If you're someone who hasn't yet listened to Propagandhi, then I'm sure you're about to have the time of your life as you discover their eclectic and celebrated discography. Forming in Canada back in 1986, they've been a going concern for close to four decades now, though it wasn't until 1993 that they released their first album. After a few years,…

For 15 years now, Canadian outfit PUP have been defying the concept that their name stands for a Pathetic Use of Potential and have been proving all and sundry wrong as they travel around the world with their unique blend of alt-rock and punk. Formed in 2010 as Topanga, PUP issued their self-titled album in 2013, with 'The Dream Is Over' following …

There’s no denying the fact that Adelaide is just one of those cities that can’t help itself but breed amazing bands. Sure, you can look at groups like The Angels, Cold Chisel, and more, but why not look at groups like Stolen Youth, The Rivalry, Sleeptalker, and Dick Wolf? They’re also amazing bands, and for the trainspotters amongst us, you might …

If you’re anything like me, the name Killing Heidi was one that was synonymous with the Australian music scene at the turn of the millennium. Formed in regional Victoria by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper, Killing Heidi first rose to fame as part of triple j’s Unearthed series, with the track ‘Kettle’ featuring a newly-teenaged Ella on vocals. This …

There was a period of time in the early ‘00s when one of the most exciting bands in the game was Canada’s own Death From Above. Well, that’s what they were called at first, but by the time they released their debut album ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine,’ Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler had lengthened their name to Death From Above 1979 due to…

When it comes to Damian Cowell, the only word that accurately sums up his career is ‘prolific.’ A staple of the Melbourne music scene for close to five decades now, Cowell has been involved in more bands than I’ve had hot dinners. On the prehistoric side of things, there’s bands such as Tall Stories and I Can Run, and then there’s a rather well-kno…

For about 15 years now, Adelaide has been home to a stellar outfit called Raccoon City. Though not exactly trailblazers of the screamo and post-hardcore genre in the city, for a while, they were arguably one of the most prominent, setting themselves apart as a leading figure within those circles at a time when the genre du jour was a breezy indie-r…

If you don’t recognise the name Kingsley Hall, then I want you to stop what you’re doing right now and do a bit of musical research. For most, Kingsley’s name would be recognisable thanks to his role up the front of English outfit The Chapman Family, where he was better known as Kingsley Chapman. Though relatively unknown down here in Australia, th…

I’m going to hazard a guess that even if the name Barry Adamson isn’t one you recognise right off the bat, you’re definitely aware of his contributions to the world of music. At the age of 19, Barry found himself joining the nascent Magazine as his first band, with wayward Buzzcocks vocalist Howard Devoto recruiting him for the new band. An influen…

If you’re on the cutting edge of music, then you would be aware that there is a band hailing from unceded Kaurna Country (that is to say, the South Australian capital of Adelaide) that is one you definitely need to know. That band is Street Legal, a group whose sound might be rooted in the romanticism of ‘80s sonics and nostalgia, but heavily progr…

If you’re anything like me, then the chances are good you’ve been spending the past few years eagerly awaiting a full-length return from Hachiku. Started as the musical project of Anika Ostendorf just under a decade ago, Hachiku rose to fame as part of the beloved Milk! Records stable, with a handful of releases preceding the arrival of her debut a…

If you’ve not yet heard of Kristin Hersh, well, I envy you because she has a rather storied career ready for you to dive into. Having first formed Throwing Muses alongside her stepsister Tanya Donelly in the early ‘80s, the group swiftly became an impressive musical force, with records arriving via the influential 4AD label. In 1991, Donelly left t…

If you’re a music fan from Melbourne, the chances are pretty good you’ve heard of Beth Seymour. By her own admission, it’s a name you might not be quite familiar with just yet. After all, as she says; new name, new her, new era. But for years, Beth has been a vital part of the Melbourne music scene, with an irresistible combination of earnest lyric…

If you’ve ever thought, “There just aren’t enough rock and roll bands out there who make me want to release my pent-up energy,” then you need to set your sights towards New Zealand and check out The D4. Around the turn of the century, The D4 were one of the more prominent rock outfits emerging from New Zealand, with debut album ‘6Twenty’ arriving a…

There’s a lot of bands out there who manage to craft music that is as emotional as it is poignant, but I feel there are few who get quite the same reaction to their work that Melbourne’s Slowly Slowly does. If you’ve been listening to Australian music over the last decade, then I’m pretty sure you would’ve heard them at some point. First formed in …

By his own admission, James Curd isn’t exactly a household name. However, the chances are pretty good that you’ve been exposed to his work at some point over the years. Having launched his musical career back in Chicago in the ‘90s, James rose to fame as part of the group Greenskeepers, which managed to find a bit of widespread fame thanks to songs…

When it comes to the ‘Australian alternative rock scene’, it’s pretty hard to look past the likes of Screamfeeder. After all, they’ve been around for over 30 years now, and whenever anyone imagines an Australian alternative band, it’s a band like Screamfeeder they’re thinking of. Loud, melodic, critically-acclaimed, and commercially-overlooked, Scr…

If you were to ask me my opinion on the greatest Australian bands of all time, The Fauves would be found pretty close to the pointy end of things. I’m sure I’m not alone in that assertion either, after all, they’ve been around for 36 years now, constantly and consistently performing as one of the country’s most underrated and underappreciated group…

I don’t know about you, but when I try to describe Andy Bull, I have a hard time. After all, to simply call him a musician feels like it’s not going far enough. Sure, he’s released a handful of EPs and albums over the years (including 2014’s ‘Sea Of Approval’) and he’s shared plenty of wonderful songs, such as 'Dog' (with Lisa Mitchell), 'Baby I Am…

For lovers of Australian music, the name Jamie Hutchings would be a familiar one. Most notably, he’s known as the frontman of Sydney rock outfit Bluebottle Kiss, who lasted for 14 years and issued a raft of amazing records before their split in 2007. They’ve been called “Arguably Australia's most idiosyncratic guitar band,” and their music is argua…

If you’re someone with a fondness for indie music, then the chances are good that your life has been touched in some way by Mac McCaughan. On one hand, he’s known as the vocalist for the likes of North Carolina band Superchunk, whose very output feels like the blueprint for any aspiring indie rock band of the ‘90s. Then, he’s been the head of group…

I think it’s fair to say that my music taste would not be what it is without Dave McCormack. Hailing from Brisbane, McCormack is the prolific musician best known as the frontman for beloved alt-rock outfit Custaro… uh, Custard. Together, the group are best known for classic tracks like 'Apartment', 'Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)', and…

If you found yourself listening to the so-called ‘alternative music’ coming out of Australia across the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, then you very well might have listened to Machine Gun Fellatio. As their name might indicate, controversy was a bit of a staple for the group throughout their career, but another thing that was a constant was the quality…

If you’ve been listening to music over the last decade, then the name ILUKA might be one you’ve come across. After all, when you give even a cursory listen to her music, it’s easy to see why her profile has been rising so rapidly in recent years. Born in Australia but now based in America, ILUKA grew up playing music, with this love being fostered …

It’s the standard story that any band goes through. You’re watching a David Lynch adaptation of a Frank Herbert novel when you decide to name your band after a word you heard during the film, only to misspell it, and before you know it, you’re one of the most successful bands to ever come out of New Zealand. Of course, if you recognised the story I…

For as long as I’ve loved music, I’ve loved that sort of music that connects with people for so many different reasons. When I was in my teenage years, I discovered a Sydney band called Tonight Alive, who managed to find themselves as one of the more prominent purveyors of pop-punk out of Australia. Across four amazing albums over the span of seven…

Fans of the Melbourne music scene were this year excited to hear about the return of Ceres. For those playing along at home, it’s a pretty exciting prospect to have them back in our lives, especially given that they effectively disappeared at the end of 2019, leaving fans to wonder what the future held. After making their debut with ‘I Don't Want T…

In the world of post-hardcore bands, it’s often easy to find groups which feel as though they follow the paths and trends crafted by the trailblazers before them. Then, of course, there’s groups like La Dispute. Formed in 2004 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the US group have been hard at it for two decades now, garnering critical acclaim with almost ev…

When it comes to prolific, diverse, and unafraid musicians, it’s a little hard to look past the unstoppable Darren Cross. If that name doesn’t sound familiar right off the bat, then you might remember him as one third of the enigmatic Sydney outfit Gerling. Formed back in the early ‘90s, Gerling were hard to pin down. Beginning with a blending of a…

There’s no denying that the Adelaide music scene is one which is equally small and large. Small in the sense of its physical size, but large in just how far and wide its influence reaches thanks to the talented, welcoming people who comprise it. One of those people is Jason Katsaras, a musician whose influence over the last decade is still felt des…

If you’ve spent a bit of time in Melbourne venues over the years, then there’s a good chance you might have come across the wonderful Felicity Cripps. For most people, Felicity would have landed on your radar as a member of Houlette back in the day, which soon evolved into the three-piece band Hoy. As time went on though, Felicity kept evolving, wi…

I’m going to be completely transparent right from the start and tell you that I am entirely biassed when it comes to today’s artist. This week, I am talking about Echo Social Club, a Melbourne rock duo who I have been completely enraptured by since I first saw them live in early 2023. Featuring former Pseudo Mind Hive and The Hum Drums member Jake …

Some of my favourite artists are those who do so much amazing work yet often find themselves flying under the radar. While I’m a huge proponent of the fact that they should all be household names due to their exceptional output, they continue to operate as well-kept secrets, beloved by their diehard fans. A great example of this is the wonderful Ca…

If you’ve been paying attention to artists coming out of the Gold Coast over the last six years, then you might have come across Chavez Cartel. A five-piece alternative rock band, Chavez Cartel wasted almost no time in making a name for themselves on a local scale. Releasing a handful of singles in their debut year, the band shared both the ‘Lucky,…

I feel it’s rather customary for me to say that if you’re a fan of bands who blend genres like garage rock, punk rock, and hardcore punk, then I know exactly a band you should be listening to. That band, my friends, is California’s Destroy Boys. Formed in late 2015 by Violet Mayugba and Alexia Roditis, Destroy Boys took influence from all manner of…

If you’re someone who enjoys a bit of rock music and you haven’t found yourself listening to Kingswood at some point over the last decade or so, then you need to change that immediately. Formed in Melbourne around the late 2000s, Kingswood wasted no time in letting their music get heard by the world. Following a self-titled EP in 2010, and their ‘C…

When it comes to Melbourne indie/alternative/punk bands, I would say that I’m in a pretty good position to talk about Dental Plan. First formed in 2018 by guitarist and vocalist Niam Hegarty, bassist and occasional vocalist Jo Gardiner, and drummer Stu Young, the band kicked off writing, recording, and gigging pretty quickly, establishing a respect…

The world of alternative rock would likely not be anywhere close to what it is today without bands like The Jesus And Mary Chain. Forming in Glasgow back in 1983 by brothers Jim and William Reid, the Scottish outfit are these days considered to be pioneers of genres like alternative rock, shoegaze, and noise-pop. Combining these genres with their o…

If you’re not across Iranian-born, New Zealand-raised artists, you’re not only doing yourself a disservice, but you’re missing out on the magnificent CHAII. Ever since the Persian musician moved to Auckland at eight years old, she’s been a firm fan of hip-hop, and as her creativity flourished, so too did she become involved within the world of musi…

If you’ve not yet heard of English trio Tors, there’s a very good chance that’ll be changing soon. Formed by brothers Matt and Theo Weedon in 2016, the “three-piece harmonic indie band” were joined by drummer Jack Bowden after picking him up on Gumtree. However, the band’s history can actually be traced back quite some years, with Matt’s career as …

For the majority of the last 20 years, one of the most explosive performers on the music scene has been Frank Carter. Unassuming with his short stature and red hair, Frank burst onto the scene as a member of Gallows back in 2005, blowing away everyone with his intense stage presence and mesmerisingly powerful voice. After six years with Gallows, Fr…

If you’ve only heard of one punk band, it’s likely the Ramones. After all, they pretty much wrote the book on the leather-jacketed aesthetic, and the musical delivery of short, sharp, and punchy songs that influenced the genre’s earliest years, and is still heard to this day. Though all of the band’s founding members have long since passed, their l…

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for the last 12 weeks, you’re probably aware I tend to focus on artists who aren’t exactly household names.That much is certainly true for this week’s artist, Lancaster duo The Lovely Eggs. Comprising married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell, The Lovely Eggs have been going for 18 years now, having play…

If you’re listening to this podcast in Australia, there’s a chance you know The Tea Party. In fact, they’ve probably played more live shows in this country than you’ve had hot dinners. That might sound impressive, but it’s all the more admirable given they’re a Canadian outfit who have been on the scene since 1990. Formed by Jeff Martin, Jeff Burro…

The Australian music industry has long had a habit of churning out some great artists who manage to curate an intense and fanatical fanbase around the world thanks to the wonderful music that they create. If anyone understands what it’s like to have a massive fanbase, it’s likely Dave Powys, who has been the guitarist and a multi-instrumentalist wi…

By his own admission, you probably haven’t heard of Kevin Devine, but for almost 30 years now, he’s been a prolific musician who treats making music in much the same way the rest of us treat the need to breathe. That is to say, he deems it to be pretty bloody important. In fact, in addition to a solo career, Kevin’s been a member of bands like Infi…

If you’re someone who has your finger on the pulse of the world of jazz, then Audrey Powne is a name that you might be aware of. If hers isn’t a name you know, well, then you definitely need to listen to today’s podcast. Based in the UK, but originally from Melbourne, Audrey is an artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist who has been aptly descri…

For close to a decade now, Ben Gumbleton has been the driving force between the masterful Boo Seeka. From albums like ‘Never Too Soon’ in 2017, which hit number eight on the Aussie charts, 2022’s ‘Between The Head & The Heart’, and this year’s ‘Midnight Highlight’, he’s become renowned as a wonderful musician you need to hear. This week, Ben joins …

After almost 30 years, iconic rockers Grinspoon are still going strong, and following a 12-year gap between records, they’re back with new material. Yesterday saw the announcement of new single ‘Unknown Pretenders’, which will appear on the forthcoming ‘whatever, whatever’, and will be supported by a 45-date tour. Needless to say, these blokes don’…

If I had to put it simply, Human Noise are a band you need to know. Based between Sydney and Melbourne, the four-piece outfit craft a truly unique sound that gets inside your head and takes you over. Last month, they released their latest album, ‘Glitching Colour’, and it’s a truly stellar release. This week, the wonderful Eddie Boyd joins the podc…