Mushroom Music Publishing

Mushroom Music Publishing has topped off a huge year with the purchase of Festival Music Publishing.

Festival and Mushroom have always been synonymous with Australian music and the combined entity has the largest catalogue of Australian & New Zealand songwriters.

The beginnings of Festival Music coincided with the early development of the Australian music industry. Since the 1960's Festival Music have signed and supported some of the finest songwriters from both Australia and New Zealand, and its status as a major player in the Australian industry led to it being a keen competitor of Mushroom Music. Mushroom Music now represents several decades of great Australian songs. Festival Music writers include Powderfinger, George, Tim Rogers, Amiel, Gerling, Tex Perkins, producer Barry Palmer, the legendary Richard Clapton and several new young artists. These writers join the catalogue under the Mushroom name, which represents Hunters & Collectors, Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Eskimo Joe, Ross Wilson and Kylie Minogue

Mushroom Group Chairman Michael Gudinski said of the purchase; "Festival were responsible for getting Mushroom started in 1972 when their support enabled me to make the first recordings on the Mushroom label. I started Mushroom Music at that time and I have watched the two publishing companies grow over the years."

"It is an historic moment with the sale of both the record and publishing companies. I am very proud to be able to acquire a piece of the history that we shared and to continue the heritage. Our support for Australian music has never wavered and we now look forward to a very strong future."

Mushroom Music has always been committed to representing a large cross section of the giant talent this country has to offer, and now with the acquisition of this iconic Australian music publisher Mushroom Music holds a position unequalled in this country. We are prouder than ever to be Australia & New Zealand's largest independent publisher.

Melbourne artist and musician Caroline Kennedy is pleased to announce her exhibition of paintings and sculpture at the Hogan Gallery in Melbourne from 17th November to 1st December. A series of works that celebrate the human form and its relationship to landscapes, Caroline's art builds on the creativity displayed through her singing and song-writing duties with Melbourne duo The Tulips.

An extension and consolidation of Caroline's earlier shows, her sculptures and paintings retain their play on form and colour, and continue to boldly tread the arenas of both figuration and abstraction.

Her sculptures, made from blocks of wood found at old building sites, suggest brightly lit buildings, wild animals or even dominos, and their fragmented design allows them to be deconstructed and played with.

Following two successful exhibitions on the Mornington Peninsula and displays at Mario's Caf?, this is Caroline's first showing in a Melbourne gallery.

Caroline Kennedy Paintings, 2005 opens 6pm on Thursday 17th November and runs until Thursday 1st December at the Hogan Gallery, 310 Smith Street, Collingwood.

It's been two long years since The Kills last graced our shores. The year was 2003 and the London-based duo put on a series of sizzling shows with fellow indie-rockers Hot Hot Heat, which were met with rave reviews.

Now, the news that all of The Kills fans have been waiting for is in. The duo is returning to Australia this December to treat audiences in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to their blistering live show.

For the past year, The Kills - Alison 'VV' Mosshart and Jamie 'Hotel' Hince - have been busy writing, recording and touring their latest album, No Wow (Liberation, April 2005). Like their first album Keep on Your Mean Side, No Wow strips rock 'n' roll back to its barest components, giving The Kills music a refreshingly raw and edgy feel.

The album has been whole-heartedly praised by industry critics: 'No Wow is pure sex, pulsating blues-based rock and roll from start to finish.' Junkmedia

'A tight, mean set of songs.' All Music Guide

'Deep within No Wow beats the filthy heart of rock n roll.' Kerrang!

And the praise does not end here. The Kills are renowned for their live performances. At a recent show overseas supporting the highly popular Bloc Party, The Kills virtually stole the show: 'The Kills are predictably, enigmatically, quite simply - brilliant. They give an immense 30 minute blast of raw, 21st century blues... and even though this is not their gig, if The Kills had longer than half an hour Somerset House would be theirs for the taking.' Gigwise.com

The Kills shows are fraught with tension and simmer with chemistry. VV and Hotel showcase rock at its very best. 'The Kills know what rock 'n' roll is... there aren't a whole lot of people out there who do. The Kills look like they don't wash. The Kills look like they don't sleep. The Kills look like they want to have sex. The Kills eat, drink, shag and possibly intravenously inject rock 'n' roll.' NME

Make sure you catch The Kills when they return to Australia this December.

After seven years and three critically and commercially successful albums Five Star Laundry (2000), Shoot This (2002) and Animal (2005), Motor Ace has decided to call it a day.

The band has parted on great terms and wishes to thank everyone for their support.

'We feel really blessed to have been able to make records and tour nationally and internationally for the best part of a decade'.

'We're incredibly proud of the three records we have made and we want to extend our loving thanks to the fans who supported us so loyally and enabled us to keep touring and making records during this time'.

'Although in many ways it's a sad time for the four of us to be parting, we're all very excited about embarking on new projects'.

'We feel that Animal provided us with the musical closure that we needed and it feels right to move on now'.

Patrick Robertson will continue to pursue his songwriting, production and composition projects, Damian Costin will further his interests with his management group FGM and will pursue other musical interests, Matt Balfe is now working in a communications position and David Ong will continue songwriting with his Joni Lightning solo project.

Los Angeles, CA - It was announced today that Melissa Etheridge will release her Greatest Hits The Road Less Traveled CD on Tuesday, October 4th, as well as a CD/DVD Deluxe Edition of the same title on Tuesday, October 18th. The collection covers her seventeen-year career in seventeen dynamic songs, including hits like 'Come To My Window,' 'I Want To Come Over,' and 'Bring Me Some Water.' It also includes four new recordings: her simmering take on Tom Petty's 'Refugee'; a reprise of 'Piece Of My Heart,' which wowed the world in her stunning Grammy Awards show performance this past February; an emotional and heartfelt original song called 'This Is Not Goodbye'; and the brand-new 'I Run for Life,' an inspiring anthem for those who, like Etheridge, have had their lives impacted by breast cancer. The CD/DVD Deluxe Edition to be released on Tuesday, October 18th will feature a recent interview with her, TV performances, exclusive unseen footage, and bonus features.

Regarding the release of her Greatest Hits album, Etheridge says, 'I always thought that a greatest hits album was something to aspire to. When you got to the point in your career where you could have one, you did something right.'

With new strength and fervor following her own successful treatment for breast cancer, she has taken an active role in breast cancer awareness, treatment, and fundraising. Etheridge will executive produce and host 'WomenRock! Our Journey With Melissa Etheridge,' Lifetime Television's signature special for breast cancer awareness. The program, featuring Etheridge performing and sharing details about her own experience with the disease, will culminate the channel's Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 18th.

Throughout October and beyond, the annual Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure events will ring with the sound of Etheridge's 'I Run For Life.' Written and recorded at the behest of Race for the Cure co-sponsor Ford, this song is an anthem dedicated to raising funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Etheridge will donate all of her record royalties from the song to breast cancer charities, while one hundred percent of the proceeds from download sales at www.fordcares.com and the iTunes Music Store for the month of October will also be donated.

Etheridge will be featured in a print advertising campaign for Ford promoting sales of 'I Run For Life' downloads and ring tones, as well as special silk scarves to generate funds for the cause, all of which are available at www.fordcares.com. She will be the face of Kimberly-Clark's Health, Home and Hope campaign in October through Safeway and Vons stores, also raising money for breast cancer entities.

In addition, Etheridge will lead the annual initiative for Hard Rock Caf? International's breast cancer awareness campaign. A commemorative pin will be sold in all company-owned Hard Rock locations and at www.hardrock.com for the month of October. One hundred percent of the net profits from this pin will benefit the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.

Etheridge has recorded eight albums over the course of her career. She has won the Grammy? Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance twice: for the song 'Ain't It Heavy' in 1992, and 'Come To My Window' in 1994. In 1996, she was honored with the prestigious ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award. The Kansas-born singer/songwriter has sold more than thirty million records worldwide.

With four solo albums to his name and an incredible list of collaborations and guest spots on hundreds of releases, songwriter, saxophonist and vocalist Nathan Haines signs a world wide music publishing deal with Mushroom Music NZ Limited.

He has been based in the UK for over ten years, and has recorded 2 albums for UK dance label Chillifunk. Nathan teamed up with producer Phil Asher and a host of international musicians and the resulting 2001 album Sound Travels was followed up by the excellent 2003 release Squire For Hire on UK label Chillifunk. Nathan Haines continues to explore the boundaries of soul, funk and jazz and released first in New Zealand in July 2005 "Life Time"(FMR), an album featuring the 80 piece New Zealand Symphony Orchestra with wonderful string arrangements by Grammy Award winning pianist Alan Broadbent.

Nathan also features on Jamiroquai's new album 'Dynamite', and played live with the band at Clapham Common in July 2005.

'Nathan is an accomplished songwriter with an international career and it's a delight to be working with him' says managing director Jackie Dennis.