Mariani has been a member of several bands since the early 1980s, including The Stems, The Someloves, DM3, Datura4 and instrumental side project The Majestic Kelp.

In August of that year he curated a double-CD compilation album, Popsided Guitar: Anthology 1984–2004, which included material from several of his bands.

In 2007 United States writer John M. Borack rated Mariani as "one of the top five pop titans of the past couple of decades".

[2][8] In early 1985 the group travelled to Sydney, home of their label Citadel Records, and promoted their first single, "Make You Mine" (May).

[2] During this period they recorded their second single, "Tears Me in Two", and an extended play, Love Will Grow (February 1986), both produced by Rob Younger and Alan Thorne.

[10] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described The Stems' early work as "classic slices of exuberant, simplistic garage-fuzz pop".

But within the band there was a bit of burnout ... you have these moments where you can't stop thinking negatively and I kept picturing myself pushing a van in the snow.

[15] The Stems line-up of Mariani, Lane, Matthews and Shaw played a reunion gig in Fremantle in late February 1997.

[16] Adam Connors for The Australian recalled that; "since the disbandment their simple yet unassailable songsmithery endeared them to a huge European music public and propelled them on to play the final Countdown".

[17][18] The Age's Patrick Donovan noted the album "highlighted the band's continuing influence" as the contributors were from Australia, Europe and the U.S.A.[17][19] In March 2003 The Stems the line-up of Mariani, Chambers, Lane and Matthews reformed for a national tour.

They performed periodically over subsequent years making regular treks to both Europe, America and the east coast of Australia.

[14][20] The Barman at the I-94 Bar website wrote that the work was "accomplished and focussed" and displayed a "heavier, more aggressive edge, plus the odd dark moment, lyrically".

[14][20] In April 2013 The Stems reformed (with Shaw on drums and Ashley Naylor replacing Lane) for performances at the prestigious Dig It Up!

festivals which, curated by the Hoodoo Gurus, is a traveling roadshow featuring classic power pop and garage bands.

[2] One of these, The Stonefish, was an instrumental surf rock group formed in February 1986, which reunited him with Hitchcock (now on guitar and dobro) and Zupanovich, alongside his Stems' cohort Dave Shaw.

Early in 1986 Dom Mariani formed another alternative rock/power pop band, The Someloves, with Darryl Mather of Lime Spiders on guitar.

[2][7]: 3 [25] The Stems' former drummer Gary Chambers soon joined and together with Christian Houllemare (ex-Happy Hate Me Nots) on bass guitar and vocals, The Someloves recorded their debut single, "It's My Time", which was released in June.

[2][26] In mid-1986 Mariani briefly joined The Summer Suns,[2] which played a blend of 1960s folk rock and 1970s power pop with an emphasis on melody.

[2][27] Mariani left for other commitments but returned in 1989 for a new line-up of The Summer Suns with Williams now joined by Moon and Steve Kind on bass guitar.

[28] In late 1992 Dom Mariani formed DM3 with Toni Italiano on bass and Pascal Bartolone (ex-The Summer Suns) on drums.

[6] In August that year he curated a 2× CD compilation album, Popsided Guitar: Anthology 1984–2004, which featured material from The Stems, The Someloves, DM3, The Stoneage Hearts and The Majestic Kelp.

Following on from the tour, The Majestic Kelp's second album, Music to Chase Cars By, was recorded in Perth and mixed in San Diego by Mark Neill (The Black Keys, The Palominos, Old 97's) at Soil of the South Studios and issued in 2006.

In 2007 Mariani formed The DomNicks with Nick Sheppard (The Cortinas, The Clash), together with bass guitarist, Howard Shawcross (The Elks) and drummer Marz Frisina (The Chevelles).

[32] In September 2008 Mariani appeared on celebrity music trivia TV show, RocKwiz, including performing a duet, "Sinister Purpose", with Abbe May.

The DomNicks toured supporting Hoodoo Gurus and in September 2010 they performed in Sydney and Melbourne at the Joe Strummer tribute concerts, 'Revolution Rock'.

[37] In 2008 Mariani decided it was time to get back to the music that fired him up as a youngster and form the heavy boogie blues combo Datura.

Datura consists of Greg Hitchcock on guitar and vocals, Stu Loasby on bass and Warren Hall on drums.

[38] On 21 September 2012 The DomNicks issued their debut album, Super Real, which Mess+Noise described as "power-pop with soul" and "comprises predominantly Sheppard's originals, punctuated with a couple of Mariani's tracks and the odd cover".

[41] The following month the group played at the 30th anniversary of Citadel Records; also at the celebration were Penny Ikinger (ex-Sacred Cowboys) and Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) both on guitars.