Modern Australian Underground •

Radio show - 2021 Happy New year!

Episode Transcript

Hey! Happy new year! Ok, maybe that’s coming in a little late, but I haven’t dropped a new episode since last year!! That’s right, this is the only time of year I can use these jokes, and for some reason, the time of year all my friends just don’t invite me to their parties anymore - more so than usual!


You’re listening to Modern Australian Underground, I am your host, Christina Pap, and today on the show, I am playing you a bunch of songs - how easy is that! I wanted to theme it in some sort of 2020 wrap up but it’s all too much to pick my favourite releases, and then from that, pick my favourite song too.

If you have a recommendation of music though, something you’d like to hear on the show, or even an event, new release in line with the Modern Australian Underground, hit me at Litmus.media. And not just in Melbourne, keep me up to date with everything that’s happening from all around Australia.

So let’s kick off this year with the blind ignorance we had about pandemics this time last year, and enjoy sabotaging our new years resolutions while listening to some tunes.


I first heard Metdog when they put a song on the “A Long Time Alone” #2 compilation cassette, released October 2020 out of Melbourne. Following that, Metdog released a cassette called “Metdog Blues” just before Christmas, off Angry Dog Records, a DIY label out of Wollongong. It had the A Long Time Alone song on it, as well as a bunch of other tracks. This is “Did you Get my Email?” and you’re listening to Modern Australian Underground.

That song was called “Robbed” by the band Grand Final - not the annual Australian event -  out of Parramatta NSW. These footy fanatics released a cassette earlier in the year last year, titled “Lift The Cup'' and I think that’s their only release to date.

Before that, a song played as a shout out to a cool release that came out last year, Research Reactor Corp from Sydneys debut LP, “The Collected Findings of The Research Reactor Corporation'' with the song “Bizniz World”. Then from Perth, Kitchen People with “Guitar Mag”, and at the top as previously mentioned, Metdog with “Did you get my Email?”

Metdog did a short interview in the most recent issue of “Magnetic Visions” Issue 8, a punk fanzine by Billiam from Disco Junk in Melbourne. If you’re looking for an easy read, whether you’re sitting on the train or sitting on the toilet, I’d recommend picking up a copy. At 38 pages it’s packed full of content, including interviews with Nancy from NY, Powerpop Protiges Romero, Garage legends The Spits and more, with your classic layout of cut, paste and photocopy madness, and reviews up the back for your next record store purchase recommendations. Look up where you can get yourself a copy now, while listening to Panic Room by The Satanic Togas.

Satanic Togas at the top with Panic Room off their X-Ray Visions LP. After that I played the song Malaise by Primative Blast, who have been around for about 6 years now, but I only heard about them recently, when someone came in to buy their new “Animalistic” 7” at Lulu’s, which was released through Last Ride Records. Faceless Burial dropped their “Speciation” LP mid-2020, and the song “Irreparably Corpsed” is off that. Powerhouse of band members, which is Fuj from White Walls, Max from Ubik, Cut Sick, Agents of Abhorrence and Searchers Record Store, and Alex MacFarlance from The Stevens, Hobbies Galore label and more. And then at the end, following the release of their “Perfect Texture” LP back in 2018, Geld dropped their second LP “Beyond The Floor” off Static Shock and Iron Lung Records in 2020, the song you heard was “Trench”

This next set are songs all done as either continuing or one time side projects from members of Civic. You’re listening to Modern Australian Underground.

Civic drummer David Forcier opened the set with the song OGFL. During COVID lockdown last year, Dave had to move back to his home country of Canada so shout out to him. Civic guitarist Lewis Hodgson put out Quick Fix on the A Long Time Alone #2 comp, and so did Dalpura Circuit with the song “In This Town”, who is Dave, the Civic singer Jim and a few other people collaborating on this band which I hope churns out more than just the one song. And at the end, Roland, who also plays in the band Drug Sweat that I talked about on the last episode when I interviewed Rich Stanley and Jake Robertson. The song was “Shotgun”.

There are DIY organisations in the underground community run by people volunteering their time and money, so if you have something spare to give, consider how you can help a place local to you, or if you need a recommendation, consider IRL INFO SHOP!

They’re a collectively run independent community space and info shop located in West Footscray, who you can find out more about on their IRL INFO SHOP socials and website. This isn’t an ad by them, it’s just a shout out from me for all the hard work they do.

In April 2020, ANTI FADE and Upset The Rhythm released “Sogni” which translates to “Dreams” in English from Italian. It’s an LP by Primo!, and this was the single off that album, “Best and Fairest”.

That was The Baby from Sydney with “Go To Ground”. It’s off a “Winter Demo tape” released mid 2019, I saw somewhere that it’s being re-released in some way or another but now I can’t find where I read that so maybe I was making it up. Before that and off Antifade records, the talented and magical Parsnip with “Treacle Toffee World”, which is a cover by the band Fire off a 1968 7” release. Parsnip were supposed to tour Japan last year and had released this 7” to tour on as a label split with Episode Sounds.

Then Permits from Melbourne. This particular song, Negative Heart, I’ve been spinning on repeat although the whole cassette, titled “Time Permits” off Tenth Court, is an awesome release. And opening the set, was Primo! with “Best and Fairest”.

We’re at the last set and I’m spinning it in a bit of a different way, exploring some darker experimental and club music coming out of underground Australia. But first, “Your End” by Eggy.

That was RBI with the song “Titti3z” spelt with a 3 and a z. It’s off a digital compilation called Fluxx. Fluxx are a Naarm (or 'so called' Melbourne) based collective and club night that celebrates and showcases local talent exploring the darker side of club music. There’s around 30 songs ranging from 3-8 minutes on it, so a bunch of cool content for you to check out via the Fluxx bandcamp.

Northstar by “Mousse” is the A-side of a split 7” with Trevor, Trevor being the solo project of James Vinciguerra, drummer of Total Control. Mousse is a solo project by Simon Barry. The split came out last year off electronic label from Frankston, Butter Sessions.

Dorfpunk from Sydney was before that with the song Uppers, and at the top, Eggy with Your End off their recently released “Bravo!” LP playing sounds somewhere between garage, post punk and absurdist sound collage, all leaning towards the more pop end of the weirdo music spectrum.

Coming up on the next episode is another interview, I’m working on a few this week so you’ll have to wait and find out which one ends up on the web first.

I’m keen to check out new stuff and hear about what’s going on around Australia in terms of gigs or releases. So if you have a question or something to say in line with the Modern Australian Underground, you can contact me via Litmus.Media, which is where you can find other episodes of Modern Australian Underground, or where ever you get your podcasts.

Happy New Year!