Moler

Last updated

Moler
Also known asSnuff
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres
Years active1993 (1993)–2001 (2001), 2018 (2018)–present
LabelsInfectious/Mushroom/Sony
Spinoff of
  • the Stiff Kittens
  • Kick House
Members
  • Helen Cattanach
  • Julien Poulson
Past members
  • David Peacock
  • Stephen Boyle
  • Neil Lynch
  • Stuart Wilson
  • Mike Glenn
  • Jason Mills
  • Matt Heydon
  • Geoffrey Dunbar
  • Steve Thomas

Moler, previously called Snuff, are an Australian power pop band which formed in 1993 as a three-piece with founding mainstays Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals and Julien Poulson on lead guitar. They had a changing line-up of drummers and sometimes worked as a four-piece with a keyboardist. Their sole studio album, Golden Duck, was released in October 1997 via Infectious/Mushroom with Lindsay Gravina producing. They also issued eight extended plays (EPs) before they disbanded in 2001.

Contents

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998, Golden Duck was nominated for the Best Rock Album. In November they opened the Mushroom 25 Live concert. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "[they] built-up a buzz around the [local] independent scene with [their] mix of noisy guitar fuzz, hard-driving beats, strident pop melodies and Cattanach's alternately sweet'n'purring and aggressive vocals." [1] Moler reformed in 2018, released another EP and performed periodically thereafter.

History

1993-1995: Snuff

Moler were formed as an indie guitar pop trio, Snuff, in Melbourne in 1993 by Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals, David Peacock on drums and Julien Poulson on lead guitar. [1] Cattanach (ex-T-Bones) and Poulson (ex-Snappers) had been members of the Stiff Kittens, which gigged in Melbourne before relocating to Hong Kong where the pair formed Kick House. [1] The pair reformed the Stiff Kittens in London in 1992 with Rob "Viva" Lastdrager on drums and vocals (ex-Snappers, T-Bones) and Richard Webb on lead vocals and guitar (ex-Strange Fruit, T-Bones). [1] That group issued an extended play, As You Walk, via London-based label, Psychic Records. [1] The members returned to Australia. In 1994, Snuff released a five-track EP, Driven, [1] via Fat Buddha Records with Lindsay Gravina producing.

1995-2001: Moler

Early in 1996, Snuff changed their name to Moler, with the same line-up and were signed to Infectious/Mushroom. [1] Moler's next EP with five tracks, On Special, was released in June 1996, Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, found "The lead-off track, 'Shopping Trolley', displayed plenty of appeal." [1] Another five-track EP, Coaster, followed in September. [1] The group toured with fellow local bands, Snout and Magic Dirt, and supported gigs by international artists, Weezer, Everclear, Ash and Garageland. [1] Early in 1997 Peacock was replaced on drums by Steve Boyle. [1] Over their history they had a succession of drummers. [2] [3]

Their fourth EP, Infatuation, with four tracks was issued in May 1997. [1] Its title track was placed on high rotation by national youth radio station, Triple J. [1] Marta of Tharunka observed, "Boyle has added a funkier beat to [their] already catchy suburban sound, completing the Australian pop-punk trio with flawless precision." [4] Moler followed with their debut album, Golden Duck in October via Infectious/Mushroom/Sony with Gravina producing. [1] [5] [6] Music journalist Jeff Jenkins rated it as "very good" and explained, "[it's] a mass of contradictions: part power-pop, part dreamy and moody. Part slacker, part ambition." [6]

After the album appeared, Boyle was replaced by Neil Lynch on drums and they added Matt Heydon (ex-Nick Barker and the Reptiles) on keyboards. [1] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998, Golden Duck was nominated for the Best Rock Album. [7] [8] In November they opened the Mushroom 25 Live concert. [9] They found a new drummer in early 2000, with Mike Glenn (ex-Hoss) joining, in time for a tour of the United States in March. [1] In 2001 the group released their eighth EP, Red & White Stripes, before disbanding in that year.

2001–2018: Afterwards

The Stiff Kittens issued a compilation album, Greatest Trips, in 2007 via Killer Music with Cattanah and Poulson joined by various line-ups, Greg Baxter on bass guitar and vocals; Lastdrager on drums and vocals; James McHugh on bass guitar and vocals; and Webb on vocals and guitar. [10]

2018-present: Reformation

Moler reformed for a show on 23 November 2018 at The Curtin Hotel, Carlton, Melbourne to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their formation. [11] [12] Cattanach and Poulson were joined by Boyle and Peacock, who took turns drumming. [11] They released a digital three-track EP, Work in October 2019. Moler continue to perform periodically.

Discography

Albums

TitleAlbum details
Golden Duck
  • Released: October 1997 [13] [14]
  • Label: Infectious Records (dinf 013)
  • Format: CD

Extended plays

TitleAlbum details
Driven(by Snuff)
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Fat Buddha Records (FB004)
  • Format: CD
On Special
  • Released: June 1996 [15] [16]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF002)
  • Format: CD, 10" LP
Coaster
  • Released: September 1996 [17]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF005)
  • Format: CD
Infatuation
  • Released: May 1997 [18]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF010)
  • Format: CD
Invite Me To Your Party
  • Released: mid-1997 [19]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF011)
  • Format: CD
Red Light Disco
  • Released: April 1998 [20] [21]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF016)
  • Format: CD
Delicious
  • Released: 1998 [22]
  • Label: Infectious Records (DINF024)
  • Format: CD
Red & White Stripes
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Sixpack (SIXPACK 002)
  • Format: CD
Work
  • Released: October 2019
  • Label: Moler
  • Format: Digital

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1998 Golden Duck Best Rock Album Nominated [23]

Related Research Articles

The Killjoys were an Australian pop, folk band formed in 1987. The mainstay members were Anna Burley on lead vocals and guitar and Craig Pilkington on lead guitar and vocals. They attracted a wide following in the vibrant pub scene. Their debut album, Ruby won the ARIA Award for Best Independent Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 1991.

The Sports were an Australian rock group which performed and recorded between 1976 and 1981. Mainstay members were Stephen Cummings on lead vocals and Robert Glover on bass guitar, with long-term members such as Paul Hitchins on drums, Andrew Pendlebury on lead guitar and vocals, and Martin Armiger on guitar. Their style was similar to both 1970s British pub rock bands and British new wave. The Sports' top forty singles are "Who Listens to the Radio", "Don't Throw Stones", "Strangers on a Train" and "How Come". Their top 20 releases on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart are Don't Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratcat</span> Australian indie rock band

Ratcat are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney who formed in 1985. The band is fronted by mainstay vocalist and guitarist, Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop song writing and energetic punk-style guitar rock won them fans from both the indie and skate-punk communities. They found mainstream success with their extended play, Tingles, album Blind Love and the single, "Don't Go Now" (April), which all reached No. 1 on the ARIA Charts during 1991. The band released two subsequent albums that did not match their earlier chart success. Ratcat ceased performing live regularly in the late 1990s; however, they continue to perform sporadically. During their career, much of Ratcat's albums and singles artwork was created by Simon Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frente!</span> Australian alternative rock band

Frente! is an Australian folk-pop and indie pop group which originally formed in 1989. The original line-up consisted of Simon Austin on guitar and backing vocals, Angie Hart on lead vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar, and Mark Picton on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Angels (Australian band)</span> Australian rock band

The Angels are an Australian rock band that formed in 1974 in Adelaide as the Keystone Angels with Bernard "Doc" Neeson on lead vocals and bass guitar, John Brewster on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, his brother Rick Brewster on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Peter "Charlie" King on drums. In 1976, King was replaced by Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup on drums, Chris Bailey took over bass duties so Neeson could focus solely on vocals, and they changed their name to just 'the Angels'. Their studio albums that peaked in the Australian top 10 are No Exit (1979), Dark Room (1980), Night Attack (1981), Two Minute Warning (1984), Howling (1986) and Beyond Salvation (1990). Their top 20 singles are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", "Let the Night Roll On" and "Dogs Are Talking".

The Sharp are a Melbourne four-piece pop, rockabilly band which formed in 1991 with Allan Catlin on double bass and lead vocals, Piet Collins on drums and Charlie Rooke on guitar and lead vocals. They issued two studio albums, This Is the Sharp (1993) and Sonic Tripod (1994). Their highest-charting single, "Alone Like Me" (1994), reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 20.

Big Pig was an Australian funk, rock and pop band that existed from 1985 to 1991. An early line-up was Sherine Abeyratne on lead vocals and percussion ; Tony Antoniades on vocals and harmonica; Neil Baker on drums; Nick Disbray on vocals and percussion; Tim Rosewarne on vocals and keyboards (ex-Bang); Adrian Scaglione on drums; and Oleh Witer on vocals and percussion (ex-Bang). They issued two albums, Bonk and You Lucky People, on the White Label Records imprint of Mushroom Records.

Deadstar were an Australian alternative rock band formed in August 1995 by Peter Jones on drums and percussion; Caroline Kennedy on lead vocals and guitar; and Barry Palmer on guitar and bass guitar. They released three studio albums, deadstar, Milk and Somewhere Over the Radio. Two singles reached the top 100 on the ARIA Singles Chart, "Run Baby Run" and "Deeper Water", both in 1999. The group were nominated for three ARIA Music Awards. The group disbanded in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream (Prince song)</span> 1991 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Cream" is a song by American singer-songwriter Prince and his backing band the New Power Generation, released in September 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner as the second single from Prince's 13th studio album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991). In a 2004 MTV special, Prince joked that he wrote the song while looking at himself in the mirror. "Cream" became Prince's fifth and last number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying at the top for two weeks. The song entered the top 10 in 15 other countries worldwide, peaking within the top three in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. Its music video was directed by Rebecca Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Hart</span> Australian singer

Angela Ruth Hart, billed as Angie Hart, is an Australian singer best known for her role as lead vocalist in the alternative pop rock band Frente! and the indie pop duo Splendid with her then-husband Jesse Tobias. Hart's solo career commenced in 2006 with the release of the album, Grounded Bird (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faker (band)</span>

Faker are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in 1996 by mainstay Nathan Hudson on lead vocals, piano and guitar. They have released three studio albums, Addicted Romantic, Be the Twilight and Get Loved. Their highest charting single, "This Heart Attack" (2007), peaked at No. 9 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The group disbanded in December 2013, but they announced their reformation in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falling Joys</span> Australian alternative rock band

Falling Joys are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Canberra in 1985. The original line-up included Suzie Higgie on lead vocals and guitar and Stuart G. Robertson on bass guitar. By the end of 1988 Higgie and Robertson, now on guitar, were joined by Pat Hayes on bass guitar and vocals, and Pete Velzen on drums. They have released three albums, Wish List (1990), Psychohum (1992) and Aerial (1993). Both the latter two albums reached the ARIA Albums Chart Top 50. They disbanded in 1995 but reunited in 2011 and, again, in July 2016.

The Mavis's are an Australian rock band formed in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1987. Founding mainstays are Becky Thomas on vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drums. They were joined by Nick Gill on guitar in 1990, and Josh Alexander on bass guitar in 1994. They released three studio albums: Venus Returning, Pink Pills – which reached No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart – and Rapture. Their synth-driven single, "Cry", peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Charts and was listed on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1998. The band also performed the song on Hey Hey It's Saturday. They disbanded in December 2001 after a farewell tour of Australia.

<i>Teenage Snuff Film</i> 1999 studio album by Rowland S. Howard

Teenage Snuff Film is the first solo album by Rowland S. Howard. Former The Birthday Party bandmate Mick Harvey contributes drums, organ and guitar, while Brian Hooper of The Beasts of Bourbon features on bass guitar. It contains eight original songs, and two cover versions: "White Wedding" by Billy Idol, and "She Cried".

<i>Barnestorming</i> 1988 live album by Jimmy Barnes

Barnestorming or Barnestorming Live is the first live album by Australian hard rocker, Jimmy Barnes, the former lead vocalist for Cold Chisel. It was released in November 1988 and went to number one on the Australian albums chart for three weeks later that month. Barnes and his backing band were recorded at their Melbourne performances from December 1987 to February 1988.

The Badloves are an Australian R&B, soul band that formed as DC3 in 1990 by founding mainstay member Michael Spiby on guitar and lead vocals. They changed their name after a year. Their debut studio album, Get on Board, was issued in July 1993, which peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994 they won Best New Talent and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Get on Board and Breakthrough Artist – Single for its first single, "Lost" (1993). The Badloves' second album, Holy Roadside, reached the top 20. Their highest-charting single, "The Weight" (1993), is a cover version of the Band's 1968 single and features Jimmy Barnes on co-lead vocals. It reached the ARIA singles chart top 10.

Swoop were an Australian seven-piece rock, funk and disco band established in 1991 by mainstays by Joshua Beagley on guitar and keyboards and Roland Kapferer on lead vocals. They released three studio albums, Thriller, The Woxo Principle and Be What You Is. Their most popular single, "Apple Eyes" (1995), reached No. 9 in Australia on the ARIA singles chart, and was certified gold by ARIA.

<i>Sunnyboys</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Sunnyboys

Sunnyboys is the debut studio album by the Australian power pop group of the same name. It was released in September 1981 on Mushroom Records, which peaked at No. 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcotomic</span> Australian power pop band

Alcotomic was a power pop band formed in Melbourne, Victoria, February 1996. Initially, the band was called Dozer and the first recording session commenced at the original Birdland Recording Studios in High Street Prahran, Melbourne with record producer Lindsay Gravina. This line up consisted of John Freeman Baxter (Holocene) on vocals and guitar, Denny Brereton on bass and Stephen Boyle (Moler) on drums.

Paul Norton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was bass guitarist of the pop rock band Runners before launching a solo career in 1987.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Moler'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ Te Koha, Nui (11 December 1997). "Op 'til you drop". Herald Sun .
  3. ↑ Greenwood, Shaun (12 November 1998). "Drumming up business". The Daily Telegraph .
  4. ↑ "Moler". Tharunka . Vol. 43, no. 11. Sydney, NSW. 5 September 1997. p. 41. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Murphy, Ciaran (6 November 1997). "Access all Areas". The Daily Telegraph.
  6. 1 2 Jenkins, Jeff (1997). "Golden Duck". addicted.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 October 1999. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 1998: 12th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  8. ↑ Grimson, Tracey (13 November 1998). "The Scream-sings Jets". Sydney Morning Herald .
  9. ↑ Bolster, Teresa (26 November 1998). "Moler Bite Back". Herald Sun.
  10. ↑ Stiff Kittens (2007), Greatest Trips, Killer Music, retrieved 29 May 2024
  11. 1 2 staff writer (15 November 2018). "Scene News: Trailblazing Post-Punk Pop Trio Moler Invite You to Their One-off Reformation Party". What's My Scene. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  12. ↑ Greg Phillips, ed. (8 November 2018). "Helen Cattanach (Moler) – Bass". Australian Musician Magazine . Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ Epis, Michael (12 April 1998). "Golden Duck review". Sunday Age .
  14. ↑ "Releases :: Golden Duck". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ Kingsmill, Richard (July 1996). "On Special Review". Rolling Stone . Australia.
  16. ↑ "Releases :: On Special". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "Releases :: Coaster". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "Releases :: Infatuation". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "Releases :: Invite Me to Your Party". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  20. ↑ Parsons, Kate (5 April 1998). "'Red Light Disco' review". Sunday Telegraph.
  21. ↑ "Releases :: Red Light Disco". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  22. ↑ "Releases :: Delicious". Australian Music Online. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  23. ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. "Winners By Award – 27th ARIA Awards 2013". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 11 April 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.