Perhaps the biggest news is that Perth based power pop label, Spinning Top Records, has been ‘bought’ by the new San Franciscan label, Zip Records. Spinning Top Records will now be known as Zip Records Australia and they will inherit The Chevelles, Superscope and the fine expertise of David-Hughes Owen as well as having distribution through MGM. The Chevelles will be releasing a new 5 track EP very soon while Superscope will be releasing their own CDEP lately in the year. Stay tuned for those releases.
Dom Mariani’s debut single, Real Friend b/w Jenny, has just been released through the French power pop label Pop The Balloon and comes with a nice gatefold sleeve! Dom’s new band, The Majestic Kelp plan to start recording their album over the next couple of months. While most people (including myself) have had the misconception that The Majestic Kelp are a surf band, Dom says that the band’s sound is more blues and lounge based although there are elements of surf music present.
Jack & the Beanstalk's long awaited second album is finally being mixed by Joe Algeri in Sweden. You can listen to an exclusive preview of a track from it, She Drives A Volvo, on the Egomaniac Webpage
10,000 Sunny Days, one of the highlights from the band's first album, has found another home on a great compilation called Popular World by a new label from San Francisco called Sky Blue Records. Joe has also collaborated with Swedish label mates, The Happydeadmen, for a faithful rendition of Gene Clark's Full Circle for a tribute compilation of the same name on Not Lame Recordings. Finally, the reminder of Joe's studio time has been spent producing an EP for Swedish indi-pop stars, Opossum.
Any Way You Want It, the first single from the The Orange Humble Band’s upcoming new album Humblin' (Across America), will be released through Half A Cow Records on June 12th.
Payola, their debut album from Challenger 7, was finally been released in May. Having had the pleasure of hearing it, I can safely saw that is an absolute killer record.
The Finkers new 6-song CDEP Last Thing On My Mind is now out featuring 2 tracks (Last Thing On My Mind and Try) from their soon-to-be-released second album Double Back & Go. There are also three unreleased tracks (Teenage Revolution, Go Pop Zine and Tonight’s My Lucky Night). Also included is Adeline Now, one of the highlights from the band’s first album.
Michael Carpenter's solo album Baby has just been released in the UK on When! Records.
The Powdermonkeys new studio LP, Lost City Blues, which was recorded by Fred Estby in Stockholm at Das Boot Studios in May last year, will hopefully be released by the end of the year through White Jazz Records. The album features Chuck Pounder (A-Bombs) laying down some tasty guitar solos on a track while the A Bombs and the girls from the awesome Misdemeanor can be heard doing backing vocals . Nicke Royale is doing the cover art. John Nolan can also be heard playing guitar on the Turpentine's new single, Showstopper / Too Much Too Soon. Word has it that The Powder Monkeys are likely be touring Europe in September with these guys so watch out for that.
The evergreen Celibate Rifles have recorded a new album tentatively titled Lashings Of Ginger Beer All Round. They have also recorded a new version of 6 Days On The Road with Barry Crocker of all people, for a compilation CD called Get Trucked, which has been put together by 4ZZZ FM. Although no live dates are planned for the time being their is the possibility that the band might be touring Brazil during January 2001 as part of an Australian music/surf festival.
Despite rumors to the contrary, The New Christs have not broken up. Stewart Wilson is the band’s new drummer replacing Nick Reith and Mark Wilkinson has rejoined the band. Best news is that the band will now aim at finishing off a new album (there are six rhythm beds in the can) and consider live shows again.
News just to hand is that Bored! will tour Europe in September, from the 10th of September to 4th October with Sydney show(s) not out of the question... Also, the vinyl version of their best of album Chunks will be released in 4-6 weeks through Full Toss Records and will be an extravagant triple LP package containing 10 tracks not found on the double CD, including ONE totally previously unreleased track! An insert will feature all the liner notes, photos, covers and gig flyers, the same as the CD booklet. This will be incredibly limited, possibly just 300 hand-numbered copies!
Full Toss Records will also be releasing the Stunt Car Drivers debut album later in the year.
The Eastern Dark compilation Where Are All The Single Girls? has finally been put into production and will be released by Half A Cow Records. The release date is July 10th 2000. There will be 18 tracks in all; the nine studio numbers and another nine "live" originals -plus a 44 page colour booklet.
Alrighty!, a double 7 Inch EP, will be the debut release by Perth band Jed Whitey. The records have been pressed and the band is awaiting shipment. Jed Whitey are also appearing on the upcoming Highbeam Records compilation CD, which also features Rollerball, Nunchukka Superfly as well as Perth's own Fourstroke. The comp will have a CD-Rom component, and will feature cover art courtesy of Ray Ahn of Hard-Ons infamy. To top it all off, the disc will be distro'd in the US, Canada, UK, Europe and South America. Additionally, Jed Whitey have been given the go-ahead to cover Turnstyle's Spray Water On The Stereo for an upcoming Roundhouse Records compilation. Both releases will be out before the end of the year.
As mentioned above, Fourstroke a great new Perth band. Somewhat stupidly, I only caught them live for the first time last weekend and was suitably impressed. According to the band's webpage, they are influenced by the greats of the rock/stoner world such as Black Sabbath, MC5, Fu-Manchu, Queens of The Stone Age, and Kyuss, as well as classic Aussie rock such as AC/DC, Radio Birdman, and The Celibate Rifles among others. Their debut EP, Heavy Metal, is worth checking out and has been getting good reviews, including a kickass 8.5/10 review in the Sydney based Highbeam Music Zine.
Ace exponents of all that is fine in the Rock Action department, Brother Brick, have a new EP See Ya Tonight on a Spanish label.
The forthcoming Sheek The Shayk EP has been mastered and should be out in July -August. Initial copies will come with a bonus cd-rom including live footage filmed at the Iron Duke Hotel.
Back To Front
