Early 80’s Australians that pre-date/were contemporaries of countrymen Nick Cave/Birthday party concoct a brand of pop that is along the same lines, dark emotional male vocals (a few feature female leads), Hammond organs and dramatic string arrangements, twangy dark western guitars. While Cave went on to plunder gothic circus macabre themes these guys are poppier, more along the lines of epic 60’s or 70’s radio pop. However a few tunes definitely give cynics fodder to accuse Nick Cave of ripping these guys off bigtime (tunes that come across best though, thanks probably to mr cave). For fans of Tindersticks, Joy Division, Calexico, Bad Seeds, Echo and the Bunnymen, Slim Cessna, Barry Adamson et al.

FCC free. My Picks (the darker, Nick Cave’ish ones): 4, 5, 8, 16, 17, 19

1) orchestral arrangements over epic slightly western toned ballad
2) slide guitar, jangly
3) upbeat 80’s beat, Echo and Bunnymen type
4) dark swaying with female vocals, very Cave’ish
5) echoey vocs smack of Suicide, dark pensive with big hollow slide tones
6) 80’s epic alternative pop feel
7) dark triplet swing
8) triplet sway, ballad story telling, piano in front
9) big slow, somber later Joy Division feel
10) female vocals, a bit brighter, pretty, minimal w/o drums
11) twangy fuzzy guitars, dark western feel, drumless ballad, story
12) dark cinematic feel, distorto twang guitar, slow plod
13) very minimal, near low-fi just vocs and quiet tremelo’ed guitar chords
14) spoken word/solo sing-speaking poetry
15) country indie pop a la Wilco or something
16) minor, dissonant, smarmy sultry swing, very Birthday Party/Crime and the City Solution/These Immortal Souls
17) title track, triplet swing, catchy melodies and low-fi feel, excellent
18) simple solo singing with finger snaps keeping rhythm
19) duet with female vocals, organs, simple somber tone