Crow (Australian band)
Encyclopedia
Crow are an Australian rock
band that is best known for three albums released in the 90s. Founded by songwriters Peter Fenton and Peter Archer
in Sydney in 1986, Crow ceased all activity in 1999, only to begin playing again in 2007.
In 2009, they recorded an album of new material. Mixed by Jim Moginie
(Midnight Oil
), the album was released in 2010.
In 1998, respected Australian music magazine, Juice labeled Crow as the 'best band in Australia since The Birthday Party
'. With releases on Phantom
, Half A Cow
, RooArt
and BMG
Crow's evocative and influential music is widely acknowledged as leaving an indelible mark upon the Australian musical landscape. In 1993 they received an ARIA
nomination for best record.
Crow recorded their debut album My Kind of Pain in Chicago in 1992 with Steve Albini
(Big Black
) as producer. The record was subsequently re-mixed by local Tim Whitten
before release. It was an album that reflected a more mature sound particularly evident in 'Railhead' and the inventive dual vocals of 'How and Why Wonder'. John Fenton left the band after the Chicago recording and was replaced by Tina Stephens, shortly followed by Andy Marks from Lunarcide.
During that period, Crow supported many touring acts such as Straitjacket Fits
, Pavement
, Sebadoh
and The Verlaines
.
release followed with 'Helicon Days' in 1994. The band was then signed by large local label RooArt
who released their second album Li-Lo-ing in 1995. Guest musicians included Warren Ellis
(Dirty Three) and Chris Abrahams
(The Necks). Li-lo-ing was a dynamic album primarily composed of both Archer and Fenton penned songs, from the ethereal Fenton openers "Kilkeel" and "Privelege" the banjo lilt of "Paper Eyes" and wired summer dreamscape of Archer's "Rabbits".
Richard Andrew (Underground Lovers
, Registered Nurse
) then replaced Andy Marks on drums. Extensive touring followed alongside bands such as Jeff Buckley
.
Peter Archer then moved to Melbourne in 1996 to start a family and to pursue his own song writing vehicle Odette, leaving Crow without one of its real creators. Though the extraordinary talents of Chris Abrahams and Michael Christie were added on keyboards a more stripped back sound evolved and this is very evident on their last player 'Play With Love' in 1998. Though the said album received industry kudos it was not the necessary amount of sales support needed for a major label like BMG. Peter Fenton continued as a solo artist, releasing "In the Lovers Arms" album in 2004.
In August 2008 CROW played a show with Melbourne band HOSS. This was filmed as part of the 'That Then, This Now' series of shows featuring seminal Aussie bands, with the show set to be released on DVD.
2010 saw the release of their new album, Arcane. It features the 4 original band members, Peter Archer (Guitar and vocals), Peter Fenton (Guitar and vocals), Jim Woff (Bass) and John Fenton (Drums).
produced ‘My Kind Of Pain’ in 1993, it was released in June 2010 on Nonzero Records
. Mixed by Midnight Oil
’s Jim Moginie
at Oceanic Studios, the album received very positive reviews.
..they’ve got unfinished business to attend to, and based on this single alone, a whole lot more to say....‘Ghost At The Crossroads’ is truly up there among the band’s best material. It’s quintessential Crow, really: Those ominous opening chords; that perfect balance between light and shade; those spectral backing vocals in the chorus; Fenton’s pointed, inward-looking gaze...It’s like they’ve never left.
Peter Fenton (Guitar and vocals)
Jim Woff (Bass)
John Fenton (Drums)
Paul Gormack (Bass)
Tina Stephens (Drums)
Andy Marks (Drums)
Paul Ritchard (Drums)
Chris Baz (Drums)
Michael Christie (Piano & Keyboards)
Chris Abrahams (Piano & Keyboards)
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that is best known for three albums released in the 90s. Founded by songwriters Peter Fenton and Peter Archer
Peter Archer
Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell is a British Labour peer who was Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1983 to 1987.Peter Archer may also refer to:*Peter Archer , a member of Crow...
in Sydney in 1986, Crow ceased all activity in 1999, only to begin playing again in 2007.
In 2009, they recorded an album of new material. Mixed by Jim Moginie
Jim Moginie
James "Jim" Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he was a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter...
(Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
), the album was released in 2010.
In 1998, respected Australian music magazine, Juice labeled Crow as the 'best band in Australia since The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
'. With releases on Phantom
Phantom Records
Phantom Records was an Australian independent record label established by Dare Jennings Phantom Records was an Australian independent record label established by Dare Jennings Phantom Records was an Australian independent record label established by Dare Jennings (founder of Mambo (Clothing) and...
, Half A Cow
Half A Cow
Half a Cow is an independent record label from Australia, established in 1990 by Sydney musician and music identity Nic Dalton.- History :In 1987 - 1989 Dalton ran a bookshop in the Sydney suburb of Glebe called Dalton's Books...
, RooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
and BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Crow's evocative and influential music is widely acknowledged as leaving an indelible mark upon the Australian musical landscape. In 1993 they received an ARIA
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
nomination for best record.
Early years
From 1988 to 1992 Crow was a notoriously shambolic affair that could easily derail though equipment failures. Bringing performances to a jolting stop. Driven by the nervy personalities of brothers Peter (guitar, vocals) and John (drums) and combined with the combustible bassist Jim Woff and lead guitarist Peter Archer, Crow was highly unpredictable. The original bass player and founding member was Paul Gormack, who left the band just prior to the recording of the debut albumCrow recorded their debut album My Kind of Pain in Chicago in 1992 with Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
(Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
) as producer. The record was subsequently re-mixed by local Tim Whitten
Tim Whitten
Tim Whitten is an Australian record producer, audio engineer, and mixer. He has worked with numerous successful Australian musicians, in a career spanning 1990—present. Whitten's first recording was Boxcar's Vertigo, where he joined Adrian Bolland as engineer...
before release. It was an album that reflected a more mature sound particularly evident in 'Railhead' and the inventive dual vocals of 'How and Why Wonder'. John Fenton left the band after the Chicago recording and was replaced by Tina Stephens, shortly followed by Andy Marks from Lunarcide.
During that period, Crow supported many touring acts such as Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits
Straitjacket Fits formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the Flying Nun label's second wave of the Dunedin Sound.-Biography:...
, Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American alternative rock band that formed in Stockton, California in 1989. In their career, they achieved a significant cult following, and they were called the best band of the 1990s by prominent music critics Robert Christgau and Stephen Thomas Erlewine...
, Sebadoh
Sebadoh
Sebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
and The Verlaines
The Verlaines
The Verlaines are a rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups before going on an extended hiatus after their 1997 album Over The Moon. In 2003 a career retrospective, You're...
.
Later years
Another Half A CowHalf A Cow
Half a Cow is an independent record label from Australia, established in 1990 by Sydney musician and music identity Nic Dalton.- History :In 1987 - 1989 Dalton ran a bookshop in the Sydney suburb of Glebe called Dalton's Books...
release followed with 'Helicon Days' in 1994. The band was then signed by large local label RooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
who released their second album Li-Lo-ing in 1995. Guest musicians included Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
(Dirty Three) and Chris Abrahams
Chris Abrahams
Chris Abrahams is a Sydney-based pianist, best known for his jazz work.Abrahams has been a member of the Benders, the Laughing Clowns, The Sparklers and The Necks. He has recorded several solo albums, as well as collaborations with Melanie Oxley from the Sparklers...
(The Necks). Li-lo-ing was a dynamic album primarily composed of both Archer and Fenton penned songs, from the ethereal Fenton openers "Kilkeel" and "Privelege" the banjo lilt of "Paper Eyes" and wired summer dreamscape of Archer's "Rabbits".
Richard Andrew (Underground Lovers
Underground Lovers
Underground Lovers are an Australian alternative rock band and one of the most lauded music acts in the country's alternative scene throughout the 1990s. While the band has experienced many lineup changes during its existence, the nucleus of the band since its inception has been Vincent M...
, Registered Nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
) then replaced Andy Marks on drums. Extensive touring followed alongside bands such as Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
.
Peter Archer then moved to Melbourne in 1996 to start a family and to pursue his own song writing vehicle Odette, leaving Crow without one of its real creators. Though the extraordinary talents of Chris Abrahams and Michael Christie were added on keyboards a more stripped back sound evolved and this is very evident on their last player 'Play With Love' in 1998. Though the said album received industry kudos it was not the necessary amount of sales support needed for a major label like BMG. Peter Fenton continued as a solo artist, releasing "In the Lovers Arms" album in 2004.
Reformation
In early 2007, the band began rehearsing for a show at Marrickville's (Sydney) "Cad Factory" performance space. During that performance - which drew heavily from the band's early work - Peter Fenton indicated that the show was the beginning of renewed band activity. Former drummer Andy Marks' new band, the Child Detectives, debuted before Crow's performance.In August 2008 CROW played a show with Melbourne band HOSS. This was filmed as part of the 'That Then, This Now' series of shows featuring seminal Aussie bands, with the show set to be released on DVD.
2010 saw the release of their new album, Arcane. It features the 4 original band members, Peter Archer (Guitar and vocals), Peter Fenton (Guitar and vocals), Jim Woff (Bass) and John Fenton (Drums).
2010 Release 'Arcane'
'Arcane' is the first CROW album with the original line-up since the Steve AlbiniSteve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
produced ‘My Kind Of Pain’ in 1993, it was released in June 2010 on Nonzero Records
Nonzero Records
Nonzero Records is an independent record label based in Sydney, Australia, dedicated to supporting the Sydney independent music scene and select overseas artists...
. Mixed by Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
’s Jim Moginie
Jim Moginie
James "Jim" Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he was a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter...
at Oceanic Studios, the album received very positive reviews.
..they’ve got unfinished business to attend to, and based on this single alone, a whole lot more to say....‘Ghost At The Crossroads’ is truly up there among the band’s best material. It’s quintessential Crow, really: Those ominous opening chords; that perfect balance between light and shade; those spectral backing vocals in the chorus; Fenton’s pointed, inward-looking gaze...It’s like they’ve never left.
Current members
Peter Archer (Guitar and vocals)Peter Fenton (Guitar and vocals)
Jim Woff (Bass)
John Fenton (Drums)
Former members
Richard Andrew (Drums)Paul Gormack (Bass)
Tina Stephens (Drums)
Andy Marks (Drums)
Paul Ritchard (Drums)
Chris Baz (Drums)
Michael Christie (Piano & Keyboards)
Chris Abrahams (Piano & Keyboards)
Discography
- Arcane (album, June 2010) – Nonzero Records
- My Kind of Pain (album, February 1993) – Half A Cow Records
- Li-lo-ing (album, February 1995) – RooART Records
- Play With Love (album, April 1998) – BMG Records
- The Helicon Days (May 1994) – Half A Cow Records
- Ravine (15 September 1990) – Regular Records Australia
- Railhead (13 May 1993) – Half A Cow Records
- Privilege (13 March 1996 – RooArt Records
- Sunburnt Throats and Happy Thunderclouds – Phantom
- Ravine/ Confection 7 inch – Phantom
- Crow EP – Half A Cow
External links
- http://radiantradio.com/ Audio of 'The Whole World Turns' performed LIVE on FBi Radio show Radiant 30/05/10
- Crow at Nonzero Records
- LMM Reviews: Crow “Arcane” – LP Review at LifeMusicMedia.com
- Mess & Noise Review of 'Ghost At The Crossroads'
- Crow at Half A Cow Records
- On-line Essay celebrating "Railhead" at Webcuts
- Mess & Noise Article Interview & Essay on Crow's Reformation
- Odette (Peter Archer)
- Melbourne 2009 Show Review at Faster Louder.com