Something Old, Something New

Robben Ford Masterclass

2010-11-09T13:53:00.002+10:00

The QUT lecture theatre was half filled with about 150 blokes, mostly baby boomers, waiting to see and hear blues and jazz guitar legend Robben Ford. Some were carrying guitars, maybe unaware of the format of the master class or hoping to jam with their hero.

With his much larger than life image projected on the wall behind, Robben Ford proved to be a friendly, interesting and interested focal point who invited everyone to ask questions any time throughout the 2.5 hours of music and conversation. The questions were a bit slow coming at first, perhaps as befits a lecture theatre.

The evening began with a few of Robben’s recollections of famous musicians he has played with, including several funny anecdotes regarding Miles Davis, whose manner of “pep talk” included “play that James Brown shit ... dee dee dee dee dee”. That experience apparently gave Robben, and possibly some of the audience, a different perspective on thinking about and playing guitar.

He was constantly putting down and picking up an Epiphone semi acoustic guitar, using it to demonstrate a musical concept, to embellish a story or to play a scale or two. There were a couple of short instruction pieces, initially with Robben playing solo, something which he said still freaks him out to this day.

The audience slowly grew braver and started asking questions, which brought recommendations to learn guitar chords, Mickey Baker’s chord book taught Robben all he knows; to consider different ways of thinking about the guitar and song writing, such as presented in books like “Zen Guitar” by Philip Toshio Sudo and “Tunesmith” by the famous composer Jimmy Webb.

But it was when jamming with other musicians that Robben, and most of the audience, seemed to have the most fun, initially featuring local jazz guitar hero Jim Kelly, with the two guitarists taking turns trading blues licks. Throughout the night we would be treated to a selection of Ford originals and some interpretations of other artists’ songs.

There were more questions and short conversations about song writing, favourite albums, bootleg copies of live shows, inspiration, perspiration and what the most important things are to learn to become a better guitar player. Two things emphasised were to “learn the chords” and to play with nerve and courage.

The evening ended with Robben once again joined on guitar by Jim Kelly and event presenter, Craig “Guitar Brother” Claxton, jamming on a couple more blues numbers before the requisite autograph signing session.

This article was previously published in the October 12th edition of Rave Magazine.

RIP Les Paul

2009-08-14T11:26:00.003+10:00

Les Paul was a true original and was one of western culture's most influential men during the second half of the twentieth century.

In 1941, Les Paul invented the electric guitar. This enabled the guitar to be amplified and to rise above the sound of the other instruments. This paved the way for rock 'n' roll and through to music as we know it today.

In 1952 Les Paul helped the Gibson company to create and produce the Les Paul model guitar which takes his name and is arguably the world's most popular guitar. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.

Les Paul was also a celebrated and popular guitar player with a string of top selling albums and number one hits.

He was one of the first musicians to experiment with multi-track playing and recording. Les Paul invented machines which would go on to be become guitar effects (sold in pedal form today) such as echo, delay and reverberation.

He also created a multi tape-head device which was the forerunner to multitrack recorders, the foundation of the music recording industry.

Les Paul remained an active musician throughout his life and up until his last months, releasing an album in 2005 and up until very recently he played every week at a New York jazz club.

In 2008 Les Paul was honored as the 2008 American Music Master by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual series.

On August 13, 2009 at age 94, Les Paul, guitarist and inventor, died of complications from pneumonia.

He left quite a legacy.

Furia Sound Festival

2009-07-08T06:36:00.003+10:00

The Furia Sound Festival was held on the weekend on the outskirts of Paris and we attended the ROCK 'N' ROLL (in the small tent in the corner) day on Sunday.

It was a very strange festival because in one little corner, in an old circus tent, there were some influential and rocking bands playing, which I will discuss soon, but on the two main stages there were some very wimpy and boring folk and pop bands ... it was nothing in comparison to the musical consistency one tends to get with the festivals in Australia such as Splendour In The Grass and The Big Day Out or even Homebake.

But any festival which features Mogwai (who were the only decent band to be presented on either of the main stages) and Mono can't be all bad, so we bought our tickets a month or so in advance and made the 40 minute train ride from the centre of Paris to the festival site outside of Paris in Cergy-Pontoise.

Unfortunately we spent the morning checking out the Elles exhibition at Georges Pompidou Centre, it being the first Sunday of the month and the galleries across Paris open for free, so we arrived too late to catch the set by Torche.

As we arrived Mono were starting their sound check, which gave me time to buy some tickets for beer, and beer, and to secure a place not too far from the stage.

We last saw Mono in Paris only a few months ago, only a few weeks after we first arrived, so it seemed appropriate that we should again see Mono only a few weeks before leaving Paris. This set was similar to the show at Glazart, with many tracks from their new album Hymn to the Immortal Wind, which they are still touring, but the set at Furia was much shorter at about 50 minutes.

Mono play classical influenced Post Rock and don't stray far from this genre, but especially in the live setting they are a formidable experience. It was strange to see (and hear) the band play live it a circus tent on a hot and sweaty Sunday afternoon with the summer sun streaming in behind us.

And what is it about Mono that attracts people chatting noisily and inanely and cheering at the wrong moments? I'm not sure if they don't understand the music or just have low attention spans? Either way, Mono opened the festival (for us) on a high and even though their set was short, it was still strong. As usual, there was no crowd interaction from the band, but the music spoke volumes.

There was some time until the next band we were interested in seeing came on, so we went for a walk around the festival site to see and hear what was happening. I have decided not to discuss the groups which I didn't like ... as my grandmother always told me "if you can't say anything nice about someone, then don't say anything at all". Needless to say, there was a lot of music that didn't ring my bell, so i'm not saying anything at all.

Isis aren't a band I was familar with, but I really enjoyed their set which was an interesting mix of metal and hard rock, with some shouty vocals thrown in. The Isis quintet often provided a brutal assault of three heavily distorted guitars along with their heavy rhythm section.

I particularly liked the aluminium guitar one of them was using ... and can only assume the sustain such a guitar would create helped produce the huge sound the band achieved ... and further research, and the similarity between the guitar headstocks, suggests they were all playing Electrical Guitar Company guitars. Either way, they were well cool!!

There were even some nice melodic moments amongst the mayhem of the music, although I think the group of lads in front of us preferred it when the band went off, especially during the particularly shouty moments, which they played quite often.

One of the guys was shifting between guitar and keyboards, so there were some shifts in the sound with some psychedelic undertones helping to add flavour to the metal main course.

I really enjoyed Isis, it's always great to find new music to listen to, especially at a festival. Sadly we had another wait until any decent music was due to play.

So we wandered off in search of beer and food. The french are particularly useless at providing food for vegetarians at the best of times, but we thought "this is a music festival, surely there will be a few options for vegies?". Nope! There were chips, which had already sold out. There was a baked potato with butter, but the queue was huge, probably full of veggies looking for something to eat, and they were hell expensive. That was it!!?? No felafel!? No cheese crepes!? No cheese panini!? No nothin'!

At similar types of festivals in Australia there are copious amounts of choice for veggies. France lived up to its reputation here. Luckily there was still beer, albeit in small plastic cups. "It's all going in my blogg" I complained as I continued the vain search for food ... and now it has.

Next time we will take our own food, that explains why there were so many people picnicing there.

After the vain search for food, we were torn between watching Suicidal Tendencies in the ROCK! tent or Gossip on the main stage.

We decided to see what the Gossip hoohah was all about, but whilst waiting on the hill for Gossip to start, they were the only band to come on late throughout the day, we heard an almighty hardcore racquet from our favourite corner of the festival and decided to check that out.

We found Dillinger Escape Plan were playing early and caught a few songs from their very energetic set. These guys were constantly moving around the stage, up on the monitors, bouncing around each other, even crowd surfing and playing guitar at the same time and were very hardcore.

But Gossip were also meant to be playing, and they have been getting a lot of press here in Paris recently. Also I like what they stand for, they're a queer band, screwing with people's perceptions of body image, playing a mix of rock and disco ....

Sadly the hype didn't live up to the reality. They were playing what to my ears was a bland mix of disco and soul. Sure, Beth Ditto has a strong voice, but so does Mariah Carey, it doesn't make her any less boring. A local french magazine Snatch featured an article on the band where they were compared to Christina Aguilera ... and I think I agree with him.

And why do Gossip have a fourth member (the bass player) who is never represented in their media coverage? It was time to wander back to catch the end of the set by Dillinger Escape Plan, much more fun!

The moment Dillinger Escape Plan ended we rushed over to the second main stage for the band we had been most anticipating, Mogwai. It has been far too many years since we have been in the same city as Mogwai, the last time was in Sydney in October 2002! That night they played with ... and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead ... man! that was some gig! And way before I even started this blog, which seems to have existed forever.

This time we were second row!!

Mogwai opened with Auto Rock from their kick ass Mr Beast album. From there they just took everything a notch higher. The sound from Mogwai is always huge, but they also have almost silent moments ... at one stage the only sound was from Stuart Braithwait gently caressing the neck of his guitar, producing a gentle bowing sound not too dissimilar to an ebow. The rest of the band were silent. The entire crowd was silent, as if holding its breath. I whispered to Elizabeth to look at how he was playing the guitar to create this sound ... suddenly the band burst back into life, louder than ever before! What a moment!

Mogwai are considered by many to be at the fore of the Post Rock movement, but to my ears they manage to continue to evolve whilst remaining primarily within the instrumental genre. Their set tonight was too short to prove this point, the band finished with Batcat from their latest album The Hawk Is Howling ... again they were only on stage for 50 minutes and the time flew by far too quickly.

But while trying to take a photo of the stage after their set finished I managed to score one of the band's plectrums, which will be an appropriate memento of a guitar based group I have admired for over 11 years now, being lucky enough to stumble across their track Tracy on the January 1998 issue of Total Guitar magazine.

Suicidal Tendencies were playing in the corner circus tent, but sadly by this stage it was time to join the queue for the navette back to the train station and on to the (after) midnight train back to Paris.

It was a friendly festival, great fun in one corner of the festival, fairly well organised apart from the complete lack of veggie food. I got my "Furia" plastic beer cup and Mogwai plectrum momentos for the day, and lots of good memories.

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

The Arkitekts

2009-06-30T00:50:00.005+10:00

The Arkitekts are a French independent rock/pop trio who formed in the middle of November 2003.

But their musical roots go back to the 1990s when front man on guitar and vocals David Law and drummer Vortex shared the stage in the group Flyshoes, who played about 300 concerts in France.

With the addition of Tom Bass on bass guitar and keyboard (often played at the same time!) to complete the trio, The Arkitekts play an interesting mix of slightly goth, slightly grunge, slightly psychadelic, slightly epic guitar rock ... maybe think The Doors meet Bauhaus downstairs at an avante-blues jam in a prog rock squat.

I caught The Arkitekts playing at La Fête de la Musique and enjoyed their set thoroughly, probably spending an hour of the evening enjoying their tunes ... I even bought the CD, Parfums du Silence.

One of the things I enjoyed about their live set was the utilisation of two microphones by David Law, one was connected directly into their PA, but the other microphone was first passed through a delay (or reverb?) effect pedal which enabled the vocalist to create some unique and cavernous vocal sounds. It is certainly a nice little trick I will be experimenting with when I get back home to my collection of musical toys.

Also Tom Bass’ uncanny ability to play both bass guitar and keyboards at the same time helped to add several layers of sound to the mix

The band were entertaining and really tight and created a huge sound for a three piece, with a mix of soft and hard rock sounds, often used to build tension within the songs. There was also a regular group of onlookers enjoying their set at La Fête de la Musique.

Ring My Bell

2009-06-08T18:29:00.004+10:00

This blog has been a labour of love and loath for over four and a half years now. It is always a time consuming process to manage the posts, researching bands or contemplating gigs, choosing and uploading photographs and writing the posts.

In that time Something Old, Something New has received over half a million hits, a (small) number of thoughtful emails and comments, an equally small number of emails and comments slightly less thoughtful, far too many emails with nothing to do with music or what is posted here and a handful of downright rude emails and comments. This is my blog and I choose which comments are posted.

Writing this blog also enabled me to purchase tickets to The Triffids show at PIAF after they had sold out, thanks to Mr Graham Lee.

But apart from that I haven't received anything for the many hundreds of hours which this blog has consumed ... all by my choice I admit.

Recently I received a rude and nasty email deriding the quality and composition of the gig photographs taken by me and posted here, referring specifically to The Triffids PIAF event.

A day or so later I was advised that one of the very same photographs were shortlisted to appear in the online tourist guide Schmap.

I have had a number of other photographs taken around the world published in Schmap, but it was nice to receive some recognition for the blog content, particularly in the light of the amount of negative and neutral responses generally received.

This photograph has since been accepted and published in the Schmap guide ... it's here if you're interested.

January 2010 will be the fifth anniversary of this blog and most likely also it's demise.

It appears that most visitors are only in search of free music, and the tracks which I post are usually rare and always very short lived ... many of the emails I have received are requests for the re-posting of songs ... if you missed it the first time around, then it's too late, too bad. I'm more about posting information on and links to the bands than their music. And that's another reason for taking a step away.

Something Old, Something New will remain online as an archive of links and references, particularly for some old bands from Perth which otherwise have no online presence, but there won't be any additional posts.

In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the music which rocks my world. There's still some life in the old boy yet, but the tinnitus is setting in.

The Jesus Lizard V's Sunn O))) V's Men Without Pants @ Villette Sonique, Paris

2009-05-31T19:05:00.007+10:00

Villette Sonique is an annual music event in Paris aimed showcasing new and old Rock, Pop and Electro artists ... this blurb is from their website

Will Future in music pass by a return to primitive instincts? These days, everybody speaks about tribalism, tropicalism and the new sound sensations quest. Villette Sonique 2009 takes place right in this mutation with a line up out of the usual musical boundaries. Following a breathtaking 2008 edition with rare bands performing amazing concerts (Devo, Shellac, Throbbing Gristle), this year’s leitmotiv is an unstoppable metronome.

We caught the opening night in the Grand Halle which was a bit of a rock all-sorts evening.

Men Without Pants were playing as we arrived, purported to be a "supergroup" composed of Dan The Automater (Gorillaz) and Russel Simmins (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion).

The live band only featured Russel Simmins. I love JSBX, they are a favourite live experience (especially when Jon Spencer is on fire with his "Elvis meets Jerry Lee via the bastard soul of a satanically possessed southern preacher man" persona) but Men Without Pants had none of that attitude. Simmins is a great drummer, but there were only a few interesting songs, and there was little interaction with the crowd. Russel Simins just walked off stage as soon as he had finished drumming for the last track without even acknowledging the crowd, or the rest of the group who were still doing their thing. They certainly weren't a supergroup, go and see Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

I have seen Sunn O))) before and know what to expect from their performance ... lots of extremely distorted, slowly strummed, heavily sustained chords, lots of smoke and the sartorial splendour of a medieval monk. That was exactly what we got.

Tonight SUNN O))) were performing The GrimmRobe Demos, but to my ears it wasn't that different to the gig I saw in Brisbane when they were touring Altar, an album they recorded and toured with Boris.

There was much smoke, much raised fists and slow punching of the air, much slow sustained, distorted chords, much more smoke, much holding guitars aloft to increase the grace bestowed upon them by their god of sustained, distorted chords, much more smoke ... and robes with hoods.

Sunn O))) are a bit of a joke for me ... a Jim Carrey type of joke with only one facet; he pulls "funny" faces; they play slowly strummed, heavily sustained, majorly distorted chords. I get it. I like the guitar sound but after 15 minutes it gets a bit dull. And they have all the stage presence of watching a fire without the flame. They were even booed after the set finished, although there were many fans with fists aloft at the front of the stage who seemed (un)happy enough.

Then The Jesus Lizard took to the stage as a part of their current reunion tour. Opening with a diatribe on the crappiness of the first two bands, which I didn't completely disagree with, they then proceeded to tear the venue apart.

There was much stage diving, crowd surfing and spitting, and that was just from front man David Yow ... the audience joined in too. The power and energy from the stage was palpable.

Microphones were destroyed, kids kept invading the stage, sweat, spit and beer covered the stage, bodies leapt and were passed over one another, and still the music threatened and pounded.

The Jesus Lizard were the saving band of the night. Go and see them on their reunion tour.

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Pierre Henry @ Théâtre de la Cité Internationale, Paris

2009-05-25T02:37:00.006+10:00

Almost a month ago we were lucky enough to see one of the elder statesmen of electronic and experimental music in France, Pierre Henry, performing live at a six night spectacular of music and dance celebrating his amazing creations at Théâtre de la Cité Internationale.

Pierre Henry was possibly the first formally educated musician to devote his energies to the (then) newly evolving electronic medium. He was a member of the first group responsible for the development of musique concrète, one which often utilises "found sounds" and "synthesised sounds" rather than traditional instruments or voices and it does not necessarily contain elements traditionally thought of as 'musical', such as melody, harmony or rhythm.

At the event there were two dance performances using music created by Pierre Henry, but I'm not a big fan of dance so won't say very much about this. The man himself, assisted by Bernadete Mangin, played pieces which - over the six nights - spanned his career from 1950 until 2006.

For his performance, Pierre Henry was assisted to the front row of the audience, also facing the stage. On the dark stage there were a large collection of different speakers all facing towards the artist and the audience.

The room was darkened and (for our night) found sounds, creaking doors and windows, entered from the speakers on stage and surrounding the audience. We were then treated to an hour of electronic squeeks and belches, found sounds and synthesised stabs. It was great fun to see such a master at work.

Among his best known works is the experimental 1967 album Messe pour le temps présent, one of several co-operations with choreographer Maurice Béjart, which features the popular track "Psyché Rock."

In 1970 Henry collaborated with the British rock band Spooky Tooth on the album Ceremony and he also collaborated with The Violent Femmes for their 1998 track "A Story".

But I can safely say that Pierre Henry's best-known influence on contemporary popular culture is via the theme song of the TV series Futurama . The tune is inspired by / a tribute to / ripped off from (choose your own position) Henry's 1967 composition "Psyché Rock", posted here for (as usual) only a few days for your listening pleasure.

Pierre Henry - Psyche Rock

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Hommage to Alvin Lucier @ Saint Merry, Paris

2009-05-09T00:09:00.006+10:00

Last Saturday there was a very interesting music/performance/science experiment at Saint Merri, this time celebrating Alvin Lucier.

Two pieces were presented, Music for Solo Performer (from 1965) which is a performance for enormously amplified brain waves and percussion and Music on a Long Thin Wire (from 1977) which is a sound installation for audio oscillator and electronic monochord.

Alvin Lucier was an american composer and music professor who was most famous for his more experimental compositions. His performances were sonic science experiments as much as musical experiences, often creating relatively simple sounds and allowing them to forge a life of their own within the performance space.

The prelude to Music for Solo Performer was as entertaining, and almost as long, as the performance itself. The audience arrived for the scheduled start of the evening's performance and were treated to the artists still preparing the event, with a selection of percussion instruments spread across the stage.

Each of these was to be triggered by EEG electrodes attached to an artist's scalp (which we also witnessed being applied). The EEG machine (lent to the performers for the evening by a local hospital) detected bursts of alpha waves generated when the wired artist achieves a meditative, non-visual brain state. These alpha waves are then amplified and the resulting electrical signal is used to vibrate the various percussion instruments distributed around the performance space.

It really was as much a piece of science and theatre as a musical performance, with the rattling of plastic, metal, wood and water attached to or spread across the other end of the EEG machine creating something more akin to a clatter than anything resembling rhythm or melody, but it was a much appreciated and very entertaining performance which I enjoyed immensely.

It was then time for the artists to clear the percussion instruments and EEG machine from the stage and to set up the next piece. But this provided an opportunity to wander through Saint Merry, with only the distant glow of the lights from the stage and the nearby candles with the early evening light filtering through the stained glass windows.

For the performance of Music on a Long Thin Wire a 50(?) foot length of wire was strung across a section of the church and activated by an amplified oscillator and magnets on either end, producing changing overtones and sounds. The wave of the tone created was changing quite subtley during the performance and as we moved around the cavernous space of Saint Merry the quality of the sounds changed further.

As the artist adjusted the modulation settings on his effect pedal, and also fully stabilised the slightly off-balance table to which one end of the wire was attached, this in turn impacted the tonal quality of the single note being generated. This note continued to feed off itself within the various cavernous areas of the large church.

Both pieces were interesting, entertaining and amazing works to see in the vast, dark space of Saint Merry.

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Bruxelles Sonic 2009 @ la Maison des métallos, Paris

2009-04-10T21:12:00.011+10:00

Bruxelles Sonic 2009 was billed as a night celebrating the Belgian electronique and Post-Rock music scene.

We arrived at la Maison des métallos early enough to wander around listening to the "environment sonore" created by Jerome Deuson, which was on a constant loop for the entire evening, and to wander around the various spaces of the venue.

The event proper began with The Aktivistv and Natalia De Mello, an audiovisual performance par excellence. The stage was completely darkened and an off key banjo/guitar sample skewed and slewed through the darkened room. A light clicked on a desk, and in turn on the screen behind the stage, and we were introduced to the audiovisual component of the set.

In real-time (apart from some minutes of pre-recorded video) Natalia De Mello manipulated her collection of items on the table including magnets and metal objects, compact discs, pen and paper to create stunning images which were projected onto the screen behind them. The accompanying soundscape was an interesting blend of organic samples and subtle electronica and the music and visuals worked very well together.

It was a mesmerising experience, childlike yet evocative. Undoubtedly the highlight of the evening. Bravo!

Next up was Christophe Bailleau who played a very dance-based set slightly reminiscent of Fuck Buttons but without being quite so manic and without their groovy old suitcase of toys.

With a DVD of his own images playing on the screen behind him, Christophe worked with a repeated layer of techno beat over which he manipulated sounds from what appeared to be an ipod, and something which sounded like a theremin, messing with the frequencies and throwing in additional sampled sounds to augment the underlying dance beat. Great fun even if no one in the audience was dancing.

The last band for the evening were aMute, which I expected to be the post-rock segment of the evening, as the first two acts fell firmly into the electronic genre. But the band leant more towards bland euro-indie and nowhere near post-rock, with no instrumental tracks. Their sound also didn't really suit the first two performances.

They also seemed to have sound troubles, with lots of feedback early in the set which never helps. But some were their own problems, such as not switching on the effect manipulating the vocals. If you're gonna have a lot of toys you need to know how to use them guys. It was kind of distracting.

So sadly it really wasn't my thing, a little bit psychadelic, a little bit melodramatic, and there seemed to be some wierd dynamics between the band members. The set included some nice guitar work, a great drummer, but a little too much posturing without the substance to back it. Although they can obviously play, I'm use to Aussie bands who, when they rock out, they really kick some ass. But aMute are apparently very sucessful, so kudos to them.

For me, the night belonged to The Aktivistv and Natalia De Mello.

One Second Riot V's Mono @ Glazart, Paris

2009-04-01T04:50:00.008+10:00

Glaz’art is a groovy music space in the 19th arrondissement (north east corner of Paris) which features all types of music but on Friday March 27 it presented a night of Post Rock and Noise. It is a small and skinny venue, and was very crowded on this cold Parisien evening, so securing a standing position with a view of the stage was very difficult.

One Second Riot are a two piece from Lyon, France who create one hell of a fun noise, consisting of drums and bass/vocals/synthesizer, plus a nice collection of movie soundtrack samples. They played a great collection of songs occasionally leaning towards the post rock, instrumental direction but with their sound more rooted in noise and punk. Quite disconcertingly, and unexpectedly, most tracks had english lyrics, as were the filmtrack samples which were played to complement the music.

With the bass player mixing it up between creating looped sounds from his (often distorted) Rickenbacker bass and creating blips and washes from his synth (or visa versa) and screaming and singing, it was a noisy, uptempo set and a great first rock band to see in Paris.

I enjoyed One Second Riot enough to buy their CD.

Mono are a favourite band who we last caught in Brisbane. They have been in hibernation for the last year working on the new album which they have just released and are currently touring in support of, Hymn to the Immortal Wind. Much of the set came from this album.

It was a tough gig for the band and for some of the audience. Unlike the events at 104, which were very civilized, Glaz’art is a music venue not too dissimilar to the pubs I usually see bands in back home, and this encourages all sorts of people.

Tonight there was a growing babble of noise from the bar at the back of the venue and a group of dickheads were constantly talking loudly throughout the entire gig, while standing quite close to the stage, and despite people everyone around them trying to shush them, they didn’t give a shit and even seemed to enjoy this fact.

I don’t know if the band were aware of this, if they were they ignored it and put on a huge and long show.

When I last saw Mono in Brisbane in August 2007 it was a very *rock* performance with much (albeit controlled) posturing and gesturing, but tonight the boys playing guitar spent most of the evening seated. I’m not sure if this was because they were in the early phases of playing the new album and found this more comfortable, or to enable access to their effect pedals to tweak the delayed sounds, or what. But in the confined space of Glaz’art it made the difficult viewing even harder.

But luckily Mono are all about the music, and what cavernous music they played. Moving from moments of gentle guitar or piano so subtle they couldn’t be heard over the inane chatter of the dickheads nearby to thunderous delay on delay on delayed guitar with riotous drum and bass creating a sound to wake the gods.

After playing a number of new tracks the boys arose to play a few established tunes, to the huge approval of the crowd, and some posturing and gesturing ensued.

The gig seemed to end far too early, although it must have been close to a two hour set, and as is my want I bought the Mono t-shirt in celebration of my first favourite gig in Paris.

But there are many more months and many more gigs to look forward to, and now that I am no longer working and (will eventually) have internet access (once my lazy landlady gets her act together) in Paris there will also be many more posts. In the meantime, praise free wifi and the Centre Georges Pompidou

Mono - Ashes In The Snow

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Philip Jeck V's KK Null @ 104, Paris

2009-03-31T04:10:00.005+10:00

104 (centre quatre) was built in 1894 and was once a funeral house in the north east of Paris. In a rather well publicised and redevelopment the building was converted into a public art space consisting of numerous studios and performance halls which opened in 2008.

Only a day after arriving in Paris we discovered that Philip Jeck and KK Null, amongst others, were to play free gigs there as a part of the Présences électronique 2009 festival.

First up on a late Friday afternoon was a “Concert couché” with Philip Jeck. It was a fun and slightly wierd set with much vinyl sampling and manipulating mixed with a collection of electronic washes, blips and scrapes. From our viewing position on the floor in the dark there was little to see, but that was the idea and the sounds created a world of their own.

Philip Jeck works with old turntables, a couple of Casio SK1’s, mixers, delay effect pedals and more to create his unique sonic spaces.

We arrived too late on the Sunday night to gain admittance to the hall for prolific noise artist KK Null’s performance, not knowing seats could be reserved on the internet, nor even having internet access, but we could still sit outside the performance space and watch the man at work on the video screen.

KK Null has released over 100 albums in the last quarter of a century, propelling him to the forefront of experimental music around the world.

Unlike the laptop based performances by which preceded it, by KK Null used a couple of mini synthesisers (I couldn’t tell what they were from the video projection) to create his wall of noise and mayhem. Even outside via the smaller speakers in the space where we viewed the show you could sense the power of the music.

Both shows were a great introduction to our visit to Paris and we look forward to many more musical performances over the next few months.

If you are in Paris and are aware of any shows we may want to attend (I think you can see what music interests me from this blog), please leave a comment and let us know.

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

The Triffids @ PIAF

2009-03-24T20:41:00.006+10:00

I last saw the The Triffids play live in 1987, first in July at the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen and then in October at the Town and Country Club in London. This was during one of the times when the band were trying to break into the European market, with some level of success, and they were really well received at both gigs.

But those shows, and the earlier ones I was lucky enough to witness during their formative years in Perth, were worlds apart from the performance in February 2009 at the Perth International Arts Festival due to the absence of songwriter and band leader David McComb, whose untimely death had occurred almost 10 years to the day of the PIAF gigs.

I must start with a huge thank you to “Evil” Graham Lee for enabling me to obtain tickets to the gig after they had all sold out within days (I wasn’t sure I would still be in Perth when the concerts were first announced).

The Triffids have now performed a small number of these tribute/reunion gigs around the world over the last few years, but this is the first time they have performed in Perth since the death of Dave McComb on February 2nd 1999 and the subsequent, unintentional demise of the Triffids.

A number of celebrity Australian artists joined the remaining Triffids on stage including possibly one of the country’s hardest working musicians, Mick Harvey, Bruce Haymes who played piano for much of the evening, Steve Kilbey, Toby Martin, Melanie Oxley and a number of Perth musicians including the sadly under-appreciated but highly talented Rob Snarski and his brother Mark Snarski (both of the Black Eyed Susans, another group formed in WA by Dave McComb) and members of bands including Youth Group and Kill Devil Hills.

We were lucky enough to be sitting relatively close to the stage next to two over-excited old friends who make my Triffids fandom and geekiness seem small in comparison, which only added to the enjoyment. My little sister and her husband were also in the audience, lucky enough to have scored celebrity-class tickets, including free booze, and other friends were dotted around the venue, so it was nice to be able to relive the experience after the event.

We attended the first of three nights of the “A Secret in the Shape of a Song” celebration and were to enjoy over three hours of music, images and words in honor of the life and musical work of David McComb and the Triffids.

And what better way to celebrate the man than through his music.

The songs performed covered from their earliest releases on vinyl through to the solo works and collaborations of Dave McComb and for most of the evening all of the remaining Triffids were on stage.

We were treated to the haunting Nico-esque vocals and keyboards of Jill Birt; the evocative violin and guitar of Robert McComb; the constantly busy bass of Martyn Casey (surely one of this countries best bass players, just listen to some of his work on the earlier Triffids recordings, let alone his work with the Bad Seeds), the depth and colors of the pedal steel of Graham Lee and the steadfast drumming of Alsy MacDonald.

Alsy, the only person to play with Dave McComb throughout every incarnation of the Triffids, also opened the evening, saying “It’s been 20 years since we played in Perth. If it feels strange for you, imagine how strange it feels for us.”

There was also an MC for the evening in the form of ex-Moodist “Handsome” Steve Miller. This worked to a degree although he did occasionally head in a rather surreal direction, and there were moments of perplexity on the faces of the performers during some of his monologues. But it did provide some continuity while different musicians were introduced to the audience.

There were several heartfelt monologues delivered on the life of Dave McComb throughout the evening, including one by his elder brother John discussing their childhood experiences with a slideshow of old, previously unseen, family photos.

This included reliving their experiences living in The Cliffe, the McComb family home in Peppermint Grove, which has recently had its heritage listing removed and as such now has created an unknown future for the property.

Sadly this attitude is typical of the “vision” of the politicians in Perth, to my eyes and experience a city with no concern for the value of its own (very short) history and as such it has grown into a bland, characterless city incapable of celebrating anything beyond sports and business “stars”.

To help save the old McComb family home from being demolished or turned into tea rooms or a retirement home (don’t laugh, several of the pubs I used to play gigs in have now been converted into retirement homes), you can sign the petition to save The Cliffe.

It has always been the earlier Triffids songs I most enjoy and quite a few from this period were performed during the night including Red Pony, Bad Timing, Spanish Blue, Property is Condemned, Beautiful Waste, Lonely Stretch and Bright Lights, Big City … the last two of which (along with the classic Wide Open Road) Steve Kilbey of the Church performed ably, although seemingly distant from the Triffids themselves, often parading at the front of the stage. He was also notably absent at the end of the night (the only musician not in attendance for the entire evening).

I am writing this review a month after the event, but some of the other Triffids songs which I remember being played on the night include The Seabirds, Place in the Sun, Too Hot to Move, In the Pines, Kelly’s Blues, Raining Pleasure, Goodbye Little Boy, Tarralup Bridge, Bury Me Deep in Love, Jerdacuttup Man, A Trick of the Light, Steal It All, Tender is the Night (The Long Fidelity) … and many more. Does anyone have a set list, or even better a desk recording, from any of these events?

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of music and over three hours later there were still many songs written by David McComb which could have been featured, in itself a recognition of the amazing work of this sadly under-rated man.

As is my want, and usual practice, I enjoyed the gig so much that I bought the t-shirt, the third Triffids shirt I have owned in my life.

I will probably never see the Triffids play live again, but now I have seen them with my wife, the lovely Dr E, who seemed to enjoy the evening as much as I did (and also bought a shirt, creating a bobsie twin dilemma for the future).

If you want to know more about the Triffids, check out the blog entry I wrote on them about 3 years ago. It was a labor of love and you will find it here

If you want to help the McComb family and their supporters save the Cliffe, and perhaps provide an opportunity for the future to celebrate the legacy of (one of) Perth’s greatest songwriter(s), go sign the petition.

To celebrate this unique event in a Something Old, Something New manner, I have posted a baker’s dozen of rare and early recordings, some available on the home made “tape” releases, which the Triffids would later rerecord in the studio. Be quick, as usual this won’t be available for long.

Song // First Appeared On // Released On
Little Voices // Tape Four // Treeless Plain
Farmers Never Visit Nightclubs // Tape Five // Stand Up single
A Place In The Sun // Tape Six // Treeless Plain
Reverie // Tape Six // Reverie ep
Stand Up // Tape Six // Stand Up single
Bad Timing // Dungeon Tape // Bad Timing ep
Madeline // Dungeon Tape // Treeless Plain
Too Hot to Move Too Hot to Think // Dungeon Tape // The Black Swan
Red Pony // Son of Dungeon Tape // Treeless Plain
The Long Fidelity // Jack Brabham Tape // Born Sandy Devotional
One Soul Less On Your Fiery List // In The Pines // Calenture
Trick Of The Light // In The Pines // Calenture
Kelly's Blues // In The Pines // Calenture

The Triffids - A Secret In The Shape Of A Song

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:-

A Something Old year .... so far

2009-03-17T23:54:00.003+10:00

It seems to have been a year of attending gigs by bands who have broken up and reformed or no longer exist than seeing much new music.

Last month I caught the newly reunited and original line up of the Stray Cats.

And I was also lucky enough, thanks to the intervention of Mr Graham Lee, to attend the wonderful reunion/celebration gig by The Triffids in their home town.

Added to this is the old bands I caught at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

I've also been busy for the last few months working, packing up two houses (in Perth and Brisbane) and following Dr E to Paris where she is working and we will be living for the next 4.5 months. This has meant that blog posts and visitations have been few and far between so far this year.

Does anyone still visit this little corner of the blog-o-sphere? The number of visitors is slowly climbing to 500 000, so they must.

Do you want to hear about my experiences and opinions on gigs I've been to? I've already seen KK Null and Philip Jeck since arriving in Paris.

Or would you like to hear some of the Perth (especially 1980's era) music which I digitised while living back there for the last 8 months?

I plan to do some more blogging now that I am a man of leisure ... feel free to comment.

Afrirampo, Dead Meadow and Fuck Buttons @ All Tomorrow's Parties, Brisbane

2009-01-19T20:50:00.002+10:00

It was back to the Powerhouse for the final night of Brisbane’s disjointed version of the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and as a whole, this was to be my favourite evening.

I was lucky enough to be at the very front and centre for most of the performances, except when a very rude and insisted Fuck Buttons fan kept squeezing in before their set started, after which she stood transfixed, seemingly unmoved by the power of their music – surely it should be about the music, not some idol-esque, blind adulation?

Afrirampo started off the proceedings with a quick jog through the sparse crowd and then up to the stage where they unleashed their noise rock ‘n’ roll to the slowly growing audience.

Afrirampo formed in 2002, evolving from the avante-garde music scene in Osaka, and consist of two young Japanese women playing guitar and drums and sharing vocal and between song banter duties. They are cute and noisy in equal parts and managed to convey both during their very energetic and joyous set of psychedelic noise rock at the Powerhouse.

They ended the show carried through the now much larger audience on the shoulders of two guys from the crowd, encouraging the audience to participate in the chorus of their final song.

Mayhem and mischief abounded throughout this fun set but they left too early for me to buy their home made CD (maybe next time?).

Afrirampo - Nakimushikemushi Goodbye!

Next up were Dead Meadow who played a very strong set of seventies rock with a few long, very groovy jams and some relatively short rockers. My head was shaking and my body swaying for the entire set of tunes which took me back to the music of my youth. Rockin' fun indeed!

Dead Meadow formed in Washington in 1998 and have experienced a few minor line up changes in their time. Their sound has also alternated between heavy seventies rock and psychedelic stoner rock.

But tonight it was the heavy end of the rock spectrum the audience was entertained with and the band received a very good reception, including a few gifts bestowed upon them (a bottle of soju and a hippy pouch which, if all is right in the world, contained some wicked pot).

Dead Meadow were my find of the festival, thanks guys! (but why no CDs on sale?)

Dead Meadow - Indian Bones

Finally ATP favourites Fuck Buttons dragged their suitcase of electronic goodies on to the stage and set to destroy the hearing of all within earshot with their experimental noise (although there is melody hidden beneath) tracks.

Fuck Buttons formed in late 2004 and in 2008 released their debut, and my album of the year for last year, Street Horrrsing. Hearing this played live was a most amazing experience.

The band were very well received by the enthusiastic audience, especially a small group of lads a few rows back who were jumping around and hollering in support.

They ended with a track I didn’t recognise and which bodes well for future quality output from Fuck Buttons. I for one can't wait! I had so much fun I bought the t-shirt.

Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love For Planet Earth

Huge thanks go out to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for curating such a great fun festival and to all of the bands (with one obvious, local exception) for putting on such quality performances. All Tomorrow's Parties is now my favourite oz music festival and next year I may have to travel to Sydney or Melbourne to enjoy the full festival experience.

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

All Tomorrow's Parties, Brisbane Riverstage

2009-01-18T15:03:00.008+10:00

The All Tomorrow’s Parties full day festival in Brisbane was held at the Riverstage, surrounded by the Brisbane River on one side and nudged up against the Botanical Gardens, a lovely location for this music festival generally aimed at, and certainly attended by, a more mature audience.

We arrived on a hot summer’s afternoon to a venue with little shade to catch most of soul / jazz / guitar legend James Blood Ulmer’s performance, who played a very personable and enjoyable bluesy set.

It must have been disconcerting for the artists performing early in the afternoon, as the majority of the audience directly in front of the stage were standing in the limited available shade. This meant most were gathered primarily to one side of the stage, as the sun moved across the sky.

The heat was still evident when the avante-jazz trio The Necks took to the stage to play an interesting set-long jam, as is their want. I have seen these guys a few times now and they never disappoint. With only upright bass, piano and drums The Necks create a myriad of sounds and textures. My second favourite set of the day.

After The Necks we retreated to the shade of the hill amongst the smokers to catch Robert Forster and his band play a collection of songs from his solo career and a few old Go-Betweens favourites. A very nice set of lovely songs it was too, with Robert in fine form, and slowly the crowd in front of the stage, and in the venue, continued to grow.

Spiritualized were on next and as the sun finally started to provide sufficient shade for the audience to fill out the ampitheatre the band launched into a selection of their psychedelic guitar tunes, with a few minor hits thrown in for good measure. With a seven piece band, including a two girl “choir” the band put out quite a sound.

Then it was back into the fray (to some extent, at least) to catch the set I had been waiting for.

The Saints were to play their debut album I’m Stranded in its entirety. Surely this album (and most certainly the single, widely accepted as the first punk single released) are part of the backbone of Australia’s alternative music scene.

The sun was setting, the bats were flying above our heads and there was anticipation in the air. I wasn’t too concerned when The Saints didn’t open with this signature tune, but it was soon evident that, in typical “fuck you” punk attitude, they were just playing a set of their choosing, which included a few tracks from their debut.

To my ears and heart it was a bit of a lacklustre performance, although it seems fair enough that the band wouldn’t maintain the aggression and attitude after over 30 years. Chris Bailey’s delivery missed the sneer-ey attitude of yore. Ed Kuepper thrashed at his guitar, but from my standing position his sound was criminally way too low in the mix.

There was no interaction between these two famously antagonistic personalities, and as the set progressed, during many of the moments when he wasn’t singing, Chris Bailey was repeatedly and over-dramatically gesturing towards Ed Kuepper in a weird deferential way. I couldn’t get my head around it.

The Saints set had a few highlights, but it didn’t meet my admittedly rather high expectations, especially after hearing the excellent reports from their Pig City show last year. They didn’t even play the song I’m Stranded? To their home town?? But they did choose to play the cover version track Kissin’ Cousins??? Go figure … and maybe go see The Laughing Clowns.

But don’t take my word for it, Bob over at That Striped Sunlight Sound was closer to the stage and has some great photos of many of the bands from the latter half of the day, and he loved the Saints show …. Check out Bob’s blog entry here

And then it was time for the headline band, and the curators of the festival.

The impeccably dressed Bad Seeds graced the stage to a roar only outdone when a very dapper looking Nick Cave also emerged. Undoubtedly the king of alternative music in Australia with a backing band containing members with successful solo careers of their own or members of many of the most famous bands this country has produced including The Triffids and The Dirty Three, many of the band still have successful international careers, a testament to their devotion to both Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds legacy.

The passage of 30 years hasn’t dampened Nick Cave or his band, in fact if anything he just keeps getting better as an entertainer.

They played tracks ranging from the new album Dig, Lazarus, Dig and even stretched back to the second album, From Her To Eternity, with the inclusion of my favourite track, Tupelo and a huge collection of hits from between these periods.

With the sonic mayhem of Warren Ellis (of The Dirty Three) and the strong foundation provided by career-long musical partner in crime, Mick Harvey, the Bad Seeds were brutal and beautiful.

The hour and a half long set was barely long enough. Long live the king!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tupelo

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

Harmonia @ All Tomorrow's Parties, Brisbane

2009-01-16T16:08:00.005+10:00

The All Tomorrow's Parties festival has finally made it to the (east coast of) Australia, so I just had to go east. It is being presented in Brisbane over 4 separate days, but what a wonderful (disjointed version of this amazing) festival it has been so far.

Harmonia opened the proceedings at the Powerhouse on Tuesday night with a set not too removed from many of the laptop performances of today.

Harmonia were a Krautrock supergroup consisting of members of Neu!, Kraftwerk and Cluster and also boasted one Brian Eno for short a period of time.

Although they only lasted from 1973-76, and played very few live shows at the time, Harmonia are considered to be one of the important forerunners of the experimental / electronic music scene.

The Powerhouse show saw the trio perched before a packed house and behind their laptops with a backdrop including images from their youth and the set included an interesting mix of ambient and electronic soundscapes. Many of the samples were pre-recorded and tweaked, although the inclusion of live (then looped and modified) electric guitar provided some semblance of cause and effect (one of my oft-stated problems with laptop performances).

It was interesting to see a photograph of the band playing live in 1974 projected onto the large screen behind them in comparison with the band performing today. In 1974 they had quite an arsenal of musical equipment, but today they were armed with only their small array of computers, effects and electronic bric-a-brac. The wonders of modern technology. See the posted photograph to get my meaning.

The set was played with typical German precision but a sense of humour also pervaded the performance, there was even a joke and laughter between the band and the amazing and at times mesmerising performance was reverently received by the appreciative crowd.

Brisbane (thanks largely to Lawrence English of Room 40 fame) has a vibrant experimental music scene and what better way to start the All Tomorrow's Parties celebration than Harmonia.

Stay tuned for more Something Old, Something New ramblings and opinions on the ATP festival over the coming days and weeks.

But in real time for me, as compared to whenever you may be reading this post, tonight is the noise component featuring Afrirampo, Dead Meadow and the amazing Fuck Buttons. Woo Hoo indeed!!

Harmonia - Dino

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

The Burger Kings (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2008-12-10T17:11:00.009+10:00

A little bit Elvis, a little bit Jerry Lee, a lot of Perth talent.

The Burger Kings play southern fried Elvisonic Rock & Roll and cool cabaret and consists of musicians who between them have played in a very large number of quality Perth bands over the decades.

Craig Wheel has played in seemingly countless bands including The Waltons, Deb, Love Pump and The Hoovers

Hugh Veldon is another local legend both fronting King Wasabi as well as his time behind the skins occupying the mild mannered persona of Martin Moon with numerous bands, perhaps most famously The Marigolds

Pete Stone has played in bands including Silent Type and The Never Never and is currently leading Peter Busher And The Lone Rangers

Howard Shawcross is one of the original bass players from the Perth music scene and has played with a multitude of bands including The Elks, Riptides, Dave Warner's From The Suburbs and The Jackals.

Simon Goodridge has previously played in Never Never

The Burger Kings have performed at the Big Day Out & even the Hopman Cup Ball. They are also playing this weekend at the Mustang Bar in Northbridge and are promising tunes from a wide range of influences with a big repertoire whacked along at a furious pace and interspersed with southern style jokes & anecdotes.

here's a track from one of Craig's earlier bands, The Waltons, which will probably give you an idea of some of what to expect from the Burger Kings:-

The Waltons - Coca-Cola Is Coke

The Howling Desperados (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2008-12-10T10:16:00.003+10:00

The Howling Desperados, from way down deep in the West of Australia, saddled up and hit the trail in late 2007. They have quickly become the meanest bunch of no good, snake bellied, stone hearted killers on the whole of the Perth metropolitan alt-country music scene.

The Howling Desperados are all about playin’ original alt country music with style and havin’ a grand ole time doin’ it. So when folks come to their gigs they walk away smil’n and know'n they’ve just seen a kick ass band give’m a real honest ta goodness show.

My old mate Trent plays bass for these guys and he is the one to thank getting me into my first real (instead of back room or garage) band Two Faces of Culture (which morphed into As Is) and to play live and record properly.

Anyhoo .... you can expect an album from the Desperados in early 2009, so far they've independently released the EP “Howl If You’re Desperate” and you can hear some of their tracks on myspace.

Plus if you're in Perth this weekend, The Howling Desperados are playing with The Chevelles at the Amplifier Bar. Should be a good gig.

here's a track from the Howling Desperados recorded live in the rehearsal room:-

The Howling Desperados - Legend

Scant Regarde (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2008-11-16T09:40:00.004+10:00

Scant Regarde were (mostly) a three piece playing and recording in Perth between 1982 and 1984. They also spent some time touring the east of Australia

The band consisted of Ian Young on guitar and vocals, Andrew Yates playing drums, Norm Parkhill on bass and vocals and for the final month or so of the band's existence (and for the posted track) Kate Bent doing vocals and trumpet.

Between them the had previously played in a number of Perth bands including Eep Of The Gra, Photoplay, and would go on to play in Martha's Vineyard, Just Add Water and I Hear An Army.

To the best of my knowledge this 7" four track EP (Side A: Cabbage Hat - Virgin Head / Stretch. Side B: Animal Magic / Nocturne) was the only recorded product from Scant Regarde.

As you can probably tell, posts have been few and far between in recent months.

Partly I am losing interest in the whole blog thing, both writing and reading them.

And partly I am too busy having a life back in my home town of Perth, catching up with old buddies, seeing my family, making new friends, playing music, creating a vegie garden to feed Dr E and me over the summer months, trying to encourage my nephew to play guitar.

One project I have finally set up is the burning of my vinyl, including old Perth bands. So some of the future posts will contain ever less information, as the bands from Perth in the 1980s have left very few permanent records, unlike the plethora of information available on bands today, thanks to the online world.

If anyone has any further information on Scant Regarde, or any of the bands I post in the near future, please let me know and I will update the post.

Scant Regarde - Cabbage Hat - Virgin Head

Kno Matter (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2008-10-01T12:17:00.014+10:00

Kno Matter played many gigs in the mid 1980's and were often as celebrated for their stage performance as for their musical abilities.

Drummer Russ Wilson had played in a number of well respected Perth original bands including Devils On Horseback and vocalist and guitarist Matt Wilson would go on to help create local circus troup Bizircus and eventually become a part of the legendary Circus Oz.

Some of Kno Matter would also go on to form party band extraordinaire the Bad Music Billies. Those guys played the soundtrack to some outrageous parties.

I have already posted a live track from Kno Matter, playing at the Red Parrot, but this is the A side to their only release (that I am aware of, at least).

Kno Matter - Criticize

Analog Mike

2008-08-28T21:05:00.010+10:00

Analog Mike is a composer, musician and music hobbyist who began playing original music in "alternative" bands (Two Faces of Culture, As Is) and "sixties garage/surf guitar" band (The Hoovers) before moving on to writing and recording experimental, minimalist and ambient soundscapes.

Analog Mike's track Home Soon, in collaboration with Brisbane Poet
Michelle Dicinoski's words and images, was recently announced as the winner of the Queensland Poetry Festival 2008 filmmakers challenge for a work that "explores the possibilities of poetic expression via audio visual technology."

Here is the winning entry:-

Posted below is the track Home Soon in its entirety plus a bonus track from Analog Mike.

Check out the links for more info and tunes and make sure you check out Analog Mike or his alter ego MAB.

Analog Mike - Home Soon

Analog Mike - Section 7-B

The Red Parrot - The Attic Tapes (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2008-07-27T11:17:00.005+10:00

I have been too busy moving back and setting up home, finding and starting a new job and catching up with friends and family to do any blogging ..... so to use a repost and continue the celebration of returning to Perth and posting music from my home town, here's a live compilation only ever released on cassette and of which I may have one of the few copies available.

The Red Parrot was the place to be seen (or should that be scene?) in Perth in the early to mid 1980's.

If my memory serves me right, these recordings were made at The Red Parrot over two nights, Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May, 1986.

As well as being the best night club in Perth (in my experience), it supported the local original music scene at a time when most pubs were only allowing cover bands to play. See the Kno Matter track "Playing Covers" for an obvious reference to this phenomenon. The Red Parrot was also the venue where many national and international bands played.

I still haven't had the time to break these tracks up, so here you have side A and side B of the cassette. The track listing is:-

The Red Parrot - The Attic Tapes

Side A
The Holy Rollers - Afraid
Homecoming - Compromise
The Waltons - My Husband Beats Me
The Moment - G Dead
The Marigolds - Down By The River

Side B

Erol H Tout - The Sound Of Swimming
Kno Matter - Playing Covers
Greenhouse Effect - Rhyme Without Reason
The Kryptonics - Trapped Inside

The Attic Tapes
(this is the link to a zip file containing a song from all of the bands listed above)

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2008-06-26T10:14:00.002+10:00

My belongings (well, some of my guitars, music stuff, books and clothes) are already on their way from Brisbane to Perth and I am only a few days behind .... so this will be my last post from Brisbane.

With a very heavy heart I am leaving my beloved Dr. E in Brisbane (and to her overseas conferences) and awaiting her first visit to Perth in only a few weeks time.

But I am also looking forward to spending time with my family and friends back home.

To celebrate this occasion, I have returned to an old theme of cover versions, and this song seems most appropriate.

J Mascis - Leaving On A Jet Plane

PJ Harvey & Bjork - Leaving On A Jet Plane

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Leaving On A Jet Plane

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

Perthection (returning home redux edition)

2008-06-20T10:25:00.006+10:00

Ten years later and I am moving back to my hometown of Perth to live amongst my family and friends for more than a long weekend at a time.

This also means that I will again have access to the vinyl which has been locked away for all of that time ... so this blog's voyeurs can look forward to future posts on the music I listened to all of those years ago.

As usual there will be some new, old music from Perth as well as many "lost" Australian bands from the 1970s and 1980s. Personally I can't wait to revisit my old singles including such classic Perth bands as Kno Matter, The Triffids, King Pig, the Marigolds, the Stems ... and much, much more which I have undoubtedly forgotten about after all these years.

To celebrate I have revisited this old mix of Perth bands from the 1970's through to the end of the millenia, when I left Perth and moved to Sydney (and then on to Brisbane).

This mix moves from punk to pub rock, surf instros to post-punk, guitar pop and more. This is only the surface of some of the great music that has come from, and continues to be created in, Perth - the world's most isolated city.

Most of these bands I saw live, many I saw numerous times, some I just liked, others I played in, or played gigs with. But it provides an idea of how vibrant the Perth music scene was. Check out the links (within links) if you want to find out more about any of these bands.

The bands featured are the same as for the previous post ... but for long-time voyeurs, and I hope that there are a few of you, I have changed some of the tracks posted ... but which ones?

As always, you need be quick as this mix won't be available for long and if you find something you like, go out and buy a copy for yourself, if you can track it down.

So Something Old, Something New presents "Perthection":-

As Is
The Bamboos
Chads Tree
Dave Warner’s From The Suburbs
Deb
Diddywah Hoodaddys
DM3
The Early Hours
The Feends
Flanders
Helicopters
The Holy Rollers
The Hoovers
The Jackals
Kno Matter
The Kryptonics
The Manikins
The Marigolds
Martha’s Vineyard
The Neptunes
Rabbits Wedding
Rhythm Method
The Rockets
The Scientists
The Stems
Superscope
The Triffids
The Victims
The Waltons
Tune Bureau
Valvolux
Verona
Wormfarm

For those of you who don't want to download this zip file, here are a couple of tracks from bands I played in last millenia which aren't included on this compilation.

As Is - Count To Ten

The Hoovers - I'm An Addict

Perthection
(this is the link to a zip file containing a song from all of the bands listed above)

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

Del Toro

2008-05-18T07:54:00.009+10:00

Del Toro played a strong but bass heavy set at The Powerhouse back in April. There is a great review of their set at kristiandomagala, along with supporting acts Do The Robot and An Horse.

Del Toro are an instrumental three-piece who formed in Brisbane in late 2004. Their sound has been compared to "something between Can and Kyuss" and also as "desert rock".

At times Del Toro play with the reverb tank, venturing into almost surf and hot-rod influenced sounds with plenty of distortion along for the ride, or they're leading you into a valley of spaghetti westerns or through a disjointed post rock musical landscape.

Although Del Toro live on a shifting landscape they play rock solid instrumental music both in the studio and live. Their latest tracks have just been released on the band's new album Hydra.

Check out the links for more info and tunes and make sure you check out Del Toro.

Del Toro - Hinge & Pluck

Del Toro - Sharpie

Caribou

2008-04-05T09:12:00.003+10:00

Well, it looks like the theme for this year is bands I have seen live (this year).

So ... on (or perhaps that should be back) to the shiny electro pop of Caribou who played a fun set at GOMA (the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art) in January this year.

There has been an excellent multi-media exhibition of the work and life of Andy Warhol. We enjoyed it so much we went twice, the second visit was on a Friday night and included beers and Caribou.

The four piece played a loud, live set augmented with their sample loaded lap top computer. There was much swapping of instruments and for different tracks there might be dual drummers, dual guitarists, dual lead vocalists ...

It was an unusual live set up with the two drum kits set up pretty much front and centre and Mr Caribou Dan Snaith edged to the front bouncing between guitar, keyboard, recorder, melodica, drum and vocal duties. Behind the band were projected some pretty groovy and very sixties influenced graphics.

The vocal harmonies, with a heavy nod to Brian Wilson, at the front of their latest album "Andorra" are ably managed in the live space by bass man Andy Lloyd and the band's glassy, psychedelic surf-pop is much more muscular in the live setting.

Caribou was originally a solo laptop musical venture which evolved from Dan's previous existence, Manitoba, who from 2000 released a number of E.P.s and albums.

Following a legal tussle with Richard "Handsome" Dick Manitoba (of the Dictators) who claimed trademark infringement against Dan Snaith for the use of the shared name, Caribou evolved from Manitoba and released their (his) debut under the new moniker in 2004.

The band really found their sound at around the same time and have released two very good albums in 2005's "The Milk of Human Kindness" and 2007's "Andorra".

Caribou - Melody Day

Caribou - Hello Hammerheads

Do you want to hear more tunes from Caribou? Check out these links:-

Lullatone

2008-03-22T09:50:00.009+10:00

Lullatone played an innocently and unashamedly joyous set of whimsical ditties at the Judith Wright Centre on Thursday night (before the easter four day weekend) at another unique Room 40 event

the performance space was transformed, with all of the theatre seats rolled back to reveal a huge open area strewn with rugs and cushions and a small stage at floor level with a selection of drums, keyboards and a table full of electronic goodies

we were invited to wear pyjamas and to bring pillows or cushions to this event and some people even brought their children, all of which completely suits the lullatone aesthetic

local duo dollface (who have chosen a cyber-free existence) played the first set and seemed a bit shy and occasionally giggly, which only added to the charm

with drums, a selection of keyboards and xylophones and even one song accompanied by tap dance (an under-utilised rhythm instrument) it was an appropriate start to the evening. as the girls played their slightly off kilter mix of experimental pop ditties and instrumental meanderings i was occasionally reminded of the melodic mayhem of circus and cartoon theme music

there were xylophone or drum and keyboard duels, some of which ended in more giggling, but there were also some complex melodies thrown into the mix. keep an eye out for dollface if you're in Brisbane

Lullatone also didn't anticipate the response they received from the audience (there were whoops and woos from the start)

there were repeated efforts to involve the audience in the performance, with a "beatbox" sing-a-long, balloon raindrop volleyball (in "honour" of the China Olympics). a number of instruments were distributed amongst the crowd for several of the songs throughout the performance, building to an orchestra throughout and including the audience for the final songs (i got to play the red bell!)

performing before a huge screen projection of the band's home creation using lots of stop motion camera, cardboard cut out shapes and great imagination, it was all cutely DIY

there was a consistent dialog between the band and the crowd, with frontman Shawn James Seymour seemlessly flipping between performer, maestro and MC mode. he also played a mean melodica

it was a fun evening of homemade cartoons, toy instruments and simple, soft breath and lyrics

Lullatone originated after Shawn James Seymour moved from his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to Nagoya, Japan, to live with his girlfriend and bandmate, Yoshimi Tomida. the couple had earlier met in America where Tomida had been studying

after moving into their tiny japanese apartment Seymour (who had trouble sleeping) composed his child-pop tunes using an orchestra of toy instruments and whatever else he could find ... pillows, whispers, heartbeats, xylophones, keyboards, music boxes, sine tones, harps, toy drums, ukuleles, cymbals, shakers, wood blocks, bubbles and daydreams and a lot of fun and laughter

Lullatone recently provided the theme music for a Hello Kittie exhibition and have just released their new collection of tunes on The Bedtime Beat

with their sing-along lap top jap pop, it's all such sweet fun

Lullatone - The Bathtime Beat

Lullatone - Good Morning Melody

Do you want to hear more tunes from Lullatone? Check out these links:-

Explosions In The Sky

2008-03-07T21:13:00.006+10:00

February was an amazing month for live music experiences, as well as the aforementioned PJ Harvey and Sonic Youth gigs we were also lucky enough to catch a number of other shows, which I am still to blog.

Seeing and hearing Texan post rock group maestros Explosions In The Sky was a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day.

None of that Hallmark Holiday claptrap! Just the one I love (yes, I managed to drag Dr E away from her never-ending research) and cinematic, instrumental music played with passion and emotion.

The band had little to say, deciding to let the music speak for itself. And it did that in volume(s) (both soft and loud) as the four piece brought their guitar dynamics to The Zoo.

Alternating between two guitars and bass, or three guitars, and with an amazing powerhouse of a drummer, they would build their epic tracks from a gentle touch on the strings, slowly growing to a loud and powerful, overdriven yet still very clean, cacophony. With no lyrics at all, the music speaks for itself and creates its own narrative.

If you're a bit of a guitar geek like me and are interested in what gear they use, you can check that out here.

Explosions In The Sky have produced six releases since they first got together in 1999 and were seemingly well supported and appreciated from the moment they began.

Explosions In The Sky are also curating the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival being held in the UK in May 2008.

Explosions In The Sky - Greet Death

Explosions In The Sky - The Birth and Death of the Day

Do you want to hear more tunes from this great band? Check out these links:-

Sonic Youth V's The Scientists

2008-02-26T21:59:00.006+10:00

There is a reason why QANTAS was voted the "worst airline" by Choice magazine last year.

I have had a long history of problems and bad attitudes when flying QANTAS which I won't bore you with here, besides, you don't have to take my word for it.

So sadly, due to the incompetence of QANTAS and their staff, who not only forgot to put my bag on the flight from Brisbane to Melbourne in the first place, but also took over 7 hours (despite their "commitment" to the contrary) to get that bag to me at my hotel in inner city Melbourne, I missed the start of the set by the Scientists.

But the ineptness of the flying kangaroo(d) wasn't going to stop me enjoying what promised to be a huge night at the Metro with The Scientists and Sonic Youth both performing a classic album as a part of the All Tomorrow's Parties Don't Look Back series of concerts which recently toured Australia.

We arrived a few songs into the set with Kim Salmon and The Scientists performing "When Fate Deals its Mortal Blow" from their classic Blood Red River album (actually it was originally an EP). For a collection of songs over 25 years old, they sounded rather contemporary and filled the cavernous Metro.

It was a youthful looking and sounding Salmon who took centre stage, in turn screaming and howling his way through the pre-grunge Scientists sound. It was obviously Kim's band as well, as he would look around to ensure that each of the band members knew when the changes or song conclusions were coming in.

The band were loose and loud in equal parts, they certainly didn't appear over-rehearsed, which totally suited these raw songs. With classics such as "Swampland" and "We Had Love" being well received by the growing audience it was a fun opening set and set the pace for the main event.

Sonic Youth took to the stage and immediately launched into a blistering version of Daydream Nation's opening track "Teen Age Riot", complete with a 5(?) minute guitar feedback extravaganza which was so well controlled I couldn't decide whether I should be screaming and howling my joy to express how impressed I was at their abilities, to take photos as Thurston and Lee held their guitars aloft in praise (adding to the cacophony), or to just let the wall of sound wash over me.

The band then proceeded to play through the entire double album, and what a great performance it was. For an album which is 20 years old, and which the band were initially reticent to revisit, they certainly did it justice and played with delight.

Unlike the Scientists, Sonic Youth are obviously a band where each member has an equal position. Vocal duties were shared by Kim, Thurston and Lee and drummer Steve was in equal parts ferocious and inventive (such as drumming with a maracca).

I was enjoying the gig so much I only made one visit to the bar for the whole Sonic Youth two hour set, and that was only because I needed to make a pit stop which took me past the bar in the first place.

If playing Daydream Nation in it's entirety wasn't enough, Sonic Youth also played an interesting version of Kool Thing, sadly there wasn't a Chuck D in the audience to rap with Kim Gordon, but it was a fitting finale to an album which laid the stepping stones to Sonic Youth's two most commercial albums (Goo and Dirty).

What a night! Two excellent bands playing two classic albums. Plus I still had a few more days to enjoy all that Melbourne has to offer (which is much indeed!) including a very interesting (and free) retrospective on Nick Cave at the Arts Centre.

The Scientists - Swampland

Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot

Do you want to hear more tunes from these albums? Check out these links:-

Polly Jean Harvey

2008-02-18T18:27:00.008+10:00

I have always loved PJ Harvey!

Especially the strong young woman who tore into my musical conscience in 1992. I provided a brief history of this amazing woman here and after last night I am even more besotted with this gorgeous musical and sartorial chameleon.

Polly is currently touring her eight studio album, the bleak and raw White Chalk and last night it was Brisbane’s turn.

Aussie legend Mick Harvey, playing acoustic guitar and supported only by double bass, played an opening set containing a few of his own tracks plus covers of songs by The Triffids, Chris Bailey and even a few unreleased tracks from the headlining lady. Sadly there were no tracks from Mick’s two interesting albums of re-workings of Serge Gainsbourg tracks.

Mick (Boys Next Door, Birthday Party, Bad Seeds, Crime and the City Solution) is a long time collaborator with Polly Jean (despite the shared surname there is no relationship) and also produced her “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea” album.

Polly entered to a rapturous reception, looking gorgeous (as always), this time in her virginal white Victorian wedding dress, gentle and ethereal. Yet there was something hidden beneath (the sexy stiletto heeled shoes which would occasionally emerge from beneath her dress), it was a pure yet slightly dangerous look to match her new piano-based album.

QPAC wasn’t quite sold out, but the venue was full of fans and we were immediately treated to classic Rock Queen PJH, roaring through “To Bring You My Love” on her Gibson Firebird guitar. Polly would play 5 different guitars throughout the night and visit tracks that spanned her career, including one of my favourite ever tracks, “Rid Of Me” (has it really been 15 years Polly?).

But for much of the set it was the gentler and darker White Chalk album which Polly wanted to play for us and for these tracks she bounced across the stage between piano, zither, harmonica (the scaffolding of which keeps tearing out her hair) and acoustic guitar. It is amazing to think that this talented woman taught herself to play piano and during the night would also play a Moog Taurus bass synth, drum machine (and cymbal), and sing in her new, almost broken falsetto style which seems to have gained strength from the vocal sounds on the album. Polly was constantly moving around the stage, changing instruments and charming us all.

There was a wonderful rapport between artist and audience throughout the evening, with several brief conversations (not always heard or understood) and many of cries of devotion and lust with everyone on and off stage obviously having a fun time.

During the performance, Mick Harvey came out on several occasions to accompany Polly on piano, allowing her to fill out the sound on guitar, although the was not a requirement as PJ’s solo reinterpretations of her own tracks had a power of their own. And were closer to their true, original form - as Polly told us in one of her many little chats with the audience.

The show was over far too soon. Polly, please come back again, soon.

PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey - When Under Ether

Do you want to hear more of PJ Harvey's tunes? Not sure which albums to buy? Check out these links:-

Essential Australian (on Australia Day)

2008-01-26T23:17:00.000+10:00

To celebrate Australia Day in my own way, I thought I’d provide all of my voyeurs with a list of the Australian bands which I consider to be essential and their signature song to listen to, if you don't already know any of their tunes.

Australia has produced some amazing bands, especially since the late 1970s, and I hope that you all find something old or something new here that you like and that you then go out and support these artists - making music is their job.

Don't forget to check out the links to hear some tunes and to find out more about these bands, because I have taken the lazy aussie way out and not provided any tunes for youse bastards.

This selection reflects my own personal taste, it is not based on sales, chart positions or the financial support and advertising funds provided by record execs.

It is also listed in alphabetical order, because beyond this list I am unable to prioritise my favourites.

So here goes, a list I call “Something Old, Something New’s Essential Australian”:-

AC/DC - High Voltage

No essential Australian mix can exclude AC/DC, arguably Australia’s most successful musical export, they are still rocking strong today, nearly 35 years later. For my money it’s the Bon Scott years which not only defined the AC/DC sound but which will always be the purest version of the band. I still remember watching AC/DCon Countdown and sitting at my friend Scott’s house in the mid 1970’s, playing those first two albums over and over.

The Beasts Of Bourbon - Drop Out

The Beasts of Bourbon were the first alternative (as this music used to be called, back in the day) supergroup. They are also still playing today, having recently reformed with yet another different lineup to record a new album and do yet more touring.

The band members for their debut album “The Axeman’s Jazz” (recorded in 1984 in one afternoon for only $100) came from The Hoodoo Gurus, The Johnnys and The Scientists and were lead by frenzied front man Tex Perkins (who along with guitarist Spencer Jones has been the only constant member since the band’s inception).

The Beast’s sound has mutated over the years from the swamp rock, gothic blues of their first album(s) through to the punk-infused blues-based pub rock (consider the Rolling Stones with balls) they play today.

The Birthday Party - Release The Bats

The Birthday Party were the renamed Boys Next Door when that band relocated to England in 1980, escaping the suffocation of the Australian music scene at that time.

Although they had limited commercial success, and only existed for 4 years under their new moniker, the Birthday Party would influence many bands with both their music and performance style and band members Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Rowland S Howard all went on to have successful "solo" careers. Their menacing and manic sound and brutal performances led to the band being referred to as 'The Most Violent Band In Britain'

Boys Next Door - Shivers

The Boys Next Door formed at the exclusive Caulfield Grammer School in 1973 when a group of arty students started playing school dances and parties. Initially playing 1960’s pop and 1970’s glam rock, their sound would develop fully with the addition of Rowland S Howard on guitar, who brought the track “Shivers” with him.

The band were influenced by the burgeoning Australian punk scene with bands such as The Saints and Radio Birdman and by 1978 The Boys Next Door were considered one of the best post-punk bands in Melbourne. Despite their influences, the band would soon develop their own sound, travel to Europe and change their name to become one of Australia’s most important alternative bands, The Birthday Party.

The Church - The Unguarded Moment

Another classic Australian band who are still recording and performing today with the same core members, The Church grew out of Canberra in 1980 and quickly developed an atmospheric, 1960’s influenced neo-psychedelic sound based heavily around Marty Wilson-Piper’s jangly 12 string Rickenbacker guitar and vocalist Steve Kilbey’s poetic lyrics.

Although they had greater chart success with their 1980’s recordings (in 2006 the Melbourne newspaper The Age voted Under The Milky Way as the best Australian song of the last 21 years in their EG Music Awards) The Church’s sound has continued to develop and mature and they still have a strong following around the world.

The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind

The Easybeats are considered to be one of the greatest Australian pop bands of the 1960s and they were the first Australian rock and roll band to score an international hit with this classic 1966 single "Friday on My Mind".

All of the founding band members had migrated to Australia, forming in Sydney’s Villawood Migrant Hostel, and the band released a string of hit singles in Australia before relocating to England where they had some early success but too soon developed internal friction and the band dissolved in financial debt.

Harry Vanda and George Young would eventually return to Australia as an active creative unit and would go on to work with the Albert Productions record label writing, recording, producing and basically helping to create much of the Australian music scene of the mid 1970’s including Stevie Wright, The Angels, John Paul Young and most famously George's younger brothers Angus and Malcolm Young’s band AC/DC.

Fun Things - Savage

The Fun Things formed in Brisbane in 1978 and were heavily influenced by punk and the Detroit sound as well as Australian legends Radio Birdman. In 1980, they recorded four tracks for what would be their one and only release and the band split in 1980.

Like The Victims, the Fun Things were as important for going on to help form the Hoodoo Gurus and The Screaming Tribesmen, as for the few songs they recorded.

The Go-Betweens - Cattle And Cane

The Go-Betweens had a turbulent history, forming in Brisbane in 1977 they were seemingly always a cult band with limited commercial success despite the chart friendliness of their sound. They moved to Europe in 1979 and spent much of the 1980’s touring the world.

This touring schedule along with internal frictions, including inter-band romances, and constant label problems and interference eventually led to their demise in 1989. After this time both Grant McLennan and Robert Forster managed mildly successful solo careers, and the cult of the Go-Betweens continued to grow.

The boys reunited as the Go-Betweens 10 years later and recorded more two more acclaimed albums which added to their legacy until the untimely death of McLennan in 2006.

Hoodoo Gurus - (Let's All) Turn On

I always enjoyed listening to and seeing the Hoodoo Gurus during their early years, and with Dave Faulkner and James Baker being local boys the band toured Perth regularly. The classic 1983 Hoodoo Gurus line up formed from the ashes of punk bands The Victims and The Scientists from Perth and the Fun Things from Brisbane.

I watched the band go from alternative paisley-clad, winkle-picker wearing swamp rockers playing their power-pop/psychedelia/grungy garage rock at small venues to chart, ARIA and larger venue botherers within a few short years, but they were certainly fun years. Stoneage Romeos has my vote as one of the best Australian albums of the 1980s.

On this track from their debut, the Hoodoos set out their manifesto – check it out!!

Hunters & Collectors - Betty's Worry or The Slab

The Hunnas had a huge sound unlike anything else on the aussie pub circuit in the early 1980s. They made their live debut in 1981 as an eleven man ensemble who would often encourage punters up to the stage and provide them with percussive instruments to add to the mayhem and cacophony.

As the number of releases increased the number of band members decreased and by the time they recorded their archetypical “Jaws Of Life” album in 1984 vocalist Mark Seymour’s lyrics had developed a decidedly blokey Australian flavor. But the lure of chart success, which they achieved with moderate success, would dilute the impact of their sound and for me this mid-1980’s period was their zenith.

Laughing Clowns - New Bully in Town

When Ed Keupper returned to Australia, after The Saints imploded in London in 1979, he quickly gathered together like minded musicians and created the avante jazz-punk of the Laughing Clowns. With songs often constructed around complicated structures with difficult time signatures the Laughing Clowns were another unique Australian band, creating their own musical vision.

Ed Keupper is surely one of Australia’s surly musical maestros and before he would go on to create his solo legacy he managed to show another musical direction for a few disillusioned ex-punks.

The Lime Spiders - Slave Girl

This 1984 release from The Lime Spiders is undoubtedly one of the all-time classic Australian singles, a bona fide fuzzed up guitar, garage rock stomp from a band who never managed to repeat the same level of success, perhaps in part due to the constant instability in their lineup.

The Lime Spiders still managed to release an impressive collection of garage-punk laced singles and if you are lucky you may catch them playing in your back yard as they are still getting together to play the occasional gig.

The Loved Ones - The Loved One

The Loved Ones formed in 1965, with an early history of jazz clubs and listening to the blues, so when the Rolling Stones came along with a similar history and The Beatles started creating their own music, these Melbourne musicians understood not just the excitement value of the music, but how it was done and they did it for themselves. But the band split in 1967 after just one album, Magic Box.

The Missing Links - Wild About You

The Missing Links are considered by many to be the wildest group Australia has ever produced, certainly from the pre-punk period.

They were the first Australian band known to use feedback and the first Australian band which can rightfully be labelled "punk". The Missing Links were wild on record and wild on stage, with front man Andy James known to climb the walls and hang from the rafters, or to put his head through the drums, doing things no-one had seen done on stage before. Sadly The Missing Links were another band who had line-up issues, they only existed between 1963 and 1966 and only released 1 album before growing extinct.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo

There can be little doubt that Nick Cave is one of Australia’s greatest (alternative or not) creative artists. With an eclectic and illustrious career as a singer, award winning songwriter, actor, cutting-edge composer, novelist, poet, artist, screenwriter … .

The Bad Seeds has a(n) (ir)regularly changing lineup which always contains a(n) (un)healthy smattering of Australian musicians as well as others with sympathetic musical leanings, helping to create the musical soundscape for Caves often gothic tales.

Nick Cave has been the front man for and creative driving force behind the creation of a number of acclaimed bands (The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, Grinderman) each with their own unique style and substance but always leaning towards the dark side. With Tupelo is he singing about Elvis, Jesus or his own mythic creation? The king is dead, long live the king!

Paul Kelly - From St. Kilda To King's Cross

Paul Kelly has had a long career, from his days playing pub rock in Melbourne in the late 1970s through leading his own bands (The Dots, The Coloured Girls and The Messengers) in the 1980s when he started regularly bothering the Australian charts and finally his solo guise which has helped garner critical acclaim and record sales.

During this time he has also written film scores and worked as a producer and is member of the ARIA Hall of Fame. Paul Kelly sings of Australian experiences and history perhaps more candidly than any other artist and is still very active, having just released his eleventh collection of new songs.

Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve and Danno

Radio Birdman were there at the beginning of the Australian punk movement, forming in Sydney in 1974. Influenced by The Stooges, MC5, 1960's garage punk and surf instrumental groups but creating their own sound and look. They were another great do-it-yourself story before the punk movement in the UK and USA had widely spread this message. They initially financed their own low budget recordings, created their own label, self distributed their records at a low price and even ran the management of the Oxford Funhouse, a venue which went on to help nurture the nascent Sydney punk scene.

Radio Birdman only survived for 4 years, recording two albums and undertaking one overseas tour before disbanding and scattering musicians across Australia to augment the country's already thriving music underground. But the band reformed for the Big Day Out 1996 tour and since that time they have recorded another album (Zeno Beach) and continued to tour sporadically.

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded

The Saints are the stuff of Australian music legend. Forming in 1974, they were punk before the genre had been defined. Famously releasing their “(I’m) Stranded” single in September 1976 before the Damned’s “New Rose” (October 1976) and the Sex Pistol’s “Anarchy In The UK” (November 1976).

The Saints were another band that lived the do-it-yourself ethic, independently recording and distributing their debut single, creating their own label and their own "club", the 76 Club in their suburban Petrie Terrace house as a reaction to not being able to play anywhere else. The Saints only recorded 3 albums before musical and personal differences saw the band deteriorate and Ed Keupper return home to Australia to create The Laughing Clowns. Chris Bailey would soon after reform his version of The Saints in London, to some commercial success.

On July 14, 2007, Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay re-united The Saints for a one-off gig as part of the Queensland Music Festival’s “Pig City” festival. Sadly I was overseas at this time and missed this historic occasion.

The Scientists - Swampland

The Scientists were born in May 1978 from the ashes of Perth’s first punk bands, The Cheap Nasties, who had also been formed by frontman Kim Salmon and The Geeks. The Perth era Scientists played more in the punk-pop vein and after releasing one album split in January 1981.

By September 1981 Kim Salmon had moved to inner city Sydney and created a reformed Scientists with a swampier, darker sound. Salmon also helped form the Beasts of Bourbon in 1984 before taking the Scientists to Europe where they were soon touring Europe (with The Gun Club). By 1987 the band had returned to Australia for one last tour. Salmon and the Scientists and would go on to influence bands such as Mudhoney and would be considered one of the early driving musical forces in the genre that would be known as grunge.

Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened

Severed Heads were one of Australia’s first post-punk electronic bands, forming in 1979, with a heavy use of tape loops and synthesizers and they were early pioneers in multimedia performance.

In 1984 they release “Dead Eyes Opened” which provided the opportunity for a world tour. Since 1985 Tom Ellard has been the main human component of Severed Heads. Label problems saw them adrift for some time before creating the internet based www.sevcom.com which became one of the first band-run sites on the Internet and now runs hundreds of artists.

A remixed version of Dead Eyes Opened entered the Australian top 20 in 1994 and that year they were the first electronic band to play the Big Day Out. The following year they headlined that festival’s electronic “The Boiler Room”. In 2004, Severed Heads created the soundtrack for The Illustrated Family Doctor.

The Stems - Tears Me In Two

The Stems were considered by many to be one of the most seminal rock bands of the 1980`s to emerge from Australia. They grew in Perth in 1983 with a musical (and sartorial) style initially influenced by sixties garage punk and later by power pop. They completed several Australian tours and were perhaps one of the first bands to gain national success while remaining in Perth, and despite never having toured internationally (until their reunion) they are held in high esteem in Europe and the US amongst fans of classic 1960's inspired rock 'n' roll.

Although only releasing 5 singles, an E.P. and one full length album, The Stems set an impressive record with each release reaching No 1 on the Australian alternative charts. Their album "At First Sight … Violets Are Blue" released in 1987 received national and international critical acclaim and would be one of the best selling Australian albums of that year. The Stems reunited for a tour in early 2003 and they are still gigging today.

The Sunnyboys - Happy Man

The Sunnyboys formed in Sydney in 1980 under the direction of singer/songwriter Jeremy Oxley. With their 1960’s influenced melodic power pop tunes they went from playing inner-city venues to scoring hit singles all within a year of formation.

Their first four singles and first two albums all hit the Australian mainstream charts and in 1984 the band played two sold out shows at the Marquee Club in London and the band recorded their third album in the UK. But after returning home to an Australian tour, and with minimal chart success of their new release, internal friction caused the band to dissolve.

In 1987 Jeremy Oxley attempted to revive The Sunnyboys with a new line-up and released an album, but limited acceptance caused the band to break up again in 1990.

The Triffids - Red Pony

Regular readers of Something Old, Something New will know of the fondness I hold for The Triffids.

Forming in 1976 with an ever changing lineup of friends and musicians, the band released several well received (in the alternative scene) singles and privately recorded and released tapes. They drove across Australia on numerous occasions before the line up stabilized in 1983 and The Triffids released their debut minor masterpiece album Treeless Plain and my favourite track, Red Pony.

The Triffids self-financed a three month trip to Europe in late 1984 and ended up on the cover NME’s first edition of 1985, which predicted it would be “The Year Of The Triffids”. But they still couldn’t secure any label interest in Europe and again returned home and self-financed their sophomore album Born Sandy Devotional, which reached # 27 on the UK charts. The track “Wide Open Road” received widespread (albeit minor) success and would go on to become the band’s signature tune.

Their popularity in Europe grew, although at home they were still considered a cult band. After signing to a major label in the UK, their recordings would suffer from too much production and despite some success the band split in 1989 and singer/songwriter David McComb died in 1999.

The Triffids back catalog is slowly being re-mastered and re-released with bonus tracks. The remainder of the band performed with guest vocalists in Belgium and Amsterdam in 2006 and they recently played at 2008’s Sydney Festival with a collection of vocalists sharing the role of David McComb.

The Victims - Television Addict

The Victims emerged from the Perth punk scene in 1977 from the ashes of The Geeks. Like all good punk bands of the era, they self-released their debut single Television Addict and created their own scene “Hernando's Hideaway” on Wednesday nights in an inner city jazz venue.

The band only survived for two years and, apparently after a poor review in the NME, they split in 1979. But not before recording the five tracks that would become their “No Thanks To The Human Turd” E.P..

Members of The Victims would go on to help shape the independent Australian music scene of the 1980’s playing in bands including The Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists and The Beasts of Bourbon.

You Am I - Berlin Chair

You Am I were formed by Tim Rogers in December 1989 and were especially renowned for their early blistering live performances and the occasionally erratic on-stage behavior of Rogers.

The band had released some E.P.’s and singles before catching the attention of Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo at 1993’s Big Day Out festival. Ranaldo would go on to produce the band’s fourth E.P. and debut album “Sound As Ever”. Their second (Hi Fi Way) and third (Hourly, Daily) albums moved ever farther away from the harder sound of their earlier recordings, although both received ARIA awards and sold well. I consider this period up to the mid 1990’s to be the band’s high water mark.

Since 1999 the ever hard-working Rogers has been releasing solo and other collaborative albums as well as irregular You Am I releases and he maintains a grueling touring schedule as a solo performer, playing in other guises including T'N'T with Tex Perkins and of course with You Am I.

Do you want to hear some of these tunes? Not sure which bands or albums to buy? Here are some links to some great compilations of Australian bands:-

Six Ft Hick (Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

2008-01-25T10:17:00.005+10:00

Six Ft Hick are most probably one of the wildest and coolest bands to emerge out of Brisbane, or Australia for that matter, since the glorious “alternative” era of the early eighties when bands like the Scientists, The Birthday Party and the Beasts of Bourbon helped change the musical landscape in Australia.

It is this legacy which Six Ft Hick grabbed by the balls, felt up to make their own, and are still running hard with 10 years later.

Fronted by the dual headed Corbett Cane Toad, the brothers take turns spitting vitriol and rock ‘n’ roll. Their live experience sits somewhere between an evangelical moment of pure realisation and a sticky moment during a lap dance.

In the early 1990s, Geoff and Ben Corbett crawled down to the city from the swamps of the cane country a few hours north of Brisbane and became involved in performance art and rock n roll theatrics.

In 1995 the Corbett brothers presented their death-country musical "Country Style Livers". This proved to be a 3 week sellout at the Metro Arts theatre in Brisbane and, ditching some of the performance art component for the Brisbane Livid Festival, soon morphed into a pure music experience.

6fthick had thrust its loins upon the world.

The Hicks have been playing their Cane Punk to Australia and the world for over 10 years now and have played at intimate gigs in tiny venues through to festivals such as Livid and the Big Day Out.

The band have also released a handful of EPs and 4 albums including last years On The Rocks, perhaps the album to have best caught their live sound and attitude in the studio.

But if producing this music alone isn’t enough, each of the band members also play in other bands. Geoff Corbett leads The Tremors, brother Ben fronts Gentle Ben and his Sensitive Side and fellow Hicks Fred, Dan and Tony are all involved in their own projects.

I first saw 6fthick supporting Reverend Horton Heat in Sydney in 2001 and for my money the Hicks were the band of the night. It was a hard act for the Reverend to follow and his music seemed innocent in comparison.

I last saw 6fthick last month at Rics in Brisbane, a venue where they cut their teeth, and they were on fire. The tiny room was packed, but Ben still slithered between us all and over the tables, broke glasses over his head and generally sexed up the room, while Geoff taunted and threatened everyone.

Go to their myspace page and listen to some tunes, go to your local record store and buy their albums, or buy them at spooky records but most importantly, go to their gigs – you will see the light, you will be healed, and you will be saved by the damnation of rock ‘n’ roll.

Sixfthick - Cousins

Sixfthick - White Light, Wet Heat

Have A Something, Something Christmas

2007-12-23T08:18:00.000+10:00

As a "festive season" treat, I've posted a xmas card/comic written and illustrated by a great, old buddy of mine.

Dirk has produced many cool works of art and has also written his own comic, Fatman, a parody of Batman as an old, broken man - very black humour. I don't think you can find this apart from ocasionally on eBay. Dirk is more involved in graphic design nowadays, but he still finds the time to produce art, although his preferred medium has moved to photography.

You may have noticed the lack of posts over the last few months?

I have been too busy working and lost the urge to spend my few free hours posting, prefering to spend the time playing guitar, writing or just hanging out with the ever-sexy Dr E.

There are still lots of visitors to this little corner of the web, with over 360 000 hits in the almost 3 years of this blogs existence.

Howdy everyone! I hope you've found something old or something new to listen to and to go out and buy.

Posting will remain intermittant for the forseeable future, check out the links off to the right hand side, there's lots of music out there.

I'm also of the bah humbug opinion when it comes to the commercialisation of christmas. What's with the lights suffocating houses throughout suburbia across much of the globe?

Maybe the money spent on all of that crap (including the power bills) could be donated to charities which could use more funds at any time of the year?

Ramone-a-thon!

2007-11-30T08:35:00.000+10:00

It's on again, Ramone-a-thon is being presented by Tim from Tym Guitars who organises Ramone-a-thon to, in his words, "say thanks to the greatest band who will EVER walk this earth".

It's on this weekend in my hometown of Brisbane, Australia. All profits from Ramone-a-thon go to charity and more information can be found here. Tim's band Roshambo also play every year.

I went last year and had a ball.

Ramone-a-thon 2007, with TWO stages of Ramonesmania is rocking the valley on Saturday December 1st at The Step Inn (it was previously The Shamrock) on the corner of Brunswick Street & St. Pauls Terrace (186 Brunswick Street. Fortitude Valley) and here's a list of the bands playing

Tickets $15 at the door

Stage One:-
11.50-12.30 - The Spazzys
10.50-11.20 - Roshambo
9.50-10.20 - Spod
8.50-9.20 - The Fancy Boys
7.50-8.20 - Black Level Embassy
6.50-7.20 - Killer Birds
5.50-6.20 - Nova Scotia
4.50-5.20 - The Stabs
4.00-4.20 – The 10-4's
3.20-3.40 - Stolen Bikes Ride Faster
2.40-3.00 - One shot Salute
2.00-2.20 - Team Dickhead
1.20-1.40 - Hits
12.40-1.00 - The Rousells

Stage two:-
11.20-11.50 - The Ramonettes
10.20-10.50 - Shooting at Unarmed Men
9.20-9.50 – Turnpike
8.20-8.50 - Texas Tea
7.20-7.50 – Razorhurst
6.20-6.50 - Death Rides a Horse
5.20-5.50 - The Gels
4.20-4.50 - Del Toro
3.40-4.00 - The Boondal Boys
3.00-3.20 – Little Lovers
2.20-2.40 – The Dry Horors
1.40-2.00 - Suzy loves Dick
1.00-1.20 - The Sips

check out MySpace for heaps more links and music

The Kryptonics (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2007-10-30T21:43:00.001+10:00

The Kryptonics began when Ian Underwood and Cathy Webb met at Perth's Balcatta High school in 1982 and the band proper formed in 1984 when drummer Shakir Pichler answered a drummer wanted classified ad.

The band started rehearsing every weekend and after 18 months of hard work in the garage they were lucky enough to play their first gig supporting none other than the Stems, in August 1985. They scored some sweet gigs playing with other Perth bands such as The Marigolds and The Bamboos.

The Kryptonics became the band of the moment in Perth as soon as they hit the scene, but then drummer Shakir left to join The Bamboos. They would suffer through countless lineup changes and the band relocated to Sydney in 1990, where they toured the east coast. The Kryptonics finally lost their power in mid 1992.

The Kryptonics features past and present members of such great aussie bands as You Am I, Radio Birdman, Front End Loader, Lubricated Goat, Regurgitator, The Chevelles, Challenger 7, New Christs, The Monarchs and The Hard-Ons, making The Kryptonics essential listening for anyone interested in the family tree of their favourite oz rock bands.

Sadly, former Kryptonics and Lubricated Goat drummer Brett Ford
passed away in August 2007.

Rejectionville , the definitive 37 track anthology of yet another under-appreciated garage/power-pop outfit from Perth, was released earlier this year.

Plus The Kryptonics have announced one show only on Friday 23rd Nov at the Rocket Room in Perth.

And they'll be playing with Special Guests the M-16's!

Unfortunately i'm all the way over in Brisbane, so I won't be able to catch the gig. But some of my mates will be there. If you're in Perth try to make it along, I'm sure it'll be a fun, noisy night.

Kryptonics - Baby

Kryptonics - Trapped Inside (live at the Red Parrot)

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

Greg Malcolm

2007-10-05T08:47:00.000+10:00

Last night I caught Greg Malcolm's performance as a part of the Mono series of events organised by the ever hard working Lawrence English and Room 40.

Greg Malcolm was playing 3 guitars simultaneously, a gaffa-covered, very battered-looking guitar played with his left foot, almost like a bass drum, using a wrench jammed between the strings near the pickups; a pristine Fender Jaguar reissue (bravely, or perhaps foolishly? lent by Lawrence) played with the right foot and also an ebow, a battery operated mini fan, steel wool, a slinky and a metal ruler; a third guitar ... and a tamborine!

The third guitar is played more traditionally (in his lap) and was created especially for Greg by Christchurch instrument builder Peter Stephen. This guitar is unusual in that it has 2 sets of strings - the standard set and another sympathetic set of strings which run diagonally inside the guitar body, creating sympathetic droning sounds similar to a sitar. This guitar was played in Greg Malcolm's typical finger picking style, but was also mutated with the use of a huge spring, a camera (flash), additional metal wires and rubber bands.

It was a very enjoyable performance and I managed to sit right at the front to closely watch the man in action. He doesn't stop moving! Between the constant rhythm created using his left foot, the finger picking and the contrasting melodies and harmonies using the guitar on the floor at his right foot (which also manages the tamborine) it is a very busy performance. I left with a copy of Greg's new CD Hung and a few new ideas to try out myself.

There were two other performers playing last night, starting with ex-pat kiwi Leighton Craig and his solo keyboard works, using two keyboards to create some lovely, almost whimsical little pieces and ending with another New Zealand musician, electronic musician and laptop performer Rosy Parlane who created a rather organic sounding and hypnotic piece for a man sitting in the corner of a room with only a computer.

Greg Malcolm - Depresso Guitar

Greg Malcolm - Ghost From The Past

Spread The Good Word!

2007-10-04T06:10:00.000+10:00

Reverend Tom Frost is a man out of time, in more ways than one.

Reverend Tom Frost spent much of his youth watching B-Horror, Spaghetti Westerns, old-timey movies and devouring Southern Gothic literature.

Tom Frost constructed his own world. Haunted by the twisted deformity of the self and by the vision of a more and more absurd world, his music is a merry ingenious mix of his own tortured (yet funny) mind and the songs he grew up with.

Last year The Reverend released his first self recorded and produced collection of tunes, Spread The Good Word, Vol. 1 - South Of Hell, France.

He sounds like the bastard son of Screaming Jay Hawkins, brought up by his estranged uncle Jerry Lee Lewis but having spent his youth hanging out with those "bad" cousins Tom Waits and Lux Interior. This music sounds like it was recorded in the fifties, you can almost smell the dust and acetate.

However, the Reverend's excellent blog Spread The Good Word, which has been running even longer than this little effort, has been in hiatus for 6 weeks now. This alone is sad enough.

But even worse, the Reverend is living his own gothic tragedy and has been homeless for this time, literally living in his car.

What can we do to help? Is that the cry I hear from all of my voyeurs out there?

Why not take a listen to the Reverend's tracks and buy one or two, hell, why not buy the whole bloody album!

You will find the Reverend's music on the Reverend Tom Frost website, on his Myspace page and also on ITunes.

There's no music from me this post, if you want any, go listen to and support the Reverend.

And check out Spread The Good Word for some classic tunes.

The Glitter Band V's The Stiffs

2007-09-30T18:24:00.000+10:00

Unfortunately I won't be joining my beautiful and talented wife on her (now shortened) research tour of the US and she flew out today. So this post is for Dr E who is flying above the Pacific Ocean as I create this post - Love You Baby!! Have a safe and successful trip.

The Glitter Band were named due to their association with glam idol Gary Glitter. They were formed in 1972 to support Glitter's first major concert tour and would ironically become almost as successful, although much less infamous, as Gary Glitter himself.

The band did not play on any of Glitter's hits, but accompanied him on his tours and television appearances until 1976, when Gary Glitter announced his retirement. The Glitter Band also scored six Top Ten hits of their own in the UK.

The Stiffs formed in 1977, a bunch of 15 year old schoolkids, and briefly signed to Stiff Records in January 1981 for this posted one-off single 'Goodbye My Love'. Although the track received good radio airplay, it missed out on bothering the Top 50 charts.

With no label support, The Stiffs broke up in 1988, but reformed in 1999 to support the release of a compilation CD. Since that time the band have had an on-again off-again existence.

For my money this is a classic case where the cover version of a song is much better than the original, but you can make up your own mind. The Stiffs' version comes from the excellent "All Covered In Punk" compilation, well worth checking out if you like punk bands and cover versions.

The Glitter Band - Goodbye My Love

The Stiffs - Goodbye My Love

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

The Smokin' Eldorados and Shanghai Sisters (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2007-09-28T08:47:00.001+10:00

I only managed to get to one gig while in Perth this time, at the
Hyde Park Hotel front bar. It sounds like The Hydeys' future is still not certain, so if you live in Perth go and support the venue and the bands that play there.

The first band I saw was the cute girly three piece that is the Shanghai Sisters. They have a country-fied sound, with a nod to Rockabilly stylings, and strong vocal harmonies based around guitar and drums and played a good set well supported by the bar staff (who kept sending drinks their way) and camera toting punters and less well supported by a lone, drunken heckler - who they wisely ignored.

But the headliners for the evening were The Smokin' Eldorados. Lead by local legends Rodney Radalj (aka Roddy Rayda) (who has played in bands including The Scientists, The Rockets, le Hoodoo Gurus and The Dubrovniks) and Matthew de la Hunty (of Tall Tales and True fame) sharing guitar and vocal duties and with a strong rhythm section of Laurie Sinagra on bass (Laurie also has a long history as a sound engineer, having worked with Jebediah, Downsyde, Dom Mariani, Sodastream, Gyroscope and Turnstyle amongst many others, including my two bands As Is and The Hoovers) and Tim Bates on drums. Laurie was also asked to stand in on bass only 2 weeks before this gig, and managed to buy a bass and learn all of the songs within that short time frame - Go Laurie!!

As soon as the band started there was a surge from the crowd to the "stage" (which is actually at floor level at The Hydey) and the band were obviously (and understandably) well liked and supported. The set was an interesting mix of blues rock, pop, country and soul and was occasionally reminiscent of a tamer Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (with less posturing and theremin). The band really hit the mark when Rod and Matt were playing off each other, sharing guitar and vocal leads and they seemed to moved into free form jams every now and again giving each other ample opportunity to play as Laurie and Tim maintained the foundations.

The demo mp3 I have posted below is missing something in comparison to the version they played live (and it's not only the bass). Keep an eye out for these guys, cos they are in the process of recording their first album together.

Laurie and Matt have also been working together on the film Greenhead.

The Smokin Eldorados - Where The Highway Ends

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

Perthection

2007-09-17T12:14:00.000+10:00

To continue the celebration of returning to Perth and posting music from my home town, here's a repost.

Sadly my old buddy from The Hoovers didn't turn up to the party, so there were no Hoovers tracks, no Boss Hoss. But John from The Volcanics did get up for a few songs, including Teenage Kicks, which was fun.

This mix is of Perth bands from the 1970's through to the end of the millenia, when I had already left Perth and moved to Sydney. This mix moves from punk to pub rock, surf instros to post-punk, guitar pop and more. This is only the surface of some of the great music that has come from, and continues to be created in, Perth - the world's most isolated city.

Most of these bands I saw live, many I saw numerous times, some I just liked, others I played in, or played gigs with. But it will give you an idea of how vibrant the Perth music scene was. Check out the links if you want to find out more about any of these bands.

As Is
The Bamboos
Chads Tree
Dave Warner’s From The Suburbs
Deb
Diddywah Hoodaddys
DM3
The Early Hours
The Feends
Flanders
Helicopters
The Holy Rollers
The Hoovers
The Jackals
Kno Matter
The Kryptonics
The Manikins
The Marigolds
Martha’s Vineyard
The Neptunes
Rabbits Wedding
Rhythm Method
The Rockets
The Scientists
The Stems
Superscope
The Triffids
The Victims
The Waltons
Tune Bureau
Valvolux
Verona
Wormfarm

For those of you who don't want to download this zip file, here are a couple of tracks from bands I played in last millenia.

As Is - Count To Ten

The Hoovers - I'm An Addict

Perthection
(this is the link to a zip file containing a song from all of the bands listed above)

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

The Red Parrot - The Attic Tapes (Bands from Perth, Australia)

2007-09-06T10:54:00.002+10:00

To continue the celebration of returning to Perth and posting music from my home town, here's a post of a compilation only ever released on cassette and of which I may have one of the few copies available.

The Red Parrot was the place to be seen (or should that be scene?) in Perth in the early to mid 1980's.

If my memory serves me right, these recordings were made at The Red Parrot over two nights, Thursday 15th and Friday 16th May, 1986.

As well as being the best night club in Perth (ever?), it supported the local original music scene at a time when most of the pubs were only letting cover bands play. See the Kno Matter track "Playing Covers" for an obvious reference to this phenomenon. The Red Parrot was also the venue where many national and international bands played.

I haven't even had the time to break these tracks up, so here you have side A and side B of the cassette. The track listing is:-

The Red Parrot - The Attic Tapes

Side A
The Holy Rollers - Afraid
Homecoming - Compromise
The Waltons - My Husband Beats Me
The Moment - G Dead
The Marigolds - Down By The River

Side B
Erol H Tout - The Sound Of Swimming
Kno Matter - Playing Covers
Greenhouse Effect - Rhyme Without Reason
The Kryptonics - Trapped Inside

The Attic Tapes
(this is the link to a zip file containing a song from all of the bands listed above)

Do you like these tunes? Then why not support the artists by buying some music. Check out these links:-

Perth Cover Versions

2007-09-05T14:42:00.000+10:00

I am about to head home to Perth to visit my family and friends for a few weeks. To celebrate I am posting a very rare collection of cover versions of songs by Perth bands, or of Australian bands containing members from Perth.

Don’t forget to check out the links for more information on these bands and also the opportunity to hear even more great tunes from them.

Artist - Track (Original Artist)

The Church - Wide Open Road (The Triffids)

Fourstroke - No Dying in the Dark (The Bakery)

The Goo Goo Dolls - Don't Change (INXS)

Henry Rollins & The Hard Ons - Let There Be Rock (AC/DC)

Hunchbacks - Virginia (The Bamboos)

Insanity Wave - Can´t Forget That Girl (The Stems)

Kylie Minogue & Jimmy Little - Bury Me Deep In Love (The Triffids)

The Living End - Leilani (The Hoodoo Gurus)

The M-16's - Television Addict (The Victims)

The Monomen - Swampland (The Scientists)

Mudhoney - We Had Love (The Scientists)

P76 - At First Sight (The Stems)

Pyramidiacs - Don't Talk About Us (The Someloves)

Something For Kate - Harpoon (Jebediah)

Spiderbait - My Girl (The Hoodoo Gurus)

The Volcanics - Snuff (The Bamboos)

For those of you who don't want to download this zip file, here are a couple of tracks from a couple of my favourite Perth bands covering their favourite Perth band.

The Volcanics - Snuff

The M-16’s - Television Addict

Perth cover versions
(this is the link to a zip file containing the songs listed above)

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

Mono and World's End Girlfriend

2007-09-04T09:59:00.001+10:00

Last week we were lucky enough to witness the calming destruction that was Mono live when they played at The Zoo in Brisbane, what a great gig.

We arrived just as World's End Girlfriend began his lap top performance with guitar. Seated in the middle of the stage at a table overloaded with said lap top, guitar effects, mixers and other such electronica which contained his pre-recorded music, Katsuhiko Maeda occassionally played along to the atmospheric soundscapes he had prepared earlier. It was a nice performance of some very interesting music - but I'm a bit of an old school "cause and effect" type of guy and like to see my live music actually played live; this has always been my problem with lap top performances. So for me although I found the music to be very interesting and complex, and in its own right quite impressive, I felt that the performance lacked something.

However, Mono took the stage and began by lulling the audience with a soft and gentle classical introduction which soon erupted into sonic mayhem. Played live this constant movement between the soothing and the explosive, which is what much of the post rock genre and Mono is all about, is very effective. The girl next to me (we were very near to the stage and the speakers) was constantly being shocked by the level of volume and was covering her head with her hands, all rather amusing. My ears were ringing for days, but it was an excellent performance. Although there was no interaction between the band and the audience, Mono let the behemoth that is their music speak for itself. Woo Hoo!! I say.

Mono - Finlandia

World's End Girlfriend - Caroling Hellwalker

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

Essential Australian

2007-08-29T10:20:00.000+10:00

This is my 151st post, so I thought I’d provide all of my voyeurs with a list and listening of the Australian bands/songs which I consider to be essential.

This has been a time consuming labour of love and I hope that you all find something old or something new here that you like and that you then go out and support these artists - making music is their job. Don't forget to check out the links to find out more about these bands, many of them have additional tunes posted.

This selection reflects my own personal taste, it is not based on sales, chart positions or the financial support and advertising funds provided by record execs. It is also listed in alphabetical order, because beyond this list (which was difficult enough to shrink down to a suitable size for posting) I am unable to prioritise my favourites. As such I can easily create a volume two of Essential Australian, but that really depends on the response to this post.

If you like these tunes, support the artist and buy some of their music. I have started to post links to Amazon to make this task easier, and to help support my blogging habit.

So here goes, a mix tape I call “Something Old, Something New’s Essential Australian”:-

AC/DC - High Voltage

No essential Australian mix can exclude AC/DC, arguably Australia’s most successful musical export, they are still rocking strong today, nearly 35 years later. For my money it’s the Bon Scott years which not only defined the AC/DC sound but which will always be the purest version of the band. I still remember sitting at my friend Scott’s house in the mid 1970’s, playing those first two albums over and over.

The Beasts Of Bourbon - Drop Out

The Beasts of Bourbon were the first alternative (as this music used to be called, back in the day) supergroup. They are also still playing today, having recently reformed with yet another different lineup to record a new album and do yet more touring.

The band members for their debut album “The Axeman’s Jazz” (recorded in 1984 in one afternoon for only $100) came from The Hoodoo Gurus, The Johnnys and The Scientists and were lead by frenzied front man Tex Perkins (who along with guitarist Spencer Jones has been the only constant member since the band’s inception).

The Beast’s sound has mutated over the years from the swamp rock, gothic blues of their first album(s) through to the punk-infused blues-based pub rock (consider the Rolling Stones with balls) they play today.

The Birthday Party - Release The Bats

The Birthday Party were the renamed Boys Next Door when that band headed to England in 1980, escaping the suffocation of the Australian music scene at that time.

Although they had limited commercial success, and only existed for 4 years under their new moniker, the Birthday Party would influence many bands with both their music and performance style and band members Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Rowland S Howard all went on to have successful careers. Their menacing and manic sound and brutal performances led to the band being referred to as 'The Most Violent Band In Britain'

Boys Next Door - Shivers

The Boys Next Door formed at the exclusive Caulfield Grammer School in 1973 when a group of arty students started playing school dances and parties. Initially playing 1960’s pop and 1970’s glam rock, their sound would develop fully with the addition of Rowland S Howard on guitar, who brought the posted track “Shivers” with him.

The band were influenced by the burgeoning Australian punk scene with bands such as The Saints and Radio Birdman and by 1978 The Boys Next Door were considered one of the best post-punk bands in Melbourne. Despite their influences, the band would soon develop their own sound, travel to Europe and change their name to become one of Australia’s most important alternative bands, The Birthday Party.

The Church - The Unguarded Moment

Another classic Australian band who are still recording and performing today with the same core members, The Church grew out of Canberra in 1980 and quickly developed an atmospheric, 1960’s influenced neo-psychedelic sound based heavily around Marty Wilson-Piper’s jangly 12 string Rickenbacker guitar and vocalist Steve Kilbey’s poetic lyrics.

Although they had greater chart success with their 1980’s recordings (in 2006 the Melbourne newspaper The Age voted Under The Milky Way as the best Australian song of the last 21 years in their EG Music Awards) The Church’s sound has continued to develop and mature and they still have a strong following around the world.

The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind

The Easybeats are considered to be one of the greatest Australian pop bands of the 1960s and they were the first Australian rock and roll band to score an international hit with this classic 1966 single "Friday on My Mind".

All of the founding band members had migrated to Australia, forming in Sydney’s Villawood Migrant Hostel, and the band released a string of hit singles in Australia before relocating to England where they had some early success but too soon developed internal friction and the band dissolved in financial debt.

Harry Vanda and George Young would eventually return to Australia as an active creative unit and would go on to work with the Albert Productions record label writing, recording, producing and basically helping to create much of the Australian music scene of the mid 1970’s including Stevie Wright, The Angels, John Paul Young and most famously George's younger brothers Angus and Malcolm Young’s band AC/DC.

Fun Things - Savage

The Fun Things formed in Brisbane in 1978 and were heavily influenced by punk and the Detroit sound as well as Australian legends Radio Birdman. In 1980, they recorded four tracks for what would be their one and only release and the band split in 1980.

Like The Victims, the Fun Things were as important for going on to help form the Hoodoo Gurus and The Screaming Tribesmen, as for the songs they recorded.

The Go-Betweens - Cattle And Cane

The Go-Betweens had a turbulent history, forming in Brisbane in 1977 they were seemingly always a cult band with limited commercial success despite the chart friendliness of their sound. They moved to Europe in 1979 and spent much of the 1980’s touring the world.

This touring schedule along with internal frictions, including inter-band romances, and constant label problems and interference eventually led to their demise in 1989. After this time both Grant McLennan and Robert Forster managed mildly successful solo careers, and the cult of the Go-Betweens continued to grow.

The boys reunited as the Go-Betweens 10 years later and recorded more two more acclaimed albums which added to their legacy until the untimely death of McLennan in 2006.

Hoodoo Gurus - (Let's All) Turn On

I always enjoyed listening to and seeing the Hoodoo Gurus during their early years, and with Dave Faulkner and James Baker being local boys the band toured Perth regularly. The classic 1983 Hoodoo Gurus line up formed from the ashes of punk bands The Victims and The Scientists from Perth and the Fun Things from Brisbane.

I watched the band go from alternative paisley-clad, winkle-picker wearing swamp rockers playing their power-pop/psychedelia/grungy garage rock at small venues to chart, ARIA and larger venue botherers within a few short years, but they were certainly fun years. Stoneage Romeos has my vote as one of the best Australian albums of the 1980s.

On this posted track from their debut, the Hoodoos set out their manifesto – check it out!!

Hunters & Collectors - Betty's Worry or The Slab

The Hunnas had a huge sound unlike anything else on the aussie pub circuit in the early 1980s. They made their live debut in 1981 as an eleven man ensemble who would often encourage punters up to the stage and provide them with percussive instruments to add to the mayhem and cacophony.

As the number of releases increased the number of band members decreased and by the time they recorded their archetypical “Jaws Of Life” album in 1984 vocalist Mark Seymour’s lyrics had developed a decidedly blokey Australian flavor. But the lure of chart success, which they achieved with moderate success, would dilute the impact of their sound and for me this mid-1980’s period was their zenith.

Laughing Clowns - New Bully in Town

When Ed Keupper returned to Australia, after The Saints imploded in London in 1979, he quickly gathered together like minded musicians and created the avante jazz-punk of the Laughing Clowns. With songs often constructed around complicated structures with difficult time signatures the Laughing Clowns were another unique Australian band, creating their own musical vision.

Ed Keupper is surely one of Australia’s surly musical maestros and before he would go on to create his solo legacy he managed to show another musical direction for a few disillusioned ex-punks.

The Lime Spiders - Slave Girl

This 1984 release from The Lime Spiders is undoubtedly one of the all-time classic Australian singles, a bona fide fuzzed up guitar, garage rock stomp from a band who never managed to repeat the same level of success, perhaps in part due to the constant instability in their lineup.

The Lime Spiders still managed to release an impressive collection of garage-punk laced singles and if you are lucky you may catch them playing in your back yard as they are still getting together to play the occasional gig.

The Loved Ones - The Loved One

The Loved Ones formed in 1965, with an early history of jazz clubs and listening to the blues, so when the Rolling Stones came along with a similar history and The Beatles started creating their own music, these Melbourne musicians understood not just the excitement value of the music, but how it was done and they did it for themselves. But the band split in 1967 after just one album, Magic Box.

The Missing Links - Wild About You

The Missing Links are considered by many to be the wildest group Australia has ever produced, certainly from the pre-punk period.

They were the first Australian band known to use feedback and the first Australian band which can rightfully be labelled "punk". The Missing Links were wild on record and wild on stage, with front man Andy James known to climb the walls and hang from the rafters, or to put his head through the drums, doing things no-one had seen done on stage before. Sadly The Missing Links were another band who had line-up issues, they only existed between 1963 and 1966 and only released 1 album before dying out.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo

There can be little doubt that Nick Cave is one of Australia’s greatest (alternative or not) creative artists. With an eclectic and illustrious career as a singer, award winning songwriter, actor, cutting-edge composer, novelist, poet, artist, screenwriter … .

The Bad Seeds has a (n ir)regularly changing lineup which always contains a(n un)healthy smattering of Australian musicians as well as others with sympathetic musical leanings, helping to create the musical soundscape for Caves often gothic tales.

Nick Cave has been the front man for and creative driving force behind the creation of a number of acclaimed bands (The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, The Bad Seeds, Grinderman) each with their own unique style and substance but always leaning towards the dark side. With Tupelo is he singing about Elvis, Jesus or his own mythic creation? The king is dead, long live the king!

Paul Kelly - From St. Kilda To King's Cross

Paul Kelly has had a long career, from his days playing pub rock in Melbourne in the late 1970s through leading his own bands (The Dots, The Coloured Girls and The Messengers) in the 1980s when he started regularly bothering the Australian charts and finally his solo guise which has helped garner critical acclaim and record sales.

During this time he has also written film scores and worked as a producer and is member of the ARIA Hall of Fame. Paul Kelly sings of Australian experiences and history perhaps more candidly than any other artist and is still very active, having just released his eleventh collection of new songs.

Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve and Danno

Radio Birdman were there at the beginning of the Australian punk movement, forming in Sydney in 1974. Influenced by The Stooges, MC5, 1960's garage punk and surf instrumental groups but creating their own sound and look. They were another great do-it-yourself story before the punk movement in the UK and USA had widely spread this message. They initially financed their own low budget recordings, created their own label, self distributed their records at a low price and even ran the management of the Oxford Funhouse, a venue which went on to help nurture the nascent Sydney punk scene.

Radio Birdman only survived for 4 years, recording two albums and undertaking one overseas tour before disbanding and scattering musicians across Australia to augment the country's already thriving music underground. But the band reformed for the Big Day Out 1996 tour and since that time they have recorded another album (Zeno Beach) and continued to tour sporadically.

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded

The Saints are the stuff of Australian music legend. Forming in 1974, they were punk before the genre had been defined. Famously releasing their “(I’m) Stranded” single in September 1976 before the Damned’s “New Rose” (October 1976) and the Sex Pistol’s “Anarchy In The UK” (November 1976).

The Saints were another band that lived the do-it-yourself ethic, independently recording and distributing their debut single, creating their own label and their own "club", the 76 Club in their suburban Petrie Terrace house as a reaction to not being able to play anywhere else. The Saints only recorded 3 albums before musical and personal differences saw the band deteriorate and Ed Keupper return home to Australia to create The Laughing Clowns. Chris Bailey would soon after reform his version of The Saints in London, to some commercial success.

On July 14, 2007, Chris Bailey, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay re-united The Saints for a one-off gig as part of the Queensland Music Festival’s “Pig City” festival. Sadly I was overseas at this time and missed this historic occasion.

The Scientists - Swampland

The Scientists were born in May 1978 from the ashes of Perth’s first punk bands, The Cheap Nasties, who had also been formed by frontman Kim Salmon and The Geeks. The Perth era Scientists played more in the punk-pop vein and after releasing one album split in January 1981.

By September 1981 Kim Salmon had moved to inner city Sydney and created a reformed Scientists with a swampier, darker sound. Salmon also helped form the Beasts of Bourbon in 1984 before taking the Scientists to Europe where they were soon touring Europe (with The Gun Club). By 1987 the band had returned to Australia for one last tour. Salmon and the Scientists and would go on to influence bands such as Mudhoney and would be considered one of the early driving musical forces in the genre that would be known as grunge.

Severed Heads - Dead Eyes Opened

Severed Heads were one of Australia’s first post-punk electronic bands, forming in 1979, with a heavy use of tape loops and synthesizers and they were early pioneers in multimedia performance.

In 1984 they release “Dead Eyes Opened” which provided the opportunity for a world tour. Since 1985 Tom Ellard has been the main human component of Severed Heads. Label problems saw them adrift for some time before creating the internet based www.sevcom.com which became one of the first band-run sites on the Internet and now runs hundreds of artists.

A remixed version of Dead Eyes Opened enteeds the Australian top 20 in 1994 and that year they were the first electronic band to play the Big Day Out. The following year they headlined that festival’s electronic “The Boiler Room”. In 2004, Severed Heads created the soundtrack for The Illustrated Family Doctor.

The Stems - Tears Me In Two

The Stems were considered by many to be one of the most seminal rock bands of the 1980`s to emerge from Australia. They were formed in Perth in 1983 with a musical (and sartorial) style initially influenced by sixties garage punk and later by power pop. They completed several Australian tours and were perhaps one of the first bands to gain national success while remaining in Perth, and despite never having toured internationally (until their reunion) they are held in high esteem in Europe and the US amongst fans of classic 1960's inspired rock 'n' roll.

Although only releasing 5 singles, an E.P. and one full length album, The Stems set an impressive record with each release reaching No 1 on the Australian alternative charts. Their album "At First Sight … Violets Are Blue" released in 1987 received national and international critical acclaim and would be one of the best selling Australian albums of that year. The Stems reunited for a tour in early 2003 and they are still gigging today.

The Sunnyboys - Happy Man

The Sunnyboys formed in Sydney in 1980 under the direction of singer/songwriter Jeremy Oxley. With their 1960’s influenced melodic power pop tunes they went from playing inner-city venues to scoring hit singles all within a year of formation.

Their first four singles and first two albums all hit the Australian mainstream charts and in 1984 the band played two sold out shows at the Marquee Club in London and the band recorded their third album in the UK. But after returning home to an Australian tour, and with minimal chart success of their new release, internal friction caused the band to dissolve.

In 1987 Jeremy Oxley attempted to revive The Sunnyboys with a new line-up and released an album, but limited acceptance caused the band to break up again in 1990.

The Triffids - Red Pony

Regular readers of Something Old, Something New will know of the fondness I hold for The Triffids.

Forming in 1976 with an ever changing lineup of friends and musicians, the band released several well received (in the alternative scene) singles and privately recorded and released tapes. They drove across Australia on numerous occasions before the line up stabilized in 1983 and The Triffids released their debut minor masterpiece album Treeless Plain and my favourite track, Red Pony.

The Triffids self-financed a three month trip to Europe in late 1984 and ended up on the cover NME’s first edition of 1985, which predicted it would be “The Year Of The Triffids”. But they still couldn’t secure any label interest in Europe and again returned home and self-financed their sophomore album Born Sandy Devotional, which reached # 27 on the UK charts. The track “Wide Open Road” received widespread (albeit minor) success and would go on to become the band’s signature tune.

Their popularity in Europe grew, although at home they were still considered a cult band. After signing to a major label in the UK, their recordings would suffer from too much production and despite some success the band split in 1989 and singer/songwriter David McComb died in 1999.

The Triffids back catalog is slowly being re-mastered and re-released with bonus tracks. The remainder of the band performed with guest vocalists in Belgium and Amsterdam in 2006 and they are scheduled to play at 2008’s Sydney Festival.

The Victims - Television Addict

The Victims emerged from the Perth punk scene in 1977 from the ashes of The Geeks. Like all good punk bands of the era, they self-released their debut single Television Addict and created their own scene “Hernando's Hideaway” on Wednesday nights in an inner city jazz venue.

The band only survived for two years and, apparently after a poor review in the NME, they split in 1979. But not before recording the five tracks that would become their “No Thanks To The Human Turd” E.P..

Members of The Victims would go on to help shape the independent Australian music scene of the 1980’s playing in bands including The Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists and The Beasts of Bourbon.

You Am I - Berlin Chair

You Am I were formed by Tim Rogers in December 1989 and were especially renowned for their early blistering live performances and the occasionally erratic on-stage behavior of Rogers.

The band had released some E.P.’s and singles before catching the attention of Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo at 1993’s Big Day Out festival. Ranaldo would go on to produce the band’s fourth E.P. and debut album “Sound As Ever”. Their second (Hi Fi Way) and third (Hourly, Daily) albums moved ever farther away from the harder sound of their earlier recordings, although both received ARIA awards and sold well. I consider this period up to the mid 1990’s to be the band’s high water mark.

Since 1999 the ever hard-working Rogers has been releasing solo and other collaborative albums as well as irregular You Am I releases and he maintains a grueling touring schedule.

Do you like these tunes? Not sure which bands or albums to buy. Here are some links to some great compilations of Australian bands:-

Boss Hoss

2007-08-18T22:52:00.000+10:00

The Sonics are rightfully considered to be one of the earliest bands on the family tree of punk (which I believe stretches back as far as Link Wray's seminal track Rumble) due to their wild and unconventional style with bloodcurdling screams, neanderthal drumming and heavily distorted guitar. The lyrics of The Sonics' original material dealt with early '60s teenage culture; cars, guitars, surfing, and girls alongside darker subject matter such as drinking strychnine for kicks, witches, psychopaths, and Satan.

They combined classic Northwest-area garage band raunch (see the first Nuggets compilation to hear other bands in this style such as Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs; The Kingsmen; The Seeds and the Thirteenth Floor Elevators) with early English band grit (they were particularly influenced by the Kinks). Their relentless rhythmic drive and unabashed '50s-style blues shouting (in the style of Little Richard) created a sound that makes their brand of rock & roll perhaps the rawest and raunchiest ever captured on wax.

Gerry Roslie was the first white man to record a frightening rock 'n' roll scream in earnest, thus influencing Iggy Pop and the rest of protopunk, such as The New York Dolls. The band also have a clearly marked influence on golden age American punk bands such as The Dead Boys in their brash, immature, masculine style and posturing, and on the nineties grunge bands (who originated in the same area), especially Mudhoney, who adopted some of the darker themes from Sonics music, and a lot of their groundbreaking techniques on over-driving and distorting electric guitars.

The Sonics started in 1960 in Tacoma, Washington as an instrumental combo and after several line-up changes 1963 saw the beginning of the band the world know as the Sonics. They were still working as an instrumental combo with Gerry Roslie playing electric piano, but in early 1964 Gerry Roslie began to sing.

The Sonics first recording was the classic "The Witch" in 1964, which would become the all-time best-selling local rock single in Northwest history. Their follow-up single "Psycho" was quickly released and also became a big hit locally.

The band recorded the classic "Here Are the Sonics" in 1965. The album was recorded on a two-track tape recorder with only one microphone for the whole drum kit. To get the distortioned and aggressive sound the band members had to overload the amps and redline the studio deck's VU meter.

Their second album "Boom" was recorded in February 1966 and during the recording session the band began to tear down half the egg cartons that lined the ceilings and studio walls "to get a liver sound".

In 1966 the Sonics were the opening act for the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Jay & the Americans, Ray Stevens, Herman's Hermits, the Righteous Brothers, the Kinks, Lovin' Spoonful, Liverpool 5, Shangri-Las, Mamas & Papas and the Byrds. But still they were only ever recognised in their own backyard and national/international success eluded them.

They went to Hollywood and had Larry Levine at the Gold Star Studio to produce the album "Introducing the Sonics". This 1967 release resulted in a much more polished sounding lp because the band didn't have the same freedom and possibilities to overload the amps etc. The band members themselves describe the record as "the worst garbage"!

The last 45 recorded by the original line-up was Any Way The Wind Blows. After this members departed to go to college or join other bands - with Rob Lind being the last original member to leave in 1968.

The influence of the Sonics can be seen in the number of bands who have recorded cover versions of their songs; The Fall, The Cramps, Nomads, The Mono Men, The Fuzztones, They Might Be Giants, The Flaming Lips, Screaming Trees, Thee Headcoats ...

So here is a collection of covers of Boss Hoss, plus the original by the Sonics. This selectoon includes a live version by The Hoovers, the band I played in when I was living in Perth.

A friend is about to celebrate his 40th birthday and is getting together friends from a number of the bands I have blogged about over the last few years (The Waltons, The Volcanics, the M-16s, the Marigolds, The Hoovers and As Is). I will be there at the same time and will be happy to join in and jam with some old buddies again, perhaps Boss Hoss will get another airing live - I'd like to see that!

The Sonics - Boss Hoss

The Mono Men - Boss Hoss

The Hoovers - Boss Hoss

The Fuzztones - Boss Hoss

Ray Daytona And The Googoobombos - Boss Hoss

Dirty Lovers - Boss Hoss

Kings Of Rock - Boss Hoss

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

Manchester (so much to answer for)

2007-07-03T22:50:00.000+10:00

Manchester has always been one of the UK's primary cities for music, with a 40 year history of creating quality bands who have left their mark on the world, and continue to do so. Many of my favourite ever bands have come from Manchester.

Sadly during our recent visit to Manchester we missed The Fall by two days, but that's life.

But I did get to see some of the original footage taken by Howard Devoto of the second Sex Pistols gig (on July 20th 1977) at the Free Trade Hall, as part of the inaugral Manchester International Festival.

Here are some of the excellent bands who have come from Manchester, check out the links to find some tunes and more information.

Joy Division

The Smiths

The Fall

The Buzzcocks

New Order

John Cooper Clarke

Stone Roses

Happy Mondays

Oasis

Badly Drawn Boy

Doves

Elbow

Perhaps the best song to ever come out of Manchester?

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

Jump In My Car

2007-06-22T03:57:00.000+10:00

One of the things I miss while travelling overseas is the excellent music trivia show on ABC TV Spicks and Specks.

My lovely little sister Suzanne mentioned to me that this dodgey version of Jump In My Car by the Hoff was shown on the latest episode and it suited the brief of Something Old, Something New down to the ground.

Ted Mulry was a British-born singer, songwriter, bass player and guitarist who achieved success in Australia first as a solo performer and then leading his own band the Ted Mulry Gang, sometimes known as TMG.

The Ted Mulry Gang formed in 1972, at which time Mulry was performing as a pop balladeer, my parents had a copy of his "Falling In Love Again" single which I remember playing on the old radiogram which I claimed as a young boy. The TMG backing band was drawn from the remnants of a suburban dance band called The Velvet Underground. (The band claimed complete ignorance of the famed US band of the same name).

Between 1974 and 1980, the Ted Mulry gang recorded seven best-selling albums of good-time pop 'n' boogie. During that time they also undertook some of the most extensive national tours ever by an Australian band (even when the band's hits dried up during the 1980s the Ted Mulry Gang machine rolled on with regular tours of the pub circuit).

The Ted Mulry Gang issued their debut album, Here We Are, on the Alberts label in November 1974. The album originally sold only moderately until 1975 when Alberts released Jump In My Car as a single. A month later it had shot to number one on the national chart.

By 1976, the band were rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sherbet, Skyhooks, Hush and Ol' 55 as darlings of the Australian pop scene. That year they issued two best-selling albums; Struttin' and Steppin' Out, plus three hit singles; Darktown Strutters Ball (a remake of the 60 year old song), Crazy and Steppin' Out. Jamaican Rum provided the band with their 5th consecutive hit.

In April 1977 the band left Alberts and signed to the Mushroom label, changing their name from the Ted Mulry Gang to TMG and issuing a new album The TMG Album which produced two hit singles, My Little Girl and Naturally.

Their 1978 release, Disturbing the Peace included the singles Lazy Eyes, Heart of Stone and (You've Got) The Devil In You.

In April the band set off on a three month tour (supported by Feather) and at the end of 1978 signed an American deal with Atlantic Records. Their records were also released in New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, New Guinea and South East Asia.

The TMG Live album featured one of the band's stage favourites, a ribald version of the bawdy Dinah. ("Dinah Dinah show us yer leg, a yard above your knee").

The Locked In album included three singles, Save Me, Can't Take It All and Captured but none were successful. Thus ended TMG's love affair with the pop charts, but their place in Oz music history was assured. A reunion album (called oddly enough Re-Union) produced the single Old Habits.

In 1998 Ted released a solo CD called "This Time" of songs co-written by himself and his brother Steve Mulry. In early 2001 Ted Mulry announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. A series of tribute concerts organised shortly before his death, Gimme Ted, brought together an assortment of Australian rock acts of his era to pay tribute to him. These included a reunion of his band Ted Mulry Gang with his brother Steve Mulry standing in for him as lead vocalist. Ted passed away on September 1, just one day short of his 50th birthday.

In January 2006, David Hasselhoff recorded a version of Ted's classic Jump In My Car whilst in Australia. Hasselhoff's version of Jump In My Car was subsequently released in the UK and surprisingly it went to #3 in the charts there in October 2006.

Thanks Suzie!

p.s. keep practising on your guitar Tim

It's a Fine Day

2007-06-16T01:46:00.001+10:00

A few months ago, two good friends organised a joint birthday party where, along with their birthdays, they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the closure of the night club where most of us (mis)spent much of our youth, The Red Parrot in Perth, WA. Sadly I was too busy working in Brisbane to attend.

The call went out for music which was played at the Parrot and also for photos from the period for the party, and as I had already been through my 1980's music phase and collected a significant amount of mp3s (much of which had been posted in Something Old, Something New) I decided to create a mix tape of appropriate music for them.

During this time I reacquainted myself with some of the Cherry Red recordings.

This track by Jane was on a Pillows and Prayers compilation album and also on a video compilation (which I later sold to assist in paying for a trip to europe).

Today I have arrived in Exeter in the south west of england, having spent the last few days in London.

This lovely, simple track from 1983 is very english and the melody has been stuck in my head for days now. Also today is not a fine day, which is the reason why I am inside and not enjoying the lush countryside, or at least down at the local enjoying the english hand pumped ales.

As I am travelling at the moment, it is more difficult to upload music. But the vast collection of tunes and videos on You Tube comes to the rescue. I promise to continue posting, but there will be less compilations and more one-off type posts such as this.

So for your listening pleasure, here's Jane ....

plus a new remixed version by Miss Jane .....

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

Fun Things (Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

2007-05-13T11:39:00.000+10:00

The Fun Things originally formed as a high school band in Brisbane called the Aliens in 1978, with Brad Shepherd on guitar and vocals, bassist John Hartley, and Murray Shepherd on drums. For a brief period after the Aliens, the Shepherd brothers, along with guitarist Graeme Beavis and Mark Lock, played as the Phantom Agents. In 1979, Hartley returned and with the Shepherds and Beavis became the Fun Things. Live covers included bands such as Radio Birdman, The Stooges, The Monkees, and Blue Oyster Cult, among others.

In 1980, the band went into the studio to record four tracks for what would be their one and only release: "Savage", "Lipstick", "(I Ain't Got) Time Enough for Love", and "When the Birdmen Fly". Only 500 copies were pressed of the self-titled vinyl EP, issued in May 1980. When the EP was released, Beavis had already left the group, and the remaining three continued as the Aliens again for a short time until Brad Shepherd left for England in the summer of 1980.

And so the Fun Things became more famous for who they produced, although the rerelease of their EP (which these two tracks are taken from) has also created a lot of interest.

Brad Shepherd would go on most famously to help form eighties aussie legends the The Hoodoo Gurus as well as The Monarchs and The Persian Rugs and he has played in a number of other bands.

There is a nice excerpt of an interview with Brad Shepherd talking about his early days and influences at Break My Face and Brad talking about the Gurus, the Monarchs and the Persian Rugs at the I-94 Bar.

Fun Things - Savage

Fun Things - When The Birdmen Fly

Boris and sunnO)))

2007-05-06T18:54:00.000+10:00

i saw Boris and sunnO))) last night

these bands are both from the drone metal genre which i don't have much experience with

it's been a while since i've seen a band whose catalog i didn't know, at least i usually know a few tracks before seeing a band live. it's probably been since New York in 2005?

but that's what happened last night, my ever hard working and sexy wife really likes Boris, whereas i only have a passing knowledge of their music - neither of us knew anything about sunnO))) - and she was keen to see Boris and i'm always happy to see interesting live music

so immediately after finishing 5 hours overtime at work on a Saturday (oh yay) we found ourselves at QUT's student guild bar surrounded by many of the noise and metal fans of Brisbane

Boris were great, with some cool, crusty guitar sounds and a crazy drummer. they played a interesting mix of noise and drone and even included some melody in their set

i found the extremely slow and endless sustain of sunnO))) a tad frustrating and their tendancy to dress in robes only made me think of Spinal Tap, which didn't help

i understood what they were doing and recognised the intensity and power of the minimalism, but i wasn't converted

or perhaps i missed the beer and rocking out experience which is the norm at most of the gigs i attend? at least i had sufficient amounts of beer last night. but this was only my experience, everyone else thought it was an excellant gig and were waxing lyrical about their favourite sunn O))) moments after the show

and i was impressed and interested enough in both bands to buy the new collabaration album altar which they have just released and found this very enjoyable, combining elements of both bands sets from last night

The Australian tour continues with both bands playing tonight in Sydney and Wednesday in Melbourne. If you like metal or noise, or if you are just a bit curious, then this is a gig to get along to

here are a couple of tracks from the new collaboration "Altar":-

boris and sunno))) - Akuma No Kuma

boris and sunno))) - Her Lips Were Wet With Venom

and for all of those lurkers who like to watch, this live clip sums up the set by sunn O))) quite well, rock out on those guitars, boys ...

and here's a great live clip from Boris ...

The Pixies

2007-04-13T20:49:00.001+10:00

First came the joy that was watching Evan Dando and his latest collective

The gig began with a dazed and confused Evan tripping onstage to begin detuning his guitar, loudly through the pa for all to hear. the band and many of the audience members looked on bemused

Evan seemed to be running just fine, cruising on automatic, lost in his fringe and his own little world, babbling to the crowd between songs and playing perfectly fine versions of his best tracks. Some of my friends who were also at the gig weren't overly impressed, but hey! it's the Lemonheads (well .... Evan Dando), what else would you expect?

But even better, only 5 days later, it was time to finally see live perhaps my favourite ever band (if there could be such a thing, i certainly have a rapidly fluctuating favourite band of the moment and a collection of favourite ever bands) ...

The Pixies!!

They were playing as the headline act for the Blackjack festival in Perth

That's right, we flew 4300 kilometres (from Brisbane to Perth, and then 4300 kilometres back again) to hang out with our old buddies and 7000 others to bounce up and down to The Pixies

And it was well worth it, the Pixies set was one of the highlights of my live music experiences so far (and i've had a few)

We forced ourselves as far toward the stage as possible and bounced around to The Pixies

Combining jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, intertwining male-female harmonies and evocative, cryptic lyrics, the Pixies were one of the most influential American alternative rock bands of the late '80s. The Pixies weren't accomplished musicians -- Black Francis wailed and bashed out chords while Joey Santiago's lead guitar squealed out spirals of noise. But the band were inventive, rabid rock fans that turned conventions inside out, melding punk and indie guitar rock, classic pop, surf rock, and stadium-sized riffs with singer/guitarist Black Francis' bizarre, fragmented lyrics about space, religion, sex, mutilation, and pop culture; while the meaning of his lyrics may have been impenetrable, the music was direct and forceful.

The Pixies' busy, brief songs, extreme dynamics, and subversion of pop song structures proved one of the touchstones of '90s alternative rock. From grunge to Britpop, the Pixies' shadow loomed large -- it's hard to imagine Nirvana without the Pixies' signature stop-start dynamics and lurching, noisy guitar solos.

While the Pixies were touted as the band to bring indie rock into the mainstream, they simply laid the groundwork for the alternative explosion of the early '90s. MTV was reluctant to play their videos, while even modern rock radio didn't put their singles into regular rotation. Furthermore, tensions between leader Black Francis and bassist/vocalist Kim Deal, who wanted to incorporate her songs into the band's repertoire, crippled the band's progress. By the time Nirvana broke the doors down for alternative rock in 1992, the Pixies were effectively broken up.

The Pixies were formed in Boston, MA, in 1986 by Charles Thompson and his roommate, Joey Santiago. Born in California, Thompson began playing music as a teenager, before he moved to the East Coast during high school. Following graduation, he became an anthropology major at the University of Massachusetts. Half way through his studies at the college, he went to Puerto Rico to study Spanish, and after six months he decided to move back to the U.S. to form a band.

Thompson dropped out of school and moved to Boston, managing to persuade Santiago to join him. Advertising in a music paper for a bassist who liked "Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul & Mary," the duo recruited Kim Deal (who was billed as Mrs. John Murphey on the group's first two records), who had previously played with her twin sister Kelly in the folk-rock garage band the Breeders in her hometown of Dayton, OH. On the advice of Deal, the group recruited drummer David Lovering. Inspired by Iggy Pop, Thompson picked the stage name Black Francis and the group named itself the Pixies after Santiago randomly flipped through the dictionary.

By the fall, the Pixies had played enough gigs to land a supporting slot for fellow Boston band Throwing Muses. At the Muses concert, Gary Smith, an artist manager and producer at Boston's Fort Apache studios, heard the group and offered to record them. In March 1987, the Pixies recorded 18 songs over the course of three days. The demo, dubbed The Purple Tape, was given to key players within the Boston musical community and the international alternative scene, including Ivo Watts, the head of England's 4AD Records. Impressed with the cassette, Watts signed the band and released eight of the demo's songs as the EP Come On Pilgrim in 1987.

The Pixies convened to record their first full-length album, Surfer Rosa, with producer Steve Albini, who had pioneered the thin, abrasive indie-guitar grind with Big Black. Albini gave the band a harder-edged, abrasive guitar sound, yet the group retained its melodic hooks. Released in the spring of 1988, Surfer Rosa earned enthusiastic reviews from the British weekly music press and became a college radio hit in America; in the U.K., the album made inroads on the pop charts. By the end of the year, the buzz on the Pixies had become substantial, and the group signed to Elektra Records.

At the end of 1988, the group re-entered the studio, this time with British producer Gil Norton. Released in the spring of 1989, Doolittle boasted a cleaner sound and received excellent reviews, which led to greater exposure in America. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Here Comes Your Man" became Top Ten modern rock hits, clearing the way for Doolittle to peak at number 98 on the U.S. charts; in the U.K., it entered the charts at number eight.

Throughout their career, the Pixies were more popular in Australia, Britain and Europe than America, as evidenced by the success of the Sex and Death tour. The band became notorious for Black Francis' motionless performances, which were offset by Deal's charmingly earthy sense of humor. The tour itself became infamous for the band's in-jokes, such as playing their entire set list in alphabetical order. By the completion of their second American tour for Doolittle at the end of 1989, the group had begun to tire of each other and decided to take a hiatus during the beginning of 1990.

During the hiatus, Black Francis went on a brief solo tour and Kim Deal formed a group with Tanya Donnely from the Throwing Muses and bassist Josephine Wiggs of Perfect Disaster, naming it after her teenage band, the Breeders. The Breeders recorded the Albini-produced Pod, which appeared on 4AD in early summer 1990, shortly after the Pixies reconvened to record their third album with Gil Norton. More atmospheric than its predecessors, and relying heavily on Francis' surf rock obsession, Bossanova was released in the fall of 1990; unlike Surfer Rosa or Doolittle, it contained no songs by Deal.

Bossanova was greeted with decidedly mixed reviews, but the record became a college hit, generating the modern rock hits "Velouria" and "Dig for Fire" in the U.S. In Europe, the record expanded the group's popularity, hitting number three on the U.K. album charts and paving the way for their headlining appearance at the Reading Festival. Though the supporting tours for Bossanova were successful, tension continued to grow between Kim Deal and Black Francis -- at the conclusion of their English tour, Deal announced from the stage of the Brixton Academy that the concert was "our last show."

While the Pixies did cancel their planned American tour, due to "exhaustion," the band reconvened in the spring of 1991 to record its fourth album, again with Gil Norton. Hiring former Captain Beefheart and Pere Ubu keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman as an auxiliary member, the band moved back toward loud rock, claiming to be inspired by the presence of Ozzy Osbourne in a neighboring studio.

Upon its fall release, Trompe le Monde was hailed by some as a welcome return to the sound of Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, but closer inspection revealed that it relied heavily on sonic detail and featured very few vocals by Deal and none of her songs. The band embarked on another international tour, playing stadiums in Europe but theaters in America. During the spring of 1992, the Pixies opened for U2 on the opening leg of the Zoo TV tour; it would be their last trek through the United States. Upon the conclusion of the Zoo TV tour the Pixies went on hiatus, with Deal returning to the Breeders, who releasing the EP Safari later that spring. Francis began working on a solo album.

As he was preparing to release his solo debut, Francis gave an interview on BBC's Radio 5, announcing that the Pixies were disbanding. He hadn't yet informed the other members; later that day, he faxed them his statement. Inverting his stage name to Frank Black, Francis released his eponymous debut that spring to mixed reviews; over the next few years, Frank Black's audience gradually shrank to a small cult following.

The Breeders released their second album, Last Splash, in the fall of 1993. The album became a surprise hit, going gold in the U.S. and spawning the hit single "Cannonball." Soon after, Deal also formed the Amps, who released their one (and only) album, Pacer, in 1995.

I saw the Breeders during this era, they played a Big Day Out festival and i was squashed in the front row against the fence - that was another of my favourite ever shows

Joey Santiago and Lovering formed the Martinis in 1995 and appeared on the soundtrack to Empire Records.

Although 4AD began issuing archival Pixies releases, including Death to the Pixies 1987-1991, Pixies at the BBC, and Complete B-Sides in the late '90s and early 2000s, those were relatively quiet years for the band's members. After releasing the disappointing The Cult of Ray for American in 1996, Black shuffled between different labels before ending up at spinART for 1999's Pistolero, where he also released his subsequent solo albums, most of which were met with a fair-to-middling response.

Kim Deal and the rest of the Breeders, meanwhile, suffered from problems ranging from substance abuse to writer's block, and only surfaced intermittently, spending time in the studio but only having a cover of 3 Degrees' "Collage" on the soundtrack to 1999's The Mod Squad to show for their efforts until they released Title TK in 2002.

David Lovering left the Martinis and became the touring drummer for Cracker, and also appeared on Tanya Donelly's Sliding and Diving, but found himself unemployed in the late '90s. Combining his studies in electronic engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology and his years of performing experience, Lovering dubbed himself a "scientific phenomenalist," a cross between a scientist, performance artist, and magician, and warmed up the crowds at Frank Black, Breeders, Camper Van Beethoven, and Grant Lee Buffalo concerts.

Santiago and his wife Linda Mallari continued the Martinis through the '90s, recording several demos and self-released albums. Santiago also began a career composing soundtracks and incidental music, beginning with the score for 2000's Crime & Punishment in Suburbia, to which Black also contributed a track. At the time, rumors circulated that Santiago would join Black on-stage during one of his London dates on the Dog in the Sand tour; though this didn't happen, it at least sparked hopes that the Pixies would eventually reunite.

These hopes seemed unfounded until 2003, when Black revealed in an interview that he had considered reuniting the band and that he, Deal, Santiago, and Lovering occasionally got together to jam. Soon after, it was confirmed that the Pixies would reunite in 2004 for U.S. tours in the spring and fall; an appearance at that year's Coachella festival; and gigs in Europe and the U.K. that summer, including performances at the T in the Park, Roskilde, Pinkpop, and V festivals. All 15 of the band's North American warm-up tour dates were recorded and released in limited editions of 1,000 copies, which were sold online and at the shows.

2005 saw the band make appearances at the Lollapalooza and Sasquatch! music festivals and at European events such as the Reading and Leeds Festivals, and in Edinburgh as part of the T on the Fringe music festival. In August, the band performed an entirely acoustic set (after a warm-up acoustic set in Albany, New York) at the Newport Folk Festival.

In July 2005, Black said that the band hopes to record a new album, their first since 1991. "We really want to make a record for the right reasons, whether it is successful commercially or not," Black said.

The band have been busy touring since and have just completed a run through Australia, including a "secret" show in Melbourne and their excellent performance in Perth.

Thank you Pixies, it was one of my favourite shows ever (i'll have to try to post this idea one day)

For your listening pleasure, here are a few cover versions by the Pixies:-

The Pixies - Head On

The Pixies - Evil Hearted You

The Pixies - Cecilia Ann

The Pixies - Born In Chicago

The Pixies - Ain't That Pretty At All

The Pixies - I Can't Forget

The Pixies - Wild Honey Pie

The Pixies - Winterlong

As an extra special treat for all of my lurkers, here's the video for one of my all time favourite Pixies tracks - Debaser:-

Pixies - Debaser.mpg

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:-

The Lemonheads

2007-03-30T23:36:00.000+10:00

this blog has had over 255 000 visitors now, that's a ridiculous number, especially considering the fact i don't post albums (apart from one or two which are unreleased) and many of the songs which are posted here are removed after a week or two. welcome everyone, i hope you find some thing interesting and hear something new. don't forget to check out the links (i admit i have been less than thorough with these since my resolution to spend less time blogging and more time on my own music, when i have the time)

work has been hell for weeks now, but what a week I have ahead, which will hopefully make up for it

tomorrow night sees the return of Evan Dando. Evan is a regular visitor to Australia and this time it’s in his latest Lemonheads guise, touring his/their new self-titled album.

the touring band doesn’t include the guys who actually recorded the new album, but I guess it’s hard to get drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Karl Alvarez (of early '80 punk legends Descendents), The Band's organist Garth Hudson and Dinosaur Jr guitar maestro J Mascis to tag along as your touring band

i have always had good memories of the Lemonheads, from the friend who introduced me to them when we first met with the birthday gift of a compilation tape which contained tracks from Creator and Hate Your Friends. Dirk also gave me a copy of Lovey when it was released; to the time i was driving around Ireland with my sister loudly singing along to Lemonheads tunes for hours at a time amongst the beautiful Irish countryside and villages, to my wedding day when we played the joyous My Drug Buddy as our bridal waltz, and a year later my beautiful and talented wife and i were living in Sydney being startled by the cars flying up King Street

The Lemonheads were one of my favourite bands of the early 1990s and I’m yet to see a bad show from Evan Dando (apart from one show at Perth’s Herdsman Hotel in 1993, when I was out drinking in a smoky pub when I was sick and should have been in bed recuperating and had to leave halfway through the set, but that's a different story)

I’ve seen quite a few other Dando/Lemonhead performances including an in-store appearance at the Oxford St / Tottenham Court road Virgin Mega Store in London in 2002, followed by an impossibly long queue of punters, two floors worth, queued in the Mega Store stairway, people clutching CDs (and some vinyl) wanting photos, autographs, body hair … their little bit of Evan

and the same tour when the media frenzy that was 1993's Lemonheads tripped through Perth

a few years later it was during the smacked out period in Fremantle where many of the audience hadn’t even realized that the person (possibly assumed to be the roadie?) on stage tuning the guitar was in fact the Evan Dando they had paid to see, the same Evan who had been spat out at the other end of the media madness that his life became

and most recently a couple of years ago on the Evan is back in Australia and quickly falling off the wagon "rehab" tour, and the Brisbane show was great fun with Evan in fine form

The Lemonheads' evolution from post-Hüsker Dü hardcore punk rockers to teenage heartthrobs is one of the strangest sagas in alternative music. Initially, the group was a punk-pop trio formed by three teenage Boston suburbanites, but over the years, the band became a vehicle for Evan Dando. Blessed with good looks and a warm, sweet voice, Dando became a teen idol in the early '90s, when Nirvana's success made alternative bands commercially viable. While his simple, catchy songs were instantly accessible, they tended to hide the more subversive nature of his lyrics, as well as his gift for offbeat covers and his devotion to country-rock father Gram Parsons.

After developing his signature blend of pop, punk, and country-rock on several independent records in the late '80s, Dando moved the Lemonheads to Atlantic Records in 1990. Two years later, It's a Shame About Ray made the group into media sensations, as Dando's face appeared on music and teen magazines across America and Britain. Though the Lemonheads were poised to become superstars, the band never quite found the right breakthrough single, and their popularity peaked in the early '90s. Around the same time, Dando descended into severe drug abuse that he curbed by the 1996 release of Car Button Cloth. However, he had missed his chance at stardom -- though the group retained their cult, much of their audience had already slipped away.

The son of a Boston attorney and a fashion model, Evan Dando (vocals, guitar, drums) formed the Lemonheads with his high-school classmates Ben Deily (vocals, guitar, drums) and Jesse Peretz (bass). Initially, the group was called the Whelps, but by the time the band made their debut EP, Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners, they had changed their name to the Lemonheads. Recorded the day after their high-school graduation, Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners was released on the group's own label Huh-Bag. The EP gained the attention of the Boston-based indie label Taang!, who signed the band later that same year. By the beginning of 1987, Doug Trachten had become the band's full-time drummer, leaving Dando and Peretz to share guitar and vocal duties. Hate Your Friends, a speedy hardcore LP that fell halfway between Hüsker Dü and the Replacements, was released in 1987. Trachten left after the record's release, and the band made 1988's Creator with Blake Babies drummer John Strohm.

Released in 1989, Lick expanded the Lemonheads' cult, thanks to a loud power pop cover of Suzanne Vega's "Luka." Following the release of Lick, Dando and Diely had a vicious dispute over the leadership of the Lemonheads, resulting in a temporary breakup. Dando briefly played with the Blake Babies before forming a new version of the Lemonheads with drummer David Ryan. The Lemonheads signed with Atlantic Records in 1990, releasing Lovey, their most accomplished, melodic, and eclectic record to date, later that year. Dando's interest in the band began to wander the following year, as he recorded the solo EP Favorite Spanish Dishes. In 1992, he recorded It's a Shame About Ray, which featured Blake Baby Juliana Hatfield on bass and harmony vocals.

It's a Shame About Ray would prove to be the Lemonheads' breakthrough album, but it didn't become a hit until a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" was added to the album several months after its initial release. By the end of 1992, the record had gained momentum, and Dando was being touted as the next alternative star.

By the fall release of 1993's Come On Feel the Lemonheads, Dando had become a minor celebrity, appearing in gossip columns frequently and hanging out with fellow Gen-X icons, including actors like Johnny Depp and musicians like Hole's Courtney Love. His fame was large enough to spark the creation of an anti-Dando fanzine, I Hate Evan Dando. Recorded with the band's new bassist Nic Dalton, Come On Feel was hyped as the album that would make the band superstars, but Dando's antics received more press than the record received airplay, even though "Into Your Arms" nearly scraped the pop charts. During the press junket to promote the album, he confessed to heavy use of hard drugs, including an escapade where he smoked enough crack to ruin his voice for several weeks. His addiction deepened throughout 1994, and he was frequently seen in a drug-induced haze on Oasis' fall tour of Britain. Early in 1995, he launched a solo tour of the U.S. with Epic Soundtracks, after which he played the Glastonbury Festival, where he was booed for appearing several hours late.

Dando sobered up during the remaining months of 1995, though he hadn't completely stopped drinking by the time he recorded Car Button Cloth with a new lineup of the Lemonheads featuring former Dinosaur Jr. drummer Murph, guitarist John Strohm, and bassist Bill Gibson. The album was greeted with mixed reviews upon its fall 1996 release and failed to generate a hit single; furthermore, Dando launched a full-scale tour to support the album.

After a year promoting the record, Dando announced at the 1997 Reading Festival that he was disbanding The Lemonheads and wasn’t seen too often. The Lemonheads and Atlantic Records parted ways, with a final release of a greatest-hits album released in mid-1998.

“I just decided to duck out for a while”, explains Dando of this self-imposed exile from the scene. “I didn't have it in me. It took until I met my wife in 1998 until I got back into making music.” That would be Elizabeth Moses, Newcastle-born English supermodel and musician. Once married in 2000, Dando started to come alive again like Frampton, first with a 2001 live album Live at the Brattle Theater/Griffith Sunset, and then in 2003 with a well-received solo LP, Baby I’m Bored.

In 2004 Evan Dando found himself fronting the MC5, the most incendiary rock band of 1960s America, as lead vocalist in a 41-show tour. And it was hard to miss Dando during 2005 and early 2006, as he toured widely in North America and Europe with various bass players (Juliana Hatfield and Josh Lattanzi) and drummers (Bill Stevenson, Chris Brokaw from Come, George Berz of Dinosaur Jr), and occasionally as a one man electrical wrecking crew.

Memorably, in September 2005, Dando, Stevenson, and Lattanzi played two instantly sold-out shows in London as part of the Don’t Look Back series, where they rocked through It's a Shame About Ray from start to finish, something which was a bit of a trend following Brian Wilson’s very successful Pet Sounds tour (and later Smile).

Late last year saw the release of their latest band/album The Lemonheads, the group’s 2006 release on Vagrant.

I am really looking forward to another fun show tomorrow night.

To celebrate, here is a selection of cover versions by Evan - solo, duo and in various other guises. I'll let you know the most popular cover version in part two

this is only a fraction of the covers Evan has released. wanna hear more? do you know who originally performed these tracks? are you interested in knowing? one of these songs is written by Charles Manson and another was written by a monkee! any cats out there?

Evan Dando - $1000 Wedding (with Juliana Hatfield)

Evan Dando - The Ballad Of El Goodo

Evan Dando - Thirteen

The Lemonheads - Brass Buttons

The Lemonheads - Different Drum

The Lemonheads - Luka

The Lemonheads - Your Home Is Where Your Happy

The Lemonheads - The Outdoor Type

The Lemonheads - Strange

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:-

Screamfeeder(Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

2007-03-18T11:22:00.000+10:00

I first saw Screamfeeder playing a gig with Something For Kate in early 1998 at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney, only a few weeks after moving to Sydney from Perth. Unfortunately we were yet to learn that bands start playing earlier in Sydney than they had done in Perth, so we missed much of the Screamfeeder set, only catching their explosive final few songs. I also saw Screamfeeder play a great show in a hot tent at the Homeback 1998 festival.

Screamfeeder stepped into the spotlight back in 1992 with the release of their debut album, Flour (out on the unfortunately not-so-permanent Survival label). Together, Kellie, Dean and Tim soon found themselves with a reputation for catchy hooks, meaningful lyrics and potent live shows that won over new fans. Their debut album was soon followed by the brilliant Burn Out Your Name LP in 1993, with yet another record, the Felicitator EP, hitting the shelves not long after in 1994. Busy touring across the nation and winning over audiences and music critics wherever they played, Screamfeeder were, in a nutshell, keeping busy!

It wasn’t just here at home, however, that the band was getting critical kudos – international music fans also got a taste of ‘Feeder sound via the international release of the group’s albums via the American indie TAANG! Records. Heading over to the States and Europe, the trio gained even more underground attention, before returning home and stepping away from Survival and instead signing a deal with Australia’s largest independent label, Shock Records. The excellent Kill Yourself With Music hit the airwaves in 1995, followed by the Seven Year Glitch compilation double LP in 1996. But it was the acclaimed Kitten Licks LP in 1997 that finally saw Screamfeeder break through to the mainstream masses, scoring wide airplay across Triple J and featuring in many local journos “album of the year” lists, all the while selling out shows across the country.

Always one of the nation’s respected indie acts, ever since then Screamfeeder have continued to put out quality recordings in quick succession, one after the other. There’s the Closing Alaska EP (available to US audiences only), with Kitten Licks finding a Stateside release via Time Bomb Records in 1999. There’s the mini-album of cover versions, Home Age, out via Shock, and Rocks On The Soul in 2000.

Circa 2003 Screamfeeder found a new home on Brisbane-based label Rhythm Ace Records, releasing radio fave “Ice Patrol”, the first single from their album Take You Apart (which the band recorded in Melbourne with good pal/producer Magoo at the helm). The band also played a spot on 2003's Splendour In The Grass festival plus their own headlining shows.

2004 saw the release of their 21 track “singles and more” album, demonstrating their furious work ethic and consistent stream of great output from over a decade.

With their 7 track EP "Delusions Of Grandchildren" Screamfeeder return to the classic 3 piece line up. Recorded by Brisbane wonderboy Bryce Moorhead at Zero Interference studios the EP captures Screamfeeder in all their modes - loud and rough, melodic and droning, minimal and experimental.

The journey that is Screamfeeder continues on, as their myspace page says:-

2007.
Dean has parted ways with us. He still lives round the corner and we see him all the time, and he still plays in THE WHATS. We have one gig booked this year so far, and joining us on the drums will be the amazing Steph Hughes, ex Wellingtons, amongst others.

Expect ROCK and FUN dials to be set to ridiculously high levels this July.
More info soon.

Screamfeeder - Dart

Screamfeeder - Decaptivated

As an extra special treat for all of my lurkers, who like to watch as well as listen, here's a copy of the clip for Hi C's:-

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:-

The Rational Academy (Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

2007-03-13T11:03:00.000+10:00

I first saw The Rational Academy sitting on the floor downstairs at Fat Boys in the Valley. The small room was packed and they were supporting (they even played "White Film" as their closing track with) the undisputed queen of Japanese abstract-electro-pop Noriko Tujiko, who later that night appeared with part time Rational Academy member and the man behind Room 40, Lawrence English.

In mid 2004, Brisbane's Fortitude Valley district battled sound restrictions and repeated venue closures, so some of the kids ran back to rediscover the early 90's DIY culture. Somewhere close by The Rational Academy began writing songs.

Drawn at first by the sonic scree of early Pavement records and a love for pop music accompanied by sombre male / female vocals, Meredith McHugh & Benjamin Thompson began adjusting tuning pegs until melodies and clashing chords worked themselves into a meaningful translation of The Rational Academy - a distant nod in the direction of their indie rock counterparts coupled with tender regard towards the avante garde and experimental composers within contemporary culture. Small DIY attack minus the scene-heavy indifference of Electro-Clash. They joined for some time with drummer David Heathorn, who has since moved down to Melbourne. After much movement and mayhem they were joined by Paul Donoughue & Matt Jonas.

Where The Academy have differed in their approach is the inclusion of local sound artist, composer and head of the experimental ROOM 40 label, Lawrence English, in the production seat transforming the simple pop meanderings of two guitars vocals and drums into involved sonic investigations of sound and space.

In their time together The Rational Academy have shared the stage with the likes of Touring American groups Xiu Xiu, Novi Split (with whom they have since collaborated for a split release), Japanese Electro Pop marvels Tujiko Noriko and Tenniscoats, Spoon (USA), Dear Nora (USA), The Blow (USA), Sarah Dougher (USA), Scout Nibblet (UK), Art of Fighting, Love of Diagrams, Deloris, Guy Blackman, The Crayon Fields, Dappled Cities Fly and local stalwarts Screamfeeder, Denvar, Turnpike, Shuriken, The Zebras and Iron On.

The Rational Academy will be playing with Deerhoof on April 4th at The Zoo, and will also be heading down to Sydney and Melbourne in May with a new lineup that includes Paul Donoughue from Tragic/Athletic on the Drum Kit and Matt Jonas from legendary Brisbane noise-pop kids Shuriken charting his way through unknown Academy Bass Guitar territory.

The band have been writing lots of new songs and recording them with Todd Dixon at various locations around Brisbane. A full length record is expected mid year!

Before heading off The Rational Academy will be playing The Zoo with Deerhoof plus one other Brisbane show at Ric's on the 20th of April with supports yet to be announced.

Do yourself a favour !

The Rational Academy - deer

The Ballad Of El Goodo

2007-03-08T21:19:00.000+10:00

I initially started listening to Big Star because of Teenage Fanclub when I bought their Bandwagonesque album, which was loudly proclaimed as having strong Big Star influences ... or perhaps it could be considered more of a reworking or a tribute to the power pop of the early seventies. Either way, it was enough to spark my interest.

So who were Big Star, you ask? The original and current line-up included:-
Chris Bell - (1971-1972)
Alex Chilton - (1971-74 / 1993- )
Andy Hummel - (1971-73)
Jody Stephens - (1971-74 / 1993- )
John Lightman (1974)
Jonathan Auer - (1993- )
Ken Stringfellow - (1993- )

You might recognise the last two names as members of The Posies, who were included in my compilation of Big Star covers last week.

The quintessential American power pop band, Big Star remains one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll. Originally led by the singing and songwriting duo of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell, the Memphis-based group fused the strongest elements of the British Invasion era -- the melodic invention of the Beatles, the whiplash guitars of the Who, and the radiant harmonies of the Byrds -- into a ramshackle but poignantly beautiful sound which recaptured the spirit of pop's past even as it pointed the way toward the music's future. Although creative tensions, haphazard distribution, and marketplace indifference conspired to ensure Big Star's brief existence and commercial failure, the group's three studio albums nevertheless remain unqualified classics, and their impact on subsequent generations of indie bands on both sides of the Atlantic is surpassed only by that of the Velvet Underground.

The roots of Big Star lie in the group Ice Water (also known as Rock City), formed in 1971 by singer/guitarist Bell in association with guitarist Steve Ray, bassist Andy Hummel, and drummer Jody Stephens. Ray left the group a short time after its inception and was soon replaced by Chilton, the onetime Box Tops vocalist who was just 16 years old when the group topped the pop charts with their 1967 classic, "The Letter." Chilton had recently returned to Memphis after attempting to mount a solo career in New York City; he first played with Bell years earlier in a high school cover band, and with his arrival Ice Water rechristened itself Big Star, borrowing the name from a local supermarket chain. Recording soon commenced at the local Ardent Studios, where Bell occasionally worked as an engineer and session guitarist; despite solid critical notice and some radio airplay, their brilliant 1972 debut, #1 Record, nevertheless fell prey to the distribution problems of the newly-formed Ardent label's parent company Stax -- more often than not, the album simply never made its way to retailers.

In the meantime, Bell and Chilton continued to butt heads over Big Star's direction -- the former envisioned a primarily studio-oriented project, while the latter preferred performing live; moreover, Chilton's past success in the Box Tops guaranteed him the lion's share of attention from listeners and critics, minimizing Bell's own contributions in the process. In late 1972 Bell finally left the band -- his subsequent attempts to mount a solo career proved largely fruitless, with only a spectacular solo single, "I Am the Cosmos," receiving official release prior to his untimely death in a 1978 car crash. (A posthumous solo compilation, also titled I Am the Cosmos, was finally issued to unanimous critical acclaim in 1992.) Following Bell's exit, Big Star briefly struggled on as a three-piece before disbanding, with Chilton returning to his stalled solo career; months later, he reteamed with Hummel and Stephens to play a local music writers' convention, and the performance was so well-received that they decided to make the reunion permanent.

Big Star's second album, 1974's Radio City, remains their masterpiece -- ragged and raw guitar-pop infused with remarkable intensity and spontaneity. It also contained perhaps their best-known song, the oft-covered cult classic "September Gurls." (Another highlight, "Back of a Car," bears the unmistakable input of Chris Bell, although the duration and extent of his return to duty is unknown.) Distribution difficulties again undermined whatever hopes of commercial success existed, however, and Hummel soon announced his resignation; Chilton and Stephens recruited bassist John Lightman for a handful of East Coast live dates, including a WLIR radio broadcast later issued as Big Star Live. Work on a planned third album soon began, but the sessions proved disastrous as Chilton, reeling from years of music industry exploitation and frustration, effectively sabotaged his own music -- where Radio City teetered on the brink of collapse, the new songs tumbled over completely, culminating in one of the most harrowingly bleak pop records ever made. An album's worth of material was completed and shelved, and then Big Star was no more.

The story might have ended there, but in 1978 the third Big Star album was finally issued overseas -- variously titled Third and/or Sister Lovers, it appeared for years in essentially unauthorized versions containing neither the complete session nor the proper sequencing. Still, the record earned a significant cult following, and with the emergence of the nascent power-pop movement, it became increasingly clear just how prescient Big Star's music had been. Countless alternative rock bands -- R.E.M., the Replacements, the dB's, and Teenage Fanclub, to name just four -- cited the band's enormous influence in the years to follow.

Chilton and Stephens reunited in 1993 with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the American pop band The Posies taking the place of Bell (who had died in a car crash in 1978) and Hummel (who had left music for an engineering career) at the University of Missouri. For an encore, the band performed Gene Chandler's "Duke of Earl," reflecting Chilton's marked, post-Big Star interest in early rock and roll. This appearance was followed by tours of Europe and Japan, as well as an appearance on The Tonight Show. Other Big Star releases include Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93, a recording of the first reunion show; Big Star Live, a 1974 radio broadcast from Long Island; and Nobody Can Dance, a recording of the last Big Star show as a trio, performed at Overton Park in Memphis.

The reunited Big Star returned to Ardent Studios in early 2004 to work on a new album, called In Space. With songs cowritten by Chilton, Stephens, Auer, and Stringfellow, the album was released on September 27, 2005 on Rykodisc.

Currently, there are rumours around a film on Big Star's history, based on Rob Jovanovic's book Big Star: The Story of Rock's Forgotten Band.

While compiling the tracks for my last post, I was struck by how many covers there are of the "Thirteen" and "The Ballad Of El Goodo".

As a follow up to the last post, I have decided to also put up my favourite of these cover versions for your extra added listening pleasure. This time around it's "The Ballad Of El Goodo".

The Lemonheads - The Ballad Of El Goodo

Matthew Sweet - The Ballad Of El Goodo

Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) - The Ballad Of El Goodo

Ted Leo - The Ballad Of El Goodo

Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo

As an extra special treat for all of my lurkers, here's a live recording of Big Star playing The Ballad Of El Goodo in Missouri in 1993:-

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:-

Regurgitator (Bands from Brisbane, Australia)

2007-02-11T12:44:00.000+10:00

Regurgitator were originally a 3 piece indie rock band with Quan Yeomans (guitar and vocals), Ben Ely (bass and vocals) and Martin Lee (drums). The three had met on a bus in inner Brisbane. At this time, all three were already in several bands, some containing future members of The Resin Dogs and George. Regurgitator at this time were not considered to be the main focus of any members, and were recognised only when Ely provided Paul Curtis of Consume Management a demo for one of his other bands, Pangaea. The flip side to the Pangaea demo contained tracks put down with Yeomans and Lee as Regurgitator.

Their first show was a benefit for Greenpeace in a Brisbane public park, consisting of approximately 5 songs played twice. Quickly following this, they played a variety of guest spots with Primus, Beck, The Buzzcocks, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Ministry among others. A tape recording of tracks in Brisbane led to a signing to the Warner corporation with the first self-titled EP to be released soon after in late 1994 featuring the tracks I Like it Like That and Couldn`t Do It. The second EP NEW featuring one of their ice-breaking singles Blubber Boy (a twisted take on a eskimo fairy tale) and Track 1 was released mid 1995.

Their next single FSO was released in December 1995 as a prelude to their first national Big Day Out tour in January 1996. Upon completion of this tour, they relocated to Center Stage studios in Bangkok to record their debut album with producer Magoo who had previously provided the production mortar on their first 2 EPs. In April 1996 the first single Kong Foo Sing paved the way for the debut album TU PLANG (Thai for Jukebox) - a rubble of punk pop, hop-rock-beats & discarded sounds. This release coincided with a guest spot on the first national tour by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

By August 1997 the second album UNIT was complete with the first single Everyday Formula being mixed at their warehouse studio by US producer Rob Cavallo when on a brief visit to Brisbane. This album heralded a new direction with a strong pop ala 80`s electro vibe although never short of their self-deprecating sense of humour and fun. UNIT along with second single Black Bugs was released in late 1997 along with another extensive Australian tour. It wasn`t until 1998, where a national Australian tour as guests of The Prodigy & the release of the Polyester Girl single (selling 40,000+ copies) that the album really exploded going on to sell in excess of 240,000 copies - reaching triple platinum in Australia. The album was to receive various ARIA awards including best album for 1998.

The beginning of 1999 saw Regurgitator complete their second national Big Day Out tour before relocating their various studio bits & pieces, along with Magoo for their third album together, to a Byron Bay beach house. The result, ...Art, was released in Australia in August 1999 with their first single Happiness out in June. To launch this a tour in June with Japan`s Audio Active, preceded a more extensive Australian/New Zealand album tour. At the end of this tour Martin Lee was replaced by Peter Kostic. After some summer Australian festival appearances over the end of 1999 and beginning of 2000, the release of the third single from ...Art, Freshmint coincided with an extensive New Zealand, Japan & Australian tour - the Japan leg being their most successful dates ever, the album going on to sell 12,000 copies there.

In the latter period of 2000, Quan & Ben commenced work in their home studios on material for their fourth album. Early in 2001 they relocated to London to mix the new material with Andy Gill from UK arterrorists Gang of Four fame. The end result of this being Eduardo & Rodriguez Wage War On T-Wrecks. The first single Fat Cop was released in May to coincide with a short Australian tour and was followed by a quick trip to Japan for the great Fuji Rock Festival, coming after the release of the 4th album in early June. During this time the album was released in Singapore, Germany and Scandanavia. At the completion of the tour they then headed back to Japan after performing a main stage spot on Brisbane`s Livid Festival for 2001.

In June 2002 they performed in London at the Fierce Festival to 20,000 people, along with Midnight Oil, Spiderbait etc.

After a long overdue hiatus, a compilation of singles to complete their deal with Warner, Jingles was released in October 2002 with more touring in December 2002 and January 2003.

A decade plus of live shows across Australia, Japan, Europe and the US; numerous festival appearances; four albums and various EPs they then embarked on an independent career. Their first album in this direction Mishmash! was created from the Band In The Bubble project - a multiplatform glass recording installation built in Federation Square, Melbourne where the band recorded and lived in full view of the public for 3 weeks.

The first single was "The Drop" and the second was "My Friend Robot". In May 2005 they released the "My Ego" single, which contains three remixes created by Quan Yeomans in his new home in Hong Kong. They then released the "#?*!" (or Pillowhead) EP which contained b-sides from "Mish Mash!".

With numerous appearances around the country, including a performance at the world's biggest short film festival, Tropfest, surrounded by 30,000 people, Regurgitator looks to be taking a short break with Ben now working on his project Jump 2 Light Speed and Quan working hard on his solo career. The band also recently licensed their Band in a Bubble project to Initial TV in the UK.

One of my favourite things about Regurgitator is the sense of humour and fun they display in both their lyrics and music and in the energy of their live shows.

Regurgitator - Blubber Boy

Regurgitator - Everyday Formula

As an extra special treat for all of my lurkers, here's the clip for Blubber Boy, which refers to the classic documentary movie Nanook of the North:-

Regurgitator - Blubber Boy

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:-

Television Addict

2007-01-31T20:54:00.000+10:00

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)

2007-01-20T10:58:00.001+10:00

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)

2007-01-18T18:31:00.000+10:00

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

2007-01-03T09:51:00.001+10:00

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:-