Next time you're caught in an argument with someone who disputes that there are any good Aussie bands, make sure you put them in their place. The best up and coming (and well established) musos are all here, with my list for the top 5 Aussie bands/acts right now. Hot, fresh and damn tasty...

5) theredsunband

Late last year, an eerile infectious song began to trickle down national airwaves, from a band who we'd heard little from for quite some time. The track was Like An Arrow by Sydney-based trio (now duo) theredsunband. Lower case, spaceless punctuation all deliberate.

Combining fuzzy guitars and a jaded rock-aesthetic, Sarah and Lizzie Kelly have just released their latest album The Shiralee. Looking back to early 90s shoegaze pioneers like My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins could have resulted in just another imitation record, but theredsunband have a distinct pop sensibility that sits right up front in their melodies, resulting in some incredibly good tunes.

Tracks to check out: Ghosts (Like An Arrow EP), The Eagle (The Shiralee LP)

4) Ladyhawke

Alright, so she might originally be from New Zealand, and now resides in London, but Pip Brown aka Ladyhawke is a part of Sydney-based band Teenager so the Aussie connection works.

Unashamedly disco and wearing her Stevie Nicks heart on her sleeve (bonus points if you get the Aussie muso to whom I'm referring there), Ladyhawke is the soundtrack to a thousand indie club nights. Back of the Van is so incredibly retro you could be forgiven for thinking that somehow, you'd stepped back into the 80s. Watch the video for this track too - it's so Stevie it's unbelievable.

Tracks to check out: Back of the Van, Paris is Burning

3) Firekites

This Newcastle-based band is getting a lot of hype lately, and deservedly so. Firekites take acoustic guitar and subtle vocals to create something rather special. Melodies working around a simple beat combine with Jane Tyrrell's breathy vocal to seduce your eardrums. It's a bit of a different move for Tyrrell, also a part of the Elefant Traks stable in hip hop outfit The Herd.

Think acoustic, mellowed out pop like Norway's Kings of Convenience and early Sufjan Stevens and you're close to describing the delicate sound of Firekites.

Tracks to check out: Same Suburb, Different Park (The Bowery LP)

2) Pivot

It has certainly been a big year for the boys from Pivot. After becoming the very first Australian band to sign a deal with the massively influential electronic label Warp, brothers Richard and Laurence Pike, and Dave Miller are touring the world in support of their first release on the label, In The Blood EP.

The EP is a bit of a taster of things to come, and is certainly a big step, sonically at least, from their previous releases. It's a bit more guitar based, yet it will still manage to keep the instrumental electronic purist happy. Make sure to catch them when they return home to support Icelandic favourites Sigur Ros in August.

Tracks to check out: In The Blood (In The Blood EP), Kirsten Dunst (Make Me Love You LP)

1) The Presets

So right now you might be thinking that The Presets is a bit of a mainstream choice given the rest of this list - but what most people don't know is that for all the dancefloor stompers like This Boy's In Love, The Presets didn't always make such disco-oriented tunes. Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes were once a part of Sydney abstract electronic band Prop.

Dirty and raw, the sounds of their latest LP Apocalypso have skyrocketed them to international stardom. From lead single My People back in 2007, the entire album is a brash and bold excursion that has won dance fans over as well as the impossibly hard-to-please indie critic. Infectious synths and pulsating beats have proven to be a winning combination, making The Presets' sound oh so now.

Tracks to check out: Everything off Apocalypso