They've got a ticket to ride (they just need a train)

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 November 2025

Hits: 395

The new video for the single, "Will The Train Ever Stop At Banyo" by The Mick Medew & Ursula 4 has been released.  It's being streaing on all services or you can grab your own download copy here.

Filmed and produced by Tracey Walker,  it features Mick Medew (guitar, vocals), Ursula Collie (keyboards0, Lois Andrews (backing vocals, bass) and Stu McLaughlin (drums) and was written by Mick and Ursula. Production was by Stuart McLaughlin and it was mastered by Ernie O.

• video
• tracey walker
• mick medew and ursula 4
• will the train ever stop at banyo?

Belligerent Dickhead? He's been called worse

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

03 November 2025

Hits: 194

Theatre of Sorrow - Belligerent Dickhead (self released)

CAUTION: Smallish-scale own-trumpet tooting.

They do say that friends shouldn't review friends. Partly because friendship has an inherent bias, and partly because you could lose your friend. And your readership.

Personally, I think it's rather difficult to not meet musicians when you love music and hang in the same insalubrious establishments (usually smelling of stale beer and wee), which leads me to believe that vast swathes of music journos have, unbeknownst to the likes of us, given their mate's utter twaddle a firm thumbs-up. 

• theatre of sorrow
• belligerent dickhead
• marduk gault

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"Under The World" is all power and no self-pity

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

02 November 2025

Hits: 453

Under the World - Harry Howard with David McClymont (Monorail Music)

Like many break-up albums, “Under The World” mirrors our fears and losses. Unlike most albums in this genre, “Under The World”effortlessly avoids mopey me-me-me whining. Its lack of self-pity raises the bar of such experiences to the magisterial, touching on aspects of memory and forgiveness. Simple, powerful stuff which you can instantly relate to. 

No, I'm sorry, but this is one break-up albums which doesn't reference the bombastic and horribly overblown likes of Ronnie James Dio or Tina Arena. Because “Under The World” is like that David Lynch close-up of the white picket fence and the ideal home that you shudder at as soon as you see it. 

• near death experience
• harry howard
• crime and the city solution
• david mcclymont
• under the world
• orange juice
• the moodists

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No Trains, Planes or Automobiles were harmed in the making of the new Mick Medew and Ursula 4 single

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By The Barman

The Barman

01 November 2025

Hits: 447

The new digital single from Brisbane’s The Mick Medew & Ursula 4 has been released today. “Will The Train Ever Stop At Banyo” amplifies the frustrations of navigating urban public transport. Grab it at our Bandcamp or listen on all streaming platforms. 

Written by Mick Medew and Ursula Collie, recorded by Stuart McLaughlin and mastered by Melbourne sonic maestro Ernie O, the song namechecks Banyo on Brisbane’s Shorncliffe Line where the station’s accessibility upgrade is running six months behind schedule. 

• single
• screaming tribesmen
• mick medew and ursula 4
• banyo

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Better late than never,: Girl Monstar ready to uncage their second album

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By The Barman

The Barman

31 October 2025

Hits: 642

Trailblazing Melbourne garage-pop/hard rock band Girl Monstar are back with their first new music since 1992.

The new album with the very Rolling Stonesy title of  “GRRRR!!” will be released on January 27 via Vicious Kitten Records. Pre-orders are already open at the Girl Monstar Bandcamp here.

The first single “Blue Cat With Green Eyes: is out now and second single “Hate Train” is coming on November 20.  

Girl Monstar were the first all-female band to gain a national profile in Australia in the late '80s and early ‘90s.

(There's a mini documentary telling their story after the SEE MORE link.)

• vicious kitten
• girl monstar
• grrrr!!

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The Beasts are back with special guests announced

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By The Barman

The Barman

31 October 2025

Hits: 1119

The Beasts have announced the undercard and special guests for their one-off Sydney show to celebrate the legendary 1990 Beasts of Bourbon album “Black Milk” at The Factory Theatre on December 12.

Old friends The Johnnys were already main support and they’ll be joined by Richie Weed & Natalie De Silver performing as a duo. Starting the evening will be Unsound!

Joining The Beasts as special guest vocalists are Rob Younger (New Christs, Radio Birdman), Richie Weed (Tumbleweed) and Hellen Rose, who supplied backing vocals at the album’s sessions. Tickets are on sale here.

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Beating on the BRAT FARRAR

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2025

Hits: 568

Connoisseurs of underground garage punk and punk wave will be familiar with Melbourne’s BRAT FARRAR and they’re back in the saddle with a new release looming.

“Tower of Lies” is the digital single that hits all streaming services on November 7 as the precursor to the album “GROUP” released in February 2026 via Beast Records (France), Take The City Records (Spain) and Ghost Highway Records (Spain). Recorded by Idge at Soundpark, ‘GROUP” was mastered by the ubiquitous Mikey Young.

We've had a preview of "Tower of Lies" and it's a searing piece of steamroller punk rock. Pre-save it on Spotify here.

• beast records
• mikey young
• brat farrar
• ghost highway recordings
• take the city records
• GROUP
• tower of lies

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Chris Bailey's final Saints album out on November 28

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 October 2025

Hits: 1236

Two new tracks from the final Saints record, “Long March Through The Jazz Age”, have been released and the album will be out on November 28 on Fire Records. 

“Long March Through the Jazz Age” is the last recorded work by Chris Bailey and The Saints. It’s a moving farewell - a testament to a restless, uncompromising artist who always moved forward, one of rock’s great lyricists and iconoclasts.

You can stream the new tracks, “Gasoline” and “Carnivore (Long March Through the Jazz Age)” here. The CD or LP can be pre-ordered here.

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Songs Josh Lord taught us

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

29 October 2025

Hits: 536

And Now Is The Twilight Of Our Empire – Josh Lord (Music The Lord Taught Us)

It’s three songs and digital only. Produced by Loki Lockwood of Spooky Records. The eponymous title track, then “I Can No Longer Remember The Future” and “The Warm Embrace of Machine”.

What we have here might initially strike you as some very cleverly manipulated drone. However, “drone” is, along with terms like “ambient”, “post-punk” and “industrial”, an incredibly misleading descriptor. 

• spooky records
• loki lockwood
• josh lord
• And Now Is The Twilight Of Our Empire
• Music The Lord Taught Us

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