BREAKFAST IN BED - Sorry Babe / Going Home (7" Single)

Here's a cool little single I know next to nothing about.

What I do know is that Breakfast in Bed were an Australian band and that they released this single, Sorry Babe backed with Going Home in 1983 on Jonathon Apple Productions. I don't know if they released anything else.

The style is female-fronted power pop in the vein of other Aussie acts from around the same time such as Flaming Hands and The Dugites. For a less obscure reference, it sounds kind of like Blondie.

Breakfast in Bed - Sorry Babe / Going Home (7" Single, 1983)

Track listing:
1 - Sorry Babe
2 - Going Home

THE SPORTS - All Sports

I stumbled across a very cool Australian new wave band, The Sports, over at the excellent I Supply the Country With Butter blog.

The Sports, based in Melbourne, were together from 1977 to 1981, and over that time recorded a good amount of early Elvis Costello-styled new wave-infused pub rock, scoring minor hits with songs such as Boys! (What Did the Detective Say?), When You Walk in the Room, How Come and Who Listens to the Radio.

1982's All Sports compiles the band's greatest moments over 16 songs. There's even a great cover of Wedding Ring, a classic Easybeats tune. Thanks to I Supply the Country With Butter for making this available. Head on over to check it out!

FOR FANS OF:
Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Bram Tchaikovsky, Joe Jackson

HOLLY AND THE ITALIANS Albums Now Available on iTunes

Holly Beth Vincent produced two fantastic - though very different - albums in the early 1980s: The Right to Be Italian from 1981 and Holly and the Italians from 1982. These new wave classics were reissued on CD in 2002 by Wounded Bird Records, but quickly went out of print and are currently fetching hefty prices. The good news for those unwilling to pay an arm and a leg for the CDs is that both LPs are now available as downloads on iTunes.

The Right to Be Italian, credited to Holly & the Italians, is full of high-energy, melodic power pop with an edge. One listen to the raucous, Ramones-style opener I Wanna Go Home lets you know you're in for something special, and the album never lets up. Classic singles such as Tell That Girl to Shut Up and Youth Coup are simultaneously poppy and rough around the edges. Vincent and her Italians even manage to inject the punk spirit into a 60s girl group cover, Just for Tonight.


Vincent dropped the Italians and followed-up The Right to Be Italian with a confusingly-named solo release, Holly and the Italians. This is a completely different affair, one marked by introspective themes and somewhat murky production. Even so, it is just as essential as its predecessor. Lush, melodic opener Honalu makes you feel as though you're in a strange dream, and is probably one of the most unique pop songs you'll ever hear. It kicks off an album that truly forges a sound all its own. Holly and the Italians even includes a trippy, dramatically different version of For What it's Worth, originally by Buffalo Springfield.

Both The Right to Be Italian and Holly and the Italians are absolutely essential for any fan of new wave. Unfortunately, the iTunes versions don't include the bonus tracks included on the CDs, but it's still great news for those in search of the albums that they have been made available again. Go get 'em now!

THE REELS - Self-Titled Debut

The Reels were yet another great band that came out of Australia in the late 70s. This one I got wind of on Overhere's blog. After reading a few of the entries and sampling a few of the tunes on that site I just had to track down some Reels on vinyl. I started with their debut LP from 1979.

The band specialized in quirky new wave that changed shape quite a bit throughout its existence. The first album is mostly energetic and bouncy, and much of the material is marked by ska and reggae touches. The singles, Love Will Find a Way and Prefab Hearts, for example, are upbeat and catchy ska pop. They are pure fun and arguably the best tracks on the record. Album closer Livalafaway is another peppy, irresistible ska number. Plastic Pop and Baby's in the Know are just as energetic, but more straight-up new wave, while the off-kilter reggae of Spot the Ridge is another highlight. Lead vocalist Dave Mason is versatile and convincing, delivering each song with gusto.

After their debut, The Reels went on to release a few more albums and EPs. The haunting title track from sophomore album Quasimodo's Dream is perhaps the most remembered Reels track. In 1982 the band released Beautiful, an unexpected but great covers collection of easy listening standards. The album included another hit in a version of the Burt Bacharach classic, This Guy's in Love With You. The Reels gained further attention in 1986 with an unlikely, synth-heavy cover of CCR's Bad Moon Rising, and continued until coming to an official end in 1995.

Upon breakup, the band released a now out of print best of collection called Requiem, but the individual LPs have not been reissued on CD. Here is my vinyl rip of the debut:

The Reels - Self-Titled Debut (1979)

Track listing:
1 - Plastic Pop
2 - Baby's in the Know
3 - Love Will Find a Way
4 - Don't Get Me Wrong
5 - Wonder Why
6 - Misused, Abused
7 - Prefab Hearts
8 - Spot the Ridge
9 - Apathy
10 - Go Away
11 - The Meeting
12 - Livalafaway

FOR FANS OF:
XTC, Squeeze, The Dugites, The Specials, Split Enz, Madness

WEB LINKS:
- The Reels on Wikipedia
- Love Will Find a Way video on YouTube
- Prefab Heart video on YouTube
- Quasimodo's Dream video on YouTube
- This Guy's in Love With You video on YouTube

THE WAITRESSES - Bruiseology

It's unfortunate that all most people remember The Waitresses for (if they remember them at all) is I Know What Boys Like and Christmas Wrapping. Not that those aren't good songs, but the band had so many other noteworthy moments in its brief, two LP existence. Take, for example, 1983's Bruiseology, the second album. Apparently, the record was rushed to market after the first LP, Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?, and by the time it came out The Waitresses had pretty much fallen apart with the departure of lead singer Patty Donahue.

You can't really tell the band was going through troubled times by the quality of the material on Bruiseology. It's as witty and hooky as the debut, and probably a bit more unique. Guitarist Chris Butler, a man who penned all the band's songs from a woman's perspective, really came up with some excellent material, and Donahue delivered it just as convincingly as she did on Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful.

The LP contains my personal favorite Waitresses track, the melodic, thoughtful Make the Weather. Although the song was released as a single it failed to make much of a mark, which is a shame because it represents the band at its smartest and most captivating.

Other highlights include the cheerleader anthem opener A Girl's Gotta Do and the manic, anxiety-ridden title track. Luxury, a six-and-a-half-minute epic, and the biting, sardonic closer They're All out of Liquor, Let's Find Another Party, are also worth noting. Even when the band slipped in an instrumental (Pleasure) and put bassist Tracy Wormworth on lead vocals (Spin) the results are entertaining, which is quite a feat, since Donahue's sarcastic, theatrical delivery was arguably the most important ingredient of The Waitresses.

After Bruiseology was released and Donahue left the band, Butler and company continued on very briefly for some live shows with Holly Beth Vincent on vocals. When The Waitresses were officially no more, Butler went on to release some solo recordings and Wormworth could be seen for many years as a member of the house band on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Sadly, Patty Donahue passed on in 1996 after a battle with lung cancer.

Neither of the band's full albums has been released on CD. As of now, you can only find certain tracks on greatest hits compilations. Buy the latest one here or on itunes. Until it's reissued, here is my vinyl rip of Bruiseology in its entirety:

The Waitresses - Bruiseology (1983)

Track listing:
1 - A Girl's Gotta Do
2 - Make the Weather
3 - Everything's Wrong If My Hair Is Wrong
4 - Luxury
5 - Open City
6 - Thinking About Sex Again
7 - Bruiseology
8 - Pleasure
9 - Spin
10 - They're All out of Liquor, Let's Find Another Party


WEB LINKS:
- The Waitresses on Wikipedia
- Very informative Waitresses fan site
- I Know What Boys Like video on Youtube

FLAMING HANDS - Aussie New Wave Gem #3

Similar to aforementioned Aussie gems #1 and #2, The Tribe and The Dugites, Sydney's Flaming Hands were an early 80s Australian new wave pop band that recorded some amazing songs. Unfortunately, their output never translated to much more than a cult following, and today there is very little information available on the band.

Flaming Hands' principal members were singer Julie Mostyn and songwriter/guitarist Jeff Sullivan, who together created something truly special. Sullivan delivered memorable, hook-filled songs that Mostyn made sparkle with her soaring, soulful vocals.

The band released their first single - I Belong to Nobody / The Stranger - on Phantom Records in 1980. They followed it up with four more singles - Wake Up Screaming / Sweet Revenge, It's Just That I Miss You / Go Or Stay, Cast My Love / Kismet and The Edge / Sacrifice. These singles were marked by an earthier sound than what Flaming Hands would be producing by the time they released their first and only full-length album in 1984. The self-titled LP, which featured Andrew Fariss and Kirk Pengilly from INXS, is enjoyable but relies a bit too heavily on synths. You can check it out on the Ausrock blog.

Unfortunately, the LP failed to get them the recognition they deserved, and Flaming Hands called it quits shortly after its release.


The Edge is arguably Flaming Hands' finest moment. It is around three minutes of melodic power pop bliss, enhanced by simple-yet-poignant lyrics and Mostyn's spot-on vocals. Another of the band's most powerful singles is the heartfelt ballad It's Just That I Miss You, backed with the punchy Go Or Stay.

Flaming Hands material has still not seen a CD release, but you can find my vinyl rips of The Edge and It's Just That I Miss You singles below. You can find most of the other singles on Overhere's blog.

- Flaming Hands - It's Just That I Miss You / Go Or Stay (7" Single, 1982)
- Flaming Hands - The Edge / Sacrifice (7" Single, 1983)


FOR FANS OF:
The Dugites, The Tribe, Blondie, INXS, The Pretenders, The Sinceros, The Motels, Martha and the Muffins, The Tourists

WEB LINKS:
- Flaming Hands on RateYourMusic
- Break Down and Cry Video on Youtube

DIVINYLS - Desperate (Again) + Live at the Ritz

This must be the year of Divinyls. First the classic Aussie band reforms out of the blue after a 10 year hiatus during much of which principal members Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee were not on speaking terms. Then they release a new single called Don't Wanna Do This, embark on a mini tour of Australia and announce plans for a brand new album. Now, to top it off, their long out of print, classic first album Desperate has been reissued by Caroline Records.

The CD reissue is a replica of the original 1983 vinyl release, complete with a mini album cover and insert. It also features remastered sound. The only thing that would have made it better is bonus tracks - especially the punky Sahara Rock from the Australian version of the LP - but you can't have everything.

Buy the CD here.

Desperate is quite possibly Divinyls' strongest release. Chrissy Amphlett screams, yodels and yelps through these tracks like she's on fire. While her voice would become slightly smoother and more controlled on future releases (see diVINYLS), from the explosive opening of Boys in Town to the closer I'll Make You Happy, it's obvious she's holding nothing back.

Another highlight is Only Lonely, with a perfect pop-rock melody reminiscent of The Pretenders or Blondie. Science Fiction is the most "new wave" of the cuts, with catchy, quirky lyrics and some truly amazing high-pitched noises by Amphlett at the start of the bridge. Take a Chance is a heavy-hitting straight-up rock tune, while Ring Me Up and the manic rave Siren are the band at its most fun.

Elsie is a slow burner, and perhaps the most powerful song in Divinyls' catalog. It's about suicide and complete desperation, and Amphlett could not have delivered a better vocal for the morose subject matter. She makes a few sounds during this one that seem like they came directly from the depths of hell.

Desperate is a truly classic new wave album that was long overdue for reissue. Let's hope other Divinyls releases - What a Life!, Temperamental, diVINYLS and Underworld - follow.

Divinyls - Live at the Ritz


In honor of the Desperate reissue, below is my vinyl rip of the Live at the Ritz 3 track promo EP from 1986. These are blistering, high energy versions of Pleasure and Pain, In My Life and Sleeping Beauty that really show what an amazing live band Divinyls were (and still are).

Divinyls - Live at the Ritz (1986)