rooArt | |
---|---|
Parent company | BMG (bought in 1996) |
Founded | 1988 |
Founder | Chris Murphy |
Distributor(s) | PolyGram (1988–1991) Warner Music Australia (1991–1995) Shock Records (1995–1996) |
Genre | Rock/Various |
Country of origin | Australia |
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown with Lindy Morrison in Cleopatra Wong. Other bands which made early or first releases on the rooArt label included Hipslingers, The Last Metro, The Lab, The Fauves, Bellicose and Custard. rooArt released a series of three compilation albums of new or then-unsigned acts, called Youngblood. A number of acts released on the compilations went on to record their own albums, including Tall Tales and True, The Trilobites and Martha’s Vineyard. [1]
Sydney band Crash Politics were the first band signed to rooArt, which released their debut album Mothers' Intention. The label's second signing was The Hummingbirds, who had released four singles on their previous label Phantom Records, with their debut LP loveBUZZ being one of the first hit albums for rooArt. [2]
The label had a sub-branch called Ra Records, whose focus was on alternative rock; You Am I, Augie March, The Mark Of Cain, The Mandelbrot Set (band) and Buffalo Tom were signed to this. It also had a section called rooArt Jazz, which released an album by Free Spirits in 1990.
rooArt releases were distributed by PolyGram until 1991, [3] then by Warner Music Australia, until 1995 when the label switched to the independent Shock Records label to manage its marketing and distribution. In October 1996, on the eve of You Am I's triumph at the ARIA Awards, it was announced that BMG Australia had purchased rooArt for A$5 million. [4]
Subsequently, other releases were released by BMG on the Ra imprint, including several from Augie March.
The Hummingbirds were an Australian indie pop and jangle pop band from Sydney, who formed in 1986 from Bug Eyed Monsters. They were one of the most highly regarded outfits to emerge from Sydney's inner-city scene during the late 1980s and were an early signing to the rooArt label. The Hummingbirds' single "Blush" peaked at No.19 on the ARIA singles charts in 1989. They left rooArt in 1992, and disbanded in 1993.
The Screaming Jets are an Australian hard rock band formed in Newcastle, Australia, in 1989 by frontman Dave Gleeson (vocals), Paul Woseen, Grant Walmsley (guitar), Richard Lara (guitar), and Brad Heaney (drums). The band has three albums that peaked in the top five on the Australian ARIA Charts: All for One (1991), Tear of Thought (1992), The Screaming Jets (1995), and Professional Misconduct (2023). Their 1991 single "Better" reached No. 4 on the related singles chart. Walmsley left in 2007 and formed his own band. In 2013, bassist Paul Woseen released an acoustic solo album, Bombido.
Wendy Joan Matthews is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Let's Kiss ", "The Day You Went Away" and "Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, You've Always Got The Blues, Émigré, Lily, The Witness Tree and her compilation, Stepping Stones. She has won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
You Am I are an Australian power pop band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted at the number-one position on the ARIA Albums Chart: Hi Fi Way, Hourly, Daily and #4 Record. Nine of their tracks appeared on the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50 with "What I Don't Know 'bout You", their highest charting, at No. 28. You Am I have received ten ARIA Music Awards from thirty-one nominations. The band have supported international artists such as the Who, the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth and Oasis.
Augie March are an Australian pop and indie rock band formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria. Since 2001 the group consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bass guitarist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box. Box had replaced Robert Dawson, the band's piano player since March 2000, who died in January 2001.
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.
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.
Strange Bird is the second studio album by the Australian indie rock band Augie March. It was first released on 14 October 2002 in Australia by BMG and was re-released in the United States on 14 September 2004 by spinART.
Stephen Pavlovic is an Australian music entrepreneur. Pavlovic began promoting music tours, events and concerts in 1990. Since then he has toured artists including Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Beck, Foo Fighters, Daft Punk, The Cure, Grace Jones, LCD Soundsystem, and more. In 1998 he founded the record label Modular Recordings home to The Avalanches, Tame Impala and Cut Copy and others.
Timberyard Records is a pioneering record label in the Australian independent music movement of the 1980s.
The Lab were an Australian electronic band formed by keyboardist Paul McDermott, vocalist Yolanda Podolski and bass guitarist and vocalist Warwick Factor. They issued two extended plays, Ultra (1992) and Terminal (1994), and a studio album, Labyrinth before disbanding in 1998. McDermott, as Paul Mac, also performed in a techno-dance duo Itch-E and Scratch-E from 1991. Factor, as Warwick Hornby, joined the Whitlams in 1999, while Podolski undertook an operatic career.
The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre. Rock band Powderfinger won the most awards with six from eight nominations. Leading the nominations were dance, electronic group, The Avalanches, with nine nominations: they won four.
Simon Carter Holmes was an Australian musician who served as the singer and lead guitarist for the indie rock bands, The Hummingbirds (1986–93) and Her Name in Lights (2003–05).
Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony Imagesoft and Sony Electronic Publishing Europe until 1995.
Tall Tales and True were an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by Matthew de la Hunty on lead vocals and guitar and Paul Miskin on bass guitar, backing vocals and guitar. They released three studio albums, Shiver (1989), Revenge! and Tilt (1995). They disbanded in 1995.
The Trilobites were an Australian power pop/rock band formed in Sydney in June 1984. The original members of the Trilobites were Mike Dalton on vocals, Scott Leighton on bass guitar, Martin Martini & Paul Skates on guitars and Paul Styman on drums. Their first two singles, "Venus in Leather"' and "American TV" reached number 1 on the alternative chart. They released three albums, Turn it Around in 1987, Savage Mood Swing in 1990 and The Lost Generation in 1992.
Martha's Vineyard were an Australian rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in May 1986 by lead singer Peggy Van Zalm. In June 1989 the group issued their debut self-titled album on rooArt, which was produced by Nick Mainsbridge. It peaked in the top 100 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described their sound as "reflective folk rock [which] mixed melancholy vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, gentle percussion and spacious arrangements to arrive at a harmonious and intriguing whole". They shared a similar sound and outlook to that of fellow Perth bands like The Triffids, The Honeys and Chad's Tree. Van Zalm's vocals drew positive comparisons with Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde and Joni Mitchell. The group had toured nationally supporting Mick Hucknall's Simply Red, INXS, Annie Lennox's Eurythmics, The Go-Betweens, Paul Kelly, The Triffids, Mental as Anything, proto punk band,The Saints and Weddings, Parties, Anything, before disbanding in 1990. By 1994 Van Zalm had launched her solo career.
"The Day You Went Away" is a song by English pop/soul group Soul Family Sensation. The track served as the third single from the group's debut studio album, New Wave, and was released in February 1992 on One Little Indian Records. It was written by Guy Batson and Johnny Male. Despite the success of their first single, "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You Baby", which peaked at No. 49 on the UK Singles Chart, "The Day You Went Away" did not chart. In 1992, Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews covered the song, which reached No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart and won two ARIA Music Awards.
Christopher Mark Murphy was an Australian music and multimedia entrepreneur. He was the band manager for INXS and Models. He died on 16 January 2021, aged 66, following a battle with Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
"I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You" is a song originally recorded by Dorothy Moore for her 1976 album Misty Blue. It was written by Eddie Floyd, who recorded his own version in 2008 for the album Eddie Loves You So. Australian band Absent Friends covered the song for their 1990 debut album, Here's Looking Up Your Address, featuring Wendy Matthews on lead vocals and Peter Blakeley on backing vocals.