
- Details
- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 5477
It’s said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again. If it’s true, The Hip Priests deserve a lengthy rest in a luxury grade rock and roll rubber room. One with booze on tap, room service high-class hookers and a mound of coke. Praise the lord and pass the straight jackets.
These Pommy punks from Nottingham have been driving their sonic battering ram against the gates of mainstream acceptance for a decade now without breaching its defences. Fame and fortune have clearly evaded them but they make it obvious that they couldn’t give a fuck.
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- Written by: Ronald Brown
- Hits: 5277
Formed in England in the summer of 1986, the WitchDoktors have gigged all over the UK and Europe, and have even chalked up a five-year residency at the wonderful 12bar Club in Soho. So they’re well-travelled veterans.
They’ve recorded a dirty album of trashy, balls-to-the wall punk-garage rock ‘n’ roll, their fourth all up and their first since 2008’s acclaimed “3 Dollar Hooker”.
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- Written by: Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 7943
Once upon a time I went to The Big Day Out. I can’t remember which, but the events themselves I always thought were a nuisance which one was obliged to endure in order to see the two or maybe three bands you actually went to
Anyway, it had dawned on me that “my generation” was utterly reviled by the one coming up. Which is understandable, of course, as every generation has to gain independence and identity, and the quickest route is to revile the old farts. ’Cause of course, we no nuffink.
Now that I am a card-carrying Old Fart who Shouts At Clouds and Doesn’t Like the Look of Those Teenagers, I have a blessed distance to view the rich landscape of modern music [Barman: insert vomit noise here]. In 1987 Steve Albini made a passing comment: “Pointless teenage thrash bands”.
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- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 5834
Sydney powerpop mods Fast Cars are hitting the crowd-funding trail for their debut album...a mere 35 years after they kicked off.
Fast Cars were a fixture on the Sydney mod scene of the 1980s, issuing a single (“Saturday’s Girl” b/w “No Love Today”) and an EP to great acclaim and lots of Sydney airplay. The first incarnation of the band was around from 1980-84.
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- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 5362
It must be the season for re-issues from the Sydney underground. Spanish label Guerssen, which specialises in long buried gems, is issuing an album of the music of Australian punk/post-punk band Voigt/465.
The band existed from 1976-79 and stood apart from much of the guitar-dominated Sydney underground scene. Influenced by the likes of Can, Brian Eno and Perl Ubu, Voigt/465 recorded one album, “Slights Unspoken”, as they were about to break-up. Members went on to Pel Mel and Wild West.
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- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 5546
An unmissable re-issue of Sydney ‘80s band The Passengers’ 2008 reformation album, “In The Garden Of Good And Evil”, has been released with a special bonus. The original mostly acoustic album has been “re-imagined” by co-founder Jeff Sullivan who has added electric guitar and drums and comes in a double CD package.
It’s limited to a run of 200 copies and if you're in Australia you can buy a copy here. STOP PRESS: Pre-orders open on May 29.
The Passengers were Angie Pepper (vocals), Jim Dickson (bass), Steve Harris (keyboards), Jeff Sullivan (guitar) and Gerry Jones (drums). They existed from 1978-80 and were the first band to have a single issued on the legendary Phantom label, the brilliant "Face With No Name".
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- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 5491
The new line-up of Buffalo Revisited, the Sydney band celebrating the music of Australia's first stoner rock outfit Buffalo, plays its first show at The Bridge Hotel in Rozelle, NSW, on June 3, promoted by The I-94 Bar. The band's last outing was a year ago.
Singer Dave Tice gives us the lowdown in this promo clip. Tickets are available here.
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- Written by: The Barman
- Hits: 6686
It's finally happening. Sydney filmaker Jonathan J Sequeira's long-awaited feature film on Radio Birdman is being released theatrically in Australia in June.
"Descent Intro The Maelstrom" will play across silver screens before being available on DVD.
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- Written by: Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 8214
Animals co-founder John Steel. Mandy Tzaras photo
Remember the screaming '60s? If not, you’ve seen the footage, in particular of the Beatles in "A Hard Days’ Night", of hordes of howling fans hurtling after their fantastic idols … when the object of pursuit becomes less than human, almost a fetishistic object.
Those days are gone, thank god. The other influential band which everyone remembers is the Rolling Stones, long regarded as the great survivors of the Sixties. Until their last LP of blues covers, their LPs were not selling well. One of the reasons I think their last LP sold so well is, I think, the intimacy implicit in the release. That, and the knowledge that the Stones are rediscovering their roots again.
Truth to tell, if you pull the original versions of the songs the Stones covered … you’d probably enjoy the originals just as much, if not better.
