Mongo Fight

Lymes aren't particularly new to the punk scene around Vic, but they've still managed to fly under the scanner a little bit. Maybe because they're from Ballarat but don't hold that against them. You might have seen them play under the name  Lime Lagoons  or even  LLGoons , considering they've played with some great bands ( Ausmuteants ,  NOTS ,  Terry ,  The Living Eyes ). These guys have just put out a 5 track tape and it just fucking rips. Taking cues from  Coneheads ,  Uranium Club  and  Liquids  who are all killing it in the US right now. Honestly this isn't even really a review, I just think anyone who reads this should be listening to these guys.  But if you must have a few words, try these: It's pure bliss hearing the bass roll in at the beginning of  Breaking is a Memory , it kicks off a fairly non-stop 10 minutes of slamming drums & slicing guitars. The production on this is great, it's cleaner than the aforementioned  Liquids

The best rock music in the world is coming out of Melbourne right now, the city has had a stronghold on the genre ever since Eddy Current tore through around 10 years ago. International taste-makers have been skimming the top of Melbourne's punk scene for the next band to share on their blogs and for their community radio show playlists. The beauty of the scene in Melbourne is that it runs MUCH deeper than that. There are great bands doing great things everywhere. Take  CIVIC  for example, comprised of members from a multitude of excellent bands, they are on plenty of radars around the world right now and for good reason I should add. New Vietnam  is a flagpole planted defiantly in the dirt by  Civic . They are here and there's no chance of stopping them anytime soon. The record's opener, Nuclear Son, hits hard and it hits fast. The bone crunching drum work is un-relenting in the greatest way. The EP is ablaze with huge riff-age and Jim McCullough's ( Leather Licke

I'm tellin' you, there's just something so wholesome about Parsnip!  It's in the handclaps, the group vocals & the wobbly guitars; and it just makes this 7' so much fun to listen to! It's a strong first release from a band that have spent the last 12-18 months gigging around consistently, earning themselves spots on bigger and bigger lineups. The group are booked to play on the main Gizzfest lineup, touring across the country in the coming month. If you've had the chance to see this four piece playing around town - and you've had plenty, it's not my fault you missed out - you'll probably know most of the songs on this record. It's just so nice to finally hear them recorded!  The fun starts with "Health", and this is such a boppy tune. You've got the drums and guitar propelling each other forward perfectly, making it hard not to nod your head. Boasting probably the most memorable melody on the EP, this would

Sharp and lo-fi like those that came before them,  Phaedo  have birthed an EP that is tough, rough and lively. Osmosis stops just short of 30 minutes in length which is pretty long considering it's comprised of 7 tracks, but time doesn't work against the Geelong 5-piece psych rock kids. The songs are feisty but the band manage to hold the aggressive song-writing back to give the songs a natural cadence where necessary.  Kicking off proceedings,  Morals  garners all of the band's intensity and channels it straight into your breadbasket.  Behind You  offers little reprieve, incorporating a really dancey riff - you know what I mean if you've heard it. That riff just dances over top of the rhythm to give you some groove and some passion. Most good songs are made of either groove or passion - definitely a step in the correct direction. It's quite a  refreshing track due to the effervescence of that riff.  Pathway to Virtue  is a pretty Geelong sounding track,

Pete, Mack, Rhys and Dan comprise new Melbourne group, Guffman. It really didn't take long for the lads to drop a full length release at all, lighting it up with 15 tracks packed with both absurd lyrical flair and ridiculously catchy hooks. Clocking in at around 28 minutes,  Harold Holt Swim Centre  is fun,  fuzzy and pretty fuckin' loveable. The album hits it's stride from the get-go with tracks  George  and  Alleyway Hunta,  both of which   display their ability to pair solid songwriting with playful lyrics (" I've been thinking I should write that new bible - father, son, holy mackerel" ) Further down the tracklist tracks like  Garbageman ,  Team Effort  and  Cash Only  fly the flag high for Guffman. The album more than compensates for the lack of production value with a huge amount of catchy riffs, seriously, pretty much every song is incredibly infectious and has such a sense of fun about it. Essential Listening: George ,  Team Effort ,  Guffma