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Australian

Darren Hanlon

Darren Hanlon is an Australian singer/songwriter who plays folk-rock and folk-pop. Before becoming a solo artist in 1999, he was a member of The Simpletons, and contributed backing guitar and keyboards for The Lucksmiths, The Deerhunters, and Mick Thomas. Darren is known for his engagement with his audiences, through his down-to-earth storytelling at live gigs as well as his often charming lyrics.

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Directions In Groove

Directions In Groove (aka. d.i.g - not to be confused with the Californian grunge band "DIG" ) burst onto the Australian music scene in the early 90¹s with a sound whose freshness and originality quickly won them an enormous audience of fans. Call it acid jazz, jazz funk or just great grooving music d.i.g delivered a level of musical excitement that has seldom been replicated. Directions In Groove (DIG) were a popular Australian acid jazz band originally from the suburb of Redfern in Sydney, who produced several distinctive acid-jazz / groove / funk albums in the 1990's.

Ben Wells

Ben Wells has been playing music all his life. He has been in multiple bands but has settled on a solo career.
His music has been described as bold, southing and some of the best music in Australia by leading studio's in Tasmania and the UK. And is one of the new up and coming artists in Tasmania looking to show the world his music.

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Secrets in Scale

Two brothers originally from Adelaide who have recently relocated to Melbourne. Their debut EP was named '2009 EP of the Year' by Off The Dial. Download your copy for free at www.myspace.com/secretsinscale. The duo are currently working with Producer Kris Crummett (Dance Gavin Dance, Closure In Moscow) to complete their debut album, recorded at Pony Music, Melbourne. FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Secrets-In-Scale/204552207898 BLOG: http://secretsinscale.wordpress.com/ MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/secretsinscsale

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Shannon Noll

Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter. Noll first came to prominence as runner-up of the first series of Australian Idol (2003) which led to him being signed to Sony BMG, since Idol he has had more success than any other Idol contestant to date. He has gone on to release two number one, multi-platinum albums, That's What I'm Talking About and Lift and numerous top five singles. Including 3 number 1 debuts and an additional 7 single releases reaching the top 10. Noll's style of music is melodic pop-rock, heavily influenced by the likes of Bryan Adams.

Early life and pre-Idol

Noll was born in the Australian town of Orange, New South Wales and grew up in the small town of Condobolin in central western New South Wales. He is the third and youngest of three children to parents Sharon and Neil Noll and along with brothers Damian and Adam, spent the entire of their childhood and teenage years living on the family farm which ran sheep and cattle and grew cereal crops. During his school years, Noll enjoyed drama classes and performed in a number of school productions. Noll has since expressed a desire to continue his acting work.

During his adult years, Noll began working on other farms and properties shearing sheep amongst other tasks. It was during this time Noll and his brothers formed the band called "Cypress" (named for the fact that they rehearsed in a timber mill), of which Shannon provided vocals and played guitar. The band played numerous small gigs around the Australian outback, playing in country pubs gaining a solid live reputation. Although the majority of songs performed by the band were cover versions of popular songs, the group enjoyed writing original music and would often perform these originals as part of their set.

Noll's father, Neil, was tragically killed during a farming accident in 2001, which led to Shannon and his brothers to take over the running of the family farm. Following the death and two years of extreme drought, the brothers sold the farm and settled in Condobolin with their mother. Shannon often cites the death of his father as a major inspiration in his musical career, and has penned a song on his latest album Lift titled "Now I Run" in memorium of his late father.

Noll and his now wife, Rochelle Ogsten began their relationship in 1997 welcoming the arrival of sons Cody in 2001 and Blake in 2002. The pair wed in October 2004 and daughter Sienna arrived in 2006.

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Dappled Cities

Dappled Cities (formerly Dappled Cities Fly) are a five-piece indie rock band from Sydney, Australia. Their music has been described as art rock or experimental pop. Their guitar-based songs typically combine melodies with the complex time signatures and tempo changes associated with post rock. Occasional falsetto vocals and the use of effects pedals (delay in particular) are also characteristic of their sound.

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James Reyne

November 2015 sees the release of ALL THE HITS LIVE, an album recorded earlier in the year at Perth's Astor Theatre. James released a brand new album THIRTEEN in March 2012, containing the singles English Girls, Capsize and Whatcha Gonna Do About It?

James Reyne came to recognition to the Australian public as lead singer of classic Australian band Australian Crawl in the 1970's. They had a number of hits including "Reckless", "Boys Light Up", "Beautiful People", "Shutdown", "Errol", "Oh No Not You Again" and "Downhearted"
After the band split in 1986, James spent some time in the United States and Europe, returning to Australia in 1987.

His first solo album, "JAMES REYNE" (1987) went triple platinum and included three top 10 singles: "Fall Of Rome", "Hammerhead" and "Motors Too Fast". Other singles from this album included "Always The Way" and "Ript It Up".

In the following years James released more solo albums, "HARD REYNE" (1989) which contaimed the Top 40 singles "House Of Cards", "One More River" and "Trouble In Paradise".
In 1991 James returned with his most successful Australian album "ELECTRIC DIGGER DANDY"(1991), which effortlessly mirrored the success of the first. This album contained the smash hits "Slave", "Any Day Above Ground" and "Some People'", plus a reworking of the Aussie Crawl song "Reckless".

James joined country music star James Blundell and recorded the classic Dingoes song "WAY OUT WEST" which exploded into the number 1 position on the Australian charts in 1992.

He next joined Daryl Braithwaite, Jef Scott and Simon Hussey on the very successful album "THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS" in 1993 which included the top 40 hits "Motor City", "Sweet Love" and "Daddy's Gonna Make You A Star".

James then returned to Los Angeles to record with renowned producer Stewart Levine, arriving back in 1994 with the critically acclaimed CD "THE WHIFF OF BEDLAM". The album was a departure in sound for James and featured a more organic sound, complete with brass section. The album spawned the hits "Red Light Avenue", "Day In The Sun" and the final single "It's Only Natural" in 1995.

While touring the album in Australia and overseas during this period, James released the energetic and profilic double Live album titled LIVE IN RIO, recorded in Brazil. A single "Oh No Not You Again" was featured from this CD.

Throughout his career James has appeared in several and varied theatrical, film and television productions and concert events, the more visible of these including "Return To Eden", "Tina; What's Love Got To Do With It?", television drama "State Coroner" and "The Little Shop Of Horrors" (1996)

While signing to Roadshow Music in 1997, James headed into the studio with famed producer and produced a single "Brand New Emperor's Clothes", to be featured on a forthcoming album.

In 1999 James recorded and released the CD "DESIGN FOR LIVING" with friends and brothers Scott and Brett Kingman. Arguably the most critically applauded album of his career, it further cemented his position as a unique, witty, thoughtful and challenging songwriter and singer. This album featured the singles "Wonderful Today", "Not Waving, Drowning" and the classic live favourite "Reno".

2004 saw the completion of "SPEEDBOATS FOR BREAKFAST", released on Liberation Records. It was a self funded project and saw James break free of the record company restrictions and allowed to him to be in control creatively. Radio-only singles "Bug" and "Rainbows Dead End" were featured on this CD.
Rainbows Dead End Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFaXnfZbBAs

As part of the Liberation Blue Accoustic series, James released two highly successgful accoustic albums in recent times. …"AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON"" which allowed James to revisit many of the above titles with little more than a lone acoustic guitar underpinning the most distinctive voice of his generation.
More reworkings of his solo and Australian Crawl material were sounded on "GHOST SHIP" released in 2007.

2007 saw the release of James 8th Studio album. "EVERY MAN A KING" closing a 30-year circle since James first led Australian Crawl into the front line of the Oz rock boom. His eye and pen grew sharper through a platinum-lined solo career, but never have his wit and poignancy been on more consistently solid musical ground than they are here. Stand-out tracks include "Little Man You've Had a Busy Day", "Light In The Tunnel" and "The Postman".

Following a live DVD release in late 2007, titled "One Night In Melbourne", a CD/DVD of the show was available in 2009. The show was filmed and recorded at Melbourne's Palais Theatre and saw James perform 30 songs from his vast catalogue.

One project, titled JAMES REYNE SINGS THE KING has James performing and re-interpreting 14 classic Elvis Presley songs. The album TCB was released in April 2010. A dedicated website has been set up to support the project. http://www.jamesreyneTCB.com

A new album, Thirteen was released in March 2012.

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Fading Hour

Fading Hour is emerging as one of the most promising young bands to hit the Australian music scene. Their sound is dynamic, distinct and lucid, showing influences by everyone from Incubus, Tool, Dredg and Porcupine Tree to likes of Chevelle, Disturbed and The Deftones. Their music is an amalgamation of genres which can best be described as progressive melodic and heavy rock. The Melbourne four piece originally formed back in 2005, when guitarist Peter and drummer Shannon teamed up with Michael on vocals and Jono on bass.

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The Paper and The Plane

The Paper And The Plane are a band from Brisbane, Australia. The band is the result of (now defunct) post hardcore band Asleep at the Scene, merging with solo artist Dan van Zuthpen of chalkandcheese - formerly Nice Guys Finish - in 2006. The name of the group originated from a line in the song ‘A Letter’ by emo/indie band Mineral. Their sound is quite liberally referred to as ‘post-everything’ due to its distinctively hybrid style and vast influences such as Moneen, Mono and Planes Mistaken for Stars.

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Guy Sebastian

Guy Sebastian is a successful Australian singer/songwriter whose recording career was launched spectacularly when he won the inaugural Australian Idol competition in November 2003. Since then Sebastian has released 5 studio albums which have been awarded 10 platinum & 1 gold accreditation for albums, and 8 platinum and 2 gold accreditations for singles. On his 5 albums, Sebastian has collaborated with many fine musicians/artists such as John Mayer, Steve Cropper, Robin Thicke, David Ryan Harris, Brian McKnight and most recently a duet with Jordin Sparks.

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