Noise Addict

Last updated

Noise Addict
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Years active1993 (1993)–1996 (1996), 2009
Labels
  • Fellaheen/Shock
  • Ten Fingers
Past members

Noise Addict (sometimes styled as Noiseaddict) was an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1993 by founding mainstay Ben Lee on lead vocals and guitar. He was joined in 1995 by Romy Hoffman on guitar before the group disbanded early in 1996. They had issued a studio album, Meet the Real You, on Fellaheen Records/Shock Records in late 1995. Lee undertook a solo career. He briefly reconvened Noise Addict in 2009 with new members, Lou Barlow and Lara Meyerratken, to issue a second album, It Was Never About the Audience (1 September 2009), before returning to his solo pursuits.

Contents

History

Noise Addict were formed in Bondi Beach in early 1993, with the original line-up of Ben Lee on lead vocals and guitar, Doron Kalinko on bass guitar and Josh Zoldan on drums. [1] [2] All were school mates at Moriah College in Sydney's eastern suburbs. [3] Other early bandmates include Daniel Mapp on bass guitar and Joel Wasserman on drums. [4] Lee was later joined by Daniel Kohn on bass guitar and Saul Smith on drums. [1]

The band recorded a four-track demo in Lee's bedroom and sent copies to various record labels. The members’ average age was 14. [1] [2] Their first gig was at a library book sale in 1993. [2] Attending that gig was Steve Pavlovic of Fellaheen Records, who signed them and sent their tape to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. [1] [2] Sonic Youth were then touring Australia and Noise Addict's second gig on 6 February 1993 at Selina's Nightclub, was supporting them. [1] [5] Moore signed them to his Ecstatic Peace record label, and the DEF extended play was released in early 1993 – recorded by the line-up of Lee, Kalinko and Zoldan. [2]

According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "some parallels to be drawn with another teenage band", silverchair, "although Lee preferred to see Noise Addict as infinitely more 'punk rock'." [1] Their single, "I Wish I Was Him" (October 1993), was "a wry semi-acoustic ode to Lemonheads'" leader, Evan Dando. [1] It attracted the attention of Mike D from the Beastie Boys, who arranged for the band to sign with their label, Grand Royal. They supported two more US bands, Pavement and Fugazi, and then played a run of all-ages gigs. [1]

Noise Addict released their second EP, The Taste in My Eyes (April 1994); [6] The line-up was Lee, Kalinko (who had moved from bass to lead guitar), Kohn and Wasserman. McFarlane felt the EP "displayed plenty of low-fi charm and youthful exuberance among the stylised Jonathan Richmanesque songs." [1] They followed with another EP on Fellaheen, Noise Addict vs. Silverchair. They issued, Young and Jaded, in 1994 on Grand Royal Records, [7] which had "six acoustic songs again recorded [in] Ben Lee's bedroom." [2] Due to school commitments touring by the band was limited. [2]

After the success of Young and Jaded, Lee released his solo debut, Grandpaw Would (June 1995). Kalinko was replaced by Romy Hoffman on lead guitar. [8] In late 1995, Noise Addict released their only full-length album, Meet the Real You, [9] which was produced by Brad Wood (Sebadoh, Liz Phair). [1] [2]

They briefly toured with Sebadoh. In November 1995, the band contributed the track "Mouthwash" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Bothered , for the Red Hot Organization. [10] They performed the last gig in early 1996 in Bondi. McFarlane noticed that "In true punk rock style, as soon as the album came out, Lee broke up the band." [1] Ben Lee continued as a solo artist, he released several albums. Daniel Mapp played with Waikiki. Romy Hoffman performed hip-hop as MC Macromantics. [8]

On 1 September 2009, a new incarnation of Noise Addict, with Lee joined by Lou Barlow (of Dinosaur Jr) and Lara Meyerratken (aka El May), released their second album, It Was Never About the Audience on Lee's own label, Ten Fingers Records. [11] [12] After the Show's reviewer described it as "lo-fi album is a great antidote to slick, overproduced records that value Protools over talent." [13] A two-LP compilation of the band's initial discography, 10,000 Kids with Guitars, was released on Record Store Day 2017 via Numero Group.

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

Compilations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic Youth</span> American rock band (1981–2011)

Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City and formed in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.

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

Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drummer Jon Coghill. The group's third studio album Internationalist peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart in September 1998. They followed with four more number-one studio albums in a row: Odyssey Number Five, Vulture Street, Dream Days at the Hotel Existence and Golden Rule. Their top-ten hit singles are "My Happiness" (2000), "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" (2003) and "Lost and Running" (2007). Powderfinger earned a total of eighteen ARIA Awards, making them the second-most awarded band behind Silverchair. Ten Powderfinger albums and DVDs certified multiple-platinum, with Odyssey Number Five—their most successful album—achieving eightfold platinum certification for shipment of over 560,000 units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebadoh</span> American indie rock band

Sebadoh is an American indie rock band formed in 1986 in Northampton, Massachusetts, by Eric Gaffney and Lou Barlow, with multi-instrumentalist Jason Loewenstein completing the line-up in 1989. Barlow co-created Sebadoh as an outlet for his songwriting when J. Mascis gradually took over creative control of Dinosaur Jr., in which Barlow plays bass guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Barlow</span> American musician

Louis Knox Barlow is an American alternative rock musician and songwriter. A founding member of the groups Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion, Barlow is credited with helping to pioneer the lo-fi style of rock music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His first band, which was formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, was Deep Wound. Barlow was born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Jackson, Michigan, and Westfield, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Loewenstein</span> American singer-songwriter

Jason Loewenstein is an American alternative rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and a member of the indie-rock bands Sebadoh, The Fiery Furnaces, and Circle of Buzzards. He grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he attended Northampton High School, and now resides in Brooklyn, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerling</span>

Gerling were an Australian electronica, alternative rock trio formed in 1993. From early 1997 the members were Darren Cross on guitar and lead vocals, Presser on drums and Burke Reid on guitar and vocals. Their second album, When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun, reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. It provided a top 50 single, "Dust Me Selecta". The group disbanded in 2007.

Bodyjar are an Australian pop punk band which formed in 1990. They began performing under the name Bodyjar in 1994; their previous names included Damnation (1990–91) and Helium (1992–93). The latter group released an album, You Can't Hold Me Down, in October 1992. As Bodyjar their original line-up were Cameron Baines on vocals and guitar; Ben Petterson on vocals and guitar; Grant Relf on vocals and bass guitar; and Charles Zerafa on drums. In 1995 Ross Hetherington replaced Zerafa on drums. In 1999 Tom Read replaced Petterson on guitar and in 2004 Hetherington made way for Shane Wakker on drums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Dirt</span> Australian rock band

Magic Dirt is an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative underground band called Deer Bubbles which split and formed into the much heavier, rock based group called The Jim Jims, they were renamed as Magic Dirt. Their top 40 releases on the ARIA Albums Chart are Friends in Danger (1996), What Are Rock Stars Doing Today (2000), Tough Love (2003) and Snow White (2005). They have received nine ARIA Music Award nominations including four at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995 for Life Was Better – their second extended play. Turner died in August 2009 of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. From 2010 to November 2018, the band were on hiatus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Lee</span> Australian actor, singer (born 1978)

Benjamin Michael Lee is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake (2003). He has released eleven solo studio albums. Rolling Stone Australia said of his latest album, I'm Fun!: "Self-described troublemaker Ben Lee is releasing one of the best albums of his career".

<i>Sonic Youth</i> (EP) 1982 EP by Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth is the debut EP by American rock band Sonic Youth. It was recorded between December 1981 and January 1982 and released in March 1982 by Glenn Branca's Neutral label. It is the only recording featuring the early Sonic Youth lineup with Richard Edson on drums. Sonic Youth differs stylistically from the band's later work in its greater incorporation of clean guitars, standard tuning, crisp production and a post-punk style.

<i>Confusion Is Sex</i> Album by Sonic Youth

Confusion Is Sex is the debut studio album by American noise rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in 1983 by Neutral Records. It has been referred to as an important example of the no wave genre. AllMusic called it "lo-fi to the point of tonal drabness, as the instruments seem to ring out in only one tone, that of screechy noise".

Sidewinder were an Australian indie pop group founded in 1990 in Canberra by Pip Branson on guitar, Martin Craft on bass guitar and backing vocals, his brother Nick Craft on lead guitar and vocals, and Giri Fox on drums. Early in 1994 Shane Melder replaced Fox on drums and in the next year the group relocated to Sydney. Sidewinder were staples of the Australian alternative rock scene in the 1990s and released two studio albums, Atlantis and Tangerine. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described them as "an accessible brand of distortion-drenched, harmony-driven, indie guitar power pop." Sidewinder released two albums and three EPS between 1992 and 1998, all of which were critically acclaimed and received solid Triple J and commercial airplay. These albums ‘traversed a broad sonic terrain, from Beatlesesque psychedelia to eardrum shattering ballsy rock’. Sidewinder were one of the ‘best loved live acts of this decade [1990s]’. had regular spots on festival bills, including the Big Day Out and played every Homebake from 1996 to 1998.

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

Bluebottle Kiss, sometimes known as BBK, are an Australian indie rock band formed in Sydney in 1993 by mainstay member Jamie Hutchings on guitar and vocals. The band issued six albums, Higher Up the Firetrails (1995), Fear of Girls (1996), Patient (1999), Revenge Is Slow (2002), Come Across (2003) and Doubt Seeds (2006) before their split in 2007.

Romy Hoffman is an Australian songwriter and musician who has performed under the names Macromantics, Romy and Agender. Initially based in Sydney, since 2014 she has worked in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Baker (musician)</span> Australian musician

James Lawrence Baker is an Australian musician, best known as the drummer of various rock and punk rock groups, including the Victims, the Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and the Dubrovniks. In 2006 Baker was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The following year, Hoodoo Gurus were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

James Kevin Hocking otherwise known as Jimi the Human is an Australian musician. He has been a member of hard rock groups, The Angels (1988) and The Screaming Jets. As a solo artist he has fronted various backing bands playing hard rock, electric and acoustic blues by providing lead guitar, vocals, mandolin and keyboards. In 2005 he won the Solo/Duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

Further was an American indie rock band from Los Angeles that evolved from an earlier band, Shadowland. They released several albums during the 1990s.

Bored were an Australian punk band formed in Geelong in 1987. The original line-up was Grant Gardner on bass guitar, Adrian Hann on keyboards, Justin Munday on drums, John Nolan on guitar and Dave Thomas on guitar and vocals. In 1989 Gardner was replaced by Tim Hemensley. Both Hemensley and Nolan left in 1991 to form Powder Monkeys. Bored! released five studio albums by 1993 and disbanded later that year. Thomas briefly joined Magic Dirt and subsequently enlisted various line-ups for reformed versions of Bored! in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

"Brand New Love" is a 1986 song written by Lou Barlow. It was first released independently by Barlow under the moniker Sentridoh but has since come to be associated with Sebadoh, the band Barlow formed with Eric Gaffney.

Fellaheen Records was an Australian record label run by Steven Stavrakis and Stephen Pavlovic.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Ben Lee'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nimmervoll, Ed. "Ben Lee". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Molitorisz, Sacha (9 November 2002). "The Ballad of Ben Lee". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Noise Addict | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Sonic Youth: 02/06/93 – Sydney, Australia @ Selina's". Sonic Youth Official Website . Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. ↑ Noise Addict; Ben Lee, The Taste in My Eyes EP, Fellaheen, retrieved 12 April 2016
  7. ↑ Noise Addict (1 January 1995), Young & Jaded, Grand Royal Records, retrieved 12 April 2016
  8. 1 2 Blackman, Guy (24 September 2006). "Romy with the homies – Music – Entertainment". The Age . Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  9. ↑ Noise Addict (1 January 1996), Meet the Real You, Grand Royal Records, retrieved 12 April 2016
  10. ↑ Va-Red Hot & Bothered (3 October 1995), Red Hot + Bothered/Indie Rock Guide to Dating, Reprise / Ada, retrieved 12 April 2016
  11. ↑ Young, Alex (4 September 2009). "Ben Lee resurrects Noise Addict". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Blogger". Theendofirony.net. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  13. ↑ "It Was Never About the Audience". After the Show. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
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.