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Rock - Music Australia

The Vines

August 24th 2006 12:43
The Vines
The Vines - Homesick video clip. Click to watch.


Aw yeah, I reckon everyone knows who the Vines are! I'm gonna write about them anyway cause I don't mind them and I think a lot of the Vines-knocking that goes on is just a case of tall poppy syndrome. Their first album is killer.


The Vines formed around 1991 and played their first show in 1994... they named themselves after The Vynes, a band that Craig Nicholls' Dad had been in back in the 60s.

ORIGINAL LINEUP
Craig Nicholls - vocals, guitar
Patrick Matthews - bass
David Olliffe - drums

They hit the big time after one of their demos got listened to by the right people and they subsequently started working on an album around 2001. They added a second guitarist - Ryan Griffiths, and their original drummer Olliffe left mid-way through the recording of this album and was replaced by Hamish Rosser.



The album was huge and the band hit the big time in a massive way, Nicholls in particular started to go all spastic and stuff because of the amounts of drugs he was ingesting. It all culminated in a poorly recieved second album and an infamous abomination of a show at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney in 2004. Nicholls attacked a photographer during the second song and bassist Matthews left the band then and there, never to return.


Nicholls was later diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome - a mild form of autism, and has made progress since thanks to therapy and less drugs. Brad Heald joined the band in 2005 on bass and they've now released their third album - in spite of most people thinking they were over and done with.

DISCOGRAPHY
Demo (2001) DEMO CD
Factory (2001) 7"
Sun Child/Hot Leather (2001) 7"
This Is Not the Vines Album (2002) PROMO CD
College (2002) EP (U.S. only)
Highly Evolved (2002) ALBUM
Highly Evolved (2002) SINGLE (7" and CD)
Get Free (2002) SINGLE (7" and CD)
Outtathaway Part 1 (2002) SINGLE
Outtathaway Part 2 (2002) SINGLE
Outtathaway (2002) 7"
Homesick (2002) released as four seperate singles with different b-sides and artwork
Homesick (2002) 12"
Fuck the World (2003) PROMO 7"
Ride (2004) SINGLE (7" and CD)
Winning Days (2004) ALBUM
Winning Days (2004) SINGLE (7" and CD)
Vision Valley (2006) ALBUM
Don't Listen to the Radio (2006) SINGLE

They also did a cover of The Beatles 'I'm Only Sleeping' for the 'I Am Sam' soundtrack.

The Vines - official website
The Vines - forum, with good F.A.Q.
The Vines - myspace
The Vines - fansite
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Posted By: Luke - Category: Rock
   


Boom Crash Opera

August 22nd 2006 05:15
Boom Crash Opera are a Melbourne-based pop/rock band who formed in 1985. They were signed to WEA records shortly after forming and came to fame via a string of increasingly popular singles, culminating in the top 10 hit 'Onion Skin' in 1989 and the corresponding double-platinum album 'These Here Are Crazy Times'.
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ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS
Richard Pleasance - guitar, bass, vocals
Peter Fannan - guitar, bass, keys, vocals
Dale Ryder - vocals
Peter Maslen - drums
Greg O'Conner - keys, guitar

Co-songwriter Richard Pleasance took a break from the band in 1991 due to tinnitus and released a solo album. He was briefly replaced by Mick Vallance on bass. Pleasance decided to leave the band altogether in 1992. Dorian West took on bass duties this time and by 1993 the bass position was filled permanantly by Ian Tilley. Greg O'Connor also opted to leave in 1995.

Unfortunately the band's releases declined in sales throughout the 90s, hitting a lowpoint with the album 'Born' in 1995, which saw a shift towards a more electronic sound. It was to be followed up by a second album 'Born Again' (which had already been recorded) but this was scrapped by the record label at the time (BMG) after the poor sales of the first volume. The band's following album, 'Gizmo Mantra', whilst reprsenting a return to a more rock-oriented sound, would be their last.

Richard Pleasance has continued to release solo work. He teamed up with Wendy Matthews at one point under the name 'Felt'. Most recently he has performed with his new band, Pleasantville. Peter Fannan, the band's other main songwriter, has worked as a producer and songwriter for other pop-rock acts since the band's dissolution.

The release of a Greatest Hits album in 1998 pretty much marked the end of the band's 'career', though they still play the odd show (including the occasional ex-member).

DISCOGRAPHY
Great Wall (1986) SINGLE
Self-titled (1987) ALBUM
Hands in the Air (1987) SINGLE
City Flat (1987) SINGLE
Her Charity (1987) SINGLE
Onion Skin (1989) SINGLE
These Here Are Crazy Times (1989) SINGLE
Get Out of the House (1989) SINGLE
Best Thing (1989) SINGLE
Dancing in the Storm (1989) SINGLE
Talk About It (1989) SINGLE
Look Listen (1990) COMPILATION ALBUM
Dreams of Fire (1991) EP
Holy Water (1991) SINGLE
Better Daze (1993) SINGLE
Fabulouse Beast (1993) ALBUM
In The Money (1993) SINGLE
This Isn't Love (1993) SINGLE
Born (1995) ALBUM
Gimme (1995) SINGLE
Tongue-Tied (1995) SINGLE
Gizmo Mantra (1997) SINGLE
All (1997) SINGLE
Dreaming Up a Fire (1997) SINGLE
The Best Things (1998) GREATEST HITS ALBUM

Boom Crash Opera - official website
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Posted By: Luke - Category: Rock
   


Skulker

August 7th 2006 04:40
Skulker
Skulker single, 'Hej'


Skulker are a pop-rock band based in Sydney. I think they originally came from around the Epping area. They formed in 1994 whilst they were all at high school with each other and I think they might be currently gearing up to release something new or at least start playing shows again soon.

ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS
Greer Skinner - vocals, guitar
Annette Horada - bass, vocals
Naomi Battah - guitar, vocals
Angela Blackshaw - drums

Naomi left not too long ago, somewhere between 2004 and 2005, and has been replaced by Gregory on guitar.

The band started out playing around Sydney and were signed to Chatterbox records after independently releasing their own EP. This led to their debut album 'Too Fat For Tahiti' - apparently a reference to what a club owner once told the band. They then released a string of catchy singles, some of which got good airplay on Triple J and followed up with a somewhat less successful album 'The Double Life' in 2003. They've also done their fair share of touring, supporting Area 7 in 2001 in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and embarked on various other interstate tours.

Their website appears to be getting an overhaul at the moment, which is what leads to me to think they might be making some sort of a 'comeback' in the near future.

DISCOGRAPHY
Demo (1997) CASETTE TAPE (?)
Morgan to the Moon (1998) EP
Bittersweet (1998) SINGLE
Hej (2000) SINGLE
Too Fat For Tahiti (2001) ALBUM
Strawberry Deluxe (2001) SINGLE
Never Forget (2001) SINGLE
Newport Nightmare (2001) SINGLE
The Double Life (2003) ALBUM
Coming Home (2003) SINGLE
In Your Arms (2003) SINGLE

They also recorded a Rose Tattoo cover for the 'Rock' compilation, and contributed a song to a Midnight Oil Tribute album.

Singer Greer also did some guest vocals on the b-side of a Room 101 single (Penrith metal band) back in 2000.

Some websites...
Official website - currently being updated
Old fan site - still working!
Skulker rocks - another old fan site.
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Australian Crawl

August 3rd 2006 06:15
Aussie Crawl
Australian Crawl's first album


It was only a matter of time before I got around to this great Australian 80s rock band. Along with Midnight Oil they were one of the first proponents of iconically Australian rock. Formed in 1978 by Melbournites James Reyne and Simon Binks (both previously of the band Spiff Roach), the band would go on to have a string of hit singles and Reyne himself would continue with an illustrious solo career


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Posted By: Luke - Category: Rock
   


The Living End

July 24th 2006 08:10
Well, if you live in Australia and don't know who the Living End are then I'd hazard a guess that you're current address is: No.1 Under The Rock, Under The Rocksville.

MP3s


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The Knives of Neptune

July 19th 2006 09:14
The Knives of Neptune - Progressive rock!

MP3s (right click and save to download


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Grand Fatal

July 18th 2006 09:41
Grand Fatal are a melodic post-hardcore rock band hailing from Sydney. They formed in 2004 and have been kickin' it in a big way ever since.

For music


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Eskimo Joe

July 10th 2006 09:45
I don't think anyone really ever saw Eskimo Joe coming. I mean, they're so big now... their latest single 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' is everywhere at the moment. I remember going to uni in 1998 and having nothing to do on my lunchbreak, so I went up to the student bar and Eskimo Joe were playing in there and I was virtually the only person watching them! They were playing punk-ish songs about coco pops and monkeys and their biggest song at the time was recent Triple J hit 'Sweater'. Two years later, whilst I was still at uni, they were playing a somewhat bigger show (one that took place at night and people had to pay to see) and whilst standing outside myself and a friend convinced some random girl that our other friend with us was the drummer from Eskimo Joe. She got really excited. There's no real point to that little anecdote, I just wanted to relate it because it was mildly relevant.

Eskimo Joe music


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The Drones

July 6th 2006 08:44
The Drones are a dirty indie/rock four-piece band from Melbourne who have been plugging away now for about six years.

Some music


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The Sharp

July 2nd 2006 08:18
The Sharp
This is the Sharp
I'm a little late on The Sharp bandwagon, I only picked up their greatest hits compilation just last week (after months of searching) and am truly appreciating their greatness for the first time now. The band broke up well over ten years ago, so there's very little in the way of MP3s and the like to be found on the internet, however there is this, if you want to hear them...

The Sharp - Where Am I Now? - video of their last live TV performance. Follow link to watch at YouTube


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The Suns

June 29th 2006 06:04
The Suns! Okay, so they aren't really Australian, but I think they deserve honorary Australian-band status due to their two years of entertaining service to us

The Suns - myspace page, go here to hear some fabulous MP3s


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Staying at Home

June 26th 2006 07:43
Staying At Home
Staying At Home, photo by Tristan Still


MP3s (right click and save


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Baltic

June 23rd 2006 12:31
Baltic are a self-described 'Power-Rock' band from Sydney. Comprised of musicians previously from predominantly punk and hardcore bands, Baltic is a bit of a change of pace for most of the quartet. Regarding the name's origin, vocalist Ari explained, "I was really into excessive, powerful names like Boston and Chicago so I thought Baltic was sweet."

MP3s (right click and save


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Rhubarb

June 21st 2006 05:49
Rhubarb! Remember those guys? I pretty much only really remember them from their big Triple J hit 'Exerciser', but they've been busy beavers ever since and have built up a respectable fanbase. Amazingly, the band were able to give up their day jobs after their initial Triple J success and have been keeping the dream alive ever since, partially thanks to their own independent record label Toupee Records.

Rhubarb
Rhubarb

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