Steve Lucas' support of Child Wise is an X-cellent idea

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 April 2015

Hits: 5518

Some of Australia’s most beloved musicians are being brought together by one of Australian punk rock’s seminal figures for a one-off concert to raise funds in the fight against child abuse.

X frontman Steve Lucas is organising The Child Wise Benefit Concert on Tuesday, May 12 at the Thornbury Theatre in Melbourne. It's his second year and he's pulled together an impressive bill.

It includes ‘60s psych legend-turned-bluesman Russell Morris, Beasts of Bourbon and Cruel Sea frontman and solo artist Tex Perkins, ex-Queen of Pop Debra Anne Byrne, blues singer-harpist Chris Wilson, bassist Jerome Smith (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Rufus Thomas, Divinyls) and MC Brian Nankervis (Rockwizz.)  

• chris
• concert
• steve lucas
• child wise
• tex perkins
• russell morris

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Stoneage Hearts return with third album

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 April 2015

Hits: 6221

You may remember them from their 2002 debut album “Turn On With” fronted by Danny McDonald or “Guilty As Sin” (2004) with Perth legend Dom Mariani (Stems/Someloves) on guitar/vocals, but Melbourne’s Stoneage Hearts are back with a new line-up and record.

“Hung Up (On You)” is the newie on Off The Hip with the line-up of Tony Dyer (vocals/guitar), Simon Kay (lead guitar), Dave Hine (bass), plus mainstay skinsman Mick Baty.

What is the common denominator this time ‘round you as? Simple: Redd Kross.

• garage
• off-the-hip
• powerpop
• stoneage-hearts
• hung up on you

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Mazstock 2015 line-up announced

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 April 2015

Hits: 5900

Northern New South Wales’s favorite little all-day rock-fest MAZSTOCK will be returning.

This year's show goes back to the Lismore Italo Club on Saturday, May 16, and will showcase some of the best local and interstate rock and punk bands.

The day will be headlined by Sydney rockers Front End Loader, whose rare Lismore appearance will surely make this a Mazstock to remember.

Also making the trip north will be Australia’s favourite pair of pisshead-yob rockers, Adelaide’s The Meatbeaters and Canberra’s The Vee Bees. Joining the the shenanigans will be Wollongong’s BRUCE! and Sydney’s The Dunhill Blues.

• meatbeaters
• veebees
• mazstock
• lismore
• front end loader

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Play Your Favourite Stupid Songs - Flu Flu Birds (Action Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 April 2015

Hits: 4800

It’s almost a given that old rockers will put their amps aside from time to time, put on cowboy hats and play mildly ironic acoustic music full of songs about killing people and losing their girls. France’s Flu Flu Birds fit the bill on all fronts.

“Play Your Favourite Stupid Songs” is four tracks of hayseed cowpunk from members of The Stoneage Romeos and Ganbangers. Those names might not mean much to you but I can tell you that The Stoneage Romeos especially rock like motherfuckers. So you'd expect this diversion down a country backroad to be good.

• stoneage romeos
• flu flu birds
• play your favourite stupid songs
• action records

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Modern Low EP - The Tres Biens (TUG Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 April 2015

Hits: 4631

They’re from Bavaria in Germany and their name is French for “Very Goods” so is it any wonder most of the rest of the world thinks Europe is a confusing place? There’s nothing muddle-headed about the brand of rock and roll this four-piece pub rock band pumps out on this four-track vinyl EP, however.

Two guitars and edgy, strangled vocals sit pretty well around these parts and The Tres Biens have cornered their own part of the market. The sound borrows from English bands like Graham Parker and The Rumour (especially on the opener “Factory Boy/Factory Girl”) and the pacing is relentless.

• modern low
• tres biens
• germany

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Creeper Vine - Luke Escombe and The Corporation (Dri-Clean Only Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 April 2015

Hits: 4387

Between battling and building awareness about Crohn’s disease, writing and delivering comedy routines and playing bluesy rock songs, hyperactive Sydneysider Luke Escombe makes records. Here’s one of them - an EP, in fact - and it’s a fun ride.

“Creeper Vine” is a five-song package of observations on 21st Century urban life. Its stated musical reference points (Freddie King, Chuck Berry, Elvis) are as clear as its themes (coping through coffee; the role of the axe in a happy marriage; female Prime Ministers.)

It’s all played with spirit by a well-honed band that includes veteran bassist Harry Brus (Kevin Borich, Billy Thorpe.) Escombe does the singing and most of the guitar playing and is no slouch in either department.

• luke escombe
• creeper vine

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I Can See My Love b/w Over Under Sideways Down - The In-Sect (Ugly Pop)

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 April 2015

Hits: 4969

Putting parochialism to one side, Australian ‘60s punk is vastly underrated with all but those who dig deep, so this gem from Canadian label merits more than your passing attention. Originally issued in 1966 with a different (tamer) B side, it’s one of those catchy freakbeat classics that stands tall in any company.

The In-Sect were a show band who did what any of their ilk with an ounce of self respect did and mutated into a garage-beat outfit with no pretensions. Contemporaries of the Masters Apprentices, they had a handful of singles before fading away with members going on to Jeff St John, The Twilights and Ram Jam Big Band.

• masters
• apprentices
• yardbirds,
• ugly pop records
• in-sect
• i can see my love
• under over sideways down

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Something Quite Peculiar. The Church. The Music. The Mayhem. by Steve Kilbey (Hardie Grant)

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By The Barman

The Barman

09 April 2015

Hits: 6858

After nearly 40 years in the music industry, you can excuse Steve Kilbey for forgetting a few things. The lack of detail is the only real quibble with what’s one of the best Oz music reads of the last few years.

I approached this book with mixed feelings. Kilbey has a reputation for being a bit of a narcissist. The Church’s music is hit or miss for me - which is to say I left them alone after their first two albums, dipped back in at “Starfish” and walked away after the stodgy “Gold Afternoon Fix”, with only occasional revisits. So this was a book to be read from a position of not having much skin in the game.

Then I got sucked into the whole melodramatic, up-and-own, self-destructive and ultimately self-redeeming saga, and warmed to Kilbey’s flawed and fallible ways. I consumed “Something Quite Perculiar” in a couple of satisfying gulps.

• steve
• church
• kilbey
• somethjing quite perculiar
• autobioghraphy

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Hot Box 1974-79 – Destroy All Monsters (Munster Records)

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By The Barman

The Barman

08 April 2015

Hits: 7662

It’s high time this stuff was collected in one place. If you’ve no idea who Destroy All Monsters were, boy, you’re in the wrong place. If you are in the know, consider yourself lucky, take a pill and strap yourself in for a short history lesson.

Come the second half of the ‘70s, the Greater Detroit music scene was a forgotten No Man’s Land, an expanse of grey somewhere between the industry strongholds of New York City and the West Coast. The rabble-rousing and boundary-pushing of the cusp of the late ‘60s was gone, replaced by cover bands and blandness. Motown had moved to LA. Punk was just a figment of some future zine writer’s fevered imagination. Nobody cared about Detroit. 

• ron
• stooges
• asheton
• niagara
• destroy all monsters
• ann arbor

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