The end of year just appeared out of nowhere and smacked us in the face. We could’ve sworn we were only just entering the middle of the year and now we’re already buying Christmas presents and putting together end-of-year lists.
If you haven’t heard, we’ve been looking back and reflecting on what was an incredible year of Australian music with our own small acknowledgment of the artists and releases that made our 2016 in the form of the Tone Deaf Awards.
But we’ve also been looking back at our own work throughout the year and reflecting on some of our more memorable pieces and even the ones that weren’t so memorable but still hold a special place in our hearts.
So without further ado, we present to you what we believe, in our humble opinions, were the best Tone Deaf reads of 2016.
The True Story Behind The Rise & Collapse Of Shebeen
What actually transpired to result in the closure of Melbourne’s favourite ‘philanthro-pub’? Why did the venue close so suddenly and what was their actual relationship with their affiliate charities? The answers, as we discovered during our extensive investigation into the rise and eventual collapse of Shebeen, were related.
Read it in full here.
12 Forgotten Aussie Albums That Deserve To Be Remembered
We got to thinking about all the Aussie albums that were in fact critically acclaimed or well-received and even commercially successful upon release, but rarely get played or even mentioned today. These are the albums that were coming through everybody’s speakers a few years ago, but you’ll rarely hear on triple j, your mate’s iPod, or see in the lists of the greatest Aussie albums, even though you really should.
Read it in full here.
Are Musicians Becoming Obsolete?
We at Tone Deaf like to think of ourselves as something of a musician-first publication. We’re about Aussie music and we try to fight for the little guy, especially if they’re facing big competition. So we were a little concerned when we saw all these reports of AI music and holographic bands and decided to ask a frightening question: are musicians becoming obsolete?
Read it in full here.
We Should Be Talking About Triple J Adding Beyonce To High Rotation
Controversy was redefined when triple j put the clampdown on a viral campaign to put Taylor Swift in their annual Hottest 100 countdown, so when the national youth broadcaster announced that Swift’s fellow pop queen Beyonce would serve as Album Packet (kind of like a feature album, but not) for a week, more than a few eyebrows were raised.
Read it in full here.
The Story Behind The Meteoric Rise Of Beyond The Valley
Of all the new music festivals that join the already busy market we’re lucky enough to have in Australia, Beyond The Valley is easily a standout achiever. It’s managed to become a staple even of the New Year’s holiday period in just a few short years, commanding world-class lineups and sold-out crowds. Here’s how it all happened.
Read it in full here.
‘Reclaim Australia’ Is The Raw, Undeniable Protest Music That Australia Needs
Few albums released in Australia this year were as talked about as the debut release from A.B. Original. Entitled Reclaim Australia, the project was the brainchild of respected Indigenous Australian emcees Briggs and Trials, who together with a list of star collaborators formulated one of the most vital and incendiary protest albums ever to come out of this country.
Read it in full here.
Just How Prolific Are King Gizzard, Really?
If there’s one word you could use to describe Melbourne psychedelic collective King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, it’s certainly prolific. The band have managed to release some eight albums in the span of about four years and recently announced their ninth, the first of five they will be dropping in the new year. But are they really as prolific as they seem?
Read it in full here.
Violent Soho Are Out To Prove ‘Hungry Ghost’ Wasn’t Just Some Fluke
Few Aussie bands will get to experience the kind of overnight success that Violent Soho saw following the release of Hungry Ghost and its immortal single ‘Covered In Chrome’. However, as longtime fans of the band will know, the band’s rise wasn’t as overnight as it seems. They’d in fact been a struggling band for years and were more than prepared when success came knocking and weren’t about to just let it out of their grasp.
Read it in full here.
DMA’s Talk About What It’s Like Coming Home To A Dead City
DMA’s have spent the last 12 months racking up the frequent flyer points, embarking on successful tours of Europe, the UK, and the United States, as well as here at home. When we caught up with Australia’s foremost buzz band made good, we had to ask what it was like leaving bustling cities with vibrant nightlife scenes to come home to a dead city in the grips of the lockout laws.
Read it in full here.
Who Is Actually Australia’s Biggest Band?
The conversation of who Australia’s biggest band is one of those ongoing pub debates that doesn’t really have an answer, so we decided to answer it. We had a look at all of the bands most often cited as Australia’s biggest and looked at the reasons why we decide one band is “bigger” than another.
Read it in full here.
With All Due Respect, It’s Time For AC/DC To Just Let It Be
We, like all Australians, absolutely love AC/DC. How could you not? They’re one of Australia’s most influential and important bands and their discography is absolutely timeless. But we reckon it’s time for the band to hang it up and just be proud of all they’ve achieved, before it’s too late and they start to tarnish their incredible legacy.
Read it in full here.
