Glad midsommar svenskjävlar!
How about some artsy fartsy punk rock from Australia? Yes, we like. Like a mix of Wire and Minutemen though I doubt Seems Twice had heard Minutemen as they released their first 7inch the same year. Maybe some Urinals in here too. The Fall? Yeah, that too. Same influences and same mind set maybe. Fave track: Column One. 15 seconds of pure joy. This record will never bore. That’s how things work with short songs. If you like it. Play it again.
Any info welcome about Seems Twice.
Would love to hear this:
http://www.users.bigpond.com/pturnbul/nns_reissues_seems-80.htm
Country: Australia
Year: 1980
Label: Doublethink
Format: 7″
Songs:
Salient Feature.mp3
Wish It Is.mp3
Non Plussed.mp3
Side Effects.mp3
Column One.mp3
Warhol.mp3
No Clear Ideas.mp3
Real Arafat.mp3
Metropolitan Recluse.mp3
Look At It.mp3
Abrupt Alteration.mp3
Anglican War.mp3
Seems Twice – Non Plussed E.P. 7″
The Hollywood Squares – Hillside Strangler! 7″ Jun 24 Hollywood Squares – Hillside Strangler listen amazon in The Hollywood Squares – Hillside Strangler! 7″ Jun 23 Seems Twice – Salient Feature listen in Seems Twice – Non Plussed E.P. 7″ Jun 23 Seems Twice – Side Effects listen in Seems Twice – Non Plussed E.P. 7″ Jun 23 Seems Twice – Abrupt Alteration listen in Seems Twice – Non Plussed E.P. 7″
More of this week’s MP3s after the jump. Also in the music blog world this week: Garage Hangover takes a long look at The Cranabeats. KBD keeps it pounding with an e.p. of short songs by Australian art-punks Seems Twice. But even better are the two simple songs by The Hollywood Squares. A good rule of thumb: pretty much any punk song about the Hillside Strangler is worth a listen. Some early demos from Suicide. Here’s a lovely German oddity,
Britain. Molloy was fresh in Sydney after a short and largely abortive attempt to create a “punk” group (City Slitz – for Auckland promoter Johnny Tabla) when he joined Anthony Yatras (bass, vocals, songs) and John Douglas (drums) to record Non-Plussed (a 12 “song” EP)for influential Sydney indie Doublethink Records. None of the tracks is over thirty-seven seconds long with the shortest being sixteen seconds. Musically, however, they say more than many albums of the time. There is a spontaneity and art-minded innovation here worthy of Wir
Great 7″
Oh great! Never heard of this before. Like the amateurish edge of it and that the bass indeed sounds a bit like in the MINUTEMEN sometimes. Hope this ain’t too expensive to buy.
this is one of the best 7″ in rock history period. I heard it a few years ago, a friend gave me a cassette mix which included this entire Seems Twice release. That was back in 1998 and I still never got over the music of Seems Twice. To me it’s a little bit better than the Minutemen stuff because there are no comical elements in it. This is more artsy and serious and 100% awesome. It’s like they took the artsy element of the UK bands like Wire and combined with the speed hardcore “I don’t give a fuck” attitude of the American bands. To me it’s a classic and a keeper forever.
to kbd, seems twice wrote all there material in 1978 and 1979 ,, they never heard of the minutemen ;,. influenced by wire. so hello from australia. your sight is seminal.
Just what I suspected.
hi. glad you like the band – one of the most interesting variants of oz punk. they were all quite scary to me – especially the drummer – but others in the scene got on really well with them. i’ve put the live stuff from the web link you mentioned (+ some other tracks i found from a Civic hotel gig) on rapidshare: http://rapidshare.com/files/45101748/Seems_Twice_-_Live.rar
PhilT glad to know you like the band-however seems twice never payed the civic or the metropole-funny hey!
played
yeah – bad tagging: 1st gig defintely at the rockgarden. 2nd gig attributed to the civic on the cassette but that could simply be caused by the track “the civic’s dead”. we played quite a few gigs with them around the limited venues available to us all.
first gig definately the grand hotel 1979. 2nd gig was the rocks art centre ,with the slugfuckers.then a host of rags shows and stagedoor shows.civic hotel gigs was really the rockgarden, where the live stuff was recorded.civics dead was only played at rags.they played numerous other one nighters,then unfortunately called it a day.
yeah i remember them they played the fastest set ive ever seen….
its great to see the band has an afterlife of its own nearly 30 years on. I played drums in the band and can answer any questions. The post above is pretty acurate as to gigs we played.Gee was I really scary?? None of us had listened to the Minutemen but yes wire were a big influence and we did covers of their songs we also covered adam and the ants plastic surgery from Jubilee and metal urbain stooges alex chilton shadows the atlantics etc.
Thanks the comment John. Would love to hear the cover of Plastic Surgery. Any unreleased recordings laying around?
Phil T has the only live recording that I know of. Plastic surgery was a definite crowd pleaser.
I AM SITTING HERE WONDERING IF SEEMS TWICE HAS A MYSPACE ? THEY SHOULD.
I HAVE THEIR SINGLE RIGHT HERE AND I AM LOOKING AT IT , HAD IT SINCE IT CAME OUT, WAS MADE IT SAYS 21,22,23RD MARCH 1980 . A CLASSIC,
DROP THAT CAR!!!!!!!!!!!
if so go join our punk site for aussie punks
on myspace, cheers
Group URL: http://groups.myspace.com/SYDNEYPUNKS
any punks remember the civic days and stagedoor tavern closing last show,
come join us and blog,
thanx
Group URL: http://groups.myspace.com/SYDNEYPUNKS
Seems Twice does not have myspace. This is the only recording of Seems Twice The band consisted of 3 people. Anthony on Bass and Vocals, Mick on guitar and John on drums. They mainly played in Sydney Australia.
The EP is incredible hard to get i have tried and only know of 1 copy. i use to have a copy but was stolen. Seems Twice split not long after the EP but their music is still played by small groups of people.I know what Anthony is up to just playing here and there and still has the same bass from the EP caught up with him over Christmas 07/08 as he is my brother.
Only wish the EP was released again.
By the way Ducati is the only real motorbike in a sea of SHIT.
Cheers
Joe
Hi JD
It’s Joe glad your still around. Where’s Mick????>
Anthony is fine seen him recently. My son plays, loves SeemsTwice (6 guitars age 15) plays both lead and bass and plays around with the piano and keyboards. Little bugge stole all my Iggy, Wire, Buzzcocks, Clash and Metal Urban (still have that album sought off). Andre’s fine see him all the time. Gone are the days of the Grand, Rock Garden, Civic and at times Garriabaldies.
Cheers
Joe.
on the back of the cover it says, this album was produced by seems twice . could this be, with all the songs involved, the worlds first mini album………
Residents – Commercial Single came the same year. It has 8 songs on it. Maybe that could be a mini album too? But I bet there’s stuff earlier then these two. Anyone?
interesting,if before 1980.. bordering on 70s,,if anyone can help ,, it would be educational.
what the fuck happened to union T.
hi john what about a second hand vardis.
Do you still dress as arafat when playing drums.
Andre’.