a handful of snorkel reviews

it's worth a read, if only to tally up the number and diversity of other bands we've been compared to!

reviews for my girlfriend used to be a guy

my girlfriend used to be a guy is the third release from melbourne based punk group snorkel, whose unique brand of punk could only be likened to that of frenzal rhomb. these guys have been on the melbourne scene for quite some time and it's a mystery to me why a) I hadn't heard of them before this release and b) they haven't been signed yet. these three songs are humorous and extremely catchy. one listen of this single will have you hooked. The song's are mostly dominated by the humorous and cool sounding vocals with the wicked bass, guitar and drums merely adding to what is, overall, an amazing sound which nearly anyone would have to appreciate.
neil fahey, ROYHSDYN, vic

snorkel have been around for quite some time and deserve more attention than they have received from their previous efforts. this song is super-catchy power punk/pop pure and simple and the artwork is fantastic. you'll find yourself humming this one in your head long after the first listen.
danny mcdonald, buzz, vic

totally awesome new single from a band I've previously heard of, but haven't actually picked up any of their recorded material before. this is apparently their 3rd release & if the quality of this single is any indication, they're a band about to be snapped up by a label for certain, given the right exposure. the sound of the band is probably about 85% of front end loader style & around 15% of frenzal rhomb's humour. the title track is where most of the action is, though the other couple of songs should certainly not be ignored. as mentioned, the title track is a very funny bit of prog-rock that's unfortunately too short, very good vocal style & the guitar assault is well performed as well. the closing track sports the rather unusual title of half a garfield, with references to all sorts of things, the vocals forming the driving force of the song. the middle track U47 is my favourite, being about the perfect length for pop-rock & some killer riffs & drum attack from the back. I'm extremely impressed by this band & if they don't get signed pretty soon, I'll be one very surprised reviewer.
terry allen, hEARd magazine, nsw

kooky, scatterbrain-like melbourne funksters snorkel are back. and they're aiming for a spot on the ricki lake show with their new single, my girlfriend used to be a guy. fun lyric too: "my girlfriend used to be a guy, I wonder if that makes me bi?" there's no doubt that my girlfriend used to be a guy is snorkel's best sounding release to date.
jeff jenkins, inpress, vic

reviews for maisy 'n' me

CD of the week - snorkel again give fans reason to jump out of their skin and parade naked down the street. there's a timeless feel-good factor with snorkel, very much like finding a new non-religious religion. there's so much variety in this little package that it nearly caused heinz to close it's doors, but snorkel doesn't preach the word of ye music industry god. no, these three innovators - from left-field - are as far away from cliche as humanly possible. and don't we all just feel like planting a giant smooch in their direction because of it!! big grunty is a laugh and a half of full cream dairy milk, and an almighty song in it's own right. it's just one of the reasons why this album works. every inspiration/influence is heard on maisy 'n' me: as far back as devo and frank zappa to clowns of decadence to primus to faith no more to lashings of funk-driven, bass guitar slapstick. check nasty and kneelengthjerk for back to back class. I like snorkel. they don't make me feel like a corpse. abc formula isn't even given a consideration - as the smart-arsery of scary ravioli attests (being the riff-a-rama pisstake that it is) - and the redneck animal noises on the concluding bones track took me back to my sheep infatuation days. ride 'em again, cowboy. just because record stations aren't playing this doesn't mean it deserves to be lost in the crap that is being played. track it down, I guarantee you'll have a great time.
sash kertes, rip it up, sa

This flippant, light-hearted effort by a local trio of unserious rock pigs is highly amusing, musically cohesive and, as a result of such a successful fusion of characteristics, very entertaining. even the song titles purvey a sense of fun: bollox, bonegi, scary ravioli, bones track and kneelengthjerk. The maisy 'n' me cd is favourably similar to spiderbait for flippancy - a bit more boogie and a bit more yobbo, but individual in its own right. on the recording quality and the creative flow of maisy 'n' me, snorkel deserve to be paid closer attention, and maybe pick up some form of wider distribution. This one is very good.
peter donald, beat, vic

snorkel have just released their first album maisy 'n' me, and what a pleasure it is to put the cd a-spinin'. from start to its most unusual finish the album is pure entertainment from a bunch of pure musicians. filled with the fun sounds of the cartoon voices of gordo and his brother mik, maisy 'n' me will delight fans of the cartoon kind. begun as a reaction to all the serious, navel-gazing bands around town a couple of years ago, snorkel is about having fun with music and buzz advice is to go along to a snorkel show.
peter sutton, buzz, vic

a live review

snorkel in the lounge at the espy makes for fun, energetic, crowd warming rock. with their kooky stageplay and punchy chili pepper-esque tunes, snorkel were impressive. these boys are all about fun and covered some quirky subjects in their set, like cones, salmonella poisoning, school boys and homeless whales! the songs are essentially bass driven, funky and fast, even jazzy at times, a lot of them with a rap vocal and there's great interplay between the bass player and guitarist. quite possibly they need to downplay the humorous aspect of their show as it tends to take away from the quality of the music they're playing. then again, their genuine exuberance and more than competent musicality could hardly fail to impress and anyway, who said you can't have fun?
j. macmanus, inpress, victoria

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