Who are the Aussie Mystery Guys? Hub--Feel That Way

I recently picked up on EBay this 1995 7 song mini-album by Hub, a four piece Alterna-pop band from Australia. I'm having a lot of difficulty finding anything about these guys. The CD was put out by Shock Records, but I can't find the slightest reference to these guys. And this is quite a nice 90's styling alternative album!

Who is this mystery band?

Who are you? I really wanna know....

Right out of the box is 3rd Times a Charm, a very very nice pop song, coming on like an updated alternatized DM3. Nice harmonies on this one. The description made by E-bay vendor made some comparisons to The Replacements, but I hear a lot of latter period Dinosaur, Jr here also, in the interesting guitar work and song forms, and notably, one of the singers has some of Mascis' vocal mannerisms, quite evident on the second song here, Crush Luscious. Another touchstone here is the brilliant Australian band Glide, led by the much missed William Arthur, a band that any fan of alternative rock should get to know. Track down anything you can find that they did. (Not to be confused with the English Glide--a side product of Echo and the Bunnymen guitarist Will Seargeant.)

Hub was comprised of Peter Knight, Bass & Guitar, Tony Dennis, Acoustic Guitar, vocals, Steve Morrison, Drums, Bryan Karr, Electric Guitar, Vocals. This disc was produced by Laurence Maddy, who apparently has worked with a lot of Australian performers over the years. I was really surprised at the silence on the Internet about these guys. This is a pretty terrific record. The only song I'm not sold on is the slackerish Crush Luscious. I'll be Seeing You, the third song is one of the best songs here, an energetic Mascis-y exercise, with big guitar and even bigger pop hooks. Another winner is the jazz-inflected riffing of Golden Brown. The sludgy reflective eponymous ballad Feel That Way is also not bad at all.

Along with the first and third songs, the sixth tune Suitcase Mind is one of the great songs on this album. When they bash out loud catchy pop, these guys are at their very best. If you see this record selling someplace for a good price, it's definitely worth picking up. I wouldn't consider this a desert island disc by any means, perhaps just a Gilligan's Island disc. But if you like 90's alternative rock this would be a very nice addition to the collection. If this is a first recording, they certainly were off to an auspicious start. I wonder if these guys made any more records or went on to greater success. Don't know, but it would be interesting to learn some more about this mysterious band.

I Get Water From Wine--William Arthur and Glide after 10 Years--I Don't Want To Show My Insides Today

Take The Chip Off My Shoulder

I heard about the fantastic Australian alternative band Glide late in the game, via the Big Takeover magazine and greatly enjoyed their final album Disappear Hear, which was released here in the US. His other records were a little harder to pick up. Not to be confused with Will Sergeant (Echo and the Bunnymen) side project. Absolutely great songwriting and exhilarating melodies. Shortly thereafter I was really saddened to learn that singer/guitarist William Arthur had died tragically at the age of 34. I then heard that the bands manager was releasing a Cd of Glide and William Arthur demos, things they had been working on before the untimely loss.

The day the disc arrived, after coming home from work, I put the disc on immediately and listened to the energetic piano driven beauty of Baby Now, the first song. Oh, my god!!! I actually choked up. What a damned waste, what a terrible, terrible thing happened when he left this world. I think I listened to the song three times before I moved on. The music on this disc, entitled Last, was so great that I was sad like Cobain shooting himself sad. As much as I love his earlier music, there is a stripped down intimacy to these recordings, a sadness and searching feeling--maybe in light of his problems you almost feel a connection with Arthur. Listening to this record is almost like a seance-- Even ten years on I feel like he's in the room with me.

Aside from being a very emotive vocalist, I think William Arthur had a real knack in arrangements. I love how his guitarwork compares and contrasts with his melodies. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think that he captured lightning in a bottle on his best tunes. I think that even though they are not known very well outside Australia, that they are a musicians band, like Nick Drake and Big Star were before their posthumous popularity. I saw the friends list on MySpace page for the band and there is a big varied list of groups who obviously admire the band, and a lot of them probably never saw them or knew them. So maybe time will tell with their legacy--thankfully most of their music is now available digitally on itunes.

Maybe I make more of these songs because of Arthur's death--purportedly he overdosed. It sounds like he had demons, but I don't know him, and I hope that his death was just an unfortunate accident, and that he was a happy man.But the song I Wonder sounds to me like one of the saddest songs ever, William's raspy lead boiling with frustration and resignation. His voice is definitely higher in the mix on this disc, and you can really appreciate what a great singer he is here. On quieter songs like Show Me, and Spit and Smile he really demonstrates his contemplative side, crooning melancholy songs of nostalgia and loss.

The tour de force here is Always Fall, a beautifully powerfully bitter expression of frustration. But there is still hopefulness here, due to his will, because of his determination not to give up. One of my favorite songs of all time, with great guitar riffs in the chorus. Perversely when I hear it I visualize Charlie Brown trying to kick that football Lucy is holding. Other noteworthy songs here are the scathing You're Welcome, the romantic and sexy Bed For Two, and the more upbeat closer Pull In Your Claws.

I just found out that former members of Glide reconvened to do a few memorial shows in Australia last month. I started this post before I knew about this, much as I did with my post on Plastic Bertrand and his lip syncing scandal. It's like a Wings reunion without McCartney, but I sincerely hope that it helps to promote the bands deserved legacy. They should be remembered and introduced to a new generation. And hopefully these records will be re released in Cd form someday. Today these Cd's are pretty hard to find and are prohibitively expensive. (Open Up And Croon, Shrink Wrapped Real Thing, Disappear Here, Last). But do yourself a favor please, and check these guys out--it really doesn't matter which record you choose as they are all really really great.