- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 10242
Loose Pills (fron left) Stu Wilson, Matt Galvin, Ryan Ellsmore and Bill Gibson
Remember when ‘super groups’ played ‘pop music’ that rocked? Yes, both terms have been bludgeoned into redundancy but Sydney’s Loose Pills are doing their level best to re-introduce some relevance.
The membership should be enough to make you prick up your ears - New Christs, The Eastern Dark, Lemonheads, Orange Humble Band, The Scruffs (the Aussie edition), Pyramidiacs and too many more to mention dot the collective history. The debut album, “Rx”, seals the deal with a dose of raucous guitars, powerful dynamics and pop smarts.
We spoke to singer-guitarist Ryan Ellsmore to get the lowdown and what makes a great Heavy Pop record.
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 9449
One of the lesser-known musical pleasures in Australian over the last decade has been the quirky garage sound of the Hekawis, a fuzz-and-organ-driven combo prominent on the Brisbane and Melbourne underground music scenes. Churning out release after release, partly via the then prolific Courdroy label (who happened to own the country's sole vinyl pressing machine for a period in the '90s), the Hekawis pushed all the usual '50s and '60s buttons but came up with a sound unlike any other of their ilk.
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 13586
Rick Chesshire cartoon
January 27, 2008 - If the impending (2008) return to live performance by premier Detroit art-punk chanteuse Niagara isn't enough to get you excited, you're browsing the wrong website or you're a cadaver.
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 10357
If there's one recent (i.e. it came out in late 2009 and is still being spun) Australian album that merits robbing a bank, mugging your neighbour or running down to Cash Converters and pawning your partner so you can purchase a copy, it's "Living With You Is Killing Me" by Brisbane band HITS.
- Details
- By The Barman
- Hits: 15447
The Golden Age of Iggy and The Stooges continues unabated. With the band on indefinite hiatus, “Raw Power” era guitarist James Williamson is shining new light on a batch of mostly unreleased or never-properly-recorded gems from the band’s back-pages.
- Details
- By Ian McFarlane
- Hits: 13276
Proto-punk legends The Dictators have a Best Of compilation "Faster...Louder: The Dictators Best 1975-2001" out on Australian label Raven. Compiler Ian McFarlane spoke to Andy Shernoff, bass-player/keyboardist for The Dictators, in January 2014. Here's the full interview.
- Details
- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 11209
First, these 20-minute interviews seem to
be the bane of journos everywhere. It seems the time-limit prevents the journos getting chummy with the artist. No wonder Prince doesn't give interviews anymore, who'd want a bunch of music journos crawling at ya, total strangers wanting to be your pal. Twenty minutes is fine. The artist is there to promote the album, use the journo as a conduit.
- Details
- By Robert Brokenmouth
- Hits: 10425
Folk and punk may seem a bizarre match, but they're a perfect marriage. They're both about belief, emotion and bags of power. The Bad Shepherds make it all look easy; I know damn well it's not.
- Details
- By Ken Shimamoto
- Hits: 33123
James Williamson in 2011 - Robert Matheu photo
James Williamson staked his claim to rock'n'roll immortality based on just eight songs, but what songs they were...the ones comprising Iggy & the Stooges' epochal 1973 "Raw Power" album, still cited as a prime influence by purveyors of Rock Action from Stockholm to Seattle to Sydney.
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The Living Eye
The New Christs
+ Jupiter 5
+ The Stallers
Marrickville Bowlo, Sydney
- June 19
Tickets
Sister Paul (JP)
Australian Tour
MAY
21 - Kindred Studios, Yarraville, VIC (lunchtime)
22 – Medusa, Geelong, VIC
23 - Trash Cult, Eaglehawk, VIC
24 - Social Club Balnarring, Balnarring, VIC
25 - Northcote Social Club, Nothcote, VIC
28 - The Espanade Hotel, St Kilda, VIC
29 - The Painted Lady, Ballarat, VIC
30 - The Belgrave Hotel, Belgrave, VIC
Tickets
Black Flag
Australian Tour 2026
MAY
30 – Crowbar, Brisbane
31 – Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast, QLD
Tickets
Lydia Lunch
The Songs of Suicide and Alan Vega
featuring Andrew Coates (Black Cab)
JUN
14 - Meow, Wellington, NZ (as part of Lōemis)
17 - The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab)
+ Belle Phoenix & Jeffrey Wegener
18 - The Tote, Melbourne (with Black Cab)
+ Tongue Dissolver
20 - Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane
21 - Factory Floor, Sydney
+ Rebel Yell
24 - Ed Castle, Adelaide
+ Messianic Gloss
25 - The Milk Bar, Perth
+ Streets of Separation
Tickets
FEAR
Australian tour
JUNE
26 - Marrickville Bowlo - Sydney
27 - Thrashville Festival - Hunter Valley
28 - La La Las - Wollongong
JULY
3 - The Tote - Melbourne
4 - Vinnies Dive Bar - Gold Coast
5 - The Brightside - Brisbane
Tickets
Indie Sounds of the Harbour City Vol 2
Launch Tour
JUL
3 - Dissent Bar, Canberra ACT
4 - Ryans Hotel, Thirroul
5 - The Marlin Hotel, Ulladulla
10 - Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle
11 - Six String, Erina
12 - Deadsset, Darlinghurst, Sydney
17 - Lou Lou Room, Wynnum, QLD
18 - Coffs Harbour Hotel, Coffs Harbour, NSW
19 - Blah Bar, Lismore, NSW
24 - Crowbar Sydney
25 - Vi-Nil HQ, Ourimbah, NSW
26 - Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
31 - The Vic, Orange, NSW
AUG
1 - Crossroads, Dubbo, NSW
7 - Diamond Dogs, Dapto, NSW
8 - Wings & Tins, Dee Why, NSW
Amammoth + None For One
+ Old Heathens + Buzz Wagon
+ The Limited + Headspacer
+ My Velvet Exit
Lazy Thinking, Dulwich Hill, NSW
2.30-11PM
- July 25
Smoked Salmon
Totally Sick!! Tour
JULY
24 - Mojo's, Fremantle, WA
25 - Prince of Wales, Bunbury, WA
31 - Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine, VIC
AUG
1 - Shotkickers, Thornbury, VIC
2 - Wheatsheaf, Adelaide, SA
6 - La La La's, Wollongong, NSW
7 - Petersham Bowling Club, Petersham , NSW
8 - Link & Pin, Woy Woy, NSW
9 - The Oak Tighes Hill, Newcastle, NSW
(free)
14 - Tanswells, Beechworth, VIC
(free)
15 - Smiths Alternative, Canberra, ACT
21 - Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
22 - Royal Oak, Launceston, TAS
28 - Junk Bar, Brisbane, QLD
29 - Blah Bar, Lismore, NSW
30 - Cabarita Beach Club, Cabarita, NSW (free)
SEP
4 - Young St Tavern, Frankston, VIC
The Exploding Universe of Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper 50 Years Retrospective
JULY
30 - Avoca Theatre #
31 - Canberra, The Street
AUG
1 - Wombarra Bowlo
6 - Adelaide, The Gov
8 - Melbourne, National Theatre
9 - Barwon Heads Hotel
15 - Fremantle, Freo Social
20 - Brisbane, The Princess
21 - Coffs Harbour, The Jetty Theatre
22 - Murwillumbah, Regent Theatre
27 - Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Tickets
Huxton Creepers
12 Days To Paris Tour
AUG
7 - Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
+ Icecream Hands
8 - Croxton Bandroom, Thornbury, VIC
+ Icecream Hands
14 - Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
+ The Johnnys
15 - Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
+ The Johnnys
16 - Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
(afternoon show)
+ The Johnnys
21 - Norton Music Factory,
Caloundra, QLD
+ The Johnnys
22 - Crowbar Brisbane, QLD
+ The Johnnys
+ Mick Medew and Ursula
23 - Wallaby Hotel, Mudgeeraba, QLD
(afternoon show)
+ The Johnnys
The Damned
Final Damnation 50
Australia and New Zealand
SEP
8 - AUCKLAND, Powerstation
10 - SYDNEY, The Opera House
11 - BRISBANE, The Tivoli
13 - MELBOURNE, The Forum
Tickets
Pre-sale: Wednesday April 22d at 9:00am Local
General Public: Friday April 24 at 9:00am Local
Fresh Reviews
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A Jungian and a tofu thief walk into a bar...
29 May 2026
-
You need Fowl Weather Vein to know which way the wind blows
22 April 2026
-
Feast on Blue Ash's posthumous powerpop delight
18 April 2026
-
The On and Ons' "Luminary" shines bright
13 April 2026
-
A tale of The Stooges and The Velvet Underground in high-fidelity
07 April 2026