the AU review is turning FIVE years old this week, and to celebrate, throughout the month of August we’re asking many of our musician friends to help us look back on the last five years of music! We’re kicking things off with a band who are kicking arse both locally and overseas: sleepmakeswaves. Kid from the band took some time out to tell us his five musical highlights and five favourite Australian albums of the last five years…
Top 5 Musical Moments of the past 5 years
1. Our first tour of America.
2. Our first tour of Europe.
3. Being the black-sheep of the 2012 ARIA nominees.
4. Releasing our first album.
5. Touring Australia with Karnivool.
Top 5 Australian Albums of the past 5 years
1. Eleventh He Reaches London – Hollow be my name.
In 2009 these Perth natives put out one of the most impressively written, emotional, self-god-government-peer-life hating rollercoaster albums of Australian colonial’esque post-hardcore ever.
2. Karnivool – Sound Awake.
Another for 2009, the amazing technical and production aspect of this album placed co-producer Forrester Savell into the spotlight as the go-to guy for the modern Australian progressive rock sound. Also, there ‘aint a bad track to be found here folks.
3. Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies.
She may be the grumpiest woman in Aussie rock that I’ve ever met, but gosh darn it the girl knows how to write a killer pop tune. This album is underrated and should have charted so much higher. Give it a listen!
4. Big Scary – Vacation.
Talent by the truckload. It’s rare to hear such a full sound both on record and on stage from just a two-piece (as they were at the time of this album), but Big Scary nailed it. It’s straight up, honest, well-written music from the suburbs of Melbourne.
5. PVT (Pivot) – O Soundtrack My Heart.
For me, this album is at the apex of Pivot’s genius. Every track is interesting and every sound and detail is appreciated. Not sure I like the new direction they have since taken, but this is the album I keep returning to.
Celebrate five years of the AU at one of our parties in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane! All the details here: https://www.theaureview.com/party
