Ruberlaris are a 5 piece indie-ska outfit with members that hail from both Sheffield and Chesterfield UK. Over the past 12 months the band has grown from strength to strength with recent sellout gigs in Sheffield, Leicester and London. The bands latest EP "Beneath the Spire" sold over 370 copies within the first 2 weeks of being released. On sale in independent stores throuhgout the UK and some stores in the US.
Mike Cooper is a British guitar player, singer and songwriter. Born in 1942 in Reading, Berkshire, UK, Cooper started playing guitar shortly after leaving school in 1958. In 1962, as a singer and harmonica player, he co-founded an R&B band The Blues Committee, with guitarist Paul Manning, guitarist Dicky Reeves and drummer Eddie Page. They played alongside many visiting American blues players in their home town: John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Howling Wolf and others as well as British r&b and blues bands such as Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated.
Singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Darius Mileris ("Nojus") and drummer Asta Mil formed alternative folkrock band NOJUS in 2001, when both moved to Ireland from Lithuania after band AIRIJA, they were in and recorded 5 albums since 1992, disbanded. Still being in band Airija, Nojus recorded two acoustic solo albums "Name" (1998) and "East" (2000). In 2002 and 2006 respectively, albums "Saugok" ("Save") and "Am
Clare Bowditch is a a critically acclaimed, ARIA award-winning singer from Melbourne, Victoria. She came to prominence in 2005 with the release of her second album "What Was Left", which received excellent critical reviews, high rotation airplay on radio station Triple J and moderate commercial success. Her sweet folk-pop style has been compared to that of Cat Power and Beth Orton. Visit the Clare Bowditch website or her Myspace profile.
Armed with a trusty six string, a strapping vocal and an audacious allure, Rob Sawyer’s music unites acoustic genius, punk filth, and deep-seeded reggae. The songs are at once eclectic, haphazard and captivating, drawing on inspiration of adventure so far. They unwind tales from the road, the bike, water, sunshine, possibility, love, loss, and discovery. Moments of aggression excite dancing devotees and radicals yet elements of tranquility balance Sawyer’s ability to conquer a room to pin-drop silence, to enthrall and stun an audience.
Melbourne adventure-muso Rob Sawyer has seen a relentless endeavor so far. Sawyer arrived on the scene at the age of 17 as a young, mop haired, barefoot, acoustic guitar-shredding dude. Few things have changed. At 25, he’s had a haircut, sometimes wears shoes and tends to shred on the guitar even more. Sawyer’s voice evolved strong and compelling to deliver a unique musical one-two combination.
Sawyer’s tour schedule would scare the bejesus out of the most hardened musical zealot. He picked up the guitar at the age of 14, and just three short years later he won the Frankston International Young Guitarist of the year award after, having just turned 17, the first of a slew of awards and accolades as he was often crowned Young Performer of the Year. A word of mouth groundswell grew after larger festival performances such as The Falls Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Pyramid Rock Festival, and Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Adelaide International Guitar Fest, Blues at Bridgetown, and Folk Rhythm and Life. Sawyer has toured extensively in Australia headlining, and built a strong fan bass further afield, touring solo and with his band in France, Holland, Belgium, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Portugal. He’s supported many a high profile act including Willie Nelson, Al Green, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Chris Isaak, Chickefoot (Van Halen, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Joe Satriani), Donavon Frankenreiter, Jeff Martin, The Cranberries, Jeff Lang, Ash Grunwald, and Lior to name a few.
Early 2008 Rob fulfilled an ambition. He rode Australia, East coast to West - a musical tour by bicycle - Known as the “On Ya Bike Tour.” Sawyer loaded up the back of the bike with guitar, tent, and tasty provisions to ride the 4600kms from Melbourne VIC, across the to Perth WA. Performing shows in towns and cities along the way and crossing the Nullarbor Plane during a heat wave to experience intensity and fatigue. This journey showed much inspiration, and education, and won’t be forgotten.
A home studio was built, and over a few months of s`poradic sessions, Rob’s first full-length album came in 2006 – sTUFF. Released through independently owned label Treehouse Records, the album introduced the unforeseen explosive elements Sawyer’s band, and at the same time captures the radiance of Rob’s solo acoustic works of art.
Early 2010 Rob was joined by long time mate Simo McMahon (Bass Guitar) and brand spanker, Anthony Murray (Drums) to record his second album, “Lose Discover.” Due to be released early 2011 the album is a raw and gritty heavy progression, with a clear record of Sawyers tasty acoustic novelty. Sawyer offers a narration of a somewhat lost highway he has traveled in the past years. Personal desires for the absent, questions of identity and love, motivation and bad habit, loss and discovery.
Sawyer and the lads just returned home to Australia from a 4-month European Band onslaught. Living out of their ratty tour van, the boys managed to cover16, 000kms of the continent, and experienced a number of radical circumstances their “trusty” tour van coughed up along the way. First it was busted into and robbed at the beginning of the run, then fell on Rob’s foot during a home mechanics reparation session, and at the tail end of the tour they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, before dumping their 4-wheeled friend in south west France because the engine decided to retire.
On a positive note, this year the Rob Sawyer Band were a part of the French Hossegor Quiksilver Surf Pro, the Lacanau Pro, and Belgium’s Dranouter Folk Festival. Rob opened for Willie Nelson, and Al Green at Paris’s prestigious Olympia Stadium, and also for Chris Issak in Brussels, and The Cranberries in Nice. The Sawyer Band shape “talk of the town” wherever they roll. With crazy new drummer Anthony Murray now on board, throwing out some off the cuff percussive brilliance, and long-time bass player Simo McMahon laying down the law, the band is now at home. Rob and his mates flaunt an unforgettable display of musicianship, friendship, and good-times, ensuring all who witness leave with a grin from ear to ear.
Pollyanna is the name of two musical artists : *Existing in the mid to late 90s, but still popular today, Pollyanna were an Australian indie/alternative rock band. The band consisted of, at various times, Matt Handley, Maryke Stapleton, Ace Moley, Andy Strachan, Shaun Lohoar, Glenn Maynard and Serge Luca.
see here: http://www.amo.org.au/artist.asp?id=1551
They were originally a Sydney band but then later relocated to Melbourne (in 1997).
Canadian singer and songwriter Neil Young includes his personal garage band Crazy Horse ("second best backing band in the world") to make raw and unpolished rock. Their gritty style of rock has influenced countless artists and music styles. Crazy Horse is best known for its long association with Young, despite having released five albums of its own over a 19-year span. It has been co-credited with Young as Neil Young and Crazy Horse on 13 albums, "Live at the Fillmore East" from the 1970 tour (2006) being the last.
