Ninth album sets up Little Murders for a big night

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 September 2024

Hits: 781

• little murders
• rob griffiths
• under northern lights

It was 45 years ago when Melbourne’s Little Murders released the single “Things Will Be Different” on Au Go Go Records. The single put Little Murders and Au Go Go on the musical map, quickly selling out two pressings and garnering praise from around the world, including from Greg Shaw's BOMP! magazine.

In 1981, Little Murders were the leading mod band in Melbourne and went on to release three more singles and the “STOP” album before disbanding.

Between then and now,  the reconstituted Little Murders have released eight studio albums, two compilations and a live record, toured Japan, had a documentary made about them, recorded in Los Angeles and had international and local artists record their songs for a tribute album. Which brings us to the here and now. 

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Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders heading to Australia, sorry, Victoria

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 September 2024

Hits: 1085

• lazy cowgirls
• australian tour
• pat todd and the rankoutsiders
• victoria

The good news: The much anticipated Australian tour by ex-Lazy Cowgirls frontman Pat Todd and his band The Rankoutsiders is on. The bad news: The tour is restricted to one state.

Pat Todd’s Aussie solo dates with Mad Macka of the Cosmic Psychos were a stand-out of 2023 and he promised to be back. Unfortunately, limited time and economics mean Victoria will host all five dates of the run. 

So if you’re anywhere else, book an air ticket. If can't, take consolation that you’ll be able to stream a live-to-air on 3PBS-FM before the live shows proper start.

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders
NOV
6 – PBS live to air
7 – Trash Cult, Bendigo, VIC
7 - Shedshaker Taproom, Castlemaine VIC
8 – The Tote, Collingwood, VIC
9 – River Rocks, Barwon Club, Geelong
10 – St Kilda Bowls Club, St Kilda, VIC
11 – Last Chance Bar, Melbourne, VIC

Feel the heat as Rockafella get all deep and meaningful (not really)

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 September 2024

Hits: 922

• grindhouse
• rob younger
• deep heat
• rockafella

Deep Heat – Rockafella (Tuff Cuff Records)

We’ve all heard about the “difficult” second album, but this takes some beating.

A quarter century spans the debut and the follow-up for Wollongong’s Rockafella. To be fair, a band breaking up will do that. evrery time..

The good news is that the lay-off hasn’t done them any harm, and if you're a vinyl junkie, you'll be stoked that their return to the record racks is in the form of a meaty, thick 180gm slab that's been cut to make a big noise. 

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Van Ruin's Phil Van Rooyen and his rock and roll family affair

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

22 September 2024

Hits: 860

• chickenstones
• panadolls
• celibate rifles
• al creed
• crankinhaus records
• evan richards
• phil van royen

_{Van Ruin (the band) are bassist Pete Trifunovic (Mushroom Planet and Sonic Garage), Phil Van Rooyen, guitarist Al Creed and  drummer Stu Wilson preparing for their live debut this weekend past.}

Van Ruin is, I suppose, the Australian way of pronouncing Phil Van Rooyen's surname. Perhaps best known to I-94-Barflies as one of the guitarists and vocalists in Manly's finest, Chickenstones, Phil has also been a mainstay of Panadolls, the Circus Chaplains, and Sonic Garage. Van Ruin is also the name of his new solo band. 

Phil's influences have always been worn on his fretboard; phrasing seems not so much Detroit rock but more Radio Birdman, New Christs, Celibate Rifles or even Died Pretty ... That said, he developed his own way of thinking and playing long ago; to my mind, he's a distinctive and, with other writing partner and Chickenstones bandmate,  Andy Doc Temple Ellard, a very under-rated musician and songwriter.

The debut EP by Van Ruin, "Jails, Death & Institutions”, is out now on Crankinhaus Records so I asked Phil a few questions.

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MC5 to be honoured - by real people back home

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 September 2024

Hits: 1256

• fred smith
• mc5
• wayne kramer
• rob tyner
• dennis thompson
• michael davis
• lincoln park
• lincoln park historical museum
• leni sinclair

_{Original image by Leni Sinclair.}

A few hours before the clueless moguls of the music industry rattle their jewelry at a black-tie knees-up in Cleveland to officially induct the MC5 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Lame, a more appropriate commemoration will take place in the band’s home state of Michigan.

Friends and supporters will gather at Memorial Park in Lincoln Park - the city where Rob Tyner (Derminer), Wayne Kramer (Kambes), Fred Smith and Dennis Thompson (Tomich) attended high school - from 3pm on the afternoon of October 12.

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Gentle Ben kicks off tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

20 September 2024

Hits: 522

• tour
• gentle ben and his shimmering hands

Rock noir extraordinaire exponents, Gentle Ben and His Shimmering Hands, kick off their Australian East Coast tour to promote their album “Brut” at The Cactus Room in Melbourne tonight with Screensaver and Tali & The Arms.

After that it’s off to Major Tom’s in Kyneton (September 21). Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney (with The Holy Soul on September 27) and The Bearded Lady in hometown Brisbane (with Refedex and Anna & The Morphics September 27).

The band fronted by Ben Corbett (SixFtHick) is fresh from a blistering run of 13 shows in France including the prestigious Binic Festival (pictured above).

Gentle Ben & His Shimmering Hands
SEP
20 – The Cactus Room
Tickets
21 – Major Tom’s, Kyneton
– Major Tom’s
27 – Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW 
Tickets
28 – The Bearded Lady, West End, QLD
Tickets

Los Chicos back to notch Aussie Tour Number Seven

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 September 2024

Hits: 1890

• los chicos
• australian tour
• 2024
• never is too much
• mike mariconda

Genre-hopping Spanish garage-punk/country/gospel/soul luminaries Los Chicos are set to tour their home away from home, Australia, for the seventh time this November, and will release their eighth album, “Never Is Too Much”, to coincide.

Produced by Mike Mariconda (guitarist of the legendary Raunch Hands and producer of classic albums by the Cosmic Psychos, Powder Monkeys and New Bomb Turks). “Never Too Much” is out on Cheersquad Records & Tapes on November 1.

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Perfect pop and a touch of glam pulls a crowd at Clyde's birthday bash

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 September 2024

Hits: 1459

• sunnyboys
• clyde bramley
• new christs
• the on and ons
• richard burgman
• celibate rifles
• marrickville bowling club
• paul larsen
• glenn morris
• brian morris
• phil hall
• the hovering spooks

_{Glenn Morris of The On and Ons.}

The On and Ons
(aka Clyde Bramley's 70th Birthday Bash)
+ The Hovering Spooks
Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
Sunday, September 15, 2024

Sunday afternoons at the Bowlo have become a Sydney institution for live music goers of a certain vintage. This one had the added attraction of being a celebration of On and Ons bassist and all-round nice guy Clyde Bramley’s 70th birthday, so there was ample reason for the big crowd in evidence.

First up, The Hovering Spooks and the bands that their members haven’t played in can be accommodated on the big end of a pin. These Spooks bill themselves as psych but that label’s about as imprecise as they come these days. How about pre-proto-punk dressed-down glam?

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Deadbeats, making no excuses for growing old DISGRACEfully

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 September 2024

Hits: 1070

• cramps
• celibate rifles
• john cobbin
• DISGRACEland
• Bright Lights & Dead Beats
• carl musker

Bright Lights & Dead Beats – DISGRACELand (self released)

It’s hard to translate a live band to tape/hard drive, but DISGRACE Land have given it a damned good shot on their sophomore CD “Bright Lights & Dead Beats”. In doing so, they’ve also wound the clock back to Sydney circa 1986 when the city resonated with the sounds of the garage and the swamp in equally large measures.

“Bright Lights…” is a major sonic advance on “A Beginners Guide to DISGRACEland” and that’s largely down to engineer, mixer and masterer John Cobbin, but the band gave him the songs and performances to make it fly.

It’s a no-frills recording but the energy is palpable on songs like the surging “Sweet Salvation”, brooding opener “Border Town” and the urgent and lean “Better Call Saul”. Granted, you don’t get frontman Carl Musker jumping on top of your stereo to preach at you in person but listening to the CD is the next best thing.

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