To celebrate Australia Day, MGM Distribution proudly presents this exclusive summer sampler to showcase the best music from Australia’s hottest home grown acts.
The Waifs: Sun Dirt Water is an album born of time and distance. The geographic space between singer-songwriters Donna Simpson, Vikki Thorn and Josh Cunningham, and the long hiatus since their last studio triumph, Up All Night, created a kind of vacuum that these new songs could hardly wait to fill. On their fifth studio album, The Waifs reach a new benchmark of worldly eclecticism, without surrendering one iota of the homegrown and unaffected heart and soul that's made them one of Australia's most loved and admired musical exports of this century.
An Horse: Kate Cooper and Damon Cox share common interests. And when someone forgets their toothpaste on tour they'll share that too. After one show in Brisbane they were offered a whole lot more including a 2008 US tour with Tegan and Sara. Shortly after an invite on the Death Cab For Cutie Australian tour. They have since signed to a US label and will be touring Australia with Tegan & Sara Jan 2009.
Bonjah: A matchless, powerful mix of folk, reggae and roots. Glenn Mossop’s hypnotic, soulful tones, poetic lyrics and his spine tingling melodies provide a foundation around which BONJAH breathes and pulsates beautifully. BONJAH’s relentless touring have helped them hone a live show that is electrifying audiences across Australia and their debut effort in the studio is set to ignite the nation’s airwaves in 2009.
I Heart Hiroshima: Brisbane band I Heart Hiroshima break and enter your heart with the debut brilliance of Tuff Teef. After clenched teeth, flexed fingers and insisted patience, the album was recorded by Jonboyrock in Sydney at Megaphon, mixed at Velvet Sounds, mastered in New York and reaches back through a musical lineage that starts with The Go-Betweens. Features single Punks. The sound of breaking chairs and stealing hearts.
The Jezabels: Hayley and Heather shared a childhood in Byron Bay on the NSW coastline. When they left their hometown to study, the girls met, and are now joined by, fellow Sydney Uni scholars Nik K and Sam L.. Their sophisticated song writing combines with Hayley’s scorching intensity to make them a potentially iconic group for young people. In their relatively short lifespan they’ve supported some of Australia’s most exciting bands (Regurgitator, Bluejuice, Duke Of Windsor, Van She, Ghostwood, Cassette Kids, Damn Arms, Sparkadia) and played a bunch of great festival gigs, (Playground Weekender, Beachball, Come Together) but the best is most certainly yet to come for this wonderful young band.
Quan: Quan Yeomans from Regurgitator finally delivers his 4 year labour of love on again off again indy hiphop requiem to those heady amateur days. Recorded in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and now making as many music videos as he can. Features The One, Gimme Gimme, And this is what she said..., Year of the Jerk and more. Is this the beat you been looking for?
Blue King Brown: Having shared the global stage with the likes of Santana, Damien ‘Jr gong’ Marley, Julian Marley, The John Butler Trio and Michael Franti & Spearhead to name a few, Blue King Brown bring their cross generational grooves and socially conscious sound. The infectious energy and passion from lead
singer, guitarist and percussionist Natalie Pa'apa'a is a driving musical Force. With recent recording trips to Kingston Jamaica and New York now under their belt, once again pushing genre boundaries, their latest releases are a testament to the rise of one of Australia’s greatest acts.
Skipping Girl Vinegar: Over the past twelve months, a groundswell of interest in the band has seen them invited to play supports for Bob Evans, The Lemonheads (USA), Something for Kate, Shout Out Louds (Sweden), and Old Man River.' SGV recorded their debut album ‘Sift the Noise’ in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and studios across Melbourne, as well as ‘The Lookout’, a beach shack in Aireys Inlet. Testament to the band’s obsession with melody, pop-hook, and the search to stretch their song craft, the result is a dark, warm, organic record that reflects the environments and journey of the band throughout the writing and recording of the album.
Ashleigh Mannix: Ashleigh Mannix is a Canberra born and bred singer songwriter who is a fresh face to the Australian music scene. With her care free nature she is combining folk and pop genres to create a unique blend of music that is attracting both local and global attention. She has performed at local festivals including Woodford, Peats Ridge, Celebrate in the Park & Festival of the Sun. She has also performed extensively overseas including performances in France, Spain, Hawaii and at the prestigious Fuji rock Festival in Japan. She has supported acts including Tim Freedman (the Whitlams), Lior, Ron Sexsmith, Abby Dobson, Toni Childs & Mark Seymour.
Rogerthat: If ever there was a diagonal slide into sweet oblivion that needed magnifying with guitar, bass, drum and electrified amp, Rogerthat are the one to deliver it. They're a spaghetti western act of desperado with both guns blazing moments before the saloon goes down in flames. Since their return from Europe in June 2008 Rogerthat, did a 20 date Aust tour and then spent the best part of the year buried away in their shipping container cum studio working maniacally on their debut album. The first born from these sessions was the pre-pro EP featuring the track Tangerine Bird.
Black Market Rhythm Co.: Their blues-pop combines horns, sharp beats and layered harmonies, wearing influences from The Kinks, The Shins and vintage rock’n’roll on their sleeves. Their independently-released debut album Lo Fi Records Hi Fi Radio came out early 2008 to acclaim from critics and music-lovers. They’ve played a host of top Australian festivals including Big Day Out, Woodford Folk Festival, Festival Of The Sun, Queenscliff Music Festival and now the boys are ready to jump into their pimped 80s van - complete with shag pile interior - for their first national tour bringing their infectious sounds to dance floors across the country.
Regurgitator: Regurgitator headed down south to Brazil during the past year to record their sixth album LOVE AND PARANOIA… welcome to a jungle of 80s inspired, keyboard driven poprock tunes featuring opening track Blood & Spunk. Quan, Ben, Pete, and latest permanent addition Seja Vogel (from Sekiden) on keyboard duty packed their bags and flew into a great unknown to produce one of their most stylistically consistent albums ever.
