Latest news with #TheNosebleedSection
Sydney Morning Herald
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘One of our most honest records': How middle age is helping the Hilltop Hoods
No.2. Just south of INXS. It's 22 years since The Nosebleed Section made headlines about Aussie hip-hop coming of age. But one week before their ninth album – drumroll for the most anticipated local release of the year – that Hottest 100 Australian Songs result felt pretty good to the Hilltop Hoods. 'It's a little bit surreal to be up there with some of the songs that shaped my childhood, artists that I consider the biggest things ever,' says Dan Smith, aka Pressure, who began rhyming and recording with school friend Matt Lambert (Suffa) in the early '90s. Barry Francis (DJ Debris) joined them in '99. 'To be put in the same category with them' – Crowded House, Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly also hit the Top 10 in last week's Triple J poll – 'is an absolute honour,' he says. 'But I don't know what it is about that song. Time and place? Nostalgia? If I knew the answer, then we could make every song a Nosebleed Section.' He's joking. Moving forward, he knows, is the real test. So to Fall from the Light, dropping Friday, six years after the Adelaide trio's last album, The Great Expanse. That was the sixth No.1 for the group that smashed the outlying margins of hip-hop to occupy the top league of the Australian mainstream. Their arena tour of next February/March is nearly sold out. Expectations are high. Loading So what's it like? Older. Not as in tired – though Rage Against the Fatigue is a brilliant snapshot of socially induced insomnia – but in the emotionally literate sense. It's the sound of three guys deep into their 40s negotiating fame, grief, gratitude, depression, family, home and the road, with their usual linguistic precision and a more refined toolkit. 'I like to think it's one of our most honest records,' says Pressure. 'Hip-hop is so literal. We've matured in our songwriting and just as human beings as well. We're very comfortable in our own skin. I think that's one of the things that's helped us connect to our listeners over the years.'
The Age
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘One of our most honest records': How middle age is helping the Hilltop Hoods
No.2. Just south of INXS. It's 22 years since The Nosebleed Section made headlines about Aussie hip-hop coming of age. But one week before their ninth album – drumroll for the most anticipated local release of the year – that Hottest 100 Australian Songs result felt pretty good to the Hilltop Hoods. 'It's a little bit surreal to be up there with some of the songs that shaped my childhood, artists that I consider the biggest things ever,' says Dan Smith, aka Pressure, who began rhyming and recording with school friend Matt Lambert (Suffa) in the early '90s. Barry Francis (DJ Debris) joined them in '99. 'To be put in the same category with them' – Crowded House, Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly also hit the Top 10 in last week's Triple J poll – 'is an absolute honour,' he says. 'But I don't know what it is about that song. Time and place? Nostalgia? If I knew the answer, then we could make every song a Nosebleed Section.' He's joking. Moving forward, he knows, is the real test. So to Fall from the Light, dropping Friday, six years after the Adelaide trio's last album, The Great Expanse. That was the sixth No.1 for the group that smashed the outlying margins of hip-hop to occupy the top league of the Australian mainstream. Their arena tour of next February/March is nearly sold out. Expectations are high. Loading So what's it like? Older. Not as in tired – though Rage Against the Fatigue is a brilliant snapshot of socially induced insomnia – but in the emotionally literate sense. It's the sound of three guys deep into their 40s negotiating fame, grief, gratitude, depression, family, home and the road, with their usual linguistic precision and a more refined toolkit. 'I like to think it's one of our most honest records,' says Pressure. 'Hip-hop is so literal. We've matured in our songwriting and just as human beings as well. We're very comfortable in our own skin. I think that's one of the things that's helped us connect to our listeners over the years.'
West Australian
28-07-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Kate Emery: Australia must never let reheating of old culture wars tear us apart
A familiar tune has been playing in my head for days. That is not thanks to Triple J's controversial weekend list of the best 100 Australian songs, which not only put Jet's Are You Gonna Be My Girl ahead of The Church's Under the Milky Way, but made my kids late for school while I forced them to admit The Nosebleed Section was a better tune than anything from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack after all, Mum. That déjà vu feeling has nothing to do with seeing music fans argue the merits of INXS v ACDC, and everything to do with the fact that welcome to country is back in the public discourse. Again. This is partly down to the Liberal Party's State council, which voted on Saturday to remove official status for welcome to country ceremonies and partly down to Opposition Senate Leader Michaelia Cash, who said she thinks the ceremonies make people 'feel good' while doing nothing to improve life for Indigenous people. Senator Cash's comments weren't the silliest thing I saw all weekend — that would be ranking Savage Garden's I Want You above Nick Cave's Red Right Hand — but they were right up there. The idea that having a positive display of Indigenous culture is an obstacle to improving Indigenous welfare is like suggesting we all boycott eating hummus until the Middle Eastern crisis is solved. Two things can be true. One: that anyone who has attended a conference where every speaker performs an acknowledgement of country may have thought about rolling their eyes — especially if the tenth 'I'd like to also acknowledge' stands between them and afternoon tea. Two: that anyone who has experienced a truly great welcome to country knows it is anything but tokenistic. The problem is that too many Australians misunderstand what welcome to country is. It's not the same as an acknowledgement of country, which can be done by anyone. A welcome to country must be done by an Indigenous person and is just what it sounds like: an act of hospitality. It's not welcome to the c ountry because because these ceremonies aren't about welcoming us to Australia. As a proud Australian — proud of our music, the fact we're the only nation capable of using the c-word as a term of affection and that we boast the oldest continuous living culture in the world — why would I have a problem with that? The other big misunderstanding about welcome to country is that it was 'invented' by Ernie Dingo. Yeah, nah. Welcome to country is a modern take on what Indigenous groups have been doing since the days when, over in Europe where my ancestors are from, the Neanderthals still thought they were in it for the long haul. When one group passed into territory inhabited by another, the two would come together to request safe passage. Welcome to the patch of country we've been looking after, let us give you some tips for getting along here. The only thing that's 'new' about welcome to country is that it's been given a national platform and incorporated into so many big events, from the opening of Parliament to footy games. I've seen some cracking welcome to country ceremonies over the years, from those that made me laugh to those that tug on what passes for a journalist's heartstrings. The latter happened recently when I received a very special welcome to country in the Pilbara. Without going into specifics — this particular elder was publicity shy — he told us about his connection to the land, and warned us against the spiritual repercussions of taking any artefacts we found. It wasn't about making us feel like trespassers, just an affecting way to be reminded about the history of the land. At a time when the Liberal Party is struggling for relevance, at both the Federal and State level, it is tedious to see so many party members breathing on the coals of this particular culture war. An Opposition that puts its energy into tearing down Indigenous culture instead of holding the Government to account and coming up with policies to present itself as a credible alternative, is one that's doomed to fail. And for those of us who believe that good oppositions make good governments, it's almost as maddening as seeing Thunderstruck not make the top 10 of Australian bangers.
7NEWS
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
INXS' Never Tear Us Apart wins top gong in Hottest Aussie 100
Australian power ballad Never Tear Us Apart by 1980s rock royalty INXS has taken out the title of number one song on Triple J's special edition Hottest 100 countdown dedicated to Australian artists. Audiences have been voting for months to reveal Australia's favourite song in the annual countdown that showcases some of the nation's best homegrown music talent. Celebrating on behalf of the band, founding member and drummer Jon Farriss joined the radio station on Saturday night to reflect on the win. 'We feel so blessed and we're very grateful,' Farriss said. Australian hip hop royalty The Hilltop Hoods came in at number two with their 2003 hit The Nosebleed Section. Queensland pop duo The Veronicas and their 2007 hit Untouched, Missy Higgins' breakout 2004 single Scar and Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House rounded out the top five. Reflecting on their number three spot, Jess and Lisa Origliasso said for 'just two girls from Brisbane', the countdown had brought them to tears. 'We're on top of the world right now ... this is such a huge honour for us,' Jess Origliasso said. Higgins also joined the radio station, telling presenters she couldn't believe Scar still resonated with Australian audiences more than 20 years since its debut. 'I can't quite believe it — I feel like the luckiest person ever,' she said moments after the song was played. The countdown is typically comprised of the best songs of the year from all over the world but the youth station hosted a special mid-year poll dedicated to Aussie artists and tracks to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Belgian-born Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gotye squeezed in to cinch the number 10 spot with his 2011 hit Somebody That I Used To Know. Other notable mentions included Australian music great John Farnham, voted in at number 15 with his 1986 hit You're the Voice. Daryl Braithwaite's The Horses came in at number 30, with Natalie Imbruglia's Torn voted in at 32. More than 2.65 million votes were tallied for the countdown, the station's fourth-largest poll, according to the broadcaster. Eight tracks in the countdown were separated by fewer than 10 votes, and only 30 votes separated songs 100 and 101. The countdown kicked off at 10am AEST on Saturday and wrapped at 8pm. HOTTEST 100 TOP TEN SONGS INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (1987) The Nosebleed Section - Hilltop Hoods (2003) The Veronicas - Untouched (2007) Missy Higgins - Scar (2004) Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over (1986) Powderfinger - My Happiness (2000) Cold Chisel - Flame Trees (1984) Cold Chisel - Khe Sanh (1978) Paul Kelly - How to Make Gravy (1996) Gotye (featuring Kimbra) - Somebody That I Used to Know (2011)
