THE BENEDICTS
Hoon (Waterfront)
This is one of those bands that forces you to believe that the guys who run Waterfront
have tastes as versatile as they say they do. The Benedicts are kind of folky
singer-songwriter stuff. They're good at it, but it takes more than one rocking song like
"You All The Time" to make me want to come back to this again.
BITS OF KIDS
Taste This (Revolution)
Their single a while back had promise but sounded too derivative of Stiff Little Fingers,
and also didn't have strong tunes. A lot of that's been taken care of here...the vocalist
seems to have improved a whole lot and has more of his own sound now, although he's still
the weakest link since at times it isn't clear that he's singing to the same melody that
the band is playing. The most immediate impact of this record is the crackling hot
production...this thing is mastered incredibly hot so it just about leaps out of the
speakers at you. Sure enough, it turns out that Rob Younger produced and Alan Thorne
engineered...it's their trademark powerhouse sound. The guitars blaze away and the tempos
roar along, and when the songs go into a solo the whole thing sounds absolutely massive.
Every one of the six tracks on this record has at least a couple places that have you
gaping at the power of the music, but the lyric parts don't quite measure up and
ultimately keep this from being great. As it is it's real good.
BLOODLOSS
The Truth Is Marching In (Aberrant)
Sadly Bruce Griffiths is in the process of winding down his Aberrant label and from here
on there will probably be little other than Toys Went Berserk records coming from his
quarter. In its heyday, Aberrant consistently put out some of the most adventurous records
around, records that in addition to sounding like no one else also were really great to
listen to. It may be that a consequence of Aberrant's uncanny success we now have the
current plague of no-talent noisy bands insisting that they, too, are unique and creative,
but Bruce can't be faulted for their stupidity. In the Aberrant feature a few issues back,
Bruce said that the one Australian band he really wanted to do a record by was Bloodloss,
a band that has one other lp on Greasy Pop. It took a while, but here it is, and it shows
again that Bruce can pick 'em when it comes to bands playing music that's out of the
mainstream (or even the sidestream). Bloodloss use song structures that remind me some of
King Snake Roost, but their guitar playing is more feedbacky and less screechy, and the
vocals are a little more restrained. The four track production helps things to my ears; I
think it's better for this kind of music to have a sound that's a little muddy and not
totally sharp. As with most of the noisy bands I like, what I like about Bloodloss is that
they seem at the core to be a rock and roll band; bass and drums are definitely playing
rock and roll ("Cold and Alive" or "Baked Beans" are really cool
examples), and it's only the guitar and vocals topping that makes the band sound like
something really different. It'll be a hunt to find this since few were pressed, but it's
worth the effort.
THE BODY ELECTRIC
I Don’t Want It
Charlie Marshall used to head a great Australian band called Harem Scarem that
specialized in playing a bluesey style of rock that was pretty special but not likely to
appeal to a very broad base of fans. Their "Miracle Mile" single was a minor
classic of late 70s Oz rock. Marshall had been pretty quiet for many years, but returned
fronting the Body Electric a little while ago. This is the second CD by this outfit in the
past couple years, and it appears that Marshall has decided to turn his efforts a little
more towards the mainstream in the hopes of being able to sell a few CDs. Not to say
we’re dealing with a sell out here; just the music is not quite so adventurous as
before. This is fairly straight pop rock whose main distinction is Charlie’s voice;
the one thing he can’t get away from…a very rich, soulful, throaty sort of tone
that you could pick out of thousands. If it was anybody else singing I probably
wouldn’t give this the time of day, but Marshall is a guy who is always worth
hearing.
BORED!
Bored! (Grown Up Wrong!)
Bored! are another band from the Melbourne area that are forging into the field of
gut-level guitar rock as opposed to the more arty, sophisticated type of thing I've come
to associate Melbourne bands with. And doing it fairly well, too. The opening "Little
Suzie" is grinding guitar rock that reminds me of Alice Cooper's "Killer"
lp (where'd I put that thing, anyway?), although it's probably more the case that the
Stooges are the real inspiration. Guess it's the vocal that does it. From there things
open up with a mix of tempos and styles; "Upright Citizen" is full-on hardcore,
"Human Being" is a stretched out thing that starts fast, breaks the pace, and
builds again. "Heartbreaker" has a good, dark guitar lead over a mid-tempo
song...more Stooges feel. It's music that builds a mood fairly well, but the songs aren't
terribly memorable, and with the glut of guitar rock records around, I'd say you could
find a better band to pin your hopes to.
BORED!
Negative Waves (Dog Meat)
Bored are nothing if not heavy. They probably out-Stooge any Stooges influenced band in
the world right now, although they aren't above stepping up the tempo to thrash pace. The
guitars and vocals are positively bestial; you'll rarely hear guitar with a more ragged
edge to it and the vocals are a strangled growl. Between the two of them you'll want to
make sure your tetanus shots are up to date before you play this one much. Compared to
last year's Grown Up Wrong mini lp, this one tends to be a little faster overall and maybe
a little bit more metallic, and it's probably one of the two or three best records of this
sort of thing to come out of Australia in 1989. Play this next to many other current
Detroit metal bands and you'll get a distinct impression that there is something safe and
here is something dangerous. Get your shots, then get this record.
BORED!
Take It Out On You (Dog Meat)
Victoria's finest are turning into a regular assembly line...their third record in about
two years' span. If you read the feature in #19 you'll have some idea what to
expect...this one is a little less thrashy than Negative Waves, but still
considerably faster than the first ep. There's only 7 tracks, but it's nearly full lp
length primarily due to the interminable cover of "Final Solution". I'd
recommend dubbing this onto a tape and fading off the last half of that song, and then
you've got a record with a pretty hard punch. "Conquest" at the start has a
little too much metal swagger, but "Mr. Ten Percent" is a masher of the highest
water. "Take It Out On You" sounds very much like God with ex-God and newly
Bored Tim doing vocals. "Sweet Charity" is a grunting, feedback laced dirge that
works the way a lot of the first ep did. The best are saved for last...first comes a
blazing cover of the Sex Pistols "Satellite"; slightly metallized in a Stooges
sort of way, but equal in power to the original, and second is a song they made up in the
studio to fill out the record and which turns out to be the best on the thing...it's got
the delightful name "Motherfuckin' Motherfucker". I suspect that in years to
come this may become a standard for other bands to cover. Overall a very cool effort with
a few rough spots, but plenty of great high points, too.
BORED!
Feed The Dog (Survival)
Line up changes be damned, Bored still crank out the grungiest, heaviest rock and roll in
Melbourne, and nearly in the world. This is now their fourth 12 incher and it's another
damn good piece of highly Stoogey rock and roll. Bored seem to totally understand the
difference between the Stooges and hack metal, a distinction that almost none of the
SubPop prototype bands floating around the planet seem to have wired. They've got wanky
guitar soloing in there but it fits perfectly. How can that be? I dunno how they do it,
but the first Damned lp had lots of Brian James wank in it, yet it's one of the most
definitively non-metal lps I can think of. Bored pull the same trick in a different way;
to some extent it's more amazing because they don't use speed that much to set them apart.
I think I like this better than any since their first record. Solid.
BORED!
Scuzz (Shagpile)
Melbourne’s kings of heavy rock probably had a great time recording this...14
tracks of punk rock classics covers and then 9 more live cuts in one CD. As for long term
listenability, it’s got dubious value, but it is interesting to see what these guys
have been listening to. It’s especially odd since Bored’s track record would
seem to point to a lot of metal and Black Sabbath style hard rock in addition to punk, but
there’s nothing but blue ribbon punk material represented here, some of it pretty
obscure, like the early Wipers smash "Return Of The Rat"...how Bored ever got
clued into that in Australia is beyond me. Oddest of the lot is their cover of Pray
TV’s "In My Street" (part of a deal where Pray TV did a Bored song for a
split single in return), since these bands have little in common stylistically. Anyway,
Bored do a nice job with this, and it’s more fun than it has any right to be. A good
buy in a used bin.
THE BO-WEEVILS
Destroyer Of Worlds (Rubber)
Sounds like the title of a Kiss lp, but in fact this Melbourne group has a cool and clean
garagey pop sound. I haven't checked in with 'em since their first single, and this is
their third 12 incher since then. They've become a whole lot more polished musically since
then, but not with any loss of punch. Singer Davern White is a dead ringer for early Lime
Spiders era Mick Blood when he breaks into his gravelly voice, which is a credit for
anyone in these pages. Musically the band isn't so heavy, though (or as fast, either);
there's a lot of jangly guitars to lighten things up a bit. A good point of reference
might be the Stems "At First Sight" lp. The light feel comes through especially
on "Remember", which has an interesting counterpoint to White's singing in the
falsetto backing harmonies taken straight from the Beach Boys. On the darker side, there's
"Again", a slower, moodier thing that sounds like something the (recent) Miracle
Workers would've thought up. The description "garage" actually sells this stuff
fairly short, since there's really a hell of a lot of variety in these grooves, and what's
more impressive is that it holds together and works well enough for many listens.
THE
BO-WEEVILS
Get On Down (Rubber)
The Bo-Weevils have been putting out records in their low-key fashion for over
ten years now, and have little in the way of critical praise to show for it. Grossly
unfair, because they play this brand of 60s garage-psych better than 95% of the contenders
out there. The singer has a full-throated early Lime Spiders Mick Blood kind of growl and
the songs are well written and memorable. Their best songs build on repetitive chord
progressions and rely on subtlety more than brute strength. This CD is retrospective of
their career and a great starting place if you’ve missed them up to now.
BOX THE JESUIT
Punch Out That Looney Sappy Tune (Timberyard)
This is an extremely odd band, and I have to confess that I really haven't decided what
the hell to make of them. Or maybe I have, but read on. Box The Jesuit seem to be somewhat
in the vein of Lubricated Goat, except that they're more tuneful. In fact I listened to
the opening "Fish Stew" several times and was quite happy with the Killing Joke
feel of it. Then I read the lyrics, and it's like, oh my god, where's Tipper Gore and the
PMRC when I really need protection? Makes GG Allin seem like the ideal day care center
manager. This trend doesn't let up as we wend our way through 6 more tunes that take your
face and rub it right in the very primordial juices from which we were all formed. And
some other juices from which we weren't formed. It's not pretty. I could tell you about
the other tunes, and amidst some lame stuff there are a couple other interesting tracks,
but once you catch the drift of the words the tunes aren't all that meaningful. And you
thought the Hard-ons had shock value!
THE BREADMAKERS
Cool!
From the backwoods of Victoria province in Australia, the Breadmakers play a tasty
brand of "Green Onions" styled 60s garage rock complete with sax and cheezy
organ. The production attains a lo-fi sort of feel without resorting to the kind of
gimmicks that a lot of bands in this sort of sound do; here it’s more a function of
the instruments they are playing than any studio tricks. Their version of the old classic
"$100 Bill" conjures up images of people twisting away in a smoky nightclub, and
their Credence like guitar twang sounds great throughout. The singer comes across like an
18 year old Mick Jagger with more snarl. The Breadmakers spin up the mood of the sort of
band you might have found in some sleazy bar in backwoods Pennsylvania in 1965, and unlike
most of the current crop of retro garage bands, they don’t sound like they’re
making it up.
THE BREAKNECKS
Steal The Truth (Augogo)
This was advertised in Augogo’s catalog as being "a powerful new Melbourne band
whose sound is based on a guitar sound of great purity and resonance", and I was
interested enough to buy it. First time I've felt that Augogo led me badly wrong...this
strikes me as fairly mundane mid tempo guitar pop with nothing in the way of memorable
hooks, melodies or lyrics, and fairly non-descript production to boot. Bottom shelf, back
of closet, and keep quiet!
BUDD
Naf Ovit (Shock)
I’ve had abow da naf ovit, too, if you mean this sub metal grunge thing
(sorry…). This outfit is from Brisbane, a city that gave Australia a lot of its great
rock figures including the Saints and members of Died Pretty and the Hoodoo Gurus. But I
guess everyone coughs up a loogy now and then…this lot are nothing if not headbanger
metal with a very slight 90s twist. And if Steve Albini and Thurston Moore like ‘em
as much as the press sheet says, well, it just proves that there’s no accounting for
taste.
THE CELIBATE RIFLES
Quintessentially Yours (What Goes On)
Sideroxylon (Hot)
Les Fusiles Celibataires (Hot)
The Turgid Miasma Of Existence (Hot)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Hot)
Roman Beach Party (What Goes On)
This pile of titles represents about 4 real albums worth of material (there's another one
called "Mina Mina Mina" that I don't have that has a bunch of stuff from Miasma
and Fusiles mixed together). Kiss is the live lp, and Yours is a
US&UK compilation of some good tracks from Sideroxylon and the Jacques
ep (see singles). Sideroxylon is universally regarded to be the best Rifles lp;
recorded when the band placed no greater expectations on themselves to play loud and fast,
both of which they do with abandon. If the Beach Boys represented surf music, the Rifles
on Sideroxylon define Tsunami music; a tidal wave of guitars and drums racing at
speeds that make your head spin but still managing to weave through the tubes with some
classy hooks that get in your brain like a tumor and won't come out. Not that the Rifles
could be mistakenly called a pop band...they kick way too hard for that, but even though
the pace on Sideroxylon approaches that of the fastest thrash, there's a whole
lot of melody in it to keep you coming back. Songs like "This Week", "Tick
Tock", "Gonna Cry", "God Squad" and "Ice Blue" would be
classics wherever they showed up...here they show up all on one lp! If you only buy one
Rifles record, make this one be it.
On Fusiles
the Rifles are apparently aware that they recorded a definitive first lp, and they seem to
want to change the direction immediately to avoid being caught in a rut of speed punk,
even if it is one of the best ruts they could possibly have chosen to get stuck in. Fusiles
contains a lot more variety in pacing and has some very adventurous songs like "Thank
You America" which features a three person rap of what sounds like the news being
read over the top of a powerhouse bass and guitar line. Political awareness was apparent
on Sideroxylon but on Fusiles the band are much more straight ahead
about it; the song "Rainforest" is a prime example, condemning the tragic
cutting of most of Australia's virgin rain forest. (Here in America we'd have finished the
job long ago!) Of the other material, "Netherworld" has a more typical Rifles
style, but the vocals sound like they were recorded in an airport bathroom with all the
echo. "Electric Snake River" is another example of trying for a new direction,
with lots of slow breaks and piccolo parts. "Wild Desire" is a more straight
ahead rocker, a little slower than normal, but still really good. "Back In The
Red" is about the closest to the first lp as the band comes. Overall a good record
but not the classic of the first one.
Turgid Miasma Of
Existence lyrically reminds me a lot of the Jam's Setting Sons lp (nothing
at all like it musically!) in that it deals mostly with what are often called
"personal politics" by critics. Musically it gives you the feeling that the
Rifles came to grips with the type of band they are, and are satisfied with the idea that
you can do several records of material with the same basic approach. Thus the songs are
more uniformly hard edged and fast paced. But the lyrics are really unusual for rock,
where normally if a person sings about something other than sex or partying he is branded
as an intellectual, these lyrics actually do qualify as intellectually stimulating.
Witness "Conflict Of Instinct" where, set to music that would make the Ramones
happy, we hear a well reasoned plea about how hard it is to sort out the real truth in
world affairs when the people who present information all have already chosen sides and
are only concerned with selling you on their viewpoint. "Bill Bonney Regrets"
blasts the sham of politicians ("they're not good they just hide well").
"Some Kind Of Feeling" is the "Smithers-Jones" of the lp, except
whereas "Smithers-Jones" got his life wrecked when he can't keep his job, the
guy here has his life ruined because his job is keeping HIM. There's lots more on this lp,
and it's a real grower because the lyrics are so good. When the music is starting to feel
comfortable, you'll begin noticing more and more words that stick with you.
Kiss Kiss is
a heavily stompin' live show from Max's Kansas City in New York. The performance is really
good, but I find myself not listening to this one much, primarily because the studio lps
have performances of almost equal intensity and have a cleaner recording so that you can
pick up the lyrics better. Most of the material is from Fusiles and Miasma,
but there are a couple of cool covers on this that are worth listening to, though, in
particular Radio Birdman's "Burn My Eye", treated with reverence, and the Only
Ones' "City Of Fun", and then there's an original that hasn't turned up
elsewhere called "Carmine Vattelly", a thrasharama with a chorus of "Fuck
You Fuck Me" (well, they can't always be intellectuals). After which Damien says
"My people, let's do lunch" and the New Yorkers don't seem to know enough to not
take him seriously.
Which leads us to the
most recent Roman Beach Party, which I rate in a dead heat with Miasma.
It leads with the massively killer "Jesus On TV", featuring a deadly start-stop
guitar line and a lyric that gets more relevant every day. This blast is immediately
followed by "The More Things Change" which starts out "Born under a
mushroom cloud..." and roars out from there with more blazing guitars. "Ocean
Shore", the one cut that drags a little (might drag less if I could figure out all
the words), is quickly erased by the blistering "Circle Sun". Flip it over and
there's a non-stop murderers row, highlighted by "It's Such A Wonderful Life".
Listening to these
lps one after the other as I wrote this makes me realize just how good the Rifles really
are, and that I really ought to be spending more time lying on the floor staring at the
ceiling with Celibate Rifles lps on the stereo and the volume set at 11. So should you.
You can't go wrong buying any Rifles record, and you owe it to yourself to own them all
eventually.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Dancin' Barefoot ep (Hot)
This four track strikes me as a little weird; it could have been one track less and fit on
a 7", but given the 12" format, why not toss on two more cuts and make a serious
ep of it? At any rate, "Barefoot" is a cover, and for the Rifles it's a real
slow one, too, but it works pretty nicely. "Jesus On TV" is a full-on
teeth-bared live excursion that just adds to my impression of what a hellishly powerful
song this track from their recent Roman Beach Party lp really is. There just
isn't a man around who overpowers guitars like Kent Steedman and the drumming and singing
here are right on, making this almost more urgent than the lp version. "The More
Things Change" is also a live version of another of the band's newer burners, and the
closing "Junk" is a studio thrasher that sounds like it may have been a Roman
Beach Party outtake. There isn't a Celibate Rifles record that isn't worth having,
but I would buy most of the others before springing for this.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Blind Ear (True Tone/EMI)
Despite Kent's statements about how he felt the band could, if they wanted to, sign to a
major label and tone down their act without it constituting a sellout, it only takes one
listen to this to conclude that they didn't want to! The result is an lp that kicks
as firmly as last year's Roman Beach Party and fits into their existing catalog as
cleanly as if they were still on the Hot label. Not everything is at the pace of
"Tubular Greens", but they haven't been doing that for a long time anyway.
Things like "Sean O'Farrell" are a logical extension of where they've been
going...it's a hard edged song in places, but brings in some string bits (probably
synthesizer) to fill in in spots. The result works great; a song with a real dynamic feel
that ebbs and flows. But nobody is going to deny the crunching energy of
"Belfast", "Electravision Mantra" and "El Salvador"...these
songs pack a punch! Lyrically the band are obviously sharpening their focus on what ought
to be fixed in the world, which is a great thing in my book...there's nothing better than
words that cut set to music that rips (are you listening, Jello Biafra?).
The Rifles grasp of the world is impressive...they are aware of global problems, and
they're also aware of personal problems, and they sing about both with equal perception.
Their consciousness is reaching a state that's more radical than the Clash ever were:
lines like "They're killing us all to make the world safe/I wonder why I don't feel
grateful" or "They're dyin' in the streets of El Salvador/Got an overdose of
America" keep popping out at you. There's a real appreciation in this band for what
the world could be if man would just get his act together.
Of course, the words
are only half the story; the songs themselves alternate between hard rocking numbers and a
few slower things, but even the slower tracks are powerful...the guitar is always strong,
and the drumming is the best of any Rifles record to date. This is especially apparent on
the remake of "Wonderful Life", which was great on Roman Beach Party but
here gets some slight alterations...a sharper drum bit here, a cooler bass line there, and
a new ending, and the result is I like the new one even better. There's killer guitar
riffs on lots of the songs...check out the metal-cum-gospel/ragtime revival of "O
Salvation". The record closes out with the one truly non-Rifles type song on the
record, a bluegrass sort of thing called "Fish and Trees" that in addition to
some poignant lyrics has some of the coolest guitar playing for this sort of thing I've
ever heard. This is a cool as hell record, and one you need. Now.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Sideroxylon/Les Fusiles Celibitaires (Megadisc)
For those who say CDs suck (and who are right most of the time), I give you this little
gem. Seventy two plus minutes of prime time Rifles all distilled into streams of ones and
zeros. The Sideroxylon tracks are the Rifles at their absolute best...fast, loud,
wild and powerful. Nobody plays guitar like Kent Steedman, and he's never played it like
he did on this record. One minute he's a raging punk rock power chord fiend and the next
he's playing wild tripped out psychedelic leads that could only be the result of snorting
liquid hydrogen with an oxygen chaser. "This Week", "Ice Blue",
"You're Gonna Cry" and "God Squad" are masterpieces full
stop...burning with energy and fire with spot on singing and inspired playing. Fusiles
shows the band trying to stretch a little, doing some different things and some similar
things to before. Some of it works fabulously, like "Rainforests", "Wild
Desire" or "Thank You America". There's one blaster, "Back In The
Red" and a batch of other tracks that'll quicken your pulse, and all of it's real
good anyway. If you've missed these lps before (they keep drifting in and out of print)
here's you chance to get two guaranteed classics in one cute little plastic package.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Roman Beach Party/The Turgid Miasma Of Existence (Megadisc)
This seems to be the time for CD repackaging deals, and it's good to see that people are
doing them right. This is the second Rifles two-fer put out by Dutch label Megadisc; the
first one has the Sideroxylon lp merged with Fusiles. This one is their
third and fourth lp. What can I say about it? The Rifles are great, powerful, rocking,
inventive, insightful and just about everything you'd want in a classic rock and roll
band, and they deal it all in one hand here. The Roman Beach Party stuff is
particularly great; I think everything came together on that lp in a way that makes it an
equal with Sideroxylon for their best record. Songs like "Jesus On TV" or
the crushing "The More Things Change" are the Rifles at full
assault...Steedman's guitar blazes with the kind of fury that only rarely flashes across
the firmament, and Paul Larsen hammers the drums better than any other drummer the Rifles
ever had, giving the whole thing a feeling of violence barely held in check. With this as
a backing, the calmness in Damien Lovelock's deadpan voice only sounds more dangerous.
It's this album where their sarcastic masterpiece "It's Such A Wonderful Life"
first appeared. But don't shortchange Turgid Miasma, either. It's also loaded with
piles of great tracks, starting right off with a classic slice of alienation on "Bill
Bonney Regrets", which has some killer bass bits. "Some Kind Of Feeling",
"Glasshouse" and "Eddie" are all masterpieces, too. There's a tendency
I have to think of the Rifles as being a great full on rock band, and every time I play
their music, I find that I'm amazed by the depth of what they do; sure, it's blazing rock
and roll, but the songs are all different and the lyrics are interesting and perceptive.
These guys have to be one of the two or three best bands of the late 80s. I'm glad for
reissues like this to give me a chance to rave about 'em again.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Platters du Jour (Hot)
No, this is also not a new Celibate Rifles lp. Don't know when that'll happen. But it's a
fun one none the less...a compilation of many of the Rifles various singles onto a single
two record set. Distribution on Aussie singles being what it is, you've done damn well if
you've got all these sides already. It starts with the "But Jacques The Fish"
ep, which is to my mind the best Australian 7" ever (yes, he said best ever). Three
of these songs made it onto the US Quintessentially Yours compilation, but
"Kent's Theme" has only been available on singles until now. Beyond that the
quality goes up and down and in and out, but mostly up and mostly in; the Rifles have
traditionally done some very strange things with their singles, and when you pile them all
together you get something somewhat unlike a normal Rifles lp. For one thing, the lyrics
tend to be much sillier on average, and for another the music tends to be somewhat more
diverse with acoustic songs (not that they don't normally appear, just not as often) and a
fair number of covers. They've cheated by using the remixed versions of "Back In The
Red" and "Rainforest" which were only on the back of the 12"
"Thank You America" and leaving out some of the sillier things they've done
recently like the Donna Summer covers, but this was a wise move because the result is a
lot stronger and more coherent. I thought it'd be a nice thing to have to fill out my
collection of Rifles records, but this two record set is nearly as powerful as any of
their regulation lps.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Heaven On A Stick (Festival)
This is a bit of a tweener as far as packaging goes...I went for the lp, which has two
discs that together total about 50 minutes, so it's kind of like two mini-lps. By now I've
been listening to a lot of Celibate Rifles lps for quite a few years, and I really hadn't
expected to get another one with all the rumors of split ups flying around. So this was
quite a pleasant surprise to get. It hasn't got the standout cuts of some of their earlier
records, but there's a good level of consistency to it. The song I really like is
"Cold Wind", and the reason I like it is the cool drumming, which has never been
a Rifles strong point before; it's usually the guitar and cool lyrics that grab me. But
like all Rifles records, listen to it a few times and it starts to grow stronger. There's
a lot of variety in the songwriting, more than ever before, but there's not much weakness
as a result. Damien Lovelock's voice seems to be dronier than ever before, but it suits
the music fine. Kent Steedman's guitar is restrained beyond all decency, though. God am I
glad I saw them in 1987 when he was really blazing! Anyway, they've matured and they've
changed but it's still good and you must have it.
THE CELIBATE
RIFLES
Spaceman In A Satin Suit (Hot)
Since 1982 Damien Lovelock, Kent Steedman and Dave Morris have been pounding out some
of the most full-on guitar rave up masterpieces the world has ever seen, yet for some
reason widespread acclaim seems to have missed them completely. Other bands have come and
gone (and come and gone again) during the years since Sideroxylon first put a dent
in my head, and I still find that every new Celibate Rifles album is a cause for
celebration. This one is no different…it’s got maybe their sharpest production
yet, and as usual there’s a fistful of real nuggets mixed in with a bunch of other
tracks that are at worst really good. My favorite is "Kathy Says", where
Damien’s dry vocals are at their best and the rhythm guitars crunch with power. As
usual, Lovelock gets to the point lyrically with caustic social commentary. Steedman and
Morris pump out some of the best guitar sounds on the planet, mixing powerhouse rhythm
playing with totally crazed wah-wah solos and chord bending madness. Drummer Nick Rieth
(also plays on the Deniz Tek solo stuff) is the best the Rifles have had…he makes the
whole goings on seem way tighter than they’ve been in the past. Overall, while this
CD isn’t clearly better than any of their others, I wouldn’t hesitate in
recommending it as an introduction to the band…all their stuff is great and this is
no exception.
CHAD'S TREE
Kerosene (Waterfront)
This is another Waterfront curveball...I haven't got a lot of time for acoustic bands like
Chad's Tree, and there are a lot of places where this reminds me of Gordon Lightfoot
(ugh!) but there are some positive moments as well; for one thing, there's an air of
honesty about the songs here that reminds me a lot of Flying Nun stuff. Probably the best
is "The Flood Johanna", which lyrically sounds a bit like the script to an
episode of Little House On The Prairie, but still manages to be a bit moving. If you have
a taste for folky music, you'll go for this.
THE CHEVELLES
The Kids Ain't Hip (Zero Hour)
Their first ep, which I overlooked in the reviews last time around, so it's pretty moldy
now. These guys started as nearly a Perth supergroup, and their first single was pretty
fantastic. This mini-lp had me wondering at first because "Show Me Your Love" is
almost embarrassingly bad as an example of a pop song where nothing works. Real hackneyed.
But then "Tracie Lee" comes next, and the tables turn...this is power pop at its
finest. After that the last three songs vary with some more rocking and some softer, but
basically they trace out ground that might be described as halfway from the Stems to the
Someloves. It's not essential, but it's nice stuff. Nobody plays this sort of thing in the
US.
THE CHEVELLES
Girl For Me (Survival)
Some significant lineup changes have hit Perth's Chevelles as on this three track CD-ep;
they've lost Richard Lane, the ex-Stems guy who gave them a lot of their character. The
resulting sound isn't quite as different as I might have feared. In fact, "Girl For
Me" sounds like it could be an early Stems song played by the old Screaming
Tribesmen...which means that it's a good, hook filled pop/rock song played with a bit of a
hard rock feel. "Valentine" sounds good except that when it gets to the chorus
it doesn't rise up like it ought to, but instead sloughs off. In spots they'll remind you
of some of the great Aussies of 1987 but have a little more work to reach the peaks.
THE CHILLS
Kaleidoscope World (Homestead)
A US release for a batch of early 80s tracks that came out in this format in the UK in
1986, but never made it here until now. Pity, because for my money most of what's here is
what earned the Chills (and subsequently Flying Nun Records) their name, much more so than
anything that has followed from either the band or the label. The tracks on this record
are the pinnacle of the Flying Nun sound...bouncy, quirky pop with a wonderful sense of
naive innocence that can find its way into the corners of even the hardest of musical
souls. "Rolling Moon", "Pink Frost", "Hidden Bay",
"Doledrums" and "Purple Girl" are all songs people will remember as
defining a style for ages, and even if most of the people who try to work off the style
fail miserably (as they have been already), there's no denying that here is something that
at the time was new, different, and (most unusual of all) really GOOD. In my humble
opinion, no record collection ought to be without these songs on 7" singles, but if
you are impoverished, or can't find them, you are excused and may buy this lp instead. Or
the CD...it includes all of 1985's Lost ep plus both sides of the "Leather
Jacket" single, another classic.
CLOVER
Clover (MDS)
I don’t know anything about this except that I bought it because it came well
recommended by Augogo’s mail order catalog. So they’re Aussies, of course, but
beyond that, who knows? Anyway, it’s a really fine brand of paisley psych pop they
play on this 6 track CDEP...nice ringing guitar work, vocals in a sort of flower-child
semi-falsetto, and modestly rocking tunes. In 1982, when the Three O’Clock were
regarded as big stuff, this would’ve gone over big. Today they’ll be ignored,
which is unfortunate, since this is real nice.
CONEHEADS
Bum (Greasy Pop)
I'm pumped. Adelaide's Coneheads have been around quite a while (since 1985!), but it's
taken them forever to work up to a mini lp, and now that they have all doubts are laid to
rest. Granted it doesn't have the out and out power of their ferocious "Burned
Again" 45, but it also is far above the silly bubblegum pop of their second single,
"Chewy Chewy". The songs here fall roughly between the two extremes, with a
rough edged but poppy guitar driven sound. They've come up with some hot ones,
too..."I Don't Care" has a great upbeat feel with a chorus hook that restores
your belief in the possibilities of love songs almost as well as the Buzzcocks did.
"Speak A Little Louder" has much the same effect with some hot Ramones-y chords
to boot. "Outta My Mind" sounds like an punked-up, amped-up country song, and
"It's The Thing" has more hot guitar. Nothing deep here, but this is one of the
most unashamedly optimistic and good humored records I've heard in quite a while. And it
rocks pretty well as a bonus.
CONTRAPUNCTUS
Gone (Greasy Pop)
Funny how their track on Oasis II didn't prepare me for the Sympathy single, and
that record also wouldn't have made me expect an lp like this, even though "Two
Legs" was on both Oasis II and the Sympathy record, and two of the single
tracks are on this lp. This record reminds me real strongly of the Exploding White Mice
(if you don't know what the Mice are like - shame on you - we're talking Ramones/Birdman
hybrid with knobs at 11 and energy at 12); partly because of the music, but mainly because
of the similar vocal styles. Where the tempo is hot, like on the powerful "Grown Man
Smile", "Can't You See" or "Walk Away", the Mice comparison is
complete, but Contrapunctus tend to try a lot of variations on their style, so there are
some medium paced things. "Forgotten Beach" is a winner in this mold...it's got
some really cool bass parts and a generally great tune. Harry Butler credits this group
with being "the most hated band in Adelaide", but it's hard to see why because
this is an excellent record whether they wear Hawaiian shirts on stage or not. Yet another
Greasy Pop product well worth paying import prices for.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Cosmic Psychos (Mr Spaceman)
Not as good as I'd hoped it was going to be, in fact fairly disappointing. Most releases
on Mr. Spaceman are pretty good, and these guys have gotten good press from B-Side at any
rate, but I find this stuff to be fairly tedious. It has vocals that sound well suited to
hardcore thrash screaming, instrument parts that sound like a hybrid of the hard edged
Detroit rock style of New Race merged with the dissonant noise of Suicide. It might sound
like an appealing combination, but it doesn't work for me on more than a handful of
tracks. There's lots of feedback-y soloing that I don't care for much, but the guitar
parts in the verses of the songs sound pretty good, with the right level of distortion.
The production is the best thing about the record; it has a good solid feel about it with
full sounding drums and bass. Still, not enough to get excited about.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Go The Hack (Sub Pop)
Melbourne's lords of rabble-rousing buzzsaw grunge punk went to Germany and half the
punters thought they were an art band. This is quite odd...sort of on a par with deciding
that Ghengis Khan is a florist. Anyway, they've churned out their second full lp, and it's
a lot more satisfying than their other records, all of which drew high praise in other
quarters but struck me as monotonous. This one has more variety in the songwriting,
although it still sticks to a basic, heavy, 3 chord sort of buzz. Lyrics are the band's
weak spot...a chorus that goes "B. I. T. - Back in town" four times isn't my
idea of award winning material. But on the other hand there's lots of good crunching
guitar with piles of feedbacky wank on top of it that sounds pretty good. "Out Of The
Band" is the best of the batch, a track in which drummer Bill is thrown out of the
band (lyrically) and which degenerates into a big argument at the end. Funny stuff. Had
this on cassette in my car for two weeks and it needed $150 worth of engine work
afterwards. There might be a connection.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Slave To The Crave (Rattlesnake)
A bit of an odd release, this one; it's a live show recorded in Melbourne in 1989, and the
credits make a deal about "Melbourne fans", but it's released in Germany only
under a licensing deal to Normal Records. I don't get it. At any rate, it's a typically
solid slab of Psycho's 3 chords and a cloud of dust approach to yobbo punk rock. It's all
old material that's been on their other records, and although the sound is a little
sharper and punchier than the studio stuff, there's not a huge reason to get this if you
have the other records. If you haven't tried the band before, though, this is a really
good place to start, since they've done pretty well at selecting their better songs. Not
that there's that much difference between them; there's a pretty regular formula in the
band's approach that gets tedious fairly quickly even though individual songs sound real
good. Live I suspect they'd be a lot of fun, but sitting at home where you're not likely
to be thrashing around, there could stand to be a little more substance.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Blokes You Can Trust (Amphetamine Reptile)
My band opened for these guys when they played in San Diego, and before the gig started I
went to the back of the bar where the pool table is to introduce myself. Before I got
there I heard the sound of billiard balls going every where including on the floor and a
hearty Australian cry of "Fore!". That about sums up these guys; nothing subtle
about 'em. This record is their 5th 12 incher and it's their best by yards. In interviews
in Aussie mags I've seen them say how working with Butch Vig as a producer was totally
different from anything they'd done before; on other recordings the producer has always
listened to them and then said something to the effect of "Here, I'll fix up that
bass and get it to sound right", whereas Vig's approach was "Wow, I've never
heard a bass like that before, I've got to figure a way to record it". It's really
paid off as the Psychos, who usually sound like distant artillery fire anyway, now sound
heavier and harder but even more rocking than ever all at the same time. Their sound has
always been based on drumming with lots of thunderous tom-tom parts, huge and simple bass
lines, and squealing psychedelic guitar over the top, and it's not different here, just
that the sound is so much sharper and meaner this time around. It seems to me that some of
the bass lines are getting recycled from earlier songs, but still, they're done right here
and this is without a doubt THE Cosmic Psychos lp to have.
COSMIC PSYCHOS
Back At School (Survival)
This one's a CD single that Augogo had at a good price, and it's got a cool song from the
new lp and two other good ones. Most interesting of these is the song "Shove",
which is a cover that I immediately recognized but can't for the life of me remember the
original. There's a version of one of their older tracks "Quarter To Three"
that's pretty rough and raw. Somewhat disposable, but good fun.
COSTELLO’S GONE MISSING
What About Costello (Art Clearing House)
I’m not sure exactly what to make of this; it’s a solo project by a fellow
from Perth named Bruce John Abbott, but he gets a zillion of his friends to sit in
providing instrumental backing. Most notable of these is Dom Mariani, the frontman for the
Stems, Someloves, and DM3, but the direction is definitely provided by Abbott. He’s
got a knack for a tasty pop song...the sort of familiar, easy fit kind of stuff that you
might’ve got on Flying Nun Records out of New Zealand a few years back. Abbott’s
voice has that same stuffy nose feeling of early Elvis Costello (which is probably why he
named the project the way he did) but without the anger. His songwriting is quite
good...not in a bludgeoning energetic way, but these are just well crafted tunes with good
memorable hooks. Real good quiet time material.
THE CRUSADERS
Wylde Tymes At The Castle (Zero Hour)
This five track ep has the same sort of sound as San Diego's finest band, the Hoods.
They've got that boozey, 60s r'n'b sort of sound with a mix of keyboards and guitars
wired. There's only five songs on this ep, and they probably can't be said to hit quite
the level of the Hoods, but they're good fun regardless. Best of the bunch is probably
"Crusad'n", which has a baseline punctuated by burst of guitar and keyboards
that'll instantly remind you of other songs but still sounds like it has a lot of punch.
Cool.
DECLINE OF THE REPTILES
The Hammer Speaks (Waterfront)
Too Much Armour Not Enough Brains (Waterfront)
Great titles, both of these, eh? Between the two of 'em they represent about an lps worth
of material. I don't know how to define the Reptiles sound except they're sort of
pop/jazz/rock with piano parts and a singer who has a throaty kind of voice that you will
either like a lot or find very grating. On me it tends to grate, which is too bad because
I think there are some good songs going on behind him. I must admit I would've arranged
them differently and that I find stuff like congas and keyboards to be distractions. Still
there's at least one track "The Hammer Speaks" that I'm real glad to have (has a
great line that goes "Be the hammer, not the anvil, of god" which I find to be
very clever even though I haven't got a fucking clue what they're talking about). There's
also a really ace pop song "Time Stands Still" that would've nailed me dead when
I was in high school and subject to periodic crushes on girls in home room, and still
sounds pretty good now. "Peel Out" also gets good marks. The better record of
the two by far is "Hammer" (it has all 3 of the tracks I've mentioned). There
are lots worse records you could buy.
DIED PRETTY
Next To Nothing ep (Citadel)
Free Dirt lp (Citadel or What Goes On)
To begin with, this is not a band you are likely to like after one listen. You have to
give 'em time. At first, the Next To Nothing ep sounds like soft and gentle
fluff, because it isn't played at 100 mph. But after a few listens you begin to notice
that Ron Peno is really working up a sweat while he's singing, and that Chris Welsh is
playing some pretty cool drum fills on a very regular basis, and that the interplay
between the bass, guitars and keyboards is sounding better and better all the time. And
that the songs are incredibly well put together; complex without being pretentious. And
before you know it you're hooked solid.
Next To Nothing
is the softer of the two records, and has only 4 tracks, while Free Dirt is a
full lp. Side one of the lp rocks the hardest and has the best material...tracks like
"Blue Sky Day", "Laughing Boy" and "Stoneage Cinderella"
become totally devastating after repeated listens, but four or five spins should also
suffice to get "Desperate Hours" from Next To Nothing to rise up and
throttle you as well. As has been said elsewhere in these pages, the band compares most
readily to groups like REM in the use of subtlety and especially in the totally
indecipherable lyrics. Except that Died Pretty are better than any of the bands in that
class. By far.
The band also have a
12" of their first two singles and another 12" that compiles the "Stoneage
Cinderella" single sides with "Blue Sky Day". I'd count it essential to
have all their records.
DIED PRETTY
Every Brilliant Eye (Blue Mosque)
It'll take me a while to decide if I think Sydney's Died Pretty have topped Lost...it's
definitely not as good as their totally fantastic Free Dirt lp, but that's a hard
act to follow for sure. The format of this is fairly similar to the other lps...a mix of
rockers and ballads with an emphasis on song structures that use quiet passages as
lead-ins to hammering crescendos. As before, they lead with a strong rocker, "Sight
Unseen", which is followed by the varied tempos of "The Underbelly", a song
that would've fit well on their early Next To Nothing mini-lp. The next two songs
seem to lose it a little, though, and it's not until side two that the band starts to
punch it up again. The first three tracks on the second side are all as good as you could
ask for from these guys; solidly written and making use of all Died Pretty's considerable
talents...Brett Myer's fluid, piercing guitar, and Chris Welsh's solid and accurate
drumming both work their best here. New bass player Steve Clark and keyboard man John Hoey
play equally well to departed Mark Locke and Frank Brunetti. Although I like this lp a lot
and play it a lot, it and Lost both don't quite equal the magic this band had
earlier (at least on record; live they are still incredible). I think the problem lies in
Ron Peno's singing...on the earlier records he punctuated songs with an assortment of
yelps and screams that made the tag "the bastard son of Iggy Pop" seem like an
apt one for him. But on these last two lps, although his singing style still sets him
apart from any other vocalist, he has mellowed quite a bit...and that hurts everything,
but the slow songs most of all. One of the great things about the early Died Pretty
records was the way that they could do a ballad that was nearly as riveting as their
rockers (like almost all of Next To Nothing), but now I sometimes find the ballads
tedious, and even some of the more aggressive songs don't sound so special. This is still
a very good record, but it's tempered by the highest of expectations on my part.
DIED PRETTY
Doughboy Hollow (Blue Mosque)
Died Pretty started out as this sort of avante garde band that strangely crossed the
Stooges with the Velvet Underground. Their recorded career began with four great singles
on Citadel and two brilliant 12" records, the Next To Nothing ep and the Free
Dirt lp, but then they entered an awkward phase that lasted for two lps. During that
time they continued to put on powerful live shows, but I doubt that the records would
connect very strongly with some one who hadn't seen one of their gigs and developed a
personal bond to the band that way. The records just felt a little too slick and too
mellow; strangely Died Pretty could take those same soft songs from the records and on
stage pump them full of life, but they didn't get it on record. But with this lp they've
matched what they did on Free Dirt. Despite some obvious changes (Ron Peno's
singing has undergone a gradual but striking transformation over the years to where you
can figure out most of the words now), this record has the best qualities of the early
material, foremost of which is the ability to grow on you with time. I disliked most of
this at first, which I should've taken as a good sign, because I've generally detested
most of their best songs at first listen. Superficially the songs sound like fairly
routine mid-tempo pop, but there's a character and flavor that the band infuses into the
stuff that makes it rise way above that; the precise drumming of Chris Welsh with his
clever yet simple fills (enjoy 'em, because Chris has now quit the band and I'm not sure
who has replaced him...it'll be tough), the sparse but soaring solos that Brett Myers
plays, and the way the songs are constructed to ebb and flow make it so that there's more
to enjoy each listen. There's only one song on this that I'm not wild about ("The
Love Song"), but everything else has eventually struck me in one way or another as
being a real gem. Don't misunderstand, this is not a raving punk album, and it's got a lot
of slow songs on it, but it's one of those rare lps where the band doesn't need speed and
power chords to convey strength.
DIED
PRETTY
Using My Gills As A Roadmap (Citadel)
When a band has been around for about 15 years and released stacks of albums, it
starts getting to be pretty hard to surprise anyone with a new release. But judging from
one e-mail group I belong to, this CD shook up a lot of Died Pretty fans. It’s the
least accessible thing they’ve ever done…very moody and repetitive. But to my
ears this is a fresh new approach and it works very well. New-ish drummer Simon Cox has
found his niche very nicely, and in fact the tribal rhythms he drives are one of the real
strengths of this release. Brett Myers’ is pushing is guitar to make all kinds of new
sounds; at times sweetly melodic, at times noisy beyond belief. A fine effort.
DM3
One Time, Two Times, Three Red Light (Citadel)
It’s great to see Dom Mariani (ex Stems, Someloves frontman) keeping on making
records after all these years. And getting better at it, too. I mean, I still rate those
first Stems singles as among the classics of Aussie rock, but Mariani has migrated from
garage rawness to power pop brilliance with style. This new group has the pop
sensibilities of the Someloves, but they’ve traded for a bigger, tougher guitar sound
that reminds me of the Raspberries at times. And this album delivers a couple of classics
for the ages..."Foolish" is just a fabulous song, with a great stuttering intro
and loads of irresistible guitar tricks. And "1 Time, 2 Times Devastated" is
another killer that features a driving guitar bit. In between are a pile of other really
good songs that would be A side material for most bands, like "Blue Thing" or
"Like This". A great effort.
DM3
Road To Rome (Citadel)
Boy, I thought their debut CD was damn close to power pop perfection, but they’ve
gone and done it one better. This CD is an incredible exhibit of everything that can be
done right in making what Dom Mariani calls "an unashamed pop recording". Twelve
songs of boy meets girl, boy flips for girl, girl dumps boy, boy dumps girl, and even
though we’ve heard a million songs on these topics, there’s not a boring moment
here. The DM3 pull out every trick in the book; stop/starts, ringing power chords,
anthemic choruses, driving verses, you name it. The only fault I can find with this is
that it doesn’t have two tracks that I’d rate as classics like the first CD; it
only has one, the opening "Can’t Get What You Want". But it makes up for
that in consistency, which is one of the hardest tricks in making power pop records. Song
after song with different tempos and arrangement approaches, all of which hang together
great. Crackling bright production doesn’t hurt, either. I’ve played this god
knows how many times now, and I’m not slowing down. This and the first DM3 CD are as
good as any power pop albums that have ever been made.
DM3
Garage Sale (Citadel)
Not exactly a new CD by this outstanding power pop group (see the feature), Garage
Sale is a collection of B sides, tracks recorded for compilations, alternate mixes,
and instrumentals. As a result, it really isn’t a fair indicator of how great this
band really is, but on the other hand, it does say something that their non-prime material
is this good, too. It’s easiest to talk about the covers, since everyone knows
them…Dom Mariani has said that Credence Clearwater Revival is his favorite band ever
(after which it has to be said that he certainly hasn’t tried to mimic them with his
own band), so a cover of "Sweet Hitch Hiker" should be no surprise. The DM3 play
a rocking version, but the impression of the original is so hard to overcome in my own
mind that this go ‘round doesn’t really take for me. They’re more
successful with the Plimsoul’s "Zero Hour", which they play with a lot more
power than the original. Then there’s a remake of the Somelove’s "Little
Town Crier" that’s pretty close to the original except maybe a little louder
guitars. "Beachline" is a cool one…a slow surf instrumental with that
classic twangy guitar, and "The Creeper" is another instrumental that reminds me
of Credence doing "Run Through The Jungle". Overall a CD mostly for fans, but
one that will get played a lot more than most releases of this sort.
DM3
Dig It The Most (Bomp!)
Let’s cut to the chase. This is likely to be the best power pop record you will
ever lay hands on in your lifetime. Raspberries, Big Star. Paul Collins Beat, Plimsouls,
Records…great bands all. None are better than Dom Mariani’s 3 piece
outfit from Freemantle, Australia. And now Bomp has put together the best tracks from the
first two Aussie only DM3 CDs, so the US finally gets to hear incredible tracks like
"Foolish", "Can’t Get What You Want", and "1 Time 2 Times
Devastated". Huge guitars, crackling drums, killer harmonies and insanely catchy
tunes. Everything that made me first love rock and roll is here and more. Brilliant.
DM3
Rippled Soul (Citadel)
In a note that accompanied this CD, DM3’s Dom Mariani hinted that this might
be the last release ever from his great power pop band. If so, it’s a terrible loss,
since this Aussie group could always be counted on to deliver a set of memorable tunes
that were at once hard hitting and lush, and full of the kind of innocent boy/girl topics
that seemed to make so much sense in the music scene of 1964 but haven’t felt right
often since then. Each DM3 CD seems to have at least one track so relentlessly catchy that
it seems like the achievement of a lifetime, and "Quicksand" fills that bill on
this one. The rocking "Dial 04 Josephine" ain’t no slouch, either. Say it
ain’t so, Dom!
DRIVEN
Spirit (Stuntpram)
If you’ve followed what I’ve written in Noise For Heroes at all in the past,
you’ll know how much regard I have always had for Paul Berwick’s band, the Happy
Hate Me Nots. The HHMNs split near the end of 1990, and shortly thereafter Berwick put
together a new 3 piece band called Settlement that included Jim Dickson on bass (New
Christs, Barracudas, Survivors) and Chris Welsh (Died Pretty) on drums. They played for
about 18 months, but Chris decided to return to Died Pretty, and that, combined with
battles Paul was having with Waterfront Records over royalties never paid, disillusioned
him to the point where he didn’t want to play anymore. So he put his guitar away and
went off to school at the local university. In 1994 he received a major shock when former
HHMNs guitar player Tim McKay overdosed on heroin and died. Thinking about Tim’s sad
fate and other things made Paul decide that if you can play you should be doing it, and he
decided to once again put together a band. It came together quite quickly for him, with no
auditions at all; just a few discussions with friends. The band includes former HHMNs
bassist (now also playing with the New Christs) Christian Houllemare, and former
Barbarellas drummer Christian Hampson. In addition, Bruce Tatham has just recently joined
on keyboards, although he doesn’t play on Spirit. Tatham played in the mid-80s
Sydney band Decline Of The Reptiles, who left behind two very good mini-lps and a single
on Waterfront. He’s also guested on recordings by the HHMNs, Celibate Rifles and Lime
Spiders.
Having bridged
history, we turn to the music. Spirit hit my CD player with much anticipation and
some nervousness. Would it live up to the brilliant legacy of the Happy Hate Me Nots? In
fact, it does that quite nicely. Paul Berwick’s soulful voice is as compelling as
ever, his guitar sound is just as powerful, and Hampson amazingly comes close to matching
the fabulous Mick Searson...fast and hard hitting. The tunes themselves are snappy blasts
of melodic and catchy power pop that’s never wimpy but always drives hard.
There’s one soft ballad in "Come Home", but the other 6 tracks just jump
off the glass with energy. Berwick’s songs are rhythmically complex, with many
changes in tempo and mood, but at the same time they are quite simple, relying on a small
handful of chords skillfully chosen. This is music that will move you and will have great
staying power...you can listen to this a hundred times and still find something fresh in
it.
It really is a shame
that fates and trends have conspired to prevent Berwick from doing more than a handful of
recordings in the 14 years he’s been playing in bands, but then maybe that just makes
each one that more important to have. Don’t miss this one.
THE DUBROVNIKS
Dubrovnik Blues (Timberyard)
Pete Frame, the guy who invented the idea of drawing family trees of rock bands) is lucky
he isn't into Australian bands, because they'd have to cart him off in a strait jacket for
shock therapy if he ever tried to trace the activities of all the ex-Scientists around.
This particular outfit includes two of 'em; Boris Sujdovic and James Baker, and they've
played in all kinds of bands from noise to pop. They probably won't stick with this band
either, but for now let's enjoy it, because Dubrovnik Blues is a super lp of clean
pop, and is a whole lot better than I expected from their singles. The general sound
reminds me a lot of the first (and only good) Hoodoo Gurus lp, except that the vocals are
mixed a little lower so that the band sounds a little tougher. But listen a little deeper
and you can see that these guys have a background in darker music as well; there's guitar
bits here and there that wouldn't be too likely to surface in the Gurus, yet it blends in
seamlessly. Quick, Igor, four million volts!
THE DUMB EARTH
Walk The Earth
The Dumb Earth are a solo project headed up by former Lizard Train drummer (at least I
think it’s former…haven’t heard anything out of the Trains for several
years now) David Creese. It’s quite a change of pace…that Adelaide group
weren’t exactly the most commercial band ever, but this stuff makes Tom Waits sound
like Billboard chart material. With whispered beat poetry behind twisted jazz tunes,
whenever I listen to this I think of some grainy black and white movie about a 1950s
fugitive from justice out in the night and on the run. If you like your bands taking big
chances and going out on long, thin limbs, this might do it for you.
DUM DUM BOYS
Let There Be Noise (Bondage)
This is one of the oldest records reviewed in this issue, and there are a lot of records
here that go back a few years. The singer went on to be the vocalist for Reptiles At Dawn,
but it’s hard to imagine him beating this record for punch. This is straight ahead
UK-70's style punk of the highest water; compares favorably with early Sham, Drones or
Upstarts. Most of it is standard stuff, but there are two dead certain classic tracks that
make it worth putting a lot of work into tracking down a copy for yourself; these are
"Idiot Boy" and "Let There Be Noise", both of which have great guitar
lines and matching drum parts to create hooks that hold and never let go. You'll be
walking around singing "Idiot boy, idiot boy, running around sayin' wanna
destroy" for weeks after the first time you hear it.
THE EARLY HOURS
Evolution (Rocket)
Yet another in Perth’s seemingly endless supply of wonderful power pop
bands, the Early Hours make their mark by laying down 12 snappy, 60s garage pop oriented
tracks, only one of which outlasts the 3 minute mark. This unimposing little disc is
loaded with catchy hooks, strong but jangling Rickenbacker and Voxx guitar and a kind of
tired vocal style that lends a distinctive feel to everything. If the Early Hours used
retro-trash production, they could sound like Thee Headcoats, but this is a band
that’s unwilling to let a 60s influence become an obsession. This band lives for
today.
THE EASTERN DARK
Long Live The New Flesh (Waterfront)
In a fair world, the death of Eastern Dark's James Darroch in a car wreck in 1986 would
have met with as much sorrow as that of any of rock greats. This was a young man of 26
years of age that plainly had the ability to make some records that would rip your heart
in two or make you dance till you dropped from exhaustion. Potential drips from every
groove of this record, which is one of those rare examples of the meeting of perfect pop
with a hard as nails edge. You know how the Ramones are liked by both hardcore punk fans
and pop fans? You can stretch that double for Eastern Dark; they were honestly that good.
There's only 5 songs
on this record, but what a group of 5! Loaded with every pop trick in the book; false
stops and starts, sudden changes of key, harmonies, etc, etc. Only "Julie Loves
Johnny" is non-crucial, this being a throwaway reprise to the Ramones fixation of
their earlier 45. One side one, the two longer tracks "Walking" and "Over
Now" are the kind of songs about relationships gone bad that come across with the
conviction of reality. Underneath the great vocals and lyrics lies crunching guitar, bass
and drums. "Walking" has larger-than-life guitar chords that fit the mood of the
song just so, while "Over Now" has an air of poignancy that makes you feel like
it's happening to you personally.
Flip it over and we
go from up-tempo to manic as "I Don't Need The Reasons" kicks in; more
boy-breaks-up-with-girl stuff, with a classy hook and great lines like "Now I'm free
and happy single/Got some time to hit the beach/Sat down to write this jingle/Now my heart
is out of reach". "No Pictures" is more of the same sort of thing at an
equal pace.
I rate this record
dead equal to any Buzzcocks record or to the first Undertones lp, and where I come from,
that's about as heavy praise as you can give. Go in to debt to purchase if necessary.
THE EASTERN DARK
Girls On The Beach (With Cars) (Waterfront)
If you haven't been waiting in anticipation of this record for two years then you can't
claim to be a real Aussie rock fan. You can never say in a case like this that had tragedy
been averted the band would have certainly become worthy of godhead, but if ever there was
a promising start, this band had it with their Long Live The New Flesh mini lp and
the "Julie Is A Junkie" single. Unfortunately it was not to be, and so all we
can do is listen to what's on this two record set and reflect on might have beens. It's
important to realize that this isn't really an Eastern Dark record in the sense that they
probably never would have put out any of this stuff in this form under normal
circumstances. The production is outstanding for a recording live to cassette off the
sound board, but it still can't compare with the power of New Flesh, and no one
should expect it to. So it's a record that requires an effort on the part of the listener
to evaluate the songs in a slightly different light. This job is made much easier by the
fact that there are some obviously great songs here, racy fast pop-rock songs like
"The President Is Dead", "I Don't Take LSD" or the prophetic
"Used To Death" would have been awesome with the same treatment as "Over
Now" from the mini-lp, and they're still great here. Best of the batch is
"Whore", which has these spoken word parts like Atilla the Stockbroker in
between some hot guitar bits. The first record is all originals from live shows, while the
second has one side with two studio outtakes, one of which ("Stay Alone")
appeared on the Swinging From The Trees compilation a while back, and another side
of live covers. It makes for an interesting package, since the story goes that since James
Darroch wrote all the songs, Bill Gibson got to pick all the covers. He shows some
intriguing taste, choosing a number of obscurities that fit the Eastern Dark's vocal style
really well, like the Soft Boys "I Wanna Destroy You". This was a long time
coming, and it's everything any of us had any right to expect. Not a great record, but an
important one never the less.
EVEN
Less Is More (Rubber Records)
Australia’s Even manage a vocal sound that’ll remind you of Ziggy-era Bowie,
The Kinks and the Beatles all at the same time, but with a rocking musical backdrop that
would make Oasis jealous. While there’s no question this is power pop, the playing is
intense…hard hitting drumming and loud, skillfully placed power chords provide a
punishing delivery for this great batch of tunes. These guys have blended 60s pop-psych
with 90s values to create something that’s simultaneously familiar but fresh
sounding. Best new band I’ve heard out of Australia this year.
EVEN
Ten To Forty-Six CDEP (Rubber)
In Stereo CDEP (Rubber)
Their lp Less Is More was a bit of a masterpiece, so I figured this
Aussie band needed further investigation. And neither of these EPs disappoints. Though
only a three piece, they manage a full bodied rocking sound that complements their Rubber
Soul influenced power pop just fine, and they’ve got an ability to rattle off one
insanely memorable hook after another that’s just uncanny. The Oasis backlash
probably will make these guys go unnoticed, and that’ll be a shame because other than
a portfolio of tax free municipal bonds, there’s not a thing Oasis has that Even
lacks.
EVEN AS WE SPEAK
Outgrown This Town (Phantom)
I guess that major labels aren't releasing records like this these days, so if the indies
don't, it isn't going to happen. It's more Flying Nun flavored power folk music from
another Aussie band. It's got a lot of spunk for the form...especially on
"Brain", but there are times when I can't help but think that this stuff sounds
like it's influenced equal parts by the Velvet Underground and Dan Fogelberg. It's another
one that has to be played loud to avoid wimpiness, and then touches like the nice Ventures
like guitar parts on the title song show through. Some nice pleasant tunes for those
moments when that's all you really want.
EXAMPLEHEAD
Ahead Of Style (Aberrant)
I always look forward to Aberrant records, and though they can't all hold up to the high
standard of the World War XXIV lp or the first two Feedtime 12 inchers, I find that each
release from this label has at least a few things to recommend it. Examplehead's lp is
primarily devoted to a fairly dry brand of politicized punk (not hardcore; more a late
70's brew, except it's all very well played). My favorite here, and the most tuneful song
on the record, is "Hear What You Say", which lyrically is about people who base
all their ideas on what other people say and don't form any opinions on their own. Fairly
generic stuff by now, but there's a real nice guitar lead that rides through the song and
makes it stick in your head fairly well. "Preaching To Converted" is a little
more original lyrically, as it rips into other political bands for thinking that their
music can change anything...Examplehead suggest that true revolutionaries should stop
playing guitars and go get a gun. A bit extreme for present day Australian politics, but
at least they are thinking for themselves. "Ice Cream Truck" is a strange
one...Vocalist Greg goes on about fattening up little kids on ice cream for no apparent
reason. Flip the record over and there's a couple more cool ones: "Missing Children
Kebabs" has some good drum bits and a really bizarre lyric line and "Another
Hangover" catches my attention.
By and large, though,
this lp is a little too stiff and serious sounding for me. The band might respond that
they intend to get a message across and don't want to be frivolous, to which I would reply
that the point in changing the world is to make it more fun to live in, and there's no
point in being any gloomier than you have to while you're trying to fix it! I condemn you
to being hung by the neck until you cheer up!
EXAMPLEHEAD
Powertools (Aberrant)
Aptly named, aptly named...there's hammering drums, buzzsaw guitars, grinding bass and
riveting vocals here for a powerhouse blend. The Aheadofstyle lp was good, but it
in no way prepared me for the sort of blazing stuff Examplehead have come up with on their
second lp. Everything is improved; the songs are better and tougher, the instruments are
almost assaulted instead of played, and the production (by Celibate Rifles Kent Steedman)
is crisp and sharp.
On this lp,
Examplehead have come up with a batch of songs whose basic structure builds from a simple
guitar riff played hard and loud, and then repeated with countless variations of emphasis,
rhythm backing, and vocal interplay. The approach to playing is definitely 70s punk, but
the mix of the simple basic riff with the complex surrounding stuff would've been too
difficult for most 70's punk bands to handle. And although the material can't be
classified as unmelodic noise, there's no way it's gonna be tagged as having a heavy pop
influence. This stuff is stark and tough, and it'll tear its way into your heart in just
one or two plays. New Christs meets feedtime.
The first three songs
do this best: "Out Of My Head" is the particular ace track, but "The News
Reader" and "Ordinary Madness" both have the same kind of stun guitar
chording and complex drumming that doesn't sound showy. But all of side one is strong and
most of side two as well. Surprisingly, the single "White Horse", which I had
though was one of the best things they had done, sounds like one of the weaker tracks in
this batch; even the other anti-drug track, "Drugs", outkicks it. This is one of
the best Aberrant releases yet, and that's high praise indeed.
THE EXPLODING WHITE MICE
A Nest Of Vipers (Greasy Pop)
Ramones fans, as is obvious from the title. Also Radio Birdman fans, as can be heard in
the grooves. This record sounds like there's a real hot band underneath it trying to kick
out (and the subsequent single shows that this is indeed the case), but on this disc mix
underplays the guitars and the resulting product sounds kinda flat and uninspired despite
what sounds like some major league guitar work and some thrashing drums happening back
there behind the bass and drums. The vocals are the band's weakest spot; not that Paul
Gilchrist can't carry a tune, it's just that what he carries it in isn't much to crow
about - he's a bit short on any sense of expression or emotion. Because of this, the cover
of "Pipeline" is damn near the best thing here, which is tough because that's a
song that has already been given definitive punk treatments by Johnny Thunders and Agent
Orange, so a third cover is not real essential stuff. "Burning Red" sounds like
xerox Ramones, excepting vocals, of course, but "Bad Little Woman" has more a 60
psychedelic feel. The sleeve gives thanks to Radio Birdman for "Let The Kids
Dance", though they didn't write it and although I've heard versions of it by the
Hitmen, I didn't know the Birdmen ever covered it. Don't make sense to me, but it's a fun
song. Overall this disc is good but still a disappointment because it sounds like it could
have been so much better.
THE EXPLODING WHITE MICE
Brute Force And Ignorance (Greasy Pop)
Jesus, what a record! I mean, I was expecting a lot from this one based on the last couple
singles, and I still got more than I bargained for. Critics will say that this sounds like
a carbon copy of a Ramones lp, to which I say the Ramones have only made one lp this good
in their entire career, and I don't care if the singer sounds like Joey Ramone or not,
these Mice guys burn! And it might be pointed out that there's a lot in this band
that owes a debt to Radio Birdman as well; there's guitar leads that you'd never hear on a
Ramones record scattered throughout this record, and there's an equal influence of Rob
Younger in the vocals as well.
Greasy Pop proprietor
Doug Thomas told me in a letter about the screaming matches in the studio; the scene he
paints has the Mice yelling more guitars! continually, while producer Kim Horne
tried to keep the proceedings under control. One article in an Australian publication
states that the arguments during recording were so intense that the band have decided not
to work with Horne any more. The results, however, are worth whatever it took. The guitars
are loud and distorted, but the drums are up there, too. You could hardly ask for a hotter
sound.
Side one leads with
one of the slower songs on the lp (all relative, you understand), the single
"Fear", which smolders it's way through up to the second track,
"Gravity", from which point things rip and roar for four songs, until the ending
"Surfing In A Dust Storm", which is a bit more experimental sounding. One side
two there's a warm-up in the excellent "Breakdown No. 2" and then the throttle
goes to ludicrous speed once again until the closing, highly psychedelic "When
I Get Off". You could release any track except the last one on each side as a single
A-side and there'd be no complaints from me...these songs all have what it takes; they've
got pop hooks, punk drive, ripping guitars, thrashing drums, a glove box you can lock, and
seven step, dip-and-spray rust protection. Early pressings even come on mouse colored
(white) vinyl.
Guess Mrs. Togar is
going to have to recalibrate the Rock-o-meter. I think the Exploding White Mice are at the
top.
THE EXPLODING
WHITE MICE
The Exploding White Mice (Greasy Pop)
For me, this has been one of the more heavily anticipated records of the last few months,
an anticipation heightened by the controversy about the way their Brute Force And
Ignorance lp sounded and the fact that they've added another guitar player. Add to
that the question of whether the unusual approach of a live side and a studio side would
work, and you've got reason for high hopes with some degree of worry. The studio side has
a much more clear production than the last lp. The vocals and drums are much more up
front, but the guitar sound is still pretty strong. There's also more variety in the
songs; everything is solid and crunching with fast tempos, but not everything is full
speed. The opening "Sleepwalk" is a great song with a lot of flashy leads and
some gut pounding drums; it's one of the tracks where the speed is backed off and the
result is a lot more room to create a song good enough to be a great single A side.
"Intuition" has hardcore tempo but sounds a little flat by comparison because
there's just not as much going on. "Real Tough Guy" is a hard rocking but
blues-based song unlike anything they've ever done before, and it's followed by the
bruising "Do The Crunch", which is as fast as "Intuition" but a much
better song with vocals sung over drums alone and guitars coming in loud in between lines
and on the chorus for a brain grabbing hook. Great song. "You're Losing Me" is
another full on blaster with a darker feel to it...I love the way it roars through the
verses and then suddenly does a full stop just before the chorus. The side closes with the
pop flavored single "I Just Want My Fun" with it's jangly lead guitar and
crunching rhythm. Overall, a hell of a side with 5 of six tracks being great and all
showing great variety.
There's a school of
thought that says that live records are a waste of time. I don't buy that, but one thing
I'd like to see is that when a band decides that they'd probably sound better if they
recorded live, that they'd work up a new set of songs so that the live record is all new
material instead of a mix of covers and previously released stuff. The live side of this
record suffers a bit from that, and it's especially hard for the Mice because they have so
few records and any fan will have listened to all of them a million times. Getting a
different version of a song you love is great, but it's unlikely you'll want to gear it as
many times as a new song.
That said, the live
side of this is still a thing to behold. They've put it together in a way that doesn't try
to recreate a concert, but instead acts as though there happened to be a few hundred
people in the studio while they played. So you don't hear lots of applause or between song
banter...but you do hear versions of songs you THOUGHT were full on from the records but
you now hear REALLY full on. The sound is incredibly good and the band is powerful as a
freight train. The cover of the Saints "Misunderstood" makes it sound like their
own song...fierce and rebellious as all hell. "Ain't It Sad", the flip of the
single with Dave Mason on guitar, gets roughed up with a harder guitar sound and an
angrier vocal job from Paul Gilchrist. "Verbal Abuse" is played at a jaw
dropping pace, and it's amazing to hear Jeff Stephens rattle off the signature guitar riff
in it that fast. It's blazing. After a good cover of "Meet The Creeper", they
tear up another one of their own greats, "Uninvited" in blazing style. I've
always loved the way this song shifts into what sounds like it's going to be a bridge and
then rides that home to the end, and it's no different here. This is followed by a
toughened version of Alex Chilton's "Bangkok" (except to be geographically
correct shouldn't it go "just a little town UP in Indonesia" for an Aussie?).
Their remake of the Aussie favorite "King Of The Surf" is the best I've heard it
done...a really great crunching take in the spirit of the Ramones doing "California
Sun", and the closing "Dangerous" from their debut ep puts new power into
what was already a great song.
Overall, I'd have to
rate the experiment of studio side/live side as a resounding success, and there are few
bands that I think could've done it. This record is going to be on my turntable all summer
long, I can guarantee you that, and if there is any justice (and intelligence?) in this
world, somebody is going to license this in the US so that people can find it. It was a
crime that Brute Force And Ignorance never saw an American release, and it'll be a
bigger crime if this one also gets the same treatment.
Never met a Mice
record I didn't love, and this one's no exception. In fact the Collateral Damage lp
proper is probably the best thing they've ever done, and the addition of the best tracks
from all their records that haven't been released in the US before makes it the one to
get, I'd reckon. It's got "Blaze of Glory", "Fear", "Bury
Me", "Verbal Assault", "Let's Do The Crunch",
"Sleepwalk", "I Just Want My Fun" and "When I Get Off" from
the past, but the new stuff is what's to talk about, and it's consistently great. Powerful
rock and roll that reaches hardcore crunch but is played relentlessly tight and with poppy
harmonies over the top, while the guitar stays dirty enough to keep anybody from thinking
these guys are lightweights. The lyrics are great, too...there's some good social
commentary in tracks like "Newsreader", but my favorite is "Human
Garbage", sung from the perspective of a mass murderer who lays waste to the entire
Sunday scene on the beach to a tune that would've done the Beach Boys proud. The songs all
bristle with energy and power; all are fast but some are faster yet and there's a great
feeling of variety in it to hold interest over time. Paul Gilchrist was a good singer in
his way, but I think the change to Jeff Stephens was for the best at this point...it
automatically gave the band a big shift in their sound at a point when they could've ended
up releasing another record just like the last one. Instead this has the impact of a first
release by a great band. This is a killer record, and I'm totally mystified that somehow I
was the only person in the US interested in putting it out, but I'm not complaining.
EXSERTS
Exserts (Aberrant)
Exserts are a Sydney hardcore band dealing primarily in political lyrics. I liked the
tracks this band had on the Not So Humdrum compilation, so I had high hopes for this lp.
Unfortunately, the mix seems to have flattened out some of its spunk so that although it's
fast, it doesn't have the edges of the humdrum stuff. On this record the drums are really
good and the guitar could be mixed louder (see Visitors lp review). However, if you do as
the sleeve instructions say and crank the volume knobs to where it says "neighbors
complain", it sounds pretty damn good overall.
The band have some
really good lyric ideas: I really like "Class Traitor" with lines like
"There's a time when you have to fight and there's nothing you can do/But you seem to
want to fight all the time/Why bash someone who's as hard off as you?". And then
there's "Loaded Gun", an anti-military song that musically reminds me of Stiff
Little Fingers "Can't Say Crap On The Radio" and is really cool. And then, how
about "Business Man" for a clever concept? The lyrics are just "I'm a
business man" repeated over and over a cool tune. At the end you say: well that song
didn't say very much. But in reality it said everything because the whole point is that
the only thing the business man has to show for his life is that he's a business man!
The songs are not
real long on hooks, tending to stick with fairly simple guitar chording, but the pace is
always a good hardcore tempo without descending into out-of-control thrash. My usual
complaint with hardcore bands is that the vocalist does nothing but yell; here my one
complaint is that he NEVER yells.
Maybe they wrote
their own review on "The Band Are Damaged"? "The band are damaged/The
band's all right!". I like 'em.
FEAR AND LOATHING
Wait Till The Cat Licks It Up (Waterfront)
I could make some comment about how people who write fanzines ought to stick to writing,
but it's likely to come back to haunt me...singer Harry Butler has been doing the Adelaide
fanzine DNA (as informative as it is non-descript looking) for years, and as it's been
consistently interesting, I expected the same from his band. The band itself plays
moderately well, but the lyrics are an almost non-stop batch of rectal and penile
fixations which get to be pretty dull before even one side is over. Harry's voice on top
of this sounds rather flat and serious, which makes it even harder to take. The material
and playing and vocal style sounds at times like one of those soul-less 1983 era British
punk bands like Anti-Pasti, if it weren't for the lyrics. I mean, I'm not shocked by
lyrics about Butler's irregularity, but I'd just as soon not pay to hear about it.
FEAR AND LOATHING
The Odyssey Of The Trojan Meatball (Thalidomide Octopus)
In a recent letter FAL singer Harry Butler mentioned that he thought I had perhaps
overstated the importance of penile and rectal fixations in FAL's Wait Til The Cat
Licks It Up lp, so he sent me this one to give the broader view of this Adelaide band.
I like it quite a lot better than the last...the whole production is a lot fuller, giving
it a much heavier punch, and the lyric topics are generally better, too...lots of songs
investigating whether values considered normal really make sense. The music is a rather
sinister sounding and nasty brand of post punk. Harry's vocal style reminds me of a lot of
the first UK hardcore bands from the early 80s...lyrics sort of half spoken, half sung.
Pretty solid.
feedtime
Cameron (Aberrant)
Shovel (Aberrant)
Another reviewer brought sniveling to his knees in inability to describe feedtime. If you
read the singles section already, you know that I'm going to tell you to buy both of
these, so I can't say that. If you read the live section, you know I compared them to
early Wire, so I can't do that. Shit, I can't even look at the song titles on the sleeve
and remember what the song that goes with that title sounds like, even though I've
listened to both lps about 50 times.
I'll just throw some
more words out...feedtime play compact, energetic songs that are very rhythmic and bottom
heavy, yet can be surprisingly melodic. They have one song called "I Wanna Ride"
in which an idling Harley is used to provide percussion throughout the song, and at the
end revs up and rides off for a stunning effect. In another song the lyrics go
"There's peanut butter and jam on the wall/I don't have central heating/But I don't
care we're going to have a party". But you won't care about that when you listen to
it anyway. Oh well.
I have now written
the obligatory number of words to go underneath the names of the records. If you can only
afford one of these, it doesn't really matter which you get as both are equally awesome
(but you should seriously consider stealing the other if that's the case; ther
