All girl. All rock. Killer live sounds, Remake Remodel have been ripping up the Melbourne pub scene for just on 5 years now. Not seen them? Hell, where ya been?

After a slew of top supports, from Jet to The Datsuns, The Donnas to NY's Lunachicks, The Remakes packed up their gear last year and flew to the US & Canada, to give the rest of the world a taste of their angular new-wave pop. Known for their spiky vocals and a jagged guitar aesthetic, they evoke classic late 70s punk bands, whilst cementing an unmatched sound of their own.

Remake Remodel's latest EP "1,2,3,4,5 Accelerate" , has just been reissued by Melbourne label Popboomerang Records. The disc was recorded between drinks at Revolver Arcade earlier this year.

Title Track 1,2,3,4,5, ACCELERATE blasts thru the speaker for just over two minutes. If it was an automobile it would have won 'wheels car of the year' three times now.

THANKS FOR NOTHING is a killer bass driven track that builds in intensity until the final thumping crescendo end.

Just in time for Summer, JELLYBEAN closes proceedings with Pina Colada's, ice cream, and a shiny pop remix delivering DJ Ransom who brings the looped beats along for his new take on a live favourite.

The band took this EP overseas and sold out the debut pressing. Gina from The Lunachicks loved it, a guy behind the bar in Portland called the band the Oz Sleater Kinney, and a reviewer in Toronto think's it's better than The Donnas.

Remake Remodel were one of the main acts for the hugely successful

underground festival Ladyfest Melbourne in 2003 and early 2004 will see the band hit the stage at The Big Day Out, Melbourne, tour the East Coast of Australia and continue working on their first album.

Tracklisting:
1) Accelerate
2) Thanks For Nothing
3) Jellybean
4) Jellybean Remodel (Ransom Remix)
5) Bonus: Accelerate Filmclip

[ add to basket ]

I know what you might be thinking. "Remake Remodel" -- isn't that an old Roxy Music song? Is this band a rip-off cover group best seen in Australian bars and clubs catering to an over 40 crowd? Well, no to both. Although the group shares a name with the song title from Brian Ferry and his group, this isn't Roxy Music -- more like rock-sy music if anything. This Australian band -- consisting of Melissa Lock on bass, Jes Cogger on vocals, Alex Kastaniotis on drums, and Sarah Blaby on guitar -- has rubbed shoulders with bands Down Under currently making a splash up over here, including Jet. This girl group has also been compared to the likes of Sleater-Kinney and the Strokes by critics, but don't believe everything you read my dear children. (Except this review; I speak the truth!)

This, the third EP from the group, consists of four songs and clocks in at far less than 20 minutes of work. Heck, it's doing good to clock over 15 as an enhanced CD with a film clip. Nonetheless, the four songs presented are quite good. Some might need a bit of polish, but generally what you get is a band intent on blowing you away with guitars and catchy hooks. "Talk okay, la la la la la", Cogger says before the crunching and primitive "Accelerate" gets things rolling, with Remake Remodel hitting the ground flying more than running. The guitars and rhythm section are wound tightly while some fantastic Hammond Jr.-esque guitar is played by Blaby on the bridge and chorus. Some surf guitar nuances are added, but it's the type of song that hits you in the gut, instinctively drawing you in. The rhythm section is also excellent, but Blaby blows them out of the proverbial water (or recording studio).
It's no wonder that this band has been praised at various festivals and conferences, including Toronto's North By Northeast Festival. They also appeared at Australia's Big Day Out this year in Melbourne. And if these four tracks are a measuring stick, they have plenty more of this Blondie-retro-rock-cool in stock.

"Thanx 4 Nothing" takes a second or four to find its footing and pop its clutch, moving into a kick-starting rocker that is relentless. Perhaps the only thing missing is a "woo hoo" from some backing female singers. It's the slower groove that works so nicely, sort of like Blondie meets No Doubt, a slab of pop melded with a light and breezy reggae feeling. Cogger is very highbrow on the vocals, a la Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. However, the song slows down in the bridge when it should be picking up from start to finish. One problem with the track is that the guitar is buried in the mix a la My Bloody Valentine. Looking at the album photo on the back of the sleeve, one gets the feeling that Franz Ferdinand femme fatales might be the best term for Remake Remodel.

A dazzling and lovable "Jellybean" veers between smart and highbrow Brit pop and a rollicking guitar riff. What makes it work here isn't so much the guitar as drummer Kastaniotis, keeping it all together when other drummers might splinter the momentum or vibe going around them. A wall of guitars swim underneath Cogger's vocals and "whoa oh". Only once during this song does the bizarre notion of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" rear its head, but again this disappears with the stellar chorus and musicianship. "Now you know, now you know", they sing while the band hits all cylinders. Unfortunately, one has to sneer when the idea of a four-song EP contains a REMIX? "Jellybean Remodel" is that tune, with the title "Ransom Remix" added. It's a real downer to be sure, as it sounds almost bastardized. An EP can contain remixes if you're recognized or proven, but when you're still getting it right, putting it on does the band a disservice. Remake Remodel are promising, just don't let the closing tune make you tune them out.

Popmatters.com 20 July 2004
by Jason MacNeil

Don't you just hate EPs?

I sure as hell do - at least when they're as good as Remake Remodel's 12345 Accelerate. But seriously, folks, this is great pop with a whole heap of punk-like attitude that left me wanting to hear much more than the three tracks here (I'm not counting a remix and interactive stuff). The title cut has "anthem" written all over it, "Thanx For Nothing" is great retro-styled garage that'll get you on the dance floor, and "Jellybean"s steady march creates a more laid-back groove without losing any sense of excitement. Then again, three songs aren't much to go on with regards to making any grand proclamation regarding Remake Remodel as a band. Still, you can point to their "less is more" style - likely a by-product of their youth - as showing that the band is in tune with what they can (and can't) deliver. I'm sure we'll be in store for a lot from Remake Remodel, but until then we have three great tunes that will hopefully point the way.

Claudio Sossi Shake It Up Fanzine Canada June 04

Yummy! Four tracks, 12:32 minutes is all it takes to convince the discerning pop listener (hey, that’s you!) that Remake Remodel has got what it takes to capture your attention. The hooks and the looks! This tight quartet viz. Melissa Lock (bass), Alex Kastankitis (drums), Jes Cogger (vox) and Sarah Blaby (guitars/vox) not only know how to rock as evidenced by “Accelerate” and “Thanx For Nothing” but on the enticing “Jellybean” expresses a Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders vibe which most will find irresistible. As a statement of intent and potential, this EP is off the richter scale, can world domination be far off?

All all grrrl four-piece from (where else?) Melbourne, Remake Remodel make me glow with pride for the Rock 'n Roll Highschool of the mid-1990's. After all, lest we forget that Brody Dalle from the Distillers emerged from said institution, and you can bet the likes of Nitocris and others inspired Remake Remodel to pick up guitars.
They're not half bad either – the three original tracks that make up the 12345 Accelerate EP vary from the straight-ahead punk-rock riffing of the opener "Accelerate" to the vaguely ska-tinged "Thanx 4 Nothing" to the 1960's pop of "Jellybean". Put it this way: they're significantly better than Lash, that supposed 'real' band from Perth that turned out to have their songs written by (and played by) others more talented than they…if you believe the rumours, that is. The Ransom remix of "Jellybean" (retitled "Jellybean Remodel") is nice, but unnecessary – surely it would've been better to include another original song, further showcasing the band? Perhaps next time.

www.theelectricnewspaper.com

Accelerate indeed. This Aussie quartet does not lack for energy on this crisp EP. The best track of the bunch is the slinky "Thanx 4 Nothing", which mixes a bit of doomy surf rock vibe (kinda like early Midnight Oil or Slant 6), great harmony vocals, and a passionate vocal from Jes Coggers to build a memorable groove. There is no straightforward chorus, but the hooks come from the memorable instrumental figures. Even better is how the song builds and builds to a thrilling and exhilerating conclusion. Lead track "Accelerate" is more pop-friendly, fueled by Sarah Blaby's lead guitar work. This song has a more traditional chorus -- this sounds like The Go-Go's with balls. The song "Jellybean" takes up the final two slots. In its first incarnation, it's a light mid-tempo number -- that's a relative te! rm, as there is still some nice dirty guitar in spots. The song is then remixed on "Jellybean Remodel", with a different backbeat, a more funk-like guitar part, which reveals the brilliance of Melissa Lock's bassline. This EP reveals a band that could open for Franz Ferdinand, could play with all the garage bands in Detroit and even make friends with post-punkers in NYC and D.C. They have a ridiculously high ceiling.

www.fufkin.com

Despite their name, this all-girl Aussie combo are far more Elastica and Echobelly than Eno or Roxy Music. This brief outing is also more of a single than an EP, as it includes a remix of one of its three original songs.

While hardly revelatory, Remake Remodel's spunky, radio-ready stuff is worth at least thirteen minutes of your time. They have the sense not to extend "Accelerate" beyond two minutes of mindless, crunching, counting fun. "Thanx 4 Nothing" dabbles in snotty vocals and ska-flavored riffs and Remake Remodel come out of it as Sleater-Kinney disciples, which is vastly preferable to No Doubt imitators. "Jellybean" is a slick, flirtatious two chord wonder; if Justine Frischmann ever hears it, she'll have a good long cry, as it would've made a perfect follow-up to "Connection" so many years ago. Surprise, surprise -- it's also the track that's immediately followed by its own remix. Actually, it's more of a dub; the addition of minimal looped beats and a few scattered siren noises only makes the band's '80s fixation more blatant. If they continue to indulge in such endeavors, they could be the punk Madonn! as of their dreams, rather than just a really rockin' Spice Girls.

Chris Kriofske
www.splendidezine.com

Remake Remodel have managed to do what so many grrl bands have fucked up before – they mix the heady guitar work with sweet as fuck vocals and a genuinely varied batch of songs and styles without letting the arrogant shadow all that work. Opener “Accelerate” has been in bed with every JJJ presenter and is the ultimate live track, but track to “Thanx For Nothing” , is my pick. It’s understated guitar parts and sexy beat give vocalist Jes Cogger the scope she deserves, while the “Jellybean” emix by DJ Ransom reveals yet another dimension of this rocking band

Blunt Magazine Issue 30

From the practice room excerpts at the beginning of the title track to the plastic-pop strains of "Jellybean", Remake Remodel whiz through the tracks with contagious energy, offering a new take on the current retro-rock fixation. Instead of five, scruffy, side- burned, You Am I also-rans in tight jeans there are four leggy lasses with harmony to spare - though the tight jeans seem inevitable either way.

Jes has a voice almost too innocent for the bands' purported rock edge, her sweet range sounding slightly off-kilter as she sings the praises of fast cars and fast love in title track. The song itself though is full of fun hooks and at a mere 2:04 does leave you craving another chorus. In the second track "Thanx 4 Nothing" a bouncing baseline is set to shuffling drums, accented with an occasional kick of crunchy guitars and some killer girlie-harmonies which add up to perhaps the highlight of the EP.

Lyrically Jellybean takes the predictable road, with a plethora of corny confectionary related metaphors - "I want to be your sugar- plum fairy" but the more poppy style certainly suits Jes's voice and the band slip easily into a power-pop style. The last track is a remix of Jellybean, which has a fun, cheesy 80's feel to it, but it isn't stylistically divergent enough from the original to really justify its inclusion. All up though Remake Remodel are plenty of fun and at the risk of stretching out the analogy, great music to cruise to.

Ella www.ozmusicproject.net

Aussie grrrls sure know how to rock, and here's the proof from Melbourne quartet, Remake Remodel. "Accelerate" as its title suggests is a fast paced flurry of buzz saw guitars and sharp vocal delivery. The track starts out with a studio snippet they decided to leave on their latest EP "12345 Accelerate", which humanizes a band one could otherwise mistake for a tight unit of super human rock n' roll androids. Remake Remodel certainly don't hold back, pulling serious punches in the riff department, effortlessly staking their claim as Coolgrrrls Hit Driving Song of the Summer. Tear out on the open road and turn it up LOUD!
http://www.coolgrrls.com/mp3/rr.html

This is a four-song EP (three tunes really – one’s a re-mix) from a cutesy all-girl pop-punk four-piece from Melbourne - and it’s great. Think The Donnas with panache and less of the cliché factor, or the Buzzcocks crossed with Sydney’s Del-emmas, and you’re close.

“Accelerate” is a spiky piece of bouncy pop, pure ‘n’ simple. Jes Cogger’s melodic vocals and the rabid energy levels win the day and propel this bracing, bright ball of energy along. A formidable two minutes - and tough into the bargain. Like being beaten up by your big sisters.

“Thanx for Nothing” opens with a hi-hats-and-bass echo of Craig Leon’s “Blitzkrieg Bop” mix from the first Ramones album before yielding to a a choppy, semi-reggae feel. Very cool. “Jellybean” isn’t up to the same grade as the opening two tracks and ultimately feels a little monotonous, so the re-mix doesn’t do much. But that’s still a fair strike rate.

The comment was recently made on a NY punk mailing list (by Miss Kitty Kowalski of NYC’s The Kowalskis, if ya must know) that women in rock and roll are judged far more harshly than the guys. Now I dunno if that’s entirely true, but in a male dominated field it does have some validity . That being the case, I'll advance Remake Remodel as contenders for bigger things and say that not many bands are doing this stuff as well, be they guys or gals.

Can't help thinking, in fact, that Remake Remodel would go down a storm in Europe where the pop-punk torch is held so high by labels like Stardumb. "12345 Accelerate" is in a similar vein to the last Groovie Ghoulies album, but with more bounce.

There’s a cool film clip for “Accelerate” as part of the deal too, shot on the band’s recent US tour, in which John Lydon evenb plays a cameo. This is the third EP for the band, which was formerly known as Porcelain. Do us a favour next time girls, and make it an album? – The Barman www.i94bar.com

Love them rocking chick bands. The title track makes it’s point and squeals off in a cloud of tyre smoke in a bee’s dick over 2 minutes and that’s just right. It’s said all it needed to, and then pissed off. If only life could be more like that. Then we’ll get angry with a former object of affection, telling them that “Thanx 4 Nothing” over a bass that will probably match the bruising from where they’ve kicked the ex-loved one in the groin. “Jellybean” then shows they can be that bit sweeter. They all sing along with sweet ragged harmonies and if the The Donnas thought they were all that, RR show that there’s a better way.

Ross Mclelland Drum Media 27 January 2004

Recently returned from the US of A, all girl Melbourne outfit Remake Remodel dish up their third EP with a scorched serving of raw jagged guitars, she-rockin’ vox and a leather-clad ‘tude for good measure. Title song rumbles along before the poppier jaunt of Thanx For Nothing swims a little freer. Catchy riff, sweetly barbed guitar and some nice dynamics. Pick of the batch really. Jellybean skips along all honeyed like and then cops a remix at the hands of DJ Ransom. Slick. Nice lidl slab of raw popped rock.
Mark Fraser www.redbackrock.com

The name of this record might as well apply to the career trajectory on which this four piece have found themselves. Just back from a US tour to play the Melbourne BDO (Big Day Out) Remake Remodel have landed back in Oz to high rotation JJJ airplay (you’ve heard the oh so catchy single “Accelerate”,) and lots of press attention. Pretty damm good for an unsigned indie band, but all of this unsurprising when you consider their pop punk genius. Having seen (and been disappointed) with their previous incarnation Porcelain. I was fortunate to catch them with Ninety-Nine late last year and be impressed by the development of their sound. And what a sound! Swirling guitars, loose bass, sinister-sweet vocals, and a great sense of pop structure means that “12345 Accelerate” at once reminds you of all your favourite bands and makes you feel you’ve hot on something fresh and exciting. The shiny DJ Ransom remix of “Jellybean”, adds a wonderfully erratic beat to an already sweet-as track and rounds off the release neatly. Bring on the full length! Oh, did I say Slater-Kinney yet? No? Sleater-Kinney.

As infectious as: The chicken pox, and with just as many excuses for ice cream and truancy 4/5

Jennifer Mills The Brag January 26

In the absence of any Webb Brothers trax (sigh), this week's single o' the week is of the sisters variety. Yes siree Bob, those Remake Remodel girls have given their name an Oprah makeover since we last saw them, and their music now has a spark to match. It?s straight-outta-the-rehearsal-room raw, but that don?t change the feeling you?ve just stepped in on something special. The basslines are so uncooked they?re slapping you around the face ? kinda like Adam Clayton circa 1980. And the buzzing guitars are like the sweet whirlwind hum of 18 of your favourite alt-rock cul heroes. And the vocals? Don?t get me started on those changeling, sinister/sweet vocals"

12345 Accelerate EP Single of the week 5/11/2003 Beat magazine Melbourne

One, two, three, four, five, accelerate ...
Things are going pretty fast in the Remake Remodel world. Some cool gigs, and they've been snapped up by the very discerning Popboomerang label, who have just released their EP, 12345 Accelerate, which recently scored a four-star rave in Sydney, with the reviewer declaring: "As infectious as the chicken pox, and with just as many excuses for ice cream and truancy." Popboomerang head honcho Scotty Thurling says: "It's been perfect timing for me as I was looking for something more rockin' to split the softer pop albums I'm releasing by Tim Reid and Tamas Wells. I love the various punk/pop/rock styles and songs of the band plus their overall attitude to the music industry and ambitions." Michele, the Go Betsy bass player, turned Scotty on to the band. He arranged a meeting with guitarist Sarah Blaby, but it never happened because her car broke down on the way. Remake Remodel then headed to North America for a tour, playing NXNE in Toronto and Ladyfest in Denver. Scotty and the band hooked up again when he asked them to submit a track for the forthcoming Shake Yer Popboomerang 2 compilation. Remake Remodel had been known as Porcelain, so why the name change? "We had to change because of all the other bands with the same name," Sarah explains. "Remake Remodel is a Roxy Music song title and we liked it - plus no one else has it, except a Roxy cover band in Norway." The band features four women - Sarah, singer Jes Cogger, bass player Melissa Lock, and drummer Alex Kastaniotis. Does that mean anything? "I guess it gives the press something to write about when they can't think of anything else," Sarah says. "For us, it's something that we can't change, we just work with it and play music and do all the same things as 'boy bands' do, like lug equipment, play gigs, tour, rehearse, record ... the mechanics are the same whether you are a boy or a girl. It's really just other people's perceptions that are altered. For me, seeing a bunch of guys on stage playing rock is tired and old. Unless they are really doing something amazing, I'm bored. Seeing women on stage is a whole different thing, whether it's solo, an all-girl band or a mixture of sexes - it changes the dynamics, it's more fascinating and I like it better."
So what would be Remake Remodel's ultimate gig? "Sleater Kinney, The Rapture, Blondie and us - that'd be cool with me!"

Jeff Jenkins Inpress Magazine Feb 25