Classics: The Babe Rainbow

Taking a holiday from our longstanding Citizenship Test, M+N are asking bands about classic Australian albums – both the idea of a classic and some prime examples – as well as posing a few polite questions.

Answering this week is Angus Dowling of The Babe Rainbow, the eccentric Queensland trio he shares with Kool Breeze and Dr. Elliot Love-Wisdom. Influenced by ’60s music – to say the least – they’ve issued the singles ‘Love Forever’, ‘1964’ and ‘Secret Enchanted Broccoli Forest’ already this year, and are launching the latter with an East Coast tour. It’s out now digitally through Flightless/Remote Control. The boys lend their cosmic wisdom to our survey below. Follow them on Tumblr at your leisure.

Sat, June 21 – The Workers Club, Melbourne VIC
Wed, June 25 – Beach Road, Bondi, NSW
Thurs, June 26 – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney, NSW
Fri, June 27 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, QLD
Sat, June 28 – Miami Shark Bar, Gold Coast, QLD

[Historical image is withheld pending rights review.]

Preamble

a. You guys live together on a farm in Queensland, play sitar, have names like Kool Breeze and write songs inspired by cookbooks. Anything we’re missing?
No.

b. There’s a Canadian producer, signed to Warp, called Babe Rainbow. Has there been much confusion between the two of you?
Is there really?! Wow darling I’d love to go skiing in Canada: imagine our matching electric blue ski suits with the odyssey belts and flashing whirly lights buzzing around the slopes! Have you read a book called An Historical Romance 1966? Our friend Richard wrote it for you. Just kidding.

But seriously, no, there’s been no confusion that I know of; he’s threatened us lots of times. But I just don’t feel like he gave the beautiful name enough technicolour enthusiasm that it deserved.

c. Are this year’s three singles paving the way for an EP or album soon?
You saucy fellow/madam! Yes! It’s called Starseed Transmission: button up your suit for the odyssey, babe, ‘cause it’s almost ready!

What Makes a Classic?

a. What are some defining qualities that make a classic record?
One pinch of salt, two shakes of a lamb’s tail, and you’re cooking, baby! Food for all. I think you’ve got to really know someone before you can really love them, don’t you think? Because, you know, I always thought I’d be 20-something years old wearing leopard print.

b. Name a recent Australian record that already feels like a classic.
Anything by Perch Creek Family Jug Band.

c. What was the first classic Australian record someone introduced you to?
Radios Appear by Radio Birdman – no, actually, that was yesterday at the beach; headland end of Patches, I think. July 28th 2011: she’s sun-baking in a black bathing suit, hoop pines peeking over the dune forest’s shoulder at her as she lays about coconut contemplating me with her fine blue eyes before asking, ‘Seeing as you appear a travellor; beautiful, why is it you have never travelled here before?’
‘Here?’ I say.
‘Oui.’
Is it too late to change my answer to Evolution by Tamam Shud?

d. Is there a classic ‘Australian sound’? If so, what is it?
Yes of course darling, it’s Kool Breeze and the trees. By the way, where did you get your perfume, it’s taking me back … I want some.

e. Who’s your favourite Australian producer, past or present?
Daevid Allen (Gong/Soft Machine). Living in the past.

Five Classics

Tell us what these five classic Australian albums mean to you:

The Easybeats The Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl
Midsummer Murwillumbah poetry readings. Do you remember The Yardbirds scene out of Blow-Up? Sort of reminds me of that, really. Dahl for dinner again and Journeyman before a pack of wild girls smoking cloves out great drawn up book shop windows, sun setting on the caldera overpass and the moon licking milk off the sea’s back, face painting and Hare Krishna (Hare Krishna) incense. When I play along on my piano, the chameleons dance and change colour too-easy-beat.

Tame Impala Lonerism
Two words, one name; Lonely Lunar, the first girl I loved. Time will sing this sad good-bye song when I was 17, I used to know you.

The Avalanches Since I Left You
Oh mumma Candy-land!!! Peppermint life-savers, wolly gobble bliss bombs, raspberry bullets, cinnamon on EVERYTHING cinnamon cinnamon cinnamon cinnamon cinnamon soulful in the way you groove babe.
***Cinnamon you know you’re still my number one spice right? Babe?

I feel like I spend more time worrying about how in the world everybody could possibly be resisting kissing one another, open-mouthed, all of the time, dancing to cool feathery instruments like flutes and Hare bells, wailing away on school-holidays in Sri Lanka or Upper Duroby picking macadamias in the sun. You know we’re all just little flowers and we photosynthesise, right? So chant and be happy, my boy.

The Loved Ones Magic Box
The Loved One. It’s so groovy, don’t you think? Kick this fly trap into the sky mumma! This album particularly reminds me of the colour purple. FIG JAM. Lunatics running wild in the streets of Mullumbimby. Daffodil children run naked in the community gardens preaching ‘hot love’.

The Sleepy Jackson Lovers
Honestly I’d never heard of Sleepy Jackson until 80 seconds ago when I researched it. Kool Breeze is over in the kitchen making dinner tonight: sweet potatoes, he’s cutting onions and I’m playing their record Lovers, and he’s crying! I’ve never seen Kool Breeze cry before ever, and he’s the softest person in the world. Crying reminds of anything by Louie Stevenson, he’s just so sad! What makes these romantic writers so sad? What do I know about sadness, being an art student, the look on your face suggests? Well you’re right, but someday something’s bound to make me sad and when it does, I’m blaming sleepy jacksons.

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