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Australian indie-pop has never been in better shape, and it’s my pleasure to tell you why. Since the great western musical zeitgeist of the 60’s and 70’s, of which we were most certainly a part of, independent music in this country has never lost its vitality and muscle. Towering influences like The Saints and the ubiquitous Go-Betweens have certainly been tent poles for our unique industry, and those lucky enough to call them contemporaries include the Beasts of Bourbon, Hoodoo Gurus, the Scientists (arguably the progenitors of the Seattle grunge sound) and of course Radio Birdman. The spartan production, laconic approach and slightly dangerous edge of these bands created an indelible template that indie music has embraced ever since.

Over the last decade we’ve seen fresh talent relentlessly pursue artistic and commercial success, with Architecture in Helsinki (if Det. John Mclean likes – œem, so do I!), Minimum Chips, the Sleepy Jackson and Art of Fighting to name a fraction. These groups don’t quite have the snarling, booze-fuelled swagger of, say, the Birthday Party, nor are they the groundbreaking social misfits that the Saints were, but the sheer number of groups “breaking through” today is astounding, and their talent and creativity is irrefutable. Three of the country’s finest indie bands have recently joined forces to show the country how good a state our robust music community is in, and I caught them on their way through.

On Sunday night the Hellenic Club hosted the Canberra leg of Little Birdy’s national tour. The Perth quartet was backed up by current J faves Red Riders and Brisbane funsters Hungry Kids of Hungary and they were all absolutely excellent.

The Hungry Kids of Hungary hail from Brisbane, and the sunshine up there seems to have soaked into their music. They offer catchy, piano driven pop that would feel quite at home in California during the late 60s. Snappy rhythms, sweet harmonies and uncomplicated song structure sucked us all in in the best possible way and by the end of their set (that ended with their current single Scattered Diamonds) it was clear they have a bright future.

Red Riders have been floating around the live scene for a while now and they have a respectable body of work behind them and their second album Drown in Colour, is doing well. On stage is where they really shine as their sound lends itself to the spontaneity of live music, the imperfections of timing and pitch adding a wonderful tension to their music. They walk an odd line between the jittery Manchester sound of the eighties and the slick power anthems of U2, and it sounds great. The singles aren’t necessarily indicative of their overall MO and going to a live show really does them justice, allowing us to see their full range, which is impressive. Really good vocals, great guitar and rhythm section and the fantastic stage presence of lead Alex Grigg made for a blistering set.

Since Little Birdy released Big Big Love back in ‘04, Katy Steele and co have carved out a niche for simplistic soul-pop slightly left of waiting room muzak. Despite this potentially insulting and misleading idiom they really aren’t that banal. On the contrary, they certainly flirt with the conventions of that sound but Steele’s intensely unique voice elevates it so far beyond that. Accessibility has allowed/cursed them to be played in supermarkets, but that voice cannot be ignored.

Their set consisted mostly of songs from their latest LP Confetti, including the wonderful Hairdo. The lovely Dusty Springfield laced ballad Everyone is Sleeping was certainly a touching high point for me, and when the opening lines of Relapse floated out there was a collective nod-and-smile moment from everyone. What struck me on Sunday night was their presence as a band. The Red Riders were great, no doubt, but their scattered, covering-all-bases alt-rock visage, was sorta’ distracting from their music. They played as individuals (very very well) but Little Birdy actually felt like a cohesive mature group led with confidence by Steele.

Something about this show ticked all the boxes for me. Maybe I was still a bit tenderised from the punishment dished out by Saturday night, but it seemed that all the great things about Aussie indie-pop were represented here and it struck a chord. These three groups are touring together until mid October, and after that the warm weather festivals start rolling out, so expect them to front bills around the country. I strongly urge you to see any if not all of these guys, and remind yourself how excellent our contemporary music scene is.

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