Saxon's guide to Aussie music. (1384 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicRating: 1.67 on 47 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Saxon (View user info) at 2005-10-25 21:05:03 EDT
I want to make perfectly clear that this is not a best of Australian music post. My intention is to list a few Australian bands and solo performers that influenced MY music preferences and if I can bring a few bands to the attention of others that may not know of these bands then that is even better.
Of course I have many favourite British, American and European bands but listing them would be superfluous as I want to spotlight Aussie bands to bring them to the attention of non Australian UBER'ers and or Australian UBER'ers that may be too young to know them. (hint: Thorpey and Willy).
When I talk to non Aussie UBER'ers about Australian music they all know and mention The Bee Gee's, ACDC and INXS too name a couple and while these are great and successful bands there are many more that should be on the international stage.
My interest in Music started in the late 60's. Yeh yeh, shit I am that old. But my passion for music really became a love affair in the 70's and 80's.
The Australian rock music scene is proud of the legendary Johnny O'Keefe, generally regarded as our first rock star. I never attended a concert of his but have owned most of his records at one stage or another. Keep in mind he was big in the 60's so by today's standard he is pretty tame but back then church groups and purists prayed for his redemption. His music was fast and earthy and always had a great dance beat with a clicky feel.
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs recorded some very special songs during the 60's and were another favourite of mine. While they had a fairly commercial sound about them the music and lyric was tight and heartfelt.
The Easybeats while attaining great success, gave Australian music much more then just another band. Their music was as good as any being produced in the world and the union of three particular artists left a legacy in Australian music. The lead singer Stevie Wright had a successful solo career and if you haven't heard "Evie" parts 1, 2 and 3 download it and love it.
Harry Vanda and George Young after the break-up of The Easybeats (coming into the 70's) remained a song writing duo recording under the names of Flash and the Pan and later simply Vanda and Young. Search out both recording names and you will not be disappointed. Its interesting to note that George Young is the older brother of Angus Young (ACDC).
Through the 70's, my music was heavily influenced by British and American music but Australian names worthy of this period are Brian Cadd and Daddy Cool. Brian, a very talented song writer had a soulful voice and recorded stuff you found yourself singing in front of your bedroom mirror with a hairbrush as a microphone (I wasn't the only one that did that was I?). What can I say about Daddy Cool? Download songs like Eagle Rock, Come Back Again and Bom Bom and you will see what I mean.
Other names to note in the 70's are Jon English. This man is extremely talented doing everything from Acting to stage performing, he did mostly commercial radio music but released some very special songs like Hollywood Seven and Turn The Page. Split Enz were a New Zealand band but huge on the Aussie market, try songs like I See Red and Shark Attack. The Divinyls lead singer was so seductive you were mesmerised by her stage presence wearing a schoolgirl uniform (teenage boys had naughty dreams about her) but she had the seductive voice to go with it and they did some great songs (try listening to I Touch Myself without getting goo'ey in the fork). Dragon was perhaps the most underrated band around at this time; their brand of music changed my perception of R&B and opened my eyes to other music of similar style.
I was in my twenties in the 80's and being able to legally drink alcohol, along with a healthy love of illegal substances bought my love of music to its peak. The 80's to me was the epitome of music diversification. However the charts were being swamped by glam and heavy rock bands, which quite frankly left me cold. Don't get me wrong I didn't mind the first few bands of this genre but it got to a ridiculous point when bands were just emulating each other or seeing who could be more outrageous.
Come on, no one looks good in leather pants and in the 80's if the lead singer wasn't lean and had a hairy chest he wore a lot of satin and sequins. I swear I could name some bands from this era that made me laugh uncontrollably (a lot of which were American bands I'm sorry to say). But in saying that I discovered alternate music. I could do a post on this genre alone but maybe another time.
The British fed my appetite with their alternate and punk bands and some American ones as well, while Australian charts were dominated by some good commercial local bands like Men at Work, Mental as Anything, The Church and Australian Crawl, not to mention Icehouse. If you haven't heard of these bands do a search you might be pleasantly surprised.
But! And there is always a but. Aussie alternate music was thriving, the pub and club scene was alive with bands like The Hard On's, Deck Chairs Overboard, Radio Birdman, The Go Betweens, Weddings Party's Anything and The Black Sorrows. Two bands I never missed where Hunters and Collectors and The Huxton Creepers. I preferred to see both these bands in pubs rather then live venues because they went off and the atmosphere was a more intimate orgy of sight and sound.
The most underrated punk band ever to come from Australia has to be The Saints. I have seen these guys live twice and have all their albums. The monotone voice of the lead singer sifted through the fast bass beat and never fails to get my toes tappin. Birthday Party were another favourite of mine and I remember the pain of their splitting but Nick Cave made The Bad Seeds and things were fine with Australian alternate music again.
If you are not familiar with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds download songs like Red Right Hand, The Mercy Seat, The Weeping Song and Do You Love Me.
There are many more bands worthy of mention and I may have forgotten some but the ones I named here shaped my love of music. I know the Brits might know a lot of these bands but I doubt the Americans and Canadians would. I also know this is a different type of post from me but the world knows British and American bands so I thought I would highlight some Aussie bands and I hope you guys find something from this list you may like.
User Reviews
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2005-11-06 14:57:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I loved Icehouse.
Sadly a lot of the other artists went over my head.
-Dave
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-27 22:10:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh, and I agree with you wholeheartedly about the 80s being the epitome of diversification. Even the pop music you were hearing on the radio was going in so many wildly different direction, it wasn't funny. Things seemed to be a lot more open then than they are now too. It also seemed like we were getting a lot more imports from European countries and Aussie than we do nowadays.
I am a huge fan of 80s pop. It's right up there with 60s pop in my book.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2005-10-27 22:05:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great post! This was very educational to me. You're right, I've never heard of many of those bands at all. I'm downloading a LOT of your suggestions right now. Can't wait to check them out!
But Saxon, my upside-down mustachioed friend, you forgot the all important Olivia Newton John!
Hey, if I ever come to Australia, you'll let me crash on your couch and show me the club scene right? (I'm serious!)
HOW COULD YOU! *folds arms* :P
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-10-27 08:52:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Radio Birdman, the Hard-Ons, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds should be in every person's record collection.
Submitted by XII (user info) at 2005-10-26 09:13:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
screw nick cave
Submitted by missedthepoint (user info) at 2005-10-26 08:20:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
note to self: rate before pressing submit
i am a dickhead
Submitted by missedthepoint (user info) at 2005-10-26 08:18:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-10-26 07:57:32 (#)
Ranking: 2
Oops...I see that the Saints DID get a brief shout out and yes, Ed and Chris are supreme punk Gods.
No one did cover songs like the Saints - except of course, The Ramones .
Even MY old band covered "Kissin' Cousins" because of the Saints version of the song.
In fact, this entire post should have been about The Saints, Nick Cave and AC/DC and you could have left out everything else.
Whatever happened to Midnight Oil, anyways?
------------------
Fuckin' a
I think you can be deported for not mentioning the oils
in a post like this.
Can't believe i didn't notice that myself.
<hangs head in shame>
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-10-26 07:57:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oops...I see that the Saints DID get a brief shout out and yes, Ed and Chris are supreme punk Gods.
No one did cover songs like the Saints - except of course, The Ramones .
Even MY old band covered "Kissin' Cousins" because of the Saints version of the song.
In fact, this entire post should have been about The Saints, Nick Cave and AC/DC and you could have left out everything else.
Whatever happened to Midnight Oil, anyways?
Submitted by Average_Dan (user info) at 2005-10-26 07:51:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Auto +2 AC/DC. I should have added that to my list of auto +2's, they rock so fucking hard.
Submitted by missedthepoint (user info) at 2005-10-26 07:06:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
WTF?
Glaring omission - Hoodoo Gurus!
But with Saints, Birdman, and Go betweens
you were never going to go below a +2
Nb. Brad Shepheard looked cool in leather pants.
Q. Does that make me gay?
Submitted by Bushy (user info) at 2005-10-26 06:22:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
quality.
pub music is fucking awesome. I regret that i am too young to have seen any of these bands live, especially hunters and collectors. that live album they did in sydney is sen-fucking-sational.
no midnight oil? i guess they are pretty well known eh?
nice job
Submitted by HurtByTheSun (user info) at 2005-10-26 06:15:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 because I saw Nick Cave at the Sage in Newcastle in April. What a legend. Quality music, but to be technical about it, Angus Young is Scottish. AC/DC still make my nuts ache though.
Submitted by Adereterial (user info) at 2005-10-26 06:05:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
There's one Australian band I love - Powderfinger. They rock.
Submitted by crazyaardvark (user info) at 2005-10-26 05:22:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
The Vines?? You're kidding. I saw them live and they were the worst live band I have EVER seen. Ever.
Call me soppy, but I love a bit of Missy Higgins (no, I'm not a lesbian.) Did anyone see her leap onto the Hoff at the ARIAs? Classic
Submitted by Fabit (user info) at 2005-10-26 04:20:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I love the Vines - good old australian boys, awesome music, man i'm going to have to visit your country, the manufactured pop culture here is choking my musical love like a rose choked by nettles, WOE IS ME!!!!!
Submitted by Viciousriffs (user info) at 2005-10-26 04:10:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+ fucking 2 for DiVinyls, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Men at Work, but mostly for the Church.
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2005-10-26 01:50:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well! The Aussie 80's bands you mentioned sure flashed me back! I used to love (still do too) Men At Work and Real Life (Send Me An Angel). I definitely remember The Divinyls. I really dig The Church. The lead singer has a pretty voice.
AC/DC of course, of course! A. Young though....wow, what an..."interesting" looking man. Wasn't your typical pretty boy lead singer/rock star.
And hey, I'm woman enough to admit that I dug Olivia Newton John's music. Yeah, I liked Xanadu (the movie too) when it first came out. I was a teenage girl, whadda you want from me?!
Great post as always, Sweetie!
I actually saw Men At Work in concert in 1983. They were at the height of their popularity. I thought Colin Hay was talented and a good songwriter. I've heard some of his solo stuff and he's really is a great songwriter. He really crafts a good tune!
Submitted by Magickmuse (user info) at 2005-10-25 23:48:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
For mentioning Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Let Love In is fucking classic. A Brilliant piece of work.
AC/DC and Nick Cave. Austraila's greatest gifts to the music world.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 23:33:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I saw him live with Birthday Party about 100 years ago and twice with The Bad Seeds. He is awesome live.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2005-10-25 23:04:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The piano hook from Do You Love Me? Fantastic.
The acoustic guitar work on virtually all of Henry's Dream? Killer.
Jack the Ripper? Great song.
I love reconciling his older stuff with his more recent, mature, albums. It's like cheating on your wife with your wife.
Have you ever seen him live? He was in DC a few years back and I missed the show, which I still kick myself for every now and then.
Instead I've got to settle for that DVD God is in the House.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:54:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Love that link Joedady thank you ill have a read through that later.
Orgasmatron we are men of like minds.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:49:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Shlongy i have a higher level of respect for you after that comment, indeed how could i not mention The Saints. Reread my freind they get a special mention as Ed Kueppper and Chris Bailey are gods in my eyes. They released a 2 CD best of late last year you might want to see if you can get it there i reccomend it.
Ed has a new band called the Laughing Clowns its nothing like The Saints but is worth listening too.
BrittInToledo i have not heard of them but i like that style of music and will do a search for them tonight.
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:46:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I kneel at the altar of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Nightly.
So.
Fucking.
Good.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:44:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.users.bigpond.com/andrepoublon/Links%20Aussiebands.htm
Here's a list for people with short memories and no memories, including the one's who just
want to comment without sounding stupid.
*****
Like you I have many favorites
Submitted by Falco (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:38:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
The Beegees were born in England. Therefore they arent Aussie.
The datsuns are shit.
Steriogram are shitter.
Bunch of homos
Submitted by BrittInToledo (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:34:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Saxon, have you heard of Brother? I'd classify them as celtic rock, I love em
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:32:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
PS. I DO really dig The Easybeats..."Monday morning feels so bad....."
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:31:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Saxon- Maybe I missed it but how can you write about Australian music and not mention the best thing to ever come out of Australia - and this includes "Fosters" - The Saints?
Check out the "I'm Stranded" LP and I swear to Christ, your life could change.
If I missed it - I apologize.
If you didn't mention them, I'm extremely disappointed.
Submitted by inbreakingnewsT.A.N. (user info) at 2005-10-25 22:02:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Celibate Pistol.
*wink*
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:50:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:46:07 (#)
Ranking: 2
check out Kahvas Jute
__________________________________
They make ropes out of jute. Not as good as hemp. . .
Submitted by Lucylou (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:50:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Olivia Newton-John's boyfriend, that is.
Submitted by Lucylou (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:49:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Her boyfriend has gone missing...
http://et.tv.yahoo.com/music/12337/
Submitted by Death_Metal_Dude (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:46:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
check out Kahvas Jute
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:40:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
HEY!! Whatever happened to Olivia FigNewton?
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:38:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
iddqd i did deliberate over Cold Chisel for this post (they probably deserve a mention in hind sight) but i was never a huge fan, while i liked some songs and they were a huge part of Aussie music they didnt really do much for my interest.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:34:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hahahahaha inbreakingnewsT.A.N. i love the Celibate Rifles, a friend and i streaked at one of their concerts. yeh yeh I was drunk at the time. I did the same thing at a Exploding White Mice concert. I got to stop drinking at concerts.
Submitted by iddqd (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:32:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
no chisel?
Submitted by inbreakingnewsT.A.N. (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:30:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You Am I
Epicure
The Panics
The Gin Club
Regurgitator
Magic Dirt
The Avenues
Sarah Blascoe and The Feeding Set
Berdie Blackman
The Waifs
Gerling
Celibate Rifles
+2 Hard Ons.
Submitted by Lucylou (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:26:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Indeed, good to know. For essential iconic Kiwi music, you can't go past OMC's "How Bizarre, How Bizarre".
I am so kidding.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:22:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck me. I can't even drive a mouse. + 2 was meant the first time.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:22:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
One and the same Lucy but try and download a song they did called Great Southern land, its a iconic Aussie song.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:20:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I almost mentioned Crowded House but figured they would be well known.
Bubba Men at Work i beleive still do the occasional concert and i think the lead singer does some solo work.
Submitted by Lucylou (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:20:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I mean, really, is the Icehouse you mention the Icehouse that did "Electric Blue"? Love it.
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:14:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I know Jack Shit about Aussie music. And I guarantee I'm older than you.
Whatever happened to Men At Work?
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:14:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Thorpe would know more... I'll tell him to come out of hiding and post.
Submitted by Lucylou (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:12:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Pretty interesting, actually didn't know some of the bands were Aussies.
Go the NZ bands too - Split Enz (like you mentioned) and Crowded House. I also think Steriogram and the Datsuns are doing ok overseas?
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-10-25 21:07:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I should point out that there are a plethora of good current Aussie bands and i am a fan of a few but that list would be better done by Thorpe or Willy.