Marcus' Top Ten Albums for 2024 (with Spotify playlist after the fold)
1. Bad Nerves - Still Nervous:
I'm hooked on this album ! Full-throttle garage punk but with an ear for hooks and melodies. They're from Essex and have lately been opening for the likes of The Hives, Royal Blood and The Darkness. Billie Joe Armstrong has labelled them “the best band in England right now." This album is so much fun !
Fav Track: You've Got The Nerve
2. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know:
These guys are absolutely brilliant ! With this album, they've really honed in on the 60's Pop/Baroque sound but also with elements of 70's power-pop. A couple of tracks on this sound like The Raspberries ! Amazing songwriting/performances and they look cool, what's not to like?
Fav Track: How Can I Love Her More?
- Details
- By Marcus Fraser
- Hits: 219
Bob Short's incredibly accurate Top Ten predictions for 2025 (and beyond).
1. When Trump reduces military aid to the Ukraine, Putin will essentially be gifted the disputed Eastern territories. The three wise monkeys of Russia, North Korea and the USA will have a delightful tea party whilst watching the executions of their political enemies. Lewis Carroll will arise from the grave, vindicated by the realisation his major works were true and accurate.
2. Trump will deport so many agricultural workers that American supermarket shelves will empty and the United States economy will slump. No-one will be able to afford the tariffs on overseas food. The poor will look suspiciously towards their pets.
3. Across the pond, as the economy, good manners, social services and the art of staying calm collapse, the UK will quietly sink into the Atlantic and no-one will notice. It may have happened already. (Has anyone looked?). If anyone does notice, a variety of suckholes and knuckle draggers (particularly those who resemble potatoes) will petition to make Gina Reinhardt Queen of Australia. She will unilaterally declare it so and poison all the drinking holes.
4. The big one will finally happen in Los Angeles but, as the Richter scales settle, there will be no aid from the Federal government. California and other Western states will secede from the Union. There will, however, be no Civil War because continued Republican government in the remaining states would essentially be guaranteed in their absence. The White House will tow the line that God has smote the sodomites.
5. The close approach of the Apophis asteroid on November 13th and its encounter with the Earth's gravity has lead to considerable structural reorganisation and an increase in its already chaotic rotation. The threat of collision in 2029 will become apparent and cause widespread panic.
6. Palestine is completely absorbed into Israel. The Israelis construct an alternative to the Suez canal and reap enormous economic benefits. Trump sets up some Beachside resorts but they all go broke because the anticipated cheap workforce have all been murdered.
7. Trump goes all in with Crypto to gamble his way out of the National debt. Almost simultaneously, everyone realises that Crypto is not real as they cannot keep it under their mattresses. The stock market crumbles. Global economic calamity ensues. People actually start eating their dogs and cats. Even those in the middle class.
8. With Elon Musk getting all the headlines, Trump deports him back to South Africa. He is torn apart by a rabid herd of wildebeest. The last thing he sees is the Apophis asteroid tumbling towards him.
9. Elton John self releases a re-recording of songs from the "Lion King" reworded to tell the Elon Musk story. It sells poorly. The world, after all, is in economic chaos and has been hit by a meteorite. Fortunately, at least the dust cloud created by the impact has dropped global temperatures and saved us all from climate change.
10. Joe Rogan dies in a fire caused by a malfunction of the battery in his cybertruck. Fortunately, Alex Jones is in the car with him. Over fourteen and a half million grief stricken incels and conspiracy theorists self immolate in the belief they are going with God. The Earth becomes a better place.
- Details
- By Bob Short
- Hits: 307
Here's a Top Nine of righteous soul, blues, funk and jazz classics from Scott Morgan (The Rationals, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, The Hydromatics, The Solution, Scott Morgan Band and many more) preceded with one of his own.
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- By Scott Morgan
- Hits: 432
1. THE MUNKS and THE STALLERS @THE MOSH PIT, SYDNEY
Opening act The Stallers pumped out a high-energy set , a mix of obscure garage covers and originals. Loved it , good guys , great players led by head gunslinger DARREN FALCONSTEIN who plays in many other bands like BAHNE SUPER-FLEX. All the way from Ulladulla THE MUNKS pumped out the Raw ROCKNROLL, a sense of humour , showmanship and quality playing. Probably my favourite Semi - local band I've seen in a long time.
2. The JOHNNYS, @THE OLD BOATSHED, MANLY
I saw THE JOHNNYS many times in the ‘80s, one time at Selinas supporting the HOODOO GURUS and THE JOHNNYS blew them away. It's ow 2024 , 40 years later. SPENCER, unfortunately, isn't there but HOODY, SLIM and BILLY still blasting the stuff that hooked me as a teenager.
3. The DAMNED @ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY
Some bands get old and bitter, these guys don't. The more I listen to THE DAMNED the more I appreciate and love them. Punk, Goth, Pop - call them what you want, I call them awesome. RAT SCABIES was a highlight, I didn't realise how good a drummer he was.....possibly second only to CLEM BURKE.
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- By Carl Musker
- Hits: 962
This year I honour my dear friend and musical collaborator the late Louis Rohan Tillett (13 March 1959 – 6 August 2023), whose music most readers of this webzine will be familiar with. Louis was a singer, song writer and multi-instrumentalist, who was based in Sydney. Sadly, he passed away in August 2023.
If it wasn’t for Louis’ encouragement and support of my music, I most probably wouldn’t have embarked on the musical path that has consumed my life over the last four decades.
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- By Penny Ikinger
- Hits: 4347
First, I’ll get the rant out of the way. I’ve spent more time working with younger bands this year and there seem to be a few issues…
Firstly, there are so many new young bands that they can’t find gigs… especially appropriate ones. The King Street strip in Sydney’s Newtown and surrounds has about eight venues and on any given night there are only up to 50 people in each room.
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- By The Celebrity Roadie
- Hits: 3019
So it’s February 2024 already and I’ve only now got around to compiling my lists of 2023 musical highlights. The Barman has given me a late pass.
I’ve got two lists here and I’ve stuck with the age-old format of Top Ten albums and Top Ten EPs/ singles. And of course, these lists come with a disclaimer that there’s still plenty of great 2023 records that I haven’t got around to hearing yet, so of course my lists only cover the stuff that’s found its way to my ears.
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- By Ross Nelson
- Hits: 3367
1. R.I.P Ron Peno and Louis Tillett
To start on a sad note we lost Two of our greatest vocalist/Front men within days of each other in August last year - Louis Tillett and Ron Peno.
I don't have any of Louis Tillett’s albums apart from The Wet Taxis’ “From The Archives” record, but had seen his live performances lots of times over the years. Of course, there were his legendary shows with Paris Green during their residency at The Sandringham Hotel in Newtown in the late '80's, and I recall seeing him solo on piano at Bar Broadway in the early '90s. The last performance I saw him was at The Factory Theatre which I think was one of his last gigs.
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- By Big Daddy K Kevin Cherry
- Hits: 3761
Right...2023 from Birminghamham in the UK...here we go...
1 Civic – “Taken by Force”
Great follow up to their first record. Produced by Rob Younger and carrying on the great tradition of Oz rock'n'roll in the good old Saints/Birdman fashion.
2 Skull Practitioners – “Negative Stars”
Steve Wynn/Dream Syndicate guitarist Jason Victor's own thing...Great record...Power trio taking in Proto...Post...And everything in-between..!
3 Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions – “Vol 4 - The Task Has Overwhelmed Us”
Fourth and possibly last of these compilations. All the usual suspects: Cave..Lanegan etc...Great.
- Details
- By Darren Birch
- Hits: 2867
More Articles …
- Top Tens for 2023: Brisbane label SoundPressing owner John Pettex
- Top Ten for 2023: Matt Ryan of Melbourne zine Munster Times
- I-94 Bar Top Tens for 2023: Bob Short of The Light Brigade, ex-Filth, Blood and Roses
- Top Tens for 2023: Edwin Garland, I-94 Bar writer and ex-member of Waxworks and Dwarf Thrower
- Top Tens for 2023: The Barman from The I-94 Bar
- Top Ten for 2023: Mark Roxburgh of Joeys Coop, formerly of Decline of The Reptiles
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