Killer split-single on its way to six winners

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By The Barman

The Barman

01 January 2020

Hits: 3607

The winners of our Fantastic Mess Records/Baby 8/Penny Ikinger single giveaway are:

David Lowrie of Inverclyde in Scotland
John Arvantis of Highbury, South Australia
Georgia Kenndy of Bayswater, Western Australia
Fred Therag of Haan in Germany
Mark Littler of Warriewood in New Soth Wales and;  
Bob Blunt of Erskineville, Nw South Wales.

Congratulations all, keep an eye on your letterboxes.

• penny ikinger
• contest
• baby 8
• fantastic mess records

Finally, a box set worth the bucks

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By Craig Norman

Craig Norman

01 January 2020

Hits: 4334

1979 - Motorhead (BMG)

You all know who Motorhead are. You may dig them, you may not – although I can’t fathom how any true rock fan couldn’t. For mine, there has never been a more authentic, hard-hitting, long-lasting, and utterly committed rock band. Frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister frequently opined that they were simply than the dirtiest rock and roll band on the planet, disagreeing with the oft-applied heavy metal label.

As a teenager in the '80s they were definitely metal to me – they were louder, faster, and grittier than anyone else – but with the benefit of hindsight, I understand why he proclaimed: “We Are Motorhead – And We Play Rock And Roll” at the start of every gig for their last few decades. Having said that, without doubt they inspired generations of metal bands, as well as many in other genres.

• live
• box set
• motorhead
• 1979
• lemmy kilmister
• philthy animal
• bomber
• overkill
• fast eddie clarke
• phil taylor
• hawkwind
• bmg
• bronze records

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Cooking with gas

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By The Barman

The Barman

31 December 2019

Hits: 4589

Well Cooked! - Wild Zeros (Heavy Medication Records)

To say there’s anything new in the rock and roll zoo is simply a crock. Recycling is de rigeur but that doesn't equate to a negative. Dig in the right places and you’ll find stuff to light you up good and proper, even if it's been worked over like a re-birthed Renault. Here’s a case-in-point.

French band Wild Zeros are your basic punk rock trio with a bit of musicality. They proffer a bunch of rough-edged riffs and ragged melodies - in the style of The Devil Dogs and the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs. They don’t do anything especially new, but what they do is good and they make their own mark in their own way.

• garage
• french
• radio birdman
• jerry spider gang
• lo spider
• heavy medication records
• wild zeros
• well cooked!

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Klondike and The Outside announce French tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

31 December 2019

Hits: 4094

Chris Masuak is back on the road with his Anglo-French-Spanish band The Outside in France in February.

The Outside features Gregory J Bowen, expat Australian, on guitar, Juan Martinez El Kara on drums and French bassist Bruno Mondo. As the tour billing says, this will be the last time. Watch chrismasuak.net for updates. 

FEB
13 - L'Armony, Montreuil
14 - Piano Bleu Saint Brieuc
15 - Le Galion, Lorient
17 - Mondo Bizarro, Rennes (with Supersuckers)
18 - - Nantes, La Cour

 

• french
• hitmen
• tour
• radio birdman
• chris masuak
• the outside

Intercept this

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 December 2019

Hits: 4785

Black Interceptor b/w Bee-Music - 50LgE (Rare bone Records)

Ensconced in sub-tropical Far Northern New South Wales - where the hippies are numerous and the sheep would be scared if they weren’t so mellow - 50LgE is a band that clearly likes to do things its own way. 

You’d issue your debut single as a 12-inch slice o’ vinyl, right? Cheap to ship (not). Although the included download card is a nod to modern technology, that’s a lot of vinyl to hold two songs and the run-out groove goes forever. 50LgE have their own DJ cranking garage rock tunes between sets, and also boast their own brand of beer. Now you’re talkin’…

First, the intros: This is a garage rock-influenced trio whose number includes ex-The Eastern Dark drummer Geoff Milne, bassist DB (ex-The Tellers - from Brisbane) and guitarist Tone Changer, whose own cv includes a spell in the Psychotic Turnbuckles back when he was a kid. So you know that two of them have had the good sense to get out of Dodge (aka Sydney) and make a tree change.

• psychotic turnbuckles
• garage rock
• 50LgE
• The Eastern Dark
• the tellers
• bee-music
• black interceptor

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Jangle-pop near perfection that doesn't wear out its welcome

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 December 2019

Hits: 4277

Modern Architecture EP - Danny McDonald (Popboomerang Records)

As the former Oscarlima and Jericho frontman, P76 leader and onetime member of Little Murders, Danny McDonald should need no introduction. But if you're curious about on of the most ybderrated purveyors of Aussie guitar pop and want a jumping-in point, his new EP is as good a place as any.

Danny plays guitar and writes pithy, Australian-tinged songs with depth and there are five crackers on "Modern architecture". They range from punky-pop to jangle-rama and are chockfull of melody and fire. McDonald has armed himself with a sterling engine room (Tim Mills on bass and David Klynjans on drums), a stellar vocal partner in Anna Burley (Killjoys) and an ace producer in Craig Pikington.

• powerpop
• danny mcdonald
• p76
• popboomerang
• modern architecture
• anna burley
• craig pilkington

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Double dose of pop with sax and sass

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By The Barman

The Barman

26 December 2019

Hits: 4702

Laughing Up a Storm - Baby 8 b/w Boys In Town - Penny Ikinger (Fantastic Mess Records)

This is a double A sided single from two of the best female-fronted/dominated and/or comprised outfits in Melbourne town. 

First to Baby 8 and “Laughing Up a Storm” which is brassy and bold, over-the-top pop. It’s immediately appealing with its rambunctious three-part harmonies with sax and trumpet parts kicking up a storm.  A lick of synth casts an oddness into the soundscape that befits this vengeance song. There’s a sharp lyrical turn that’s like the twist of a knife and Kat Karamitros sells the vocal like she means it. Wonderful. Don't cross her. 

The late Chrissy Amphlett was a mentor to Penny Ikinger and she brings plenty of conviction and feeling to her cover of Divynils’ “Boys in Town”. Three guitars give it more crunch than the radio-friendly original single, with Penny’s guitar howl leaking through the more conventional attack of Julian Heid and Sam Billinghurst-Walsh. Not content to sound just like the original, Penny and Co have bent the song out of shape, just so. 

It’s the usual Fantastic Mess run of other clear-spattered or ruby red vinyl in a limited pressing. Grab it here. 

1/2 - both

• penny ikinger
• baby 8
• fantastic mess
• chrissy amphlett
• laughing up a storm
• boys in town

Tie yourself in Knots

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By General Labor

General Labor

23 December 2019

Hits: 5089

Action; 1980 Three Tracks - The Knots (Rave-Up)

For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, Joey Pinter, he is like an angrier, tough as leather, hard as nails, punk rock Billy Gibbons. Or if Johnny Thunders was still alive and vital and never lost his mojo. Roughly, he's the American equivalent to Spencer P. Jones-in that he is also a formidable and prolific singer/songwriter in his own right, who is best known for having played soulful, emotionally charged, white lightning guitar in beloved cult bands.

I first discovered Pinter's legendary American punk gangs, the Waldos and the Knots, back when I was 20-years-old and pin-balling back and forth between Boston, Hollywood, and New York City. I was a pencil thin scarecrow, would-be vocalist, back then, trying to forge my own dangerous glam rock band ala Smack, Hanoi Rocks, and Dogs D'Amour, but I never had the money or social skills, to keep a band together for long.

• waldos
• testors
• walter lure
• knots
• tony corio
• jeff west

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What Brian Henry Hooper knew

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

22 December 2019

Hits: 5679

What Would I Know? - Brian Henry Hooper (Bang! Records)

Brian Henry Hooper was a remarkable man. I first encountered him when he was part of Kim Salmon's band, The Surrealists. I had no idea what to expect, and the huge shattering sound, the big horror-show songs, and Kim's howls backed by two droogies from an abbattoir ... my mouth was flat on the floor. Magnificent.

It was many years later that I met Brian for the first time, more or less by accident at a different gig, when I used a rather unpleasant local term which Brian immediately picked up on - "That's a real Adelaide term, isn't it?" Brian was always interested in the world around him - I recall him also relating how beautiful Adelaide was as the aircraft came in to land ... come in the right way to land, I suppose, and even ...no, that's not right. I knew what he meant, the place can be damned pretty.

No, really. Brian liked Adelaide.

• bang! records
• beasts of bourbon
• kim salmon
• surrealists
• spooky records
• ninevah hooper

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