CHINESE BURNS UNIT Composed of veterans from LAWNSMELL and FRENZAL RHOMB, CHINESE BURNS UNIT now have their debut album out. The band play "passionate melodic punk rock." It's one I look forward to hearing.
Their music is described as "a quartet who could sound as weighty as FEEDTIME, but preferred quicker tempos and slightly more standard songs." - Pitchfork
TURBOBELCO / BRUCE / HOSTILE OBJECTS / NURSING HOME STALKERS /ONE TAKE EARTHQUAKE Hermanns Bar, Sydney 19 October 2013 Review by Derek J. Huckel
It was one of those weird nights where it was a bit chilly to get out in this hot weather. Confused? Well upon entering this haven of audio iniquity, those blues were soon blown away...
I walked in on ONE TAKE EARTHQUAKE. They're a kind of thrash rock, you might say a cross of IGGY POP / STOOGES and THE DIRTBOMBS. With all instruments turned to 11, a heavy drum sound, and singer Mo screaming himself nearly hoarse, they belted out numerous catchy numbers like 'Separation Wall', 'It's Your Last Day', and one I think called '12 Hour Fun'. Cool stuff.
NURSING HOME STALKERS were a sonic assault from their onset. The singer launched himself on to the stage (yes, from the floor to stage). Being about the only animated one in the band, the vocalist was like a tightly wound spring going off intermittently. The machine gun metal style of playing was relentless, only slowing at the intros and taking breaths between tunes. The singers' brief between song banter either explained the songs, or asked for spare hash in the crowd.
The HOSTILE OBJECTS drained every centilitre of their thrash shit and very being into their show, in doing so they absolutely killed every tune tonight! I mean this in a very good way. This made it hard to pick a fave - maybe the opening new tune, or 'Young Gods'? But I'll go with the last two 'Turkish Knives', and the crushing 'Cave In'. The sound wasn't the best but the Hostiles didn't let this burden them, with vocalist Rod inviting the audience closer to "look into my eyes." The crowd were willing to comply...
I was sold straight away on BRUCE with their cool sounding rock, a bit faster than oz rock but not quite thrash. Maybe you could call them an Aussie style of HELMET. They are hard to box as with tunes like 'Brown Paper Bag' then after a few tunes their style changed with the slightly slower but hypnotic 'Captain'. It got the crowd in, as did 'Shapes and Numbers'. The pace changed again with 70's styled 'In The Box' - like a heavier STATUS QUO – and two screamo numbers with the femme fatale guest vocalist. Check ém out!
TURBOBELCO hail out of not the cold climes Norway – like their adopted Norwegian 'fore-fathers' - but rather via those of Canberra. Well they might as well have come from the Scandinavian fjords as these camped-up Canberran minstrels, in their TURBO-garb, seemed to have the essence of the Apocalypse Dudes that are TURBONEGRO perfected down to their lil' pinkies. (You decide which pink appendage!!) The crowd of jugends and non-chapter crowd were mostly denimed up for the night. The boys made up hit their cock rock stride immediately with 'The Age of Pamparius' being a chip off the old TN block, as was 'Self Destructo' which they dived into. Disrobing his cape, the Baron not only revealed his belly but BELCO and the postcode of Belconnen, from where they hail, emblazoned in black on his chest. Proceeding to play many off 'Apocalypse Dudes' like 'Back to Dungaree High', 'Monkey on Your Back' and Don't 'Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker' the crowd loved it all! Even closing with 'Good Head'. A fave of mine I think was 'Hell Toupee' and you'd have to love the on-stage sing-a-long of 'Érrection'.
The tongue in cheek, or not, of the lyrics doesn't matter, this is bloody good rock (cock or not) whatever the tunes are about. If you couldn't get a ticket to the TURBONEGRO boys on their recent tour here or just like rock, put these guys on your bucket-list. A great night out!!
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be releasing their first album in 7 years on Monday! Jett says "Unvarnished" is a very introspective album but nevertheless it will still rock!
If her performance here in Sydney at the Annandale Hotel in 2011 is any indication, age has not wearied this rocker who is Joan Jett. From "Bad Reputation" to "Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth" and lastly "Sinner" (ironically released on 6/6/2006), her albums since the Runaways, even a 30 year anniversary rerelease of "Album" on Record Day this April, have had a quality rate of 90% of them being great albums so I am expecting big things from "Unvarnished".
A very good but not great EP of rock covers by an Anthrax who are back and touring more than ever.
Anyone who does a ripping cover of' TNT' by AC/DC like this ain't too bloody bad in my book. I originally thought the 'Jailbreak' cover here was by the Young's etal too but it's THIN LIZZY's.
Others on this 8 track include tunes by BOSTON, a JOURNEY tune, one by RUSH, and CHEAP TRICK. Also here is an original called 'Crawl' by ANTHRAX from their 2011 album 'Worship Music'. Clever ploy guys, cover what I'm sure are some rock classics in many people's eyes and slip them a newie of their own. All sound vital and kicking and would be loved by many!!!
Sadly I think their own track and the cover of THIN LIZZY's 'Jailbreak' are the weaker tracks of the album. 'Crawl' feels very 80's rock and sadly the not so great parts of that eras tunes. It seems to not have the vitality that they have put in to the covers and it's too drawn out somehow. I'm sure live they kick ass - I've never had the pleasure but I've heard and read they do - but albums, like most trees, usually have a few not so good apples on them, and these are 'Anthems'.
HOSTILE OBJECTS, HYGIENE, RAPTRZ, ONE TAKE… EARTHQUAKE!
Blackwire Records Petersham, Sydney Friday, July 5, 2013
Review by: Derek J. Huckel
I was high on anticipation tonight as I’d never seen HOSTILE OBJECTS before, who were headlining tonight, and I’d never been to this Blackwire Records venue to see a band before either but was looking forward to both. After having heard, finally, the HOSTILE... demo recently and loved it, I was excited not only to see them but figured they’d compiled some like-musically challenged minds to play with them. I wasn’t disappointed. Sadly I missed ONE TAKE EARTHQUAKE, especially after seeing the pedigree of the other bands on tonight. I hope to catch them soon. The RAPTRZ were a very cool note to arrive on. They’re a 4 piece with femme singer. The tunes have lots of great chugga-chugga guitars & shouty vocals. Being lo-fi seemed to give their sound an extra edge too.
All tunes were short and sharp jabs to the solar plexus and a kick to the face and the song was done. One band members’ shirt described part of their influence - 80's San Fran band FLIPPER but faster paced - maybe also like a 90s band in Sydney too, FLYCOP. Their set- list included ‘Intro’, ‘Raptrz’, ‘Punch - If Not Me (cover)’ ‘Gun’, and ‘Keyboard Warrior’ – some of which can be found on their demo at Bandcamp (see a link below).
After a short break the clean cut Canberra band HYGIENE were up. Looking like four public servants by day, these guys pulled out some wicked chords tonight! Branding their take on tunes as fastcore, these dudes grind and ripped through numbers like 'Road Kill Stew' and tried out some new as yet untitled tunes too, many mixed with some power violence style genre chords too..
These grind core upstarts were like NAPALM DEATH but more melodic. They had many here nodding and a few skankers - there wasn't much room for much else or too many to do that here in this crowded shop.
The air in this relatively confined shop space was electric and HOSTILE OBJECTS were soon on. Seeming not to be without a great hook and catchy rhythms these guys came on and slayed crowd with their brand of thrash songs, including some from their demo, like ‘Gloom’, ‘Turkish Knives’, and then a newie ‘Eat Your Money’ from a soon to be released 7"inch.
Rod with a singing style as if to the gods and his two wing men, his Vegas pool-pissing bassist Luke Death and mild mannered guitarist Jimmy Fatal backed by powerhouse drummer Grant Rizzo, arms flailing like Animal. These guys have a background and present in bands like PERSECUTION, MURDER, TWIN CITY FACTION, FRANK RIZZO, and SUMMONUS so you might get an idea of the melding of minds that make-up HOSTILE’s music.
HOSTILE OBJECTS in full flight, Blackwire Records, 5 July 2013 (pic by Jas)
Don't Waste Your Breath’ was next, that Rod announced will be out later this year on a compilation. The closer was a crushing version of ‘Cave In’ where the band threw themselves more into it!!
And with that, the gig was done. All good guys finish on curfew which was 10 pm in this area… but still it was brilliant and a great venue!! Check it out sometime.
The THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION were recently here in Australia and sadly I missed the gig due to one reason or another. Having seen them about 5 times over the years, and mostly brilliant shows they are too, I was saddened to have missed them this time around so as a small tribute, here's a review I wrote last time they were here in 2011 when I did see them which was not published. And what a great gig it was!!
THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION
Becks Festival Bar Wednesday 12 January 2011
THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION hit the stage with a raucous intro
which lastedfor several minutes and
then ploughed into the Orange off kilter version. I thought it was the
entire Orange (1994)album being played here tonight, 'and
favourites' as is often done these years, but I couldn't pick some of the tunes
tonight. I still loved the riotous aural mess of rock/ southern blues fucked up
noise as only these three guys can make. It has structure and JON SPENCER'S
howls thrown in make it so much more pleasurable for ears attuned to it that
can't help but draw you in and leave you satisfied.
Orange was played three songs in
then came Chicken Dog, off Now I Got Worry (1996). I wish I had a camera
to capture this - my next investment. It was a cool site for the gig at the
Hyde Park Barracks known as the Becks Bar for the Festival of Sydney. Its a
giant canopy tent with no sides and there was a refreshing strong breeze, it
was lit just right on a glorious night like tonight with these glorious sounds
of JON SPENCER AND THE BLUES EXPLOSION bursting forth from the speakers and
there on stage. Just a few less people and it would be sublimely perfection.
Watching SPENCER in his vocal glory and guitar freak out - 'I think he might be
a girls saucy dream now and then' I think to myself as I watch the gig unfold
-, and JUDAH BAUER blowing in the wind mastering his guitar, while RUSSELL
SIMMINS in back on drums keeping all this crazy noise on some sort of even keel
moving forward. And all that without the theremin yet! And no bass in this
place.
Next was She Said. They could do no wrong in my book. Then
"Don't call me after 12 /That's when I'm laying in bed home with the wife/
I don't wanna be bothered nor in the morning either...” Blues X Man .
Followed by Flavour ... its slow beat intro is mesmerising with the
plodding sound with drums. SPENCER called for 'Yeahs' - Jon wasn't impressed
with what the crowd responded with and says "It makes me feel like I'm
back in New Zealand!" Subsequently the next 'YEAHS' from the surging
audience got louder. He was thus pleased and on went the show. Right up next
came the whacked out Bell Bottoms that has a back beat that would or
could severely dislodge a bottle cap if you put your unopened beer within 20
feet of a speaker! Then a Jon Spencer guitar break that gets you in a tizzy.
Then Bam! They were gone... The show had been over an hour but it felt like
only minutes.
We were lucky... To much demand, stomping and hollerin', came an
encore. The songs and jams I couldn't pick but in this atmosphere and the
glorious EXPLOSIONS' noise... It was a heaven for many a folk present here
tonight! Then came Magical Colours from their album Acme (1998) -
not a fave of mine... but I was to have my mind changed tonight on this song. I
thought 'It's a nice mellow number in a beautiful somehow
disharmonious-but-harmonious repertoire' ...for just as they'd worn us out,
this slow number tricks you, you feel as though though the beat that carries
you is lowering you down into a metaphorical cool calm clear water with its
soothing guitar tones and drums - it then changes to a chica-chica-chica
hypnotic rhythm that builds, feeling like its winching you back up an ascending
wall of noise until you get to the precipice! You are then pushed over and you
feel as though falling down the winding whirring screeching drum bashing and
guitar screeching feedback wall again... 'Wow!!!' I thought, left open mouthed.
What a reinvention of a tune and giving me a new respect for this song, an even
more heightened respect for this trio of muso's, and definitely encouraging me
to give multiple more listens to this song.
Apparently, so I read, the JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION don't play
together much anymore – but last year re-released some of their albums with
other and demos, etc.- but now playing more in their other bands now - like
SPENCERS' HEAVY TRASH, BAUERS' THE DIRTY DELTA BLUES BAND (a lot backing CAT
POWER) or SIMMINS' MEN WITHOUT PANTS. I'll be definitely be there to see them
if they do or their other bands play here in Sydney. Smiles. I'd encourage you
to do the same! Sadly Brisbane missed out on their gig the next day due to
floods...
