Legendary drummer and scene-maker James Baker (Scientists, Victims, Hood Gurus, Beats of Bourbon) has a solo record out this month via US label In The Red, and Melbourne’s Strange World Records will be its exclusive Australian retailer.

“Born To Rock” is a six-song vinyl EP from James Baker and the Groundbreakers and it’s available from Strange World for pre-order here and from In The Red here. 

The EP marks James’ 70^th year on the planet and he and a hand-picked line-up will celebrate at The Duke of George Hotel in Perth on Sunday, March 17. 

The bill is Big Boss Man, Abbe May, Datura4, Luke Dux and Joe Bludge and the show will raise money to assist James in fight against cancer. 

And because he's on doctor's orders, James will be part of the April Australian tour by The Beasts and tickets for that run are available here.

Canberra label Vicious Kitten is releasing a previously unheard 1991 live album by Hitmen DTK with special guest Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman this week.

“Tonight We Ride: Official Bootleg Live in Sydney November 13 1991” is a warts and all recording from a Sydney show at lost venue Toucan Tango. Tek guested to promote the “Moronic Inferno” album by Hitmen DTK that he’d participated on.

Swedish high energy rock 'n' roll legends The Hellacopters have released a documentary called "Let's Talk Grande Rock Revisited" to accompany the re-tooled (as in remixed and remastered) double album “Grande Rock Revisited”. 

The doco, directed by Emil Klinta, shows original members Nicke, Robert, Boba and Dregen talking about the idea behind the revisited version of their classic record Grande Rock from 1999, and why they decided to release this new version as a double album.

"Grande Rock” hasn't been available to purchase on vinyl for more than 20 years. This new edition is available as 2LP, 2CD and digital edition all of which contain both the remastered original album as well as a revisited and remixed version with additional guitars by Dregen, plus additional percussion and piano and new backing vocal tracks. 

Just like the original release back in 1999, the vinyl edition exclusively features the Venom cover "Angel Dust" as a bonus track. It’s available via the Nuclear Blast label.

Is it really the last yeah hup? Radio Birdman has added a third and final hometown show to the June-July "Birdman 5-O" farewell tour after two dates at Sydney's Manning Bar sold out.

In a statement today, the band said: 

"Due to overwhelming demand, there will be one extra Sydney concert on Sunday 7 July to accommodate those who were unable to get tickets to the previously scheduled Sydney concerts. The RB50 tour has been limited to just eight dates due to personal factors.

A 30-year veteran of the Australian rock’n’roll scene, James McCann knows something about the brutal reality of independent music. After cutting his teeth in Perth. McCann moved to Sydney in the early 1990s where he joined the Hard-Ons spin-off outfit Nunchukka Superfly and formed Harpoon. 

He moved back to Perth and joined the first line up of The Drones and striking up an association with Kill Devil Hills, and shifted to Melbourne in the mid 2000s to pursue a variety of solo and collaborative projects.

Charlie Georgees, one of the 1970s underground Australian rock and roll scene’s unsung guitar heroes, passed away on Saturday. Close friend Jim Dickson of Radio Birdman broke the news today on Facebook.

The pair first crossed paths at James Cook University in Townsville and joined a musical migration of like-minded Queenslanders to Sydney soon after.