Kuepper cracks 50 and you can pre-order "Lost Cities" now

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 November 2015

Hits: 5126

Ex-Saints and Laughing Clowns trailblazer Ed Kuepper's 50th (!) album “Lost Cities” is on its way and available for pre-order.

“Lost Cities'' will be released on December 20 on CD only and we reckon it would be the ideal Xmas gift. You can place your order with Ed's own Prince Melon Records webmaster James Last here.

Copies purchased before the official release date will be personally signed by Ed and cover artist Judi Dransfield Kuepper.

The album features nine new songs recorded in August following the successful Nostalgia for the New Australian mini-tour by Ed. Titles are ''Pavane'', ''Friends with the Leader'', "Free passage to Mars'' ''[It's] Never too Late'', ''The Ruins'', ''Fever Dream'', ''What can I leave you'', ''Some said....'' ''Queen of the Vale [that's V.A.L.E]''.

• ed kuepper
• prince melon
• lost cities

Stop Press: Mummies to play in Melbourne, Adelaide

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By The Barman

The Barman

18 November 2015

Hits: 5767

 Legendary garage rock icons The Mummies are almost certainly going to be making just two Australian appearances.

The Mummies play Max Watts (formerly the Hi Fi Bar) in Melbourne on Wednesday, March 9 with the mighty Mesa Cosa and Midnight Wolfe supporting. Tickets are available here. On March 13 they're billed to appear at Adelaide's Kustom Kulture Show. 

We're told that organisers will put on a Sydney date only if Melbourne doesn't sell - which seems highly unlikely - and there's no thought to playing anywhere else. 

• live
• tour
• australian
• mesa cosa
• mummies

When The War Is Over: A Cold Chisel re-assessment

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

18 November 2015

Hits: 7006

For overseas readers: Cold Chisel created a bubbling, intense hard-rock scene in ythe 1970s and greatly influenced the Australian music industry. 

They came before Radio Birdman. And they started in Adelaide.

To be precise, quite often at the Largs Pier Hotel. Which, if you look at a map, you will discover nestling in Largs Bay, to the north-west of Port Adelaide which, back in the early-mid ‘70s, was not quite as foul as Port Melbourne, but none-the-less, decent people didn’t go there. A local joke goes that over there you can hear the largs baying, but … as I said, decent people don’t go there…

Cold Chisel had a rough-as-guts image, and played rock akin to punk before punk, used feedback where it was effective, and were huge all around the country in the '70s and '80s. It would be interesting to see what might have happened had the Hitmen been this successful at Chisel’s expense… but that is to tempt the cobra called Fate.

• live
• cold chisel
• oz rock
• jimmy barnes

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The Mummies announce an Australian gig

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By The Barman

The Barman

17 November 2015

Hits: 5200

In typically random style, those Kings of Budget Rock, The Mummies, have announced an Australian gig.

The mysterious Californians, who play their shows swathed in bandages, will visit Australia for the first time in 2016, with only one date announced so far: March 9 at Melbourne’s Max Watts. More news as it comes to hand.

• garage
• tour
• australian
• mummies

Too Much Too Soon - Nina Antonia (Omnibus Books)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

15 November 2015

Hits: 7868

It’s that time of year again, when that fat prick comes scrambling down the chimney armed with a sawn-off and robs you off all your money so’s he can spend it on whores and drugs.

How fair is the world? That’s what I was going to spend it on.

This being the I-94 Barr site, where rock is from Detroit, synths are for Germans and the volume is at 11, you will all have friends who love rock’n’roll. So the bookstores around the world are ready for you this Krimbo, usually armed with tomes the size of one of Mose’s tablets on That Notorious Stone or That Bland Beatle or worse, Someone Who Was Someone Maybe Once (and Just Can’t Get Over It) Volume 3.

• new york dolls
• new york
• nina antonia
• too much too soon
• book

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Pilgrim - Lilith Lane (Beast Records)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

12 November 2015

Hits: 4197

Recently I saw Lilith Lane perform as part of the Murder Ballads evening in Melbourne; there were many performers, but Lane was one of a handful who impressed. She’s sharp, smart and has a terrific voice.

"Pilgrim" was Recorded live at Sónica, Madrid, Spain, in October 2012 and released in 2013, It is  a rather wonderful live recording, and shows off the great control and power of Lillith's voice; what I like about her is that she’s so natural and approachable with her gift.

The guitarist, (one "Pedro") is damn groovy. It’s a kind of oddly Spanish-flavoured blues '50s rock thing, but you don’t really pay that much attention once Lilith starts singing. You’ll be dancing in a graceful, bopping way.

Beast Records on the Web

Lillith Lane on Bandcamp

• beast records
• pilgrim
• lillith lane

Ex-Dictator Andy Shernoff streams...and he wants you to think about that

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 November 2015

Hits: 4960

His old band-mates might be attracting attention on tour as Dictators NYC but ex-Dictator Andy Shernoff isn’t letting the grass grow under his feet.  He’s been recording, producing and playing solo with a couple of formidable EPs under his belt recently, which you can buy here. This week bought into the streaming debate with a lengthy online rant – plus a new song.

Says Shernoff: “I’ve been a professional musician and songwriter for over 40 years. I live and breathe music. I also own thousands of albums and CD’s … but they sit in my closet because…I prefer to STREAM MUSIC!!!!

• andy
• shernoff
• adny

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Monkey Bones - Burn In Hell (Beast Records)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

11 November 2015

Hits: 4920

What's it worth? Four bottles if not more. 

Melbourne's Burn In Hell has a hell of a rep on the live circuit, both in Australia and overseas: it’s easy to see why. "Monkey Bones" (uhm, 2014) is world-class rock’n’roll which jangles your fillings and fills your jangles. 

• beast records
• burn in hell
• monkey bones

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The Black Tambourines - The Black Tambourines (Easy Action)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

11 November 2015

Hits: 3891

The Black Tambourines are from Cornwall in England. This is one of a series of short reviews of discs which should have been reviewed upon release but, for a number of unfortunate reasons (including at least one huge horrifying house-move) was not reviewed in what public servants like to call "a timely manner". This is the band's fourth full-length album.

The Black Tambourines. By god they’re good. Big, bastard, scratchy, messed-up, four-dollar bourbon, filled-ashtray rock’n’roll. I damn wish they were playing at my local, but folk used to say that about AC/DC and (the admittedly godawful) INXS and such musicians are now no longer lesser mortals like you and I, but ROCK-GODS.

As The Black Tambourines should be.

• easy-action
• black tambourines

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