classic and rare Australian popular music from the 1950's, 1960's. 1970's and beyond..including rock and roll, pop, beat, rock, surf and progressive, plus contemporary artists, new releases, reviews and other fun stuff
Newtown’s self-proclaimed shittest band SCABZ have just revealed their striking new single ‘Feel Good Summer’ – produced and mixed by Daniel Antix at Defwolf Studios, Sydney. Ringing feedback and pounding drums set the tone for SCABZ’s latest offering. The track wastes no time launching into a full-scale assault of raucous and gritty punk-rock, as singer and guitarist Siobhan Poynton belts out lyrics from the perspective of climate change deniers and the ridiculous points they make to justify their cause. Poynton talks about the bands passionate stance on global warming: “There isn’t really an excuse to not care about climate change. We’re just at the point that we’ve realised nothing really matters if you’ve gone extinct”.
To coincide with the release, the band will traverse the East Coast on an eight-date tour, stopping by the Northern Beaches, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Wollongong, Melbourne and of course, Newtown.
SCABZ FEEL GOOD SUMMER TOUR THU 31 OCT | CROWBAR, BRISBANE QLD FRI 1 NOV | VINNIES DIVE BAR, GOLD COAST QLD THU 7 NOV | THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW FRI 8 NOV | SLY FOX, NEWTOWN NSW THU 14 NOV | TRANSIT BAR, CANBERRA ACT FRI 15 NOV | YAH YAH'S, MELBOURNE VIC
Melbourne’s BEACH PANIC! are loud, confident, full of charm and artistic flare, and they’re back with a brand-new grooving tune "Dance 'Till Your Feet Bleed", the latest track off their just announced debut EP ‘Ride The Tiger’ slated for release in late September. Following on from their previous release "Tsunami of Love", "Dance 'Till Your Feet Bleed" is about the desperate yearning for the intoxicating feeling of falling in love - a feeling sometimes so overwhelming that the only remedy there is, is to well... it’s all right there in the title.
Bringing together their punk-rock roots, love of art, and downright desire to shake a leg, BEACH PANIC! mix good ol’ fashioned party times with slick jangly riffs, ruthless kicks, and lyrics that speak simply of love - from the highest joys to the darkest desperations. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, their sweat on the D-floor, and leave you with a smile on your face, adrenaline in your veins, and love in your heart.
Marty's thoughts: energetic and infectious punk grooves, a thumping beat, some 60's style psychedelia and a sense of humour from these guys makes this a very entertaining and lovable tune that is sure to hook you in and have you jumping around with a big smile on your face.
Sydney-based quartet, Born Lion have just unveiled tour dates and a video for ‘Drag’. It's the second track lifted from their forthcoming sophomore studio album ‘Celebrate the Lie’ (due February 16) – produced by Jimmy Balderstone (Luca Brasi, High Tension, Grenadiers) and mixed by Ryan Hazell (The Drones, Green Buzzard). Carried by its thunderous, dynamic rhythmic section, volcanic riffage and infectious group sing-a-longs, new cut ‘Drag’ delivers on another exciting take of abrasive and unpredictable melodic punk-rock that the band has become widely known for. Shot in the suburbs of Sydney’s Inner-west by Paste Studios, the accompanying video keeps in line with the theme of the track, by highlighting an absurd situation, where someone is forced to pretend that everything is normal. The candid narrative sees the protagonist (played by front man John Bowker) attend a blind band audition. It turns out, the members are chickens… mean chickens. During smoko, the lead character pulls out a chicken burger – it doesn’t go well for him after that. The album’s first single, ‘Evil K’ was widely embraced by the likes of Spotify, Rolling Stone Australia, Music Feeds, The Music, Hysteria Magazine, radio stations FBi, 4ZZZ, 3RRR and triple j - who added the track to spot rotation. Following on from their ‘Evil K’ headline tour, Born Lion have further traversed the countryside, sharing stages alongside Ecca Vandal, Shihad and Guttermouth. The four-piece will continue their rampage across the continent, this time teaming up with Melbourne crowd favourites ‘Captives’, with shows in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.
DRAG TOUR With Captives
FRI 23 FEB | BENDIGO HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC SAT 24 FEB | ED’S CASTLE, ADELAIDE SA FRI 2 MAR | THE FLAMING GALAH, BRISBANE QLD SAT 3 MAR | THE CHIPPO, SYDNEY NSW
THE ART’s latest abstract has arrived in the form of the official music video for their latest single, Thinking About The Universe, shot by The Media Collective (producer Sze Wun Lau, director Tanzeal Rahim, and DOP Andrew Grant) in Sydney as the band prepared for their East Coast tour of the same name, in support of their latest album, All in the Mind.
Thinking About The Universe, written by Azaria Byrne, is about being in another dimension while surrounded by murmurs of the mundane, with a brattish retaliation to wasted words and dross. Known for their pandemonium and anthemic songwriting, The Art deliver their honest and expressive lyricism with a sonic diversity that always leaves their live audience wanting more and more – and is anything but mundane.
ALL IN THE MIND is available now via iTunes (for digital) and the SFR Store (for physical and fan bundles).
Sydney-based punk-rock trio Whispering Jackie have recently released their new single ‘Breaking Up This Time’. Recorded and mixed by Daniel Antix (Gay Paris, Sound of Seasons) at Def Wolf Studios, Sydney, ‘Breaking Up This Time’ is the lead track lifted from their forthcoming sophomore EP ‘For The Moment’ (due late-2017) Combining elements of punk, grunge and garage-rock, ‘Breaking Up This Time’ takes cues from the likes of the group’s staple influences Magic Dirt, Sonic Youth and Hole, whilst melding more modern sounds of White Lung, Best Coast and DZ Deathrays. Stream the track on SOUNDCLOUD HERE
Front woman Sare Jackie describes the inspiration and meaning behind the track: “Breaking Up This Time describes being in an on-off relationship and the ambiguity of not knowing where you stand. The song is sung from my point of view where I'm the one that's being left, and I'm pleading with them to stay, even though I know deep down it's not the right thing for me. It's a situation that heaps of people find themselves in, so I wanted to write a song about that struggle. Everyone's afraid of being left alone.” Whispering Jackie’s 2016 debut EP ‘Social Isolation’ was received warmly by the Australian punk community, with single ‘Casino Mate’ getting spun on triple j’s ‘short.fast.loud’, 4ZZZ, FBi, RTR and various other community stations. Marty's take: If it's a good dose of punk-rock you need to get the adrenaline pumping then these guys have the energy to deliver it.
“Part of me is somewhat concerned about Sare's vocal chords, but I feel that is the essence of punk rock. This is ruthless. Nice one!” Josh Merriel – triple j (AUS)
“That's a serious set of pipes!” Lachie Macara – triple j (AUS)
This eclectic mix of 45 tracks from the early to mid 1970's has everything from rock, pop, soul, country, progressive, glam, punk and singer-songwriters. The collection of artists range from solo performers like Brian Cadd, Doug Ashdown, Renee Geyer, Kevin Johnson, Russell Morris, Richard Clapton and Jon English to groups like TMG, Flake, Ariel, Stars, Ol'55, Mississippi, Supernaut, Railroad Gin, King Harvest, Finch and Rabbit. For fans of 70's Aussie music this is an essential collection.
After what was an auspicious introduction, one of Australia’s most exciting punk-rock acts, Born Lion have made their return with new single ‘Evil K’, tour dates and announced the release date for their forthcoming and sophomore studio album titled ‘Celebrate The Lie’ (due late-October). Produced by Jimmy Balderstone (Luca Brasi, High Tension, Grenadiers) and mixed by Ryan Hazell (The Drones, Green Buzzard), lead single ‘Evil K’ combines hard-hitting, razor-sharp punk’n’roll with unapologetic monstrous pop-hooks, taking cues from the likes of staple influences The Bronx, Converge and Queens of the Stone Age.
Front man John Bowker describes the creative process behind ‘Evil K’: “Evil K was the first song we wrote with our new drummer, Andres. It was such an exciting time and this song felt like the start of something really special. I penned the lyrics after watching a late night doco on these ageing stuntmen whose childhood hero was 'Evil Knievel'”. Since being crowned winners of triple j Unearthed’s 2013 Soundwave Festival competition, Born Lion have continually put out critically adored music, with three of their singles ‘D for Danger’, ‘Good Times Jimmy’ and ‘Good Dogs Play Dead’ all being added to rotation on triple j. Their 2015 debut album ‘Final Words’ was nominated for an ARIA for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal album. In the live arena, the band have traversed the countryside multiple times on their own headline tours and supporting the likes of The Hives, The Bronx, Royal Blood, Marmozets and Karnivool. To celebrate the release of ‘Evil K’ the quartet will head out on an East Coast run performing in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. In the coming weeks, Born Lion, will reveal an accompanying music video for ‘Evil K’. ‘Evil K’ will be available worldwide via Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and all other good digital retailers on Friday August 18 through Four/Four. BORN LION EVIL K TOUR FRI 15 SEP | WAYWARDS, SYDNEY NSW w/ Special Guests Rad Island + Particles SAT 23 SEP | THE REVERENCE, MELBOURNE VIC w/ Special Guests Rad Island + Ships Piano SAT 30 SEP | THE FLAMIN GALAH, BRISBANE QLD w/ Special Guests Radolescents + Beth Lucas & Band All shows are Free Entry
For collectors of compilation albums, you can't go past this amazing collection of gems and rarities from the "other" side of pop. Over two decades before the White Stripes and the Hives made 'garage-rock' the new buzz-word, numerous Australian bands were cranking out a raw, high-energy music which had all the elements that the kids are hankering for today. Isolation can breed some pretty amazing music and if you're looking for proof, look no further than this magnificent compilation chronicling 12 incredible years of the incomparable Oz garage/punk scene. Rarely is Australia's scene ever mentioned in the same breath as those of New York or London. Whereas New York's was art-centered and London's was fashion-centered, the Aussies put the music firmly up front and centre, right where it belongs. Although few of the bands which show up here may be familiar to the casual listener (the exceptions probably being Radio Birdman, The Saints, and The Celibate Rifles), you may find yourself scrambling to get your hands on everything you can by the rest. There's not a duff track to be found anywhere here and if songs like The Lime Spiders' "Slave Girl," The Fun Things' "Savage," The Screaming Tribesmen's "Igloo," or The Exploding White Mice's "Burning Red" don't put some lead in your pencil, you may want to have someone check you for a pulse. 50, count them, tracks that will certainly quench your thirst for a good dose of garage rock.
I remember having many of these as vinyl singles in my own collection which have now (sadly) moved on to other music aficionados. It's good to hear these again, they bring back some sweet memories.
The Birthday Party, an Australian post-punk band, began under various names in Melbourne in 1973; formed by vocalist Nick Cave, guitarist Mick Harvey, drummer Phill Calvert, guitarist John Cocivera, bassist Brett Purcell, and saxophonist Chris Coyne —all of whom were students at Caulfield Grammar School. By 1978, following several membership changes, the band consisted of Cave, Harvey and Calvert with bassist Tracy Pew and guitarist Rowland S Howard. Under the name The Boys Next Door, the band released several singles and two studio albums, Door, Door in 1979 on Mushroom Records and The Birthday Party in 1980 on Missing Link Records. Despite moderate success in Australia, The Boys Next Door relocated to London, England in 1980 and changed their name to The Birthday Party. In London, the band experienced underground critical success with a series of singles and two further studio albums, Prayers on Fire (1981) and Junkyard (1982); Junkyard was also a minor commercial success, peaking at number 72 on the UK Albums Chart upon its release.
Radio Birdman were one of the first Australian punk bands, along with The Saints. They were formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered one of the most crucial bands to Australia's musical growth, but their main legacy was their towering influence over Australian indie rock in the 1980's. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed Radio Birdman in mid-1974 in Sydney, having recently left their bands 'TV Jones' and 'The Rats' respectively. The pair sought to begin a band that would have no commercial interest and break the norm at the time, so they recruited classical keyboard player Philip 'Pip' Hoyle, drummer Ron Keeley and bassist Carl Rorke . The band took their name from a misheard lyric from the Iggy and The Stooges' song "1970" (the actual lyric is "radio burnin'"). They recorded an EP, Burn My Eye,and their first album, Radios Appear, produced by John L Sayers and Charles Fisher at Trafalgar Studios in Annandale. Trafalgar Studios financed the recordings. Radios Appear was critically acclaimed, getting 5 stars in the Australian Rolling Stone edition. The album owed much of its style to Detroit bands of the late 1960's, such as The MC5 and The Stooges. The title of the album comes from a Blue Öyster Cult song "Dominance and Submission" from their 1974 Secret Treaties album, influences from which can also be seen in Birdman's creative output.
Sales of this album were initially limited because they were recording using a private label Trafalgar Records. Shortly after initial release, Trafalgar Records leased the recordings to WEA who took on the album and gave it a wider release. When Sire Records president Seymour Stein came to Australia to sign up fellow punk band The Saints, he saw Radio Birdman play and immediately invited them to join his label. Under this new label, Radio Birdman released a new version of Radios Appear featuring a mixture of re-mixed, re-recorded and some new material. Comparisons between the two versions of the album are disputed, with some feeling that the second version is a more accurate reflection of the band's sound. Most fans however own both versions and simply treat them as two separate and different recordings.
Supernaut were a glam/punk rock band from Perth, Western Australia. They formed in 1974 by British immigrants Gary Twinn and brothers Chris and Joe Burnham and were signed to Polydor Records upon a recommendation from Ian "Molly" Meldrum. They entered the Australian charts at no.16 on July 1976 with the single "I Like It Both Ways". The song was banned by most commercial radio stations because of its controversial lyrics, but strong TV performances on Countdown and Bandstand forced radio to give in to public pressure and "I Like It Both Ways" hit the Number 5 spot on most Australian charts (and Number 1 on the Bandstand Top Ten). A follow up hit, "Too Hot To Touch", came in November 1976, reaching No.14 on the charts. Their self-titled debut album was a Christmas hit, achieving double gold sales. The group was presented with two TV Week King of Pop awards for best new band and best video performance of 1976.
The Saints originated in Brisbane and were founded by Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ivor Hay (drummer), and Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter) in 1974. Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups. In 1975, contemporaneous with the United States' Ramones, The Saints were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzz saw" guitar that characterised early punk rock. With their debut single, "(I'm) Stranded", in September 1976, they became the first alleged punk band outside the US to release a record, ahead of better-known acts including the Sex Pistols and The Clash. They are one of the first and most influential groups of the genre. In early 1979, the Saints had imploded, leaving Bailey to continue the band, with a variable line-up. All Fools Day peaked in the Top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in April 1986. Bailey also has a solo career and had relocated to Sweden by 1994. The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2001. click here for more information Wikipedia listing Website - SaintsMusic.Com
