AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me. I came across this while looking for news relating to Autism/Aspergers. Click on the source link at the bottom of the page to view the music videos)
To celebrate Australia Day, Radio X takes a look at some of the very best acts to come from Down Under....
Jet
Brothers Nic and Chris Cester were the backbone of this hard-rockin' Melbourne band, whose biggest hit was 2003's Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Rollover DJ and Look What You've Done were other great tracks from their debut album Get Born.
Tame Impala
Perth's psych rock revivalists formed back in 2007, but it wasn't until they released the single Elephant in 2012 that they made an impression on the wider world.
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
The dark master of Australian rock, Cave made his debut in the punk/goth outfit The Birthday Party back in 1978. The band dissolved in 1983, leaving Cave to form The Bad Seeds, who have released 15 albums. 1996's Murder Ballads saw him team up with another Australian icon - Kylie Minogue.
The Avalanches
The Melbourne DJ collective made a huge splash in 2000 with their debut album Since I Left You, a massive mix of original tunes, memorable samples and scratches. It was long thought that they’d never follow it up - but they did, 16 years later, with Wildflower.
AC/DC
The Godfathers of Aussie Rock, the legendary Acca Dacca was formed by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young - two Glaswegians who moved to Sydney in the 60s. Originally featuring the late Bon Scott on vocals (he was replaced after his death in 1980 by Brian Johnson), the band have notched up four decades of no-nonsense, lewd and crude rock 'n' roll. There is now an “AC/DC Lane” in Melbourne.
Empire Of The Sun
An Aussie supergroup, comprising The Sleepy Jackson's Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. Their self-titled 2008 album raised a few eyebrows, thanks to the outfits the duo wore, which evoked nothing less than some kind of bizarre 1980s fantasy movie.
The Vines
Led by vocalist and guitarist Craig Nicholls, Sydney's The Vines made a huge impact with their 2002 debut album Highly Involved, which boasted tracks like Get Free and Highly Evolved. However, a troubled career saw half the band leave over the years due to Nicholls' erratic behaviour. He was subsequently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and continues to perform with the group.
INXS
Fronted by the charismatic singer Michael Hutchence, INXS became Australia's biggest musical export on the release of their 1987 album, Kick. The following decade saw them notch up more sales and acclaim, but the death of Hutchence in 1997 almost finished the band. They've continued, however, using other singers, including one picked from a talent show.
Wolfmother
The Sydney-based trio - featuring Andrew Stockdale on guitar and vocals - released their debut album in 2005, and featured the classic track Woman. They've released more albums since including 2009's Cosmic Egg and Victorious in 2016.
Crowded House
Neil Finn was singer with New Zealand’s top New Wave act Split Enz, but moved to Melbourne in 1985 with Aussie drummer Paul Hester to form a new band. Crowded House’s self-titled debut album spawned the massive hit Don’t Dream It’s Over, but their biggest commercial success was with 1990’s Woodface, which gave the world Four Seasons In One Day, Fall At Your Feet and the nostalgic Weather With You.
Pendulum
Drum 'n' bass out of Perth, Western Austrlia… the much-loved Pendulum went on hiatus in 2012, but they returned in 2015 and continue to play live shows.
Cut Copy
Signed to the ultra-cool Modular label, the Cutters were originally formed around Melbournian DJ and musician Dan Whitford and released their debut album, Bright Like Neon Love, in 2004. They're released a number of albums of electronic rock, including 2008's In Ghost Colours and 2017’s Haiku From Zero.
The Sleepy Jackson
An acclaimed musical project from Perth, based around songwriter Luke Steele. There were two albums - Lovers (2003) and Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird (2006) - but Steele's Empire Of The sun project has taken up much of his time since then.
Howling Bells
This Sydney rock band formed back in 2004, with Juanita Stein on vocals and her brother Joel on guitar. They have released four albums, the most recent of which is 2014's Heartstrings.
Pnau
Sydney-based duo Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes have released five albums of glittering electro-rock, including 2012's Good Morning To The Night, a mash-up of Elton John tracks.
The Saints
When they released their debut 7" (I'm) Stranded in September 1976, The Saints became the first band outside the US to issue a "punk" single. The Brisbane act were hugely influential, but the original line-up split in '78, leaving Chris Bailey to continue the name and guitarist Ed Kuepper to forge a solo career.
Divinyls
Formed in Sydney in 1980, the duo of the late Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee were best known for their rather rude 1990 hit I Touch Myself. Yes, it's about exactly what you think it is.
Midnight Oil
Best known for their politically-charged 1987 single Beds Are Burning (about returning land to the indigenous Aboriginal people), singer Peter Garrett later became a member of the Australian Labor Party and was appointed Minister Of The Environment in 2007.
Powderfinger
Formed in Brisbane in 1989, the band released seven albums between '94 and 2009, five of which went to Number 1 in Australia. They split in 2010, much to the anguish of Aussie rock fans.
Regurgitator
The Gurge hail from Brisbane and have been together since 1993. One of Australia's most-loved rock bands, they released their eighth studio album, Dirty Pop Fantasy, in 2013.
Men At Work
Well, we couldn’t leave this lot off, could we? Fronted by Colin Hay, this Melburnian band had a massive international hit in 1982 and 83 with the Aussie-tastic Down Under. Playfully trading on Australian stereotypes around the world, the song later became the subject of a lawsuit when it was claimed the flute solo in Down Under had infringed on the copyright to the old school music lesson favourite, Kookaburra.
Source (with videos): The Best Australian Bands Of All Time - Radio X
To celebrate Australia Day, Radio X takes a look at some of the very best acts to come from Down Under....
Jet
Brothers Nic and Chris Cester were the backbone of this hard-rockin' Melbourne band, whose biggest hit was 2003's Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Rollover DJ and Look What You've Done were other great tracks from their debut album Get Born.
Tame Impala
Perth's psych rock revivalists formed back in 2007, but it wasn't until they released the single Elephant in 2012 that they made an impression on the wider world.
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
The dark master of Australian rock, Cave made his debut in the punk/goth outfit The Birthday Party back in 1978. The band dissolved in 1983, leaving Cave to form The Bad Seeds, who have released 15 albums. 1996's Murder Ballads saw him team up with another Australian icon - Kylie Minogue.
The Avalanches
The Melbourne DJ collective made a huge splash in 2000 with their debut album Since I Left You, a massive mix of original tunes, memorable samples and scratches. It was long thought that they’d never follow it up - but they did, 16 years later, with Wildflower.
AC/DC
The Godfathers of Aussie Rock, the legendary Acca Dacca was formed by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young - two Glaswegians who moved to Sydney in the 60s. Originally featuring the late Bon Scott on vocals (he was replaced after his death in 1980 by Brian Johnson), the band have notched up four decades of no-nonsense, lewd and crude rock 'n' roll. There is now an “AC/DC Lane” in Melbourne.
Empire Of The Sun
An Aussie supergroup, comprising The Sleepy Jackson's Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore of Pnau. Their self-titled 2008 album raised a few eyebrows, thanks to the outfits the duo wore, which evoked nothing less than some kind of bizarre 1980s fantasy movie.
The Vines
Led by vocalist and guitarist Craig Nicholls, Sydney's The Vines made a huge impact with their 2002 debut album Highly Involved, which boasted tracks like Get Free and Highly Evolved. However, a troubled career saw half the band leave over the years due to Nicholls' erratic behaviour. He was subsequently diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and continues to perform with the group.
INXS
Fronted by the charismatic singer Michael Hutchence, INXS became Australia's biggest musical export on the release of their 1987 album, Kick. The following decade saw them notch up more sales and acclaim, but the death of Hutchence in 1997 almost finished the band. They've continued, however, using other singers, including one picked from a talent show.
Wolfmother
The Sydney-based trio - featuring Andrew Stockdale on guitar and vocals - released their debut album in 2005, and featured the classic track Woman. They've released more albums since including 2009's Cosmic Egg and Victorious in 2016.
Crowded House
Neil Finn was singer with New Zealand’s top New Wave act Split Enz, but moved to Melbourne in 1985 with Aussie drummer Paul Hester to form a new band. Crowded House’s self-titled debut album spawned the massive hit Don’t Dream It’s Over, but their biggest commercial success was with 1990’s Woodface, which gave the world Four Seasons In One Day, Fall At Your Feet and the nostalgic Weather With You.
Pendulum
Drum 'n' bass out of Perth, Western Austrlia… the much-loved Pendulum went on hiatus in 2012, but they returned in 2015 and continue to play live shows.
Cut Copy
Signed to the ultra-cool Modular label, the Cutters were originally formed around Melbournian DJ and musician Dan Whitford and released their debut album, Bright Like Neon Love, in 2004. They're released a number of albums of electronic rock, including 2008's In Ghost Colours and 2017’s Haiku From Zero.
The Sleepy Jackson
An acclaimed musical project from Perth, based around songwriter Luke Steele. There were two albums - Lovers (2003) and Personality - One Was A Spider, One Was A Bird (2006) - but Steele's Empire Of The sun project has taken up much of his time since then.
Howling Bells
This Sydney rock band formed back in 2004, with Juanita Stein on vocals and her brother Joel on guitar. They have released four albums, the most recent of which is 2014's Heartstrings.
Pnau
Sydney-based duo Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes have released five albums of glittering electro-rock, including 2012's Good Morning To The Night, a mash-up of Elton John tracks.
The Saints
When they released their debut 7" (I'm) Stranded in September 1976, The Saints became the first band outside the US to issue a "punk" single. The Brisbane act were hugely influential, but the original line-up split in '78, leaving Chris Bailey to continue the name and guitarist Ed Kuepper to forge a solo career.
Divinyls
Formed in Sydney in 1980, the duo of the late Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee were best known for their rather rude 1990 hit I Touch Myself. Yes, it's about exactly what you think it is.
Midnight Oil
Best known for their politically-charged 1987 single Beds Are Burning (about returning land to the indigenous Aboriginal people), singer Peter Garrett later became a member of the Australian Labor Party and was appointed Minister Of The Environment in 2007.
Powderfinger
Formed in Brisbane in 1989, the band released seven albums between '94 and 2009, five of which went to Number 1 in Australia. They split in 2010, much to the anguish of Aussie rock fans.
Regurgitator
The Gurge hail from Brisbane and have been together since 1993. One of Australia's most-loved rock bands, they released their eighth studio album, Dirty Pop Fantasy, in 2013.
Men At Work
Well, we couldn’t leave this lot off, could we? Fronted by Colin Hay, this Melburnian band had a massive international hit in 1982 and 83 with the Aussie-tastic Down Under. Playfully trading on Australian stereotypes around the world, the song later became the subject of a lawsuit when it was claimed the flute solo in Down Under had infringed on the copyright to the old school music lesson favourite, Kookaburra.
Source (with videos): The Best Australian Bands Of All Time - Radio X
