Before New Zealand’s Salad Boys, there was T54, also fronted by Joe Sampson joined by Matt Scobie on drums and Sam Hood on bass. As Matt Hellriegel writes in his liner notes to this special release, “In certain respects, Christchuch’s T54 were a band out of time.” T54 featured a visceral, sonic guitar sound, perhaps out of step with most of the Flying Nun bands at the time. Joe describes T54 as being “stuck in the wrong era somewhat” yet “enduring well in New Zealand for those who bought the music and saw us live at the time.” Originally released in 2011, Ally Records is proud to release an expanded and remastered limited double vinyl edition of T54’s Drone Attacks-- their first ep with additional tracks including home recordings and live in the studio, housed in a full- color gatefold jacket. Hellriegal writes, “Drone Attacks, with its black n blue stylised-robot cover, didn’t look like anything else at the time, and it didn’t sound like anything else either. Bassist, Sam Hood, and drummer, Matt Scobie, formed the can-crushing rhythm section; playing taut n straight with a weighty propulsion that gave the songs a sort of high rev Moterik-chug (imagine if you will, Soundgarden doing the Subliminals). ‘N’ riding the machinelike churn, wiry guitar’d songwriter, Joe Sampson”, droning, chiming, clawing, and riffing away. Despite sharing their name with a 1940s battle tank, T54 have equal measures of sonic power and wavelike melodies completed by Sampson’s strong vocals. Songs like “Julie K” and “CR Model” reel you in and keep you wanting more and, ultimately, the EP enticed Flying Nun to sign the band to release a full album (that, bythe way, Ally will be reissuing on vinyl for the first time in the near future – more on that later!). So, enjoy this noisy three piece from Christchurch influenced by classic New Zealand bands who also have three members (The Clean) or numbers in their name (The 3Ds)-- like The Clean, The 3Ds, and other New Zealand greats, T54 will not disappoint! Tracklist (Side A & Side b 45RPM)SIDE A: 1. Birds (5:02) 2. Julie K (5:23) 3. CR Model (2:45)SIDE B: 4. Vehicle (3:04) 5. Singer In Mouth (6:16)6. Death Drive (3:30) // SIDE C (Live In Studio): 7. CR Model (2:29) 8. Life is Swell (3:51)9. O Nina (3:13) 10. Fred Gavin (3:18) 11. Kill Red (4:26)12. Julie K (5:05)SIDE D (Home Recordings / Demos): 13. Le Snack (1:51) 14. Choose Your Own Ending (3:43) 15. Localism (2:01) 16. Soon I’ll BeNicking Speed Boats (3:52) 17. House Music (4:00) 18. Julie’sLast Wish (1:32) 19. Nurse Jen (4:26) 20. Christian Dale (3:07)
