We Love The Wahas

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The Wahas in The Brag

Issue 268 (June 30th) of The Brag features this Wahas photo from the TEETH photoshoot. All the photos can be seen here.

Mysterious Mix #5

Mysterious Mixes are a way for us to share music we love with the rest of the world (and yes, to whore TEETH out some more). If you picked this mix up at the Kinokuniya zine fair, let us know by emailing teethmag@gmail.com


1. Wiley – Wearing My Rolex
2. The Vignettes – The Rich
3. Operation Ivy – Freeze Up
4. Yves Klein Blue – Silence Is Distance
5. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – White Line
6. Black Lips – Bad Kids
7. Fait Accompli – Shut Up and Dance
8. The Dandy Warhols – I Love You
9. Tennis – These Kids
10. The Spirits – Lightbeam (demo)
11. Philadelphia Grand Jury – Wet Winter Holiday

Mysterious Mix #4

Mysterious Mixes are a way for us to share music we love with the rest of the world (and yes, to whore TEETH out some more). If you picked this mix up at Britpop, Abercrombie Hotel on the 21st of June, let us know! Email teethmag@gmail.com

1. Chaingang – Get Off My Stage
2. Fugazi – Waiting Room
3. Cassette Kids – Forwards Backwards
4. Sonic Youth – Drunken Butterfly
5. Die! Die! Die! – Sideways Here We Come
6. IAMX – Nightlife
7. Bird Automatic – Keep Out the Sunlight
8. The Last Shadow Puppets – Separate and Ever Deadly
9. Ghostwood – Rest My Soul
10. Whiskey Go Gos – True Love
11. Rancid – Time Bomb

The Teenagers

Photo by ANNIE LY

The Teenagers existed in relative obscurity until very recently when their fusion of catchy pop songs, ridiculously cute French accents and deliciously ironic lyrics were noticed worldwide through the power of MySpace.

Saturday 14th June saw them perform the third show of their first Australian tour, this time at the Oxford Art Factory, home to Sydney’s tightest jeans and pointiest shoes. It was a sold-out show, leaving a line outside the venue and security guards warding off those without tickets trying to sweet-talk their way in.

Inside, after the support bands warmed up the crowd, The Teenagers hit the stage to a very enthusiastic audience. From the amount of people pushing their way closer to the stage and singing every word in sync with the band, one could assume The Teenagers had been around for decades. Such enthusiasm for a band is rare to witness nowadays at a gig that isn’t happening at Acer Arena. But any hope one had that the enthusiasm was there for the music withered when the band invited three girls on stage to be cheerleaders during the song Homecoming. The stage soon became packed with excited girls competing for the attention of their favourite band member and pushing one another to give kisses and pose for photos taken by their friends in the audience.

So all this enthusiasm, excitement and groupie-like hysteria for a band that has only just exposed their music to the world? The Teenagers have unfortunately been thrust into that dark world of Latest Hipster Fad. They’re one of those bands some people are afraid to admit liking because it’ll associate them with the screaming ‘fans’ who grind up against one another on stage next to someone ‘famous’ hoping that one day a photo of such antics will wind up on The Cobra Snake. Despite the fun songs they play, despite their stage charisma, despite their witty lyrics and lovable appearance, this is one aspect of their music career that will undoubtedly haunt them. It will sell records and t-shirts and tickets to places on the other side of the world from their hometown, but it will leave them branded as just another trend. The price of fame appears to be high in the new music environment.

Ghostwood Farewell Show

Ghostwood are off to the UK! Their farewell show/fundraiser at the Oxford Art Factory last night showed just why the rest of the world needs to see this band live. Less than a year ago when TEETH first saw Ghostwood, they had packed out the Hopetoun Hotel. Yesterday the Oxford Art Factory, a much larger venue, was impossible to move through. Their gigs have become more intense, their songs more impressive and the extended version of “Rest My Soul” with a drum solo finish is amazing. Even the more familiar songs off the EP have gotten a make-over. See them live before it costs you $50 or more to do so because it’s quite obvious this band is going to take over the world, soon.


Beach Road Hotel, Bondi – 1st June
Come Together Festival, Luna Park – 7th June
For UK tour dates, check out their MySpace.





And an honourable mention goes to The Wahas who were one of the support acts last night (along with Under Lights, who we unfortunately missed, and Kirin J. Callinan who was fabulous as always) whose live shows get more impressive each time we see them and get the award for most photogenic band. Oh and the new song “Wahas Theme” is the best thing we’ve heard in a long time! :)


See The Wahas play:
Come Together Festival, Luna Park – 8th June
Sonarbar, Luna Park (with Amy Meredith) – 21st June
Supporting Grinspoon in Wollongong and at The Metro – 27th & 28th June


Photos by ANNIE LY

TEETH LOVES STUFF issue two

Issue two of TEETH LOVES STUFF zine can be read here.

It features interviews with Only the Sea Slugs & The Vignettes, creative writing by Jasmina Berber & Ivana Rnjak, photography by Sagan Culph & ANNIE LY, drawings by The Fetus, Zigwamp & Leesy and much, much more.

The Vignettes

The Vignettes are a Sydney-based band consisting of Joel on guitar and vocals and Katie on drums. Don’t make a White Stripes connection immediately though; their sound is different and much more fun and their live shows have a much different, wilder energy. The EP Out of Home, On Our Own is a wonderful mix of songs to make you first get your dance on and lose your mind, and then sit back and reflect on life. Any possible review of the EP just becomes a love letter, so we’ll skip straight to the interview…

When and how did The Vignettes become a band?
We met at a New Years Eve party hosted by mutual friends, both totally smashed! Our love of bands like NIN and Muse brought us together.

What’s your best memory so far of being The Vignettes?
Hearing ourselves on Triple J was probably the best thing so far. The second best was being asked to play Come Together.

What influences your song-writing?
The EP is sort of a concept thing, with all the songs being written about my experiences since moving to Sydney on my own. All the usual things are there - love, loneliness, anger (and lots of it), betrayal... The riffs however are an amalgamation of all my favourite songs, but with my twist on them.

What are your favourite bands and biggest musical inspirations?
The bands that inspire us are Muse, Death From Above 1979, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Vines, The Mars Volta and Led Zeppelin to name a few.

(Photo by Margaret Burns)

What was the best gig you’ve played so far? And worst?
Our recent stint on the main stage at the Annandale was probably our best gig. The sound was awesome, the energy was electric, and the crowd was huge.
Our worst was at the Excelsior in Glebe, a while ago now. Ten seconds into the first song we were told to 'turn it down or get the fuck out!" The audience were a bunch of backpackers who weren't paying attention to us too, so it was a pretty demeaning gig. But we got back on our feet.

What would you like The Vignettes to be doing in five years’ time?
Living in Europe, touring off the back of our second album. Possibly snorting copious amounts of cocaine off a black hooker’s ass...

Do you feel crowds have responded well to your music, or has it been tough getting people to pay attention?
"A little from column A, a little from column B." We've had our fair share of haters, but lately we've been really connecting with the crowds. Since our stage show is so in-your-face, you tend to either hate it, or become a lifetime fan right then and there. Everyone's always impressed by the size of our sound though!

You’ve played with some amazing bands. Who would you like to play with in the future?
I'd like to actually 'play' with the Vines. I do say we 'shared the stage' with them, but it was just a DJ set they did. Opening for someone ridiculous would be cool like Muse, The Hives or our new favourites Future of the Left.

(Photo by Margaret Burns)

Do you believe in the tooth fairy?
He's a 47-year-old paedophile that lives in Rhode Island. He steals teeth from small children the rolls around in them in his underwear.

Katie – five words to describe Joel.
Gorgeous, talented, cute, witty, funny.
Joel – five words to describe Katie.
Beautiful, powerful, opinionated, funny, strong.

Do you get a lot of White Stripes references, and if so, do they get annoying?
Not really... We've had it maybe twice. Since we have such a different (and bigger!) sound people don't really make the connection. They're pretty cool though, White Blood Cells changed my life.

What’s up next for The Vignettes? A new EP? An album perhaps…?
Well the EP 'Out of Home, On our Own' hasn't even been released yet due to the fact we have no label, so the plan is …

1. Get a label
2. Get some money
3. Make devastatingly good debut album that puts us on the musical map world wide.
4. Retire with our black hooker and our cocaine habit...

If anyone wants an EP just drop us a line at vignettesband@gmail.com with your address and we'll post one out to you for free. It's not about money, it's about EXPOSURE!

Visit The Vignettes on MySpace!

Check them out in the latest issue of TEETH LOVES STUFF: page 1 & page 2

See The Vignettes live at:

Come Together Festival at Luna Park – 7th June
Annandale Hotel – 17th June
World Bar – 11th July
Excelsior Hotel – 17th July

Only the Sea Slugs

TEETH talked to Sasha from Only the Sea Slugs, who are currently recording their debut EP, to find out a little more about this Sydney band that is yet to get the sort of exposure their wonderful sound and beautiful lyrics deserve.

Tell us – who are you and where are you from?

We are SASHA, ZORAN, DEAN, LUKE & SCOTT. Five humans. Sydneysiders stretching from the deep south to the far north.

When and how did Only the Sea Slugs become a band?

Three years ago, Zoran & I started writing music together, just keyboards and guitars. We played really shitty venues in our local areas, but they felt so good. Last year, we met Dean & Luke and started the band. Now, Scotty just rolled up, clean. Its just seems to keep growing, but we definitely don't want an orchestra.

You have quite possibly the most interesting band name ever. What does it mean and how did it come about?

This story is strange and funny. We came up with SEA SLUGS amongst 30 other ‘tough’ names, so we thought, yeah, its unassuming...and we love the ocean, but the "ONLY THE" part was soon after an addition, when one night we were eating pizza and someone offered me the last slice and I took it, and Zoran yelled out in hysterics..."ONLY THE FAT CUNTS EAT THE LAST SLICE!" So that’s....

What is your song writing influenced by/what inspires you?

It’s impossible to sum it up, but the major ingredient is emotion. Listening to other bands is really an influence for me particularly. I believe every band copied off other bands either consciously or sub-consciously...they just don’t admit it. LOVE INFLUENCES ALL MUSIC. It’s the LOVE for anything....

What can we expect from the EP? Will it be very different to what we’ve heard so far?

We are planning for it to set another level of intensity. The songs are all very powerful in their own element, we have hardly written any slim, watered-down tracks, they are all quite layered and melodic, but beefy.

You’ve played at some pretty awesome venues around Sydney. (Including the Oxford Art Factory, the Annandale Hotel and Spectrum.) Where would you really love to play in the future? And with which bands?

We are very happy with the exposure and opportunity we have been granted in the last year. As for the near future, we would love to play all respected underground venues around Australia, New York, London...We think our sound would fit in those settings well. And bands??? TV on the Radio! And local bands we love from Sydney, there is a swell little underground scene going on.

How would you describe your sound?

Melodic. Layered. Driving. Interesting. Oceanic.

Do you believe in the tooth fairy?

That’s how we made enough cash (as kids) to buy guitars!

Add Only the Sea Slugs on MySpace!

Check out Only the Sea Slugs in the new issue of TEETH LOVES STUFF: page 1 & page 2.

(Photos by ANNIE LY)

The Wahas

TEETH interviewed The Wahas about all things that are good. Here’s what the interview evolved into…

The Wahas became a band “about two years ago, in a car park”, a story kind of hard to grasp considering they’ve played as a support band for The Horrors on their Australian tour and have played at some of Sydney’s finest venues such as the Oxford Art Factory and the Gaelic Theatre and alongside Australia’s favourite new bands, including Ghostwood and Mercy Arms.

The Wahas hail from Sydney’s North Shore and have an average age of seventeen. They list everyone from The Birthday Party to The Pop Group to Gallows (to Kochie) as influences. And they make very good music.

The Wahas are...

Cass (tambourine, vocals) / Jack (bass, vocals) / Rupert (guitars, vocals)

Tom (guitars) / Xavier (drums)

Their debut EP ‘We Love The Wahas’ was released a little while ago and features some very good cover art. It is a very impressive EP, with lyrics by Rupert standing out, on ‘Collide’ especially. ‘Dodge City Showdown’ lasts almost seven minutes, with haunting vocals, deep drums in the background and a sound reminiscent of The Velvet Underground (think ‘Heroin’). The video clip of the single ‘New Suit’ featured on Rage!

However, the sound of The Wahas nowadays is very different to what is heard on the EP. When asked why they don’t play many songs off the EP anymore, they say it’s a mixture of being sick of playing them and trying to step away from that sound. The new songs are certainly a leap forward, with a variety of sounds and styles, but all with a distinct Wahas feel. They range from the fun of ‘Chorus Girl’, all tambourines and “la la la la la la” making it impossible to resist dancing, to the eerie Horrors feel of ‘Anne Frankenstein’, to the shrieking vocals by Jack on ‘Mother in Drag’. Whether a new release is in store is a secret, but considering the amount of amazing new material they’ve put together, it’s hard to imagine a new EP, or perhaps even an album, is too far away.

The Wahas say their best gig so far has been playing with The Horrors and the worst a gig at a skate park which didn’t go down well with the skaters (who pulled the plug on their instruments a few times). The ingredients for a good Wahas gig are “Red Bull, cigarettes, instruments, a crowd and a venue”. Something must have been missing at the skate park…

The dark side of The Wahas features people living in fridges, having strange sexual fetishes and Vegemite beards and can be seen on YouTube – check out “What Would You Do?”.

And now for the remainder of the questions which could not be cleverly incorporated into this article…

TEETH: What would you do if TEETH lived in your fridge?
The Wahas: Sue them for copyright infringement.
(Refer to “What Would You Do?” episode 6)

TEETH: Which members of The Horrors are your favourite?
The Wahas: The ones with the tight jeans.

TEETH: How do you handle being in school and having a music career at the same time?
The Wahas: Well.

TEETH: The Beatles or Elvis?
The Wahas: The Kinks.

TEETH: Do you believe in the tooth fairy?
The Wahas: We regret not keeping our teeth.

TEETH: What are your favourite Sydney bands?
The Wahas: The FolloW, Ghostwood, Bridezilla, Snout Cassette, The Stukas, Wifepunch.

TEETH: Which is superior – toothpaste or hairspray?
The Wahas: Hairpaste.

TEETH: Which bands would you love to play with in the future?
The Wahas: James Chance and The Contortions on Sunrise.

TEETH: Have you made any plans for life after school that don't include music? Eg. uni, nine to five, joining a cult?
The Wahas: Going on Sunrise.

The very best of luck to The Wahas with the Sunrise gig and with other music stuff too.

A big thank you to The Wahas for their TEETH support, interview answers which made us laugh and putting up with the rain during the photo-shoot, and to their lovely manager Natalie for making the interview and photo-shoot happen.

For more Wahas goodness, visit their MySpace or website.
To see all the photos from the shoot, visit the set by ANNIE LY.

TEETH LOVES STUFF

Issue one of the TEETH LOVES STUFF zine is available now. Email teethmag@gmail.com if you want to get your hands on a copy. Or if you live around Sydney, Melbourne or Wollongong, chances are you’ll find one lying around somewhere…

Issue one features: The Stray Assembly, The Wahas, The FolloW, Reefer Madness and more…

If you squint real well, you can read it on our Flickr.

SwiftLove

SwiftLove is a new night of indie goodness at Candy’s Apartment, organised by Darren. The grand launch featured a fabulous line-up of up-and-coming Australian bands.

Only the Sea Slugs were on early, playing their final gig before taking a break to record an EP. Ballet Imperial followed, attracting a large crowd which involved a lot of “take it off” chants for the drummer. TEETH liked the sound and bought their EP which is rather very good, especially the haunting track ‘Imperia’. Up next was Tennis with a sound reminiscent of The Strokes, with additional vocals by the lead guitarist adding a nice, contrasting touch. And to wrap the night up, one of the most promising new Sydney bands, Lions at Your Door, played an up-beat set. Their line-up features the bassist from now-defunct band The Mares, and their energy is infectious.

It must also be mentioned that the music played in between bands featured some very good Australian artists including Dardanelles, The Wahas and teenagersintokyo. Overall, a fun night!

For party photos, visit our Flickr.
For band photos, visit the photoset by ANNIE LY.