Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Love That Album Podcast Episode 141 - Sound As Ever: Australian Indie 1990 – 1999




The 1990s were musically diverse, but are often recalled in the popular consciousness as the moment the so-called Seattle sound kicked down your door, and got you to include its flannel shirt in your next wash. Gone were the horrible Linn drums and over produced slickness of the 1980s....guitars, bass and drums were back. What was previously "alternative" now forced its way into the mainstream.


Welcome to episode 141 of Love That Album Podcast.


It cannot be argued – Australian music was in a very healthy state during the nineties, definitely from an artistic perspective. People loved to go hear live music and support local bands – the pub scene was carrying on a long tradition from previous decades of providing stages for musicians to do their thing....despite the disgusting disease that was poker machines being allowed into Victorian pubs early in the decade making some venues less musician friendly.


Scott Thurling started up a label called Popboomerang in the early 2000s to support the musicians he loved. He spent a large part of the previous decade seeing as many bands as he could physically get to. It comes as a surprise to no one that his knowledge of Australian independent music from this period is second to none (as is his record and CD collection).


Early on in the pandemic lockdown in Victoria, Scott and Jane Gazzo started a Facebook group dedicated to those indie bands. The group exploded with punters and musicians all willing to share stories, photos and paraphernalia. Wanting to expand the collective experience, they hit upon a plan to get as many previously unreleased songs from bands of the period and release a CD. In 2020, they released TWO albums filled to the brim with songs previously lying around gathering dust.

My great friend and previous LTA presenter, David Blom joins me to talk with Scott about Sound As Ever: Australian Indie 1990 – 1999, Volumes 1 and 2. We talk about the era, the politics, the culture, the venues, and most importantly, the songs on these anthologies.


Join the SAE group (it doesn't matter if you were there at the time or even know these bands) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoundAsEver.


Order the CDs or downloads from https://soundaseveraustralianindie90-99.bandcamp.com/music


Download this episode of LTA from Spotify, Stitcher or iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”).


Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows.


You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum


If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Skype), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.


Download episode 141 from here.