Settle Down – Crankees (Evil Tone)

The album does not fuck around so the review shall not: Sydney’s Crankees encapsulate kicking against suburban ennui like Eddy Current Supression Ring did 20 years ago, but won’t attract the same adoration because they don’t come from Melbourne.

Where ECSR complained about boredom and negative ATM balances with what, at times, seemed like resigned ambivalence, Crankees sound, well, cranky. It’s punk rock that never tries too hard. The other truth is that “Settle Down” deserves to be heard further afield.

In The Zone - Mick Medew and Ursula (I-94 Bar Records)

Hello I-94 Barflies. Well folks, The Farmhouse has been rocking this past week because I’ve been listening to the new Mick Medew and Ursula “In The Zone”. What a follow up to “Love Is Calling”.

“In The Zone” is classic Mick but what makes this so interesting is how Ms Ursula has taken over some of the songwriting duties to come up with some bloody classic tunes

Mick and Ursula have been joined in the studio by Mick’s Mesmerisers bandmate, the wonderful Lois Andrews, on bass guitar and newcomer Stuart McLaughlin on drums. Ex-Mesmeriser Brian Mann also lent a hand on production while contributing some guitar, drums, bass and vocal parts.

 Heavy Lifting – MC5 (earMUSIC)

I made an oath to not write reviews about albums that gave me the shits.  But The Barman sent me a copy of “Heavy Lifting” and I gave it a go.  

As far as an MC5 album goes, it's not even a good Wayne Kramer record.  I hoped for more after the MC50 shows and Bob Ezrin's recent work with Alice Cooper.

I made track-by-track notes as I listened.  I'll just give you my notes as written rather than an actual review.  You can work it out from there.

Cowboy Logic – Garry Gray & Sacred Cowboys (Kasumen Records)

It was 1982 when Sacred Cowboys emerged. It was a time when an Australian music tidal wave sweeping over pubs and clubs full of punters across Sydney from Palm Beach to Darlinghurst to Cronulla, and Melbourne from St Kilda to Frankston to Geelong.

Garry Gray was in his mid-20s and already a veteran of the Melbourne music scene when he formed the Cowboys. He already had street cred with foundations that stretched back to 1975. His influences came from the pages of Creem magazine and life in a blue collar suburb, rubbing shoulders with Sharpie gangs and devotees of AFL footy. He and his mates were discovering The Modern Lovers, the Stooges, the Stones, the Velvets and Alice Cooper, one record at a time.

Under Northern Lights – Little Murders (Off the Hip)

Nine studio albums in and Little Murders might just have this rock-pop caper nailed. Again. “Under Northern Lights” showcases what songwriter, band leader and sole constant member Rob Griffiths and his current, and most enduring line-up, do so well. 

So that’s a wrap for this review. 

You don’t get off that easy. At least not until you’ve been thoroughly sold the virtues of “Under Northern Lights”. It should be an easy task if you set the tracks running in the background on Bandcamp. Let’s get stuck in. 

X-Ray Words - The Prehistorics (self-released)

Aussie-based perenial European tourists The Prehistorics return with their sixth album. three years in the making and starting just after their last release "Racket du Jour" (2001). The core of the recording band for the last few records, Brendan Sequira (songwriter, vocals, guitar), and Michael Carpenter (drums, production, and plenty more things this time around), enlisted some great guitar players to help out along the way.

It's exactly what you'd expect from a Prehistorics album:  great playing and production, and just that little bit better than the previous offering.