my new band includes Steve Pinkerton from The Anyones and the Ronson Hangup on drums and flute traverse, Matt Ridgway from Winterpark on guitar and stuff, Ian Kitney from Overnight Jones and The Temperance Union on bass, and various floating instrumentalists.
Influences
I'm unsure of the significance of any of my various influences. Due to various neuroses and obsessive characteristics I listened almost exclusively to the beatles from age 13 to 15. I scaffolded myself to a whole bunch of 60's stuff later on, partly through fear of the unknown but also 'cause it just clicked. I don't feel like part of the retro thing yet I love the morbid resonance of very dated sounds put in different contexts. Driven largely by financial reasons, fear of my contemporaries, and a growing interest in tape loops and samples etc, my main music purchases became old op shop records. This really fragmented my listening habits. That's kind of where I've been at up until the time of writing. I forget alot of stuff so it's difficult for me to think of the names of tons of stuff that has had an impact on me.
Inescapable influences; the beatles, the beach boys, gershwin, debussy,
w.c. handy, jesus christ superstar, desmond dekker, kurt vonnegut jr, michael leunig, the jam, pavement, and many more.
I used to be in a band called snout. Now I am a person. In 2003 I released a solo album "hits from the brittle building". It was album of the week on the JJJ youth network if you must know. I have recently completed another album which has been released by mistletone records. It is called
'sympathy for the new world' and it is as grandiose as the title would suggest.
please click above for mail order ($20 including postage, anywhere in the world)
“There is genius among us” - MUSIC AUSTRALIA GUIDE
“Ross McLennan excels with this stream of musical consciousness, forging a new strain of languid psychedelia from off-kilter strings and spidery guitars, all spilling harmonic colours outside the lines” - THE AGE A2
“Like Beck, Brian Wilson or Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner, McLennan’s musical vision is unimpeded by predictability or tradition… As time passes, McLennan asks more of his listeners but all parties can take that as the highest compliment.” - THE AGE EG **** four stars
“If you want an Australian album that will still be causing you glee and aural wonderment in 2050, hunt down this gem” - HERALD SUN **** four stars
“McLennan’s voice is like a lone man walking through the night with a lamp, so it doesn’t tread heavily but it does find a way to inveigle you along. This is an album in the mould of Scott Walker but with its pop heart as valuable as its head.“ - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
“Yet another sparkling, irreverent slice of cerebral pop that leaves you scratching your head - bewildered that such a musical magician is not globally revered, sought out as a musical Dalai Lama, a new Jesus of Cool” - RHYTHMS
“Whispered vocals and noir-ish psychedelia, like a collaboration between Lambchop and the Flaming Lips” - WHO Weekly
“A fresh and fascinating grandiose pop gem” - TIME OFF **** four stars
“With Sympathy For The New World McLennan announces himself once and for all as one of the few truly original pop songwriters in the country, and trust me, you’ll be hard pressed to hear a better album all year.” - BEAT
hey i saw you at manchester lane the other week and it was one of the best things i have seen all year. it was amazing to see how you put those songs together on stage. your songs are amazing. Cheers
Thanks for the add. I bought your new CD Sympathy For the New World and in my opinion the best Australian album I have heard for ages. Would love to see you play in Newcastle.
hi Ross, really looking forward to the sYDNEY LauncH! yOU wait, we'll have those sydney~siders away from their plazmas, having a great time at the HOEy! Nicx
Rosscoe + Neesie thanks for the postal portal into your world ( it arrived today and i'm not going to unwrap it, in order to preserve it's resale value on Ebay for years to come ). Actually I heard the record at the swop shop and love it, cheers A.P. sorry I missed yr launch i was on some kind of interstate oddysey for the betterment of guitarkind.
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