Settle an internal debate for me:
Yes, I know it's AC/DC, slashes apparently screw up PollHost's code.
"Someone else" can include anyone but Silverchair, Divinyls, and Wolfmother, because they suck. If you choose this answer, please elaborate.
Although I will always have a soft-spot for MEN AT WORK (whose two main albums, “Cargo” and “Business as Usual” remain two of the best albums of the 80s), I had to vote “someone else”, that being RADIO BIRDMAN.
RADIO BIRDMAN is one of the true pioneering ‘punk’ (or, more accurately, ‘sub-pop’) bands. They influenced better known bands, especially THE SEX PISTOLS and THE RAMONES. As many have said, they combined the sounds of MC5 and THE STOOGES into something where the sum was better than its parts. If you’ve never heard of them, but like any of the other bands I’ve mentioned (with the exception of Australia’s #2 all-time band, MEN AT WORK), check ‘em out.
My favorite Aussie band is Brother. Didgeridoo + bagpipes ftw.
Brother is top, Settler’s Match is pretty good. Baby Animals are also good.
Not a band, but you should definitely check out Paul Kelly’s body of work if you haven’t already, and barring that, he’ll be on NPR’s world cafe in two weeks, so you can check him out there.
The ‘gurge rock.
Regurgitator.
I like their old stuff better than their new stuff, but check them out here:http://www.regurgitator.net/regOS.swf
I suppose that it comes as no surprise that I went with the Bee Gees. I still own my original well-loved and battered Saturday Night Fever lp with the gatefold cover.
And if not for the Bee Gees, humanity would never have been graced with this masterpiece: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ssf.jpg
We are better as a species by its mere existence.
I’d go for Architecture in Helsinki. Despite the dumb name they make pretty good ramshackle indie rock.
AC/DC….easy call. The band has tremendous longevity and a host of great tunes, plus they never took the bait to do the ‘power ballad’ just to move a few more albums.
AC/DC is #1, the battle is for #2. From that list I like Men at Work because of some memories from HS associated with some of their songs, (Yeah, I’m that old) but I’d like to throw 2 other names into the hat.
The John Butler Trio, is a bluesy roots music group from Australia that I grew to like while vacationing in around Sydney last year. They’re playing in Dallas and Austin at the end of the month before heading to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival.
The second group is The WAiFs. They’re a folk-Australian country rock trio, 2 sisters and a male guitarist that own their own label. The story goes that while in Australia, Bob Dylan saw them and was impressed. He sent a note that he’d love for them to tour with him. They thought he was kidding until a few weeks later he contacted them and asked if they’d be ready to go as his opener on a US/European leg of his tour…and they did. When Dylan played Houston a few years ago, The WAiFs were his opener. They’re touring the US West coast now before heading to the East Coast in early May.
Well, shit. No love for Horde?
Honestly, it depends on what you’re after. You can’t talk about Australian music without bringing up the Bee Gees; love ‘em or hate ‘em, they put Australia on the map and churned out hits for two decades. Personally, I’d rather listen to AC/DC.