The Midwife of Australian rock and roll

That's Roddy Raydalj, ex-Scientists, Le Hoodoo Gurus, Johnnys, Dubrovniks and anything else that was worthwhile in the Australian musical underworld of the '70s and '80s. Patrick Emery has a superb interview with the man here.

High praise for Darling Downs

That they didn’t, in fact, rise from the dusty roads of America’s heartland or the slippery banks of the Appalachian Mountains could come as a surprise for some upon first hearing their music. But, it soon becomes inconsequential where the duo hails from; no need to put a regional tag on the soulful sincerity found in such a plain and true collection of songs.

That's Crawdaddy online talking about The Darling Downs, the backwoods music duo of Ron Peno (Died Pretty) and Kim Salmon (Scientists, Surrealists, Beasts of Bourbon.) Read more here.

RocknRolla

You might remember an earlier post reporting that Radio Birdman's "Do The Pop!" had been included in this Guy Ritchie gangster movie. Yes it has - but it's barely audible.

The Scientists' "We Had Love" fared a little better, apparently. I haven't actually seen the film - I'm a 'wait for it on DVD' kinda guy these days.

Ritchie film also features the Scientists

That Guy Ritchie film with Radio Birdman's "Do The Pop" on the soundtrack is also said to feature the music of the Scientists amongst a bunch of more mainstream international names. It's called "Rocknrolla" and you can see a trailer here. No sniff in it of the Australian soundtrack content though.

Sonic Yoof and some amusing takes

Have to admit being a bit of a fan of Mark Prindle's record reviews. Who?, you say. Prindle's a New Yorker with a Gonzoid take on music that's hit or miss but never boring.

If you're looking forward to Sonic Youth's impending February visit to Australia (reprising "Daydream Nation" with the Scientists playing "Blood Red River" and a few other tunes on the undercard) you'll find Prindle's reviews of their back catalogue illuminating or infuriating. Some of the comments from readers are priceless too.

Sonic Youth in Australia and New Zealand
Saturday 16th February: Auckland - Bruce Mason Centre † sold out †
(Co-presented by www.mysterygirl.co.nz, 95bFM and Cheese on Toast)
Monday 18th February: Sydney - Enmore Theatre † sold out †
Tuesday 19th February: Sydney - Enmore Theatre *
Wednesday 20th February: Melbourne - The Metro † sold out †
Thursday 21st February: Melbourne - The Metro *
Friday 22nd February: Adelaide - Fowlers Live Courtyard *
Saturday 23rd February: Perth International Arts Festival † sold out †

Kim Salmon on the Science of Being a Beast

There's a great retrospective interview with Kim Salmon by the I-94 Bar's Patrick Emery at the online version of Mess and Noise magazine.

We passed on this one as I was already speaking to Kim regarding the Scientists shows and live album - and the tape clagged out so some of the best stuff went unreported. More's the pity we didn't just run Patrick's as it's one of the most complete career pieces Mr Salmon's done. He doesn't quite wade back into the void that is the relationship between him and his old band the Beasts of Bourbon, but you can read a lot into his comments. Catch it here.

More time out.

Well, it appears I now have bronchitis to go with the tinnitus. So, I'll be spending all day tomorrow on the sofa trying to catch up on some live and CD reviews for the I94 Bar (apologies to the Sacred Cowboys, Cold Harbour, X, the Killer Birds, the Kamikaze Trio and many others for the delay) and trying not to smoke too much, before fullfilling my annual obligations to the shareholders of Lindt and Cadbury.

I guess this means I'll miss the Scientists show at the Espy on Sunday...fuck.


Hopefully I can get caught up and back on my feet for the Double Agents album launch at the Spanish Club on the 20th.
Thanks to Patrick Emery for the use of his Scientists piece