Dion Read & The Afterthoughts

I wrote you a letter on the plane
But threw it away in the trash when the hostess came.
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Your guess is as good as mine
So I’m never wrong and you’re always right.
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Everyone has dickheads that live in their street
Kicking shit over with their big dickhead feet.
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It’s not half full or half empty
Just twice as big as it needs to be.
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Wake up and smell the flowers
Everything showers, even the trees.
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A revelation
That cuts like a punch and hits like I won’t.
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Give me an oven and I’ll bake you a muffin,
A raisin without cake is a raisin worth nothin’.

Head over to the Photos section for some eye candy.

Videos from Manchester Lane are here! You can find the rest in the new Video section of the site.

From their singles review section on January 15:

“Guessed Biography: Dion Read is a young, sweet, wide-eyed
guy with a suburban Melbourne offi ce job and a guitar he plucks
away at on weekends to the delight of his equally young, sweet,
wide-eyed, administrative girlfriend. They’ve been together since
just after high school, they share a fl at, and together they’re carving
out a simple but wonderful life together. Then she dumps him.
Dion’s heart is shattered. He stops going to work, starts not shaving,
and cries a lot. His earnest heartache is overpowering, and
with his friends quickly bored by his grief, the only thing he can do
to make any sense of this new world is write songs. Dion frequents
cafes with his notebook. He travels on the bus, humming. He feeds
ducks, stares at clouds and contemplates his torn soul. Songs like If
I Was There For You and Unloving You emerge – sweet, wide-eyed,
impeccably-lyriced and full of whimpering hurt, like the song an
articulately witty dog would write when you go for a walk without
them. By the time Dion pieces a band together and records four
catchy singer-songwriter tales, he’s a bit world-wiser and a tiny bit
more jaded, but he’s still all about the love.
Actual Biography: Originally from Brisbane, Dion formed
The Afterthoughts in Melbourne in 2005. With a classical piano
background, QUT Bachelor of Music degree and love of ‘60s pop,
this is Dion’s debut release. The press release is very scant on details
about his love life. Probably still hurts too much.” – Simon Topper

He did the whole “guessed biography, actual biography” thing with everyone. Not so accurate, but entertaining anyway. The most obscure review so far, what do you think?

You can download the latest edition in pdf at www.ravemagazine.com.au

In the spirit of the almighty Usher, here are some confessions:

1. I liked a girl until I saw her eating pumpkin soup. The soup was getting caught in the crevices between her teeth and she liked to smile a lot. Now I always think “Orange Smile.”

2. I used to ride over ant nests on my pushbike and cause as much damage as possible until they all ran out going apeshit. One day I tried to take care of an ant that I’d injured by sheltering it from the wind as it lay broken on the ground. It blew away I think, or maybe I just got bored and left.

3. When I finally got tall enough to jump and hang on the walkway bars at school I realised that it wasn’t such a big thrill after all.

4. I used to know all the words to “Keep the Faith” by Michael Jackson off the Dangerous album.

How cathartic can the internet be? Not very.

Another two reviews for the EP have popped up:

Absolute Powerpop

“An impressive debut from this piano-based Aussie. He cites the Bens (Folds, Lee, Kweller – and Affleck) as influences, and you can hear certainly hear them (OK, maybe not Affleck). It’s only four songs, but it’s worth every penny as the quality is high. Had this one come earlier in the year, I’d have found a spot on the top 10 EP list for it.”

Powerpopaholic

“Dion Read is almost the textbook example of the quirky piano pop meister, with his opening track “If I was there for you.” It has echos of Ben Folds and that song from Apple’s iphone commercial by Orba Squara. It’s got a nice melody and the follow up “Unloving You” is even better, with some sweet multitracked harmony. This four track EP is an impressive debut worth a spin on the ipod. Hey, Apple can you use Dion’s song for the next tv spot? 8/10″

More distribution appears, with our E.P. now iPod friendly:

The Shoes & Gloves E.P. Dion Read & The Afterthoughts Release Date: 05 Dec 2007 Genre: Pop ℗ 2007 Dion Read & The Afterthoughts

Go get it you apple loving beasts!