nitrocris

Loud As Ever – Various Artists (Sound As Ever)

Every generation of music lovers grows up thinking its era was the best. So it goes with those who ploughed through puberty in the ‘90s, a time now digitally immortalised  (as all things are) by a Facebook page, “Sound As Ever”, dedicated to Australian independent music from 1990-99.

“Sound As Ever” is a snapshot of what life looked and sounded like on the fringes of Australian music in the ‘90s. It has an audience of 72,000 Facebook users after just a year. Like any retrospective, some of what’s thrown up is gem-like and some is shite.

Personally, the ‘90s were a letdown: Once the tidal wave of grunge had subsided, it left a lot of mediocrity on the surface and it seemed there wasn’t much Real Rock and Roll left. Bands like the Powder Monkeys and New Christs that were grossly underappreciated at the start of the decade criminally remained so at the end.

The latest episode of Thursday Evening Gunk is here and the theme is "Chicks Who Rock". Guest host Heather Goodman talks to Jessamine Finlayson of Raising Ravens, The Missmade  and Nitrocris and Bianca Kotoulas of rising young Sydney band Euterpe.  

The episode in the season steams this Thursday at 8pm Sydney time and is a Died Pretty special. Guest host Danny Lau speaks to Brett Myers and Steve Clark from Died Pretty and Brett's bandmate Mark Roxburgh from his other band, Joeys Coop. Steve Clark's duo Nothing But Dust will play a live set. Follow this linkto watch the stream live from the MoshPit Facebook page,  or pop into MoshPit Bar in St Peters, Sydney, at 8pm AEDST.

Cousin Betty – Cousin Betty (Vi-Nil Records)

You know you’re in for a different trip when the title of the opening track is: “If This Makes You Off Your Family, Please Contact Us For The Royalties”.

Cousin Betty are non-conformists in an age of conformity. Their music is a mix of hard-psych, high-energy Desert Sessions rock, industrial-tinged metal and lyrical blizzards. Sounds messy in print but somehow it works. 

The band is the brainchild of guitarist Damien Stofka (ex-Molten Universe) and vocalist-keyboardist Matt Downey (ex-Death Mattell). Originally a studio project, overseas airplay led to the assembly of a full-blown line-up. Members are scattered around Greater Sydney and its environs. Drummer Andi Dyson (Nitrocris), bassist Tara Doyle (Spurs For Jesus) and guitarist Astrid Carr (Madam Fatale, Quiet Carriage) completed the ranks and this is the debut long-player.