This Cousin's kiss contains a kick

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 November 2023

Hits: 1921

Cousin Betty – Cousin Betty (Vi-Nil Records)

You know you’re in for a different trip when the title of the opening track is: “If This Makes You Off Your Family, Please Contact Us For The Royalties”.

Cousin Betty are non-conformists in an age of conformity. Their music is a mix of hard-psych, high-energy Desert Sessions rock, industrial-tinged metal and lyrical blizzards. Sounds messy in print but somehow it works. 

The band is the brainchild of guitarist Damien Stofka (ex-Molten Universe) and vocalist-keyboardist Matt Downey (ex-Death Mattell). Originally a studio project, overseas airplay led to the assembly of a full-blown line-up. Members are scattered around Greater Sydney and its environs. Drummer Andi Dyson (Nitrocris), bassist Tara Doyle (Spurs For Jesus) and guitarist Astrid Carr (Madam Fatale, Quiet Carriage) completed the ranks and this is the debut long-player.

• cousin betty
• damien stofka
• matt downey
• nitrocris
• vi-nil records
• andi dyson
• astrid carr
• tara doyle

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It's going to be A Psychotic Christmas

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 November 2023

Hits: 2638

The Psychotic Turnbuckles are wound up their tour of Japan and are swinging by Sydney, Australia, en route to their homes in Pismo Beach, California, for a show on Saturday, December 23.

A Psychotic Christmas will poit the Intercontinental Rock adn Roll Wrestling Tag Team Champions of the World against arch-enemies The Dark Clouds and unhinged exhibitionists DISGRACEland at Marrickville Bowling Club.

Tickets are here and there's a message from Turnbuckles frontman Jess the Intruder in the See More link.

• psychotic turnbuckles
• marrickville bowling club
• the dark clouds
• christmas
• discgraceland

Getting together for Grazza

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 November 2023

Hits: 2572

Sydney’s underground music scene recently lost a great mate, gig buddy, champion of great music and all round top bloke, Graham Bowditch, of the Stamp Out Disco record label.

Member of inner-west punk powerhouse Hellebores and renowned artist, Glenno Smith, and Evil Tone Records  have arranged  a six-band memorial show at The Great Club in Marrickville on January 26 to celebrate the the life of “Grazza”.

• hard-ons
• pink fits
• hellebores
• the great club
• the strike-outs

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James McCann gets Hit By Love

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By Matt Ryan of Munster Times

Matt Ryan of Munster Times

25 November 2023

Hits: 2458

Much-travelled James McCann (ex-The Drones, Harpoon, James McCann And The New Vindictives, James McCann's Dirty Skirt Band, Nunchukka Superfly) is back with a new LP, a new band name - and even a different first name.

The Melbourne-based singer-guitarist’s latest recording, “Hit With Love” – under the moniker JJ McCann Transmission - is 12 cracking, original tracks that combine elements of ‘80s hard rock, pop and post-punk, and a few that are almost impossible to compare to any others.

Produced by Rob Younger, “Hit with Love” is another solid entry onto McCann’s already exceptional back catalogue. For me he’s one of the country’s great singer/songwriters of the last 20 years. We spoke with JJ via telephone.

• new christs
• the drones
• spencer p jones
• rob younger
• harpoon
• jj mccann
• jj mccann transmission
• hit with love
• cheersquad

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An order of hard-boiled Boris for breakfast

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By The Barman

The Barman

21 November 2023

Hits: 2005

Japanese heavy rock pioneers Boris are joining forces with J-Rock legend Kiyoharu for a 2024 Australian tour billed as "Heavy Rock Breakfast".

Boris are known for their relentless pursuit of sonic excellence in heavy rock. The four-piece Boris line-up of Takeshi, Wata, Atsuo and drummer Osamu are playing the Golden Plains Festival in Victoria and the Ωhm Festival in Brisbane, as well as headlining shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.

• boris
• australian tour
• 2024
• Kiyoharu

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Dumb Country meets Dark Country

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

19 November 2023

Hits: 2957

 
_{Sonic Garage.}  

When I first was approached to vote in Australian elections, the government agency sent me a letter, with a form. I recall the form beginning something like, “I wish to enrol as a voter...”

But I didn't wish to enrol. At all. All I could see were wankers playing at some artificial game of one-up-manship, kids in a schoolyard, without a great deal of integrity or affection for their constituents and no moderating teacher in sight. 

Perhaps, 40-what years ago, I was being unfair.

Anyway, I read the instructions, which - bizarrely - insisted I complete the form in black pen.

So, not really knowing how to deal with this - I thought I'd get into shit if I didn't complete the form - I did complete the form, but in blue pen, and sent it off.

• sonic garage
• dark country
• rock and roll prison

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Masuak and Los Revelators take it back to pop roots

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

19 November 2023

Hits: 3976

Revelation – Los Revelators (Los Revelators)

Kamloops? Sounds like what a car mechanic has for breakfast, right?

Nope. It is, in fact, a place. In Canadaaaa!

Placenamesa? Australia has a few beauties: Grong Grong, Iron Knob, Woy Woy, Sydney. 

But, I mean, Canada, right? They really know how to give a town a name, don't they?

• garage
• hitmen
• radio birdman
• screaming tribesmen
• chris masuak
• revelation
• los revlelators

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Ex-D4 rocker Dion Lunadon hits the road with new record

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By The Barman

The Barman

17 November 2023

Hits: 1656

Onetime frontman for high-energy New Zealanders The D4 and now a New York-based noise-rocker, Dion Lunadon, has a new album out, and a European tour underway with his band, TCB. The tour will be capped by an album launch at TV Eye in Queens, NYC, on December 7. 

The "Systems Edge" LP was released via In The Red Records on November 14. It’s available physically and digitally here.“Nikki” is the latest video single.

Dion says about the video, “The video is a cut and paste homage of snippets from artists involved in what some call the Cinema Of Transgression movement in NYC. The grime and grit of that time/genre perfectly embodying what I would consider the setting of the song."

EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
NOV
16th - Ravenna IT, Bronson
17th - Rome IT, Init
18 - Firenze IT, Ex Fila
19 - Marseille FR, L’Intermediaire
20 - Barcelona ES, Razzmatazz 3
21- Madrid ES, Funhouse
22 - Bilbao ES, Rocket
23 - Bordeaux FR, La Maison d'Allez Les Filles
24 -  Perigeaux FR, Le Moulin Du Rousseau
25 -  Nantes FR, Little Atlantique
28 - Hanover DE, Lux
29 - Copenhagen DK, Beta
30 -  Berlin DE, Urban Spree
DEC
1 - Saarbrucken DE, Horst
2 - Winterthur CH, Gaswerk
3 - Bern CH, Hush Hush

• nikki
• in the red
• dion lunadon
• systems edge

Too much monk business

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 November 2023

Hits: 2401

Monks in Sexyland – The Owen Guns (Booker/Bastard Records)

Is it an EP, a mini-album or a long player from a bunch of minimalists? “Monks in Sexyland” clocks in at just eight songs over 13 minutes but who cares what tag you give it. It’s a burst of good old school punk rock Fun with a capital ‘F’.

If you’re wondering about the title, speculate no more. The I-94 Bar does the hard re3search so you don’t have to. An Australian monk by the name of Venerable Chhet went to court two years ago in a bid to stop A Current Affair airing a TV story about the alleged use of a church credit card at a chain of sex stores.

• the owen guns
• sean the bastard
• monks in sexyland
• a current affair
• booker/bastard records

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