Noise Addict

Noise Addict (sometimes styled as Noiseaddict) were an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1993 by founding mainstay Ben Lee on lead vocals and guitar. He was joined in 1995 by Romy Hoffman on guitar before the group disbanded early in 1996. They had issued a studio album, Meet the Real You, on Fellaheen Records/Shock Records in late 1995. Lee undertook a solo career. He briefly reconvened Noise Addict in 2009 with new members, Lou Barlow and Lara Meyerratken, to issue a second album, It Was Never About the Audience (1 September 2009), before returning to his solo pursuits.

Noise Addict
OriginSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
Years active1993 (1993)–1996 (1996), 2009
Labels
  • Fellaheen/Shock
  • Ten Fingers
Websitenoiseaddict.net
Past members

History

Noise Addict were formed in Bondi Beach in early 1993, with the original line-up of Ben Lee on lead vocals and guitar, Doron Kalinko on bass guitar and Josh Zoldan on drums.[1][2] All were school mates at Moriah College in Sydney's eastern suburbs.[3] Other early bandmates include Daniel Mapp on bass guitar and Joel Wasserman on drums.[4] Lee was later joined by Daniel Kohn on guitar and Saul Smith on drums.[1]

The band recorded a four-track demo in Lee's bedroom, their average age was fourteen, and sent copies to various record labels.[1][2] Their first gig was at a library book sale in 1993.[2] Attending that gig was Steve Pavlovic of Fellaheen Records, who signed them and sent their tape to Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.[1][2] The United States group were then touring Australia and Noise Addict's second gig on 6 February 1993 at Selina's Nightclub, backing Sonic Youth.[1][5] Moore signed them to his Ecstatic Peace record label, and the DEF extended play was released in early 1993 – recorded by the line-up of Lee, Kalinko and Zoldan.[2]

According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "some parallels to be drawn with another teenage band", silverchair, "although Lee preferred to see Noise Addict as infinitely more 'punk rock'."[1] Their single, "I Wish I Was Him" (October 1993), was "a wry semi-acoustic ode to Lemonheads'" leader, Evan Dando.[1] It attracted the attention of Mike D from the Beastie Boys, who arranged for the band to sign with their label, Grand Royal. They supported two more US bands, Pavement and Fugazi, and then played a run of all-ages gigs.[1]

Noise Addict released their second EP, The Taste in My Eyes (April 1994);[6] The line-up was Lee, Kalinko, Kohn and Wasserman. McFarlane felt the EP "displayed plenty of low-fi charm and youthful exuberance among the stylised Jonathan Richmanesque songs."[1] They followed with another EP on Fellaheen, Noise Addict vs. Silverchair. They issued, Young and Jaded, in 1994 on Grand Royal Records,[7] which had "six acoustic songs again recorded [in] Ben Lee's bedroom."[2] Due to school commitments touring by the band was limited.[2]

After the success of Young and Jaded, Lee released his solo debut, Grandpaw Would (June 1995). Kalinko was replaced by Romy Hoffman on bass guitar.[8] In late 1995 Noise Addict released their only full-length album, Meet the Real You,[9] which was produced by Brad Wood (Sebadoh, Liz Phair).[1][2]

They briefly toured with Sebadoh. In November 1995 the band contributed a track, "Mouthwash", to the AIDS benefit album, Red Hot + Bothered, for the Red Hot Organization.[10] They performed the last gig in early 1996 in Bondi. McFarlane noticed that "In true punk rock style, as soon as the album came out, Lee broke up the band."[1] Ben Lee continued as a solo artist, he released several albums. Daniel Mapp played with Waikiki. Romy Hoffman performed hip-hop as MC Macromantics.[8]

On 1 September 2009 a new incarnation of Noise Addict, with Lee joined by Lou Barlow (of Dinosaur Jr) and Lara Meyerratken (aka El May), released their second album, It Was Never About the Audience on Lee's own label, Ten Fingers Records.[11][12] After the Show's reviewer described it as "lo-fi album is a great antidote to slick, overproduced records that value Protools over talent."[13]

Discography

Albums
  • Meet the Real You (late 1995)
  • It Was Never About the Audience (1 September 2009) Ten Fingers Records

Extended plays
  • DEF (early 1993) Ecstatic Peace
  • The Taste in My Eyes (aka Noise Addict vs. Silverchair) (April 1994) Fellaheen Records
  • Young and Jaded (1994) Grand Royal

Singles
  • I Wish I Was Him (aka "Unplugged") (October 1993) Fellaheen Records
  • The Frail Girl (1995) Grand Royal / Fellaheen Records

Compilations
  • 10,000 Kids With Guitars (2LP, April 2017) Numero Group
gollark: I needed to type some stuff ages ago, so I just reconfigured my keyboard configuration so I can type all Greek letters with mildly annoying compose key sequences.
gollark: Amazing what sort of neat technology there is around now.
gollark: I kind of want a watch with an atomic clock so I can avoid having to manually recalibrate the time every month.
gollark: > Ion thrusters in operational use have an input power need of 1–7 kW (1.3–9.4 hp), exhaust velocity 20–50 km/s (45,000–112,000 mph), thrust 25–250 millinewtons (0.090–0.899 ozf) and efficiency 65–80%[3][4] though experimental versions have achieved 100 kilowatts (130 hp), 5 newtons (1.1 lbf).[5]
gollark: I don't think so.

References
  1. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Ben Lee'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004.
  2. Nimmervoll, Ed. "Ben Lee". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  3. Molitorisz, Sacha (9 November 2002). "The Ballad of Ben Lee". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  4. "Noise Addict | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  5. "Sonic Youth: 02/06/93 – Sydney, Australia @ Selina's". Sonic Youth Official Website. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. Noise Addict; Ben Lee, The Taste In My Eyes EP, Fellaheen, retrieved 12 April 2016
  7. Noise Addict (1 January 1995), Young & Jaded, Grand Royal Records, retrieved 12 April 2016
  8. Blackman, Guy (24 September 2006). "Romy with the homies – Music – Entertainment". The Age. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  9. Noise Addict (1 January 1996), Meet the Real You, Grand Royal Records, retrieved 12 April 2016
  10. Va-Red Hot & Bothered (3 October 1995), Red Hot + Bothered/Indie Rock Guide to Dating, Reprise / Ada, retrieved 12 April 2016
  11. Young, Alex (4 September 2009). "Ben Lee resurrects Noise Addict". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. "Blogger". Theendofirony.net. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  13. "It Was Never About the Audience". After the Show. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
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