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Indie

Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon are a Canadian musical collective from Calgary, Alberta. The band's sound has been compared to Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Camera Obscura, Simon & Garfunkel, and Belle & Sebastian, amongst others. Band leader Mark Hamilton's main lyrical influence is The Kinks. When asked about the band's name, Mark Hamilton explains: "I've always been in love with the word Woodpigeon for as long as I can remember. When you write it in cursive, it looks like a rollercoaster".

The Verlaines

The origins of New Zealand's Verlaines can be traced back as early as 1979, with the group's founder Graeme Downes took direct inspiration from fellow Dunedin group, the Clean to form a band of his own. It wasn't until 1981 that the group made their first public appearance with their initial five-piece line-up. The band have so far released seven full-length albums on three different labels, one mini album, three singles and two compilations.

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M. Ward

Stage name of Portland, Oregon based singer-songwriter Matt Ward. Ward grew up in Newbury Park, CA and attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Ward was previously with the band Rodriguez, which included bassist Kyle Field (of Little Wings fame) and drummer Mike Funk. They recorded and released on cassette Box Plots and Cash Crops and then the album Swing Like a Metronome in 2000. Duet for Guitars #2 was released by Howe Gelb on his Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was put out by Future Farmer Records and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records.

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montpelier

Montpelier create modern indie-pop with purpose and clarity. The four-piece combine close soaring harmonies with fresh electro-synth and sharp rhythms to give a sound that inspires fans of Coldplay, Radiohead, and Arcade Fire alike. Montpelier Rd in Brisbane, Australia, was where Dave Butler, Greg Chiapello, Andrew Stone, and John Pickering formed the band that would revisit the lush sounds and pop writing legacies of past decades and reinvent them for the 2010’s.

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Kooii

The music of Kooii is unique, resting readily in a morphing Australian way of life. Their songs click with many, and the music is held dearly. Kooii breathe, roll and transform. They are a seven-piece collective with a ‘rootsy-tribal-groove’ that is both urban and earthy. Reggae, Jazz and Latin are realised in the sound. The group started some two and a half years ago as a duo of trumpeter Peter Hunt and percussionist Anthony Forrest (who both also play guitar). It has since grown to its present form.

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Vashti Bunyan

Vashti Bunyan is an English singer who was publicized to be the next Marianne Faithfull and the female version of Bob Dylan back in the mid-60s. Several singles were released in the 1960s to some mild success. Bunyan also released the LP, Just Another Diamond Day, in 1970 which consisted of songs written while traveling in a horse drawn gypsy cart. Critics panned the album and a discouraged Vashti soon disappeared from the music scene.

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Cat Power

Charlyn Marie Marshall, also known as Chan (pronounced "Shawn") Marshall, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. on 21 January 1972. After dropping out of high school, she started performing under the name Cat Power, while in Atlanta, backed by musicians Glen Thrasher, Mark Moore, and others. She soon moved to New York City, United States in 1992, then later opening for Liz Phair in 1994, she met Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar, who encouraged her to record, and played on her first two albums, 1995's Dear Sir and 1996's Myra Lee.

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Marnie Stern

Marnie Stern is a New York City, USA musician, songwriter and guitarist. She has garnered much acclaim for her technical skill and finger-tapping style of guitar play. Her début album was "In Advance Of The Broken Arm" (Feb 2007, Kill Rock Stars) and the latest is "Demo" (Jan 2011, Dog Daze Tapes). The début was favourably received by critics, especially The New York Times: "The year's most exciting rock 'n' roll album.

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The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack are an indie rock band which formed in San Diego, California, United States in 2007. They consist of Matt Lamkin (vocals, guitar), Matty McLoughlin (guitar), David Lantzman (bass) and Brian Hill (drums). They were originally known as The Muslims and released one single and a 12" EP on 1928 Recordings under their previous name. As the Soft Pack they have released two EPs. Their self-titled debut LP was released in February 2010.

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teenagersintokyo

teenagersintokyo hail from Sydney, Australia, but are now based in London, UK. Their mix of dark pop has earned them a fearsome reputation, playing sell out shows with !!!, CSS, The Slits, Midnight Juggernauts and the Gossip amongst others. Last year they released their self-titled EP on Back Yard Recordings, the label responsible for finding internationally acclaimed bands Chromeo and Gossip. It was championed by Zane Lowe and the NME (who called it "peculiar and lovely") and sold out in both Australia and the UK.