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anditsdiscontents:
So the national alt-pop youth broadcaster in Australia (Triple J) declares each November "Oz Music Month".
In honour of this slightly weird 'cultural cringe', which as an Aussie indie kid I unfortunately share to an embarassing degree (as well as to prove we have a nice healthy scene, kinda), here are some good things from Australia that I don't think enough people on here have talked about:


Bluejuice - Vitriol
I could try to explain, but just watch this clip. Bluejuice are undiluted party-band hilarity. This clip manages to deliver a big fuck you to both religion and the Polyphonic Spree, whilst taking over Pitt Street Mall, pretty much the biggest pedestrian shopping hub in Sydney's CBD.
(Lead singer Jake Stone is sometimes the bartender at the live music hub the Hopetoun in Surry Hills, Sydney kids).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldBhDmvWFXE

Gotye - Heart's A Mess
I'm too lazy to check if anyone else has declared their love for this song, but seriously, watch this clip late at night with the lights off. It is the most lovely thing ever. Kooky, crooned, perfect pop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_CM5-gel6o


Urthboy - We Get Around
Sunny, bouncy hip-hop from Sydney. Australian hip-hop is always divisive, but if you believe that hip-hop can travel (and you damn well should), check this boy and his crew in The Herd out. This video has my uni campus in one bit. Yay!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKDFHAyIMU

The Drones - Jezebel
Furious, apocalyptic punk/garage/bluesy mess. I once saw the Drones described as "The Birthday Party kicking the shit out of Neil Young in Hendrix's garage". This is not entirely inaccurate. Jezebel is possibly the best song yet written about the War On Terror or what Samuel Huntingdon calls the clash of civilisations, ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUnQ3F2Rwq4
You could also check out Sharkfin Blues, which is just as good.

Snowman - Smoke and Mirrors
Similarly threatening stuff from Western Australia, only with stunning falsetto. Live, this song sounds like the end of the world. Snowman have remained curiously undiscovered outside of WA, so get on the bandwagon, dammit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q1lXDAnQxI

Muscles - Ice Cream
Muscles is like a big, over-sincere puppy, and you're either gonna think he's cute and awesome, or he's going to shit you to tears. I'll never admit it to my more hipster-snob friends, but I'm of the former camp, at least with regards to the song Ice Cream. The small town boy making squelchy laptop jams rejects inner-city paranoia in favour of ice cream and dancing! Woo! From my Melbourne experience, I'm willing to lay money on the idea that he's talking about Trampoline ice cream on Swanston St mall.
http://www.myspace.com/musclesmusic
Wow, he got a review in Pitchfork: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/46461-guns-babes-lemonade




Then there's artists which I've heard people round here talk about or who are well known anyway - Architecture In Helsinki, My Disco, etc.

So, uh, comments? Add your own fave Australian tracks that people need to know about?
(Also, I hereby forbid Silverchair, Wolfmother and Jet from this thread)

Liz:
I will be seeing The Drones this Thursday when they open for Band of Horses, which seems like a slightly odd combination, but I will save judgement until then.

Ishotdanieljohnston:
Man, where's the Midnight Juggernaut's mention? There the best Australian band going around at the moment in my opinion.

John Curtin:
Speaking of Gotye, he (Wally de Backer) also happens to be the drummer/singer in The Basics.  They are essentially a very good live band doing that 60s retro rock thing all the "kids" are "into" these "days".  Nice two- and three-part harmonies abound and they wear matching grey suits.  Triple J doesn't like them ("We've never tried to like a band more!" says Richard Kingsmill).  I think this is something in their favour.

Anyway, highlights include "Just Hold On" and "Rattle My Chain".

Phaedra:
The Avalanches, who probably everyone already knows about, but who haven't released a record for six years, and I keep going in the hopes that if people say their name out loud enough times, it'll summon them into a studio somewhere and they'll be forced to record something.

Also, Pivot should be listened to by anyone who's into Boards of Canada but want something a bit more aggressive.

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