The Killjoys - Ruby (1990)

Ruby (1990) is the vibrant and critically acclaimed debut album by Melbourne band The Killjoys, which won the prestigious ARIA Award for Best Independent Release. Led by charismatic singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Shirley Glenn (Anna Burley), the album offered a fresh perspective on the Australian indie scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Building its sound on the contrast between crisp, upbeat jangle pop, folksy acoustic textures, and deep, melancholic vocal narrative, Ruby became one of the defining records of the continent's independent music of the era.