RIP Rowland S Howard

Damn! More sad news, Rowland S Howard passed away on Dec 30th in his hometown Melbourne from liver cancer. He had just released his second solo album, Pop Crimes which is amazing and features one of our favourite songs of 2009, "A Girl Called Jonny" (listen below).

It is unclear exactly how long the the former Birthday Party member, pictured above at this time with Nick Cave, had been unwell for but he had canceled many of his shows in the months leading to his death.

Here's a bit of background taken from the ABC Australia site, it was written in 1999 when Rowland performed on ABC program Studio 22 - video of the perfomance to follow.

In 1976 Howard formed the infamous Young Charlatans and wrote what is possibly Australia's most enduring cult hit "Shivers". One year later, he left to join the Boys Next Door (later The Birthday Party) with Nick Cave. Upon their arrival in London they received greater critical acclaim than any other Australian band since the Easy Beats. Sadly the band dissolved in 1983.

Since then Rowland has played with Crime & The City Solution, American agent provocateur: Lydia Lunch, a brooding French pop band called Kas Produkt, The Bad Seeds, Barry Adamson, and Primal Scream leading finally to These Immortal Souls a group designed as a vehicle for the many songs Rowland has written over the years. Not long after his return to Melbourne in 1994, he began to perform a one man show, and in 2000 recorded his first solo album, "Teenage Snuff Film".

"Shiver"

Here is a video of Rowland S Howard and band (including Mick Harvey) performing "Pop Crimes" at ATP in Australia - January 2009: