Rogue Traders

[Bones]

You guys getting them in the states?

HERE COME THE DRUMS

The Rogue Traders sure know how to make an entrance. Two years may have passed since they last graced the Australian charts, but the electro-rock single that signalled their return, 'Voodoo Child', exploded across the airwaves with an immediacy that was breathtaking. It debuted in the Top 10 back in June and has been resident ever since. With its warped, insistent Hammond organ riff and singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte's cracked, rock snarl, 'Voodoo Child' is already a pop classic in the making. But for Rogue Traders, the song was always more than just a single. "It was a signpost for the album", says Rogue Trader James Ash. No longer a dance act, the Rogue Traders have evolved on 'Here Come The Drums' with a new look, a new member - singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte - and a whole new sound.

The seeds of their evolution can be traced all the way back to October 2003, when Rogue Traders James Ash and Steve Davis stood on the podium at the Sydney Convention Centre grasping their ARIA Award for Best Dance Single for their inspired INXS remix, 'One Of My Kind'. Although Ash and Davis were thrilled with the recognition, they secretly wondered if they would ever taste such success again. Despite the fact their debut album We Know What You're Up To was predominantly self-penned, 'One Of My Kind' was such a monstrous, crossover hit that Ash and Davis were immediately stereotyped as producers, not as artists who could write their own songs. "At that moment", recalls Ash, "We drew a line in the sand and said, 'We are going to be known for our own material'".

'Here Come The Drums', the highly anticipated second album from Rogue Traders, is sweet vindication of their self-belief and their creative integrity. Two years in the making, self-written and self-produced, 'Here Come The Drums' is the sound of a band (and we do mean band: the album is awash with live instrumentation; live drums, live guitars and bass, performed by the same players who comprise their live band) finding their voice within the genre that they were perhaps least associated: punk rock. "We were at a point where we felt that we had gone as far as we could go with conventional dance music", says Ash. "And we wanted to have a sound that broke out of it. At that time dance music was taking itself very seriously and the music that we'd really been enjoying for the past couple of years had been rock acts. They had loads of energy, but they also had amazing production and really big melodies and the musical depth that I was after".

An inspired, in-your-face electro-punk and pop trip, 'Here Come The Drums' syphons the guitar rock energy of young British acts like the Bloc Party, melds it with the glam-tinged 80s pop-smarts of Blondie, Roxy Music and Gary Numan then lashes it together with the punk rock snarl of the Sex Pistols. It's a heady mix that's intoxicating and infectious. "We love our rock music and we love our electronic music and on this album we're meeting right in the middle", says Ash. "We're making music that will work on the dance floor and on radio. We're not afraid to have a pop influence, but we also wanted attitude. So that's why I'd say the Sex Pistols are the single biggest influence on the album. They were about energy and it's exciting to listen to them".

The inclusion of Bassingthwaighte as a fully-fledged new member is central to the Rogue Traders sound and their band persona. Whereas their debut album had four different vocalists, 'Here Come The Drums' (with the exception of 'Casting Aside' which is sung by Ash) is the vocal sound of Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Vampish, coquettish, spontaneous and inspired, Bassingthwaighte snarls and seduces, teases and taunts with a rawness that is exhilarating. "I wanted to bring my personality into the band," says Bassingthwaighte. "I wanted to colour it, to make it very rock, but also make the vocals very character based. I can be very outrageous, and the songs let me go out there and just explode".

'Here Come The Drums' may be a deviation from the group's straight dance roots, but Ash's background as a DJ is all over the album. "I'm very aware of keeping the energy going in a room and knowing when is the right time to push a crowd and when is the right time to let them go a bit. And that definitely came into play when arranging these tracks and seeing how it was all going to work".

From the opening cut, the thumping, serrated party starter 'Believer', 'Here Come The Drums' sets a ferocious, unrelenting pace. 'Voodoo Child' ups the ante yet again before being set firmly in its place by the irrepressible thrash and precocious rap of second single, 'Way To Go!' 'World Go Round' eases the tempo slightly with its deceptive pop-rock charms then the sultry, downbeat pop of 'Rescue Me' provides a moment of understated beauty. And then it's off again! 'Watching You', with its tasty sample of 'My Sharona' continues the slash and burn, 'We Could Be Zeroes' is all spiky beats and stabby synths, 'Fashion' struts and slithers beneath a Grand Master Flash inspired rap, while 'White Lightning's random musings and screaming vocals are strangely compelling. The restrained, melancholy 80s pop of 'In Love Again' and the swirling, acoustic 'Casting Aside' round out the album in fine style.

Waist deep in potential singles, with rapacious hooks, monstrous guitar riffs, unfettered rock energy and youthful enthusiasm, 'Here Come The Drums' is proof positive that the Rogue Traders were right to follow their instincts. They could have released a 'One Of My Kind Part 2' and watched the cash roll in. Instead, they followed their hearts and created a sound - and a band - all their own.

'Here Come The Drums', the new album from the Rogue Traders will be released October 23.

[grueinthebox]

You guys getting them in the states?

No, but thanks to the pics, I'm now getting SOMETHING here in the States...

[Havok]

Alas, I cannot see any pics. I must have pics!

[AtomSmasher]

[Bones]

They have a cool & unique sound. And yeah, she is really pretty, she has been on Aussie soap TV for a few years and I drool over her on almost a daily basis.

Her beauty is quite hidden though when she gets all punked up for Rogue Traders. Actually, she looks like a bit of a robbers dog.

Definitely recommended listening if they ain't playing it on the radio where you live. "Voodoo Child" & "Fashion" would be worth the download....

[grueinthebox]

Interesting...  The pics were viewable from work, but not from home. 

Procuring Here Come the Drums...  Can't find the other album.  Description sounds promising.

[Bones]

Procuring Here Come the Drums...

[missioncontrol]

I couldn't view the pic from work or home.........

[Bones]

I also had trouble with the images from work when checking in.

So here she is.

[missioncontrol]

  very nice she is hawt

[Bones]

Yeah most Aussie girls are like this. The ugly ones we send to New Zealand Canada.

I think my Americanism is coming along nicely....

[missioncontrol]

yes soon you will be able to amaze your friends with your Americanism

[Bones]

I believe all that is left is to grow fat on McDonalds, buy a gun then joke about those darnit Mexicans.

Only then will my Americanism be complete.

[Bones]

Did anyone download the CD?

Great new years eve music. It has a lot energy....

[Havok]

I just grabbed the CD - it rocks. I especially like Voodoo Child and Way to Go. LOVE the Way to Go video, reminds me of Van Halen's Hot for Teacher.

[skippy]

I believe all that is left is to grow fat on McDonalds, buy a gun then joke about those darnit Mexicans.

Only then will my Americanism be complete.

Sounds like you got it done pat.

[More Cowbell]

Yeah, we have them here in the States. They're called the Wiggles here.

[skippy]

The Wiggles rock.  Are all Aussies that gay?

[danny_galaga]

The Wiggles rock.

[Harry Potter]

The Wiggles rock.  Are all Aussies that gay?

only Sydney-siders...

And Queenslanders

[SithMaster]

Ill miss the good old days when americanism wasnt learned but something you were instilled with upon entering the public school system.

as for the type of gun you should procur my personal fav is the mg42 or a bfg.

[grueinthebox]

Random thoughts:

Waited 'til I'd listened to the whole album a few times before posting, but by then the thread had moved off the first page and into the wasteland where older posts go to die...  Good album, shows potential.  "Way to Go!" is definitely my favorite track, followed by "World Go 'Round" and "Watching You"...  I think "Voodoo Child" would benefit from losing the whole "here come the drums" hook.  It's one of the little things that strike me as lacking...refinement maybe?  Interested to see how they grow for their next album.

Really not hearing the Sex Pistols influence that the above quoted reviewer keeps going on about.  Various songs give the impression of a number of other bands and/or songs that may have influenced them, but they do a good job of making everything come across as fresh.

The album's currently a part of my "commuting short list", if you will...  Thanks for the heads up.

[SithMaster]

Really not hearing the Sex Pistols influence that the above quoted reviewer keeps going on about.  Various songs give the impression of a number of other bands and/or songs that may have influenced them, but they do a good job of making everything come across as fresh.

does this refer to mines post?  not sures whats yous means by sex pistols i commented on bones comment.  i ended stuff with ss.

[Bones]

It was probably more from this......

An inspired, in-your-face electro-punk and pop trip, 'Here Come The Drums' syphons the guitar rock energy of young British acts like the Bloc Party, melds it with the glam-tinged 80s pop-smarts of Blondie, Roxy Music and Gary Numan then lashes it together with the punk rock snarl of the Sex Pistols. It's a heady mix that's intoxicating and infectious. "We love our rock music and we love our electronic music and on this album we're meeting right in the middle", says Ash. "We're making music that will work on the dance floor and on radio. We're not afraid to have a pop influence, but we also wanted attitude. So that's why I'd say the Sex Pistols are the single biggest influence on the album. They were about energy and it's exciting to listen to them".

My favourite at the moment is "Fashion". Big thumbs up.

[elvis]

I'm really liking their music.  There's not much Aussie music I actually enjoy.  It all seems to sound like average pub-band music to me most of the time, but this stuff is a nice change.

And Natalie rocks.  I'm so happy that she's not yet another wailing budgie like Kylie and all the other bloody horrible UK-pop weiners that get spat out of this country.

It's about time something of this level of quality came out of this country.

[SithMaster]

just started listening to way to go and it sounds good.  kinda like fallout boy but with a female singer.

[Bones]

I'm really liking their music.  There's not much Aussie music I actually enjoy.  It all seems to sound like average pub-band music to me most of the time, but this stuff is a nice change.

I actually dig the grungy pub band sound....

Rogue Traders is quite different to everything else in my music collection. I take some pride in my hatred of dance music but this is different. It's like dance music with guitars and drums and attitude and talent.

And of course there is Natalie. 

[SithMaster]

I take some pride in my hatred of dance music but this is different.

gotta take pride in what you do.  otherwise its not worth doing.

you make a few good points
1)natalie
2)guitars
3)natalie
4)attitude
5)talent

wait we can just combine them all

1)natalie

[elvis]

just started listening to way to go and it sounds good.  kinda like fallout boy but with a female singer.

Bizzare moment in life #76936: that song is on the radio *RIGHT NOW!!1eleven11*

The filmclip is definitely worth watching too. 

[danny_galaga]

The Wiggles rock.

[Bones]

The Wiggles rock.  Are all Aussies that gay?

only Sydney-siders...

And Queenslanders

hehe. probably true enough. im from the territory. where men are men, and women are men...

hey, 5 mins before i light up my cuban cigar and pour a little scotch on the rocks. happy new year everyone (",)

Yeah, cheers you gay Queenslander.

[danny_galaga]

The Wiggles rock.