Add to My Profile THE PANICS – CRUEL GUARDS (out october '07)
Notes by Polly Coufos
Sometimes you know an album is going to be great as
soon as you hear the beginning of the first song.
Think back to favourite albums and how they stood bold
and proud from the first note, inviting you to fall in
love with and daring you to not recognise its
brilliance. Get Us Home, the lead track from The Panics’ first
album on Dew Process is one such song. It kicks off
with a big drum roll and a soaring string section,
invoking the spirit of The Beatles and classic Motown.
Deliriously catchy, not quite dance, not quite pop,
and totally infectious. Get Us Home is followed by
nine other songs, including first single Don’t Fight
It, that keep up the quality to the last note.
It’s been slow and steady build for The Panics. Since
forming in Perth five years ago, big things have been
predicted for the band. After being spotted playing in
a pub by Happy Mondays’ Gaz Whelan and his business
partner Pete Carroll, following The Mondays
performance at The Big Day Out in 2000, they were
signed to their UK/Australian littleBIGMAN records
label.
The band released a stream of quality EPs and albums
with littleBIGMAN, including A House On A Street In A
Town I'm From, Crack In The Wall and Sleeps Like A
Curse (2005) which was nominated for a prestigious J
Award. The band went on to support Happy Mondays in
the UK and recorded live performances for The BBC.
Jae Laffer is very satisfied with Cruel Guards and
does not flinch at its up-front boldness and ambition.
“I’m proud to be in a band that keeps getting better
and that people take seriously. We didn’t take any
silly shortcuts to get radio airplay. I’m glad we
stuck our guns and stuck to the core values of what we
are about. A really cool song should do the work for
you.”
The album was completed at BJB studios in Sydney
earlier this year. The basis of several of the tracks
stem from home recordings the band put down in the
house they share in Collingwood while further
additions were made during sessions in New York City.
The production chores were handled by the band and
Scott Horscroft (The Sleepy Jackson, Silverchair) and
mixed by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Beth Orton).
At the heart of the beauty of Cruel Guards is its
unmistakable Australianness. There is a sense of space
and scale that speaks of only one country. Musically
the link may not be obvious but there is the same
sense of our wide brown land that runs through the
best work of The Triffids, The Go Betweens and Nick
Cave.
“They were onto a good thing and were never pop stars
because of it but it showed the importance of
embracing where you’re from and who you are,” Laffer
says. “There aren’t obvious lyrical references to
Australia in the lyrics, but we are proud to fly our
flag and we’d like to carry on in the tradition of our
favourite groups who went away but continued to
identify with this country.”
The small label created the perfect nurturing
environment The Panics (Laffer, Drew Wootton, Paul
Otway, Julian Douglas and Myles Wootton) needed to
improve their craft. Now they feel they are at a point
where they can stand on any stage and look any sized
audience in the eye and deliver. Dew Process is a
natural fit with the major success they have been able
to enjoy with the likes of Sarah Blasko, The Grates
and Bernard Fanning.
“I’m really proud of everything we’ve done but I’d
like this album to be instantly appealing. We want to
be able to continue what we are doing but expand the
audience,” Laffer explains.
The Panics are unique. They have been allowed to grow
and blossom. And blossom they have. This bunch of
songs has immediate appeal and lasting beauty.
“Hopefully it will make people raise an eyebrow. We
didn’t want to just give Panics fans something they
are used to. I’d rather people were surprised and
hopefully see that there aren’t any other guitar
groups in this country making records like this.”
i have a bit of a wierd story but its really good. I work in fremantle and i had one of your songs stuck in my head all day and then on my lunch break i walked past a shop and one of your video clips was playing on a screen. and then as i was walking back to work jaye the leader of your band walked past me!!! It was a rather panicful day i enjoyed it. you guys are awesome cant wait to see you at splendour!
All Myspace can you help a disabled brother out! I have Myspace disabled civil rights group link located below http://groups. myspace. com/pt2disabledcivilrightslifeliberty My goal is to make everyone in this country aware of med waiver community-based programs so we can have a choice on where we live. To help me spread the word could you put me in your top friends list please to let more people know about this travesty of injustice! Based on the Supreme Court Olmstead Decision 6-3 law. Also George W. Bush presidential Executive Order 13217.
i'm just really wondering how you guys are.... it's been a long time! still working at the tote drew? is there ever going to be a european tour???? or did i just completely miss it? might come around to melbourne again early next year....
hey crew, if you be kickin around melbourne town this weekend.. x
THIS SATURDAY NIGHT...
There's still tickets available but get in quick they're selling fast!!
How do I purchase tickets? There are three ways to purchase tickets for The East Brunswick Club - online via the East Brunswick Club website; by calling the venue’s Box Office on 03 9388 9794; or in person at the Box Office, located at 280 Lygon Street in East Brunswick. Box Office hours are Monday to Friday 12-7pm and Saturday 12-4pm.
