- Details
- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 1726
Blistersticks - Harry Howard and David McClymont (self released)
It’s an odd thing, creativity. You might recognise David McClymont’s name as the bass guitarist in Orange Juice, who had several bright, accessible pop hits in the late 1970s, initially with the Scottish label Postcard. Orange Juice played frequently with friends like Josef K and The Go-Betweens. The Scottish expats found common ground with the then-plentiful Australian ex-pats such as The Moodists and The Birthday Party.
Orange Juice weren’t an easy fit with the skinheads of the day; theyd walk onstage to cries of “poofs” from the skins. Their retort? “Hare Krishna!”
Coming within a whisker of serious UK pop stardom (including two appearances on “Top of The Pops”, David left in late 1983, and the recordings for his own outfit, the brilliantly-named Ape the Scientific, which recorded for Polydor.
- Details
- By Edwin Garland & The Barman
- Hits: 3484
Fowl Weather Vein – Fowl Weather Vein (Vi-Nil Records)
The years 1978-82 produced the greatest explosion of music in the last century. Only the mid to late 1960s rivals it. Some called it New Wave, others came up with Post-Punk.
Record companies were opening cheque books as fast as new labels arrived and there was the buzz of a DIY ethos. More importantly though, the period produced an artistic tidal wave surfed by one-hit wonders and more enduring artists whose music careers have continued for decades.
Consider the massive diversity of a crop that included Wire, Echo and The Bunnymen, Pere Ubu, The Fall, The Pop Group, XTC, The Cure, The Jam, Siouxie and The Banshees, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Blondie, Psychedelic Furs, Gang of Four. There was also the rise of Ska. There were was no single blueprint or style, just an explosion of creativity.
- Details
- By JD Misfortune
- Hits: 1896
Dinner At Mr Billy’s – Blue Ash (Peppermint Records)
Summa the magical, mystical Blue Ash powerpop just feels so ‘60s, like some lost tracks from the "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" or "Easy Rider" soundtracks, or the incidental music from "Love American Style" or some kinda hippie exploitation marketing hoax.
Remember when 7-Up was selling themselves as flower child psychedelic? Blue Ash was around then and woulda been perfect to write their far out, hey man, garage punk jingles. So Good! The guitar playing feels like Strawberry Alarm Clock or 13th Floor Elevators sometimes, and the singer coulda been in "Hair".
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 1582
Luminary – The On and Ons (Jem Records)
Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the ring, The On and Ons deliver a triple combination of power-pop punches to open their new album and leave your critical faculties flat on the canvas.
“White Ships”, “Constance” and the stunning single “Speck of Smiling Faces” are the opening tracks and as good as anything the Sydney band has recorded. Even better news is that it doesn’t end there and The On and Ons’ sixth full album, “Luminary”, is their best to date.
- Details
- By Steve Lorkin
- Hits: 1933
Fun House (High Fidelity Edition) - Rhino Records (Rhino Records)
Loaded (High Fidelity Edition) - The Velvet Underground (Rhino Records)
Theoretically, an album pressed in 2026 should sound a lot better than an album pressed in the 1970s. I mean, haven't there been vast technological advances in the sound world? Or for that matter, just about anything and everything since the 1970s?
Judging by the majority of LP reissues these days it seems not. Quite often those pre-digital era 1960s/1970s pressings sound a whole lot better than today's "$95 at JBHiFi 180 gram remastered by some genius" reissues.
- Details
- By JD Misfortune
- Hits: 1322
24 Hours in Detroit - Troy Toma and The Lousy Lovers (Jett Plastic Recordings)
So, my good friends, I hesitate to even commit my thoughts to paper very often nowadays cause I'm just so curmudgeonly and grouchy and pessimistic, I've totally turned into one of those ruined, scarred, and bitter men muttering to himself about the MC5, and wishing all these new kids in their expensive hats would get off my fucking lawn.
I got the oldness; walk with a cane, been having some scary health issues, with gratitude for some narrow escapes, my old friends are dropping like flies, and many of those remaining suddenly look like Uncle Jessie from "Dukes" Of Hazzard".
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 892
The Jane Does – The Jane Does (self released)
It seems hard to find good bands fronted by women no longer aged in their teens in Sydney these days. The reality is that the city’s small roster of rock and roll venues means the sisters (mums? aunts?) aren’t hiding, you just need to look for them at the right time.
Along with The Sugar Beats and Raising Ravens, The Jane Does are the pick of the semi-femme crop (although technically you could say that the former come from Wollongong.)
The Jane Does are Rebecca Halley (vocals and guitar) and Joanne Bennett (bass and vocals) sharing front-of-stage duties with guitarist Matt Allison. Rebecca and Jo are cousins and have shared stages before. They’ve had a series of drummers but Tim Savage now seems firmly sequestered on the stool, barring spontaneous combustion or bizarre gardening accidents.
- Details
- By Steve Lorkin
- Hits: 1168
Zeno Beach - Radio Birdman (Citadel Records)
By Steve Lorkin
Quick quiz: Which legendary band who broke up in the 1970s but reformed several decades later and recorded a album of new material which actually honoured their original legacy?
1) New York Dolls
2) MC5 (aka MC1)
3) The Stooges
4) Radio Birdman
If you answered “Radio Birdman” you win a million in prizes!
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 1142
Sonic Maze – Flippin’ Kick Outs (self-released)
The splintering of what used to be called mass media has put a universe of sounds at everybody’s fingertips and they only need to pay a pittance - if anything at all. The onus really is on you and me to step carefully. lest we tread in dog shit.
It really is a maze out there – as the title of the second album from Sydney’s Flippin’ Kick Outs attests.
- Young Charlatans' legacy laid bare in a stunning time capsule
- Harem Scarem founder Charlie Marshall (and Louie's) Family Affair
- They're still Not Like Everybody Else
- It's Alive! Canadian rocker Rich Hope and his red hot band hit the mark
- Punk pioneer Brian James bids us ciao
- The Dahlmanns kick back into gear with "LIfe In Reverse"
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Get in touch: barman@i94bar.com
The Living Eye
I-94 Bar presents
Psychotic Turnbuckles
vinyl single launch
+ Spittin' Chips
+ The No Such Things
Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
- Sept 5
Tickets
Smoked Salmon
Totally Sick!! Tour
AUG
21 - Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
22 - Royal Oak, Launceston, TAS
28 - Junk Bar, Brisbane, QLD
29 - Blah Bar, Lismore, NSW
30 - Cabarita Beach Club, Cabarita, NSW (free)
SEP
4 - Young St Tavern, Frankston, VIC
Joeys Coop
AUG
22 - Union Hotel, Newtown, NSW
+ The On and Ons
28 - Smiths Alternative, Canberra
+ Sanctimonious Fux
30 - Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
SEP
13 - Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
+ Swaggerland
18 - Tap Room, Castlemaine, VIC
19 - Painted Lady, Ballarat, VIC
+ Cold Irons Bound + Neutron Flow
20 - Union Hotel, Brunswick, VIC
NOV
28 - Blah Bar, Lismore, NSW
29 - Junk Bar, Brisbane, QLD (arvo)
I-94 Bar presents
"Triple Treat"
Jupiter 5
+ Fowl Weather Vein
+ The Men From UNCLE
Moshpit Bar
Sept 11
Tickets
Swervedriver Australian Tour
SEPT
6 - Fremantle, Freo Social, with Lake Mammoth
10- Brisbane, The Triffid, with Chimers
11 - Sydney, Manning Bar, with Chimers and Brown Spirits
12 - Melbourne, Corner Hotel, with Brown Spirits and Chimers
14 - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club, with Fancy Weapon
15 - Adelaide, Lion Arts Factory, with Chimers
Tickets
New Christs
SEP
11 - Last Chance. North Melbourne, VIC
+ Penny Ikinger’s Marbles
12 -Last Chance, North Melbourne, VIC
+ Moler
19 - Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW
NOV
21 - The Brightside, Brisbane, QLD
+ Suicide Country Hour
+ The Mick Medew & Ursula 4
Huxton Creepers
12 Days To Paris Tour
AUG
21 - Norton Music Factory,
Caloundra, QLD
+ The Johnnys
22 - Crowbar Brisbane, QLD
+ The Johnnys
+ Mick Medew and Ursula
23 - Wallaby Hotel, Mudgeeraba, QLD
(afternoon show)
+ The Johnnys
The Damned
Final Damnation 50
SEP
8 - AUCKLAND, Powerstation
10 - SYDNEY, The Opera House
11 - BRISBANE, The Tivoli
13 - MELBOURNE, The Forum
Tickets
The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper 50 Years Retrospective
RESCHEDULED
OCT
29 - Avoca Theatre, NSW
30 - Canberra, The Street Theatre, ACT
31 - Wombarra Bowlo, NSW
NOV
4 - Adelaide, The Gov, SA
5 - Melbourne, National Theatre, VIC
6 – Geelong, Barwon Heads Hotel, VIC
7 - Sydney, Factory Theatre, NSW
(matinee & evening shows)
13 - Fremantle, Freo Social, WA
15 - Brisbane, Princess Theatre, QLD
Tickets
The Saints 73-78
UK Tour with The Damned
2026
NOV
25 - Brighton, Dome
27 - London, British Airways ARC
28 - Bristol, Beacon
30 - Manchester, Academy
DEC
1 - Newcastle, O2 City Hall
2 - Derby, Vaillant Live Derby
5 - Birmingham, O2 Academy
The Saints 73-78
Australian Tour
2027
JAN
21 - Newcastle, King St
+ Chimers
22 - Sydney, Metro
+ Antenna
23 - Wollongong, Waves
+ The New Christs
29 - Brisbane, Tivoli
+ Tape / Off
30 - Gold Coast, Miami Marketta
+ Mick Medew & The Ursula 4
FEB
2 - Perth, Astor
+ Last Quokka
4 - Barwon Heads, Barwon Heads Hotel
+ dB4
5 - Melbourne, Croxton
+ Public Figures
Public Image Ltd
Australia and NZ
JAN
20 - Auckland, Powerstation
22 - Brisbane, The Tivoli
23 - Sydney, Enmore Theatre
24 - Melbourne, The Forum
26 – Adelaide, The Gov
28 - Perth, The Astor
Respect The Rock Australian Tour
The Hellacopters + Gluecifier
MARCH
17 – Brisbane, The Triffid
18 – Sydney, Manning Bar
19 – Melbourne, The Croxton
20 – Adelaide, Ed Castle
Tickets
Fresh Reviews
-
We need to talk about Molly
09 August 2026
-
This Lipstick Killers rock opera is one Strange Flash
26 July 2026
-
Ghosts in the machine
20 July 2026
-
Copulaters will give you a boning
08 July 2026
-
Album Number Three hits the mark for Joeys Coop
04 July 2026