Australia’s newest independent vinyl pressing plant, Suitcase Records, is back this year with its annual event – Suitcase Showcase – and a compilation album chosen entirely by Australian music fans.
Entry was automatically open for any act that had pressed their music with Suitcase Records, and fans got to choose which ten songs made the cut to feature on the album. All proceeds from vinyl sales will be split between the ten artists on Suitcase Showcase Vol 2 and the music industry charity Support Act.
Below, you can find a Leaderboard of the leading acts to feature on this year’s compilation album and a little description of each. You can vote for which Suitcase Records act will feature on Suitcase Showcase Vol 2 here.
Suitcase Showcase Leaderboard – Top 15 Artists
Master Control Project – Cosmic End Point
Master Control Project (MCP) are an experimental/electronic/psychedelic group based in Melbourne. Featuring members who play an abundance of instruments – starting with bass, drums and synthesizers – special guests who play with MCP end up playing the guitar, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and more instruments.
MCP, an instrumental band, are known for their rhythmic bass tones and dark tones that fuse rock, electronic, and hip-hop music.
Exotic Potion Cookies – Ill Transmission
Exotic Potion Cookies are a band that like to bring “organised disorder” to their fans. Since forming in 2021, the trio – comprising Mr Civic on guitar/vocals, Doctor G on keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals, and RBDG McElkinsan on drums, percussion and sometimes on vocals – have created a sound that blends alt-rock, jazz, hip-hop, and more, to form a truly unique band.
Drawing inspiration from classical music and nu-metal – Chopin and Fred Durst are cited as influences – Exotic Potion Cookies are all about breaking the rules.
Ashgroove – For The Time Being
From the early days of participating in a high school Battle Of The Bands to playing in iconic Queensland venues, Ashgroove have consistently been haunted by those who always ask: “What kind of music do you play?”
Like the bands mentioned above, Ashgroove thrive in their diverse music that offers up dance, rock, ambient music, folk, and more. Who doesn’t love a band that can’t be pigeonholed?
Square Tugs – Straight To Hell
A Brisbane favourite, Square Tugs are well-regarded and well-established in the city they’ve performed frequently since mid-2020.
No longer a Circle Jerks cover band, Square Tugs are now a serious band that made up of veterans of the Brisbane punk scene. Having played since the early 1980s, the band have been writing their own music and, to date, released two EPs, a debut album, and nine singles since 2022.
Square Tugs’ music has been supported by community radio across the country, including 4ZZZ in Brisbane.
Fallow Field – Rocky Head Road
Who doesn’t want some music that offers up “an old-fashioned hoe-down meets next morning’s hangover” in their life?
Fallow Fields are songwriters who channel the raw and unfiltered in their music, laying their hearts bare for listeners. They make music that is at once beautiful, joyous, and heartbreaking.
A country-tinged group, Fallow Fields offer gorgeous harmonies filled with depth and richness, a result of decades of experience in music.
GlitchCraft – Roll
Are you ready for this one? GlitchCraft are a six-piece party prog band from Tasmania.
With their music, which fuses psychedelic rock, metal, punk, and jazz, the band has steadily built a loyal following of eager listeners—and they’re just getting started.
Jemma Cher – Wayfaring Stranger
Melbourne-based singer Jemma Cher is someone who has brought “maturity, sophistication, and dazzling virtuosity” from her early days in music. Cher sports an impressive, dynamic vocal range that allows her to take on jazz as readily as gospel and R&B.
Melvic Centre – Giddy Up
Melvic Centre, the new one-man punk band started by Will Mitchell (based out of Newcastle, Australia), has already won over legends of the scene, with Frenzal Rhomb’s Jason Walley recording Mitchell’s debut LP at his recording studio, The Pet Food Factory.
With his self-titled debut release, Melvic Centre proves that he can already write great songs, play multiple instruments (drums, guitar, and bass), and sing, all with the songs boosted by rock-solid production.
Miau – Deadhead
Another trio, this one out of Sydney, Miau display proficiency playing the trumpet, bass and drums. Nick Ketley plays bass, Bon King plays drums, and Penny McBride is on trumpet and flugel. This is a team-up of people who have played all sorts of music, from punk to indie to something a little more experimental.
Psychoda – Backbone
Making their mark with impressive singles like Waste and Backbone and a self-titled EP, Psychoda are swinging after just three years in music.
Formed in Newcastle in 2021, the band’s members, Mike Montgomery, Jordan Mitchley, and Kobe McClure, have pushed forward, inspiring and rocking every step of the way.
Restless Leg – Broken Machine
Born at a backyard party in 2012, Restless Leg have continuously come up with punchy, direct song arrangements thanks to constant gigging and inspirations as distinct as The Go-Betweens and The Clean. They’ve been a longtime favourite, with full-lengths including their self-titled LP (2013), Some Kind Of Restless (2017), and Dream Buffet (2021) keeping fans keen.
Radium Dolls – Naa
2024 is shaping up to be Radium Dolls’ year, with their album Legal Speed amassing hype following sold-out single launch shows and ferocious live shows. The Brisbane group is one that needs to be on your radar.
The Amanda Emblem Experiment – Waterfall
Amanda Emblem, a singer, songwriter, and performer from the Upper Kandanga region of Queensland, has built an impressive career for over two decades. Her music has taken her across the globe and onto massive stages, opening for the likes of KISS and Aerosmith – an Australian legend.
The Hinterlanders – Go Home Cindy
A band meeting in the middle of country, urban, and suburban, The Hinterlanders make music that is, plain and simply, good. They focus on writing well-played, proper songs on real instruments. As they quip, when you listen to The Hinterlanders, you’re hearing “no additives” and “some preservatives” with a warning: they may contain traces of nuts.
Check out Go Home, Cindy here.
Zachary Leo – Pretty Girl
Melbourne-based artist Zachary Leo isn’t afraid to be bold. Drawing from the likes of Prince, Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, and Tame Impala – legends only for Leo – the result of his music is a blend of funk, rock, and modern pop, all wrapped up with a stylish bow. While his music sounds great, Leo also makes his mark by discussing mental health issues, love, and heartbreak in his songs.
You can head here to learn more about Suitcase Showcase Vol 2.
