Devastations were an indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia, comprising Conrad Standish, Tom Carlyon, and Hugo Cran, whose former band was Luxedo. They were active from 2002 to 2010.
The Devastations | |
|---|---|
 Devastations at The Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, UK. September, 2007. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 2002–2010 |
| Labels | Spooky/MGM, Beggars Banquet |
| Members | Conrad Standish Tom Carlyon Hugo Cran |
| Website | The Devastations on Bandcamp |
Band history
editThe band was founded in 2002 by Tom Carlyon, Hugo Cran, and Conrad Standish after the end of their former band Luxedo.[1] Originally called The Devastations to mimic the style of bands such as The Temptations, "The" was later dropped.[2]
On 5 May 2003 the band released their self-titled debut album. In 2004, the band was signed to Beggars Banquet Records for the European release.[3] Their self-titled debut album was named by Rolling Stone Germany as the best debut of 2004.[4]
On 19 September 2005, the band released their second studio album, Coal. The album was nominated for the 2005 Australian Music Prize.[5]
On 17 September 2007, the band released their third studio album, Yes, U. The album was also nominated for The Australian Music Prize. Yes, U, was also nominated for Best Album at the EG Awards of 2007.[3]
Patrick Donovan from the Age said "Yes, U is a dark, sexy and at times claustrophobic record. By using an 808 drum machine and recording with Hate Rock keyboardist Adam Yang, they move into more electronic territory that recalls the avant garde works of Yoko Ono (her ethereal song "Walking on Thin Ice" was a reference point for the band's "Black Ice"), Grace Jones, Suicide, David Bowie and Scott Walker."[3] Carlyon said "With [Yes U], we wanted to move away from the traditional song structure and focus more on sounds, and just see where the songs took us, We didn't want to be in control of the process. We wanted to make a different album to Coal. Anyone can write a song. We were more interested in the sounds. The drum machine opened up a world of possibilities."[3]
In 2008, Devastations recorded a cover of the Cure's 1981 song "All Cats Are Grey" for Perfect as Cats: A Tribute to the Cure, a charity record released in October 2008 by Los Angeles indie label Manimal Vinyl.[6]
In 2009, Devastations collaborated with New York City-based band Blonde Redhead to record "When the Road Runs Out" for the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night produced by the Red Hot Organization.[7]
By 2010, Devastations had disbanded.[8]
Personnel
edit- Tom Carlyon – guitar, piano
- Hugo Cran – drums
- Conrad Standish – vocals, bass
Tom Carlyon
editAround 2003–4, Carlyon also played with Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, led by Dan Kelly.[9][10]
Carlyon and Standish later reunited as an electronic music duo, Standish/Carlyon, releasing the album Deleted Scenes in 2013.[8]
Carlyon later formed a musical duo called Time for Dreams with Amanda Roff (who had worked with Harmony and The Drones), after meeting through mutual friend Dan Kelly.[11] They released their debut album In Time in 2017,[12] and dropped their first track, "You’ve Got a Friend" in May 2018. Liz Campbell of Happy Mag described their sound as having a "signature moody tone, cosmic texture and reverb-drenched sound",[13] while Vicky Hebbs called their music "evocative, sophisticated and deeply sensual pop music with a post-punk twist". The duo were nominated for the 2018 Corner Live Music Award, and played at Meredith Music Festival in December 2018. Their album In Time was longlisted for the Australian Music Prize as well as selected by radio stations 3RRR and PBS 106.7FM as Album of the Week.[11]
Reception
editThe band's solemn lamentations often earned comparisons to artists such as Nick Cave and Tindersticks.[14]
Awards and nominations
editThe Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The commenced in 2005.[15]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Coal | Australian Music Prize | Nominated |
| 2007 | Yes U | Australian Music Prize | Nominated |
The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.[3]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| EG Awards of 2007 | Yes, U | Best Album | Nominated |
Discography
editStudio albums
editReferences
edit- ↑ Allmusic biography, Mackenzie Wilson
- ↑ "The Devastations". terapijanet. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Donovan, Patrick (14 December 2007), "Crossing Borders", The Age
- ↑ "The Devastations Interview". TimeOff. 16 September 2008. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ "Devastations profile". Remote Control Records. 30 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ Gourlay, Dom. "Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to the Cure". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ↑ "Dark Was The Night". Red Hot. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- 1 2 Mathieson, Craig (19 July 2013). "Darker side of yuppiedom". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ↑ Kelly, Dan (3 December 2019). "Booze, Yakult & Not Writing Paul Kelly Songs: Dan Kelly On Making 'Sing The Tabloid Blues'". The Music. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Musa, Helen (13 November 2012). "Dan Kelly sings at Smith's". Canberra CityNews. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Interview with TIME FOR DREAMS". Amnplify. Interviewed by Hebbs, Vicky. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Miller, Tex A. (15 September 2017). "Time For Dreams: In Time". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Campbell, Liz (24 May 2018). "PREMIERE: Time For Dreams unleash hypnotic pop magic on You've Got a Friend". Happy Mag. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Martin, Luke (31 March 2005). "The Devastations". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ↑ "Winners & Shortlists". australian music prize. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ↑ "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 5 May 2002. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ↑ "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 19 September 2005. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2005. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ↑ "The ARIA Report" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 17 September 2007. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
External links
edit- The Devastations on Bandcamp