"Australians rock on top of the world"
Apr 15, 2007 21:52:36 GMT 10
Post by dededom on Apr 15, 2007 21:52:36 GMT 10
Australians rock on top of the world
Patrick Donovan
April 14, 2007
www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/australians-rock-on-top-of-the-world/2007/04/13/1175971353288.html
SALES of popular Australian music are at an all-time high, with releases by bands such as Human Nature and Wolfmother propping up an industry struggling to adapt to new technology.
The good news, released by the industry's peak body ARIA this week, bucks worldwide trends and has warmed the cockles of the local industry.
It also raises some questions. Is Australian music better than ever, or just more popular?
"Every decade has a golden period for two or three years," says Michael Parisi, who runs Mushroom Records and heads A&R (Artist and Repertoire) for Warner Music Australia. "And this is happening at the moment."
Last year, Australian repertoire represented 37 per cent of the Top 100 album chart (up from 27 per cent in 2005), and 27.2 per cent of the Top 100 singles chart (up from 22 per cent).
Seven Australian artists — Human Nature, Wolfmother, Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, Rogue Traders, Eskimo Joe, the 12th Man and the Veronicas — featured in last year's top-10 selling CDs.
ARIA chief executive Stephen Peach believes it was a record year for Australian sales. He attributes this to the music's quality and breadth, and increased awareness of it. "If you look at those top-selling albums, it ranges from the Motown soul covers to the pop of the Veronicas to the psychedelic rock of Wolfmother."
Mr Parisi agrees. "There are some quality records there, and they are satisfying all of the different audiences."
Support from the mainstream media in recent years and the overseas success of bands such as Wolfmother, Jet and the Veronicas has also helped overcome cultural cringe, he says.
Evidence suggests that music fans are less likely to steal local bands' music off the net than they are from international pop acts.
"Everyone knows how hard it is for Australian acts to get out there in the world and make their mark," says Mr Peach. "The tyranny of distance is pretty powerful. So there is a national pride when Australian bands cut it on the world stage. I think it's a real success story in terms of Australian culture, in the way that films perhaps haven't been in recent years."
Is it a case of better marketing? Some albums, such as Human Nature's Motown covers album and the debut release from last year's Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, may be marketing driven, but rock bands such as Wolfmother, Jet, the Living End and Eskimo Joe still rely on touring.
The boon will have a flow-on effect in the local industry and it does not look like abating. This week, new releases from Australian bands Silverchair and the John Butler Trio, and the Cold Chisel tribute, occupy the top three spots in the ARIA charts. And expect new albums by Missy Higgins, Powderfinger and Thirsty Merc to storm up the charts.
Will the songs of this golden period become Australian classics that will be played in 20 years? Will the current crop of bands be rated alongside heavyweights of the '80s and '90s such as INXS, Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, Spiderbait and Silverchair?
"Some of them are marketing driven disposable pop, but I can imagine Wolfmother's Woman and Eskimo Joe's Black Fingernails, Red Wine turning up on classic rock stations in years to come," says Mr Parisi.
Patrick Donovan
April 14, 2007
www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/australians-rock-on-top-of-the-world/2007/04/13/1175971353288.html
SALES of popular Australian music are at an all-time high, with releases by bands such as Human Nature and Wolfmother propping up an industry struggling to adapt to new technology.
The good news, released by the industry's peak body ARIA this week, bucks worldwide trends and has warmed the cockles of the local industry.
It also raises some questions. Is Australian music better than ever, or just more popular?
"Every decade has a golden period for two or three years," says Michael Parisi, who runs Mushroom Records and heads A&R (Artist and Repertoire) for Warner Music Australia. "And this is happening at the moment."
Last year, Australian repertoire represented 37 per cent of the Top 100 album chart (up from 27 per cent in 2005), and 27.2 per cent of the Top 100 singles chart (up from 22 per cent).
Seven Australian artists — Human Nature, Wolfmother, Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, Rogue Traders, Eskimo Joe, the 12th Man and the Veronicas — featured in last year's top-10 selling CDs.
ARIA chief executive Stephen Peach believes it was a record year for Australian sales. He attributes this to the music's quality and breadth, and increased awareness of it. "If you look at those top-selling albums, it ranges from the Motown soul covers to the pop of the Veronicas to the psychedelic rock of Wolfmother."
Mr Parisi agrees. "There are some quality records there, and they are satisfying all of the different audiences."
Support from the mainstream media in recent years and the overseas success of bands such as Wolfmother, Jet and the Veronicas has also helped overcome cultural cringe, he says.
Evidence suggests that music fans are less likely to steal local bands' music off the net than they are from international pop acts.
"Everyone knows how hard it is for Australian acts to get out there in the world and make their mark," says Mr Peach. "The tyranny of distance is pretty powerful. So there is a national pride when Australian bands cut it on the world stage. I think it's a real success story in terms of Australian culture, in the way that films perhaps haven't been in recent years."
Is it a case of better marketing? Some albums, such as Human Nature's Motown covers album and the debut release from last year's Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, may be marketing driven, but rock bands such as Wolfmother, Jet, the Living End and Eskimo Joe still rely on touring.
The boon will have a flow-on effect in the local industry and it does not look like abating. This week, new releases from Australian bands Silverchair and the John Butler Trio, and the Cold Chisel tribute, occupy the top three spots in the ARIA charts. And expect new albums by Missy Higgins, Powderfinger and Thirsty Merc to storm up the charts.
Will the songs of this golden period become Australian classics that will be played in 20 years? Will the current crop of bands be rated alongside heavyweights of the '80s and '90s such as INXS, Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, Spiderbait and Silverchair?
"Some of them are marketing driven disposable pop, but I can imagine Wolfmother's Woman and Eskimo Joe's Black Fingernails, Red Wine turning up on classic rock stations in years to come," says Mr Parisi.