One of the best things about having friends that live abroad, aside from the exciting vacation destination to stamp in your passport someday, is being able to get the scoop on music not everyone may be aware of here in the states. An amazing friend from Australia has made it his mission to pass along information about the best acts from “down under”, and one of his finest recommendations has been Angus & Julia Stone.

This brother-sister duo was raised in a very musical home in Sydney, leading them to foster their individual singer/songwriter talents and eventually merge into a combined folk act in 2006. After a few great EPs and an acclaimed debut album entitled A Book Like This, Angus & Julia Stone chose 2010 to take the reigns and self-produce their sophomore record Down the Way. The siblings share instrumental and vocal duties, each with beautifully unique voices set against gentle but arresting acoustic folk arrangements. Their music, though, has immense expression hidden within its quiet nature, which allows you to get lost inside the deeply pensive lyrics laced with a sense of hope.

Winning three big-time ARIA Awards in 2010 in their native land, including the coveted honor of “Album of the Year”, these two are slated for even more immeasurable worldwide success in the future. And lucky for them, while NYC battles freezing temperatures and oppressing snowstorms, Angus and Julia get to start off 2011 at the Big Day Out Festival during Australia’s bright and sunny summer season!