Various - Sound as Ever (Australian Indie 1990-1999) Volume 1: The Shoebox Diaries (Sound as Ever)(2020) CD

 

Scott Thurling, known in the pop community as the man behind the great Popboomerang label out of Australia, has been involved in another area of Australian music for some time now. We are all better off for it! This compilation collects recordings from indie Australian bands. The focus is on the 90s.

Based on the liner notes, there was a Facebook page that was started to memorialize the 90s Aussie indie rock scene, and a few months later, this compilation was conceived and issued. What a great story.

As far as the music, it is excellent. I do not know a lot about the Aussie indie scene but the music reminds me of what I heard in those early You Am I records. There are different styles of bands and music displayed but it is all interesting and exciting. Despite the difference in sounds, the songs are fairly melodic, including the more 'noisey'  songs with all the fuzzy guitars. Definitely worth getting. Looking forward to explore more! Need more music from Moondriven, The Earthmen, Violetine, and Header!

Dreams So Real - Gloryline (1990)

Hailing from Georgia, Dreams So Real was from the same scene that gave us bands like REM (and other bands from Athens, Georgia). This is their third album. The first two, Father's House and Rough Night in Jericho are excellent. There is a toughness to Dreams So Real and also a darkness. However, this band is always so melodic. Barry Marler's voice is muscular with a bit of gravel. Yet, his voice fits perfectly the mood of the music. For a taste, here is a bit of the title track. Another good one is Overton Park/Faith or Here Comes The Train