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Apr 04, 2016 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

Australia has a rich history of forward-thinking music that spans genres, from the brutal noise of The Birthday Party to the wondrous indie-pop of The Go-Betweens and countless bands in between. To this date, the continent continues to spawn bands that push the boundaries of their medium and make waves both in their native country and across the world. Australian journalist Jimi Kritzler has taken it upon himself to chronicle a few dozen Australian bands that represent the current crop of excellence.

Presenting the bands in no particular order, Kritzler’s nearly 500-page tome begins each entry with a brief history of the band, followed by an interview, sometimes two, with band members detailing their history, aesthetic, and ideology. The bands highlighted range in styles from the bluesy The Drones to the pseudo-punk Total Control.

Noise In My Head is a beast of a book in its comprehensiveness and extraordinary detail, but it also can function almost as a reference text. For each band with which you may be familiar, there is likely two or three of which you’ve never heard. So not only is one educated on one’s favorite current Australia-based acts, but also one will undoubtedly find more to discover.

Dig into Noise In My Head and be reminded that Australian music doesn’t begin or end with AC/DC. The history is vast and the present is vibrant. (www.hozacrecords.com)

Author rating: 7/10