Top Tens for 2024: Ross Nelson of the Sonic Stew program on Sydney's 2RRR-FM

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By Ross Nelson

Ross Nelson

13 January 2025

Hits: 229

Another year, another stack of great recordings! From all the records that found their way to my ears and turntable throughout 2024 here’s my attempt at ranking some personal highlights. 

Rock & roll is still inspiring and remains the most exciting music on the planet. Here’s proof!

• john dowler
• the dahlmans
• the courettes
• jupiter 5
• vanity project
• lemon twigs
• the prize
• pleasants
• loose lips
• fleur
• 2RRR
• fastbacks

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Flashbacks galore as live album captures a magic Marrickville night for John Kennedy and his band

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By Edwin Garland

Edwin Garland

12 January 2025

Hits: 526

Live at The Marrickville Bowl. - John Kennedy  and the New Originals (I-94 Bar Records)

Lately, I have been thinking about the Australian movie “Death in Brunswick”, a bona fide classic and a brilliant black comedy. It features a kitchen from hell in a decrepit nightclub, populated by the dodgiest of characters. The smell of rat poison and mouse shit, and there’s a cockroach invasion that resembles an army removing food scraps. 

Now, I once worked one night as a kitchen hand at the notorious Kardomah Café (aka "The Dark Coma") when I was living in Kings Cross. The kitchen was not as horrifying as the one as in the movie, but I did feel like the Sam Neil character, channeling Dostoyevsky as I chopped onions, prepared soggy fries and tried to cut over-ripe tomatoes to sit forlornly atop nondescript cheeseburgers. 

• i-94 bar records
• matt galvin
• john kennedy
• murray cook
• peter timmerman
• phil hall
• live at the marrickville bowl

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Top Tens for 2024: Our Man in Adelaide, Robert Brokenmouth, "vocalist" for Smallpox Confidential and The Molly Fet Circuit

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

12 January 2025

Hits: 549

A bit like last year, this one was pretty rotten.  Anyway, here's a short list of bands I saw that I rate very highly.

If you have the chance, the opportunity ... don't be wedging your sweaty dewflaps to the couch and watch the cricket or footy or some TV series fuck up their “story arc” (ie, find more reasons to extend the season - will it ever, ever end?) ... but do what I couldn't do this year... 

• top ten
• robert brokenmouth
• 2024

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"Strange but right": Hugo Race on "100 Years"

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

12 January 2025

Hits: 260

_{Sara Alice Ceccarelli photo.}

He's as well known in Australia for fronting '80s Melbourne blues rockers The Wreckery as he is in Eruope for his work with The True Spirit, Fatalists and Dirtmusic, and onetime Bad Seeds guitarist Hugo Race is a man who never stands still. His latest album is a moody collaboration with Michaelangelo Russo called "100 Years" that's as sweeping in its musical vision as it is deeply rooted in the blues. 

After immersing himself in "100 Years, Robert Brokenmouth was prompted to seek an audience with Hugo and ask him some probing questions. Their wide-ranging chat is here.

• hugo race
• the wreckery
• michaelangelo russo
• 100 years

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The Crisps pad up for three shows and a quick single

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 January 2025

Hits: 471

Their membership is spread over the globe but that's not stopping portable party The Crisps returning for a quick surprise run of New South Wales shows later this month.

The Crisps reformed in 2023 for an Australian east Coast tour after a 20-something year lay-off and released a self-titled killer EP on Vi-Nil Records. Guitarist Dave Thomas' return from his adopted home of Germany has made a quick second reformation possible.

The Crisps are bassist Graham Hood (The Johnnys), vocalist-drummer Stuart Wilson (New Christs, Lime Spiders, Chris Masuak's Dog Soldier), Dave Thomas (Doomfoxx) and guitarist Chris Nacard (Orange County).

The Crisps play Sydney shows at Manly Boat Shed (January 24) with DISGRACELand and The MoshPit Bar (January 25 from 2-6pm) with The Research and Sugar Beats before heading north to Woy Woy's Link and Pin Cafe with The Dunhill Blues and The FNCs on January 26 from 11am-5pm. A digital single "Hey Jack" is due to be released next week.

• moshpit
• link and pin
• the crisps
• 2025

Dom and James team as The James Baker Beat for superb 45

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By The Barman

The Barman

11 January 2025

Hits: 302

Perth music luminaries, James Baker (Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, Scientists, Victims, Dubrovniks) and Dom Mariani (The Stems, DM3, Datura4) have come together to release single under the moniker The James Baker Beat.

"Friday Night Friend" and "She Said (Bad Weekend)", out now and both penned by James and Dom are classic garage punk and pop fare which recall the rock and roll sounds and tradition of both the early Scientists and Stems.

The release of the single coincides with the second of two benefit shows  at Lyrics Undergrouind in Perth tonight to assist James in his fight with liver cancer.

From one of the most influential punk anthems (The Victims – "Television Addict") ; to the pre-swamp pop n’roll leanings (The Scientists – "Frantic Romantic"/"Last Night") ; to the tall-tale future of the term Australian Super Group (The Beasts of Bourbon – "The Axemans Jazz") to the Hoodoo Gurus and The Dubrovniks, James Baker has no peers when it comes to a rock n roll curriculum vitae.

• james baker
• hoodoo gurus
• dom mariani
• the stems
• the victims
• james baker beat
• friday night friend
• she said (bad weekend)

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Kim Salmon and band go on the road to plug one smoking new album

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By The Barman

The Barman

10 January 2025

Hits: 422

Kim Salmon's new outfit Smoked Salmon have announced a national tour to promote the forthcoming self-titled debut album, which is out February 28 on Cheersquad Records and Tapes.

The tour in March and April will take in Perth, Fremantle, Margaret River, Castlemaine, Canberra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Geelong, Brisbane, Gold coast, Bangalow and Adelaide before finishing back in Melbourne.

• kim salmon
• australian tour
• 2025
• smoked salmon

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Top Tens for 2024: Sydney's Simon Li of Balkan Grill, The Blistered Minds and The LangLangs

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By Simon Li

Simon Li

10 January 2025

Hits: 259

Top Ten reasons why you should have turned off the "moo-zak" of Taylor Swift in 2024:

1. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have heard "Woodland" by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

2. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have had 45 minutes in a day to hear "Tigers Blood" by Waxahatchee.

3. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have tuned in to 3PBS FM show "Studio 5 Live" to hear Pat Todd and The Rank Outsiders.

4. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have given a toss about "Heavy Lifting" by MC5.

5. Tay Tay probably would have zero idea of "The Dictators" by The Dictators.

6. Tay Tay was probably never likely to come across the 'Rebellion Punk Music Festival' and the band Convict Class (from Warrnambool, Victoria) who performed there.

7. Tay Tay probably wouldn't have wanted to have been caught dead at The LangLangs playing at either The MoshPit (Sydney) and/or 'RnR Klub' at Petersham Bowling Club (Sydney).

8. Tay Tay was probably no threat of being spotted at Balkan Grill playing at The MoshPit/Link and Pin (Woy Woy, NSW) etc.

9. Tay Tay probably had zero care factor for The Blistered Minds playing at Bar La Vida Loca (Newport, Sydney) and/or The MoshPit

10. Tay Tay probably never gave a single thought (or a flying f...) to Charlie Silky-Oak and/or Charlie Lethal playing at 'RnR Klub' at Petersham Bowling Club.

R.I.P.  Damien Smith, Dennis Thompson, Wayne Kramer, Slim Dunlap, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Weiss

• top ten
• mc5
• simon li
• 2024
• the dictators
• pat todd and the rankoutsiders
• taylor swift
• convict class

Two more shows loom for The Beasts

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By The Barman

The Barman

09 January 2025

Hits: 468

Homegrown supergroup The Beasts will play two special performances next month to celebrate their latest full-length studio release, “Ultimo” - with the prospect of more to come if drummer James Baker’s health holds up.

Melbourne (The Corner Hotel, February 21) and Sydney (Manning Bar, February 22) are the lucky cities and both gigs are expected to sell out. If you caught The Beasts last year on their national sold-out “Alive" tour you’ll know why.

The Beasts are surviving Beasts of Bourbon members James Baker, Tex Perkins, Kim Salmon, Boris Sujdovic and Charlie Owen.

The Beasts
Corner Hotel, VIC
- Feb 21
Tickets
Manning Bar, NSW
- Feb 22
Tickets

• manning bar
• the beasts
• ultimo
• corner hotel