"A gem of an album for lovers of garage rock and the classic Aussie surf punk guitar sound." Sunday Herald Sun
"Garage pop rock straight from the time machine," Rave Magazine
Check out 'Viva' Lastdrager's fantastic two-page spread "Life as a Stiff Kitten" in this month's Big Issue!
Background
From Lee Street, North Carlton, to New York's CBGBs, the Kittens took their surf-infused rock and twisting roll on one hyper-propelled, swaggering, booze-filled ride. It only lasted a few years but in that time they delivered four classic EPs of edgy, inspired rock and roll - there wasn't a band on the planet that sounded anything like them.
They were signed directly to a London label in 1992 following a wild performance at a barge party in Amsterdam. First release, 'As You Walk', is the stuff of one-day recording legend. "Rock and roll doesn't get much better than this," said Jeff Jenkins in Inpress when the four-tracker finally hit the shelves. But it did.
Second EP 'Eat the Peanuts', was the sound of the Melbourne summer 1993, and then came the Tony Cohen produced Fat Boy, 'Single of the Week' in Britain's super influential Melody Maker. Tours to the US and UK followed, including legendary dates in Boston, New York, and the UK, including London's Forum and Glasgow's Barrowlands.
Final EP Face came hot on its heels but by then the rubber was burning. Just as quick as it had started, the Kittens exploded like a string of Chinese firecrackers. The madness of those few years meant little had been preserved (Fat Boy and Face didn't get released in Australia as the band never made it back to promote them) and it is only recently after much searching that the original mastertapes were located again in London.
After clearance negotiations, Melbourne indie label All Killer is now pleased to bring you the compilation that puts it all together - it's called 'Greatest Trips' and it includes 10 of the finest Kittens tracks, remastered 2007-style. It's now available on CD at all good indie record stores, through all the major download facilities and directly from the label.
In stock in Melbourne at Polyester, The Last Record Store, Missing Link and Pure Pop Records. In Brisbane at Rocking Horse Records. In the US at CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/stiffkittensrock). More coming soon.
Reviews
Here's what the Sunday Herald Sun says about Greatest Trips:
In short: Infectious guitar-edged garage rock
In the early 1990s, a rocking trio from Melbourne created waves on the British and American indie rock scenes with powerhouse 1960s-styled guitar-edged rock.
The trio, Stiff Kittens, explored punk rock's cool fuzzy roots on its four celebrated EPs released between 1992 and '95.
Remastered from their original tapes, Greatest Trips showcases material from all four classic recordings - featuring such hip-shaking cuts as Fat Boy, Eight Wheels, As You Walk and the ultra-hip Surf's Down.
With its quick-time rugged beats, buzzing guitar and spacey vocals, the Stiff Kittens dynamic was hard, dense and distinctly Australian with a sound and style that can be compared to the Saints and Radio Birdman.
Greatest Trips draws together some hard-to-find material and it is a gem of an album for lovers of garage rock and the classic Aussie surf punk guitar sound. *** David Flaherty
Rave Magazine says this:
Garage pop rock straight from the time machine
Although it claims to be “remastered 2007 style”, Greatest Trips sounds like it hasn’t been touched since the days the songs were released… back in the early 1990s.
The Melbourne trio are trying to re-release their old stuff into a new generation, a plan that just might work out for them. Stiff Kittens genuinely present old-time indie rock with this album, something that modern acts have been known to painfully imitate without any of the Kittens’ verve.
After spending some time in the UK, their sound was a nice mash of classic Brit and Aussie rock and explains why the band caused a commotion overseas.
Standout tracks such as Someone Else and As You Walk should have anyone with an appreciation of the lo-fi guitars and vocals of the ‘90s happily rocking down memory lane. Keryn Ponting
While this was the word back in 1993:
Paul Morley, 'Single of the Week', Melody Maker - Fat Boy:
Dance one minute, sweet noisy oblivion the next. Living for the blinkers means you've already given up.
In our glib, glassy hubris we forget that guitar bands don't have to live their lives like variations on that creepy Sony MiniDisc advert, that a bit of a din can still amble around the edge of the imagination...
Melbourne will be the next Seattle when pigs' wings get a place on the barbie, but The Stiff Kittens smear the senses with an alarmingly inspiring vim. There's three of them, they do the rumbly pop earthquake thing better than most of us and, best of all, they have a drummer with the surname Lastdrager. I'll be emigrating shortly.
Here are the videos...first up, As You Walk - the Kittens first single. This gem of a video was done by the band's then bass player Helen Cattanach on a budget that would have struggled to buy two cans of coke and a bag of crisps...
Next up, their follow-up release, Iris Fails, shot at Rob's place in Flowerdale, outside Melbourne. Again it was done by Helen but the clip came a cropper in Australia because Rage objected to the burning of the political posters towards the end...eh, well it was 1993...
Eat The Peanuts came out in the Australian summer of 1993. The band line-up had changed and this video was shot by Andrew Whelan for the EP's lead track 'Don't Think Much'. It's got some great Melbourne streetscapes:
Fat Boy was the biggie. The track was mixed and produced by Tony Cohen and went ballistic in the UK, US and Europe. This video was shot by Remy in the band's rehearsal room. It's tops and it got heaps of play in the UK and Europe:
The Kittens' final single was 'Face'. The track was also mixed and produced by Cohen in the same sessions as Fat Boy. The rest of the EP was done six months later by Tim Johnston and contains some of the Kittens' finest and wildest moments. This dandy video was shot by Ioannis Ioannou. Love the track, and it seems the Kittens found the cure...
Hey hey! Hows things? Need some live music to kick off your weekend? Friday 14th August will see Creech hit the stage for their 'Lazy' Video/Single Launch @ Revolver Upstairs! Special guests are Daddys Little Girl, Winterun & Spasticator! ***TICKETS SELLING FAST*** So get in quick! Available from Moshtix outlets or Moshtix online www.moshtix.com.au
Hey hey! Hows things? Need some live music to kick off your weekend? Friday 14th August will see Creech hit the stage for their 'Lazy' Video/Single Launch @ Revolver Upstairs! Special guests are Daddys Little Girl, Winterun & Spasticator! ***TICKETS SELLING FAST*** So get in quick! Available from Moshtix outlets or Moshtix online www.moshtix.com.au
What the politics of depression by the way? Thanks for adding us Rich---please send us a comment---the site is naked at the mo ;) tim p. s your site is ace mate!
Hey Robert, Thanks for that, really like the Stiff Kittens! We'll have to catch up real soon for that beer! keen to talk to you bout touring etc. cheers, Lincoln
Hi there Rob, Thanks for the add. The legendary Stiffies live on. Just love that surf-thrash, it's enough to make a muso want to smash a guitar or 2. Or 3. All the best, Leigh
Hey Rob...got the mail...thanks...greek music freak eh? Crikey! glad to see you're still in the print ink.... hello to y'all...we iz frying up today on planet oztralia y'all!
Hey guys, thanks for supporting our Melbourne Backstage Pass page and for being a part of this. We hope you have a great new year. This year we plan to kick some ass!! Cheers BSP
Hello Rob, guys... how it's going? I'm fine, thanks for asking! :-) The new Rumble Skunk will be out pretty soon... I'm on the pagemaking right now! Stay cool and all the best!
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