"! (The Song Formerly Known As)" is a song by Australian rock band
Regurgitator
Regurgitator are an Australian alternative rock band from Brisbane, Queensland, formed in late 1993 by Quan Yeomans on lead vocals, guitar and keyboards; Ben Ely on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals; and Martin Lee on drums. Their debut stud ...
. The song was released as a double-A sided single with "Modern Life" in September 1998 as the fourth and final single from the band's second studio album ''
Unit
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''. The single peaked at number 28 in Australia and it also ranked at number 6 on
Triple J's Hottest 100 in 1998, with the single's bonus track "I Like Your Old Remix Better Than Your New Remix" being ranked at number 27.
At the
ARIA Music Awards of 1999
The 13th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) was held on 12 October 1999 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Hosted by Paul McDermott and Bob Downe, and prese ...
, the song was nominated for three awards;
Best Group,
Best Video and
Single of the Year.
Music video
The music video for the song was filmed in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
with the band members being filmed in various locations throughout the city.
Critical reception
In 2014,
Clem Bastow from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' said "'!' is unmatched: it's a towering slab of electronic fuzz, tailor made for giant stadiums and the sort of raves that bring to mind
The Matrix
''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...
's
Zion scenes, and yet the song is about staying home and listening to records in the living room with your significant other."
In 2015, the song was listed at number 60 in In the Mix's 100 Greatest Australian Dance Tracks of All Time with
Nick Jarvis saying "The best track on the album (and arguably the best track the
'Gurge has written yet) – a dance track played by a live band about how dancing around your living room with bae wearing ugly pants is so much better than going out to loud, smoky clubs.".
In 2019, Tyler Jenke from The Brag ranked Regurgitator's best songs, with "!" coming it at number 1. Jenke said "Ask anyone from the era, and they'll all agree that '! (The Song Formerly Known As)' is Regurgitator's finest moment.. it managed to become their shining glory, with lyrics that describe just sitting back and avoiding clubs, raves, and concerts in favor of a comfy lounge room in suburbia." calling the song "an essential piece of Aussie music history."
Junkee
Junkee.com is an Australian popular culture and news website run by new media company Junkee Media. It covers various topics including film, university, food, TV, politics, travel, career, health, and Internet culture. Its target demographic is ...
said, "Even at their most ribald, they still sound like an out-of-control after-school care group going to town on a bunch of poor, unsuspecting instruments. '!' isn't even really a song. It's a work of punkish extravagance, dressed in nothing but a streak of yellow paint and with murder on its mind. "
Track listings
Charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
1997 songs
1998 singles
Regurgitator songs
Song recordings produced by Magoo (Australian producer)
Songs written by Quan Yeomans
Warner Music Australasia singles