The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, active from 1977 to 1983. The group's "bleak and noisy soundscapes," which drew irreverently on blues, free jazz, and rockabilly, provided the setting for vocalist Nick Cave's disturbing tales of violence and perversion. Their 1981 single "Release the Bats" was particularly influential on the emerging gothic scene. Despite limited commercial success, The Birthday Party's influence has been far-reaching, and they have been called "one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s."
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on February 11, 1992. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough singles "Ball and Chain" and "Story of My Life", Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell became a popular album and received positive reviews from music critics. It also spawned their highest-charting single "Bad Luck", which peaked at number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Sleepy Township was an indie pop band which was formed in Perth in 1994 as a side project by Guy Blackman, Mia Schoen (ex-Molasses), and Paul Williams (ex-Molasses). The band moved the following year to Melbourne, Australia, with Gorman replacing Williams. Alison Bolger (ex-Clag) joined the group on bass in 1998. The group released two full-length albums, Set Sail in 1998 and Deep Water in 2001, together with several EPs, for Australian indie label Chapter Music among others. The group broke up in March 2002, although they reformed six months later for a single performance to release, All These Records, a compilation album, consisting of the band's singles and rarities. As Bolger was away overseas, bass duties were performed by Mindy Mapp. The group reformed briefly in 2009 for two shows.
Crime & the City Solution are an Australian rock band formed in late 1977 by singer-songwriter and mainstay Simon Bonney. They disbanded in 1979 leaving only bootleg recordings and demos. In late 1983, Bonney travelled to London and in 1985 he formed a new version of the group in the U.K. which included members of the recently disbanded The Birthday Party; later they transferred to Berlin, where they issued four albums – Room of Lights (1986), Shine (1988), The Bride Ship (1989) and Paradise Discotheque (1990) – before disbanding again in 1991. In 2012 Bonney reformed the band in Detroit with two veterans of its Berlin era and a handful of new members.
Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a live album released by singer Meat Loaf in 2004 on the Mercury and Sanctuary labels.
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart".
Ross Andrew Hannaford was an Australian musician, active in numerous local bands. He was often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he was best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, with The Pink Finks and forming the seminal early '70s Australian rock band Daddy Cool. Hannaford died of cancer after being diagnosed a year earlier.
Pel Mel were an Australian rock band, which formed in Newcastle in June 1979. They issued two studio albums, Out of Reason (1982) and Persuasion (1983). They toured until the end of 1984 and disbanded in the following year. They reformed in 2012 as Pel Mel Organisation to play occasional shows; they have released a compilation and a live album in 2016.
Big John Bates is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He cofounded and performed in Annihilator, Big John Bates & the Voodoo Dollz and the Noirchestra. Bates has had long-term sponsorships with Jagermeister, Gretsch (guitars) and Hofner (basses) through his career.
The Eric Singer Project (ESP) is an American rock band. It was founded in the 1990s by Eric Singer, drummer for rock bands such as Lita Ford, Black Sabbath, Badlands, Alice Cooper, and Kiss, along with Bruce Kulick on guitar, John Corabi on guitar and bass, and Karl Cochran on guitar and bass. Vocals duties were shared by Eric, John, and Karl.
Mississippi were an Australian soft rock band (1972–1975), which included Graham Goble on lead vocals and guitar, Beeb Birtles on lead vocals and guitar, and Derek Pellicci on drums. The band had started as Allison Gros in Adelaide in 1970 and moved to Melbourne in 1971 where they recorded as Allison Gros, Drummond and, early in 1972, became Mississippi. As Drummond they issued a cover version of "Daddy Cool", which peaked at No. 1 on the Go-Set National Top 40 for eight weeks. As Mississippi they reached No. 10 with "Kings of the World". In early 1975, with Birtles, Goble and Pellici aboard and the addition of Glenn Shorrock, the group were renamed Little River Band.
Lester Abrams is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer who has played with such artists as B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson, Quincy Jones, Manfred Mann, Brian Auger, The Average White Band, The Doobie Brothers, Rufus and many others. Two of his co-compositions appeared on the Grammy Award–winning album Minute by Minute. He has also composed songs for film and television; two of his works can be heard in the Oliver Stone–produced movie South Central.
Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan, Ross Hannaford, Ross Wilson and Gary Young. Their debut single "Eagle Rock" was released in May 1971 and stayed at number 1 on the Australian singles chart for ten weeks. Their debut July 1971 LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool also reached number 1 and became the first Australian album to sell more than 100,000 copies. The group's name came from the 1957 song "Daddy Cool" by US rock group The Rays. Daddy Cool included their version of this song on Daddy Who? Daddy Cool.
In the Vicinity of the Heart is the sixth studio album by the American country music band Shenandoah. Their only full studio album for Liberty Records, it was released in November 1994. It is also the final studio album to feature founding members Stan Thorn and Ralph Ezell.
Rail were an Australian indie guitar pop group, which formed in 1993 as Sleeper. In 1994 they changed their name, first to Fragment and then to Rail. The initial line-up was Ashley Naylor on guitar and vocals, David Sayer on bass guitar, Dan Vertessy on vocals and guitar, and Ian Williams on drums. They released two albums, Bad Hair Life (1995) and Goodbye Surfing Hello God! (1997). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 they were nominated for Best New Talent for Bad Hair Life, while its lead single, "Immune Deficiency", was nominated for ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single. The group disbanded in late 1998. Ian Gregory Williams died, by drowning, in mid-1999, aged 28.
Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary is an album by Bunny Wailer, released through RAS Records in November 1995. In 1997, the album won Wailer the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Grey Eyes is the third studio album by a Canadian indie pop band The Salteens. Released on October 12, 2010, this was a new studio album by the band 7 years after they released their second studio album Let Go of Your Bad Days.
Scott & Charlene's Wedding are an Australian indie rock band, formed in Melbourne in 2006. The band currently consists of vocalist and guitarist Craig Dermody, bassist Jack Farley and drummer Joe Alexander. Dermody is also the principle songwriter and founder, and by 2013, the band had undergone numerous line-up changes with "30 or 40 people in total" having joined.
Bachelors from Prague were an Australian band formed in 1985. Original members were Russell Cook on drums, George Friml on bass guitar, Bruce Haymes on keyboards, Henry Maas on vocals, Chris Minko on trumpet, Andrew Philipp on saxophone, Jeff Raglus on trumpet, Tom Roberts on guitar, and Justin Stanford on percussion. Their music is described by Ian McFarlane as a mix of "1940s jazz, 1950s R&B;, 1970s funk and salsa" and by Maas as, "jazz meets dance." In 1991 Friml was replaced on bass guitar by Thiery Fossemalle. The group broke up in 1993 but reunited in 2016 and in the following year. They released five albums including, Live at Sing Sing (1986), The Energetic Cool, Birth of the Fool and The Essentials (1990). Their 1989 single, "Get Smart", was later covered by Melbourne Ska Orchestra, which issued it as a single in 2014.
Clowns is an Australian punk rock band. They formed in Melbourne in 2009. Throughout multiple lineup changes they released albums in 2013, *I'm Not Right, 2015, Bad Blood, 2017, Lucid Again and 2019, Nature / Nurture.
