The Formative Years - Sick Of It All 

In the 1990s, any band that was able to lay claim on being remotely associated with the state of New York was more than warmly welcomed with open arms in Germany, thanks to ZAP magazine and its efforts in relentlessly championing bands from New York.

I quite liked SOIA’s self-titled 7” on Revelation Records as well as their debut album Blood, Sweat and No Tears on Relativity Records and was quite excited to be able to hitch a ride to see them live in 1991. The show was a lot of fun and I made sure to check in on them whenever I could as they evolved, became more successful and an accomplished tour de force in the realm of live shows. 

Case in point, Sick Of It All’s live incarnation at Rheinkultur 1994, which to this day remains one of my funnest concert experiences: After playing a set at another big European festival in the Netherlands, SOIA ran from the stage, jumped on their bus, drove to Bonn, ran straight to the stage and burst straight into belting out songs, most of which had appeared on their 1992 album Just Look Around.

Capturing the band between their Revelation Records / In-Effect Records days and the signing of their first major label deal, Just Look Around remains a timeless masterpiece that has withstood the test of time with not merely its well composed, compact songs, but also the polished production which nuancefully accentuates SOIA idiosyncratic aggressiveness, with drummer Armand Majidi providing the foundation, thereby elevating SOIA’s song-writing into new spheres. 

Having evolved and determined to not merely release a Blood, Sweat And No Tears part 2, Just Look Around had it all – the underlying raw simplicity the clobberin’ Alleyway Crew sound became known for, more thought-through, energetic song-writing chops infused with catchy guitar harmonics, a myriad of beautifully drily composed, varied breakdowns and the singing style shifting quite a few notches towards screaming.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Philter + Akasha Projects

As a beer lover there are few things as tempting as meandering through Marrickville on your way to a gym session, trying to avoid the allure of the myriad of craft beer breweries en route, most of which we have already covered as part of this series.

Philter and its former yoghurt factory brewpub HQ is a prominent etablissement on my daily journey an one that has been on my radar for the longest time, not only ever since I tasted their immensely quaffable XPA in 2018 and learned about the feat that with Samara Füss, they had installed one of the most experienced head brewers that terra australis has to offer at the helm of fine-tuning the nuances of their brews, but since their brewpub and overall decidingly stripped back, retro-style aesthetic is one dedicated nod to Australiana from the 1980s.

Needless to say, when I learned about Philter giving birth to limited IIPA and Double Red Ale releases to complement the line-up of their accolade decorated unfiltered sessionable emissions and living up to their tagline “Seductively Beer”, I could have not been more taken with what materlized on my palate.

Truth be told, I find red IPAs an acquired taste and for every devilishly delicious discovery, I come across a handful feeble attempts of trying to perfection the balancing of bitter-, malty-and hoppiness. 

Enter Philter’s Double Red Ale.

Rusty in colour and clocking in at a solid ABV of 8%, upon pouring one is charmingly overwhelmed by an avalanche of a powerfully aromatic melange comprised of zesty and passionfruity highlights, which dance on a solid foundation of resinous pine and biscuity malt flavours, culminating in an artfully calibrated distinct bitterness.

Given the aforementioned experience, I could not wait to try Philter’s IIPA.
Where the Double Red Ale trumps with a heavy riffing on bitterness, the IIPA sits comfortably in the sweet end of the citrussy hop spectrum, informed by the quadriga of Mosaic, Citra, Sabro and Idaho 7, the bitey flavour of which are further accentuated by syrupy malt notes. 

In essence, this babyh encapsulates everything I love about a well-crafted IIPA – bold, heavy on the resinous components yet balanced enough to let shine through more subtle bitter and tropic notes.
With an ABV of 7.7%, it lends itself as a borderline perfect accompaniment to a dram of cask strength Islay whisky.

There are Australian craft beer breweries and then there is…Akasha.

If you follow this series, it would not have gone unnoticed through our previous laudations of Akasha Brewing that we harbour a weak spot for the Five Dock based brewers and the way in which they channel their alchemy in crafting Pavlovian reaction evoking hoppy emissions.

I do love Akasha Projects, which is the arm of their operation that complements the core range with more experimental beer, most of which expertly dial things up to eleven in the respective realm and every year around Easter, I am holding my breath for both Akasha dusting off their signature beers as well as creating new bold expressions.

Akasha’s Wooden Leg IIIPA is exactly what the name would have you think – an over-the-top wonderful tour de force in hoppyness. Essentially, it is an homage to a wooden chunk that holds up Akasha’s old cold liquor / water tank and a nod to the spirit of ingenuity that possessed to their head brewer and his willingness to experiment.
If you look up an accomplished IIIPA in the dictionary, chances are that there will be a photo of Wooden Leg to illustrate a great example of how the best of the triumvirate of Centennial, Amarillo and Simcoe hops is combined to result in an expertly balanced fruity manna with piney highlight that rests comfortably against a backdrop of solid bitterness. Yum x 3.

Another revamped Akasha Project Number that got the 2022 treatment is the Triple Fire Amber Ale, which is again a telling name. Amber in appearance, Centennial and Cascade hops for the foundation for what flavour-wise lands solidly in pronounced malty and biscuity territory. Clocking in at 10.5% ABV, the Triple Fire is dangerously moreish with its caramel character that is further nuanced by citrussy highlights. Another winner that craft beer aficionados are bound to lap up.

Akasha Project’s most curious release however is a Sour, an Imperial Berry one to be precise: I dig a good Sour but more often than not, which it would pack a bit more of a punch, which is exactly what this expression does. With a tartness and acidity that is exquisitely calibrated based on vanilla, lactose and oat notes and counterpointed by a berry informed sweetness, this is an exercise par excellence in a lively sour that proves to be a perfect companion for a dram of Ardbeg 10. 

Word around the campfire has that all three aforementioned expressions, especially the Imperial Berry Sour, are very limited in nature so do not blink and get on it.

What Maketh A Great Barber(hood)?

There is something to be said when SPB’s  Editor-In-Chief breaks his own iron rules and reaches out to you to discuss something non-music related. Based on a previous grooming related article and after the demise of his electric razor, Loren enquired about my take on foil versus rotary designs shavers, which not only spawned a conversation about grooming techniques but was also one of the questions I had on-board when I visited one of the finer establishments Sydney has to offer in the realm of the craft of barbering, i.e. The Barberhood.

Now, a question I am still being asked quite often is why I do not just go to the next best tolerable hairdresser salon instead of seeking out the service of a barber. 

Question is -  are you typically unsatisfied with your haircuts? 

It is entirely possible that you could go to get your hair cut at one of the generalist  cookie cutter places that have “clips” or “cuts” in their names, picture in hand, knowing what clipper sizes you want, and you could still walk out with a haircut that you do not love.

Point is that sometimes you want someone who is not merely “not bad” at a plethora of haircuts but a specialist who accomplishes select styles and that is the crux where barbers with their in-depth knowledge and their ability to include some really useful personalised hair advice come in.

Not unlike other metropolises, there is no shortage of new barbers mushrooming in Sydney and Melbourne, however, finding one that scratches the surface and puts time over substance and quantity over quality while being trustworthy and able to offer an enjoyable environment is no mean feat.

As the reputation precedes, the all-in-one grooming hotspot for Sydney gents known as The Barberhood had been on my radar for the longest time and I was intrigued to experience how they would combine traditional techniques with a sense of belonging to create the authentic ambience to relax and unwind in a vintage atmosphere, which is essentially worlds apart from the arid environment of most salons.

Since I had just returned from overseas the night before and not seen the inside of a hairdresser for months, I opted for a makeover for my whole gulliver, as Alex from Clockwork Orange would refer to it, i.e. a haircut with a classic straight razor clean up on the side and back of the neck, a haircut, culminating with the hallmark of any great barbershop, i.e. scented hot towel along with a cut throat razor shave and beard and moustache trimming and styling.

Entering The Barberhood proved an experience akin to what one would imagine to be the backdrop for an early twentieth century period piece with its deep walnut timber panelling, plush leather seating, retro subway tiles and the staff sharply dressed in suits, ties and aprons, the latter of which not only extended a royal welcome but take their time to get to know you so the style of your treatment can be tailored to meet your idiosyncratic needs.

The Barberhood was incepted seven years ago, with the female owner making a name for herself from the get go in this male dominated industry by calibrating her foci around strong core values and positioning in a bid to not just create a place, but a brotherhood where male grooming and lifestyle requirements can be taken care of. 

Asking about her values that inform the DNA of The Barberhood, founder Renée Baltov reparteed that they are firmly centred around being bold, distinct, sophisticated but not arrogant, welcoming and not alienating by not being exclusionary, i.e. too urban, offensive, cheap or clinical.  Quite a handful, but what I experienced aligned quite well with what she set out to achieve.

Renée’s vision materializes not merely through the curated products The Barberhood stocks, but also through the people they select to employ along with her service standards, which are informed by holistically thought through processes to provide a consistent level of services, putting the customer experience front and centre. The result is a brand that is built on the core values and appreciation for family traditions her mother instilled in her, who has been a hairdresser for five decades. 

What I like about Renée’s approach is that she does see a difference between men and women although acknowledging that it is much harder for women in many areas. She does not let gender thinking come into her day to day thinking unless she is challenged to think about it or comment on it, making dedicated efforts to employ equally and eliminate gender pay gaps. 

The Barberhood’s collaboration with Chivas Regal, resulting in free refreshments are being proffered adds to the appeal and rounds out the experience.

As far as Loren’s query is concerned re: foil versus rotary shavers, The Barberhood luminary illustrated the advantages and disadvantages of both, with implications mainly pertaining to skin irritation, with the verdict being that rotary is the way to go as it does not get too close to your hide: He advised that he finds foil to be working better with straight, thin hair but if you don’t shave daily, rotary are delivering the goods on longer growth.

Audio = Ground Zero

Setting the standard in 2022: LG Tone Free FP9 earbuds

It is 2022 and cords are widely perceived to be a nuisance no matter the reference when it comes to enjoying the emissions of portable audio devices, resulting in earbuds  mushrooming in all forms and shapes.

While I do not necessarily mind cord at home, for exercise and while travelling I prefer earbuds , so attributes like being pocketable, lightweight and the ability to not only actively cancel noises at different ambient  levels  but reproducing musical nuances rank high on my agenda. While the aforementioned tick the boxes of basic features, additional features that not only come in handy for daily use but ones that reinvigorate older gear are more than welcome.

Enter LG’s Tone Free FP9 earbuds.

With a charging case  that offers the capability to become a Bluetooth transmitter making non-wireless devices Bluetooth compatible, e.g. your old radio, turntable, iPod or in-flight entertainment, simply by connecting the included USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack cable into the earbud’s case and plug the 3.5mm end into the headphone jack of the device you want to use as a sound source. The result comes remarkably close to a true Bluetooth connection and proves to be reliably stable.

However, what makes the charging case truly remarkable is the fact that this compact smooth plastic little number has a sanitising UV-C light built in it so when the earbuds are charging, they are bathed with UV that aims to render them bacteria-free.

Size-wise, the LGs Tone Free FP9’s short stem size nestles perfectly in my ears with their medical grade silicone and ear tips aiding to further customize the fit, so they do not pop out even during more strenuous runs.

Via the complementary free Tone Free FP9 feature-packed companion app, the finer nuances of the LG’s robust multi-faceted soundstages and audio profiles, of which the widely open immersive setting is my preferred one, can be tweaked and saved in two settings to further elevate the audio experience via through the customization of EQ levels and other more granular details.

With a solid battery life of ten hours, a fast charge feature and a back-up of an additional twenty-four if using the case for recharging, the new LG Tone Free FP9 earbuds got me seamlessly door to door from terra australis to my German destination and with its
active noise-cancelling, which can easily switched to transparency mode, it made travelling a breeze – especially given the fact that due to the comfortable fit was able to sleep well with them still in my ears.

Mic-wise, there is a tad room for improvement when it comes to background noises, which is only a trivial criticism and a niggle that only stands out because the FP9’s perform so well in every other regard. 

I do dig their smart whisper and text-to-speech voice-alert modes, which offer the opportunity to give your conversations a bid of a stealth dimension – a feature that will hopefully be used on the regular by those prone of making calls on public transport.

Summa summarum, the stable yet comfortable easy-to-pair LG Tone Free FP9 earbuds in their totality are much more than the mere sum of their individual intuitive features might suggest and set the standard for 2022, thereby making them an easy recommendation for anyone who commutes / travels a lot and is concerned with more than mere sound quality.

If you are interested in a set, outline in twenty-five words how you’d put the FP9s functionality to best use and send to [email protected].

In the realm of eyewear, it is interesting to witness a deliberate move away from the use of crude oil and plastic towards using more eco-friendly and sustainable materials, with wood and specifically bamboo being highly renewable resources and ones that lend themselves well not merely because of their versatility when it comes to shaping an designing them, but also in terms of its qualities to enhance looks in the style departments. 

The fact that both source materials have a unique feel to it due to their texture and their distinct patterns paired with being lightweight yet sturdy and thereby comfortable to wear, only adds to the appeal.

What I learned to love about bamboo glasses is the fact that due to the nature of the material they are bound to be handmade starting with the curation of the evergreen perennial flowering plant, via the cutting to the final stage of moulding.

A local company that not only recently delved into the crafting of robust bamboo sunglasses but put emphasis on paying homage to their Australian heritage is Koalaty – who does not like a good ole pun?

Having had its focus set on partnering with conservation organisations to protect local landscapes since its inception in 2019, the team behind Koalaty has channelled their love for the outdoors in the creation of uniquely and meticulously, hand-drawn designed quality shades the production of which enacts a positive impact on the wider world around us.

Given the aforementioned, Koalaty is obviously a telling name and their attention to detail does not merely stop with the polarised sunglasses, but extends to the accompanying durable bamboo cases, travel pouches, etc. thereby making their glasses a fun and stylish accessoire that proves to be particularly suitable for adventurous outdoor activities.

Inspired by a lack of progress in the realm of sunglass design and frustrated by the dominance of lacklustre plastic frames, Vilo Wooden is a family based business that started to venture into using wood as a source material to allow them to underline and substantiate their idiosyncratic designs with the innate warmth of timbered source material.

Taking distinctness and the creation of a sense of individuality to the next level, each model is unique and intentionally crafted in a manner as a one-of-a-kind piece of art that will never be repeated. The fact that a tangible connection to nature comes as part of the package only adds to the appeal.

Vilo Wooden’s sunglasses do not lack an iota of stylishness as they use laminated wood, allowing them to design nimble yet sturdy frames that come with all the trimmings of elegant top-shelf sunglasses, including high clarity lenses made from cellulose plants, sun protection of UV400 filtering and polarised lenses.

I specifically like Vilo Wooden’s classic shade designs – think shapes reminiscent of the unconquered wayfarer frame with accentuated wood highlights, which are not only distinguished statement pieces but fit perfectly due to their spring loaded hinges to accommodate no matter size one prefers.

Same goes for Vilo Wooden’s optical frames, which accommodate both prescription and bluelight filter lenses, all of which come with a custom laser-engraved eco-friendly bamboo case for safe storage and making each purchase feel good with 10% of all proceeds being donated to A21, an organisation dedication to the elimination of slavery and human trafficking.