Ears On Spotlight: 5 Sydney Bands You Need To Hear
Brisbane is a great place, there’s no denying it. However, it can get pretty hot up here…even in the middle of a winter’s day. So we thought perhaps it was time to take a look at some bands from down south, y’know, in those other states. Where else to start but with our good friends from Sydney! Queensland and New South Wales do love a rivalry, but in the music industry we’re all friends. So here are five of our fav bands from around the best Harbour hangouts.
The Ruminaters
These fellas have been doing some insane things, not only with their music but with the visual side of their art in recent months! They had a BIGSOUND poster that is in very hot contention for the best self-promotion of all time, and just a few weeks ago they dropped a 360-degree VR music video that blows your mind every time! These guys are high on our list for their folky psychedelic sound on killer tracks like Bad Bad Things.
Green Buzzard
Made their Splendour debut? Check. Torn up the stage at a whole stack of other festivals like BIGSOUND and Secret Garden? Check. Have a disembodied head in a heart for their website? Check! There isn’t much that Green Buzzard can’t do, it would seem. This I OH YOU-signed guitar-pop band have been going from strength to strength, initially starting out with a 90s-inspired sound akin to DMAs before branching out into other catchy and pop-infested sounds, these guys are a thrill both recorded and live! You’ll want to check out their track Motocars & Jaguars, trust us.
Bootleg Rascal
Another little cheat, which is starting to feel like a pre-requisite for an Ears On article, Bootleg Rascal aren’t all from Sydney, with some members hailing from the Gold Coast…but we’re happy to turn a blind eye if you turn a listening ear. These guys are a whole lot like their label mates Sticky Fingers, and we’re not complaining about that at all!
They have the same kind of swagger and confident reggae rock sounds, but you get the added extra of ripper band member nicknames like Sgrillex and 50 Shade like this was some kind of Wu-Tang revival. While they’re working on their second album to follow up form their radtastic ‘Asleep In The Machine’ debut, the band will be hitting the East Coast to road test the material. Scope out tracks like Oh I Know to get a comprehensive crash course in their sound.
Gold Member
Gold Member have been putting in plenty of the hard yards lately to bring you great sounds. These guys are currently tearing up the US, which is a huge shame ’cause it means you’re going to have to wait a bit until you get to see them live back here in ‘Straya.
This duo have an AWESOME live set, and it’ll catch you off guard no matter what you’re expecting. Aesthetically channeling a combination of Workaholics and some bucket hat steeze, these guys are musically more like another duo that you may have heard of, Boo Seeka. We highly recommend checking out their single Rope Swing!
The Lulu Raes
The Lulu Raes are a strange combination of a band. Where else will you find electronic disco-esque violins and chilled acoustic pop tracks in the same EP? These guys are well on their way to covering everything in the indie pop realm as they release party track after party track. Their EP ‘All Our Parents Are Divorced’ dropped recently, and in support the band are currently on the road! While their style can’t be summed up with just one track, you should definitely check out one of their biggest singles, Burnout even if it’s just to get your toe tapping.
