Aussie music

[seismo!munnari!latcs1.oz!mcbain (Michael McBain)]

There's been some interest in this newsgroup in music related to 
Aboriginal culture, particuarly because of `Pull of the Bush' 
(which I've never heard ;-).

There are several white and Aboriginal bands playing music related to
the Dreamtime and to white occupation over the past 200 years. L-H
readers in the USA might be interested in trying to get some of them.
This is merely a selection:

1.  Midnight Oil. White band with charismatic lead singer Peter Garrett.
    Committed to Aboriginal land rights and Australian
    music and anti-big business and U-mining. Main single charting in
    Australia at present is 'Dead Heart', concerned with Aboriginal
    land rights, but other good albums are '10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1', which
    contains two tracks relating to nuclear war; 'When the Generals Talk'
    and 'US Forces'. 'Place without a Postcard' is a good 12'' single,
    while 'Red Sails in the Sunset' is a moderately accesible
    album about the arms race. Garrett was a founding member of the
    Australian Nuclear Disarmament Party, and the newer albums are 
    noted for their social comment. The band did a big tour of central
    Australia, visiting many Aboriginal settlements, out of which came
    'Dead Heart'.

2.  Warumpi Band.  Black central Aussie band, with slight C&W flavour, but
    radical/political in emphasis. A lot of angry music tinged with big-city
    cynicism. Guitars and drums.

3.  Gondwanaland Project. Three-piece band (guitar, keyboards, didgeridoo).
    Charlie on the didgeridoo can make sounds that are hard to believe. He
    has lost one hand, so supports the instrument on a hook. Inspiration
    comes from the fact that they all spend time with aborigines in central
    Australia. The nearest thing to authentic Aboriginal music on vinyl.
    
4.  Goanna. [a goanna is an Australian lizard, like an iguana]. Southern
    white band. Best albums are 'Spirit of Place' and 'Goanna'. Lyrically
    not very intense, usually being sort of liberal city angry.

5.  Ayers Rock. A now defunct city band, who started the trend to
    aboriginal-inspired 'atmosphere music'. A jazz ethic, but the ability
    to create the feeling of the outback. Best albums: 'Beyond' and 'Big
    Red Rock'.

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Mike McBain
School of Physical Sciences
La Trobe University,
Bundoora, Victoria, Australia 3083


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