Album Notes

Music, the timeless sort, manages to capture the spirit and times from which it was created. Not just by playing the newest sounds, or using the latest street lingo, but by combining all the elements of a musical camera, trapping a moment of life, now, as it is. It wouldn't be a surprise if one day the music of SOAP STAR JOE is stored in a museum because of that exact ability.

SOAP STAR JOE formed in 1996 in Sydney, based around the unique songwriting of singer/guitarist Mick Wilson. Wilson's songs are pop songs of the untraditional manner, his heart and mind are rooted firmly in the world he inhabits. With a variety of rhythm sections, SOAP STAR JOE released a number of 7" singles and EPs, and gigged regularly around Australia.

The band finally gelled in late 2000 with David Keys on bass and Saul Foster on drums, and things kicked into high gear. The sound of the band revolves around the tension of its three pieces, drifting from a guitar that can sound like an electric shaver at one moment and then move on to touching, bubbly pop at it's most gleeful, and then to ballads capable of piercing tenderness. But SOAP STAR JOE never take the easy way out; each song is soaked in child-like wonder and they are gifted with one of the best lyricists you'll ever hear.

SOAP STAR JOE released the critically acclaimed Handstands For Love EP (2001) through Laughing Outlaw Records and followed it with the Ziggy Niszczot (Never Played Guitar) single (2002). Both releases garnered significant airplay on community stations and Triple J. Rightly so, as both releases featured songs so good, Sydney bands like C-Minus Project and Peabody have already covered them. Tracks such as "Miranda Boy", "Ziggy Niszczot" and "Met Drunk In the Corner" show the world through a unique set of eyes.

In late 2002, SOAP STAR JOE headed into the studio to record their debut album "...tell her on the weekend", with Michael Carpenter (78 Saab, Youth Group, the Wake Ups). Eager to keep moving forward creatively, the album was mixed by Jason de Wilde (his real name), who has helped SOAP STAR JOE to not only explore the realms of pop, but stomp on it like a distortion pedal on a rickety stage.

It's full of those timeless songs mentioned above - "Sega Master" recalls a youth lost to technology - "If I were a telescope" is possibly the first suicidal love rock ballad recorded with a real sense of humour - "Stuck in Traffic" is a heart-breaker and "She Will Shine" is the sun in song.

So allow yourself to sink into this great first LP by SOAP STAR JOE. You might just want to stay.

REVIEWS:

"Some acts have an infectious charm that is successfully transmitted through their music and Soap Star Joe is a clear example of that rare talent. You could easily generalise and call Soap Star 'nerd rock' or 'quirky' but in reality, once you get beyond the crisp shirts and black-rimmed glasses, you'll find the songs of Mick Wilson and the understated playing of musicians who respect the power of the songs without succumbing to the lure the spotlight. Soap Star Joe's Tell Her On The Weekend is a pleasant surprise among the soul-less pile of current releases and is even more remarkable for the fact that it's their debut LP. How many bands that haven't released a full-length record have songs that are covered by established acts? I can't ever remember hearing of any except Soap Star Joe who received that compliment from Peabody and C-Minus Project after releasing the brilliant EP: Handstands For Love. There's a long honour role of honest, sincere songwriters but few have hit this stage of development so early. " - Whammo Website

"Having solidified his revolving rhythm section, Sydney pop songwriter Mick Wilson finally delivers the trio's debut full-length. Ranging from Weezer-style buzzing indie-rock anthems ('Bus Stop', 'Carlo's Way') to lovely folky ballads (the slide-tinged 'She Will Shine'), jangly pop ('Baked Potatoes'), cheesy electro-slanted tunes ('If I Were A Telescope', 'Sega Master') and stark pessimism ('Stuck In Traffic', 'Lagoon'), Tell Her... is both fresh and familiar. It makes complete sense to learn that Michael Carpenter (78 Saab, Youth Group) was chief knob-twiddler - you can hear hints of both those bands in this." - Time Off Magazine