What Are Rock Stars Doing Today Explained

What Are Rock Stars Doing Today
Type:album
Artist:Magic Dirt
Cover:What_Are_Rock_Stars_Doing_by_Magic_Dirt.png
Released:October 2000
Recorded:Sydney, Australia
Studio:Festival Studios
Length:45:44
Label:East West Records
Producer:Phil Vinall
Prev Title:Young & Full of the Devil
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Tough Love
Next Year:2003

What Are Rock Stars Doing Today is the third studio album by Australian rock band, Magic Dirt. It was their first on East West Records label, released in October 2000, it peaked at number 35 on the ARIA Charts.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 the album was nominated for Best Alternative Release, losing out to Wires by Art of Fighting.[1]

Background

In the 1990s, Magic Dirt had a number of loud, alternative rock releases and they had toured endlessly. But, with the decline of grunge and the rise in popularity of hip hop and electronica-based acts by the end of the decade, Magic Dirt had lost their manager and label, and feeling burnt out, the band also found themselves asking each other, should we continue. Lead singer Adalita was sure of one thing, that the previous decade was one in which she dealt with a lot of angst and emotionally raw issues and that she was now in a different headspace. She told Double J "I just wanted to write happy stuff and poppier, upbeat stuff.". The band went into the studio and recorded What Are Rock Stars Doing Today, with an emphasis on the melodic pop side of their songwriting.[2] Adalita reflected saying "It was totally our second phase as a band, our second rising. We were mid career, we still had a lot of steam, a lot of energy, a lot of writing to do."[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Magic Dirt.

What Are Rock Stars Doing Today
  1. "City Trash" - 3:36
  2. "Teenage Vampire" - 3:45
  3. "Dirty Jeans" - 3:41
  4. "Pace It" - 3:26
  5. "Competition Girl" - 3:44
  6. "Nightingale" - 3:04
  7. "Rockstars" - 3:44
  8. "Come On the Scene" - 3:44
  9. "Supagloo" - 2:21
  10. "For a Second" - 6:13
  11. "Smoulder" - 3:44
UK Bonus Disc
  1. "Now Or Never" - 4:21
  2. "Isotope" - 2:47
  3. "Rebel" - 2:10
  4. "Takin' It All Wrong" - 4:47
  5. "Ice" (Peel Sessions, 1997) - 4:07
  6. "Heavy Business (Peel Sessions, 1997) - 2:29
  7. "Pace It" (Video Clip) - 3:47
  8. "Touch That Space" (Live Clip from Big Day Out 2002) - 8:09
  9. "Smoulder" (Live Clip from Big Day Out 2002) - 3:46
  10. "Teenage Vampire" (Live Clip from Big Day Out 2002) - 4:31
  11. "She Riff" (Live Clip from Big Day Out 2002) - 5:50

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabelCatalogue
AustraliaOctober 2000East West Records8573850032
United Kingdom2002Sweet Nothing RecordsSNCD016 / SNLP016

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2001: 15th Annual ARIA Awards . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 31 January 2020 .
  2. Web site: Magic Dirt (roster). Mushroom Music. 31 January 2020.
  3. Web site: Magic Dirt – What Are Rock Stars Doing Today. ABC. 5 November 2018 . 31 January 2020.