There's quite a few Australian new wave bands that have strong followings among their fans, yet should be more regarded among the entire community. Live footage and certain b sides are harder to come by for these groups than your typical bands. There's bands like INXS and Icehouse who've reached international acclaim, and bands like Pseudo Echo and Kids In The Kitchen who are national treasures more or less. Here are some of my favorite bands that received less acclaim then they should have had.
- Beargarden.
Evolved directly from Melbourne post punk group, The Ears. They released one LP, All That Fall. Their second single "I Write The News" received some national airplay, but other than that they failed to reach a mainstream level of acclaim despite being well received by critics. Their sound takes elements of synth pop and indie rock.
-Geisha.
One of my absolute favorite bands of all time. They were quite popular in their native Melbourne and did well in the local charts, but not so much in other states. They released two albums, a self titled debut and "Midnight To Dawn", which was reissued by the now defunct Alcamantar label in the mid 2000's. Their early stuff is glam rock oriented.
- The Promise
Brisbane band formed in late 1982-1983. Known for their top 100 singles "Heart To Sell" and "Walking With A Weight". Although there's a vinyl rip of their only studio album "One In Every Colour", none of their work has been issued on CD. In order to listen to their b-sides, you'd have to buy a 7' single off discogs
- V-Capri
Their song "Haunting Me" was played in Kylie's last episode of "Neighbours", which allowed the song to chart in the UK. Besides that, this band was extremely popular in their native Perth, and their singles usually debut at no 1. locally. Yet, they weren't as popular nationally. Their album "In My World" was also reissued on Alacamantar.
-Venetians
Known best for their song "So Much For Love" which managed to hit #88 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can find their songs around the internet, but some b-sides are elusive. They released 3 albums, the most of all the bands I mentioned here.
I would like to continue the discussion about these lesser known Aussie new wave bands. If you have other favorites, mention them in the thread below. Would love to see what you think. In regards to the bands I outlined here, if anyone has footage from say countdown, rock arena, sounds unlimited, please let me know.