Turn It Up - Discovering Aussie Country with Shane Nicholson and Kasey Chambers

Shane Nicholson and Kasey Chambers

Chances are you've heard of country superstar Keith Urban, and if you have, you probably know Urban comes fairly uniquely to American country music by way of his native Australia.

What you may not realize is that Australia has its own long tradition of country music, rooted in Irish and Scottish folk ballads and nourished by both Australian bush balladeers and modern American country influences.

Two brilliant musicians who have established themselves in the Australian country music scene are Kasey Chambers and her husband singer-songwriter Shane Nicholson. In the last decade, Chambers and Nicholson have enjoyed critical success for their individual recordings, as well as for the award-winning 2008 album Rattlin' Bones, which they co-wrote and performed together.

On September 7th, the pair will release their second collaborative effort, Wreck & Ruin. The first track from the album, Adam & Eve, has been pre-released and if it's any indicator, we're in for an incredible bluegrass treat that overflows with inventive lyrics, traditional banjo twang, and flawless harmonies.

It's remarkable that two people who sound so perfect together on every note should fall in love. I guess the takeaway is - if you meet someone whose singing voice blends perfectly with your own, marry her.

You can hear Kasey and Shane together in the video below for Adam & Eve. 

If you're in the mood for something with less bluegrass foreboding and more singer-songwriter yearning, Designed to Fade from Shane's 2004 album It's a Movie is a great introduction to his solo work. (Kasey sings back up, too!)

Djokovic/Nadal Barely Upright After Heroic Final

Nadal - defeated and empty

After a 5 hour and 53 minute heavyweight slugfest, Novak Djokovic eventually triumphed over Rafael Nadal in the men's singles final of the Australian Open (5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5).

The nearly six-hour match, which ended near 2:00 am local time in Melbourne, clocked in as the longest grand slam final in history.

With the win, Djokovic secured his fifth grand slam title and cemented his place at the top of the men's game, while Nadal, despite a brilliant effort, is now the first man to lose three consecutive major finals.

To gain a better idea of the physical toll taken on these athletes during a five-set, six-hour tennis match, check out this short video clip of the post-match trophy presentation ceremony. Both men, clearly exhausted, begin to stretch, cramp, and nearly collapse, in what appears to be (for Nadal at least) sheer agony, before an intelligent and thoughtful tournament official provides relief around the 3:05 mark in the clip.

Related Post: Roger and Rafa - Epic Night in Aussie Semis

Roger and Rafa - An Epic Night in Aussie Semis

If you haven't followed tennis' Australian Open closely, you might not be aware of the Federer-Nadal rematch scheduled for 3:30am (Eastern) on Thursday. The two tennis greats meet for the 27th time in their careers, facing off in an eagerly anticipated semi-final match that fans and analysts expect to be an instant classic.

Throughout their careers, Roger and Rafa have approached their sport with unimaginable intensity and grit, constantly enduring the pressure of enormously high professional expectations, and equally challenging personal aspirations.

Tonight's match, while only a semi-final, carries incredible weight for both players. As Federer works to ensure his continued relevance in the top tier of the sport, Nadal is striving to recapture the element of invincibility he brought to tennis, prior to the shocking string of defeats he suffered last year at the hands of current world #1 Novak Djokovic.