Graffito
11-15-2005, 07:13 AM
Assuming that most of you have no idea who this band is, I have taken it upon myself to create an official thread for this Australian punk band, and thus bless this forum. Well they aren’t that great, but for the Australian punk scene it isn’t too bad. They have remained relatively underground, have kept the same basic principles they possessed when beginning and generate some decent (if not humorous) tunes. So sit back and allow yourself to be amazed as I rip some information about them from a website and relay it in my own way. But before we get down to business let’s get the boring part out of the way.
Band Members:
• Jason Whalley (vocals)
• Lindsay McDougall (guitar)
• Tom Crease (bass)
• Gordy Foreman (drums)
The Fun Part:
Formed on the shores of Sydney (a city in Australia, which hosts the Opera House, some big bridge, and a large harbour) in 1991, where nothing really interesting happened for them. It was in 1994 that they were about to burst onto the scene (a relatively non-existent scene around here if you ask me, but I’m a pessimist) when entering the University of Sydney band competition and placing second. They named themselves after the vocalists pet rat who was in turn named after light refracting box called the Fresnel Rhomb, and were thus all set to go (I’m not sure if they did the naming before or after this band competition business, but it was basically in this order on wikipedia). They began to gain recognition whilst touring as a support band for The Offspring, Blink 182 and Bad Religion whilst they were in Australia (at least they got one right). In 1996 they toured with NOFX, and Fat Mike, being the great man that he is, asked them do put something together for his label (Fat Wreck Chords). Frenzal were quite obviously stoked and thus became one of the biggest independent Australian bands after releasing “Not So Tough Now”. They then headlined the Australian leg of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour and released their third album, “Meet the Family”.
For the next few years nothing really notable happened, so I won’t bore you with petty details, but they released three albums; “A Man’s Not a Camel” (their biggest commercial success, and a tasteful album), “Shut Your Mouth” (an average album), then “Sans Souci” (I haven’t really heard anything from this but I’m assuming it’s crap because I always like a band’s old stuff better than their new stuff).
Finally I have something exciting and very “punk” that I can tell you about. In 2004 at a concert in Darwin, Frenzal Rhomb caused a ruckus in the world of Australian commercial radio and were threatened to be "buried" (how a commercial station can ruin a punk band I will never understand, but I’m sure the threat was taken seriously) by commercial station 2Day FM, after an incident involving the band and the stations presenter Jackie O (an utter scrubrat who thinks she is an idol for Australia’s female youth culture, and defines elitist, bimboish idiocy). The Rhomb rudely played over the top of her attempts to MC the concert, after she arrived nine hours late for the role. Rhomb’s vocalist Jason Whalley commented “that the station has never played Frenzal Rhomb in the past, as they (and commercial radio in general) concentrate on artists from whom they can make fast, short-term profits (such as contestants of Popstars and Australian Idol), rather than supporting real Australian talent”. Such is life.
Put in lamens terms, this band is a good example of Australian punk who understand the aims of the game and produce quality music. If you have not heard of them before, here are a few songs to check out, and make sure you do.
Songs To Check Out:
Mum Changed the Locks
There’s Your Dad
Never Had So Much Fun
You Are Not My Friend
Miss My Lung
Do You Wanna Fight Me?
Coming Home
War
Nothing’s Wrong
-- Enjoy –-
Graffito (the ill artist)
*if you want more recommended songs let me know, I only put a few of the elite up there
Band Members:
• Jason Whalley (vocals)
• Lindsay McDougall (guitar)
• Tom Crease (bass)
• Gordy Foreman (drums)
The Fun Part:
Formed on the shores of Sydney (a city in Australia, which hosts the Opera House, some big bridge, and a large harbour) in 1991, where nothing really interesting happened for them. It was in 1994 that they were about to burst onto the scene (a relatively non-existent scene around here if you ask me, but I’m a pessimist) when entering the University of Sydney band competition and placing second. They named themselves after the vocalists pet rat who was in turn named after light refracting box called the Fresnel Rhomb, and were thus all set to go (I’m not sure if they did the naming before or after this band competition business, but it was basically in this order on wikipedia). They began to gain recognition whilst touring as a support band for The Offspring, Blink 182 and Bad Religion whilst they were in Australia (at least they got one right). In 1996 they toured with NOFX, and Fat Mike, being the great man that he is, asked them do put something together for his label (Fat Wreck Chords). Frenzal were quite obviously stoked and thus became one of the biggest independent Australian bands after releasing “Not So Tough Now”. They then headlined the Australian leg of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour and released their third album, “Meet the Family”.
For the next few years nothing really notable happened, so I won’t bore you with petty details, but they released three albums; “A Man’s Not a Camel” (their biggest commercial success, and a tasteful album), “Shut Your Mouth” (an average album), then “Sans Souci” (I haven’t really heard anything from this but I’m assuming it’s crap because I always like a band’s old stuff better than their new stuff).
Finally I have something exciting and very “punk” that I can tell you about. In 2004 at a concert in Darwin, Frenzal Rhomb caused a ruckus in the world of Australian commercial radio and were threatened to be "buried" (how a commercial station can ruin a punk band I will never understand, but I’m sure the threat was taken seriously) by commercial station 2Day FM, after an incident involving the band and the stations presenter Jackie O (an utter scrubrat who thinks she is an idol for Australia’s female youth culture, and defines elitist, bimboish idiocy). The Rhomb rudely played over the top of her attempts to MC the concert, after she arrived nine hours late for the role. Rhomb’s vocalist Jason Whalley commented “that the station has never played Frenzal Rhomb in the past, as they (and commercial radio in general) concentrate on artists from whom they can make fast, short-term profits (such as contestants of Popstars and Australian Idol), rather than supporting real Australian talent”. Such is life.
Put in lamens terms, this band is a good example of Australian punk who understand the aims of the game and produce quality music. If you have not heard of them before, here are a few songs to check out, and make sure you do.
Songs To Check Out:
Mum Changed the Locks
There’s Your Dad
Never Had So Much Fun
You Are Not My Friend
Miss My Lung
Do You Wanna Fight Me?
Coming Home
War
Nothing’s Wrong
-- Enjoy –-
Graffito (the ill artist)
*if you want more recommended songs let me know, I only put a few of the elite up there