Lost Sydney band Grooveyard's recorded legacy emerges from the vaults

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By The Barman

The Barman

28 April 2024

Hits: 3437

_{Larry McGrath photo.}

Another cache of gems has emerged from the mists of time that obscure the 1980s Australian underground music scene: The back catalogue of Sydney’s Grooveyard have been posthumously re-released.
Hindsight shows The Grooveyard was something of a supergroup. At various times, its ranks included future Paul Kelly and Messengers, Chinless Elite and Hell To Pay member Jon Schofield, Lime Spiders drummer Richard Lawson, ex-Razar member and future Screaming Tribesmen Bob Wackley, Geoff Rhoe (ex-Minuteman), Ian Little (Bambalams) and Sean Maguire (ex-Minuteman).

 Swimming against the Detroit tide that was gripping most of Sydney, Grooveyard peddled a distinctive and stunning brand of ‘60s-influenced powerpop and issued the Chris Masuak-produced “Avalanche of Love” single (1984) and 12-inch EP (“Grooveyard”, 1989). All tracks are rolling out on digital platforms from today..

• lime spiders
• razar
• Richard lawson
• grooveyard
• avalanche of love
• the grooveyard
• bob wackley
• bambalams
• ian little
• minuteman
• sean maguire

Escape your problems and focus on Mark Steiner's instead

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

23 April 2024

Hits: 2692

Black Hole - Mark Steiner and his Problems (Rabben Records) 

Mark Steiner, expat New Yorker (think Piker Ryan's Folly), Oslosian and globe-trotter, has released his third LP. Being a busy chap, it's been a few years between road-trips Down Under.

COVID won't have helped. Remember COVID when large numbers of otherwise normal folks suddenly demonstrated that they couldn't tell the difference between a virus and a bug, came up with all manner of preposterous and completely impossible conspiracy theories (including the one that the deep state is ruled by giant lizard aliens), and generally gave the impression that education for the masses is clearly a waste of time, money and effort?

• mark steiner
• black hole
• rabben records
• mark steiner and his problems

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Tokyo's garage rock kings The Fadeaways head to Australia

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By The Barman

The Barman

22 April 2024

Hits: 5342

Australian crowds will have their first opportunity to experience Japan’s best, premium high-energy garage rock band when The Fadeaways make their debut on these shores in July 2024.

The Fadeaways have been wowing punters in their homeland since forming in Tokyo in 2005. Sharing a mutual love of ‘60s garage punk, ‘70s punk and trash, Toyozo (vocals and bass), Assman (guitar) and Ozzy (drummers) quickly established themselves on the tight-knit and fanatical Japanese underground music circuit.

This July 2024, prepare to be swept off your feet as Japan's high-octane garage rock sensation. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s an eyewitness account:

• garage
• australian tour
• japan
• the fadeaways
• 2024

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Dez Dare does Down Under

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By The Barman

The Barman

18 April 2024

Hits: 2107

Expat Aussie fuzz 'n' beats rocker Dez Dare is returning home from the UK for shows to celebrate the release of his fourth album, "A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin."

The media release is worth reproducing verbatim:

On past records Dare has fought beasts and beats alike, waging a fuzz war and tackling the biggest topics the world has to face; Doom scrolling, capitalist demagogues, a passionate dislike of the beach in summer. On this record he leaves the sardonic frustration behind for sarcastic existentialism, zeroing in on the big philosophical questions, and the pedantic shards of nonsense that make up our existence.

Piling up the synths, noise boxes and guitar pedals, Dez set about building a soundscape of noise and ideas around the nature of reality, time, and how we interact with them. From the music you would play in your last moments, to the reverse Darwinism of modern society, to arguing with time itself, and very boring people talking at you, all is covered here for the aspiring existentialist. 

Dez Dare is self-produced Darren Smallman (ex-Low Transit Industries, Warped, The Sound Platform) and he's three decades producing music, releasing and touring bands, and doing live sound. A product of the coastal Victorian city of Geelong,  he was introduced to the DIY punk and rock scene at 15.

• live
• australian tour
• warped
• dez dare
• darren smallman

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Mick Harvey signs on for Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds Oz tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

17 April 2024

Hits: 2303

_{The three-piece Pink Monkey Birds saving a place for Mick Harvey.}

Kid Congo Powers has announced former Birthday Party and Bad Seeds member Mick Harvey will be joining his Pink Monkey Birds on bass for this month’s Australian tour.

“Haven’t played (together) besides guest spots since Bad Seeds days,” a gleeful Kid Congo tweeted earlier today.

Kid Congo and his band are releasing their fifth long-player “ That Delicious Vice“ on In The Red Records on 19 April to coincide with the tour. “Wicked World” is the video single and features Los Angeles punk icon Alice Bag.

• bad seeds
• birthday party
• kid congo powers
• mick harvey
• australian tour
• the cramps
• the gun club
• pink monkey birds
• alice bag
• the bags

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Art Gray Noizz Quintet and Gravel Samwidge split single's savage crispness

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

14 April 2024

Hits: 4635

Relief - Art Gray Noizz Quintet b/w  Don't Go There - Gravel Samwidge (Sound Pressing)

Traditional venting opening: Increasingly, we seem to be surrounded by them, don't we? These appalling creatures who always know what's right, even though they don't. And they're so self-obsessed, so over-focussed, that they can't for the life of them see how wrong, how ignorant they are, nor the damage they do.

This single is far, far more important than the trolls and vermin lurking in the limelight, sucking up all the oxygen.

First, most split singles sound like opposites wrestling in glue. “Relief” and “Don't Go There” is a classic match-up. While these songs aren't like the same band, both have a similar filthy, driving sound dripping with droll, nasty humour. Not that you'll be laughing, you'll be too busy tripping over the rug and spilling your gin and tripping over the cat.

• art gray noizz quintet
• gravel samwidge
• sound pressing
• relief
• don't go there

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All punk rock, all the time

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 April 2024

Hits: 2340

All Bad All The Time – Mad Brother Ward and The Abrasives (Ruined Records)

You have to feel sorry for Punk Rock. Nobody can work out when it was born, so you can’t celebrate its birthday. It’s obviously of advanced age, so it seems a bit woolly around the edges. Everybody claioms to know what it is, yet nobody can agree on a definition.

You’ll know that Mad Brother Ward is Punk Rock as soon as the stylus hits the groove on “All Bad All The Time” and that opening sustained guitar note plunges into Downstroke Heaven. There’s no mistaking the anger in Mad Brother Ward’s delivery, either, as he launches into lyrics about self-loathing and this fucked up world. 

• antiseen
• punk rock
• mad brother ward
• ruined records
• all bad all the time
• north carolina

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There ain't no shade in Hades and Jupiter 5's debut is just as hot

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By Bob Short, Robert Brokenmouth & Ronald Brown

Bob Short, Robert Brokenmouth & Ronald Brown

13 April 2024

Hits: 4039

5^th From The Sun – Jupiter 5 (I-94 Bar Records)

They say, in space, no-one can hear you scream.  Jupiter 5, whose press release comes loaded with an array of retro astro puns, do their level best to mock this adage.  They scream and yell, defying age.  They do not wish to go quietly into that good night.

Like football hooligans after a surprise drunken victory, they swing from lamp posts and frighten the neighbours.  I salute you, polyester-clad space warriors.  Long may you laugh in the face of the void.

• i-94 bar records
• jupiter 5

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Buy The Lie and jump aboard the Bullet Tram

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By The Barman

The Barman

12 April 2024

Hits: 3764

Former Celibate Rifles guitarist Kent Steedman has teamed with onetime Vanilla Chainsaws frontman Simon Chainsaw for an incendiary project called Bullet Tram. The first result of the partnership is a dirgey, bluesy  track called “Bought The Lie”.

Simon, who sang the vocal, says: “’Bought The Lie’ was inspired by the famous Hunter S Thompson quote: ‘The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side’.” 

Since the passing of Damien Lovelock and the end of the Rifles, Kent Steedman has embarked on a solo career and has a growing back catalogue of projects, including Deep South and Radio KSG. He also records and tours with Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie.

Simon Chainsaw started Vanilla Chainsaws in Sydney in the 1980's with a sound that was a thick roar of layered guitar chords that was reminiscent of Husker Du.

• simon chainsaw
• celibate rifles
• vanilla chainsaws
• ken steedman
• bullet train
• bought the lie
• bullet tram

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