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Back in the day, I made compilation VHS tapes of music videos airing on MTV's 120 Minutes (and later Alternative Nation). So before either hosts (Dave Kendall, Lewis Largent, or Matt Pinfield) would introduce the song, I pressed the record button, hoping the video or song would be a good one.
I would then sometime watch hours and hours of music videos, from Jesus Jones to The Pixies to The Smiths to The Descendants to Soul Asylum to Curve to Luna... I had about five volumes of this (SP mode, so about 100 minutes worth of selected music video). This was pretty much how I discovered new music back then.
The first time I remember seeing "Labour of Love" by Frente!, it was unannounced, but I had recorded it anyway. It was a black and white video and I remember I thought Angie Hart was gorgeous with her hair and nose ring.
By the time they released "Bizarre Love Triangle" (a New Order cover song), I knew I (Hart) Frente!
Remember, this was in 1994, and internet was very young and I didn't know anything about this band. I tried to find out more about the band, obviously they're from Australia. I thought perhaps the two main persons in the band (Angie Hart and Simon Austin) were a couple. I'm still not sure about their relationship to this day, but this Frank Sinatra cover song they recorded "Somethin' Stupid (Stoopid)", it almost suggest that Simon Austin was in love with Angie, doesn't it?
To this day, I have bought three copies of Marvin the Album (I don't know, I lose things!), and the third time, I think I only paid $4 at a used CD store.
So here's a breakdown the songs off Marvin the Album:
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- Girl – 2:42
- Labour of Love – 3:01
My absolute favorite song. I love the part where she sings, "I'll be far from the cars and guitars and everybody else". Just when you think the song couldn't get any better, this is this amazing FLUTE in the middle of the song. - Ordinary Angels – 2:49
This was issued as a single and remix single in 1994, but originally appears on Clunk EP in 1992. I have the remix single and I would have to admit that the 7" remix is a better version than the album version. - Lonely – 3:23
Also released as a five-track Single/EP. One of the B-Side, "Get Real", was a collaboration with Ween! - Most Beautiful – 2:50
- Cuscutlan – 3:00
- Pretty Friend – 2:35
- No Time – 3:20
This EP, along with Whirled and Clunk, I think preceed their debute album. Please note that the B-Side, "Blue" (acapella), is not the same song that appears on Buffy the Vampire Hunter[W♥M] (also called "Blue"). - Reflect – 3:06
- Explode – 2:50
- Accidently Kelly Street – 3:21
One of my Australian penpal sent me this song on cassette and I remembered how much I loved it (this was before I purchased the album the first time). This was such an easy song to like, especially when Hart sings, "It seems that were on holidays/And sleeping in is not a sin". - See/Believe – 3:06
- Dangerous – 3:00
- Bizarre Love Triangle – 2:01
This was a one-take beautiful video, featuring a new Angie Hart, sporting a short black haircut. She looked so much like Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries.
NOTE: This is the 1994 International release of Marvin the Album. It was originally released in Australia with a different track listing in 1992.
As much as I love Marvin, I didn't really think much of Shape or the single Sit on My Hands, which I picked up both when I was in Singapore. I listened to them on my then-MiniDisc player and it just made me want to put on Marvin again.
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I have not kept up with Hart, but I do recall that she was in another band called Splendid with her husband, Jesse Tobias.
Splendid enjoyed a little fame, courtesy of Joss Whedon, who is apparently a huge fan of Frente! He had Splendid's songs appearing on his show on several occasions, including them as a band performing live on the "I Only Have Eyes for You" episode. Plus, he had Hart appearing on his short-lived FireFly series. (See images).
Trivia: Hart sings backing vocals on Tara's song, "Under Your Spell" on Once More With Feeling and "Blue" (co-written by Whedon) appears on Radio Sunndale.
Well, the good news is that Frente! reformed in 2004. I don't know what the current status is, but I think they reformed just to get together with Simon Austin and play live shows.
Some rehearsals are in order because they can barely remember how to play or sing "Accidently Kelly Street", as evident from their The Fez Bar show in 2004. Audio courtesy of Angie Hart's official website. It's quite funny to hear actually.
02/10/2008 12:17:02 vu my♥posts 
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