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I miss Australian Rock / Alt / Indie music of the 90's and 00's

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Mohonky

Mohonky

Member
Maybe it's because I was a teenager in the 90's and young adult in the early 2000's, but I miss the Rock / Alt Rock and Indie music scene. Waking up early Saturday and Sundays to watch Rage and Recovery. It seemed like Australia (and NZ) was just pumping out awesome bands left right and center, bands that actually played their instruments and singers that actually sang all their songs; no lip syncing, just the sound of belting guitars, banging drums and singers actually....singing. Who'd have thought?

Sadly some of these bands actually disappeared as the era of the manufactured 'talent' became more prominent and struggled to get record deals as companies began climbing over themselves to get the latest 'X-Factor' or 'Australian Idol' contestants signed. Something Jay of Frenzal Rhomb got into a heated debate with local dickhead radio host Kyle Sandilands about when he gleefully pointed out that commercial radio was killing genuinely talented Australian bands for some flash in the pan (referring back to Bardot who was forgotten in a matter of months whose members could be found back in their old jobs selling shoes, except for Sophie Monk who went to America....and who knows what, she pops up occasionally looking more and more plastic by the month)

So I've been on bit of a trip through youtube to check some out and rediscover a lot of the music and it has ranged from artists who eventually went on to make it big time who changed their musical style as they got older and more successful to the bands who you regularly saw playing at local phbs and clubs as well as routine appearances at events like Homebake and Big Day Out. Some clips people managed to capture on VHS from back in the day on Recovery hosted by Dylan Lewis with other hosts you like a young Leigh Whannel who you might know as the guy who went on to write the Saw and Insidious movies.

The Superjesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s2hsDKKDZ4 (Down Again, Live on Recovery)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjrKjogMXvo (Secret Agent Man)

Jebediah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI5U3xZzvus (Fall Down)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R_ZtAWFROA (Leaving Home, a classic, on Recovery)

Regurgitator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOBcnYrMjjI (Miffys Simplicity)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP1inVfAs8w (Everyday Formula)

Something For Kate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NngZZmqD4MY (Captain (Million Miles an Hour))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srjbfOwd1Jk (Monsters)

You Am I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coEAjgBRwOs (Heavy Heart)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpU_oTmjm04 (Jamies Got a Gal)

Powderfinger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM_eb0vVo0k (My Happiness)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmuyj4HtZWg (Passenger)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhDCHWvdiXM (The Day You Come)

The Living End
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVtD4qMy5Hc (Prisoner Of Society)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ7MNErsMGk (All Torn Down)

Grinspoon (early days)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ6dxZd0TTg (Just Ace)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCTf4ZwBUHo (Champion) Live on Recovery, love that raw sound

Silverchair (Daniel Johns and co are probably one of the more popular groups of the era)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6wMH2AGbwg (Pure Massacre)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUCrls6vc_U (Shade)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZD982yrmx4 (Tomorrow)

The Mavis's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sGl631IpLQ&list=PLwaz89DYmujf76ClhuIfs0MKvMSYAsJW2 (Naughty Boy)

Killing Heidi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee1eLQa10m4 (Weir)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ROrq3XtvEI (I am)

Spiderbait
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmWkgZ-b6sk (Buy Me a Pony)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnMmRV8y0xM (Calypso)

......and then there was TISM. I don't even know. These boys have existed since.....forever. Where did they come from? Who were they(apparently School Teachers believe it or not)? What the fuck is even happening? It's just TISM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwI2NrVYqIE (Greg The Stop Sign)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WBM9zlhbFU (TISM Are Shit)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5muqhUsnqqE (Whatareya) Live on Recovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijx_tT5lCDY (He'll Never be an Ol' Man River - Greek instrumental edition)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qgsebueN-o (Defecate on my Face)

And why not a live performance. Who's singing? Is that a roadie or a band member? Did the crowd just strip him naked? Is his cock out? TISM were notorious for being......well weird, and TISM, maybe the greatest Australian band ever, truly, the culmination of the greatness that is Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUGx_ZMR4ko
 
R

Randy Monk

Member
Yeah but 80's Aussie rock was god tier compared the the 90s-00s

Cold Chisel
Mondo Rock
Men at Work
Icehouse
Midnight Oil
INXS
Crowded House
AC/DC
Hoodoo Gurus
Hunters and Collectors
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
How do you have this thread and not mention Dead Can Dance?! They are legends and timeless.

https://youtu.be/mPDLJ1UU2Uk
https://youtu.be/qGfl_aYu8Hc
https://youtu.be/aiDNf8trWn8
https://youtu.be/wWGKwNt9NY8

A-12368-1340798506-9728.jpeg.jpg
 
B

Bömb

Member
I really wish I could have seen TISM live. Must have been something.

Their 41 minute rock opera is pretty damn good. The awful censor bleeps only enhance it.
https://youtu.be/HR1SK8sIj_Y

Apparently someone from Tism is the uncle to a dude in Jet.
 
S

Sir Abacus

Member
Mohonky said:
Don't forget The Divinyls
Click to expand...

RIP Chrissy:(

It's kind of freaky moving to the states and hearing Crowded House or INXS in a shopping center. It's like seeing a Pontiac GTO on the road and tweaking because it seems out of place.

My wife is starting to get used to pub rock in the car though. Like when I play Kinky or Cut in the car.
 
J

jstripes

Banned
Silverchair is garbage.

Affeinvasion said:
Wolfmother was pretty good.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are weird as fuck but also pretty awesome.
Click to expand...

I really wanted to see King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard both times they came to Toronto recently, but couldn't for reasons. The latest show completely sold out. :/
 
B

Bjern Fita

Member
I got to see a few of these guys at Big Day Outs and Something for Kate performed at our college ball one year.

Machine Gun Fellatio were also really cool the time I saw them, some concert in rural Vic where we camped out with mates.

Amazing t think how many cool bands I got to see at the Big Day Out in the late 90s.
 
A

ATF487

Member
Randy Monk said:
Yeah but 80's Aussie rock was god tier compared the the 90s-00s

Cold Chisel
Mondo Rock
Men at Work
Icehouse
Midnight Oil
INXS
Crowded House
AC/DC
Hoodoo Gurus
Hunters and Collectors
Click to expand...

Also the Scientists, the Go Betweens, The Church, and the motherfucking Birthday Party! Also heard good things about the Saints and Radio Birdman (awesome name too)

Has anyone here heard of Bluebottle Kiss? I feel like Jamie Hutchings (the main dude in BBK) is the most underrated musician out there. He's put out three great records recently and no one fucking listens to them. RIYL: Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, Pavement, melodic but dissonant indie rock
 
S

seanoff

Member
Randy Monk said:
Yeah but 80's Aussie rock was god tier compared the the 90s-00s

Cold Chisel
Mondo Rock
Men at Work
Icehouse
Midnight Oil
INXS
Crowded House
AC/DC
Hoodoo Gurus
Hunters and Collectors
Click to expand...

One of these bands is not like the others. The top band were cunts to work with. Utter cunts. The rest ok, to really good.
 
W

wetwired

Member
Aussie bands post that era had a history of being one album wonders (Jet, Wolfmother)

Before that most of them can pull of multiple great albums (Regurgitator, Spiderbait, Silverchair)

Not sure of the cause but that's my view of it.
 
B

Bernbaum

Member
Front End Loader and Custaro Custard are also great products of this era.

I reckon Ball Park Music are still carrying the banner for this kind of stuff.
 
B

btags

Member
Carn82 said:
Regarding current bands, Karnivool is the next best thing next to Tool.
Click to expand...

Yes! Themata and Sound Awake are just incredibly good albums with few, if any, weak songs.

Lucid Planet is also a cool band from Australia, but I think they only put out one album and then someone left the group and they formed something else.
 
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