The Owen Guns shoot to thrill with fucking idiots in their sights

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By Ed Garland

Ed Garland

01 June 2025

Hits: 1562

Songs About Fucking Idiots - The Owen Guns (Outtaspace Presents/Booker Bastard Records)

Those in the know about The Owen Guns’ piss-take attitude and wild performances are have caused “Songs About Fucking Idiots to almost sell out its first pressing in a week.  It’s a signal that the drawbridge has been pulled up and the posts are manned in society’s ivory towers as The Owen Guns are poised to seize the palace.

“Songs About Fucking Idiots” is sitting at number-three on the Australian Independent Records Chart, along with safer (and nicer) acts like Pete Murray and Kate Miller-Heidke.  It’s a massive achievement and reflects on The Owen Guns’ loyal following.

The Owen Guns have been around since 2020, led by Sean St Leone (aka Sean The Bastard),  a raconteur and smart-witted cynic who somehow crosses Uncle Fester from “The Addams Family“ with Dave Vanian from The Damned and ex-Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra.  

• aussie
• the owen guns
• sean st leone
• songs about fucking idiots

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The Dogs deliver renewed bite on new 45

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By The Barman

The Barman

31 May 2025

Hits: 501

Inside Out b/w Nothin’ To Do In Detroit – The Dogs (I-94 Recordings)

MC5 fans who were born in the Detroit suburbs in 1968, punk power trio The Dogs have been calling Los Angeles home for decades after smelling the roses in New York City and the UK. Their modest body of recorded work (two studio albums, a compilation and assorted singles) is formidable despite its skinniness and shows that while you can take The Dogs out of the Motor City, you really can’t do the reverse.

This 45 on I-94 Recordings (not our own I-94 Bar imprint) pairs The Dogs’ take on “Nothin’ To Do In Detroit”, a 1978 cut by late, great and lost Detroit outfit The Ramrods, with their own “Inside Out" on the flip, and is the 17^th in a series of similarly configured 45s.

“Inside Out” is a hard-driving slice of muscular riffing that lifts the roof. Loren Molinaire attacks the vocal and his guitarwork with equal relish and bassist Mary Kay-Dodson’s backing work kicks the chorus into gear before the song slides into before some bluesy lead guitar laced with sustain. The B side is a simple but effective ode to The Dogs’ and The Ramrods' birthplace that’s a tad repetitive - but maybe that’s the point.



Buy it

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• the dogs
• i-94 recordings
• the ramrods
• inside out

Henri Herbert heads to Australia to light some "Fire"

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 May 2025

Hits: 1432

He’s currently on the road in Japan and it’s Australia’s turn in June when boogie woogie and blues pianist extraordinaire Henri Herbert returns for live shows.

He's best known in Australian rock and roll circles for playing with The Jim Jones Revue, on their 2011 shows but on the global stage, the French-born and UK-raised Herbert is recognised for chalking up more than 100 million views on YouTube.

Herbert is now based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is constantly in demand in the USA. He'll mark his Australian shows with a formidable video single, a cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Fire”, which you can view after the MORE link

• jim jones revue
• australian tour
• henri herbert
• ezra lee

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Surf trio The Tommys on the single launch trail

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 May 2025

Hits: 651

After a 20-year hiatus, Melbourne slackabilly surf trio The Tommys are back on the live circuit and launching a new singe. 

Well pedigreed veterans Ollie Laurie (Exotics), Jonathan Lickliter (Died Pretty) and Rob Lastdrager (T Bones) are unveiling their red vinyl 45 single, “Born to Follow” b/w “Window Pane”, at the Old Bar in Fitzroy from 4pm on Saturday. June 7.

They'll also play a live-to-air on Melbourne community radio station 3CR's Burning Vinyl Radio show radio on the Friday between 2-4pm. 

The Tommys released their debut album, “Grow Fins”, way back in 2000 and the follow up single, “Chastity Melts”, recorded live and dirty at the Old Bar in Melbourne, four years later.

Reforming for Garage Fest 2024 they toured of duty in Cambodia and now they’re thrilling audiences in Melbourne and Sydney once more with their tsunami of lo-fi garage surf grooves.

Special guests The Kreep 500 are supporting with their own brand of savage howls with garage nous. A duo far beyond the sum of its parts (think Cramps, Scientists, Reigning Sound), their debut album sold out in months and its follow-up is due in late 2025 on the Groovie (Europe) and Off The Hip (Australia) labels.

• died pretty
• the old bar
• the tommys
• the kreep 500

After 50 years, it's the way he makes us feel

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

22 May 2025

Hits: 2272

Ed Kuepper
D.C. Cross
Camelot Lounge, Marrickville, NSW
Thursday April 25, 2025
PHOTOS: Judi Dransfield Kuepper photos

Ed Kuepper stormed across Australia last year with The Saints ‘73-’78, reclaiming the legacy of his partnership with the late Chris Bailey and the band they created when Ed was a 14-year-old on detention at school.

The Saints ‘73-’78 withstood the usual uproar from purists and the same arguments that had been wheeled out by fans of Queen, Dead Kennedys and the Sex Pistols when their original members were part of reconfigured line-ups.  The point with The Saints '73-'78 (and The Aints! before them) was that Ed was the bloke who co- wrote the songs and the one who had been tearing down musical walls since the original band split.

• ed kuepper
• laughing clowns
• the saints
• the saints '73-'78
• camelot lounge
• D.C. cross

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The Lemonheads weave a satisfying, sometimes sloppy spell over Sydney

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By Josh McNamara

Josh McNamara

21 May 2025

Hits: 2617

The Lemonheads
Crocodylus
Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Tuesday, May 20, 2025

The cars were not flying up King Street but it didn’t really startle me.

For a decade or so ago, following an apparent increase in alcohol related violence, the New South Wales Government introduced changes to liquor licensing laws in selective suburbs, mainly around Kings Cross, affecting entry into late night venues. Perhaps it did two things: shift the problem to Newtown, and decimate the local Kings Cross businesses, many of which were run by John Ibrahim, which was perhaps the intention all along.

But Newtown is now certainly busy to the point of traffic standstill on a Tuesday night, so much so I get out of my Uber early and walk the last kilometre, happily outpacing the cars to meet my buddy Pete.

• enmore theatre
• australian tour
• lemonheads
• 2025
• Crocodylus

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You'll be pissed off if you miss "The Kiss Off"

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By The Barman

The Barman

15 May 2025

Hits: 1375

Physical stock of the new Chris Masuak single (and the swansong for his killer Spanish band The Viveiro Wave Riders) has landed in Australia and is now shipping.

“The Kiss Off” b/w “Carny Marriage” is on US label Savage Magic Records, and we’re selling a limited number via the I-94 Bar Bandcamp site. If you're overseas, the Savage Magic Records Bandcamp may be your most economical choice or drop us a line This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll quote on postage. 
 
A reminder that the global premiere of the film clip for "The Kiss Off" is imminent and the Facebook event will give you a reminder.

The clip goes live on YouTube at  at 4pm US Pacific Time on Friday, May 16 or 9am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, May 17 

Masuak has new studio material underway with both his other Spanish band The Revelators and the Australian line-up of Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier. Stay tuned for details of Australian dates for Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier later this year. 

• chris masuak
• savage magic records
• chris masuak's dog solider
• the kiss off

Sydney's MoshPit Bar marks eight years with free 16-band line-up

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By The Barman

The Barman

09 May 2025

Hits: 1887

_{The Strike-Outs' Simon and Adam Vines will headine Saturday night's gig.}

Sydney’s favourite dive bar, The MoshPit, is marking its eighth birthday with two nights and a day of wall-to-wall rock and roll – and it’s free.

It kicks off on Friday, May 16 at 7:30pm with Newcastle’s Jacques Levy's Desire. The first band to play the venue, Blurter, is back at 8:20.

Young guns Pocketwatch plan to get the joint jumping at 9:10 and will show off tunes they recorded with multi-ARIA award winning producer Wayne Connolly, plus a few others. Veterans Jupiter 5 bring the Sabbath-meets-The Sonics riffarama-lama at 10pm. The indie sleaze of Aria Nova is on at 11pm and plays out until close.

• jupiter 5
• the stallers
• pocketwatch
• moshpit bar
• the strike-outs

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The Dunhill Blues are still shaking things up, two decades down the track

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By The Barman

The Barman

08 May 2025

Hits: 2640

The Big Shake Up! Vol 2 – The Dunhill Blues (Evil Tone/Outta Space)

Never mind the confusing title (Volume 2? Where’s Volume 1?) For those who are numerically challenged (guilty as charged) or not watching closely, this is the fifth full album for The Dunhill Blues. And their best yet, for a number of reasons.

Throughout their 20-odd year career, The Dunnies have been a shifting cast of players, with Dan (vocals and guitar) and Adam (bass and vocals) the constants. They could be a hit or miss proposition on any given night or recording session, depending on how many beers they had on board. 

The band’s mission was always to have fun while rummaging through garage rock’s trash - and if you didn’t like that, there were always Powderfinger gigs to fall asleep at.

• the dunhill blues
• evil tone records
• outtaspace records

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