PB 002
Various Artists
CD: Shake Yer Popboomerang Volume 1[ add to basket ]
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Shake Yer Popboomerang is a collection of rare and previously unreleased pop material. It's the second release from Melbourne based independent label Popoomerang who released the Sarah Sarah EP, 'Sing Till It Hurts' late 2002. Shake Yer Popboomerang reads like a road map of Australian guitar-pop talent. We begin the journey in Melbourne and find contributions from upbeat pop starlings Sarah Sarah; mod rockers Her Majesty's Finest, the smooth crooning Icecream Hands front man Charles Jenkins and the Elliot Smith esq Tim Reid. Also making appearances are psychedelic rockers the Treetops, the harmonious and melodious Smallgoods, leaders of the pop-rock movement Groundswell and Gippsland's favourite son Danny McDonald. Hitting the road and venturing north of the Victorian border to Sydney, we discover the Teenage Fanclub inspired Starky and jangle popsters The Dreamdayers. On a very full tank of gas, we travel the dusty highways 'til we reach the power pop capital of Australia, Perth, where we pick up the incredible talents of Dom Mariani (Stems, Someloves, DM3) , Superscope and Showbag. This compilation also contains a unique contribution from Jack & The Beanstalk leader Joe Algeri (recently relocated to Sweden) who teams up with Danny McDonald (ex P76) on their collaborative track 'Til The End'. This song was recorded in Melbourne and Sweden with both musicians sending the song back and forth over email to each other. Email has never been so productive! On this record you will discover debut recordings from some of the Australia's freshest and most exciting new pop talent. Amazingly, at the time of writing, the Decembers (previously The Movies), Magneto (ex Alcotomic) and Andy Star (ex Holden Caulfield and Dinsdale) have not even played performed live under their current monikers and line-ups. The majority of songs featured here on the compilation were recorded specifically for the project. None more obviously so than the Stoneage Hearts who contributed the garage rock stomper "Shake Yer Pop Boomerang". And indeed "Shaking" and grooving is exactly what you'll be doing when listening to this CD. "Shake Yer Popboomerang" is an album chock full of addictive, melodic rock'n'roll. It's an essential purchase for collectors of fine pop music. Clearly one of the finest compilations the world has ever seen! Tracklisting: [ add to basket ] Reviews: Various Artists Expanding on the country's rich garage and powerpop heritage, Australian label Popboomerang proves wonderfully adept at knowing talent when they hear it on this compilation. Get your wallet out and boot up the computer after you hear this one, because you're going to want to get to know some of these bands better. In between these cuts are artists from the tried and true Dom Mariani ("Brothers And Sisters" - sounding much like The Someloves-era) to newcomers like the bubbly Sarah Sarah (Ignorance & Arrogance") and new-at-least-to-me Showbag. In fact, Showbag proved to be on of the highlights for me thanks to their extremely catchy Goodbye Friend with its fuzzy rhythm and clean guitar fills. Power pop aficionados will be happy to hear Superscope with their "Untitled Demo #1" , and will find the clapalong beat of "Kerenin's Smile" by Run On One irresistible. It goes on and on as well. Magneto's "Living On The Moon" is pure pop by-the-book, but not to the point of sterility mind you. Much of Shake Yer Popboomerang stays on the acoustic side of things - odd when you consider the compilation's "rave up" title. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with Smallgoods "Listen To The Radio" or Tim Reid's "Dancing Girl" at all, though. Of course, as with all compilations, some tracks will come off as less-than-stellar but the averages work in Popboomerang's favour here. This is smartly played, and chosen, tunes worthy of wider exposure. Here's hoping that goal's achieved. If power-pop is born in America, it went soon on Australian coasts on everlasting vacation. As a matter of fact, which better setting? Sun, nice girls and freak-out teenagers. Between kangaroos and rugby matches, Scott Thurling's popbbomerang label gathers together twenty-three songs full of irresistible summer energy. Very few the familiar names : Sarah Sarah and theri jangly-pop organ, the brighty Daydreamers of Zelko Rezo, Superscope which proudly hold the Perth musical scene high and a long time acquaintance like Dom Mariani (Stems and DM3) that increase the high quality of the compilation. No fuzz but clear guitars overrun all the tunes in a conjunction of sounds that is 70 percent pure power-pop that leads to smoother territories. Se il power-pop è nato in America, è sulle coste Australiane che è andato presto in vacanza perenne. D'altra parte quale ambientazione migliore? Sole, belle ragazze e tanti adolescenti fuori di testa. Tra canguri e partite di rugby, la popboomerang di Scott Thurling assembla ventitrè brani down under che sprizzano irresistibile energia estiva. Pochissimi i nomi noti: giusto i Sarah Sarah e le loro tastierine jangly-pop, i luminosi Daydreamers di Zelko Rezo, i Superscope che tengono alto l'onore musicale di Perth, e una vecchissima conoscenza come Dom Mariani (Stems e DM3), il che aumenta la sopresa per l'altissima qualità della raccolta. Bandito il fuzz, chitarre limpidissime invadono tutti i pezzi, in un mix sonoro che per sette decimi è puro power-pop ma sa avventurarsi anche in territori più morbidi. Le cose migliori arrivano da Stoneage Hearts (la travolgente title track), Sarah Sarah (delizie indiepop dalla loro "Ignorance and arrogance"), The Elements ("Ordinary Day": pop ai violini) e Starky ("Yesterday I drove your girlfriend home" è così bella che potrebbe essere dei Lucksmiths), e il resto è popolato da surfisti, cori, battimani e tante chitarre elettriche. Pop sabbioso e sopraffino. http://www.indiepop.it/articoli/raccolte_1.htm This 23 song compilation of Australian pop outfits has enough moments to make it worth tracking down, and if you give it time for some thought you’ll realize that it’s amazing that there are so many good bands down under doing this sort of thing. About half the bands are power poppers and the rest are a biut more mellow, but none are bad. I always sidle up to the crunchier bands in the field, and tracks like the ones offered by The Stoneage Hearts, Her Majesty’s Finest, The Dreamdayers & Showbag are pretty satisfying on this account. Lighter efforts from solo folks like Danny McDonald,( ex P76 & Stoneage Hearts) Dom Mariani (ex Stems & DM3) and Charles Jenkins (Mad Turks & Ice Cream Hands) are also cool. Steve Gardener Big Takeover Issue 53 This cool collection of all Oz pop bands came out last year, but it’s taken me this long to getting around to reviewing it. Hate seeing a good thing go un-noticed, so here we go… The Stoneage Hearts swing into full pop mode with the title track, a killer guitar pop romper…setting the honeyed pace for Magneto’s snappy Living On The Moon and Her Majesty’s Finest’ nicely snagged guitars. Sarah Sarah opt for the cutesie electro pop thing, Treetops dish up a classic piece of catchy, easy-flow guitar popestry, while Starky drip all over the canvas with their lazy, swirling piece of perfecto pop…Yesterday I Drove Your Girlfriend Home. Luverly stuff! Smallgoods keep it soft and sweet, The Dreamdayers up the beat nicely, The Decembers keep it all girly and sugary, while Never Loved Elvis throw a little powder into the fire. Pop veteran Dom Mariani has all the ingredients for the perfect pop pie in Brothers And Sisters, Run On One keep it cardboardy and simple ahead of the sweeping, sad beauty of The Elements’ Ordinary Day…strings, sentiment and sweet sweet melodies. A pearler. There’s another ten in the pack, but suffice to say, if you’re a pop freak, as are we over this way, then this could be the perfect compilation for your sizzlin summer. Home grown honey pot! Any one of these songs could be your next favourite. Each tune teases your reminiscence nerve. You won’t get that same butterflittery feeling in your tum-tum ‘til you next hit the swings. Take the seemingly sweet innocence of the sixties, throw in a touch of the eighties, then shake it up some, throw it 40 degrees from the wind, let it spin into heaven and then fall onto your toe tapping shoe. These brand spanking new Aussie creations have been conveniently packaged up for us to love and cherish. “I’ve fallen in love- I think I’ve had too much wine,” notes Run On One in “Karenin’s Smile”. Too true. Even without love drugs, you’ll be declaring your affections for this little gem filled to the brim with catchy luckless romance. She’s a pearler. Just a few of the highlights include the addictive Magneto, the adorable Treetops, and the wonderful Starky bursting with Fountains Of Wayne cuteness. From the moody tear-jerking lull of Smallgoods “Listen To The Radio” to the skipping and hurdling “Peeling From The Ceiling” by The Genes, there is a multitude melodies to make you grin goofily. ‘Be my friend I will listen I will listen to the end” promise The Dreamdayers with simple sincerity. I want to mention the infectious punching beats of “Rodney Smart” by Never Loved Elvis, I want to commend the vocal abilities of Tim Reid, I want to praise every artist several times over. This is a quality compilation with gold galore. It’s Pop, its tops, your neighbours will call the cops ‘cause you’ll be playing it lots. Emily K Perkin Beat Magazine Melbourne 7 May 2003-05-07 Various Artists - Shake Yer Popboomerang (Popboomerang) This is an interesting project for a number of reasons. Firstly, it Expanding on the country's rich garage and powerpop heritage, Australian label Popboomerang proves wonderfully adept at knowing talent when they hear it on this compilation. Get your wallet out and boot up the computer after you hear this one, because you're going to want to get to know some of these bands better. Zolton Zavos - Revolver Magazine Sydney “shake yer pop boomerang” compilation (popboomerang) A release with boomerangs, shaking and pop in its title must be good, right? That’s what I reckon anyway. And sure enough, Australian pop compilation Shake Yer Popboomerang doesn’t disappoint (provided you’re a fan of catchy sugar-sweet pop tunes). The disc is a nationwide collection of rare and previously unreleased guitar pop, featuring 23 different artists hailing from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Australia’s other music capital, Gippsland. With numerous tracks recorded specifically for the project, the CD’S thematic direction doesn’t waver much, although luckily, the delivery does. But forget flat-out riffage, depressive mumblings or drawn out introspection – we’re talking fervent melodies, pretty love songs and sunny day bike rides. With over 20 different tracks by as many artists, it’s a little hard to find a stylistic anchor point. Yet this seems to work in the compilations favour, with style and mood drifting (although never too far) from track to track. There are plenty of standouts all the same. Magneto’s “Living On the Moon” possesses a pop swagger reminiscent of early Even, while Sarah Sarah beep and bleep their way through a cutesy organ based satire of the Melbourne Rock scene in “Ignorance & Arrogance”. The Treetops “Confused” is all angst and yearning, while the Smallgoods “Listen To The Radio” floats through delicate five part harmonies. Tracks by Run On One and Groundswell also deserve a mention. When I say pop, I mean it. There’s nothing-nasty here- just guitars, pretty melodies and fun. Yep, just country drives, cups of tea and fairy floss. Just puppies, bowl haircuts, tic-tocs, playing on swings… I should stop now. Dan Rule –Inpress Magazine Melbourne Sylvia Gauci - 13th May 2003 The strong opener and title track by The Stoneage Hearts was recorded especially for the compilation. Yet this type of power pop is not the signature sound of this recording. Rather, we find ourselves enveloped in rich vocal harmonies, clean acoustic guitars, lots of keyboards, and some strings too. This is perhaps with the exception of "Peggy Wednesday" by Her Majesty's Finest: a fun mod romp akin to the opener. There's nothing wrong with warm acoustic pop. When it's done well you can barely top the fuzzy feeling it gives you inside. Some may even argue that it’s a dying art. And there are many strong spots on this album—probably some of Australia's finest pop moments to date. Favourite tracks include Sarah Sarah's 'Ignorance and Arrogance', which has a go at the local industry for not recognising guitar-pop bands; and the harmonies on the Smallgoods' 'Listen to the Radio' and The December's 'Saving Everything' are highly addictive. Tim Reid's 'Dancing Girl' has vivid echoes of Elliot Smith, yet is still very original and touching. Groundswell grace us with their signature sound in 'To Be Young', as does Chuck Jenkins with 'The Black Madonna', both poignant moments on the album. From this point on the album slides somewhat. There is a nice DIY feel to both Showbag!'s 'Goodbye Friend' and Superscope's 'Untitled Demo #1', which was recorded live. However, there is much room for improvement on both of these tracks. The experimentation continues with 'Til the End', where Joe Algeri and Danny McDonald wrote and recorded the song via e-mail, between their studios in Sweden and Australia. The result is an enjoyable and highly melodic piece. One can imagine what McDonald and Algeri may be capable of if working in the same studio. The closing tracks are all country-influenced, and while the songs stand well on their own, grouped together they make for a weak closing when compared to the energetic first half of the album. Perhaps if some of them were included earlier in the album it would add more variety throughout the recording. That aside, the efforts on Shake Yer Popboomerang are highly laudable and will be enjoyed by anyone who loves guitar-pop or the likes of such acts as The Lucksmiths and The Waifs. It is fantastic to see so many acts being recognised on this compilation, and that the opportunity for new artists such as The Decembers, Magneto and Andy Star to gain some exposure. I hope to see more of all of these artists in the future, but in the meantime, we can all enjoy shakin' our popboomerangs! The Good: Great exposure for quality Australian pop music. www.vibewire.net/articles.php?id=1675 It’s a mystery why Australian guitar pop never makes an impact on local charts. It’s a genre Aussies do well, maybe in celebration of our abundance of beaches and sunshine. Gathering together the best of the current guitar pop bunch, this compilation highlights the depth of Danny McDonald’s (P76) talent. He has a hand in three tracks -with the title track proving the most addictive of the albums various offerings. Other highlights include Tim Reid’s wistfull “Dancing Girl”, Starky’s Teenage Fanclub-esque “Yesterday I Drove Your Girlfriend Home”, and Her Majesty’s Finest’s fuzzed up “Peggy Wednesday”. The drawn out length of this album is it’s biggest fault, but ultimately, the music signals good times ahead for fans of bright, intelligent power pop. Danielle O’Donoghue Melbourne Herald Sun If the world's oil supply were as plentiful as the number of Australian band's doing rocking, melodic and instantly appealing pop music, they'd be giving away gasoline (or do you say petrol?) for free. The first full-length disc on this fledgling label mixes a few familiar names with a whole bunch of talented artists who will join them has fave raves. The legendary Dom (The Stems, DM3) Mariani appears at about the midpoint of the disc, standing as a testimony how enduring the Aussie pop scene is. His song, "Brothers and Sisters" is a characteristically warm slice of jangle. Other name acts included The Dreamdayers (a breathless "I Will Listen" that hearkens back to some British indie pop of the '80s), the sing-a-long fun of The Stoneage Hearts on this comp's title track, Joe (Jack and the Beanstalk) Algeri & Danny (ex-P76) McDonald waxing dreamily on pretty "Til the End" and Starky showing what acts like Frisbie and The Scooters already know -- a well placed horn part can give a nice melody an extra tug of resonance (on the superb "Yesterday I Drove Your Girlfriend Home"). This disc is awash in highlights. Let me turn your attention to Never Loved Elvis, who do a chirpier take on Replacements/Buzzcocks pithiness on "Rodney Smart", which leads to a powerful chorus that sounds like This Year's Model-era Elvis Costello, but more rocking. There are some perkier sounds on Sarah Sarah's "Ignorance & Arrogance" (wistful and cheeky like early Everything But The Girl, but more caffienated and R & B oriented) and The Decembers' "Saving Everything", with Julie Paschke's awesome yearning vocals in the chorus. Fans of You Am I will find some things to like, such as Her Majesty's Finest's ringing "Peggy Wednesday". Tim Reid's "Dancing Girl" is a great folk-pop waltz that has a resonance on par with Paul McCartney and Neil Finn. The Genes' "Peeling from the Ceiling" has a chorus that sounds like it came from some blue-eyed soul hit from the early-'70s. This is a top notch compilation that should turn anyone on to some new favorite artists. At the end of February there was the "Shake Yer Popboomerang" compilation released on that new founded label "popboomerang records", from which I expected a lot, because it is introducing some bands of the current Aussie scene. Label boss Scott Thurling is writing in the liner notes, that he avoids the term "powerpop" on purpuse. So you will find under the overall 23 bands circa 50% powerpop, the rest is Indie-pop and similar. But you will find some excellent pearls: The opener "shake yer popboomerang " by "The Stoneage Hearts” rocks (without an end) , as well as "Peggy Wednesday" by Melbourne Mockers "Her Majesty's Finest" while Matthias Henrichmannn (Germany) Issue # 2 for the Melbourne based label Popboomerang and it's a release that makes itself heard loud because "Shake Yer Popboomerang" is not your average compilation: first, dealing with Aussie pop makes you get ahead, by the incredible high level of the bands involved; second, which other compilation enjoys the luxury to have a killer start like the Stoneage Hearts tune? Australia has long been a hotbed of primo guitar pop, so it comes as no surprise that this Aussie-based collection is packed with instantly memorable tunes. Pretty much everything here succeeds, from the veterans (Dom Mariani, Superscope) to the relative upstarts (Starky, Stoneage Hearts) to the "who the hell is this; damn, they're great!" (Her Majesty's Finest, Never Loved Elvis). Like any good comp of this ilk, it mixes rarities (Mariani's previously unreleased "Brothers and Sisters," a typically great number originally slated for the never-released second Someloves record) with songs that were recorded specifically for this project. Highlights include the bangin' and stompin' of the Stoneage Hearts' "Shake Yer Pop Boomerang," the chill-inducing harmonies and crystalline guitar on Joe Algeri and Danny McDonald's "Til the End," Charles Jenkins' moody, Robyn Hitchcock-like ballad "The Black Madonna" and the garage pop gem "Peggy Wednesday" by Her Majesty's Finest. In a world where pop comps are more prevalent than ever - and more often than not, rather mediocre - Shake Yer Pop Boomerang is a keeper. John M. Borack – Amplifier Magazine USA The Aussies like their guitar pop unfussy and to the point. Which basically means if it doesn't touch your heart or move your feet, it's not gonna cut it! Scott Thurling, the brains behind Aussie indie label, Popboomerang has certainly put his money where his mouth is with the release of this excellent compilation. Names you might recognize weigh in with solid contributions that will enhance their reputations. The Dreamdayers, with the bright “I Will Listen” Kevin Matthews: Bucketful Of Brains Issue 64 Summer 2003 Australia is renowned for producing a lot of fine power pop bands. The Ice Cream Hands, Flanders, Even, You Am I, Screamfeeder, Dom Mariani – those bands to mention a few have enclaves of rabid fans spread around the world. This 23-track delight of harmony and hooks seems designed to bring some of the lesser knowns to a similar cult audience. Its not uniformly amazing stuff but it is consistently good. It’d take more words than I can possible use to talk about the good stuff here, so I’ll just toss the names of Sarah Sarah, Treetops, Groundswell, Smallgoods, Dom Mariani, Run One One, Showbag!, The Genes and Danny McDonald. Many of these local acts Sarah Sarah, Groundswell, Smallgoods, Danny McDonald, Treetops – have swelling audiences in Melbourne. This record, the growing audiences and interest in other rising power pop bands like The Suits bode well for us lovers of classic pop. Ben Gook (Buzz Magazine May Issue) If you're not too pooped to pop after the recent run of Lost Weekend shows, this quirky collection from Melbourne label/online shop Popboomerang might just tickle your tailfeather. More pop than power, it's 23 songs from Australian artists drawn from the length and breadth of this Wide Brown Land (plus an expat living in Sweden, who collaborated over the 'Net). So who's here? A lot of bands I've never struck, actually. An exception, however, is my second dose of Magneto in a couple of weeks (their "Leaving Look" was a highlight of "Lost Weekend" volume 2) and they don't do much wrong. Yep, "Living on the Moon" is a winner. Dunno who scored the Teenage Fanclub support in Melbourne at the time of writing but these guys would have suited nicely. If anyone ever wrote a song called "I-94" we'd be honoured. (Hang on...someone did? Yeah, but a long time ago and not for us.) Similarly, "Shake Your Popboomerang" by Melbourne's Stoneage Hearts is the branded quasi-titletrack. It also sounds like a throwaway, but then the label was hardly going to knock it back, were they? Still looking forward to the next Hearts album, though. Never Loved Elvis peddle a brand of mod-pop with their clever paen to yuppiedom, "Rodney Smart". Her Majesty's Finest are similar mod-beat merchants and "Peggy Wednesday" slides by on the back of a ringing Rickenbacker and melodramatic vocals. By way of contrast, Smallgoods acoustic "Listen to the Radio" is tremulous with delicate multi-part harmonies, almost too light for its own good. Starky's "Yesterday I Drove Your Girlfriend Home" is lilting pop driven by trombone and not as supercharged as their mighty "That's How I'll Know You" single, but still pretty good. Sarah Sarah are still cutesty bubblegum and slightly addictive in an annoying way - but the lyrics of "Ignorance and Arrogance" are one in the eye for critics like yours truly anyway. Dom Mariani weighs in with a 13-year-old jangle-pop song called "Brothers and Sisters" that was intended for a second Someloves album. We at the I-94 Bar love a good handclap song and "Karenin's Smile" manages to be one. Not much idea about Run on One, the four-piece that plays it (the liner notes area little light on) but it's appealing '60s beat pop. Tim Reid does a singer-songwriter thing with not enough edge for mine on the strength of the sleepy "Dancing Girl". There's a fair bit of Danny McDonald on this compile and that can't be a bad thing. As well as being a recent Stoneage Hearts member he's one half of the aforementioned trans-global collaboration, working up "Til The End" over the Internet with expat Sandgroper Joe Algeri, who's re-located to Sweden. It's pure and pleasurable acoustic pop. Similiarly toned is Danny's own "In the Comfort of a Summer's Day" which closes the disc and I figure he probably does with full band as well. No Australian pop album would be complete without a Michael Carpenter touch and West Australian band Showbag's "Goodbye Friend" was mixed at his Stagefright Studios in Sydney. It's simple guitar pop that peters out after 1min30sec. Curious. WA labelmates (they're both on Zip) Superscope flesh out the Perth representation with a slightly laboured song called "Untitled Demo # 1". Production values are respectable (and sometimes just this side of lo-fi) but that's half the charm. Most of it is unaffected, almost demo-ish in tone, comprising as it does outtakes and unreleased material. It's a mixed bag with some obvious highlights and a few forgettable ones. Still, it is a good chance to sample a range of bands that might normally not figure on the radar screen. - The Barman Mit Compilations ist das immer so eine Sache. Schliesslich hat jeder seinen persönlichen Geschmack, der sich nicht immer mit dem Macher der jeweiligen Zusammenstellung decken muss. Auf der anderen Seite sind Sampler eine gute Sache, um neue, interessante Bands kennen zu lernen. Auf die australische Pop-Compilation «Shake yer Popboomerang» trifft beides zu. Unter den 24 Songs hat es einige Tracks, die für meinen Geschmack einfach zu durchschnittlich sind. «Shake yer Popboomerang» enthält aber auch ein paar tolle, mir unbekannte Bands und ein paar Überraschungen. Bands wie Run One Run, The Elements, Never Loved Elvis, Charles Jenkins oder Andy Starr sollte man sich merken. Während mich Sarah Sarah mit ihrem tollen «Ignorance & arrogance» überrascht haben. Ihre Debüt-EP «Sing till it hurts» fand ich nämlich eher belanglos. Enttäuschend sind hingegen die Stoneage Hearts und Dom Mariani (Stems, DM3), die beide schon viel bessere Songs abgeliefert haben. Gewohnt fantastisch ist Tim Reid mit seinem wunderschönen «Dancing girl». Dieser Mann weiss wie man tolle Popsongs schreibt. Unter dem Strich liefert «Shake yer Popboomerang» genügend Gründe für einen Kauf. Translation: With compilations that is always so a thing. Firstly, everyone has it's This compilation is the first released from the Melbourne based independent label, Popboomerang Records. It showcases a whole bunch of talent from new Australian acts and delivers over an hour of easy, melodic listening, and includes rare and unreleased material. The boppy tunes are increasingly infectious; I’m totally doing that upper body sway thing as I write this. I was impressed by The Decembers (formerly known as The Movies) whose track “Saving Everything” was recorded before they even played a gig together. This song has a charming melody and to sing along with the vocal harmony in the chorus was more and more tempting with each listen. The Treetops also prove themselves on this CD with the laid back atmospheric number “Confused”. As a whole, Shake Yer Popboomerang runs quite smoothly and this is probably due to the fact that there isn’t much diversity style or genre wise – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One thing is for certain, if you’re in the mood for great pop, turn this CD on! As Pop Boomerang label's Scott Thurling puts it, this is his dream come true, after making tons of power-pop cassette compilations, here comes his first official release of such kind, that is bound to become some other fans' dream come true. Most of the songs are written especially for the occasion, and all of them are previously unreleased, making this a special collectors' item when it comes to Australian guitar pop sounds. Though all of the artists involved deserve at least a word or two, it would take way too much space, so I'll just stick to my personal faves. The new wave-ish opening title tune comes from the garage power-trio, The Stoneage Hearts, which is followed by “Living On The Moon” by Magneto, a song that would fit perfectly alongside some of Noel Gallagher's best works, and then Her Majesty's Finest, doin' their Westerberg-at-his-power-poppin' -finest. Sarah Sarah (whose EP Sing Till It Hurts was the label's debut release) deliver an imaginary Cardigans' (Life-period) outtake, the harmonizing popsiklers Treetops “Confused” could've easily been one of the highlights of their last year's mini album, Starky proudly wear their 'Fanclub badge, even managing to come up with something that wouldn't seem outta place on the recent Fannies' Best Of, and the Smallgoods “Listen To The Radio” ( ... city ?!) sounds like a part of Big Star's No.1 record-acoustic segment. As for the song by The Dreamdayers, here's what they say about it in the promo-sheet: “A young Marianne Faithful, lost and lonely, drops by late on a Tuesday. I am pair of ears and a shoulder to cry on” (!?!?) ... Now how could you possibly need anything more to get interested?! ... by the way, the song recalls the innocence of the British indie pop from the mid-to-end '80s. The oldest recording here, a combination of McGuinn-ish jangle and Macca-like bass lines, originally meant for The Someloves never released second album in 1990, comes from Dom Mariani, a probable source of inspiration for most of the bands involved. Besides it's stripped-down, acoustic arrangement, you just won't be able to resist the power of the united talents, delivered in the song by Danny McDonald (Jericho, P76, Stoneage Hearts) and Joe Algeri (Jack & The Beanstalk), “Dancing Girl” is a great BIG, “sticky” Jelly-ballad, comin' from the “crowded house”, set in Tim Reid's studio, and considering Andy Star's rootsy pop of “Lucky Strike”, his forthcoming album (also on Popboomerang) is really something to look forward to. Let's just hope that the Popboomerang will keep returning frequently enough, not leaving us pop-hungry. If Australian indie-pop is your thing, this compilation will probably have you wetting your pants. Featuring the likes of Charles Jenkins, Groundswell, Danny McDonald and Showbag, the CD is a collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks from 23 different artists. The compilation opens with the Stoneage Hearts and the title track of the CD. Shaking yer popboomerang is exactly what you'll be doing during this jangly upbeat number. Track 5 is from Treetops and it is one of the highlights of the CD. It's a beautifully crafted pop song. The same can be said for Smallgoods at track 7 with 'Listen To The Radio', an acoustic ballad with five part harmonies. One of Melbourne's best pop-rock acts lies in Groundswell and their contribution to the release lives up to every expectation. Danny McDonald closes the CD beautifully with the final track. The bands featured come from around the country and are a fine slice of Austalian pop music today. Shake Yer Popboomerang is a compilation that runs the gamut from soft ballads to energetic upbeat tunes, and all the while it's pop essence that remains it's heart. Popboomerang has also released a comprehensive and varied (so it's not all power pop!) compilation of new, interesting Australian guitar pop titled Shake Yer Popboomerang (PB002). The record starts with The Stoneage Hearts' special song that sports the title of the compilation and there's unreleased stuff from the likes of Dom Mariani, Superscope, Icecream Hand Charles Jenkins, Joe Algeri and Danny McDonald. In addition to these familiar names the compilation treats to several very interesting new acts, such as the Rickenbacker janglers Magneto, Her Majesty's Finest, Treetops, The Dreamdayers ja Run On One, Australia's answer to Teenage FC, Starky, and The Elements, who sound quite like Linus Of Hollywood with female vocals. (Mikko Lappalainen SUE Magazine- Finland): If you're listening to the Stoneage Hearts' "Shake Your Popboomerang," the first song on the identically-titled Shake Yer Popboomerang, you may find yourself thinking, "Gosh, it's pretty darned coincidental that a song with this title should be the lead-off track of a disc bearing the exact same title." If you do, indeed, find yourself Popboomerang Records first sprung onto the scene late in 2002, when they released Sing Till It Hurts, the debut EP by Sarah Sarah, who, perhaps inevitably, also make an appearance on this collection. In fact, their contribution, "Ignorance & Arrogance," may well be a viable theme song for the Australian power pop community: "Refuse to play our demo on the air / For our vocal stylings, you don't care / You say you're an Australian show, but you're only airing the people that you know." Some of Australia's finest musicians can be found amongst the 23 tracks on Shake Your Popboomerang, among them Dom Mariani (the Stems, the Someloves, DM3), Joe Algeri (Jack & The Beanstalk), Charles Jenkins (Ice Cream Hands), and one of the brightest rising stars in the power pop community, Danny McDonald. In fact, McDonald collaborates with Algeri on "'Til The End," though it's interesting to find that the partnership took place completely by E-mail; as of the date the press release was written, the two had never actually met. Judging by this collection, the pop scene down under is decidedly diverse. Magneto's "Living On The Moon" sounds like a cross between the Replacements and the Wonder Stuff; Her Majesty's Finest fire off a missile of Rickenbacker-powered garage pop. Starky's "Yesterday I Drove Your Girlfriend Home" begins with a trumpet, while Smallgoods' "Listen To The Radio," though a bit underproduced, contains five-part harmonies. The Dreamdayers' contribution, "I Will Listen," is reminiscent of the Connells' best work. The Decembers are one of those groups who make road-weary artists want to punch holes in the wall, as they make their debut with "Saving The Elements produce one of the album's most perfect songs with "Ordinary Day," a piano-laden pop track featuring the group's first attempt at a string arrangement; rest assured, the result is exquisite. Immediately following is "Dancing Girl," by Tim Reid (not the one who played Venus Flytrap on "WKRP in Cincinnati"), which variously resembles Jon Brion, Neil Finn, and, as the press release suggests, perhaps even a bit of Elliot Smith; suffice it to say that these comparisons are intended to be There are a few bummers here and there (Superscope's "Untitled Demo #1" is about as well thought out as you'd expect with a title like that), but, overall, it's hard to call Shake Your Popboomerang anything other than a qualified success; like its spiritual predecessor, Pop On Top! , it spotlights an often-unheralded side of Australian music and whets ones appetite for full-length platters by the artists included. Whether Label Web site: http://www.legacyrecordings.com, www.popmatters.com I've been singing the praises of the Aussie pop scene for a long time, and this release shows it all of in it's glory. There are both new faces and old on this, with the godfather of Australian power pop Dom Mariani from the Stems & DM3, Danny McDonald of P76, Superscope, Joe Algeri of Jack & The Beanstalk, and others mixed in with some great unknown on these shores bands. The songs are all bright and crisp with plenty of ringing guitar work, and there isn't a clunker in the bunch. Among my favourites is the title cut, done by the Stoneage Hearts, which is a great powerpop/punk song with good guitar work and driving rhythm section. Also deserving special mention is the jangle pop of The Dreamdayers, the charming girl Steve (Shredding Paper #16) |
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