Every week I’ll bring you a wrap of new music, gig announcements and news from bands in the region, to highlight some of the great performers and music that sometimes goes unnoticed. 

Here's the state of play in the Illawarra this week.

• Seven-piece groove outfit Beaten Bodies aired their newest single Crowns on FBI Radio last night, the second taste of their upcoming EP release; you can hear it now through their Facebook page.

They will officially celebrate the single with a launch gig at FBI Social in Kings Cross on February 1.

• Music Farmers have been getting back into hosting free in-store gigs lately.

After Mowgli and Jacob played in the record store warehouse last weekend, Hy-Test offshoot Bruce! will play on Saturday afternoon with Melbourne bands The Hidden Venture and Drifter.

The show begins at 1pm and is all ages.

• Outdoor cinema is all the rage at the moment, with the IMB Sunset Cinema currently in the Botanic Gardens and the touring Flix In The Stix concept set to hit Wollongong on March 7.

A series of short films will be shown, with Eskimo Joe and the Axis of Awesome to play live.

Organisers are offering a chance for local bands to open the evening, have their performance filmed, and go into a competition to win $5000 cash.

To enter or vote for a local band, see here.

• They've played Future Music Festival, Summadayze and toured with UK sensation Example; won Australian Independent Music Awards, toured Africa and headlined Triple J parties; and now Perth duo Sun City are on their way to Wollongong.

The indie pop pair will play Rad Bar on January 23 with locals The Maze and Surf.

• The Illawarra Folk Festival is on this weekend at Bulli Showground.

Grammy-winning guitarist Dom Flemons is worth your time, while also keep an eye out for local violinist Jane Aubourg, Japanese guys John John Festival, and Wollongong singer-songwriter Kay Proudlove.

LIVE AND LOCAL

• Funkoars are at the Towradgi Beach Hotel tonight, while Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus will tear up the venue on Sunday;

• The Illawarra Youth Arts Project launches on Saturday at the Town Hall, with Blueberry Circuit, The Vicious Dickens and Nameless Highway on stage;

• Basil’s Kite and the Plasmon Resonance Band play Rad on Saturday;

• The LAZE DJs bring the chill Sunday vibes to North Gong hotel to ease out of the weekend with Sydney star Kato headlining.

We want to hear from you! To have your music, gig, news or anything music-related featured next week, email details to joshua.butler@illawarramercury.com.au.