Various Artists - Not So Humdrum

The 2nd Aberrant Sydney Compilation. For a second late Saturday night odyssey to the land down under, the second Sydney compilation from that hard-working Bruce Griffiths, and it’s full of good material. Not So Humdrum aimed to use leftover Suicide Squad tracks from the first compilation, which had been mooted as a double at one stage, with some of the other 1984 vintage bands. While there is only one semi-thrasher (Vigil-Anti), there are lots of garage stuff (Rocks, Wrong Kind Of Stone Age) and other classic punk styles (Suicide Squad, Exserts, Happy Hate Me Nots), but the most ‘zapping’ tracks belong to Itchy Rats, who will really grow on you. Not only no weak songs on Not So Humdrum but also no average or just-ok material; a killer compilation of down-to-earth but in-your-face punk rock gems from Sydney. And the best thing is; when you listen to it, every next song seems to be better than the previous, at the end you're just in awe. Raw un-precious punk rock; I think that only Australians can do it this good. From memory the title was a riposte to Molly Meldrum's Humdrum segment on the Australian version of Countdown.

Not So Humdrum serves as a critical historical bridge for Australia's mid-1980s alternative music explosion, offering a glimpse into the diverse sonic subcultures operating in Sydney's inner-city venues. Bypassing standard radio formats completely, Aberrant Records gathered underground acts that were deliberately pushing the boundaries of political lyricism and musical structure. From the fast-paced, traditional street-punk chords of first-wave survivors to the rhythmically complex, jagged post-punk architectures of a new generation, the compilation captured a scene defiantly refusing to settle into a predictable sound.

The LP stands out for its democratic curation, grouping legendary local fixtures alongside entirely short-lived bands that existed just long enough to record a track or two for the label. It provides early, crucial documentation of fundamental bands like the Happy Hate Me Nots and Rocks, while giving equal real estate to the avant-garde friction of groups like Vigil-Anti and Wrong Kind of Stone Age. Pressed in limited quantities with striking, politically charged DIY sleeve art, Not So Humdrum remains a highly sought-after, holy-grail artifact for vinyl archaeology enthusiasts tracing the global lineage of independent noise and garage rock.

Stepping far away from the predictable "greatest hits" structure of corporate music samplers, Not So Humdrum functions as a beautifully frantic, cohesive audio collage of an underground culture operating at full tilt. Curated with a keen eye for sequencing, the 18-track compilation mimics the chaotic, sweat-soaked flow of a multi-band warehouse gig. By mixing various sub-genres—rather than neatly grouping bands together—the album continuously forces the listener through a gauntlet of contrasting musical tones, ensuring the compilation never feels stagnant.

The record's primary strength lies in its balance between raw, melodic power-pop hooks and sheer, abrasive experimentation. The inclusion of the Happy Hate Me Nots—contributing their brilliant, guitar-driven anthems "The Build Up" and "When The Chips Are Down"—anchors the album with sharp songwriting and driving pop-punk hooks. This accessible energy is brilliantly subverted by the jagged post-punk architecture of Vigil-Anti and the dark, rhythmic grime of Wrong Kind of Stone Age, whose confrontational, drum-heavy tracks ("Criminal" and "The End") represent the absolute cutting edge of Sydney’s mid-80s counterculture.

Production-wise, Not So Humdrum acts as a celebration of budget constraints and technical resourcefulness. Recorded in various low-cost local studios, the album rejects commercial slickness in favour of distorted basslines, tape hiss, and completely unpolished vocal deliveries. Rather than pulling the listener out of the experience, these sonic imperfections establish a vivid sense of place and atmosphere—it feels like an authentic, unfiltered document of a very specific, fiercely protective community of artists.

Ultimately, Not So Humdrum stands as a definitive masterclass in regional independent compilation curation. It serves as a stark reminder that during the mid-1980s, the real pulse of alternative musical innovation was happening entirely out of sight, fueled by localized indie labels like Aberrant. For anyone looking to understand the evolutionary DNA that eventually spawned Australia’s later, world-renowned alternative rock movements, tracking down a physical or archival copy of this record is an essential milestone.

Ripped to MP3

1. Rocks ("Kamikaze Twist"), 

2. Suicide Squad ("New World In The Morning"), 

3. Exserts ("Business Man"), 

4. Vigil-Anti ("Foetal Position").

5. Happy Hate Me Nots ("The Build Up"), 

6. Wrong Kind of Stone Age ("Criminal"), 

7. Itchy Rat ("Jack Junk"), 

8. Suicide Squad ("Unwanted").

9. Exserts ("Countdown"), 

10. Itchy Rat ("A Homely Situation"), 

11. Vigil-Anti ("Humanity"), 

12. Wrong Kind of Stone Age ("The End").

13. Rocks ("Migraine Headache"), 

14. Suicide Squad ("Gossip Column"), 

15. Exserts ("Stranglehold").

16. Vigil-Anti ("Reality"), 

17. Happy Hate Me Nots ("When The Chips Are Down"), 

18. Itchy Rat ("The Sky Is Falling").