The Bites
Country of origin:
Australia
Type of music generally:
Indie alternative pop/rock
Status:
Most recent release, white lines and runways (2003)
See also:
The Bites MySpace page
Comparisons:
The Breeders
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
The Bites turn out to be a pop-rock outfit, suprisingly radio-friendly, in that indie sort of way. In fact I learned they had a record out by listening to our new community radio FBi—I didn't know the song, but the voice was instantly recognisable! The band consists of three guitars and drums—no bass, they claim, although I could swear I heard one a couple of times. They sound somewhat like The Breeders at times, and there is this strong sense of "we're just a bunch of friends getting together and having fun belting the hell out of our instruments", but this is Kirsty Stegwazi and co. after all—they simply can't help making it all a bit different, a bit twisted, and a bit more interesting than your average garage rock band. (afries@zip.com.au)
Recommended first album:
white lines and runways is their debut
Recordings:
white lines and runways (2003)
Release info:
2003—Dusky Sounds/W. Minc Productions—MWMINCD029
Availability:
Australia
Ecto priority:
Recommended for indierock fans
Group members:
Kirsty Stegwazi—guitar, vocals, piano
Gen Blackmore—guitar, vocals
René Schaefer—guitar
Monika Fikerle—drums, backing vocals
Comments:
The opener "My heart, your heart" is the track I heard on the radio. With some luck it certainly could get a bit of airplay—and that would be the first for Kirsty Stegwazi! "Etwas neues" is done entirely in German for some reason. Why would anyone want to sing in German? Perhaps just to show they can...so she can sing, play guitar and cello, she could do stand-up comedy, and now she's a linguist, too :) With a name like Stegwazi, I often wonder about her background, but I never asked. A bit of mystery adds to the attraction, perhaps?
But it is the last song that really gets to me: "Desert island piano", is just Kirsty in what appears to be a demo, a first draft of a song, recorded in her bedroom. The sound is hollow, the playing fumbling and hesitant, the tune just a throw-away ditty...and it is absolutely
glorious. This is classic Kirsty, doing what she does best—taking fractured home-spun bits and transmuting them, somehow, into perfection...
"I know it would suck
ending up stuck with me
on some far-away desert island
or in some broken down elevator
I'd have my ups
and you'd have my downs
forever...forever...forever...is a long time"
Yeah she's my Goddess! (afries@zip.com.au)
Further info:
Contact: The Bites, c/o Dusky Sounds Management, P.O. Box 1232, Carlton 3053 VIC, Australia; haveyoubeenbitten@yahoo.com
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