I like the Australian accent creeping into our local brand of country music. Sure, you still get the US-wannabes but Sara Storer's sentimental Beautiful Circle leads by example on The Winners 2004; the latest instalment in a series of fine compilations, celebrating each year of Australia's best. People used to ask me what type of music I liked and I'd say 'everything except country music'. How times change. Now Jimmy Little's voice has the power to calm me, Bella can inspire a sigh, Melinda Schneider makes me blush (I think I'm in love) and as for John Williamson, he's a bloody hero. For the thousands of American country music lovers who visit Whammo, you could never find a better sampler of Aussie talent than this look back at the bumper crop of artists who attracted attention over 2004. With the passing of the godfather, Slim Dusty, it's yet another case of 'one door closes, another opens' and you can imagine that wherever the legend is, he's probably casting an approving eye down to Tamworth, justifiably proud of the flourishing industry he nurtured. Slim may be conspicuous by his absence on this tracklisting but it's fitting that a new talent, Sara Storer, picked up 8 nominations at the CMAA Golden Guitar Awards; a new record. I don't pretend to like every artist on The Winners 2004 but I know the quality is high and I've discovered new sounds and fresh faces. If my curiosity forces me to explore the music of these new talents, The Winners 2004 has, once again, done a great service to the local scene.

Browse the ENCYCLOPEDIA of Australian Rock & Pop

Tracklisting
1 Beautiful Circle - Sara Storer
2 Call It Love - Adam Harvey
3 Down The Road - Jimmy Little featuring Troy Cassar-Daley
4 Blackwood Hill - Beccy Cole
5 Under The Influence Of Love - Fisk & Cristian
6 Mallee Dust - Billy Bridge
7 Paul Kelly's Blues - The Flood
8 Tumbling Down - Bella
9 Up On His Shoulders - Michael Carr
10 You Didn't Need The World - Southbound
11 Cane To Cotton - Glenn Jones
12 I'm From The Country - Lee Kernaghan with Travis Sinclair
13 Peel Street Pickin' - Trev Warner
14 Good Cattleman - Martin Oakes
15 The Anzac - Adam Brand
16 16~}Now I'm Easy - Brendon Walmsley
17 17~}Raining On The Plains - Sara Storer & John Williamson
18 18~}Tooraweenah Cowgirl - Sovereign
19 When The Last Child Leaves Home - Melinda Schneider & Billy Thorpe
20 Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me - Keith Urban
21 [~2~]
22 1~}True Blue - 21st Anniversary - John Williamson
23 2~}Cootamundra Wattle - Melinda Schneider
24 3~}Fall Like Rain - Michael Bryers
25 4~}If I Had My Time Again - Darren Coggan
26 5~}I'll Fly Away - Dianna Corcoran
27 6~}Australia's Robin Hood - Arthur Blanch
28 7~}Two Left Feet - Michael Fix
29 8~}Diamantina Drover - Lee Kernaghan
30 9~}Gidgee After Rain - Tom Maxwell
31 10~}Home Run - Jake Nickolai
32 11~}C'Mon Down - Laurel Edwards
33 12~}Busy Man - Carter & Carter with Darren Coggan
34 13~}The Simple Truth - Graeme Connors
35 14~}The Kokoda Anthem (Battle For Australia) - Adam Harvey & Gina Jeffreys
36 15~}Orange Blossom Special - Davidson Brothers

Full listing of VARIOUS ARTISTS releases