I have had some requests from my international friends for recommendations of Australian music. So apologies to Aussies who read this blog. Please feel free to disagree with me and post your suggestions in the comments. I know this is a longish list, but the first section is worth working through, in my humble opinion.
As an disclaimer, I listen to a lot of folky-pop. So if you like a different style, you are unlikely to like all of these. I also listen to a lot of international stuff, but that is not what this post is about. I am linking to the artists website where possible. Last.fm will also let you listen to a 30s sample of music, and usually have a link to the itunes store entry.
My current favourite folky pop
- Lior
Roots/folk. Sooo so cool. Last.fm
- Josh Pyke
Lyrics based folky – one of my current favourites, and his new album is his best yet. Last.fm
- Cat Empire
Upbeat ska with lots of brass, but my current fav song is a ballad, “No Longer There” Last.fm
- Bob Evans
Quirky piano pop/folk. Last.fm
- Icecream Hands
Classic pop with guitars. Last.fm
- Lazy Susan
More classic pop with guitars. Last.fm
- Sarah Blasko
Female folky. Last.fm
- Angus and Julia Stone
Folky maudlin, with both male and female lead singers. Last.fm - Kate Miller-Heidke
She is a classically trained singer, who sings pop. Bizarre, but pretty cool if you are in the right mood. Last.fm
- Alex Lloyd
Cool guitar pop with lacings of samples. One of my Uni favourites and great live. I really love this guy, but I have had an overload recently, so he is low on the play count. Last.fm
And some Aussie standards, classic pub bands
- Hunters and Collectors
80s/90s rock with all the bells and whistles. This was like a 17 piece band and played at everyone’s Uni. Last.fm
- The Church
80/90s standard, although I notice on their site they are still releasing. Last.fm
- The Clouds
Upbeat, from the late 90s. Last.fm
- Crowded House
Disbanded and now reformed, and actually from New Zealand. Lead singer, Neil Finn is classic “Australian” singer-songwriter. Last.fm
- Midnight Oil
Not my favourite, but DH would get cranky if I didn’t include this band. Hard rock with healthy dose of activism. Lead singer, Peter Garrett, is now a mainstream politician. Last.fm
- Ben Lee
We claim him, too, as he still has an Aussie passport. Last.fm
- Silverchair
Guitar grunge rock. Goes off live. Last.fm
- The Superjesus
Chick rock. Last.fm
- The Whitlams
Laid back piano rock, with some nice ballads. Last.fm
And, according to Last.fm, this aussie band, is my most played.
Thanks for sharing. I’m working my way through them.
@rlbates: I’m a bit nervous. I hope you enjoy them.
a great selection, with several acts I’m not familar with and need to check out soon…
a couple of suggested additions:
Mick Thomas
The Go-Betweens
don’t you just hate it when you mess up a link and can’t edit it 🙁
The Go-Betweens (second attempt)
@freelunch: Yes, I like the Go-Betweens, but I hardly listen to them, as I have none in my itunes library. On your recommendation, I will check them out again.
@Cris: in particular their final album ( “Ocean’s Apart” ) is brilliant – if you haven’t listened to them in a while it is a good place to start.