We’re taking orders for our new 5-track EP here on the site now. Get in quick and reserve your copy as they’re going to go quick! “For Five Nights Only” will be packaged as a special 7″ vinyl release, accompanied by a bonus 10-track CD (the EP + 5 more tracks), and features the amazing artwork of XTN.

The EP contains 5 original tunes penned by The Five, all of which will be on show for you at the upcoming EP launch gig on February 19th at The Joynt (also featuring The Narwhals). Some additional original tunes and some covers are what you’ll find on the accompanying bonus CD, which should should still sound pretty great despite the lack of cool-factor when not listening to The Five on vinyl!

If you’d like to try-before-you-buy the tracks are available for listening at myspace.

To order the real deal (vinyl & CD) click here or the SHOP link across the top of the website.

To buy the digital only version head over to iTunes.

Phil Dirt from Reverb Central has just posted a review of the record. He gives us 4 stars, then says “This release rocks! The Five are from Brisbane, Australia. They play a blend of surf and biker fuzz, with edge and style and power. Garage, surf, and grit!”

After that is an indepth (and I do mean indepth) review of each track

Head over to his site to see the whole review.

Here’s what Michael Smith had to say about our EP:

“What do five guys who have previously been in bands like Full Fathom Five, The Mercy Bell and Crop Circles do when they still want to play, but not a whole heap? You form an instrumental surf band. In the case of The Five the premise is quite specific – five guys, five songs, five gigs and that’s it!

“Only that’s not quite it. Not only have they found that they’re suddenly in demand for a few gigs outside their hometown Brisbane, but they couldn’t just record five songs and stick it out as a 500 copies only 7″ EP (well EP only in that it’s 7″, since one side is 45 rpm and the other LP speed at 33 1/3 rpm). They actually cut ten songs, so they’ve included a CD album with the 7″, and if that’s not enough, you can download five more tracks, though those are all covers.

“So how do The Five stack up in the surf guitar stakes? They’re certainly more traditionally twangy guitars on tracks like No Sauce than Midnight Oil and Violent Femmes’ The Break, but they’re also more indie rock on tracks like (Musn’t) Grumble than say, The Atlantics, with a far more aggressive and gritty rumble. So perhaps they’re closer to The Ventures, whose 2000lb Bee Pt. 2 they cover on the CD, with an occasional nod to Link Wray on the appropriately spacey Big Bird, the fuzzed-out Theme From Burger Force (The Suffering Bastard) and Miseri Loves Company – probably the best cut on the album – though all of them just that bit more polite than Wray would have done them.

“Still, a sterling effort for all that and a welcome addition to Australia’s surf instrumental canon”.

Here’s what Simon Topper had to say:

“The Five are a group of musos from recent yestergroups such as Full Fathom Five and The Mercy Bell who have joined together specifically to record this stomping, finger-twiddling
tribute to a time when 3–4 minute instrumental songs boomed alongside the vocalised variety from Cadillac hi-fi ’s and ice cream parlours.

“There might barely be a word spoken on this EP (five tracks on the vinyl version, 10 on the accompanying CD), but that’s not to suggest there’s any lack of variety, as The Five’s guitars swing through the spaghetti Western sounds of Barefoot Radler, the beach party vibe of No Sauce and a distinct nod to Dick Dale’s Miserlou (aka the Pulp Fiction credits), as well as a couple of covers.

“It might be stretching it to include For Five Nights Only as a single – but the fact that the vinyl version is played at 45RPM means Mine’s On The 45 is happy to accommodate.”

Our fabulous drummer, Mr Dale Rankine, was made a (job) offer he couldn’t refuse just before Christmas last year. Not one to mess about is Mr Rankine – and within a fortnight he had transplanted himself and family 1000km away from the rest of The Five in Sydney.

Dale was a huge part of The Five’s sound – as you will hear if you listen to our tracks – and a great person to work with. Hard as we tried, we simply couldn’t begrudge him the desire to actually make some money… So good luck to you sir!

Dale will be replaced by Nicky Perry (that’s Nicky as in Nicole). So when you see us play next there will be a very obvious difference in appearance of our drummer. And at this point we wish to point out that the scandalous rumour that Dale recently underwent a sex change operation (and did NOT relocate to Sydney) is simply that: a vicious rumour with no basis in the truth…

Reviewed by Brandonio on the US-based instrumental/surf/garage blog Rock Is Dead RIP:

“A group of five very talented veterans of the music scene in Australia have came together to make a rather unique approach to recording as a one time band. You see the band seems to have it in their head that they want to make five songs, play five gigs, and that’s it, their done, finished, kaput, dead, no more nothing. Seems crazy yes,and after hearing these five exclusive songs of reverb splashes, twang deluxe,  and fuzz grinders I simply can not, and refuse to understand why such a amazing act would want to throw in the towel knowing damn well that as a group of musicians you totally rock.

“Taking parts of the traditional surf/instro realm along side 60’s fuzz guitar ala Davie Allan and the Arrows/ Link Wray you get a melting aural assault that few bands as of late truly capture. Each band member [yes even the drummer] has been given the duty to write a song for this one time project [We'll see about that damn it!] My first thought when hearing The Five was that they really must admire Huevos Rancheros,and Ramblin’ Ambassadors or maybe even The Blue Stingrays [You know that band that consisted of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers] Yes folks this EP is that good.

“My favorite song would probably have to go to Theme from Burger Force which evokes Link Wray’s “Dick Tracy Private Eye”. After hearing this record I will hope that you will also want to purchase this slab of surf instro on vinyl. If that is the case you are in such luck,because I have a link that will put you all that much closer to placing this piece of history on your turntable.”

And that link would be to HERE!