Music of Australia

The earliest Australian musical form was the folk musics of the Australian aborigines. Aboriginal music declined after European colonization, and has only recently begun to be revived, often with modernized influences. Bands like Yothu Yindi have the popularization of Aboriginal folk in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Table of contents 1 Bunggul 2 Clan songs 3 Karma 4 Didgeridoo 5 Krill Krill 6 Kun-borrk 7 Wangga 8 Classical and contemporary 9 Jazz and new music 10 Popular music 10.1 1950s 10.2 1960s 10.3 1970s 10.4 1980s 10.5 1990s

Bunggul Bunggul is a style of music that arose around the Mann River[?] and is known for its intense lyrics, which are often stories of epic journeys and continue, or repeat, unaccompanied after the music has stopped. Clan songs A particular clan in Aboriginal culture may share songs, known as emeba (Groote Eylandt), fjatpangarri (Yirrkala[?]), manikay (Arnhem Land[?]) or other native terms. Songs are about clan or family history and are frequently updated to take into account popular films and music, controversies and social relationships. Karma Karma is a type of oral literature[?] that tells a religious or historical story. Didgeridoo A didgeridoo is a type of musical instrument, a woodwind aerophone, traditionally made out of eucalyptus or bamboo. Aborigines used the didgeridoo to communicate over long distances, as well as to accompany songs. Krill Krill The Krill Krill song cycle is a modern musical innovation from east Kimberley[?]. A man named Rover Thomas[?] claims to have discovered the ceremony in 1974 (see 1974 in music) after a woman to whom he was spiritually related was killed after a car accident near Warmun[?]. Thomas claimed to have been visited by her spirit and received the ceremony from her. In addition to the music, Thomas and others, including Hector Jandany[?] and Queenie McKenzie[?], developed a critically acclaimed style of painting in sync with the development of the ceremony. Kun-borrk Kun-borrk arose around the Adelaide[?], Mann[?] and Rose Rivers[?], distinguished by a didgeridoo introduction followed by the percussion and vocals, which often conclude words (in contrast to many other syllabic styles of Aboriginal singing). Wangga Wanga arose near the South Alligator River[?] and is dintinguished by an extremely high note to commence the song, accompanied by rhythmic percussion and followed by a sudden shift to a low tone.

Classical and contemporary Composer Peter Sculthorpe[?] is notable for his incorporation of the sounds of the Australian bushland and outback in his symphonic works such as Kakadu, Mangrove and Earth Cry.

Jazz and new music The trio of Tony Buck (drums), Lloyd Swanton (bass) and Chris Abrahams (piano), known together as The Necks[?] since forming in 1987 (see 1987 in music), was notable for its hour-long jams of jazz and ambient music textures, gaining widespread attention both in Australia and internationally.

Popular music

1950s

In the 1950s American rockabilly music was taken up by local musicians. The most famous exponent was Johnny O'Keefe.

1960s

The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion groups had a huge influence on the local music scene. The Easybeats[?] were one of the Australian bands to gain success.

1970s

Punk rock bands like The Saints and Radio Birdman gained a loyal following, while early electronic musicians like Severed Heads began to experiment with tape-loops and synthesizers, but not rising to prominence until the 1980s. Post-punk rockers The Birthday Party led by the Nick Cave formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1983. The classic Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel formed in 1973. Other notable acts include The Bee Gees, Hunters & Collectors[?] and Skyhooks.

1980s

The Stems, Yothu Yindi, Men At Work, INXS, Midnight Oil, AC/DC, Dead Can Dance, The Go-Betweens[?], Paul Kelly and Kylie Minogue all found wide audiences at home and abroad. While most Australian bands from the 80s remained cult acts outside of Australia, some, including INXS and AC/DC, found wide success for years, while others, like Men at Work, became one-hit wonders throughout most of the world.

1990s

Throughout the developed world, indie rock of various kinds became more popular during the 1990s, especially grunge music. Notable Australian independent acts included the Falling Joys[?] from Canberra; Regurgitator[?], Powderfinger[?] and Custard[?] from Brisbane; RatCat[?] and The Clouds[?] from Sydney; and Silverchair[?] from Newcastle.

Some electronica artists also gained limited international fame, including Southend[?], Boxcar[?] (which had several 12" dance singles in the Billboard magazine Dance Top 10) and Itch-E and Scratch-E[?] (whose track "Sweetness & Light" gained the award for the best dance single from the Australian Recording Industry Association [ARIA] in 1995). Also part of rising popularity of electronic music in the late 1990s were the The Avalanches[?] which became widely known outside their native Australia. Less well-known internationally, but nonetheless important Australian electronic acts included the The Lab[?] active in the early to mid-1990s and Infusion[?], Wicked Beat Sound System[?] and The Bird[?] in the late 1990s, early 2000s.

Directions in Groove[?] from Sydney began in the early 1990s as a groove jazz (sometimes referred to as "acid-jazz") outfit but towards the end of that decade had introduced elements of live drum and bass to their music. This fusion approach to jazz and electronica performed live was extended in the late 1990s and early 2000s by The Hive (renamed The Bagsmen in 2002 to avoid confusion with a Swedish-based band with a similar name).