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PEARL HARBOURS A YEARNING FOR THE PAST
"This is the song that brings you back." So starts the aptly-titled
Ghost, the opening track on The Killjoys new album, Pearl
(out now on Popboomerang). Suddenly, it's 1990 again and
Howzat! is back at the Punters Club. "The thing I remember
most from those days is the camaraderie between bands,"
says singer Anna Burley. "I'm not much of a reminiscer,
as my friends will tell you, but I do remember feeling like
I had hundreds of friends who were all in bands or making
art. It felt like there was a lot of fire and energy around.
It could also have been the amount I was drinking." Guitarist
Craig Pilkington adds: "I still remember the feeling of
walking into the Punters, knowing you'd see someone you
knew or an amazing band you didn't know. A poster run usually
started with carbonara at Mario's and finished with beer
and pool at the Punters."
Pearl is a sequel of sorts to The Killjoys' 1990 debut,
Ruby, with "songs of love, loss and regret". "When Craig
pointed out the anniversary, he also came up with what I
thought was an insane idea - to do a kind of answer CD,
featuring all past members of the band." The guests include
Michael Hohnen, who now works with Gurrumul; Caroline Schwerkolt,
now living in Hobart; and Penny Hewson, who has come home
after a decade in the US. Have Anna and Craig changed much
since Ruby? "Yes, making people changes you a lot, you don't
take the risks you used to and you try not to do stupid
things," Craig says. Anna: "I think I'm probably a more
confident performer, though I still get nervous. I still
hate the telephone and I still want to take off and wander
'round the world." Anna's voice remains an instrument of
beauty and brilliance. "My voice is a hundred times better
than it was. I have more notes and I know where they're
going to land. All you have to do to keep in good voice
is sing all the time, which I do. I've also noticed that
staying up all night drinking and talking does it no good,
so I have to stay home before shows."
Ruby was launched at the Club in Collingwood. Pearl is being
launched this Friday at the Thornbury Theatre (with Ron
S. Peno and Livingstone Daisies). The album is dedicated
to the band's former manager Linda Gebar, who died three
years ago this month. "We met Linda very early on, as she
was the girlfriend of our first bass player, Jeremy Smith,"
Anna explains. "Linda never thought any idea far-fetched
or out of our reach. She was always right." "She became
like the band's mother," Craig adds. Anna says she feels
sad when she hears Ruby nowadays, because it reminds her
of Linda. Pearl has been packaged with a re-released Ruby,
which won an ARIA for Best Independent Release. The band
promptly dropped the trophy into the Sydney Harbour at the
after-party. A replacement "mysteriously disappeared" while
in the custody of the band's original drummer, so a replica
of the replica now safely resides in Craig's studio.
Finally, is Anna more of a ruby or pearl girl? "I have an
old ruby and pearl ring that I wear, so I guess I like both,"
she smiles.
THE BIG PICTURE
Ballarat has given us some great bands, including The Dead
Salesmen, Epicure and The Mavis's. Add Tessa & The Typecast
to that list. Sure, their debut EP, Lemons (out now through
MGM), is just five songs, but they're already great. The
buzz about this band is justified. Co-produced by Ricky
Maymi from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, this is left-field
pop - think Kate Miller-Heidke, Washington and Butterfly
Boucher. But with plenty of personality and pop smarts,
singer Tessa Pavilach is no imitator. The opening cut, Painter,
is the best 2.30 minutes you'll spend this week. Lemons
is being launched on Saturday at The Buffalo Club in the
city.
AND THE WINNER IS
It's certainly awards season. Great to see Wagons and Drapht
pick up trophies at last week's Independent Music Awards.
The ARIAs are happening in Sydney on November 27, and the
EG Awards are at the Prince on November 23. A mate in the
UK tells Howzat! of an indie awards where one of the big
trophies is for the Best Second Album. Not a bad idea.
CHART WATCH
When it comes to Aussie male solo artists spending time
at number one, it looks like Gotye is gonna be tied on eight
weeks with Austen Tayshus, Joe Dolce and Normie Rowe. This
week, he fails to return to the top, slipping from two to
three.
Somebody That I Used To Know GOTYE (number three)
Inescapable JESSICA MAUBOY (30)
The new Sneaky Sound System album sneaks in at 11. And the
brilliant Big Scary debut arrives at 37.
Making Mirrors GOTYE (number four)
Ultimate Hits LEE KERNAGHAN (eight)
Falling & Flying 360 (10)
From Here To Anywhere SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM (11, debut)
The Acoustic Chapel Sessions JOHN FARNHAM (13)
Vows KIMBRA (15)
Coast To Coast CODY SIMPSON (16)
Prisoner THE JEZABELS (18)
Blue Sky Blue PETE MURRAY (20)
White Heat: 30 Hits ICEHOUSE (26)
Storybook KASEY CHAMBERS (28)
Red Dog Soundtrack VARIOUS (30)
Songs & Pictures BECCY COLE (33)
Vacation BIG SCARY (37, debut)
Moonfire BOY & BEAR (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Painter TESSA & THE TYPECAST
Freefalling THE KILLJOYS
Leave The Party MYLES MAYO
Chase The Sun SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR
Deeper Into Dream BEN LEE
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