It is with great pride that Feel Presents announce the release of The Good That's Been Done - the first ever anthology for Sydney group the Happy Hate Me Nots.

The 2CD set covers the band's entire career and includes all the A-sides, a selection of b-sides, live favourite and tour-de-force Blue Afternoon, their cover of Bob Marley's Lively Up Yourself, previously unreleased demo recordings and live tracks. All packaged with a 12 page full colour booklet, The Good That's Been Done is the definitive Happy Hate Me Nots release.

The roots of the Happy Hate Me Nots lie in Positive Hatred, a Civic Hotel era Sydney punk band, who performed their Clash and Stiff Little Fingers inspired originals to a bunch of third generation punks looking for kicks. Following the demise of that band, Paul Berwick and Positive Hatred drummer Neil Toddie, joined up with pals Peter Lennon (bass) and Tim McKay (guitar) in 1983, to form hi-energy pop band the Happy Hate Me Nots. Toddie would later leave and be replaced by future Toys Went Beserk drummer Mark Nicholson. Nicholson and Lennon would both depart in 1986, replaced by Mick Searson (drums) and Christian Houllemare, formerly bassist for French band Bad Brains - no, not the US crossover hardcore-reggae group - not long after he had relocated to Australia.

Drawing influence from The Jam, The Sound, The Clash and a variety of other mod, punk and post-punk influences, the Happy Hate Me Nots would then produce a succession of passionate power pop recordings including the classics Salt Sour & Brighton, Don't Move Too Far and Praise For Fortune, all released on the burgeoning Waterfront record label, home to contemporaries The Eastern Dark, Ups & Downs, Hard-Ons and Ratcat.

The band's only full-length album Out was released in August 1988 and the Happy Hate Me Nots found their first (and only) American release via influential independent label Rough Trade around the same time. A restructure within that label at their San Francisco base, however, reduced the likelihood of a planned US tour, which unfortunately slowed the band's momentum. A final single I Could See It Coming and then mini-album A Place to Live would follow in 1991, before what can only be called a premature retirement took place.

The 'Hate Me Nots had shaped their sound in the mid 80's period when a new rock beast was growing worldwide but had yet to become embraced by a more mainstream audience. The resulting "Indie Crossover" which helped the success of bands like The Hummingbirds, Ratcat and You Am I, had not yet occurred, but the HHMNs were part of the Australian contribution to that magic moment. We can now pay respect to these innovators by giving them a presence in today's market.

If you missed the Happy Hate Me Nots the first time around then there is no reason to miss them now.