Pleasure Maps - Sand Pebbles (Kasumen Records)

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By The Barman & Patrick Emery

The Barman & Patrick Emery

22 September 2017

Hits: 6372

Have The Sand Pebbles made a bad album? I’ve heard or own half of them and they’re full of some of the most surreally fascinating, textured and immersive psychedelic music to come from an Australian band in the last 20 years. “Pleasure Maps” continues what’s more a body-of-work than a discernible progression. 

A rant by Bruce Milne on Facebook initially piqued my interest. The ex-Au Go Go label/shop head posted his instant, first listen take-out that “Pleasure Maps” was killer. Patrick Emery’s review below takes it from there. I’ll just try to add something else.

• melbourne
• velvet underground
• Kasumuen Records
• the sand pebbles

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Spit You Out Like Revenue - Dr Bombay (self released)

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 September 2017

Hits: 4599

A lot of water’s passed under the Story Bridge since Brisbane’s Dr Bombay released their debut album “Dose” three years ago. Amicable line-up changes mean that just two original members, singer Gary Slater and guitarist Stewart De Lacy, remain.

What hasn’t altered is Slater’s grasp of what makes great songwriting. The ex-Voodoo Lust and latter-day Trilobites frontman came up with all 13 of the tracks on “Spit Your Out Like Revenue” - and there are some pearlers in the ranks. 

• brisbane
• dr bombay
• voodoo lust
• spit you out like revenue
• gary slater
• stuart de lacy

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One good turn deserves another when you're a Bible Basher

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 September 2017

Hits: 5498

How many rock and roll tours have you heard about where the people booking the run are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts for a band they’ve never met? That’s the unlikely scenario behind the Australian East Coast visit by Perth’s The Bible Bashers.

Brisbane’s endearing gutter punks HITS andJames Doyle from Raygun Mortlock are the benevolent bookers getting right behind The Bible Bashers' tour starting in Queensland tonight. 

HITS and The Bible  Bashers will meet for the first time at Stones Corner Hotel In Brisbane ,and the pairing will continue all weekend with shows at Curummbin Creek Tavern on the Gold Coast (Saturday) and Condong Bowls Club in NSW (Sunday). 

Gigs in Newcastle and Sydney follow with a finale at The Record Crate in Sydney on October 1.

You can have a listen to The Bible Bashers on Bandcamp and, if so inclined, see them in person at one of their shows. They also hang out on Facebook.

Turn up early as all the supports are behind this tour, too.

Bible Bashers East Coast Tour
Stones Corner Hotel, Brisbane with HITS - Sept 22
Currumbin Creek Tavern, Gold Coast with HITS - Sept 23
Condong Bowls Club, Condong with HITS - Sept 24
Lass O'Gowrie Hotel, Wickham with The Grounds - Sept 27
The Union Hotel, Newtown with Thee Evil Twin - Sept 28
Time & Tide Hotel, Dee Why with The Mis-Made - Sept 29
Frankies Pizza, Sydney with Mumbofish + Marvel - Sept 30
The Record Crate, Glebe, NSW - Oct 1

• tour
• Hits
• raygun mortlock
• the bible bashers
• austraian

Unforgettable Charlie Tolnay

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

20 September 2017

Hits: 14785

I was at Muscle Shoals Records Fayre, on Lygon Street in Melbourne, when I received the unwelcome news from one of my dearest friends, a character in and out of bands in Adelaide for decades, who I doubt you’ve heard of, but whose name (when you have to use it) you will always spell incorrectly, as I do: "Bad" Bob Lehermayr.  

I was less than charitable with Bob, and he rightly gave me a serve. 

Then he told me about Charlie Tolnay dying.

After Bob (also rightly) hung up on me, I received a text message from The Barman. Bad news had travelled fast.  

• adelaide
• grong grong
• king snake roost
• fear and loathing
• charlie tolnay

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Fayre-ing well in Melbourne

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

19 September 2017

Hits: 7844

_{Ripley Hood in front of Brando Rising. Robert Brokenmouth photo.}

In which your scribe receives news and loses it a tad. This is a very partial review… I missed quite a few things … oh, dear.

So, an Adelaidean in Melbourne negotiates buses, trams, and other hurdles (including a Lebanese cab driver who’s lived here for 40 years and still has an accent like a wheel of cheese to a plastic butter knife) to arrive at a record shop.

With a Budget flat-bed truck outside. 

• michael plater
• brando rising
• ripley hood
• johnny livewire
• hornstars
• mia schoen
• rosie harden
• nick batterham
• dean richards
• muscle shoals records
• dean schultz
• tony millman

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Thirty years later: The Conspirators return for one night only

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By The Barman

The Barman

19 September 2017

Hits: 6226

If you remember the halcyon days of Sydney’s exploding live music scene in the 1980s, you need to make a beeline for Marrickville Bowling Club in the city's inner-west on Saturday night. 

The Conspirators were in the thick of it back then, an archetypal garage band formed by five then young Sydney music fans who were sick of paying to get into gigs. 

They became something of a fixture, growing a following and issuing a single and an EP before going on to other bands including The Sweet Ride, Psychotic Turnbuckles and Sheek the Shayk. 

With their last show 30 years ago, The Conspirators are reforming for one gig only. They’ll be joined by The Stukas - punk rock veterans - and rejuvenated mods, The Smart Folk. Special guest DJ will be Steven Danno, spinning his collection of prime ‘60s punk and ‘80s Detroit rock.

The Conspirators are doing a special re-issue CD of their back catalogue (plus a new song) for sale on the nightm and have had T-shirts printed for this auspicious occasion. Tickets available on the door or cheaper in advance here.

• the smart folk
• marrickville bowling club
• conspirators
• the stukas

He Blinded Me With Science

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

19 September 2017

Hits: 10488

_{Leanne Cowie (nee Chock), Boris Sudjovic, Kim Salmon and Tony Thewlis. Collectively known as The Scientists.} 

Ever have an attack of the stupids?

No? Must be me then. 

See, The Barman asked me to do this interview with Kim Salmon to mark an Australian Scientists tour with the classic "experimental" line-up. A phoner. I wrote back saying, I couldn't, I'd be in Melbourne. 

No answer.

• scientists
• kim salmon
• tour
• boris sudjovic
• leanne cowie
• leanne chock
• australian
• tony thewlis
• 2017

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RIP Grong Grong guitarist Charlie Tolnay

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 September 2017

Hits: 9473

Grong Grong, Lubricated Goat and King Snake Roost guitarist Charlie Tolnay has passed away in Adelaide after a brief and unexpected illness. The news was posted on the Grong Grong Facebook page last night.

Tolnay was an original member of the band, formed by his half brother Michael Farkas in 1983. The band expired with the near death of Farkas in 1984 and reformed in 2009. More details when they come to hand.

• Citadel
• grong grong
• king snake roost
• charlie tolnay
• lubricated goat

Dislocation - The Primevals (Triple Wide)

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By The Barman

The Barman

16 September 2017

Hits: 4740

Rock and roll isn’t dead - it’s just being ground into the carpet like so much stray cigarette ash by the powers of mediocrity and digital division. If you apply the vacuum hard enough and in the right places, you’ll still find it.

So point the nozzle of your Hoover (or Dyson, if you’re cashed up) in the direction of Glasgow, Scotland, and suck up as much of The Primevals as you can. Three decades into their existence (admittedly, with a break in the middle), these gnarly Scots are staking a claim for independence from the banal indifference that passes for mainstream radio rock, Jock.

• primevals
• disinhibitor
• glasgow
• scotland
• triple wide

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