The Lovetones

History

The Lovetones released their debut album, Be What You Want, in 2002 through Bomp! Records. The album was reviewed in Creem and Rolling Stone magazines. The latter hailed Matthew J. Tow's songwriting as being worthy of comparisons to Ray Davies, Bowie, Lennon and McCartney.

After enjoying the critical success of Be What You Want, touring Australia extensively, and even supporting Morrissey during his first-ever solo Australian tour, Tow joined The Brian Jonestown Massacre in 2003. He contributed two tracks to their album, ...And This Is Our Music. Tow's opening track "Starcleaner" later also appeared on the The BJM retrospective Tepid Peppermint Wonderland. In the same year, UK-based Fire Records invited The Lovetones to contribute to the James Joyce Chamber Music project alongside Mercury Rev, Sonic Youth, and REM's Peter Buck. In 2004, The Lovetones released the Stars EP, which coincided with their support of The Brian Jonestown Massacre on their tour of Australia.

The second album, Meditations, was released through New York's Tee Pee Records in late 2005. After returning from shows in the US in late 2005 and a 2006 appearance at SXSW, The Lovetones toured to support Meditations' Australian release in May 2006. In June 2006, The Lovetones completed a European tour across 12 countries with The Brian Jonestown Massacre in support of Meditations, which was released in Europe through Tee Pee/Cargo Records and garnered an album review in the respected UK magazine Uncut.

The Lovetones recorded their third album, Axiom, during 2006, with sessions split between Figment Studios in Hollywood and the Sydney Opera House Recording Studio. It was released in June 2007 through Tee Pee Records.

Their fourth album, Dimensions, was released 4 November 2008 in Australia through Undercover Records and 6 April 2009 in North America through Planting Seeds Records.

The Lovetones performed a reunion show in Sydney on 31 July 2015.

Discography

Give It All I Can (single 2002)

Label: Undercover Music

Released: 2002

1. Give It All I Can
2. Guiding Star
3. As Good As It Gets
4. Shipbuilding

The Sound & the Fury (single 2002)

Label: Undercover Music

Released: 2002

1. The Sound & the Fury (Radio Edit)

Be What You Want (single 2003)

Label: Undercover Music

Released: 2003

1. Be What You Want (Single Mix)
2. What Am I to Do (Coda Mix)
3. Fairweather (Echo Mix)
4. Be What You Want (Demo)

Be What You Want (album 2003)

Label: Bomp! Records (USA), Undercover Music (Australia)

Released: 2003

1. The Sound & the Fury
2. Give It All I Can
3. What Am I to Do
4. Something Good
5. Be What You Want
6. Drink the Night
7. Guiding Star
8. The One and Only
9. Its Always Been That Way
10. Fairweather

Stars (EP 2004)

Label: Chatterbox Records

Released: 2004

1. Stars
2. Inside a Dream
3. It's Not Over Yet
4. This Is Why You Love Me
5. Across the Sea

Meditations (album 2005)

Label: Cargo Records (UK), Tee Pee Records (USA), Undercover Music (Australia)

Released: 2005/2006

1. Mantra
2. (I Gotta) Feel
3. Stars
4. Inside a Dream
5. Was I There in Your Future?
6. Genius
7. Sea Shanty
8. Come Home
9. Pictures
10. Across the Sea
11. It's Not Over Yet
12. A Place for Us
13. Wrapped Up in You
14. The Colour and the Cut

Axiom (album 2007)

Labels: Cargo Records (UK), Tee Pee Records (USA), Undercover Music (Australia)

1. Navigator
2. Wintertime in Hollywood
3. Pieces of Me
4. Signposts
5. Please Don't Break My Heart Tonight
6. Everybody Hides Away
7. Say You Will
8. Ordinary Lives
9. A Simple Song
10. Alone

Dimensions (album 2008)

Labels: Planting Seeds Records (USA), Undercover Music (Australia)

Released: 4 November 2008 (Australia); 6 April 2009 (North America)

1. Moonlit Suite (Her Room)
2. Journeyman
3. Two of a Kind
4. Look at the Waves
5. Memory Lane
6. A New Low in Getting High
7. Love and Redemption
8. There is No Sound
9. Song to Humanity
10. When It Comes
11. Journeyman (Anton Newcombe Mix)