Lost Songs.co.uk

So who do they sound like? A rocky, folky, acoustic-lead, sometimes Beatlesesque mix of folky pop-rock. Think bands like Hothouse Flowers, Crowded House and James.

Things of Stone And Wood (TOSAW for short) are an Australian band lead by Greg Arnold. They were formed in 1989 and have not officially split up, but Greg (who is the main songwriter) is currently doing solo work. Greg won awards for his songwriting.

I was introduced to them many years ago by a friend who had been travelling around Australia. Although he wasn't a fan of their kind of music (he liked dance music) he liked the song 'Happy Birthday Helen' and it reminded him of his trip. He played it me one day and I was blown away!

I personally love his lyrics, they regularly have flashes of humour but cover all manner of social and personal topics. They are the best band you have never heard of. Though I believe they are well known in Australia!

My favourite Things Of Stone And Wood songs:

Happy Birthday Helen - The perfect happy song - races along in an acoustic frenzy of pure joy. The Yearning 1993
Share This Wine - "Though we all fear the loss of life, Our leaders fear the rise in global petrol price" (The Yearning)
Single Perfect Raindrop - "We will laugh at how I am scared of everything that moves lest it crash into me or with me in it" (The Yearning)
She Will Survive "she smoked three while I smoked one" - B side from various Yearning era singles & later TMWTPH album.
Call Out My Name - B side of Happy Birthday Helen and almost as life-affirming.

Churchill's Black Dog - Not since the Cure have I heard such sad lyrics put to such happy music. This is a song about living with depression. Churchill referred to his depression as a black dog. From Junk Theatre 1994.
Wildflowers - "We're all just earings to the left of our parents, they're all just haircuts to the left of theirs" - Junk Theatre

Beautiful Wonderful - A beautiful acoustic lovesong, a snapshot of a long distance relationship. Recorded live around a single microphone, on The Man With The Perfect Hair album 1995.

Incredible Things - A little acoustic contemplation on religion - with some great lines, some funny, some sensual. From the Greg Arnold's Tricycle album 'Super'.1999.

Lost And Found - "In 1985 I assumed that look was arty, Looking back I see I had a mullet". A return to form in 2003 from the excellent Rollercoatser.

Greg Arnold's other bands:

As well as Things Of Stone And Wood, Greg Arnold has led Greg Arnold's Tricycle, releasing the album 'Super' in 1999.

He also released the solo album 'Lost Marie' a few years ago.

His latest project is The Swamp Dandies
You can buy their album at: http://musicplug.me/shop/index.php