Hot Australian Artists 2011 Part 2

It’s been tough, it’s been hard and oh boy, you should have seen some of the efforts bands, publicists, managers and record companies went to, to have their artists included in our list of the hottest Aussie bands of 2011. Unfortunately for them, none of the bribes were good enough to entice us away from our resolve to hold our nerve and choose for you the hottest bands in the country without fear or favour. These are the bands you can still check out in a pub now, but by the end of the year you’ll be bragging to your mates saying ‘I saw them in a little pub ages ago...’ when they start raving about them.

It’s been tough, it’s been hard and oh boy, you should have seen some of the efforts bands, publicists, managers and record companies went to, to have their artists included in our list of the hottest Aussie bands of 2011. Unfortunately for them, none of the bribes were good enough to entice us away from our resolve to hold our nerve and choose for you the hottest bands in the country without fear or favour. These are the bands you can still check out in a pub now, but by the end of the year you’ll be bragging to your mates saying ‘I saw them in a little pub ages ago...’ when they start raving about them.
Matt Sonic & The High Times Dirty desert rock straight out of the bowels of Melbourne’s dark alleyways, Matt Sonic & The High Times ply a trade in mind bending psychedelic stoner rock that’s seen them jump from sweaty club gigs to hitting the festival circuit this summer. Best enjoyed under the influence of a variety of stimulants, these guys are the missing link between Hawkwind and Queens of the Stone Age. Check them out
Dark Bells ‘Sydney’s great hope’ is how one of the Tone Deaf scouts initially described these guys to us and they may just be right. Creating an epic wall of shoegazey sounds coloured by psychedelic dreamscapes, they make a hell of a racket for a three piece. Featuring former members of Damn Arms and Mercy Arms, these guys stack on the reverb and chorus pedals which at times recall The Cure circa Seventeen Seconds. Check them out
Royston Vasie A relatively new Melbourne outfit, these guys snuck out an EP just before Christmas which is chock full of chunky guitars and shredding lead breaks. With elements of Nirvana and Pixies, as well as guitars that veer between the widescreen sounds of Echo & The Bunnymen and the six string choppiness of Wire; this is indie rock with massive commercial potential and the you can expect to hear them all over Triple J next summer. Check them out
The Ovals There’s nothing square about these boys. Decked out in some of the widest collars and flares you’ve seen in over 30 years, these guys have an intoxicating krautrock vibe which conjures up the sonic soundscapes of Can, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd. Throw in the swirling keys of The Doors at their trippiest and these guys are the ultimate band to turn up, tune in and bliss out to. Check them out
Kingswood Dirty bluesy Aussie rock n’ roll from Melbourne at its best, this stuff recalls Led Zeppelin, Cream and Hendrix, with a distinctly Australian flavour. If that’s not enough to wet your whistle, it’s gotta be said – their singer Fergus is the reincarnation of Bon Scott! An ear shattering wail, he could sing the entire Acca Dacca back catalogue without breaking in to a sweat. Check them out
Lady Strangelove Adelaide’s finest disappeared for most of 2010, but we’ve gotten wind that they’ll be storming back in to the live scene by relocating to Melbourne this year. Just completing recording an EP with the infamous producer Sylvia Massy (Tool/Johnny Cash/Deftones) in Weed, California, this band of brothers will be bringing their monstrous Black Mountain meets Dead Meadow psychedelic squall back in a big way in 2011. Check them out
Barbariön A band of Viking warriors who mysteriously went forward in time to Melbourne’s northern suburbs in 2010 and discovered the power and brutality of the electric guitar, bass and drums as they roamed the land seeking not just aural assault, but to also lay waste to every audience they came across. Think Iron Maiden, think Slayer, think Judas Priest and add in codpieces, chain mail, breastplates and furry boots! These guys are killing it live and set to take on the Big Day Out over the summer. Become a fan now lest they smite you with their sword as they pillage and plunder the country throughout 2011! \m/ Check them out
The Novocaines One of Perth’s hottest bands, these guys are balls to the wall raaawkk! Barely in to their 20s, they distil the essence of Detroit rock into a package that is the perfect heady mixture of The Stooges and MC5. Fronted by sex god Corey Marriott, who exudes the swagger of Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler, this band have clocked up some impressive supports and should be headlining around the country to an increasingly rabid following in 2011.. Check them out
Stonefield Four good looking sisters from the Victorian countryside plying a trade in earth shatteringly crunchy blues riffs and a mighty rock n’ roll howl – what’s not to love? After winning a Triple J Unearthed High competition, the band haven’t looked back – picking up fans across the country, being asked to perform at this year’s Glastonbury Festival and having just about every record company in the world chasing after them. If you haven’t seen them yet, they’ve got a residency coming up at The Tote in Melbourne this February which is going to be bonkers! Check them out
The Go Roll Your Bones Just when we thought it was impossible to find any more decent rock bands in Sydney, we tripped over this bunch. Take the swagger of The Stooges, sprinkle in a little of the menace of the Jesus & Mary Chain circa Psychocandy and you start to form the picture. Throw in the ear splitting guitar wail of The Gun Club and The Birthday Party and you’re almost there. Top it off with front man Geordie’s wild onstage abandon which often sees himself and audience members copping an injury during shows and once again you can taste the thrilling sense of danger that only a wild rock and roll band can give. Check them out
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