Cowboys In Cybersp@ce - October 1999

"Love In The Virtual World"

The debut album from Australian born country star Sherrié Austin, 'Words', sold over 300,000 copies worldwide. Her brand new album, 'Love In The Real World', features 14 new songs, 11 written or co-written by Sherrié, including two bonus tracks exclusive to Australia. This is also an enhanced CD that contains extra content that plays on your computer: a biography, a link to the BMG Australia Web site (that contains an excellent Sherrié Austin section), and a video interview that will bring back a few memories for anyone who remembers Sherrié as a young Queensland girl in a cowgirl outfit! That youngster was a long way from the modern technology that can help drive a musical career today. In the U.S., her chart-topping single, 'Never Been Kissed', was delivered to radio stations by E-mail (using Liquid Audio). Back in the 'real' world, Sherrié has launched her own shade of lipstick. 'Austintatious', to tie in with the 'Never Been Kissed' theme. The video on the CD also features behind-the-scenes footage of the music video 'Never Been Kissed', with much frog-kissing going on. Handsome Prince appearing or not, Sherrié has definitely been granted her wish to make a serious mark on the Country Music scene.

The Sherrié Austin Australian Fan Club can be contacted by E-mail: angels@summit.net.au

More Major Artists - more Major Web sites this month. Presented in stylish tropical colours, the Graeme Connors Web site is a deep resource of information for his many fans. No less than you would expect from one of Australia's brightest and most successful Country Music stars. Browse through the catalogue of Graeme's albums and videos to find lyrics to all the songs. Check out his 'Briefography' that develops into a longer 'Profile' of his career. Join the 'Contact Club' for the quarterly 'Mango Times' magazine, hear and see samples of Graeme's music, and visit his scrapbook for a 'blast from the past'. The Panama Music Web site will also soon be an Internet home for Rosemary Rae.

It was long wait for the stunning new album from Jane Saunders, but luckily we haven't had to wait that long for her Web site! Read the fax that Nanci Griffith sent to Jane, praising the 'Poetic Justice' album, and watch for the tour dates as Jane hits the road with Eric Bogle. The lyrics to the new album are all here, plus a biography written by Glenn A. Baker. I look forward to viewing Jane's 'Photo Gallery' and 'Scrapbook' that should be on-line by the time you read this column. Five years have elapsed since Jane's critically acclaimed debut album established her as a major voice in the contemporary Australian Country music scene. This time around she has eschewed the predictable sound of many recent recordings, and travelled to Melbourne where producers Joe Camilleri (Black Sorrows) and Sam See have helped Jane her put her own stamp on a carefully chosen collection of songs.

I'm also looking forward to the new official Web site of Troy Cassar-Daley which is appearing as I write. As Troy enjoys the success of his great new release 'Big River' and a continued run of winning awards, we can expect more good things at his on-line 'Homestead'.

• Elizabeth Lord has enjoyed a career that has spanned everything from Evita to Wa Wa Nee to duets with Graeme Connors and Vanya. That should tempt you to visit her Web site for a sneak peek at her latest recordings, produced by Rod McCormack.

• The Tamworth Direct Web Directory is up and running. It features lots of community and tourism information, and will been soon expanding to include a more comprehensive section for the 2000 Festival.

• Country Music Round-Up is Britain's Number One Country Music Newspaper. It can be a little hard to find in your local Aussie newsagents shop, but you can get the Pommie slant on things by sampling it on-line at their new Web site.

• Have you enjoyed watching 'Roundbelly' busking at the Tamworth Festival of Country Music? Most weekends he can be found singing in pubs around Rockhampton, but if that's too far to travel, log into his Web page, Roundbelly Sings Aussie Country, where he has two independent CDs on offer.

• Hard-rockin', outlaw biker singer/songwriter Ziggydale Zigfreid got his start in music in the 70s as the steel/dobro player in David Allan Coe's band and has very recently released his own debut album, "Harleys, Budweiser and Hard-Bellied Women." If you like DAC, The Wolverines or bikes, you'll love this one.

• Former New Zealander, the infamous Jim Cooper now resides in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Fans of his legendary LP 'SILVER EAGLE' will be pleased to know that he has a new CD available. Inspired by all the Endurance riders and crews Jim has met all over the world, it is entitled 'Drinkers Of The Wind'.

• T.I.A.R.A. Winner for female vocal in 1998, and overall winner at the 1999 Adelaide River Country Music Festival, Annemiek has a Web site that catalogues her many other achievements. It also offers samples of songs from her latest CD "Changes".

• Dan Byrnes’ 'What’s On Message Board' is a goldmine of information for residents and visitors to Northern NSW. As well as the comprehensive Gig Guide for Music and Poetry, it will assist you with advance planning and organisation to make use of opportunities and find fun times.

• Speaking of goldmines, the homepage of Golddigger Music is an eclectic mixture of music and laughs. Created by the 'other' Dave Gray (i.e. not the 'Ugly' one), who claims it is the culmination of forty years of musical inexperience! Have a look; who knows what you might find there.

The following items appeared on last month's Web column, but are repeated here to maintain continuity with the print media version!

• MO Award winners Aubrey and Martin are delighted to find that their 1986 track "Lights of Wollongong" has found a new life since Macca started playing it on "Australia All Over". Aubrey and Martin recently spent five weeks performing at World Fest held in Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, performing alongside their mate (and World Fest veteran) Wayne Horsburgh. The lads then went from MO to MO; MO as in Missouri, to the Australian Entertainment MO Awards. Aubrey and Martin picked up a well deserved award as the Vocal Duo/Trio of the year. As well as performing in their own right, the boys can often be seen here in Australia in the "Love That Country Music Show" with Wayne (who is currently touring Wisconsin), and Judy Anne Barnes. Judy is originally from New Zealand, but now calls Sydney home. Expect to hear her beautiful voice on a forthcoming Wayne Horsburgh album, while a visit to Judy's own Web site reveals that her own new album is nearing completion.

• One of the most ambitious Australian projects to involve the Internet, is the Snowy Mountains Scheme 50th Anniversary Reunion. The music used on the "White Pages" TV commercial, publicising the search for former workers, is by The Settlers. The band was formed by Ulick O'Boyle, a concrete worker on the scheme, and their legendary album "Songs of the Snowy Mountains" has just been released on CD for the first time by BMG.

• Lyric Avenue was where Walt and Roy Disney bought adjacent lots on which they built homes once their fledgling movie studios began to take off. Lyric Street Records is the name of Disney's new Country Music label. Their artists include SHeDAISY - Kristyn, Kelsi, and Kassidy Osborn, three young women whose album "The Whole Shebang" has made huge leaps up the U.S. charts. Visit the Lyric Street Records site to see the behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from their first video and album photo shoot, and go to The Official SHeDAISY Fan Page for a whole lot more.

• The single "Amazed" by Lonestar has had an amazing hold on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, longer than any group has held the top spot consecutively. Lonestar's new CD "Lonely Grill" reached Gold certification in less than one month. The band has also picked up two nominations in the forthcoming CMA Awards, in the Group and Single of the Year categories. You can visit the band at their own Web site or at Twang This!

• While Cowboys In Cybersp@ce celebrated it's second birthday with last month's column, the re-release of "The Blue Ridge Rangers" album on budget priced CD brings back enough memories to make me feel just a little old! While the recent inclusion of John Fogerty on the local Country Charts caused plenty of controversy, there is no doubt this first post-Creedence effort in 1972 was pure country. A masterpiece of multi-tracking, not every one realised at first that Fogerty sang and played every note on the album. Not only that, he can be credited with getting a Hank Williams song (Jambalaya) played on the pop radio stations of the day!

Don't forget to listen out for Cowboys in Cybersp@ce each month on the radio waves with Belinda Miller of Murri Country , 4AAA –FM (98.9 in Brisbane).
If you want to share the location of an interesting site you’ve seen or request a topic for discussion in future columns, why not E-mail me. Until next month, happy surfing.

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