Music discovery · Influence explorer

Artists like Crime and the City Solution — and the music that made them

Post-punk · 1977–1990

Dark post-punk outlaws crafting cinematic noir soundscapes

Crime and the City Solution emerged from Melbourne's underground in the early 1980s, led by Simon Bonney's haunting baritone and atmospheric songwriting that bridged post-punk with gothic Americana. Their brooding, film-noir influenced sound helped define the darker edges of alternative rock, influencing countless bands with their blend of western themes, religious imagery, and urban decay.

Essential tracks

►The Kentucky Click

►Six Bells Chime

►On Every Train

Did you know

The band relocated from Melbourne to Berlin in 1985, becoming part of the city's vibrant alternative scene

Members included future Bad Seeds and Einstürzende Neubauten collaborators, creating a post-punk supergroup

Their album 'Shine' was recorded in a former East German radio station shortly after the Berlin Wall fell

“Cinematic post-punk with brooding strings and apocalyptic urban narratives.”

generations
of influence

If you like Crime and the City Solution, try these

The Birthday Party

Rowland S. Howard's guitar work and Nick Cave's theatrical darkness create similar atmospheres.

1970s · Post-punk

Tindersticks

Orchestral arrangements and noir-influenced songwriting with chamber pop sensibilities match their cinematic approach.

1990s · Chamber Pop

The Go-Betweens

Australian indie sensibility with sophisticated songwriting and melancholic undertones appeals to similar tastes.

1970s · Indie Pop

Dirty Three

Warren Ellis's violin work and instrumental dramatics echo the string-heavy arrangements and emotional intensity.

1990s · Post-rock

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Shared members and similar gothic storytelling with orchestral post-punk arrangements.

1980s · Gothic Rock

The Triffids

Australian band with sweeping, cinematic songs and David McComb's literate, melancholic songwriting style.

1980s · Alternative Rock

But where did the sound actually come from?

Influence tree

Trace Crime and the City Solution's roots back through history

Every sound has a source. Click any node to hear the connection.

Crime and the City Solution

1977–1990

The Birthday Party

1977–1983

cited

Suicide

1970–present

sonic

Joy Division

1976–1980

movement

The Velvet Underground

1964–1973

cited

Television

1973–1978

sonic

Patti Smith

1974–present

movement

Bob Dylan

1961–present

sonic

Scott Walker

1967–2019

cited

Leonard Cohen

1967–2016

sonic

↑ Click any influence node to see the connection and where to start listening.

What makes the sound

Sonic elements

String arrangements and orchestral textures

Brooding baritone vocals with narrative focus

Atmospheric guitar work with reverb and delay

Cinematic song structures with dynamic builds

Start with these tracks

The Dangling Man

Room of Lights

Shine

Paradise Discotheque

About this page

Music like Crime and the City Solution — Crime and the City Solution emerged from Melbourne's underground in the early 1980s, led by Simon Bonney's haunting baritone and atmospheric songwriting that bridged post-punk with gothic Americana. Their brooding, film-noir influenced sound helped define the darker edges of alternative rock, influencing countless bands with their blend of western themes, religious imagery, and urban decay.

Artists like Crime and the City Solution today include The Birthday Party, Tindersticks, The Go-Betweens, Dirty Three.