One Eyed

I spied with my little eye an interestingly monikered mouth organ advertised in Toowoomba 1923 (below right) – the “easy blowing” Cyclop.

Definitely not an Australian brand name mouth organ, but available down under perhaps even prior to The Great War. Dispensed by the Muller brothers of Toowoomba and possibly imported by them from C W Meisel Senior (Schwarzmeisel) of Klingenthal Germany.

Gotta love their trademark. What a rip snorter!

Officer, I'm looking for a man with one eye.
Sure, now, if he's a very small man wouldn't it be better to use both of them?

Y’all Got Your Ears On

Pour me a glass and I’ll roll up some grass

I just wanna say Pour Me A Glass is an impressive psych rock tune from Mid Northern NSW Coast band Vanilla Gorilla on their new album ‘Home’. Take me back to the seventies. A mighty mix of powerful drums, ripper guitar, catchy riff, and harmonica to blow your mind. It takes a clear mind is what it takes, to take it. We reviewed Exhale the pre album release single in January which had a reggae feel, well this is nothing like it except it has the people’s instrument. More inhaling than exhaling. Does Wailing Wylie’s Hammond start up like a motorcycle?

‘Home’ was recorded at the band’s home (thus the title) by Kelton Lee. The album was then mixed by producer Jack Nigro and mastered by Darren Ziesling. Also, check out these cracker tunes off the album without the people’s instrument Treasures and Ashybread.

If you’ve missed the lads ‘Home’ tour there’s still one last chance to catch them at The Gum Ball Festival in the Hunter Valley. Vanilla Gorilla will hit the stage on Friday 25th April.

Skyscraper Stan will be there, he’s doing the special prelude warm up concert on Thursday 24th April. His latest long play is well worth a listen Those Were The Days, my standout is Let Me Be Frank With You.

Somewhere in space and time when I’m looking ahead there’s a road that can change everything. (JOY - Floodlights)

Melbourne band Floodlights have dropped their third album ‘Underneath’ and they have found their mojo (risin’). The addition of Sarah Hellyer has added a whole new dimension to their alt rock vibe. Her trumpet, keys and vocal shine bright. Songwriting duo Louis Parsons and Ashlee Keogh have looked inward (underneath) with tunes that resonate grief, memory, place and hope. Louis’ vocal tensions and timbre merge poetry into song and Ash’s melodic harmonica, a feature of previous releases, is prominent and ambient on JOY, Horses Will Run and Suburbia.

The symphony begins on the opening track Alive (I want to feel) with a brass hook, midway there’s a Nick Cave style Melancholy Cave, the penultimate tune is their striking first single The Light Won’t Shine Forever and the closer, probably my highlight, 5AM where a city awakens, perhaps as the muso’s are arriving home. Superb brush strokes too by producer Dan Luscombe.

Out now on Bandcamp for download or a vinyl copy.

OUT TODAY – On Bandcamp

IT’S ONLY TUESDAY – GOOD WILL REMEDY

We’re only two days in, man it’s only Tuesday……Oh Tuesday you ain’t no friend of mine.

It is only Tuesday, but it’s the fifteenth and that means it’s Dawg Blawg day and appropriately the release of Good Will Remedy’s brand spankin’ new single It’s Only Tuesday. So this Toosday ain’t too bad. Kindly, the band presented yours truly with an early preview for review knowing our date of publication. Tuesday in days gone by (for me) was the preparation of next weekend’s match. These days it’s waking to Peej’s The Imaginary Friends Show – 3MDR (on what he labels as a shemozzle of a radio show) – pure entertainment from where I’m listening. And from then on, it’s only Tuesday. Tiresome Tuesday for many, but Taco Tuesday (& Tequilas) for some.

The Brissie lads never fail to deliver and this Southern Country Fried Rocker does in spades. A fun take on a day of the week that hasn’t much to offer, that will have you toe tappin’ (my only form of dancing) and singing along. Exceptional lead and rhythm guitar shine bright on the tune before there’s a brief respite late in proceedings where we take a deep breath with a neat little ritardando. The song is the first drop from their soon to be released seventh album recorded by Jeff Lovejoy at Black Box Studio. A tried and true formula.

Head over to Bandcamp to stream or download and the amazing Nindigully Pub to hear live on the 26th.

Where to begin was quickly resolved, at the ‘begin’ as Dan O’Sullivan (Tomcat Playground/Frank Sultana) a fabulous harp player was first cab off the rank. Andy Cowan, ivory tickler was next in line so that was devoured feverishly having been a fan of Madder Lake back in the day. Dorothy ‘DJ’ Gosper Canberrian harpist was further in, so I skipped a few and, before you knew it, I had read ten! Had a peek at Doc White’s to see if good friend of HRR Steve Williams rated a mention. He did! Although I have to make a correction Doc – Steve played harmonica with Chad Morgan not guitar. Steve informs me that Chad called him ‘Gobbo’ derived from a colloquial term for the harmonica, ‘Gob Iron’. Not sure which is worse this or John Farnham’s nickname for Steve, ‘Rusty Buns’. Also you should do yourself a service and check out these tunes with Steve, Doc & Tobasco Tom – Baby Please Don’t Go and St. James Infirmary.

Evan Whetter and Erica Graf from Lazy Eye (also good friends of HRR) were a must read. Better throw Ev into the harp players mix to those listed in last month’s blog, even though he’s predominantly a fabulous Hammond exponent. He can huff and puff amongst the best of us. Hear here Black Hill.

I’m still recovering (a Bex and a lie down) from Sugarcane Collin’s definition of the Blues (you’ll have to buy the book). As per the previous volumes this edition is akin to the music it’s based on, a rough and tumble, warts and all life’s journey of Australian musicians (guitarists, drummers, harpists, vocalists, bassists and keyboardists) feeling the blues. Oh! There’s a chapter on a regular visitor to our shores as well, the living legend Charlie Musselwhite.

Head to Pauline Bailey’s store to have yourself a copy.

Why Is It So?

Last month Chris Stockley outlined how he’d penned the music for Boy On The Run and Brod Smith the lyrics. In my travels I was a little bemused to find that both Boy on The Run and The Dingoes first single Way Out West both peaked at number 30 on our local Melbourne 3XY (Three Eggs Why) radio Top 40 charts. Not because I thought it was inferior as both were worthy of higher honours. I’ve mentioned previously my thoughts on charts and what makes a great tune back in a previous post Old Dogs Never Die. And it ain’t chart position. Smooth Sailing their third single didn’t even chart and it was released twice, three years apart! What the!

Why then? I hear you ask. Simply due to the fact that Way Out West landed itself in the National charts (Boy On The Run didn’t). Way Out West entered the National (Go Set) charts at twenty nine on Australia Day 1974. It climbed to twenty six the following week before exiting the next. Strangely enough the song had plateaued on the 7th December the previous year on the Melbourne charts exiting by mid January of 1974. Chris Stockley from The Dingoes was just as perplexed telling HRR, “I had no idea about all that. All I can remember is that we were very disappointed with the lack of airplay (especially NSW). Then the album went on to win album of the year! Go figure!”

As Professor Sumner Miller would query Why Is It So?

Amplify

Last month’s review missed this by that much 🤏. Would you believe. Sorry about that Chief. Reckon there’s harp at the back end of Amplify the opening track off Mickelson’s long play, ‘If You Can’t Be Right, Be Loud’. And loving it. The album title is a reference from the tune. It’s a shot at Trump and his minions. If you lie long and loud enough then, in Scott Mickelson’s words, “the cult will believe it”.

Lachlan son says “Mickelson has some tunes”.

Bazza

I've seen faces in the window
I've seen faces in the street
They walk and talk of nothing
I've known many restless summers
The sand dunes I imagine
A place without a postcard
(Brave Faces - Midnight Oil)

Pretty sure this photo is harmonica, comedic legend and face puller Barry Sandford. I fired off an email to comedian and friend of Barry’s Alan Glover to confirm if it was Bazza – he came back in the affirmative. “G’day Shep. That’s Barry alright, pulling one of his many attractive faces! Thanks for the memories.”

The Oil’s third album ‘Place Without A Postcard’ dropped in 1981 and one track has a wee bit of harp from lead singer Peter Garrett (it’s not too flash though) on Written In The Heart.

For more on Barry head to Mr. Versatility.

A Belated Epitaph

In the Great Mining Disaster of 1937 a pit pony was killed alongside thirteen men at the Wonthaggi State Coal Mine. It has been a bugbear of mine that the pony’s name isn’t acknowledged on any of the town’s historical markers. My efforts previously had been to no avail, but there’s hope on the horizon as the local historical society will be discussing it at their meeting next month.

The Pit Pony, Little Jackie, was identified in several newspaper articles from the time. Sadly in the 59 years of the Wonthaggi State Coal mines operation 86 men and 442 ponies lost their lives. This posting doesn’t have too much to do with the mouth harp, but many of the miner’s were a dab hand at playing.

Head to Wonthaggi Warblers to read about them and more on the 1937 mining disaster.

Please check home page for copyright details