Who were The Go-Betweens trying to channel when they went into the studio to record this? “Man O’ Sand to Girl O’ Sea” sounds nothing like The Go-Betweens of Before Hollywood, released only 8 months prior, in fact it sounds nothing like The Go-Betweens at all. This bashful quintet (previously a trio, this song is [...]
In a special expanded edition of SHOAM we spotlight Melbourne’s misunderstood rockers The Fauves and their “Everybody’s Getting a 3 Piece Together” single as well as interviewing main man Andrew Cox about that single, his top 5 Fauves tracks and his upcoming solo album. The Fauves are the only band I’ve ever written fan-mail to. [...]
It’s a testament to the influence of bands like Ride, My Bloody Valentine and The House of Love and import record stores like Phantom, Red Eye and Waterfront, that there ever existed a Shoegaze scene in Sydney. Of the few local bands that heeded an obvious influence (amongst which include such forgotten luminaries as Jupiter, [...]
In the annals of Australian music, Melbourne’s Beargarden barely rate a mention, and if they do, this is solely because of singer Sam Sejavka’s notoriety as being the inspiration for the character of Sam (as played by INXS’ Michael Hutchence) in the cult film Dogs In Space. Their back catalogue doesn’t exist, and even going [...]
Crow were one of the less conventional breed of guitar bands that existed in Sydney during the final days of the 1980s. They were arty and atonal, angular and angry, ditching melody and other safe musical harbours in search of artistic adventure. Formed by brothers Peter and John Fenton in their hometown of Canberra, they [...]
1977 was one hell of a fuckin’ year. Sucks to you if you missed it, but even as a five year old, the Summer of ’77 was something to behold. I’m not talking about the birth of punk, Star Wars, or Hornby electric train sets. For me, this was the year I realised the weird [...]
Simplicity in music is a wonderful thing. Pop music these days is so textured, tortured, and techno-coated that you need a pickaxe to chip away the gloss before you can find any merit or meaning (if there is any). The beauty that can be made with a handful of talent and a tiny bit of [...]
It’s a succinct and audacious move to call your band GOD. Inevitably bound to put a few noses out of joint (this was the still conservative 80s after all), but ultimately you can’t go wrong. You’re God, after all. For the name to be taken by a bunch of Australian teenagers seems all the more [...]
The Too Pure Singles Club returns in 2012 with a bang (or is that a rattle) with the sound of Icelandic mantra magicians Dead Skeletons. For the uninitiated, Dead Skeletons came into existence in 2008 when band member Jon Saamunder needed music for an art installation in the Reykjavik Art Museum. Enlisting the help of friends Henrik Bjornsson and Ryan Carlson Van Kriedt the trio penned the songs which would eventually become the Dead Magick album, a 72 minute, 12 song journey through space and time, life and death. “Om Mani Peme Hung” is the sound of Neu! on a meditation retreat engaging in a spiritual hypno-chant. Now repeat after me… Om Mani Peme Hung, Om Mani Peme Hung, Om Mani Peme Hung… (subscribe to the Too Pure Singles Club here).
