Dirty Three
Encyclopedia
Dirty Three are an instrumental trio consisting of Warren Ellis
(violin), Mick Turner
(electric guitar) and Jim White
(drums), originating from Melbourne
, Australia. Since the Dirty Three formed in 1992, they have spent a lot of time overseas. Mick Turner is currently based in Melbourne, drummer Jim White travels a lot, and Ellis lives in Paris.
, Paranoid, and the Nursing Mothers; he subsequently traveled, busked, wrote music and performed for art openings and plays. Mick Turner and Jim White have a shared musical history via the numerous bands they played in during the 1980s and early 90's. Throughout the Dirty Three's existence, both have contributed their respective talents to numerous artists and groups. Turner was a member of The Moodists
for a few months prior to, and including the length of, their first European sojourn (1983-5), and was also a member of the Sick Things (as Mick Sick), Fungus Brains and Venom P. Stinger. White was also in Venom P. Stinger . He has also been a member of People With Chairs Up Their Noses, Feral Dinosaurs (this group also featured Conway Savage, later a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
) and The Blackeyed Susans
. He has also played on records by Hunters and Collectors and Tex, Don and Charlie.
The Dirty Three first played as a pub act in 1993, in Melbourne
, Australia
. At the trio's first live show, Ellis attached a guitar pickup to his violin with a rubber band, providing the instrument with a distorted, feedback-drenched tone unlike the violin's more traditional sound. From then on they grew in stature within the Melbourne music scene, and went on to become the support act for many groups such as Pavement and the John Spencer Blues Explosion before the release of their debut album, Sad & Dangerous in 1994- essentially the trio's demo tape. The album, along with subsequent tours with Sonic Youth, John Cale, and again Pavement, led to a record deal with Chicago's Touch and Go.
In 1995, Dirty Three performed with Cave (also a participant on the Palace project) in London for a live soundtrack to the Carl Dreyer silent film La Passion De Jeanne d'Arc, at the National Film Theatre.
In late 2005, the band released their seventh major album, Cinder
, which, though following in the spirit of Ocean Songs
, diverges from all of their previous works on several points. It was the first Dirty Three album to feature vocals (those of Chan Marshall
aka Cat Power
and Sally Timms
of The Mekons), though only on two of nineteen songs. The songs are also generally much shorter and more concise than their early work, which allows for the rather large number of tracks. Perhaps most notably, instead of the usual recording live technique, they opted, for the first time in their career, to record in the studio individually.
In May 2007 the band curated a weekend of the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival, booking bands they admired in addition to performing twice themselves. 2007 was also the year of the release of a live concert DVD, shot in Tokyo in HD by Taiyo Films with a multi-track sound record. Film director Darcy Maine also has completed a feature length documentary on the bands history for release worldwide. Outtakes and clips of which can be seen at http://www.myspace.com/dirtythreedoco
. Ellis and Turner have both released solo albums. In addition, Turner and White have released several EPs as The Tren Brothers
, and appear as backing musicians on albums by Cat Power
, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
and PJ Harvey
(White drums). Turner is also an internationally exhibited painter with his own work gracing the covers of all of their major albums except Sad & Dangerous
. He also runs the band's own record label Anchor & Hope Records. In 1999, Dirty Three with Low
recorded an In the Fishtank
session for Konkurrent records.
Dirty Three have released albums on Touch & Go Records
and have toured with Nick Cave
, Sonic Youth
, Low
, Pavement
, Throwing Muses
, Cat Power
, PJ Harvey
, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
, Devendra Banhart
, Josh T. Pearson
and Shannon Wright
to name just a few.
melody, rock
energy, elements of classical
, chamber music
, jazz
and blues
, Celtic, and other European folk styles - a diverse collection of influences, though the style of music the trio play is uniquely their own, born from years of musical experience.
Their latter releases differ somewhat to their first few albums as a trio, which are harsher, more experimental in quality and form. The releases that followed have a prominence of melody, and are at times slower and sparse, but the music still retains the rawness and raucous sound of their earlier albums. The first few albums are typified by consistent fast and aggressive playing, while the later albums rise and fall and have slower moments.
Featured in:
Warren Ellis (musician)
Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
(violin), Mick Turner
Mick Turner
Mick Turner is an Australian musician and painter best known as the guitarist for Dirty Three.Prior to his work with Dirty Three, Turner was a member of several Melbourne-based rock bands: Sick Things , The Moodists , Fungus Brains , and Venom P...
(electric guitar) and Jim White
Jim White (drummer)
Jim White is an Australian drummer . He is the drummer for the Dirty Three, a band formed in Melbourne, but he has also played with a number of other groups, including:*Tren Brothers, consisting of Jim White and Mick Turner, guitarist of the Dirty Three....
(drums), originating from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia. Since the Dirty Three formed in 1992, they have spent a lot of time overseas. Mick Turner is currently based in Melbourne, drummer Jim White travels a lot, and Ellis lives in Paris.
History
Prior to Dirty Three's formation Warren Ellis studied classical violin and worked briefly as a schoolteacher in regional Victoria after completing a degree; he was a member of The Blackeyed SusansThe Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
, Paranoid, and the Nursing Mothers; he subsequently traveled, busked, wrote music and performed for art openings and plays. Mick Turner and Jim White have a shared musical history via the numerous bands they played in during the 1980s and early 90's. Throughout the Dirty Three's existence, both have contributed their respective talents to numerous artists and groups. Turner was a member of The Moodists
The Moodists
The Moodists were an Australian post-punk band that formed in 1980, when Dave Graney, Clare Moore and Steve Miller of punk group The Sputniks moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. They added bass player Chris Walsh and later added guitarist Mick Turner....
for a few months prior to, and including the length of, their first European sojourn (1983-5), and was also a member of the Sick Things (as Mick Sick), Fungus Brains and Venom P. Stinger. White was also in Venom P. Stinger . He has also been a member of People With Chairs Up Their Noses, Feral Dinosaurs (this group also featured Conway Savage, later a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
) and The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
. He has also played on records by Hunters and Collectors and Tex, Don and Charlie.
The Dirty Three first played as a pub act in 1993, in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At the trio's first live show, Ellis attached a guitar pickup to his violin with a rubber band, providing the instrument with a distorted, feedback-drenched tone unlike the violin's more traditional sound. From then on they grew in stature within the Melbourne music scene, and went on to become the support act for many groups such as Pavement and the John Spencer Blues Explosion before the release of their debut album, Sad & Dangerous in 1994- essentially the trio's demo tape. The album, along with subsequent tours with Sonic Youth, John Cale, and again Pavement, led to a record deal with Chicago's Touch and Go.
In 1995, Dirty Three performed with Cave (also a participant on the Palace project) in London for a live soundtrack to the Carl Dreyer silent film La Passion De Jeanne d'Arc, at the National Film Theatre.
In late 2005, the band released their seventh major album, Cinder
Cinder (album)
Cinder is the seventh major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three. Conceived in the summer of 2005 on Phillip Island, in South Eastern Australia, the songs are shorter, more trimmed down and classic in composition than usual Dirty Three output....
, which, though following in the spirit of Ocean Songs
Ocean Songs
Ocean Songs is the fourth major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three. On some tracks David Grubbs plays piano and harmonium. Cover art by guitarist Mick Turner....
, diverges from all of their previous works on several points. It was the first Dirty Three album to feature vocals (those of Chan Marshall
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
aka Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
and Sally Timms
Sally Timms
Sally Timms is an English singer and songwriter. Timms is best known for her long involvement with the Mekons whom she joined in 1985....
of The Mekons), though only on two of nineteen songs. The songs are also generally much shorter and more concise than their early work, which allows for the rather large number of tracks. Perhaps most notably, instead of the usual recording live technique, they opted, for the first time in their career, to record in the studio individually.
In May 2007 the band curated a weekend of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival, booking bands they admired in addition to performing twice themselves. 2007 was also the year of the release of a live concert DVD, shot in Tokyo in HD by Taiyo Films with a multi-track sound record. Film director Darcy Maine also has completed a feature length documentary on the bands history for release worldwide. Outtakes and clips of which can be seen at http://www.myspace.com/dirtythreedoco
Collaborations
Ellis since 1996 has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsNick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
. Ellis and Turner have both released solo albums. In addition, Turner and White have released several EPs as The Tren Brothers
The Tren Brothers
The Tren Brothers are an Australian instrumental rock duo, consisting of guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White. Turner and White are two-thirds of the critically acclaimed instrumental rock trio Dirty Three; additionally, Turner also is a solo recording artist working under his own name.In...
, and appear as backing musicians on albums by Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
and PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
(White drums). Turner is also an internationally exhibited painter with his own work gracing the covers of all of their major albums except Sad & Dangerous
Sad & Dangerous
Sad & Dangerous is the first major release by the Australian trio, Dirty Three. The album, recorded live at Scuzz Studio, includes ten songs from their gig-give-away demo cassette release.-Track listing:# "Kim's Dirt" – 10:37...
. He also runs the band's own record label Anchor & Hope Records. In 1999, Dirty Three with Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
recorded an In the Fishtank
In the Fishtank
In the Fishtank is an ongoing project of Konkurrent, an independent music distributor in the Netherlands. In this project, Konkurrent invites one or two bands to record and gives them two days studio time. The first four albums were recorded by individual bands, but eight of the last ten releases...
session for Konkurrent records.
Dirty Three have released albums on Touch & Go Records
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
and have toured with Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
, 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...
, Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
, Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
, PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Will Oldham
Will Oldham , better known by the stage name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded under variations of the Palace name, including the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, and Palace Music...
, Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
, Josh T. Pearson
Josh T. Pearson
Josh T. Pearson is a musician from Texas. In 1996 he formed the short-lived but now critically acclaimed band Lift to Experience, who released one double album, 2001's The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads, before splitting up soon after. Lift To Experience played live shows and became a favorite of the...
and Shannon Wright
Shannon Wright
Shannon Wright is an American singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:Wright moved from New York City to Chapel Hill, NC after her first band Crowsdell called it quits. While in Chapel Hill, Wright started experimenting and writing solo songs with a borrowed four-track recorder...
to name just a few.
Style
The Dirty Three's sound is distinctive, composed of folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
melody, rock
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...
energy, elements of classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, Celtic, and other European folk styles - a diverse collection of influences, though the style of music the trio play is uniquely their own, born from years of musical experience.
Their latter releases differ somewhat to their first few albums as a trio, which are harsher, more experimental in quality and form. The releases that followed have a prominence of melody, and are at times slower and sparse, but the music still retains the rawness and raucous sound of their earlier albums. The first few albums are typified by consistent fast and aggressive playing, while the later albums rise and fall and have slower moments.
Albums and documentaries
- Sad & DangerousSad & DangerousSad & Dangerous is the first major release by the Australian trio, Dirty Three. The album, recorded live at Scuzz Studio, includes ten songs from their gig-give-away demo cassette release.-Track listing:# "Kim's Dirt" – 10:37...
(25 April 1995) - Dirty ThreeDirty Three (album)Dirty Three is the self titled second major recording by Australian trio, the Dirty Three. The album was recorded between 1993 and 1994 at Studio 325, Melbourne, Australia...
(25 July 1995) - Horse StoriesHorse StoriesHorse Stories is the third major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three."I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me" is a cover of a modern Greek song written by Yiannis Spanos and originally sung by the singer-songwriter Arleta....
(10 September 1996) - Ocean SongsOcean SongsOcean Songs is the fourth major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three. On some tracks David Grubbs plays piano and harmonium. Cover art by guitarist Mick Turner....
(31 March 1998) - Whatever You Love, You AreWhatever You Love, You AreWhatever You Love, You Are is the fifth major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three.Cover art by guitarist Mick Turner.-Track listing:# "Some Summers They Drop Like Flies" – 6:20# "I Really Should've Gone Out Last Night" – 6:55...
(7 March 2000) - She Has No Strings ApolloShe Has No Strings ApolloShe Has No Strings Apollo is the sixth major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three.Cover art by guitarist Mick Turner.-Track listing:# "Alice Wading" - 8:23# "She Has No Strings" - 8:40# "Long Way To Go With No Punch" - 4:56...
(18 February 2003) - CinderCinder (album)Cinder is the seventh major album by Australian trio, Dirty Three. Conceived in the summer of 2005 on Phillip Island, in South Eastern Australia, the songs are shorter, more trimmed down and classic in composition than usual Dirty Three output....
(11 October 2005) - Live! At MeredithLive! At MeredithLive! At Meredith is a live album by the Australian trio, Dirty Three. It is a self-released - their label - that was initially sold on tour but now available via Anchor & Hope website. Chris Thompson mixed the album for 333 ‘Live at the Wireless’...
(2005) - Dirty Three (2007)
Featured in:
- Sticky CarpetSticky CarpetSticky Carpet: Melbourne's Underground Rockumentary is a 2006 documentary film by Mark Butcher, Glenn Waterworth and Pip Stafford.Bio : The long overdue cultural recognition to Melbourne’s much-loved independent music scene...
(2006) - Meredith Music FestivalMeredith Music FestivalThe Meredith Music Festival is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the Supernatural Amphitheatre, a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith in Victoria, Australia...
: A Weekend In The Country (2006) - All Tomorrow's Parties (2009)
Singles, EPs and tour albums
- Obvious is Obvious (split with Low) (1997)
- Sharks (CD only for sale during the 1998 tour in Australia and US)
- A Strange Holiday (7" split with Scenic) (1998)
- Ufkuko (1998)
- In the FishtankIn the Fishtank 7In the Fishtank 7 features Low and Dirty Three.In November 1999 Konkurrent invited Low to record one of Konk's in house Fishtank-sessions. Low, being familiar with the series, accepted...
(with Low) (2001) - Great Waves (2005)
- Doris/I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (7" split with Josh T. Pearson) (2006)
- Lowlands (Collection of studio outtakes and radio session tracks. CD only available during the 2000 Australia and US tour)
Compilations and soundtracks
- Absolutely Live 1995 (compilation) (1995)
- Why Should the French Have All the Fun? (compilation) (1996)
- Songs in the Key of XSongs in the Key of XSongs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by The X-Files is a 1996 compilation album released in association with the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The album contained a mixture of songs that were either featured in the series, or shared thematic elements with it....
(compilation) (1996) - Recovery: Ready for Transmission (compilation) (1999)
- Homebake 3 (1999)
- Praise (1999)
- At Least You Can Die With A Smile On Your Face (2003)
- Un Cadavre Exquis (2005)
- Come Fly With Us - Glitterhouse Records
External links and sources
- The Dirty Three's Record Label
- Discography
- Dirty Three fan page
- Warren Ellis of Dirty three performs a rare hometown show at the Prince of Wales, St Kilda, 12 January 2005
- The Dirty Three Mailing List
- Concert photos (2003-05-07) by Laurent Orseau
- Concert photos (2002-06-08) by Laurent Orseau
- Josh T Pearson interviews Warren Ellis