In boxing analogy, I like to think that most Australian artists/bands are pound for pound as strong as it's International opponents. Our tastes and musical trends may be dictated by whats happening in the US or UK (hard to avoid) but our isolation in many ways lends itself to producing artists who are uniquely Australian or sound 'Australian'. The 'Australian' sound is debatable and probably not as defined yet (its not all about the great 80's oz/pub rock sound) but maybe thats what makes it so appealing to many here and abroad.
So heres some bands, artists and albums that I consider favourites and in some cases quite influential. Essential listening if you asked me!
YOU AM I - Hourly Daily/Hi Fi Way
You Am I is my favourite Aussie band and probably will be till the day I die. The Mid 90's was an amazing time for Aussie independent music and this incredible band were the pied pipers. Tim Rogers is my first rock god that i actually got to see live and Andy & Rusty are the best rhythm section of any Rock band in OZ. Its hard for me to separate these two albums as they both contain equal amount of greatness but also quite distinct in many ways. I love the suburban romanticism of Hourly Daily (Mr Milk, Good Morning, If We Cant get It Together, Wally Raffles) and realising that it is 'ok' to reference Australian landmarks and colloquialisms in my own songs. At the same time, I also remember the sweet feeling of really falling in love with Tims songwriting and the power of the band live with tunes from Hi Fi Way like 'Purple Sneakers', 'How Much Is Enough' & 'Jewels and Bullets'. I pray that they last forever. Got a feeling they just might.
JASON WALKER - Stranger To Someone
I believe that you are meant to stumble or discover things in your life at certain and pinnacle times. I cant remember the exact moment or events that lead me to discovering 'Stranger To Someone' but its arrival in my life was at the time when I decided to take my songwriting more seriously and see it as more than a 'hobby'. Its quite ironic then that one of the stimulus for this important moment in my music life happens to be an album made up of 80% covers! But that aside, I was simply blown away by the beauty of this record, its sound, production and most of all Jason's voice. His interpretation of fairly obscure songs like 'Lucky One', 'I wish I were Blind' & 'Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues' are great examples on how to put your own stamp on a tune whilst his own compositions like 'Stranger To Someone', 'Other side of the bar' & 'Welcome to my world' all stand up well against these covers. This is almost the perfect album and being a fan and a band mate of this great artist is something that I truly value.
BEE GEES - The Very Best Of
The Bee Gees is probably my first exposure to Australian music as a young kid in the Philippines. This is is the legacy of my family who played Bee Gees songs as much as they played The Beatles, The Eagles and Abba. Them Gibb brothers are simply sensational songwriters, songs like 'To Love Somebody', 'Massachusetts', 'Words', Run To Me' and even 'How Deep is your love', still touching a nerve with every listen. Childhood connections are hard to break.
CROWDED HOUSE - Recurring Dream
When my international friends ask me to recommend a Crowded House album, i never have any hesitation in going to this Best of compilation as opposed to their other great albums. This is not an indictment on the studio albums (which are great, listen to 'Woodface'/Temple of Low Men) but to me this has everything an old and new Crowdies fan will need. Neil Finn is a songwriter to aspire too and his great sense of melody is almost like a bottomless pit. I can die happy knowing I have written a song like 'Distant Sun'!
BOB EVANS - Suburban Songbook
Sometimes you fall in love with an album so much that you force yourself to step away from it, for fear of falling out of love. This is my relationship with Bob Evans 'Suburban Songbook' and I'm happy to say that the love affair continues. When this album came out, one of my old workmates said 'Hey Brian...Bob Evans has stolen your sound!!!'. I never saw that as a bad thing (I'm sure he has never even heard of me) but it made me like the album even more as we are both treading the same musical waters. This album features everything I love about good songs and albums, from the simple lyrical 'love' themes, the cross between the alt-country and pop sound and production to the use of lush instrumentations like hammonds, Pedal Steels and acoustic guitars. This record really hit a emotional and musical nerve with me and is one of my favourite sing along albums of all time.
KNIEVEL - Steep Hill Climb
Wayne Connolly is the sound of Australian Indie Rock and I believe he has helped shape the current Australian music scene with his distinct sound as a mixer and producer. His CV need not say more. 'Steep Hill Climb' contains all the great Connolly sounds, from the upfront Hi hats to the beautifully compressed guitars, every instrument just seems to be in its right place. but its the songs that at the heart of this album and Australian Indie rock doesnt come any better, with tunes like 'Something good must come', 'Steep Hill Climb' & 'Frame by Frame'.
JOSH PYKE - Feeding The Wolves
I love Josh's songs and his Aussie singing accent. He is another artist that sounds 'Australian' to me and I think he is a wonderful lyricist (Private Education, Middle Of The Hill). The sparseness in the instrumentation in this album is beautiful and his use of vocal double tracking, stacking and harmonies is another great aspect of this record. There is no dud songs in this EP and not hard to see why Josh found such a large following so quick after this release.
TIM ROGERS - What Rhymes With Cars and Girls
This album pretty much cemented my love for Timmy. I love the vulnerability of the songs and the earthiness and rootsy vibe of the record. I wish I had written songs like ' Happy Anniversary' & 'i Left my heart all over the place'. Tim Rogers is the finest Australian songwriter of our generation!
JOHN REED CLUB - Death Metal
This band floored me live and did the same thing with just as much punch with this glorious EP. 5 songs which made me dance and bop with every listen and part of the soundtrack to my early University shenanigans. One of the saddest days in Sydney music is hearing that this band had imploded even before the debut album got dropped.
SILVERCHAIR - Diorama
I have been a Silverchair fan for a long time. I feel like I have grown up with them in some ways, the main difference being they becoming international rock stars and me still struggling to get gigs at times! 'Diorama' is the album that made me sit up and recognise that 'Daniel Johns' is one of these countries true shining stars and a great songwriter with a very open musical palate. I still remember hearing the opening bars of 'Across the night' and staring at disbelief and awe at the speakers at the development that this band has shown. I haven't heard this kind of musical depth and risk from an Australian band for a long time and it was thrilling to listen to. to learn that Van Dyke Parks (of Beach Boys Fame) arranged the strings for this record only increased it credibility with me. I was blown away by the arrangements and the production and it felt like a rollercoaster ride after the first listen. It'll be interesting to keep watching this band and John's progression over the next few years.
LAZY SUSAN - Every Night
Theres not many Sydney bands that are blessed with 2 fine songwriters and Lazy Susan are one of them. Paul Andrews & Pete Wilson write pop songs that rival the best this country can offer. They make it sound so easy and always gives me the 'Why didnt I think of that' songwriting mentality. 'Holding On' is one of my favourite love songs of all time, with clever lyrics like 'You get 10 points for difficulty but for execution you get minus 3'. 'Rosie', 'Looking Backwards' and 'I will' are wonderful songs too. A perfect Summer album.
HALFWAY - Remember The River
This is what I wrote in a previous blog!
This album was released last year but I only discovered it this year after playing in the same bill with this sensational Brisbane band back in February. They are one of the true flag bearers for the Alt-Country scene in Australia but hearing this record and seeing them live makes me realise that they transcend this genre tag. They are a great rock band with 3 distinct vocalist and a beautifully rich and earthy sound. Songs like 'Dean & The Fitzroy' and 'Factory Floor' are gems and they are quintessentially an Australian sounding band despite the Americana overtones in their music. They deserve to be heard by a bigger audience.
GLIDE - Shrinkwrapped Real Thing
One of the truly great and underrated Sydney bands from the mid 90's, lead by the sadly departed William Arthur. This is a compilation of all their early EP's and each tune is a gem. This is another recording that tyo me sounds very 'Australian' and songs like 'Something of me inside', 16 Years to life' and 'Turn my life out' still stands up today.
YOUTHGROUP - Skeleton Jar
This is a beautiful sounding record and Toby Martin writes beautiful songs. Its that simple equation that always works wonders with me.
THE LUCKSMITHS - Why that doesnt that surprise me
Everytime I listen to this album, I feel like I'm doing a long drive across the Australian countryside with the windows all the way down. I feel calm and relaxed. I love the Australian -centric lyrical content and vibe to this record (Great Dividing range) and the fact that it sounds like it was recorded in someones porch with everyone gathered around simply making music. Bliss.
REGURGITATOR - Unit
For a young and budding Australian/Filipino rocker, seeing Regurgitator gain so much success was a mighty revelation. Not just because they wrote fantastically eclectic songs, jumping from punk, hip hop and 80's synth pop but beacuse it was fronted by a bespectacled Vietnamese guy and rounded off by a Chinese Drummer! I dont fel so alone after seeing them. above all this was the fact that they stood out musically during that period and was a band that effortlessly jumped from one genre to another without sounding derivative. 'Polyester Girl', 'I Piss Alone' & 'I like Your old stuff...' is as varied as you can get in an album and how sweet it is.
PEABODY - Professional Againster
A frenzied rock/punk record which translates exactly the same live. Bruno and the Peabody boys are one of the best live acts in this country and this was a great debut album after some promising EP's. This is the record to kick the jams out to with tunes like 'Days & Nights', This Mood has passed' and 'Stupid Boy'. Sounds like a soundtrack to a bunch of lads on a big night out and has been for me too.
THE VINES - HIghly Evolved
This is one of my favourite debut albums and to be honest surprised me at that. As erratic and inconsistent they are live, there is no denying that he is a very good songwriter and songs like 'Homesick', 'Highly Evolved' & Autumn Shade' proves that.
DALLAS CRANE - Dallas Crane
The new millennium's Oz Pub Rock Sound. Sweaty, no bullshit Rock & Roll. Enough said.
DIESEL - Hepfidelity
Diesel is one of my earliest influences, especially with his singing. This album is a great example of good commercial rock/pop, from the classic 'Tip Of My tongue', 'One more Time' and 'Love Junk'. I respect and admire his decision to walk away from the OZ scene when he was at the peak of his commercial success, move to the competitive NY music scene and come back to OZ as an independent artist. Now thats ballsy!
Other records I love but got tired writing...
YOU AM I - Sound As Ever/# 4 Record/Deliverance/Dress Me Slowly/Convicts
EVEN - Less is More
78 SAAB - True Believers/Picture a Hum Cant Hear A Spund
AUGIE MARCH - Moo You Bloody Choir
CUSTARD - Wisenheimer
RAIL - Bad Hair Life
RAT CAT - Blind Love
M CRAFT - Silver & Fire
SLEEPY JACKSON - Lovers
THE FAUVES - Lazy Highways
PERRY KEYES - Last Ghost Train Home
WEBSTER - Off The Record
CHISEL - Chisel
THE BOAT PEOPLE - Squeaky Clean EP
JEBEDIAH - Slightly Oddway
INXS - Kick
POWDERFINGER - Internationalist
SIDEWINDER - Tangerine
THE EARTHMEN - Love Walked In
HEADER - On High Street
