The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of indigenous and Western styles are exemplified in the works of Yothu Yindi, No Fixed Address, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and Christine Anu, and mark distinctly Australian contributions to world music.
The John Butler Trio are an Australian roots/rock band led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler, an APRA and ARIA-award-winning musician. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums, Gavin Shoesmith on bass and John Butler on vocals. By 2009, the trio consisted of Butler with Byron Luiters on bass and Nicky Bomba on drums and percussion, the latter being replaced by Grant Gerathy in 2013. After both Luiters and Gerathy exited the trio in early 2019, bassist OJ Newcomb and drummer Terepai Richmond joined the band, accompanied by touring musician Elana Stone on keyboards, percussion and backing vocals.
The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl, Harry James Angus, Will Hull-Brown (drums), Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala, Ollie McGill and Ryan Monro. Monro retired from the band in March 2021, while Angus, Hull-Brown and Khadiwhala all left in April 2022. They are often supplemented by The Empire Horns, a brass duo composed of Ross Irwin (trumpet) and Kieran Conrau (trombone), among others. Their sound is a fusion of jazz, funk, ska, and rock with heavy Latin influences.
Dallas Crane are a triple ARIA Award nominated Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne. Their self-titled third album was released on 10 July 2004, and peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. Its lead single, "Dirty Hearts", debuted in the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50.
Magic Dirt is an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative underground band called Deer Bubbles which split and formed into the much heavier, rock based group called The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt. Their top 40 releases on the ARIA Albums Chart are Friends in Danger (1996), What Are Rock Stars Doing Today (2000), Tough Love (2003) and Snow White (2005). They have received nine ARIA Music Award nominations including four at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 for Life Was Better – their second extended play. Turner died in August 2009 of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. From 2010 to November 2018, the band were on hiatus.
Cog are an Australian progressive rock band that formed in 1998. Their debut album, The New Normal, was nominated for Triple J's 2005 J Award. The band's music is influenced by Tool, Isis, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Leftfield, Deftones and Helmet.
Wicked Beat Sound System is a Sydney based group whose sound is best described as a mixture of electronica, dub and soul. The group formed in 1992, following a series of live "jams" instigated by DJ Dave Carnovale in collaboration with Damian Robinson and other DJs Scott Pullen and Mark Walton which took place at the Bentley Bar c. 1991 in Sydney's Darlinghurst area. They have released five albums to date. Originally featuring reggae and hip hop, the group expanded their sound to incorporate elements of soul, jazz, Latin, funk and breaks. They have been nominated for three ARIA Music Awards and an Australian Dance Music Award as well as creating dozens of remixes for others.
The Grates were an Australian indie rock band that formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 2002. They were brought to national attention in 2004 when a demo of their single "Trampoline" received airplay on radio station Triple J. Their first two albums, Gravity Won't Get You High (2006) and Teeth Lost, Hearts Won (2008), both reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 10. Hodgson and Patterson were also proprietors of Southside Tea Room, a cafe and bar, in Morningside; the couple also married in November that year.
Weddings, Parties, Anything. was an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1999. Their name came from The Clash song "Revolution Rock". Musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Australian rock debut since Skyhooks' Living in the 70's.
Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior, is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in Melbourne. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album Autumn Flow and for the song "Hoot's Lullaby".
Bliss n Eso are an Australian hip hop trio based in Sydney. They are currently signed to Melbourne record label Illusive Sounds, and are managed and booked by label co-founders Adam Jankie and Matt Gudinski. Bliss n Eso have released seven studio albums which include three number 1 debuts on the ARIA Charts. They have also won two ARIA Awards for Best Urban Release for their 2008 album Flying Colours and for Best Music Video for their 2017 single "Moments". Eso, under his alias Esoterik, released an album entitled "My Astral Plane" in May 2018.
Joshua Jon Pyke is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, musician and children's book author.
Tim Levinson, better known by the stage name Urthboy, is an Australian hip hop MC and producer from New South Wales. He is widely known for his solo music under the moniker Urthboy, as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Herd, and for co-founding and managing the Elefant Traks record label. Levinson has released five solo albums: Distant Sense of Random Menace (2004), The Signal (2007), Spitshine (2009), Smokey's Haunt (2012) and The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat (2016); as well as five studio albums with The Herd.
Daniel O Kelly, known as Dan Kelly, is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released music as part of Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males.
The Audreys are an Australian blues and roots band which formed in Adelaide, in 2004 by founding mainstay, Taasha Coates on lead vocals, melodica, harmonica and ukulele. They have released four studio albums, Between Last Night and Us, When the Flood Comes, Sometimes the Stars and 'Til My Tears Roll Away. Founding guitarist, Tristan Goodall, died on 2 July 2022, aged 48, of an unspecified illness.
Christopher William Stoneking is an Australian blues singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009 Jungle Blues won Best Blues and Roots Album; he was also nominated for Best Male Artist, Breakthrough Artist – Album, Best Independent Release and Best Cover Art. Gon' Boogaloo peaked at No. 17 on the ARIA Albums Chart and won at the 2015 ARIA Music Awards for Best Blues & Roots Album.
Horsell Common were an Australian band from Melbourne, Victoria. They made their live debut in early 2002, following this up with a string of EPs, and released their first full-length album The Rescue on 29 September 2007. The album peaked at number 100 on the ARIA Charts.
The Bamboos are an Australian funk and soul band from Melbourne.
Mammal are an Australian band that formed in March 2006. Mammal rose up the ranks of the Australian music scene very quickly. Their first self-titled EP was recorded soon after the band came together. Their debut live album "Vol:1 The Aural Underground" was recorded just 4 months after the band started touring at a sold-out show at The Evelyn Hotel on 2 February 2007. Mammal also released a single titled "Slaves/Nagasaki in Flames" AA side, featuring 3 songs. Mammal entered the studio on 21 April 2008 to begin recording their debut studio album, The Majority which was released in August 2008. It peaked at No. 51 on the ARIA Albums Chart in early September. Some of the band's songs, including Hell Yeah!, New Breed Judas and Slaves, received regular airplay on Australian radio station Triple J.
Lowrider was an Australian soul-indie band, formed in 2003 when brothers John and Paul Bartlett (drums) joined with bassist Scott Duncan and singer Joseph Braithwaite. Lowrider draws influences from Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, the Roots, Mos Def and Erykah Badu. After 10 years of performing, they called it quits in August of 2014 and performed their last show in November of that year.
