a mix for aussie day

Saturday was Australia Day!  Those of you who know me know that my dad comes from the land of Oz (so I am a citizen).  I love Australia and all of the wonderful Aussies in my life, so I took a little time to make a playlist to celebrate the beautiful land down under.  Every time we visit Australia my dad and I try to discover as much music as possible...it seems that they are actually a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to alternative/indie music! I also just tend to think that they have better taste in music over there...sorry guys.  Anyways, we usually come back with a few new CDs that stay on repeat for a few months straight.  I decided to make a little playlist of all Aussie artists.  Some of them are artists I listen to currently and others are oldies, but goodies. Read below if you'd like a little more info on the artists!

1 & 5: Jinja Safari // I discovered Jinja Safari about a year ago during a visit to oz when I was looking for music for Taylor.  They're a super fun and interesting band.

2 & 4: Gotye // You probably already know (and maybe even despise?) Gotye for his song "Somebody That I Used to Know," which plays incessantly on U.S. radios.  We saw him in concert in oz right around the time that he was gaining popularity in the U.S. and he was absolutely incredible.  Such an amazingly talented artist.  He had a 13 (I think) piece band and complicated animations that were choreographed to the music. It makes me so sad that no one in the U.S. really gave his other music a chance.  Some of it is a little weird, but I really love it.

3: Boy & Bear // This is another band I found during my last visit, thanks to my Australian music advisor/cousin (thanks Lachie!).  Parts of their songs actually sound like it could be Robin Pecknold singing, so if you like Fleet Foxes you should definitely check out their other music.

6 & 14: Lisa Mitchell // This music is cute and quirky! Love her.

7: Sarah Blasko // I discovered Sarah Blasko on the same trip when I found Lisa Mitchell.  They have a kind of similar style, but Sarah's music can be a little darker.  This is a fun little cover of an Outkast song.

8: Angus & Julia Stone // You guys probably already know this sister/brother duo!

9 & 13: Missy Higgins // We discovered Missy Higgins a long time ago, when she released her first album.  When I was younger I listened to her constantly, I don't listen to her as much now but I will always love her music.  She is an extremely talented singer/song writer.  We were able to see her in a little cafe in Boston where we were so close we could touch her! She just released a new album, go check it out!

10: Powderfinger // This is an older Aussie band that my dad used to love and listen to lots.

11: Eskimo Joe //  This is another older band that we discovered on a trip years ago.

12: Xavier Rudd // A lot of you probably also know of Xavier Rudd. Funky surf/roots music.

Hope you enjoy the mix!