I Heard The News Today, Oh Boy

• Fronting headlines is some very exciting news from triple j, who are taking the plunge into digital radio with a brand new station dedicated entirely to new Australian music. Taking triple j Unearthed to the airwaves streaming fresh, unsigned bands 24hrs a day, seven days a week on the digital radio band. Though their launch event last night was gracefully short and to the point, it was confirmed the station will go live from Wed 5 Oct with simulataneous live events running across five capital cities around the nation. This is obviously a huge milestone in the station's career, and I for one am very, very excited. You can watch some lovely videos and get more info at the triple j website (via triple j)

 

• As reported previously, Big Scary are set to unleash their debut album, Vacation, on Oct 7. Now we have another taste for the forthcoming record in Gladiator. An upbeat rocker featuring some great vocal interplay between strummer Tom Iansek and drummer Jo Syme, which according to the band 'looks at the idea of growing up, but not necessarily imporving as a person... Gladiator encapsulaes a lot of the sentiment of the album." For the time being, the only place to get yourself a copy is through the duo's bandcamp page. Along with Mix Tape, Vacation is shaping to be quite the record... but we knew that already didn't we? (via Big Scary)

•  Bon Iver and James Blake are two artists scaling some of 2011's musical highs, the former delivering his near-flawless sophomore; the latter an imperiously good debut. Now quicker than you can say 'dream match-up' the pair have secretly collaborated, under the moniker Falls Creek Boys Choir. The news first dropped from Blake's twitter account and now there's an actual song to back it up, hopefully with a full EP to follow. (via PrettyMuchAmazing)

• Now I did promise a full interview with her musical majesty Kimbra, following on from AMR's definitive review of Vows - and it's still definitely coming; but the impossibly talented lass has unveiled a new video. Her third collaboration with director Guy Franklin, Good Intent features multiple Kimbras, some crazy fragmented personality clashes and homme fatales paying tribute to the late great Michael Jackson. Can this girl do no wrong? Check it out below:

• Speaking of talent vocalists, key Brit warbler Florence and the Machine has dropped the first new music from the follow-up to her commercial and critical filibuster Lungs. Unleashed on the band's website, What The Water Gave Me is sung with Ms. Welch's characeristic gusto featuring the familiar hallmarks of her debut. Namely, impeccable production, a rising sense of urgent drama and lots of harp ('push it right to the front of the mix thanks'). It's a confident step onto solid terra firma, and the first single from the as yet untitled second album. Accompanying the single is a video that is one half making-of in the studio malarky, and one half 'getting back to nature via cliched mirror-image effect.' Vieweth Beloweth. (via Florence + The Machine)

• A little band called the Red Hot Chili Peppers are ready to drop their tenth studio album, their first since über-guitarist John Frusciante departed (well, second, it's a messy history isn't it?), with Josh Klinghoffer now manning the funky six-strings. I, for one, had my knife and fork ready to tear this album apart - but I was pleasantly surprised. Don't believe me? Well, why not have a listen yourself as RHCP have offered a full album preview of I'm With You as a stream on iTunes. Its not a huge leap from their last few albums and their mix of light funk and natty melody and it's a damn sight more focussed than Stadium Arcadium. More as my ears get adjusted to Kiedis' familiar love-it-or-hate nonsense raps (via Red Hot Chili Peppers)