the ponys

Hailing from Chicago and forming amidst a friendship and lots of beer in late 2000. The band started gigging as a three piece in August 2001, playing local Chicago venues and debuing at the Beat Kitchen. Their first recording in Sephamore Studios in Chicago saw two singles released, which bought the band to the attention of In The Red Records. A debut album was recorded with additional band members in the spring of 2003 produced by Jim Diamond in Detroit and it was released in 2004. The album gained press both in their native America and in England and even proper magazines 'Rolling Stone, Mojo and Spin, their debut album even got reviewed in the July 2005 issue of playboy, earning a 4 bunny review. The band did a countrywide tour, including Bloc Party supports in New York and Canada,played shows in England and Northern Europe, supporting the likes of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and playing the Roskilde Festival. The second album - Celebration Castle was recorded with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio and released in 2005.
Touring across the USA with Sleater Kinney in October 2005.

Discography:
Another Wounds - Sweet Nothing 7"/cdep
Wicked City/Little Creatures - Big Neck Records 7"
Solid Love Sex Doll - Contaminated 7"
Laced With Romance - In the Red
Creation Castle - In the Red

website: www.theponys.com

the patriotic post

the lesser lights of australina music:

Whilst the Easybeats went on to top charts and tour across the world a lesser known band was left behind in their shadows: the Missing Links, whilst their legacy lives on in the name of an independant record store in Melbourne, they were relatively unknown here. Formed in 1964 and managed to score a number 2 single in new zealand before disbanding in 1965 only to reform with different personnel. At one time one of their members gained notoriety for having the longest hair in Sydney. The band split without success for good in 1966, a great reissue 'driving me insane' was released by Half a Cow records in the early 2000's.

The Dom Mariani legacy

Adored in spain and germany but barely recognised in australia, is one of the most gifted songwriters going around. The Stems burst out of Perth in the mid 80's ina wave of winkle pinkles and paisley leading a powerpop revolution and achieved some nationwide recognition with a string of early singles and ep's their high point came with the utterly charming single 'at first sight' which saw tehm perform on hey hey its saturday and also got the song on the young einstein soundtrack. Unfortunately the pressures of fame and major lable presssure for their debut saw the two major songwriters, Dom and Richard fall out and go their separate ways -Dom to go on to form the Someloves and Richard Lane to play with 'The Rosebuds'. Dom also went to form the DM3 a cracking power pop band and had subsequently released a solo album and released an instrumental album as the Majestic Kelp. A Dom Mariani Anthology was released in early 2005 containing Stems, Someloves and his solo work

recommended: the Stems: Make You Mine, Tears Me in Two, She's a monster, Can't Resist, At First Sight, You cant turn the clock back - an 18 track collection 'Mushroom soup' was released by Citidel in 2005
http://www.thestems.com.au/
Someloves: Dont Talk About us/It's my time single, Something or other album - 1989
DM3 - Road to Rome, Garage sale (covers & rarities)

another power pop band that got overlooked: the early hours
again from Perth, had a flicker of interest after getting a song noticed through radio station triple-j's unearthed endeavour, they managed only two albums, their first cheekily named "the early hours greatest hits" and their second - Evolution before dissapearing in the mid 90's. Short punchy songs with the classic themes of girls, n' rock n' more girls, their swansong was a blazing 12 tracks that ticked over in a little under 30 minutes. They were also responsible for my first ever sneaking in to a venue - the hopetoun hotel, not cause i was underage as the traditional way but merely to save the cover charge, me and my then sidekick snuck in some hours early and snuck down to the dungeon bar in the basement sitting it out til the band started so we could then merely reappear amidst the crowd and merge in un-noticed - which seemed all well and good til i had to use the bathroom, the gents alas was upstairs and on the wrong side of the door bitch so i had my female accomplis keep watch as i used the ladies downstairs which was all well and good til i came out from the cubicle to be faced with 4 shocked lass's whose stares and accusing glares i had to endure the rest of the evening - money saved - $6.

Incursion - i think i have a special soft spot for them as they were part of my first ever pub gig (also on the bill - sidewinder [who deserve a mention too, a sadly short lived Sydney via Canberra band who promised much but never really hit any heights, their two albums Atlantis and Tangerine were two of the best Australian releases of the 1990's and were a near constant live presence around town and on the festival circuit - band members have gone on to play for something for kate and form the rather good Zillions] and Powderfinger [back when they were interesting]) but back to the point, Incursion, all sludgey distorted guitars and gravelly but humbly restrained voices. Came from Benalla in country Victoria and released two ep's at last sighting - Afterglow & In the Black Sandshoe - there may have been a third but i have yet to find it.

dead hensons

as yet unheard but with the concept of covering songs from early jim henson stuff - it surely has my thumbs up!

their bio reads:

The Dead Hensons are an eight piece rock band exclusively covering the upbeat songs from early Jim Henson projects (mainly Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, and the Muppet Movie)

website is

http://www.deadhensons.com/

hope they play yr town soon!

King Khan

I first heard about Mr Khan in horizontal action amgazine who were raving about his latest album 'the king khan & bbq show' and boy were they right, an utter corker, filled with trembly warbling squals of love and its gone wrong effects... beginning his musical life in montreal band - the Spaceshits, he was never to return from their eurpoean tour as he fell for a german maid and is now based in germany. He loosely assembled a backing combo called the senssational shrines, which contained curtis mayfield & stevie wonders live percussionist a teeneged horn sectrion and a crazy organist from bordeaux and recorded their debut - three hairs and your mine in toe rag studios in london. Their first london show was apparently halted by police and the band had to escape the venue by a back door.A second album 'Mr Supernatural' is released in 2004 and more recently as well as the collaboration with fellow spaceshit BBQ a split album with the dirtbombs - billiards at nine thirty was released in 2005.
Nicknames the 'Maharajah of soul' and the godfather of 'voodoo soul' an apparently manic live performer with a venemous howl - currently touring europe til late september 05.

Releases:
King Khan and his shrines:
11/04 Billards at Nine Thirty (split with Dirt Bombs) LP/CD
06/04 Mr. Supernatural - hazlewood records
06/03 Smash Hits! 10" - vicious circle
06/02 One You Love b/wI See The Light 7"
01/02 Three Hairs And You're Mine - voodoo rhythm records
06/00 Spread Your Love Like Peanutbutter 10" -sounds of subterrania
01/00 Torture 7"

The King Khan & BBQ show - goner records

miss alex white

Live fast survive young.

Whilst ‘Live Fast Die Young’ has always been glamorously associated with the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, Miss Alex White has been surrounded by its effects and survived to produce a stunning debut album.

Now the tender age of twenty, after playing guitar since 13, and performing since 14, Alex had already seen her two previous bands end through deaths of their members. She was at one point on the cusp of never wanting to play music again. But for someone whose music is life and not just a way of life, re-embraced it to not only play again and record a solo album but also start her own record label, Missile X Records.

The label itself came about from money saved from saving up from three months of playing shows and a bit of help from a friend working at Kinko's to photocopy the record covers.

At age 16 with her band gaining interest and offers from major labels to record them, Miss White instead took the D.I.Y. approach and with then bandmate broke into a local recording studio with a student sound engineer in tow at 4 in the morning and recorded and mixed their debut single in two-hours.

Whilst at her lowest point after the death of her bandmate in February 2004, Miss White considered turning her guitar into a birdhouse. However interest from a producer saw a live recording of the last ever show of her previous band Miss Alex White & Chris Playboy released as a form of tribute album with proceeds going towards a foundation for the arts and music - The Christopher Saathoff Foundation with an aim to establish a centre where young people can practice, record and play music.

The release of this album again spurned her interest in playing music and her solo album was recorded - this time in a comparatively luxurious 16 hours at Jim Diamond's Ghetto Recorders studio and was released in July 2005, a two month country wide tour supporting the Pony's followed.

So with her own album released and her other band - the Hot Machines' single out and a record label which sold out all pressings they have released thus far, life is moving fast for Miss White, who is still at college and to graduate in entrepreneurial studies, with plans to apply for law school. Not for the typical means to and end of becoming a lawyer, but so she can analyse her own contracts and legal documents.

With time on her side and a lust for life to outlive the lifestyle - Miss White was quoted "If I had my way I would play music for the rest of my life - and I will" we can only hope it's a long one.

Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra is out now on In the Red Records.
Miss Alex White & Chris Playboy live LP is available on In the Red,
Miss Alex White & Chris Playboy single Pop/Stall was out on Missle X records
The Hot Machines - Hole in My heart single is out on Cass Records

Introduction

Thru to the keeper - a cricketing phrase used for when a batsman wants nothing to do with a ball thats bowled and just lets it sail harmlessly by and wanting nothign to do with it. This is my (albeit rather lame) attempt at raising awareness of bands who pass most people by. Often ignored by media/radio/the general public but more often than not with much more to offer than most of what the music industry serves up these days. Whilst I have never claimed to be an arbiter of taste, god knows i usually dont discover a band til years after they have broken up, let alone when it was considered 'cool' to like 'em. In fact in my first year as a barely legal gig goer i saw a whole bunch of gigs which turned out to be the last ever ones that the band played - perhaps the excitement of having me in the audience was too much for them? The bands that fall through the cracks but should still be heard. Mostly just stuff i like or have stumbled across, and would like to be known by other people who like good music.