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ALL KILLER
Princess One Point Five's You was one of Howzat!'s favourite
singles of 2009. It was punchy and perfect. And it hasn't
been included on the new P1.5 album, What Doesn't Kill You
(out now on Pharmacy Records). "A lot of people have mentioned
that," smiles P1.5 singer Sarah-Jane Wentzki. "It just didn't
fit on the album after all was said and done. Rich [SJ's
P1.5 collaborator, Richard Andrew] and I still love the
album as a concept, and it's important to us to have a cohesive
linear theme rather than just a collection of singles. You
is a great single but not really a team player, as it were."
This is P1.5's fourth album (it's being launched on Saturday
at the Tote). What did SJ want to do with this album that
she hadn't done with previous releases? "We wanted to give
it our best shot and not compromise. So much of what we
did before was limited by our means - we always 'made do'.
This time around, we released what we wanted to, took as
much time as it needed, and I think the album really benefits
from that. Our attitude changed quite a bit too - we stopped
paying so much attention to what other people thought and
just did it." Despite the title, SJ says it was an easy
album to make. "It's all of the stuff that comes after that
which was frustrating - the delayed release, the money,
or our lack there of … That stuff made it feel like we were
just sitting still, and as an artist that's really depressing.
But I'm an optimist at heart and the title says more about
coming out the other side than the struggle to get there."
The P1.5 name refers to SJ's diminutive stature, but she
stresses that it's not a solo project. "To be perfectly
honest, I think Princess One Point Five would be quite narrow
sounding and a little bit too earnest if not for all the
wonderful musicians I've been lucky to collaborate with.
Besides, I get really bored of myself. Richard and I have
wildly different tastes, we argue a lot, we're both very
strong personalities, but with this band, at least, we are
in agreement - the finished product is always better when
we work together instead of against each other, and the
song is always king."
What Doesn't Kill You is also beautifully packaged, with
the cover a collage of family images. "Credit for that should
go to Luke Fraser, who designed it. We really wanted the
design to be something simple, timeless, clean and fitting
the mood of the album. Like moving on with a healthy melancholy.
So anyway, Luke said 'collage', and I said, no effing way.
Then when he sent me the roughs, I just fell in love with
it. It's perfect for the album and a perfect example of
how much a genius Luke is. Every time you look at the cover,
you see something different. Just like the album."
BAD BOY FOR LIBERALS
Rose Tattoo rocker Angry Anderson did two ads for Liberal.TV
on YouTube, sledging the Labor Party and the Greens. "A
vote for Labor is a vote for the Greens," declared Angry,
of Sydney, "and a vote for the Greens is a vote for Labor.
This Labor Government is going to leave our kids and our
grandkids a debt they're gonna struggle to pay." It's good
to have a diversity of views in the rock world, but Howzat!
said on radio that Angry had gone from Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw
to Rock 'n' Roll Dickhead. Meanwhile, the impressive Attack
of the Mannequins opened their Cherry show last Friday with
a cover of the Oils' Redneck Wonderland, which perhaps proved
prophetic.
CORDRAZINE BACK IN THE NICK OF TIME
Cordrazine launch their first album in 12 years, Always
Coming Down, at the East Brunswick Club on Saturday. The
support act is Nick Batterham, who's getting set to release
his first solo album, Second Lovers. Nick also produced
the Cordrazine album and is a member of the band. "Nick
and I met at school when we were 13, he was the first person
I ever played music with," Cordrazine singer Hamish Cowan
tells Howzat! "If it wasn't for Nick, I wouldn't be a musician."
Their first band, Blindside, signed to Summershine and had
releases in the US. Nick then joined The Earthmen, while
Hamish later created Cordrazine. Nick's production work
is beautiful. "Nick has always had the ability to make anyone
he's worked with look far better than they are because of
his talent," Hamish says, "and that's no different with
me. Having him play with us flatters me."
CHART WATCH
No Aussie acts in the national Top 10.
Magic Fountain EP ART VS SCIENCE (number 16)
Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (18)
Love The Fall MICHAEL PAYNTER (20)
iYiYi CODY SIMPSON (28)
We No Speak Americano YOLANDA BE COOL (30)
Baby, I'm Getting' Better GYROSCOPE (34)
Big Jet Plane ANGUS & JULIA STONE (36)
Clare Bowditch has a Top 10 debut.
Running On Air BLISS N ESO (number three)
I Believe You Liar WASHINGTON (five)
Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (six)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (eight)
Modern Day Addiction CLARE BOWDITCH (10, debut)
Seasons THE VERSES (13, debut)
Aphrodite KYLIE MINOGUE (16)
Immersion PENDULUM (27)
April Uprising THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO (30)
Cinema THE CAT EMPIRE (33)
Golden Rule POWDERFINGER (34)
Conditions THE TEMPER TRAP (38)
Melinda Does Doris MELINDA SCHNEIDER (39)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Your Wedding Day PRINCESS ONE POINT FIVE
Sunshine CORDRAZINE
Spiders NICK BATTERHAM
See You For You PETE SOUNDS
Climb Up High AMAYA LAUCIRICA
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