Australia/NZ’s Top 25 Bands & Artists 2007
It must be that time of year. Once again A Reminder has polled as many Australian music bloggers, writers, and other music nuts as possible to find out what bands and artists from Australia and New Zealand were loved and admired in 2007 (Augie March won in 2005, Dappled Cities in 2006). I’ll go into the details of exactly how the list was created at the end of the post – for now, let’s just get into it, shall we?
25. Augie March
“2007 marks their year of crossing over. Topping the Hottest 100, winning the AMP and finally reaping some mainstream success. It’s about time too.”
Download: One Crowded Hour (via Stereogum)
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 3
24. I Heart Hiroshima
“Tuff Teef is my favourite Australian album of 2007. Fingers crossed the trio get the acclaim they deserve.”
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
23. The Seabellies
“An amazing live act.”
“More please.”
Download: Drain the Lake
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
22. Mercy Arms
“They’ve just gone from strength to strength.”
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
21. Damn Arms
“One of my local live highlights.”
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
20. Batrider
“A splash of dirty emotion. You feel as though their music is alive and it’s angry, scared and going to kick you because it doesn’t like the way you keep looking at it in a funny way.”
“The new album Tara is haunting and tortured and aggressive…just the way I like my women, of which, coincidentally, there are three in the band.”
Download: Toilet Song
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
19. Die! Die! Die!
“Hands down the best band in the world – right now… real, genuine, void of classification or image.”
Download: 155; Auckland Is Burning
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
18. Grinderman
“Nick Cave, noisy distorted guitars, I really can’t ask for much more.”
“The Godfather of Goth is a national treasure. We love you Nick.”
Download: Get It On
Video: No Pussy Blues
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
17. The Mint Chicks
“Now veterans of the local punk scene. They have modified their sound countless times and their fans have moved with them.”
“Consistently good on record, great live.”
Video: Walking Off A Cliff Again
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
16. Sly Hats
“A beautiful pop daydream.”
“Undeniably gorgeous pop.”
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
15. Cut Copy
“Australia’s New Order. Sort of.”
Video: Going Nowhere
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
14. Love of Diagrams
“Melbourne post-punkers flying the flag high over at Matador Records. I’m sure we’ll hear much more from them in the future.”
“They excite me.”
Download: The Pyramid; Pace or the Patience
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
13. Pikelet
“The one woman band, whose looped based music refreshes any notion of looping being strictly attached to electronic/dance music. Evelyn Morris has made a leap from hardcore, punk drumming to soft, luscious pop look rather seamless and that in itself needs credit.”
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
12. The Drones
“The Drones are hands down the best Aussie band around.”
“Jezebel. ’nuff said.”
“They’re the top band because they’ve released probably the two best Australian albums of the last 3 or more years, and yet I still feel as though their best is yet to come. And they’re amazing live.”
Download: Jezebel (live); I Don’t Ever Want To Change (live)
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 2
11. Belles Will Ring
“Who knew that they invented a musical time machine in the Blue Mountains? Beautiful, shimmery, nostalgic pop.”
Download: Mad Love
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 16
10. Young and Restless
“The best frontwoman in Australia and a confronting live show.”
Download: Kapow!; Satan
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 13
9. New Buffalo
“Somewhere, Anywhere is a fragile, beautiful album. One of 2007′s best.”
“Sally Seltmenn is selfless, skilled and nothing short of beautiful. Missy Higgins, take note.”
Video: Cheer Me Up Thank You
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
8. The Paper Scissors
“They are still the masters of creating songs that will stay in your head for days. They seem as though they exist in my neighbourhood – and not just because I see Jai a lot around town – but because they have innocent songs that are somewhat married to the inner city life of Sydney. I can’t explain why…”
“Hands down the best live band out there, a wonderful debut album just confirms their exciting potential.”
Download: We Don’t Walk
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 17
7. Architecture In Helsinki
“Very unexpected, very cool album from AiH.”
“Heart It Races has to be the song of the year. Just infectious but what else can you expect from AIH?”
“For bringing world-inspired beats back into pop.”
Download: Heart It Races
Video: Heart It Races
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 6
6. Dappled Cities Fly
“Any band that receives the DFA seal of approval is A-OK in my books.”
“They showed the world why we love them so much.”
Download: Within Hours; Fire Fire Fire (Loving Hands remix) Granddance Bonus Disc
Video: Vision Bell
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 1
5. Muscles
“His cheeky pop-electro anthems have been inescapable and rightly so. Men want his babies too.”
“I never thought that Muscles would convert well to a full length album but I was pleasantly surprised by this debut effort. And then today I find out that Pitchfork gave it 8.3!”
“Iiiiiiiiiice creeeeeeeam!”
Video: Sweaty
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
4. The Basics
“I cannot say enough about The Basics. They are my favourite Australian band.”
“The best live band this side of Please Please Me.”
“Australia’s hardest working band!”
Download: Call It Rhythm & Blues; Second Best
Video: Memory Lane
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 25+
3. Midnight Juggernauts
“Dystopia is a marvelous album, and their live show isn’t too shabby either.”
“Dystopia would have to be one of my favourite albums this year.”
“The best album of the year and probably Australia’s best live show to boot.”
Video: Into The Galaxy; Road to Recovery
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 14
2. Cut Off Your Hands
“The write pretty darn good pop songs and are always entertaining live.”
“Super catchy tunes, a frantic live show and matching black skivvies.”
Download: You and I
Video: Still Fond
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: n/a
1. Gotye
“He’s just gone from strength to strength since the Hottest 100 earlier in the year. Then they kowtowed and gave him an ARIA.”
“The little drummer that could. And did. Wally’s a household name these days.”
“How is it that Like Drawing Blood still sounds as amazing now as it did when I first heard it a year and a half ago?”
Download: Learnalilgivinanlovin; Out Here In the Cold
Video: Hearts A Mess
MySpace :: Hype Machine :: Last FM
2006 position: 9
So this year the results were tallied from lists sent in from 26 different blogger/writers/etc. 176 bands/artists received at least one vote (almost the exact same number as last year) which is pretty amazing. A first place vote garnered the artist 25 points, second place 24 points, and so on. This year was much more competitive than last year, with the Top 3 only separated by 14 points and many bands just on the verge of cracking the Top 25.
A whole stack of thanks to the following people for taking time out to send in a list and an extra huge thanks to those of you who supplied some commentary (which is where all the quotations from above came from): Luke & Cam Before Hollywood, James Off The Record, Jonny & Mike Polaroids, Lucky Mulletgod, Richard Rose Quartz, Marc Das Monk, Os Decomposing Trees, Wayne Oceans, Stove, Sean Scenes, Ro Walls, Chris & Pix Whiteboy, Geoff Little Kid, Angus Major Chord, Dan Boud, Emmy Fangirl, Tim Faux Pas, Mr. Syms Covington, Nek & Bec Electrorash, Graham Regulates, Chucky Sandwiches, and last but certainly not least, Amanda Mockingbird.
So that’s it for another year!
UPDATE: See the Appendix (lists of ALL the bands that got votes) here.
November 12th, 2007 12:24
Very nice work Sean!
November 12th, 2007 12:35
damn, this is the best we’ve got? I guess it goes to show how trend-obsessed most of these writers are – I mean, just look at number two.
They’re just about the most derivative, boring band I can think of right now.
Where’s Ned Collette? Witch Hats? Eddy Current Suppression Ring? Alex Jarvis Band? Richard In Your Mind? etc.
I liked roughly 4-5 artists on this list. Look harder bloggers!
November 12th, 2007 14:29
Witch Hats and RIYM both received some votes…just not enough.
November 12th, 2007 22:38
Christ alive, only two artists that I voted for (Sly Hats and Pikelet) made it into that list. Guess I’m out of touch with the kidz. Muscles? Gotye? Midnight fucking Juggernauts?!
Anyway, ignore my grumbling. Thanks for doing the work, Sean. An interesting exercise, most definitely.
November 13th, 2007 00:19
I’m interested to know if the presets got any votes, and what the rest of the list looked like, any chance?
Cheers
November 13th, 2007 09:51
i like the way when a list doesn’t measure up to someone’s expectations, they immediately write it off
nothing to be said for “maybe you’re wrong?” (david)
November 13th, 2007 10:38
Well done on compiling the list Sean. I would have to say that I am surprised Midnight Juggernauts and Cut Off Your Hands placed so highly as I really find their music a bit disposable. Muscles does nothing for me either, but I guess it’s a democracy and these are the final votes. I was hoping Cuthbert and the Night Walkers could have found a spot somewhere.
November 14th, 2007 07:58
gee, that list sure is… contemporary.
i’ve never ‘got’ gotye. the first time i heard hearts a mess i thought ‘wow, cheesy’.
there are definitely a few bands on there that, in retrospect, should have made my list (LoD, New Buffalo). although i didn’t know we were including new zealand bands.
November 14th, 2007 18:13
Last year’s and 2005 list were much better. The top 5 in particular is just awful. At least Batrider got a mention.
November 14th, 2007 22:02
Nice work Sean! Cant say I agree with some peoples choices (i.e. Gotye and Muscles) but thats democracy for you.
November 14th, 2007 22:22
I didn’t really get why Midnight Juggernauts rated so high.
and I would hardly call Gotye cheesy or contemporary. The guy spent 2 years crafting that album in his freakin bedroom and blows the roof off when he performs live. Nothing cheesy at all.
November 15th, 2007 04:58
sorry i never even put a vote in seany!
im a little distracted overseas.
I think Die!Die!Die! could be my fave on the list….
hi!
November 15th, 2007 12:50
Hey y’all,
Just wanted to say congrats to all the bands that made it on the list (especially us! hehe – we’ve worked hard this year!!), and also to Sean for compiling it!
I’d also like to mention some other artists that didn’t make it but that have really excelled this year:
Cuthbert and the Night Walkers
Spargo
Little Red
Cross-Eyed Mary
Jordie Lane
Faux Pas
I think they’re worth looking out for!
Sorry if people don’t agree with us being ‘up there’ – we’ll buy you a beer or something to make up for it.
kris
November 15th, 2007 16:01
Good list, but I was surprised there was no British India ‘Tie Up My Hands’ is one of the catchiest singles I’ve heard this year. Glad for the Seabellies ‘Drain The Lake’ is up there.
November 15th, 2007 19:01
hah
stuff them kris, buy us the beer
November 16th, 2007 09:32
Nice compiling Sean, many apologies for my slowness/missing of boat. I can only point to the just about printed new issue of Cyclic Defrost and say – “there!”
Anyway, my list off the top of my head would probably include the following:
Seaworthy
Birth Glow
Western Synthetic
Ed Kuepper
Saddleback
Adrian Klumpes
Urthboy
Sly Hats
Tooth
Jordie Lane
Jamie Lloyd
Some Freak
Architecture in Helsinki
Pikelet
Faux Pas
Jordie Lane
Mnemonic Ascent
Moving Ninja
November 16th, 2007 15:08
thanks sean for asking me to submit a list and for putting in the hard yards getting it together. i must admit i’m with emmy on this one, only one act from my list made the cut. it was my first time voting, i thought i might be able to shake things up a bit. it didn’t bloody work! maybe emmy and i should have co-ordinated our lists… (thanks too matt and kris)
whether you like the bands in the list or not, its definitely a better reflection of the strength and breadth of the current oz music output than the recent aria noms/awards were!
November 20th, 2007 21:19
I wonder if the bloggers were considering live performances AND releases from those “top” twenty five… That Gotye album (note, was not released in 2007) is a masterpiece… too bad the live show was pretty bland. I’m thrilled that Die!Die!Die! and Young & Restless made it through – But who are music bloggers anyway?
I guess they’d all make for an interesting mix tape…
November 21st, 2007 16:30
Hey thanks!
So nice to be in there.
It’s really exciting to be included amongst all this awesome music. I may sound like an excited evangelist right now, but I think aus music is kick ass at the moment!
jai
November 30th, 2007 19:57
Cool list! Lots of new artists for me.
December 5th, 2007 18:22
What is the obsession with Cut of Your Hands? New Zealand has way better bands floating around, I agree with Wayne, they are a bit disposable.
Die! Die! Die! deserved to be way higher, Promises Promises is a super fantastic album. Disateradio is a NZ band that needs some urgent listening.
If you want some more NZ bands to rave about then check out Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood. It’s the only real NZ music blog.
December 24th, 2007 11:23
What about Shocking Pinks?