1. Marie And The Atom | Isol
From one of the more obscure bands on New Zealand's Flying Nun label, this is one song that I've always adored, completely and utterly. Such a strange, oceanic and beautiful song. The Art Bears for our part of the world.

2. Look Blue Go Purple | As Does The Sun
Again, New Zealand bliss...And I had to give it a 50% placing with Marie And The Atom because for some reason I end up playing them side by side...And also so I could get 11 songs in! But seriously, As Does The Sun is how melancholy guitar pop should sound, reflecting sunlight and sadness all at once, being lost somewhere in a landscape but not caring if you find your way back home again.

3. Pram | Loose Threads
Quite hard for me to choose a Pram song, as they remain one of my favourite bands ever. But I think this song kind of encapsulates everything I love about them. Rosie's wonderfully perverse lyrics, the angular rhythms, the minimal pop sensibility, as if they should be surrealist pop stars on some distant planet.

4. Scott Walker | Farmer In The City
The compelling opener from the album, Tilt, which pulls you in and seduces you into this dark, velvety world. When I listen to Scott Walker I feel like I am at a beautiful soireé with David Sylvian, Antony, Billy Mackenzie, with Scott pouring the drinks. Do I hear 21? 21? 21?

5. Able Tasmans | Hold Me 1
It's the piano, Graeme Humphrey's exquisite vocals, the sort of song to fall in love to, or indeed, with. The video for this song is also such a joy.

6. Antony & The Johnsons | I Fell In Love With A Dead Boy
The name says it all really and the fact that it references Australia. Antony remains a queer icon, an artist who transcends the often frustratingly straight world of music. And I too have fallen in love with many boys in my time who certainly could be dead as far as I know...And I'm still in love with many of them.

7. Rabbit's Wedding | Sweet William
Apart from inspiring me to name one of my bands after this song by an underrated Australian band - the intense, lilting sadness of this song sums up much of why I like to make music.

8. Associates | Party Fears Two
The song I choose from the 80's electro-pop era. It is smart, strange, haunting and timeless. That opening keyboard line just kills me. Billy Mackenzie singing about taking another shower and phoning his brother up, smashing cups...The alcohol loves you while turning you blue. Ah, such perfection.

9. The Bats | Had To Be You
Because I always aspired to write songs like this. Simple, melodic, oh-so-sad. In fact I don't think there's another Bat's song where Robert Scott sounds so defeated. Perhaps Smoking Her Wings, and that's such a gorgeous thing too - 8b on my list, please Vlad? No, I'm really pushing it...

10. The Triffids | Hell Of A Summer
Hell Of A Summer is the sound of Australia as far as I'm concerned. The brutality, beauty, disappointment, delight, disturbance of the landscape and continent we live on. The driest continent on Earth? Yes indeed. And getting dryer. It's been a hell of summer to be kept lying way down so low...What you have sir, dispose of at your will. What you cannot have sir, you must kill.

+11. Not Drowning, Waving | The Same Heat
The perfect romantic match for Hell Of A Summer - these two songs next to each other are like eternal lovers, locked in some kind of drought-ridden embrace. David Bridie's lyrics and voice are melancholy writ large. If you walk upon this road, even if you walk for days and days and days...You'd be waiting for the red dust Sun...To slowly take you away.