Moler, previously called Snuff, are an Australian Indie

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...

band which formed in 1993 as a three-piece with founding mainstays Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals and Julien Poulson on lead guitar. They had a changing line-up of drummers and sometimes worked as a four-piece with a keyboardist. Their sole studio album, ''Golden Duck'', was released in October 1997 via Infectious/

Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

with Lindsay Gravina producing. They also issued eight

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

s (EPs) before they disbanded in 2001. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1998 The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presenters, including Democrats deputy l ...

, ''Golden Duck'' was nominated for the Best Rock Album. In November they opened the Mushroom 25 Live concert. According to Australian musicologist,

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...

, " heybuilt-up a buzz around the ocalindependent scene with

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

mix of noisy guitar fuzz, hard-driving beats, strident pop melodies and Cattanach's alternately sweet'n'purring and aggressive vocals." Moler reformed in 2018, released another EP and performed periodically thereafter.

History

1993-1995: Snuff

Moler were formed as an indie guitar pop trio, Snuff, in Melbourne in 1993 by Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals, David Peacock on drums and Julien Poulson on lead guitar. Cattanach (ex-T-Bones) and Poulson (ex-Snappers) had been members of the Stiff Kittens, which gigged in Melbourne before relocating to Hong Kong where the pair formed Kick House. The pair reformed the Stiff Kittens in London in 1992 with Rob "Viva" Lastdrager on drums and vocals (ex-Snappers, T-Bones) and Richard Webb on lead vocals and guitar (ex-Strange Fruit, T-Bones). That group issued an extended play, ''As You Walk'', via London-based label, Psychic Records. The members returned to Australia. In 1994, Snuff released a five-track EP, ''Driven'', via Fat Buddha Records with Lindsay Gravina producing.

1995-2001: Moler

Early in 1996, Snuff changed their name to Moler, with the same line-up and were signed to Infectious/

. Moler's next EP with five tracks, ''On Special'', was released in June 1996, Australian musicologist,

, found "The lead-off track, 'Shopping Trolley', displayed plenty of appeal." Another five-track EP, ''Coaster'', followed in September. The group toured with fellow local bands,

Snout A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. In many animals, the structure is called a muzzle, Rostrum (anatomy), rostrum, beak or proboscis. The wet furless surface around the nostrils of the n ...

and

Magic Dirt Magic Dirt is an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative und ...

, and supported gigs by international artists, Weezer, Everclear, Ash and Garageland. Early in 1997 Peacock was replaced on drums by Steve Boyle. Over their history they had a succession of drummers. Their fourth EP, ''Infatuation'', with four tracks was issued in May 1997. Its title track was placed on high rotation by national youth radio station,

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

. Marta of ''

Tharunka ''Gamamari'' is a student magazine published at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Established in 1953 as ''Tharunka'' at the then New South Wales University of Technology, the publication has been published in a variety of ...

'' observed, "Boyle has added a funkier beat to

already catchy suburban sound, completing the Australian pop-punk trio with flawless precision." Moler followed with their debut album, ''Golden Duck'' in October via Infectious/Mushroom/

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

with Gravina producing. Music journalist Jeff Jenkins rated it as "very good" and explained, " t'sa mass of contradictions: part power-pop, part dreamy and moody. Part slacker, part ambition." After the album appeared, Boyle was replaced by Neil Lynch on drums and they added Matt Heydon (ex- Nick Barker and the Reptiles) on keyboards. At the

, ''Golden Duck'' was nominated for the Best Rock Album. In November they opened the Mushroom 25 Live concert. They found a new drummer in early 2000, with Mike Glenn (ex- Hoss) joining, in time for a tour of the United States in March. In 2001 the group released their eighth EP, ''Red & White Stripes'', before disbanding in that year.

2001–2018: Afterwards

The Stiff Kittens issued a compilation album, ''Greatest Trips'', in 2007 via Killer Music with Cattanah and Poulson joined by various line-ups, Greg Baxter on bass guitar and vocals; Lastdrager on drums and vocals; James McHugh on bass guitar and vocals; and Webb on vocals and guitar.

2018-present: Reformation

Moler reformed for a show on 23 November 2018 at The Curtin Hotel, Carlton, Melbourne to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their formation. Cattanach and Poulson were joined by Boyle and Peacock, who took turns drumming. They released a digital three-track EP, ''Work'' in October 2019. Moler continue to perform periodically.

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

are a set of annual ceremonies presented by

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...

(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the

music of Australia The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, , ''Golden Duck'' , , Best Rock Album, , , , ARIA Award previous winners. , -

References

{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1993 Musical groups disestablished in 2001 Victoria (state) musical groups