I-94 BAR TOP TENS

Would buy a used Ramones hat from this man?

Not in any order, as usual:

1. Laughing Clowns at ATP Sydney: I wasn’t a big fan back in the day but the re-release of all their recordings on Hot prompted a major re-evaluation. If you can’t see the logical progression through the Saints to Ed Kuepper’s solo stuff via the Clowns, you ain’t looking hard enough.  This show was the highlight of ATP for mine and left the pyjama party antics of a certain Saint in the shade. Wish I’d taken the trouble to catch the return engagement at The Basement.

2. Hitmen Re-Loaded: Dave Laing of Savage Beat excelled himself with the “Tora Tora DTK” package while the “St Valentine’s Day Massacre” live recording with Niagara has the impact of a kick to the face. Live, the Hitmen’s two-night stand in Sydney at the Sauna – sorry, Sando – required super-human commitment in sweltering heat and stifling humidity, and the band pulled two shows out of the fire to come out smiling. There’ll be another 2CD package of archival gems in the racks any tick of the clock and assaults on Europe and Australia (hopefully with Niagara) loom. You can hate ‘em but you can’t kill ‘em.

3. Simon Chainsaw and Sonny Vincent: I’ll not hear better punk rock albums than “Rock and Roll Uranus” and “Sonny Vincent With Members of Rocket From The Crypt” in the same year. Two guys on different continents doing it their own way.

4. The Snoozefests: This trio of youngsters from the New South Wales Central Coast are the best new band I heard in 2009. I’d probably have a similar opinion of The Frowning Clouds from Geelong but missed their under-the-wire Sydney visit. Grab the Snoozefests’ album, “One Way Ticket To Snoresville” (it’s not) and catch ‘em live. They’re rough around the edges, apt to take the piss out of themselves, funny and fun. Thanks for the tip, Carrie.

5. Mick Hadley & The Others live: Some thought Mick Hadley and his backing band would deserve a Purple Heart for their slot supporting the Stems’ farewell gig in Sydney. They walked away with a Medal of Honour. Watch for a repeat gig or three in 2010.

6. “All Your Love” by Mick Medew & The Rumours: Album of the Year (but I’m biased – I put it out) and a top bunch of blokes.

7. The usual truckload of albums drifts in and out of the ranks of my top ten…“Stop Plus Singles 1978-86” by Little Murders is a gem…I played shit out of ”Cave Girl” by in-exile Brendan Kibble’s Austin, TX band The TexReys…”Deutschland” by the eternally underrated Kevin K…  Gloria – New Christs: It’s not “Distemper Mk II” but so what? It stands on its own legs…Dr Tek’s soul band and their “On The In Side”…a retrospective (“A Million Miles An Hour”) and a newie (“Got Me a Hot One”) from vet Roy Loney rocked da Bar…X’s “X-Aspirations” re-issue… The Interconti nental Playboys’ “Hymns Of The Flesh” was a winner, even if the street press critics are yet to wake up…Penny Ikinger’s “Fragile” EP…Kill Devil Hills’ ragged and glorious “Man You Should Explode” was a mindfuck… “The Eternal” by Sonic Youth…“Think Rational!” by The Rationals: Fusing beat-band rock with blue-eyed soul and psych….volumes two and three of “Drink Fight Fuck” (like a punk rock K-Tel collection, only better) on Zodiac Killer….”De Ja Blues” by The Pink Fits (R.I.P.)…”Makin’ It With…” – The Booby Traps…”Romance and Adventure” – The Ooga Boogas.

Mentions for some late arrivals “Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! (Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears), “With You Right By My Side, Baby The Deal Just Can’t Go Down” (punk-gospel-rock from Sydney band The Maladies), “Damn You Ra” (a killer album from Sydney’s Holy Soul), the Daptone “Gold” collection and “The LP Is Dead” (solo album by Dictators skinsman JP Thunderbolt Patterson.) Plus the ones I’ve forgotten (and the Stooges box that’s yet to arrive.)

8. Best Fest: ATP Sydney by a country mile. Honourable mention to Flip Out! Sydney, even if a little variety might not have gone astray.

9. Best Comeback: I’m reserving judgement on the Stooges as the YouTube of their Brazil return was scratchy and a little low energy…so step up Decline of The Reptiles who were pretty close to great most times their stepped onto the green.

12. Neil Young at Sydney BDO: Stunning shit. Front row view. Skidmark (who was along for the ride) doesn’t drink and nor did I this  ‘cos the lines were horrendous but no enhancement was needed.

11. Death: As in passing away. Farewell Ron Asheton, Sky Saxon, Les Paul and Lux Interior. Not a Good Thing in a Top Ten but there had to be some way of mentioning the fallen. We will remember them.

He’s The Barkeep at The I-94 Bar and I-94 Bar Records and you’re not. Be thankful. In no particular order, here are his Top Ten Albums (although he’s invariably forgotten someone): 

I AM WHO AM, AND NOT WHO YOU WANT ME TO BE – Johnny Casino & The Secrets (Off the Hip)
This list is no particular order – with one exception. This is Album of the Year. It’s good old rock and roll but on a higher plane to most everything else around right now. It’s well-produced and arranged (with the punch of horns on some tracks) and has some superb songwriting. The confidence, presence, vocal delivery and confidence (all interrelated) of main man Johnny Casino seems to be coming on in leaps.  

WHERE THE FACES SHINE VOLUME 2 – Iggy Pop (Easy Action)
A great advance on the first box set with a whopping six CDs (seven if you’re quick) and a DVD making for a generous package. Unlike the first which partly sought to sonically upgrade some of the bootleg material already out there, the vast bulk of this live box set is unreleased. Best for mine is the bonus CD of a 1989 Adelaide, Australia, show. It’s a little rough, sonically speaking, but it’s a fearsome show and the ultimate Iggy set list from that “Instinct” tour. Other shows cover the “Zombie Birdhouse” and “Blah Blah Blah” periods and it’s noticeable how the material from both albums was so much stronger when played live.   

THE SECOND CHANCE – Sonic’s Rendezvous Band (Easy Action)
LIVE MASONIC AUDITORIUM – Sonic’s Rendezvous Band (Rockarama)
You can’t have too much SRB and both of these are vital in their own way. “The Second Chance” gives you insights into some works-in-progress and imparts a sense of a gang working their own turf. “Masonic” shows SRB primed and intent on making the most of a prestigious support to a band that actually looked up to them. The Yin and Yang of Sonic’s loose and limber drawl and Morgan’s soulful vocal attack are damn near irresistible when married to a powerful engine room thud and an all-out guitar assault.

ED KUEPPER LIVE VOLUME 2 – Ed Kupper (Prince Melon)
There’s a slew of Ed official bootlegs out there and this is the pick of the litter for mine, if only for the slightly clearer sound and John Gauci’s keyboards which give an extra set of legs to a couple of the re-interpretations. Really, I could have picked any of the series. They’re that good.

THE HITMEN – The Hitmen (Savage Beat)
IT IS WHAT IT IS – The Hitmen (Savage Beat)
I try to avoid plugging things I have involvement in but the deluxe treatment Dave Laing of Savage Beat/Shock gave to the Hitmen re-ishes deserves your undivided attention.  The live shows with a new but DNA-matched line-up kick 66 sorts of shit too.

THE VISITORS – The Visitors (Citadel)
Same as above. It’s long past time this one was back in print and the mastering brings it up just a tad. These are some of Deniz Tek’s best songs and the rest of the band were clearly having a ball putting them into action.

APA STATE MENTAL – Apa State Mental (self released)
Malmo punk monsters. Best “new” (as in: to these ears) band I’ve heard in 2008, apart maybe from Boris. Apa State Mental have a disarmingly smart/dumb approach.  

BORIS – Smile (DIW/Southern Lord)
In-your-face psych-out guitar terrorists from Japan. They’ve been around for 14 albums, you say? Shame on me.  I haven’t back-tracked through their entire oeuvre and a physical copy is on order form Santa (downloads feel so unclean) but this one is like a body-slam with the canvas replaced by concrete.

HELL CITY GLAMOURS – Hell City Glamours (self released)
Can’t put this one down. It’s just a bunch of road-wise skinny white boys playing in-your-face glam rock songs about the usual topics, but it has bigger balls than King Kong and swings like a $2 Bali wind chime in a hurricane.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Depending on the week, any of these could have made the Top Ten List:

THE GOODNIGHT LOVING – The Goodnight Loving (Off The Hip)
Backwoods punks play country-tinged, idiosyncratic pop. You know it makes sense.

WHAT’S THE TIME – Los Hories  (Off the Hip)
We’re going to kick New Zealand’s arses in the cricket this summer but they’ve already kicked ours with this bucket of stumblebum, greasy garage rock.

ELECTRIC ABORIGINES – Awesome Color (Ecstatic Peace/High Spot)
A beautiful collision of dissonance and throat-clutching Midwest psych rock. 

HIGH TECHNOLOGY – The Reactions (Off the Hip)
If the Stems and the Hoodoo Gurus came from Tasmania and were cousins, would they have a child like this?

HELLHOUND DOWN  - The Labor Party (Steel Cage)
Who woulda thunk the wide open spaces of Arizona would spawn a potent album of singalong Dead Boys and Dictators riffage?