This week in classic music videos’ we go local to bring you Creepin’ Up Slowly, by the Australian pop-rock band Taxiride, off their 2002 album Garage Mahal. This song can be considered an Aussie pop classic, as well as being a personal favourite of mine.
Formed in Melbourne in 1997, Taxiride consisted of lead singer Dan Hall, Jason Singh, Tim Wild and Tim Watson, all whom had previously performed in cover bands. Hall, who was discovered busking, was one of the lead singers until 2002, when Singh took over and Sean McLeod and Andy McIvor joined. The band got their name from a taxi driving friend who helped promote their music early on. The band’s sound can best be described as pop-rock, although they also have been heavily influenced by the Aussie-born genre of Pub Rock
Pub Rock is a genre unique to Australia. It originated in inner city pubs in the 50’s and 60’s, which in many areas were one of the few venues for live music at the time. The style of rock evolved to include repeating riffs , an emphasis on drums and simpler, catchier lyrics. Of all musical genres, Pub Rock is undoubtedly the one which has had the most influence over Australian music. Reading the list of Pub Rock bands and those whom they have influenced is like reading a who’s who of Australian music: AC/DC, Cold Chisel, INXS, Midnight Oil, Icehouse, Hoodoo Gurus, Rose Tattoo, Paul Kelly, Hunters and Collectors, Mental as Anything, The Angels and The Screaming Jets as just some of the acts which can be classified as Pub Rock. Add to that more contemporary rock bands such as The Living End, Jet, The Vines and You Am I as having been influenced by the Pub Rock scene.
Taxiride’s first album, 1999’s Imaginate, with its hit single, Get Set, cemented the band as a new presence on the Aussie music scene, as did the band winning an ARIA for Best Breakthrough Artist. Creepin’ up Slowly in 2002 was their first song in the top ten charts and catapulted them to international success.
After that though, it was trouble that began to creep up slowly. Hall, unhappy with the pop-based direction the band was taking, soon left the band to work on his own projects and his other band, Airway Lanes. Watson soon followed. Their third album, Axiomaitc, was a flop, with only one song, Oh Yeah, reaching 40 on the charts. They released their first live album, Electrophobia, in 2006, before McIvor left the band to play with another Pub Rock legend, James Reyne. They still tour occasionally, mostly as a supporting act for other bands, but have not released an album since Electrophobia, and are unlikely to anytime soon.
I think it’s fair to say that this is a great shame. Taxiride certainly had potential; their songs were particularly catchy and their style of multiple lead singers made them unique on the local scene. If they had continued their climb, they could well have been in the same position as many of their contemporaries, like Jet or Grinspoon instead of simply a supporting act for bigger bands. But while they may not be lighting up the charts anymore, there are still plenty of people who have not forgotten them. I certainly haven’t.
Interesting fact: This song is supposed to be about head lice. How ‘bout that?
Melodic Ramblings 