It was around this time last year that NME was giving props to Australia’s music scene by naming one of our homegrown acts as the worst band in the world. The title went to 5 Seconds of Summer and they were pretty chuffed about it.
“Won the NME worst band award,” Michael Clifford, alt-haired guitarist for the Sydney pop rock outfit, posted to Twitter in response to the news. “I’m so damn happy right now. thx to everyone who voted #dreamscomingtrue.”
Now, the iconic UK music mag has given one of our bands some actual props by featuring them in their list of ‘ones to watch’ in 2016, placing Sydney’s DMA’s amongst the likes of Rat Boy, Sheer Mag, She-Devils, Black Honey, and more.
“The Australian act come from the same scene that gave us DZ Deathrays, but go for a much more retro sound,” NME‘s (slightly misinformed) write-up reads.
“Their choice of Kappa hats and cagoules constantly sees them compared to Oasis, but really there’s a whole host of other 90s bands in the DNA of their music – from Pavement to Blur.”
As far as NME are concerned, the Sydney trio, who are set to unveil their full-length debut later this year, are one of a slew of “new acts poised to take this year by storm”, having previously crowned them a ‘buzz band of the week’.
One can certainly understand the mag’s reasoning. In addition to the imminent release of their debut album, the band’s latest single, ‘Lay Down’, is in high rotation on the airwaves, and the trio was recently announced as part of the Coachella lineup.
NME’s Ones To Watch 2016
Rat Boy
Sunflower Bean
Formation
Nao
Sheer Mag
Bugzy Malone
Lets Eat Grandma
Public Access TV
Elf Kid
Isaac Gracie
Pumarosa
Liss
Spring King
Whitney
Lapsley
She-Devils
Porches
Yung
The Big Moon
Downtown Boys
DMA’s
Black Honey
Pixx
Car Seat Headrest
LUH
