New Christs with The Overtones and 69BC in Sydney

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By The Barman

The Barman

18 June 2014

Hits: 7013

This Saturday night show in an old and recently re-opened Sydney venue was the last stop before Europe for the New Christs who were due to fly out two days later. It’s an odd atmosphere.

Tonight’s the first opportunity for friends and acquaintances of the late Christian Houllemare, longtime bass-player with the band, to gather and share their sorrow.

It’s less than a week since his passing and the mood is understandably muted.

• live
• new christs
• overtones
• 69BC

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Give It Time - The Revellions (Dirty Water Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

17 June 2014

Hits: 5493

Here’s an album that starts relatively sedately, grows a brass section and descends into off-kilter garage rock hell. If that sounds like a dissing, think again.

The Revellions are from Dublin in Ireland and have made a nine-song album of two distinct halves. The first recalls, at times, Boston institution The Lyres with its strong reliance on surging organ and wailing vocals, while the second goes to that noisy and mind-altered place where the Black Lips and The Oh-Sees reside. Soulful versus Trippy. Both bases covered. 

• garage
• dirty water records
• revellions
• give it time
• dublin

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Don’t Kill Rock ’n’ Roll - Simon Chainsaw (Kicking Records/Some Product/I Hate People)

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 June 2014

Hits: 7715

He writes songs in his sleep and records them before breakfast so assembling an album while on a two-year hiatus, back in his birthplace Australia, is no big deal for Simon Chainsaw, the Brazil-based power-punk road warrior. “Don’t Kill Rock ’n’ Roll” finds him in familiar surroundings, matching pop melodies with razor riffs in much the same way his Vanilla Chainsaws did 20-plus years ago.

• kicking
• simon
• chainsaw
• don't kill rock 'n' roll
• vanilla
• chainsaws
• drew

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Playing With Fire - The Prehistorics (Kill City)

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By The Barman

The Barman

14 June 2014

Hits: 5766

The Prehistorics are from Sydney, Australia - a much different one to the musical ghost-town of today. They’re firmly ensconced in the Sydney of 1985 when there was a band in a pub on every second street corner, blasting out high-energy rock and roll. This is their third album and it’s on a French label.

• prehistorics
• kill city
• playing with fire

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Magical Dirt - Radio Moscow (Alive Natural Sound)

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By The Barman

The Barman

14 June 2014

Hits: 7008

Radio Moscow’s “thing” is pretty easy to get your head around: Meandering but economical psychedelic guitar jams wrapped around bluesy vocals. Loud and comparatively clean with a dash of funk in the bottom end.

• radio
• alive
• alive naturalsound
• magical dirt
• moscow
• parker
• griggs

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Secret Fields, Spring Reverb, Personality Disorder Temperance League - Neptune Syline (Neptune Skyline Records)

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

13 June 2014

Hits: 7640

"I hallucinate music. I believe a lot of people do. And it's not always pleasant. I was struck by lightning when I was 15. True story. To this day I play in electrical storms. I figure I'm safe now." - Mike Pitts

These LPs form a trilogy by Portland, Oregon, musician Mike Pitts and his band, Neptune Skyline. Any and each are excellent. You'll recognise much within these songs, but you'll never be able to pin the origin down.

• secret fields
• mike pitts
• Personality Disorder Temperance League
• neptune

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Masters Apprentices singer Jim Keays passes

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 June 2014

Hits: 6578

One of Australia's all-time great rock vocalists, Jim Keays of the Masters Apprentices, has passed away today at the age of 67.

The 1998 ARIA Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee had been battling myeloma for some time and had been on life support since Monday.

The Masters Apprentices formed in Adelaide in 1967, rose to national promise and disbanded in 1972 after unsuccessfully trying to crack the UK market. Their songs "Turn Up Your Radio", "Because I Love You" and the snarling "Undecided"" (a garage rock classic) are embedded in the history of Australian music.

• jim keays
• masters
• apprentices

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Au Revoir Christian, from a bandmate and friend

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By Matt Galvin

Matt Galvin

12 June 2014

Hits: 25452

_{Christian Houllemare (centre) with the reformed Happy Hate Me Nots, with the author, Matt Galvin, next to him, second from the right . Mark Roxburgh photo}

It's hard to remember how I first got to know Chris Houllemare. Was I a fan, a friend or a bandmate?

I was 15 when The Happy Hate Me Nots released their first two singles, in 1985. I saw them by accident at the Strawberry Hills Hotel after walking down Foveaux Street (fuck, EVERYTHING is French this week) from a World Series Cricket one-dayer, and I used my bus pass as ID to get into a gig at Hurstville Master Builders club not long after.

I was smitten. It was kinetic, real lyricism, real heart, really fucking fast. All at once.

• happy
• matt
• galvin
• christian
• houllemare
• hate
• hhmn

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Steve Wynn and The Miracle 3 with Deniz Tek and The Bad Men live

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By Geoff Ginsberg

Geoff Ginsberg

12 June 2014

Hits: 8277

I had this one marked on my calendar for months. On paper it doesn’t get much better – two of my all-time favorites on one bill at an excellent venue. And, Steve was planning an all Lou Reed set.

I realized when Lou died that I loved him more than anyone I had never met. When he went, it wasn’t like when I lost my parents or other loved ones, but I had never met Lou, not even at a book signing or anything. And when he died I really felt the loss.

• deniz
• steve
• live
• wynne
• the miracle 3
• the bad men
• bowery
• electric

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