Album reviews

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Right, when I heard this for the first of what will be hundreds of times, I thought, fuck me, “Grandular Fever” is a career highlight. The thing is… I reckon they can match this over and over without breaking wind. And fuck, Loki Lockwood must be spitting. A record this fucking brilliant and it ain’t out til October (I won't tell you when I initially wrote this).

Every now and then an CD comes along which makes me love the privileged position I sometimes find myself in. And right now… EIGHT BOTTLES. And after several months of addictive listening, it's still eight bottles.

Details: By Robert Brokenmouth; 02 October 2016; Hits: 5412

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5.4k views

Never paid The Wildhearts much attention so the fact The Main Grains bassist and mainman Danny McCormack played in ‘em didn’t mean much to me. A couple of spins of his new band’s debut EP on CD, however, made me a believer.

The Main Grains formed in Newcastle-0n-Tyne, Northern England, in 2015 and occupy the same punk rock-pop territory as The Wildhearts. They bring a bunch of songs to this EP that are catchier than a heavy cold in what passes for an English summer.

The bio will tell you the band is McCormack and guitarists JJ Watt (Spill 16/Whiskey Haze) and Ben Marsden (Modern Day Dukes), and drummer Ginna Rhodes (Psychobabylon/Phluid), and that they fuse the sounds of the Ramones, The Wildhearts, Yo-Yo's and Blondie. They call it Northern Punk.

Details: By The Barman; 24 September 2016; Hits: 4996

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4.9k views

They don’t half mind talking politics north of Hadrian’s Wall, but few Scots manage to mix it with scorching rock and roll like this crew. “Dangerous Minds” is the third Media Whores album since they formed in 2008 and sounds exactly like its title warns.

Pointed and to the point, The Media Whores don’t embrace lyrical subtlety. They attack subjects like fracking (“Frack Off”), cybersex (“Computer Love Affair”), materialism (“Zombies of Mayfair”), crooked cops (“Raking It In”) and all parts in-between with zealous glee. Musically, they run the gamut from hard-edged, new wave pop to punk rock.

Details: By The Barman; 19 September 2016; Hits: 4702

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4.7k views

tokyo beef This one’s by a bunch of blokes from Burleigh Heads, an idyllic spot in the most southern coastal reaches of sub-tropical Queensland where the weather’s warm, the beer’s cold and the attitude is either laid-back or laid-off and under-employed.

If Tokyo Beef’s EP doesn’t quite reek of coconut oil on a frying Burleigh Heads sunbather’s back at the height of a summer afternoon, its sound would sit perfectly well in the beer garden of the town’s famous pub after the sun’s gone down. The band doesn't mind flying the flag for its home turf either - the title’s a reference to their postcode.

Details: By The Barman; 18 September 2016; Hits: 4656

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4.6k views

storm the gates What a long way this Sydney band has come in a few years – and not just geographically speaking.

The Prehistorics have done the European touring thing a couple of times now, returning home to relative indifference. Main-man Brendan Sequiera was planning to relocate to France but red tape and lukewarm day job prospects have put that plan on the backburner.

What he and his band have delivered with their fourth long-player is an album of world-class, melodic but hard-hitting rock and roll. It will go down a storm offshore and - all things being equal - should make an audience closer to home sit up and listen as well.

Details: By The Barman; 18 September 2016; Hits: 5146

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5.1k views

sonic solo The loudest sound you’ll hear on this is the bottom of the barrel being scraped.

The intentions were probably sound. Assembling a collection of previously unheard works-in-progress by the man who was a driving force in rock and roll’s most criminally under-recognised band makes perfect sense.

Provided the raw material you have is bountiful and of premium grade.

It wasn’t and it is not.

Details: By The Barman; 17 September 2016; Hits: 6317

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6.3k views

Gig Ads

Mick Medew & Ursula 4 single launch

Datura4 on the Gold Coast

The Living Eye

Right eye

The Cha Cha Chas
Back in Oz Australian Tour
OCT
24 - The Tote VIC
(Album Launch)
+ Stu Manchu & His Chosen Few
+ Jungle Jim Smith + DJ Twistin’ Fever
NOV
1 - Tyldenvania, Tylden Hall VIC
(5pm - All ages)
4 - Social Club, Balnarring, VIC
(3:30pm - 2 Sets)
9 - Desert Highways Reservoir VIC
(2pm - All ages)
15 – The Gem
+ The Breadmakers
w/ The Fadeaways (JP) +) DJ King O.P.P + Mystery band
16 - TBA, VIC
22 - The Drunken Poet, VIC
(9pm - 2 Sets)

The New Christs
Tote Hotel, Collingwood, VIC
- Oct 25

Soundpressing presents
Datura4
+ The Spivs
Iron & Resin Garage, Currumbin, QLD
- Oct 24
Tickets

Ian Krahe Tribute
Fuck The Neighbours
+ Slack Punks
+ Spitting Chips
+ Hounddog Harry
+ Descent Into Chaos
+ Eric’s Adult Bookshop
Sydney Crowbar, Leichhardt
- Nov 2 (3pm)
Tickets

The Johnnys
+ The Mick Medew & Ursula 4
+ Scrambler
Mos's Desert Clubhouse, Burleigh Heads
- Nov 28
Tickets

The Soft ‘n’ Sexy Sound Tour
Dave Graney and the Coral Snakes
OCT
24 - Freo Social, Fremantle WA
Tickets
25 - The River Hotel, Margaret River WA
Tickets
31 - Brisbane Crowbar QLD
Tickets
NOV
1 - The Imperial, Eumundi QLD
Tickets
2 - Mo's Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast QLD
Tickets
7 - Byron Bay Theatre NSW
Tickets
8 - Bellingen Memorial Hall NSW
Tickets
13 - King Street Bandroom, Newcastle
Tickets
14 - Avoca Beach Theatre NSW
Tickets
15 - The Lounge, Chatswood NSW
Ticket s
16 - Dangar Island Bowlo NSW (matinee)
Tickets
21 - The Gov, Adelaide SA
Tickets
28 - Royal Oak, Launceston TAS
Tickets
29 - The Pier, Ulverstone TAS
Tickets
30 - Longley International Hotel, Longley TAS
Tickets

4ZZZ presents
“ZED 50”
The Saints ’73-‘78
+ Regurgitator
+ Tropical Fuck Storm
+ Full Flower Moon Band
+ Big Noter + Butterfingers
+ Screamfeeder
+ Nice Biscuit + Party Dozen
+ Frangipanis + Dancingwater
+ Platonic Sex + Velociraptor
Roma St Parklands, Brisbane
- Oct 25

The On and Ons
New Album Preview Show
+ Velvet Parade
+ Jupiter 5
Marrickville Bowlo, NSW
- Nov 8
Tickets

“4ZZZ Joint Effort 50”
Dave Warner’s From The Suburbs
+ X + The Survivors + XERO
+ The Black Assassins
+ Pineapples From The Dawn of Time
Hamilton Hotel, QLD
- Nov 8

Asteroid B612
Australian Tour
NOV
6 – La La La´s, Wollongong NSW
7 – Marrickville Bowling Club, NSW
8 – Avalon Beach RSL Club, NSW
14 - The John Curtin Hotel, Carlton VI

The Saints ’73-’78
North America and Europe
NOV
5 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
7 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
8 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
9 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
11 - Chicago, IL – Metro
13 - Toronto, ON - The Phoenix Concert Theatre
14 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
16 - Washington, DC - Union Stage
21 - Bristol - Trinity Community Arts
22 - Leeds - Project House
23 - Glasgow - The Garage
24 - Manchester – Academy
26 - London - Electric Ballroom
28 - Stockholm - Debaser
29 - Malmo - Plan B
30 - Berlin - Astra
Tickets

Punkest, Lockdown, Renegade Playground & 4ZZZ present
GIG CITY
Custard + The Johnnys
+ Gazoonga Attack
+ Monster Zoku Onsomb! + Dad Fight
+ Mark N [Bloody Fist Rec.] + The Disables
+ Combat Wombat + Paul Abad + Fat
+ Viper Snatch + Mitch Please + Gurridyula
+ Coral Outcrops Half Star Band + The Distained
+ The Stress of Leisure + Kunt
+ Red Devotchkin + Evil Dick Industries
+ Strange Stains
The Brightside, Brisbane
- Nov 29 from 3pm
Tickets

I-94 Bar presents
"Psychotic Turnbuckles
Festive Spectacular"
Psychotic Turnbuckles
+ The Dark Clouds
+ The Sugar Beats
Marrickville Bowlo. NSW
- Dec 13
Tickets

Cosmic Psychos
"I Really Like Beer Tour"
NOV
7 — Singing Bird, Frankston, VIC
8 — Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
9 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
12 — UC Hub, Canberra, ACT
13 — Uni Bar, Wollongong, NSW
14 — Crowbar, Sydney, NSW
15 — King Street Bandroom, Newcastle, NSW
19 — Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich, QLD
20 — Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast, QLD
21 — Solbar, Maroochydore, QLD
22 — Crowbar, Brisbane, QLD
23 — Bangalow Bowlo, Bangalow, NSW
26 — The River, Margaret River, WA
27 — Rosemount Hotel, Perth, WA28 — Indian Ocean Hotel, Scarborough, WA
29 — Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff, VIC
JAN
1 — Edge Hill Tavern, Cairns, QLD
2 — Dalrymple Hotel, Townsville, QLD
3 — Magnums, Airlie Beach, QLD
4 — Metropolitan Hotel, Mackay, QLD
7 — Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone, QLD
8 — Grand Hotel, Childers, QLD
9 — MO’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast, QLD
10 — Seaview Tavern, Woolgoolga, NSW
11 — Bellingen Brewery, Bellingen, NSW
14 — Moonshiners Honky Tonk Bar, Tamworth, NSW
15 — Finnian's Tavern, Port Macquarie, NSW
16 — Avalon RSL, Avalon, NSW
17 — The Marlin, Ulladulla, NSW
18 — Beer Deluxe, Albury NSW
22 — Tanswells Hotel, Beechworth, VIC
23 — Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
24 — Westonport Hotel, San Remo, VIC
25 — Social Club, Balnarring, VIC
26 — Volta, Ballarat, VIC
29 — Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool, VIC
30 — Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC
31 — Riverview Hotel, Tarwin Lower, VIC
FEB
12 — Royal Oak, Launceston, TAS
13 — Forth Pub, Devonport, TAS
14 — Altar, Hobart, TAS