Nick Cave. The goth-punker in the three piece suit. The sensitive balladeer and the rock and roll wildman. The man who sings with Kylie and Johnny Cash. And author, songwriter, singer, screenwriter, moustache-grower, an artist like no other.

This summer will be a big one for Nick Cave. He’s headlining Homebake with his new band, Grinderman, who rock harder than the bands half his age. Triple J are also honouring his amazing career with tribute concerts around Australia. They used his song in a Harry Potter movie!

He’s one of those that everyone knows, but his music remains unfairly hidden. So tomorrow we are having Nick Cave day. You will hear songs you know and love – Where The Wild Roses Grow with Kylie. The best love song of all time with The Ship Song. A little song called Into My Arms you might have heard. Then there are the rockers – Deanna, Red Right Hand (covered by Arctic Monkeys recently), The Mercy Seat (covered by Johnny Cash). Let’s play Nick Cave songs – from Boys Next Door to Grinderman.

The dark prince of Australian music. And he’s here for your soul.

Well, well, well. On this rainy Thursday, we woke up to not one but TWO festivals announcing Grinderman as the headline. The formidable and ferocious foursome of Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casy and Jim Sclavunos will be playing at the return of  Homebake one weekend and then on to Meredith Music Festival the next.

This year will see the return of beloved Homebake festival to Sydney’s  Domain where some of the biggest musicians in Aussie music history will perform as part of Homebake The Classic Edition 2011…. but never fear Gen Y, there are a fair few  contemporary names on the bill too.

Here’s the first of the Homebake 2011 line-up announcements:

Grinderman (featuring Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey & Jim Sclavunos), Pnau, Gotye, Ladyhawke, Rockwiz Live, Gurrumul, Cut Copy, Icehouse, Drapht, Daniel Merriweather, The triffids, Eskimo Joe, Architecture In Helsinki, The Church, The Vines, illy, The Jezabels, Kimbra, CW Stoneking, Kids Of 88, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Papa Vs Pretty, Hungry Kids of Hungary, Passenger, Killaqueenz, Avalanche City, Vents, Noah Taylor & The Sloppy Boys and more.

Tickets on sale 9.00am Monday August 15th from Ticketek and OzTix…. Head to the Homebake website for more info.

Grinderman is the only band announced for Meredith Music Festival as yet. You can however enter the ballot for tickets by clicking here.

What is The Seed you ask? Well let’s get John Butler (John Butler Trio) and Danielle Caruana the founders to explain:

The Seed Album was released last week with 100% of ALL album sales being donated to THE SEED FUND: An Arts Grant Council. The album has an incredible line up of artists including Angus & Julia Stone, Old Man River and Grinderman who are now joined by THE CAT EMPIRE. The Cat Empire’s track ‘On My Way’ has been uploaded now so if you’ve already downloaded the album just log back in and download the additional track or log in here to download.

Out tomorrow are a whole slew of amazing albums, possibly the best week all year for releases in my opinion. And because:

a) There are so many and;

b) I’m lazy

I’m going for a mass review. Let’s see if this works shall we?

Grinderman – Grinderman 2

First up on the blocks is Nick Cave, the person Aussies would most like to see oust Julia Gillard, and his band of hairy men.

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You think your government will protect you…
Not even Julia Gillard can pull you out of this one.

The full set of Grinderman 2’s John Hillcoat trailers are now live. Here’s the latest bout of inexplicable awesomeness:

Watch the full set of seven Hillcoat films on YouTube.

They culminate in this fundamentally disturbing and hilarious work of genius… Heathen Child.

Grinderman 2 arrives on September 10. Arm yourselves.

It’s very appropriate that the follow-up to Grinderman’s self-titled debut already has a cinematic trailer, whilst its title is suggestive of a film sequel: Grinderman 2. Thankfully it’s not Grindermen.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of The Bad Seeds and self-described “disciplined orgy of ideas and action” (there had to be a sexual reference somewhere) Grinderman are recently responsible for scoring director John Hillcoat’s disturbing and oneiric masterpieces The Road and The Proposition. Now Hillcoat has returned the favour by creating the clip for the first single Heathen Child, plus this spellbinding trailer for Grinderman 2. Apparently this is only one of several, but hell… I’m already deliriously excited thanks.