{{For|the nickname of the professional football team|New Orleans Saints}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Aints! | image = | image_size = | caption = | origin = [[Sydney]], New South Wales, Australia<br />[[Brisbane]], Queensland, Australia | genre = {{hlist|[[Garage rock]]|[[punk rock]]}} | years_active = 1991–1995, 2017–present | label = [[ABC Music]]<br />Hot Records | website = [http://www.theaints.com theaints.com] | current_members = [[Ed Kuepper]]<br />[[Peter Oxley]]<br/>Paul Larsen Loughhead<br />[[Alister Spence]]<br />Eamon Dilworth }}
'''The Aints''' is a band name used by [[Ed Kuepper]] during his prolific early 1990s period. The group's name relates to Kuepper's first recording group, [[The Saints (Australian band)|the Saints]], and its initial incarnation concentrated on previously released Saints material from the mid-to-late 1970s, when Kuepper was a member. The Aints then changed direction to produce loud, feedback-drenched recordings of new Kuepper originals.
In 2017, Kuepper convened a new iteration, this time adding an exclamation mark (thus officially known as '''the Aints!''') to record and tour material he had written between the years 1969-1978,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/The-Aints-The-Church-of-Simultaneous-Existence/release/12683832|title=The Aints! – the Church of Simultaneous Existence (2018, Vinyl)|website=[[Discogs]]}}</ref> much of which had been in the setlist of the original Saints but which had, with few exceptions, not been recorded or released.<ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Souza |first1=Shaad |title=The 'Aints! Are Reviving All The Hits That The Saints Never Recorded |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-aints-the-saints-red-aces-lost-material-premiere-interview-2018/ |website=Noisey |publisher=Vice}}</ref>
==History== === 1991–1995 === The name is a variation on [[The Saints (Australian band)|the Saints]], the band Kuepper had formed with [[Chris Bailey (musician, born 1956)|Chris Bailey]] in [[Brisbane]] in the early 1970s. It apparently derived from an old Saints bass drum head on which the initial letter "S" had worn off.<ref name="McF">{{cite encyclopedia |year=1999|title=The Aints |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop]] |publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |location=St Leonards, NSW |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |author-link=Ian McFarlane |isbn=1-86508-072-1|page=7}}</ref>
Kuepper has stated his aim with The Aints was to recapture the energy of the late 1970s incarnation of the Saints. Although the band's set started with Saints material, the sound of the band was more a driving three-piece with [[Neil Young]]-style feedback. The later original material featured saxophone and a more free-form approach.
The band started playing around [[Sydney]] on 13 April 1991 with Kuepper (guitar, vocals), Kent Steedman (bass) and Tim Reeves (drums). They quickly released a recording of this first show, ''S.L.S.Q – Very Live!'', recorded on cassette, sold at shows as well as in shops. (The name stands for "Strictly Limited Sound Quality" or "Slightly Limited Sound Quality".) This recording and the Australian tour shows of 1991 consisted of old Saints material.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mathieson |first1=Craig |title=The Aints! is longtime ex-Saint Kuepper's 'ultimate freedom machine' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-aints-is-longtime-ex-saint-kuepper-s-ultimate-freedom-machine-20180921-p5058g.html |website=SMH |date=27 September 2018 |publisher=Fairfax |accessdate=4 December 2018}}</ref>
In this period, Kuepper was releasing new albums at a rate of roughly three a year. The Aints were quickly added to this release cycle. With Artie Sledge (bass), Mark Dawson (drums) and Tim Hopkins (sax), the Aints released two albums of original songs: ''Ascension'' in November 1991 and ''Autocannibalism'' in 1992, both on Hot Records. [[Ian McFarlane]] said, "with blistering, guitar-heavy tracks, these albums were the antithesis of Kuepper's solo work."<ref name="McF" />
Hot issued a five-track CD EP compilation, ''Cheap Erotica'', in November 1993, and a compilation, ''Shelflife Unlimited!!! – Hotter Than Blazing Pistols!!!'', in August 1995. A third Aints album called ''Afterlife'' was recorded, but is yet to be issued.
===2017–present: The Aints!=== In 2017, Kuepper enlisted bassist [[Peter Oxley]] ([[Sunnyboys]]), drummer Paul Larsen Loughhead ([[The Celibate Rifles]]/[[The New Christs]]), jazz pianist [[Alister Spence]], and trumpeter and brass arranger Eamon Dilworth to form The Aints! The band performed shows throughout Australia in 2017–2018, primarily focusing on material from The Saints' catalogue (1973–1978).<ref>{{cite web |work=Feel Presents |title=The Aints Play The Saints |url=http://www.feelpresents.com/fp_tour/the-aints-play-the-saints-73-78-2/|accessdate=22 August 2018}}</ref> The debut studio album from the group was ''The Church of Simultaneous Existence'', and features songs written by Kuepper in and around his tenure in The Saints. The album was released on 21 September 2018, through [[ABC Music]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.therockpit.net/2018/the-aints-announce-the-church-of-simultaneous-existence-australia-tour/|title=The Aints! announce 'The Church of Simultaneous Existence' Australia tour – The Rockpit|website=www.therockpit.net|date=21 August 2018}}</ref> It debuted at number 82 on the [[ARIA Charts|ARIA Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2018/9/aria-chart-watch-492/|title=ARIA Chart Watch #492|publisher=auspOp|date=29 September 2018|accessdate=29 September 2018|archive-date=16 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116225753/https://www.auspop.com.au/2018/9/aria-chart-watch-492/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2019 the group released a live LP, ''Play The Saints (73' – 78') (Live Official Bootleg)'' and a 5-track EP, ''5-6-7-8-9''. Following the death of [[Chris Bailey (musician, born 1956)|Chris Bailey]] and the reissue of the first Saints album ''[[(I'm) Stranded]]'' Kuepper toured with a band also featuring Peter Oxley, under the name The Saints ('73-'78), arguably taking its cue from some of the Aints/Aints! raison d'être.
==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- !Title !Album details |- ! scope="row"|''S.L.S.Q'' | *Released: 1991 *Label: Hot Records (AINT ONE) *Note: Recorded live at The Harold Park Hotel, Sydney, 13 April 1991 |- ! scope="row"|''Ascension'' | *Released: 1991 *Label: Hot Records (HOT 1035) |- ! scope="row"|''Autocannibalism'' | *Released: 1992 *Label: Hot Records (HOT 1037) |- ! scope="row"|''Cheap Erotica'' | *Released: 1992 *Label: Hot Records (HIT 4) *Compilation |- ! scope="row"|''Shelf Life Unlimited - Hotter Than Blazing Pistols'' | *Released: 1995 *Label: Hot Records (HOT 1054) *Compilation |- ! scope="row"|''The Church of Simultaneous Existence'' | *Released: September 2018 *Label: ABC Music (6787296) |- ! scope="row"|''The Aints Play The Saints'' | *Released: 2019 *Label: Fatal Records (FATAL 002) *Note: Recorded live in Sydney and Brisbane 2017-2018. |- ! scope="row"|''Live At Marrickville Bowlo'' | *Released: May 2021 *Label: Fatal Records (FATAL 003) *Note: Recorded live at Marrickville Bowling Club, Sydney, 27 April 2018. |- |}
==Awards and nominations== ===ARIA Music Awards=== The [[ARIA Music Awards]] are a set of annual ceremonies presented by [[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the [[music of Australia]]. They commenced in 1987.
{{Awards table}} ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | [[ARIA Music Awards of 1992|1992]] | ''Ascension'' | [[ARIA Award for Best Independent Release|Best Independent Release]] | {{nom}} | <ref name="BIR ARIA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/Best-Independent-Release|title=ARIA Awards Best Independent Release|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)|access-date=9 June 2021|archive-date=28 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828023730/https://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/best-independent-release|url-status=live}}</ref> {{end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aints, The}} [[Category:Musical groups established in 1991]] [[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995]] [[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2017]] [[Category:Musical groups from Sydney]] [[Category:Musical groups from Brisbane]]