All Bad All The Time – Mad Brother Ward and The Abrasives (Ruined Records)

You have to feel sorry for Punk Rock. Nobody can work out when it was born, so you can’t celebrate its birthday. It’s obviously of advanced age, so it seems a bit woolly around the edges. Everybody claioms to know what it is, yet nobody can agree on a definition.

You’ll know that Mad Brother Ward is Punk Rock as soon as the stylus hits the groove on “All Bad All The Time” and that opening sustained guitar note plunges into Downstroke Heaven. There’s no mistaking the anger in Mad Brother Ward’s delivery, either, as he launches into lyrics about self-loathing and this fucked up world. 

5^th From The Sun – Jupiter 5 (I-94 Bar Records)

They say, in space, no-one can hear you scream.  Jupiter 5, whose press release comes loaded with an array of retro astro puns, do their level best to mock this adage.  They scream and yell, defying age.  They do not wish to go quietly into that good night.

Like football hooligans after a surprise drunken victory, they swing from lamp posts and frighten the neighbours.  I salute you, polyester-clad space warriors.  Long may you laugh in the face of the void.

By The Seat Of Our Pants - Pilots Of Baalbek (Outtaspace)

Next time somebody tells you that rock and roll is dead, know this: They’re either projecting their own sad existence or they’re looking for it in all the wrong places. The best Rock Action almost always exists on the fringes, never attracting mainstream support because most people don’t know what they like, they only like what they know. 

Dig, and you shall find.

In The Keep - Flowers for Jayne (self released)

Flowers for Jayne have been floating around for the last for a couple of years with their melodic power-pop blended with James Williamson-style, blazing guitar shredding. 

The band is led by ex-Lime Spider, Jayne Murphy, whose background from Sydney’s western suburbs carried with it a staple diet of KISS, Cheap Trick and the cooler sounds of Australian indie- noisy guitar greatness.

Jayne has one part of the pedigree of a great rock ‘n’ roller – she’s an outsider with her own personal tribulations behind her.  She has always relied on music to keep going. 

Tonight We Ride: Official Bootleg Live in Sydney November 13 1991 – Hitmen DTK with special guest Deniz Tek (Vicious Kitten)

Hello I-94 barflies! Ain’t life grand? A new official bootleg recording of the magnificent Hitmen DTK, with special guest Deniz Tek, ripping through a few choice cuts from the Birdman catalogue, How good is that? 

But first, the back story.

Hitmen DTK were fresh back from recording the underrated album “Moronic Inferno” in the USA. They hit the road to promote said record in Sydney, Australia, for a handful of gigs.  

 Crush On You – Smalltown Tigers (Area Pirata)

You like guitars, all-girl bands and anthems? Smalltown Tigers are The Donnas without major hype or The Runaways with songs. That’s 99 percent of what you need to know, right there. What’s not to like about the debut album by this Italian rock trio?

Italian bands? I’ve heard some shitty ones. Likes lot of Europe, rock and roll struggles to retain a grip on audiences in Italy, and the cookie cutter approach abounds, not to mention some uninspired DIY production. Many Italian bands don’t and can’t rock.