FRANKSTON’S FAB FOUR THE GNOMES RECIEVE RAVES IN UK AND US FOR THEIR 3RRR-FM ALBUM OF THE WEEK DEBUT ALBUM
ALBUM LAUNCH THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14 AT THE BRUNSWICK BALLROOM
Having released their debut album on Friday and having the album named 3RRR’s Album of the Week yesterday, Frankston’s fab four The Gnomes have, overnight, become the subject of overseas attention (truly the international adulation began early in the year thanks to Spain’s Tremendo Garaje site), with four star reviews in in Mojo, Shindig andVive Le Rock appearing overnight. All this comes just days ahead of their album launch which takes place this Friday Nov 14 at the Brunswick Ballroom.
THE GNOMES ALBUM LAUNCH
with Loose Lips, The Pearlies, Riviera
FIRDAY NOVEMBER 14 AT THE BRUNSWICK BALLROOM
Tickets now on sale from –Buy THE GNOMES tickets, VIC 2025 | Moshtix
The Mojo review, by esteemed and veteran New York-based writer David Fricke – a man who has written liner notes for Gnomes faves The Byrds amongst others – is particularly quote worthy, with the writer determining that “if the sources scream yesteryear, the Gnomes mix, match and detonate with original flair” and “(t)he ’60s aren’t over for The Gnomes and the possibilities are endless.”`
The review singles out latest single “Won’t Quit You” as a highlight, describing it as “hitting an improbably sweet spot of hard-psych Pretty Things, sneering-vocal Oasis and spitting-treble Link Wray.”
Fricke is so taken with the band that he interviewed them last week for a forthcoming feature.
Shindig‘s review, by Hugh Dellar, hit on the era-spanning nature of the band’s sound in their description of it being “(p)itched somewhere between the tough Boston sound of the Real Kids and DMZ and the early Beatles and The Big Three” before determining that the album is “an incredibly accomplished set of originals by a band that has arrived fully formed.”
The Gnomes‘ debut album was also the subject of a rave review on Friday from the long-time champions of the band at super-hip US site Raven Sings The Blues who also totally nailed it: “The band’s debut is a record dipped in a love for classic aesthetics, but infused with the ragged youth, and unapologetic zeal that always made garage pop vital.”
The band also featured recently on the ‘cover’ of the Creem newsletter and track #1 on Creem’s Creme De La Creem playlist. Creem of course is the legendary Detroit based publication famously edited by Lester Bangs for a time which proclaimed itself America’s Only Rock’n’Roll Magazine” throughout the ’70s and ’80s.
All of this follows band’s rapturously received appearance on the weekend at the Croxton‘s 10th Anniversary Block Party and recent coverage in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald and weekly play on Rage for their first ever video, for previous single “Flippin’ Stomp”.
The Gnomes‘ debut album features twelve killer tracks and an explosive and authentic group sound which perfectly balances a swinging ’60s approach with a NOW vibe, and there’s not a dud on it! Featuring the singles “Won’t Quit You”, “I’m Not The One”, “I’ll Be There” and “Flippin’ Stomp” as well as other fan faves like “Time Will Tell”, “Better With You” and “I Like It”, the album is released internationally on LP, CD, cassette and digital formats on Dog Meat Records.
“Stomping out of their Frankston garages and into your hearts, this Wild One has all the swagger of The Easybeats, or a Cavern Club-era Beatles, and a music video that looks like a scene from The Monkees, or The Goodies — The Gnomes are flippin’ stomping onto rage this week with ‘Flippin’ Stomp’.” – RAGE
Introducing the Bayside Beat of The Gnomes!
“… garage like it was fresh and new, and that’s exactly what makes it great…”
– Raven Sings The Blues (USA)
“This Australian kid is making music like England in 1964-66 never ended. Incredible. Tunes for miles.” – Jay W Babcock (Landline and Arthur Magazine, USA)
“Great rockin’ band! I love these guys!” – Ted Carroll (early Thin Lizzy manager, co-founder Chiswick & Ace Records and founder Rock On Records, London)
Although they emerged from Melbourne bayside outer suburbs onto the local live scene with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, Kinks and early Beatles only a year or so ago, Gnome – as The Gnomes were until very recently known – actually started out as a bedroom solo project for teenaged singer/songwriter/ guitarist Jay Millar a few years back. Jay, playing everything himself, started recording and releasing a steady succession of material – quite a few albums’ worth – on his own Goblin Records label via Bandcamp. Realizing he needed a band to start playing out, Jay approached some like minded players from Frankston’s rehearsal hub Singing Bird, and with Jay on lead vocals and lead guitar, Ned Capp on guitar, Olly Katsianis on bass, and Ethan Robins on drums, Gnome became a band.
Early in 2025, the last solo Jay recordings released under the Gnome name caused something of an international underground sensation when the Bandcamp only I Like It EP – four songs of kranked up Kinks-style mono riffage – was posted by a Spanish garage-punk YouTube page and quickly clocked up over 50,000 views.
At the same time, the band quickly began gaining attention on the thriving Frankston scene and around Melbourne. They started breaking out, sharing bills with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips, fellow Frankstoners/Singing Bird alumni The Belair Lip Bombs, and, on a quick trip to Sydney, Cammy Cautious & The Wrestlers.
And now, finally, we have The Gnomes’ debut album. Twelve killer tracks that combine the best of the ’60s with the best of today. Twelve killer tracks that show off accomplished songwriting, assertive singing and playing and an explosive and authentic swinging group sound. Twelve killers slices of raw rock’n’roll running the gamut from the savage Rhythm & Blues of “Play With You” and “Better With You” to the vibrant beat pop of “I’ll Be There” and “I’m Not The One”, with forays into the heavy reverb psych of “Stung”, the Cavern/Star Club stylings of “Flippin’ Stomp” and the first flyte jangle of “Time Will Tell” along the way. There’s more of course, including a new version of that Kinks-style kranker “I Like It” for good measure.
Frankston’s Fab Four are taking their sound to the world. Join them for the ride!
