Ninetynine

Country of origin:

Australia

Type of music generally:

Alternative pop/rock

Status:

Most recent release, Bande Magnetique LP (2010)

See also:

Wikipedia's entry on Ninetynine

The Ectophiles' Guide's entry for Sleater-Kinney, a band Laura MacFarlane was once part of.

Comparisons:

Coming from the same indie rock roots as Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power, Lois, but mixed with something Pram-like

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Alternative indie pop/rock, stripped down but with the unusual addition of vibraphone, xylophone, and glockenspiel and Laura MacFarlane's lovely sometimes off-kilter vocals. The interesting instrumentation helps give the sound and songwriting a unique flavour. (Neile)

If I were to compare Ninetynine with Sleater-Kinney, I'd say Ninetynine is similar, but more laid-back, less political, less angry. (5/97, swiebe@callisto.uwinnipeg.ca)

Recommended first album:

Any of the later discs; 767 is my favourite of the three I own.

Recordings:

• 99 (1996)
• 767 (1997)
• 180^o (1999)
• Anatomy of Distance (2001)
• The Process (2002)
• Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction (EP, 2003)
• Worlds Of Space, Worlds Of Population, Worlds Of Robots (2006)
• Silo (EP, 2008)
• Bande Magnetique (2010)

99

Release info:

1997—Patsy (Australia)—patsy 01

Availability:

See website for availability

Ecto priority:

Recommended for indiepop/rock fans

Group members:

Laura MacFarlane—vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards, viola, xylophone

Guest artists:

Michael Nichols—bass on 2 tracks
Ben Butler—drums on 1 track
Madigan—cello on 1 track

Comments:

This is Ninetynine's first album, which I picked up because I liked 767 so much. Also clearly indierock sound but quite different in sound now from her former bandmates, sleater Kinney. And worse, I'm not going to be any good at articulating that difference. Anyway, I like this quite a lot. The recording quality on this isn't terrific, but the songs and overall sound of the collection show a lot of promise. Still, while I like this and enjoy it when I play it, I still find I pick up 767 or 180^o before this one. They just seem a little more distinctive. (Neile)

767

Release info:

1997—Patsy (Australia)/endearing records (Canada)—ndr 011

Availability:

See website for availability

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for indiepop/rock fans

Group members:

Laura MacFarlane—vocals, drums, vibraphone, xylophone, guitars, keyboards
Cameron Potts—drums on 3 tracks, keyboards on 1 track, vibraphone on 1 track

Guest artists:

Rhonda Simmonds—guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, xylophone, glockenspeil, drums on 1 track
Michael Nichols—bass on 1 track
Ben Butler—guitar on 1 track
Neil Thomason—guitar on 1 track
Jer Reid—guitar on 1 track
Creito—sax on 1 track

Comments:

A lively collection of alternative pop songs with occasional hints of Stereolab of the off-kilterness of Pram. Most songs are prtty forward-motion driven and nicely crafted. (Neile)

180^o

Release info:

2000—Patsy (Australia)—007/radio 4

Availability:

See website for availability

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for indiepop/rock fans

Group members:

Laura MacFarlane—vocals, vibraphones, keyboards, guitars, drums
Cameron Potts—drums, vocals, keyboards on 3 tracks, xylophone on 1 track

Guest artists:

Michelle Mansford—bass on 2 tracks, guitar on 3 tracks, vocals on 1 track, vibraphones on 2 tracks, xylophone on 1 track, keyboards on 2 tracks, glockenspiel on 1 track
Tim Evans—guitar, bass
Iain McIntyre—bass on 1 track, guitar on 1 track, keyboards on 1 track
Monika Fikerle—drums on 1 track
Lewis Boyes—guitar on 1 track

Comments:

This one shows even more Pram-like off-kilter tendancies, but still has a nice indiepop sensibility, mixing it up nicely. Driving, yet pop-py and catchy. "Cois il hamdu lilah" is especially weird and wonderful. This is occasionally, like on "mesopotamia," quite mournful. (Neile)