists who make the festival possible.

Usher Leans Into Nostalgia for Super Bowl Halftime Show

R&B superstar Usher took fans on a journey through his hit-filled career during his 13-minute Super Bowl halftime performance. The 45-year-old still looked the goods as he blasted through the hits accompanied by the likes of Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, will.i.am and Ludacris.

‘Caught Up’, ‘Burn’, ‘Love in This Clube’ and ‘Confessions Part II’ all got a look in, while the highlight came when Usher was joined by H.E.R. on guitar for ‘U Got It Bad’ and ‘Bad Girl’.

Part of the performance involved Usher on roller skates while the inevitable rendition of ‘Yeah!’ with Lil Jon and Luda closed the energetic show. While Justin Bieber failed to materialise, Usher did take his shirt off as promised, much to the joy of millions watching around the globe.  

The reaction was mixed, with social media a buzz with hot takes on whether Usher’s performance ranks as one of the best or just another run-of-the-mill showing. We’ll let you make up your mind.

The Middle Kids Announce ‘Faith in Crisis Pt 1’ Australian Tour

Today marks the release of Middle Kids’ much anticipated third album Faith in Crisis Pt 1. Recorded over five weeks with producers Tim Fitz and Jonathan Gilmore in the United Kingdom, the album explores themes of faith and hope and incorporates synths and organs into the band’s evolving sound. 

Five singles have been released over the past eight months - ‘Bootleg Firecracker’, ‘Highlands’, ‘Dramamine’, ‘Bend’ and ‘Terrible News’ - giving fans a taste of what to expect.

Middle Kids are touring Australia in support of the album release, hitting the Gov on Sunday, May 25. Tickets are on sale today via Oztix here. You can stream Faith in Crisis Pt 1 on your favourite streaming platform now or grab a vinyl copy here. 

Beyoncé Dropping Country Album in March

Not to be outdone by Usher’s Super Bowl halftime performance, Beyoncé made sure she was in the headlines by announcing her new album Act II. The ‘Crazy in Love’ singer took to social media to hype the release, revealing the country-themed sequel to 2022s Renaissance is dropping on March 29.

Beyoncé also shared the first two singles from the album, the straight-up country ditty ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ and the soaring orchestral ’16 Carriages’.

The general reaction from the internet has been positive, with many fans hoping the album will shine more of a light on black country music stars. It will be interesting to see if Queen B can translate the hype surrounding the release into another chart-topping record, which might finally be her ticket to winning a Grammy for Best Album.

Angie McMahon Embarking on Huge National Tour

Melbourne singer-songwriter Angie McMahon is hitting the road this May and June in support of her Australian Music Prize-nominated sophomore album Light, Dark, Light Again. 

The ‘Making It Through’ tour includes dates in 11 intimate venues dates across Australia and New Zealand, with McMahon joined by special guests Annie-Rose Malone (Australia) and Kee’ahn (New Zealand).

McMahon’s Adelaide show takes place on June 7 at Hindley Street Music Hall. Frontier Members can get their hands on pre-sale tickets today at 11 am with general sale tickets available Tuesday, February 20 at 11 am. For more details visit Frontier Touring. 

J Mascis Covers Phoebe Bridges on Melbourne Radio

J Mascis surprised fans with a fantastic cover of Phoebe Bridges ‘Motion Sickness’ this week. Currently in Australia touring with his group Dinosaur Jr., Mascis was on Melbourne’s popular independent radio station 3RRR when he shared the cover live in the studio.

Originally recorded by the Boygeniuys member for her 2017 solo album Stranger in the Alps, Mascis made subtle tweaks to the song, including changing the lyrics “You were in a band when I was born” to “I was in a band when I was born”.

Having last played Australia in 2017, this current tour is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dinosaur Jr.’s iconic Where You Been album. Supported by Doors and Stepmother, Dinosaur Jr. hit Hindley Music Hall on February 24. Tickets are on sale now through Moshtix. 

Pearl Jam Returns with Dark Matter and Australian Tour Announcement, but no Adelaide

Pearl Jam is back in a big way in 2024, announcing the release of new album Dark Matter alongside a massive world tour. The Seattle act’s 12th long play is scheduled for release on April 19, with the band also sharing the epic title track you can check out below. 

The band enlisted Grammy Award-winning producer Andrew Watt to produce Dark Matter, with Pearl Jam recording the album in three weeks at the famous Shangri-La Studios in Malibu.

“I’m getting chills, because I have good memories,” Eddie Vedder stated in a press release promoting the album. “We’re still looking for ways to communicate. We’re at this time in our lives when you could do it or you could not do it, but we still care about putting something out there that is meaningful and we hopefully think is our best work. No hyperbole, I think this is our best work.”

Along with the release of Dark Matter, Pearl Jam is embarking on an epic world tour taking in 25 cities across nine countries, with three shows announced for Australia. The sad news is Adelaide misses out once again. Rumours persisted the band was being sought as the final night’s entertainment for the 2024 VALIO Adelaide 500, but these claims have since been shot down by Live Nation.

For a chance to score tickets, you will need to register via Ticketmaster. Registration is open until February 18, with those lucky enough to be selected receiving a code from Ticketmaster to purchase tickets on February 23.

FRIDAY FIVE

If you’re keen to hear some new tunes but short on time, give these five awesome EPs a listen. You won’t be disappointed. 

1. Little Simz – Drop 7

2. TV Star & Spiral XP - TVXP

3. Pip Millett – Tell Jimmy

4. Sofi de la Torre – I’ll Still Throw a Punch Falling Backwards

5. Novelist – Rose Water

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