Brisbane music stalwart Rod McLeod died last week after a short and aggressive bout of lung and liver cancer which went to his brain. LCMR Records head, Queensland underground music archivist and friend Donat Tahiraj has penned this remembrance.
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I first met Rod McLeod sometime in the 1990s when record fairs in Brisbane happened only quarterly. It was a time when vinyl records weren’t exactly in the front of many music listener’s minds.
The occasion was in the sheds of the Mt Gravatt showgrounds. My fellow record-collecting friend Mick Baker and I had noticed a man wearing a seemingly homemade t-shirt with a white iron-on transfer among a sea of people.
Upon closer inspection, he was holding a small handful of 7” singles which, prior to the explosion of eBay, were only obtainable by chance or through want lists. Facing towards our line of sight was one by the Bodysnatchers – a Brisbane punk band that played one show in 1979 and happened to release a record that same year. Its cover with the band’s name done in spray paint in white on a black background was in fact inspired by the “Neu! ’75” shirt that Rod had thrown on that Saturday morning.
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- By Donat Tahiraj
- Hits: 6278
1- Ed Kuepper at the National, world class all the way.
2- Handgrenade Hearts at the Town Hall Hotel. Punk/powerpop teenagers, and my new favourite band.
3- Munster Zine, approaching issue 40, keep it up young man.
4- The Victims + Chimers at the Brunswick Ballroom, Chimers BOG, great to see the legendary James Baker on the tubs one last time.
5- Civic “Brute Force”, hints of Birdman and Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
6- Those Pretty Wrongs + Alexander Harvey at the Brunswick Ballroom, heartfelt, sublime, AH I need to revisit.
7- The Prize “Wrong Side Of Town”, If Amyl and The Sniffers had a song this good they’d be as big as Blondie, if……..
8- Civic live at 3RRR.
9- The Fiction at the Northcote Social Club supporting Chris Masuak and Dog Soldier. Best I’ve seen them play.
10- Ballarat Gallery: Walker, Luke, Counihan, more; love the revamp, can’t wait to return over the summer.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2124
Indie Sounds From The Cenny Coast - Various Artists (Vinil Records)
A lot of people try before they buy physical CDs or vinyl, whether it be via streaming or the ubiquitous Bandcamp website.
Fair enough, too; If the various post offices around the globe are going to ream you and make you take out a second mortgage just to have something shipped across international borders in a padded envelope, you wanna be sure it’s music that’s worth playing more than once.
Unless you’re one of those vinyl-fixated numb-nuts that buys every coloured variant of the latest release and photographs the sealed copies on a custom-built shelving unit for other fools to admire on Insta, you probably care more about the music than the medium.
Just remember, they’re records not vinyls, and that we’re here to help.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 1612
Top Tens for 2023: Mark Fraser of Vi-Nil Records and Redbackrock Surf & Snow Clothing. Former partner in Link & Pin Cafe, Woy Wo
Fave releases:
DMA’S – “How Many Dreams”
A virtual hit factory from go to woe. Melodies. Feelgood. Pretty much perfect.
HARD ONS – “Ripper 23”
Clever cover art. Clever songs. Pop-etched perennial punk from here to Punchbowl.
LION ISLAND – “Pilot Termination Kiosk”
Infectious and dangerously catchy indie rock with an A plus report card.
COUSIN BETTY – “Self Titled”
Hard and fast, some softer moments that build and explode, some quirky side-tracks, and plenty of sheer aural insaniity. This thing is a beast.
OWEN GUNS – “Monks in Sexyland”
Beautiful irreverence that never ever holds back. That’s The Owen Guns. This eight-slab smacker is a doozie!
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- By Mark Fraser
- Hits: 2971
Catipalism: Where cats become dissatisfied with its lot they are unable to rise up in revolt clutching scythes, axes and burning brands (for all sorts of reasons) and decapitate their 'owner', so whenever able, they head to nearby houses in search of better pats, better food and some peace and quiet.
This happened with my first cat Doody who, after shimmying through the side door, zipped off and simply never came back. A street crowded with houses with small yards, and a main road nearby ... I was desolate, until a few weeks later I spotted the little bugger on a wall nearby. He knew me, sniffed my hand, turned his bumhole on me and sodded off.
I'd fed the little bugger for 18 months and helped him whereever I could. Of course, I'd also had him desexed, for which he might not have forgiven me. And he managed to burn his whiskers once, before I could get to him. So, gratitude might not have been high on his list of priorities.
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 2428
Frank Meyer (Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Trading Aces, Highway 61) Top Ten Records for 2023:
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- By Frank Meyer
- Hits: 2245
Top 10 Things of 2023
as designated by Fox
This was an absolute banner year for Australian rock & roll which made me feel very proud of my country which was a nice change of pace from feeling ashamed by it, which also happened this year. Anyway, - here comes a list!!
Morons Morons - High Tension Situation LP
Before delving into our domestic successes let’s hear it for this demented Polish outfit and their barnburner of an album. It’s energetic pedal to the metal punk rock with a healthy dose of The Damned DNA. Puts it’s foot on your throat and does not let up. Glorious band name, logo and album cover too.
Stepmother - Planet Brutalicon LP
The latest project from U.S expat Graham Clise of Annihilation Time and Lecherous Gaze fame. I first saw him with the latter in Sydney about eight years ago and was blown away by his guitar playing. It was pure classic rock but played with an energy and intensity that felt like I was watching Leslie West or Mick Ronson after a quick trip in the old Time Machine. Though I shouldn’t get hung up on ye olden days comparisons - It rules that this kinda music is being made in 2024 and it should be celebrated. This album is driving Detroit-flavoured pub rock and has been a constant on my turntable since it landed.
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- By Mike Foxall
- Hits: 1883
In the ever-evolving landscape of Australian rock and pop, Stu Wilson, the rhythmic backbone behind acts like Lime Spiders, Chris Masuak’s Dog Soldier, Aberration and New Christs, steps into the spotlight with his latest project, Stu & The Connections.
Their new single, "Crawling Back to You" b/w "Best Of Me," marks a departure into a realm that's darker, moodier, yet unmistakably Stu.
It intertwines Stu's signature pop sensibilities with a more brooding undercurrent, a blend that's as intoxicating as it is introspective.
The flip side, "Best Of Me," offers a lyrical introspection matched with an acoustic backdrop that's both raw and refined. This release showcases the band's versatility, navigating the fine line between rock's ruggedness and pop's catchy melodies.
Both tracks are available digitally now on Bandcamp.
Check the video after the MORE link.
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2745
Pat Todd
+ Mad Macka
Golden Barley Hotel, Enmore, NSW
Saturday, 25 November 2023
Australian music legend and label owner Sebastian Chase once said to me: “Punk rock is folk music with volume - street music, if done right”. And with local bands like Cosmic Psychos and X, a case can certainly be prosecuted that street music and its stories can be found in bars and pubs across the land.
Mad Macka has played his fair share of pubs and bars for almost 40 years, originally with The Onyas and lately with Cosmic Psychos. Macka’s music mirrors what you’ll still see and hear in drinking establishments across the land: cynical yarns by blokes on the punt and into their sixth schooner.
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- By Edwin Garland
- Hits: 3986
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