sunday studio live

[From Ben's MySpace]

Hi I'm Ben.

Welcome to our myspace. We're a baby band. We have no official band name. I've been calling it Ben Manusama and his friends. Somewhat lame but hopefully our music's good enough to warrant a second visit.

I'm a singing storyteller from Melbourne, Australia with three amazingly talented friends who are helping me perform my songs and tell my stories. We're having a whole lot of fun and what with a four-piece that includes piano, ukulele, mandolin, guitar, flute and djembe we sound like nothing you've ever heard. As the gigs start rolling in and the new recordings go up feel free to say hello as often as you can.

Honestly thanks for stopping by. I don't know if you saw us at a gig, if you're a family member, close friend or just hacking the myspace mainframe but we're grateful you found us.

Lets be friends.

http://www.myspace.com/talesofben

From working with orphans in Uganda, to working with street kids in inner-city Melbourne, Levi McGrath demonstrates a passionate commitment to changing the world for the better that goes well beyond his years. He is passionately committed to the belief that music is one of the most powerful influences in the world. That's why he aims for his music to motivate and inspire a new generation of people who are willing to stand up and make a difference.

Born in 1986 in regional Victoria, Levi grew up as the son of an itinerant pastor and began writing songs from age 12. Levi's lyrics portray stories and perspectives of modern life, drawing from a well of personal experiences. Levi's honest and straightforward music provides the basis for people to relate and seek out truth and purpose in their own lives. 'My target is lives,' he enthuses, 'I want for my music to impact people's hearts and change people's lives. I want to be a voice of challenge to inspire people to open up their hearts to a bigger world.'

www.levimcgrath.com

Cellist, composer, arranger and general musician person, I do gigs with a wide variety of groups from experimental to pop, jazz, contemporary and classical. I've written music for film, art films Artesian and Reception and a feature Lost and Found (Apra Nominated) - and I write string arrangements for bands like Dan Brodie, Kram, Millionaire Souls, Lou Bennett and the Sweet Cheeks, Naked Raven, 67Special, Creech and Germany's Colourblind. I've toured extensively through Europe, the Balkans, Australia, South Africa and America with the David Chesworth ensemble, Geminiani Orchestra, Naked Raven, Skin String Quartet and Aphids. My favourite places to play have been New York, Berlin, Johanesburg, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Dubrovnik.

Currently I run the Silo String Quartet - a contemporary/jazz string quartet that does alot of new works by established and emerging composers - and I play with Raga Dolls Salon Orchestra, Dead Horse Band, David Chisholm, Aphids, Libra Ensemble, Millionaire Souls, Kane Alexander and anyone else who needs a live or recording cellist like Sophie Koh, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, John Butler, Missy Higgins, Fiona Burnett and Belinda Moody.

www.myspace.com/caerwenmartin

www.myspace.com/osh10music

After years of playing to crowds in Austin, Vecera moved to Los Angeles to gain broader exposure while recording his debut album. Promoting Another Night Somewhere Else, he played Hollywood venues including The Roxy, 14 Below and The Gig and gained a loyal and significant fan base.

Now living in Melbourne and working with local producer Scott Kingman, Thomas Vecera is releasing his latest and highly anticipated offering, Strange Company. This mostly acoustic based set of songs continues to set Thomas apart as one of Melbourne's most original and unique songwriters.

www.myspace.com/thomasvecera

Hey it’s Ben.

So if you’re here chances are you’re related to me or you’re a friend of a friend who’s related to me or maybe you were at one of my supporting gigs or maybe you’re just one of those randoms who surfs the myspace world and comes across obscure musical artists such as myself.

Whatever your excuse/reason thanks for stopping by. As you can see the space is empty - as it is I’m writing this with all of 2 friends in my friends list - but I’m hoping that the page will fill as time goes on with funny stories, moments and of course melodies.

Right now I’m just a guy with a ukulele who can play the piano and has three remarkably talented friends who want to help me sing my songs. I hope to become one of those guys who sings to more than just his family and friends one day but for now I’m just glad you found me and I hope you like my music. Lets be friends.

Stay tuned and all that for updated, in-depth band bios and songs and the like. Sweet.

http://www.myspace.com/talesofben

The initial trio formed in 2003 playing cover songs by artists like Jack Johnson and The Beautiful Girls. Now, having branched out to provide their own originality to their music, and having picked up a trumpet and keys player on the way, Finally Original are finally original.

Influences include Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, The Beautiful Girls, Symbiosis, and many more...

www.myspace.com/finallyoriginal

Jessica Paige is a 22 year old Melbourne singer/songwriter captivating audiences around Australia with her special brand of “jazzy alt pop that is sophisticated beyond her years” (Rolling Stone). Jessica started off busking at fourteen on city streets and is still often heard in Bourke Street Mall entertaining appreciative audiences who emerge from office blocks in the hope that she is busking that day.

Last year, Jessica and her band of Paige Boys received an award from another well known ex-busker, John Butler, through his JB Seed program that assists outstanding emerging artists. Add to that an APRA award and various other national and international accolades and Jessica is well on her way to making a mark on the independent musician landscape. Her two EP releases have each received awards for the quality songs. LiveGuide in Sydney said “Really great songs, exquisitely written and performed with composure and passion.”

Now working on her first album with the assistance of an Australia Council Grant, Jessica is determined the process will capture her vision for the beauty of the songs and justify the opinion of her admirers. The illustrious Music Network magazine for music industry insiders said “Jessica Paige has the most heavenly voice we have heard all year and gorgeous lyrics to match! Don’t miss her.”

Jessica has several festival performances this summer, including the huge St Kilda Festival, where she was noticed in 2006 through the Live & Local program and was filmed performing by Foxtel and then interviewed for their “Launch of Legends” documentary. The St Kilda Festival has been instrumental in assisting outstanding local acts, such as the Cat Empire, catapult off into stardom.

www.myspace.com/jessicapaigemuso

I'm a singer songwriter from Melbourne Australia. I'm originally from Ballarat, where I was lucky enough to be brought up in a house where good music was constantly around me.

While my dad isn't extremely musical (he likes playing lots of consecutive minor chords on the piano!), My mum is definately a musical soul. She can sing play guitar and piano and loves percussion and making noise. This has rubbed off to some extent and I too enjoy making music. I have also learnt alot from my uncle Phil Sidebottom. I am constantly amazed by his ability to play any instrument he picks up, while also being a master of the harmonica!

Growing up, I was luckily enrolled at a school that encouraged music and I met some amazing people, some of which can play music extremely well. Through those people I was introduced to a lot of music from around the world that began to shape they way I sound as a musician. I moved to Melbourne in 2001 to do some University. I was floored by the cultural and musical diversity that was on offer in this great city!

I have been lucky enough to enjoy some time playing music on stage at some of Melbourne's best venues I adore playing my own songs and listening to what my friends and other local artists are producing. I feel extremely lucky to be a grain of sand in the wonderful musical beach that is Melbourne's live music scene.

www.myspace.com/jamesandthesidebottomband

In March 2004, drummer Trent Bryson-Dean sat in on a gig with a jazz band called SCAT. He was very quickly impressed with the playing of Chris Poulsen (Fender Rhodes) that day and vowed to Chris and bassist Jeremy O'Connor that he would book a gig for the trio as soon as he possibly could.

True to his word, Trent was able to secure a gig at the Brisbane Powerhouse five months later in August. (With great wisdom he chose to name the group Chris Poulsen Trio rather than name the group after himself - a mere drummer!) The gig proved to be a great success, was recorded by the band and a four track ep of the show was released for sale at gigs.

'I don't know if the guys believed me when I said that I would book us a gig, but nevertheless we were all very excited by the obvious chemistry and interplay that was going on! We knew that we had become a band and that we had started to play the music that was closest to each of our hearts,' said Bryson-Dean.

With an energetic stage presence and an intriguing approach to composition, it's not hard to see why the Chris Poulsen Trio has gained such a large following. The group combines funk, fusion, latin and bebop influences, resulting in an artistic and original sound. Though only an instrumental three piece, their music is full of dynamic colour and texture, engaging audiences of a wide variety.

www.myspace.com/chrispoulsentrio

Kim Beales is a voice that is familiar, but at the same time remarkably strange; he makes music that feels like you are wearing your favourite pair of trackie pants amongst tails and top hats, like finding a Vegemite sandwich in the deep dark back streets of Chennai, like a Whisper in the middle of the night...

Beales released his first piece of the recording pie in 2002. The self released A Day In The Dream caught the attention of the local music world, one such was Neala from Beat Magazine, who suspected that Beales may one day have "a cult following all of his own in the future". The release of this EP coincided with the formation of Melbourne indie collective, Tien An Min along with acts like Broken Flight and Tamas Wells.

After a 3 year hiatus of gigging in some of Melbourne's favourite band rooms and travelling the globe, Beales thought enough was enough, and recorded his first full length album, The Whispers. If an artist can be gentle and yet upfront at the same time, Beales is that very thing. Alongside songs of everyday life, Beales engages intelligently with Australian refugee issues and also interacts with the poetry of a prisoner in Nazi Germany. One thing Beales could never be accused of is being shallow! His passionate and intimate words are set across the backdrop of a variety of melodic soundscapes.

In a world of sound and noise, be sure to hear the whispers.

www.myspace.com/kimbeales

Justin's parents desperately sent him to ballet class, after he had screamed for the first two years of his life, but it was evident early on that his unusual horse-dancing techniques were not going to flourish into a long ballet career, so they withdrew him and bought him his first long-awaited violin.

From there the road layed itself out before him, as he devoted most of his childhood to singing at the tops of trees, picking flowers, and connecting his soul to the collection of stringed intruments which he grew in his room. When he reached the age of a man, he left the orchestra, joined a funk band, and fell in love with the singer.

With a journey in mind, he stuffed a few clothes, some notebooks, a camera, a guitar and some paintbrushes in a bag, and left England with wide eyes and an open heart. For a year he wondered around Europe, America, Canada and Australia, searching the edges for the marginal people, taking photographs of the desert, singing with monks, climbing mountains, and recording all the sounds and musicians he found on his shiny apple laptop. The new album, Francesco, is the result of this journey and is available on Exploding Tree Records.

www.justingrounds.com/

Gabriel Lynch is regarded as one of Melbourne's most talented young musicians. Having performed from an incredibly young age, Lynch's songs reflect his diverse stylistic influences, as well has his intrinsic ability to craft beautiful, bold, and often groove driven music.

When on stage with his 5-piece group, The Gabriel Lynch Band, Lynch and his bandmates deliver their unique blend of alternative-indie-pop with unfaltering energy. BEAT magazine described the ensemble as "a fun, good-time band with lots of heart and ample talent".

With the increasing buzz that is continuing to generate around them, as well as the acclaim that they consistently attract, it won't be long before you too become a fan of The Gabriel Lynch Band.

www.myspace.com/gabriellynch

With their first performance series occurring in 2004, The Phonos Project is rapidly developing a reputation for virtuosic performances of works from the contemporary music repertoire. Ranging from world premieres of the latest offerings in classical music to music by established composers such as Iannis Xenakis and Karlheinz Stockhausen, the members of The Phonos Project are dedicated to presenting works of emerging composers from Australia and beyond.

www.myspace.com/thephonosproject

Danny Burton was the 2006 runner up in the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society 'Blues player of the year competition' with the winner being Nick Charles.

Danny released his 1st album 'Take A Step Back' at the end of 2005 which is available at musicplug.net and select leading Edge stores. The album includes 3 other great musicians being Les Oldman on drums, Paul Gadsby on Bass guitar and Chris 'darkie' Wilson on keyboards. Chris also engineered and produced the album. Danny is currently performing as a solo act building a strong presence in the roots and blues scene. He has been sharing festival bills with the likes of Chris Wilson, Ash Grunwald, Mia Dyson, Collards Greens and Gravy and Shane Howard to name a few. Danny blends acoustic guitar, lapsteel, stompbox and a strong vocal to produce a strong solo sound.

Several tracks off 'Take A Step Back' also received votes at the 2006 Vic/Tas blues awards held in Melbourne. The 1st track,'Run Home To Mumma' is to be featured on the current Bar Promotions compilation C.D. which will be promoted internationally to over 350 radio stations spanning from the U.S.A. to France. Danny performs his original songs at shows as well as some favourite blues and roots tunes. Keep an eye out for Danny's shows and be sure to go along and check him out!

www.myspace.com/dannyburtonblues

[From Liz's MySpace Bio... ]

I'm always struck a bit dumb when it gets to this bit. I want to say something zany or profound & somehow manage to become unforgettable in a paragraph. Thankfully I've been around myspace long enough to realise that no one is THAT zany or profound & no one is unforgettable. Every one is entirely unique though.

I'm a girl. I play the double bass.

I sing in public toilets & I'm not afraid to cry. I laugh a lot more though.

I'm often told that when I play I have a really shiny smile & that I look like I'm dancing a particularly sexy tango with my bass. His name is Sebastian. He was made for me by Neville Whitehead who is very clever. If you want to meet Neville go to www.nevillewhitehead.com If you want to meet Sebastian & me come to one of our gigs. If you live too far away you can visit us on the net at www.lizfrencham.com.

This is also a really good place to buy an album (also available at www.cdbaby.com) & help me to pay all the bits of paper that come to my letter box with red outlines around the amount owing section.

www.myspace.com/lizfrencham

www.marcelborrack.com

Rosario plays exclusively acoustic nylon string guitar. He combines
Mediterranean sounds with other musical styles with tonalities of flamenco music, the textures of classical music, the melodic nature of folk music, the improvisation of jazz and the rhythms of modern popular music, into one seemingly complete whole.

His style is something between melodious picking and rhythmic percussive playing. The general impression is aggressive and experimental. He adds a lot of influences into his tunes but it always sounds somehow rooted in the Mediterranean, yet with a unique flavour to it.

www.rosariodemarco.com/

A gifted writer with a command of his instrument well beyond his years, Matt has received a number of honours in his short career including numerous placing's in battle of the band competitions and his composition 'Dakota' was short listed in the top 10 of 'Rock it', a National Youth Week talent competition. Also he's been listed twice in the top 40 for the MusicOz awards.

Since turning professional, he's appeared on several festival bills including the Globe to Globe World Music Festival and the Frankston International Guitar Festival as well as shows in venues right across Melbourne, supporting blues legends such as Lloyd Spiegel, Phil Para, Jimi Hocking and Dutch Tilders. Matt has appeared on community radio and television to push his upcoming debut EP and is constantly writing new material.

www.myspace.com/mattkatsis

From working with orphans in Uganda, to working with street kids in inner-city Melbourne, Levi McGrath demonstrates a passionate commitment to changing the world for the better that goes well beyond his years. He is passionately committed to the belief that music is one of the most powerful influences in the world. That's why he aims for his music to motivate and inspire a new generation of people who are willing to stand up and make a difference.

Born in 1986 in regional Victoria, Levi grew up as the son of an itinerant pastor and began writing songs from age 12. Levi's lyrics portray stories and perspectives of modern life, drawing from a well of personal experiences. Levi's honest and straightforward music provides the basis for people to relate and seek out truth and purpose in their own lives. 'My target is lives,' he enthuses, 'I want for my music to impact people's hearts and change people's lives. I want to be a voice of challenge to inspire people to open up their hearts to a bigger world.'

www.levimcgrath.com