When you think of Australia’s strongest independent scene, the first place that springs to mind is Melbourne. Not only do some great bands come outta there, but the media seem to emphasise Melbourne’s artistic and cultural side, and music plays a large part in that.

soundslikebrisbane are here to buck that view and try to knock Melbourne off its mantle by showing Australia exactly what the Sunshine State has to offer – and let me tell you, it offers quite a lot.

soundslikebrisbane brings some of the city’s indie labels and artists together under one name, and already 17 labels are playing their part (including Plus One Records and Dew Process!), with more to join. Artists like Regurgitator, DZ DEATHRAYS, Mr Maps, and I Heart Hiroshima are currently being represented, and together the collective has released a free sampler to give people a taste of Brisbane’s talent. Featuring the aforementioned artists and more, the sampler really has something for everyone, moving between furious rock, acoustic ballads, and even a jazzy piano instrumental. It does a brilliant job of representing the diversity of Brisbane’s scene.

Particular stand outs are “Her Song” by The Medics, “Sunshine State” by Marialy Pacheco, and “Tennis Party” by Mr Maps, but you should definitely check it out for yourself. It’s free music: you’ve got nothing to lose!

You can view the tracklist, download the tracks individually, or stream them over here. Alternatively, download the whole thing over here (it’s about 80mb, so you know).