Radio Birdman exploded onto the scene in the mid-70's with their subterranean take on pop just as punk was getting underway in the US and UK, seeming to indicate a universal state of dissatisfaction with current music trends. The Saints made their move from Brisbane to London taking their garage punk with them only to dissapoint the major labels hoping to cash in on the punk look while the Birthday Party delved into the darker side of the genre.
In the late 80's and 90's, artists like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and the Dirty Three took Australian rock and alternative rock in general into even darker corners of despair and waves of manic depressive joy.
