Vicious Kitten Records
| Vicious Kitten Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Colin Gray, Denis Gray |
| Genre | Punk rock, rock and roll, garage rock |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Location | Canberra |
| Official website | https://viciouskittenrecords.com |
Vicious Kitten Records is an independent Australian record label founded in 1999 by brothers Colin and Denis Gray. Based in Canberra, the label earned a reputation for championing underground punk, garage rock, and rock and roll artists from both Australia and overseas.
Formed after the demise of the music fanzine Vicious Kitten[1][2]—also launched by the Grays—the label helped to spotlight cult musicians and lesser-known acts, especially those in the punk and underground rock scenes. In the early days of the label, a print newsletter titled Cat Scratch Fever was also produced.[3] Copies of both Vicious Kitten fanzine and Cat Scratch Fever are held with The National Library of Australia. [4]
The launch of the label was mentioned by journalist Vince Lovegrove in his UK-based news column Lovegrove's Ear On London.[5]
In August 2023, the Gray brothers were interviewed on the *Endless Summer* radio show broadcast on the FREIRAD station in Austria.[6]
Notable artists on the label include Kevin K, Nikki Sudden, The Ballbusters, and The Golden Arms.
The label is also included in the Wikipedia page List of record labels: R–Z.[7]
Notable Releases
Among the label’s most significant releases[8] are:
- Red Brocade by Nikki Sudden
- Tonight We Ride! – a bootleg live album featuring Hitmen DTK with guest guitarist Deniz Tek. For the week beginning 11 March 2024, the album debuted at No. 7 on the 100% Independent Albums chart published by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The long-lost recording was unearthed and officially released by Vicious Kitten Records in 2024.[9] It received positive critical response, including reviews from Loud Mag[10] and I-94 Bar.[11]
- Multiple albums by American underground rocker Kevin K, including Magic Touch, Shadow Work 38, Cadallac Man, 13th Street and Broken.
Discography
| Cat. No. | Year | Artist | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VKR 001 | 1999 | Sheek The Shayk | I Want Her So Bad | 7", EP |
| VKR 002 | 1999 | Freddy Lynxx & The Corner Gang | Have Faith | 7" |
| VKR 003 | 1999 | Kevin K Band | Midnight Dragon | 7" |
| VKR 004 | 1999 | Nikki Sudden | Red Brocade | CD, Album |
| VKR 005 | 1999 | Rick Blaze and the Ballbusters | Manhattan Babylon | CD |
| VKR 006 | 2000 | Kevin K | Magic Touch | CD, Album |
| VKR 007 | 2000 | The Golden Arms | Oriental Junk Sick | 7" |
| VKR 008 | 2000 | Various Artists | Rock 'N' Roll War (An International Collection Of Rock 'N' Roll Action) | CD, Compilation |
| VKR 009 | 2001 | The Ballbusters | People's Republic Of Rock And Roll | CD, Album |
| VKR 010 | 2001 | Kevin K | 13 Street | CD, Album |
| VKR 011 | 2021 | Kevin K and Ricky Rat | Identity Crisis | 7" |
| VKR 012 | 2022 | Aunt Helen | Hey Aunt Helen! | CD |
| VKR 013 | 2022 | Kevin K | Cadallac Man | CD, Album |
| VKR 014 | 2022 | The Golden Rat | We Got A Right | CD, Album |
| VKR 015 | 2023 | Kevin K | Broken | CD, Album |
| VKR 016 | 2024 | Hitmen D.T.K. with Deniz Tek | Tonight We Ride! (Official Bootleg Release Live In Sydney: 13 November 1991) | CD, Album, Ltd |
| VKR 017 | 2024 | Kevin K and the Bowery Kats | Rosewood | CD, Album |
| VKR 018 | 2024 | The Ballbusters | Keepin’ Up With The Jones | 7", 33⅓ RPM, EP |
| VKR 019 | 2025 | Kevin K and the Bowery Kats | Shadow Work 38 | CD, Album, Digipak |
| VKR 019LP | 2025 | Kevin K and the Bowery Kats | Shadow Work 38 | LP, Album |
See also
References
- ^ "Vicious Kitten". ZineWiki. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Vicious Kitten". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Cat Scratch Fever". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Search results for "Vicious Kitten"". National Library of Australia Catalogue. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "Lovegrove's Ear On London". Immedia!. Internet Archive. 28 September 1999. Archived from the original on 2000-06-14. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Endless Summer: Interview with the Gray Brothers". CBA – Cultural Broadcasting Archive. August 2023. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
- ^ "List of record labels: R–Z". Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "Vicious Kitten Records". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Long-lost Oz Punk Live Recording of Radio Birdman Offshoot Hitmen D.T.K. Unearthed". Nyrdcast. May 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Lost Hitmen D.T.K. Live Recording Surfaces". Loud Mag. 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ "Live Album Finds Hitmen and Tek Still Riding High". I-94 Bar. Retrieved 2025-07-14.