Zoning in on quirkiness and classic songwriting

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By Ron Brown & Edwin Garland

Ron Brown & Edwin Garland

27 October 2024

Hits: 1452

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.

• i-94 bar records
• lois andrews
• brian mann
• mick medew and ursula
• in the zone
• stuatt mclaughlin

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Here's your first taste of the new Los Chicos record ahead of their Oz tour

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By The Barman

The Barman

27 October 2024

Hits: 384

Genre-hopping Spanish pub-rock/garage-punk/country/gospel/soul luminaries Los Chicos have released the new single "For A While" ahead of a looming album and seventh Australian tour.

“Never Too Much” will be the band’s eight long-player and was produced the great Mike Mariconda, guitarist of the Raunch Hands and producer of classic albums by the Cosmic Psychos, Powder Monkeys and New Bomb Turks. The album comes out on Cheersquad Records & Tapes on November 1.

Los Chicos, who have previously played Boogie and River Rocks festivals and toured twice with Radio Birdman, will be returning to River Rocks in Geelong and playing tour dates with Hard-Ons, Private Function, The Meanies, Mach Pelican and the New Christs in November.  Tour dates in The Living Eye gig guide at right. Pre-order the LP here.

• los chicos
• australian tour
• 2024
• for a while
• never too much

Get In The Zone with The Mick Medew and Ursula 4 in Brisbane and Lismore

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 October 2024

Hits: 899

Their single “Punk Grandma” is number-three on the 4ZZZ playlists in Brisbane and attracting airplay all round the country. The album it comes from, “In The Zone”, is out next week. So I-94 Bar Records artists Mick Medew and Ursula are officially launching the album in their home town in style.

The “Meduo” will play It’s Still A Secret in South Brisbane with The Mick Medew and Ursula 4 on Saturday, November 16 with Lovejoy Surf. The gig is at the grandparents friendly hour of 2pm and tickets are here.

“In The Zone” hits retail and digital channels on November 1 but you can procure a pre-sale CD copy here.

The Mick Medew and Ursula 4 plays a New South Wales show at Northern Rivers Hotel, Lismore, on Sunday, December 8 from 2pm. (Sheesh, what is it about these early starts?) Details in the Facebook event here.  Stay tuned for news about Newcastle and Sydney launches early in 2025.

• brisbane
• launch
• mick medew and ursula
• 4zzz
• in the zone
• it's stil a secret
• mick medew and ursula 4

Last ride for Sacred Cowboys in '24

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 October 2024

Hits: 528

Nothing Grows in Texas? Not so for Melbourne.

After selling out Thornbury venue Shotkickers three days before their comeback gig date, Sacred Cowboys have announced a second and final Melbourne show for this year.

It's on the back of the two CD anthology "Cowboy Logic" but we have wind of fresh recordings being in the works. 

They’ll play St Kilda Bowls Club on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, on November 22. Tickets just $20+bf via Trybooking here. Don't snooze or you'll lose. 

• st kilda
• sacred cowboys
• cowboy logic

Mark Steiner returns to Oz again to saddle you with his Problems

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By The Barman

The Barman

24 October 2024

Hits: 875

_{Touring Czech violinist Pavel Cingl with Mark Steiner. Mona Cat photo.}

Norwegian-American troubadour Mark Steiner’s ongoing love affair with Australia continues in November and December when he undertakes his sixth tour Down Under.

Steiner has been coming to Australian since 2008 and became an Aussieophile when he first heard the music of Rowland S. Howard in in the 1980s when he was a teen growing up in New York City. Now living in Norway, he’ll be playing songs from his latest album, “Black Hole”, on a run through Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

• australian tour
• mark steiner and his problems
• pavel cingl

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Osees announce return to Oz as ticket pre-sales start

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 October 2024

Hits: 672

Psych-punk psychic warrior, ear worm-farmer, and possessor of many stamped passport pages, John Dwyer and his band Osees (aka Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, etc) return to Australia next March following a blistering sold-out national tour in 2023.

Already announced as a feature act at the 2025 Golden Plains Festival, Osees will also headline Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle and Melbourne.

Edwin Garland's review of the 2023 Sydney show is here and the late Patrick Emery's Melbourne recap is here.

The 2025 visit comes off the back of the release of their 28th album “Sorcs 80”, an album that is unique to the band’s catalogue because it is guitar-less.

• tour
• australian
• osees
• 2025

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Power-poppers Lava Fangs poised for album launch

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By The Barman

The Barman

23 October 2024

Hits: 439

Melbourne's internationally acclaimed power poppers Lava Fangs have finally announced a launch for their new album, "Sub Auroram", which was recorded with Paul Maybury of Rocket Science and The Pink Tiles.

The launch at Mama Chen's in Footscray, Melboutne, at 2:30PM on Saturday November 2  will be a rare live outing for the band, and follows their rapturously received set last month at the Gem in Collingwood as guests of power pop all-star combo Benny J & the Psych Ward. That band features Benny J Ward (Rinehearts), Davey Lane (You Am I/Pictures/Todd Rundgren), Link Meanie (Meanies) and Matt Cotter (Even) so they keep good company.

• launch
• lava fangs
• sub auroram
• mama chen's

Last will and testament or an American ruse?

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By Bob Short & The Barman

Bob Short & The Barman

22 October 2024

Hits: 1330

 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.

• fred smith
• mc5
• wayne kramer
• sonic
• dennis thompson
• michael davis
• heavy lifting
• earMUSIC

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Saddles aren't the only thing blazing on new Cowboys collection

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By The Barman

The Barman

28 September 2024

Hits: 1932

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.

• sacred cowboys
• garry gray
• Kasumuen Records
• we mainline dreamers
• mark ferrie
• cowboy logic
• molly meldrum

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