The Lucksmiths
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The Lucksmiths are an independent pop band from Melbourne, Australia who formed in 1993 and have been associated with the genres of indie pop, anti-folk and retro-pop.
The members are Martin "Marty" Donald (guitar), Taliesyn "Tali" White (vocals, drums), and Mark Monnone (bass) and in 2004 they acquired Mid State Orange's guitarist Louis Richter on second guitar.
In the early 90's, they met Chris Crouch, who informally 'signed them' to his record label, Candle Records. Crouch consequently began releasing their records, and they began to play the Melbourne indie circuit, most notably the Punters Club and later expanded to other Australian venues such as Sydney's The Annandale Hotel or Brisbane's the Troubadour.
The Punters Club, however, clearly holds a special place in The Lucksmiths' history as seen in the song "Requiem to the Punters' Club", written after its conversion to the bar Bimbo Deluxe.
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[edit] Songsmithing
The majority of songs are written by Marty Donald, although Tali and Mark also contribute songs. The band's most widely played song on radio, "T-Shirt Weather" was written by the bass player Mark Monnone.
Songs by the Lucksmiths are mostly about love and relationships, but also deal with other everyday issues such as notable friends or warm weather. There are also recurring themes of Melbourne culture (especially that of inner city Melbourne) in songs such as "Under the Rotunda", "The Sandringham Line" and "Transpontine".
[edit] Use of language
The Lucksmiths are renowned for their creative and witty use of language. Especially in songs written by Marty, lyrics will often feature puns, wordplays and draw upon literary references or Australian English idioms.
[edit] The Lucksmiths & Candle Records
The Lucksmiths were one of the first bands on Candle Records, and quickly became, along with The Simpletons, The Mabels and now Darren Hanlon, one of Candle's biggest acts.
Alongside Candle Records in Australia, The Lucksmiths' albums and EPs have been released on Matinée Recordings in the United States, Fortuna Pop! in the United Kingdom, Clover Records in Japan, and Boompa! Records in Canada.
[edit] Influences
Some of their influences include The Simpletons, The Magnetic Fields, Belle & Sebastian, The Smiths, Aztec Camera, and Orange Juice.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- First Tape (1993)
- The Green Bicycle Case (1995)
- What Bird Is That? (1996)
- A Good Kind Of Nervous (1997)
- Happy Secret (1999)
- Why That Doesn't Surprise Me (2001)
- Where Were We? (2002)
- Naturaliste (2003)
- Warmer Corners (2005)
[edit] EPs
- Boondoggle (1994)
- Staring At The Sky (1999)
- A Little Distraction (2003)
- The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco (2005)
- A Hiccup In Your Happiness (2006)
