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By Edwin Garland & The Barman

Edwin Garland & The Barman

22 April 2026

Hits: 3390

• keith claringbold
• vanilla chainsaws
• paul berwick
• vi-nil records
• marc scully
• fowl weather vein
• trench gashes
• paul timmins
• paul simpson
• mark nicholson

Fowl Weather Vein – Fowl Weather Vein (Vi-Nil Records)

The years 1978-82  produced the greatest explosion of music in the last century. Only the mid to late 1960s rivals it. Some called it New Wave, others came up with Post-Punk.

Record companies were opening cheque books as fast as new labels arrived and there was the buzz of a DIY ethos. More importantly though, the period produced an artistic tidal wave surfed by one-hit wonders and more enduring artists whose music careers have continued for decades.  

Consider the massive diversity of a crop that included Wire, Echo and The Bunnymen, Pere Ubu, The Fall, The Pop Group, XTC, The Cure, The Jam, Siouxie and The Banshees, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Blondie, Psychedelic Furs, Gang of Four. There was also the rise of Ska. There were was no single blueprint or style, just an explosion of creativity.

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By JD Misfortune

JD Misfortune

18 April 2026

Hits: 1830

• stiv bators
• dinner at mr billy's
• blue ash
• peppermint records
• frank secich

Dinner At Mr Billy’s – Blue Ash (Peppermint Records)

Summa the magical, mystical Blue Ash powerpop just feels so ‘60s, like some lost tracks from the "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" or "Easy Rider" soundtracks, or the incidental music from "Love American Style" or some kinda hippie exploitation marketing hoax.

Remember when 7-Up was selling themselves as flower child psychedelic? Blue Ash was around then and woulda been perfect to write their far out, hey man, garage punk jingles. So Good! The guitar playing feels like Strawberry Alarm Clock or 13th Floor Elevators sometimes, and the singer coulda been in "Hair".

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By The Barman

The Barman

13 April 2026

Hits: 1481

• the on and ons
• luminary
• jem records

Luminary – The On and Ons (Jem Records)

Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the ring, The On and Ons deliver a triple combination of power-pop punches to open their new album and leave your critical faculties flat on the canvas.

“White Ships”, “Constance” and the stunning single “Speck of Smiling Faces” are the opening tracks and as good as anything the Sydney band has recorded. Even better news is that it doesn’t end there and The On and Ons’ sixth full album, “Luminary”, is their best to date.

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By Steve Lorkin

Steve Lorkin

07 April 2026

Hits: 1819

• stooges
• fun house
• velvet underground
• loaded
• rhino high fidelity

Fun House (High Fidelity Edition) - Rhino Records (Rhino Records)
Loaded (High Fidelity Edition) - The Velvet Underground (Rhino Records)
 
Theoretically, an album pressed in 2026 should sound a lot better than an album pressed in the 1970s. I mean, haven't there been vast technological advances in the sound world? Or for that matter, just about anything and everything since the 1970s?

Judging by the majority of LP reissues these days it seems not. Quite often those pre-digital era 1960s/1970s pressings sound a whole lot better than today's "$95 at JBHiFi 180 gram remastered by some genius" reissues.

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By JD Misfortune

JD Misfortune

05 April 2026

Hits: 1283

• trash brats
• troy toma
• 24 hours in detroit
• jett plastic recordings

24 Hours in Detroit - Troy Toma and The Lousy Lovers (Jett Plastic Recordings)

So, my good friends, I hesitate to even commit my thoughts to paper very often nowadays cause I'm just so curmudgeonly and grouchy and pessimistic, I've totally turned into one of those ruined, scarred, and bitter men muttering to himself about the MC5, and wishing all these new kids in their expensive hats would get off my fucking lawn.

I got the oldness; walk with a cane, been having some scary health issues, with gratitude for some narrow escapes, my old friends are dropping like flies, and many of those remaining suddenly look like Uncle Jessie from "Dukes" Of Hazzard".

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By The Barman

The Barman

03 April 2026

Hits: 859

• the jane does
• ROCKS
• matt allison
• joanne bennett
• rebecca halley

The Jane Does – The Jane Does (self released)

It seems hard to find good bands fronted by women no longer aged in their teens in Sydney these days. The reality is that the city’s small roster of rock and roll venues means the sisters (mums? aunts?) aren’t hiding, you just need to look for them at the right time.

Along with The Sugar Beats and Raising Ravens, The Jane Does are the pick of the semi-femme crop (although technically you could say that the former come from Wollongong.)

The Jane Does are  Rebecca Halley (vocals and guitar) and Joanne Bennett (bass and vocals) sharing front-of-stage duties with guitarist Matt Allison. Rebecca and Jo are cousins and have shared stages before. They’ve had a series of drummers but Tim Savage now seems firmly sequestered on the stool, barring spontaneous combustion or bizarre gardening accidents.

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