"Another Girl" is the latest Johnny Casino track, and has been released digitally today via Golden Robot Records. It is the first single from his February 2022 release "5x7 the Days of Wine and Cola". The Spain-based expatriate former member of AsteroidB612, The Egos, Easy Action and his own Johnny Casino and The Secrets wrote"Another Girl"as a moody acoustic piece -until it found its way into the recording studio on the Costa Blanca in Spain. Here, a fire had been lit underneath it, a couple of bottles of wine poured all over it and an inspired electric guitar burned into it by Johnny and his band. Stay tuned for news about the album.
Hey Sydneysiders! After COVID did its best to sink it, the "extreme dream team" pairing of feedtime and Examplehead at Marrickville Bowling Club, originally scheduled for June, has been re-scheduled to January 22...and both bands are determined to make it a very special night.
Ticket numbers were limited for the show that was originally scheduled in June 2021. A handful, surrendered by fans unable to attend the new date, remain for sale online.
Once they're gone, online sales will cease and admission will be $20 at the door on the night, on a "first come, first served" basis, until venue capacity is reached.
The other important thing you need to know is that feedtime will play two sets - the first from 8.30pm. Examplehead will follow (approximately 9.30pm) and feedtime will close the night.
feedtime is an institution with their unique and extreme version of the blues being renowned around the world. Formed in Sydney in 1979, they manifested in various line-ups and made it to the USA after the SubPop label re-issued their back catalogue in 2008.
Examplehead were an inner-city staple in Sydney and existed from 1985-90. They lay dormant for 30 years before reforming in 2020, minus late Greg Garnder who passed away three years earlier.
Online tickets are here. If they're gone, join the Facebook event or mark the date in your calendar - and turn up promptly at 8pm.
The Barman’s Best Albums of 2021, in reverse order of release.
1. Back For More – The On and Ons (Citadel) Perfect rocking powerpop from Australia’s most consistent exponents of the art. If you haven’t heard them yet, shame. Start here and track backwards.
2. Snake Pit Therapy – Sonny Vincent (Svart) New York punk’s (almost) last man standing bounces back with his best-sounding and arguable most well-rounded album ever. Sonny has been hidden in plain sight for the many for far too long.
How best to remember Melbourne graphic Martin Harris who left the world a week ago?
The Barman has asked a few of us to write about our Top Tens this year. Well, like most of us, I didn't go out much, and didn't listen to much either. However, one thing which has dominated this year is depression and its many variants.
What has this to do with rock and roll? Plenty. If you don;t agree, you can't have been listening to the greats, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Cash, New Order, Amy Winehouse...
See, I've always thought the impulse to create rawk is only a single manifestation of what I call 'the creative imperative'. This imperative is stronger in some than others, of course. But if you would take the imperative to success on a gigamax scale, you not only need luck, you need determination, hard work AND more luck.
Queen, for example, were so determined to succeed that before they were gigamax they rehearsed in their stage gear. They worked hard for their success. Ask any musician: songs don't just drop from trees, fully formed. Some folk are stupidly talented, but with most creatives, genius rarely spontaneously happens.
Anyone reading “Get in the Van” gets an idea of how determined Rollins has been to succeed. What do P.G. Wodehouse, W.E. Johns and Dick Francis have in common? They wrote at least a book a year (Johns sometimes churned out three or four per year). But not only did they each have a lot of luck, they all worked damned hard. (Alright, so PG had several flops and weathered two gigantic, very public (and bloody funny) scandals but even so).
Seas on Fire – East Coast Low (Crankinhaus Records)
The promise of their first recordings (an album and a promotional EP) has been realised and “Seas On Fire” showsEast Coast Low has the requisite rock and roll cojones to take on all comers.
A five-piece with most of its membership drawn from the matter-of-fact city of Newcastle, a couple of hours north of Sydney, East Coast Low is a product of its home-town: Nothing is overly dressed up and most of the songs get straight to the point, with no fucking around.
This is a well-travelled band. Grizzled, if you like. High rotation on the national youth network doesn’t beckon (though we all know they don’t program anything with a hint of ageism about them.) The Low formed in 2015 with members playing in Newy bands like The Fools and No Reason. The influences are myriad, although the ‘70s punk lineage is strong.
The long-rumoured and exhaustively researched biography of iconic Australian musician Spencer P Jones is out tomorrow.
Hard on the heels of the James McCann-compiled tribute double album, “All The Way With SPJ”, “Execution Days - The Life and Times of Spencer P Jones” is being published by Love Police and can be ordered here.
“Execution Days” was written by Melbournite Patrick Emery, who whose work has graced The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Beat, The Brag, Time Off, X-Press, Mess and Noise, Faster/ Louder, “1001 Albums You Must Hear” and the I-94 Bar.
Patrick carried out 150 interviews with friends, relatives and bandmates of the late Spencer, as well as the man himself.
With a career spanning over 40 years, Spencer’s resumé is vast, deep and eclectic, ranging from the wild cowpunk of The Johnnys, to the garage swamp of Beasts of Bourbon to the rugged beauty of his solo albums, to cameos with Ian Rilen, Paul Kelly, Maurice Frawley, Rowland S. Howard, Renee Geyer, Mudhoney and Violent Femmes. He also toured Europe with Sonny Vincent’s Shotgun Rationale.
“Execution Days” traces Spencer’s life from his childhood in New Zealand to his evolution as a musician in Australia to his profound impact on those around him. Along the way there are stories of irreverence and excess, of frustration and heartache, of friends loved and lost.
Like the escapees from lockdown prison that they are, Melbourne’s Swedish Magazines are setting a frenzied course for New South Wales now the gates are again open, and will land at Marrickville Bowling Club on Friday, November 26 for their only Sydney show, presented by the I-94 Bar.
The reformed early 2000s high-energy outfit will be packing a new best of collection, ”I Wish Life Could Be…”, on LP and CD.
And lending a hand as special guests are the re-animated Leadfinger (poised to release their own new record very soon) and the psychedelic Sabbath-meets-Dictators crunch of Jupiter 5, hauling their own vinyl and CD single. Tickets are on sale here.
Hey Sydneysiders! After COVID did its best to sink it, the "extreme dream team" pairing of feedtime and Examplehead at Marrickville Bowling Club, originally scheduled for June, has been re-scheduled to January 22...and both bands are determined to make it a very special night.
How best to remember Melbourne graphic Martin Harris who left the world a week ago?
Seas on Fire – East Coast Low (Crankinhaus Records)
Get Back 
The long-rumoured and exhaustively researched biography of iconic Australian musician Spencer P Jones is out tomorrow. 
