Skinny Jean

TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2008
The Zoo - Fri Aug 22

Tonight’s three-course meal of delicious local talent finds Skinny Jean masquerading as our tasty entree. My first experience with the band is unfortunately singer and keyboardist Heidi Minchin’s last show. A suitably large crowd of well wishers has gathered to see her off, and the band respond with what must surely be a career-best performance. The melodic combination of Anhedonia and Anti0kie absolutely floors me, particularly Minchin’s soaring, emotive vocal solo in the latter. While her absence will evidently be missed, the proficient songwriting and musical ability of her male bandmates suggest that the Skinny Jean flag will be held high aloft into the future.

ANDREW MCMILLEN - Rave Magazine - Brisbane

The Zoo, Brisbane
(22/08/2008)
Gig Review by Stewr

Skinny Jean are a band that know how to use their members’ idiosyncrasies to dramatic effect. They have a bubbly and boisterous vibe, yet mixed in with it are some more introspective, almost dark elements that are really fascinating. A soon-to-be-dad, front man, Shem is quite magnetic. He has a slightly manic obsessive compulsive vibe that is reminiscent of crazy ol’ Joe Cocker. Drummer Sam ’s little sister Heidi is no longer playing with the group after tonight. It’s a shame, because she was responsible for a large part of their endearing dynamic. Hopefully they won’t lose their quintessential quirkiness without her, but we’ll just have to wait and see. - Fasterlouder.com.au

Skinny Jean played their second week of the previously mentioned Powerhouse Residents program on Friday night. I’ve never seen them before, or been to a live gig at the Powerhouse for that matter, so I’m pretty excited, despite the obnoxiously early 6pm start.

The stage is quite large, but instead of standing area, comfortable couches lined the front row and behind that, stools and cafe-style metal tables. It makes the whole gig feel a bit like a living room performance, which could be awkward but is actually quite lovely; intimate but with the production value of a proper venue.
I’ve read that Skinny Jean live shows are haphazard genre-wise but tonight there’s cohesion in their set list, with twangy guitar driven shanties seeming to be the focal point. Mostly-lead vocalist Shem Allen has the sort of range that makes him a one man duet with soaring highs and smooth, bluesy lows. He also thrashes around on-stage like he’s in the midst of religious rapture or maybe some bad shellfish but either way it’s mesmerising. It makes you want to feel it too, that rapture.

When former member Heidi steps up and sings Army Wife her velvet smooth voice is pierced with anguish, catching my breath in my throat. With a noisy cowboy tale everyone goes back to their drinks, and the first dramatic pause in the song is punctuated by clapping (is it the end of the song?) and murmured conversations (no shouting tonight, this is a living room after all) but as the pause extends the tension in the room builds and conversation drops away until they soar back into the next bridge. When the pause comes around again, the silence is complete. Everyone leans forward, waiting… until crash go the cymbals and on come the noisy final strains. Triple J favourite and lead single Anhedonia still feels like the strongest song but it’s definitely in good company.

Scene queen Ed G takes the vocals for a very silly penultimate song about munchkins and much fun is had by the band at least, though the casual crowd isn’t really in on it and mostly seems bemused.

For once, believe the hype. I found Skinny Jean charming and heartfelt and noisy and wonderful and can’t wait to see them again. - Jo Biddle - Plus One Blog

Finishing up their Powerhouse residency with a series of guest members and clutch of new songs, tonight genre hopping prog-rockers Skinny Jean swell into fan favourite ‘Anhedonia’ with David Mibus on keys and Kirsty Tickle from Little Scout on vocals. Stripping back the guitars, the band let the keys complement the song’s strong multi-layered pop vocals. Following with bassist Graham Ritchie’s undulating progressions on ‘Alright’ and dynamic percussion from drummer Samuel Schlencker, the band play ‘Amaying’. They sing as an interjecting operatic choir behind singer/guitarist Shem Allen on the song while guitarist Andrew Sydes adds fractured string lines with an e-bow before Allen wrenches the gentle song into an intense build-up with a discordant wailing guitar propelling him across the stage.
Airing the first of several new songs ‘Atlas’ gets a run building on Mibus’ staggered sonorous keys while Andrew Sydes multitasks bluesy licks and shaker as the song builds through a series of mini-climaxes while Allen sings of Greek mythology. With Tickle taking centre stage for widowed gospel lament ‘Army Wife’ the band accompanies her with Allen on drums and Schlencker on drumstick slide guitar and Ritchie accompanying on handclaps. Following with new song, the gently gliding ‘And We Through The Mangroves’, the band grab the audience with the fast jazz discord ‘A:/’. The band are enjoying themselves with Allen frequently thanking the audience and jokingly introducing first performance of new song – ‘Papa’ – as “a Lady Gaga song” before switching to acoustic guitar, briefly assuming metal guitarist stance and trading verses with Sydes while Tickle plays clarinet. The band air the older new song ‘Ajax’ and follow with the newer ‘Search and Progress’ where Sydes’ swelling guitar lines rise over Allen’s lower key parts. Introducing extra members and guest vocalist Hunz’s Hans Van Vliet, the band play a more expansive version of Hunz’s ‘Soon, Soon’ as Tickle adds extra percussion and vocals. Staying on for Skinny Jean’s ‘A Blessing’ Van Vliet takes lead vocals from Allen and sings the song in a haunting tenor and switches to a higher register stilling the audience. With Allen on lead vocals again the band play the reality questioning ‘Anguish Sandwich’. Closing things down the band play older new song ‘Abort Abort & They’ll Blush Anew’ with Tickle on clarinet again before Allen thanks the receptive audience leaving them to the rain-soaked night.

BILL JOHNSTON - Time Off Magazine

SKINNY JEAN
Dolce Doggerel
(Independent)

Dolce Doggerel isn’t the album you might expect from a band called Skinny Jean. Instead of straightforward indie rock, these talented Brisbanites concoct a mixtue of avant-pop, lo-fi post-rock, experimental, blues and more. Drawing on a wide range of influences from jazz to Icelandic experimental, their music leaps from introspective to energetic and back again at any moment.

Trying to pigeonhole it is useless; weirdness and creativity permeate every aspect of this record, from the way that 10 of the 12 songs inexplicably begin with the letter ‘A’ to the curious stories that the lyrics tell. “In the clouds lives an old man with crooked fingers, arthritic hands, all bent from turning the rusted wheels of time” goes the fast-paced, catchy single ‘Anhedonia’ - there’s a visual worthy of a fantasy novel.
Second track ‘Amaying’ combines folksy guitar plucking and group singalongs with lyrics about mountains and sharp bursts of rock guitar. ‘Army Wife’ sets a bluesy female vocal against loud, clanging percussion before ‘Anguish Sandwich’ starts off with a gentle xylophone melody and sensitive lyrics then rises into a heartfelt and soaring second chorus. Meanwhile ‘Alarm Heist’ is dramatic and engaging, ‘Ape’ is haunting and the closing track ‘A Blessing’ is ambient, spaced-out and beautiful.

Far too accessible to be out-there, yet far too original to be mainstream, Skinny Jean refuse to play it safe or make the obvious choices musically. And that’s what ultimately makes them so fascinating, and Dolce Doggerel a record that holds your attention from beginning to end.

****
Daniel Wynne - Time Off Magazine - Brisbane

Skinny Jean Album Launch
W/ Mr. Maps & The John Steel Singers
The Troubadour - Friday March 27 2009


Skinny Jean begin their set with negro-gospel number, Good Morning the opener to their new album, Dolce Doggerel, followed by Aliens, led by main vocalist Shem Allen. Allen’s voice seems slightly more strained than usual early on in the night – perhaps it is the nerves – but he mesmerises the audience with his intense facial expressions and electric body jerks. Allen’s vocal range and unpredictable energy are bared in Anti0kie, as he reaches unbelievably high notes, interspersed with wild, erratic screaming. The band seems to be drawing on some raw energy from within and it is fascinating to watch it unravel. Bluesy gospel number, Army Wife, is one of the highlights of the night, as the crowd becomes fixated with Jemma Hicks’ musical story-telling. Hicks’ voice carries through the whole room, and I am struck by how lucky this band is to have so many talented vocalists. If that wasn’t enough, there is a guest appearance by Heidi Schlenker, a former member, who comes out to sing Anhedonia with Allen. I am particularly pleased with this addition of the night, as it is Heidi’s sweet voice that really cements the song as a delightful, melodic gem.

The dark and brooding, Alarm Heist, is possibly the pinnacle of the night. Allen explores the depth of his vocal range in this Nick Cave-inspired song, telling us the story of a horse carrying his master’s body after a bank robbery gone wrong. Allen voice rings out, interspersed with moments of silence, creating an air of stillness and anticipation, before the band attacks the senses with the song’s fervent finale. While the more up-beat songs are good, it is Skinny Jean’s ability to tell stories and draw the crowd into tracks such as Army Wife and Alarm Heist, that really make them a joy to watch.

There is a slight technical glitch before the last song, as Perren (from Mr Maps) joins Skinny Jean on stage. The band closes with A Blessing, a cathartic song emanating Radiohead and Sigur Ros, with Allen’s voice soaring high above Hicks’ vibraphone and Perren’s electronic blips. After a moment’s break, Skinny Jean are welcomed back for an encore, along with Mr Maps and the Clam Slam Singers, to treat us with a rather chaotic cover of Young Hearts Run Free.

fasterlouder.com.au - Tian Zhang - fasterlouder.com.au

The Troubadour - Fri May 15

A perfect choice of support for tonight’s all-multi-instrumental-gender-mixed-friendly-as-heck line-up, Skinny Jean are quickly earning their chops as one of the higher priority local must-sees. Through a range of sounds inspired equally by playful singer-songwriters and ‘70s West Coast pop, the xylophone stands out as perhaps the most fun aspect. For those who only go to gigs for the main act, Skinny Jean is a great excuse to leave the house a little earlier.

Simon Topper - Rave Magazine

User Review: deGit

Summary: Indie, Alt-Rock, Folk and Post Rock combine for an excellent debut album by this young Australian band. Sophistication, energy, melody, musicality and personality are all on show, and the icing is fantastic harmonies.

Skinny Jean is a seriously offputting name. It made me dislike them before I'd even heard a note, thinking they would be yet another quirky, ironic indie-pop band. To some degree, this was supported by their 'single', Anhedonia, which is, well, a quirky, ironic indie-pop song, but it's not representative of the depth of their sophisticated, energetic and occasionally grandiose style. They're a young Brisbane band who have the talent to be big, but are yet to get noticed by the general public, which is refreshing for someone like myself who generally listens to popular, established artists. Frontman Shem Allen has a distinctive, hyperactive voice with a slight Jeff Buckley influence, but without the constant over-emoting, and he's supported by a gifted group of musicians, several of whom sing lead and harmonies.

The intriguingly named Dolce Doggerel starts with, of all thing, a short African-American traditional, which starts the album off in a lighthearted manner similar to the way the Fleet Foxes started their debut album. The first few songs are concise, catchy alt-pop numbers, with particular mention going to 'Anhedonia', which seems at first seems overly-complicated but is so damn fun and stands up to repeated listens. The tone of the album changes with 'Anti0kie', which is a real highlight with sophisticated dynamics, slightly dissonant chords, and a catchy minor melody. The lyrics are expressive, as Shem imagines himself as a vengeful, frustrated 'Okie' from John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' with a chorus of 'We're gonna break the machine down/ Shoot the headlights out of the tractor/ That's ploughing lines right through my house/ Take that Mr Benefactor'.

From the Bad Seeds stomp of 'Army Wife' to the glorious 'A Blessing', the rest of the album follows in this vein; more expansive with regards to structure, more serious in tone, and showing off a tight rhythm section.The difference between Dolce Doggerel and their earlier EP is underlined by the aforementioned 'A Blessing', a solemn, powerful song I was definitely not expecting from Skinny Jean, and I'm interested to see how they would pull it off live without the post rock-meets-U2 (?) production that, amongst other things, makes the piano sound absolutely huge. It's a definite highlight though, utilising what seems to be a signature trick of building up and releasing without ever being totally anthemic, which makes it rather addictive.

Throughout Dolce Doggerel, the guitars provide much of the texture, meshing with the various post-rock tricks, and they retain enough rawness to be expressive without being overwhelming. The three main vocalists combine for some sublime harmonies, enhanced by the fact they have totally different vocal styles that somehow fit perfectly together, and the rhythm section is just fantastic. As a debut album from a pretty much unknown (goddam I feel indie right now) young Australian band, its damn impressive, and I hold out a lot of hope that they can only get better.

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_30665 - http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_30665

Hungry Kids of Hungary, Skinny Jean,
Edward Guglielmino @ Troubadour,
Brisbane (12/03/09)


Skinny Jean’s raw energy is felt from their very first song, popular single Anhedonia. Lead vocalist, Shem Allen, is mesmerising. The music is so intense that his whole body spasms and convulses while he sings – it is as if it all comes from a place deep within him, and he cannot control it. Having only joined recently, Jemma Hicks does well in earning her keep in the band, sharing the vocals with Allen, whilst playing a myriad of other instruments, including a xylophone. One of the highlights of the night is when she leads the band in a bluesy, gospel number, which leaves the crowd awe-struck. The band creates an air of intrigue, taking us on a melodic journey: at times, the music is joyful, with Allen and Hicks weaving magic with their vocals; at other times, dark and brooding, channelling elements of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. They pace the set amazingly well, with carefully controlled dynamics showing light and shade – building up the intensity, dropping it back just in time for you to take a breath, before beginning a fresh onslaught. When they finish the set, there is a buzz in the room and I almost turn to leave, half-forgetting that there is still another act to follow. - Fasterlouder.com.au

Scene Magazine

'Dolce Doggerel'
Skinny Jean
(Independant)

Even from the moment you hold 'Dolce Doggerel' in your hands and glimpse at the sleeve artwork, you know you've got something special.
Skinny Jean suck-in influences from the past 30 years and come out of it sounding fresh and unique.
Opening with 'Good Morning', a delicious version of an old Afro-American spiritual, the album is layered with harmonies, cutting guitars, improbable rhythms and lyrics contain such a depth and storyline that they'd stand up on their own as potent poetry. When Heidi Minchin's guest vocals come to the fore alongside Shem Allen on tracks like 'Army Wife' and the brilliant 'Anhedonia', it's the cherry on top. A groundbreaking Australian album. - Scene Magazine Brisbane