Dinners With Dan # 7 - The Final Countdown 1/4

Daniel Balcombe
Dec 10, 2017
3 min read

The end is near. It’s been a big year for Aussie music, particularly for myself. My band dropped a new single, our debut film clip (check it below) we’ve played a heap of shows and made some new mates. But more importantly then tooting my own horn, the Aussie scene in general has been HUGE this year. With HUGE releases, HUGE songs and HUGE bands finally starting to make some serious waves!

As there are four Sunday’s left (by my count, maths was never my forte) I’ve decided for the last remaining weeks I would do a little count down covering off my 5 favourite tracks from the following genres: Punk, Rock, Metal and Hip Hop - to round out what has been a pretty stellar year for the Aussie Music Scene.

Now, my picks are going to be from Aussie artist only, big or small, maybe a mixture of both, maybe not (the suspense must be killing you, not really) but these tracks are the ones that have stood out to me personally. It’s incredibly hard to choose just 5 tracks from each of these genres as there have been an abundance of tracks that have blown me away, but I’ll do my best.

In no particular order:

Sailboat // Being Jane Lane -This track blew me away when I first heard it and it still does every time I listen to it now. It’s a thumping Punk Anthem that really hits the feels and the video matches the track perfectly. I’ve reviewed the track previously, so I won’t go into the details of the track itself, but it needed to be on my list because I’m obsessed with it and I still think many, many more people should be equally obsessed with it! Well done Ladies, you’ve produced one of my favourite tracks of the year!

Suffer // The Smith Street Band -This track hit me like a mac truck. The first time I listened to it, I was feeling a bit shit about myself and I connected with the lyrics like no other song I had heard. It came at the most perfect time and it helped me cheer up a bit, which is weird cause it’s such an angry/sad song. The Smithies have changed my life in more way’s then one, but this track was the stand out from what was the best album released this year (in my opinion).

Brain Drain // The Hard Aches - The Hard Aches are a band that just keeps on producing bangers and songs that are easily relatable. I’ve had this track on repeat for a long time now, apparently according to my Spotify more so then any other song! It’s short, sweet and the perfect track to drink with your mates too.

When You Call // Paper Thin -This track is HUGE. Easily one of my favourite tracks of the year. It’s such a well written little track that I’ve spun constantly. The lyrics are relatable, the music is tight and the vocals are awesome. I’ve reviewed this track previously and I stand by everything I said about it. A really, really great tune.

Aliens // Slowly Slowly – Probably my favourite track released this year by an Aussie band, probably by any band in the world if I’m being honest. It’s perfectly written, perfectly played and perfectly sung. The lyrics are relevant for the year I’ve (we’ve) had and it is a song I listen to daily which never tires and actually gets better with each listen. I can’t recommend this song enough and I can’t wait to see them play it live in the New Year.

So there’s my top 5 songs of 2017 from some punk bands I like. Who knows if they are really ‘Punk’ bands, but who needs labels anyway, they are just some sweet solid tunes that you should check out. I probably missed a tonne, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

What’s your top 5 tracks from Aussie Punk bands this year?

Dan’s Nostalgic track of the week: A Static Lullaby // Lip Gloss and Letdowns