Holy smokes! Ashley Naylor has snuck a handful of solo shows to help launch his fifth and arguably finest solo LP, “Alexandria Sunset”, whilst on the road with The Church.

Naylor is the renowned guitarist lending his talents to iconic Australian acts including The Church, Paul Kelly, The Stems and beloved Melbourne band Even. He’s parked the proverbial Even car in the garage and taken the wheel of his creative powers, driving head on with a string of successful solo releases in recent years. 

“Alexandria Sunset” was released in September and landed in the Top 20 of the AIR charts. It’s streaming, on CD and on LP via El Reno Music. These launch shows are in solo acoustic mode:

Ashley Naylor
"Alexandria Sunset" launches
NOV
14 – The Junk Bar, Brisbane, QLD
Tickets
18 – Odeon, Richmond, VIC
Tickets
DEC
11- Factory Floor, Marrickville, NSW
Tickets
21 – Grace Emily, Adelaide, SA
Tickets

Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows alumnus and DIY garage rock icon, Toody Cole, has returned  to the stage after a six-year break ,and is sweeping through Australia this month.

Toody Cole and Her Band is an underground showcase, playing songs from Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows, both of which Toody played in with her late husband of 50 years, Fred Cole. Her band features Christpoher March (Jenny Don’t and the Spurs) and former Pierced Arrows bandmate, Kelly Halliburton. 

No-one embodied the DIY/Independent spirit more then Fred and Toody. There are many bands that have achieved cult status, but not many get their own city paying tribute to them, with Portland declaring October 5 “Dead Moon Night”.

Toody spoke to Matt Munster from her Portland house, just after here return to Portland from gigs in Spain.

There’s been a steady stream of Japanese bands visiting Australia in the last decade but it’s rare that one makes it out of China. That’s one thing that will make this month’s tour by Run Run Run something special. The ever-evolving Chinese psych-rock band is playing six shows across Canberra, Sydney and Victoria.

Formed in 2014, Run Run Run has released several albums on seminal independent label Maybe Mars, also home to Carsick Cars and Birdstriking, and has played with Michael Rother (Neu!, Kraftwerk, Harmonia) and Gang of Four.

“The Most Australian Band Ever!”, the internationally acclaimed 2024 documentary about the early days of legendary Sydney punk band the Hard-Ons, is being released on Blu-ray and the deluxe edition is a bloody ripper.

The Jonathan Sequeira-produced doco won Best Film at the LA Punk Film Festival and the physical edition is out just as its sequel “Harder and Harder” starts a run in Australian cinemas.

So here's the bloody low-down.

The new video for the single, "Will The Train Ever Stop At Banyo" by The Mick Medew & Ursula 4 has been released.  It's being streaing on all services or you can grab your own download copy here.

Filmed and produced by Tracey Walker,  it features Mick Medew (guitar, vocals), Ursula Collie (keyboards0, Lois Andrews (backing vocals, bass) and Stu McLaughlin (drums) and was written by Mick and Ursula. Production was by Stuart McLaughlin and it was mastered by Ernie O.

Theatre of Sorrow - Belligerent Dickhead (self released)

CAUTION: Smallish-scale own-trumpet tooting.

They do say that friends shouldn't review friends. Partly because friendship has an inherent bias, and partly because you could lose your friend. And your readership.

Personally, I think it's rather difficult to not meet musicians when you love music and hang in the same insalubrious establishments (usually smelling of stale beer and wee), which leads me to believe that vast swathes of music journos have, unbeknownst to the likes of us, given their mate's utter twaddle a firm thumbs-up. 

Under the World - Harry Howard with David McClymont (Monorail Music)

Like many break-up albums, “Under The World” mirrors our fears and losses. Unlike most albums in this genre, “Under The World”effortlessly avoids mopey me-me-me whining. Its lack of self-pity raises the bar of such experiences to the magisterial, touching on aspects of memory and forgiveness. Simple, powerful stuff which you can instantly relate to. 

No, I'm sorry, but this is one break-up albums which doesn't reference the bombastic and horribly overblown likes of Ronnie James Dio or Tina Arena. Because “Under The World” is like that David Lynch close-up of the white picket fence and the ideal home that you shudder at as soon as you see it. 

The new digital single from Brisbane’s The Mick Medew & Ursula 4 has been released today. “Will The Train Ever Stop At Banyo” amplifies the frustrations of navigating urban public transport. Grab it at our Bandcamp or listen on all streaming platforms. 

Written by Mick Medew and Ursula Collie, recorded by Stuart McLaughlin and mastered by Melbourne sonic maestro Ernie O, the song namechecks Banyo on Brisbane’s Shorncliffe Line where the station’s accessibility upgrade is running six months behind schedule. 

Trailblazing Melbourne garage-pop/hard rock band Girl Monstar are back with their first new music since 1992.

The new album with the very Rolling Stonesy title of  “GRRRR!!” will be released on January 27 via Vicious Kitten Records. Pre-orders are already open at the Girl Monstar Bandcamp here.

The first single “Blue Cat With Green Eyes: is out now and second single “Hate Train” is coming on November 20.  

Girl Monstar were the first all-female band to gain a national profile in Australia in the late '80s and early ‘90s.

(There's a mini documentary telling their story after the SEE MORE link.)