Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi

The Australian national chant is more than appropriate when discussing the country’s multitude of musical products (especially considering the total population count)!
So without further ado – and in no particular order – here’s a little Christmas list as a present for you.

In the category “Starts with a P but nothing else in common”

1. Pivot – can’t get their new album ‘O Soundtrack my Heart’ , their first on Warp label, out of my recent played list.  Not fitting into any genre really, electronic melodical post rock is probably as close as it gets.  Not only that, they have some excellent ‘themed’ podcasts on their website.
   
2. Pnau – like Pivot they have grown away from their previous album into a more melodical – and in Pnau’s case popular – sound.  Nick Littlemore from Pnau is also half of the Empire of the Sun duo, another success from the Aussie stable. Here’s some samples:
   Pnau ft Ladyhawke – Embrace
   Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (Sam La More remix)
   Incidentally, Nick Littlemore is also half of Teenager, other half is fellow antipodean Ladyhawke, her vocals also feature on the Pnau track above – and she’s featured here below – it’s a small world after all!
3. The Presets, probably one of the better known Aussie electronic acts , like Cut Copy, which is a bit more poppy, but both definitely ultra danceable exports.

In the category “Actually from New Zealand – but to some Aussies this is just another state”

1. Flight of the Conchords – those of you that attended our movie nights back in Antwerp might remember seeing one of their episodes. Trendy as they are, wherever they go women swoon at their feet, maybe even men, and the only reason Hugh Jackman got to be Sexiest Man on Earth (Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!) is because obviously Brett and Jermaine passed on the opportunity.
2. Ladyhawke – stole her name from the 80’s movie with Rutger Hauer – and its not the only thing she’s knicked from the 80’s.

In the category “Totally Random”

1. Lisa Mitchell – Heard her on Triple J one day, the Aussie Studio Brussel (Oi!Oi!Oi!). Apparently she’s a former Idol contestant and can you believe she didn’t even win with that voice?  Anyway, on the Triple J website, you can also download some free mp3’s each week, which is where you can find this one:
   Lisa Mitchell – Stevie
2. The Canyons -  Very beachy duo, with only 1 EP under their belt, they’re bound to get bigger.  You can catch them on iTunes as well, have a listen and chill while you imagine the waves at Bondi beach rolling in 😉
3. Bag Raiders – The highlight of a recent gig with Midnight Juggernauts and M83. Be sure to visit their website and get an epileptic attack. They’re part of the Bang Gang team which puts up regular DJ nights and also hosts Like Woah.

Last but not least, make sure you catch the classic Aussie music videos below 😉
So, what’s hot in Belgium these days (besides the -3 degrees temperatures)?