In the wake of the major labels dramatically losing their footing from the local music scene over the last 10 years, indies like Aarght! Records and Stained Circles have more then happily filled in the gaps, by continuing to release local bands irrespective of guff like profit and return. Such a shift in powers was dramatically confirmed earlier this year when Aarght Records! flagship band Eddy Current Suppression Ring - and whose guitarist Mikey Young runs the label - took out the $25,000 AMP award for their self-recorded LP Primary Colours.

In the wake of Eddy Current's success and higher profile comes a slew of similarly DIY garage bands starting to attract more interest. The Stabs were invited to play Nick Cave's All Tomorrows Parties festival; Naked on the Vague have attracted attention from international press and just this week, Sydney band Royal Headache were featured on Pitchfork.

As perhaps the zeitgeist turns a little in their direction, Aarght! Records and Stained Circles are putting on a giant festival. Dubbed the Flip Out Festival and Record Fair, the event will see the Manning Bar in Sydney and the Corner Hotel in Melbourne be taken over by a melange of merch, vinyl, trinkets, food, booze, bands, bands and bands in a celebration of all things good.

The Festival goes down on Saturday 29th August at the Manning Bar in Sydney and Saturday 5th September at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. Sydney's event will be headlined by everyone's favourite glove wielders Eddy Current Suppression Ring (in their first Sydney show since winning the AMP), while Melbourne's event will feature the post-punk psychedelia of American's Pink Reason. Along with a cavalcade of all those bands you've often heard of but haven't seen yet. How convenient!

Even more convenient for you, inquisitive reader, is that organisers have arranged a FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD featuring a track from every band playing in each respective city!! Right here, from TheVine. See below for the download link and tracklist for each city. See? Help a scene out, it helps you back.

FLIP OUT FESTIVAL & RECORD FAIR 2009

FLIP OUT FESTIVAL - SYDNEY
SAT 29 AUG - THE MANNING BAR

EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING (first Syd show since winning AMP!)
PINK REASON (USA)
GOODNIGHT LOVING (USA)
JAMES ARTHUR'S MANHUNT (USA)
OOGA BOOGAS
NAKED ON THE VAGUE
THE UV RACE
THE STABS
SUPER WILD HORSES
SLUG GUTS
DEAF WISH
ROYAL HEADACHE
ZOND

Tickets:$40 plus booking fee available from www.oztix.com.au Ph 1300 762 545, www.manningbar.com Ph 9563 6000 and www.qjump.com.au 


FLIP OUT FESTIVAL - MELBOURNE
SAT 5 SEPT - THE CORNER HOTEL
PINK REASON (USA)
GOODNIGHT LOVING (USA)
JAMES ARTHUR'S MANHUNT (USA)
OOGA BOOGAS
NAKED ON THE VAGUE
SUPER WILD HORSES
SLUG GUTS
THE DISBELIEVERS
THE NATIVE CATS
DICK DIVER
THE TWERPS
TEEN ARCHER
REPAIRS

Tickets: $35 plus booking fee available from Corner Hotel Box Office Ph 9427 9198, Missing Link, Polyester and online at www.cornerhotel.com

FLIP OUT - SYDNEY

ALBUM SAMPLER DOWNLOAD

1. EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING ‘WHICH WAY TO GO’ 
2. PINK REASON (USA) ‘MOTHERFUCKER’  
3. THE UV RACE (MEL) ‘LEGO MAN’  
4. NAKED ON THE VAGUE (SYD) ‘CHITTY CHAT’ 
5. THE STABS (MEL) ‘SPLIT LIPS’  
6. SUPER WILD HORSES (MEL) ‘WHAT STARTED THE NOISE’  
7.  SLUG GUTS (BRIS) ‘DOWN ON THE MEAT’ 
8. JAMES ARTHUR’S MANHUNT (USA) ‘LEFT HAND PATH’  
9. OOGA BOOGAS (MEL) ‘OOGA BOOGA II’   
10. ROYAL HEADACHE (SYD) ‘ELOISE’ 
11. DEAF WISH (MEL) ‘BROKEN EYES’ 
12. ZOND (MEL) ‘MONKEY’ 
13. GOODNIGHT LOVING (USA) ‘WE’RE IN A PLACE’

FLIP OUT - MELBOURNE

ALBUM SAMPLER DOWNLOAD

1. PINK REASON (USA): ‘MOTHERFUCKER’  
2. OOGA BOOGAS (MEL) ‘OOGA BOOGA II’   
3. THE NATIVE CATS (TAS) ‘SHOVEL ON SHOVEL’   
4. SUPER WILD HORSES (MEL) ‘WHAT STARTED THE NOISE’ 
5. NAKED ON THE VAGUE (SYD) ‘CHITTY CHAT’  
6. SLUG GUTS (BRIS) ‘DOWN ON THE MEAT’  
7. JAMES ARTHUR’S MANHUNT (USA) ‘LEFT HAND PATH’  
8. THE  DISBELIEVERS  (SYD) ‘JUNGLE  QUEEN’   
9. DICK DIVER (MEL) ‘TENDER YEARS’  
10. TEEN ARCHER (MEL) ‘THIS MESS’

Value. Now go.