Frente!

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Frente!
Background information
Origin	Australia
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Pop rock
Years active	1991–1996 2004–2005
Label(s)	Mushroom
Associated acts	Splendid Holidays on Ice
Former members
Angie Hart Simon Austin Bill McDonald Pete Luscombe Tim O'Connor Mark Picton Alastair Barden

Frente! was an Australian alternative pop/rock group, formed in 1991. The lineup featured singer Angie Hart, founder and guitarist Simon Austin, bassist Tim O'Connor (later replaced by Bill McDonald), and drummer Mark Picton (later replaced by Alastair Barden).

Frente! burst onto the Australian music charts with the singles "Ordinary Angels" (from the Clunk EP, #3, gold) and "Accidentally Kelly Street" (#4, platinum) in 1992. Notable as much for the bizarre film clips ("Accidentally Kelly Street" consisted of the band with oversized novelty props of household items) as their light-hearted pop lyrics, Frente!'s debut album, Marvin the Album (#5) was also a success, going platinum in Australia. Another single was released from the album in early 1993, "No Time" (#50), which did not fare as well. Their first EP Whirled is very difficult to find now.

"Ordinary Angels" finished the year as the 20th best selling single of 1992 on the ARIA charts, with "Accidentally Kelly Street" finishing 29th. The band's only major overseas success was with an acoustic cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle", which was released in Australia on a re-issued version of the "Lonely" EP in 1994 (#7, with the first issue charting at #88).

In between the first and second Frente! albums, Angie Hart lent her vocal to an Australian single by Pop! titled "Tingly" (#92), released in late 1995.

Frente! released a second album, Shape, in 1996, but it didn't produce hit singles (the first single "Sit On My Hands" peaked at #66 in Australia, and the second, "What's Come Over Me" did not enter the top 100) like their previous effort and hence sold poorly, peaking at #35. Frente! broke up shortly after its release to pursue other projects.

Frente! also has a track on a compilation album, Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits, the song is "Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sun Shine In" from the Flintstones. The album was released on December 5, 1995.

Frente! also appeared on the soundtrack for the hit American TV show: Melrose Place with the song "Ordinary Angels". This album was released October 18, 1994.

Frente! disbanded in 1996, and Angie Hart moved on to the pop duo Splendid, and later to the band Holidays on Ice. Her debut solo album will be released in 2007.

In January 2005, Frente! reformed for some Australian east coast dates. The line-up for these shows was Angie Hart, Simon Austin, Bill McDonald and Pete Luscombe on drums.