The Riptides - Demos

The Riptides were largely a vehicle for the immense song-writing
talents of Mark Callahan but over a career spanning 6 years from
1979 to 1983 the band also featured a number of
excellent musicians including Howard Shawcross and
Russell Parkhouse.
Parkhouse is an extraordinary keyboard player and subsequently
played amongst other bands with The Mexican Spitfires.
Callaghan went on to find commercial success with Gangajang
but the sometime surf inspired but always inspiration pop
sensibilties of The Riptides had a fun loving and naivete
which could not be surpassed.The Riptides developed a certain
cult status in their home city of Brisbane.
Even during the Gangajang years, The Riptides would
regulalry reform to do tours.
I saw them a few times in this period, the first was
the 10 anniversary gig for 4ZZZ, the buzz was
amazing and last year when I talked with Mark
he remembered ZZZ staff throwing handful's
of money at them as payment.
The Riptides performance at last years Pig City
gig here was outstanding, one of the highlights,
on a day of 8hrs of highlights.
This album is very rare, only 500 copies were
made and each individually numbered.
Mine's number 43
Fantastic piece of work however and a great
place to hear the genius of one of Brisbane's
best bands.

Track list
01 Magic Moments
02 Power of Love
03 Kiss Nice
04 Time of My Life
05 Lonely Old Sunday
06 The Other Side
07 She's My World
08 Growing Up in Brisbane
09 No Reply
10 It Happens All the Time
11 Keep it Up
12 Swept Away

Download Here

Click on back cover to make larger to read

Goanna (E.P 1979)

Formed in the late 70's the Goanna Band achieved an kind of
legendary status here in Australia. Shane Howard front man
and songwriter has gone on to become one of the greatest
songwriters this country has ever know.
This Ep is incredibly rare and was their first recording.
The band then recorded 2 Lps, broke up and reformed
some ten years on to record a 3rd album and do a few shows.
I was incredibly fortunate to see them when they reformed.

Track List
01 - Zanzibar
02 - On The Platform
03 - Sometimes
04 - Living On The Razor's Edge

Download Here

Kev Carmody - Pillars of Society

"...the best album ever released by an Aboriginal musician and
arguably the best protest album ever made in Australia."
Bruce Elder, Rolling Stone.

Too right, I'd go as far as to say one of the most important
albums ever made in this country. Released in 1989 Kev
arrived with this no compromising album that for the first
time gave many an insight into indigenous Australia that
was completely lacking in mainstream Australia.
Its hard to believe now how little discussion took place
those days, most people had not heard of the stolen
generations, terra nullius, land rights hardly existed,
Eddie Marbo's 10 year battle wouldn't end for another
3 years and reconciliation was a process which had
yet to become mainstream.
This is a surprising album, one I never tire of, it covers
much territory and is but the beginning of most fantastic
recording career. I recently posted on Kev and a bio of
sorts so I'll just cover this album now.
First impression this is gutsy blues inspired folk music.
The themes are universal and at the same time personal.
Kev proved on this record he is both a poet and a spokesman.
In the opening/title track Kev shows his left political leanings,
so your in no doubt where he comes from.

They confer titles of status and dominance
On their progeny and their class
"sir" - "Your honour" - "Your Grace" -
"Your Highness" -
We're made to polish
And lick their____brass
But you my friend can be like them
If you have their million dollar fee
But you'll find their system's designed
To keep us in line And walkin' on our knees
(Pillars of Society - Kev Carmody)

"Attack Attack" is a no take no prisoners denunciation
of capitalism and the goals of those in power on the
far right.

It's easy to see
What this new right's doin'
Control our destiny
An' collapse our Unions
Privatize our existence
Abolish our free medical centres
Control every door
Through which we must enter
Under the old guise to: Rationalize,
Objectivize-Privatize-Fanticize
Harmonize-Economize-Democratize?
All new right lies
Iron out the kinks (that's us)
(Attack Attack - Kev Carmody)

The Classic anthem "Thou Shall not Steel"
is the greatest track of the record, but I've
already posted its entire lyrics earlier,
check it out if your unfamiliar.
But the spoken word Comrade Jesus Christ is
where hes pure genius shines, brilliant insight
into the truth of Christianity and its application
in a world of injustice, confronting and life changing
and when I first heard it I was blowen away,
someone was articulating the kind of things
I too believed and never expected to hear
on a Cd. It still blows me away, if you get
a chance listen to the Aussie Hip Hop group
The Herd's version on the Kev tribute Cd.
If you haven't got this album already do
yourself a favor, download it and if its
as good as I say, buy it from Kevs site
Here
And tell us what you think of the cd in the comments

Comrade Jesus Christ - Kev Carmody

He was born in Asia Minor
A colonized Jewish man
His father the village carpenter
Worked wood in his occupied land
He was apprenticed to his father's trade
His country paid it's dues
To the colonial Roman conquerors
He was a working-class Jew

Though conceived three months out of wedlock
The stigma never stuck
He began a three year public life
But he never made a buck
Because he spoke out against injustice
Saw that capitalism bled the poor
He attacked self-righteous hypocrites
And he condemned the lawyers' law

But they've commercialized his birthday now
The very people he defied
And they've sanctified their system
And claim he's on their side!
But if he appeared tomorrow
He'd still pay the highest cost
Being a 'radical agitator'
They'd still nail him to a cross

You see
He'd stand with the down trodden masses
Identify with the weak and oppressed
He'd condemn the hypocrites in church pews
And the affluent, arrogant West
He'd oppose Stalinist totalitarianism
The exploitation of millions by one
And 'peace' through mutual terror
And diplomacy from the barrel of a gun

He'd fight with Joe Hill and Waleca
Mandala and Friere
Try to free the third world's millions
From hunger and despair
He'd stand with the peasants
At the pock-marked walls
They'd haul him in on bail
He'd condemn all forms of apartheid
And he'd rot in their stinking jails.

He'd denounce all dictatorships
And Mammon's greed
And the exploitation of others for gain
He'd oppose the nuclear madness
And the waging of wars in his name
He'd mix with prostitutes and sinners
Challenge all to cast the first stone
A compassionate agitator
One of the greatest the world has known

He'd condemn all corrupt law and order
Tear man made hierarchies down
He'd see status and titles as dominance
And the politics of greed he'd hound
He'd fight against
The leagues of the Ku Klux Klan
And the radical, racist right
One of the greatest humanitarian socialists
Was comrade,
Jesus Christ.

Download Here

Dave Warner - Correct Weight

"The Suburbs had split but Tony Durant produced
and played guitars,Howie Johnstone played drums
and Paul Noonan bass.
This album has some good songs
but the arrangements were not thoroughly worked enough.
It is one album I would love to re-record."
Dave Warner

Dave formed The Suburbs in January 1977.
The group developed a huge underground following,
which led to Dave signing with Australia's Mushroom Records in 1978.
His first album, Mugs Game, went gold within a month of release.
Dave's second album, Free Kicks, was released in 1979.
After the original Suburbs disbanded, Dave followed up with
Correct Weight (1979), This is My Planet
(1981 - reissued as This is Your Planet in 1996),
Meanwhile in the Suburbs (EP - 1989), Dark Side of the Scrum (1989),
Suburban Sprawl (1990), Surplus and Dearth (1995) and Loose Men,
Tight Shorts (1996).
After the release of This is My Planet, Dave Warner retired from
writing and performing music full-time, turning instead to
writing plays, novels and screenplays.
This is a fine album and sure Dave's got a point, but its still
very good and enjoyable. He's a funny man and very quirky.
Some songs, like the refugee song are still very topical.
Its interesting just how long musicians have been trying
to get people to see things from the refugee point of view.
This is a vinyl rip, of a rare album and the 3 I've posted here
are all I have, so if anyone has any others
I'd love to hear from you.

TRACK LISTING
01 - Wimbledon
02 - Free Kicks
03 - Joey Black
04 - Spooks in the Dark
05 - Cabaretta
06 - The Refugee Song
07 - John Arlott Makes Me Chuckle
08 - Doesn't She Look Fine
09 - On the Weekend
10 - Midday Movie
11 - Schoolgirl
12 - The Australian Rock Industry

Download Here


Free Kicks - Dave Warner

Live Clowns pre-reunion mini reunion 2007 free download

I found this little gem on the Clowns myspace site.
Many thanks to our friends at Prince Melon records.
I did once, see Louise Elliott play with Ed
on one of his many tours. Boy can she play.

Hi-in celebration of Laughing Clowns reforming for next years
ATP Festival in Australia
curated by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
We're sending out this link of a special pre-reunion reunion
performance by Ed ,Jeff and Louise at Dingwalls in April 2007.
Most people know that Ed and Jeff were invited to play the ATP
Festival at Minehead in the UK in 2007
curated by the Dirty Three.
However not as many people know that after ATP Ed and Jeff did
a show at Dingwalls, where they were joined by original Laughing
Clowns member Louise Elliott for an impromptu 15 minute version
of the Clowns classic 'Eternally Yours'There were no concrete
plans of a Clowns reunion at this stage
however as three original members of the band were in London
at the same time they couldn't resist and now look what happens
Download Here

Ian Rilen and the Love Addicts - Passion Boots and Bruises

Thanks to the Ausrock forum I can finally post this
wonderful Ian Rilen album which I posted a while ago,
but was a bit defective.
Rough and ready bluesy rock from this sorely missed
Aussie icon.

Track List
01 Booze to Blame
02 Dare Ya
03 Never Fall in Love
04 Mobile Phone
05 Cold Wind Blowin
06 Inside out
07 Stringin me along
08 Happy
09 Goldmine
10 Grey Street
11 Who ya foolin now
12 Passion Boots & Bruises

Download Here

The Lucksmiths - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me

Somehow this wonderful Melbourne indy pop band passed
me by, until recently that is, when I discovered
them due to some nice folk over at the ausrock forum.
With obvious influences such as Billy Bragg, the Smiths
and the Housemartins, you can tell your going to get
a fine band. Their songs are wonderful pop about the
everyday, relationships and the such, their lyrics are
clever, witty, whimsical and heartfelt.
Take these lyrics from the song "Synchronized Sinking "

You don't need to ask me twice
I'm not averse to giving advice
On a bar stool basis
Four o'clock sounds fine to me
I'll meet you at the library
There's privacy in public places
Oh, but, reader, heal thyself
Put the book back on the shelf
Something's obviously wrong
Your face is all day long
It was lovely when you laughed
Come on – please get it off your chest
It's a commonplace but I'd suggest
A problem shared is a problem halved
Kick a stone across the road
Explain or you'll explode

I was impressed too with the opening track
with is really beautiful.
With some 11 albums and 5 Eps to their credit,
having started back in 1993 and having just
released a new album, this is a band everyone
should know about. I'm glad to have finally
taken notice.

Music To Hold Hands To - Martin Donald

You can't keep a secret
But you keep a diary anyway
And you get away with murder
Because you've got a way with words
Yeah, and I know where you keep it:
Under where your underwear is meant to be
But usually it's all over the floor
I can't see the carpet anymore

If you arose by any other name
You'd smell as sweet
And you'd look just the same

I could never understand you
Hating music to hold hands to
Sometimes something you can dance to
Is the last thing that you need
Yeah, and squandering a
Sunday On a 499-piece jigsaw puzzle
Doesn't trouble me one little bit
One little bit!

I feel like going visiting this evening
Across the rooftops of North Carlton
While the suburb is asleep
My friends live in renovators' dreams
It's as euphemistic as it seems


Track List
01. Music To Hold Hands To
02. Synchronized Sinking
03. The Great Dividing Range
04. Beach Boys Medley
05. Broken Bones
06. First Cousin
07. Don't Bring Your Work To Bed
08. Fear Of Rollercoasters
09. Harmonicas And Trams
10. The Forgetting Of Wisdom
11. Self-Preservation
12. How To Tie A Tie
13. All The Recipes I've Ever Ruined
14. The Year Of Driving Languorously

Download Here

There has been a correction on the Laughing Clowns
myspace site.
The band are going to be playing at some stage
(in Brisbane)
but we can't announce the date or venue yet.
So they're still playing, but the Goma
date has fell through for some reason.
Watch this blog for the latest developments.

Flaming Hands Singles and Live to Air

This collection of studio singles and a live to air FM
broadcast is brilliant. The Flaming Hands were one
of the greatest bands to come out of Sydney in the
early to mid 80's. Absolutely one of my favs,
singer Julie Mostyn is a very special vocalist
and songwriter/guitarist Jeff Sullivan wrote
some of the greatest pop songs which should have
incredibly successful. "Its Just That I Miss You"
is in my 20 greatest Australian tracks of all time.




They released one album in 1984 which didn't
give them the breakthrough they deserved,
they broke up not long after that.
This disc comes to us thanks to Roger who
most generously sent it to me.
The song "Seek and find" was released on the
phantom records compilation "Paths of pain
to jewels of glory" which I posted here
The other tracks 1 to 9 were released as
singles, which some of the best artwork.
Tracks 10 and 11 also were released as a
single, they are my rip.
I have no information on the live
performance so if anyone(Roger?)
can help, its bloody fantastic however.
Great quality in both performance and sound.




Track List

01 I Belong To Nobody 1980
02 The Stranger 1980
03 Wake Up Screaming 1981
04 Sweet Revenge 1981
05 Go Or Stay 1982
06 It's Just That I Miss You 1982
07 Seek & Find 1982
08 The Edge 1983
09 Sacrifice 1983
10 Break Down And Cry 1983
11 Open Window 1983
12 So Excited (Live)
13 It’s A Question Of Temperature (Live)
14 Love Aches (Live)
15 It’s A Problem (Live)
16 Go Or Stay (Live)
17 Get Ready (Live)
18 Seek And Find (Live)

Download Here

Laughing Clowns - Everything That Flies

This rare 1982 12" single release is ripped from vinyl and the cover
art scanned from from copy and a brilliant bit of Judi Kuepper
artwork it is. This is brilliant clowns in all their glory, including
the song "Every dog has its day" with the wildest bass intro
ever, I used to have this as my mobile phone ring.
Maybe my fav clowns song, I hope they do it at the
Brisbane gig.

Track list
01. Everything That Flies (Is Not A Bird)
02. Year Of The Bloated Goat
03. Nothing That Harms
04. Every Dog Has It's Day

Download Here

Laughing Clowns announce Brisbane show

Fantastic news, the Laughing Clowns have announced
a gig here in Brisbane at the hippest place in town,
Goma. So who's planning on being there?

From the Laughing Clowns myspace site.

Laughing Clowns announce Brisbane show 23rd January 2009
Great news for Laughing Clowns fans in Brisbane, the band are
going to be playing the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane on 23rd of January
Conflicting schedules meant we couldn't do the ATP festival up there




Holy Joe

Mixed relations - Take It Or Leave It

In 1988 Bart Willoughby founding member of the legendary
No fixed Address was asked to join the newly formed Yothu Yindi
as drummer on their Diesel & Dust tour, visiting 73 cities throughout
the USA on what Willoughby thought was a very strenuous tour.
In 1989 Willoughby left Yothu Yindi and formed his new band
Mixed Relations. This band gave him the opportunity to come out
from behind the drums and develop his music into a big sound
fueled by some of the best musicians, black and white, in the country.
The band also released an album.
The song "Take It Or Leave It" is a true anthem.
One of those songs that has a power that transcends what
is normally associated with music, hear it to believe it.
But they're all fantastic songs and "My Father/Devil Man"
is an incredible almost 7 minute masterpiece.
Which isn't to say the other 2 songs aren't equally
good, cause they are Childrens Tomorrow/Hard Love
is an equally long and incredible love song unlike
any love song you have ever heard and
"Salvation" is perhaps his best song outside
"Message For Young and old"
Bart has the ability to speak direct to the heart
and is a true spokesman for his people and
his generation.

Take It Or Leave It - Bart Willoughby

Walking on this land for a long long time
Gives us the power of dreamtime all the time
Walking and talking and finding out whats right
Gives us the power of dreamtime all the time, why!!

We go back further than you think,
Further than the city
We go back further than you think,
Further than the cities been

Take it or leave it, its the truth.
Take it or leave it, its the truth.

We've got to make our solution without confusion
Got to tell the kids, Got to tell the kids'
Where they really come from.
We can't sit around now and wait for the
weather to change
We got to make our move with a
little help from our friends

Take it or leave it, cause you know its the truth.
We got our own foundation and that's our blues
We've got to resist now so we can exist
A matter of mind, a matter of time,
it doesn't really matter
cause we're not blind

We go back further than you think,
Further than the city
We go back further than you think,
Further than the cities been

Take it or leave it, its the truth.
Take it or leave it, its the truth.

Track List
01 - Childrens Tomorrow/Hard Love
02 - Take It Or Leave It.
03 - My Father/Devil Man
04 - Salvation.

Download Here

Kev Carmody - Freedom

Kev Carmody is a living legend here in Australia,
often referred to as the Australian Bob Dylan.
He released a debut album in 1988, Pillars of Society,
it was unlike anything previously heard from
black Australia. Instead of the country/rock/reggae
that was typical at the time of most Aboriginal bands,
Kev's songs were thoughtful folk-based stories
with insightful, politically aware lyrics.
Songs like ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’ quickly established him
as a powerful new voice in Australian Indigenous music.
His iconic 1993 duet with Aussie troubadour Paul Kelly,
‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ is rightly
considered a national classic.



Kev Carmody grew up on a cattle station near Goranba,
70km west of Dalby in the Darling Downs area of south eastern
Queensland. His early childhood was simple but happy.
He saw few children until the age of seven, mixing mostly with
stockmen. The family, although poor and despised by the local
white community because of their “mixed marriage”
(his father was “mad Irish, fighting Irish” and his mother a Murrie)
lived largely off the land growing vegetables near the house
and hunting and catching everything from kangaroos to fish.
In 1956, when he was ten, Carmody was taken from his parents
and sent to a "Christian school" which he has described as
"little more than an orphanage". Although he often talks
about the school it has rarely entered his songwriting.
After school Kev returned to his rural roots working for
seventeen years as a back country laborer doing everything
from bag lumping to wool pressing.
He told one newspaper that his musical career was
"a far cry from the 15 year old who thought he'd spent
the rest of his life pressing wool.
Mind you, I had a job then,
I was actually making bloody money.
Not with this music caper...."
When he was 33 he got the opportunity to go to University
where he studied history eventually progressing to work
on a PhD. His thesis topic, not surprisingly,
was the history of the Darling Downs between 1830 - 1860.
His career in music started while he was at University.

I've got so many stories to tell about Kev,
I've seen him play so many times
since the 80's. He doesn't play much anymore, he has
trouble playing with arthritis these days.
I've met him a couple of times, saw him play a gig not
15 mins drive from my house, drove from Brisbane to
Lismore once(4 hrs) to see him play a gig in a little church
to maybe 30 people and the last time I saw him was at the
pig city festival, where he had everyone singing along by
the end. In the early days of the Maleny/Woodford folk
festival he was an incredible support, always there for the
whole thing and playing heaps.
In the 90's I played in a Latin American band, I was the
only non Latin member and we covered "Thou shall not steal"
which was our only English singing song.
That was my big moment as I sung it.
In 1989 Kev met up Bart Willoughby and his
new band Mixed Relation's, to record this
version of "Thou shall not steal."
During the rehearsals another song started
to develop. 4 years later, that jam session
became the song.

Tracklist
01 - Freedom
02 - Freedom Radio Edit
03 - Thou Shall Not Steal




From Little Things Big Things Grow - Make Poverty History

Thou Shalt not Steal - Kev Carmody

1788 down Sydney cove
The first boat people land
Sorry boys our gains your loss
We’re gonna steal your land
And if you break our new British law
Be sure your gonna hang or work your
lives like our convicts
With a chain on your neck and hand

CHORUS
And they told us
Woah black woman thou shalt not steal
Hey black man thou shalt not steal
We’re gonna civilize your black barbaric lives
And we’ll teach you how to kneel
But your history couldn’t hide the genocide
The hypocrisy that was real
For your Jesus said you’re supposed to give
The oppressed a better deal
We say to you
yes our land thou shalt not steal
Woah Our land you better heal

With your science and technology
You can make a nuclear bomb
Development has increased its size
Three million mega ton
And if you think that’s progress
I suggest your reason is unsound
You should have found out long ago
You best keep it in the ground

CHORUS

Job and me and Jesus Sittin underneath
that Indooroopilly bridge
Watchin’ that blazin’ sun go down
Behind a tall tree'd mountain ridge
The land’s our heritage and spirits here
The rightful culture's black
And we’re sitting here just wondering
When we gonna get our land back

CHORUS

Well you talk of conservation
Keep the forest pristine green
But in 200 years your materialism
Has stripped the forest clean
And a racist contradiction
that's understood by none
but mostly their left hand holds the bible,
And the right hand holds the gun

CHORUS



Download Here

Laughing Clowns Seaview Ballroom, Melbourne 12th September 1981

To celebrate the announcement of the Laughing Clowns
reformation gigs I post a wonderful example of what
they are capable of.
I have an actual date for this gig, so hopefully there will
be no controversy like there still is over the year of
the last clowns post.
This performance is in between their 1981 "Reign of Terror,
Throne of Blood" album and the 1982 "Mr Uddich-Schmuddich
goes to town." Classic Clowns and includes a blistering 12
minute "When What You See."
It sounds like a reasonable audience recording,
or maybe a down the line generation tape of a
FM broadcast.

Laughing Clowns
Seaview Ballroom, Melbourne 12th September 1981

Tracklist

01. That's Just The Way It Goes
02. Nothing That Harms
03. A Knife In The Head
04. Come One, Come All
05. Laughter Around The Table
06. In Front Of Your Eyes
07. Collapse Board
08. Sometimes
09. I Don't Know What I Want
10. When What You See...

Download Here

Laughing Clowns to play ATP festival January 2009

In the biggest news to come to my attention since the
pig city concert in 2006 or the Apartments reforming
last year, the UK concept concert extravaganza,
All Tomorrows Parties, comes to Australia.
New York too, but that's not as exciting, for me anyway.
First the big news is I finally have a chance to see
the Clowns live after all these years.
I like to think Ed's been reading all the comments
I've made on this blog about the sorry state of
affairs, that I never got to see them live.
Below is from their Myspace site.

Laughing Clowns have been invited to play the
inaugural ATP Australia festival in January next year.
This will be the first show anywhere by the Clowns
since 1984.Featuring original members Ed Kuepper
vocals and guitar,Jeffrey Wegener drums,
Louise Elliott saxophone and Leslie Millar upright bass.
See you there.

Now if that isn't enough we have an incredible lineup
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have been named as the
festival’s curators.As curators, the band not only headline
the festival but personally select the line-up.

Joining Cave and his merry men at the January festival
are fellow Aussie acts, The Saints, The Laughing Clowns,
Robert Forster, Primitive Calculators, Rowland S Howard,
The Stabs, Bridezilla, and The Necks.

On the international front, Spiritualized (UK),
James Blood Ulmber (US), Harmonia (Germany),
#uck Buttons (UK), Silver Apples (UK), Afrirampo (Japan),
and M Gira (US) have been named in the festival line-up.

All Tomorrow’s Parties in Australia will be held in three
locations over a number of dates. See below for details.

January 9 and 10, Mt Buller Ski Resort, Victoria
January 12 and 16, The Powerhouse, Brisbane
January 17 and 18, Cockatoo Island, Sydney
Nick Cave solo show (Tickets on sale Friday October 3)
Tuesday January 6, The Palace, Melbourne [18+]

Its enough to send you all giddy.
Apparently there's more acts too come,
I'm crossing me fingers for the Apartments.

No Fixed Address - From My Eyes 2008 limited Ed

When I saw the legendary No Fixed Address play a couple of
Months ago at the Dreaming festival I picked up this.
A limited edition Cd copy, with extra tracks of the classic
Ep "From My Eyes." I've had a request for this so here
it is. This expanded version is now more like an album.
I doubt this will be commercially available and this copy
appears to be a home made job, with photocopied cover.
All the same it is a classic and is the place from which
all contemporary Australian indigenous music begins.
Check out my earlier posts on this band in the archives
if you missed them and my post on the Dreaming festival.

Track list
01 - We Have Survived
02 - From My Eyes
03 - Stupid System
04 - I Can't Stand And Look
05 - Sunrise
06 - Pigs
07 - 40,000 Years
08 - Greenhouse Holiday
09 - Stand Up

Download Here