URBAN ASPIRINES: The Stems

Showing posts with label The Stems. Show all posts

Monday, May 04, 2020

The Stems: Heads Up 2007

Leaders Dom Mariani and Richard Lane formed Australia garage/punk rockers the Stems in 1983. Playing such local venues as The Wizbah, The Old Melbourne, and The Shenton Park on a regular

basis, the group built a substantial following, resulting in the release of their debut single in mid-1985, "Make You Mine" b/w "She's A Monster." Further releases soon followed, including singles, EPs (such as the Love Will Grow EP, produced by Radio Birdman's Rob Younger), and full-lengths (1987's best-selling At First Sight Violets Are Blue).
Strangely, at the height of their success, the group suddenly disbanded. But over the years, Mariani and Lane have been able to put their differences aside to reunite the Stems for the odd reunion show, including a pair of shows in 1997 (which coincided with the release an archival live release from the good old days, titled Weed Out!: Live at the Old Melbourne).

After twenty years The Stems returned in 2007 with their long overdue second album "Heads Up". It was almost as if they were never gone. Not only the same line-up remained, but also the same energy and excitement. The heady mix of garage rock and power pop makes for a fun and easily listenable sound. Think The Kinks crossed with The Jam and maybe a little Velvet Underground thrown in for good measure. For the first time ever released on vinyl. Only 500 copies have been made.

It's incongruous to think that "Heads Up" was only The Stems's second full-length album and the band's first new release in 20 years. Incongruous not just because The Stems remain one of

Australia's most virtuous garage and power pop bands despite a playing and recording history that lasted a mere few years in the mid-1980s. But also because Heads Up is so pure, fresh and potent that it could have been recovered from recording sessions shelved at the height of the band's original popularity.

Ten new original tunes were recorded in Perth in earlier part of 2007 at the vintage recording compound of KingDom Studios and later mixed at Ultrasuede Studios in Cincinnati by producer John Curley (Afghan Wigs, Greenhornes, Ronnie Spector & the White Stripes). Heads-Up was well received by fans and critics alike, and would reset the path for the bands resurgence as live touring act.

"A cracking collection" - Rolling Stone

"Pure, fresh and potent" - Patrick Emery, Beat Magazine - Album of the Week

"…jaw droppingly perfect" - Faster Louder

"Heads Up represents a fantastic return to the scene" - Steve Bellf

As suggested with their reunion shows all over the world, starting some two years ago, Australia’s own “knights of fuzz” are back, with their “Heads Up” above most of the moderndaze garage

beatsters still having a thing or two to learn from the likes of The Stems, or other yet to be retired pioneering garage-punk revivalists, such as The Chesterfield Kings or The Cynics, both with brand new releases out this year as well.
With the main Stem, Dom Mariani, delivering the bulk of the goods, he provides us with the opening punked-up r’n’b fuzz of "Leave You Way Behind", followed by an even more freaky beat of "She Sees Everything", carried out on the wings of the (British) Birds, and of course, there’s a usual dose of Americanized riff-laden blast, with the ‘Machine-powered "Hellbound Train" being as good an example as any.

Making the diversity of Don’s contribution even wider, there’s the Spencer Davis Group-like blue-eyed soul organ-ization of Get To Know Me, as well as Get So Bad, a piece of powered-up classic mid’60s Merseybeat. As for the rest of The Stems, they seem to be rearing their own heads up pretty high as well, with drummer Dave Shaw delivering the slightlydelic jangle of Surround Me, this time with the American Byrds being the ones to provide the wings.

While Don’s fellow axeman, Richard Lane (note the cool reference within the brackets, reading R.Lane!), comes up with a pretty cool pair of What’s Your Stand and Only If You Want, with the former sounding like a bunch of garage-punkers, backing the likes of such harmony-laden groups like The Cyrkle or something, while the latter is another power-chord stomper, with the power this time being supplied by ’67 Who.

Hold your mop-topped heads up everyone, ‘cause you don’t wanna miss this!

Label: Shock ‎– ST-707

Format: CD, Album

Country: Australia

Released: 06 Oct 2007

Genre: Rock

Style: Garage Rock, Power Pop

TRAXS

01. Leave You Way Behind (D Mariani) (3:45 m:s)

02. She Sees Everything (D Mariani) (4:39 m:s)

03. Undying Love (D Mariani) (4:16 m:s)

04. Surround Me (D Shaw) (4:11 m:s)

05. What's Your Stand (R Lane / G Morris) (3:37 m:s)

06. Get To Know Me (D Mariani) (4:20 m:s)

07. Hellbound Train (D Mariani) (3:47 m:s)

08. The Liar (D Shaw) (4:06 m:s)

09. Only If You Want It (R Lane / G Morris) (3:54 m:s)

10. Get So Bad (D Mariani) (3:57 m:s)

Recorded At – Kingdom Studios

Mixed At – Ultrasuede Studio

Mastered At – Ocean Way Recording

Credits

Bass, Vocals – Julian Matthews

Drums, Vocals, Percussion – Dave Shaw

Engineer – Dom Monteleone

Guitar, Vocals, Organ, Harmonica – Richard Lane

Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Percussion – Dom Mariani

Mastered By – Alan Yoshida

Mixed By – John Curley

Producer – Dom Monteleone, The Stems

MP3 @ 320 Size: 94,2 MB

FLAC Size: 275 MB

Friday, May 01, 2020

The Stems: Terminal Cool (Anthology 83-86) 2006 - The Stems: At First Sight, Violets Are Blue (1987) Re-issue 2003

Formed by Fremantle musician Dom Mariani (a passionate rock ‘n ‘roll fan who cut his teeth as youngster on a staple diet of Beatles, Rolling Stones and swampy Creedence tunes), together with Richard Lane (guitar/keyboard/vocals), Gary Chambers (drums) and Julian Matthews (bass), The Stems introduced their captivating brand of garage rock and roll from the punk ‘n’ snarl of songs like "Make You Mine" and "No Heart" to the Byrdsian pop-jangle of "Love Will Grow" and "At First Sight". This was not your typical "garage" band indeed an emphasis was placed on writing original material that would define their sound.

The music on this CD captures a confident, self-assured band recorded during those halcyon years of 1983–1986 proving that Perth, Australia's The Stems were indeed an extremely varied animal. This collection effectively showcases their versatility from the Fuzztone hits "She’s a Monster" and "Tears Me In Two," to the bluesy garage bop of "On and On," Byrdsian jangle of "Love Will Grow," the pure pop of "Can’t Forget that Girl" and the psychedelic snarl of "Jumping to Conclusions". Includes 5 Previously Unreleased Tracks + contains beutiful 8-page booklet with story and photos.

Anyone wise enough to have gotten his or her hands on last year's Children of Nuggets box know what a useful jumping-off point for exploring the second garage scene (1976-1995) that set is.

Australia's the Stems have two songs featured in that box "She's Fine" and "Love Will Grow" and both are pop gems that demanded further investigation of the Stems' back catalogue by discerning garage fans. Enter Get Hip Records, which is more often than not, uh, hip to the needs of those fans, with a burgeoning roster of quality acts and now, with the Stems' Terminal Cool: Anthology 1983-1986, Get Hip trolls the archives, sharing great, long-forgotten music that stands the test of time.

Admittedly, the Stems singer/guitarist Dom Mariani, singer/guitarist/keyboardist Richard Lane, bassist Julian Matthews and drummer Gary Chambers haven't been completely consigned to the Jukebox of History, having been anthologized as recently as 2003 (Mushroom Soup: The Citadel Years), but that's a hard-to-find import (at least, it is stateside) and Get Hip's version boasts four tracks not on Mushroom Soup (though it omits "Power of Love").

Whether another anthology was truly necessary is debatable, but to these eyes and ears, the scale tips in favor of Get Hip. That said, two grumbles: The liner notes of Terminal Cool are riddled with typos and lack discography information release dates, album/single/EP covers, etc.

The big question, of course: How does it all sound? The Stems' body of work has held up well. They were always a band out of time they emulated '60s garage and psychedelia in early '80s Australia,

after all so tunes like the fast 'n' fuzzed-out "She's a Monster" and jangly "Make You Mine" (the band's first two singles) sound just as good in 2006 as they would have in 1986 or even 1966. That said, the Stems' m.o. is decidedly retro, down to garb; lots of mop tops and paisley shirts in the liner note photos so if an hour or so of fuzztone guitar, organ flourishes and three-minute long nuggets about girls loved and/or lost is not your idea of a good time, you should probably stop reading this review now.

Label: Get Hip Recordings ‎– GH-1130CD

Format: CD, Compilation

Country: US

Released: 2005

Genre: Rock

Style: Garage Rock

TRAXS

01. She's A Monster

02. Make You Mine

03. Tears Me In Two

04. No Heart

05. Can't Resist

06. Love Will Grow

07. Under Your Mushroom

08. Just Ain't Enough

09. Jumping To Conclusions

10. On & On

11. For Always (alternate demo mix)

12. Terminal Cool

13. Don't Let Me

14. All You Want Me For

15. Mr Misery

16. Sad Girl

17. She's Fine

18. Can't Forget That Girl (demo version)

19. Lon Chaney Junior's Daughter

20. Spaceship

21. Let Your Head Rest

MP3 @ 320 Size: 159 MB

FLAC Size: 508 MB

THE STEMS: AT FIRST SIGHT, VIOLETS ARE BLUE (1987) RE-ISSUE 2003

The Stems formed in late 1983 when vocalist/guitarist Dom Mariani, formerly in The Go-Starts, was introduced to Richard Lane. Lane had seen Mariani in the final few gigs of The Go-Starts and had asked him for guitar lessons which developed into jams, and then writing songs. Finally, the decision was made to form The Stems. A friend, Gary Chambers, was recruited to join on drums, and bass guitarist John Shuttleworth was poached from the Pink Armadillos. In March 1984, the band had their debut gig at the Old Civic Theater in Perth, which was in support of The Saints and The Triffids. Their sound was influenced by 1960s garage acts ranging from the Electric Prunes, The Standells, and The Chocolate Watch Band to The Easybeats.

Late in 1984, they recorded three songs at Shelter Studios in Perth: "She's A Monster", "Make You Mine" and a version of "Tears Me in Two."

The Stems, with new drummer David Shaw on board, spent most of 1986 touring to promote their EP. This included national tours supporting Flamin' Groovies and the Hoodoo Gurus. They also

sought a label deal. Mushroom Records signed the band, and The Stems booked into Platinum Studios with producer Alan Thorne at the end of 1986. The recording process didn’t go smoothly, and stretched from the planned one month to three, with a new producer brought in to complete the record. At First Sight, Violets Are Blue was released in 1987, their first recording for The White Label. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Australian alternative charts and 34 on the mainstream charts

Originally released through Mushroom Records' White Label, the album was first pressed in mid-1987. The title track At First Sight and subsequent singles For Always and Sad Girl gained mainstream airplay. They are one of only a handful of Australian bands to crack the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the late 80's, influencing a host of new local bands to emulate their brand of garage rock and roll.

At First Sight, Violets Are Blue is the debut album released in August 1987 through Mushroom Records' White Label on vinyl, the album only saw limited CD release at that time. The title track "At First Sight" gained mainstream airplay and a position on the Young Einstein sound track. "At First Sight" became the band's signature track and the album is still rated as one of the best Australian guitar pop releases. In the early nineties Rolling Stone included it in the top 100 Australian releases of all time.

At First Sight became the band's signature track and the album is still rated as one of the best Australian guitar pop releases. In 1993 Rolling Stone Magazine included it in the top 100 Australian releases to date. The album attained gold record status in 2007.

The album was re-issued by Mushroom Records on 23 March 2003 and included a bonus disc with 14 additional tracks.
In 2007 the album was certified gold (with sales of over 35,000 units).

DISC 1.