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Erinaki (album launch)

Stavroula Thomopoulou and Kostas Kalamaras are Erinaki, Melbourne's new Greek duet. Apart from their dynamic presence in Melbourne's music scene the duo has undertaken to record their original creations in a new alboum.

Stavroula Thomopoulou spoke to SBS Greek about the duet and project that share the name "Erinaki". The duo has written original songs in Greek and the music draws inspiration from the sounds of Greek music, mostly folk and rebetika, but with a more contemporary twist:

Tiny Habits

Tiny Habits is an American folk-pop group formed in Boston in 2022. The trio consists of Berklee College of Music students Cinya Khan and Maya Rae and alumnus Judah Mayowa.[1] Their first EP, Tiny Things, was released in April 2023. Their debut album All For Something was released May 24th, 2024.[2]

Anita Lester

Anita Lester is an Australian based musician, writer and painter.

Having spent years touring the world with rock outfit ‘Lester The Fierce’, in March 2020, Anita released her debut solo EP ‘Erato’. Whilst the timing of the release was ominous, tracks from the work eventually resonated- notably ‘Wrong Time’ and Anita’s cover of ‘You Want it Darker’ by Leonard Cohen - being picked up by film and television including ‘The Walking Dead’, epiloguing her viral live video of the same song- praised by Leonard himself prior to his death.

In June 2021, Anita released her single ‘Sun and moon and stars’, produced by legendary Australian troubadours, Husky.

Over the last decade and a half, Anita has quietly and gracefully established herself as a force in not only music, but visual art, literature and film.

Her last short film ‘Noch Am Leben (I’m Still Alive)’ was shown in over 50 festivals globally, including multiple Oscar contenders. Additionally it is the winner of 23 award laurels.

Her paintings are irreverent, technical and striking, all with a nod to mythological stories- which is shown in her upcoming book ‘The Seven Palaces of Breath: The Mysteries of the Flying Hobbler‘.

Her most recent official portrait of Flea from the 'Red Hot Chilli Peppers', gaining praise far and wide from artists and critics, including Patti Smith, Cat Power and Chris Rock, to name a few.

Anita is also an accomplished poet and storyteller with her work appearing in over a dozen books. Her musical release ’Erato’ is also accompanied by a book of poetry, including the widely publicised ‘Ode to Oz’.

Though there are many facets to Anita Lester’s art practice, it is all grounded in a unique storytelling style that has a red thread woven throughout with links to death, sex, love, longing, slavery and spirituality.

Anya Anastasia

South Australian songstress Anya Anastasia’s music is a powerful blend of experimental folk and West-African inspired desert rock.

The originality of the songwriting and captivating melodies draw you in to the strange and dreamlike landscapes the music evokes.

Anya's lush arrangements, intricate guitar work and intriguing vocals weave together to create beautifully crafted songs. Her lyrics ask questions about our society, conspiring to stir dissent and environmental action.

Amidst the grind of modern industrial life, her songs transcribe wonders of the natural world.

“A mix of Karen O, Fever Ray and Alison Mosshart" -Scenestr

Anya has performed her original music at Woodford Folk Festival (2019), in SoHo Playhouse New York, the Spiegeltent at Southbank Centre in London, and at many iconic live music venues and festivals around Australia.

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Loz Irwin-Ray

Loz Irwin-Ray is a Melbourne-based musician who specialises in voice, double bass, electric bass and piano.

Loz combines a love for creative expression and connection. She constantly strives to learn, understand and create a wide-variety of music. She finds herself rising to new creative challenges every day. Performing as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist in a number of Melbourne bands, she enjoys effortlessly jumping from one style to the next. Be it straight ahead jazz, earthy folk or free electronic improvisation, Loz maintains an honest, considered and heartfelt approach to her music.

Loz covers plenty of ground in the Melbourne music scene, working as a vocalist, double bassist, electric bassist, pianist, choir director, performer, composer/song-writer, educator, arranger, session musician and curator. She typically plays and writes in genres including folk, jazz, improvisation, blues, pop, funk and neo-soul.

Ry Cooder

Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.

Cooder's solo work draws upon many genres. He has played with John Lee Hooker, Captain Beefheart, Taj Mahal, Gordon Lightfoot, Ali Farka Touré, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, David Lindley, The Chieftains, The Doobie Brothers, and Carla Olson and The Textones (on record and film). He formed the band Little Village, and produced the album Buena Vista Social Club (1997), which became a worldwide hit; Wim Wenders directed the documentary film of the same name (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000.

Cooder was ranked at No. 8 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time",[2] while a 2010 list by Gibson Guitar Corporation placed him at No. 32.[3] In 2011, he published a collection of short stories called Los Angeles Stories.

Lady Lyon

Lady Lyon writes their songs like they make love. Pure, Threatening, Sumptuous nostalgia for the heart that will linger in you long after your feet stop the inevitable two step.

Cowgirl Blues at its finest.

Members
Hayley Lyon
Reece Grogan
Ross Tipper
Helen Henry
Mark Piccles

Minor Gold

Minor Gold are the new Americana-Folk duo featuring ARIA nominated artists Tracy McNeil & Dan Parsons.

Having shared hundreds of stages together for the better part of a decade as respective songwriters and performers, ‘Minor Gold’ is the first official glimpse of this new bonafide songwriting team.

Living in a van in 2020, Parsons and McNeil hightailed it out of Victoria and up to Queensland in two days, just in time to avoid being trapped for the Winter as the first lockdown occurred. Subsequently, the duo wrote the majority what would become their self-titled debut album, whilst holed up in the land of palm trees and perfect weather.

Their sound is replete with masterful harmonies, deft guitar playing with dynamics ranging from the intense restraint of campfire intimacy through to open throttle abandon. We hear the hedonistic groove of early 70’s cosmic Americana, the daydream haze of 60’s folk, and the power and romance of 80’s pop but despite the classic references of yore, it’s undeniably music written for the here and now.

Minor Gold showcased in Kansas City USA at Folk Alliance International before returning to debut live at

Port Fairy Folk Festival in March, followed by an extensive National Australian Tour.

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Zulya Kamalova

Multi award-winning ZULYA KAMALOVA is a multifaceted artist as well as the leading proponent of original Tatar music in Australia and the world. Since her move to Australia in 1991 ZULYA has developed a totally original approach which takes her Tatar and Australian identity to totally new places and in completely new ways. ZULYA has independently produced nine albums to date, including ARIA-nominated elusive (2002) and, together with her band The Children of the Underground – ARIA-winning 3 nights and 2004’s The Waltz of Emptiness (and Other Songs on Russian Themes) both of which upon their release in Europe spent several months in the top 10 of European world music charts. The band’s recent release in collaboration with a visual artist Dilka Bear – a hardcover storybook/album “On Love and Science“ (2015) has received high critical acclaim (including a 5 star review in the Australian). ZULYA‘s most recent release “Alty Kon Yaratu/Six Days Loving” – a collaboration with a Tatar poet Yoldyz Minnullina and Dutch musician Michiel Hollanders has been described as her best yet.

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C.J. Lee

Christopher John (C.J.) Lee: Australian singer/songwriter, guitarist, banjo and harmonica player writes songs channeled through mongrel dogs. Born of the Waratah state in rural NSW, Australia, C.J.Lee performs predominantly as a solo artist drawing influence from blues, Dixieland jazz, vaudeville, folk and country music.

He’s played street corners, folk venues, dive bars, coffee houses, blues clubs, music halls to world renowned festival stages.

When he employs a band, C.J calls upon a select group of musicians to punctuate his bellowing voice and abstract story telling. You'll hear violin responding to the narrative, horns to bring out the bourbon, bull fiddle sliding along with a concoction of drums and percussion, bringing to mind characters such as Tom Waits, C.W Stoneking and Howlin Wolf.

In 2016, Lee relocated to Ontario, Canada and Detriot, Michigan, quickly hustling his way into the Blues & Roots community across Canada and into the US. A troubadour at heart, C.J.Lee finds himself traveling constantly with his suitcase of songs throughout Canada, US and Australia.

His latest album “Hitchcock Sequel” available now on all platforms and on ‘limited edition' RED vinyl.