I wanted to do a bit of a piece about a band from Melbourne called the Hoodangers. I remember the first time seeing these guys at a bar called ‘bar open’ on Brunswick Street Fitzroy 2003. One of my housemates was going that night and asked me to come and check them out.
source: https://thehoodangers.bandcamp.com/
I absolutely loved it! I guess at the time, I had never really heard any New Orleans, ragtime or any jazz for that matter. But it made a big impression on me.
The banjo and ride lock in punching quarter notes, short and sharp on the 2 and 4. The upright bass just grooves, bit of slap here and there, while the horns and clarinet interweave and improvise lines together. They have a very ‘Aussie’ feel about them, and I hear elements of punk in there too.
They used to cover a song by Duke Ellington called Rockin in Rhythm. But they did it up tempo with a rag/punk groove. Later I heard the original and that opened up a huge can of worms for me. It got me listening to and discovering more and more jazz.
Check out this vid from 2002 of them playing live on the street:
This is my favorite track. “Looking Back” off their album Cheap. Well written about the ongoing problems in modern Australian.
These guys have been around for 20 years so I thought they deserve a bit more recognition. More people need to hear these guys!
Here’s their website:
