Smudge reform for anniversary tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 July 2014

Hits: 4819

Flashback to 1994. A momentous and tumultuous time for music.

The world tragically loses Kurt Cobain and tragically gains the Presley-Jacksons (yep, that happened); the Eagles reform and charge $100 a ticket for their shows; Woodstock re-hits New York state; Korn introduces nu-metal to the universe; "Parklife", "Definitely Maybe", "Grace", "Dookie", "Crooked Rain Crooked Rain" and "Stereopathetic Soulmanure" all hit the shelves… and somewhere amongst all of it, Sydney band Smudge releases its debut album, "Manilow".

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My Name is Charles 'Chicken' Diamond - Chicken Diamond (Beast Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 July 2014

Hits: 5403

It’s the third album for one-man bent bluesman Chicken Diamond and it marks another point on his descent into sonic hell. Ten songs of dirt-flecked distortion with a rusty sawtooth edge.

The Chicken’s coop is France where anything that has the odour of being musically underground is driven so far below the surface you’d need a miner’s helmet and a canary in a cage to find it. Thankfully, brave labels like Beast are around to facilitate tours of the aural subterranean catacombs and cast some light.

• beast records
• diamond
• chicken

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Psychotic Turnbuckles make a stand at the Lansdowne

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By The Barman

The Barman

09 July 2014

Hits: 5907

Pismo Beach rock and roll legends the Psychotic Turnbuckles returned to Sydney's Lansdowne Hotel on June 28 with BRUCE and Bunt in support. It was the first Turnbuckles show at the venue in 25 years. At the last one, Slash from Guns and Roses was in the crowd.

Click READ MORE for a gallery of stills from video footage shot by Luke Nukem on the night. 

• live
• psychotic
• turnbuckles
• lansdowne

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Yummy! - Hard-Ons (Citadel Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 June 2014

Hits: 6003

“Yummy!” marked the Hard-Ons’ arrival on a major label's promotional roster and you had to be mad, deaf, both or no longer breathing not to hear the greatness in the songs. A decade-and-a-half later with a re-mastering job in place, it sounds even better.

• Citadel
• hard-ons
• re-issue
• yummy

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The Man Is Back: A Tribute To Johnny Cash - Various Artists (Beast Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 June 2014

Hits: 6925

There’s a news story that’s been doing the rounds of mainstream media about a man with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who was given a brain implant that turned him into a Johnny Cash fan.

If you want to delve further, the journal “Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience” (yeah, I read every issue) describes the case of “Mr B”, a 58-year-old Dutch man who had suffered severe OCD from the age of 13. The insertion of a brain pacemaker apparently turned him into a follower of The Man In Black.

• jones
• johnny
• beast records
• spencer
• tex napalm
• cash
• tribute
• the man is back

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Pagan Day - PYPY (Slovenly/Black Gladiator)

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 June 2014

Hits: 5554

If Thee Oh Sees are a version of The Replacements for the Two-Thousand-And-Teens - as in critical darlings overlooked by the mainstream, including me in both instances - where does that leave Montreal’s PYPY? Playing this sort of fucked-up mix of psych, electronica and punk is not going you pigeonholed anywhere fast.

• slovenly
• black
• pagan day
• PYPY
• gladiator

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One night only: Television Addicts play The Victims

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 June 2014

Hits: 7402

This is the closest thing you'll see to a full-blown reunion of seminal Perth band The Victims.

For one night only, The Television Addicts will perform songs by The Victims with origional members Dave Flick (nee Faulkner), James Baker and Ray Ahn (Hard-Ons, Nunchukka Superfly) at Perth's Rosemont Hotel on August 9.

Tickets will be available from June 25 from www.oztix.com.au

• hard-ons
• dave
• faulkner
• victims
• james baker
• flick
• ray ahn

Spanish label revives Birdman tribute

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 June 2014

Hits: 5435

Fifteen years ago, US-based rabid rock and roll fans in Washington DC launched a mission to issue a tribute album to the songs of Radio Birdman played by what were then contemporary bands.

Reaction to the "Flattery" tribute was so positive that Jake Starr and Dave Champion were forced to package it as three standalone CDs through their Fandango Records and Nomad Records imprints.

Now well into the 40th anniversary year of Radio Birdman's first gig, Spanish label Ghost Highway has picked up the idea and will re-issue the cream as "(The Best Of) Flattery", a vinyl double LP, funded through crowd-sourced finance. The LPs will be accompanied by a 7" single.

• radio
• bellrays

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Preview: I Got A Right single by James Williamson and Lisa Kekaula

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 June 2014

Hits: 6262

• stooges
• bellrays
• james williamson
• lisa
• kekaula