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DECIBELS MAKES A NOISE
"I can't make it all alone, and I can't do this on my own"
- This Time, Animaux
The music industry is not easy. A&R man Tom Whalley says,
"The hardest thing to do in this business is start a band
nobody's heard of." You need help. Sometimes that help comes
from unlikely places. Darebin Council has started Decibels
Records, signing three local acts - Animaux, Rosie & George
and The Kilniks. It's a fine initiative. As Tommy Boy Records
boss Tom Silverman said, "Independent labels take nothing
and make something out of it. Major labels buy that something
and try to make more out of it."
How did Rosie & George find out about the label? "We recorded
our last EP at the Decibels Youth Music Centre, so we were
pretty up to date with the goings-on at the centre. We saw
they were starting a record label - through Facebook, of
all places - and decided to apply. We thought it'd be great
to be part of a community-based label and we knew that the
people who run this place are awesome." Can Rosie & George
describe the experience of making their self-titled debut
EP? "Cups of tea. Sleep-deprived. Exciting."
The Kilniks' first gig was at Darebin's Push Start competition,
which they won. An indie rock band, they exhibit a fine
sense of humour on their debut EP, Not That Kind, which
includes the song Get Dumb, Have Fun (sample lyric: "We
will get dumb, we will have fun"). Each Kilniks gig has
a different theme - one night, the band members will be
wearing sunglasses and Hawaiian shirts; another night, it's
denim jackets and mohawks.
Howzat! is not usually a fan of band names that people struggle
to pronounce. Animaux (rhymes with ban-a-mo) is French for
"animals". Now, Animals might be a good name for a metal
band, but it wouldn't work for a band that describes its
sound: "If jazz and pop had a lovechild, got divorced, remarried
funk and soul … Animaux would be the end result." But Animaux
is a good name for a band that's all class. Who knows where
they'll end up? As the BoDeans' Sammy Llanas said, "You're
a local band until you get a record contract, then all of
a sudden, Bruce Springsteen is your competition." But when
Animaux's Alex Lahey sings, "I'm gonna give it my all",
you believe her. Their self-titled EP shows that they're
genuine contenders. Animaux have just done some dates with
Stonefield, and now they're joining Rosie & George and The
Kilniks for the Decibels Records launch at the Northcote
Town Hall on Thursday. More info at www.musicfeast.com.au.
GOODBYE MOTEL, HELLO WORLD
Howzat! loves bands with ambition. Marry that with talent
and you've got a potent combination. Melbourne's goodbyemotel
hooked up with producer Julian Mendelsohn to make their
new EP, Wish Your Way. Julian has mixed Musical Youth's
Pass The Dutchie, Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax and
Peter Gabriel's Shock The Monkey and produced Paul McCartney
and Pet Shop Boys. He's helped goodbyemotel create radio-ready
rock that's both epic and interesting. The guys launch the
EP at Revolver on Thursday, before heading to the US to
make a new album.
HOLMES AND AWAY
The Hummingbirds re-formed briefly to play at the Sydney
Big Day Out. Unfortunately, the band didn't make it to Melbourne
this year, but the next best thing is Friday's album launch
for The Aerial Maps at Bella Union, because the band features
The Hummingbirds' Simon Holmes (who also produced the album)
and Alannah Russack. The Aerial Maps' frontman, Adam Gibson,
was a massive Hummingbirds fan. "There was a period when
I listened to Hindsight every day for, like, a year. They
became the spearheads of what was a fantastic era of Sydney
guitar music and the fact they came from a scene in which
my brother and I were involved made them real heroes for
me. And when Blush broke through and the album loveBUZZ
hit the charts, we really felt as if everything seemed possible.
But I never imagined that I'd ever meet Simon Holmes and
play in a band with him." Adam's brother got to know Simon,
and he ended up producing their band Modern Giant. "The
thing with Simon Holmes is there is absolutely no ego about
him at all," Adam says. "I mean, he may have written some
of the best ever Australian guitar pop songs, but he's totally
humble. I really feel privileged that he's involved in the
Maps."
CHART WATCH
Gotye spends a fifth week at number one. If he stays there
next week, he'll be the first Aussie act to spend more than
five weeks on top since Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply
had an eight-week reign in 1997.
Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (number one)
Inescapable JESSICA MAUBOY (11)
Pete Murray's new album arrives at six.
Making Mirrors GOTYE (number two)
Blue Sky Blue PETE MURRAY (six, debut)
White Heat: 30 Hits ICEHOUSE (seven)
Rrakala GURRUMUL (14)
Yes I Am JACK VIDGEN (15)
Moonfire BOY & BEAR (17)
Ghosts Of The Past ESKIMO JOE (22)
Only Sparrows JOSH PYKE (26)
Roy DAMIEN LEITH (29)
Get 'Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (30)
Like Drawing Blood GOTYE (31)
Gurrumul GURRUMUL (37)
Future Shade THE HERD (38)
The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating THE LIVING END
(39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
This Time ANIMAUX
Miss Sunshine ROSIE & GEORGE
Get Dumb, Have Fun THE KILNIKS
The Sunset Park THE AERIAL MAPS
Wish Your Way GOODBYEMOTEL
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