Television Addict

Something Old, Something New is two years old today and to celebrate I am re-posting my first ever track, Television Addict by Perth punk legends The Victims.

Plus, to continue another theme of posting an original track and multiple cover versions, I am including interpretations of this definitive Perth punk track by:-

The M-16's

The Hoodoo Gurus

Teengenerate


I am aware of covers of Television Addict by You Am I and The Hellacopters, so if someone (anyone?) would like to give Something Old, Something New a birthday gift and forward a copy of either (or both!?) versions of this track, I will gladly post it.


The Victims - Television Addict

The M-16's - Television Addict

The Hoodoo Gurus - Television Addict

Teengenerate - Television Addict


Woohoo!! - A birthday gift!

here's a copy of You Am I's version, with much thanks to Jon @ underneathica. Go and check out Jon's groovy taste in music.

You Am I - Television Addict


As an extra special birthday gift to all of my lurkers, here's a very rare 1978 live recording of The Victims playing Television Addict:-

The Holy Rollers (Bands from Perth, Australia)

I received a very nice email from Felicity "Flick" Dear recently, who provided me with some invaluable additional information for my Holy Rollers post. I have updated that post and thought I would also repost the tracks for those of you who missed them the first time.

If anyone has updates for any of the bands I write about, I'd love to hear from you and would be happy to update my listings. The purpose of this blog is not only to provide music but to also educate everyone about bands that I have seen, heard and loved.


The Holy Rollers were around for a few years in the mid 1980s and they were one of a couple of bands led by Greg Dear. The Holy Rollers featured his sister Felicity "Flick" Dear on drums, Craig Chisolm on guitar and on bass Kim Williams (of The Summer Suns and the man responsible for the Easter Records and House Of Wax record labels, both of which have released many great Perth bands).

Their sound was different to most of their peers in Perth at the time (which tended to the swamp rock of bands such as the Kryptonics or the Bamboos or the power pop of bands such as The Stems or The Marigolds), closer to the musical stylings of The Triffids, but with influences including the New York sounds of the Velvet Underground and Television.

The Holy Rollers recorded a 7" double A-side single Above The Law / Lifestyle in 1985 and a self titled album in 1986, both released on Easter Records. I have posted a track from each of these releases.

My favourite memories of The Holy Rollers were their regular Saturday night gigs at the Shenton Park Hotel with the Marigolds, with each band headlining on successive weeks.

Greg Dear also led The Beautiful Losers and released some solo recordings on cassette in the 1980s. Greg is now performing as a senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University's School of Psychology.

Felicity "Flick" Dear went on to play drums with Charlottes Web, Wooden Fische, Box and Butternut (with Gretta Little from The Rosemary Beads and Sascha Ion from Spank). Flick is now Principal of Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School and plays in a Noongar band called Warangka.

Kim Williams is still active in the Perth scene, and is currently playing in The White Swallows.


The Holy Rollers - Lifestyle

The Holy Rollers – Afraid

The Saints (Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

Another year and another new theme, this year I will be posting about bands from my new adopted city of Brisbane, as well posting my usual collections of covers of particular songs ... and whatever else takes my fancy.

There will also be less links than I have been doing for the last two (!) years, as I am planning on spending less time blogging this year and more time on my own music and writing.

But to start with perhaps the most famous band to come from Brisbane.

The Saints predated the emergence of punk in Europe by more than a year, and gave heart to a generation of Australian rock fans and musicians disenfranchised by local record companies and radio stations.

What became the Saints grew out a Brisbane garage band formed in 1973 called Kid Galahad and the Eternals. Kenya-born, Belfast-raised Irishman Chris Bailey sang. His friend, German-born Edmund Kuepper Edmund Kuepper played guitar. Both their families had emigrated to Australia during the 60s. With Ivor Hay on piano they searched for rock and roll's dark, wild side and made their versions even wilder.

By the time they became the Saints in 1974 they was confidently applying their Howlin' Wolf/Pretty Things/Stooges hybrid to covers of songs like Del Shannon's "Runaway", Connie Francis' "Lipstick On Your Collar" and Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High", exploding them almost beyond recognition with energy.

But they couldn't get gigs. They weren't banned. People just thought they were horrible and refused to book them. So the Saints came up with an alternative way to play shows. They turned the suburban Petrie Terrace house Bailey and Hay shared into their own "club", the 76 Club. Not to make money, just to play. By 1975 Ivor Hay had moved from piano to bass to drums, and they had a more or less permanent bass player in Kym Bradshaw.

In June 1976 the group decided it was time to record and they down two tracks, "(I'm) Stranded" and "No Time". Again they couldn't interest anyone, and in September, in what was by no means an easy undertaking in those days, the band pressed 500 copies themselves on a label they created for the occasion and called Fatal Records. You could have your own copy by mailing two dollars to Eternal Productions, 20 Lawson St., Oxley, Queensland.

The Saints sent copies off to radio stations and magazines in Australia, and met with virtually no interest. It was a different story with copies they send off to England. First of all, a little English label called Power Exchange released it in the UK. Punk had just started to hit there…the Ramones had just toured, and bands were forming like crazy…the Pistols, the Buzzcocks, the Damned, the Clash…but almost nobody had a record out yet. The Saints came first, to glowing reviews in Melody Maker and Sounds (which picked it "Single of the Week"), and in the US. Within three weeks EMI London phoned their Australian branch and ordered them to sign this Brisbane group the Australian company had to admit they'd never heard of.

EMI signed them in November 1976 and dashed out their own pressing of "(I'm) Stranded". Then they arranged what were supposed to be demos but instead became the tracks released as the Saints' debut album, which was named after the single. The whole thing was completed in a two day session in December at Window Studios in Brisbane. A few weeks later the band moved to Sydney to base themselves, and travelled south to Melbourne. By May they were in England and it would be a long time before Australia saw them again. We had to make do with the impact they made during those short few months. They were never stars. EMI didn't know what to do with them. Their main impact was on up and comers like Boys Next Door, on the like-minded Radio Birdman and the musicians of the future standing in the audience.

During those months while the Saints toured Australia the whole punk think exploded in England, and by the time they arrived their part in the story was forgotten - not that it worried The Saints, because they never considered themselves punks anyway. Not like that.

The Saints recorded a second album in England, pushing more towards a soul/r&b sound, but Ed Kuepper left before 'Eternally Yours' was released. After another album, 'Prehistoric Sounds', the band called it a day. Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay returned to Australia, Kuepper forming the Laughing Clowns, Hay joining The Hitmen and then returning to London to join a new version of the Saints with Chris Bailey. While Chris Bailey has continued to record and perform periodically with new European-based versions of the Saints, Ed Kuepper has pursued an incredibly active solo career, interrupted by three albums and performances with an aggressive rock band sarcastically or humorously named The Aints.

(thanks to Howlspace for this bio).


The Saints - (I'm) Stranded

The Saints - Know Your Product


and here's a cover version

Jim Reid (Jesus & Mary Chain) - (I'm) Stranded

As an extra special treat for all of my lurkers, here's the classic clip for (I'm) Stranded

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded



Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists (and my blogging habit) by buying some music. Check out the links above or for some good compilation albums check out these links:-

Something Old, Something New considers 2006

Well another year has started, and by all accounts it should be a great one for indie/alternative music.

2007 has started on a high with my first gig of the year last night - Modest Mouse at The Tivoli. What a great gig!! I'm still buzzing from it!! And with Johnny Marr (better known from his days in The Smiths) now also playing guitar in the band (I last saw Johnny touring with The The) it was great to see this legend still doing it.

Plus new album releases are expected in 2007 from such great bands as The Pixies, Grinderman (starring Nick Cave), The Shins, Modest Mouse, Explosions In The Sky and many more.


But that is 2007 and I really want to dwell on some of my favourite musical moments of 2006, so here goes:-


I don’t agree with the concept of “scoring” bands, albums or songs as “best, second best …” or “number 1, number 2 …” like they are contestants or sporting teams.

Also my preferences will change over time, situation and point of reference and I know that every time I reconsider such a list, that I will have to add another different moment or two (and as such remove some from the existing list).

But I do have favourites for the year that have particularly taken my attention or that I have enjoyed playing repeatedly.

So here are some of my (as of this moment) favourites for 2006.

As usual, don't forget to check out the artist's web sites for mp3s and the latest information on the bands.


If you are interested in my thoughts on 2005, you will find them here.


Something Old, Something New’s 15 Favourite Albums of 2006 (listed in alphabetical order):-

Augie March - Moo You Bloody Choir

Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country

The Drones - Gala Mill

The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

The Fratellis - Costello Music

The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads

Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther

Mogwai - Mr Beast

Grant Lee Phillips - nineteeneighties

Radio Birdman - Zeno Beach

Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain

TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Thom Yorke - The Eraser


Special mention also goes to The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional remastered album with bonus unreleased, demo tracks.


Something Old, Something New’s 10 Favourite Live Musical Events of 2006 listed in chronological order:-

Mark Of Cain @ The Amplifier Bar, Perth - January 2006
The first gig of the year and quite possibly my gig of the year! The testosterone was thick in the air as The Mark Of Cain took their 'Rock Against Apathy' tour to destroy the country.

The Volcanics and M-16’s @ The Amplifier Bar, Perth - January 2006
It's always great to get home and see my two favourite Perth bands rocking out together and to drink too many beers with my old buddies

Damo Suzuki @ The Zoo, Brisbane - February 2006
It's also fun to see a legend in action

The Baddies and Megastar Overdrive and @ The Empire Hotel, Sydney - February 2006
Similarly, it's just as good to get down to Sydney and see an old mate rocking out in not one, but two great punk bands - a drunken, twisted night

David Pajo @ The Troubador, Brisbane - March 2006
One man, a guitar and some bells - a gentle, fun evening

The Drones @ The Zoo, Brisbane - March 2006
My other possible favourite gig for 2006

Sigur Ros @ The Tivoli, Brisbane - April 2006
Spellbinding

Liquid Architecture @ The Powerhouse, Brisbane - June/July 2006
An eclectic collection of experimental artists

Ramone-a-thon @ The Columbian Bar, Brisbane - November 2006
Hey Ho - Let's Go!!

The Room 40 “SYNCRETISM” events @ The Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane - throughout 2006
Another interesting year of experimental music presented by the hard working Lawrence English


Something Old, Something New’s 5 Favourite Music books read in (not necessarily published in) 2006:-

Simon Reynolds - Rip It Up And Start Again: postpunk 1978-1984
An excellent history of the post punk years

Andrew Stafford - Pig City: from the saints to savage garden
Discusses the history of the musical, political and cultural consciousness of the city I currently call home

Adam Sweeting - Cover Versions: Singing Other People's Songs
I love cover versions (as you can probably tell by much of the music posted) and that is all which is discussed here

Jon Savage - England's Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock
Wanna know about punk and the Sex Pistols? Read this critical and definitive book!

Clinton Walker - Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977-1991
Wanna know about the history of the most important music to come out of Australia and which helped to define the Australian (and dare I say international) music scene, then read this book!


Happy 2007 to everyone!!


Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists (and my blogging habit) by buying some music. Check out the links above or for some good compilation albums check out these links:-