SYDNEY band PEEPSHOW is being touted as 'the next big thing' almost by virtue of having its debut CD produced by TIM FREEDMAN of THE WHITLAMS and now Australia's hottest musical property.
The band's debut CD ELECTRO FERTILITY STOMP certainly has the hallmarks of Freedman - quirky lyrics and music ranging from upbeat pop to moody, seething anthems of passion and lust.
But Peepshow is its own entity, with a little help from its friends, and won the support of Freedman who discovered the band while sitting in the audience about 18 months ago.
Friday night's return to the Northern Star Hotel, three months after its first visit to Newcastle, comes with air play for HELLO and THE WAITING SONG under its belt.
The author of the delightful ditty HELLO, drummer KELLY STAINES, agrees that the song sounds about as positive as you can get without cracking your face open from smiling.
'Yes, it's pathetically pop,' she laughs.
Written for her five-year-old niece Tegyn, Staines says the song, which has enjoyed good air play on TRIPLE J, was a little different to her usual style.
'I always write depressing songs, so I thought I'd try something a bit MARY POPPINS,' she said.
(Tegyn, however, has since become 'upset' because another niece, three-year-old Acacia, must have a song penned for her by Aunty Kelly.)
The song is an excellent choice for a first song, with its introduction to the distinctive vocal style of lyricist and harmonica player SHANNON O'CONNOR. 'Shannon's got such a magic voice,' Staines said.
'He's actually a really amazing harmonica player as well, so I don't know if that's his singing style as well, maybe, a little bit, I don't know, he'd probably hate me to say that.'
O'Connor's vocals take unexpected twists and turns, exploring each key to its fullest extent, sometimes within a couple of octaves in the same verse.
'He's got a real blues background, so I guess when he bends the notes a bit, it's a little bit of that,' Staines said.
The rest of the tracks on the CD are in a similar vein to HELLO, with acoustic pop tendencies, and lyrical preoccupations from the sublime pop of SUNNY SIDE to the grim passion of I NEED TO LOVE. The final number shows the group's heavier sounds with DISCOMAN, with a hard-driven pandemonium and humorous monologue about the lead singer's early embarrassing musical influences.
Staines and O'Connor met up with bass player KRISTIAN HILL and guitarist DIGBY GRAHAM five years ago after moving to Sydney from the Central Coast.
TE has four copies of the PEEPSHOW CD to give away. To go in the draw send your entry to PEEPSHOW GIVEAWAY, PO Box 200, Newcastle, 2300. Or click your entry through to the TE web site at www.nnp.com.au TE
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