Noise Addict

Australian teen pop sensations Noise Addict formed in Bondi Beach in 1992; led by singer/songwriter Ben Lee — all of 13 years old at the time of the band's formation — the original lineup also included guitarist Doron Kalinko, bassist Daniel Mapp and drummer Saul Smith. After recording a demo, Noise Addict played their first live date; there they were discovered by promoter/Fellaheen Records honcho Steve Pavlovic, who passed along their tape to Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, who in turn agreed to issue the demo on his own Ecstatic Peace label as 1993's DEF. Another EP, The Taste in My Eyes, followed later that year before Lee's song "I Wish I Was Him" — a biting satire on the Lemonheads' Evan Dando — caught the attention of the Beastie Boys' Mike D., who immediately signed Noise Addict to his Grand Royal imprint to release 1994's Young and Jaded. A year later Lee issued his solo debut Grandpaw Would, but despite the exit of Kalinko (replaced by guitarist Romy Hoffman), Noise Addict soldiered on to release their first full-length effort, Meet the Real You, later in 1995. The group disbanded soon after touring in support of Sebadoh, with Lee continuing on as a solo act to release 1997's Something to Remember Me By.