Australian Post-Punk (Updates)

Is the Slugfuckers reissue still in print? I meant to pick that up.

slugs reissue is hard to find but you might be lucky. see the page on my website for emails to the guy that released it.

Ah, let me clarify -- *I* would love to review this stuff for the AMG. I just need a supplier, as it were. ;-)

Ned, you are shameless! ;)

Think capitalization.

I actually remember seeing your site before Phil, long ago. Meant to come back to it but just never did.

http://www.chaptermusic.com.au/artists.asp?id=42

http://www.spin.net.au/~mifilito/msquared.html

"Hindu Gods of Love" is great

Phil - thank you so much for making your personal compilations available. I downloaded the first one and it slots in great next to the proper comps from the last 5 years. I've just downloaded the latest (which probably put you over your daily transfer quota) and can't wait to give it a digital spin.

but there's sooo much great old music out there!

OMG!!! I KNOW! I just found those last night man! And I was like why the fuck didn't someone on ILM tell me there were finally two new Messthetics? Why the fuck? They're in the mail to me now. Although I really do hope he didn't duplicate too much the songs/bands of the past volumes.

all - any ideas on what other tracks i should make available? i was thinking about selections from the M2 cassette releases...

Top tier, almost every track is a winner:
Can't Stop It 1 & 2
Do The Pop (with more due this year!)
Born Out Of Time
Tales From The Australian Underground Vol. 1 & 2
Inner City Sound
Behind The Banana Curtain (mostly for the first disc)
No Night Sweats Vol. 1 & 2 - MP3 compilations from Phil's site

Second tier, lots of good stuff mixed with lesser material:
Alternative Animals
Missing Link Story
Murder Punk Vol. 1 & 2
Shakedown: Original Brisbane Punk (the Kicks stuff is KILLER)

Wot else?

oh yeah there's a double disc comp of stuff released on aberrant, not bad, definitely as good as anything on your second tier list.

i'd be curious to see what a second volume of do the pop would contain. i don't think the barrel has been scraped yet, although i feel the tracklist for Tales vol 2 could have been a tiny bit more interesting.

there's a huge amount of fantastic stuff on the phantom and waterfront labels (for starters) that is yet to see reissue.. there's still plenty of m squared stuff floating about in obscurity too..

have a look at http://blackeyerecords.blogspot.com/ - the black eye records jukebox. plenty of neat stuff there

Thanks for that MP3 blog reference, I'll check it out.

Also got an Essendon Airport CD the other day, can't remember the name. Some good 70s 80s Australian music is starting to get released.

By the way this Cybotron is not related to Juan Atkins.

the thug "fuck your dad" 7" is a great lace to start. i believe the thug stuff is on cd.

ben

Ben

ben

We won't talk of things like Fungus Brains and the Sick Things as they are also in that weird mid-80's zone that was post-punk AND hardcore. It all made sense when I got that weird 2nd Sick Things collection and they did an Exploited cover. Punks is Hippies.

NO is mid-80s ollie olsen thing IIRC?

tryace has a NO album i think?

http://siltblog.blogspot.com/

My mistake here -- the band was Tablewaiters and this lost album was called Gate. Here's all the notes I have:

Tablewaiters

Gate

1.Soil Abstraction

2. Access

3. Echoes

4. UltraViolet

5. Connect

6. Feeding Time

7. Return to Venus

8. Gate 3

9. Confrontation With A Mountain

10. Welcome Welcome

11. Soil Abstraction ( Take 1)

Anthony Ameneiro Keyboards

Graham Synold - Vocals

Ed Lee - Guitar and Sounds

Gye Bennetts - Drums

Ian Robertson - Bass

Recorded Albert Studios 1981

Taken from unmixed masters reels

Produced by Lobby Lloyd

Dedicated to Robert Nimod R.I.P.

Thanks to Robert Barnham Management, and Sunnyboys for the shout

Tablewaiters were a band from Sydney. They formed in 1981 and were quickly taken into Lobby Lloyds management group with the Sunnyboys, Machinations and Sardine v. This album was recorded when they had been together for 12 weeks and it was never released. They quickly matured and wrote a second album of material that was to be released on RCA.. There was one single "Scattered Visions" from those sessions.

It's extremely good, I have to say -- very much a product of its time and place but reworking 'the Factory sound' plus a lot of other stuff around that time -- early paranoid Specials, hints of New Pop, a touch of Devo, etc. -- into one place. I'd really like to find out more but damn if this stuff isn't right up my alley. Andy Kellman/Dr. C to thread! And Dan Selzer again obv.

So, last fall I saw a proposed tracklisting for two more 2-CD _Do The Pop_ sets with a goal release of this summer. Anyone have any updates?

i haven't seen those tracklists.. but vol 2 was meant to be out early this year, i can't find any more info on it..

Primitive Calculators And Friends 1979-82

is this OUT out? does it have any distro in the US at all? haven't seen it anywhere and i want it.

lolz I know I've met Wolvie a few times. Bro takes himself very seriously.

the Prims album has been out on Chapter Music for a couple of months now. see their website - they usually have good distro in Nth America.

Wicked good news from Shock. *3* double disc sets, woohoo! Leave no stone unturned, I say!

-----------------

DO THE POP! REDUX
Friday, 10 August 2007
Acclaimed collection of '70s/80s Australian Punk & Garage Rock to
return in new 3-part series, while classic '81 & '82 albums from the
great post-Radio Birdman/pre-Hoodoo Gurus band get the deluxe
treatment.

2002's acclaimed collection 'Do The Pop! The Australian Garage Rock
Sound 1976-67' returns in October on Savage Beat! Records though
Shock under the name 'DO THE POP! REDUX'. Like the original
collection - which received substantial acclaim internationally,
including a full page feature review in 'Mojo' and a rave review
from David Fricke in American Rolling Stone - the new set
differentiates itself from other Australian punk and post-punk
collections by following the unique high energy rock'n'roll sound
that spewed forth here in the late '70s and '80s, following the lead
of Radio Birdman and The Saints. The new project will be spread over
3 new double discs each released two/three months apart, and is set
to feature over 150 tracks, none of which appeared on the original
set in 2002 .

'DO THE POP! REDUX Part One' will kick off with the first ever CD
release of a rare track from Deniz Tek's pre-Radio Birdman outfit TV
JONES before showcasing THE SAINTS and BIRDMAN themselves (Birdman
are profiled with the album's title track as well as a rare live
track from one of their legendary Paddington Town Hall shows). Punk
era acolytes including THE PSYCHO SURGEONS, THE SURVIVORS, THE
VICTIMS, JOHNNY DOLE & THE SCABS and RAZAR follow, as do X, perhaps
the only Australian band of the original punk era whose reputation
rivals that of Birdman and the Saints in some quarters. Part One
then proceeds to revel in the rock'n'roll spirit that took hold in
Australia at the turn of the decade, at the very time the rest of
post-punk world was proclaiming rock dead. THE SCIENTISTS, THE FUN
THINGS, THE SUNNYBOYS, THE LIPSTICK KILLERS are amongst the bands of
this period, as are Birdman offshoots including THE HITMEN, THE
VISITORS and NEW RACE. Rare tracks from Brisbane's THE 31st (fronted
by Ron Peno) and Perth's ROCKETS will also be featured. Melbourne
fans will be happy to note that their hometown, which wasn't
represented on the original set because of its narrower focus, is
represented by a number of punk era bands, including BABEEZ, THE
CHOSEN FEW and even the legendary REALS, featuring Garry Gray, Chris
Walsh and Ollie Olsen, recordings of whom have never previously seen
the light of day.

Volumes 2 & 3 will follow, covering the multi-faceted garage rock
scene of the `80s as it explodes out of Sydney and takes hold around
the country, and ultimately around the world. Expect killer tracks
from a range of bands big and small - from THE HOODOO GURUS, GAS
BABIES and WET TAXIS to THE JOHNNYS, CELIBATE RIFLES and SPIKES -all
of whom drew heavily on the influence of 60's and 70's garage and
punk rock.

Simultaneous to the release of 'DO THE POP! REDUX Part One' will be
the release of deluxe double-disc reissues of the legendary first
two albums by THE HITMEN, comprising members of two recent ARIA Hall
of Fame inductees and soon to be touring partners, RADIO BIRDMAN and
THE HOODOO GURUS. Formed by Birdmen CHRIS MASUAK and WARWICK GILBERT
and Birdman MC JOHNNY KANNIS soon after Birdman's initial demise
in '78, the band featured future Gurus mainstays BRAD SHEPHERD and
MARK KINGSMILL by the time they came to record their two albums
in '81 and '82. Overshadowed for far too long, The Hitmen's music is
ripe for re-evaluation, and Savage Beat!/Shock's deluxe reissues
will provide just cause. Each album will come with a massive booklet
with lengthy notes and numerous images. More importantly, each will
be expanded to include about 45 tracks, with a bounty of previously
unheard demo and live material added to each set. Hitmen classics
like 'Didn't Tell The Man', 'Corridors Of Power', 'Rocket On The
Elevator Up' and '15 Hours' will be featured alongside long lost fan
favourites like 'Cold December' and 'Wings of Steel', as well as
incredible covers of the Sonics, MC5, Thirteenth Floor Elevators,
Blue Oyster Cult, Dictators and the Flamin' Groovies' great 'Shake
Some Action'. Fans of Birdman, the Gurus and high energy rock'n'roll
in general will find the wit and the power of The Hitmen an absolute
revelation, and Johnny Kannis and Chris Masuak are set to reconvene
the band towards the year's end in celebration.

`DO THE POP! REDUX PART ONE' AND THE HITMEN'S `THE HITMEN' AND `IT
IS WHAT IT IS' WILL BE RELEASED ON SAVAGE BEAT!/SHOCK IN OCTOBER.

The dude who compiled 'Do The Pop' is a tool.

The dude who compiled 'Do The Pop' is a tool.

Very insightful. Dave's always been friendly when I've dropped him an e-mail. And I dig _Do The Pop_. *shrug*

I do too.

Sorry. Ignore me.

_Do The Pop! Redux_ due 12/10 according to Amazon UK. I still haven't seen a tracklisting but I'm psyched!

about time, that's been due for release for at least a couple of months now.

can't stop it vol 2 is pretty good

what i'd like to see would be proper comps of the first fifty waterfront 45s.. there's so much gold in those hills

email Steve Stav and pitch it!

A Waterfront retrospective CD release project was being undertaken or at least mooted a few years ago by someone - can't remember the name - will try to find out.

a proper au go go one would be great too - i must say i was damn surprised when i realised that the label released some truly fantastic music during its first sixty or so releases

can't stop it vol 2 is pretty good

i still haven't seen this for sale anywhere!

do the pop redux tracklist

TRACKLISTING
* Radio Birdman - Do The Pop (orig.)
* The Saints - Wild About You
* Psycho Surgeons - Horizontal Action
* The Reals - Nothing To Say
* Babeez - Dowanna Love
* The Geeks - I'm Looking For You
* Victims - I'm Flipped Out Over you
* Last Words - Animal world
* The Saints - This Perfect Day (7" version)
* Radio Birdman - New Race (Live at Paddington
Town Hall)
* Johnny Kannis - Pushin' Too Hard
* The Survivors - Undecided ('77 demo)
* Johnny Dole & The Scabs - Living Like An Animal
* The Leftovers - Cigarettes & alcohol
* The Numbers (a/k/a The Riptides) - Sunset Strip
* News - Tell Me Why
* Orphans - Heard It On The Radio
* Rocks - You'r So Boring
* X - Home Is Where The Floor Is
* The Chosen Few - There's A lot of it going Around
* Razar - Stamp Out disco
* The Lipstick Killers - Sockman
* The Hitmen - No Clue ('78 Demo)
* The Manikins - Premonition
* The Scientists - Frantic Romantic (June 79)
* Fiction (a/k/a Little Murders) - Take me I'm Yours
* X - Good On Ya Baby
* Scientists - Pissed On Another Planet
* Rockets - Mean Mistress
* Manikins - Love At Second Site
* The Saints - Call It Mine
* The Passengers - Boyfriend's Girlfriend
* The Visitors - Brother John
* Lipstick Killers - Shakedown USA
* The Fun Things - Lipstick
* The 31st - Time moves Fast
* ME 262 - Gonna die
* Shy Imposters - She Can't win
* Surfside 6 - Can't You See The Sign
* Hitmen - Tell Tale Heart
* Lipstick Killers - Mesmeriser (demo)
* The Sunnyboys - The Seeker
* Flaming Hands - The stranger
* The Saints - Gypsy Woman
* The Dagoes - 10 Years On (or I do It For Mama)
* Lonely Hearts - Don't Feel Safe
* New Race - Haunted Road
* Angie Pepper - Frozen World
* New Christs - Waiting World
* The End - 'Just Skin'
* Dum Sum Boys - Let There Be Noise

Bonus tracks : Prehistoric Sounds
* TV Jones (featuring Deniz Tek) - Skimp The Pimp
* Kid Galahad & The Eternals (aka The Saints) - (I'm) Stranded (74 garage tape)

there's a few track that i'm irritable to see comped for the umpteenth time but there's a decent spread of tracks that were glaring omissions from some of the other comps so it's not a bad go.. interested to see what else is on the other two..

I found _Do The Pop! Redux Part One_ a bit underwhelming. Maybe I need more time with it but some of the lo-fi, Detroit-via-Melbourne sound gets a bit samey. Of course, I'll still be picking up the next two parts...

I wonder if there's going to be a third volume of _Tales From The Australian Underground_?

Phil - are you gonna do a new MP3 compilation this year?

i do think that redux vol one is quite a bit more narrow in the breadth of styles than some of these comps - the trashy punk stuff is fun in small doses but yeah i do think it gets a bit dull to take in one sitting. having said that, some of the additions over the previous volume are very welcome, like the manikins stuff for example

but one request: NO MORE SAINTS, NO MORE RADIO BIRDMAN, for god's sake please

Yeah, more Cold Chisel instead.

...what?

i haven't heard any news about a third "tales..", but a third volume would be welcome. the second one took some time to grow but there's still some fantastic stuff on it.

there's more than enough genuinely great stuff out there to fill ten more comps that i would love from start to finish..

one band i'd love to see properly reissued is the systematics.. i recently got hold of the rural LP and it's way better than i expected it to be

I know I've said it before, but we must have some feedtime reissues.

Xgau review:

"Shovel [Rough Trade, 1988]
One Melbourne fan says they're like standing too close to a moving freight train with a six-pack in you, and that's corny-to-classic enough to evoke their size and inexorability--a little slower and more old-fashioned than the IRT the Ramones/Dolls came in on, which definitely doesn't mean they're slow or old-fashioned. Just an art band cum power trio that's spent nine years perfecting its sonic wisdom. Jesus and Mary are wimps by comparison, Motorhead sellouts, yet in the end all three (all five) provide the same minimalist thrill--the one that's forever convincing us rock and roll will never die. You think maybe it won't? A-"

That's a pretty accurate review.

one band i'd love to see properly reissued is the systematics.. i recently got hold of the rural LP and it's way better than i expected it to be

a couple of guys in germany are going to release a 2 disk compilation of the systematics material this year. it's vinyl only. 1st LP is all of the tracks previously released on vinyl. 2nd is demos and rarities (all from the stuff i have on my site) and a 7" bonus ep with 4 live tracks. when it comes out i'll post to this thread with all the info - it's bound to be a small run so you'll have to get in while you can.

I recently ripped my vinyl of "Shovel". Lot's of pop and scratches, maybe the record I listened to the most in 1988. Not quite the start-to-finish freight train it sounded like at the time, it still holds up 'cause of the barely audible sentiments in the songs- there's bits of narrative and emotion under all the crud. The Lamps record is what made me pull it out. Also ripped the Saints "Emotionally Yours" which is a stronger record, but I it doesn't move me as much.

How good is Use No Hooks' "Do The Job" from Can't Stop It 2? Anyone have anything else of theirs?

Saw that Primitive Calculators & Friends comp at my local record store - gonna head back there on payday to grab it.

use no hooks were a predominantly live/jam band so their recorded output is slim and rather variable in quality (from the little i've heard).

The Systematics vinyl release - "What We Did In The Afternoons" - is mastered and the artwork is being prepared. However, there's a small spanner in the works as Vinyl on Demand (another german company) want to release a 5 LP box set of M Squared related material and to include some of the major Systematics things: they can fight about it amongst themselves. VOD have also have available a 5 LP box of Severed heads stuff and a box of SPK rarities.

o rly.. i might have to check this out

Among those SPK rarities would probably be the SoliPsiK single, "See-Saw', one of their best tracks, and interesting also insofar as it has the distinctive M Squared sound, especially with the thin, pale female vocals.

it's a really good single that one. nice mixture of noise and melody

...which can be found on the excellent _Can't Stop It II_.

I bought the reissue of SPK's Machine Age Voodoo. It's pleasant enough but she's not really the best vocalist in the world. I love the title track, though.

I am waiting (agonizingly) for my SPK box set in the mail. I know it has 3 singles, so I'm pretty sure one is the SoliPsiK one. But not positive. I'll post when I get it.

That's kind of a bummer about the conflict w/The Systematics, but I could think of worse things than having multiple labels clamoring to reissue your stuff.

I downloaded the top three tracks and they we're all brilliant but not complete. thats a bummer

Okay I decided I really don't care about Systematics, sorry.

SoliPsiK thing is alright, though. She should have stuck to that style of talking/monotone singing.

systematics are vastly better than a lot of the stuff you champion

hahahaha

Ya Ya Choral is worth checking out if you like the Systematics. They almost went kinda sorta metal towards the end of their career. Their best track, 'Two Lines', was earlier than that though - again the thin female fronted electropop thing. A few years later, that sound would resurface with Pel Mel, and then, in the early 90's, Single Gun Theory.

Hmm, actually, Google tells me 'Two Lines' came out three years later than the classic Pel Mel stuff, so the influence was probably the other way around. Nothing quite like that is being written any more, but if anything comes close it would probably be Miss Kitten in about 2002. I just think of it as the quintessential M Squared / Newtown sound.

yeah i remember coming across some of the metal YYC after only knowing the two lines 45 - kind of a shock really.

SoliPsiK - i'm fairly sure this isn't in the box set as it was NihiL + his then girlfriend + a guitarist doing stuff whilst SPK were in London. I think Revell and co don't see it as their work. So the female singer on this is a different person to the SPK female singer.

Systematics - all resolved: Rural will be in the box as the 2LP comp is a small run and it should sell out before the box is due - sometime in 2009.

YYC - i love their early stuff: it's 2 people from Systematics (Patrick and Fiona) + one of the M2 M's - Michael Tee. Definitely post Pel Mel, much more pop oriented. I was in their choir, once - you can just hear us on God's Buzzsaw.

another systematics update:

Rural will not be on the VOD M2 release as this (weirdly) is limited to material that was not previously released on vinyl. This is also the case with the Severed Heads box. So it's going to be up to some one out there to compile M2 correctly.

Markus Schmikler has been approached to do the mastering for the Systematics release and the responses have been very positive.

is Inner City Sound (the book) much cop/worth acquiring? managed about 30mins of Dogs In Space, but the complete lack of plot killed my interest. will re-attempt in an effort to see the Primitive Calculators footage.

it's kinda thin in parts but an enjoyable read. the cd is fantastic

well, there's not much plot in ICS - just a roll-call of bands and reviews, lots of pics of everyone and a post-punk outlook. still the best thing available regarding aus music of the time, though.

so this 2LP will have the tracks from that double 10" on Invitation au Suicide, yeah? really looking forward to this

Vinyl On Demand has always been cassette-only in terms of what they reissue, with a few small exceptions.

ICS is a really fascinating read - well written (in a serious style, and the hindsight aspect is also interesting. I'd like to see something like it for today's crop of underground bands.

i fear a book like that would be like a spiked hammer to my skull. unless it's an underground of awesome bands i haven't heard yet

Well yes, I see what you mean. Things have changed a bit haven't they? These days, underground means overground, wombling free.

<i>unless it's an underground of awesome bands i haven't heard yet</i>

I think that's the crux. If I had the time and was sufficiently masochistic I'd be able to write at least three chapters of that book myself. Those bands certainly exist, in my opinion, and I've had the good fortune to see a handful of them in Sydney and Melbourne - usually in the most unlikely locations, eg, house parties, warehouses, abandoned lots, etc. Most of them don't get too many gigs on the pub circuit - they don't bring enough punters. Most of them are, in some sense or other, heirs to the post-punk aesthetic, and not in a cute, fatuous way either. I'm sure there is plenty of 'deeply underground' music (shall we say) in the other states too.

Perhaps the problem is that truly underground music nowadays is really not that interesting to anyone in the music or publishing biz. Those bands will not sell records in sufficient quantities in these difficult times. These bands are lost amongst the huge heaving sea of no-hopers on MySpace.

Who is today's equivalent of Clinton Walker or, say Bob Blunt? Maybe he or she is writing that book right now. I can't help feeling, though, that the idea of people working intuitively and creatively in lanthanine noooks and crannies in the inner city is just not that appealing to publishers at the moment. Pitching a book like that would be difficult. It's a diabolical combination of an unsaleable book about unsaleable music.

Blogs were supposed to cover this territory, but all the blogs I see slavishly follow a cohort of this year's fashionable indie bands (please do link me to exceptions - I am talking about stuff no-one's ever heard of, not the latest me-too reviews of this year's next big indie things). Perhaps these blogs exist, but are themselves inpossible to find in the huge chattering blogmos.

So ICS just compiles back-in-the-day reviews/interviews from ... zines, papers, &c? Is it hefty enough to justify paying $35+shipping? I finally picked up Can't Stop It! I & II (I'd heard about a quarter of the tracks already) locally after dithering re: ordering them from Chapter for years, & am more blown away than I thought I'd be - real, real quality.
Still on a Severed Heads kick, too. Anyone wanna write a Severed Heads bio?

xpost: What bands, moley?

I think NZ's possibly more fucked re: coverage than Aus, w/people trapped between NZ On Air-baiting intnl blandishments & people aiming lathe cuts in limited editions of negative sixteen at the international market for NZ noize.

So ICS just compiles back-in-the-day reviews/interviews from ... zines, papers, &c?

Yes, all written by Clinton Walker. It's one person's vision, which can be a good thing if you like to get into another person's worldview, and it's pretty well written.

What bands, moley?

Two bands I really like (I could name about five or six probably) are B@d Art (Sydney) and N0w...You Die (Melbourne). Millions would disagree, of course. Both bands are really quite in your face and obnoxious, and not in a fashionable way either - which to me is a typically punk stance, in the true sense of the word. I suppose the point is that these are two interesting, highly opinionated bands who you haven't heard of, and who would be, I suspect, interesting interview subjects, unlikely to talk in platitudes, and not overly focused on their promotional profile at the expense of musical and social ideas.

Not to over-intellectualise them or anything. I mean,they are more into musical and lyrical wallop than conceptual finesse. Nor are they incredibly original (nor were the Birthday Party or many other of the bands covered by Clinton Walker). Probably they are more about the punk stance of obnoxious energy applied to stories of inner city life, occasionally drawing out political implications, than about creating new sounds. You could not call them boffins or potential Wire Magazine cover stars by any means.

Actually, better ask - ICS isn't too heavy on all the post-Stooges/Nick Cave related stuff, is it? I've heard way more Primitive Calculators/Slugfuckers than Bad Seeds/Saints/Go-Betweens, heh. It's the little bands with the teasing blurbs in the Can't Stop It liner notes I'm mainly interested in.

I've heard B@d Art's "I W3d Mys3lf" before! Somewhere, somehow ... maybe via some of the Brisbane all-ages-shows-at-galleries bands (T0xic L1pstick) or something.
I wonder how much documentation's gonna survive from this era - how long is a review/interview gonna survive on a blog?

ICS - it's not all written by Clinton although over half is and the new section at the end is all his work. It's coverage is wide and almost complete but a fair bit of the text does link back to Birdman/Birthday Party/Saints, especially at the beginning. In a lot of cases for the smaller bands, there's a picture and a small bit of text to accompany that.

BTW, The best "Birdman" article is "You Cant Put Yor Arms Round a Memory" which is a scathing review of a 1979 Visitors/Hitmen gig - "egad, it's like Anzac day in here - the crowd of motley old diggers proudly adorned with antique red and black badges of courage on their expectant chests", etc. Written by Peter Nelson who was one of the 1st members of the Birdman fan club and with whom I spent many sweaty Friday nights at the Funhouse in Taylor Square. He was easily the best writer of the time (as Clinton says in the rundown of writers and photographers near the front) but stopped around the time he started playing guitar for Wild West.

so this 2LP will have the tracks from that double 10" on Invitation au Suicide, yeah?

i never owned that one nor saw it around but i'm certain it will have all of the material that was released plus a lot of good studio demos and dabblings.

Just wanted to say that the musical and lyrical wallop of the Birdman/Birthday Party/Saints school is incredibly important to me. Not to denigrate bedroom industrialists, but there was a special energy about Aussie garage/punk records, particularly if you were listening to them in the pinky-blue popist hell of 80's Britain.

I have just alienated 95% of ILM. I'll get my coat.

Just wanted to say that the musical and lyrical wallop of the Birdman/Birthday Party/Saints school is incredibly important to me

and it was of vital importance to me (and many other of the band members of the time) as well. we just couldn't keep thinking it was the ultimate.

M2 compilation news:

- Mitch and Drew (scattered order) were seemingly lost for a few years but they've reappeared
- it's definitely made up of previous cassette releases only
- the tentative list is "more songs that will never be released", the 2 pat gibson solo; prod; acra and another lp of various things.

:-) to all that.

Just wanted to say that the musical and lyrical wallop of the Birdman/Birthday Party/Saints school is incredibly important to me. Not to denigrate bedroom industrialists, but there was a special energy about Aussie garage/punk records, particularly if you were listening to them in the pinky-blue popist hell of 80's Britain.

I have just alienated 95% of ILM. I'll get my coat.

-- Soukesian, Monday, 5 May 2008 22:09 (4 weeks ago) Link

This seems quite reasonable to me! And I love bedroom DIY!

But where is Mr. Odd?

goes without saying i am v interested in this M2 comp

i finally ripped my copy of growing pains, maybe not as good as 'a selection' but up there, even if only for the girl from ipanema and paint it black covers

yeah, growing pains is still pretty good but lacks the breadth of a selection. it's a shame that b selection was never finalised.

systematics update:

- markus schmikler has done the remastering: excellent
- the cover designer is a mainstay of the Cologne techno scene: no draft as yet but it's underway
- Pat has written reams of notes to accompany the tracks and they are just fantastic; detailed, funny, self-deprecating - ie the epitome of the systematics all round

so excited

I also eagerly await this release.

The Sytematics release should be available in mid November. The cover art is done and test pressings are almost ready.

An entry has been made at Discogs.com:

http://www.discogs.com/release/1511502

The 'label' will be selling the record via links from this page. This will probably be the only method available to those who live outside Germany or, maybe, a couple of other European stores.

hi um I am leaving the country for 4 months on Nov 16th and I will email you privately if I have not been able to pre-order by then, asking for assistance.

i.e. I really want this release.

sleeve - i'm just a conduit for this info. i have none of these in my hands nor will i. if you want a direct email link then email me off board.

Sounds interesting, Phil--thanks for the heads up. And thanks for the kind word and mention on my blog.

you can also try at http://www.youdonthavetocallitmusic.de/index.html

lp is available for preorder from the discogs link, 22 euros plus post

cool thanx

Proposed track list for the VOD M2 box:

Proposed title - "Pardon me for barging in like this" - M Squared 1979 to 1983

RECORD 1
Scattered Order

SIDE A
1. Tanks 1.49
2. Violent 4 ** 1.44
3. Fun 3.13
4. Untitled 3.37
5. Still happily 2.36
6. What / Not now 1.48
7. Greek Airport '80 2.28
8. This is a song about love 3.03
9. Count your blessings 5.25

TOTAL 25.43

SIDE B
1. Hold my cold hand (Live Melbourne Feb 82) 5.57
2. Giant 1.48
3. Waiting for you to come home 2.56
4. Teenage romance * 1.32
5. Because they are more difficult 3.18
6. Last one / Another song 3.01
7. Motionless 1.47
8. Blood is your blood 2.47
9. Star star delta 3.59

TOTAL 27.05

* From the cassette release "More songs that will never be released"
** Different version to that on "More songs that will never be released"
All other songs are unreleased

RECORD 2
Patrick Gibson / The Systematics

SIDE A
1. Modra Inara * 2.16
2. When a Band of Men * .44
3. Yellow Suit Weighing Machine 2.09
4. Swimming * 3.08
5. New Zealand * 3.57
6. I Needle the Oven! * 3.44
7. Hydrobes 4.20

TOTAL 20.36

SIDE B
1. 5/4 Fisted Tales of the Holy Trinity 4.05
2. The Master Plan Ain't Worth It 6.01
3. Korner 2.50
4. Children 1.48
5. Drowning Man 2.03
6. We, Him and Us Three (Instrumental) 3.47

TOTAL 20.49

* From the cassette release "Two Separate"

RECORD 3
Dead Travel Fast (TBC) - Not the band name!! although it still could be up
for grabs BUT the track selections, order and durations

SIDE A - "SOUR" Approx.
1. Urchin 4 mins
2. Brooding Buffalo 5 mins
3. Sea Heads - Part 1 8 mins
4. No Pesos 4 mins
5. Electro Superwoman 4 mins
6. Jacinto 3 mins

TOTAL 28 mins

SIDE B - "SWEET"
1. Pathways to Glory 4 mins
2. Tournament 4 mins
3. Slo Wasser 5 mins
4. Reverse Loops 3 mins
5. Old Shoe 4 mins
6. Steve Piano Bass 4 mins

TOTAL 24 mins
All previously unreleased

RECORD 4
A Cloakroom Assembly

SIDE A
1. Tom Salted * 2.02
2. Clock Tom Snare * 2.17
3. SnareGrrr * 2.25
4. Keeping Apprehension Time * 2.21
5. Drolling * 1.56
6. Tom to Tom * 2.07
7. Over Heads Whoop * 3.25
8. The Airside ** 3.24
9. The Swing Box ** 2.31
10. Raft ** 2.00

TOTAL 24.23

SIDE B
1. Retreat 1.10 *** 3.04
2. Retreat 1.8 *** 2.54
3. Last Tuesday Night ** 2.42
4. Retreat 1.11 *** 3.17
5. Retreat 1.14 *** 12.56

TOTAL 24.48

* from cassette release "Tom Tom Tom" 1981
** from cassette release "Trace and Rumble" 1982
*** unreleased "Retreat 1-26" 1983

RECORD 5
Compilation

SIDE A
1.Prod / Michael Prowse - "Day glo" ("Is the truck on fire") 4.23
2.Height Dismay - "Dusk" (Fast Forward cassette) 1.53
3.East End Butchers - "Eating paper" ("More songs.") 4.12
4.Prod / Michael Prowse - "Knife on top"("Is the truck on fire") 3.27
5.Johnathon Dunshea - "A minute later the .." ("More songs.") 6.09
6.Prod - "?" * 5.29

TOTAL
25.33

SIDE B
1.A Volatile T Shirt - "Making babies in heaven" ("More songs.")4.10
2.Height Dismay - "Blood pressure in the sand" * 4.00
3.East End Butchers - "The elephant freak" ("More songs.") 2.09
4.Pleasant Peasants - "Iranian rockabilly" ("More songs.") 1.47
5.Shane Fahey - "Crack in the Radiator Head" (When my.") 2.38
6.Height Dismay - "Untitled" * 3.29
7.A Volatile T Shirt - "Nautical engineering" ("More songs.") 1.56
8.Shane Fahey - "A run for your parlour" (When my.") 5.00

TOTAL 25.09
* These songs are unreleased

7 INCH SINGLE

A SIDE
1. Patrick Gibson - "Put your trust in God"

B SIDE
2. Still to be decided.

PS - all tracks for the VOD release are being remastered professionally from the available source material.

systematics pre-order also at:

http://www.mannequinmailorder.com/news.html

the scattered order site : http://www.scatteredorder.com/ has been updated with great lean and humour.

or possibly elan

the systematics albums have been pressed and received by the 'label' who are now going through the manual process of adding their stamp and putting them all together. they should be dispatched sometime soon.

cool. i'm already pre-ordered

me too!

arrived today! cover is lovely

yes, it's worked quite well. inside-out paper style. the booklet is great.

any comments on the systematics release - positive or not???

ps - going to the sydney ATP 'curated' by nick cave. with the reformed saints (apparently still quite good); reformed laughing clowns (no reviews so far); roland howard (bound to be dull); reformed the reels (not sure how that will be - will polly be there?); a lot of middling-good indie bands: quite a few influenced by the birthday party. i'll also be seeing the reformed harmonia (whose recent stuff is a bit digital but... hey, it's still harmonia after all) and the necks; afripampo; etc. should be a lovely day on the harbour.

I need to get that Systematics thing. Actually I need to get more of this stuff in general.

laughing clowns had an underwhelming mix. rowland looks like a melting waxwork and his voice doesn't sound far off, but the gtr was still great. harmonia ruled. polly was on the last two rounds of reunion reels and was AMAZING at the first ones (I saw the Factory show) but on the second ones was training sc0tt saunder5 onstage and only playing keys, not keys and horns and percussion and sampler all at once. ATP line-up is dave and john-boy, plus s.s., some jazz-funk bassist in a jumpsuit that he's brought along, and brendan ga11agher. they were nothing compared to the original reunion lineup, coming off a bit "hotel bar reels covers show," but it's still dave healthy and active and singing those songs again, so: great. harmonia were totally ace, possibly best of the day (competing with necks), and mostly analogue (or analogue-sounding) and guitar.

The Systematics album is waiting at my house in Oregon, I won't be back in the States until mid-March. That said, "Vanessa Teratology" is one of my fave things ever in this vein of music. That band always had a great melodic and lyric sensibility.

atp - sydney - sunday 18th:

missed rowland howard (not particularly interested) and the reels (too old and tired to stay any longer); caught the later part of laughing clowns and they were good if not spectactular, some of their songs are superb but the playing was just a little off (but i did see them from way back which is never as good as close); robert foster was ok just not my cuppa - i kept wondering if the band were his kids; the saints were pretty good i thought with chris bailey not being too much of an arse and the band was nice and tight although they played the songs slower than expected and bailey didn't deliver them with the sneer i needed; nick cave was twice as loud as everyone else and they did their normal schtick.

non aus-post-punk: harmonia were terrific - highlight of the event (hugo weaving was in the front row next to me) ; the necks were great as well - very rhythmic and not at all soothing; spiritualized were good - i was up front and it made some sort of sense from there - 3rd song was wonderfull; bridezilla were cute - like the raincoats but with some musical skills (and we know thats not always a good thing); dead meadow have a lot of moustaches; beaches were a pleasant mix of krautrock groves and sonic youth; afrirampo were afrirampo.

the venue was spectactular - it's exactly the sort of industrial space that voigt/465 always wanted to play in.

did either of you guys see silver apples? i heard the spz support they did wasn't so good

no - they were on as we were waiting to catch a ferry back to circular quay

I went to the Melb ATP. Chris Bailey still behaves like the Saints never mattered. The Silver Apples were a low point to Harmonia's high. Also, I'm quite sure the Necks are from Townsville (or Sydney)?

I saw two songs of Silver Apples - one was an old geezer making lovely whooshing noises, toggling a phaser and singing a bit and was great, one was an old geezer making some clanking noises, toggling a phaser and muttering a bit and was dull.

Necks are from Sydney but are not post-punk. Were great though, second best after Harmonia for mine.

Conway solo was better than Rowland solo. Shame Rowland didn't get up for a couple with the Bad Seeds.

more like the Bad Friends

jim can we get that 'nick cave' youtube up here

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=YzToxxXS4vY

xposts Necks/T'ville confusion becoz they have an album recorded in Townsville (iirc?)

conway did spend approx 68% of between-song banter time asking for audience to bring him drugs

missed ATP. quite annoyed about that, as the venue is impeccable. i can take solace in having already seen a bunch of the acts before.
saw spiritualized and silver apples at the metro on the friday. both were below par.

spz were pretty terrible at atp too. new band looks like he'd found them in cheap rehearsal rooms and thrown them some charts, and j's gtr was completely inaudible down the front.

yep, it seemed like the new band members had been rehearsing the tracks individually - barely any semblance of unity throughout the performance. the show picked up a bit right at the end, but only after a slew of quieter numbers that did nothing for me in the live setting.

whereas the necks played to the atmosphere - all percussive and forward motion

whilst not strictly post-punk, i've recently got hold of the let's go naked retrospective on egg records. and it's totally great! bats + go betweens and a bunch of songs that could all be the a-sides of awesome little pop records. heavily recommended.

picked up the sekret sekret retrospective. it's great to hear some unreleased stuff from them, & the mastering has been excellently done.. but absolutely none of the live/demo songs are as good as what came out on the four 45s.

are the mooted additional editions of do the pop ever going to come out?

little murders retrospective out soon too.. seems ridiculous that there hasn't been one sooner

but absolutely none of the live/demo songs are as good as what came out on the four 45s

yes, that's true - it's a shame that they cdidn't record more and that the LP sessions they did have been lost completely.

just back here to rave some more about the let's go naked 'insides' album. where has this band been all my life??

How did the slow rip gig go Phil?
The new MSquared Boxed set was released on VOD last week.
We are also going to released an abridged CD version for Australia.

just ordered that motherfucker

arrived today, beautiful looking package.. nice tshirt too

scattered order prat culture cd reish out soon too i see

also scattered order / dead travel fast gig in july!! post punk FAP anyone??

M Squared web site: http://www.msquaredrecords.com

the box set and prat culture re-issues sound absolutely fantastic, btw.

just got my copy of the M2 vinyl box - an absolutely beautiful thing. great photos and text and design. well worth the money.

it is great. sadly my t-shirt fell apart after only one wash :(

Sorry about the T Shirt - i havent tried washing mine yet. Glad you all like the MSquared Boxed set we put much care and thought into putting it together.
It's triggered us back into activity again .. hence the Scattered Order/DTF gig in Marrickville in July and the A Cloakroom assembly debut in July.
Is anyone going to see Eno on Sunday night ?

yes, i'll be there michael - all 3 concerts - let me know where / when we can meet up.

After my service providor Bigpond decided to screw their customers yet again by removing all personal website in November, I've bitten the bullet and set up my NNS website (including the Sydney Post-Punk pages) at

http://www.nonightsweats.com

It was quite easy and inexpensive so I have no idea why I hadn't done it before.

There are no changes in content as yet but I plan a redesign later in the year or whenever I have the time.

Please let anyone who might be interested know about the change.

on 30th June 2MBSFM did a radio special on MSquared interviewing Mitch and myself. In the one hour show we talked about the early days of M Squared, the Barons, Scattered Order, A Cloakroom Assembly and played tracks off the M Squared Boed set.
The whole show will be available as a podcast in coming weeks. In two weeks they will tape Part 2 featuring interviews with Shane Fahey (Dead Travel Fast) and Patrick Gibson (Systematics). Thanks to John Bades for his support in putting the show together.

is there gonna be a cd version of that msquared box?

We are also going to released an abridged CD version for Australia.

but when?

^this is a good question tbf

^ i imagine when most of the vinyl has been sold

Hi all the plan is for a single CD compilation to come out on endgame in November.
We are currently talking to a number of companies interested in releasing the M Squared back catalogue including the boxed set.
I think the boxed set will come out after the vinyl version is sold out in Europe.

Sydney-siders don't forget - Sunday 26th July 5-10PM - http://www.cadfactory.com.au/ - Scattered Order and MotDTF + 3 newish bands

There is a bit of interest from some labels in releasing all the M Squared material we released on vinyl and cassette in australia

I'd love to plump for the vinyl set, but damn... I already bought one VOD box this year.

Must... resist....

it's completely worth it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXQYt9xoju8

a cunt of a life, it's a cunt life

just back here to rave some more about the let's go naked 'insides' album. where has this band been all my life??
Agreed, it's really good and has seriously fallen under the radar. There's not even a mention of them at AMG.
Just in case somebody's trying to Google them, I believe the name is actually Lets Go Naked (no apostrophe). At least that's how it appears on the album.

Psst:
http://indie-pop-heaven.blogspot.com/2008/12/lets-go-naked-insides-compilation-2007.html

sunday's gig at the cad factory was pretty terrific. neither band were significantly different in sound to when they used to play ages ago but they didn't sound at all stale.

MotDTF were good but not great - wonderfull tunes and arrangements but i really wanted then to enjoy themselves more or to impart their enjoyment to the audience: it was always thus.

SO were fantastic, surprisingly for me at least: mitch didn't sing for a couple of songs but when he finally did, it all made complete sense. michael t was consumately unflappable.

apparently there'll be another gig in November to launch the single CD compilation from the box set.

hopefully i'll be able to get it together to attend that one

I loved that Lipstick Killers 7" so much that. even though I had a copy of the Bomp release, I paid $75 in 1986 for an original Aussie one with pic sleeve. Popsike indicates that it should be worth about $40 right now. Another wise vinyl investment.

sold my copy of psycho surgeons 7" for $250aus on ebay.

that seems quite a low amount for that 45!

there was a lot of interest and that was what i'd expected.

scattered order cd now out on klanggalerie

Based on this thread I downloaded the Let's Go Naked retrospective with pretty low expectations, given that I've combed through Aussie releases for years.

I could not have been more wrong.

"Where has this album been all my life" indeed! Goddamn I didn't think pop like this could grab a hold of me anymore. Fantastic lyrics, interesting guitar tones and overall great songwriting. Any news on a new album?

i know that they're at least partway if not fully through making a new one - a pretty decent new track popped up on a little darla comp earlier this year..

The Scattered Order CD "Prat Culture Plus" has Prat Culture plus Screaming Tree EP remastered in 2009. Also out is the "SO" Scattered Order CD, a bargain a $5, from the CAD factory show this year plus in rehearsal.
YOu can get it from the the http://www.scatteredorder.com/shop.php.

Luckily I found a copy of Prat Culture on vinyl recently. It's a good one, that one.

braggin

grong grong compilation out in a week or so

This guy on YouTube, OzObscurist, has a sweeeeeeet collection of material online including matrial from Wirlywirld and King Snake Roost. Check especially his 'Grunge Before Grunge' series, in 3 parts (perhaps there more parts to come?), which covers several obscure tracks from the Australian grunge phase of 1982 to 1986-ish.

http://www.youtube.com/user/OzObscurist#p/a/2971BA5EABF99671/1/nzlwdg8vJUg

some neat stuff, though i was hoping for vids!

why did we not go see GG?

i.. don't know! had no idea it was on..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otV-qSh7aVY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcbBM--HI88&feature=related

these guys are rly good

not bad at all.. the birthday party influence is strong in those guys

yuh totally

Next gig:

Scattered Order / Makers of the Dead Travel Fast / A Slow Rip + DJs

Saturday 28th November
Abercrombie Hotel, Broadway, Sydney

In support of the Prat Culture + Release

http://www.nonightsweats.com/asr/aber_small.jpg

hope to see some sydney people there. come up and say hello.

a sub-event of the sydney festival:

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/Free/Circa-1979-Signal-to-Noise/

and Modular's blog:

http://www.modularpeople.com/blog/?p=825

there will also be a related fringe concert with scattered order, dead travel fast, no-v-bleet, wild west, no night sweats and other people from the time.

aussie version of the msq box:

http://mono.whatevz.net/images/terrace_industry_cover_rgbwebadVtQS.jpg

out in jan

Is that the condensed CD version?

i don't know how much crossover there is between this set and the VoD box, haven't seen the tracklisting yet. but 4 discs doesn't seem all that "condensed" ;)

Ah. For some reason I thought there was going to be a single CD version. So this will be a 4 CD box? Great!

Found this on another site:
cd1: systematics - single, rural, tracks from comps, field of cows; splendid mess - track from a selection; patrick gibson - tracks from too separate

cd2: dead travel fast - tael single; 3 tracks from vessels; 2nd album; acra - 3 tracks from cassette releases

cd3: scattered order - relaxed with you + tracks from comps; barons - paint it black; height/dismay - 3 tracks; prod - contents one + 1 cassette track; solipsik - ep+ a selection track

cd4: ya ya choral - dutchman, quaver + 1 unreleased; bell du soir - single; pel mel, wild west, limp, slugfuckers, tame omearas, the same, denial, severed heads, no night sweats - single tracks from comps and elsewhere

Posted too quickly. Here's the tracklisting:
http://terminal-boredom.com/forums/index.php?topic=23299.0

ah so there's basically no crossover between the two boxes.. so maybe another disc is on the way?

the program for the freebie conference bit of Circa 1979 looks pretty good:

Signal to Noise Sessions

A day of free talks exploring early experimentation in music, film and video and the cultural influences surrounding one of the most creative periods in Australia’s music history.

Key panelists including Tom Ellard (Severed Heads), Andrew Penhallow (Volition Records), Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire) and Roger Grierson (Thought Criminals) share their works, insights and experiences from the underground of Australian music.

Session 1: World Domination - The Australian Post Punk Movement
Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre
January 16 at 12pm, 1 hour including Q&A

Australia’s Post Punk movement sought to 'steal' music back from the experts and promote artistic expression with little concern for mainstream success. It was an era of tribalism, collaboration and experimentation challenging the foundation of the Australian music industry. This first Signal to Noise Session will compare the Post Punk era to today’s creative community and question why the music received international praise while it was relatively overlooked at home.

Moderator: Marty Wirth
Presenter: Julian Knowles
Panelists: Michael Tee, Jaimie Leonarder, Roger Grierson, Andrew Penhallow, Clinton Walker

Session 2: Postmodern vs. Modern debate on Remixing and Recycling
Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre
January 16 at 1.30pm, 1 hour including Q&A

For the past two decades we have been consumed by the culture of remixing, sampling and recycling but what do we have to show for it? Does remixing offer an avenue for artists to explore new ideas or has it desensitized our appreciation for originality? This Signal to Noise session will challenge the ideals of musicians, film makers and academics involved in the Post-Punk era and try to answer the question: what would Roland Barthes do?

Moderator: Marty Wirth
Presenter: Tom Ellard
Panelists: Steve Malinder, Julian Knowles, Phil Turnbull, Ross Harley

Session 3: Experimental Film & Video
Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre
January 16 at 3pm, 1 hour 30 mins including Q&A

Although music was the headliner the Post Punk era also saw a surge in experimental film & video. The final Signal to Noise session will feature presentations of rare and previously unseen footage showcasing the groundbreaking ideas and DIY methodology that has come all to close to being forgotten.

Host: Jaimie Leonarder
Presenters: Jaimie Leonarder, Ross Hartley, Ian Andrews, Tom Ellard, Stephen Jones

Signal to Noise at the Sound Lounge

Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre
January 16,17 and 23,24 2pm-10pm, January 19-22 5pm-10pm

An exhibition of fanzines, photography and album artwork will revive and recreate the Sydney underground music scene of 1979-1985. Coupled with unreleased music and a previously unseen video archive, this exhibition is the first of its kind.

ooh

road tripp with tha S-dogg?

you betcha

"terrace industy" is the official compilation of remastered releases from M2.

the other cd release is a distillation of the VoD box (which contained previously unreleased material). i think it's 2cds. this was supposed to come out now but they decided to bring forward the release of terrace industry to co-incide with "circa 1979" and so will release it later in 2010.

btw:

sunday 17th jan 2010: sandringham hotel, newtown 4-9 or 10 pm. as a sort of closer for circa 1979...

wild west (with cathy hopkins)
scattered order (new set)
makers of the dead travel fast
no-v-bleet (swell guys)
the loop orchestra (using sydney post-punk as source material)
no night sweats
drosma bebris
tim van den berg

mc - scott holmes (the same / scattered order)
dj sets / door prizes / fun galore

wild west hope to have a cd for sale then as well.

The other CD is called "22 Pardons" - M Squared Rare Recordings 1979 - 1983 Volume 1. A single CD, it contains 22 selected tracks from the vinyl VOD box. This will be released mid 2010.

Scattered Order Mk I is keen to do mostly 'historical' material for the January show - how, who knows? It'll be good fun hearing how everyone else approaches this memory challenge.

Where to book tix for the Sunday show?

booking tix - the full promo stuff will come out on jan 4 or thereabouts so you'll have to wait until then.

terrace industry now shipping

http://www.ascensionrecords.com.au/

http://www.nonightsweats.com/images/wsn_final.jpg

In celebration of Circa 1979: Signal to Noise and the release of the M2 Box Set "Terrace Industry", a raft of bands from Sydney's 80s underground have reformed for a once only event.

Wild West (featuring Cathy Hopkins)
No-V-Bleet
Shift (formerly of Great White Noise)
Scattered Order Mk1
Makers of the Dead Travel Fast
No Night Sweats
The Loop Orchestra

MC Scott Holmes (The Same / Scattered Order)

Door Prizes, Fun and Laughs, incredibleness.

The Sando, Newtown
5-11PM
$15 at the door

Ordered. Excited. Full report upon arrival.

no pre-sales available, just door sales

My M Squared box just arrived, I'm psyched! Great packaging - the box itself is similar to the Stereolab singles box a few years back, with a nice healthy booklet and some coasters. I hope the music (some of which I've heard and love) lives up to my expectations!

the sunday night show at the sando was great! scattered order were the highlight, they sounded tremendous. dead travel fast were amusingly po-faced but i dug it.

A fascinating full colour catalogue of artifacts from Sydney underground post-punk period 79-85 is avaialble for free download here:

http://www.modularpeople.com/circa1979/

sigh...

so sarah from modular wanted tactics to support john cale at circa 1979 but couldn't afford the airfare to bring dave studdert back to oz.

now angus douglas has died (i don't have details on why or what from) and that's the end of the band for me. sure dave had the vision but angus was the sound beneath the vocals - all the way.

he won't be lauded like rowland howard but he was, in many ways, a greater guitar player.

That epic, yet picky, claustrophobia of the first couple records is a triumph. I'm sure it's the kind of thing where the band and critics went on to champion the later, better recorded work, but those early singles have a density that invites endless listening. hard to find the singles, of course, but the first of the double cd collections gets most of it (The Sound of the Sound, vol. 1). Not on iTunes, but it's around.

surprised that TSOTS isn't on itunes - it is on emusic (which is where i got it)

some of the remastering on it isn't terribly well done (ok mainly just the tracks from the fatman 45) but most of it is pretty good

Speaking of the availability of great Australian post-punk, I'm trying to gather Sunday Painters material for a possible collection, so I'm looking for any material that might be out there. Not the vinyl itself. I'm more interested in any photos, scans, or cassettes. Memories. T-shirts. Fanzines. Articles. Whatever any of you old timers have lying about. Scans and digitizations fine, of course. And any of the compilation tapes they appeared on would be especially nice: One Stop Shopping, Fast Forward #7, Public Eye #2. Also The Art Throbs' No Media is Good Media tape, or the tape comp on Terminal Records of Wollongong bands titled Big Little Bands. Any help appreciated.

one stop shopping is on mutant sounds, not sure if that helps you though?

http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/2007/02/va-one-stop-shopping-3-tapes-1981.html

Yeah, that's an mp3, and without a scan. Fantastic that it's there, of course. Wouldn't have heard it otherwise.

i figure i can use this thread as a catchall for aussie reissues

shortly arriving is a Chad's Tree retrospective, which is pretty nice since none of it has ever been on cd save for one or two tracks, the two LPs are relatively rare and v expensive, and it's great stuff.. pre-Blackeyed Susans fact fans

after that the delightful Egg records (who did the let's go naked comp) is doing a Rabbits Wedding retrospective, which i have been wanting for years and years and may even have given them the inspiration to do (as I emailed them with said request about five years ago). quite Go-Betweensy but their 'hit' Coming Like Summer is dripping with lloyd cole. really love this band so i am chuffed..

the RW reissue probably helped along by one of the band members rediscovering all the tapes and various other bits and pieces fairly recently

For those of you in Sydney:

A CloakRoom Assembly - Territory & Population - Album Launch

Saturday 19th June 2010

Megaphon Studios
Floor 2, Building 8
70 Edith Street
St Peters NSW

$10 at the door

8.00 – 8.30pm - Shane Fahey
8.45 – 9.15pm - A Slow Rip
9.30 – 10.00pm - Gail Priest
10.15 – 10.45pm - Pimmon
11.00 – 11.30pm - A CloakRoom Assembly

This should be a great night of interesting and vital music

ABC Radio National (Australia) presents a 2 part documentary on the Sydney and Melb scenes:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/stories/2010/2946088.htm

On today at 2PM AEST (3 hours from now) and next Sunday - streaming on the web or podcast as well.

Nice to see that Other Music here in New York finally got some copies of Terrace Industry. Had been on the fence since I probably had 2/3 of it in one form or another, but a physical copy within arms' reach was too much to pass up.

there is now also this, which is a subset of the VoD box:

http://www.ascensionrecords.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=95

So what's left in this barrel to scrape? Is there going to be another in the "Do The Pop" series?

some great new post-punk & underground rock bands out of australia include

UV RACE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pePULJR0UDE
BLANK REALM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxVu2WXCXQI
KITCHEN'S FLOOR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1hBHP5qr6A&feature=player_embedded

love kitchen's floor, don't have much if any time for the other two..

So what's left in this barrel to scrape? Is there going to be another in the "Do The Pop" series?

doesn't look like it, but the well is far from empty. for one example, the au go go label catalogue has been barely touched by compilers, amongst others. there's easily another 5 compilations worth of uncompiled stuff out there that wouldn't disappoint fans of the 'tales' or 'can't stop it' comps..

when someone finally gets around to anthologising the mid-late 80s aussie stuff some minds are going to be seriously blown

You should do an unofficial MP3 comp like our other illustrious poster in this thread!

Was looking forward to that Rabbits Wedding retrospective, but I guess Egg went out of business?

looks that way, though i don't think it's entirely down to them - i had some brief communication with a RW member (who is now in a quite good band called Dusken Lights) who indicated they'd put the project on hold themselves to concentrate on new stuff and would come back to it at a later stage..

You should do an unofficial MP3 comp like our other illustrious poster in this thread!

maybe one day soon... i am *finally* transferring all my vinyl, which i had been planning to do for ten years or more, so it's not unlikely..

Woohoo! I'd love to come over and help but, y'know, halfway around the world and all...

Let alone the full Waterfront retrospective....Vinyl on Demand—The Ratcat Box....

Isn't somebody doing something with Feedtime, or did that happen?

There was the first Fungus Brains not long ago that somebody put out. Legit?

A Venom P Stinger set would be nice

The Moodists are out of print, best I can tell

Lipstick Killers, if you're going garage rock

And, God willing, I'm hoping to get the band nearest my heart, Wollongong's Sunday Painters, back out into the world this year. Not sure what form it will take yet. But given that the singles have started ebaying for $300 apiece, the moment is here.

Do it Jim!

sub pop is doing a feedtime thing in march iirc

a lot of the moodists 'two fisted art' comp was poorly done imo so i'm not that sorry to see it go out of print. a lot of vinyl 'remastering' is really lazily done and this is one that suffered. the tactics comp suffered a little from this too.

ratcat's 'informer' comp needs to be back in print, iirc it's basically all their waterfront stuff and it's so good.

a comp of the first 50 waterfront 45s would be a fucking joy to listen to

xpost it'll happen!

now that i've checked a couple of early ratcat things never made it to cd - 'radio one' from the first 12", 'tura satana' from the saying goodbye 45, and the acoustic 'it's over' from the official bootleg. oh and their hummingbirds cover.

Ah, that's right, Sub Pop. They deserve it.

There was that Grong Grong reissue last year, too. Not that originals are scarce and pricey artifacts.

And yes, the Moodists and Tactics cds sound noticeably worse than the vinyl. Having just helped out on two projects done in large part from vinyl (UK bands: Disco Zombies and Happy Refugees), I don't feel too picky saying that it's not all that hard to make things sound at least a touch better than the originals.

absolutely. it's kind of scary how good some of the restoration tools are these days too.

Of course, a pro did the final remastering. Especially as it got released on vinyl, which ain't for amateurs. But if you're going to digital, a good mastering package like Ozone can get you almost all the way if you've got some decent monitors to work with. The Can't Stop stuff that Greg Wadley did sounds right, as does the stuff that Chuck Warner does with Messthetics. Clean but not overly bright. Punchy but not overly loud. Not so scrubbed as to sound artificial, and so on.....According to Greg's Spill site, he did the Moodists thing, but who knows the sources involved. I feel like the Can't Stop It sounds better, but maybe I had lower expectations for that material since I don't have much of the vinyl. And I do only have a download of Two Fisted Tales, so that might not be the best reference.

the actual transfers on CSI (at least the first one) were done by Andrew from Hydroplane/Cat's Miaow i believe, don't know about the second one

I have had issues with GW's mastering, at least in the past, though i think the quality has improved over the years.

Of course, I cringe to listen to things even from only a year ago (and in a year I'll probably be cringing at what I'm doing now), so there is a bit of a learning curve. And without a neutral room you get uneven results--some things come out sounding fantastic, others not so much.

a Ratcat box qua box would be a bad idea, as nearly everything post-Tingles is pretty terrible. I could go for an Early Years comp. except I have everything bar one 7" in, er, a box in the cupboard, or a box in my old housemate's garage, or a box under my mum's house, so WHO NEEDS IT obv

ha. which 7" are you missing? surprised you don't have informer

For Flopson's information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2Nc7Ho7lk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vanxOb5pVNE

Did any of the early Bloodloss stuff get reissued?

which 7" are you missing?

goodbye / tura satana

you can have mine when i sell it

after that the delightful Egg records (who did the let's go naked comp) is doing a Rabbits Wedding retrospective

I'm guessing this never appeared?

nope. i was briefly in contact with a RW dude and i gather the comp was put on hold.

oh buggery, i just re-read a post above and realised i sold all my ratcat without copying the non-cd tracks.

i hate when that happens! You think you'll put together your own Australian post-punk MP3 comp, Jim?

Meanwhile, I finally got a copy of the Blackeyed Susans box set. Such a great blend of influences - folk, country, blues - yet a sound very much imbued by their country.

You think you'll put together your own Australian post-punk MP3 comp, Jim?

one day i will, but everything takes so long and i am tremendously disorganised. i've learned not to make any promises about this sort of thing based on the amount of times i have flaked out due to circs

i was just going to ask about that Rabbits Wedding retrospective. damn.

in news from my end - there was supposed to be a 7" ep of maestros and dipsos AND an LP of The Limp both from some guy in adelaide (+ accompanying Limp cd via Guy at Chapter). but that all seems to have gone off the deep end.

another person was going to release a cassette of a Voigt live recording but that also has gone into limbo.

i also hear rumours that the Pel Mel stuff will finally get a re-issue but i'm not holding my breath. they played a one-off concert in Newcastle recently which sounded OK.

The Voigt/465 remasters will be made available this year via Tunecore to digital suppliers (if Rod can get his act together).

BTW - the ICS recordings were mostly supplied by the compilers but i supplied them masters from my collection fro a variety of things - some professional and others just me.

oh man i would have loved a limp retrospective. marked man is one of my fave AP-P singles.

probably only gerald will be interested but the new lets go naked album finally came out (and not on egg, which definitely appears to be history). the tracks i've heard from it so far are really lovely.

on the rabbits wedding tip, their new band dusken lights have a single and comp track out, all of which are in a similar vein. they sound older but not at all tired.

Definitely going to buy the new Lets Go Naked cd, just never heard of any of the Australian online stores they are using and the only copy on Amazon is a used copy. Any good online independent Australian stores? I looked at 78 Records and they don't have it.

off the hip might stock it but i wouldn't hold my breath. a lot of the better stores are extremely reluctant to stock cds. i ordered mine from jb hi fi

Yeah their web page scared me off as soon as it loaded.

Woohoo! Got a link order it? It's hard to google "Let's Go Naked" and get any meaningful results.

this is where i got mine

Listening to the new Let's Go Naked (I notice they added the apostrophe this time) and it's lovely, indeed! So warm and comforting, it's hard not to draw the Go-Betweens comparison but there it is. Pity it'll be heard by so few people.

i like it, while they obviously sounds older and a bit less sparky than the 80s stuff the tunes are still good, definitely not a disappointment

Work proceeds on the Sunday Painters reissue mentioned above. But today (or already yesterday if you're in Australia, or even the UK) marks the thirty-year anniversary of one of their high points: the Sedition Festival, a three-day showcase of 22 bands, as well as assorted video artists, at the Trade Union Club. $10 for the lot….Other bands included the Scientists, Wet Taxi, Celibate Rifles. The Same, and Severed Heads.

The Painters played the opening night. Three and a half songs have survived from their set; two of which made it onto the Sedition—Go Broke cassette. This one, “In My Dreams,” did not, though it’s a monster, reworked into drum-machine form from its origins as a practice-room kraut jam outtake that made up the b-side of the band’s second single (Painting By Numbers, 1980, 250 copies). Like X covering PIL, with a New Order keyboard flourish.

Please feel free to share, to download, to play.

https://soundcloud.com/michael-train/in-my-dreams

Thought I'd try it as a video (well, at least a photo montage):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NTISSJPyLw

Any updates on this stuff? Any new compilations worth looking into?

i'm not aware of any new various artists comps of this stuff at all, even a couple that were mooted a few years back didn't appear

in some ways the m squared comps were the final word, though the well is far from dry

for specific artists, recent comps of informatics and ash wednesday are worth picking up

I'm also not aware of any recent Australian punk or post-punk comps. Saw the Informatics and Ash Wednesday, but didn't jump.

Sunday Painters plans continue. Hoping for three LPs this year: a compilation of the singles called In My Dreams, then the first album, Something To Do, and second album Fourth Annual Report. Each with a download of a live cassette or radio performance.

Should have the first of our Sunday Painters reissues out in the wild by early 2015. It'll be a collection of the band's three diy singles, each released in a run of either 250 or 500 copies on their own Terminal Records. To be titled In My Dreams. Includes a digital download of all tracks, plus 9 more from a live cassette (only a couple copies for that) from 1982 in Melbourne at the Venetian Room. Amazing Eno and Rema Rema covers.

There should be some Australian distribution. Check this page for developments on that, plus info on full reissues of the Painters' two albums, also next year.

http://whatsyourrupture.bigcartel.com/product/sunday-painters-in-my-dreams-lp-pre-order

So we now have hard copies of the Sunday Painters singles collection. Should start to show up in stores soon. Very exciting. There'll also be digital downloads from all the usual places. For those of you in Australia, your best bets will be R.I.P. Society/Repressed Records in Sydney, or Music Farmer's in Wollongong, though there may well be some other spots, too. By May we're hoping to get the band's two albums out.

i noticed that r.i.p. soc did some FB posts about it, what was their involvement in the reissue?

They have a great relationship with Whats Your Rupture in New York going back to Royal Headache. This singles comp, and the two reissue albums to follow, are co-releases by WYR and the Painters' own Terminal Records. R.I.P. will be selling copies and doing some distro in Australia, which is really helpful. They weren't involved in putting any of the reissues together, though.

So, R.I.P./Repressed should have them in a matter of days, if not already. And of course through the Whats Your Rupture site and finer stores....

While we're waiting, something to bang your head on the wall to....

From the On The Beach cassette. Live 2 February '83 at Melbourne's Marquee Room. The first, and best, Rema-Rema cover I know:

https://soundcloud.com/michael-train/rema-rema

You can stream the Sunday Painters singles here:

http://noisey.vice.com/en_au/blog/stream-the-of-the-sunday-painters-early-80s-diy-punk

RIP astrid spielman from the particles. i hope one day their stuff all gets compiled!

Test pressings approved for the two Sunday Painters album reissues: Something To Do (1982)and 4th Annual Report (1985). Should be out late August and available equally in the US and Australia, with some to Japan, France, and the UK. Also out then will be a repress of the singles comp LP, In My Dreams that came out in January.

More as we get closer.

Cool -- hopefully I can do something proper with that at last!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mw6vj2f0we102a/SPLPS%20copy.JPG?dl=0

Whats Your Rupture and Terminal Records are thrilled to announce the reissue of two albums by The Sunday Painters—Something to Do (1982) and 4th Annual Report (1985).

The Sunday Painters were wide-ranging DIY art-punks. Operating out of Wollongong, Australia in the early 80s, they seemed to want to be every band from the Velvet Underground to King Crimson to the Sex Pistols to Throbbing Gristle. And they wrote catchy, often beautiful, songs, the greatest of which are also commentaries on the costs of containing such multitudes.

The Painters were formed in late 1978 by Peter Raengel and Peter MacKinnon. They released three singles on their own Terminal Records between 1979 and 1981 (collected in January, 2015 on the In My Dreams LP). Then, with a new bassist, Dennis Kennedy, they recorded their first album, Something To Do, which came out in 1982 as a run of 500 copies, also on Terminal. It’s as diverse a record as art-punk ever delivered, from the recessional dirge of its title track to the blitzkrieg minute of “Emotion Sickness” to “ECT,” the seven-part, industrial-punk-prog piece that closes the album.

Recording for 4th Annual Report began soon thereafter, and most of it would be finished by the end of 1983; however, the record did not come out until 1985, when a pair of songs were added. Out in a run of just 250 copies, it is the dense work of a band that had absorbed the full range of DIY and industrial sounds. At its heart is one of the great pop moments of Post Punk—“Love Factory,” which launches itself with a beat that would do the Ronettes proud, then throws a couple songs simultaneously beneath a proto-jungle skitter.

Included with each album are booklet inserts and download codes for all tracks, plus bonus live material.

For fans of the Homosexuals, Total Control, SPK, Swell Maps

http://whatsyourrupture.bigcartel.com

Some sample audio:

"Something To Do"

https://soundcloud.com/krazypunx/sunday-painters-something-to-do

And "Through a Shattered Lens"

https://soundcloud.com/krazypunx/sunday-painters-shattered-lens

just noticed this compilation, yet to listen

S​.​I​.​N​.​G​.​E​.​D. Volume 2 - Synthwave Industrial Noise Gothic Electronic Darkwave - Dark Alternative Music Bands from Australia and New Zealand
https://blatantpropaganda.bandcamp.com/album/s-i-n-g-e-d-volume-2-synthwave-industrial-noise-gothic-electronic-darkwave-dark-alternative-music-bands-from-australia-and-new-zealand

This album is a snapshot of independent-undergound ANZ artists making noises in the couple of years leading up to mid-2015; sounds in the realms of Synth-Wave/Pop/Punk/Rock Industrial Noise Gothic Electronic Darkwave (aka. "S.I.N.G.E.D."*); underground artists residing in or from Australia & New Zealand (ANZ).

released 15 August 2015

any recommendations of the artists on this comp?

Sunday Painters records have been in Australian stores for the better part of a week, but today the two albums (and a repress of the singles comp LP) should be hitting US shelves.

thanks

This looks interesting. I haven't heard of a worthwhile Aussie comp in quite some time:

Closed Circuits: Australian Alternative Electronic Music Of The '70s & '80s, Volume 1
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/music/browse/alternative-electronic-pop-new-wave/closed-circuits-australian-alternative-electronic-music-of-the-70s-80s-volume-1/332448/

This is fun: http://ilikeyouroldstuff.com/blog/detroit-down-under

https://chaptermusic.bandcamp.com/album/what-is-this-thing-called-disco

“What Is This Thing Called ‘Disco’?” is a landmark Australian post-punk artefact, originally released in 1981 as an LP with accompanying 12” single. One of the first records from the Australian underground to incor-porate disco elements into the reigning post-punk aesthetic, “What Is This Thing Called ‘Disco’?” sits alongside records by international counterparts Flying Lizards and Yellow Magic Orchestra in its combination of art school formalism and dancefloor hedonism.
Asphixiation was a one-off side project for Melbourne provocateur Philip Brophy, best known for his work with (pronounced with three clicks of the tongue), whose decade-long investigation into the aesthetics of punk, electronic and dance music began in the late 1970s.

https://guerssenrecords.bandcamp.com/album/slights-still-unspoken-selected-recordings-1978-1979

Egregiously off the topic of the threadbump, but does anyone know if Total Control are up to much? Was listening to them again yesterday - they get it so beautifully

just played a small run of australian dates - including one at the sydney opera house(!) - they ruled

new album soon apparently

So the "Closed Circuits" comp I mentioned above just came in. On first listen, it's fun and quite broad, ranging from straight synth-pop to experimental weirdness, but mostly in the middle. It's not as cool-weird as "Can't Stop It" or as fun-compelling as the "Tales From The Australian Underground". Overall I'm glad I picked it up. Note that there's 4 extra tracks on the LP version.

still really excited for the new total control record

just discovered their first album, and thus have just discovered 'carpet rash'. fucking hell

up there with 'private execution' in the seven-minute aussie postpunk of recent years stakes

um holy shit Total Control have an album out TOMORROW?

haha this is so wonderfully odd

i strongly recommend this to fans of australian post-punk in general and that total control EP specifically: https://exek.bandcamp.com/album/ahead-of-two-thoughts
it's a little more PIL/dub-influenced than total control but similarly weird/catchy

that's nice! thanks.

btw how is the total control ep that came out last year?

does anybody talk about eddy current suppression ring anymore? they rule(d) so much!

the total control EP is fantastic. it's not very "punk" for the most part but is great weirdo guitar pop.

I'd say it's really punk! But in a kind of wild 'we really, really don't give a shit what anyone thinks' way. Musically yeah it's kind of evasive electro/guitar pop in form, anarcho-punk in function

I like Eddy Current Suppression Ring (and Total Control) a lot but I don't think they're still going are they? Protomartyr kind of remind me of them (albeit not Australian of course)

http://fastnbulbous.com/between-the-cracks-aussie-garage-punk/

good bloggin'!

The death of Chris Bailey has me contemplating his legacy and the great Australian underground. There's been no interesting comps since "Closed Circuits" 5 years ago, perhaps there's some worthy Spotify playlists?

RIP astrid spielman from the particles. i hope one day their stuff all gets compiled!

― don't ask me why i posted this (electricsound), Tuesday, 10 March 2015 09:27 (eight years ago)

https://theparticles.bandcamp.com/album/1980s-bubblegum

Out tomorrow via - who else? - Chapter Music.