The South East Facing Wall 7″ are finally all finished and back! Most of the pre orders got sent out today, rest will get sent out tomorrow. Poison City Records have them already, and they’ll be getting to some other stores around the country over the next week or so. Order Them Here
Next up is the Foxtrot Gone Fishin’ 12″ followed by a debut 7″ everyones* been waiting for!
In their short three-year existence, Melbourne band The Bennies have performed over 300 shows. Their expeditions to Asia- Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, together with a recent sold out national tour with friends The Smith Street Band, has seen their relentless touring schedule rewarded, carving a reputation as one of the country’s most exciting live acts. The band now announce the release of Better Off Dread, a 4 track 7″ inch vinyl released through Jackknife Records, that captures their high octane punk-rock rapture on wax.
SIDE ONE:
Mushroom Tea
On the release of their Party Party Party debut in 2011, Veri.Live Magazine wrote, “The Bennies are masters. Their thrash-disco sound creates a party around itself.” Following suite webzine Chucking A Mosh contributed, “The Bennies may have written the soundtrack to the best party you’ve ever been to!” Fast-forward two years and The Bennies have outdone themselves with Mushroom Tea. Yet another dance floor anthem, the song seamlessly jaunts from the saxophone wail of third wave ska to a paranoid, closing Black Sabbath guitar riff. “This song is written about a pretty intense night we all shared. Once a year we cruise off to the east coast of Victoria to hang out at a lake and go fishing. In reality no one does any fishing and everyone just gets loose.” says frontman Anty Horgan. “We wanted to write a song that embodied this vibe,” and that they’ve done.
My Bike:
Borrowing the anti-authoritarian tone of Leftover Crack and Dennis Lyxzen’s post-Refused band AC4, for whom they’ve recently played support, My Bike is The Bennies at their unencumbered best. Recalling Horgan’s inauspicious encounter with his neighbourhood constabulary, the song’s frantic pop-punk style and repetitious chorus has made the song an instant live hit and a fan-favourite drinking game.
SIDE TWO:
Better Off Dread:
Beginning with a sly reference to The Specials Man at C&A, ‘Better Off Dread,’ is a 2:50 slice of ska advocacy. Name checking The Wailers, Sublime and Operation Ivy, Horgan says the motivation for the song was driven by the genres lack of local representation. “There is pretty much nowhere in Melbourne where you can go out and the DJ or the venue will be playing ska music. This song is about the idea that if you want to listen to ska, it needs to be in your head.”
Return To 9-5
Return To 9 – 5 is a hip-hop homage to Return Of Django, the title track to The Upsetters 1969 Trojan Records LP. Borrowing Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s scattered approach, together with Horgan and Selak’s lyrical tirade, the track features a guest rap verse courtesy of Ethan Del Carmen from Tasmanian band Phat Meegz and is remixed by Melbourne DJ, Marto.
Better Off Dread will be released through Jackknife Records on April 20. The vinyl 7” will include a download code with access to bonus track Sensi-Less and a Bennies stencil insert for DIY merch enthusiasts.
LAUNCH DATES:
Saturday April 20th “Hazy Blazy 420 Smoke Out Session” The B.East,
Melbourne – Free Entry
Saturday April 27th – “All Tomorrow’s Shoeys” – Hobart – Brisbane Hotel
Friday May 3rd – Enigma Bar – Adelaide
Saturday May 4th – Karova Lounge – Ballarat
Saturday May 11th – The Roxbury – Sydney
Sunday May 12th – Yours & Owls – Wollongong
Tickets on the Door for All Shows Except Hobart, On sale now -
http://alltomorrowsshoeys.bigcartel.com/
WEB: www.thebennies.com.au.
TWITTER: @TheBennies420
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/thebenniesband
BANDCAMP: www.thebennies.bandcamp.com
“It’s time again for The Bennies annual 420 smoke out.
This year some dope shit is getting spun.The Bennies will be launching their new 7 inch vinyl, ‘Better Off Dread’. “It’s been a while since we released anything – so we are pumped up as” – Me.
You can hear one of the songs from the release here;http://thebennies.bandcamp.com
Not only is Dj Snes Mega gonna be scratching with the Bennies but he will also be doing a brief set of all ya favourite dancing stoner classics!!
Phat Meegz are gonna be transporting some of Tassie’s finest collie erb all the way from Hobart. If ya a fan of Sublime – you have to check these dudes out (probably equally, if not more bratty than sublime)
http://www.facebook.com/phatXmeegz
Sparking the night off will be one of the best new bands on the Melbourne punk scene, Summer Blood. These guys are awesome and can smoke most under the table.
http://www.facebook.com/summerxblood
As a way of saying thanks to everyone for all the support we have received so far this year – we are making the gig free entry.
The celebration is taking place at the B.EAST. An awesome newish venue that is extremely supportive and helpful to bands. They do wicked food as well – and we all know everyone is gonna be hungry
80 Lygon St. Brunswick Easthttp://www.facebook.com/thebeastburgers
So please, roll up a mix, come down, score a 7 inch and celebrate the best holiday of the year with some wicked as bands!!!
One Love!!
The Bennies”
JACKKNIFE MUSIC RE-ISSUES ‘SOUTH EAST FACING WALL’ VINYL 7″
After more than a year out of print, The Smith Street Band’s much-loved ‘South East Facing Wall’ 7” is finally being repressed!
Initially released to celebrate the band’s 2011 national tour with US band Defiance Ohio, ‘South East Facing Wall’ was an instant success, the first pressing selling out completely in a matter of months. The A-side and eponymous single has become a fan favourite, featured as the begged-for last song of countless live sets over the past few years. A precursor to debut album ‘No One Gets Lost Anymore’ which would arrive to acclaim six months later, ‘South East Facing Wall’ is The Smith Street Band at their most earnest and unrestrained best.
Recorded and mixed at Melbourne’s Arthouse Studios by Fitzy Fitzgerald (who has since become the band’s bass player) the re-release features new artwork by drummer Chris Cowburn, and is limited to just 333 copies. Both songs from the 7″, plus two further tracks from the ‘South East Facing Wall’ recording sessions are available as a free download from: http://thesmithstreetband.bandcamp.com/.
Pre-orders available this Friday March 22nd at www.jackknife.com.au, orders will ship early April.
The Smith Street Band just finished their mostly sold-out 20-show ‘Young Drunks Tour’ and are planning more rad things for the rest of 2013!
www.thesmithstreetband.com
www.facebook.com/thesmithstreetband
www.jackknife.com.au
www.facebook.com/jackknifemusic
The Smith Street Band and Luca Brasi are set to headline the inaugural ‘All Tomorrow’s Shoeys’ fest, happening April 26-28 at Hobart’s Brisbane Hotel. The 3 day event brings together bands from all corners of Australia, featuring Melbourne’s The Smith Street Band, Perth boys Grim Fandango and Tasmania’s own Luca Brasi. They’ll be joined by Fear Like Us, Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders, Jen Buxton, Headaches, The Bennies, Ride The Tiger, Declaration, Foxtrot, Speech Patterns, Lucy Wilson and DJ Punk’s Dead, with more acts still to be announced.
The festival is the brainchild of The Smith Street Band’s charismatic frontman Wil Wagner. “I love Tassie. I visit whenever I can, so I wanted a chance to bring down some of my favourite bands to hang out and party.” Wagner is curating the event along with Hobart mainstay Lincoln Le Fevre, who have each chosen a swathe of acts from around the country to create a weekend-long celebration of music, friends and good times. “My favourite thing about all these bands is that there aren’t any egos. There are no primadonna rock stars trying to climb over each each other to get somewhere – just a bunch of amazing bands full of good people.”
Tickets available at the Brisbane Hotel or online here
The Bennies Japan Tour Video
No shows booked at the moment.
