Artist name: Urban EXcentrics

Music style: Alternative folk-rock

Famous Similar Artist(s): Peter Gabriel, Dire Straits

Artist Description: Urban Excentrics use classical bass lines, jazzy guitar chords and electronic effects to highlight their rock / blues / folk original songs. Bowed double bass is a feature of their style and a frequent audience comments is that they sound like a mini orchestra. Whether playing live as a trio or recording with drums/percussion, the classical double bass of Ann Palumbo and Paul Laszlo, and the acoustic guitars of Larry Hoofs, weave a web of sophistication rarely seen in a trio format.

Musical influences: Frank Zappa, Midnight Oil, Beatles, Peter Gabriel

Artist History: Larry Hoofs (Honky Tonkin' Voodoo Essendon Larry D Shankar) has no trouble changing from delicate acoustic finger-picking to a distorted guitar solo or an effect-driven citern in a display of musical versatility. Larry's wry vocals and incisive lyrics provide bizarre counterpoint to Ann's impassioned delivery. Ann Palumbo began her musical career as a classical guitarist. She eventually studied double bass at the West Australian Conservatorium, performing orchestrally while embracing contemporary music. Her silky vocals, harmony construction, bowed double bass and tambourine are all features of the Urban EXcentrics repertoire. Paul Laszlo started out as an R&R electric bassist but fell for the big one and now freelances orchestrally with local or touring orchestras, mostly as principal, while still performing jazz and rock gigs. Paul's use of the double bass as a solo and rhythm instrument, as well as his skills with the banjo, provide an integral balance to the Urban EXcentrics sound.

Members: Three

Press reviews: Mr Blues Online Haven: “All I can say is that Backyard Attitude is a must for airplay on every radio station around the world, each song being a potential number one hit.” Bratgirl: “Not very often does a duo come along that can pack out a venue, make the Australian Music Industry rear their heads and capture the hearts of many around the world, but here my friend is just that - the super duo of the 90s!”

Instruments: double bass, acoustic and electric guitars

Album Names: Backyard Attitude, Extreme Middle Ground