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SATELLITES OF LOVE
British India could be Howzat!'s favourite local rock band.
Their songs have wonderful energy and momentum. And they've
got something to say. "If everything is so fantastic, if
this is our time, then why do I feel like I'm missing out?"
singer Declan Melia declares in the band's brilliant new
single, Beneath The Satellites (out now through Shock).
Asked to explain the line, Declan says: "Almost unintentionally,
the band has been quite all-consuming. It's true to say
that we've all disregarded other options and opportunities
to be in British India. Everything has fallen by the wayside
- school, careers, girlfriends, everything. Certainly we're
out there doing what we dig and creating great memories
for ourselves, but you do get the feeling that the real
world is moving on outside, all around you."
British India's third album, Avalanche, will be out on April
23. It follows Thieves and Guillotine, so the guys obviously
like strong one-word titles. "Well, they do look good on
iTunes," Declan smiles. "We were actually thinking about
getting away from the one-word titles. We had 'Building
Golden Tombs', 'Deadbeats' and a few others, but we were
using Avalanche as a working title during the recording
and we must have mentioned it to a few interviewers because,
before too long, Triple J had announced it as the title
on their music news, so we just ran with it. Avalanche is
the name of the terrorist organization in Final Fantasy
VII, which we all dug, and also it was a sort of mission
statement when we were recording - to make each song sound
like a snowball in an avalanche."
Avalanche is the first album the guys have made at home,
after making their first two long-players in Sydney with
Harry Vanda. The guys originally planned to buy a house,
paint it pink and create an Exile On Main St. vibe. But
they ended up at Sing Sing instead - recording opposite
Rob Thomas. "I tried to avoid him," Declan says, "I was
afraid his mediocrity might rub off on me. [Drummer] Matt
[O'Gorman] met him though. The beauty of meeting famous
Americans is they're so oblivious to people not kissing
their ass, they can never tell when you're making fun of
them."
Declan loved making the record. "There was lots of drinking
and drug taking, lots of friends stopping by and hanging
out. We insisted on only doing wet takes, which just means
drunk takes. But it's a tightrope, you know, because it's
possible for a take to be too wet. It just means you have
to do it again in the morning." More on British India in
Howzat! in the lead-up to the Avalanche release. They launch
Beneath The Satellites at the Hi-Fi on Saturday.
LAZY SUSAN GET BUSY
Sydney's finest pop band, Lazy Susan, have finally finished
their fourth album. Places That Made Us will be out on June
25. Look out for the stomping Motown-inspired first single,
Find Me A Way Back Into Your Heart.
ONE LONG HIT
Skipping Girl Vinegar made a major statement with their
debut album, Sift The Noise. It was a folk pop gem, highlighted
by the joyous title-track. It won't be an easy album to
follow, but if One Long Week, the first single from the
band's upcoming second album, is any indication, they're
on the right track - without repeating themselves. Sure,
it's still got a marvellous melody - complete with some
"la la las" - but there's also a dark undercurrent. Producers
Nick Huggins and Greg Arnold have helped Mark Lang deliver
a stunning, hypnotic vocal. Call it alt folk, if you want.
Can't wait for the album! Skipping Girl Vinegar launch One
Long Week at the East Brunswick Club this Thursday.
WISDOM OF THE SOLOMONS
Essendon premiership player Dean Solomon has retired after
209 games with the Bombers and Dockers. Enter The Solomons,
who show plenty of youthful exuberance on their self-titled
debut EP (on Popboomerang Records). The influences are '60s
and British, but they've got enough of their own thing going
on. And the ace in their pack is the voice of bass player
Cass Allan, who rips it up on the frantic Evening's Empire.
The Solomons launch the EP at Ding Dong on Saturday.
GURUS' GLITTERING RETURN
Almost 26 years to the day since their classic debut, Stoneage
Romeos, the Hoodoo Gurus are back with their first album
in six years, Purity Of Essence (on Sony). Howzat! caught
up with Dave Faulkner and reminisced about one of the band's
early tours - with the now infamous Gary Glitter. "It was
the original Glitter Band," Dave recalls, "so we were pretty
chuffed. But Gary was displaying some weirdness even then,
though certainly not what he was later convicted of." Gary
insisted that his son pretend it was his 21st, so the promoters
would throw him a big party. Dave later found out Gary's
son was older than 21 and it was not his birthday. "It was
a good scam," Dave laughs.
CHART WATCH
Still no homegrown hits in the national Top 20.
On A Mission GABRIELLA CILMI (number 23)
Sweet Disposition THE TEMPER TRAP (27)
Black Box STAN WALKER (29)
Art Of Love GUY SEBASTIAN (37)
Melbourne hip hop act M-Phazes has the week's highest new
entry.
Black Ice AC/DC (number 16)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (17)
Before Too Long: Triple J's Tribute To Paul Kelly VARIOUS
(18)
Good Gracious M-PHAZES (20, debut)
Wrapped Up Good THE McCLYMONTS (31)
A Book Like This ANGUS & JULIA STONE (34)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Beneath The Satellites BRITISH INDIA
One Long Week SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR
Queen Of Everyone's Heart PERRY KEYES
Evening's Empire THE SOLOMONS
Find Me A Way Back Into Your Heart LAZY SUSAN
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