Switching tracks a little bit, we have decided to review some of the acts from Australia’s up and coming indie scene. This includes Melbourne’s newest indie pop cover boy Vance Joy, Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2014 winner and rising electronica star Chet Faker, Fremantle’s emerging indie pop/rock group San Cisco, and Sydney’s breakthrough five-piece The Preatures.

Vance Joy:

Similar To: Hozier, Of Monsters and Men, Bon Iver

James Keogh, or how he is more prominently known, Vance Joy, has been blowing up across the world. After the release of his first LP, Dream Your Life Away, has been gaining a worldwide rep. With such songs as “Georgia”, “Mess is Mine”, and arguably his most famous at this point, “Riptide”. His folk-pop vibe lures listeners in and his charming ukulele instrumentals hold them in his grasp. With a debut LP as strong as this, we can all look forward to his sophomore album in the years to come.

Chet Faker:

Similar To: Alt-J, Flume, SBTRKT,

Nick Murphy also known as Chet Faker has been slowly proving himself as electronica royalty for the past few years. His low-key soul instrumentals combined with his silky smooth voice makes for songs that are both comforting and emotional at the same time. Since his first EP in 2012 titled Thinking in Textures, which featured his career starting cover of “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, Faker has been pushing out singles that demonstrate his power in the electronica scene. Songs such as “Talk is Cheap”, “Gold”, “1998”, and “Melt” all feature instrumentals and vocals that launch the listener into a world of dreams.

San Cisco:

Similar To: Grouplove, The Wombats, Vampire Weekend

San Cisco, the four piece indie pop/rock group from Freemantle, Australia have recently revealed the true emotion behind their work following the release of their sophomore album, Gracetown. Jordi, Josh, Nick, and Scarlett, formed San Cisco while in high school and have been pumping out catchy, danceable tunes ever since. Since the bands first single, “Golden Revolver,” they have been returning with fun and poppy songs consistently. The band really rose to stardom with the release of their arguably most catchy song, “Awkward” in 2012. Followed by the release of their self-titled debut LP. It was then after a more than two year long hiatus of touring that they finally released their second album titled Gracetown. The band then released the incredibly strong single “Run” in late 2014 and I prepared myself for an album of monumental proportions. With songs like “Too Much Time Together”, “Bitter Winter”, and “Run”, listeners receive exactly what they came for when listening to San Cisco. It was then in a few songs that the group decided to take a leap of faith that definitely paid off. “Super Slow” is an emotionally deep song for the beach loving teens that fans were used to but the payoff is immense.

The Preatures:

Similar To: Courtney Barnett, Fleetwood Mac, The Strokes

It was only in the past few years that The Preatures rose to Australian Music fame. Many know The Preatures from their incredibly popular single “Is This How You Feel?” which was placed at number nine on Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2013. This five piece band holds down a 80’s and 90’s rock instrumental sound while lead singer and keyboardist Isabella Manfredi brings her smooth and sultry voice into the mix to create an indie pop powerhouse. Their debut album titled Blue Planet Eyes displays the range that this group has. All of the songs on the album sound like they come from different eras of pop. It features energetic melodies like “Cruel” and deep relaxing tracks such as “Business, Yeah” and “Two-Tone Melody.” The Preatures are definitely going to be changing the indie pop rock scene quicker than anyone is expecting.

The Jungle Giants:

Similar To: Walk The Moon, Bombay Bicycle Club, Two Door Cinema

Brisbane’s indie pop group has been ever ascending since 2011 with the release of their first single “Mr. Polite”. It was from that point on that Sam, Cesira, Andrew, and Keelan began producing tunes that made listeners dance and be happy. Their debut album Learn To Exist features a wide range of songs from joyful and cheery “She’s a Riot” to deep dark songs like “Devil’s in the Detail”. When the band had announced their second album, I was ready for more of the coastline pop rock that I was used to until the release of the albums first single “Every Kind of Way.” After originally hating this song because it was not what I was used to, I embraced the change and I consistently find myself liking it more and more each time that I listen to it. The monotone vocals combined with the screechy instrumentals make for an interesting piece that has anxiously waiting for more.