Screamfeeder

“Forget Jet, The Vines, even You Am I… Screamfeeder are hands down the country's best rock band and Take You Apart is all the proof you need. For real.”
Time Off magazine, Brisbane , 11/03

"Forget the boredom inducing whine of Something For Kate, if you're after guitar pop that leaves the pretension to the prima donnas look no further than singer/guitarist Tim Steward and his long serving partners in Screamfeeder" Blunt Magazine

"13 tunes-no filler and its ragged, infectious spirit evokes all kinds of glories: classic soul records, the early Who singles, the fire and fun of bands such as the Jam and the Replacements. Highlights are many but it's hard to go past "I've Got The Knife', one of the best tunes of the year, with its infectious melody and lyrics with just the right mixture of yearning, regret and hope." Courier Mail

"With attractive lyrics and placid keyboards being the main highlight, "Take You Apart" no doubt holds some of Screamfeeder's best songs to date. Its diversity is cryptically intelligent, while Screamfeeder, as a band have refined immensely. Certainly the brightest release to come out of Brisbane this year, as you get the feeling that Screamfeeder are one of those bands who continue to get better with age." Anemic Magazine

"If ever the adage "all killer and no filler” applied, it does with "Take You Apart', one of the Australian albums of the year" Tsunami

"Their latest is a no-fuss, boiled-to-the-bone rock record that bristles with energy and focus, leaving plenty of space for subtle melodies, simple hooks and Tim Steward's hope-filled voice" Rolling Stone

There are many ways to rock, and on their latest album Take You Apart Brisbane's Screamfeeder have mastered them all. From the simple downbeat strumming, hypnotic keyboards and incisive lyrics of "Now I Don't Feel So Bad" to the punked up smash fest of "Needles". From the classic bluesy strut of "And Tigers They Roam" to the unrelenting sonic slab of "Bunny". From the Who-like maelstrom of "I Don't Know What To Do Any More" to the neo-gospel love affair of "You And Me".
- assorted

It's one of life's great mysteries that local indie-rock group Screamfeeder aren't superstars. God knows they certainly deserve to be, especially with tunes as good as those on Take You Apart.
After the oft-cluttered, multi-layered Rocks On The Soul, this time around the group strip things back and deliver 13 cuts of unashamedly punchy rock. The inclusion of keys on tracks like 'Now I Don't Feel So Bad' and the infectious single '12345' add another dimension to the sound, as do handclaps on 'I Don't Know What To Do Anymore' and a resounding choir of voices in 'You And Me'.
Elsewhere, the punkier 'Bunny', hook-heavy 'And Tigers They Roam' (dear me, that bass line is sublime) and high-energy 'Same Mistakes Again' rival the quality of past 'Feeder classics like 'Dart' and 'Hi-Cs'. In fact, you'll struggle to find a single song on Take You Apart that doesn't hit you in the chest, fire your soul and make you wanna dance.
Forget Jet, The Vines, even You Am I… Screamfeeder are hands down the country's best rock band and Take You Apart is all the proof you need. For real.
(Nick Coppack) - Time Off, Brisbane

Noel Mengel, Courier Mail, Brisbane 22/10/03

IT HAS been a long and frequently frustrating journey through some great gigs, dashed hopes and cool tunes for Screamfeeder, the Brisbane trio whose debut album was released in 1992.
And when others might have given up in the face of late nights, low pay and long drives, they have persevered and delivered the record of their lives. While The Strokes' album will probably sell millions and Screamfeeder probably will not, there's no doubt which one I'm enjoying more at the moment.
It's difficult to put a finger on exactly what lifts this Screamfeeder above their earlier albums except to say it's more consistent - 13 tunes, no filler - and its ragged, infectious spirit evokes all kinds of glories: classic soul records, the early Who singles, the fire and fun of bands such as The Jam and The Replacements.
Take You Apart is the sort of record I had hoped Mick Jones night have made - Tim Steward's singing voice is reminiscent - when he left The Clash. But great rock 'n' roll is about the spark created by a band and Jones never quite found that again after the split with Joe Strummer. But Steward has plenty of it with bassist Kellie Lloyd and drummer Dean Shwereb, who took inspiration from old soul records and provides the urgent pulse at the heart of Take You Apart.
It's an album packed with so many pop-rock delights it's hard to know where to start: the call to the dancefloor of I Don't Know What To Do Any More complete with Keith Moon-style drum explosion to finish; the tingling soul ballad You and Me; Lloyd on lead vocals for The Space That's Left, with its gently gliding verse and roaring chorus built around just two chords. But great rock music isn't about how many notes you play. It's about what you do with the few good ones that you put together.
The album has a warm yet crisp sound, the guitars mostly lean and clean, with organ parts adding colour to tunes such as the exquisite 12345. Highlights are many, but it's hard to go past I've Got The Knife, one of the best tunes of the year, with its infectious melody and lyrics with just the right mixture of yearning, regret and hope.
That's another element which makes this record special: lyrics that have something to say, that ring true, paint pictures, are worth your time and money at a time when the quality of lyric-writing in pop and rock generally seems to have hit rock bottom.
Rock music isn't like Australian Idol, it's not a competition, but when you race into the record store to pick up The Strokes album this week, ask to hear I've Got The Knife and see if you can resist.
- Courier Mail

Screamfeeder are going off with a scorching new album. Noel Mengel reports THE buzz has been out for months: Screamfeeder have really nailed it this time.
That word of mouth has spread from those who have heard their new tunes at recent gigs or those who've had a sneak preview of the Brisbane trio's long-awaited new long player, Take You Apart.
Every new record gets talked up, of course, but in this case the buzz is spot-on: Take You Apart is a cracker, one of a bunch of sizzling rock 'n' roll records from Brisbane bands this year.
In a world where hype, image and making a big initial impact seem to be becoming more and more crucial, Screamfeeder really have taken the long way to the top, from Tim Steward's days in a Townsville band called The Madmen, morphing into Screamfeeder in Brisbane in 1991 with the arrival of Kellie Lloyd on bass, later joined by Dean Shwereb on drums.
It's been 12 years of sweat and struggle since their debut album, Flour, but a record as perfectly formed as Take You Apart is sweet vindication that the battle has been worth it.
That is a long time batting in the lower divisions: an early song popped up on a compilation with other young hopefuls such as You Am I and Tumbleweed, while it has been been more than 10 years since they first toured in Europe with The Screaming Tribesmen.
Steward has a quiet chuckle reflecting on just how long they have persevered. ``Many times it's been a struggle,'' he says. ``We've had plenty of hassles with record companies, we've been here, there and everywhere with record labels, but who cares? We're still doing what we love and we're very proud of Take You Apart -- that's the bottom line.'' Certainly, few bands strike a creative high six or so albums into their career, but surely this one will win its due as one of the best Australian rock albums this year.
The splendid I Don't Know What To Do Any More has been getting plenty of airplay from Triple J, but that's just the start of the fun, from deliriously catchy pop singalongs like 12345 to the ever-building chorus of soul ballad You and Me and the magnificent I've Got the Knife. Simplicity and fully formed tunes are the key ingredients, as well as lyrics which actually have something to say.
'We did the demos very quickly and said to ourselves `This should be simple' and it was. We've been in the studio so many times now that it's a fairly easy process. The songs dictated that we record them live because they are straight-ahead tunes.
'We've been playing some of these live for up to a year now and they go down a treat. They are simple songs, they don't require intense concentration or anything like that. But they are a joy to perform and the people who are coming to the shows really pick up on that.'
- Courier Mail, Brisbane 26/10/03

A lot can (and does) happen to a band in the space of thirteen years - especially one that teeters on the edge of cool and and/or mass acceptance. Screamfeeder have had their fair share of both hype and indifference, depending on the dreaded weight this week's fashion brings to music. Despite the rocky road, folks with a copy of "Take You Apart" are currently walking the streets with fists in the air as it's an absolute cracker!

After the light strum and noodly keyboards of opener "Now I Don't Feel So Bad", "Needles" comes out like a train wreck from hell, all buzz saw guitar, doctor/patient dialogue and driving rhythm. "I Don't Know What to do Anymore", replete with handclaps (some well placed smackers in a song are always a winner, Tumbleweed's Richie Lewis and You Am I's Tim Rogers being damn fine exponents over the years) is a scorching celebration of indecision, the rolling riff nearing the end gets me to rock-dreaming about Pete Townshend and Tim Rogers trading windmills onstage. Exhilarating stuff. Those claps make a most welcome reappearance on "And Tigers They Roam" with the deliberately (??) botched first chorus a very endearing touch. Tim n' Kellie's distinctive twin vocal attack has never sounded more sublime than on "I've Got The Knife" - talk 'bout being at the height of yo' powers!

An older brother once looped the latter part of "Hey Jude" repeatedly over one whole side of a tape, something I'd like to update with this album's centerpiece n' masterpiece "Me and You". A fantastically rousing six minutes of perfect indie gospel (and they're cobbling together a choir for upcoming shows which should prove entertaining!), so good you just wish it would never end.

Lyrically the themes centre around regret, loss and the salvaging of relationships with a highlight the heart-rending "my writing's bad, but here's my letter, I'll let you know I wanna make it better" from the single "12345". "I could forget you like you were never there" from "I've Got The Knife" finds them in a more pensive mood, but like the troopers they are they never forget the importance of a simple melody and hooks to die for. Yeah there's sadness here, but Magoo's lively production ensures the songs really burst from the speakers and that gives the whole effort a real brightness.

We're incredibly fortunate to have Screamfeeder still recording and treading the boards and sharing their handclaps, skills and sense of fun with us. While this a brilliant album (my album of the year for what it's worth) it's exciting to think there may be better to come. To quote St Nick, "bring it on" - age ain't got to em' yet.
- 2003 Brian Stradbrook www.lunakafe.com

Screamfeeder throw a spanner in their own works and come up winners on a tune that adds the ever-so-tiniest touch of glam attitude, and the ever-so-teeniest touch of Asian flavour to their candy guitar pop formula. It’s a godsend for the band and it’s almost enough to revive interest in an entire career… - BEAT Mag Melbourne

"It's an absolute pleasure to hear this new single, a gem of a song that weaves its way into your head on first listen and buries itself deep into your subconscious. It opens with handclaps, a summery bassline and minimal guitars before Tim Steward's vocals enter. He repeats the song's title many times throughout, a phrase guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone who's ever been confused. The 'Above The Dove' remix is killer too" - RAVE MAGAZINE

"Rocking out and dropping their almost melancholy sound from the past, Brissy outfit Screamfeeder pump out yet another great single. Featuring the drawling vocals of Tim Steward, Screamfeeder reinvent their sound with tight production and rolling rock riffs. Good harmonies set to a suitable formula, the single features 3 remixed tracks from previous albums. They seem to get it right with every release and this one is a true example of their time on the road and the experience that comes with it" - TSUNAMI MAG