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Trampolene – New single and TV appearance

Trampolene – New single and TV appearance

TRAMPOLENE release a new song, ‘Sort Me Out’, on November 25th, taken from their much anticipated fourth album, ‘Rules Of Love & War’, which will be released through the Strap Originals label on 17th March ’23,

Listen here   

TRAMPOLENE will be performing ‘Sort Me Out’ on Sky Sports’ fan favourite footie show, Soccer AM today.

‘Sort Me Out’ is the second track (along with ‘Thinking Again’ which featured in the BBC coverage of the World Cup) to be lifted from the forthcoming album ‘Rules Of Love & War’ which features 12 new TRAMPOLENE original songs and was produced by Mike Moore (Baxter Dury/Liam Gallagher), Richard Jackson (Super Furry Animals) & Jason Stafford (Albion Rooms). 

Says singer and boss Tramp Jack Jones: “Sort Me Out started as this slow desperate love song I wrote when I was 15.  I presented it to the boys recently, and they amped it up, sped it up, piled their life into it and it’s somehow turned into a bit of an indie anthem. Whenever we’ve played it live it seems to have brought the house down.”

Rules of Love & War will be available on CD, cassette, digital download and 12” black or red vinyl, as well as exclusive formats and signed items. Preorder the album here: https://lnk.fu.ga/trampolene_rulesoflovewar 

Fresh from opening and selling out the new Swansea Arena, TRAMPOLENE play a headline tour of the UK for April ’23 and six shows for Independent Venue Week in January and February. Tickets for all shows are available now from https://shops.ticketmasterpartners.com/trampolene & https://shops.ticketmasterpartners.com/trampolene-2023   

Tour dates for 2023

JANUARY

30th Monday Sheffield – Sidney & Matilda 

FEBRUARY

1st Wednesday Bedford – Esquires

2nd Thursday St Albans – The Horn

3rd Friday Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach

4th Saturday Milton Keynes – The Craufurd Arms

5th Sunday York – Fulford Arms

20th Monday Milan (Italy) – Dirty Mondays

APRIL

7th Friday  Glasgow – The Attic

8th  Saturday Newcastle – The Cluny 2

11th Tuesday Nottingham – Bodega

12th Wednesday Manchester – Yes

13th  Thursday Leeds – Brudenell Social club

14th Friday Bristol -Rough Trade

15th Saturday Swansea – Bunkhouse

20th Thursday  London – 100 Club

28/29/30  Liverpool – Sound City

https://www.trampolene.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/user/trampoleneofficial/videos

https://www.facebook.com/trampoleneofficial

https://www.instagram.com/trampolene_band/

www.tiktok.com/@trampolene_band 

Headswim – ‘Flood’ (Trapped Animal / Cargo)

Headswim – ‘Flood’ (Trapped Animal / Cargo)

When Grunge broke big in the 90s the UK joined the party with bands like Headswim who might not have gained as much media coverage as say Bush who also came from the UK but Headswim had a big part to play in the scene in the early to mid 90s. More than just a UK Grunge band they had a decent stab at topping the alt scene as well with huge selling bedfellows like ‘The Bends’ coming out. There was certainly an element of that in their sound as well maybe more so after ‘Flood’ was birthed in to the world.

The Band released two albums, ‘Flood’ and a few years later they followed it up with ‘Despite Yourself’. Trapped Animal Records have been given the honour of reissuing ‘Flood’, repackaged, with a bonus disc covering some additional pieces. With a dark and anthemic sound ‘Flood’ captured the hearts of the UK scene Sure they took their lead from the likes of Pearl Jam Headswim stood on their own two feet and if you need reminding of how good they were then this is the perfect reissue.

Maybe the bands problem was they were not Grunge enough nor were they heavy enough to head swim down an Alice In Chains route and they weren’t Britpop enough either and fallign between several stools can be tough but it does happen.

Maybe now with some distance from the mid 90s the time is right for a resurgence purely on the musical terms it would be only fair wouldn’t it?

Anyway, be it discovering a new band or revisiting an old lost favourite this has its draw with a bonus disc with some added features, including tracks from Radio 1 Rock Show sessions and some deep cuts, b-sides and added extras. To be fair this has gone the extra mile as far as reissues go from the coloured wax to the heavyweight feel of the gatefold sleeve it’s a thing of real quality those BBC Rock show bonus cuts it’s a real labour of love and well worth shelling out for. A really good album now made even better. Buy it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

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The Black Halos Return With New LP “How the Darkness Doubled” watch the video for ‘Better Days’

The Black Halos Return With New LP “How the Darkness Doubled” watch the video for ‘Better Days’

Review of ‘How The Darkness Doubled’ Here

Formed in the underbelly of the Vancouver punk music scene in 1994, the band was a sneering, snotty, slap in the face to the Seattle grunge scene. Their raucous live shows, particularly an electrifying performance at Seattle’s Rock Candy, garnered the attention of Sub Pop’s Jonathan Poneman, and they promptly signed to Sub Pop imprint Die Young Stay Pretty. They began touring relentlessly with label mates The Murder City Devils, and soon were sharing stages with big names like The Damned, DOA, L7, The Offspring, Social Distortion, and many more. Within a year of recording their self-titled debut album with Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden), the band was back in the studio with the legendary producer to record their seminal second album, The Violent Years. Released on Sub Pop in 2001, the album saw them reach new heights in sales and radio play, including a Top 20 single in Canada with “Some Things Never Fall”; the accompanying video saw regular rotation on both MTV in the United States and Much Music in Canada, helping push the album to the top of Canada’s Earshot Campus Radio Charts. With The Darkness Doubled, The Black Halos are set to reclaim their crown as Canada’s premiere export of high octane punk and glam.

Canada’s legendary punk ‘n’ rollers The Black Halos have just released their anticipated new LP How the Darkness Doubled (November 25th on Stomp Records). How the Darkness doubled is the unofficial follow-up album to The Black Halos’ acclaimed 2001 release, The Violent Years. Original songwriting team Billy Hopeless, Rich Jones (guitarist with Michael Monroe, Ginger Wildheart, AMEN), and Jay Millette, have reunited, bringing new members John Kerns (The Age Of Electric) and Danni Action (ACIIDZ) into the fold. The album, recorded in Toronto and mixed by Dave Draper (The Wildhearts, The Professionals), is a return to form for the band. Guitarist Rich Jones explains “Reuniting with Billy and Jay for this new album brought my focus back to writing with a mindset that was pure, uncompromising Halos – as far as I’m concerned we’ve really achieved it. Having our friends John and Danni on board makes this feel like the strongest lineup that we’ve ever had and you can really hear it on this record. Additionally, Billy and I had always planned to call the third album How The Darkness Doubled. So it seemed natural to use that title now, 20 years later, for what I consider to be a spiritual follow-up to The Violent Years.” Following jammed-to-the-rafters shows at the Bovine during Toronto’s Canadian Music Week and two sold out nights in their hometown of Vancouver at the Rickshaw Theatre, the band is ready to win over a new generation of rock ‘n’ roll fans with their brand new album, ‘How the Darkness Doubled’. 

Buy from Bandcamp Here / Stream Here

The Black Halos were known for being tireless road warriors, playing to ever-growing audiences in clubs as they crisscrossed North America in a van (actually a series of nine vans) at festivals like Warped Tour, Edgefest, SXSW, CMJ, and The Kerrang Awards in the UK. Line-up changes followed as the band released two more albums on Century Media, touring Canada, the United States, and Europe extensively before coming to an abrupt end when their van, trailer, and equipment were stolen in Montreal at the start of their 2008 tour. With their latest release, How the Darkness Doubled, The Black Halos will be back on the road with tours across North America and Europe planned for 2023 and beyond. 

D I S C O V E R

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theblackhalos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackhalos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlackHalos

Bandcamp: https://theblackhalos.bandcamp.com/album/how-the-darkness-doubled

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hUckvxtUKCODb4zgGcAXL?si=AxrvbeXyTUuJSAjh-FyqnQ

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Wingmen take flight and announce tour dates and album release date

Wingmen take flight and announce tour dates and album release date

Wingmen, the new band formed in Lockdown anxiety and boredom by Baz Warne (The Stranglers), Paul Gray (The Damned), Leigh Heggarty (Ruts DC) and Marty Love (Johnny Moped) have managed to fit in a set of UK dates around their other many bands schedules and will tour the UK in January 2023.

Written and recorded in that dark Lockdown period between 2020 and 2021, despite having never played together in the same room, the creative results sound very much like a band with the influences from all of their respective bands shining through and the debut album will be released January 27th via Cadiz Music.

Pre Order the album Here

Wingmen, the new band formed in pandemic lockdown isolation by Baz Warne (The Stranglers), Paul Gray (The Damned), Leigh Heggarty (Ruts DC) and Marty Love (Johnny Moped), are excited to finally take their studio bound creations out on the road and have announced a UK tour for January 2023.

“It’s funny how these things turn out,” explains Paul Gray. “We had no idea where this project might take us; an idea born out of frustration became a full band within 24 hours, words and riffs and much tuneage followed, beers and jolly banter ensued when we finally met up to mix the results, a record company said “yes please!” and now we find ourselves taking the results off on tour! And we’ll be joined by Rob Coombes from Supergrass on keys – it’s gonna be an absolute blast!”

“I just can’t wait for this line up to hit the stage and play these songs to the public,” continues drummer Marty. “It’s all about getting your hard work heard and getting a real live reaction. And having Rob Coombes onboard will make this band sparkle.”

Due to be released January 27th via Cadiz Music, although Wingmen’s debut album was crafted in seclusion, there’s no doubting that the album’s ten songs, chock full of dynamic songwriting and performances, sound like a band, despite the unconventional way the album was fashioned.

“Although we’d recorded various parts at our homes for our respective bands before, none of us had employed this process to make a complete album! Only Marty and I had worked together before, so it was a complete leap into the unknown,” says Paul. “We all had loads of ideas to throw into the pot – some songs arrived completely fully formed that we simply added our own parts to, and others were more akin to musical sketches that ended up as co-writes. The album is a true collaboration inasmuch as none of us knew what parts or melodies or lyrics might be added by anyone else – it was an immensely exciting process! No rehearsals, no pre-production, just us winging ideas to and fro, with the drums going on last of all in the studio – which is completely the opposite of how things are usually done, of course.”

‘Wingmen’ will be released January 27th, 2023, via Cadiz Music.

Pre-order the album HERE:

Follow Wingmen on Facebook HERE:

Slade – ‘Sladest’ (BMG Records)

Slade – ‘Sladest’ (BMG Records)

Continuing the fine reissue of Classic Slade albums on various splatter vinyl the fantastic ‘Sladest’ is the latest hot off the pressing plant to be reissued on splatter vinyl and for many it’s one of the band’s finest records. Not content with being one of the decade’s biggest-selling bands and giving possibly the most iconic Christmas office party banger Slade released 6 hit albums, including three UK No-1s, a run of 17 consecutive Top 20 singles and their hits are synonymous with the glam era.

This album was first released in 1973, ‘Sladest’ belched out some of the band’s most iconic songs including the barnstorming ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’, ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ and ‘Coz I Luv You’. It was possibly the album that Noddy came into his own with that iconic rasping voice that has been revered ever since and spawned many cover versions.

Many of these songs still stand up today as groundbreaking and iconic, even casual fans can sing along to the chorus of the classic singles that have stood the test of time. Having these albums repressed means you can retire your crackly copies or the ones handed down by your big brothers or dads and get your thumbs in those belt loops grab your girl and get wild wild wild again. Personal favourite Slade songs have both been included on this record the magnificent ‘Gudbuy T’Jane’ and ‘Coz I Love You’ showing that they weren’t just a hell-raising rowdy Rock band, well, not all the time and they could mix it up. If you only put one of these reissues on your Christmas list make it this one and if you’ve been particularly good you could add that live box set we reviewed last month just for good measure. Oh and just buy it for those haircuts, they don’t make em like that anymore that’s for sure!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

limited edition coloured vinyl 12” ‘Merry Xmas Everybody ’https://slade.lnk.to/MerryXmas12snowflakePR on 25th  November plus continue official deluxe vinyl album reissues series   with ‘Crackers – The Christmas Party Album’ https://slade.lnk.to/crackersdeluxePR

DC Spectres – Vol 4 (Bootikirecords)

DC Spectres – Vol 4 (Bootikirecords)

As the bell tolls an eerie deathly silence is about to be shattered with some diabolical grunting bass and a shimmering blast of Garage Rock and Roll as it spews forth from the speakers with a creepy crawly menace as ‘Ms. Understanding’ hits the speakers. What a fantastic sounding opener that got an air of controlled chaos about it with the thumping Bass piercing through the guitars to grab the listener as it lurches with menace.

With eleven tracks packed onto this album, you better strap yourself in for a rocket ride of power and controlled aggression but with an overwhelming whiff of Garage rock n roll. ‘Bad Connection’ kicks ass right out of the blocks and I like this a lot already. The thrust and adrenalin continue at pace as ‘Shake You Down’ thunders in. ‘Inbred Respect’ has the beating heart of the Damned era ‘Machine Gun Ettiquete’ on its harder more punchy tunes like ‘Love Song’.

With a spoken intro ‘Action Volume’ turns up a bastardised ‘Iron Man’ on a fuzzed-out distorted electric guitar. The song sounds like a hell of a night out with its rolling rhythm before smashing out on the chorus. ‘Born To Die In 73’ is straight out 77 punk rock. Its the snotty distant cousin of early Damned, UK Subs and SLF and a real fist-pumping thumper. Guitars being rinsed, snare getting a thrashing and full-bodied rhythm – nice!

‘The Revolution Is Dead’ tells the story of Lennon’s assassination and why the future is/was bleak, but pop culture is alive and kicking and The Revolution might well be around the next corner who knows? Signing off with the super fuzz of ‘Lone Astronaut’ this has been a treat on the ears and brain food for the Garage Rock connoisseur.

There has always been great music and this DC Spectres album is a fantastic offering tipping the hat to what’s gone before and picking up that torch and running into the future with it hopefully inspiring others to play Rock n Roll – loud, hard, fast and with this much passion and a love of the fine art of the Garage band and what it means. Play on my friends Vol 4 is a mighty fine album that is worthy of being classed as All Killer no Filler! Buy it!

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Split System – ‘Vol 1’ (Drunken Sailor Records)

Split System – ‘Vol 1’ (Drunken Sailor Records)

Split System, the Aussie group featuring Jackson Reid Briggs (Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters) on vocals and Arron Mawson (Stiff Richards) on guitar, are something of a down-under super group to those in the know. I ordered this record before I’d heard a single song off the back of their debut release and the fact that the likes of Stiff Richards can do no wrong anyway it was what you and I would call a no-brainer.

Once the crystal clear guitar chimed in on the opening track a smug smile was drawn across my face knowing that I’d made another excellent choice. The beginning is entitled ‘The End’ (of course it is) and is a slice of fantastic sharp Aussie punk rock and the sum of its parts are welded together to make a most fantastic din.

the second track is a sprightly jaunt entitled ‘It Aint You’ and this record sounds as comfortable as a pair of well-worn slippers that these guys sport. The songs have melody, power and an air of excitement even if they’re flying by the seat of their pants it sounds deliberate and exciting. You just know that regardless of what mood you might be in prior to dropping the needle by the end of the album you’ll be on cloud nine. It exhilarating like ‘Demolition’ and the thrashing about on ‘Ringing In My Heart’ is so carefree and classic.

It’s all about the song and the moment for Split System With Jackson Reid Briggs possesses a warm punk rock vocal that is like the morning after the best night out and marries the like of The Saints and Radio Birdman from the old school with the bands currently ruling the world from the newer school of Aussie punk rock n roll.

The songs from the first EP fit in perfectly on this album that is a rollercoaster ride of the good and the great and a record that will just get better and better after each play , ‘Ringing In My Head’ is a real earworm with a lead hook that has barbs and will not be shaken once its burrowed into your ear.


Sometimes it sounds like these side projects are a bit thrown together just to pass the time whilst the day job bands piece their albums together or book a tour which if true makes you sick how fuckin good they are. You’ll slam dance for one song to the next and the quality is relentless ‘Hit Me’ is very different in sound and style to ‘Grip’ but they both have the same DNA and are both relentlessly good with the grunt on ‘Grip’ rattling along bouncing off the guitar lick – genius stuff and so so good.

Quite easily one of the finest albums I’ve had the pleasure of all year and that a lot of fuckin albums. Split System is indeed an essential purchase and will knock your socks off. Just buy the fuckin record!

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Author: Dom Daley

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SLYDER SMITH & THE OBLIVION KIDS – DECEMBER DATES

SLYDER SMITH & THE OBLIVION KIDS – DECEMBER DATES

The band will be hitting the road with a clutch of dates in December to promote & celebrate the release of their new single ‘The NeverEnding Story’.

“Without a shred of tiresome irony, Slyder Smith and the Oblivion Kids boldly reimagine Giorgio Morodor’s 80s cult classic ‘NeverEnding Story’. Whilst staying true to the original, the power trio bring a dynamic commercial rock feel to Limahl’s electronic pop hit. The end result is another thrilling chapter in The NeverEnding Story worthy of chart success alongside the likes of 80s rock giants Def Leppard and Van Halen. The song features guest vocals from Nina Courson of Healthy Junkies.

The track will be accompanied by a promotional music video, with band performance filmed by Wills Audio at the famous Buckley Tivoli theatre and transformed into a fun concept video with additional footage & editing by producer Darren Stockford paying homage to the era of the original 80s hit.

The song will be available to stream plus released on Limited Edition numbered casssette which is FREE with ‘early bird. ticket sales for the special London Show! (See below).

PRE-SAVE THE NEVERENDING STORY NOW!

Two for Tuesday +1

Two for Tuesday +1

First up Nancy Boy performs a cover of the lost classic “Rosies are coming to town” by the band ROSIE. Check em out on Facebook / Instagram they rock!

Next up we have the new single from The Empty Page. ‘Dry Ice’ is the first single from their upcoming second album. It’s a disco goth banger. Dry Ice was inspired by the alluring stench that pours out the back door of a club, beckoning you in as you walk past. The chorus celebrates ‘the crush of the warm crowd’ – the joy of moving as one to loud music in a roomful of people. It’s about writing together unselfconsciously. Get an earful on the bands Bandcamp page Here

The +1 is our South Wales friends Deathtraps with a video for the ‘Still Fucked Up’ tune lifted from their latest long player ‘Appetite For Prescription’ Which you can purchase Here – Its potty-mouthed punk n roll and its bloody good. Check it out