New Zealand's biggest export, Crowded House, who shot to fame in 1986 with the release of debut single Don't Dream It's Over. They subsequently went on to have phenomenal success with singles such as Fall At Your Feet, Weather With You and Four Seasons In One Day. Their 1996 singles-compilation album, Recurring Dream reached Number One around the world and became an instant modern classic.
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Listed on Ents24.com since: Jan 2007
Laid-back hip-hop grooves from the East Coast rapper aka Shawn Corey Carter who made the anthemic 'Hard Knock Life'. One of the most prolific and successful American rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, maintaining both commercial appeal and street credibility.
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This is the real deal. Having learnt about the hobo lifestyle early on in life (via many a freight train) Steve 'Seasick' Wold has developed a vivid and wholly authentic folk-blues style. He's been playing music professionally since the 1970s and still has it today.
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Listed on Ents24.com since: Sep 2005
A young gifted singer-songwriter described by Q Magazine as 'A major talent in waiting'. Formerly a military captain (leading 30,000 peacekeeping troops), he left the army in 2002 to concentrate on music full-time. Whilst he was initially nervous about this, the gamble seems to have paid off, spawning a collaboration with producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy), an album released by Custard Records ('Back To Bedlam') and a series of sold out shows across the UK.
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French born and of Spanish origin, Manu Chao's music is a multi-cultural embrace of musical styles, flavours and rhythms. Singing in French, Spanish and English with distinct African and Southern American influences, he is best known for his tongue-in-cheek protest songs, resistance to the temptations of mass marketing, and for making some of the most fun and danceable music around.
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The Welsh rock 'n' roller who burst into the charts at the beginning of the '80s had, in fact, been paying his musical dues for many years. His first UK hit was Hot Dog in 1980, featuring Albert Lee on guitar, and this was followed in 1981 by a cover of the Rosemary Clooney hit from the 1950s, This Ole House - and all in the face of the punk, New Wave, New Romantics and growing electronica scene. Shaky has won countless prestigious music industry awards and has had an incredible string of hit records, 36 of which were consecutive. Although he took a break from recording in the early '90s, he has continued to tour and has been in constant demand at festivals across Europe. The end of 2005 saw Shaky return to the recording studio and he looks set to keep rockin' for many years to come.
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The Raconteurs are a new band made up of old friends Jack Lawrence (bass), Patrick Keeler (drums), Brendan Benson (guitars, vocals, keys) and Jack White (guitars, vocals, keys). While each of these four individuals have had successful careers with their own bands, the culmination of all of their talents is what truly makes The Raconteurs a force to be reckoned with.
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Listed on Ents24.com since: Feb 2006
American five-piece making country and blues laden indie-rock with a distinctive southern feel.
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Listed on Ents24.com since: Jan 2007