ABC Dig Music

PJ Harvey had a huge 2011.  Beginning with the release of her eighth studio CD "Let England Shake", she toured extensively in the northern hemisphere and picked up two prestigious awards - the NME Outstanding Contribution to Music Award and the Mercury Music Prize.  Polly Jean Harvey is the first artist to receive the Mercury award twice.  Her last tour to Australia was in Febuary 2008.  Joining her onstage for this tour is Mick Harvey, John Parish and Jean-Marc Butty.  PJ Harvey will be performing two shows at the State Theatre on January 18 and 19. 

Since giving birth to her daughter in mid-2006, English folk/electronica artist Beth Orton has been keeping a fairly low public profile, with limited touring. It's been five years since her last release 'Comfort Of Strangers', but she is set to release a new CD in early 2012. Beth is performing two shows at the City Recital Hall on January 17 and 18.

It's difficult to pin-down a genre for Lambchop - moving from the alt-country twang of their native Nashville, they have had many influences, nodding their hats in the direction of post-rock, soul and even lounge music.  It's been a while since Lambchop have released a CD too, but this is set to change with the release of Mr M. Lambchop's main man, Kurt Wagner is also performing at the festival under one of his other guises - Kort. Kort is the duo of Kurt Wagner and fellow Nashville singer/songwriter Cortney Tidwell. Lambchop play the City Recital Hall on January 21 and Kort play the City Recital Hall on January 20.

Other musical artists performing at the festival include Mike Patton's Mondo Cane, Washington, J Mascis, AA Bondy and Tune-Yards.

The 2012 Sydney Festival is taking place from Saturday January 7 to Sunday January 29.

More about: 

• Beth Orton
• Lambchop
• PJ Harvey

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