The Cat's Miaow

The Australian indie-pop band the Cat's Miaow formed in May, 1992; a quartet comprised of members of the incestuous Melbourne music scene, they featured vocalist Kerrie (formerly of the Beat Poets and Tra La La), guitarist Bart (from Blairmailer and Girl of the World), bassist Andrew (also of Blairmailer, as well as the Ampersands) and drummer Cameron (ex-Girl of the World). Recording on a primitive four-track, over the next two years the Cat's Miaow issued a series of cassettes on the small Aussie label Toytown, including Little Baby Sour Puss, Pet Sounds, the excellent From My Window and How Did Everything Get So Fucked Up?; finally, in 1996 the U.S. label Bus Stop issued A Kiss and a Cuddle, a compilation of the cassettes' best tracks. Songs for Girls to Sing -- another collection of EPs, live tracks and unissued material including "Shoot the Moon," taken from a split single with Stereolab -- followed in 1997. After a handful of ambient-influenced recordings issued under the name Hydroplane, in 1999 the Cat's Miaow returned with The Long Goodbye, their entry in Darla Records' continuing "Bliss Out" series.