MusicJournoCosmic Psychos
May 29th 2006 08:51
The Cosmic Psychos fast became one of my most favourite bands of all time after a friend of mine introduced them to me a few years ago. They play an iconographically-Australian style of buzz-saw punk rock that is as far removed from both British and American punk as you can get. They're not quite pub rock, but they embody it's spirit whilst working outside the genre. Oddly, they're more referenced by the Australian indie rock scene than respective 'punk' circles, have been covered by overseas bands such as Pearl Jam and L7, and even had one of their albums produced by a pre-Nirvana Butch Vig.
The Psychos are essentially a bunch of farm lads from Melbourne or thereabouts, and they formed as a four piece called Spring Plains in 1982. Three years later they fired their singer and moved the vocal-duties in-house to their bassist and changed their name to the Cosmic Psychos. The line up ran as thus...
Ross Knight - Vocals, Bass
Peter Jones - Guitar
Bill Walsh - Drums
...and they quickly went about releasing some solidly rocking albums and EPs.
DISCOGRAPHY
Down on the Farm (1985) EP
Self-titled (1987) ALBUM
Go the Hack (1989) ALBUM
Slave to the Crave (1990) LIVE ALBUM
Blokes You Can Trust (1991) ALBUM
Self-titled (1991) reissue of 1987 ALBUM and 1985 EP together
Palomino Pizza (1993) EP
Self-Totalled (1995) ALBUM
Unplugged (1996) Acoustic EP
Oh What a Lovely Pie! (1997) ALBUM
15 Years, a Million Beers (2001) COMPILATION ALBUM
Off Your Cruet (2006) ALBUM
The albums 'Blokes You Can Trust' and 'Go the Hack' are essential Australian classics as far as I'm concerned. From 'Self-Totalled' onwards the Psychos seemed to get even heavier, adding distortion to their bass for maximum chainsaw effect! They released 'Off Your Cruet' just two months ago and it happily refuses to mix it up in any way whatsoever... the Psychos are just as comfortable doing what they do as AC/DC seem to be.
Guitarist Peter Jones left the band in 1990 to become some sort of scientist I think, and was replaced by Robbie Watts. The Psychos have toured all over in their time, supporting the likes of Pearl Jam overseas and playing to appreciative crowds in places like Texas.
The Cosmic Psychos continue to endure today, though they play shows somewhat intermittantly. Their latest album is their first studio album in almost ten years, and they've said in recent interviews that they prefer to takes things easy rather than force albums out every year or two. I imagine this idealogy stretches to their touring habits. I finally got to catch them late last year and they were amazing. I missed them on their recent album tour but hopefully they don't leave it too long to come back to Sydney.
Their website - Cosmic Psychos
The Psychos... Blokes You Can Trust
Ross Knight - Vocals, Bass
Peter Jones - Guitar
Bill Walsh - Drums
...and they quickly went about releasing some solidly rocking albums and EPs.
DISCOGRAPHY
Down on the Farm (1985) EP
Self-titled (1987) ALBUM
Go the Hack (1989) ALBUM
Slave to the Crave (1990) LIVE ALBUM
Blokes You Can Trust (1991) ALBUM
Self-titled (1991) reissue of 1987 ALBUM and 1985 EP together
Self-Totalled (1995) ALBUM
Unplugged (1996) Acoustic EP
Oh What a Lovely Pie! (1997) ALBUM
15 Years, a Million Beers (2001) COMPILATION ALBUM
Off Your Cruet (2006) ALBUM
The albums 'Blokes You Can Trust' and 'Go the Hack' are essential Australian classics as far as I'm concerned. From 'Self-Totalled' onwards the Psychos seemed to get even heavier, adding distortion to their bass for maximum chainsaw effect! They released 'Off Your Cruet' just two months ago and it happily refuses to mix it up in any way whatsoever... the Psychos are just as comfortable doing what they do as AC/DC seem to be.
Guitarist Peter Jones left the band in 1990 to become some sort of scientist I think, and was replaced by Robbie Watts. The Psychos have toured all over in their time, supporting the likes of Pearl Jam overseas and playing to appreciative crowds in places like Texas.
Off Your Cruet, the latest album
Their website - Cosmic Psychos
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Comment by Pushing 40 ~fond memoeries of Cosmic Psychos
Long for those days.
I still have around 8 of their CD's/EP's, reserecting a couple of songs for my mobile phone right now.
.
I found the following lying around the house:
(not in release order - sorry)
* Blokes you can trust / Slave to the crave ~double album
* Back at school single
* Palomino Pizza EP
* Thanks mum for the rabbits single
* Cosmic Psychos self titled album
* Whip me EP
* Oh what a lovely pie album
* Breathless single (?)
.
Does anyone know if they still play the occasional gig around Melbourne OR the last time they got back together.
Thanks
Regards
Michael.
Melbourne Victoria AUSTRALIA
collards@hotmail.com
Current time is 11.15pm Thursday 11/03/2010 AEST
.
Friend of Lunar Drive-in Dandenong
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