While we know you all love Happy to bits, the truth is there are plenty of other great Aussie blogs out there dedicated to unearthing and supporting our local music scene. If you’re not across all of them, this is a nice listicle of the Aussie music blogs who do it really, really well.
Are you a fiend for sweet new Aussie music? These are the 10 Aussie music blogs that offer the best coverage of your favourite emerging bands.
Who The Hell
In answer to its titular question, Who The Hell throws the spotlight onto a very nice selection of new Australian music. Founded in 2006, the site lays claim to being one of the first of Australia’s music blogs. Only featuring homegrown talents, and with a variety of genres, Who The Hell has a great track record for sniffing out legends in the making. Expanded from the original two contributors, and now comprised of a whole team of writers and photographers, the site has also grown to include more features like photo essays and shout outs from an international blogging community. (Who The Hell)
Cool Accidents
Along with all the classic content you would expect from a music blog, Cool Accidents offers up some other cool features. Regularly curated playlists from both staff and artists are posted across the site, Soundcloud and Spotify. From monthly jams, to themed playlists and guest curated mixes, there’s a lot to sink your ears into. Cool Accidents also run a very cool YouTube channel, featuring the Under The Bridge live sessions, and Diggin’ In The Crates. Watch your favourite band go rummaging around record stores for hidden treasure, or check out their new DIY series Craft With Kit. A rare and fun hybrid of filmed interview and crafting sessions, starring different musical guests. (Cool Accidents)
Pilerats
Another excellent destination for video content, Pilerats put up the best new music videos for you to enjoy, along with their own beautifully shot live sessions. Check out their series of wisecrack, life advice talks, Insight, featuring various creatives from the music world and beyond. Also, fleshing out musicians in their series A Day In The Life, Pilerats do a good job with putting up some genuinely interesting visual stuff! The site also publishes good written commentary, often Australia-focused and usually highly relevant. Their Sounds From feature is a great celebration of Australia’s wide music scene; area specific Spotify playlists give a feel for the kind of geo-scenes happening around the country. (Pilerats)
Acid Stag
One of Australia’s premier destinations for music, Acid Stag will always give up the goods when it comes to new music. Not just written and visual content, the site is awash with excellent listening material. Forget about one measly soundcloud link, Acid Stag posts up full EP and album streams from both new finds and known names. Also curating excellent regular playlists, every track featured on the site is posted on a weekly Spotify playlist, otherwise known as acid stag radio. And every week promises new editions of a Friday MixTape to see you through the weekend, plus a guest curated HUMP DAY MIX every Wednesday. (Acid Stag)
Howl & Echoes
Compared to some of the Australian scene’s more established sites, Howl & Echoes is still in its infancy. But it is definitely precocious, and wise beyond its years. Daily updated music news from all around the world forms the backbone of Howl & Echoes. From new releases, to live performances and reviews, the site doesn’t miss a beat. But with the fearlessness of youth, Howl & Echoes is unafraid to voice an opinion! And some of the best reads on the site come from their comment based articles; touching on everything from state lock out laws, to policing drugs at music festivals and tackling the music industry at large. And if that gets too heavy, check out their Flashback Friday feature for some light relief and nostalgia, remembering some of the best formative albums over the last couple of decades. (Howl & Echoes)
Sound Doctrine
Champions of “subjectively obscure but objectively awesome Australian music”, Sound Doctrine has a simple but effective format. Regularly posting undiscovered gems of Australian music, and a site uncomplicated by unnecessary clutter and fanfare. Sound Doctrine feels pretty purist, with its laser focus and potentially too-cool-for-school hand picked rarities. But as each track is accompanied by an exuberant, intelligent review, and every artist featured is there because the staff are totally into them, the site is a far cry from a hipster brag. Previous winners of Pedestrian.TV’s Blogger Awards, they even have their own theme song! (Sound Doctrine)
Soundly Sounds
Another pure format music blog, Soundly Sounds is a simple scroll through of great music. Brainchild of Sydney-sider Ryan Saar, one of the city’s best advocates for local music. Saar also hosts a radio on FBi and can be trusted to pony up the good sh*t. A fan of local labels as well, releases from Bedroom Suck, Rice Is Nice, Spunk and Chapter Music, to name a few, are usually represented. Though there is no official theme or criteria, Saar’s brief note suggests that “It helps if it falls into lo-fi, garage, or punk, or if it’s from Australia, but I love everything. EVERYTHING!”. (Soundly Sounds)
One and Three
An Adelaide based entry, One and Three is another excellent advocate for local music. This one is top choice for live reviews, listed under their slightly creepily entitled series We Lurked At:. Lurking aside, One and Three do a very good job of hitting up Adelaide venues and covering the amazing scene there, and supporting artists and live music venues all in the same breath! A good destination for emerging local music, with all the reviews, interviews and news that you can eat. (One and Three)
Timber And Steel
Unplug for a minute with Timber And Steel, bringing you the best of a much overlooked, and often maligned, genre. Flying the flag for folk in all its forms, Timber And Steel covers all kinds of international folk, acoustic, roots and nu-folk. As well giving emerging Australian folk artists the exposure that they deserve. Born in 2008, Timber And Steel creators found themselves ahead of the curve for once as they tapped into Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling. Sallying forth with the belief that folk can be cool again, the site invites you to “sit back, relax and get ready to folk.” (Timber And Steel)
Purple Sneakers
A constant within these kind of features, Purple Sneakers has earned its stripes as one of Australia’s top music blogs, and for the self bestowed slogan “trusted for taste”. Built off of the company’s original business of throwing weekly parties, the site is run by touring DJs and dedicated contributors. Dedicated to the business of bringing you “emerging club music”, which sounds niche but actually covers quite a variety of sounds. Check out their Artists To Watch In 2016 feature for some exciting new talent. And the site also runs competitions with prizes worth winning, like tickets for shows and festivals. (Purple Sneakers)
New Aussie music is out passion. Make sure you bookmark our new music feed to keep up to date with all the best stuff coming out each week.
