"Under The World" is all power and no self-pity

Under the World - Harry Howard with David McClymont (Monorail Music)

Like many break-up albums, “Under The World” mirrors our fears and losses. Unlike most albums in this genre, “Under The World”effortlessly avoids mopey me-me-me whining. Its lack of self-pity raises the bar of such experiences to the magisterial, touching on aspects of memory and forgiveness. Simple, powerful stuff which you can instantly relate to. 

No, I'm sorry, but this is one break-up albums which doesn't reference the bombastic and horribly overblown likes of Ronnie James Dio or Tina Arena. Because “Under The World” is like that David Lynch close-up of the white picket fence and the ideal home that you shudder at as soon as you see it. 

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• near death experience
• harry howard
• crime and the city solution
• david mcclymont
• under the world
• orange juice
• the moodists

No Trains, Planes or Automobiles were harmed in the making of the new Mick Medew and Ursula 4 single

The new digital single from Brisbane’s The Mick Medew & Ursula 4 has been released today. “Will The Train Ever Stop At Banyo” amplifies the frustrations of navigating urban public transport. Grab it at our Bandcamp or listen on all streaming platforms. 

Written by Mick Medew and Ursula Collie, recorded by Stuart McLaughlin and mastered by Melbourne sonic maestro Ernie O, the song namechecks Banyo on Brisbane’s Shorncliffe Line where the station’s accessibility upgrade is running six months behind schedule. 

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• single
• screaming tribesmen
• mick medew and ursula 4
• banyo

Better late than never,: Girl Monstar ready to uncage their second album

Trailblazing Melbourne garage-pop/hard rock band Girl Monstar are back with their first new music since 1992.

The new album with the very Rolling Stonesy title of  “GRRRR!!” will be released on January 27 via Vicious Kitten Records. Pre-orders are already open at the Girl Monstar Bandcamp here.

The first single “Blue Cat With Green Eyes: is out now and second single “Hate Train” is coming on November 20.  

Girl Monstar were the first all-female band to gain a national profile in Australia in the late '80s and early ‘90s.

(There's a mini documentary telling their story after the SEE MORE link.)

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• vicious kitten
• girl monstar
• grrrr!!

The Beasts are back with special guests announced

The Beasts have announced the undercard and special guests for their one-off Sydney show to celebrate the legendary 1990 Beasts of Bourbon album “Black Milk” at The Factory Theatre on December 12.

Old friends The Johnnys were already main support and they’ll be joined by Richie Weed & Natalie De Silver performing as a duo. Starting the evening will be Unsound!

Joining The Beasts as special guest vocalists are Rob Younger (New Christs, Radio Birdman), Richie Weed (Tumbleweed) and Hellen Rose, who supplied backing vocals at the album’s sessions. Tickets are on sale here.

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Beating on the BRAT FARRAR

Connoisseurs of underground garage punk and punk wave will be familiar with Melbourne’s BRAT FARRAR and they’re back in the saddle with a new release looming.

“Tower of Lies” is the digital single that hits all streaming services on November 7 as the precursor to the album “GROUP” released in February 2026 via Beast Records (France), Take The City Records (Spain) and Ghost Highway Records (Spain). Recorded by Idge at Soundpark, ‘GROUP” was mastered by the ubiquitous Mikey Young.

We've had a preview of "Tower of Lies" and it's a searing piece of steamroller punk rock. Pre-save it on Spotify here.

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• beast records
• mikey young
• brat farrar
• ghost highway recordings
• take the city records
• GROUP
• tower of lies

Chris Bailey's final Saints album out on November 28

Two new tracks from the final Saints record, “Long March Through The Jazz Age”, have been released and the album will be out on November 28 on Fire Records. 

“Long March Through the Jazz Age” is the last recorded work by Chris Bailey and The Saints. It’s a moving farewell - a testament to a restless, uncompromising artist who always moved forward, one of rock’s great lyricists and iconoclasts.

You can stream the new tracks, “Gasoline” and “Carnivore (Long March Through the Jazz Age)” here. The CD or LP can be pre-ordered here.

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Songs Josh Lord taught us

And Now Is The Twilight Of Our Empire – Josh Lord (Music The Lord Taught Us)

It’s three songs and digital only. Produced by Loki Lockwood of Spooky Records. The eponymous title track, then “I Can No Longer Remember The Future” and “The Warm Embrace of Machine”.

What we have here might initially strike you as some very cleverly manipulated drone. However, “drone” is, along with terms like “ambient”, “post-punk” and “industrial”, an incredibly misleading descriptor. 

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• spooky records
• loki lockwood
• josh lord
• And Now Is The Twilight Of Our Empire
• Music The Lord Taught Us

Word on the street is that Angel Face rules on second album

Out In The Street – Angel Face (Slovenly Recordings)

Catchier than the Tokyo subway, “Out In The Street” is the second album for Tokyo’s Angel Face, and any fan of Real Kids or The Boys needs a copy – pronto. It’s 10 songs of no-nonsense, melodic street punk that the world deserves to hear.

I caught these guys in the flesh at the Tokyo Halloween Ball a couple of years ago and they were impressive over a weekend that delivered an embarrassment of riches. That may have been one of their earliest gigs because Angel Face have only been around a few years.

They’ve already put another long-player, a European festival date and a short US tour under their belts. Hercules (vocals), Fink (guitar), Toyozo (bass) and Rayco (drums) have the Japanese work ethic and their productivity would put most of their overseas contemporaries in a cardiac ward.

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• the fadeaways
• angel face
• slovenly recordings
• out in the street
• teengenerate

Datura4 powers into QLD for a weekend spin

Dom Mariani, leader of The Stems and proud parent of a brand new solo album, “Apple Of Life”,  is taking his ‘70s psych-boogie band Datura4 out of Western Australia for a fang around South-Eastern Queensland this weekend.

Datura4 plays Iron & Resin at Currumbin on Friday October 24 with local garage stompers The Spivs. Tickets for that one are here.

On Saturday, Datura4 hits The Brightside in Brisbane with special guests The Dubrovniks (sans the late James Baker) and The Horny Toads. The occasion is Dubrovniks guitarist Glenn Armstrong’s 60^th birthday and tickets are here.

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• datura4
• dom mariani
• the dubrovniks
• queensland
• the spivs
• iron & resin
• the brightside
• the horny toads