Ninetynine
Encyclopedia
Ninetynine is an indie
band based in Melbourne
, Australia
. The band was founded by Laura Macfarlane
, who played drums in Sleater-Kinney
, in 1996 as a solo project. The first album, 99, was recorded with her playing all the instruments. Not long after she assembled a band with Cameron Potts
and Rhonda Simmonds (who has since left the group). Other former members of the band are Iain McIntyre
(who played with Laura in several earlier bands) and Amy Clarke (formerly of The Vivian Girls
). Meg Butler joined in 2006.
Ninetynine's music has been described as art-pop, combining elements of indie rock
, post punk and power pop
with strong melodic elements and a playful approach. Some of their songs incorporate experimental elements such as unusual time signature
s or exotic scales. One of the band's trademarks is the use of Casiotone
keyboards and chromatic percussion (typically a vibraphone
) in their music, with the musicians frequently swapping instruments between songs, even sometimes in the middle of songs.
They also have recorded a number of tracks for various compilations.
Anatomy Of Distance is a retrospective compilation of tracks recorded for various compilations and 7" singles between 1997 and 2001. Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction was released exclusively to subscribers of the New York
-based Dark Beloved Cloud single club. The first four titles have since been reissued by Unstable Ape Records
.
Original releases of 99 and 767 came in hand-folded sleeves made of printed card. The Unstable Ape rereleases were reformatted into standard CD jewel cases.
, the UK
, Europe
and North America
.
The members of Ninetynine have been known to play different music together under different names; During their 1996 European tour, Iain and Laura played support sets for ninetynine as "86", with Iain on vocals, performing mostly old Sea Haggs
songs.
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
band based in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
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...
. The band was founded by Laura Macfarlane
Laura Macfarlane
Laura Macfarlane, formerly known as Lora Macfarlane, is a Scottish-born rock and roll musician, singer and songwriter based in Australia. Originally from Glasgow, she arrived with her parents in Perth when young, and was involved in a number of bands there from the late 1980s onward...
, who played drums in Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney was an alternative rock band from Portland, Oregon that formed in 1994. Originally formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They were a...
, in 1996 as a solo project. The first album, 99, was recorded with her playing all the instruments. Not long after she assembled a band with Cameron Potts
Cameron Potts
Cameron Potts, born November 10, 1971 in Subiaco, Western Australia, is a musician based in Melbourne, Australia. Since 1999, he has toured regularly to the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Scandinavia and Iceland with both Ninetynine, playing drums, and...
and Rhonda Simmonds (who has since left the group). Other former members of the band are Iain McIntyre
Iain McIntyre
Iain McIntyre is an Australian musician and writer.Originally from Perth, he relocated to Melbourne in 1992, where he played in The Sea Haggs with fellow Perth expatriate Laura Macfarlane. In 1996, he joined Macfarlane's new band ninetynine...
(who played with Laura in several earlier bands) and Amy Clarke (formerly of The Vivian Girls
The Vivian Girls
The Vivian Girls were an indie rock band in Melbourne, Australia, around 2000. Their music was heavily influenced by early 1980s New Wave and referenced both Australian post punk artists and Situationism. They released one self-titled album on the Radio One label, in 2000...
). Meg Butler joined in 2006.
Ninetynine's music has been described as art-pop, combining elements of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, post punk and power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
with strong melodic elements and a playful approach. Some of their songs incorporate experimental elements such as unusual time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s or exotic scales. One of the band's trademarks is the use of Casiotone
Casiotone
Casiotone refers to a series of home electronic keyboards released by Casio Computer Co. in the early 1980s.These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments...
keyboards and chromatic percussion (typically a vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
) in their music, with the musicians frequently swapping instruments between songs, even sometimes in the middle of songs.
Recordings
- 99 LP (Patsy, 1996)
- 767 LP (Patsy/ChapterChapter MusicChapter Music is one of Australia's longest-running independent record labels. It was founded by Guy Blackman in Perth in June 1992, after a few issues of a Syd Barrett inspired fanzine called Chapter 24, that Blackman started in October 1990, when he was seventeen...
/EndearingEndearing RecordsEndearing Records is a Canadian independent record label established in 1994, now based in Vancouver, originally based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Endearing Records has released many albums by Canadian indie artists since the mid 90s, such as Destroyer, The Meligrove Band, Julie Doiron, The...
, 1997) - 180 degrees LP (Patsy/Radio One, 1999)
- Anatomy Of Distance LP (Patsy/Stickfigure, 2001)
- The Process LP (TrifektaTrifektaTrifekta is the name of an Australia based independent record label, based in Fitzroy, Victoria. It was started in 1997 by Tom Larnach-Jones , Tim Everest and Paul 'Presser' Towner ....
, 2002)) - Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction EP (Dark Beloved Cloud, 2003)
- Worlds Of Space, Worlds Of Population, Worlds Of Robots LP (2006)
- Silo EP (2008)
- Bande Magnetique LP (2010)
They also have recorded a number of tracks for various compilations.
Anatomy Of Distance is a retrospective compilation of tracks recorded for various compilations and 7" singles between 1997 and 2001. Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction was released exclusively to subscribers of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based Dark Beloved Cloud single club. The first four titles have since been reissued by Unstable Ape Records
Unstable Ape Records
Unstable Ape Records is an Australian independent record label. Founded in Tasmania, it is now based in Melbourne. Unstable Ape's focus tends primarily towards indie rock and roll, but also expands its interest to contemporary folk , jazz and world music...
.
Original releases of 99 and 767 came in hand-folded sleeves made of printed card. The Unstable Ape rereleases were reformatted into standard CD jewel cases.
Live shows and tours
Ninetynine have played live extensively, and toured internationally in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The members of Ninetynine have been known to play different music together under different names; During their 1996 European tour, Iain and Laura played support sets for ninetynine as "86", with Iain on vocals, performing mostly old Sea Haggs
Sea Haggs
The Sea Haggs were an indie rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in the early 1990s by Perth expatriates Lora Macfarlane and Iain McIntyre, and featuring other members, including Ben Butler. Towards the end of its career, the band also recorded under the name Keckle.In 1995, the band was wound...
songs.
Video
- PUNKCAST#1186 Live @ Cake Shop NYC, Aug 6 2007. (realplayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
, mp4)