Fun Lovin' Criminals are a band from New York City. Their musical style is eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, blues, jazz, R&B, punk, and funk. They are best known for their hit "Scooby Snacks", which features samples from films by Quentin Tarantino, and the song "Love Unlimited", which recalls Barry White's backing vocal group. Their songs often focus on life in New York City, as well as urban life in general. Their lyrics can be gritty or existentialist in nature, touching on topics such as organized crime and urban violence, but they are just as often humorous or satirical. The band gained a large following internationally, notably in north-west Europe, around the release of their first two albums in the late 1990s.
The Cat Empire is an Australian rock band formed in 1999. Their core members are Felix Riebl, Harry James Angus, Will Hull-Brown (drums), Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala, Ollie McGill, and Ryan Monro. They are often supplemented by The Empire Horns, a brass duo composed of Ross Irwin (trumpet) and Kieran Conrau (trombone), among others. Their sound is a fusion of jazz, ska, funk and rock with heavy Latin influences.
Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter, also known mononymously as Ricki-Lee, is an Australian singer, songwriter, television, and radio presenter. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland and began performing at the age of 15. Coulter rose to fame in 2004 on the second season of Australian Idol and placed seventh in the competition. She subsequently signed with Australian independent label Shock Records, and released her self-titled debut album Ricki-Lee (2005), which produced the top-ten hits "Hell No!" and "Sunshine". Both singles were certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The following year, Coulter became a member of Australian pop girl group Young Divas, before leaving in early 2007 to resume her solo career.
Luke James Steele is an Australian musician, singer and songwriter. Steele is the vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson and is a member of the electronic music duo Empire of the Sun.
"Dreaming of You" is a song recorded by American Tejano singer Selena for her fifth studio album of the same name (1995). It was posthumously released as the lead single by EMI Latin on 14 August 1995, with "Techno Cumbia" as its b-side track. The lyrics explore feelings of longing and hope that the singer's love interest is thinking about her while she is dreaming of him at night. Composed by Franne Golde and Tom Snow, "Dreaming of You" is a pop ballad. It was originally written in 1989 for American R&B group The Jets, who turned down the recording. Golde believed that the track had potential, and brought it to Selena who recorded it for Dreaming of You. The singer's record producer and brother, A.B. Quintanilla, did not like the track; he later said in a 2002 interview that he was "more judgmental" to the first demo of the track.
Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian folk and indie pop group, formed in 2006 by brother and sister Angus and Julia Stone. Angus & Julia Stone have released four studio albums: A Book Like This (2007), Down the Way (2010), Angus & Julia Stone (2014), and Snow (2017). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010, they won five awards from nine nominations: Album of the Year, Best Adult Alternative Album, Best Cover Art and Producer of the Year for Down the Way, and Single of the Year for "Big Jet Plane". The siblings have issued two solo albums each.
"Believe Again" is a New Age and electronica-influenced pop song written by Delta Goodrem, Brian McFadden, Stuart Crichton and Tommy Lee James and Nigel Hove produced by Stuart Crichton and Marius de Vries for Goodrem's third studio album Delta (2007). The single, released in Australia on 8 December 2007, features exclusive remixes and the unreleased B-side track, "Fortune and Love". The single was released to radio on 12 November 2007, although it had its premiere on commercial radio in late-October 2007.
Katy Elizabeth Steele is an Australian singer, guitarist and songwriter of the four-piece rock band, Little Birdy.
Samuel Falson, better known by his stage name Sam Sparro, is an Australian singer, songwriter and record producer. He was signed to the British record label Island Records. Sparro is best known for his 2008 single "Black and Gold".
"Take Back the City" is a song from alternative rock band Snow Patrol's fifth album A Hundred Million Suns. It was released as the lead single from the album on different dates in October 2008, depending on the region. The lyrics were written by Gary Lightbody and the music was composed by Snow Patrol. The song has positive lyrics, and is about Lightbody's love for Belfast. The song has been officially remixed once, by Lillica Libertine, and it appeared as a b-side to the single.
"Running Back" is the debut single by Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy, which features American rapper Flo Rida. It was written by Mauboy, Audius Mtawarira, and Sean Ray Mullins, and was produced by Audius. "Running Back" was released for digital download on 19 September 2008 as the lead single from Mauboy's debut studio album, Been Waiting. Mauboy felt "so excited and honoured" to work with Flo Rida, calling it a dream come true.
Empire of the Sun are an Australian electronic music duo from Sydney and Perth, formed in 2007. The duo is a collaboration between Luke Steele, of alternative rock band The Sleepy Jackson, and Nick Littlemore, of electronic dance band Pnau.
Walking on a Dream is the debut studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released on 3 October 2008 by Capitol Records. The album was produced by band members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, along with Peter Mayes and Donnie Sloan.
"We Are the People" is a song by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released as the second single from their debut studio album, Walking on a Dream (2008). It was released in Australia on 20 September 2008 and debuted at number eighty-five on the ARIA Singles Chart before peaking at number twenty-four on 12 January 2009. It became a number-one hit in Germany in December 2010.
Stan Walker is an Australian-born New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh and last season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. In December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).
Reality Killed the Video Star is the eighth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, released in November 2009. The album was produced by Trevor Horn and recorded between September 2008 and August 2009 in London and Los Angeles. It debuted in the top ten of 22 national album charts worldwide, and has received varying reviews from music critics. It incorporates elements of pop rock, dance-rock, alternative rock and adult contemporary music. Reality Killed the Video Star was viewed by critics and fans as being Williams' "comeback album" after the relative failure of his 2006 release, Rudebox.
Altijan Juric, best known by his stage name Altiyan Childs, is an Australian singer-songwriter. He was the winner of the second season of The X Factor Australia in 2010, and subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia.
Secret Codes and Battleships is the fifth studio album from Australian singer-songwriter Darren Hayes. It was released 21 October 2011 on Mercury Records in Australia, on EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 24 October, and on his own label Powdered Sugar for the rest of the world on 25 October.
"Raining Diamonds" is a song by Australian recording artist Ricki-Lee Coulter. It was written by Coulter, Billy Mann and Boyblue, who also produced the song. "Raining Diamonds" was released digitally on 18 October 2011, as the lead single from Coulter's third studio album Fear & Freedom (2012). The song serves as Coulter's debut release with EMI, after parting ways with her former record label Shock Records in May 2011. Lyrically, Coulter stated that the song is "all about knowing your value and not settling for less than what you believe you are worth."
Fear & Freedom is the third studio album by Australian recording artist Ricki-Lee Coulter, released through EMI Music Australia on 17 August 2012. The album is Coulter's first release since parting ways with her former record label Shock Records. Coulter had been working on her third album since 2009, under the title Hear No, See No, Speak No, and was originally due for release in November 2009. However, Coulter cancelled the album's release due to unsuccessful singles. After taking a break from her music career in 2010, Coulter began working on new material for the album in 2011. Unlike her previous albums, Fear & Freedom incorporates up-tempo pop genres, ranging from dance-pop, electropop, drum and bass and trance. Love and self-empowerment are its main themes.
