- Highly Evolved · 2002
- Vision Valley · 2006
- Highly Evolved · 2002
- Highly Evolved · 2002
- Winning Days · 2003
- Wicked Nature · 2014
- Vision Valley · 2006
- Vision Valley · 2006
- Senseless - Single · 2021
- In Miracle Land · 2018
- In Miracle Land · 2018
- In Miracle Land · 2018
- In Miracle Land · 2018
Essential Albums
- 2004
- The garage rock revolution. Post-punk revival. New rock renaissance. The movement went by many names but during the early 2000s, the buzz around it remained constant. Not since grunge's Seattle sound emerged had rock felt like it carried so much momentum, with a slew of androgynous twenty-somethings—floppy haired, in skinny jeans—poised on the precipice of greatness. The movement launched the careers of the "The" bands—The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Hives—and paved the way for bands like The Killers, Modest Mouse and The Black Keys to keep riding the wave. When Sydney band The Vines released their 2002 debut, Highly Evolved, they became the first Aussie outfit since Men at Work to grace the cover of the American edition of Rolling Stone—and with the crowing headline: "Rock is Back: Meet the Vines", no less. They won an ARIA, performed on Letterman and at the MTV Awards, and “Get Free” reached no. 11 on the Billboard charts. Twenty years later, the album is a time capsule. All the best parts of the early 2000s rock experience are present and accounted for, from the blistering pace and sweat-soaked energy of “Get Free” to the gentle psychedelia of “Ain't No Room” and title track “Highly Evolved”. The entire album is delivered with a winning combination of infectious spirit and Nevermind-esque carelessness that’s emblematic of both the movement and the time, while Craig Nicholls' vocals are perfectly at home in a post-Cobain musical landscape. It's a high-energy album, but not without nuance. There’s a solid balance of intensity and earnestness to the tracks that makes its 44-minute running time seem just right, with enough stylistic variety to keep it feeling fresh throughout. You can hear subtle hints to their musical influences—a nod to ska here (“Factory”), a touch of American roots rock (“Sunshinin'”) and Brit punk (“Outtathaway”) there. “Autumn Shade” feels equally inspired by (What's the Story) Morning Glory and even OK Computer, while the falsetto-filled “Country Yard” has a lazy, meandering feel that recalls the early days of psychedelic rock—and it’s all delivered with an enthusiasm that feels endearing rather than derivative. It’s perhaps unsurprising that The Vines, unlike some of their new-rock peers, never again achieved the dizzying heights of Highly Evolved—there was, after all, such stiff competition. But it’s hard to think of another Australian album which encapsulates that particular moment in musical history better (or more joyously). It's an album for sitting back, closing your eyes and remembering all the good things about a time that was—and at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?
Albums
- 2004
Music Videos
- 2011
- 2011
- 2008
- 2008
- 2006
Artist Playlists
- They're loose canons in the suburban psychedelic garage scene.
Singles & EPs
More To Hear
- Celebrating the pop innovator and a look at the NYC 00's scene.
About The Vines
Fueled by the garage-rock resurgence of the early 2000s, The Vines broke through with 2002’s grungy adrenaline rush “Get Free,” an explosive anthem that shot them to international acclaim. Formed in 1994, the Sydney band spent its first several years establishing their sound, performing rock covers for friends and laying down crude cuts on a four-track recorder. From the start, vocalist/guitarist Craig Nicholls has been The Vines’ mercurial leader, his Cobain-esque howls pushing the band’s fiery riffs into angsty statements of self-destruction. By the time the band released its 2002 debut album, Highly Evolved, they had refined the punk-ish swagger of “Get Free” but also dove deep into woozy ‘60s psych pop and muscular ‘90s alt-rock. They’ve continued to build on that dynamic hybrid with boisterous hits like 2004’s “Ride” and later releases like the sprawling 2014 double album Wicked Nature. Through the years, Nicholls—who has openly struggled with his mental health—has remained The Vines’ only constant member, consistently delivering furious rock that evades any passing trend along the way.
- ORIGIN
- Sydney, Australia
- FORMED
- 1999
- GENRE
- Rock