THE XIRO AND BRIAN 7" EP ORDER PORTAL

2020 has been absolutely bonkers, and I am sure you'll all agree. There were label plans to release 2 titles from a couple of esteemed New Zealand bands (well, to us at the very least) - one from the north, the other from the south but we've had to ditch these plans for a little while. Maybe we can try again later in the year. Look, we really don't want to stop putting records out as it's fun putting these together for you.

The idea was to release these three 7" EPs for RSD 2020 but our parent shop, PHASE 4 RECORDS couldn't stay open - the powers that be had other ideas so we stayed at home eating 2 minute noodles for a few weeks as buying vinyl and tapes isn't deemed 'essential'. We almost went under! It was an awful time. In order to raise funds, we've offered you the LCMR believer a chance to purchase a test pressing of each release. All proceeds will go to assuring we keep doing what we're doing.

We expect to be ready to ship one, two or three of these (or more?) titles to you in AUGUST 2020.

All shipping info is in caps at the bottom, as is the ordering info. Please feel free to email us if you have specific ordering requests that's unique to the options below and we'll try to answer you within 24hrs.

Retailers, please email for wholesale prices

XIRO - HALF THE PROFITS and RELIGIOUS WARS 7" EPs

After the break-up of Zero at around September of 1980, drummer Lindy Morrison went on to join the Go-Betweens and guitarist Michael O'Connell later appeared in bands like the 31st among others. The remaining members, founder Irena Luckus and John Willsteed carried on as Xiro and later on, Xero but let's not get ahead of ourselves! it's a difficult timeline to tackle, even for the band members themselves in a time rich with musical activity and members coming and going and friends helping out too. Then there's this mess of gin bottles and Charles Aznavour records all over the floor to navigate around.

These recordings were done at the QLD Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, sometime in late 1980 before the late, great Clare McKenna joined as a drummer. Some of the songs on these cassettes were originally peformed by Zero, others not. A couple of these tunes ended up being played by Xero, and some by every possible spelling combination.

By July 1981, they produced two 5 song cassette EPs - self-released one week apart from each other with xeroxed sleeves. We think about 50-100 of each we made.

This is Irena and John at their most experimental, and these 10 songs are just a sample of the hundreds they wrote together and apart. There's literally albums worth of material with Lindy, Clare and Steven Pritchard drumming through the five or so years the band existed under different forms of spelling - not to mention work with those lousy, rider-stealing drum machines.

We're proud to be putting this out at long last. The plan was to launch the label with these two EPs as 7" singles and five years since we started, the planets lined up. Finishing it all off is the careful restoration and mastering by Cub Callaway and the screen-printed sleeves by no.7 Printhouse using elements of original artwork made by the duo.

THANK YOU JOHN AND IRENA FOR LETTING US DO THIS!

ZERO/XIRO/XERO WERE AND ARE GREAT - WE DON'T CARE WHAT THE PUNKS SAY!

Pressing amount: 150 units.

BRIAN - BRIAN + WHO? 7" EP

Was there a punk scene in Toowoomba? Yes. Yes there was. Instead of having an edgy name a la The Clash or even favourites from the bottom of the range like RaZaR, they chose the name Brian. While the band as individuals would at times go to Brisbane and check out the local new wave scene at places like the Curry Shop, the Exchange or any number of inner-city community halls, Brian never played there. More often than not, their car would be stopped on the way to town and its occupants would get searched. No point in committing to playing a show if you're not guaranteed safe passage. Brian were police targets by the local constabulary as they were politically-minded and took part in marches against the tory government of the National Party and all that they stood for.

By 1980, after three years of playing formal and informal gigs around town, Brian found themselves in Melboune. Within weeks of arriving to their newly-adopted home, they booked studio time and recorded four songs at St Kilda's Crystal Clear Studios and with a hastily-mixed tape being the result. Shortly after, the band broke up as some members wanted to go back and finish their degree while others wished to stay on. Thankfully guitarist and songwriter Andy O'Phee's detailed liner notes inside each copy of the record will give you a unique insight.

Prof. Donat himself did the tape transfer and restoration and Bruce Callaway mastered it. Matt Deasy designed and printed the covers at no.7 Printhouse based on the artwork on the tape box.

THANK YOU ANDY O'PHEE! THANK YOU GREG CHARLES FOR GETTING IN MY EAR AND REMINDING ME OF BRIAN! YOU TOO, NOEL MENGEL!

Pressing amount: 150 units.

Below are samples of what you might expect but with crappy sound quality.

DUE TO C-19 ISSUES, ALL 7" RECORDS FROM LCMR WILL BE SENT AS AIR MAIL PARCELS AND NOT AS LARGE LETTERS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT WHILE YOU GET TRACKING, IT'S ALMOST 3X THE AMOUNT YOU'D NORMALLY PAY FOR A 'BABY RECORD' TO BE SENT TO YOUR COUNTRY.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A MAXIMUM OF $30 AUD FOR ONE LP, CD OR 7" TO BE SENT - BASCICALLY ANYTHING UNDER 499 GRAMS IS CAPPED AT THIS SORT OF PRICE. POSTING TO NEW ZEALAND IS A LOT LESS THAN SWEDEN, OF COURSE...

THE BEST DEAL WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS HAVING YOU BUY 3 X 7" SINGLES AT A TIME.

UNFORTUNATELY, DEPENDING ON YOUR COUNTRY - AUSTRALIA POST HAVE BEEN USING SEA MAIL TO COUNTRIES LIKE FINLAND WHILE SUSPENDING MAIL ALTOGETHER TO PLACES LIKE CHILE, OR OUR BELOVED KOSOVO. MAIL TO SOME COUNTRIES LIKE THE USA ARE BEING SENT BY PLANE BUT THE DELAYS ARE TREMENDOUS NONETHELESS.

SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO ORDER FROM OVERSEAS - FIRSTLY, WE SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND SECONDLY. PLEASE (PLEASE!) BE PATIENT AND EXPECT TO WAIT 2 MONTHS FOR IT TO ARRIVE. IT'S LIKE THE ITALIAN POSTAL SERVICE HAS TAKEN OVER THE WORLD! DIO MIO!

WE HAVE SENT 1000S OF PARCELS THROUGH OUR RECORD SHOP IN BRISBANE, SO YES - WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT PACKING, SO UNLESS YOUR DOG EATS PARCELS, THEY'LL ARRIVE JUST AS SAFELY AS WE'VE PACKED IT.

SORRY FOR THE CAPS LOCK, BUT HONESTLY - WE'RE NOT YELLING AT YOU - IT'S JUST A DISCLAIMER. I HOPE YOU READ IT - NOW SAY, 'YES'.

Please tell your friends about these amazing records and keep independent record shops and labels alive. We don't want to be on the dole. Ta!