What’s the Rockbrat Listening To Today? XYZ – XYZ (1989)

Bands like XYZ were dime a dozen back in the late 80s. XYZ were not a BAD band, they just weren’t great. They were garden variety heavy metal, non descript, run of the mill. Original tunes that lacked the crucial originality to make them memorable, to stand out from the pack. Back then, heavy metal [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? Sour Jazz: Homage To Catatonia

 In the world of rock n roll there are some outfits who’ve existed who have ‘that’ sound. Let me explain…….it is a solid wall of sound which hits you when you hear them or see them live. The Beasts of Bourbon had it; the New Christs did too, Spencer Jones (obviously) had it, Deniz Tek had an abundance of [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? John Lennon/Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy

Today it is 31 years since a cowardly, chubby little troll robbed the world of one of the greatest songwriters ever – and one of my rock n roll heroes. I hate the word ‘anniversary’ which people often use to remember this day. Anniversaries are usually filled with fondness and good thoughts and that was [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? NEW TOYS – MADE IN BUFFALO CD (2011)

For the uninitiated, a short history lesson. New Toys were the premier melodic punk band from upstate New York in the late 70’s – from Buffalo to be precise. Heavily influenced by the burgeoning NYC punk scene, both in look and sound, the New Toys gigged for three years throughout Western NY and Southern Canada, [...]

What’s the Rockbrat Listening To Today – ELECTRIC SUN : Earthquake (1979)

Uli Jon Roth was a pioneer of the ‘neo-classical metal’ genre, yet many would be aware of him through his work with the Scorpions in the early 70’s. He released four albums with the Scorps before leaving in 1978 to pursue a solo career and a different style. He formed his own band named Electric [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? Kiss – Live at the Gaumont, Ipswich UK 1984

Here is a record which brings back some memories. Purchased back in the day at one of Sydney’s inner city record stores (hint – near Big Al’s) it cost me most of my pay packet. As I was a blinkered Kiss devotee it made no difference. Who needs food or rent money when you have [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? Divinyls – Temperamental

Back in 1988, this casette tape got serious rotation in the Rockbratmobile. The Divinyls were world class – a band who wrote and recorded some amazing rock n roll songs. They  remain one of my favorite ever live acts and it is an unjustice that they never tasted greater success. Sure they had a worldwide [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Been Listening To Today: Picture – Diamond Dreamer (1982)

Picture are a way underrated metal band. They released a bunch of albums in the career – but they never surpassed this one. Picture is a Dutch heavy metal band and are noted for being the first band in the country to play heavy metal. (Before Vandenberg?) In the early 80’s (and with Diamond Dreamer [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today? ANTHEM (The Band) – Cuttin’ Thru LP (Canada 1981)

I must confess to having a penchant for digging up old and obscure rock/metal albums from bands that are long forgotten. Today I’ve been listening to a Canadian band from 1981 called Anthem (not to be confused by the premier Japanese metal band of the same name). Apparently these guys were a great live outfit, [...]

What’s The Rockbrat Listening To Today ? EASY ACTION – Easy Action LP (1983)

This week I’ve been listening to one album only – and that is Easy Action’s self titled effort from 1983. Easy Action were a Swedish glam hard rock band that formed in 1982 that were not to dissimilar to both Hanoi Rocks or the Hollywood Brats – but to be fair, both those bands had [...]