SA Great - The Long-Awaited Second Part

You know the great thing about this blog? I have absolutely no responsibility to update on a regular basis and no deadlines. That's so cool.

So here's the second part of my SA Great series.

In an earlier draft of this post, I went on a bit of rant about the current state of music, not just in Adelaide, but on a global scale. Rather than posting that and adding one more voice to the spleen-vent that is Teh Internets, I thought it best to add to the small percentage of what's good on said tubes.

So here are some past and present bands that have made South Australia great:

(click pics for pages, where possible)

MEGAFAUNA

Mostly slow, stoner rock, with simple melodies. Contains members of Hit The Jackpot, Lindsey Low Hand, Sweet Raxxx, Trip Up From Mission Viejo, Hardy Coxon... The list goes on.

Megafauna - Starling

MATT'S LITTLE BROTHER

That's Steve on the right, shaking hands with Australian children's music icon, Peter Combe. I haven't seen much of Matt's Little Brother, aka Stevie B, in a while, as he's been focusing on a film project entitled, aptly enough, "Adelaide". I really hope he gets back into music soon, as he's damn talented. The following is an old track from 2001.

Matt's Little Brother - Away

SWEET RAXXX

Many things can and have been said about Sweet Raxxx. Some of those things were complimentary. Some weren't. But there is one thing that could be said that cannot be denied: they always put on an amazing show. This is their Toto Coelo cover:

Sweet Raxxx - I Eat Cannibals

AVANT GARDENERS

Avant Gardeners are a gigantic collective of musicians, ruled by the gentle iron fist of Sandy, a former member of The Moonies. Past and present members include people from: Roo Shooter, Hit The Jackpot (again!!!), The Moonies, Les Goolies, No Through Road and many more. AG perform every year, at an event called 'Really Good In Theory', which is a celebration of all things local, with stalls set up during the day, selling homemade food, zines, 2nd hand goods, and basically hawking their wares. In the evening, a long list of bands play until the wee hours and a good time is had by all.

Avant Gardeners - Really Good In Theory

BATERZ

Baterz passed away in 2002, aged 33. I don't really feel I have the chops to discuss Baterz' life, as I only met him once and it was a very brief encounter, but his music and legacy definitely deserves to be recognised. Baterz had caustic wit, absurdist humour and heartwrenching balladeering down pat, sometimes even in the one song.

Baterz - Goth
Baters - Fifteen (Live)

FIVE! NOW YOU'RE TALKING

(I couldn't find a picture of them online, but this came up when I image-searched 5nytk)
Five! Now You're Talking, aka 5!NYTK, made a name for themselves as being the most irritating band in Adelaide for the short duration of their existence. Personally, I think we're all better for it. And if you recognise the vocals in this track, it's because one of the singers in 5!NYTK was a pre-No Through Road Matt Banham.

5!NYTK - Digital Love

THE ANGELS

Oz rock legends The Angels started out as The Moonshine Jug and String Band in 1970 until they picked up electric instruments and became The Keystone Angels in 1974. In 1976, now using the name 'The Angels', they released the Oz rock FM radio classic 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?', to which every true Aussie knows the reply: "No way, get fucked, fuck off!". We're a classy bunch.

As an interesting sidenote, my late father used to be friends with singer Doc Neeson, back in the Moonshine Jug days. Unfortunately, I was never able to substantiate the claim, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing Dad would've lied about. Additionally, Doc's mother was my mother's midwife, present at mine and my brother's birth (3 years apart, for those keeping count). Aaaaaand, Jimmy Barnes' mum was a nurse who used to work with Doc's mother. Adelaide is a small town.

The Angels - No Secrets

AC/DC

Yeah, Bon Scott was born in Western Australia, but we all know they came from the northern suburbs of Adelaide. The story goes that Angus & Malcolm Young, and Phil Rudd met Bon at the Old Lion after he left Fraternity. They then went on to have their first jam session at the Bridgeway Hotel in Pooraka. Hits you right there, doesn't it?

Rather than post an AC/DC track (let's face it, they're not hard to find), here's ECC's infamous 'Rocked By Rape', which samples US anchorman Dan Rather, and does interesting things to AC/DC's 'Back In Black'.

Evolution Control Committee - Rocked By Rape

The Dead Trilogy

Okay, I'm kind of cheating here and what's worse, I'm self-promoting in the same post. I'm not going to apologise because I'm pretty certain I'll do it again at a later date.

This is an compilation/remix/mashup album I released via myspace.

And here's what I wrote on that page.

About The Dead Trilogy:

In 2001-2002, I had completed three songs that I wanted to release. Not wanting to release an EP, I thought I'd ask various friends if they could remix the originals, by providing them with the individual bits n' pieces that I used to make the originals. The remixers never heard the originals and were allowed to do whatever they wanted to do. The only thing I told them about the songs was that they were very loosely based around the concept of 'Night' (Force of Fear), 'Dawn' (Sunrise) and 'Day' (Wake Up!), and obviously referencing the original George A Romero 'Dead' films.

Eventually I received all of the submissions and compiled them onto two discs. Then numerous factors conspired to delay the release (poverty, third-rate computer equipment, laziness) and the compilation was essentially lost. After discovering it again recently, and re-listening to it, I think it still sounds great and people deserve to hear it.

Thanks to the artists that contributed:

Barbarian Rep., Belittle League, Blanche Devereaux & the Miserable Whores, Groverling, Home for the Def, Horrahedd, Matt's Little Brother, Matte Black, No Through Road, Onaka, Spencer Webb and Toit.

And especially those that don't even know they did. These unknowing participants include:

Siouxsie & The Banshees, Danny Elfman, Einsturzende Neubauten, Front 242, New Order, Faith No More, Buzzcocks, The Easybeats, Public Enemy, Pop Will Eat Itself, Aaliyah & Timbaland, and the composers of the following TV themes: Gimme A Break, The Muppets, Unsolved Mysteries. There are probably more.

Extra special thanks to Vincent Price and George A Romero.


The Dead Trilogy Disc One

Enjoy!

-Ringo Stalin