A sweeping, insightful and entertaining exploration of 100 songs that shaped the Australian sound. From the 60s to now, these are the songs and artists that have made a seismic impact, sending tremors throughout the musical, social and cultural landscape that can still be felt today.
Each episode of this Music + Talk podcast focuses on one song, looking forwards and backwards to consider where it came from, how it fit within the existing scene, and how it influenced the future of Australian music. Spotify Premium users will have access to full-length songs throughout the podcast, while Spotify Free users will hear a 30 second sample of each song. Solely plays through the Spotify app (desktop or mobile).
Currently on hiatus - watch this space!
Ep 5: ‘(I’m) Stranded’ by The Saints
On this episode of Spinning Around, your host Tom Clarke travels back to the 70s, to remember The Saints - one of the first ever punk bands, and a group that fundamentally shifted the way the world saw Australian rock music.
How did a couple of kids, growing up in oppressively conservative Brisbane, form a band that was so far ahead of its time, and release a record that transformed rock music around the world forever?
Ep 4: ‘Chains’ by Tina Arena
On this episode of Spinning Around, your host Tom Clarke explores the story and voice behind the greatest power ballad in Australian music history.
How did Tina Arena make the leap from TV ingenue to legitimate pop superstar, and how did she presage the popularity of the TV-to-radio pathway?
Ep 3: ‘Boys in Town’ by Divinyls
On this episode of Spinning Around, your host Tom Clarke takes a look at the debut single by boundary-pushing Aussie rock band Divinyls, and explore the ways that charismatic and explosive front woman Chrissy Amphlett forced the establishment to take her (and eventually other female rockers) seriously.
How did Chrissy Amphlett stomp her way into the Australian pub rock scene, and change it irrevocably for the women who would follow her on stage?
Ep 2: ‘January 26’ by A.B. Original
On the second episode of Spinning Around, host Tom Clarke takes an in-depth look at Indigenous rap duo A.B. Original's brutally honest (and hugely controversial) takedown of Australia Day, as well as the rich tradition of protest rap it joined and furthered.
How has Australian hip hop channeled the spirit of Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy and N.W.A., fostering a protest rap movement that Briggs and Trials now stand atop of?
Ep 1: ‘Since I Left You’ by The Avalanches
On the first episode of Spinning Around: 100 Songs That Shaped The Australian Sound, host Tom Clarke takes you on a musical journey back to the turn of the century, to celebrate one of the best and most important electronic songs in Australian music history.
Remember what Australian electronica looked like in the 90s (spoiler alert: a lot of warehouse raves and underground trance), and how did The Avalanches usher in the golden age of Australian dance music?