Kim Salmon

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Kim Salmon
Kim Salmon at home in Perth, January 1989
Kim Salmon at home in Perth, January 1989
Background information
Birth name Kim Salmon
Origin Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Genre(s) indie rock
Years active 1976 – Present
Label(s) Citadel Records
Shock Records
Half A Cow Records
Carot Top Records

Kim Salmon is a renowned and influential Australian indie rock musician and songwriter. He is most noted for his work with The Scientists, and later with the Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists and Kim Salmon and the Business.

Contents

[edit] Early Work - The Scientists

In 1976 Kim Salmon formed Perth's first punk band The Cheap Nasties.

Salmon's work in the 1980s was influential in the development of grunge music, first recognised around Seattle, USA, before impacting on popular music in the early 1990s through bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden.[citation needed] The Scientists relied on unorthodox bass-heavy rhythms and distorted guitars, the latter being a direct precursor for grunge. In fact the term itself was coined by Salmon in the mid 1980s to describe The Scientists' sound, as noted in a documentary on Australian music, 'Long Way to the Top' (2001).

In 1979, the debut single from The Scientists was released, "Frantic Romantic", the original line-up was Kim Salmon and Roddy Radalj on guitars and vocals, James Baker on drums and Boris Sujdovic on bass. The band then broke up and re-formed, spawning the single, "This Is My Happy Hour" at the end of 1982.

In 1983 they released the mini album Blood Red River which was an influential record of the post-punk era. It included a "A Monster in the Tub" album cover by artist/performer Ewan Cameron who played in Adelaide's Purple Vulture Shit. It topped the indie charts. The Scientists then toured the UK and Europe playing their amalgam of blues/punk/noise.

The Scientists went through several incarnations, with Kim remaining a constant member, before the band hung up their boots in late 1987.

[edit] The Surrealists/Beasts of Bourbon/Antenna

Following the disbanding of The Scientists in 1987, Salmon focused primarily on Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, which included in its original line up bass guitarist Brian Hooper and drummer Tony Pola. The Surrealists continued a similar musical style, releasing Hit Me With The Surreal Feel (1988), Just Because You Can’t See It... Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t There... (1989) and Essence (1991). The Surrealists guitar-driven approach evolved further in later releases, the acclaimed Sin Factory (1993) and a self-titled album released in 1994.

This period also allowed a productive phase for the on-again, off-again Beasts of Bourbon, which gained significant cult followings in Australia and parts of Europe. Salmon was one of three creative forces in the band, along with Spencer P. Jones and Tex Perkins. The band flirted with various genres, but was generally known as a powerhouse blues-rock outfit that leaned towards seedy lyrical themes.

The Beasts of Bourbon released a number of albums prior to Salmon's departure in 1994, such as The Axeman's Jazz (1984), Sour Mash (1988), Black Milk (1990) and The Low Road (1991). The original members included James Baker (drums) and Boris Sudjovic (bass), who had played in the Scientists. Both were replaced in 1990 by Salmon's Surrealists bandmates, Pola and Hooper.

In 1993 Kim Salmon and the Surrealists supported U2 on the Zoo-TV Australian tour.

In 1994 The Surrealists toured with the Rollins Band. That year Kim Salmon released his debut solo album, Hey Believer, which included collaboration from Warren Ellis and Jim White from the Dirty Three.

The Surrealists changed personnel in 1995, Salmon recruiting new drummer Greg Bainbridge and later bassist Stu Thomas, who provided a funkier slant to the music. Salmon began to experiment with brass sections and elements of soul music on the last Surrealists' release, Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Thing (1997). The album was recorded in August 1996, when Kim Salmon borrowed some money, hired a stack of recording gear for 7 days, got the Surrealists to set up in his kitchen & invited a host of Melbourne's finest instrumentalists around. Kim took the results to Memphis, Tennessee to be mixed by Jim Dickinson (The Cramps, Alex Chilton, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Ry Cooder, Chuck Prophet, the Replacements & the Spin Doctors).

The album was to be known as @!!!?*# but Kim changed the record's name to avoid confusion with another local band that got in first with that one. Album of the Year was then the record's title for two weeks until Faith No More announced that was the title of their new record.

In 1998 Salmon formed a new band, Antenna, collaborating with long time friend Dave Faulkner (The Victims, The Manikins, Hoodoo Gurus), also in Antenna were Justin Frew and Stuart McCarthy (both of Southend). Antenna recorded an album (between April and August 1998), and then made its live debut at the Telstra Concert of the Century/Mushroom 25th anniversary in November, 1998. The concert coincided with the release of the band’s debut single, "Come on Spring", and album, Installation.[1] Guest performers on the album included Matt Thomas (The Mavis's) on "All Rise", and Christina Amphlett (Divinyls) on "Divine". "Come on Spring" reaching #64 on the 1998 Triple J Hottest 100 list. Antenna appeared on the 1999 Big Day Out tour but disbanded soon after.

[edit] The Business/Darling Downs

The first record from his next band, Kim Salmon and the Business, titled Record was released on 25th October 1999, and was Feature Album Of The Week on Triple J. The first single from the album "Saving Me From Me" was released on Monday 20th September 1999. Also included is the track "Caesar's Lament" and a cover of the Dudley Moore tune "Love Me" (from the movie Bedazzled). A second single "Disconnected" was released 13th March 2000 featuring two remixes by Mr Chill, Gary B and Justin Frew.

Some of Salmon's recent work has reflected a quieter style. He released an acoustic solo album, E(a)rnest, in 2002, and has commenced a new venture, Darling Downs, with former Died Pretty singer, Ron Peno. Their album, How Can I Forget This Heart of Mine? was released in 2005.

Salmon can count among his fans a number of noteworthy artists, including Mudhoney, Henry Rollins and members of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

In June 2004, Salmon was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association Hall of Fame.

[edit] Salmon

Kim Salmon formed the instrumental group Salmon in 2005. It features Clare Moore and Michael Stranges on drums and Dave Graney, Ash Naylor, Penny Ikinger, Matt Walker and Anton Ruddick on guitar. Kim Salmon plays guitar and a sampler.

The band released the album Rock Formations in May, 2007. The album was released on both on CD as well as limited double LP with only 500 copies pressed. The album is in two parts, the first half is made up of songs recorded at rehearsal, and the second half recorded live at the Metro in Sydney.

[edit] Discography

[edit] The Scientists

  • The Scientists (1981)
  • Blood Red River EP (1983)
  • This Heart Doesn't Run On Blood, This Heart Doesn't Run On Love EP (1984)
  • You Get What You Deserve (1985)
  • Atom Bomb Baby EP (1985)
  • Demolition Derby EP (1985)
  • Heading For A Trauma (1985)
  • Weird Love' (1986)
  • The Human Jukebox (1987)
  • Scientists (1989)
  • Absolute (1991)
  • Blood Red River: 1982-1984 (2000)
  • Human Jukebox: 1984-1986 (2002)
  • Pissed On Another Planet (2004)
  • Sedition (2007)

[edit] Kim Salmon and the Surrealists

  • Hit Me With The Surreal Feel (Black Eye)(1988)
  • Just Because You Can’t See It... Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t There... (Black Eye)(1989)
  • Essence (Red Eye/Polydor)(1991)
  • Sin Factory (Red Eye/Polydor)(1993)
  • Kim Salmon And The Surrealists (Red Eye/Polydor)(1995)
  • Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Own Thing (Half a Cow)(1997)

[edit] Beasts of Bourbon

  • The Axeman's Jazz (1984)
  • Sour Mash (1988)
  • Black Milk (1990)
  • The Low Road (1991)
  • From The Belly Of The Beasts (1993)
  • Europe 1992 (1994)

[edit] Kim Salmon with STM

  • Hey Believer (1994)

[edit] Antenna

[edit] Kim Salmon and the Business

  • Record (1999)

[edit] Kim Salmon

  • "Lightning Scary" - single(1986)
  • E(a)rnest (2002)

[edit] Darling Downs

  • How Can I forget This Heart Of Mine (2005)

[edit] Salmon

  • Rock Formations (2007)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Rock Database entry on Antenna. Magnus Holmgren. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.