After Nirvana ignited the alt-rock boom in 1991, Australia proved especially suited to ride the resulting wave of angsty, self-aware and gloriously noisy music. Aussie bands like The Scientists and Cosmic Psychos had helped to sow the seeds of grunge, while Beasts of Bourbon paired lead Scientist Kim Salmon with later Cruel Sea singer Tex Perkins and other underground figures for much beer-spattered dark-horse appeal. And even as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds were openly tapping into profound biblical and literary themes, Custard’s slanted and enchanted indie rock and Regurgitator’s channel-surfing genre send-ups fed the decade’s deep thirst for irony. Supported by the robust pillars of the touring Big Day Out festival, weekly music-video programme rage and national youth broadcaster triple j, Australia was soon shaking up the international scene with distinctive alt-rock exports like Magic Dirt, You Am I and Silverchair.