Brisbane. Now. #15 - 11

Ready to hear some more Bris-Vegas goodness. Oh, so you missed the start of Matt's Brisbane-based countdown? That's awkward. For you. You should probs go check out the first five featured acts. Yeah, now. Thanks. The link? It's below, right there... just for you. Once that's done, the party continues below. And I'll stop calling Brisbane 'Bris-Vegas' because gross. Right? 

#20 - 16

#15. Go Violets

Soon To Be Household Names...

Say someone had a gun to my head and was all like, "WHICH BRISBANE BAND IS GOING TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT IN AUSTRALIA IN 2013?!" and I had to think really quick, but like make a good choice because I don't want to be shot. I'd say Go Violets. Even if my mystery assailant removed the word 'Brisbane' from the sentence, I'd still say Go Violets. You can already hear them on triple J, featured/stealing the show on Jeremy Neale's 'In Stranger Times.' Once their current single 'Josie' gets added to high rotation on the J's (and it will be), these surf rockettes/90s appreciators are going to be the talk of the town. If 'Josie' doesn't make the Hottest 100 in January... well, I don't know what I'll do yet, but give me some time to think about it and I'll get back to you. Rest assured, it won't be pretty.  

When you're done telling all of your friends about Go Violets, go and get the tracks 'Runner,' 'Shake a Leg' and personal fave 'Leo' over on triple J Unearthed! 

#14. Bankrupt Billionaires

 Hip Hop's Soulful Superstars...

Bankrupt Billionaires seem to be jack of all genres, pretty much mastering all of them as they go. Their 2012 self-titled EP took a dash of soul and a healthy dose of hip hop, combined them with an appreciation for jazz and let the good times roll. There's even this dreamy slow jam-ish track that's got Mr Laneous showing up. In the middle of 2012 came the release of 'Shut Your Face,' best described as a modern day Supremes number with a bit more spunk. Think 'get the hell out of my house' instead of 'stop in the name of love.' With the powerful voice of Kel On Earth and The Optimen's production skills, there doesn't seem to be a thing these guys can't do. MKO's Mack Oh appearing adds another exciting ingredient, especially when she's on stage, backing up Kel on vocals at their live shows. Katie, Jo and I saw BB's at last year's Bigsound Live and all agreed these gals and guys deliver a fun live show you'll be remembering for a long time. With their first full length album due sometime in 2013, you can expect to hear a lot more from Bankrupt Billionaires real soon.

Get some delicious (and free!) Bankrupt Billionaire downloads, including 'Shut Your Face' and 'Daze of the Dead' over at their triple J Unearthed page!

#13. Thelma Plum

Australia's Next Great Export...

Young, beautiful, talented. Who says you can't have it all? Thelma Plum is ready to take on the world with infectious tracks like 'Around Here,' the lead single from her 2013 EP, Rosie.  It's hard to argue with 'Around Here' being labeled as a, "sunny burst of self-assertion," even as you're chanting along to some da dee da's and a choice expletive with your favourite new indie pop-ster. It's not all sunshine on previous tracks like the award winning 'Father Said' and 'Blackbird'; stripped down acoustic numbers that are effortlessly delivered by the then 17 year old Plum. A stunning, engaging voice that's matched by words wise beyond their years. At the moment you can catch her performing live as support for Emma Louise, but if you've missed out on that (silly you), the Rosie national tour kicks off in July in Canberra (woo!) with stops in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, (r)Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth. Plum scores bonus points for understanding that a national tour includes the nation's capital. You can also expect to hear the new single 'Dollar' all the time - it was added to the triple J Hit List this week! 

Guess where I'm sending you now? That's right, triple J Unearthed is your next stop to hit up some more amazing free music. For more info on the Rosie tour, head to Thelma Plum's Facebook page!

#12. Ball Park Music

Believing In Rocking and Rolling...

Yeah, come on... everyone knows who Ball Park Music are. 2011 Hottest 100 - #31 and #38, 'It's Nice To Be Alive' and 'All I Want Is You.' 2012 Hottest 100 - #23 and #27 - 'Coming Down' and 'Surrender.' With that kind of progression, you can expect them to rest between numbers 10 and 19 in the next annual countdown, likely topping the list in the 2014 edition. I'm no mathmagician, but that sounds completely plausible, especially when you take into account a factor like 'increasing awesomeness of music quality' like the upgrade from the Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs tracks to the ones on Museum. Don't get me wrong, their debut was solid, but Museum was a huge leap forward in developing a more, shall we say 'grown up' style that will bring in even more fans for them. Let's hope they're back with new tunes sooner than later. If their Facebook page is anything to go by, it looks like they're already hard at work on album number three!

#11. Astrid and The Asteroids

So Good, They're Out Of This World...

If it was the 'best Brisbane songs right now' countdown, it's pretty safe to say Astrid and The Asteroids would be sitting at the top. That's kind of a 'well duh', since they're right at the top of our weekly top 25 chart, but will they be this Sunday? Probably. I mean, find out on Sunday (cheap plug)! That song goes by the name of 'West End,' a song that will hopefully become just as well known to the people of Brisbane as the suburb it's repping. As soon as triple J follows in the footsteps of local heroes 4zzz and give it a whole bunch of spins, Australia won't be able to resist Astrid's voice and the rocking beats of the band. 2012's Queensland Music Awards saw AATA deservedly walking away with the Billy Thorpe Scholarship prize money which, as you can see with the video for 'West End,' they're clearly putting to good use. Once you've given it a good listen, you can join me in patiently waiting for Astrid and The Asteroids' full length debut album. 

So you want to listen to 'West End' all day every day? A wise choice. You can do this by grabbing a free download of the track over at, you guessed it, triple J Unearthed. While you're there, show your support by giving the song a lil' review. 

Oh, Brisbane... you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. Brisbane. Woo! See you on Tuesday as we take a look at more of our most awesome-est Brisbane music stars...