Southern Culture on the Skids - Come And Get It (Before It Done Gets Cold) Giant Claw 7" GCS-007.

A great release on Australia's Giant Claw records. Southern Culture On The Skids were and are one of those bands who I have be in just the right mood to listen to. When the mood is right they work for me. When it's not they sound 'gimmicky'. Which I know is wrong, but hey, I'm only human. As far as I can recall, this is the only 7" by them that I have left. I even, stupidly, sold the Los Falanas singles they produced in collaboration with Bassholes' Don Howland. I do still have the Peckin' Party 10" and the Telstar-released vinyl version of their Dirt Track Date LP which dates from that odd period when some major label stuff was farmed out to indies for vinyl release. I know it happened with SCOTS and Helmet, I have a suspicion it may have happened also with The Muffs. Anyhow, Southern Culture On The Skids and their shit-kicking sound. Enjoy.

Southern Culture on the Skids - Come And Get It (Before It Done Gets Cold) Giant Claw 7" GCS-007.

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The Go-Betweens - Hammer The Hammer - Rough Trade Records 7". RT 108.

The sleeve for this one is hardly going to keep the World's greatest graphic designers awake at night. Well done, Rough Trade. Flip side By Chance is from The Go-Betweens second, and greatest, LP, Before Hollywood. This was the A-Side's debut appearance. It has since appeared on a number of compilation releases. The Go-Betweens are a band whose lack of wider success is a mystery for many, but this release is from their earlier, less compromising, post  new wave period. The production budgets were smaller and the sound was more thud and crash than the smoother pop sound which was introduced on their next LP, their major label debut, Spring Hill Fair. All periods of The Go-Betweens, have their merits, though. More from them soon. Enjoy.

The Go-Betweens - Hammer The Hammer - Rough Trade Records 7". RT 108.

Australia pop post-punk postcard Rough Trade The Go-Betweens

The Dirty Lovers - Teenage Love Bomb! / All I Want. In The Red Records 7". ITR006. VBR 240.

I bought one of those cheap and nasty MP3 turntables recently with the express intention of creating digital files of those records which I had in my collection and wanted to hear at work, but didn't have on crappy CD or couldn't download.  This record was one of the ones at the top of my pile. It's superb. I prefer the b-side, All I Want, myself, hence the name of this blog, but let's be honest I'm splitting hairs. The band's entire available recorded output appears to total just seven tracks; the two on this single, 'Shanty Tramp', 'One To Blame' and 'Loudmouth!' (surely a Ramones cover) alongside 'All I Want' on a Dog Meat single, a cover of The Sonics' Boss Hoss on a split single on obscure Australian indie Destroyer Records (which also featured Bored!, Seminal Rats and The Poppin Mamas and was successful enough to be reissued on Dog Meat), and a track called 'That Was Then, This Is Now' on a Destroyer Records compilation of Geelong bands so obscure even the usually reliable Grunnen Rocks website throws its arms up in defeat.

Unfortunately, the reason for the lack of triple LPs and spin-off solo projects is the band were involved in a serious road accident on the way to/back from a gig/recording session (all have been mentioned over the years) and drummer Sash and vocalist Shane were killed. I'd hope the surviving members (it's clear the band did not carry on) would take some comfort from the terrific reception their material has picked up in the meantime, and that Nozza (slop guitar), Gary (bass) and Arch (rockin' rhythm guitar) know they transcend Geelong.

Stop Press. Just found this on You Tube.

Teenage Love Bomb

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