Aussie/Kiwi Guitar Pop- The scenes that just keep giving and giving

probably too obvious, but if you're on the fence about getting that new reissue of the Clean's Getaway, the bonus live disc is godlike. seriously some of the best Clean I've heard.

The thread's short so far, but it's still gone too long without a mention of Total Control. Few bands have got me excited the last few years like them.

Oh man, Getaway is so underrated. "Circle Canyon" is like the best Grateful Dead song not performed by the Dead

i think i was one of the underraters back in the day -- but it sounds fucking fantastic in 2016.

The thread's short so far, but it's still gone too long without a mention of Total Control. Few bands have got me excited the last few years like them.

Great band but I wouldn't characterize any of their music as "guitar pop."

courtney barnett was in the darren hanlon, laura jean orbit of folkier types before she hooked up with jen cloher and went grunge. I guess they're all go betweens fans at heart really.

hfs at ausmuteants great.

He lives in the US now, but this year's Moles album, which is really Richard Davies, is erratic but often great.

I love Total Control too, and think they might be the best of the bunch, but I also hesitated in a guitar pop thread. But it's sometimes a close call.

Probably right re Total Control, but with connections with other bands named here, I'd toss em in on the fringes.

Anyone keep up with/rate Surf Friends? This one from a few years back is a good viber, but I haven't really explored further.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi8oJpmItgI

Thanks for the Surf Friends shout. I really dig them. This EP was released this year https://edilsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-are-real

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_CDK1-x72A

Alpine might be a little too mainstream pop but they do have guitars and could also be considered here

New RBCF EP is a ripper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zcYS69KFrw

It certainly is. The best rock n'roll band around at the moment

how i loved the sugargliders (from melbourne) at the time. they have this innocent, melodic, naive sound only bands from the antipodes have. the sarah comp "we're all trying to get there" has at least seven brilliant tunes by them. here is one fave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtYaGea7FKg

This is pleasant jangly stuff:

https://chookrace.bandcamp.com/album/around-the-house

Just came across Rolling Stone Australia---doesn't seem that different from American so far---and this might not be thread-relevant---or good at all?---but kinda wondering: https://rollingstoneaus.com/reviews/post/the-blackeyed-susans-close-your-eyes-and-see/5680

Awesome new group called The Stroppies featuring members of The Stevens, Dick Diver, and Twerps. Also everything on this label is worth checking out.

https://hobbiesgalore.bandcamp.com/album/the-stroppies

Surreal, it sounds like some lost Flying Nun band from 1982.

I too feel like most of my current fave bands are from Aus/NZ, particularly Melbourne. Insane how many good bands are in that town right now.

My latest mindblow: Ocean Party. This song is SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAT7ZeP7juc

this stroppies tape sounds great, thanks for the heads up

Yeah, digging the Stroppies. Sounds a lot like the Dick Diver from a couple years ago, which is fine with me.

Can't believe nobody likes the Ocean Party song. FINE. Here's another I am loving. It's not jangle pop - more post-punk - but it's Australian and seems close enough to list here.

https://orionsydneyglam.bandcamp.com/track/execution

i like diet. a lot

https://soundcloud.com/diettunes/sets/dietep

also mermaidens, who are putting out an album on flying nun in july; their sound is a little chunkier a la DIRT OF LUCK era helium but this single is ferocious

https://m.soundcloud.com/flyingnunrecords/mermaidens-lizard

Diet remind me a little of The Smiths. Only mellower. The chiming guitars are grand cru. The singing is similar to Morrissey's but the voices are quite different.

SA, I like The Ocean Party! Here's a fave https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cEZ-HLiUk0U

Are there any really exciting new Aussie/Kiwi bands with female vocalists?

that stroppies record linked above has a female vocalist

that band mermaidens that maura linked have a female vocalist

also blank statements on hobbies galore: https://hobbiesgalore.bandcamp.com/album/signs-are-rampant

blank realm too! https://blankrealmmusic.bandcamp.com/

(they're usually more co-male/female vocals)

terry

Beamish, you should check out The Courtneys, who are Kiwi-in-spirit Canadiens who just put out a great record on Flying Nun

https://thecourtneys.bandcamp.com/track/silver-velvet

I like Kiwi singer Aldous Harding

Fazerdaze is my new fave kiwi band at the moment.

Was just going to mention Fazerdaze in response to the female vocalist question. I need to listen to the record a bit more, but the first four or five times through I've found I start out loving it and lose interest by the end. Not sure if the songs get weaker or if just starts to sound too same-y. Definitely digging it in small doses though.

https://fazerdaze.bandcamp.com

killer new terry song: https://soundcloud.com/upset-the-rhythm/terry-take-me-to-the-city-1

Hell yeah!!

The Stevens also have something on the way and I could not be more excited https://chaptermusic.bandcamp.com/track/chancer

Beamish, you should check out The Courtneys, who are Kiwi-in-spirit Canadiens who just put out a great record on Flying Nun

love this

yeah The Courtneys are great. Make sure you check out the first album too. It even finishes with a remake/cover of the clean's on/off again

There's only got 9 sleeps until the Bats first UK gig in years!

Evidently I can't type due to excitement.

Wish I could have made it up to NYC for one of these gigs

Martin Phillips of iconic New Zealand band The Chills is in NYC as we speak and has two three free solo shows lined up, both matinees. The first happens TODAY (Sunday, June 4) at Pianos with Martin performing at 2:30 PM and there will also be a DJ set from Flying Nun Records founder Roger Shepherd.

UPDATE: At the Pianos show on Sunday, Martin said that he’s also performing an in-store at Greenpoint’s Record Grouch on Wednesday, June 7 at 7:30 PM.

The third event happens at Rough Trade on Saturday, June 10 where in addition to a performance, Phillipps and Shepherd will be talking with Captured Tracks founder Mike Sniper. That’s at 2 PM.

https://brooklynlocalnews.com/martin-phillipps-of-the-chills-playing-two-free-nyc-solo-shows-this-week-one-today-governors-ball-day-2-pics-review-phoenix-wu-tang-aap-ferg-yg-more/

https://chaptermusic.bandcamp.com/album/school-damage
i like school damage

The Stevens new record is out and it is chock-full of pop gems

https://chaptermusic.bandcamp.com/album/good

Nice. This is the kind of Aussie pop I like.

okay, i knew there was a thread for stuff like this. i can't remember who gave me a long list to check out on ilm but i held on to it and started making a youtube playlist. will check out other stuff mentioned here.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4uJu4UGWv-Rn0YA53IvBEQTcxQ2E0u1n

cheers scott, enjoying this

Really loving Wireheads, Dylan/Fall word blizzards and just enough chords.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO_sorb0EFE

Some songs are a bit samey, but I really like a large handful of jangly Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever tracks. Just saw them in W DC last night w/ their acoustic guitarist, 2 electric guitarists, bass and drums approach)

I've really gotten into The Stroppies lately, which features Stephanie from Dick Diver. I like all of their stuff, but this year's album is particularly good:

https://thestroppies.bandcamp.com/album/levity

Seconding that new Stroppies record (many have noted being into them in this thread, but yeah, I have listened to it a bunch).

Ah, my bad, didn't scroll back far enough for the Stroppies mentions.

Also a random fact I have noticed lately is that Mikey Young (Eddy Current/Total Control) seemingly masters an insane amount of good records that cross my path these days. No idea how he does it but his name is on an insane amount of records.

They were new to me this year too! Was just going through this thread for the first time and that was a nice coincidence (my girlfriend listens to a ton of Australian punk and so that is how I found them).

The Chats have fully embraced 1982 and it's pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBeu6wEZDqw

Quite digging the danceable new psych-pop single from Dunedin band Soaked Oats: https://open.spotify.com/track/7ePzucJTuQWcQ41uzFjVcT?si=J_01WZy7SRS93dpV4W2ePQ

Posted previously in the NZ music thread, but still loving the new Fazerdaze song: https://open.spotify.com/track/2qkAa6IrUy5WWizVE1rpeh?si=9u0qWliWSou70CfEOntp4g

https://juliajacklin.bandcamp.com/album/pre-pleasure

Third Julia Jacklin LP is... quite good, I'm thinking, as someone who hadn't really been keeping up with the preview tracks. I've had reservations about her appropriating a, er, "Americana voice" or whatever, but working with a Montreal posse has seemingly brought her closer than ever to, say, the Mitski part of the spectrum. Kinda. Sorta.

Who am I going to review/interview/cover this book for? Hearing good things about detail, accuracy and lavish photographic spreads... https://t.co/dyS8wohYrr

— Kiran Dass (@SteelyDass) July 15, 2022

Going to be a great book. Weird that a Kiwi hasn't already written something like this but great that it's happening now before all that history gets lost.

Fazerdaze announced a new EP today:
https://www.flyingnun.co.nz/products/fazerdaze-break?mc_cid=e5ce2139fb&mc_eid=c024cda97c

I don't usually pass along so much self-promo, but what the hell, this sounds right:

The books offers a comprehensive history of the first seven years of Flying Nun when the label was based in Christchurch. The story of the label is told by the records themselves. Over 140 releases are covered, from The Clean's "Tally Ho!" single to The Verlaines' Bird-Dog LP.

— Matthew Goody (@m_c_goody) July 8, 2022

ok, ok!

Some details:
- 438 full colour pages
- 500+ images, including tons of never-before published photos.
- Entries on every @flyingnun record released from 1981 to mid-1988.
- Available in early November, 2022
- Details on how to order will follow soon.
- eBook will be available too

— Matthew Goody (@m_c_goody) July 8, 2022

Definitely buying that book. I can't seem to find a complete Flying Nun discography online unless someone can vouch for stuff on Discogs sorted by year.

I guess you could cross-check with the catalogue on the FN website but it'd be a nightmare:
https://www.flyingnun.co.nz/collections/flying-nun-catalog

And of course you're missing out on all the important related stuff on other local labels (Xpressway, Propeller etc.)

Flowertruck - 'Pretending'

I've had Flowertruck in my head since this was on Rage on the weekend. Apparently from Sydney with a not insignificant discography already. I now see their bio cites Orange Juice and Talking Heads as influences, almost as if they were algorithmically constructed to get me on the bandwagon. YMMV, etc. (My first hunch was that they might actually be New Zealanders but I suspect the goofiness merely brought to mind this awesome Bressa Creeting Cake video lol.)

Charles from Flowertruck also has an extremely likeable solo synth-pop project called Greenwave Beth

Actually it might technically be a duo! But last time I saw GB it was just Charles

Thanks! Listening now. Definitely likeable.