The split single 'Buffalo Bob / More Than Love' from 1988 is one of those great little artifacts from the Australian underground, the kind of record that perfectly captures how tight and collaborative that scene really was. It pairs up feedtime and King Snake Roost, two bands who shared stages, influences, and a general love for loud, stripped-down, no-frills rock.
What makes the record especially cool is the concept behind it. Instead of just contributing their own tracks, each band covers the other. feedtime takes on “Buffalo Bob,” originally by King Snake Roost, while King Snake Roost returns the favor with their version of “More Than Love,” a feedtime song. It’s less of a split in the usual sense and more like a conversation between the two bands, each one filtering the other’s material through their own sound.
The feedtime version of “Buffalo Bob” leans hard into their signature style -slow, pounding, repetitive, and almost hypnotic. There’s a kind of blunt-force groove to it, like a blues riff that’s been dragged through mud and distortion until it becomes something raw and primitive. On the flip side, King Snake Roost’s take on “More Than Love” is rougher and more chaotic, pushing the song into noisier territory, with a sharper, more aggressive edge that hints at the direction noise rock and early grunge would take in the following years.
Both bands were central figures in the late 80s Australian underground. feedtime had been around since the late 70s and built their reputation on a minimalist, blues-infused take on punk that felt completely out of step with trends at the time. Their music was repetitive in a deliberate way, almost trance-like, and later on it would be recognized as a major influence on the grunge and noise scenes that exploded in the US.
King Snake Roost, coming out of Adelaide in the mid-80s, were a bit more abrasive and chaotic. Their sound had more in common with the harsher end of American noise rock, but they still shared that same DIY spirit and obsession with raw texture. They even made their way over to the US and worked with Butch Vig before he became a household name, which gives you an idea of how connected these scenes were becoming.
There’s also a live element to their relationship that adds another layer to this record. The bands played together often, and it wasn’t unusual for members to jump on stage with each other. At times, King Snake Roost’s Peter Hill would even perform “Buffalo Bob” live with feedtime, blurring the lines between the two groups even further.
In the end, this split isn’t just a couple of songs pressed onto vinyl -it’s a snapshot of a moment where a small, noisy scene was cross-pollinating in real time. You can hear the shared DNA, but also the subtle differences in approach, and that’s what makes it such a satisfying listen, especially if you’re into the roots of noise rock and grunge.
Label:
Aberrant Records – MORETHAN1BOB
Format:
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country:
Australia
Released:
Feb 19, 1988
Style:
Garage Rock, Grunge, Punk, Pigfuck
Tracklist:
A feedtime – Buffalo Bob
B King Snake Roost – More Than Love
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