Dominic Shanahan, best known as the charismatic lead singer of The Fighting League, has launched his solo side project/alter ego Dominic Death. Foregoing the bells and whistles of a full band, Dominic Death creates introspective ballads that come across as a kind of folk-punk somewhere between Billy Bragg and Elvis Costello. “River of Gold” proves that Dominic can howl with the best of them.

Dominic Death – River of Gold

• Release Date: 2010
• Label: Self Released
• Genre: Punk, Folk, Melodramatic Pop

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TV Colours, previously known to some as Basketball Cards, is currently prepping his debut 7″ to come out on Dream Damage Records in the coming months. The Kids Are All Grown Up is the only track we have been able to get our hands on so far and it is easily the best thing we have heard all year. Peaked guitars and an overdriven drum machine back Bobby Kill’s depressing and nostalgic lyrics. Look out for big things from TV Colours this year.

TV Colours – The Kids Are All Grown Up

• Release Date: 2010
• Label: Dream Damage Records
• Genre: Punk, Punk, Punk

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Brisbane’s Kitchen’s Floor are currently out on an East Coast tour this month to promote their new self titled 7″ put out by R.I.P Society (hot shit). Fronted by Matt Kennedy, Kitchen’s Floor write pop songs wallowing in raw anxiety and heavy distortion. It’s a dank and dark trip. This EP was recorded back when the band was an acoustic two piece. These days they play with Glen from Marl Carx, another sweet Brisbane band. You can get both the 7″ and album, Loneliness is a Dirty Mattress, from R.I.P. Society Records.

Kitchen’s Floor – Kitchen’s Floor EP

• Release Date: 2008
• Label: Self Released
• Genre: Garage, Rock, Folk

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For the last 3 years Gangbusters, held at Bar 32, has been the most consistent and entertaining band night in Canberra, showcasing locals like Kasha and Assassins 88 and interstate acts from M.O.T.O (US) to The Witch Hats (Melb). March 10th Gangbusters returns for one of the more exciting lineups. The Fighting League make their long awaited live return after hiatus, supported by Beat Hotel and Super Best Friends. In celebration we chatted with the man behind it all, Warwick Smith, to discuss Canberra, Birds Love Fighting and Gangbusters.

How did Birds Love Fighting start?
Radge, if any of you remember him, ran a night called Manshandies. He asked me to help out on a show for Alps of NSW, then he moved to Sydney and I kept the dream alive and ran the show. It went so well and I saw the bright look in everyones eyes that this could happen again. And it has since, over and over.

Where does the name come from?
Prove me wrong. Look outside man. They are everywhere … waiting.

What has been your involvement in Canberra music and how long have you been around?
Ok, well my involvement in the Canberra music scene has been varied and hard to fit into a concise answer but I’ll try. I began in Horse Macgyver with Tim Dwyer, Brad Huvel, Simon Long and Leon Twardy. I had no idea what I was doing playing some noise guitar and was pretty naive, I fell under Tim’s spell and drank a lot of gin. A world of promises and excess. I then was part of supergroup, Mankilled, who explored the darker side of progressive doom, psych, space, rock and metal. Things kind of got blurry from that point. I was a member of other bands The Gashes, The Cherry Marines and You Hang Up; No You Hang Up and have played a few shows with Jonny Telafone lending him my guitar. My current projects are Cat Cat and JW Sparrow & the Miner Birds. I have a PA which I lend out to house shows and other gigs when I can, do a bit of mixing. Under the label I established Gangbusters at Bar 32, put on gigs at The Front, sometimes at The Phoenix, got kicked out of Transit (surprise?) and help out the ladies at I Trip I Skip with Grass Stains shows. Now I hope to further expand a little into releasing more Canberra gold.

What is your favorite show you have put on?
That Batrider show at Toast was pretty good, not many faithfuls came, it was double booked with some shit band at Transit Bar and everyone fucked up by going there instead.

What is your favorite show that you have played?
Mankilled played a show at the Jamieson Inn once, we were down a member, but it was really fun.

What is your favorite music venue in Canberra, past/present?
Awkward Bar. What happened? Best name ever.

Has Canberra music changed since you first started, for better or worse?
Yes it has changed. Better for some, worse for others.

What can people expect from Gangbusters in 2010?
You can expect more unheard music, like this music blog I hope to reveal more about Canberra. Last year we put on a lot of bands more than once and got things a little more established. This year it’s about opening minds again and experimenting.

Are there any plans for expanding outside of Gangbusters and the occasional front show? as in new venues or new nights?
I keep hearing about new venues, some are real, some aren’t … but after Thee Oh Sees show I would be very happy to do more shows at The Phoenix. If anyone has any ideas I’d love to hear them.

Gangbusters used to be fortnightly, why the change?
It also used to be weekly, it was over saturation and people stopped coming and the bands were strangely running thin.

Any new releases planned?
We have penned down From The South, Cat Cat, The Fighting League and JW Sparrow and the Miner Birds.

Is there anything planned for Cat Cat or J.W. Sparrow in the future?
New releases for both, and I’d love to organise some shows out of Canberra for Cat Cat.

Is it hard putting on shows in Canberra?
It’s easy to book one, but it can be tricky to organise it. It can be stressful, and people can disappoint you. But once you’ve been doing it for a while you come to expect certain situations and start to relax. I’ve been doing Gangbusters for three years almost and I’ve only just relaxed. I can predict when someone is going to call me freaking out that they don’t have a sound guy or a PA, it’s a gift.

The Fighting League are headlining the next Gangbusters, what can people expect? what is the progress of their album coming out on BLF?
The guys have recorded and are now in the progress of mixing, it’s hard not to say that this is the most anticipated release in Canberra’s history. People can expect that Dom will take his shirt off and give commands into the microphone, they are noisy, tight and a good party band. If you haven’t seen The Fighting League then you’re probably not reading this blog, but if you aren’t reading this blog then you should definitely come and see them.

Gangbusters is held on the first Wednesday of the month at Bar 32. $5 entry 18+ only

Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys were hoping to come through Canberra and play a show tonight but it was unfortunately cancelled. Total bummer so we decided to do the next best thing and stream a track off their new 7 inch Best Band in Sydney/Worst Band in Sydney. It is officially out Feb 25 along with the Kitchen’s Floor 7” and Royal Headache 7” through R.I.P. Society, easily Sydney’s best label. “Think indie rock before indie rock meant you were a sweater wearing nerd (aka Replacements, Meat Puppets) with a heavy dose of suburban punk, overdriven guitars and a rowdy Australia quality about it.” (R.I.P MySpace) The track here is “Waste of Time” and its a great angsty and thrashy number. Hopefully we can catch these guys on their next trip.

Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys – Best Band in Sydney/Worst Band in Sydney

• Release Date: 2010
• Label: R.I.P. Society
• Genre: Punk, Garage, Rock

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Order from R.I.P Society Records

Jonny Telafone has a new EP out. The Rainbow Genesis is a mix of kraut instrumentals with quasi Prince sex joints. I’m so lazy these days so I decided to ask some questions to the man/myth/legend Jonathan Black.

Where did the name Jonny Telafone come from?
The name comes from my first band The Telafones.

How young were you when you first started playing music?
Got a bass when I was 12. Started recording Telafones songs when I was like 15.

A lot of your lyrics are about satan, hell and the occult, does this come from your religious background?
Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge cause they wanted to be like god and I’m really glad they did.

What is a lonely masturbator? How do you join?
A lonely masturbator is basically someone who didn’t lose their virginity till after their teenage years. It’s anyone who looked in the mirror, squeezed some pimples and said to their reflection, “today’s the day I’m gonna get with that girl.” But of course you never did cause she picked you correctly as a sexual pervert.

You used to play in Golden Buoy and Archeopteryx, what ever happened to them? What did play in them?
My role was writing dumb bass lines and not turning up to band practice. Those bands totally ruled hard though and if we still played I have no doubt we’d be so super rich by now.

Do you prefer playing a band or doing the solo thing?
I like playing in a band but playing solo you’re not letting anyone down but yourself.

How do you approach playing live as oppose to bedroom recording?
Playing live is unforgiving although it does provide a useful platform for some hate speech.

Your last live show ended in bit of a melt down, what happened and why have you decided to abandon the live set?
I was out of my mind for various reasons. My parents were there and I was on a bad trip and I totally lost my shit…thankfully I can’t remember most of it. But no I haven’t abandoned playing live at all. Actually got a show in Sydney coming up soon.

You came to Canberra for uni from Newcastle, how was that?
Terrible

Why did you move to Melbourne? How are you finding it there?
Not sure why I came here but it was an interesting mistake. There’s a very strict consumer fascist culture in Melbourne. Maybe it’s the same in any big city these days. Great buskers though. Yesterday I saw a tap-dance beatbox combo performed by some of the ugliest Asians I have ever seen. I think they were Thai.

You have a tape coming out soon, can you tell us a bit about Wherever the Wind Blows?
It’s a collection of heartbroken acoustic ballads about un-requited love, mental illness and werewolves.

The Rainbow Genesis is now available for download along with a brand new video for Stardate 2012.1221. Wherever the Wind Blows will be out this month when I get some money.

Jonny Telafone – Rainbow Genesis EP

• Release Date: 2010
• Label: Self Released
• Genre: Synth Drone, Alternative, Pop

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Local photographer Stella-Rae is launching her new zine We Are Not Obscene tomorrow night. She’s been working like crazy to get this together, I saw a bit of it a few weeks ago and it definitely looks the shit. This party is going to be huge!!!

Its at Bar 32. ASSASSINS 88, KILLING BIRDS and BEAT HOTEL will be playing. And NOTE: Stella will be selling the zine up stairs so bring $6 and buy your self a copy to take home and have some well earned “private time”. Its Free entry and I’m pretty sure cheap drinks which is killer!

Danger Beach is the side project of Assassins 88s L.A Thomas. A self confessed doo wop addict, he’s stripped back all of the the punk to write and record pop songs. He’s recently finished two new songs with Dominic Death and Jonny Telafone which should turn up somewhere soon. We asked him a few questions about the project.

What do you think separates Danger Beach to what you do with Assassins?
Assassins is aggressive and punk. There is no room to chill out and I wouldn’t want it to be like that. Danger Beach is like an experiment to make music that is in no way punk. It is music that I would want my girlfriend to listen to.

Do you think you can play this live?
I can play this live but I don’t know if I want to and I don’t think there is an audience for it. Shows are rare enough as is.

What are your main influences?
John Frusciante is the reason I like to play music. There is a youtube clip of him playing untitled 11 off Niandra LaDes in a drug den with his teeth rotting out. That is so fucked but so great. I’m pretty shallow with music so I usually gravitate towards singles.

How would you describe your sound?
Its definitely a throwback to old pop. I have a song I am doing with Jonny Telafone that has an Elvis in Hawaii quality. It’s delicate, jangly and pretty music. It sounds like I can’t play guitar properly or I was pissed when I recorded but it is intentional.

Do you think that the internet will be your main outlet for distribution or are you planning to release physically?
I have no plans for anything. If someone wants to share it that makes me happy but I don’t want to push it on anyone. Basically I am lazy.

Download other Danger Beach tracks HERE

Danger Beach – Milky Way

• Release Date: 2009
• Label: Dream Damage
• Genre: Pop, Instrumental, Tropical

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