Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave is one of the most well-known musicians from Australia. His melodramatic and dark murder ballads have received recognition throughout the world. He has been able to renew his sound a bit during the years, but he still has the same recognisable style of ominous baritone mixed with scary soundscapes.
The Dead Leaves
If I would just hear one of this band's songs on the radio, I would most definitely think that it was the National playing some of their new stuff. The sound is explicably similar. Deep baritone voice over melancholic bass-driven indie rock melodies.
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett is the most interesting artist to emerge from Melbourne's music scene in years. She makes noisy indie rock with some out-of-tune aesthetics. All of this is super cool. It sometimes sounds like Ryan Adams' rockier albums, sometimes it sounds like Sonic Youth. Very highly recommended.
Jet
This band is definitely a one hit wonder. Their song Are You Gonna Be My Girl was released when The White Stripes were huge and with it's similar sound and more pop-oriented approach it received a lot of airplay on the radio and on MTV. It's a good song, but not very original and the problem is that no-one's ever heard of any of their other songs.
The Lucksmiths
The Lucksmiths play melodic indie rock with great bass lines and perky summery feel. They actually sound a lot like The Smiths from time to time, although the vocals are completely different. The lead singer has a fragile and endearing voice.
Twerps
This indie rock band plays upbeat and melodic songs with great use of organ sounds. The sound is a bit lo-fi from time to time, but you can still hear that they're quite skilful with their instruments. This is for all the music nerds out there who like the early Belle & Sebastian.
Magic Dirt
This indie rock band sounds a lot like the 90's Brit-pop band Sleeper. Female lead vocalist is cool, if not particularly skilful singer. The clean electric guitars are melodic while there are some messy overdriven guitars on top of it all.
Architecture in Helsinki
Apparently this band has nothing to do with the city of Helsinki. Their music is quite typical early 90's dance indie. They use shouts in addition to melodic singing and they use quite a lot of electronic instruments with the usual guitar, drums, bass and keyboards.
Something for Kate
Something for Kate is a very cool band playing melancholic and melodic indie rock. The subtle and quiet guitars pluck beautifully in the verses, while they may rise to great walls of beauty in the choruses. Beautiful music for those who like melodrama.
Buchanan
Buchanan plays stylish and modern indie rock with clean guitars played through a variety of effects. The rhythms are quite danceable while the music is still kind of atmospheric and etheric. This is the sound of 2010's.
Brightly
Brightly mixes electronica sounds with more traditional guitar folk sounds. The vocals are quite strong while still maintaining personality and humane approach. Sounds and rhythms have been given a priority over melodies.
Asleep in the Park
Asleep in the Park plays interesting indie rock music with some influences from garage rock and some from psych-blues. Some of their melodies resemble those of Super Furry Animals. This is quite commercial, but still not cheesy.
Underground Lovers
This band sounds a lot like 90's. The stripped sounds in the electric guitars, the naked drum sounds and simple bass lines topped with kind of laconic and lo-fi vocals. This is what indie rock sounded like before the term itself was used that much.
Crowded House
Crowded House is the Australia's answer to bands such as R.E.M. The songs are not necessarily as interesting, but the sounds are quite pleasant and there's a strong focus on catchy choruses. Great band work.
Hunters & Collectors
The treble-heavy bass leads the melodies, while a guy with Morrissey-like sound sings songs of heartbreak. The general sound is a bit lo-fi, but still it's all quite skilfully played. This is the alternative music of the early 90's.
Loon Lake
Loon Lake represents the funky 00's indie rock genre where the vocals are not necessarily very professional, nor in tune, but the sound is great. I would like to hear a bit more melodic approaches to these songs, but I guess this kind of alternative rock depends on the sounds.
Skipping Girl Vinegar
Skipping Girl Vinegar plays uptempo indie pop-rock. There are some elements from shoegaze tradition, but the guitar walls remain quite low and clean. The vocals are very indie indeed in their rough unprofessional tone.
The Temper Trap
This band started their career with a bang, when their debut album became known throughout the world. Their later albums have been, at least to me, slight disappointments. Disco-style drumming, plucking electric guitars, high echoey vocals and huge sound walls sound good if you're into that sort of sound.
Husky
This folky indie rock band knows how to play quiet and beautiful echoey bits as well as grand big sounds. Their sound is very modern and melodic. The guitar effects are beautiful and the sound is further improved by great piano sounds.
British India
British India plays endearing indie rock with disco-style drums and laconic indie-style vocals. The choruses depict a lot larger sounds than the verses, that sound a bit like they would've been recorded in a basement somewhere.
The Morning After Girls
This band sounds a lot like any other indie band from early 00's, but it doesn't really matter, since they sound pretty good. Modern echoey sounds have been put together with pounding drums and dreamy vocals. This band sounds quite a lot like Doves.
Total Control
Total Control plays indie rock that combines roughness of garage rock sounds and dark baritones and synthesisers of 80's new wave. Even though the general sound is a bit lo-fi, they know how to boost that sound into classy modern sound in the choruses.
Snakadaktal
This band plays über-cool electronic indie that combines echoey guitars and electronic sounds above club-like rhythms. They sure seem to know how to use studio techniques for their advantage, but the compositions could be a bit more interesting. The female lead vocals are pretty good in their etheric approach.
Real Life
This band sounds like the long lost sibling of Depeche Mode. Their sound is made up of strange space synthesiser sounds, dark melodies, and echoey vocals. In choruses the basic new wave electronica changes into pop melodies maintaining the 80's industrial sounds.
Cut Copy
Cut Copy was at some point one of the biggest names in electronic disco indie. Their sound is very commercial, but not in a terrible modern radio kind of way. They look back into 80's industrial sounds and new wave hits while maintaining modern sounds.
Black Cab
This band plays some seriously spacey synthesiser tunes. It's all instrumental and appropriate for clubbing, but at the same time it's very intriguing and versatile. Even though it's based on the loops, you don't get bored. Different sounds and melodies subtly follow each other to keep you interested.
Models
This 80's style new wave band plays cold, dark and cool industrial music with funky synths and raspy vocals. This is definitely the kind of music that the fans of Talking Heads and the like will enjoy. The groove is great.
The Wishing Well
This band plays dark and modern music that resembles film soundtracks. Their sound is big and well produced. The strings and multiple different instruments give it a professional sound, while the style balances between power ballads and indie folk tunes.
Augie March
Angie March plays cool singer-songwriter style indie pop-rock. His music sounds a lot like Mark Mulcahy. The melodies are interesting, but the sounds would benefit from a bit more original approach.
Dirty Three
This melancholic indie folk band plays heartbreaking weeping violins, quiet and clean electric guitars and knows just how to make the soundscape original and interesting. Great hypnotising stuff for lazy afternoons of feeling down.
Lowlakes
Lowlifes plays massive post-rock/indie rock with echoey etheric vocals. It reminds me of English singing Sigur Rós. If you like huge emotions and hypnotisingly beautiful melodies, this is right up your alley.
Art of Fighting
Art of Fighting makes very beautiful indie rock with melancholic melodies and beautiful clear guitars. The vocals are skilfully carried out and there is some similarity to classic James album Laid, even though the sounds are more modern.
Vance Joy
This singer-songwriter makes beautiful and emotional music that takes some influences from folk and some from louder indie rock. The clear electric guitars and beautiful clear vocals work beautifully together and the compositions are quite good as well.
Luluc
This quiet folk band plays absolutely beautiful music for the fans of endearing indie folk. There are similarities to early Belle & Sebastian, but still they're not trying to copy anyone. The bass lines are very inventive, which is not that usual in this kind of music.
The Little Stevies
This band is a great example of the greatness of modern indie folk. Picked acoustic guitars and beautiful female vocal harmonies. The melodies are absolutely beautiful. If you like First Aid Kit, you should really listen to this.
Boom Crash Opera
This folk band plays quite traditional sounding folk music with excellent picked acoustic guitar. The vocals are also skilful, yet not very original. They also know how to make catchy melodies and how to make that warm feeling that folk makes at its best.
The Paper Kites
The Paper Kites makes beautiful and quiet folk music, where the vocals are dripping with honey. The vocal harmonies are perfectly sung and the picked acoustic guitars do their job seamlessly. There's nothing wrong with the melodies either.
The Seekers
This is the kind of folk that they used to play in the early 60's. If you like very traditional American folk music such as Peter, Paul and Mary, you'll be sure to like this as well. it sounds very old at the moment, but as a historical reference it is great.
Hudson and Troop
Hudson and Troop play a bit faster kind of indie folk that even gets some rockier moments. Everything is played beautifully and skilfully. The calm vocals sound very pleasing. This is the kind of music they usually put into summery carefree indie movies.
Things of Stone and Wood
Country beats, folk melodies and beautiful piano playing come together in this band's sound. The vocals are clear and beautiful and the lyrics are interesting. The melodies are catchy and innovative. The beautiful fiddles give this sound a further boost.
Fraser A. Gorman
Fraser A. Gorman makes country and folk style singer-songwriter music that has great pop structure and skilful playing. The sounds are quite modern even though the music itself has its roots in the long history of popular music.
Daddy Cool
From this kind of band name you might expect something completely different. This band actually makes relaxed country music with kind of American style. It's a bit lo-fi and by no means very produced, but good in the neighbourhood pub band kind of way.
The Dingoes
The Dingoes plays 70's style folk with excellent guitar picking. The sound is a bit old for my taste, but the melodies are beautiful and this is what the history of folk music sounds like. Lyrics are also story-like and interesting.
Spectrum
Harmonicas and bluesy country guitars dominate this sound. The sound isn't one of the coolest ones, but I guess that's just because it's a bit old now. The vocals come deep from the lungs and this band has sure listened to their fare share of 70's progressive rock bands in addition to country and folk.
The Badloves
The Badloves play quite traditional folk/country music with skilfully sung vocals and produced acoustic guitars. It sounds a bit plastic at times, but there's still heart in this music and if you happen to like practiced vocals, you just might like this.
Mutiny
Mutiny represents the strange genre of pirate folk punk. It has the punk attitude, folk instrumentation and pirate kind of lyrics and sound. I don't know if this kind of music can be taken seriously, but who cares, since they really know how to spice up a party.
Souls on Board
Souls on Board is a 90's influenced skate punk band. There are some grunge influences as well, but it's faster and not as heavy. Some of the sound choices seem a bit strange and the vocals could be a bit more interesting, but the attitude is in its place.
The Living End
This hard rock/ska punk band plays fast and aggressive, yet very melodic songs that have the ska rhythm but overdriven electric guitars and rough punk-vocals. Some of the lyrics and melodies sound a bit like the masters of the UK first wave.
Adalita
Adult plays post rock with stomping rhythms and heavy guitars. Some of the melodies sound actually quite poppy, while the sounds are more representative of the post-rock genre. Great angsty music for those who appreciate melodic approach to music.
The Peep Temple
This indie hard rock band plays fast rock tunes with dark melodies and sharp electric guitars. Some of the sounds remind me of Placebo, but instead of Brian Molko's nasal, there is a deep baritone that switches into aggressive screeches once in a while.
Love of Diagrams
Love of Diagrams mixes garage rock sounds with disco beats and psychedelic 60's melodies. A bit more hypnotic approach might work even better than this more melodic one. This is truly a band that knows the history of pop music and takes bits from here and there.
Pray TV
This is one of my favourite bands on this list. Their gloomy and dark melodies are played with skilful post-punk guitars moving towards melodic hard rock in the style of Guns n' Roses. They have a great sense of drama in how they lift the sounds from quiet verses to beautiful and big choruses.
The Cat Empire
This band is quite strange. It's basically ska music with some dooms day horns and world music kind of influences in its rhythm section. They have a very melodic approach to music which sets them apart from most ska bands playing similar boring melodies.
Madre Monte
If I would just hear Madre Monte on the radio, I would be almost certain that this band comes from somewhere in Western Africa or Latin America. The world music kind of rhythms, horns and strange pronunciation sets their music apart from most Australian bands.
The Avalanches
The Avalanches is one of the most original bands to have appeared from Australia. Their music could maybe be categorised in the trip-hop genre, but it's much more than that. They are using spoken word vocals that sound like they have been picked from a variety of TV shows, while the band is playing massive and dark melodies.
Gotye, Kimbra
This band reminds me a lot of bands like Calexico or dEUS. Quiet and haunting songs just waiting to explode, but never will. There is something quite South American in the sounds, although the choruses look more towards 80's pop.
Tinpan Orange
Tinpan Orange uses large sounds and stomping drums in the style of Arcade Fire, but their lead singer sings with a delicate female voice full of interesting echoes. In louder choruses the lead singer sounds actually a bit like the lead singer of Beach House.
Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes
This combo plays soulful rock n' roll with danceable 60's style northern soul kind of sound. The vocals are very strong in the style of Amy Winehouse, but the melodies and sounds are light and upbeat.
Frente!
Frente! plays summery indie pop-rock with light female vocals and storytelling lyrics. The melodies are catchy and pleasant and so are the sounds which don't have that much originality, but the clear electric guitars and melodic bass structures sound still great.
The Beautiful Few
This lo-fi band's sound is kind of masterful in its crappyness. Their instrumentation is actually quite cool, but they sound as if they're out of tune and the vocals sound like they were sung into a crushed tomato tin.
Peter Bibby & His Bottles of Confidence
This man is an excellent songwriter. his lyrics are witty and his melodies are interesting. The sound, however, is very lo-fi. His vocals are out of breath and raunchy and the guitars are sharp. This actually makes the attitude quite fantastic.
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
This lo-fi art rock band sounds quite a lot like The Velvet Underground on their first albums. The guitars are raw and metallic and vocals sound more like speaking than singing. The sounds have that same kind of psychedelic quality.
The Sports
This band plays quite straightforward rock music in the style of late 70's or early 80's Bruce Springsteen. It's not quite as skilful as the E-Street Band, and some melodies are a bit cheesy and punky. Still, there's something intriguing in their energy.
Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock plays 80's style pop-rock with echoey drumming and cheesy sounds. This is like the mixture of Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson. If you happen to like that sort of thing, this is definitely worth checking out.
Skyhooks
Skyhooks plays interesting music that sounds at the same time like early 70's glam rock and some of the Blondie albums. They have very melodic songs, while the attitude is upbeat and uplifting. The sounds are a bit old for today, but they're still quite intriguing.
The Drones
The Drones play with raw overdriven electric guitars. Their vocals are very lo-fi. This whole package sounds a bit like calmer version of Dinosaur Jr. Some of the melodies have taken some influences from country music.
Australian Crawl
This 80's style rock band uses some laid back rhythms and ska kick back guitars, while the vocals are linked closely to 80's post-punk. It's all quite hicky, but still pleasant enough to be on this list. Some plusses from the use of harmonica.
Chain
Chain plays blues rock where the harmonica is actually the main instrument. The vocals are not that interesting, but the wahwah-filled guitars and masterful use of harmonica make this music quite interesting.
Air Supply
If you secretly love cheesy 80's power ballads, you may want to check this band out. They sure know how to make songs like Total Eclipse of the Heart. Modulations and falsetto? You bet! A great way to end this list.
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