A big streak of passion runs through Nevermore
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- By Ron Brown
- Hits: 3427
“Nevermore” - Dalicados (self released)
Hello Barflies! Dalicados are from Melbourne and have released “Nevermore”, a collection of well-crafted tunes from some of Australia’s most respected bands including The Chosen Few, I Spit On Your Gravy, Hunters and Collectors and Epic Brass.
“Nevermore” kicks off with a groovy track: “Make Hay While The Sun Shines” features great bass-lines, fabulous guitar-work and is a wonderful song to start off. “Simple As It May Sound” takes it down a notch. It’s very soulful and a touch sad.
Moonlight 5 rises again
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 4154
Lockdown Blues - Moonlight 5 (Aldora Britain Records)
Guitarist Ed Garland has one of those gut-bucket voices which command your attention. I can't tell you if Moonlight 5 will be significant or not; but they're certainly getting attention around the world at the moment. Their knowingly lopsided-shrug blues slubs along the railroad, fed up and helpless, waiting for the crows to poke at their carcass. Fabulous use of horns, too; comparisons to Tom Waits are inevitable but mistaken.
The clip for “Lockdown Blues” shows US chain-gang convicts through a sepia filter, with the additional topicality of the stupidvirus - which we're slaves to; both clips use a familiar US slavery/ convicts as an allegory for an Australian context - this doesn't usually work, but does here (you'll have to watch the clips now) because they hint at wider concerns. Either way, both are the kind of thing you want to show your friends.
Tree-changers strike a blow against RSL disc jockeys
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 2648
Gone Wrong - Son of Jaguar (Jagit Records)
This is a spirited collection of songs from a band of tree/sea changers living on the New South Wales North Coast. Assembled through a mutual desire to play music and drink beer in that nice part of the world, they’ve notched Album Number Two with “Gone Wrong”.
(Their first albuim is reviewed here.)
There are a myriad of influences at play – as you might guess from a band whose members’ experience includes playing in Headlifter, Grinspoon, King Pest and Mortal Sin – but Son of Jaguar sound like none of the above. “Gone Wrong” has melody and that distinctive Oz Rock rough-edged snarl, without the chugga-chugga rhythmic trappings.
Dapto Dogs deliver a magnificent debut
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 3267
Dapto Dogs – Dapto Dogs (Self-released)
Saw this outfit's first gig a few weeks back and they flipped everyone out. Their blend of early-mid-'70s re-discovering rock and glorious sonic romance has to be encountered to be believed. This is Tom Redwood's band when he's not being Troubadour Tom Redwood (and he's on guitar and vocals) and it's a four-track EP.
“Epic Fantastiche” was the gig opener (did I tell you I cannot wait to see this lot again?) and had everyone grooving from the get-go. On first listen, I thought: heavy fuckin' Can, krautrock, the motorik and the road goes on from here. The motorik you can, I think, mostly ascribe to Mike Wilczek, who has a style similar to the mighty Jaki Liebezeit. Anna Mobley's bass (she's well-known here fin Adelaide for her stalwart playing in Toxic Shock) is getting on for a stoner groove too (she did the artwork too).
Ben Gel's new take on punk's old traditions
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- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 3116
Is That Sarcasm You Taste On My Breath? - Ben Gel (Self-released)
Ben Gel's bands have a habit of punching the listener in the face numerous times before taking a shit on your dick. There's bags of intensity here, layered within this huge, battering rock'n'roll assault.
My last two reviews of Ben Gel for this site have been enthusiastic to say the least, and I'm afraid this review is no different. You need Ben Gel in your collection.
The last time I told you about Ben Gel, I commented that “there are a lot of notable underground rockers here in Adelaide who really should be household names - and Ben Gel is one ... Truth is this is another raucous, hammering EP which launches itself at your facemask and stuffs its virus down your gullet and drags you off to the racetrack.”
Get yourself some Therapy from Sonny Vincent
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 3098
Here's your first taste of the new album "Snake Pit Therapy" from old school New York City punk Sonny Vincent, out September 19 on Svart. Pre-orders are open here and you can read a rewview of his book by the same name here.
Kicking them out, Sydney-style
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 3804
Flippin’ Kick Outs – Flippin’ Kick Outs (self released)
Down a band member but with songs to play, Sydney’s Flipped Out Kicks became the Flippin’ Kick Outs in 2019 and broadened their musical palette.
Which is to say they still played garage punk but they markedly blurred the stylistic edges, tossing in some rockabilly and hard rock for good measure. This digital album is the fruit of their recent recording labours since COVID and it’s a pretty spiffin’ dose of the sort of street-level rock and roll that used to be par for the course in their hometown.
Hard-Ons premiere new song with Tim Rogers
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- By The Barman
- Hits: 3213
In case you missed it - Sydney's Hard-Ons, who have been cranking out their own brand of punk rock for nearly 40 years now) have announced the addition of a new frontman/singer in Tim Rogers from You Am I. And today they've released the first single and video with Tim on board, a tearaway punk-pop number called 'Hold Tight".
Tim is a long-time fan of the band, having first seen them play in his teens. And while he of course remains with You Am I as well, he has already recorded an album with the Hard-Ons. A tour was all set to go before lockdowns ramped up, and will definitely happen at some point.
The album “I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff's Been Taken” is out on October 8, and currently available for pre-order and pre-saving. The album will be released on CD, digitally, and in a number of different colors of vinyl, each available in strictly limited quantities. Originally it was just black vinyl and a run on orange - with the orange vinyl having nearly sold out already on pre-orders the band has now added a short blue vinyl run. Fans are suggested to go here to reserve their copies.
Go you good thing
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- By JD Stayfree
- Hits: 3689
She Feels Like a Good Thing – Ricky Rat (I-94 Recordings)
Some of you might know Ricky Rat from his many various recorded collaborations and world tours with such rocknroll all-stars as Texas Terri, Kevin K, Bootsey X & The Lovemasters, or even the post-Stiv Dead Boys, but to many of us midwestern punk rockers, he'll always be fondly revered for his trailblazing Detroit glam gang, Trash Brats, who really helped to co-author the ‘80s punk-roll underground scene.
Trash Brats shows were special events when all the diverse rock ‘n’ roll tribes came outta the closet to rub shoulders and get wasted to their joyful, exuberant, power pop mayhem and merriment. All the spiky haired rocker kids knew the words back then. They filled that room with bedlam and we all sang along.
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