Wrong Side of Yesterday - Meatbeaters (Pressed Ham)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

18 July 2017

Hits: 5715

It’s not just the ripper cover of “Bomber” that summons up a Motorhead comparison but more on that later. This is Album Number Four for Adelaide’s Meatbeaters and it’s their best to date.

Meatbeaters are in a cohort of Aussie bands that you can classify as Yob Rock. Cosmic Psychos, the VeeBees, The Onyas and Shrewms all play it fast and aggressively with no concession to multiple chords or lyrical niceties. They also share a gutter-level sense of humour.

• meatbeaters
• cosmic psychos
• wrong side of yesterday

Read more …

Best of Crime Rock - Chain and the Gang (In The Red Records)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

17 July 2017

Hits: 4455

If de-constructed blues-garage rock pared back to its most basic elements is what you crave, here’s the album. “Best of Crime Rock” is all that and a bit more and one of the sneakiest records to seep out in 2017.

Stealthy, not because it’s mostly re-recorded versions of songs the band has committed to tape before, but for the way the music creeps up and embeds itself in your ears. There’s a dash of unhinged blues, a slice of funk and some pop in Chain and the Gang’s cooler-than-thou schtick that sets the band apart from almost any other.

• garage
• funk
• garage blues
• chain and the gang
• Ian Svenonius
• dischord records

Read more …

New Christs and James McCann and The New Vindictives bring fire to a cold Sydney night

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

17 July 2017

Hits: 6724

Sometimes you get all philosophical. The penny dropped on Saturday night, after a succession of $14 jugs of beer with a mate, that the New Christs are probably the band that I’ve experienced live for the longest number of years.

Of course there have been so many line-ups that a statement like that becomes very elastic. But the wrist stamps don’t lie...

And they go right back to 1984 when a loose and limber Rob Younger bounded onto the stage of Sydney’s Capital Theatre, fronting the band’s first live incarnation, in support of Iggy Pop.

That line-up of Chris Masuak, Tony Robertson, Mark Kingsmill and Kent Steedman (the Rifle later to be subbed by a Spider, Richard Jakimyszyn) might have been equalled by the “Distemper” one (Charlie Owen, Jim Dickson and Louis Burdett/Nick Fisher) but never bettered. The former had a brutal edge, the latter a bluesier, expansive feel with jazzy inflections.

The current configuration of Dickson, Paul Larsen, Dave Kettley and Brent Williams measures up nicely in the history of the New Christs, probably sitting at level-pegging with the late-‘90s line-ups. They’ve all served up differing sounds and brought something different to the stage, with the one constant being Younger’s undeniable presence and bitter-sour song-writing.

“Emotional Jihad” and “Word Salad” are terms that others have used down the years to describe Younger’s lyrical vision. You can’t do much better than that.  

• live
• new christs
• james mccann
• new vindictives
• rob younger
• marrickville bowling club

Read more …

Descent Into The Maelstrom: Brilliant documentary of a time, place and people

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

16 July 2017

Hits: 10921

_{Who's for popcorn? Rob Younger and Deniz Tek at the World Premiere.   Bruce Tindale photo} 

It’s been pissing down in Sydney for morer than 24 hours.  I wait in a corner window at the Imperial Hotel, watching the steady torrent of streaming cars, my eye on the entrance to the Chauvel Cinema, tucked away inside Paddington Town Hall. A homecoming of sorts, 40 years on.

Fortry years. No longer is Radio Birdman a part of the zeitgeist, no longer are they merely an immediately cognisable legend. The weaves of history, misinformation and untruth, as well as the shedding of members and other things, like time moving on … all these things have taken place, as with many bands of yore.

• radio birdman
• documentary
• descent into the maelstrom
• jonathan sequeira

Read more …

New Wave - Space Party (self released)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

16 July 2017

Hits: 4627

Australia’s national capital isn’t exactly known for its crop of present day garage bands, so Space Party is a pleasant surprise. 

They might even be Canberra’s only garage band, except their PR sheet helpfully says that they recruited their singer from another outfit called Okinawa Girls, so that means there are at least two. 

(Before any public servants send thoughtfully composed emails of complaint, it’s been many years since I lived in Canberra so I’m possibly talking through my arse. The place does have at least two regular live venues and a cool community radio station in 2XX, so there are signs of rock and roll life amongst the roundabouts and grim Stalinist architecture.)

• garage
• arctic circles
• canberra
• surf
• space party
• new wave
• ups and downs

Read more …

Humour and genial brilliance - that's The Undertones

Details

By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

14 July 2017

Hits: 7658

This is a bit of a rant, I’m afraid. 

Opening support band to The Undertones in Adelaide, The Green Circles ,were good - but as I was preoccupied rescuing my keys from inside my car with the help of the RAA, I only saw the last half of their set. They seemed a little awkward tonight. The Green Circles are well and truly superb, however, and if this was a slightly off night for them, I’d better see them again to make up for it. Find them on Facebook and get their cds.

Next support, The Systemaddicts, are on Off the Hip in Melbourne, and they are one exciting, involving, often very amusing band. You don’t really know what you’re missing unless you’ve seen them. Fucking brilliant.

• live
• adelaide
• systemaddicts
• the undertones
• the green circles

Read more …

More dates for Radio Birdman film

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

10 July 2017

Hits: 5958

^{Ron Keeley has his say in "Descent Into The Maelstrom"}

We've labelled it the "best rockumentary ever" and you can judge for yourself as Jonathan Sequeira's Radio Birdman film "Descent Into The Maelstrom" makes it way into even more Austrralian cinemas. Check with local cinemas for times. 

There are no overseas screening or release plans finalised yet. Australian dates after the fold:

• radio birdman
• documentary
• descent into the maelstrom
• jonathan sequeira

Read more …

He also served: Gang War drummer John Morgan and life in the trenches with Johnny Thunders and Wayne Kramer

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

09 July 2017

Hits: 20422

_{Gang War at Second Chance in Ann Arbor in 1979.  Sue Rynski photo}  

It’s said the drummer in a rock and roll band has the best seat in the house. It’s given John Morgan his unique perspective on some of rock and roll’s most talented, fascinating and sometimes flawed characters. 

Now living in Ventura, California, John Morgan’s spent half his life as a professional musician, playing with a long list of blues and jazz bands. But it’s his insights into two in particular: Gang War and Sonic's Rendezvous Band - the former as a partcipant, thw latter as an observer - that will hold the most interest for I-94 Bar patrons. 

• sonics rendezvous band
• mc5
• wayne kramer
• rob tyner
• ann arbor
• johnny thunders
• scott asheton
• rock action
• scott morgan
• ron cooke
• john morgan

Read more …

Sublime - Charlie Marshall and The Curious Minds (Charlie Marshall)

Details

By The Barman

The Barman

08 July 2017

Hits: 5150

The politics of science are far too complicated for anyone without a wardrobe full of white coats and double degrees to navigate, so Charlie Marshall does it for you on this intriguing album of soul-pop and rock.

Remember the concept album? Being anti-prog rock, your average 1970s punk would have had his or her fingernails wrenched out one-by-one with pliers before listening to that shit. “War Of The Worlds,” my arse! Marshall really has pulled off soemthing special here. He's managed to make a concept record without it sounding pompously affected, full of its own shit or boring.

• charlie marshall
• harem scarem
• sublime

Read more …