4 Australian Bands You Gotta Check Out

1. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 

This 7-piece band out of Melbourne is probably going to be the most well-known group on the list. If you’ve heard a song or two from them and didn’t like them, don’t worry; King Gizz has released a total of 27 albums and 3 EPs spanning many different genres so you’re bound to find something that you like within their massive catalogue. At the time of this post their music is not available on Spotify, so you may need to head to YouTube or Bandcamp to find their hundreds of songs. 

Start with: Sense, Fishing For Fishies, and Shanghai

A common thing seen in the Australian music scene is altruistic collaboration. In a world where Snoop Dogg charges $250,000 for a feature, the Australian scene seems more willing to help out smaller, up and coming bands. This can be demonstrated by the fact that members of King Gizz started the record label, p(doom), in order to help their friends and fellow countrymen release more music. This collaboration can also be seen in recent projects where Gizz frontman Stu Mackenzie produced Babe Rainbow’s most recent album and Gizz member Ambrose Kenny-Smith collabbed with GUM on the album “III Times.”

2. The Murlocs

This Melbourne-based group led by Ambrose Kenny-Smith (also a member of King Gizz) is a unique blend of blues, psychedelic rock, and garage rock. If King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s music is a bit too experimental and out there for you, The Murlocs’s work is a much more palatable place to start. While the previous band is too diverse to describe, Uncle Murl’s sound is a bit more stable with gritty vocals, sweet guitar riffs, and frequent usage of harmonica. One can’t help but dance or at least tap their foot with hits like Noble Soldier or Rolling On. Not to mention, as demonstrated by videos of their live performances, they put on a hell of a show. It’s not hard to understand why they’ve developed a cult following within and beyond their home country.

Start with: Rolling On, Noble Soldier, and Dangerous Nature

3. Violent Soho

This Brisbane band is currently on an “indefinite hiatus,” but they consistently put out great music during their active years from 2004 to 2022. They are self-described as “stoner pop,” but their music can be most likened to the grunge sound of the 90s. Violent Soho captured the magic of grunge and presented it in a fresh package over and over again without ever becoming stale. Vocalist Luke Boerdam makes the music pop with his unique voice and powerful scream. Their success over an 18-year run was no fluke, they have a bunch of awesome songs with catchy choruses that you’ll find yourself singing your heart out to alone in the car.

Start with: Covered In Chrome, Canada, and Viceroy

4. Babe Rainbow

The final band of the list hails from the coastal town of Byron Bay. Babe Rainbow consists of 4 dudes who dress and play like they just stepped out of a time capsule from 1969. With elements of surf rock, folk, and psychedelia, they’ve mastered a sound that is just as new as it is old. While inspiration for each album shifts, they maintain that core sound each time that is uniquely them. Ride the rainbow and get taken away to somewhere where the fruit is fresh and the waves are breaking any time you put these guys on. 

Start with: Peace Blossom Boogy, Sunshine, and Aquarium Cowgirl

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