The Lucky Girl - Julitha Ryan (Silver Ray Productions)

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

02 April 2016

Hits: 5973

“The Lucky Girl” is a seven bottle CD. This is a brilliant, fabulous record (yes, she has vinyl as well) and if there was any justice in the world she’d be making a triumphant return to Australia after touring the stadia of the USA and Europe, coming home to pack the Rod Laver Arena four nights in a row. If this were only 25 years ago, the industry would be elbowing each other with intent to get ahold of a moneymaking talent on a par with Kate Bush.

That good? Well, don’t blame me, I didn’t make it. You need “The Lucky Girl” like you need your thumbs; not having “The Lucky Girl” is the equivalent of having paws. She’s currently recording a follow-up. But why seven bottles?

• ryan
• julitha
• the lucky girl

Read more …

Sleepless in Adelaide: A tale of two bands

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

01 April 2016

Hits: 4534

Hunky Punks.

It’s a Friday night in Adelaide and I’m coming down with a bug. Systemaddicts are headlining, but I miss them and go home to crappy night’s sleep, so serve me right. But let's re-cap...

First up, was a support with the best name I’ve heard in years: Those Magnificent Screaming Bastards.

• live
• hunky punks
• those magnificent screaming bastards

Read more …

Won’t Give Up - Charlie Marshall and The Body Electric (Red Ted Entertainment)

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

01 April 2016

Hits: 5544

It seems every Australian city had its underground "punch-above-its-weight" scene in the ‘90s. Hell, all of Charlie Marshall’s Melbourne band members here had serious form. That said, just because there’s a track record doesn’t mean there’s always gonna be magic. There might be concrete. Or salad instead.

In Marshall’s case, it’s magic. If you recall Harem Scarem in the ‘80s, well alright. But this ain’t that, and now ain’t then. If you’re a Nick Cave or Kim Salmon completist, you’ll snaffle this anyway (the presence of Warren Ellis and Jim White of The Dirty Three should send warning bells, and surely Brian Henry Hooper needs no introduction.) Same applies if you’re investigating Hugo Race ditto (Bryan Colechin of The True Spirit) and Darren Seltmann of The Avalanches.

• melbourne
• hugo race
• nick cave
• charlie marshall
• harem scarem
• dirty three

Read more …

Cherie of a tour

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

31 March 2016

Hits: 5201

The voice of The Runaways, Cherie Curie, is heading to Australia and New Zealand in May and June for her first Antipodean tour.

The Runaways burst onto the LA scene in 1975 with a 15-year-old Currie out front screaming the instant classic “Cherry Bomb!”  The Runaways created a sensation wherever they appeared and quickly catapulted from playing small clubs to selling out major stadiums—headlining shows with opening acts like the Ramones, Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Blondie.

• runaways
• cherie currie
• joan jett
• lita ford
• kim fowley

Read more …

The Baddest Man in Shit Town - Ben Gel and The Boneyard Saints (Bad Ass Records) and EP - The C-Bombs (C-Bombs)

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

30 March 2016

Hits: 5343

Adelaide is filled with musicians who are muso’s, musicians who have been around the block, and musicians who are scary and won’t go away. Ben Gel and Co, and The C-Bombs, are locals who are scary and won’t go away. 

Talent squirts out of these discs like … er, I’d better not go there. These two CDs are four-and-a-half bottle discs. I’d give them more if I could; fuck though, it’s Adelaide, our water is crunchy. 

Ben Gel has been building a following in neighbouring Melbourne; The C-Bombs formed from the ashes of Grudge and have created a bloody monster. Both outfits resemble outlaws; I mean, they’re serious underground legends here, and for damn good reasons. You don’t want to be sober in front of these blokes. I’ve reviewed them together because both bands fit on the same bill very, very well.

• c-bombs
• ben gel
• boneyard saints
• grudge

Read more …

New Chris Masuak album now available on pre-order

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

30 March 2016

Hits: 4808

Pre-orders are open for "Brujita", the album for Chris Masuak and The Viveiro Wave Riders on our own I-94 Bar Records. It's CD and download only at this stage. Get in now and receive an early download of one track, "Birdbrain" (that's the tune you can hear via the button below).

Physical copies should be with us by early next week. It's a return to Chris' rock-pop roots with a good handful of anthems and (not unexpectedly) we reckon it's killer.  

• Masuak
• buy
• bruita
• radio birdman
• shop

Don't cry for me, Argentina: King of Cool delivers a KISS-off

Details

By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

26 March 2016

Hits: 5997

Bob Dylan once said: “I should have never been successful: I was a fluke” In other words: Music that I write and perform, historically speaking, has never had mass appeal, he explained.

I have to agree with that; art that is intelligent, at times challenging and thoughtful does not generally have mass appeal (with a few exceptions.) KISS, One Direction and The Eagles have all sold mega tonnes of albums. delivered in massive crates (along with packs of Cornflakes) to mega stores, and still play sold-out arenas.

Meanwhile, artists like Ed Kuepper are down the road performing in small clubs, releasing music on their own labels and playing in intimate settings to refined music geeks and fans who like to think about their music.

It was tiny clubs where you could go to see Coltrane, Mingus or, on another level, Dave Van Ronk. It is perfect that we can see Ed in these venues.

The Camelot Lounge is quite a special place. It is a decent live venue in Sydney. So much care and thought has placed into this venue, which also includes the downstairs Django Bar.

It’s like a well-manicured museum - right down to the camel obsession and the food announcements that mimic RSL clubland bingo calls.

“No 67 your pizza ready and that rhymes with heaven” is quaint, and annoying at the same time: that said the booze is a good price. Places like this are truly a godsend.

• saints
• ed kuepper
• lost cities
• laughing clowns

Read more …

Hypnic Jerk - The Country Dark (Humu Records)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

25 March 2016

Hits: 5193

Too much Lux is never enough for some people and Finnish band The Country Dark are clearly lifetime members of the Interior Fan Club. This is Album Number Three for the five-piece from Somewhere Near The Arctic Circle (where the fuck is Kuopio anyway?) and just like the output of The Cramps, it’s laced with humour dark enough to eclipse the sun during the depths of a Scandinavian winter.

The Country Dark play rockabilly-trash rock with lashings of twang. Appearances count for something when you mine that groove and from the cover picture of a hand with a dismembered pinkie to song titles like “Useless (Like Tits On A Boar)” and “Two Dicks In One Hole” (it’s a detective story, you porn fiend) it’s evident what you’re getting.

• garage
• trash
• psychobilly
• country dark

Read more …

The Buzzcocks live in Australia

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

23 March 2016

Hits: 6207

_{Nick Spaulding photo}

Everyone, it seems, has seen The Buzzcocks. Usually many times. Why?

The old songs always bring a smile or a rueful thrash as we contemplate our ghastly mistakes in love, and our splattergun rage at … the way things are. Dammit.

• punk
• live
• buzzcocks
• subtract-s
• 40th

Read more …