meta-scriptBehind 1987's Australian Rock Revolution: How INXS, Midnight Oil, Icehouse & Others Went Global | GRAMMY.com
Behind 1987's Australian Rock Revolution: How INXS, Midnight Oil, Icehouse & Others Went Global
Michael Hutchence (left) and Tim Farriss of Inxs performing at Hammersmith Odeon In London, 1987

Photo: Brian Rasic/Getty Images

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Behind 1987's Australian Rock Revolution: How INXS, Midnight Oil, Icehouse & Others Went Global

Bursting out of Australia's massive pub rock scene, groups like Dragon and Crowded House were united not by a specific sound, but a new national "self consciousness" and distaste for the zeitgeist.

GRAMMYs/Dec 12, 2022 - 02:23 pm

Today it's easy to recognize internationally successful Australian artists — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Iggy Azalea, Vance Joy, and Gotye, for starters — but the Australian rock scene did not garner the same attention 40 years ago. While AC/DC became the country's prime global export by 1980, and Men at Work had a multi-platinum crest here from 1981 to 1984, it was much harder then for rock bands Down Under to spark serious international attention.

That all changed in 1987.

A boom year for Aussie artists, the music released in '87 didn't have a specific sound as much as it did an attitude and desire to push boundaries. Their distinct musical identities, diverse lyrical content, and fequent disregard for the popular zeitgeist (at home or in America) resonated globally, creating an Aussie music revolution that impacted generations of artists as eclectic as Bono, the 1975, Maroon 5, and the Killers. This era of Australian artists didn't present as an easily identifiable in a sonic scene in the same way as British metal or Seattle grunge — and that is part of what made it fantastic.

Marrying funk with high energy rock, INXS became international superstars with Kick. Midnight Oil’s socially conscious message resonated loudly with Americans and Europeans. Icehouse’s atmospheric rock broke the Top 50 in the  U.S., producing two hit singles, "Crazy" and "Electric Blue." Dragon opened up for Tina Turner in European stadiums for several months in 1986 and 1987. Crowded House’s debut album from 1986 broke big with the hit ballad "Don't Dream It's Over" in the spring of 1987. John Farnham released the stirring, prideful "You’re The Voice" which many have called Australia's unofficial national anthem.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like an overnight Aussie invasion, but it was far from that. Many of this "new wave" of Oz artists were on their fifth or six albums, and had done a decade's worth of hard work around the globe.

"By the time we get to ‘87, [many of] those bands including us had done so much live work that they were machines," says Icehouse frontman/composer Iva Davies. "They could play at such a quality level and had already performed to so many Australian audiences that they knew exactly what they were doing."

"You Really Had To Rock Your Ass Off"

In order to understand the chronology of this Aussie ascension, one must first look back at Australia in the 1960s. While homegrown acts like the Easybeats and the Seekers amassed sizable followings in their country, British success was commonly considered to be a gateway into America — get hits in the UK, then break the U.S.A. British Invasion bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Animals became idols to emulate, especially after many of them came over for rare mid-1960s tours that left an impression on the masses.

"[Then] in the 1970s, Australia develops what I call self-consciousness where it's not about what's happening in America and England anymore," explains Andrew Farriss, guitarist and main composer for INXS. "Suddenly we start to develop our own music culture here. And lo and behold, young people start going to pubs and out to clubs and community halls or whatever and start getting into bands like AC/DC. They used to play all over the place."

Groups like the Little River Band, Cold Chisel, the Angels and Dragon (who originally came from New Zealand) were among the early artists making a living from album sales and the prolific and profitable pub rock scene. In cities like Sydney and Melbourne, venue capacities could reach 1,500 to 2,000 people — a more than sizable audience for burgeoning acts on the verge of breaking through. They often played multiple sets in one night, sometimes at more than one venue.  

"Amongst the pub years, which were really big booze barns, often there’d be fights," recalls Farriss. "Everyone smoked cigarettes in these rooms, and they crammed [in] too many people. There wasn't really a fire marshal. So you have these places you could hardly breathe in with this sort of aggro thing that ran through it. Everyone's drunk. You really had to rock your ass off to maintain the respect from the audience. Too many ballads and too many crooning, sweet, harmonious songs, they'd go, 'Get off, we want to rock.'"

The pub rock scene that dominated in Australia in the ‘70s and ‘80s helped forge a national musical identity through the aforementioned groups and the likes of Rose Tattoo, the Radiators, and Australian Crawl — even if it did not quite translate to the rest of the world. (Incidentally, Australian Crawl’s 1981 song "Unpublished Critics" sounded like a template for Guns N’ Roses "Sweet Child O’ Mine".) Aside from the bombastic AC/DC, mainstream Aussie artists who generated international buzz by 1980 were on the softer side — Little River Band, Air Supply, and Olivia Newton-John.

But many groups wanted to make that big international leap. Having cut their teeth in the rough and tumble pub rock scene, they were already seasoned veterans ready to take on the music world at large.

"I Had To Have A Bodyguard, That Was How Massive It Was"

New wave, post-punk, and synth-pop sounds from the U.S. and UK had arrived on Australian shores by the late '70s. Often pulling from those sounds, local bands began to see more wide-ranging success: INXS, Flowers (who became Icehouse), the Church (who got a gold album in America in 1988), Pseudo Echo, Models, Machinations, Divinyls (who later got a Top 10 hit, "I Touch Myself," in America in 1991), the genre-blending Hoodoo Gurus (who would establish a cult following in America and Europe), and the synth pop-flavored Real Life (who scored two Top 40 U.S. singles in 1983). 

Established groups like Dragon and Midnight Oil also persevered into the 1980s. In early 1983, nearly five years into their career, Men At Work became the first Australian band to simultaneously have a No. 1 album (Business As Usual) and single ("Down Under") in America.

INXS were already popular in their homeland by 1987. Their 1985 album Listen Like Thieves had certified gold and a single from the record, "What You Need," became a Top 5 hit Stateside for its blend of funky verses with heavy rock choruses. INXS doubled down on those artistic choices on Kick, released in October '87. The album produced four massive hit singles (including the No. 1 "Need You Tonight"), sold four million copies in its first two years of release, and launched a 16-month world tour. 

INXS saw a larger audience for themselves out in the world. They sought an American market that understood their music.

"We left Australia to tour overseas more because we found that the Australians back then loved eighth [notes]," says Farriss. "There was no funk in anything, and we were like, ‘What's with the lack of groove here?’" (Notable exception: the underrated Machinations.) "That's one of the reasons we started to experiment more and more and how we ended up working with Nile Rodgers [in 1983], how we ended up working with people who we admired that were more funky. Daryl Hall sang on ‘Original Sin’ because Nile asked him to come in as a special guest."

Midnight Oil drummer Hirst recalls his band playing up to about 180 shows a year between late 1977 and the early 1980s, graduating from pubs and clubs into bigger venues. The band later found a lot of support early on from maverick radio stations like WLIR in the United States and Canada, which "played us relentlessly because they had the freedom to do that back then." 

Midnight Oil’s career did not follow a traditional trajectory, and every album saw them assimilating different influences. Their early releases had an edgy rock sound, while Japanese influences can be heard on 1984’s Red Sails In the Sunset. "It was entirely experimental…because Japan at that time was just bursting with color and money and art and culture," says Hirst.

On 1987's socially and environmentally conscious Diesel and Dust, Midnight Oil took inspiration from their Australian desert touring experience with the Warumpi Band, a First Nations band. "We camped out under the stars," recalls Hirst. "We started writing a different song. We were writing songs which were simpler, more melodic, but very Australian songs still. They spoke more of an ancient history of Australia rather than the recent colonial history."

Fueled by songs like "The Dead Heart," "Put Down That Weapon," and the global hit "Beds Are Burning," Diesel And Dust sold over 3 million copies worldwide, hitting No. 1 Down Under and in Canada, Top 20 in five European countries, and went platinum in the U.S. For the American leg of their global tour, Midnight Oil brought along two First Nations bands from Australia — AKA Graffiti Man and Yothu Yindi, the latter of whom released the album Tribal Voice in America in 1991. "The weird thing was the more time we spent overseas touring, the more Australian the material got in many ways," notes Hirst.

Like INXS and Midnight Oil, Icehouse made headway from the start, first performing in 1977 as Flowers in the same Sydney pub circuit as Midnight Oil and INXS. Their new wave/pub rock sound on their 1980 debut racked up over 250,000 album sales, and they took on more synth-pop influences by their second album Primitive Man. Icehouse toured the U.S. on the same club circuit in the same early ‘80s period as the then-fledgling U2; they opened for Simple Minds in Europe and North America, then vice versa Down Under on that reciprocal world tour. Their Top 20 UK hit, "Hey Little Girl," (also Top 10 or 20 in 9 other countries) led to both David Bowie and Peter Gabriel asking Icehouse to open their 1982 European tours. They went with Bowie and played before 70,000 people a night, Davies recollects.

After releasing two more studio albums and regular touring Down Under, in Europe, and America, Icehouse achieved massive success at home with their fifth album, 1987’s Man Of Colours. The record went seven times platinum in Australia (490,000 copies) and its second single, "Electric Blue," (which was co-written with John Oates) spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the country's charts and hit No. 7 in America. The album's first single, "Crazy," (No. 14 in America) was only kept out of the top spot in Australia by Kylie Minogue’s debut single.

"Everything changed," declares Davies. "I had to have a bodyguard, that was how massive it was [there]."

Davies says the big success of Man of Colours spawned 14 months of touring, seven alone in the U.S. They supported the Cars on their final tour in arenas like Madison Square Garden. Their own tour landed at places like San Francisco’s Warfield Theater.

"It was a lot of work," admits Davies of the tour. "In the middle of it, I had a kind of breakdown. I kind of fell apart in San Francisco and missed a show. But I got back on the trail a couple of days later and kept hammering away. It was a very intense 14 months."

On the flip side of Midnight Oil or Icehouse, Dragon had a good time band vibe with some serious songs tossed into the mix. They topped the Oz charts in the '70s with Running Free and O Zambezi, and single "Are You Old Enough?" and "April Sun In Cuba." Dragon embarked on their lone North American tour in late 1978, opening for blues guitar legend Johnny Winter throughout the south. 

Frontman Marc Hunter’s purposeful antagonism of audiences went over well with wild 'n' wooly crowds in Australia, but in the American south and Texas in particular, it provoked hostility. "Marc would really push it as far as he could," recalls bassist Todd Hunter. "It was wild. You had to be there, but I'm glad you weren’t."

Marc was fired from the band for three years, but when Dragon reunited for 1984's Body and the Beat (which produced their big Aussie hit "Rain" that broke the U.S. Top 100) it "was a very different band" with a more modern sound. "It had more of ‘80s pump and big keyboard things, which is fun to play live. You can play stadiums and it just works," Hunter says. "We always had this tradition of bright, poppy choruses and [then added] dark elements to those songs."

Dragon landed the opening slot for Tina Turner’s European tour for six months total in 1986 and 1987. (If that sounds like an unusual fit, Turner had a fair number of rock tracks in her high energy repertoire back then.) They played coliseums and bull rings with her, although they changed their name to Hunter for the tour and international release of the Todd Rundgren-produced album Dreams Of Ordinary Men in 1987. (The temporary name change occurred because their label thought Dragon sounded too metal. Ironically, the European press thought Hunter was a metal name.)

The other big group to emerge from 1987 was Crowded House, formed by former Split Enz members Neil Finn (vocals/guitar) and Paul Hester (drums). Their 1986 self-titled debut album took a little while to pick up steam, but by spring of 1987 the gentle ballad, "Don’t Dream It’s Over" hit No. 2 in America and No. 1 in Canada and the UK. It also charted in the Top 10 in four other countries and Top 20 in two more. They even re-recorded Split Enz’s "I Walk Away" for the Crowded House debut.

Pop singer John Farnham scored Australian hits in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but experienced a true career revival with the rock anthem "You’re The Voice." Co-written by then-Icehouse keyboardist Andy Qunta, the 1986 song was a No.1 hit in Australia. In 1987, it also went No. 1 in Sweden and West Germany, Top 10 in the UK, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland and Top 20 in four more countries. The album the song was from, 1986’s Whispering Jack, was also a massive hit for Farnham in his homeland where it has since been certified 24 times platinum.

A Lasting Legacy Of Aussie Artistry: "We Were Certainly Going To Make Hay"

The aftershocks of the 1987 Australian rock ascension continue to reverberate today, with multiple generations of bands taking influence from or covering that year's biggest hits. It also opened a wider door for talent from Down Under, some of which was covered in a previous GRAMMY.com feature nearly a decade ago. "We don't even know what the Australian sound is. A lot of people associate it with AC/DC, punk rock type of stuff," Cut Copy’s guitarist Tim Hoey said in the piece. "But there's an amazing bunch of bands that have come out of Australia that I wouldn't necessarily claim have an Australian sound."

INXS has been cited as an influence on the likes of Maroon 5, the 1975, and Savage Garden.Dua Lipa echoed the chorus of their "Need You Tonight" for her 2020 single "Break My Heart," bequeathing co-songwriting credit to Farris and INXS singer Michael Hutchence, the magnetic singer who died 25 years ago on Nov. 22. Documentaries on both the band and vocalist have come out in recent years.

Midnight Oil’s music impacted artists as diverse as Billy Corgan, Pearl Jam, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, and Bono (who paid homage to the band during their ARIA Hall Of Fame induction). "Beds Are Burning" has been covered by Patti Smith, Imagine Dragons, AWOLNATION, and the Killers, among many others. The group wrapped up its global farewell tour in October 2022.

Frontman Peter Garrett served in Australian government posts between 2004 and 2013; Hirst has seen a lot of First Nations groups thrive and continue the type of tradition that Midnight Oil helped popularize. The band continued taking such artists on tour.

Icehouse continue to headline shows and festivals Down Under. Popular 2000s Aussie alt-rock band Eskimo Joe are fans of the band and even brought Iva Davies onstage at a 2010 festival to perform Icehouse’s "We Can Get Together" to a warm reception. The Killers covered "Electric Blue," and singer Brandon Flowers has acknowledged that they love many Icehouse songs. Davies has also composed for film, TV, and dance, and most notably he co-composed the score to the 2003 Russell Crowe film Master and Commander: Far Side Of The World.

Although Dragon singer Marc Hunter passed away in 1998 from throat cancer, his brother, bassist Todd Hunter, reformed the band in 2006. They have toured regularly with vocalist Mark Williams and released new music, including 2014’s Roses. Many younger Aussie bands have covered "Rain," and  legions of fans continue singing along to the tune at Dragon shows — its theme of love and friendship overriding the storms of life feels eternally fresh, and the song has topped 37 million plays on Spotify. Oddly enough, the single was big in Peru then and now, as evidenced by numerous covers from that country. One Peruvian YouTuber uploaded "Rain" 12 years ago, and it has received 5 million views. The 1,200+ comments confirm the Peruvian adulation.

"Don’t Dream It’s Over" by Crowded House is a beloved ballad that has been appreciated by everyone from Rob Thomas to Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine. Chris Martin and Eddie Vedder performed it at the Global Citizen Festival in NYC in 2016. 

John Farnham’s career Down Under grew immensely following "You’re The Voice" (now at 154 million Spotify plays). The song was covered live by Heart in 1991, and the singer has since performed the song live with Coldplay, Queen guitarist Brian May, Celine Dion, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He recently has been recovering from life-saving surgery that removed a cancerous growth in his mouth.

All sixof these artists, and many others mentioned in this feature, have been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in Australia — further cementing the global impact of what came from the pub rock scene. 

"I cannot emphasize how important that whole scene was," says Icehouse's Davies. "'We better make these people happy, or else they're going to start throwing stuff at us.’ That was the real world all those bands dealt with in lots of weird, different ways."

The sounds of 1987 proved that the music coming from Down Under could have a lasting impact that pushed talent beyond the borders of their homeland.

"We couldn't believe our luck because for the first time ever in Australia's musical history, the eyes of the world turned on [us]," recalls Hirst. "It didn't last long, only a couple of years. But we were certainly going to make hay."

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15 Songs That Will Make You Dance And Cry At The Same Time, From "Hey Ya!" To "Dancing On My Own"
André 3000 of Outkast performs "Hey Ya" at the VH1 Big In '03 in 2003.

Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage for VH-1 Channel - New York

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15 Songs That Will Make You Dance And Cry At The Same Time, From "Hey Ya!" To "Dancing On My Own"

Whether it's "Tears of a Clown" or "Tears in the Club," take a listen to some of the most sneakily sad songs by Outkast, TLC, Avicii and more.

GRAMMYs/May 22, 2023 - 05:20 pm

In 2003, OutKast scored their second No. 1 hit with "Hey Ya!" The timeless track has an upbeat energy that makes you want to shake it like a polaroid picture — until you happen to catch its rather unhappy lyrics.

"Are we so in denial when we know we're not happy here?" André 3000 sings on the second verse. The line that follows may sum up its contrasting nature: "Y'all don't wanna hear me, you just wanna dance."

The ability to make listeners feel (and physically react) to a wide range of emotions is part of the genius of songwriting. Tunes like "Hey Ya!" — a sad narrative disguised by an infectious melody — is one trick that has been mastered by Outkast, R.E.M., Smokey Robinson, Robyn and many more. 

If you've ever happily boogied to a beat before realizing that the lyrics on top are actually a big bummer, you're certainly not alone. BBC and Apple Music both call such tracks Sad Bangers, a fitting name for what's become an unofficial genre over the past half-century. 

In light of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, GRAMMY.com compiled a list of 15 songs that will both get you in your feelings and get your body moving. 

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles — "The Tears of a Clown" (1967)

The upbeat music on this Motown classic was written by Stevie Wonder, a 25-time GRAMMY winner who is deft at crafting tearjerkers that will tease your body into joyful dancing. The bassoon-bottomed song registers at 128 beats per minute, a tempo that's still favored by modern dance music producers. So when Smokey sings, "The tears of a clown/When there's no one around," you'd be forgiven for also welling up just a little bit while you're in the groove.

Gloria Gaynor — "Never Can Say Goodbye" (1975)

Gloria Gaynor reimagined the Jackson 5's 1971 pop hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" for the disco era. The sweeping string arrangements and trotting beat helped to fill dance floors, and to make the poignant song about holding onto a love of her own. Other cover versions by Isaac Hayes and the Communards also capture the contradictory vibe.

Tears For Fears — "Mad World" (1983)

British duo Tears For Fears became internationally known after outfitting their first danceable hit with a depressing and dramatic chorus that's hard to shake even 40 years after its release: "I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad, the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had." Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith would later release more uplifting fare, such as "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" and "Sowing the Seeds of Love."

Kate Bush — "Running Up That Hill" (1985)

Kate Bush has had three twirls through charts around the world with "Running Up That Hill," beginning with its 1985 release and then as an unlikely Summer Olympics closing ceremony song in 2012.

"And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God/And I'd get him to swap our places/Be running up that road/be running up that hill/With no problems," she sings in the chorus of the racing track, longing to be more worry-free.

More recently, a placement in the Netflix drama Stranger Things in 2022 earned the weepy, minor key-led dance number a whole new generation of fans. The English artist was recently named a 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

Midnight Oil — "Beds Are Burning" (1988)

Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett channeled the rage he felt from early climate change and the lack of Aboriginal land rights in the Australian Outback into "Beds Are Burning." The powerful dance tune flooded airwaves and dance floors around the world in the late '80s, reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"How can we dance when the Earth is turning?" he sings in the rousing chorus. "How do we sleep while the beds are burning?"

Garrett clearly had a personal connection to the song's yearning message: He later dedicated his life to environmental activism as the leader of the Australian Conservation Foundation, and became an elected Member of Australia's House of Representatives.

Crystal Waters — "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" (1991)

A house music hit about a woman without a home, "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" helped New Jersey singer Crystal Waters achieve international success despite a somewhat somber subject. A subsequent parody on the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" drew attention to the contrast of having happy and upbeat instrumentation with dispiriting lyrics.

"She's just like you and me/But she's homeless, she's homeless," rings the chorus. "As she stands there singing for money/La da dee la dee da…"

R.E.M. — "Shiny Happy People" (1991)

This upbeat collaboration is between rock group R.E.M. and B-52's singer Kate Pierson.The jangly guitar pop makes you want to clap your hands and stomp your feet, but the lyrics make you question if everything is indeed quite so shiny and happy.

The song is rumored to be about the massacre in China's Tiananmen Square, because the phrase "Shiny Happy People" appeared on propaganda posters. Pierson isn't so sure about that, though.

"I can't imagine that R.E.M. was thinking at the time, Oh, we want this song to be about Chinese government propaganda," she said in a 2021 interview with Vulture. "It was supposed to be shiny and happy. It was a positive thing all-around."

TLC — "Waterfalls" (1994)

"Waterfalls" was a worldwide hit for TLC in 1994, thanks to its sing-along chorus and funky bassline. The song's insistent bounce softens a firm lyrical warning that pulls people back from the edge: "Don't go chasing waterfalls/Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to/I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all/But I think you're moving too fast."

"We wanted to make a song with a strong message — about unprotected sex, being promiscuous, and hanging out in the wrong crowd," Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas shared with The Guardian in 2018. "The messages in 'Waterfalls' hit home. I think that's why it's our biggest hit to date."

Outkast — "Hey Ya!" (2003)

André 3000 sings about loveless relationships to a whimsical, time-shifting dance beat on this Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping smash. The seriousness of the song — which André 3000 once explained is about "the state of relationships in the 2000s" — got lost among many listeners.*

Its unhappy lyrics were masked by André's peppy singing, as well as the song's jangly guitar and keyboard-led groove, which infectiously doubles up in speed at the end of every four beats. Even Outkast themselves couldn't help acknowledging the song's juxtaposition in a 2021 tweet.

Robyn — "Dancing On My Own" (2010)

A penultimate example of a sad banger is "Dancing On My Own" by Swedish pop star Robyn. The rueful song — a top 10 hit in multiple countries — commands you to shake your stuff, while also picturing yourself watching your ex move on at the club. Calum Scott's 2016 cover really brings out the sadness that can be obscured by Robyn's uptempo version.

"Said, I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh no/And I'm right over here, why can't you see me?" Robyn sings in the chorus. "And I'm giving it my all/ But I'm not the girl you're taking home."

Fun. — "Some Nights" (2012)

fun. (the trio of Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost and Nate Ruess) is best known for the zeitgeist-grabbing pop-rock power ballad "We Are Young," which is about the relentlessly positive enthusiasm of youth out on the town. The title track to their 2012 album Some Nights (which contains "We Are Young") is a much dancier, yet sadder song.

"What do I stand for?" Ruess asks as your feet shuffle along to the beat. "Most nights, I don't know anymore."

Avicii — "Wake Me Up" (2013)

Avicii collaborated with soulful pop singer Aloe Blacc for this worldwide chart-topper that is considered one of EDM's peak anthems. The slapping beat masks the track's sad, self-reflective lyrics about being lost.

The Swedish DJ/producer's 2018 death by suicide adds an even heavier air to Blacc's impassioned chorus: "So wake me up when it's all over/When I'm wiser and I'm older/All this time I was finding myself, and I/I didn't know I was lost."

Flume featuring Kai — "Never Be Like You" (2015)

"Never Be Like You" isn't the fastest cut in Australian DJ/producer Flume's bass-heavy discography, but the wispy track still has an irresistible bump to it. Canadian singer Kai begs her lover not to leave her ("How do I make you wanna stay?"), but her lovely tone still manages to keep the song hopeful.

FKA twigs featuring The Weekend — "Tears In The Club" (2022)

Perhaps the most overt selection of this entire list is "Tears In The Club," which finds FKA twigs and The Weeknd taking to the dancefloor to shake off the vestiges of a bad relationship. The singer/dancer has been candid about being in an abusive relationship, and the song is a lowkey bop that's buoyed by despairing chants such as, "I might die on the beat, love."

Everything But The Girl — "Nothing Left to Lose" (2023)

Nearly 30 years after DJ/producer Todd Terry helped introduce Everything But the Girl to the international dance music community with a remix of "Missing," the duo leaned into their electronic side on "Nothing Left to Lose." A single from their first album in 24 years, Fuse, "Nothing Left to Lose" features a squelching electronic bassline that contrasts the song's helpless yearning.

"I need a thicker skin/ This pain keeps getting in/ Tell me what to do/ 'Cause I've always listened to you," the pair's Tracy Thorne sings on the opening verse. Later, she makes a demand that fittingly sums up the conflicts of a quintessential sad banger: "Kiss me while the world decays."

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Record Store Recs: Simón Mejía Of Bomba Estéreo Takes Us To Colombia

Simón Mejía

Photo: Maria Jose Govea

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Record Store Recs: Simón Mejía Of Bomba Estéreo Takes Us To Colombia

The bassist/producer and co-founder of beloved electro-cumbia act Bomba Estéreo takes us on an adventure through some of the sounds and hidden vinyl haunts of his home country

GRAMMYs/Aug 11, 2020 - 08:19 pm

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

As the co-founder and producer of the lively electro-tropical outfit Bomba Estéreo, Simón Mejía has been crafting irresistible cumbia-infused beats that have been getting the world dancing for over a decade. Formed in Bogotá, Colombia in 2005 with vocalist Li Saumet, the GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-nominated group made their mark globally with the explosive "Fuego" in 2009 and have been unstoppable ever since.

Watch: SOFI TUKKER & Bomba Estéreo's "Playa Grande" Will Get You Dancing Right Now

Now, with the debut of his new solo project, Monte (which means "woods" or "forest" in Spanish), Mejía is exploring an ambient take on the roots of Bomba's upbeat sound and colorful aesthetic—the music of the natural environment of their native Colombia—reimagined electronically. The album, entitled Mirla, is due out Sept. 18 and is led by the pulsating "Jungla" (listen below) and the twinkling, chirping title cut, inspired by the jungle and a bird that sang at his window every morning.

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Each of the seven tracks was directly inspired by field recordings he'd collected in Colombia. "I started to discover that Colombian folk music was interrelated with the sounds of nature—when the indigenous guys played the flute they were imitating the birds, and when they played the maracas, they were imitating the crickets or the sound of water," Mejía explains in a press release. "That connection would become the foundation of the album."

For the latest edition of Record Store Recs, Mejía takes us on a journey to some of his hidden vinyl haunts in Bogotá and Cartagena, and introduces us to an amazing Afro-Colombian folk group.

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Please pick 3-5 records stores you love.

Cosmos Zapatería in Bogotá, Colombia

Downtown flea market in Bogotá

Mercado de Bazurto in Cartagena, Colombia

RPM Records in Bogotá [offers pickup and shipping within Colombia]

Amoeba [multiple California locations with U.S. shipping]

Cosmos Zapatería | Photo: Simón Mejía

Why do you love these shops? What kind of goodies you've found there?

These are the places where I started digging for records, many years ago, and where I found my most inspiring cumbia, champeta, salsa and classic albums. Many were underground record stores here in Colombia which don't have websites or anything similar. Mostly are in flea or food markets here in Bogotá and Cartagena (on the Caribbean coast).

One of them was actually a shoe shop called Cosmos Zapatería in downtown Bogotá. The records were hidden on the second floor. You had to know the owner to access it. That's what I loved about those places—purely underground. It's the same thing in the Bazurto Market in Cartagena. You had to know the way to access the good joints where they really had the classic albums in good shape. Nowadays both are more popular, and almost all the good classic records are gone.

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 Canalón de Timbiquí LP | Photo: Simón Mejía

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two you bought there and what you love about the record/artist. 

RPM Records recently gave me a record for my birthday. This store is a really good place here in Bogotá, not as underground as the others—you can order online! The record [De mar y río] is of a band from the Colombian Pacific coast named Canalón de Timbiquí. It's purely Afro folk music from an area of Colombia which is going to be my next sonic exploration. Anything that comes from that musical universe is very inspiring to me. It's a completely different vibe from cumbia and the music from the Caribbean—much more Afro and mystical. It's really high energy and danceable vibes. 

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

I think that should be the next Bomba Estéreo album—I can't wait to see the vinyl release so I can keep on growing my personal collection of Bomba on vinyl! 

What were the first CD and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

I remember it very clearly. I bought two vinyl albums at the same time at a record store near my place—Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses [1987] and [GRAMMY-nominated] Kick by INXS [1987]. I was a teenager and only cared about music!

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INXS Guitarist Tim Farriss Talks Wembley Show, Partying With Queen & The Band's Legacy

Tim Farriss, Kirk Pengilly, Jon Farriss and Andrew Farriss of INXS

Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

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INXS Guitarist Tim Farriss Talks Wembley Show, Partying With Queen & The Band's Legacy

On the heels of their concert film "Live Baby Live" returning to theaters for one night only, the INXS guitarist looks back on the Aussie rock favorites' famed 1991 show

GRAMMYs/Dec 4, 2019 - 12:38 am

INXS fans are getting a royal treat on Monday, Dec. 9. The band's famed Wembley Stadium show from July 1991 in front of 72,000 fans—released back then as the CD and concert film "Live Baby Live"—has been upgraded to high definition, with audio remixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios, and it will be screened in theaters across the country for one night only. For longtime fans and new converts, it will be a vivid trip back in time when the Australian sextet was at the peak of their musical powers, with late singer Michael Hutchence leading the charge.

It's been a pleasure for guitarist/co-founding member Tim Farriss as well. "What blew me away is I'd never seen my band like that before," he tells the Recording Academy of the HD reissue. "I'd seen it on television and computer screens, but I'd never seen it on a big screen. It was extraordinary. The band started back in '77, but I'd never had that experience before."

A bonus on the new "Live Baby Live" is the inclusion of "Lately" from the album X. It was recovered through former band manager/Petrol Records founder Chris Murphy's decade-long search for the original 35mm film cans which were found in Australia. From Farriss' recollections, an audio glitch, likely from tapes being switched in the middle of the song, kept "Lately" from being used back then. Through the wonders of modern digital technology, that problem was fixed. Farriss and his bandmates—brothers Jon and Andrew, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Gary Beers—could not tell when watching the new version. He adds that the three standout performances for him are "Lately," "Hear That Sound" and "The Stairs," and that "Who Pays The Price," "Lately" and "Hear That Sound" only received a very short run in their touring career.

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Interestingly enough, the opening song "Guns In The Sky" blasts off from an extended jam resulting from drummer Jon Farriss running out on stage, while the band was finishing their champagne, to get the groove going. It was neither planned nor rehearsed and shows how comfortable INXS were as a unit. Their exuberance and love for playing together clearly shows.

"The attitude we had was, 'Let's have a good time, guys,'" remarks the guitarist. "We didn't start with a hit. We started with the first song off the last album, then went into playing songs that a large percentage of the audience wouldn't have known because we were promoting a new album. We were doing what we normally did in a club—try out the new songs."

While "Live Baby Live" features plenty of hits like "Suicide Blonde," "Need You Tonight" and "Never Tear Us Apart," the set is unusual in that it comprises mostly two albums, Kick and X, which were their most recent studio offerings at the time. Nothing is featured from their first three records including Shabooh Shoobah (not even "Don't Change"), and The Swing and Listen Like Thieves are represented by only one track apiece. Farris says that this was not a conscious decision towards commercialism. The band just wanted to play the songs they connected with most emotionally and musically.

"The version of 'Send A Message' is so different from The Swing version, and 'What You Need' was always fun to play live," recalls Farriss. "Then Michael went into the audience singing a part that went for much longer than it normally would. We just had a really fun time playing that show. We didn't want it to finish. The who's who of our friends all wanted in on the Wembley Stadium show. It was just a great party."

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The new triple vinyl, double CD, and digital reissues of "Live Baby Live" represent the Wembley show, as opposed to the original CD release which collected tracks from different concerts on the tour and was criticized for being inconsistent and not sounding very energized. The new package comes with fresh liner notes by the band and by broadcaster Jamie East who attended the show.

Farriss says one of his fondest memories from playing at Wembley was recalling their previous engagement there opening for Queen during their 1986 European tour together. He remembers how approachable and friendly they were.

"They would go out for dinner together," he says. "In fact, they invited us to go to dinner with them in places like Belgium. We suddenly realized that there was this amazing similarity with how they were amongst themselves and how we were." While Farriss felt that some bands they had toured with were lacking in great personal chemistry, Queen "seemed like genuine friends."

On one special night in Montreux, Switzerland, Freddie Mercury had the presidential suite at the Grand Hôtel Suisse-Majestic. He invited Hutchence, Farriss, his brother Jon and their tour manager Gary Grant to party there.

"Freddie had his personal assistant there, and he had a big stereo system and a microphone in his room," says Farriss. "We were partying up there, just the five of us, and Freddie's playing us this stuff. He's got Michael singing into this microphone with Freddie holding the microphone. They had their noses about an inch apart, and they're both belting it out to some new music for Queen. I was sitting on the sofa with Jon going, 'Hey, this sounds pretty good.' At the time it was just fun. Now I look back and I think, ‘Holy sh*t, if only I'd had an iPhone then.'" (That said, he is glad INXS came up at a time when people actually watched concerts live without holding up their phones.)

Farriss hopes that the "Live Baby Live" re-release will attract a younger generation of fans to the group. While there are two video screens flanking the stage (but barely visible on film), the Wembley show features just music and pure adrenaline emanating from the band.

"There were no dancers or backing vocals, there was no grand piano wheeled out for the ballad," says Farriss. "There were no pyrotechnics." It is an organic experience that feels anathema to the multimedia overload of today. "I see young kids today loving vinyl, and I think that they'd love a band of guys that do it tough together and grow up in front of everyone and stick it out. It gives everyone hope, you know? That's the one thing that we hung onto and that worked out for us. I think every young person deserves to have that."

INXS at their Wembley Stadium show in July 1991
Photo courtesy of Eagle Rock Films

These days, many classic rock icons have been getting their due with accolades. One can hope that INXS will get long overdue recognition from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The 2014 Australian television mini-series about the band, "Never Tear Us Apart" (which has not aired in the U.S.), was the highest rated of all time Down Under, although, despite having consulted on it, Farriss did not feel it accurately captured the group. A proposed Broadway musical is reportedly in the works, although Farriss is more excited about the possibility of a full-length documentary. The Michael Hutchence documentary "Mystify" is being shown in U.S. theaters for one night on Jan. 7. While Farriss and his bandmates participated in the film, he does not want the INXS story to end there.

The guitarist says that while "Mystify" director and longtime INXS music video collaborator Richard Lowenstein "was a great mate, it's a story about Michael. It's not just about INXS, it's about Michael from the time he was a child and delves into a lot of what really happened to him after the accident. There’s stuff in it that we just didn't know about at the time of the mini-series, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think that would have made as good television either."

Farriss adds that there has not been a comprehensive documentary about INXS. The iconic Australian band won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards, have sold an estimated 60 million albums globally, won five MTV Music Video Awards and were nominated for three GRAMMY Awards.

"A television series is one thing, but there hasn't actually been a blood, sweat and tears documentary," stresses Farriss. "And it shouldn't finish with Michael either. It needs to go on to post-Michael because some of the stuff we did after Michael passed [in 1997] makes him all the more relevant, and as well shows the depth." He feels that the album they made with singer JD Fortune, 2005’s Switch, was fantastic, and that making that record with producer Guy Chambers, plus doing the "Rock Star: INXS" reality show where they procured Fortune, was an intense experience. "It was so different for us as opposed to just album-tour/album-tour/album-tour."

Michael Hutchence of INXS
Photo courtesy of Eagle Rock Films

Farriss is also open to doing a book as he feels his perspective is different from anybody else. "Looking back, the whole idea of the six of us getting together was really my doing," he declares. "And being the person who did 85% of the publicity with Michael, I had a pretty good gauge on where he was at, sitting in limousines going from radio station to radio station or television station to television station, just having a whole day of media. It was exhausting. All that stuff could be used in a documentary. I quite enjoy that doco side of things, so that's something I'd really like to get my teeth into."

Until recently, the world has not heard much from INXS. Their last album, 2010's Original Sin, offered re-recorded and reworked greatest hits with different singers. They released the new songs "Tiny Summer" (studio track) and "We Are United" (live) with singer Ciaran Gribbin through the internet in 2011. The last time they played live was 2012 when they announced their retirement from touring.

Many years ago, Farriss opened a recording studio and recently slowed down with that, but he wants to get back to making music, particularly as he wrote songs for Switch that he inexplicably did not offer up. "I've got this catalog of material," he reveals. "I feel like now's the time to go there again and maybe get into writing some more."

When asked how his left hand is doing—his ring finger was severed in a boating accident in 2015, then reattached, but he cannot play with it—Farriss says solemnly, "It's pretty f**ked. It's painful emotionally. It's painful psychologically. It's painful just as in nerve pain." But that's not stopping him from writing new music.

Indeed, if there is anything that has defined INXS beyond music throughout their career, it is persistence and passion. When asked about advice he would give to younger musicians, Farriss replies, "Keep it fresh. Keep it real, keep it fun, and always be positive. Even if you're feeling like you want to be melancholic, do it in a positive way."

That ethos served INXS very well and will cascade from the Wembley stage into theaters this week.

(GRAMMY.com contributor Bryan Reesman is the host of the podcast "Side Jams" and author of "Bon Jovi: The Story.")

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Fleetwood Mac Enlist Mike Campbell, Neil Finn To Spell Buckingham On Tour

Mike Campbell

Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images

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Fleetwood Mac Enlist Mike Campbell, Neil Finn To Spell Buckingham On Tour

Following the announcement that longtime guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is out, the legendary band adds two of music's greats in his stead

GRAMMYs/Apr 10, 2018 - 06:20 pm

Fleetwood Mac have parted ways with longtime guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. While no specific reason has been revealed for the split, the band has announced they will fill the position with both Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell and Crowded House's Neil Finn for their upcoming tour this fall.

"We are thrilled to welcome the musical talents of the caliber of Mike Campbell and Neil Finn into the Mac family. With Mike and Neil, we’ll be performing all the hits that the fans love, plus we’ll be surprising our audiences with some tracks from our historic catalogue of songs," the band said in a statement. "Fleetwood Mac has always been a creative evolution. We look forward to honoring that spirit on this upcoming tour."

Campbell had worked for nearly five decades alongside Tom Petty in the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch before Petty's untimely death last year following the Heartbreakers' 40th-anniversary tour. Campbell is also no stranger to playing with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks, as the Heartbreakers were the backing band on Nicks' debut solo album, 1981's Bella Donna, and on the hit Petty/Nicks duets "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," and "Insider."

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While Finn's history with the band is not nearly as extensive, the New Zealander has built a 30-year career with Crowded House yielding hits such as "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong"

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In a statement, Finn said: “Two weeks ago I received a wonderful invitation to be a part of a truly great band. A few days later I was standing in a room playing music with Fleetwood Mac. It felt fresh and exciting, so many great songs, a spectacular rhythm section and two of the greatest voices ever. Best of all, we sounded good together. It was a natural fit. I can’t wait to play.”

Drummer and founding member of the band Mick Fleetwood summed up the lineup change in the statement, saying, "We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style."

Dates for Fleetwood Mac's upcoming tour have yet to be announced. The group was honored as the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year in January in New York.

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