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An excellent ep from Victorian based 4 piece Azure, who combine all the elements of light rock, folk & more traditional sounding ballads to create 6 songs to fill out this great sounding ep which will surely transport the band into the charts given decent coverage from any self respecting radio station.

The band combine acoustic guitars, a wonderful female vocal out front from Jane McGeough & many other elements including flute & violin among more usual instruments such as drums & bass.

It's a hard ep to pick a favourite, but my picks would have to be both closing number "Flying", which showcases all the elements of the band's abilities, while "Take A Look At Yourself" does likewise, though on a much shorter scale. The other highlights for me were "Ode To Kathryn", which opens up & "Let Go Let Be". A band deserving your attention not least because they're good at what they do, but also because they provide excellent entertainment in their music.

For more information, write to Azure c/o Kinglake Post Office, Kinglake, VIC 3763, Australia or azure@graffiti.net

BIDSTON MOSS - COUNT PAST THREE

I can't remember how many releases this band have sent for review, but I remember at least one other, which was pretty cool, this latest album equally as good. The band have been around for at least a couple of years, with a small selection of eps & tapes out, the Victorian based 4 piece most certainly having made the most out of the 12 songs on this latest release.

A wonderful track called "Milkcrate", which is an excellent pop number backed up able by some nicely fuzzy riffs & the wonderful melodies of the vocals. The band's pair of vocalists, Beth & Christine together create some great harmonies, which make themselves felt throughout.

Other excellent numbers (well, they're all great), stand out with "Tooth", "Mouthpiece", "Swamp", "Armadillo" & the very catchy "Blankey" being great, but all stand aside for the wonderfully aggressive fuzzpop of "Honeybee", which starts off quietly & builds to a great climax, like all the best things in life. Definitely the best music the band have come up with so far & should be on your shopping list as soon as possible.

For more information, write to PO Box 108, Richmond, VIC 3121, Australia or bmoss@pobox.com

BRADY HARRIS - GOOD LUCK STRANGER

Those hEARd readers who regularly check out what's going on will remember a little while back the first single from this album being "Sunday Shining". At the time I said it was a great upbeat song & that opinion still stands. Also making it onto the album is one of the included tracks, "Anthrax Blues", which again stands out as something of a highlight.

Nevertheless, it's the newer material I concentrated harder on & there are some very good songs here indeed. The highlight of the album, apart from that opening number is the closing track "Matador Bajo El Agua", which has a wonderful rhythm to it that will intrigue any listener with little effort.

I also loved both "Koreatown" & "Fading", which move along to their own beat, while many of the other songs here, particularly "Houston" & "Needle In The Hay" run along more country influenced lines. There's definitely an expansion to Brady's sound here & I think it won't be too long before some record label pays some serious attention.

For more information, write to 404 Lincoln Blvd, PMB #202, Venice, CA 90291, USA or bradyharris@earthlink.net

FROST - (SELF TITLED)

Having undergone a couple of name changes since their inception in 1997, Frost have certainly produced a very listenable demo here, with the work that's gone into the final production being more than obvious & it's paid off with some very crisp sounding songs here.

A 4 track ep that's a sort of pop / rock fusion, with opening track "Candyman" also manages to add some funk to the mix, with some rather interesting lyrics. My preference though, are the 2 middle songs, "Only One" & "Living", which are more straight laced & dramatic numbers, though closing number "Littlelover" is also pretty impressive.

Based in Melbourne, some may know this 3/4 piece better as Mudturtles, fronted by Lee Trevena & backed ably by Joe James & Tim Powne, as well as transient member Ben Bishop. Judging by the sound of this ep, the band should do well if they can keep this sort of material coming.

For more information, write to the band c/o Mick Ibbotson, 60/632 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Austrralia or mickibbo@mpx.com.au or scream@a1.com.au

THE HOWLIN' MOONDOGGIES - DOGGIE STYLE

This band originated in Perth & have since relocated to Sydney & are obviously influenced by acts like Stray Cats & to a lesser extent, Elvis Presley & Melbourne band The Fireballs, giving their all to an interesting rockabilly style which has some great examples of the genre found on the 16 songs here.

About the only problem I found with this album, which goes with all rockabilly tracks, is that they're a little on the short side. Nevertheless, there's some very cool music to be found here & it appears that each member of the band gets a turn at the vocals.

While highlights here include "Animals" & "For Your Love", my picks are both the closing number "The Trip" & a classic track called "Switchblade 327", which comes from the pen of Brian Setzer (former Stray Cat member). All up, any fan of the bands already mentioned or who like fast & furious music should be sure to check this band out at their earliest opportunity.

For more information, write to PO Box 517, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022, Australia or shakirmoondog@yahoo.com

IO - TALES FROM THE URBAN CIRCLE

A Canadian 3 piece with some extra guests, iO's music takes a number of twists & turns throughout it's 10 songs (an intro number makes 11), ranging from rock, to piano driven masterpiece to near ballad experience. The vocals are provided by Stephanie Sheri & Tim Foley, sometimes joining together to form some wonderful melodies, such as on "Satellite", while the rest of instruments provide a great backdrop.

Pick tracks for me were the wonderful piano backed "Fever Pitch", the quieter "Here In The Knowing" & closing track "Reverie", which as the title would suggest, combines a great emotional vocal performance as well as mood making instrumental sections.

Along the way, we're treated to some great rock & riffs like on "Chronomes", plus another highlight is "Life". The band already have one prior release under the name Urban Circle, hence I guess the name of this album is obvious & it would be interesting to see how the band got from there to here. Definitely worth your while.

Write to the band at 2441 Goodison Ave, Mississauga, Ont, Canada, L5B 1W6 or dragonfly@iomusic.org

RALPH & RANULF - THE STUFF WE ARE MADE OF

This is an interesting collection of material, from a US based duo whose music ranges from near disco oriented dance, to acid jazz & beyond. The sound on this album is pretty good & the pair apparently worked on the sound without wanting to rely on the facilities of big studios.

There are more dance oriented numbers here such as "State Of Emergency" & "Clover", while some may prefer the eclectic spoken word beat poetry-like title track, which is an exceptional 3 minutes or so amid the surrounding music & is definitely my favourite, reminding me a lot of the work of people like Gil Scott Herron.

There's definitely something here for fans of more mainstream music too, on numbers like "Rebounds" & "Pressin' On", though rock fans won't be finding that kind of song here. Check this album out, there's a certain something on it, just can't put my finger on it in a hurry - only repeated listens will work it out.

For more information, write to R&R CD, 2413 Willard Ave, Apt 2, Madison, WI 53704, USA or ranulflisenbee@hotmail.com

THE RENOVATORS - RHYTHM & BLUEPRINTS

A US based band whose last release I reviewed not so long back, The Renovators ply their trade in older styles like the rhythm & blues as performed by people like Little Richard, John Lee Hooker, BB King & the like, though definitely with their own stamp on things as well as having some of their own input & newer sounds as well.

The album takes a good hard look back at what others have done & seeks to better it, with classic sounding tracks like "Everybody Loves The Blues", which draws on decades of blues history & the popularity of the blues with some great guitar work.

An interesting inclusion here is the surf style guitar instrumental of "Bandaido", one of my favourites from the album, which sits perfectly in this company alongside great highlights such as the rather eclectic pacing of "I Don't Ski" & the countryish "Never Really Saw Your Face". The band have already achieved quite some success in getting airplay & with the release of this album, surely it will only improve.

For more information, write to 84 Kraft Ave, Bronxville, NY 10708, USA or misteral@aol.com

UNCLE TOM - (SELF TITLED)

A US based band who have gotten themselves off the ground in 1997 following the demise of another band called The Bogus Toms. Since the split of that band, this lineup of 3 players have gotten together an album which by their own admission, runs back to influences as diverse as Sex Pistols, The Beatles, Cheap Trick, though for me, the band's sound is reminiscent of the earlier Motley Crue albums.

This is an album of differing extremes, from the opening number "I'm In Love With My Gun", which is my pick, being a quieter number altogether than most of the other tracks here, through to the noisiest guitarfests of closing number "B Like U" & "Dancin' In A Minefield". If you've loved the sounds of bands like those mentioned above, then you'll love Uncle Tom.

For more information, write to Fuse Records, 20925 Almazan Rd, Woodland Hills, CA 91364, USA or uncletoms@earthlink.net

WELTER - SATELLITE GENERATION

It's little wonder that Welter have experienced some exceptional press & coverage with this album as it contains some truly wonderful music that deserves more than a little attention. The band have also been fortunate enough to get some airplay for one of the tracks here, "Nothing I Ever Do", which is a perfect example of the band's style.

Along the way, we're treated to some excellent acoustic guitar driven songs, with the band achieving a great sound which is at times aggressive, but always impressive. I was [particularly impressed with a number of songs, but opener "Janis", which is apparently the single from the album, is one of those songs which you'll find yourself singing to yourself after a short while.

Highlights include the aforementioned "Nothing I Ever Do", "Swim", a Whitlams-like track called "Everything", which features a great piano background, plus a hidden track at the end of the album following closing number "Motormouth". The 3 piece from Sydney are well on their way to bigger things & with songwriting & performing like this, it's little wonder.

For more information, write to the band c/o Red Arrow Mgt, PO Box 216 Glebe. NSW 2037, Australia or mjc@acon.com.au