Augie March

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Giggy (talk | contribs) at 12:19, 17 September 2008 (→‎Early albums (2000–2003): and, more importantly...?). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the Australian rock band. For the book by Saul Bellow, see The Adventures of Augie March.
Augie March

Augie March is an Australian indie/pop rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist Glenn Richards, guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box. Box replaced Rob Dawson, the band's initial piano player, who died in 2001.

Augie March's rise to fame was slow; their first two EPs failed to make an impact on the market, despite being nominated for ARIA Awards. Their first album, 2000's Sunset Studies was a critical success and ARIA Award nominee, but again failed to sell. Critics lauded its 2002 successor, Strange Bird, further, but its reception was equally mediocre in Australia. The reception in the United States was similar; praise from critics but minimal sales or chart figures. Augie March's third album, Moo, You Bloody Choir (2006), broke into the mainstream spotlight; its lead single "One Crowded Hour" attained critical acclaim and charted successfully on the ARIA Singles Chart, while the album won numerous awards. Now a mainstream heavyweight, the band toured Australia and the United States regularly through 2006 and 2007, before returning to the studio to work on a new album, Watch Me Disappear, in 2008.

Augie March's musical style is distinctive, and is led by songwriter and vocalist Richards. His lyrics often draw critical acclaim for their poetic style. The band's music is generally described as lush, dense, and filling, acting as a backdrop for Richards' vocals. Their in-studio perfectionism is often noted. However, Augie March's live performances have been said to be lacklustre and not up to the same standard as their recorded work.

History

Formation and early EPs (1996–1999)

Glenn Richards, Adam Donovan, and David Williams grew up and attended school together in Shepparton, Victoria. Richards began writing songs while studying English at university in 1996, and invited Donovan and Williams to join him. They had been studying music, and asked classmate Edmondo Ammendola to join the band they formed. The band took their name from the 1954 novel The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow; they said its poetic, complex prose complemented Richards' vocals.[1]

Augie March's first performance was in Brunswick at a friend's art exhibition.[2] After playing several other gigs, the band were signed by record label Ra Records, at the time considered to be pregistious.[3] Augie March's first EP, Thanks for the Memes, was produced by Victor Van Vugt and released in early 1998. Despite highly positive reviews it received very little airplay and failed to make an impact.[3] Williams later remarked that he was surprised the band had been able to find a producer considering the obscure music on the EP, which at the time the band had considered "hip and cool, and intellectual".[4] They followed up with their second EP, Waltz, in October 1998. Produced by Richard Pleasance, this EP included "Asleep in Perfection", which would become the most requested song on ABC's rage program.[3] The song was nominated for "Breakthrough Artist - Single", and Pleasance was nominated for "Producer Of The Year", at the 2000 ARIA Awards.[5] The band began touring around Australia, getting as far as Perth,[6] and their popularity increased through word of mouth. They soon found themselves signed to BMG.[1]

Early albums (2000–2003)

The band went into studio in March 2000 to begin work on their first full length album. Rob Dawson, a long time friend of Richards', joined them—he played keyboard and piano.[3] The band worked in nine different studios with six different engineers over the course of six months in completing the album.[7] In July 2000, prior to the album's completion, they released their first single, "Hole In Your Roof".[3] In October 2000, Augie March released Sunset Studies. They attempted album launches in Sydney and Melbourne, but these were unsuccessful as both cities were very crowded with musicians at the time; in the words of Donovan, "it seemed like every band in the country was doing a tour then and we couldn't get any venues".[6] Thus, they played a small tour along Australia's east coast.[6] On release the album did not chart highly; it spent one week on the ARIA Albums Chart at number 35.[8]

The album's critical reception, however, was highly positive; Noel Mengel of The Courier-Mail wrote said that on the album, "songs of quiet reflection, starkly beautiful melodies and intimate poetry collide on the canvas without a thought to sales graphs or what radio program directors might think",[9] while Allmusic's Jack Rabid told American readers "it's worth the effort to track down [the album], particularly for those who think there are no more musical craftsmen out there".[10] The album's production earned it the 2001 ARIA Award for "Engineer of the Year", as well as a nomination for "Producer of the Year". It was further nominated for "Breakthrough Artist - Album" and "Best Cover Art".[5][7] Of the singles released from the album, "There Is No Such Place" was the most popular, charting at number 47 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2001.[11]

Preparations for a follow-up to Sunset Studies were thrown into disarray on 2 January 2001, when Dawson died in a car crash.[1] The event had a significant impact on the band, and would play on the back of Richards' mind constantly as he wrote their next album. However, the resultant work was not brimming with despair; Richards described it as optimistic and humourous.[12] Drummer David Williams described the music on the album as more immediate, the songwriting more muscular.[13] To replace Dawson, Melbournian Kiernan Box joined the band as a keyboardist.[14] The band produced Strange Bird independently, which worked to their advantage as they felt more comfortable in their own studio. Donovan said as a result, Strange Bird was a better album than Sunset Studies, though the band's debut album was "probably received better by our fans".[15] In response to complaints concerning Richards' Sunset Studies wordplay, Augie March included a lyrics booklet with Strange Bird.[12]

Strange Bird was released by BMG as the band's second studio album in October 2002. It was also released by spinART Records in the UK in that month. It would later be re-released in the United States in September 2004.[16] Like its predecessor, Strange Bird failed to make an impact on the charts, spending one week on the ARIA Albums Chart at number 34. Its first single, "The Vineyard", spent one week on the ARIA Singles Chart at number 31.[8] Augie March began touring around Australia almost immediately following the album's release.[4]

The critical response to Strange Bird, unlike its brief chart history, was overwhelmingly positive. Too much so at times; Williams told Rip It Up "I could see a few holes in the album and I'd say, 'how come no one else has picked this up?'"[17] Reviewers, however, focused on the positives; Guy Garvey of The Independent said "My favourite of the year is Augie March's Strange Bird",[18] while David Fricke wrote in Rolling Stone of "luxuriant melees of chiming guitars, mountain-stream voices and keyboard grandeur".[19] Donovan said the band found it hard to take the positive reviews too seriously; "if we did our heads would explode or overinflate", he told Beat.[15]

Mainstream breakthrough (2004–2008)

Augie March on stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in October 2007

Following the mixed fortunes of Strange Bird, Augie March returned to the studio. The band worked with two producers; Paul McKercher and Eric Drew Feldman, recording in Melbourne, San Francisco, and their own studio in Nagambie, Victoria.[20] This studio was built by Augie March in 2004. Donovan said it was more suited to the band's style; as they co-produced on all their albums, they took a great deal of interest in production. He said it also enabled them to work at their own pace, hence the four year gap between albums.[21] The band's upcoming album, according to Triple J, was inspired by the streets of Melbourne.[20] Upon completion of the recording of Moo, You Bloody Choir, there was a six-month delay before release, as Augie March meticulously added finishing touches to it.[4] In March 2006, the album was finally released.

Moo, You Bloody Choir would see the band move from solely critical acclaim to mainstream success.[22] The album spent 21 weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart, peaking at number ten, while lead single "One Crowded Hour" reached number 29 in its 20 week ARIA Singles Chart stint.[8] The album was certified platinum in Australia.[23] It was also nominated for three ARIA Awards in 2006, with "One Crowded Hour" also nominated for "Single Of The Year". Despite the hype,[24] the band did not win any award.[5] The band were still more successful underground than on mainstream; "One Crowded Hour" topped Triple J's Hottest 100, 2006.[25][26] The album's popularity also saw it nominated for the 2006 J Award.[20]

Glenn Richards in November 2007

Augie March's musical qualities were certified when they became the winner of the second annual Australian Music Prize for "the most outstanding and creative Australian album released in the past year".[27][28] Ammendola told Drum Media winning this award was more significant than an ARIA Award, as "it's an award that's nominated on the grounds of music, and the art of it - not necessarily record sales".[29] The band used the $25,000 prize money to help fund a US tour.[30] Richards later said that the band had no great expectations of breakthrough through in the US, and that if their second attempt was not successful, they would not try again.[31]

In August 2007, Moo, You Bloody Choir was released in the United States on the Jive Zomba record label. In the lead up to its release, Augie March toured regularly, playing in Los Angeles and New York in May. The shows continued followed the album's release, as Augie March were praised by US media.[25] That the band had not broken through in North America earlier was a crime, wrote Pitchfork Media,[32] though Allmusic remarked that Strange Bird was a higher quality album than its follow up.[33]

Despite the success of Moo, You Bloody Choir, much of Augie March's post-album touring involved supporting other bands. They played shows supporting The Aliens and Andrew Bird in the United States, before returning to Australia to open for Crowded House. Richards said the band's status as an opening act, rather than headlining their own shows, was something they saw as a challenge—their intention, to win over fans who came to see the main act.[34]

Augie March worked with producer Joe Chicarelli on their fourth album, Watch Me Disappear. They recorded at Neil Finn's Auckland, New Zealand studios, and in Melbourne, Sydney, and Los Angeles. The album's title track, "Watch Me Disappear", was made available for download on the band's website on 26 August 2008. The band then announced their first "proper headline tour of their homeland", in which they would play music from the new album.[35][36][37]

Musical style

Template:Sound sample box align right

"Asleep in Perfection"
Augie March's first hit, "Asleep in Perfection", topped request charts on rage, though some critics considered the music on Sunset Studies which it exemplified to be too complex for a mainstream audience.[38]
Problems playing this file? See media help.
"This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers"
"The Vineyard" and "This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers" were praised as the opening duo to Strange Bird. This song was described as "a wailing rockabilly psych raver".[39]
Problems playing this file? See media help.
"One Crowded Hour"
The chorus of "One Crowded Hour" showcased Richard's complex lyrics, and the more subdued approach the band took on Moo, You Bloody Choir. Richards took special pride in the song's chorus, which he considered "damn good".[40]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Template:Sample box end While Augie March generally fall into an "indie rock/folk rock" genre, their ability to mix other genres into their style at times makes classifying their musical style difficult. A common thread that runs through the band's sound is Richards' literate and often verbose lyrics, which have set the band apart from much of the rest of the Australian music scene.[1] Even early on in their career, Richards' unique style attracted attention, with one reviewer describing him as "unique", "refreshing", and "intellectual".[41] Allmusic's Jack Rabid said Richards "exhibits a honey voice" on Sunset Studies,[10] but Grok pointed out that the album was rendered too complex or intricate for many.[38]

Richards' passion for poetry and literary studies again stood out on Strange Bird. Rolling Stone's John D. Luerssen said "poetry aficionado Richards puts his own literary stamp" on the album,[42] and Allmusic's James Christopher Monger said the album contained "pastoral beauty, labyrinthine arrangements, and breathtaking prose".[43] Pitchfork Media's Joe Tangari described the album as "so stuffed with ideas and instruments that it's wont to rupture from time to time". This was both a positive and negative criticism; Tangari complained that at times "there is a surplus of sound", but also said that the combination of the first two tracks—"The Vineyard" ("slow beauty") and "This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers" ("a wailing rockabilly psych raver")—was an excellent set-up.[39] Derek Miller of Stylus Magazine called the opening trio—the third song being the "simple acoustic guitar and arcing piano" of "Little Wonder"—bewildering, and that the album remained consistently as such throughout.[44] PopMatters' Zeth Lundy described Richards' wordplay as frenzied, and said the "refined, worldly wit" on Strange Bird was striking.[16]

Where Strange Bird was brimming with musical content, on Moo, You Bloody Choir Augie March were more simplified, while still maintaining the most successful aspects of their music. IGN's Chad Grischow wrote of "lush, mesmerizing music meld with gorgeous melodies brought to life by Richards' rich vocals that wrap themselves around each instrument".[45] In The Sydney Morning Herald, Bernard Zuel argued the album was more subdued; "the tempos and the arrangements are a little quieter and simpler". Richards' lyrics, however, still drew praise; "he writes with a 19th-century novelist's ear and a Dylanesque tongue".[46] Stylus's Miller also touched on the fact that "Moo is as direct a shot as you'll ever get at Augie March", but that it was nonetheless a "refining and continuation" of the band's work thus far.[47] Shirley Halperin, writing for Entertainment Weekly, summarised the album as featuring "smooth, emotive vocals mingle with soaring melodies that'd make Paul McCartney proud".[48]

Glenn Richards thinks of language like a patient high on nitrous oxide thinks of laughing. He delights in its possibilities, its connotations, its kaleidoscopic permutations, its violent convulsions.

—Zeth Lundy, PopMatters
In a review of Strange Bird.[16]

Songwriting for Augie March is primarily done by Richards, who will deliver demos to the rest of the band members. The rest of the band then collaboratively develop the music written.[4] The Daily Telegraph's Kathy McCabe suggests "almost every songwriter in Australia has name-checked [Richards] as one of the finest tunesmiths of his generation".[40] Richards simply states that he enjoys "dabbling with words", and that people often appreciate him doing so.[40] At the 2006 ARIA Awards, Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst called for more political songs; Richards told The West Australian's Simon Collins he saw great risk in writing political music, and would rather write music that rung true, so that "I can sing the song a thousand times after it's been written".[49] Richards asserts he would rather draw on everyday experiences than on literary influences. He also says that some of the music he writes is intentionally confusing.[31]

The band, and especially Richards, are noted for their perfectionism. In a post-Sunset Studies interview with Grok magazine in 2000, Williams criticised the song "Good Gardener", to which the interviewer noted "the Augie March perfectionism ... a slavish, romantic, almost passionate pursuit".[38] This meme would be continued throughout Augie March's career; following the release of Moo, You Bloody Choir, Richards said he was not truly happy with anything he had produced so far.[27] Andrew Murfett wrote in The Age that for Augie March, "creative tension, adverse circumstances and perfectionism seem to go hand in hand".[30]

Despite their lush recorded sound, Augie March live shows have been effected by sound problems and low quality performances. At a 2000 concert following the release of Sunset Studies, Richards rhetorically asked the audience "what's an Augie gig without glitches?".[50] dB magazine's Steven Hocking, in a review of the band's Drones & Vapid Ditties DVD, said the band are "either unable or unwilling to engage the large audience", and that they were "just not very visually engaging" live, when compared to the sound of their albums.[51] Richards will sometimes refuse to play songs popular with fans; Williams told Beat Richards would no longer play "Asleep in Perfection" as "Glenn cannot fathom to sing the words that he wrote back then ... he's moved on from that place".[4]

Discography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Augie March.

Studio albums

EPs

DVDs

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gregory McIntosh. Augie March > Biography. Allmusic. Accessed 31 August 2008.
  2. ^ "5 Facts about Augie March". Rolling Stone Australia (January 2000). p. 36.
  3. ^ a b c d e Augie March. rage (23 December 2000). Accessed 31 August 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e Daniel Zugna (14 March 2007). Augie March. Beat. Accessed 10 September 2008.
  5. ^ a b c Winners by Artist: Augie March. ARIA Awards. Accessed 1 September 2008.
  6. ^ a b c Rhys Stacker (April 2001). "On the March - Augie March". Hype.
  7. ^ a b Sunset Studies. AugieMarch.com. Accessed 1 September 2008.
  8. ^ a b c Discography Augie March. australian-charts.com. Accessed 3 September 2008.
  9. ^ Noel Mengel (14 September 2006). Best album of the year. The Courier-Mail. Accessed 3 September 2008.
  10. ^ a b Jack Rabid. Sunset Studies > Overview. Allmusic. Accessed 3 September 2008.
  11. ^ Hottest 100 | History | 2001. Triple J. Accessed 3 September 2008.
  12. ^ a b Jonathan Pearlman (22 November 2002). Apocalypse noun. The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 3 September 2008.
  13. ^ Anthony Williams (November 2002). "Augie March - Sunsets and Strange Birds".
  14. ^ "You Drive Me Crazy With Your Augie, Augie". Grok. September 2002.
  15. ^ a b Karen Conrad (11 August 2003). "Augie March interview". Beat.
  16. ^ a b c Zeth Lundy (5 November 2004). Augie March: Strange Bird. PopMatters. Accessed 5 September 2008.
  17. ^ Scott McLennan (23 June 2003). "Rip It Up Interview Augie March". Rip It Up.
  18. ^ Guy Garvey (26 December 2003). "Strange Bird review". The Independent.
  19. ^ David Fricke (23 December 2003). "Strange Bird review". Rolling Stone.
  20. ^ a b c Nominated Albums | Augie March/Moo, You Bloody Choir. Triple J. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  21. ^ Andrew P Street (25 February 2004). Augie March interview. dB magazine. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  22. ^ Bernard Zuel (6 June 2007). Work of One Crowded Hour pays dividends. The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  23. ^ ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Albums. Australian Record Industry Association. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  24. ^ Augies' long march to ARIAs (13 September 2006). The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  25. ^ a b Andrew Tijs (11 September 2007). Augie March Into The US. Undercover. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  26. ^ Hottest 100 | History | 2006. Triple J. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  27. ^ a b Augie March win AMP award (8 March 2007). The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  28. ^ Iain Shedden (8 March 2007). Augie March off with top prize. The Australian. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  29. ^ Andrew P Street (14 March 2007). "March To The Top". Drum Media.
  30. ^ a b Andrew Murfett (20 March 2007). "Second Wind". The Age.
  31. ^ a b Sarah Flynn (29 November 2007). Augie March. Impose. Accessed 12 September 2008.
  32. ^ Joe Tangari (5 June 2006). Moo, You Blood Choir. Pitchfork Media. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  33. ^ Ben Peterson. Moo, You Bloody Choir > Overview. Allmusic. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  34. ^ George Palathingal (7 November 2007). Crowded House with Augie March. The Age. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  35. ^ Kate Kachor (26 August 2008). Augie March reveals new album title. Eleven Magazine. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  36. ^ Augie March Release 'Disappear' Download (26 August 2008). abc.net.au. Accessed 9 September 2008.
  37. ^ Augie March Announce "Watch Me Disappear" Aussie Tour (4 September 2008). Sony BMG. Accessed 11 September 2008.
  38. ^ a b c "Augie March". Grok. April 2001.
  39. ^ a b Joe Tangari (13 January 2005). Strange Bird. Pitchfork Media. Accessed 10 September 2008.
  40. ^ a b c Kathy McCabe (10 March 2007). "Into The Mainstream". The Daily Telegraph.
  41. ^ Alicia Bee (November 2000). Augie March play the Forum (PDF). CX, pp. 70-73. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  42. ^ John D. Luerssen (13 September 2004). Augie March: Strange Bird. Rolling Stone. Accessed 10 September 2008.
  43. ^ James Christopher Monger. Strange Bird > Overview. Allmusic. Accessed 10 September 2008.
  44. ^ Derek Miller (6 December 2004). Augie March - Strange Bird. Stylus Magazine. Accessed 11 September 2008.
  45. ^ Chad Grischow (31 August 2007). Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir Review. IGN. Accessed 7 September 2008.
  46. ^ Bernard Zuel (3 March 2006). Moo, You Bloody Choir. The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 11 September 2008.
  47. ^ Derek Miller (10 May 2006). Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir. Stylus Magazine. Accessed 11 September 2008.
  48. ^ Shirley Halperin (17 August 2007). Moo, You Bloody Choir. Entertainment Weekly. Accessed 11 September 2008.
  49. ^ Simon Collins (23 November 2006). "Melancholy Minstrel". The West Australian.
  50. ^ Anna Spanna (December 2000). "Augie March - Athenaeum Theatre". Beat.
  51. ^ Steven Hocking (6 October 2004). Augie March - Drones & Vapid Ditties. dB magazine. Accessed 9 September 2008.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augie_March&oldid=239008420"