Frente!
Encyclopedia
Frente! are an Australia
n alternative
rock
group, formed in 1991. The original lineup featured singer Angie Hart
, founder and guitarist Simon Austin
, bassist Tim O'Connor (later replaced by Bill McDonald), and drummer Mark Picton (later replaced by Alastair Barden). In 1992 they released the successful singles "Ordinary Angels" and "Accidently Kelly Street".
(#5) was also a success, going platinum in Australia. Another single was released from the album in early 1993, "No Time" (#50), which did not fare as well.
"Ordinary Angels" finished the year as the 20th best selling single of 1992 on the ARIA
charts, with " Kelly Street" finishing 29th.
The band promoted overseas in 1994 with their biggest success being an acoustic cover version
of New Order
's "Bizarre Love Triangle
" which reached #76 in the UK (following releases of earlier tracks "Ordinary Angels" which did not chart and " Kelly Street" which reached #84). "Bizarre Love Triangle" was released in Australia on a re-issued version of the "Lonely" EP in 1994 (#7, with the first issue charting at #88). The cover was also a hit in the United States, charting at #10 on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart and #49 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The band's only other chart placement in the US was a re-release of the "Labour of Love" single, which managed #9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
They appeared on the 1994 soundtrack for the American TV show: Melrose Place with the song "Ordinary Angels".
In between the first and second Frente! albums, Angie Hart
lent her vocal to an Australian single by Pop!
titled "Tingly
" (#92), released in late 1995.
Frente! also has a track on the compilation album Saturday Morning
, a cover version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)
". The album was released on 5 December 1995.
Frente! released a second album, Shape
, in 1996. The first single "Sit On My Hands" peaked at #66 in Australia, and the second, "What's Come Over Me" did not enter the top 100 although it did reach #83 in the UK. The album peaked at #35. Frente! broke up shortly after its release in 1996.
reunion show at the Corner Hotel
, curated by Angie Hart. The show also featured other notable early 1990s Melbourne bands such as The Glory Box
, The Hollowmen and The Fauves
.
In 2011 Frente performed at the Brisbane Festival to a sold out crowd in the Speigeltent.
, featuring Jane Kennedy, Tony Martin, Mick Molloy and Santo Cilauro. It was named "Accidentally Was Released".
The song "Jungle" from their second album Shape featured in the an episode of the British television series Teachers.
Releases marked with a star were released in Australia only.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group, formed in 1991. The original lineup featured singer Angie Hart
Angie Hart
Angie Hart is an Australian pop singer best known for her role as lead vocalist in the band Frente!.Hart was a founding member of Frente! in 1989. She is renowned for her delicate songcraft, lyrics, and her breathy vocals....
, founder and guitarist Simon Austin
Simon Austin
Simon Sean Nicholas David Austin is an Australian guitarist, songwriter, producer and sound engineer. Austin was a founding member of Frente! in Melbourne in 1989 with Angie Hart on vocals, Tim O'Connor on bass guitar and Mark Picton on drums...
, bassist Tim O'Connor (later replaced by Bill McDonald), and drummer Mark Picton (later replaced by Alastair Barden). In 1992 they released the successful singles "Ordinary Angels" and "Accidently Kelly Street".
History
Frente! burst onto the Australian music charts with the singles "Ordinary Angels" (from the Clunk EP, #3, gold) and "Accidently Kelly Street" (#4, platinum) in 1992. Notable as much for the bizarre film clips (" Kelly Street" consisted of the band with oversized novelty props of household items, and the title of the song was purposely written with an initial lowercase) as their light-hearted pop lyrics, Frente!'s debut album, Marvin the AlbumMarvin the Album
Marvin the Album is the Australian alternative rock group Frente!'s debut album, released 26 April 1994. Recorded in 1992 at Platinum Studios, Melbourne Australia...
(#5) was also a success, going platinum in Australia. Another single was released from the album in early 1993, "No Time" (#50), which did not fare as well.
"Ordinary Angels" finished the year as the 20th best selling single of 1992 on the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
charts, with " Kelly Street" finishing 29th.
The band promoted overseas in 1994 with their biggest success being an acoustic cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
's "Bizarre Love Triangle
Bizarre Love Triangle
"Bizarre Love Triangle" is a single released in 1986 by the English rock band New Order. A version is included on their album Brotherhood....
" which reached #76 in the UK (following releases of earlier tracks "Ordinary Angels" which did not chart and " Kelly Street" which reached #84). "Bizarre Love Triangle" was released in Australia on a re-issued version of the "Lonely" EP in 1994 (#7, with the first issue charting at #88). The cover was also a hit in the United States, charting at #10 on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart and #49 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The band's only other chart placement in the US was a re-release of the "Labour of Love" single, which managed #9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
They appeared on the 1994 soundtrack for the American TV show: Melrose Place with the song "Ordinary Angels".
In between the first and second Frente! albums, Angie Hart
Angie Hart
Angie Hart is an Australian pop singer best known for her role as lead vocalist in the band Frente!.Hart was a founding member of Frente! in 1989. She is renowned for her delicate songcraft, lyrics, and her breathy vocals....
lent her vocal to an Australian single by Pop!
Pop! featuring Angie Hart
Pop! was an Australian band of the 1990s. It was a side project of Melbourne band About Six Feet. Together with Frente's Angie Hart they recorded the song Tingly, which was released as a single in 1995, and reached the Triple J Hottest 100 of the same year...
titled "Tingly
Tingly
"Tingly" was a song recorded by Pop! featuring Angie Hart. It was written by Tony Stott and John Richards, as a side project from their band About Six Feet, and recorded in an hour on Good Friday 1995. The vocals were performed by Angie Hart, who was then in the highly successful band Frente...
" (#92), released in late 1995.
Frente! also has a track on the compilation album Saturday Morning
Saturday Morning
-Album credits:*All tracks produced by Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Executive Producer/Concept: Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Engineered by Peter McCabe and Larry Fergusson....
, a cover version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)
Open up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine in)
"Open up Your Heart " is a popular song. It was written by Stuart Hamblen. The song was published in 1954.The biggest hit version in the United States was a recording by the Cowboy Church Sunday School ; in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan and her son Rusty...
". The album was released on 5 December 1995.
Frente! released a second album, Shape
Shape (album by Frente)
Shape is the second album from the Australian band Frente, released in July 1996. The album was recorded in Spain in 1995 and produced by Cameron McVey.-Track listing:#"Sit On My Hands" - 4:00#"Horrible" - 1:52#"Goodbye Goodguy" - 2:51...
, in 1996. The first single "Sit On My Hands" peaked at #66 in Australia, and the second, "What's Come Over Me" did not enter the top 100 although it did reach #83 in the UK. The album peaked at #35. Frente! broke up shortly after its release in 1996.
Post break up appearances
In January 2005, Frente! reformed for some Australian east coast dates. The line-up for these shows was Angie Hart, Simon Austin and Bill McDonald with Pete Luscombe on drums. On 28 November 2010, Frente! played at a Punters ClubPunters Club
The Punters Club was a pub and live music venue located on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, in inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It developed a reputation as one of the city's premier live music venues, drawing comparisons to the likes of New York's CBGB...
reunion show at the Corner Hotel
Corner Hotel, Richmond
The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Victoria is one of Melbourne's most popular and respected medium-sized rock venues. In 2005 it celebrated its 10th anniversary with the current owners , however it has been a pub since the 19th century and a live music venue since the 1940s.-History:In 1871 David and...
, curated by Angie Hart. The show also featured other notable early 1990s Melbourne bands such as The Glory Box
The Glory Box (Australian band)
The Glory Box were an Indie pop / Indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia. They existed from ~1988 until their breakup ~1994. They released several 7" vinyl singles and a 12" vinly EP, as well as a full length CD album and a compilation CD on Shock Records, Australia's largest independent record...
, The Hollowmen and The Fauves
The Fauves
The Fauves are an Australian rock band. Their album Future Spa was nominated for Best Alternative Album in the 1997 ARIA awards but lost to Spiderbait's Ivy and the Big Apples....
.
In 2011 Frente performed at the Brisbane Festival to a sold out crowd in the Speigeltent.
In popular culture
" Kelly Street" was parodied by The Late ShowThe Late Show (Australian TV series)
The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.-Cast:The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-Generation...
, featuring Jane Kennedy, Tony Martin, Mick Molloy and Santo Cilauro. It was named "Accidentally Was Released".
The song "Jungle" from their second album Shape featured in the an episode of the British television series Teachers.
Albums
- Marvin the AlbumMarvin the AlbumMarvin the Album is the Australian alternative rock group Frente!'s debut album, released 26 April 1994. Recorded in 1992 at Platinum Studios, Melbourne Australia...
(1992, international release in 1994) - Shape (1996)
Singles and EPs
- Whirled EP (1991) *
- Clunk EP (1992) *
- Kelly St (1992) *
- No Time (1993) *
- Labour of Love EP (1993)
- Lonely EP (1994) *
- Kelly St (1994)
- Ordinary Angels (1994)
- Ordinary Angels The Remix (1994)
- Bizarre Love Triangle (1994)
- Sit On My Hands (1996) *
- Horrible (1996)
- What's Come Over Me (1996)
- Goodbye Goodguy (1997) *
- Try To Think Less EP (2005) *
Releases marked with a star were released in Australia only.