The Australian music scene on Twitter: a master list
It’s finally hitting the mainstream in a big way, and you just can’t escape it: Twitter is being talked about everywhere. Regardless of what you think of the technology, it can’t be denied that it’s having some very real and fascinating impact on the way we connect, network and communicate with each other. Politicians, celebrities, bloggers and now everyday people have started to turn to the system as a means to update and communicate their network in greater numbers than ever.
Unsurprisingly, musicians and artists are among these people turning to the system – and it seems to be having a lot of success, especially in ways that musician blogging never seemed to manage.
Part of Twitter’s success may lie in its simplicity, but it’s also emerged to become a surprisingly diverse application. Some bands are using purely to talk with their fans, others are using it simply to offer updates, others offer a snapshot into their personal lives, while others are doing a mix of all of the above.
Want a few examples? Here’s a small sample of overseas bands that are using Twitter: Ryan Adam & The Cardinals, YACHT, Dave Matthews, ?uestlove, Muse, My Brightest Diamond. All somewhat different approaches, all fascinating – and all getting broadcast straight to mobile devices, computers, aggregators, you name it.
A number of Aussie music bloggers have got in on the action. Australian bands are beginning to get it. Record labels are certainly beginning to jump on the train.
So why this post? Basically, I’m hoping to compile a master list that will serve as a starting point for people to get their music sources set up on Twitter. Hopefully you’ll be able to find various people that will provide you with succinct and instantaneous coverage of musical topics of interest.
I’ll eventually move this list to a fixed location, but for now I’m going to update this blog post. Please leave comments with suggestions on Twitter accounts I should include here, and hopefully you’ll find getting started on the Twitter train really straightforward!
New updates appear at the end of each section and are highlighted in red.
Australian Bands / Musicians
- The Grates - @thegrates
A highlight. Lots of photos and observations on tour and at home, frequent interaction with the Twitter community. Just like their music would have you believe, these guys are good fun to be around. - The Mint Chicks - @the_mint_chicks (thanks Geoff!)
Occasional updates on band activities, mostly promoting their new album. - Muscles - @musclesmusic
Vewwy vewwy quiet… - Bertie Blackman – @bertieblackman
Sydney artist makes her first foray into Twitter. Early days. - The Devoted Few – @thedevotedfew
Sydney band, frequent updates, good community interaction. - Yves Klein Blue – @yveskeinblue
Brisbane band tweeting mostly about tour announcements. - Red Riders – @redridersmusic
Presently focusing on the band’s return to the studio. - Expatriate – @expatriateband
Sydney band recently relocated to Berlin, infrequently tweeting about recording their next album. - Dappled Cities – @dappledcities
So it really isn’t “Fly” any more? Updates are fairly uninteresting. - Urthboy – @urthboy
Herd band member twitting frequently on life, running a record label and being in the Herd…
- Youth Group – @youthgroupmusic
Just getting started…
- Sparkadia – @sparkadia
Good, sporadic but interesting updates
- The Presets – @talklikethat
Moderately useless… - Bliss & Eso – @blissneso
Sydney hip hop with a good, grass-roots approach to the service.
Got any more? Let me know!
Australian Record Labels
- Dew Process - @dewprocess
Rather half-hearted use of the service - Modular Records - @modularpeople
Goofy twitter-based fun and news, frequent updates - Ivy League Records – @ivyleagues (thanks Dan!)
Home to Sparkadia, Josh Pyke, Mess Hall, Cloud Control etc… - Inertia Music – @inertiamusic
One of Australia’s bigger distributors, home to much great music. - Illusive Records – @illusivecrew
Melbourne-based hip-hop label, home to Bliss n Eso, Lowrider, Downsyde etc…
Australian Live Music
- V Festival - @v_festival (thanks Geoff!)
Hey by the way V Festival, your line-up totally sucks this year. - Jessie Pink / We Do Stuff – @jessiepink / @wedostuff
An independent promoter giving updates on live gigs around Sydney. - Moshcam – @moshcam
The well-known video footage archive of Sydney gigs is using Twitter to promote their site and post gigs updates.
Australian Radio Stations
- Triple J
- Robbie, Marieke and the Doctor (Breakfast) – @triplejbrekkie
- Lindsay McDougal (JTV) – @tripleJTVdoctor
- Scott Dooley (Afternoons) – @triplejdools
- Zan Rowe (Mornings) – @triplejmornings
- Vijay Khurana (Lunch) – @vijaykhurana
- House Party - @jhouseparty
- Richard Kingsmill (music director) – @triplejtheking
- Home and Hosed – @homeandhosed
- FBI Radio (Sydney) – @fbiradio
Australian Music Bloggers
- @dreadfuldan (from Boudist aka Daniel Boud)
- @ford_davis / @ma_shinka / @12majorchords (from TwelveMajorChords.com)
- @fortunegrey (from Fortune Grey)
- @getbiglittlekid (from Get Big Little Kid)
- @jonny_yesyes (from Polaroids of Androids)
- @openyoureyes (from Open Your Eyes To Music)
- @waycooljnr (from Way Cool Jnr)
- @stuartbuchanan (from StuartBuchanan.com)
- @tunebinder (from Tunebinder)
What’s next?
Got any Twitterers that I should have listed here but are missing? Please leave a comment and let me know!
A couple of quick ones..
@v_festival
@catcallz
@the_mint_chicks
Comment by Geoff — November 26, 2008 @ 12:48 am
Ivy League just added me.
http://twitter.com/ivyleagues
Comment by Dan — November 26, 2008 @ 9:38 am
just not sold on twitter. do i really need to know that muscles is “now about to have a shower 2:01 PM Nov 10th from web”
i’m pro 2.0 but twitter just seems, i dunno… dumb. like a stripped back facebook without all the fun stuff (photos, links etc)
Comment by tim — November 26, 2008 @ 6:42 pm
See, I agree – but at the same time I don’t. It took me a while to become really enthusiastic about the service, but basically I see this as being more or less the same as blogging back in its early days.
A lot of critics dismissed blogging as just making it easier for more clutter to make its way onto the web – but the whole benefit of these services and technologies is that you can be selective about who you add. Just the same as you can strike Muscles’ irritating blog off your RSS reader, you can elect to not follow his potentially irritating Twitter updates.
I think Twitter’s primary benefits are its granularity, and light-weight nature which makes it accessible from all sorts of platforms – you can do links and images, but really it’s more up to your imagination how you use it. It’s sort of a blank canvas.
Web 2.0: more power to the user.
Power to more waste time than ever, of course.
Comment by joe — November 26, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Geesh, I really need to fix up the design of the comments here don’t I…
Comment by joe — November 26, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
Has V Festival ever been good…regardless of the line up?
Yes I kinda liked last years line up but the whole thing IS just a big money sucker.
Btw, really good post. I haven’t been using twitter but the application is sitting on my phone and I should look into it!
Comment by Michael — November 28, 2008 @ 1:39 am
There are many music bloggers (outside of AU) on Twitter now.
@strictlysocial
@discobelle
@residentadvisor
@URBMAG
@hipsterrunoff
@nylvi
@TrashMenagerie
@rcrdlbl
@nialler9
Comment by Morganix — December 4, 2008 @ 11:32 am
dew process = middle of the road/safe rock bands (started by powderfinger dudes, and wannabe rockers, enough said)
modular = been bankrupt 3 or 4 times now? google ‘modular bankrupt’. they spend more money on fashion and property in croatia than developing their artists careers.
ivy league = josh pyke’s beard.
Comment by Muscles Music Blog — December 24, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
My blog, based out of Melbourne is Electrorash.com
@electrorash
@nedwin
Comment by Ned — December 24, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
remove muscles from your twitter,
and you remove the truth.
if you can’t handle the truth, that’s your decision to remain a moron.
merry christmas!
Comment by Muscles Music Blog — December 24, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
there’s also
@stuartbuchanan – fat planet/discontent
@sebchan and @lukesnarl – sub bass snarl
@getbiglittlekid
Comment by matt — December 31, 2008 @ 11:45 am
@waycooljnr
Comment by Nick — January 9, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
as per usual, people are jumping on the tweety train then doing nothing. bring beers, snacks and share stuff with your followers & fans. Record labels have plenty of these things…MP3s, b-sides, behind the scenes material but they never seem to share it. Give it all away and you will have fans coming back to you!
Comment by PinkBatts — January 12, 2009 @ 4:39 pm
@schoolofrock
Comment by Gavin Heaton — January 12, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
@inertiamusic
Comment by Mark — January 15, 2009 @ 11:12 am
@jessiepink
Comment by Jessie Pink — January 16, 2009 @ 10:55 am
Uh, The Mint Chicks are Kiwis, from NZ… Sheesh, it’s hard work keep you Aussies in line!
Comment by Flamer — January 16, 2009 @ 12:01 pm
@snkysndsystm
Comment by Not Sneaky — February 4, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
12MC just got its own, as well:
@12majorchords
Comment by Maria — February 19, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
Cheers for the mention!
Comment by Jessie Pink — March 10, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
some more bands:
@danielleblakey
@lanielane
@reneecassar
@slowdownhoney
Comment by Jessie Pink — March 10, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Dean Geyer also has twitter and so does Jess Origliasso from The Veronicas
Comment by Kim — March 26, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Just set up one for triple j’s Home and Hosed program
@homeandhosed
Comment by Dom — March 27, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
another music blog on twitter:
@albumoftheweek
Comment by barry — May 18, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
A couple for you:
@2ser – 2SER 107.3, the station I volunteer at
also:
@allindiaradio
@lisahmitchell
@laurenmhorton
@snobscrilla
(there are tons of other radio stations & artists that I know of who are on twitter too, but I may save that for when I get back to Syd)
Comment by Philippe — August 5, 2009 @ 5:27 pm
Great site, how do I subscribe?
Comment by Kelli Garner — September 26, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
@MinistryAUS is CRUCIAL!
Comment by Joshua Shane — December 22, 2009 @ 10:09 am