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:: Sunset Sounds 2011

By: Carmine Pascuzzi

Sunset Sounds’ smooth grooves and fine rockin’ tunes are warming up for this hot summer festival – back for the third year in 2011 after sell out shows the past two years running. Set under the lush green canopies of Brisbane’s magnificent City and Botanic Gardens, this gathering of superfine artists from near and far will be sure to put the rock in your roll and the funk in your soul.

The darkly atmospheric indie rock of INTERPOL (USA); the undeniably iconic, unrelentingly cool, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS (USA) bringing us raw rock ‘n’ roll passion; London based whiz-kids, KLAXONS (UK) playing their epic new album; one of Australia's greatest living rock bands, THE LIVING END; raw and reflective, with deep musical and lyrical wonders, THE NATIONAL (USA); one of the nation’s loved purveyors of harmonic rural pop, ANGUS AND JULIA STONE; the psychedelic circus of TAME IMPALA.

Legends of rhyme, PUBLIC ENEMY (USA) performing in full their masterpiece ‘Fear of a Black Planet’ on the 20 year anniversary of its release; superwoman of pop, LADYHAWKE (NZ); the piano based indie blues, manic vocals and irresistible lyrical crescendos of COLD WAR KIDS (USA); with their stripped back garage rock THE SOFT PACK (USA); duo SLEIGH BELLS (USA) with their jagged, dance punk take on bubblegum pop; PEACHES (USA), bringing her one woman travelling show down under once again for a special DJ/Karaoke/Performance Art set.

Modern icon of Australian music, PAUL KELLY; KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS’ (UK) quirky blend of vintage inspired rockabilly, swing and country; THE COOL KIDS (USA) bring their brand of classic hip hop; Senegalese rappers DAARA J FAMILY (AFR) with their afro-beats and reggae inspired sounds; indie-pop, fabulous foursome, HOT HOT HEAT (CAN).

Jagged grunge punk rockers, CHILDREN COLLIDE; the stunning harmonies of Townsville’s THE MIDDLE EAST; indie melodies of CLOUD CONTROL; the dense harmonies and brooding arrangements of BOY AND BEAR; sailing right into the heart of Sunset Sounds, YACHT CLUB DJs bring their churning, energetic set; revel in the heavenly sounds of Australia’s pop darling, WASHINGTON; the furious guitar picking and gravel soaked vocals of blues singer CHARLIE PARR.

JUNIP (SWE) featuring Jose Gonzales (vocals and guitar), Tobias Winterkorn (keyboards) and Elias Araya (drums); for the first time in Australia behold the shimmering brightness of Californian four-piece, THE MORNING BENDERS (USA); downright funk and soul from THE BAMBOOS; flamenco and live Latin Cuban percussion from TIJUANA CARTEL; an eclectic, infamous DJ set from Vampire Weekend’s CHRIS BAIO (USA).

Dates - January 5 & 6, 2011
Venue - Sunset Sounds combining the Garden Stage in the Botanic Gardens and the Riverstage in the City Gardens, Brisbane, Queensland
Tickets - 18+ event. Available from Ticketmaster

Sunset Sounds - First line-up 2011
INTERPOL (USA), JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS (USA), KLAXONS (UK), THE LIVING END;, THE NATIONAL (USA), ANGUS AND JULIA STONE, TAME IMPALA, PUBLIC ENEMY (USA), LADYHAWKE (NZ), COLD WAR KIDS (USA), THE SOFT PACK (USA), SLEIGH BELLS (USA), PEACHES (USA) DJ/Karaoke/Performance Art set, PAUL KELLY; KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS’ (UK), THE COOL KIDS (USA),DAARA J FAMILY (AFR), HOT HOT HEAT (CAN), CHILDREN COLLIDE, THE MIDDLE EAST, CLOUD CONTROL, BOY AND BEAR, YACHT CLUB DJs, WASHINGTON, CHARLIE PARR; JUNIP (SWE), THE MORNING BENDERS (USA), THE BAMBOOS, TIJUANA CARTEL, CHRIS BAIO (USA).

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**Update as at December 9, 2010**

At the beginning of November Sunset Sounds came together with a bunch of Brisbane music’s most supportive media outlets, to shine the light on local artists through the Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative. A month later the Brisbane music community confirmed our previous observations about the passion and talent of local artists and their fans in the Sunshine State. With thousands and thousands of votes streaming in for the fostered bands, it was a very tight margin that separated Charlie Mayfair, Ball Park Music, Inland Sea and The Liars Chair.

In the end, six-piece percussive folk-pop outfit, Charlie Mayfair http://www.myspace.com/charliemayfair and progressive indie rockers Ball Park Music http://www.myspace.com/musicfromtheballpark just got there, scoring the two opening spots on the Sunset Sounds 2011 line up alongside Interpol, Public Enemy, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Klaxons, The National and heaps more!

Updated Sunset Sounds Line-Up 2011
INTERPOL (USA), JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS (USA), KLAXONS (UK), THE LIVING END; THE NATIONAL (USA), ANGUS AND JULIA STONE, TAME IMPALA, PUBLIC ENEMY (USA) performing in full their masterpiece ‘Fear of a Black Planet’, LADYHAWKE (NZ), COLD WAR KIDS (USA), THE SOFT PACK (USA), SLEIGH BELLS (USA), PEACHES (DJ Show) (USA), PAUL KELLY, KITTY, DAISY AND LEWIS (UK), THE COOL KIDS (USA),DAARA J FAMILY (AFR), HOT HOT HEAT (CAN), ASH GRUNWALD, CHILDREN COLLIDE, THE MIDDLE EAST, CLOUD CONTROL, BOY AND BEAR, YACHT CLUB DJs, WASHINGTON, CHARLIE PARR, JUNIP (SWE), THE MORNING BENDERS (USA), THE BAMBOOS, TIJUANA CARTEL, CHARLIE MAYFAIR, BALL PARK MUSIC, CHRIS BAIO (VAMPIRE WEEKEND) DJ SET (USA).

Dates: Wednesday January 5 and Thursday, January 6, 2011
Venue: Sunset Sounds combining the Garden Stage in the Botanic Gardens and the Riverstage in the City Gardens, Brisbane QLD
Tickets: 18+ event. On sale now from Ticketmaster

For more information, visit
www.sunsetsounds.com.au