Throughout the month of May 2011, Hidden Shoal Recordings is celebrating its fifth birthday. The celebrations kick off on Friday 6 May with the release of its latest free sampler album, Hydrozoa, which compiles 18 singles released over the last 18 months. Other delicious surprises will be revealed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more info.

Since starting up in Perth, Western Australia in 2006, Hidden Shoal has developed an enviable roster of genre-defying global and local recording artists. With 40+ acts from 10+ different countries ranging from the gorgeous neo-classical/minimal ambient of Antonymes through to the genius space-pop of Hotels and beyond the visionary team at Hidden Shoal continues to play an integral role in promoting exciting new independent music.

Toby Richardson’s latest installment of  irreverent rock goodness The Stones and the Rabbits has been featured on New York’s awesome BreakThru Radio. The EP was played in full on the excellent TransPacific show which features all the best music coming out of Australia. Re-stream the show in full here.

Toby Richardson – Young Sweet Lovers Toby Richardson – Young Sweet Lovers

Hidden Shoal Recordings today announced the release of new EP The Stones And The Rabbits by Australian lo-fi rock magician Toby Richardson.

In his inimitable bent rock stylings Perth (Western Australia) based Richardson has produced another irreverent indie rock ‘n’ roll gem. ‘Young Sweet Lovers’ kicks off proceedings with all of Toby Richardson’s delicious trademark ingredients: booming drums, fuzzy guitar lines and just-rolled-out-of-bed vocal delivery, married to wonderfully skewed melodicism and Richardson’s innate sense of songcraft. The title track features one of Richardson’s catchiest hooks to date, plus plenty of meandering, harmonised guitar soloing that splits the difference between Dinosaur Jr and an ether-soaked country hoe-down. The track’s disarming lack of pretense plays against Richardson’s affected take on rock as wailing guitars and driving chords quaver and bend in and out of shape. Single ‘King Of All The Moves’ is like a garage band falling endlessly down a cartoon staircase. The track pays homage to dirty rock while turning it inside out and painting it with jelly, creating a soundtrack to some unimaginable ‘70s cop show filled with sequins, half-naked dancers and possibly a dolphin.

“I’m surprised that more people haven’t been talking about Toby Richardson. Take some of the bluesy aspects of Captain Beefheart and mix it with some ’90s college rock sensibilities and you’ve got the Toby Richardson sound. Fuzzed-out lo-fi classic rock is the order of the day, and Toby pulls off this slight ’60s pastiche with panache… By the time you reach the last song, it’s hard not to feel slightly overwhelmed as it is such an exaggerated sound, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t want to simply take a break, and start over again, as its exaggeration is laced with an addictive quality that will have you coming back for more.” – It’s Not The Band I Hate It’s Their Fans on debut album Evergreen

The Stones And The Rabbits is available now through Hidden Shoal Recordings on digital and CD. Head to the Hidden Shoal Store for all availability info. Richardson’s debut EP Golden Days and album Evergreen are also available through Hidden Shoal. Read a full press release here and also grab the single ‘King Of All The Moves’ available for free download.

Toby Richardson – The Stones And The Rabbits Toby Richardson – The Stones And The Rabbits

Ahead of its release next week (2nd Dec), Toby Richardson’s awesome new EP The Stones And The Rabbits is now available for pre-order from our beautiful friends at n5mailorder. Even better, if you pre-order the CD you get an immediate mp3 download of the album.

Head to n5mailorder and soak in the wonderfully skewed and wildly addictive indie rock that is The Stones And The Rabbits.

Toby Richardson – The Stones And The Rabbits Toby Richardson – The Stones And The Rabbits