Hello all---
Years ago, a Finn fan recommended Shane Nicholson and his former band, Pretty Violet Stain, to me.
Shane's first solo record, IT'S A MOVIE, is very good. It leans more toward alt-country than Crowded House, but Shane's vocal phrasing and way with a melody definitely sound like Neil was an influence on him. "Keep It Together" is a simple, beautiful midtempo ballad that Neil would have been proud to call his own. There are certainly other CH-like tunes, too, like "The Best Day of the Year," with it's 6/8 time signature and vocal harmonies.
His follow up record, FAITH & SCIENCE, had a bit more polish to it, but it also has some CH-type moments like "Always on Your Side," "Everybody Loves You Now," "Acrobat Ache," and "Set Me Up."
Shane began working with Kasey Chambers, eventually marrying her, and they did some country duo records together. That led to Shane's music taking a much more pronounced turn toward country and folk, so his remaining albums, each of which includes a few good songs, sound very little like his first two.
Pretty Violet Stain had a more power-pop vibe, though some of their tunes sound like they bear a strong Nirvana or Silverchair influence. These are some of the more CH-sounding ones:
Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgrCYU1Kmns
Tastes Like a Lemon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnAj1nE1mao
Never Come Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZH6SyqQqo
matt