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By The Barman

The Barman

28 June 2026

Hits: 1287

• evil tone records
• the strike-outs
• double negative

Double Negative – The Strike Outs (Evil Tone Records/Farmer and The Owl)

If you’ve seen Sydney duo The Strike-Outs in the flesh, you’ll know they do not fuck around. The way they open their second album, “Double Negative”, is proof positive.

“Johnny” is a Chuck Berry-inspired instrumental (one of two on the album) that steamrollers out of the speakers, driven by Adam Vines’ industrial-strength backbeat and brother Simon’s squawling, Thunders-without-the-slop, guitar attack.

It goes for the throat and does not let up – and that’s the story of the album in a nutshell. The band sneers and soars through another 10 songs (including a killer cover of “Motherfucking Motherfucker” by Bored!) that launch, one after each other, like Exocet missiles.

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By Robert Brokenmouth

Robert Brokenmouth

01 June 2026

Hits: 1875

• harry howard
• david mcclymont
• blistersticks

Blistersticks - Harry Howard and David McClymont (self released)

It’s an odd thing, creativity. You might recognise David McClymont’s name as the bass guitarist in Orange Juice, who had several bright, accessible pop hits in the late 1970s, initially with the Scottish label Postcard. Orange Juice played frequently with friends like Josef K and The Go-Betweens. The Scottish expats found common ground with the then-plentiful Australian ex-pats such as The Moodists and The Birthday Party. 

Orange Juice weren’t an easy fit with the skinheads of the day; theyd walk onstage to cries of “poofs” from the skins. Their retort? “Hare Krishna!”

Coming within a whisker of serious UK pop stardom (including two appearances on “Top of The Pops”,  David left in late 1983, and the recordings for his own outfit, the brilliantly-named Ape the Scientific, which recorded for Polydor. 

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By Edwin Garland & The Barman

Edwin Garland & The Barman

22 April 2026

Hits: 3601

• 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: 2006

• 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: 1694

• 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: 2074

• 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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