Secret History of Australian Music Archives

Helvelln – Interview with Jeremy Gronow – Part 1

Helvelln – Interview with Jeremy Gronow – Part 1

It's ok for you to think "who? never heard of 'em". Honestly, you'd have to be aged 35+, Australian, and a regular listener of Triple J or Triple R. Maybe you watched Neighbours. In the finicky annals of Australian music history, and with no disrespect to Helvelln, they barely warrant a mention. To briefly summarise, Helvelln were an inspired pop/rock 3-piece formed in Melbourne in the late 80's, released two singles and one album and then broke up in the early 90's. Google them and you'll get pictures of mountains. Impressive and rocky, but hardly rock n' roll.

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T02:27:40+00:00September 10th, 2011|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: Australia, Helvelln, Jeremy Gronow, Secret History of Australian Music|1 Comment

Helvelln – Interview with Jeremy Gronow – Part 2

Helvelln – Interview with Jeremy Gronow – Part 2

Part 1 Bedroom critic that I am, I'd be amiss not to suggest that only thing that lets Side 1 down is the lugubrious "Temptation". If I had my way, I would've swapped it for "Subway" and barn-stormed Side 2 with "Cigarettes And Beer". Though Side 2 seems to be weighed down by the less

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T02:23:44+00:00September 10th, 2011|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: Australia, Helvelln, Jeremy Gronow, Secret History of Australian Music|5 Comments

Ripe – Moondriven

Ripe – Moondriven

..with a rejuvenated reappraisal of the career of Melbourne psyche-drone-pop quartet Ripe and their space-rock epic "Moondriven", now with 33 1/3% more added insight courtesy of an exclusive interview with guitarist and vocalist Peter Moran who talks about the making of their landmark Australian debut The Plastic Hassle. Fans of Sonic Youth, Swervedriver and Dinosaur Jr take note.

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T01:52:05+00:00February 2nd, 2010|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 1993, Australia, Darren Seltmann, Katie Dixon, Mark Murphy, Peter Moran, Ripe, Secret History of Australian Music|5 Comments

Headless Chickens – Gaskrankinstation

Headless Chickens – Gaskrankinstation

Continuing our exploration into the Secret History of Australian Music, we open the doors to our New Zealand neighbours and welcome the Headless Chickens as we fill our tanks in their "Gaskrankinstation"

By Craig Smith|2021-01-28T10:23:01+00:00February 18th, 2009|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 1990, Chris Matthews, Flying Nun, Headless Chickens, New Zealand, Secret History of Australian Music|1 Comment

The Welcome Mat – Gram

The Welcome Mat – Gram

In the annals of Australian music history, The Welcome Mat only succeeded in living up to their name, laid down at the gates of opportunity to watch in dismay as their more fated friends were to find out what lay behind door number one. As an underground phenomenon in Sydney, they were the kings of

By Craig Smith|2020-12-31T09:57:21+00:00December 22nd, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Australia, Secret History, Welcome Mat|3 Comments

Hoodoo Gurus – My Girl

Hoodoo Gurus – My Girl

In our never-ending attempt to immortalise those classic Australian singles that touched our collective hearts, Webcuts shines a light on the Hoodoo Gurus and their tear-jerking ode to love gone astray "My Girl". Australian release: Big Time, 1983 It was in the pages of Countdown magazine around 1984 that I first recall seeing

By Craig Smith|2021-01-30T02:50:39+00:00July 29th, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Australia, Big Time, Hoodoo Gurus, Secret History|0 Comments

The Earthmen – Whoever’s Been Using This Bed

The Earthmen – Whoever’s Been Using This Bed

It was the Johnny Marr guitar flourishes at the start that first sucked me in. Here is the moment when a band who've been doggedly plying their guitar pop trade since the early 90s actually wrote something worth a damn. I remember when I first heard this (which would've been sometime around January 1997), turning

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T03:53:01+00:00July 8th, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Australia, Nick Batterham, Secret History, The Earthmen, Warners|0 Comments

Models – God Bless America

Models – God Bless America

The Post-Punk years in Australia were a mixed ground. The key bands of that era were floundering or disbanding while the second wave was about to hit, bands like Hunters and Collectors, Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists and The Beasts of Bourbon would soon come to prominence, but one of the bands who had been lingering

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T06:09:00+00:00May 24th, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Andrew Duffield, Australia, Barton Price, Models, Mushroom, Sean Kelly, Secret History|1 Comment

Bughouse – V For Vendetta

Bughouse – V For Vendetta

2018 Update: Bughouse released "V for Vendetta / Tax Stamp" on Bandcamp in 2017 with their second album from 2014 Fink Tank the following year: bughouse1.bandcamp.com Bughouse's classic debut single "V for Vendetta" is remembered in our ongoing "Secret History of Australian Music" series which digs through our archives looking

By Craig Smith|2021-01-01T06:27:34+00:00May 8th, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Australia, Bughouse, Secret History|6 Comments

The Screaming Tribesmen – Igloo

The Screaming Tribesmen – Igloo

It should be obvious by now, but if you want to sell me your record, couple it with some chiming chords, a memorable lyric and a catchy hook, and I'm all yours for the next three to four minutes. The plangent chords and echoed vocals of The Screaming Tribesmen's "Igloo" create a chilling landscape, blanketing

By Craig Smith|2021-01-11T02:00:23+00:00April 8th, 2008|Categories: Features, Secret History of Australian Music|Tags: 2008, Australia, Screaming Tribesmen, Secret History|7 Comments