Eighteen years ago, July 2000, I got the opportunity to travel to Australia, specifically Adelaide plus a few days in Sydney, for a couple of weeks. It was a bit daunting travelling so far on my own but who knew if a chance like this would come around ever again? I plumped up the courage and booked the flights.
Other than a couple of notable bands like Shihad and Frenzal Rhomb, I didn't really know much about Australian (and Kiwi) music and assumed it was all going to be Pub Rock bands along the lines of AC/DC, Jimmy Barnes, Screaming Jets etc. It turns out I couldn't have been wrong and they had a strong, vibrant music scene and a ton of fantastic bands. One thing I found, and I think it's probably still true today, is that a lot of bands had an almost naive charm about them; an exuberance for music that hadn't been neutered with cynicism like so much UK (and US music) I think that joy comes through in a lot of the music.
With help from Mardi (the person I visited), Alternative music radio station, Triple J and the pushy bloke at the record store in Glenelg, I ended up leaving with a suitcase full of CD's by bands like the aforementioned Shihad and Frenzal Rhomb plus Grinspoon, Skulker, Nitocris, You Am I, The Whitlams, Something For Kate, 28 Days, The Superjesus, The Mark Of Cain, Powderfinger, Killing Heidi, Sunk Loto, Blood Duster and some others I forget. One band though has stayed with me above all the others through the years, and that's Regurgitator.
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| (L-R) Martin Lee, Ben Ely and Quan Yeomans |
As a band name, Regurgitator perfectly represents the band as Punk, Hip Hop, Pop, Folk, Funk, Metal, Synth Pop, Disco and all manner of musical genres are thrown in and then spewed out as the intermingled concoction that's Regurgitator. For all their large repertoire of styles, each song is always instantly recognisable as Regurgitator, this gives their albums a sense of cohesion it could quite easily lack. The fact they have a knack for big, memorable hooks and a wicked sense of humour probably contributes to that.
Originally formed as a side project by Quan Yeomans of Zooerastia, Martin Lee of Brazilia and Ben Ely of Pangaea. Both Quan and Ben take lead vocals though I didn't realise just how many songs Ben sings until compiling this, er, compilation, Once they were signed and their first two EP's (Hamburger and New) were successes, Regurgitator became the trio's main focus. their first three albums (Tu-Plang, Unit and ...art) were their most successful and are generally considered their best
During that time 'personal differences' were causing tension between Martin Lee and Quan that, eventually, saw Martin leave the band.
Their fourth album, Eduardo and Rodriguez Wage War on T-Wrecks, was more Hip Hop influenced than either Unit or ...Art and the first to feature new drummer Pete Kostic. He was originally a temporary fill-in as he was still in the band Front End Loader, though he eventually became a permanent member.
Their next album was recorded somewhat differently; the band, a producer, an engineer and a VJ were locked into a big glass room in the centre of Melbourne for three weeks, unable to leave until the album was recorded. The whole thing was filmed and broadcast as Band In A Bubble, a kind of a Big Brother type programme. The result was the album Mish Mash! Personally, I think it's probably their best album so maybe the process worked!
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| (L-R) Seja Vogel, Ben Ely, Pete Kostic, Quan Yeomans |
Following that, they added Keyboardist/vocalist, Seja Vogel and this line up recorded their sixth album, the excellent Love And Paranoia. I thought she added an interesting dimension to the band. Unfortunately, this is the only album of theirs she plays on,
They released a further two albums, SuperHappyFuntimesFriends and Dirty Pop Fantasy, both quite eclectic, before going on the dreaded indefinite hiatus in 2013. Thankfully this didn't last too long and they started touring Australia again in 2015. Hopefully, there'll be a new album at some point soon.
I did manage to see them live on their 2003 UK Tour and they didn't disappoint and were a lot of fun. The venue was pretty small (300 capacity) and there were about half a dozen VERY excited Australians down the front. After the show, Quan and Ben stood by the main door shaking hands and thanking people for coming as they left. Before that Ben was stood in front of me in the queue to sign up to the mailing for one of the support bands, Electric Eel Shock from Japan who were, quite frankly, sensational and wiped the floor with every band on the bill that night, including Regurgitator.
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| (L-R) Ben Ely, Quan Yeomans, Pete Kostic |
This mix will be one of the most eclectic Rock albums you'll probably ever hear, but also jam packed full of some of the most enjoyably catchy songs too. Almost all of them will get stuck in your head if you let them. I've tried to take songs from their entire career so there are quite a few that should be here that I had to cut so the mix would stay to length; I'm sure there's plenty of songs that another fan of 'The Gurge' would be apoplectic about their omission As with all these band specific mixes I've done, take it as an introduction to the band and expect there to be a wealth of quality material on the full albums. If I can make even a couple of new Regurgitator fans with this then I'll consider it job done.
There's a couple of tracks I would most definitely have included if I hadn't already used them on previous mixes.
"Mountains" was previously used on Mix #12 - The Elephant's Graveyard
"I Sucked A Lot Of Cock To Get Where I Am" was previously used on Mix #21 - NSFW
Tracklisting
We Love You!
Happiness (Rotting My Brain)
Everyday Formula
! (The Song Formally Known As)
My Ego
The Lonely Guy
Future Is Plastic
Music Is Sport
Uncontactable
Romance Of The Damned
If This Is The Blues Why Do I Feel So Green?
Answering Machine
Blubber Boy
Couldn't Do It
So Tuff
Miranda July
Don't Go To Sleep
I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff (Live)
One Day
Hullabaloo
Drinking Beer Is Awesome!
Crush The Losers
Miffy's Simplicity
Metal Is Big In The Baltic States
Fun Fun Fun
I Wanna Be A Nudist
Black Bugs
Fuck The Goddamn World
You can download the mix HERE if you want, no worries. There's blurb about every track below if you fancy a read too.
THIS is their Facebook Page
And
HERE is their Spotify Page
HERE's their website for more info, merch, CD's tour dates and all that.
They've got a fair bit up on Bandcamp, the majority of which is Name Your Price,
HERE
There's a great interview with Pete Kostic you can listen to on, Australian Podcast, Long Gone Loser
HERE
Cheers,
Luke
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We Love You!
Taken from the 2013 album
Dirty Pop Fantasy
This track is buried in the second half of their last album but it's the perfect introductory track to the band. It mixes up their experimentation, their Punk riffery and their joyous pop sensibilities. It's also a good statement of what the band is about, particularly the chorus of:
"We know what you want but we're not gonna give it to you, cos that would be easy"
The song is big, dumb fun on the surface but knowing, cheeky cynicism underneath; and that's as fitting an analogy of the band as a whole as I can come up with.
Happiness (Rotting My Brain)
Taken from the 1999 album
...art
This is the opening track of their third album and a love song to television. or, more accurately, a comment on how modern society relies on it so much. Kicking off with some strings that evoke idyllic 50's suburban life, possibly just because it sort of reminds me of the Tranquility Lane music in Fallout 3. A quest set in a seemingly idyllic 50's suburb. Anyway, the song itself is one of their more well known (In Australia at least) tracks and it's a great one. The cheery verses are offset by the dark and insidiously catchy chorus. It's one of their strongest songs and is perhaps even more relevant today than it was in 1999.
Everyday Formula
Taken from the 1997 album
Unit
This song is probably the most well known to those of you reading this that aren't already familiar with Regurgitator. It was one of the tracks on The Wildhearts's cover album Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before Vol. 1 and I know that a large section of the people who bother to read this blog are Wildhearts fans. Their version was pretty faithful and there's not too much different with this original.
The song is a Punky burst of Alternative Rock built around a mammoth, frenetic riff. It's about mass pollution and how we blind ourselves to the fact we're gradually killing the planet. The majority of people just don't care if it doesn't immediately affect them. It's bluntly summed up with the opening line:
"Everyday I shit into the sea, It's strange but it doesn't mean that much to me"
! (The Song Formally Known As)
Taken from the 1997 album
Unit
Another single taken from Unit and another one with a link to The Wildhearts though this one is a bit more circumstantial; The Wildhearts also has a song called The Song Formally Known As though it's purely coincidental. This one is a huge, anthemic Synthpop song and is essentially a Disco love song for introverts. It's funny, charming and catchy as anything.
I don't have a clue what either song used to be called though, so those more knowledgeable, feel free to chip in.
My Ego
Taken from the 2004 album
Mish Mash!
Anyone fancy some rapping backed up with some tuba-led Oompah? No? Well, tough shit because that's what you've got. If it's any consolation, it's marvellous.
My Ego tells the tale of a man whose anxieties and crippling self-doubt keep him awake all night as he ponders everything he did that day. Unlike normal people, however, his are anthropomorphised. I laughed out loud (I didn't LOL) the first time I heard this song and always have it stuck in my head weeks after I've listened to it. It's probably my favourite song on what's probably my favourite album of theirs.
The Lonely Guy
Taken from the 1999 album
...art
There's a strong 80's vibe in The Lonely Guy's sweeping synths and, as you'd probably expect by now, a massive chorus. It's told from the viewpoint of a man who is, unsurprisingly lonely. He's also a bit...intense. The chorus is surprisingly stirring for what's essentially a stalker's anthem.
Future Is Plastic
Taken from the 2001 album
Eduardo And Rodriguez Wage War On T-Wrecks
There's kind of a feisty, Mod Rock feel to this pacy blast of Pop Punk. It's a snarling rant against consumerism. I like that jerky, squawky guitar line that runs through it, there's a nice flow to the lyrics too that the band's fondness for Hip Hop no doubt influenced.
Music Is Sport
Taken from the 1996 album
Tu-Plang
Kind of a similar theme to Future Is Plastic though more specifically the music business and record companies drive for sales over artistic merit. It's a lo-fi Hip Hop drone that Quan almost mumbles his lines over. It's a dark, menacing track that, unlike a lot of that era's Hip Hop, doesn't sound dated at all.
Uncontactable
Taken from the 2011 album
SuperHappyFuntimesFriends
This is a pacy Punk song about turning your phone off for a bit of peace and quiet every now and then. I think most folk could identify with that.
Romance Of The Damned
Taken from the 2008 album
Love And Paranoia
Love And Paranoia was the only album to feature keyboardist/co-vocalist Seja Vogel and Romance Of The Damned is a synth-heavy duet between her and Quan. It's a love song from two people whose behaviour to each other is wildly inappropriate and full on stalkery. It's oddly charming and sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie or something.
If This Is The Blues Why Do I Feel So Green?
Taken from the 2004 album
Mish Mash!
Beginning with some predictably Bluesy acoustic guitar until some crushing bass kicks in and vibrates the speakers. It morphs into some Blues Metal thing with one of the heaviest riffs I think they've recorded. In contrast, the vocals are laid back and melodic and the juxtaposition works really well.
Answering Machine
Taken from the 2013 album
Dirty Pop Fantasy
This is a short, stripped back, Folky, acoustic song that kind of serves as an interlude of sorts. It's just Quan leaving a message for a girl (called Alice) and pleading with her answering machine to save it this time.
Blubber Boy
Taken from the 1995 EP
New
One of their more popular early songs, Blubber Boy is a catchy Pop Punk song that I've always thought was about a tubby guy trying to woo a lady. Delving into the lyrics a bit more for this blog I've discovered this isn't the case at all. In fact, it's based on an old Inuit folktale about a woman who was so inconsolable with grief following the death of her husband, she carved a full size image of him out of whale blubber. She then brought him to life by rubbing her delicate lady flower upon him. Whenever he got too warm, he'd start to break apart and melt, returning to blubber. She'd then have to give him a refresher rub with her magical clunge.
One day he was out fishing in the sun, he got far too warm and started to break apart. She wasn't around to save him and so he flopped into a pile of whale fat and died once more.
I'll tell my kids that delightful little love story when it gets to bedtime story time,
Couldn't Do It
Taken from the 1994 EP
Hamburger
Both this and Blubber Boy were both re-recorded for their debut album, Tu-Plang, but, for what it's worth, I prefer the original versions of them both. Couldn't Do It is all awkward, lurching Funk Rock with Ben rapping all about all of the impossible things he can't do. Captain Kirk, The Toxic Avenger, Godzilla and the Triffids all get mentions, which is nice for old people geeks.
So Tuff
Taken from the 2013 album
Dirty Pop Fantasy
A grand sounding intro belies the 40-second long Hardcore that follows it. So Tuff is full of faux macho, male posturing that's as ridiculous as it is unbelievable coming from a geeky, bespectacled, Asian man.
Miranda July
Taken from the 2010 EP
Distraction
Miranda July is about a letter of affection Quan (possibly fictionally) sent to the multi-talented Miranda July. A letter that was Return To Sender'ed. I didn't think I've heard of her until I read her Wiki page and it turns out I've seen one of her films, Me And You And Everyone We Know. It's one of those cool Indie films where people listen to The Shins and not much really happens. It was alright.
Don't Go To Sleep
Taken from the 2004 album
Mish Mash!
This one is either a rip-off of or a homage to Devo with it's cheerfully parping synths and Ben's quirky vocal. It's about the end of the party and the one person who's still up for it despite everyone else nodding off, going home etc. It's yet another song that'll worm it's way into your memory if you let it and you'll be mumbling it to yourself constantly
I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff (Live)
Taken from the 2015 album
Nothing Less Than Cheap Imitations: Live at The HiFi Melbourne Oct 2012
The original version of this was the opening track to their second album, Unit. I've included this live version, despite the slightly wobbly performance, as the vocals on the studio version are so heavily distorted and fiddled with that it's hard to make out what's being said. It's nice to hear actual lyrics on this version. As for the song itself, I think it's fairly evident what it's about.
One Day
Taken from the 2011 album
SuperHappyFuntimesFriends
This is a fairly straightforward rock song about the futility of existence. We're all going to die at some point, it's unavoidable, so why bother worrying about it? Let's just take each day as it comes and deal with stuff as it happens. Fair point, well made.
Hullabaloo
Taken from the 2001 album
Eduardo And Rodriguez Wage War On T-Wrecks
Hullabaloo is an energetic Rap Rock track about, again, consumerism, capitalism and modern life drudgery. This is interspersed with the somewhat moronic chants of "Rock you. Hard" so, If you don't pay much attention to the lyrics, it comes across as a gonzo Nu-Metal anthem and a 'big fuck you, from the home crew'.
Drinking Beer Is Awesome!
Taken from the 2008 album
Love And Paranoia
At first, this one seems to be another dumb bro anthem but it's actually a sardonic nod to all the terrifying epidemics and calamities the media reports and society froth about, things like refugees, tidal waves and bird flu (h5n1) that never seem to have the ruinous outcome that's promised. It's best just to ignore the furore and have a beer.
Crush The Losers
Taken From the 2000 EP
Crush The Losers
Apparently, as the band were reasonably popular around the time of the Sydney Olympics, they were approached by the Olympic Committee to contribute a song to a themed album, not considering that a pair of skinny nerds might not have that much interest in sport. Crush The Losers is the song they came up with and, while the committee were less than impressed, it's hilarious.
It's a chest beating, ruthless ode to victory all wrapped up in shiny, larger than life Pop Rock, complete with a child choir and some nice atmospheric crowd noise.
Miffy's Simplicity
Taken from the 1996 album
Tu-Plang
A raw, noisy rock song that's a love song to a girl who may or may not be a small white rabbit who has fairly dull adventures like losing a ball or playing hide and seek with her friends
Metal Is Big In The Baltic States
Taken from the 2004 album
Mish Mash!
A mid-paced rock song based around a repetitive guitar riff and is about how they'll never be as cool as the Metal Dudes. Sadly the song isn't half as Metal as you'd expect but I guess that's sort of the point. I dunno why there are some big, Christmassy, bells halfway through though.
Fun Fun Fun
Taken from the Download
Dirty Pop BONUSBLASTER
Fun Fun Fun is one of two extra tracks left over from the recording of Dirty Pop Fantasy and were later released as a free download. It's an upbeat Pop Rock song with some tasty 80's synths. About having fun.
I Wanna Be A Nudist
Taken from the 1999 album
...art
This one's a breakneck Punk song with Ben yelling about several things he wants to be. It's a reasonably catchy song, and one I like a lot, but I find it strange it was a single, particularly over songs like The Lonely Guy or I Love Tommy Mottola. Then again, maybe there should be more songs about Nudists on the radio?
Black Bugs
Taken from the 1997 album
Unit
For the last 15+ years, I've always thought the chorus of this song was "What's at the end? This ain't a dream, no". It wasn't until checking the lyrics online just now that I've discovered it's actually "What's at the end of Satan's Rainbow?" It's not the most amusing of misheard lyrics but it was a big deal for me, shush.
Anyway yeah, this is a song about the dangers of video games and how they suck you in and take over your life. While that's true, I would argue that that's not necessarily a bad thing.
It's also a third Regurgitator song with a link to The Wildhearts as CJ Wildheart covered it as a bonus track on his 2016 solo album, Robot.
Fuck The Goddamn World
Taken from the 2001 album
Eduardo And Rodriguez Wage War On T-Wrecks
Similar in theme to Drinking Beer Is Awesome!, Fuck The Goddamn World is a poppy Hip Hop track that's about all the awful shit that's going on with the world and how it's probably best to just pretend it's not happening and have yourselves a damn good night. Sadly, it's as relevant today as it was seventeen years ago. Despite being morbid and bleak lyrically it's actually quite a cheerful, feel good song with a ridiculously catchy chorus that's not great for having stuck in your head at work.
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| My beloved old Regurgitator shirt |
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