Hangin' Out In 100b

As usual, I think I might be breaking the rules with New Band Day. Well, honestly, I’m not sure if I am or not. True, Like Drawing Blood isn’t Gotye’s first album (that would be the 2004 offering Boardface). Also true, Like Drawing Blood isn’t even a new album, having been released in Australia in 2006. Yeah, I know, but it’s 2008, you say. Well, from what I can find Gotye and Like Drawing Blood seem to have been a purely Australian phenomenon for quite some time, like kangaroos and koalas. Then, I guess on the back of his Australian success, he’s venturing to Europe with the August release of the album. Admittedly, I suck at finding release information, but I think I’m covered.

For those, like me, that didn’t realize Gotye (Wouter DeBacker, born in Belgium) existed prior to this week, he’s a genuine Australian indy star. Like Drawing Blood was voted the best album of 2006 by listeners of national youth station Triple J and was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) music award. He then went on to receive the Most Outstanding New Independent Artist at the first Australian Independent Record Chart Awards. As if that wasn’t enough, to cap all that off, in 2007, Gotye went on to receive the ARIA best male artist award, rejuvenating the success Like Drawing Blood was already experiencing.

This sounds like someone we should all hear, right? Well, have a go with his hit down under, “Learnalilgivinanlovin,” one of the popiest of the many excellent songs on the album.

   Gotye – Learnalilgivinanlovin (MP3 removed by request)

To learn more, visit the Official Gotye Site. If you’re intrigued, there’s more at his GotyeSpace.