Reckless – The Sports (Festival/Warner) and Don’t Throw Stones – The Sports (Festival/Warner)

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 February 2015

Hits: 5552

There’s too much here to consume in one sitting or even two. Reanimator To The Stars (by Royal Appointment), Sir David Laing, has packed these deluxe editions of The Sports’ first two albums with enough bonus material to weigh down a Melbourne Cup certainty

For the uninitiated or the downright forgetful, The Sports sprang out of Melbourne’s fertile Carlton Scene in 1976 and petered out in 1981, but only after a run of four albums that spawned a slew of catchy Australian chart singles.

• sports
• stephen cummings
• martin armiger
• andrew pendlebury
• reckless
• don't throw stones

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Replacements announce US tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 February 2015

Hits: 4038

The reformed Replacements have announced a run of US tour dates in the wake of recent sporadic festival appearances.

Original bandmates Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson, plus guitarist David Minehan and drummer Josh Freese, will also play shows in London, Amsterdam and Spain and are reportedly considering recording a new studio album.

The Replacements were the archetypal college radio slop-rockers of the '80s and an enormous influence on a generation of US bands. 

• live
• tour
• replacements
• primavera

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Smelling like roses: Pretty Thing Dick Taylor on "Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky"

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By The Barman

The Barman

09 February 2015

Hits: 9916

They’re entering the 53rd year of this career thing but guitarist Dick Taylor and his band, the Pretty Things, aren’t showing any signs of calling it a day.

With a vinyl only live record (“The Pretty Things Live at The 100 Club”) recently released and a new studio album ("The Sweet Pretty Things Are In Bed Now Of Course" ) in the wings, the Pretties have gone a step further by unleashing what’s probably the last word in box sets.

“Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky” (on Madfish through Snapper) does the band’s considerable legacy justice, bringing all of the 11 studio albums together, along with two documentaries and a brace of CDs of rare or previously unreleased material, beautifully presented in one compelling package.

• dick
• pretty things
• taylor
• phil may
• bouquets from a cloudy sky
• snapper

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Sports return to the stage

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By The Barman

The Barman

05 February 2015

Hits: 6015

Melbourne rock-pop legends The Sports will re-convene for a couple of live dates in their hometown in May.

Principal members Stephen Cummings, Martin Armiger and Andrew Pendlebury will be joined by keyboardist-guitarist James Black, drummer Peter Luscombe and bassist Mark Ferry for gigs at Memo Music Hall in St Kilda on May 8 and 9.

• martin
• andrew
• when the sun sets over carlton
• sports
• stephen cummings
• armiger
• pendebury

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Revolutionary Action – Scott Morgan (Easy Action)

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 February 2015

Hits: 7262

In which the complete recorded works of the 1980s and ‘90s are compiled on one double CD set, spanning 38 tracks.

You have to give it to Easy Action. They know how to package a legacy. And Scott Morgan, of course, has had lots of legacy to restore.

Michigan’s Best Kept Musical Secret had been around the metaphorical block a few times by the time the ‘80s rolled around, but up until that point his bands hadn’t produced many recordings. If he hadn’t invented blue-eyed soul, Morgan played a big part in its arrival in the '60s when front-man for Ann Arbor’s Rationals who took a detour into soulful, pastoral-flecked psych before running out of steam. 

• easy-action
• sonics rendezvous band
• stooges
• scott
• morgan
• mc5
• revolutionary
• means

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Touched – The Nice Folk (self released)

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By The Barman

The Barman

30 January 2015

Hits: 6207

“Touched” LP is this six-piece Wollongong band’s second full studio album release in eight years. Their last long player (“Devil at My Door”) passed by the Bar without dropping in for a beer, so I’m not up-to-speed with everything that’s occurred along the way.

The thing I know is that there’s a marked difference between “Touched” and the early “Guide To Sedation & Isolation” EP, so let’s focus on that.

• rock
• swamp
• wollongong
• nice
• folk
• touched
• guide to sedation & isolation
• devil at my door

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Love takes Steve Lucas back to his single beginnings

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 January 2015

Hits: 9934

Mainstream media’s full of stories about the re-birth of vinyl, but anyone with half a clue knows the format never died. What’s glossed over in all the breathless reportage about black platters is the Art of the Seven-Inch Single. Consider the facts…

Back in rock and roll’s heady days of the ‘60s - long before FM radio and the LP format took hold - singles were the deatyh or glory, one-shot-at-the-prize for many bands. The A side of a 45 was a distillation of a band’s essence. The B side was for experimenting.

Melbourne musician Steve Lucas is a big fan of the 45 and acutely aware of the place in music that the format holds.

• lobby
• loyde
• aztec records
• ian rilen
• steve lucas
• pubert brown fridge occurrence
• dollsquad
• joey bedlam

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Pink Fairies hit the studio

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 January 2015

Hits: 4138

UK proto-punk pioneers the Pink Fairies have been in the recording studio.

The current line-up - including Andy Coulquon and including Sandy Sanderson -  went into Brighton Electric studios on January 18 and recorded three new songs for an upcoming record: “Skeleton Army”, “ You Lied To Me” and “Naked Radio”.

The Pinks have been playing sporadic live dates in the UK throughout 2014. No word on a release date or label but we’ll keep you informed. 

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• fairies

Sydney rocked by sudden loss of Hell Crab City's Scott Barker

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 January 2015

Hits: 10865

Sad news: Singer and guitarist for Sydney band Hell Crab City, Scott “Grogan” Barker, has passed away suddenly at the age of 51.

Friends say Groges appears to have had a heart attack earlier today. 

Hell Crab City immediately cancelled an appearance at the multi-band Punk Rock Bar-B-Q at Sydney’s Town and Country Hotel.

Previously of punk band Jim Cobain, Scott had been a fixture in Hell Crab City since the band formed in 2003.

Hell Crab City has released two albums with a third part-finished. 

Scott's shock loss is reverberating through the Sydney music community with outpourings of grief all over social media.

Bandmates posted on Hell Crab City’s Facebook page: “Undisputedly, the nicest guy in rock'n'roll, his love for his family and for his music was total and unequivocal.

“Naturally, we're all incredibly stunned, and to say that we loved him and will miss him is clearly understating it.”

Scott is survived by his partner Zara and son Harry. 

• scott
• hell crab city
• barker
• grogan
• jim-cobain