Fact and Fiction: Rob's odds and sods collection throws up a Murderously great single

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By Edwyn Garland

Edwyn Garland

20 August 2024

Hits: 1267

Demolition – Rob Griffiths (Swerve Records)
The Girl Belongs To Yesterday Rob Griffiths (digital single through Swerve Records)

As long as I've been a music fan, I've regularly become obsessed with particular songs. At age 10, it was “Devil Gate Drive” by Suzie Quatro. It was “Department of Youth” by Alice Cooper at 12. It would be “London Calling” by The Clash and “Another Girl, Another Planet” by The Only Ones in my late teens.

I'd buy a single and replay a song again and again. The tune would stay my head for weeks and I would wear out that seven- inch single until it was a crackling mess.

I came across “The Girl Belongs To Yesterday“ by Rob Griffiths a few weeks ago on Facebook and like all the classic three-minute singles, I replayed it again and again. Just like that kid bringing home a seven-inch vinyl by Suzi Quatro or Alice Cooper. Except this one’s a download.

• steve lucas
• dollsquad
• joey bedlam
• little murders
• rob griffiths
• the fiction
• demolition
• swerve records
• the girl belongs to yesterday
• adam learner

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Sacred Cowboys saddle up again with live return and anthology

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 August 2024

Hits: 2619

^{Nothing Grows on St Kilda Beach: Original Sacred Cowboys in their element.} 

Eclectic label Kasumen Records is marching past its 10^th anniversary with some compelling releases and the latest is “Cowboy Logic”, a compilation douible CD anthology of Sacred Cowboys live and studio material.

The band will return to live stages at Shotkickers in Thornbury, Melbourne, on October 11, trckets for which are here.

Founders Garry Gray (ex-Negatives) and Mark Ferrie(The Models) will be joined in the new line-up by Tim Deane (Ron Peno's Superstitions), Anthony Paine (Black Cab) and Damian Fitzgerald (Sore Eyes.) There are plans to record a new album and to play more shows.

• sacred cowboys
• kasumen records
• mark ferrie
• cowboy logic

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Starcrazy signals imminent album release with "I Ain't That Crazy"

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 August 2024

Hits: 1210

Brash Sydney glam-pop-rockers Starcrazy are releasing their self-titled debut album on October 18 and have unveiled a teaser film clip. “I Ain’t That Crazy” was written by bassist Jack Barratt and produced by Mo Mayhem (Mucho Sonar, ex-Hell City Glamours). The video was shot by Connor Barratt. You can stream it here.

Announcing the album, the band says: “This release successfully transports the fire and glitter of our live performances into the recording studio with no loss of heat or dynamics. We’ve been a band for over four years now and feel that with this full length release, we’ve finally honed in on our own sound.

• pop
• sydney
• glam
• starcrazy
• i an't that crazy

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Brando's risen to deliver one rocking album

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By Robert Brokenmouth, The Barman & Ronald Brown

Robert Brokenmouth, The Barman & Ronald Brown

14 August 2024

Hits: 3169

Brando Rising – Brando Rising (self-released)

And, PLAY LOUD. What a fuckin' sound!

Ooooh, you're in for a stompin', whompin' treat. Only 100 copies, so get it while you can. Right, so, it's taking me a while to get my head round the enormity of this, okay? There's lots to pay attention to, which isn't at all possible, so endless re-listens are on the cards.

It's taken Brando Rising a little while to put this out, and from Kelly Hewson's muscular, sinewy opening bars to vocalist Ripley Hood's closing shouts, you're hooded, grabbed, stuffed unceremoniously into the boot and taken for a bumpy, gritty ride to into some sort of moral swamp. God knows what your babbling explanation for skimming the casino take will be, but you know you're in trouble ... and you'll have “Brando Rising” on repeat in no time flat.

• hitmen
• lime spiders
• tony robertson
• brando rising
• ripley hood
• kelly hewson
• steve whan

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Vi-Nil's Newcastle compilation hits the mark again

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 August 2024

Hits: 1663

Indie Sounds from Newy and The Hunter – Various Artists (Vi-Nil Records)

He’s never been seen in anything other than a T-shirt and one of his own label’s trucker caps, but it’s easy to picture Vi-Nil Records label boss Mark Fraser as the Pied Piper of the New South Wales Central Coast and Newcastle music scenes.

The analogy has to stick like baby shit to a blanket after the release of his second collection in the Indie Sounds series. Fraser is batting 2-0.

Picking a bunch of local bands and presenting two songs each on CD and vinyl is some brave/crazy idea in these days of diminishing economic returns.

• mark fraser
• drugs in sport
• howlin' rats
• vi-nil records
• mucho sonar
• Indie Sounds from Newy and The Hunter
• goon gremlins
• boudicca
• i hate people
• butterknife
• jan
• trashed again

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Hands down, "Brut" is a wonderful trip

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

11 August 2024

Hits: 1491

Brut - Gentle Ben and his Shimmering Hands (Beast Records/Spooky Records)

You dug Six Foot Hick? Of course you did. Gentle Ben and his Sensitive Side? Sure. 

But it's 2024. And “Brut'” is here. 

The Shimmering Hands are Jhindu Pedro-Lawrie on drums, Dan Baebler on bass, and Tony Giacca on guitars. Ben Corbett handles the vocals... 

The Bandcamp blurb explains; “The themes of BRUT range from a fraught, taught exploration of the broken bodies, hearts and minds of our capitalist hellscape (‘Spices’) to wailing rock and roll eulogies (‘De Bliksem’, ‘No Encore’), a drifting death-country ode to colonialism (‘Five Stars’) to bloody kitchen sink drama (‘Tactical Empathy’).”

• beast records
• spooky records
• sixfthick
• gentle ben and his shimmering hands
• brut
• ben corbett

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Pocketwatch plans to Break Out in Sydney this Friday

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 August 2024

Hits: 1390

_{Photo by Emma Wand Photography.}

Sydney prodigies Pocketwatch will release their latest EP, “Break Out”, this Friday with a high-profile show at Marrickville Bowlo with supports Liquid Zoo and Overboard. Tickets are selling here.

“Break Out” is a four-track EP produced by multiple ARIA winner Wayne Connolly that continues to showcase the band’s established power pop sound while exploring new creative directions.

• wayne connolly
• pocketwatch
• break out

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Pocketwatch plans to Break Out in Sydney this Friday

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 August 2024

Hits: 883

_{Photo by Emma Wand Photography.}

Sydney prodigies Pocketwatch will release their latest EP, “Break Out”, this Friday with a high-profile show at Marrickville Bowlo with supports Liquid Zoo and Overboard. Tickets are selling here.

“Break Out” is a four-track EP produced by multiple ARIA winner Wayne Connolly that continues to showcase the band’s established power pop sound while exploring new creative directions.

• wayne connolly
• pocketwatch
• break out

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Amazing Grace

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

11 August 2024

Hits: 1505

Grace Cummings and Band
Metro Social Club, Sydney
Saturday, August 3 2024
Photos: Sandra Kingston

Grace Cummings is a once-in-generation Australian artist.

It is two years since I first caught her at the Great Club in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner-west, with less than a hundred others on a cold Thursday night.

It was a show by a remarkable artist with swagger and brutally heart wrenching songs that left us in awe.

Accompanied by a band with attitude, she took her vocals from a whisper to paint-stripping level, leaving the hairs on your arms standing up.   

Her remarkable album “Storm Queen” has been on my turntable regularly since, but her records don’t fully capture the live experience.

• sydney
• ramona
• grace cummings
• metro social
• louis king

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