Top Tens for 2024: Ray Ahn of Hard-Ons and Nunchukka Superfly

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By Ray Ahn

Ray Ahn

30 December 2024

Hits: 397

_{Photo by Jo Forster. Check out her work on Facebook or Insta.}

RAY AHN’S TOP 10 for 2024

1: “Action Man”: Unreleased new Moffs number recorded by Tom, David and Andrew during Covid. Private listening, thank you Smiley. The Byrnes brothers – still best best rhythm masters!

2: Radio Birdman July 2025, 3 shows in Sydney. I was emotionally overcome

3: The Damned April 2025 Enmore. I was emotionally overcome

4: Oår live at Medley Musikhuset, Malmö October 8th – killer Swedish art-punk

5: Call It A Wasteland live at Club Rote Sonne München October 10th – killer German art-punk.

6: The Dark Clouds live at Marrickville Bowling Club Friday December 13th

7: No Future and Zerodent at Amplifier Bar, Perth, Thursday November 7th

8: Los Chicos live at Red Hill Hotel, Chewton, Sunday November 3rd

9: Glycereens and Boondall Boys, Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, May 11th

10: Liquid Face and Square Tugs Live at Mo’s Desert Club house, Gold Coast, May 10th

One Jones worth acquiring

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By The Barman

The Barman

29 December 2024

Hits: 218

Keepin’ Up With The Jones – The Ballbusters (Vicious Kitten)

You might question the validity of this four-song EP from the Worcester, Massachusetts, band that used to be Rick Blaze and The Ballbusters until their frontman’s demise in 2011 following protracted health issues. After all, it’s been 23 years since their second album and first for Vicious Kitten (the “Manhattan Babylon” CD) and one of the guitarists, Dave Cuneo, has also since shuffled off this mortal coil.

It was easy back then to write off Rick Blaze and The Ballbusters as yet another Thunders-besotted outfit from the backblocks whose fascination for JT's dubious lifestyle choices got in the way of them making it out of their own backyard. The cover art for this EP is all a bit too obvious but its arrival prompted re-visits of “Manhattan Babylon” and its 2001 follow-up “People’s Republic of Rock and Roll”, and they retrospectively hold up as righteous slices of swagger that owe as much to Mick and Keef as  J. Genzales.  

• rolling stones
• johnny thunders
• vicious kitten
• the ballbusters
• rick blaze
• dave cuneo
• jimmy buscarino
• keepin' up with the jones

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Third album finds Full Moon Flower Band in full bloom

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

29 December 2024

Hits: 227

Megaflower - Full Flower Moon Band  (Silver Arrow)

Full Flower Moon band as a concept has been ongoing for almost a decade. It was a project created by songwriter, filmmaker and musician  Kate Dillion. Early gigs in Brisbane were more of an experimental affair, playing at fringe music venues around Brisbane as a duo but sometimes supplemented by other musicians.

Dillion’s masterwork of a few years ago was her ambitious sci-fi  film, “Chinatown”. She wrote the script, played the lead and wrote the soundtrack that became her debut album.  A critically-acclaimed, intellectually-layered short film, it was an incredible achievement.

• babyshakes
• full moon flower band
• megaflower
• silver arrow
• kate dillon

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I-94 Bar Top Tens for 2024: Editor of Munster Times zine and promoter Matt Ryan from Melbourne

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By Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan

28 December 2024

Hits: 496

_{Renan Goksin photo}

1. Private Function, Los Chichos, Human Toys, JJ McCann Transmission- St Kilda Bowls Club
A real mixed bag of lollies this gig was, style wise. Two internationals plus two local legends, all with their unique style of stage show on the one line up, was a pleasure to have been part of it.

2 . Pat Todd and the Rankoutsiders, Simon Juliff Band, Wrong Turn- St Kilda Bowls Club
One of the true rock 'n 'roll warriors from the US put on an fantastic mix of garage, country and blues at the club, along with the powerpop of stylings of SJB and three-chord rock heroes Wrong Turn.

3.  A Swayze and the Ghosts- The Old Bar.
After my dear friend Terry bought me the group’s first LP I knew I had to see ‘em live. I finally did, five years later. But the wait was worth it, and the hype delivered. The Ghosts sound like Alan Vega fronting a disco group, with 70s punk thrown in. A must-see act.

• digger and the pussycats
• sacred cowboys
• psychotic turnbuckles
• wrong turn
• mach pelican
• munster times
• matt ryan
• lord rochester
• the fadeaways
• pat todd and the rankoutsiders

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Top Tens for 2024: Chris Masuak, ex-Radio Birdman and the Hitmen and now of The Revelators and Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier

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By Chris Klondike Masuak

Chris Klondike Masuak

27 December 2024

Hits: 641

CHRIS KLONDIKE MASUAK
TOP SEVERAL FOR 2024

Ahh, the Festive Season!

Serious decisions have to be made … buzzkill the Glad Tidings or be of Relentless Good Cheer.

Once again, I opt for the latter, so chuck “It’s Christmas Time Again” on the player and sit back for my yearly screed.

• top ten
• chris klondike masuak
• 2024

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Top Tens for 2024: Ashley Thomson of Sydney bands Brother Brick, Soggy Porridge, The Kelpies, The Panadolls and Roll Cage

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By Ashley Thomson

Ashley Thomson

27 December 2024

Hits: 365

Private Function
Best Oz Punk band by far out of the current crop.

Old Chisel
Only way you get out is by dying, live show still strong.

• cold chisel
• panadolls
• kelpies
• the birthday party
• the damned
• mark lanegan
• ashley thomson
• private function
• haute & freddy

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Top Tens for 2024: Mick Medew of Mick Medew and Ursula and the Screaming Tribesmen

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By Mick Medew

Mick Medew

24 December 2024

Hits: 518

1. The Saints Live at Pig City
This is one hell of an album .I am a big Chris Bailey fan and I am pleased to be able to report that The Screaming Tribesmen played with Chris Bailey's Saints (not the original ones) many times back in the day. I feel he is very underrated as a singer although he is well celebrated as a front man/entertainer.  You just can't keep a good melody down and Chris Bailey can sing a melody that's for sure. I really miss him. 

2. Revelation EP by Los Revelators
This is a terrific recording featuring my long term partner in crime Chris Klondike Masuak. Some great guitar playing here and I love the keyboards too.

• top ten
• dave graney
• clare moore
• the saints
• mick medew
• lovejoy surf
• mick medew and ursula
• 4zzz
• 2024
• the human league

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Teen Guerrillas launch a strike that hits home

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 December 2024

Hits: 237

I Cyclops b/w Pride of the Savanna – Guerrilla Teens (Heavy Medication)

There’s a certain irony in three-fifths of a Long Beach, California, relocated to Portland, Oregon, putting out a single on a label run by an expat American based in Warsaw, Poland, when you realise that the first recording of the original group from which the trio sprang came out on a label in Yugoslavia back in the late 1990s. Confused, much? Let’s make it simple…

Guerrilla Teens feature ex-The Humpers singer Scott “Deluxe” Drake up front, aided and abetted by old bandmates Jeff Fieldhouse and Saul Koll on guitars. The Humpers were up with the best of a crop of Sympathy For The Record Industry labelmates like The Lazy Cowgirls, out of L.A. Bill Connolly (bass) and Anna Anderson (drums) make up the Teens’ line-up. Ex-Lazy Cowgirl Pat Todd hipped me to a copy of their album so the ears were receptive to hearing thie single.

• heavy medication records
• guerilla teens
• the humpers
• i cyclops
• pride of the savanna
• scott "deluxe" drake

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Top Tens for 2024: Obsessive Sydney gig goer Keith Claringbold, bass player with Fowl Weather Vein

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By Keith Claringbold

Keith Claringbold

22 December 2024

Hits: 1496

2024 TOP TEN-ish

GIG OF THE YEAR- Just one? No.

VICTORIA + DAVE MCCORMACK AND THE POLAROIDS at the Golden Barley, Sydney.
I’d never heard nor seen either band before and both were rather excellent.

POP CRIMES: JP SHILO, HARRY HOWARD, KIM SALMON, HUGO RACE, LYDIA LUNCH, TEX PERKINS, MICK HARVEY  AND MANY MORE- Factory Theatre, Sydney
Those songs, played by these artists.

• new christs
• pop crimes
• los chicos
• the sand pebbles
• ash naylor
• rubber necker
• lazy thinking
• rinehearts
• rmfc
• jo meares

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