Dirty Three

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Dirty Three
Jim White
Mick Turner
Websitedirtythree.com

Dirty Three are an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992.[2] Their 1996 album Horse Stories was voted by Rolling Stone as one of the top three albums of the year. Two of their albums have peaked into the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Ocean Songs (1998) and Toward the Low Sun (2012). During their career they have spent much of their time overseas when not performing together. Turner is based in Melbourne, White lives in New York, and Ellis in Paris. Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane described them as providing a "rumbling, dynamic sound incorporated open-ended, improvisational, electric rock ... minus the jazz-rock histrionics". In October 2010, Ocean Songs was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.[1]

History

Warren Ellis of the Dirty Three at WOMADELAIDE 2012
Mick Turner of the Dirty Three

Dirty Three formed as an instrumental rock trio in Melbourne in 1992 with

Hunters and Collectors and Tex, Don and Charlie.[9]

On

John Spencer Blues Explosion.[3] In July that year, Torn & Frayed Records issued the band's eponymous album.[3][4] According to Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane, it was "[b]rimming with Ellis's alternately subtle and dramatic violin flourishes, Turner's tensile guitar lines and White's sympathetic drumming, [and] was a strong introduction to the band's atmospheric musical palate".[3]

Dirty Three are my favourite live band. No contest ... I think it's because they don't have a singer ... There are three musicians working together, one no less important than the other and well, you can get lost in all that. Their music washes over you and you're away ... When I watch them, they ignite something, I start having grand plans and hundreds of lyrics leap into my head.

–Nick Cave quoted in 100 Best Australian Albums (2010).[10]

In November 1994 their next album,

National Film Theatre.[3][5]

They performed at the Big Day Out series of concerts in January 1996 – for the Melbourne show they were joined on stage by Cave.[3] Later in 1996 they toured the US again; one of the shows was at Maxwell's, New Jersey.[15] In September that year they issued their next album, Horse Stories, which was voted by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top three albums of the year.[3] In March 1998 the band issued Ocean Songs, which Billboard's Chris Morris felt was "an unexpected new direction" where "the sound is still brazenly live, the atmosphere is generally rapturous and lyrical, instead of explosive and febrile".[16] The album peaked in the top 50 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[17] In October 2010 Ocean Songs was listed in the book 100 Best Australian Albums.[10] It was described as displaying "an Australian sound that had never been heard before, one that was aware of our vast landscape but was reared in the urban landscapes of our various inner-city underground scenes".[10] In May 1998 they started a two-month US tour.[16] The group provided five new tracks for the soundtrack of John Curran's debut feature film Praise (1998).[3]

In March 2000 Dirty Three released another studio album, Whatever You Love, You Are which McFarlane found showed "deep, rich, emotional musical vistas, and furthered the band's connection to the music and approach of jazz great John Coltrane".[3] In 2002, Dirty Three toured Taiwan together with US indie rocker Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) and both artists returned in 2004.[12][18] Also in 2004, they gigged at the Meredith Music Festival where a rain storm threatened their set, Ellis later remembered "we just went out and played like our lives depended on it ... and you all went for it; otherwise it just fell to pieces".[10] In late 2005, Dirty Three released their seventh major album, Cinder. Although following in the spirit of Ocean Songs, it diverges from their previous works: it was their first album to feature vocals (from Marshall and from Sally Timms of The Mekons), albeit on two of nineteen tracks. Its tracks are generally shorter and more concise; and instead of their usual live-in-the-studio technique they recorded each member's work individually.

In 2006 they toured Malaysia,

Top Heatseekers Chart.[17][23]

Collaborations

Since 1996 Dirty Three's violinist Warren Ellis has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Ellis and Mick Turner have each released solo albums. In addition, Turner and Jim White have released several extended plays as The Tren Brothers, and appear as backing musicians on albums by Cat Power, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and PJ Harvey (White drums).[24] Turner is also an internationally exhibited painter with his own work gracing the covers of their major albums except Sad & Dangerous. He also runs the band's own record label, Anchor & Hope Records. In 1999, Dirty Three with Low, recorded an In the Fishtank session for Konkurrent Records.

Dirty Three have released albums on Touch & Go Records and have toured with Nick Cave, Sonic Youth, Low, Pavement, Throwing Muses, Cat Power, PJ Harvey, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Devendra Banhart, Josh T. Pearson, Shannon Wright and The Pogues.[5] During their career the group have spent much of their time overseas, when not performing together Turner is based in Melbourne, White lives in New York, and Ellis in Paris.[25]

Musical style

Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane compared the band to 1970s

ballads, folk, rock, classical, chamber music, free jazz and blues, Celtic music, other European folk styles and Indian raga.[26][27]

Discography

Warren Ellis performing with Dirty Three, Milan, May 2007
Jim White performing with Dirty Three, Manchester Cathedral, November 2012

According to various sources:[3][4][12]

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[28]
Dirty Three
  • Released: 1993
  • Label: Scuzz Productions (Scuzz 001)
  • Format: Cassette
 —
Dirty Three
  • Released: June 1994
  • Label: Torn & Frayed (TORNCD6)
  • Format: CD
 —
Sad & Dangerous
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Torn & Frayed (TORNCD10)
  • Format: CD
 —
Horse Stories
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH001CD)
  • Format: CD, 2×LP
 —
Ocean Songs
  • Released: April 1998
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH003CD)
  • Format: CD, 2×LP
 44
Lowlands
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Anchor & Hope
  • Format: CD
 —
Whatever You Love, You Are
  • Released: March 2000
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH006CD)
  • Format: CD, LP
 73
She Has No Strings Apollo
  • Released: 2003
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH008CD)
  • Format: CD, LP
 —
Cinder
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH009CD)
  • Format: CD, LP
 —
Toward the Low Sun
  • Released: 2012
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AH0010CD)
  • Format: CD, LP, digital
 31
Love Changes Everything
  • Released: June 2024
  • Label: Anchor & Hope
  • Format: CD, LP, digital
 12
[29]

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details
Live! At Meredith
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: Anchor & Hope
  • Format: CD
  • Recorded live at Meredith Music Festival in Victoria,
    11 December 2004
Dirty Three Live at Sydney Festival
  • Released: April 2016
  • Label: Anchor & Hope
  • Format: Digital
  • Recorded live in Sydney 2016

Video albums

List of video albums
Title Album details
The Dirty Three
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Madman (MMA2660)
  • Format: 2× DVD

Extended plays

List of Extended Plays
Title Details
Sharks
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: Anchor & Hope (AHX01S)
  • Format: CD
Ufkuko
  • Released: 1998 (UK)
  • Label: Bella Union (BELLACD6)
  • Format: CD
In the Fishtank 7
(with Low)
  • Released: 2001
  • Label: Anchor & Hope – AH007CD
  • Format: CD

Awards and nominations

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Dirty Three have won one award from four nominations.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1997 Horse Stories Best Independent Release[30] Nominated
Best Adult Alternative Album[30] Nominated
1998 Ocean Songs Best Adult Alternative Album[31] Nominated
2000 Whatever You Love, You Are Best Adult Alternative Album[32] Won

EG Awards

The EG Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012[33][34] Toward the Low Sun Best Album Nominated
themselves Best Band Nominated

References

General
  • ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original
    on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2012.     Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
Specific
  1. ^ a b "More than one string to his bow". The Age. January 2006.
  2. ^ Weiner, J. (12 September 2009). "The Feelies, Dirty Three With Nick Cave Revisit Classic Albums at All Tomorrow's Parties". Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l McFarlane, 'Dirty Three' entry. Archived from the original on 7 August 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2012. Note: on-line version has updated content compared with original text.
  4. ^ a b c Holmgren, Magnus. "The Dirty Three". Australian Rock Database. Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Dirty Three – Concert Chronology / Gigography". From the Archives. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Artists: Warren Ellis". Ireland: Dublin Theatre Festival. 2012. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  7. ^ Holmgren, Magnus. "Warren Ellis". Australian Rock Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  8. ^ a b Holmgren, Magnus. "Mick Turner". Australian Rock Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d Holmgren, Magnus. "Jim White". Australian Rock Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  10. ^
    ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9
    .
  11. CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 41. CMJ Network (Robert K. Haber). January 1997. p. 6. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help
    )
  12. ^ a b c d e "Dirty Three – Discography". From the Archives. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  13. ^ "BOMBLOG: Venom P. Stinger by Tyler Curtis". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  14. ^ Eliezer, Christie (8 July 1995). "Australia and Canada Celebrate Their Indigenous Music". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 27. Prometheus Global Media. pp. 54–55. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  15. New York Magazine
    , Vol. 29, No. 36, 16 Sep 1996, Page 100
  16. ^ a b Morris, Chris (7 March 1998). "Folkways Marks 50 Years of Documenting US Music; Dirty Three Clean Up Sound". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 10. Prometheus Global Media. pp. 51, 54. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  17. ^ a b Hung, Steffan. "Discography Dirty Three". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffan Hung). Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  18. ^ Woodworth, Max (9 January 2004). "Live at last! Again". Taipei Times. Republic of China (Taiwan): The Liberty Times Group. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  19. ^ "Dirty Three in KL". TheStar Online. Star Publications. 26 October 2006. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  20. ^ a b c From the Archives – Dirty Three – Videography
  21. ^ Washburn, Dan (2 November 2006). "Dirty Three update: Pitchfork on the 'Showdown in Shanghai'". Shanghaiist. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  22. ^ "2012 Event Media Release – Dirty Three" (Press release). Sydney Opera House. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  23. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  24. ^ Hughes, Tom (1 March 2012). "Dirty Three: Toward the Low Sun – Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  25. ^ Marcus Arcus T (20 February 2012). "Feature Album: Dirty Three Toward the Low Sun – Music". TheVine. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  26. ^ CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 26 October 1995. CMJ Network (Robert K. Haber). p. 13. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. Tribune Company
    (Tony W. Hunter). Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  28. ^ "Discography Dirty Three". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  29. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  30. ^ a b "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 1997". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  31. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 1998: 12th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  32. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2000". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  33. ^ "The Temper Trap, Oh Mercy Win EG Awards". noise11. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  34. ^ "The Age 2012 EG Music Awards". The Age. Fairfax Media. 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.

External links

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