Rockers … Slovenian rock band Laibach pose during a photo shoot at Kim Il Sung Square prior to their performance in Pyongyang, North Korea. Picture: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
Source: AP

Foreigners who attended the Wednesday evening concert in Pyongyang said the Slovenian rockers were accorded a warm, if slightly muted, reception by the 1500-capacity crowd at the capital’s Ponghwa Arts Theatre.

“They seemed to really enjoy it. It wasn’t an audience pulling faces of distrust or confusion,” said Simon Cockerell, general manager of Beijing-based Koryo Tours which arranged a special trip for foreign tourists to see the show.

Laibach DPRK Tour starts today! Photo: Joerund F. Pedersen #DPRK #laibach pic.twitter.com/7R0qnyvLoq

— Laibach Informbiro (@Laibach) August 19, 2015

It was the first of two Laibach gigs in Pyongyang arranged as part of 70th anniversary celebrations of the Korean peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

Apart from around 150 foreigners — including diplomats, NGO workers and tourists — the rest of the audience was made up of North Koreans.

Rocking out … Slovenian rock band Laibach performs in Pyongyang, North Korea. Picture: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
Source: AP

Singer … a member of Slovenian rock band Laibach wears a traditional Korean dress as she performs in Pyongyang, North Korea. Picture: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
Source: AP

Founded in 1980 in the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia’s best-known music export has courted controversy with its deliberately ambiguous use of political and nationalist imagery.

While some accuse the rockers of being fascist, others argue that their work is a critique of totalitarian ideology.

Big act … Slovenian avant-garde music group Laibach perform at the Ponghwa Arts Theatre in Pyongyang. Picture: AFP/Simon Cockerell
Source: AFP

The North Korean popular music scene, is largely limited to state-approved bands making state-approved sounds, although foreign music — especially from South Korea — is becoming more accessible with the spread of portable media players.

Amused … insiders said the North Korean audience enjoyed the Slovenian spectacular. Picture: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara
Source: AP

These can play music smuggled into the country on CDs or USB sticks.

Deviating quite significantly from their normal repertoire, Laibach offered the Pyongyang crowd a medley of songs from The Sound of Music, which is well known in the North.

The hills are alive … North Koreans apparently love the Sound of Music. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

##

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The Stress of Leisure make extraordinary observations of ordinary things.
Source: Supplied

ROCK

The Stress of Leisure, Achievement

(Tsol Recording Company) ****1/2

One of my favourite memories from a live show: Talking Heads at Brisbane’s Festival Hall in 1979, around the time of the release of Fear of Music. As they walked on, David Byrne stared out into the crowd and we stared back. The look on his face could have been wonder, fear, or confusion. It seemed to say, “How did I get here? And how did you get there?’’

That was an important part of music in those post-punk years, where even the choice of music you liked seemed to make such a strong statement. It was there in the lyrics of Talking Heads and other bands of around that time, from Gang of Four to Magazine.

This was not about love, heartbreak or rock ’n’ roll fantasies. The lyrics observed everyday objects and experiences and made you question everything: what you liked, why you liked it, what you hated, who you voted for and the kind of life you chose to lead. You didn’t have answers but you did question.

This music, while based on strong songwriting foundations, thrived on dissonance, musical and emotional.

I have just heard that thing again in Brisbane band The Stress of Leisure’s dazzlingly assured third album. The lyrics often look at everyday things and experiences and the four-piece group moulds them into music that is exhilarating and danceable.

The result is funky and poppy and razor sharp and, in another age, when music was a more desirable commodity, I can’t imagine why it would not have been snapped up by a major label to reach a global audience.

As it is, The Stress of Leisure have made a record that will stand the test of time, similar to some of the work from other bands I have mentioned.

Achievement by The Stress Of Leisure

They will most frequently be compared with Talking Heads. Ian Powne has a Byrne-ish yelp in his voice, there is a quirky edge to them that owes something to post-punk new wave but which we’ve heard in bands from Pere Ubu to Devo, Television, B-52s, Pavement and Franz Ferdinand.

In this electro-flavoured climate The Stress of Leisure stand out like a beacon — great songs, great choruses, great guitars, whip-smart.

No Idea is the New Idea is an exciting introduction to the band and the album. It sports a propulsive bass line that wanders all over the fretboard, a slightly off-kilter guitar, an inquisitive synthesiser, a “ch-ch ch-ch ch-ch ch-ch’’ vocal hook. Dave Graney (one of the band’s fans) would be proud of those lyrics.

Girl on a Lilo is even better; an inexorable bed of bass, drums and synthesiser with acute angles from the electric guitar as Powne pleads: “Give me that thing quick, to save my brain!’’

Aim High/Get High juxtaposes robot-gone-rogue rhythm with the undeniable observation that “CCTV footage of a man jogging is in fact a man jogging’’, one of numerous laugh-out-loud moments.

Brain Jam has a funky rhythm and appears to capture a rare collision between melodica and wah wah guitar.

Professional Woman continues the new-wave disco groove (is that a cowbell?); Sylvia Plath is frantic (“Out of these questions/How to relax/Afraid of these books/Afraid of the facts’’).

You won’t find a weak track here. Not just a classic Brisbane record but one of the best I have heard this year.

Noel Mengel

ROCK

The Vaccines, English Graffiti

(Columbia) ***

English rockers The Vaccines are heading for Australia, joining the line-up this month at Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass and returning to tour with Mumford & Sons in November. By wheels-down time, much of English Graffiti will be sounding super slick following European shows to support the release of their third album. Slick is the word. The West Londoners have eschewed the snarling, disaffected rock of their debut and 2012’s Come of Age. Vocalist Justin Young is almost unrecognisable, dropping his lackadaisical delivery for a warm tenor that shows he really does care. Producer Dave Fridmann has pulled the band from their “too cool for school” slumber as has co-producer Cole M Greif-Neill. At first it’s a confronting shift in sound but rewards do come in the shape of the booming Dream Lover, Blur-esque finesse of (All Afternoon) In Love and the souled-up Strokes-lite of Minimal Affection. But it’s the crooning Maybe I Could Hold You and power-pop of Give Me A Sign that are festival anthems in the making.

Matt Connors

ROCK

Wire, Wire

(Popfrenzy) ***1/2

Wire’s 1977 album Pink Flag is one of the lasting classics to emerge in the punk years, and their first three albums hold up as well as anything from that period. Wire are still operating, still writing songs about alienation from the modern world, still have an ear for a sharp melody, although suitably for men of their vintage their music doesn’t have the acerbic edge of their youth. They can even get away with a song called Blogging, even though it might send your children (or grandchildren) into a rage. With bands of this type I always ask, would I think this was good if it dropped from a new band? You bet. Those clean lines and sharp angles are still there although in softer focus on songs like Shifting, where Colin Newman’s delicious wordplay matches the sonorous glide of the music. The songs are longer now than those early sub-two-minute diamonds from the ‘70s, although Joust & Jostle is short and sharp while the dreamy Burning Bridges, with a cascading riff Jeff Lynne would have loved, shows their pop instincts are undimmed.

Noel Mengel

CLASSICAL

Dvorak, Complete Symphonies

(Warner Classics) *****

To play one symphony by a composer who wrote nine is like reading one chapter of a book and never knowing how it ends, so this seven-disc set of nine symphonies, Legends and Slavonic Dances by Bohemian composer Antonin Dvorak is the complete “book’’, a collection that allows a full appreciation of his piquant symphonic style from start (in 1865) to end (1893). Uruguay-born conductor/composer Jose Serebrier directs Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in this exhilarating musical journey. He captures the composer’s glowing spirit inhabiting the romantic overtones of Symphony No 1 in C minor: The Bells of Zlonice, the emotional powers of Symphony Two in B flat major and the pulsing drive of the third. Dvorak returns to his Bohemian roots in his fourth ahead of the final five symphonies that reach a grand climax in the New World Symphony No 9 where Bohemian melodies morph into the familiar musical idioms inspired by his experiences in America. It closes an experience to savour.

Patricia Kelly

COUNTRY

Various Artists, Dylan, Cash and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City

(Sony) ****

Kenny Buttrey, Norbert Putnam, Charlie McCoy, Jerry Reed, Ben Keith. If you’re the kind who reads the back of the record cover, you know who they are, the session players, the Nashville Cats, who played on hits beyond number. This two-CD set explains the cross-pollination between rock and Nashville: Dylan’s friendship with Johnny Cash led him there, followed by everyone from The Beau Brummels to Country Joe McDonald, The Byrds and Neil Young. There is a sweet balance between big names (Dylan’s Absolutely Sweet Marie, Leonard Cohen’s Bird On a Wire, Ringo’s Beaucoups of Blues) and harder-to-find treats like Steve Goodman’s City of New Orleans and John Hartford’s Gentle on My Mind, the writers performing songs soon to be hits for others. You probably didn’t realise some of these had the Nashville stamp, like Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer and George Harrison’s Behind That Locked Door. Also included: The Monkees’ Some of Shelly’s Blues and Linda Ronstadt’s Silver Wings. That’s your next car trip sorted.

Noel Mengel

ROCK

Richard Thompson, Still

(Proper Records) ****

Here the folk-rock legend heads for Chicago to record with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. As a producer, Tweedy has a gentle touch (see Mavis Staples’s recent work) and the sound here is all Thompson, with lashings of his crisp, clean electric guitar work and few production flourishes. Opener She Never Could Resist a Winding Road is the kind of devastatingly emotional tune that could have graced Thompson’s best work with then-wife Linda Thompson; Josephine adds another to his bulging bag of meditations on ill-starred lovers; Where’s Your Heart? cuts like a scythe and No Peace No End rocks with fevered intensity. Some might see the closing Guitar Heroes as an indulgence: a stop-start workout that finds Thompson playing in the style of Django Reinhardt, Les Paul and Chuck Berry. But since most Thompson fans agree he is one of the finest players on the planet, they won’t demur. He’s writing and playing as well as ever (and his career started as teenager in Fairport Convention in 1967). Here’s hoping he finds his way back here soon.

Noel Mengel

ROCK

Born Lion, Final Words

(Four/Four) ****

Sydney four-piece Born Lion have been going from strength to strength since forming in 2012. They won a slot on the main stage at Sydney’s Soundwave festival in 2013, were one of the highlights at Brisbane’s Bigsound music conference the same year and have since opened for the likes of The Bronx and Karnivool. The band’s musical influences aren’t too hard to pick, with opener Break the Curse taking cues from Fugazi and The Hives and providing a good indication of what’s to follow. Sucker For Punishment is one of the most visceral songs on the album and the lo-fi, drum-free Violent Soul reveals the band in a slightly mellower light. Tracks such as Too Cool to Party give the lads a chance to showcase their acerbic wit. D For Danger and Good Times Jimmy, which have both received considerable airplay, are further highlights, as is Rest in Pieces, but there isn’t a weak link among these 11 tracks. If the quality of this debut full-length is any indication, you can expect to be hearing more about Born Lion sooner rather than later.

Daniel Johnson

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Next big thing … Little Sea have been given the 5SOS seal of approval. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

If the script plays out as it did for 5SOS, by this time next year Little Sea will be playing gigs in Europe and America, conducting dozens of interviews daily and spending their down time trapped in hotels by hordes of hysterical female fans. Good times.

So far reality is following this postmillennial plot for pop success.

Little Sea started posting covers on YouTube about 18 months ago and staging pop-up gigs to gauge how many views would translate to actual fans.

“We had only been a band for about three months when we went to Newcastle to do one at Foreshore Park and I saw all these girls there, wondering if they were there for us,” bassist Dylan Clark says.

“It was ridiculous; we hadn’t even released a song.”

Fandemonium … Little Sea scored one of the biggest crowds of their career at the Amplify festival. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

Then they released their own composition Thank You, which is their most viewed clip and the record labels took notice. Everyone was looking for the next 5SOS by then and Clark, frontman Andy Butler, guitarist Oliver Kirby and drummer Leighton Cauchi eventually signed with Sony.

The buzz was building and the band sold out all three shows on their first east coast tour which kicked off the day before they released their debut EP, Wake the Sun.

Support slots with 5SOS on their national tours in the past year have kept them momentum rolling and won them international fans as evidenced by the constant Twitter pleas from young ladies in Europe and America for the band to tour abroad.

When 5SOS drummer Ashton Irwin tweeted a link to their new With You, Without You EP, it scored tens of thousands of favourites and forwards.

Good mates … 5 Seconds of Summer have been championing their friends Little Sea on social media. Picture: Tim Hunter.
Source: News Corp Australia

It may be early days for the young rockers but as 5SOS can attest, when your band blows up, it happens quickly.

“I feel like all eyes are on Australia with so many acts breaking here and then becoming overnight sensations elsewhere. The success of 5SOS and Iggy Azalea is helping younger Australian artists to get noticed,” Kirby says.

“Hopefully it is the perfect time for us.”

Some of my pals from home just released and EP, LISTEN with those beautiful ears❤️ http://t.co/dF8lpaUBkB @LittleSea pic.twitter.com/lmXce5YdN9

— Ashton Irwin (@Ashton5SOS) June 26, 2015

Their label biography refers to them several times as “songwriters” to make the point Little Sea aren’t just good-looking blokes who can play a tune.

No one wants them called a “boy band” despite the fact that moniker never did any harm to a group who found favour with millions of hormonal young girls.

Butler said the distinction is imperative if they want their pop shelf-life to extend beyond the adolescence of their fans.

“The fans are going to grow up, we are going to grow up and we want to take them with us. We want them to love us for the music,” he says.

More sold-out signs have been posted at venues for their EP launch tour which kicked off in Melbourne yesterday and, as Butler desires, the music is finding favour with fans with With You, Without You hovering around the iTunes top 10 since its release last Friday.

Current single Change For Love was co-written and produced by former Evermore frontman Jon Hume, a man with the Midas pop touch.

The band joke they are going to have to increase their budget for replacement drum sticks as it has become a thing for fans to break into their dressing rooms and souvenir Cauchi’s stash.

“Andy lost his favourite T-shirt and I keep losing all my sticks; they are about $ 30 a pair and I don’t mind throwing them out to fans at the gigs but you need to keep some so you can keep playing,” Cauchi says.

Like most of their pop peers, the members of Little Sea are permanently glued to their social media feeds.

When Clark says he was “talking” to fans on the morning of the EP release, it means he has been direct messaging them. Many of their most ardent fans have become friends, more than just a Twitter handle or familiar faces in the front row of a show.

All four members are tempted to check their phones several times during our chat, just a little concerned that on EP release day, time spent away from the fans could be misconstrued as a snub.

“The only time we are not doing anything for this band is when we sleep,” Butler says.

Cauchi, who will wake up a few times a night to check communications from fans in the northern hemisphere, jokes he needs the validation.

He stresses positivity is important when dealing with their legion of young admirers.

“It’s a very big no for us to have attitude, to be negative, to have a go at other bands,” he says.

HEAR: With You, Without You out now

SEE: Little Sea, Little and Olver, Melbourne, today; Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, July 8 and 9, The Old Museum, Brisbane, July 11, Astor Lounge, Fremantle, July 16 and Fowlders Live, Adelaide, July 17.

www.news.com.au/entertainment/music

‘Rock’n’roll needs to adapt before it can be saved’ … Gang of Youths. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

Country star Adam Harvey had a crack at this difficult subject last year in his single She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful and Melbourne hardcore band Confession provoked attention with their emphatic musical statement F!@# Cancer, inspired by the health battles of the parents of their frontman.

Gang Of Youths’ debut record The Positions, which debuted at No. 5 ahead of their sold-out national tour, is an entire album on the theme.

THE ALBUMS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2015

THE VOICE YOU HAVE HEARD 100 TIMES IN ADS

Youthful gang … Gang of Youths is bravely tackling the taboo subject of cancer on their debut record. Picture: Supplied.
Source: Supplied

Frontman Dave Le’aupepe was only 19 when his partner was diagnosed with melanoma, which then spread to her lymph nodes before attacking her lungs.

For the next few years, the pair went through hell together as they struggled to maintain their relationship, sanity and more importantly health, through endless hospital visits, the expense of treatment and long distances when he relocated to America.

His partner survived, their relationship didn’t and The Positions chronicles their battles against a bold rock soundtrack which recalls stadium kings from Bruce Springsteen to Bono.

“It affects one in two people, 50 per cent of the population. And no one wants to talk about it because it’s awkward,” the 23-year-old songwriter says.

“We wanted all the sides of living with cancer represented on the album; the defiance and hopefulness that are intrinsic to fighting the disease and the anger and resignation because you don’t have any choice in it.”

What’s cool? … Gang Of Youths’ harbour ambitions to be stadium-sized rockers. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

When Le’aupepe wrote songs including Vital Signs, Kansas, Radioface and Knuckles White Dry, it was therapy and he didn’t intend for them to become part of the band’s first album.

His band mates challenged him to think differently. In the end, an overarching desire to say something important with Gang Of Youths made his decision.

It was a tough call and one the frontman has been reticent to discuss before now out of respect for his former partner.

“These songs are vulnerable, too confessional, harrowing and before them, I was writing totally superficial, facile music, things that didn’t mean anything,” he says.

“Now I understand what the truly cathartic elements of music are; you are slitting your wrists and painting with blood. And it’s ugly and it’s clumpy and it’s got your DNA all over it.

“You look at that and it’s a reflection of everything that is inside you. And someone is going to find some poetry in that.”

Getting noticed … Gang Of Youths debuted at No. 5 with The Positions and have sold out their national tour. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied

He is right. Thousands of people have found poetry, and maybe their own dose of therapy, listening to The Positions.

Their top 5 chart debut came as a shock to everyone, including the band. It seemed that while they had generated plenty of buzz both here and overseas in the past two years, there wasn’t a big push behind the debut record.

But it is now on everyone’s radar and their national run of shows to launch The Positions have sold out.

Le’aupepe and his band are defying the doomsayers who claim rock is dead not only with incendiary shows but epic, ambitious, stadium rock songs busting the five and six-minute mark, which are hardly radio fare these days.

“Ambition is intoxicating and the sound of huge music is important to us,” he says.

“Born To Run, Joshua Tree, Daydream Nationare the three records I want to beat in my lifetime. Time-honoured classics with long song structures. I like the trajectory of the long song.”

But he admits his band have an uphill battle to match the fortunes of the stadium rockers as dance and hip hop continue to dominate the mainstream.

It’s time for another rock’n’roll revolution.

“Rock music stopped being seen as rebellious when it became part of the mainstream. Hip hop and dance music are being seen as the rebels. And a lot of that has to do with the drugs,” he says.

“You look at the last rock movement with The Strokes and all those guys; that ushered in skinny jeans. It’s hardly rebellious.

“And there’s no tribalism anymore because hip hop kids will love Bon Iver. As someone who is passionate about heavy music, I don’t want to be called a poser because I like Kendrick Lamar and I don’t have to deal with that anymore.

“But I think rock’n’roll needs to adapt before it can be saved.”

HEAR The Positions (Sony) out now.

SEE Gang Of Youths, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney tomorrow and June 2; Woolly Mammoth Alehouse, Brisbane, Saturday; and Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, May 19, 20 and 22.

WANGO TANGO MUSIC FESTIVAL PICTURES

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Who’ll Be on Top Over the Next Few Weeks
ATO’s Alabama Shakes are on their way to a #1 bow on this week’s HITS Album Sales and SPS (Sales Plus Streaming) charts.

Look for Southern Ground/Varvatos/BMLG/Republic’s Zac Brown Band to rule the following week (and achieve a special commendation for most imprints on one project), with Glassnote’s Mumford & Sons slated for a chart-topping bow the week after that.

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=295711

ATRL – Charts

Fat White family perform covered in poo. Pic: Youtube
Source: YouTube

Earlier this month, the rock ’n’ roll sextet played at Manhattan’s Mercury Lounge — a venue in which bands often have to fight through fans to get from the dressing room to the stage.

But singer Lias Saoudi and his compatriots had no such trouble. The sold-out crowd parted like the Red Sea, due to the fact that the band smelled like they’d spent the day swimming in a Staten Island landfill. (In fact, they had come straight from a Late Show with David Letterman taping.)

“We’re not the most hygienic bunch,” Saoudi told The Post, somewhat sheepishly, ahead of their Music Hall of Williamsburg show this Thursday.

“We’re too busy having fun. What sort of self-respecting rock ’n’ roll band goes to the f**king laundromat on tour?

You’re not gonna be down there scrubbing your socks on the day you did Letterman for the first time.”

Given their hard-partying rep, it’s hardly surprising that the Brits give off an eye-watering scent. Since forming in 2011, Fat White Family have developed notoriety for their deranged shows, which can feature Saoudi getting naked or smearing himself in his own excrement.

“When I die, I’d like to know I’d experienced as much as possible,” reasons Saoudi.

“So standing in a crowd of people, covered in my own s**t and singing, is a pretty big box to tick off.”

The sense that almost anything can happen at a Fat White Family show makes them a must-see band, and their wonderfully seedy songs (most of which are from the album “Champagne Holocaust”) only add to the allure. It’s like witnessing a loaded Velvet Underground fronted by a pungent Iggy Pop.

“I’m well aware that I’m not doing anything original, but I think it’s funny that so many people are shocked by what I do onstage,” says Saoudi. “It speaks volumes of how so much music is pedestrian.”

Fat White Family on stage. Pic: Youtube
Source: YouTube

Fat White Family split their time between London and New York, where they’ve begun to win some high-level endorsements. “Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus recently attended the aforementioned Mercury Lounge show. “They are one of my favourite new bands … so real, so good,” he told The Post via e-mail.

Sean Lennon is also an avid devotee after seeing them at the music festival SXSW in 2014. “[This] scraggly looking bunch of English kids blew everyone away,” he recalled to The Post.

He is co-producing Fat White Family’s upcoming second album (due later this year) and has even let them stay at his home in the Catskills. “The Fat Whites have many talents, but being good houseguests is certainly not one of them,” he notes.

“Sean’s a lovely bloke,” adds Saoudi.

“You’d think somebody with that background could be f***ed up but he’s down to earth. Most people wouldn’t let us in the front door!”

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The Chantoozies, from left Evie von Bibra , Ally Fowler and Tottie Goldsmith .
Source: News Limited

The Melbourne based band that features Tottie Goldsmith, Ally Flower and Eve von Bibra, have released the new single Black and Blue after a solid couple of years touring around Australia.

Goldsmith wrote the song more than two decades ago while on a creative trip to New York City.

“I wrote some songs including Black and Blue in New York, but when I came back to Australia I got caught up with some television stuff I was doing,” she said.

“I thought I’d deal with the music later because I had to put my attention into TV

“Then before I know it, the tracks went missing, they were on analog reels.

“But eventually they turned up again, all dusty which was exciting.

“I said to the girls, what do you think?

“They said, lets do it, and here we are.”

Goldsmith said the single has special meaning to her because she wrote it.

“It’s exciting because Brett (brother Brett Goldsmith) Eve, and James Reyne wrote most of the songs.

“So it’s exciting to be able to get on stage and perform a song that I’ve written.

“It’s a different experience.”

The Chantoozies two biggest hits were Witch Queen which was released in 1987, and Wanna Be Up, which was released a year later.

Originally published as Melbourne band release missing song after 25 years
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Ricky Martin will use his years of experience to create a world-beating boy band.
Source: News Limited

Martin, who started his career in pop five-piece Menudo, is set to star in a new reality show, alongside music mogul Simon Cowell, to create the world’s next big boy band.

“We are creating a new boy band,” Martin said.

“We are going to document everything, present it to the audience, and let the audience decide. It is going to be an amazing journey.”

Martin, 43, joined Menudo, one of the biggest Latin boy bands ever, when he was 12.

He said: “I know what needs to be done in order to survive in this crazy life of show business.”

Martin will manage the boy band he co-creates with Cowell.

“It’s so amazing that I’m still doing this after so many years,” he said.

“If I was traumatised, trust me I would have quit.

“But I love the business … and I’m still learning.”

Meanwhile, Martin will hit the road for a national tour, playing at Rod Laver on May 2, and an intimate show at Palms At Crown on May 6 for wellness brand Swisse.

Martin, father of two boys, says he loves visiting Melbourne.

“I know it is a city of culture, a city to discover,” he said.

Originally published as Ricky Martin to start new boy band
www.news.com.au/entertainment/music

Industry favourite … AC/DC has been selected Australian music’s favourite local band.
Source: AFP

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National music writer Cameron Adams asked the biggest names in Australian music for their picks to come up with the definitive list.

150 musicians – everyone from Judith Durham to Kylie Minogue, Darren Hayes to John Farnham and Kate Ceberano to Megan Washington – took our survey. Here are the results, and the reasons these bands have entertained and inspired audiences worldwide.

Who else made the grade? See below for the bands that made up Numbers 21 to 50.

One constant … Iva Davies is a stalwart member of Icehouse.
Source: Supplied

21. ICEHOUSE

With Iva Davies as the one constant, Icehouse went from covers band to icy cool electro chart toppers, before swapping the Fairlight (technology they were among the first to embrace) for the guitar and mullet as globe conquering rockers. After a long break, they’re back on the road again without ever joining the retro circuit.

Sneaky Sound System are huge Icehouse fans. “Iva’s music and production has stood the test of time,” says Sneaky’s Angus McDonald. Boss.”

Sneaky singer Connie Mitchell loves their ‘well-crafted’ songs. “Hey Little Girl is hauntingly beautiful. I like the light with which they painted Australia in their music, a softer gentler Australia, ‘cause boy we were pretty rough in the 80s!”

Kate Ceberano says Iva Davies is “Australia’s version of David Bowie … At least to me. Orchestral and avant-garde.”

Musician Michael Paynter went from fan to Icehouse band member when Davies recruited him to join Icehouse on stage four years ago. “I’ve won the gig lottery,” he says. “Iva is one of the greatest songwriters to have ever come from our country.”

Best of the west … Tame Impala hail from Perth
Source: Supplied

21. TAME IMPALA

Formed in 2007, and with just two albums so far (another due this year) Australia’s musicians fell fast and hard for Kevin Parker’s music.

“They exemplify the uncanny ability Australian bands have to produce work that is ahead of the curve,” says Melbourne muso Ben Abraham.

“Kevin has an amazing melodic and harmonic sense that blows me away,” says Joel Quatermain of Eskimo Joe. “I think the next album is going to raise the bar for Australian music.”

“Kevin Parker is a very clever boy,” says Melbourne singer and songwriter Rebecca Barnard. “ Great melodies and musicianship.“

Early hipsters … Daddy Cool, with frontman Ross Wilson left.
Source: News Limited

22. DADDY COOL

Formed in Melbourne in 1970, Daddy Cool were the first Australian band to sell over 100,000 copies of an album.

“They just had fab songs, simple as that,” Colleen Hewett says.

“They were quirky yet so cool,” notes Mike Brady. “They always blew audiences away. “

“Daddy Cool were completely unique and one of our best shots at world domination,’’ recalls Brian Cadd. “Can’t believe they didn’t conquer America.”

Just as Daddy Cool’s Ross Wilson continues to be inspired by new music (he is a huge fan of the Preatures) it goes both ways for the next generation.

“Ross Wilson is an incredibly versatile and talented songwriter whose music never ceases to astound me,” says Megan Washington

23. THE LOVED ONES

Their career really only stretched from 1965 to 1967, but those two years left enough of an impression to still be cited as one of our favourite Australian bands, with hits including Ever Lovin’ Man and The Loved One, later covered by INXS.

“They only had one album but what an absolute classic,” says Iva Davies of Icehouse.

“Really out there. Helped pave the way for INXS in my opinion,” Doug Parkinson says.

“There still hasn’t been a more original Aussie rock recording than The Loved One,” states Brian Cadd.

Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner was heavily inspired by the band. “When I was 21 years old I walked into Bleecker Bob’s in New York City, which at that time was probably the coolest record shop on the planet,” Faulkner recalls. “Bleecker Bob himself didn’t suffer fools gladly, and when he noticed my Aussie accent the first thing he said was “You’re Australian — do you like The Loved Ones?”. Lucky for me, I gave the right answer otherwise I reckon he would have turfed me out into the street. Most serious rock ‘n’ roll fans know that The Loved Ones’ Magic Box is one of the best Australian records ever made. It was their only album and it has never been out-of-print since it was released in 1967. No-one’s beaten it yet in my opinion.”

Punk royalty … The Saints.
Source: News Corp Australia

24. THE SAINTS

Founded in 1974, their 1976 single (I’m) Stranded was released before the Sex Pistols and the Clash would make what was known as punk. They’ve continued in different formations, with Bruce Springsteen covering their `80s hit Just Like Fire Would on an album last year. Tellingly, most of their votes came from people born long after their debut, including The Veronicas.

“The original bad boys but I just love the songs,” says Isabella Manfredi of the Preachers. “Ed Kuepper is up there for me with Australia’s great guitarists.”

“They released (I’m) Stranded the same year The Sex Pistols released Anarchy in the U.K and The Ramones released Blitzkrieg Bop,” says James Tidswell of Violent Soho. “I pretty much like all of their albums regardless of the line up. Definitely the best band from Brisbane.”

“Paralytic Tonight Dublin Tomorrow was really important for me,” Mick Thomas says. “The band was wild but all of a sudden melody and songwriting were important again.”

The last word goes to Adalita. “The Godfathers of Australian punk, that’s why.”

25. EMPIRE OF THE SUN

Their debut album Walking on the Dream saw Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau) combine to get instant global attention, something they managed to hold with the follow-up Ice on the Dune. They’ve since written with everyone from Beyonce to Usher to Groove Armada.

“Far more deserving of the accolades that have been given to other Australian artists of late, Empire of the Sun managed to produce cool, catchy tunes that will be heard all over the world for years to come,” says Kris Schroeder of the Basics.

“I think these guys shook things up a bit too with the playfulness and all out catchy pop,” says Melbourne muso Ben Abraham.

“I love everything about them,” notes Ricki-Lee. “Not only the incredible music but the crazy costumes, the amazing theatrics of their live shows, the outrageous videos! Everything is so out of the ordinary and I love that. Alive is my favourite song — it’s so epic.”

First lady of Aus rock … Suze DeMarchi with the Baby Animals.
Source: News Corp Australia

26. BABY ANIMALS

Formed in 1989, the Baby Animals’ self-titled 1991 debut went eight times platinum in Australia and provided a string of hits which still sound impressive. The band reformed in 2007 and released a long-awaited third album in 2013.

“They should have been massive,” says ex AC/DC member Mark Evans. “Massive!”

“Great Aussie rock songs and a fantastic front lady in Suze DeMarchi,” says John Swan.

“Suze — what a great singer,” says Mahalia Barnes. “She was someone I really looked up to growing up. I was lucky enough to get to watch these guys live a fair bit as a kid as they toured with dad. Dave Leslie, is an amazing guitarist, great fun too. But most importantly, great songs!”

“Suze DeMarchi is one of the best female rock voices I’ve heard,” says Keith Potger of the Seekers. “It’s wonderful news they are touring again.”

27. THE GO BETWEENS

Brisbane’s The Go-Betweens weren’t just critics’ darlings, they were a major influence on their peers, even if they never achieved the mainstream success they courted in the late `80s.

“Classic, Australian pop,” says Lisa Mitchell of the Go-Betweens, the first band that came to mind when picking favourites.

“The slow unfolding that was my education in The Go Betweens went from my own quiet discovery and fascination, to realising that they were loved by all and sundry and had laid the very paving that bands like mine trod upon,” says Frente’s Angie Hart.

Musician Scott Spark, from Brisbane, is one of many touched by the The Go-Betweens’ way with words. “I knew the smell and sight of sugarcane crops burning, and the taste of it, chewing the stuff whilst sitting cross-legged on the trampoline after school. So Grant McLennan’s Cattle and Cane was my world too. And just like Grant, I was torn being wanting to belong and the desire to escape.”

Former Magic Dirt singer Adalita is also a convert. “Immaculate band, immaculate songs, their music makes me happy.”

Sandgroper … Late singer David McComb on stage with The Triffids.
Source: News Corp Australia

28. THE TRIFFIDS

And after the Go-Betweens we complete the set of arguably Western Australia’s most influential band, fronted by the late, great David McComb.

Alex Gow is one of countless musicians changed forever by encountering the Triffids’ music. “The songs of David McComb and The Triffids are timeless. A constant companion,” Gow says. “The sound is dizzying. It’s expressive, other worldly and arguably naive. The organ, the chorus laden telecaster and pedal steel are icy, yet hit you hot as hell. The sound is naked. It’s body beautiful, adolescent and unashamed. The violin, the drama. It’s ancient music, timeless music. David’s writing is kilometres ahead of the pack. Still is. It’s desperate, dangerous, romantic, fully formed. It’s a sound that crawled through my eye sockets and burrowed in my temples. It lingers, it always will.”

Angie Hart points to Wide Open Road and Raining Pleasure as “raw and rugged” Australian anthems plus “David McComb had the sexiest sibilance I’ve ever heard.”

Vanessa Thornton of Jebediah says The Triffids “sound and feels like my hometown of Perth, but also like a band in a van on the road. Two of my favourite things in the past 20 years.”

Melbourne musician David Bridie says the Triffids “did wall of sound better than most. They also made inroads in Europe. Wide Open Road, Trick of the Light and Bury Me Deep in Love are amongst the great Australian songs. Born Sandy Devotional is not only a great album but has one of the best album titles. David McComb’s early death was a sad loss, their vision has continued with some fine work by the Blackeyed Susans and some Triffids tribute shows.”

29. HUNTERS AND COLLECTORS

Another band with a varied trajectory, the Hunters and Collectors began in Melbourne in 1981 as an underground act and by the time they disbanded in 1998 they’d become commercial rock radio staples and had their song Holy Grail seized by the AFL. After a few reformations, the band did what they claim was one final victory lap around Australia last year, thrilling fans new and old with the tour they never thought they’d see.

“Great songs, great live band, love the rawness,” says Pseudo Echo’s Brian Canham.

“Hearing Hunters and Collectors reminds of the (Crystal) Ballroom and those early punk beginnings in Melbourne,” says Kate Ceberano.

30. THE DINGOES

This Melbourne based country rock band, fronted by Broderick Smith, operated between 1973 and 1979 and are probably best known for the song Way Out West. Their peers have no doubt how influential they were on the Australian music scene, and the band were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009 as well as reforming for a new album and tour.

“I think it is important that we all acknowledge that The Dingoes were the founding fathers of our most important subculture which came to be known as Oz Rock,” says Richard Clapton. “They clearly influenced all the Australian artists who followed in their wake and wrote about our own country rather than plagiarising songs and topics from overseas.”

James Reyne, who’d later cover Way Out West, pinpoints his love of the Dingoes as being due to “great songs, great playing and the great Broderick Smith.”

Mick Thomas notes “The first Dingoes album was really important for me and I think pretty influential with a whole generation of Melbourne songwriters. It was an honour to open for them when they first reformed a couple of years back.”

31. HOODOO GURUS

Arrived in 1981 with a bang that’s not left them since. “The essence of everything pub rock had to offer with a camp twist and too much paisley,” says Darren Hayes. “And I love it all.” Vanessa Thornton from Jebediah loves the fact the Gurus still deliver live and make new music. “If I had to pick a band I would like to follow in the footsteps of, it would definitely be Hoodoos.”

Don’t forget … Air Supply are one of our biggest selling music exports.
Source: News Limited

32. AIR SUPPLY

Often cruelly forgotten when people list Australia’s biggest selling exports, Air Supply took power ballads to the world and the world took them to their hearts. They were finally inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame two years ago. “I am a fan of smooth ‘yacht’ rock,” says Angie Hart. “Love and Other Bruises and All Out Of Love are two of our country’s finest in the genre.” And even metalcore band I Killed the Prom Queen need a hit of pure Air Supply. “All Out of Love can make its way onto any movie soundtrack with ease,” they note.

Controversial … The Angels, fronted by the late and indeed great Doc Neeson, were unlucky to land so far down our list.
Source: News Corp Australia

33. THE ANGELS

Still on the road, putting a messy split with the late Doc Neeson behind them as they continue to play their classic catalogue.

“In my opinion the greatest pub rock band ever,” says Doug Parkinson. “Doc, what a performer. What a gentleman.” Isabella Manfredi from the Preachers spent time with Doc Neeson in his final years. “I took so much from Doc Neeson,” she says. “The man loved being on stage. He had so much raw energy, passion and intelligence — a real natural performer. There was a lot of joy there for him, and a lot of pain. Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again is an Aussie classic, but I also think the love people had for Doc carried a lot of what The Angels did. He was the closest thing I’ll ever have to a mentor and I’m grateful for the short time I had with him. RIP.”

34. REGURGITATOR

One of Australia’s more creative bands. “I love their many different styles and flavours,” says Vanessa Thornton from Jebediah. “But mostly I love them because they make me want to dance.”

“Smart, innovative, idiosyncratic, great lyrics and songs,” says David Bridie. “They have played the industry in an interesting and self motivated way. When friends from overseas ask for a unique Australian band, Unit and Tu Plang are records that I give them. I bonded musically with my oldest daughter listening to Black Bugs.”

Ross Wilson chose them as one of his favourite Australian bands “because they kept on changing.”

35. THE REELS

Dave Mason is another Australian musical visionary whose talent is not lost on his peers including Boom Crash Opera’s Dale Ryder who calls them “musical and cheeky.”

“If they only ever released Quasimodo’s Dream they would still earn classic status among Aussie bands,” says Paul Gray while Ross Wilson notes even without that song “they are startlingly original and very musical group of individuals. Way ahead of the pack then and now.”

“Love Will Find A Way and Quasimodo’s Dream are two of the finest Australian pop songs ever written,” notes Angus McDonald of Sneaky Sound System, “but also their cover of This Guy’s In Love will always make me weak at the knees.”

David Bridie says “Dave Mason at his best sung with a beauty and wrote lyrics that cut through with observations about Australian suburbia and relationship dysfunction.”

Treat for the ears … Augie March.
Source: Supplied

36. AUGIE MARCH

Another band who Australian musicians can relate to, sometimes more than the mainstream.

“They have written such wonderful, curlicue songs whose slow-release melodies, coupled with Glenn Richards’ heart-wrenching voice, have continued to draw me in and whoosh me down delightful new rabbit holes,” says Abby Dobson.

“Nobody writes lyrics like Glenn. Nobody,” says Megan Washington. “Augie March has this way of sounding familiar and twisted-traditional and somehow sinister at the same time.”

Musician Whitley is another fan. “Glenn Richards, much like Gareth Liddiard, is in the very top few lyricists and melody makers of our age in Australia. Pick up the first two Augie records for a real treat to the ears and the heart.”

37. THE MASTERS APPRENTICES

Formed 50 years ago in South Australia, as Russell Morris points out you still hear Masters songs like Because I Love You and Turn Up Your Radio today.

“They were the band that most personified the rock lifestyle in Australia in the `60s,” says Brian Cadd. “Great look, great stage shows and original records. And Jim Keays!” Dave Faulkner of Hoodoo Gurus notes. “The Easybeats were our first pop stars but The Masters Apprentices were our first rock stars. Jim Keays looked the part and his band played the part. Jim Keays, Mick Bower and Doug Ford between them have penned some of the finest songs to come out of this country. They made their mark in the UK. too, where they were released on Vertigo Records, the home of Black Sabbath and a lot of other “happening” music at the time. RIP, Jim!”

38. THE AVALANCHES

One album? No matter. It’s 15 years on and the Melbourne band still haven’t followed up their classic debut Since I Left You.

“An innovative outfit,” says David Bridie. “Only one album, but what an impact.” Ben Abraham notes “With only one record they were game changers.”

Hugo from Flight Facilities is one of many electronic acts who owe them a debt. “Their album is one of the greatest ever made. It’s only when you take it apart that you start to appreciate the amount of work and sheer genius that was required to complete it. Even more so when you consider that it’s now 15 years old, and still sounds like nothing else from the past or present.”

39. CUT COPY

The Melbourne band formed in 2001 and hit No. 1 on the ARIA chart with their album In Ghost Colours, opening doors for all manner of electronic acts. They’re also huge overseas, regularly selling out live shows across the globe. Tania Doko says their “infectious electronic soundscapes and melodies” makes them “so deserving of their international success and regular spots in the biggest international music festivals.” Hugo from Flight Facilities adds Cut Copy are “one of my favourite bands and a constant inspiration for making music. Their longevity and ability to write different music is hard to ignore. They’ve been a staple in almost every DJ set I’ve ever played.”

Boys light up … Australian Crawl, with frontman James Reyne having a lie down, in 1980.
Source: News Corp Australia

40. AUSTRALIAN CRAWL

James Reyne is in the midst of playing most of the Australian Crawl songs he’s avoided for years, embracing the band’s impressive tunes. “Sirocco is one of my all time favourite Australian albums,” says Mark Sholtez. “There’s nothing better than strutting along to The Boys Light Up,” says Voice winner Karise Eden. “Love a good late night singalong to Reckless too.” Guitarist Phil Ceberano is in Reyne’s latest live band. “Great songs,” Ceberano says. “Surf, sun and sardonic lyrics. Bronzed Aussies miscast in the Aus Rock pub scene. Under appreciated for the cleverness of the lyrics but loved to death for The Boys Light Up, the classic Australian dichotomy.”

Much loved … The Seekers.
Source: News Corp Australia

41. THE SEEKERS

They started in Melbourne in 1962 and they’re still going. The Seekers remain one of Australia’s most beloved bands and that crosses over into their peers.

“Still one of the most internationally-recognised Australian bands, The Seekers conquered Europe, America and other parts of the world before anyone else,” Dave Faulkner of the Hoodoo Gurus notes. “Their joyful music has stood the test of time and Judith Durham has one of the most glorious voices in music history. She is also one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Her spirit is inspirational.” Mark Holden notes “Judith Durham is one of a kind in the universe.”

42. MEN AT WORK

Another Australian band that didn’t need a string of albums to leave their fingerprints all over our musical history. Aside the novelty success of Down Under, Overkill is one of the best Australian songs of all time.

“They took Aussie original pub music to a new market,” Mike Brady says.

“Men at Work, like Icehouse, are a group that used tender brushstrokes to paint Australia,” Connie Mitchell of Sneaky Sound System says. “Down Under — just wow, an Aussie band through and through.”

43. MODELS

Models morphed from cult post-punk new wave act to chart toppers in the mid `80s and are still trading, leaning on their early days after the death of James Freud.

David Bridie says they created “innovative electronica pop and sounds.”

“The early line up of this band had a cult following for their quirky alternative new wave,” recalls Painters and Dockers’ Paul Stewart. “Sean Kelly is the ultimate brooding frontman.’’ Kate Ceberano loved the Models so much she briefly joined them. “I first fell in love with the Alpha Bravo album and my love affair was later consolidated when I was asked to do BV’s across Out of Mind, Out of Sight,” she says.

Nearly 20 years on … The Drones’ 2015 line-up. 
Source: Supplied

44. THE DRONES

Formed in Perth in 1997, The Drones moved to Melbourne and in 2005 their album Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By won the inaugural Australian Music Prize.

“Through a series of painful screams and melodies on the edge of collapse, the philosophically rich, nihilistic sigh of Gareth Liddiard is the foreground, the background and the middle of all that is the incredible band we know as The Drones,” says musician Whitley. Mango Hunter from Kingswood loves their “raw energy, soaring riffs and great lyrics.” Birds of Tokyo’s Ian Berney is also a major fan. “Gareth Liddiard is possibly the most impassioned singer/songwriter in Australian history. He never moulded his voice for anyone. If you didn’t like his Australian twang then you could just fly back to the mainstream where you belong. Haha!”

45. DIED PRETTY

From 1983 the partnership of Ron Peno and Brett Myers would enchant many as the band left calling cards like Everybody Moves and DC for those who cared to listen.

“Ron Peno will always be one of my favourite performers,” says Angie Hart. “His unique, emotional delivery slays me every time.”

“Ron Peno — frontman extraordinaire and a band and songs to die for,” says Hunters and Collectors’ Jack Howard.

46. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Originally The Boys Next Door, the Birthday Party gave the world Nick Cave, Roland S Howard, Mick Harvey and Tracey Pew. They took a path many would follow, moving from Melbourne to London to try their luck. By 1983 it was all over.

“The Birthday Party did edgy punk unlike anything,” David Bridie recalls. “Roland Howard and Tracey Pew were icons and devil musicians, Cave was demented and it worked for me when he was younger. Anarchic, throbbing, loud and wild.” Dave Graney recalls seeing the band in Melbourne. “I saw them develop so rapidly, trying out all kinds of stuff. Always great. Every member was interesting and charismatic.”

“They went out of their way to offend and annoy,” says Paul Stewart. “Nick Cave before he became mainstream.”

47. ROSE TATTOO

Angry Anderson kicked off Rose Tattoo in 1976, with Guns N’Roses among their biggest fans and highlighting their cult status around the world.

“Greatest rock band of all time,” says original AC/DC bassist Mark Evans. “Angry for PM.”

“They’re part of the fabric of Australian rock,” says Beccy Cole. “This band had the biggest heart of any Aussie band.”

“They don’t make men like Angry, Geordie (Leach) and Mick Cox any more,” says Skyhooks’ Greg Macainsh. “Like all great bands the element of unpredictability meant that their gigs varied from chaotic potential bust-ups to exhilarating exhibitions of sheer power and intensity.”

“Rock and Roll Outlaws,” says Ross Wilson. “I rest my case.”

Get free … The Vines became an international sensation when they burst on to the scene in the early aughties.
Source: News Limited

48. THE VINES

Formed in 1994, by 2002 Craig Nicholls and co were on the cover of American Rolling Stone. After a few years in the wilderness (and with a new line-up) Nicholls reformed the band last year for a new album.

“The Vines are my favourite Australian band,” Declan Melia of British India says. “I remember seeing Craig Nicholls in the Outtathaway video in a green hoodie rolling around the floor, he was the messiah. I looked at the TV and went “I want to do that’. That first record was phenomenal. To this day I’m staggered it was so well produced.” Whitley notes “In some ways, aesthetically speaking, The Vines almost made the mistake of being parodies of themselves. Though, somehow the insane melodic genius in between Craig’s ears just seem to make the daggy rock thing okay, and you end up just dancing around, alone in your house at 3am.” Guy Pearce notes “I felt I was always listening to something special and unpredictable. Accessible, but also melodies I’d never heard before.”

49. WARUMPI BAND

In 1980 in Papunya in the Northern Territory schoolteacher Neil Murray met singer George Burarrwanga and formed the Warumpi Band, whose songs include Blackfella/Whitefella, My Island Home and Jailanguru Pakarnu. “George Burarrwanga was the most charismatic front man,” Rebecca Barnard says.“Great songs. A great band.”

“This is the stuff I grew up on, and finally visiting and playing in Papunya in 2009 was for me like visiting Liverpool for Beatles fans,” says Kris Schoeder of the Basics.

“Warumpi Band had riffs every bit as good as AC/DC but with much better lyrics,” says David Bridie. “The tripartite of George Burarrwanga Neil Murray and Sammy Butcher, were the perfect foil. Each having very different personalities that helped them soldier on through the rigours of countless outback tours and made whitefellas stand up and take notice. George had the X factor, he was the consummate front man who could kick box and roam the stage taking the crowd with him.”

“One simple act of generosity can sometimes outweigh a lifetime of good deeds, and that’s what Warumpi Band’s My Island Home is for me,” says musician Scott Spark. “A lullaby, a hymn, a protest song, a serenade, and ultimately our national anthem. It leaves me in awe, and with a lump in my throat each time. And that is why they are quite simply my favourite Australian band.”

50. RADIO BIRDMAN

One of the most influential Australian bands of all time.

“My stepdad played me this in my young teens and regaled me with stories of their gigs,” says Todd Trevor of rock band Warped. “Really sticks with me as he realised this was what to show me when he could see where my musical taste was heading. So glad he did.” James Tidswell of Violent Anthem says New Race is an Australian rock anthem. “If you like rock and roll and you’re from Australia you love Radio Birdman as very few bands have done it this good.” Mark Gable of the Choirboys remembers seeing Radio Birdman early on. “I was in a band in the late 70s who did its thing and even I was bored. Then (Birdman) are on stage and lead guitarist Deniz Tek was tuning his guitar at full volume. I was at that moment hooked. These guys were the real deal.”

Here’s who voted in our poll

360

Adalita

Ben Abraham

Bonnie Anderson

Tina Arena

James Ash (Rogue Traders)

Kylie Auldist

Nick Barker

Rebecca Barnard

Casey Barnes

Mahalia Barnes

Nick Batterham

Gideon Bensen (The Preatures)

Ian Berney (Birds of Tokyo)

Joel Birch (The Amity Affliction)

Mike Brady

Rick Brewster (The Angels)

David Bridie

Catherine Britt

Brian Cadd

Joe Camilleri

David Campbell

Brian Canham (Pseudo Echo)

Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen)

Kate Ceberano

Phil Ceberano

Chris Cheney (The Living End)

Kim Churchill

Richard Clapton

Beccy Cole

Travis Collins

Damian Cowell (TISM)

Harrison Craig

Iva Davies (Icehouse)

Chris Daymond (Jebediah)

Shaun Diviney (Short Stack)

Abby Dobson (Leonardo’s Bride)

Chris Doheny

Tania Doko (Bachelor Girl)

Judith Durham (The Seekers)

Karise Eden

Mark Evans (ex AC/DC)

Morgan Evans

John Farnham

Jon Farriss (INXS)

Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus)

Amy Findlay (Stonefield)

Styalz Fuego

Mark Gable (Choirboys)

Generik

Gossling

Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy)

Dave Graney

Paul Gray (Wa Wa Nee)

Hugo Gruzman (Flight Facilities)

Angie Hart (Frente)

Darren Hayes

Ben Hazlewood

Colleen Hewitt

Marcia Hines

Mark Holden

Harry Hookey

Ella Hooper

Jesse Hooper (Killing Heidi)

Jack Howard (Hunters & Collectors)

Jeremy `Mango’ Hunter (Kingswood)

Adam Hyde (Peking Duk)

Clint Hyndman (Something For Kate)

I Killed the Prom Queen

Laura Jean

Hiatus Kaiyote

Wally Kempton (Even)

Lee Kernaghan

Ilan Kidron (Potbelleez)

Grace Knight (Eurogliders)

Markus Kurban

Kelly Lane (Skipping Girl Vinegar)

Ricki-Lee

Damien Leith

Jade Leonard

Jimmy Lyell (Flight Facilities)

Angus McDonald (Sneaky Sound System)

Greg Macainsh (Skyhooks)

Benjamin McCarthy

Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus)

Stu MacLeod (Eskimo Joe)

Isabella Manfredi (The Preatures)

Brian Mannix (Uncanny X-Men)

Masketta Fall

Declan Melia (British India)

Tim Metcalfe (Undercolours)

BC Michaels (Dune Rats)

Kylie Minogue

Connie Mitchell (Sneaky Sound System)

Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah/Bob Evans)

Lisa Mitchell

Jack Moffitt (The Preatures)

Russell Morriss

Pete Murray

Olivia Newton-John

Ngaiire

Nicky Night-Time

Katie Noonan

Lisa Origliasso (The Veronicas)

Jessica Origliasso (The Veronicas)

Scott Owen (The Living End)

Doug Parkinson

Brett Pattinson (Allnighters)

Michael Paynter

Guy Pearce

Jack Pierce (Pierce Brothers)

Pat Pierce (Pierce Brothers)

Thelma Plum

Keith Potger (The Seekers)

Joel Quatermain (Eskimo Joe)

Tom Read (Bodyjar)

James Reyne

Dale Ryder (Boom Crash Opera)

Kris Schroeder (The Basics)

Mark Sholtez

Glenn Shorrock

Matthew Sigley

Kerri Simpson

Jason Singh (Taxiride)

Grant Smillie (TV Rock)

Alex Smith (Moving Pictures)

Greedy Smith (Mental as Anything)

Scott Spark

Vachel Spirason (Total Giovani)

Paul Stewart (Painters and Dockers)

Ahren Stringer (The Amity Affliction)

Andy Strachan (The Living End)

Reuben Styles (Peking Duk)

John Swan

Red Symons (Skyhooks)

Mick Thomas

Vanessa Thornton (Jebediah)

James Tidswell (Violent Soho)

Todd Trevor (Warped)

Dan Warner

Megan Washington

Glenn Wheatley (Masters Apprentices)

Whitt (Spiderbait)

Whitley

Ross Wilson

John Paul Young

Originally published as The best Aussie band of all time
www.news.com.au/entertainment/music