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Parkway Drive

Parkway Drive is an Australian melodic metalcore band.

The band formed in the summer of 2003, their name coming from the street they used to practice on in their home town of Byron Bay, Australia. Not long after they had formed, they released a split EP with Adelaide band I Killed The Prom Queen. Later that year, the band also made an appearance on the Byron Bay Hardcore compilation What We've Built, preceded by their debut EP, Don't Close Your Eyes.

In May 2005 the PwD headed to the USA to record their debut album with renowned metal producer, Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (who is responsible for acclaimed releases from the likes of Unearth, August Burns Red, Underoath and Johnny Truant.)

Since the release of Don't Close Your Eyes, Parkway Drive have rapidly accumulated a loyal fanbase Australia-wide, courtesy of support slots for international acts including Hatebreed, In Flames, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, Alexisonfire, and performances at Metal for The Brain 2005 and Australia's Hardcore 2005. They have built quite a strong reputation within the music industry, this led to their signing with Epitaph record label.
In June 2006 they released Killing With a Smile in the United States during August of that year.

In late May 2006, second bass player Shaun Cash left the band for personal reasons with the full support of the rest of the members. The band soon found a replacement in their "merch guy" and long-time friend, Jia "Pie" O'Connor. Now a permanent part of the line-up, he played with them for the rest of their first international tour in the United Kingdom, and Europe, and later dates in the United States.

In October 2006, they were billed as the Australian contingent on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, playing alongside Anti-Flag, Underoath, Thursday, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday and Saosin. During November and December 2006, they appeared at the Homebake Festival, Sound Fest, Resist Records' tour, Soundwave Festival and Gravity G Festival before returning to the UK and Europe.

On 3 March 2007, a new song was previewed to a crowd at Underworld entitled "The Siren's Song". The song would later feature on Horizons. They were placed on the bill for the U.S. Vans Warped Tour 2007 as the only Australian band on the tour. On 15 August, Winston McCall appeared in an interview on the short.fast.loud show on Australia's Triple J Radio station in which he previewed a track off Horizons entitled "Boneyards".

Horizons was released on 6 October 2007. The album was generally acclaimed by critics and fans alike; especially Blunt Magazine, who wrote that the album 'simply slays from the get go' and awarded it 10/10, and planet-loud.com, which suggested that it would 'set the benchmark for metal albums to come'. It debuted at number 6 on the ARIA Charts. After the release of Horizons, the band toured through the US, Australia and Europe with such bands such as Killswitch Engage, Bury Your Dead, Darkest Hour and others.

In February/March 2008, Parkway teamed up with Byron Bay bands/friends 50 lions and Word Up!, to complete the Surf Rats Tour of east coast Australia. This tour (travelling to towns not listed on the standard touring circuit) was based around surfing big surf spots on the way.

On 12 December 2008 while performing at UNSW Roundhouse, Parkway Drive announced that they were filming a DVD of the show, which would include footage of the performance and a few songs from other bands featured in the Sweat Fest Tour. On 18 January 2009, Parkway Drive announced their headlining US tour with Stick to Your Guns and Mychildren Mybride. On 28 January to 1 February 2009, Parkway Drive went on a tour in Japan with Shai Hulud and Crystal Lake. Parkway Drive played at the 2009 Bamboozle Lineup at the Giant's Stadium parking lots; as well as being confirmed at 2009's Download Festival.

In May 2009, Parkway Drive announced that they would be releasing a live DVD and an Australian tour was also announced with August Burns Red and Architects in support of it. It was on this tour that the band performed a new song entitled "Unrest."

Discography:
Albums
- 2005 - Killing with a Smile (Resist Records, Epitaph Records)
- 2007 - Horizons (Resist Records, Burning Heart Records, Epitaph Records)
- 2010 - Deep Blue (Resist Records, Epitah Records, Burning Heart)
- 2012 - Atlas (Resist Records, Epitah Records, Burning Heart)
- 2015 - I.R.E.
- 2018 - Reverence
Other Releases:
- 2003 - Split EP with I Killed The Prom Queen
- 2004 - Donâ€™t Close Your Eyes EP (Resist Records)
- 2006 - Donâ€™t Close Your Eyes (Reissue) EP (Resist Records)
- n/a - â€œWhat Weâ€™ve Builtâ€ BBHC compilation
- 2006 - Smoke â€˜Em If Ya Got â€˜Em (Resist Records)
- 2007 - Boneyards (Resist Records)
- 2009 - Parkway Drive: The DVD

Members:

Current:
Winston McCall - Vocals
Ben Gordon - Drums
Jeff Ling - Guitars
Luke Kilpatrick - Guitars
Jia O'Connor - Bass

Former:
Brett Versteeg - Bass
Shaun Cash - Bass

Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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Minibikes

Minibikes are a band from Melbourne, Australia. Members of the band are:
<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marcel+Borrack" class="bbcode_artist">Marcel Borrack</a> (Guitar and Vocals)
Al Barden (Drums)
Libby Chow (Keyboard and Vocals)
Nathan Farrelly (Bass and Vocals).
Rob Mackenzie is an occasional contributor on guitar. Libby Chow has worked with <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Clare+Bowditch" class="bbcode_artist">Clare Bowditch</a>, as a member of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Clare+Bowditch+and+The+Feeding+Set" class="bbcode_artist">Clare Bowditch and The Feeding Set</a>, while <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marcel+Borrack" class="bbcode_artist">Marcel Borrack</a> has released two albums under his own name. Links:
Minibikes website: <a href="http://www.theminibikes.com.au" rel="nofollow">www.theminibikes.com.au</a>

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Winnie Coopers

The Winnie Coopers are a five piece hip-hop group from the Gold Coast, Australia consisting of MC's The Educator and Eloquence, Young Tubs on bass and DJ Bigbad. They creat music they describe as "geeky hip hop guaranteed to get cabooses shaking" combining a laid back style with sweet party tunes and lyrics that all nerds can relate to. They have released one album - Being Different on the Starving Kids label.

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Blue King Brown

Hailed by Santana as “The voice of the street and the band of the future!" The 8 to 11 piece powerhouse band that is 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 that has led BKB through an impressive touring history playing major festivals and venues in Australia through to USA, CANADA, JAPAN and EUROPE.

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Shane Howard

A driving force behind the band Goanna when in 1982 they released the album "Spirit of Place" which contained the hit single "Solid Rock". After the release of their second album the band went their separate ways and Shane launched a successful solo career as a folk, country rock artist. Songs he wrote have also been recorded by artists such as John Farnham and Mary Black.

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Spiderbait

Spiderbait are an alternative rock band formed in 1991 in Finley, New South Wales, Australia which consists of Mark "Kram" Maher (drums, lead vocals), Janet English (bass, vocals) and Damien Whitty (guitar). They have had two top ten albums and another three albums reach the Australian top 40. Their song Buy Me a Pony was #1 on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1996, and the group enjoyed success with their 2004 #1 Australian hit cover of Black Betty.

When you have as big a celebrity fan as Stephen King, you must be doing something right! The three-piece from Finley, New South Wales, Australia, often jump genres from disco-pop (Stevie, Calypso) to mutant dance (Arse Huggin' Pants) - in the course of a single album, no less. And yet, they still manage to rock like mofos (Shazam!, Outta My Head, and - of course - their cover of Black Betty).

The three band members Mark Maher or "Kram" (drums and vocals), Damien Whitty or "Whitt" on guitar and Janet English on bass/vocals come from the small town Finley in southern New South Wales where they jammed together in their youth.

The band moved to Melbourne, Australia where Kram was studying at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Music. The band played its first gig at a loungeroom for a friend's party. The band soon became part of Melbourne's punk scene playing gigs at venues like the Tote Hotel in Collingwood, Victoria. They released their first single Circle K on Au-Go-Go Records with an EP titled P'tang Yang Kipper Bang Uh! following in 1992. The band's first album Shashavaglava was released in 1992. 'Shashavaglava' means 'dickhead' in Croatian. This album featured the songs Old Man Sam and a cover of English comedians The Goodies' song Run.

Spiderbait signed with Polydor Records and released their first album with the new label, their second album overall, named The Unfinished Spanish Galleon of Finley Lake in 1995. The album reached #14 on the Australian charts with singles Monty and Jesus receiving extensive airplay on Triple J. The album title refers to an unfinished project by the Finley Rotary Club, which became a venue for teenage drinking in their home town.

Their third album Ivy and the Big Apples was released in 1996, reached #3 and sold over 180,000 copies in Australia. Their first single Buy Me a Pony received extensive airplay on Triple J resulting in listeners voting it as their favourite song of the year. The second single Calypso also achieved commercial airplay, and reached #13 in the Australian singles charts in 1997.

In 1998, Janet English and her then boyfriend Quan Yeomans of Regurgitator recorded an album as Happyland. Around the same time, Kram and Richie Lewis of Tumbleweed released their own side-project the Hot Rollers - so named as both member's mothers were hairdressers. The Hot Rollers only album (self-titled) was released through Polydor.

Spiderbait returned together in 1999 with the album Grand Slam which also debuted at #10 on the Australian album charts.

Despite good airplay for the Grand Slam singles Shazam! and Stevie, their 2001 album The Flight of Wally Funk was a commercial flop, only selling 20,000 copies. The album was recorded in Whitt's living room.

Spiderbait recorded the Tonight Alright album in Los Angeles with producer Sylvia Massy who had worked with acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Tool, System of a Down and Skunk Anansie. The first single Black Betty was a cover version of the old Leadbelly song which became a hit in 1977 when covered by Ram Jam. The single reached #1 after 10 weeks in the singles chart in May 2004 (after debuting at #12), and stayed there for three weeks, becoming their biggest selling single ever. The film clip featured a hot rod similar to the car on the ZZ Top Eliminator. The song also made the soundtrack to the Electronic Arts video game Need for Speed: Underground 2. Tonight Alright was released on 28 March 2004, and debuted and peaked at #14. The second single Fucken Awesome debuted in the top 30 on June 28 2004. Interscope Records signed the band in 2004 to distribute Tonight Alright in the US and UK.

At the 2004 ARIA awards, Kram performed as part of the supergroup The Wrights, featuring members of many other Australian rock bands.

In September 2005 they released a Greatest Hits collection to reveal their back catalogue to younger fans who were caught up by Black Betty. This debuted at #6 and received a Gold Accreditation.

The band went on hiatus March 2005 after bassist Janet English gave birth to her daughter and planned a cycling tour across Europe. More recently Kram had announced plans of a solo album to be released sometime in 2006.

On 18 November 2006 the band performed at the Queensland Council of Unions organised Rock the Vote! concert in Brisbane after a nine month hiatus from touring. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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Jordie Lane

Jordie Lane is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter who is widely regarded as a leading light of the Australia’s folk and alt-country music scenes. Blending the dark romanticism of Bruce Springsteen, the country swagger of Gram Parsons and the versatility of Ryan Adams, Jordie creates music that pushes boundaries while remaining universally accessible. A dynamic live performer, Jordie’s stage show centres around his story-telling and crowd interaction.

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Loren

LOREN is the name for more than an artists. 1. LOREN is the performer of some songs from the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies as well as the opening and ending theme songs of SEGA's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II games. 2. LOREN -: AUSTRALIAN based singer/songwriter. Down to earth and humble, Loren is a hard-working troubadour revealing a musical ambition that dazzles. Courtesy of five releases and a huge live presence, he is a testament to what one can create within an independent music scene.

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Stone Parade

The voicemail is simple "Just past the laundromat then turn left, you'll hear us when you get there". Alex is a man of few words. Inside a poorly lit factory, behind walls of guitars, old paintings and broken amps I find drummer Billy Handley hanging out his washing and cleaning up dirty dishes which have been left on the sink against his wishes. He's not a happy camper as his sign above the sink clearly states "Wash up your own stuff morons!" You see...

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