It seemed such a nice idea - why not stick some 'works in progress' up on the site and see if there's any reaction. Of course, there's always the worry that an idea might be pinched, but you know that we'll catch up with you (whoever you are) eventually, and things will possibly get quite unpleasant. Much nicer if someone who likes the song or songs we're putting up, gets in touch with us direct. So, without further ado, let's introduce some demo tracks to you. Hope you like 'em!

How to play the demos..
Broadband: Just left-click on the name of the song in the yellow tabs and your chosen player (i.e. Media Player or RealPlayer for instance) will start downloading the mp3. Dialup: (for Windows) right-click then select Save Target As, save to your Desktop, then double-click on the file to play with your player. If you have any feedback about the songs, please feel free to get in touch.. check feedback

Check out Mike & Bill's videos..
Just when you're getting used to one medium, another comes along! Check out Mike & Bill's fumbling beginnings at the moving image game on the new Videos page.

I've been talking about this idea for ages - and now I've done it! The song says it all really, but ever since the Thredbo Blues Festival a few years ago, people have been coming up to me and asking if Xavier Rudd is my son, and also, with recent political events still fresh in all our minds, whether I'm related to St Kevin. If you like the song, I'm going to approach Xavier and see if he'd be up to appear in a video. Could be fun!

I can't tell just by listening who's playing the sax line, but undoubtedly a sax player could, just as I, as a guitarist, could probably guess who it was playing a particular guitar line. (I guess that's me playing the guitar in this piece by the way). The odd sound at the start is made by a bunch of gulls disturbed under the partially constructed West Gate bridge. I'm not sure whether it's before or after the fatal collapse - I don't understand Gullish..

Here I am, still equivocating about the album and still being distracted by every sort of irrelevancy. In that vein, here's yet another diversion/version for no particular reason. Still our most popular song outside of I'll Be Gone, I've taken Esmeralda back to her roots (!) feel-wise, and camped up the break with a dubious sounding gospel choir. Let me know what you think. feedback

Melbourne was sweltering in an Indian Summer that conveniently lasted the duration of the Comm. Games, and I was struggling to come up with some words for this instrumental entitled South Wind, when it occurred to me I should simply incorporate my dilemma in the lyrics. I think Hot, Hot Day captures the mood perfectly.

This first track of Bill's was co-written with a mutual song writer friend, Byron K. Called Somewhere Down The Track it's a jaunty but wistful song, looking forward to better times in warmer climes, coming just 'down the track'. Byron has a warm and appealing voice, and Bill's done a great job arranging, playing on and recording the song in his Glen Iris home studio. I did the finishing touches here at AMS

This second song of Bill's is an instrumental that deserves to be on a sound track for something for goodness sake! It's called Jenwah (after our manager, Jenny), and features some breathy flute by our flauty friend, Pip Robinson. I'm sure we'll record it again, but it sounds pretty nice as it is.

The Girl Has Got A Gun came about when we were testing Robbo's new, (well, it was new then), electronic drum kit. I asked Robbo to hit everything he could, and then he and I just had a bash in the key of A. (Robbo bashed and I was in the key of A). A quirky little narrative popped into the frame and Bob's yer uncle. Daryl helped out with some keyboards the other night - thanks Daz

Gee Whiz is yet another instrumental. I quite often write songs around a particular chord I've discovered, and this one's written round a flattened 5th and a variation of a major 7th. Who cares, but it sounds kinda cool and jazzy. Bill, Robbo and I just jammed on it to get some sounds happening and Daryl added some organ later.

Daryl Roberts, the most recent inductee to the Spectrum lineup, has his own band of course, Hey Gringo. He invited Spectrum to appear on his composition, You Know What I Mean, which is going to appear on the next Hey Gringo offering - Three.YKWIM has the sort of loping groove that suits Spectrum quite nicely, so I think you'll like it.

Since I've had the studio upgraded, I've been struggling to get things working quite the way they were before, and the demos have been shunted to the back of the queue as a result. I'm pleased to say that things are settling down now, so to celebrate I'm putting this modest piece of atmosphere up for your consideration. The sound effect is called pc room, hence the otherwise apparently abitrary title.

This is the second track from Bill's Twang to be sampled on this page - the first was Somewhere Down The Track. I guess this track is a little more typical of the overall feel of the album, with Bill's sense of the absurd well to the fore. That being said, there's a couple of stylistic left turns on the Twang set that will surprise and delight you. Write to us and let us know what you think.

And now the third Twang track already! You probably think you're starting to build up a picture - but you're wrong! Bill's got some really laid back offerings as well. George Koves' voice is prominent in the backing vocals dept. and Bill's naturally playing a host of guitars. Robbo plays drums on all the tracks and plays congas on this one as well - you can almost see his golden locks, can't you?

So, this is hardly new - in fact, this particular 'morning after' version of I'll Be Gone in the key of B was recovered from the Spill sessions we did at Ross Ryan's studio late last century - but I've included it on compilation CD we're sending to a couple of venues where Bill and I are playing soon, and I thought you might like to hear it too.

Again, this ain't new - but hardly anyone has heard it, so I thought it was worth posting here. My Dad Said is a song I wrote and performed, and it appears on the extremely worthy Fatherhood CD, which was released a year or two ago. Time flies. Some real stars appear on the set, including John Butler, Paul Kelly and Tex Perkins.