Teenage Snuff Film is the debut solo studio album by Rowland S. Howard, released in 1999. The album was produced by Lindsay Gravina and features Howard's former The Birthday Party bandmate Mick Harvey on drums, organ and guitar, with Brian Hooper of The Beasts of Bourbon on bass guitar. It contains eight original songs, and two cover versions: "White Wedding" by Billy Idol, and "She Cried" (previously performed by The Shangri-Las, Johnny Thunders, and others).
| Teenage Snuff Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Studio | Birdland Studios, Prahran; Sing Sing Recording Studios, Cremorne | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 54:20 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Lindsay Gravina | |||
| Rowland S. Howard chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Teenage Snuff Film was produced, mixed and mastered at Birdland Studios in Prahran and Sing Sing Recording Studios in Cremorne. Although not a commercial success upon release, the album would go on to attract a cult following.[2]
The album was reissued as a limited edition double LP in October 2011, with minor track listing changes.[3] Remastered versions of both Howard's solo albums were released by Mute Records in Europe, Fat Possum in America and Bloodlines in Australia on 27 March 2020.[4]
Background and reception
editHoward began work on the album following the disbandment of his band These Immortal Souls in 1998.[5] In an effort to keep the recording process minimal, he recruited few musicians to play on the album, including multi-instrumentalist and former The Birthday Party bandmate and Mick Harvey and bassist Brian Hooper of The Beasts of Bourbon.[5]
Teenage Snuff Film was well-received by critics upon release in 1999, with the sound described as "a long, roiling howl of pain, wrought from the place where rock & roll loss and grief meet blues textures and near-gothic soundscapes."[6]
Legacy
editTeenage Snuff Film was met with little fanfare during its initial release, but went on to reach cult status and become an influential post-punk release.[5][2] Against Me! lead singer Laura Jane Grace named Teenage Snuff Film her favourite album of all time, while Jehnny Beth of Savages and Faris Badwan of The Horrors consider Howard and his work on the album a major influence.[7][2][8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Rowland S. Howard, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dead Radio" | 5:39 | |
| 2. | "Breakdown (And Then...)" | 6:25 | |
| 3. | "She Cried" | Greg Richards, Ted Daryll | 4:58 |
| 4. | "I Burnt Your Clothes" | 4:13 | |
| 5. | "Exit Everything" | Howard, Brian Hooper | 7:34 |
| 6. | "Silver Chain" | Genevieve McGuckin, Howard | 4:37 |
| 7. | "White Wedding" | Billy Idol | 2:54 |
| 8. | "Undone" | 6:55 | |
| 9. | "Autoluminescent" | 3:26 | |
| 10. | "Sleep Alone" | Howard, Hooper | 7:39 |
| Total length: | 54:20 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Ocean" (Rowland S. Howard Vs The Devastations) | Lou Reed | 3:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dead Radio" | 5:39 | |
| 2. | "Breakdown (And Then...)" | 6:25 | |
| 3. | "She Cried" | Greg Richards, Ted Daryll | 4:58 |
| 4. | "I Burnt Your Clothes" | 4:13 | |
| 5. | "Exit Everything" | Howard, Brian Hooper | 7:34 |
| 6. | "Silver Chain" | Genevieve McGuckin, Howard | 4:37 |
| 7. | "White Wedding" | Billy Idol | 2:54 |
| 8. | "Undone" | 6:55 | |
| 9. | "Autoluminescent" | 3:26 | |
| 10. | "Shut Me Down" | 3:40 | |
| 11. | "Sleep Alone" | Howard, Hooper | 7:39 |
| Total length: | 58:00 | ||
Personnel
edit- Rowland S. Howard – vocals, guitar
- Mick Harvey – drums, organ; rhythm guitar on "Sleep Alone"
- Brian Hooper – bass guitar
with:
- Genevieve McGuckin – organ on "Silver Chain"
- Steve Boyle – drums on "Autoluminescent"
- Andrew Entsch, Jen Anderson, Robin Casinader – strings
Technical
- Lindsay Gravina – producer, session engineer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer
- James Masson – assistant engineer
- Jade Martin – assistant engineer
- Rowland S. Howard, Genevieve McGuckin – cover
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] | 74 |
References
edit- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r566255
- ^ a b c Wray, Daniel Dylan (20 April 2020). "'A guitar hero when there were none': the fragile life of Rowland S Howard". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "Music News, Views and All the Latest from Junkee".
- ^ Rowland S. Howard – Remastered reissues of Teenage Snuff Film and Pop Crimes, Mute Records.
- ^ a b c Grow, Kory (25 March 2020). "'The Ultimate Underdog F-ck-Up': Rediscovering the Dark Beauty of Rowland S. Howard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ Jurek, Thom, Teenage Snuff Film - Rowland S. Howard, AllMusic, retrieved 29 October 2024
- ^ "Hi, I'm Laura Jane Grace. Ask me anything". 6 February 2014.
- ^ Fullerton, Jamie (11 January 2010). "The Horrors, HTRK pay tribute to Birthday Party's Rowland S Howard". NME. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 9 March 2020". No. 1566. Australian Recording Industry Association. 9 March 2020.
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