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Sugar return in 2026

Sugar return in 2026

SUGAR RETURN WITH FIRST NEW MUSIC AND LIVE DATES IN OVER THREE DECADES

ICONIC ALTERNATIVE ROCK TRIO LED BY BOB MOULD SHARE BRAND NEW SINGLE ‘HOUSE OF DEAD MEMORIES’

LISTEN HERE

FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCES TOGETHER SINCE 1995 SET FOR NEW YORK CITY’S WEBSTER HALL ON MAY 2-3, 2026 AND LONDON’S O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN ON MAY 23-24, 2026

COPPER BLUE – THE SINGLES COLLECTION TO BE RELEASED BY BMG ON RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FIRDAY, NOV 28

LIMITED EDITION 4LP VINYL BOX SET COLLECTS CLASSIC SINGLES, B-SIDES, AND MORE WITH ORIGINAL ARTWORK AND TRACKLISTINGS LOVINGLY RESTORED

SUGAR – the iconic alternative rock trio led by Bob Mould alongside bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis – return today with their first new music together in over three decades, ‘House of Dead Memories‘. Recorded at Tiny Telephone Oakland in June 2025, the song is available everywhere now via Granary Music/BMG

Listen to ‘House of Dead Memories’



In addition, SUGAR will celebrate ‘House of Dead Memories’ with their first live performances together since January 1995, set for New York City’s Webster Hall on Saturday, May 2nd (tickets here) and Sunday, May 3rd, 2026 (tickets here) and London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on Saturday, May 23nd and Sunday, May 24th, 2026 (tickets here).

Next month will also see SUGAR’s essential 1992 debut album, Copper Blue, commemorated with Copper Blue – The Singles Collection, a limited edition 4LP box set to be released by BMG on Record Store Day Black Friday, November 28th. The new box set collects such anthemic favourites as ‘Changes‘, ‘A Good Idea‘, and ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind‘, all originally released on 12″ vinyl in the UK via Creation Records backed with beloved B-sides like ‘Needle Hits E‘ and ‘Clownmaster’, as well as live recordings from SUGAR’s 1992 performance at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro. Copper Blue – The Singles Collection now sees those classic releases returning to vinyl with original artwork and tracklistings lovingly restored. In addition, ‘Helpless‘ – previously released only on CD – is presented here on 12″ vinyl for the first time alongside updated B-sides, finally joining its companions in its full glory.

“SUGAR was a meteorite,” says Bob Mould. “I spent all of 1991 writing and performing new material at solo shows. David and Malcolm had never met but I was certain we three would work well together.

“SUGAR was a workhorse. After weeks of rehearsal in early 1992, we spent three months recording Copper Blue and Beaster. By summer 1992, the musical climate was perfect for what we created.

“SUGAR was a phenomena. No one could have predicted the results. We held onto the wheel and did our best to enjoy the wild ride. Sugar was part of a pivotal era in popular music, and a special time in my life.” 

Having already placed his indelible mark on the future direction of rock with Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould teamed with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis to found SUGAR in late 1991, making their live debut early the next year at Athens, GA’s famed 40 Watt Club. Named by NME as its 1992 Album of the Year, SUGAR’s now-classic debut album, Copper Blue, immediately proved a sensation, earning worldwide acclaim and landmark status for the melodic strength and intensely cathartic popcraft of songs like ‘A Good Idea’, ‘Helpless’, and the alternative rock radio hit and MTV favourite, ‘If I Can’t Change Your Mind’. The trio quickly found themselves performing on increasingly larger stages, including a legendary show-stealing set at London’s Great X-pectations Festival in Finsbury Park.

David Barbe recalls, “Since we last played in 1995, I have worked on hundreds of records and engaged with music people all over the world. When the subject of SUGAR comes up, it is like a misty legend that they either remember from a long time ago or have only heard about. I am excited for fans to experience it in the real.”

“The return of SUGAR is a moment that I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time,” says Malcolm Travis. “What we managed to accomplish in the short span of time we were in existence still boggles my mind. There was so much packed into that period….the travel, the shows, the recordings and getting to meet so many people who loved and supported us. To get back to working together again with Bob and David is such a gift and I’m looking forward to what the future has in store for us.”

With the wind at their back, SUGAR unleashed Beaster in 1993, making a momentous debut at #3 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart as well as at #4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart in the US. Though recorded during the same sessions that yielded Copper Blue, the six-song mini-album evinced a more visceral energy and dark melancholy than its predecessor, highlighted by such pulverising expressions of sacrilegious fury as ‘Judas Cradle‘ and ‘JC Auto‘. 1994’s second full-length LP, File Under: Easy Listening once again made an explosive arrival among the top 10 on the UK Official Albums Chart, this time landing in the upper reaches of the overall Billboard 200. The album saw SUGAR pushing boundaries yet again on songs like the country-flavoured ‘Believe What You’re Saying‘ and the incendiary ‘Gee Angel‘, tackling a wider range of musical approaches without sacrificing their signature intensity and unrestrained power. Despite their successes, SUGAR called it a day following a Japanese tour in early 1995. A series of live recordings, reissues, and anthologies served to magnify the band’s legacy over the three decades since, confirming SUGAR as incontrovertible masters of high-volume guitar-fueled rock for the ages. The original members of SUGAR reconvened in June 2025 to record ‘House of Dead Memories’, the first new SUGAR song in over three decades.

“The long pause is over. I’m excited to hit the PLAY button. See you in 2026!” – Bob Mould

“Can’t wait to bring it to the people in 2026….fasten your seatbelts folks.” – Malcolm Travis

“I am really looking forward to these shows. It will all get real when I feel Bob’s amp shaking my pants legs again.” – David Barbe

CONNECT WITH SUGAR:
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CONNECT WITH BOB MOULD:

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Circle 60 – Mother Laudanum Video

Circle 60 – Mother Laudanum Video

CIRCLE 60 RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM ‘GODS OF DIMENSION’ TO BE RELEASED OCTOBER 24TH VIA OCTOPHONIC RECORDS

PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE:

ALBUM LAUNCH GIG CONFIRMED FOR OCTOBER 23RD AT THE 229, LONDON. TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE:

Featuring thirteen tracks of future-drenched psychedelic Sci-Fi laden punk-rock n’ roll, following on from their (astounding) debut “SawnOff Shotgold” which landed a mere 5 short years ago, Circle 60 return once more with their new opus “Gods Of Dimension”, due for release October 24th via Octophonic Records.

CIRCLE 60 – once described as “a neuer Klang sonic assemblage of psychedelic-punk art and Sci-fi melodics” are composed of members and collaborators of Gorillaz, Muse, Delakota, Penguin Cafe, Senseless Things, Loup GarouX and more. Taking their “kaleidoscopic katalysts” from early British hallucinogenic pop and raw punk abandon – they deliver a “heady messy concoction of neural disturbance and explosive rock action, Verstehen?”

Today, listeners are treated to another sweet taste of the album’s charms in new single ‘The Sonic Invisible’. It’s an explosive melee that effortlessly manages, in less than three minutes, to perfectly encapsulate Circle 60’s union of punk frenzy and swirling garage psychedelia.

“The Sonic Invisible track is inspired by an underground club night that takes place in various clandestine locations around the UK. “A spiral staircase navigating your mind” – its members believe that there is a cogniscient force that pulses throughout, and outside of, all creation – an all-pervasive vibration that penetrates the totality of existence,” explains Circle 60’s spokesperson, The Octopus. “It is beyond thought and beyond definition. And it’s undetectable – unvisible – to us, physically, but most recognisable as…music. The Sonic Invisible is the very sound and essence of existence itself. We felt it was important to get its name out there. With music.”

Circle 60 were birthed out of the irradiated glow of late-night sci-fi reruns and cemented over their mutual love of discordance, technology and big filthy punk hits. The band – made up of Cass Browne, Morgan Nicholls, Ade Emsley and Des Murphy – are veterans of too many bands and numerous genres, but were compelled to combine everything they knew and loved into this one pure musical and unmedicated chemistry. And an overwhelming desire to make new technology scream. It’s rarer than Haley’s comet to get these four unique talents to collide at the same time, but it seems their time is now.

Early demos were sent to The Damned’s Captain Sensible who immediately stopped baking his Sourdough loaves and sent them something back hurtling through the crackling ethernet, in the form of a blistering set of guitar lines. This became “Mother Laudanum” – the first cut transmitted from the new album (watch the video HERE), which came accompanied with its own highspeed “tear-up-round-Paris” video. But of course, this was just a warning.

“Gods of Dimension” is an exceptional collection of superlative melodics, wildly gifted guitars, unfathomably talented bass and drums that would make Keith Moon himself scratch his head in complete bafflement. It’s real life-affirming frequency-filling stuff, designed to race the blood and lift the soul. Gods of Dimension explodes like a black hole swallowing a Moog synthesizer, spitting out choruses that sound like a riot big enough to sink a falling starship. And the message is delivered with crystal clarity: each track written and recorded at 432Hz, this single-loaded shotgun 12”, thirteen-track smart-bomb has been designed to cover every frequency known to man – the very loudest, clearest and most pristine piece of vinyl achievable. Circle 60 aren’t trying to paint the future —they’re trying to destroy the concept of time altogether. They’ve already outlasted several civilizations. Yours could be next.

Their last live activity – due to support The Who at arenas in Manchester and Dublin – got shutdown mere days before the concerts due to the wonderful gift of global lockdowns and Covid-19. The more suspicious would claim a deliberate sabotage of their mission.

But – now – they’re ready once more. They will be live. Their one and only album launch show now announced! – “Turn On, Tune In, Turn Tables”

Circle 60 play “Gods of Dimension” at the “The Sonic Invisible” 229 Great Portland St, London W1W 5PN on October 23rd.

Tickets available HERE:

Find Circle 60 online at:

YOUTUBE:

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Nico Bones- ‘Sweet Heart Break’ (Wanda Records)

Nico Bones- ‘Sweet Heart Break’ (Wanda Records)

Coming on like the best bar band you never heard, this is bourbon on the rocks rock n roll with the bells and whistles. I always go back to my Johnny Thunders, Hanoi Rocks and early 70s Stones and the Faces when they were poor for my Rock n Roll fix, and I keep praying for that revival when it’s cool for kids to dress up, smear on some guyliner and pour out a few sharpeners whilst the amps get turned up to 11. Rock n Roll is meant to be reckless, exciting and a little bit on the dangerous side. It’s not meant to be sterile, safe and compressed to within an inch of its life. The Dolls never did it, Aerosmith lived from day to day kicking out the jams, so when I hear a band opening up their main arteries and I hear their blood spilling on the turntable to the tune of Keith and Sylvain, I sigh with relief and turn the fucker up!

It’s not rocket science or math rock baby, when ‘Satin Doll’ dances out of the speakers, You can tell these cats have got it going on brothers and sisters and my speakers are off the critical list no need for a defribulator they’ve just had the kiss of life from Nico Bones baby. A big grooving riff, overdriven amps, a cool back beat, some barroom joanna, gang vocals Hell Yeah! The drinks are on us!

Lets get excited for some timeless Rock N’ Roll as ‘Judy’ enters the party swinging a bottle and the vital ingredients intact. NYC sleazy punk ‘n’ roll straight outta the Californian sunshine. Bluesy, boozin’ and smokin’ hot. They play that slide like Joe Perry’s life depended on it, and they were clearly paying attention.

They don’t care if they’ve borrowed a chord progression off Sweet or Slade, and they are proud to be struttin’ around in Jaggers sequins. The energy of ‘Hard Pill To Swallow’ is there for everyone to hear. Hell, they even throw in the correct spelling of ‘LUVE’ on ‘Bottle Of Luve’ before slowing things down for a serious groove on ‘Brown Sugar’. The Quireboys sounded like this once. It’s not all party party party, you have to come down sometimes and chill beside the pool. ‘Sidewinder’ is like they’d just liberated a Green On Red album from a house they’d just raided. I’m only gutted it’s just your six-shooter and not more. I guess we won’t have to wait too long for the follow-up guys there must be a whole bunch more where this came from. Buy it, it’ll make you more attractive and live longer and you’re record collection will be so much better for it.

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Author: Dom Daley

Conflict – ‘The Collusion Exclusion’ Video

Conflict – ‘The Collusion Exclusion’ Video

CONFLICT RELEASE NEW SINGLE ‘THE COLLUSION EXCLUSION’ FROM THEIR RECENT ALBUM, ‘THIS MUCH REMAINS’.

DIGITAL OUT NOW

10” VINYL OUT 31ST OCTOBER 2025

PRE-ORDER HERE:

Pic: Simon Balaam

“The Collusion Exclusion – The Serenade is Dead for the modern generation.” Gav King

Conflict formed in 1981 in Eltham, a district of Southeast London, when frontman Colin Jerwood, inspired by early encounters with the Pistols ‘Spunk’ bootleg and following The Clash on tour, struck up a friendship with Crass and set about crafting a whole new kind of punk that totally upped the ante in terms anger and confrontation. Crass, the renowned anarchist punk collective, having got Conflict started by releasing their debut single ‘The House That Man Bult’ in 1982 on Crass Records, ended in 1984 as they had always intended. Now it was up to Conflict to pick up the baton and run with it. And they did, charging into the battle lines of authority. A genuine threat. An unstoppable battering-ram of power. THE UNGOVERNABLE FORCE.

The years that followed saw Conflict go from strength to strength, and from threat to threat, peaking on the 18th of April in 1987 at the London Brixton Academy for the ‘Gathering of the 5,000’ concert. It was an ambitious gathering of the tribes. A climax and explosion of rage and rebellion that inevitably ended up in a police provoked full-scale riot across Brixton with police injuries, arrests, and with the band hopelessly in debt and banned from the majority of major London and UK venues.

Undeterred, Conflict continued into the 90s with their acclaimed ‘Conclusion’ album and remained a mainstay of the live punk circuit throughout. However, after more than two decades since the release of their (2003) ‘There’s No Power Without Control’ album, the band finally released a new album, ‘This Much Remains’ in May this year through Mortarhate/Cadiz Music.

Unfortunately the album was only out for a few weeks before Colin passed away from a short illness.

“Colin had talked with us all over the past year or so about future plans and releases and this is one of them. We’re trying to honor as much of that as possible” states guitarist and long standing member Gav King.

The maddening insanity of global politics is never far from Conflict’s agenda. ‘The Collusion Exclusion’ is, says Fiona, “about how we are divided and set against each other in order to maintain control, unwittingly colluding in our own oppression. The more we fight amongst ourselves, the more they can exploit the situation to their advantage. Colin wrote the first verse and chorus, and I just finished it off, with my version of the chorus and a second verse. I wanted to use the imagery of a pantomime, as watching what’s happening feels like one sometimes. I mean, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump look like caricatures of human beings, it’s absurd that anyone would vote for them, but they did and have done again in the case of Trump. They are using the devices of turning people against each other. “Look over there! That other poor person is your enemy, not me, the billionaire”.

“Conflict are stronger than ever,” stated Colin Jerwood in May just before his premature passing, “and more relevant than ever.”

For this release they had some friends remix tracks including the legendary Youth (Killing Joke etc) and Sid Truelove (Rubella Ballet) who was one of Colin’s oldest & closest friends:

“I was more than honoured to be asked by Gav King to do a remix for Conflict as a tribute. ‘Take your pick’ Gav said, so I picked the track ‘When the lights go out’ as there was something in Colin’s words that spoke to me lyrically. This was the track.

Colin always said we would do a Rubella Ballet & CONFLICT Dub remix….. I just never imagined he wouldn’t be here to give me his loyal support and honest feedback.

We were always the greatest of friends from late ‘79 when me and Zillah Minx met him for the first time. I still hear his infectious laughter echoing around the house.

The lights may have gone out but Colin’s spirit remains strong in his music, his words, his and Conflict’s fight for human and animal rights everywhere.

Rest in peace dear friend.” – Sid Truelove (Rubella Ballet)

Conflict Website

Its Karma Its Cool – ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets’ – (Self Release)

Its Karma Its Cool – ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets’ – (Self Release)

The new album from Its Karma Its Cool is the bands fourth forray into long Player territory and is entitled ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets’. The band’s 4th is my first, and with an open mind, I ventured into their gentle guitar-led pop tunes, and my initial thoughts were grown-up rock music, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it has a mature edge to it in a grand way, touching on The Killers and possibly a U2 influence here and there. The title track’s breakdown has me feeling Killers vibes for sure, and I do like the guitar solo and rhythm that runs through it.

The band’s arrangements and production are big and paint big landscapes, especially on songs like ‘Swans’ and ’21st Century Meds’, which I particularly liked. It had a great burst of energy when the intro died down, taking me by surprise. In contrast, the melodic ‘Arcades’ follows with some big, almost 80s Then Jerico feel to it.

‘This is a more guitar-heavy album than our previous releases. It should help us shake off the power pop tag (though there’s nothing wrong with power pop)’Goliath’ is a mid-tempo melodic track with layered vocals that ebb and flow. Leaving the pop melody of ‘Explosion’ to take this LP home, and an enjoyable easy-going listen it was. Life isn’t always about wild, challenging music assaulting your senses not all the time anyway, and it’s nice to step out of that comfort zone and listen to something different, and this was a pleasurable jaunt into a guitar-based slice of power pop with big arrangements and cheerful melodies that take the listener to a very different place. It’s about living in this modern world, and what it means to be alive in the 21st century. And it’s nice to be alive and able to listen to well-crafted albums like this.

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Role Models/Billy Liar/Empty Page – Water Rats London. 03.10.25

Role Models/Billy Liar/Empty Page – Water Rats London. 03.10.25

It’s been a long time coming, and it’s good to be back. As I head into the big smoke for the first Role Models show in many a moon, I’m excited to hear a bunch of songs I’ve not had the pleasure of hearing live for quite some time and in a venue I’ve not been in for even longer. Hell, Bob Dylan played here, and I also believe it was the first venue the Pogues played in, as well as Oasis, so no pressure, gentlemen.

First up are the ever-impressive Empty Page; however, I entered the venue as they were exiting, much to my shame, as I wanted to catch them, as I haven’t seen them since they last played in the Black Heart with Role Models and their latest album ‘Imploding’ was one of the best albums from a UK band last year. Onto Billy Liar, who was performing with his full electric band, which is something I’ve not seen before, as previously it was just Billy on his own, which is a pretty formidable spectacle in itself, but tonight it was a very different beast, and opening with the excellent ‘Righteous And The Rats’ from his debut album ‘Some Legacy’ the band sounded tight and full of energy. By the time they hit the excellent ‘Baltimore’ they were on fire and it was an impressive sight as Billy led the band through tracks off both his albums, putting a smile on the faces of those present with his storytelling lyrics oozing style and craft with his folk meets working class punk rock but it’s all about the songs, and Billy has a pocketful of em.

There’s even time for a rampant run through the Rancid classic ‘Olympia’, and by the time ‘I Still Struggle’ filled the room, it was almost done. Only time left for a barbaric romp through ‘Hogmanay’ and the night was perfectly poised with a short while before Role Models hit the stage, and the most excellent supporting cast had suitably warmed up the audience.

The lights dimmed as Rags moved centre stage before being joined by the rest of the band for tonight’s headlining set. Opening with a wild and raucous ‘Dance Moves’ before heading straight into ‘Lie For Today’, before ‘Saturday Night Sailor’ thumped through the speakers. It was commented to me how in step the rhythm section was, holding the energy of the songs with a really tight double punch courtesy of Simon and Dan, who were on fire.

It was clear that the spirit of Role Models was filling the room with a bunch of catchy power pop punk rock n roll tunes and keeping them loose is a fine line, but tonight these four walked that tightrope perfectly, and already we were flicking through the albums from ‘Go To Guy’ via ‘Dance Moves’, and ‘(I Broke My Back) Disappointing You’ was like being hit by a steaming train. Loud, fun and boundless energy, this is what rock ‘n’ roll should sound like.

For those who don’t know, there’s more Role Models material outside of the three albums, and tonight we had them hitting us from everywhere. ‘The Charity EP, ‘Fuck You, See You At The Talent Show’ it was coming from all corners tonight. Represented from that fantastic EP were ‘New Reason’ and ‘Little Let Down’, but they bookended the soulful and emotional ‘Bullshit Corner’, a real deep cut from the ‘Forest Lawn’ album, where Rags stood alone on the stage but filled the room with raw emotion before being joined by the rest of the band. Damn, how the fuck weren’t these songs on the damn radio and these four gentlemen playing sold-out shows across the country? If I could have hand-picked the set list, I’d have plumped for a mix of what’s come so far and the bangers that pepper the second half of the set, with the deep cuts like ‘Bullshit Corner’, this was opening up to be one hell of a night.

By the time we hit the homestretch, it was the sing-alongs of ‘Cherry Dear’ followed by ‘Manette Street’, Damn, why did I just look at the time? This awesome reunion was drawing to a close, so it was ‘Radio’ followed by the showstopper of ‘This Eventually Leads Nowhere’, and we were done. Rags said his thanks and left the stage. Still, we weren’t done yet; no, sir, the audience demanded they return to the stage for an encore that was genuinely deserved. There was no fake ending; it was done and dusted. Still, being the good go-to guys, of course, they were going to play one more, Whammo!!! Songs were shouted out, but it was deemed we needed to hear ‘Disappointing You’ one more time when Nick’s amp rebooted, obviously.

It was always a pleasure and never a chore watching these boys, and I was delighted to have made the journey up to London Town to catch them again, and I headed out into the cold London night, happy that once again they delivered the goods and zero bullshit rock ‘n’ roll was delivered, and people left with happy smiling faces. That’s job done, isn’t it? Now, one last request: Can we do this maybe every year, maybe just before Christmas? Pretty please? Whammo!!! It’s been a long time coming, and it’s good to be back.

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Author: Dom Daley

*If you want to get hold of one of the CD’s drop us a message on social media.

Senser – ‘Sonic Dissidence’ (Imprint Music)

Senser – ‘Sonic Dissidence’ (Imprint Music)

It’s been twelve years since they dished up ‘To The Capsule’, fifteen years since ‘How To Do Battle’ and thirty-plus years since they stormed to providence with ‘Stacked Up’. Tough times call for bands like Senser to rise from the ashes and start lobbing musical Molotov cocktails. Mixing their trip hop, hip hop with metal and a whole heap of experimental rhythms and easter delights oh and a social conscience.

Senser should stay in the annals of history if they can’t walk the walk and talk the talk, and with ‘Sonic Dissidence’, it’s fair to say they still have the fever and that fire in the belly; otherwise, what’s the point? Kicking off the new album with the grunt of ‘Ryot Pump’, it’s a headfuck of noise from the guitars groovin’ away like they’re primed from the depths of Hell married with some superb rhythmic drumming like Jane’s Addiction used to do, and the vocal attack of Haitham and Kerstin is exactly what you want to hear from Senser in 2025.

Without a pause for breath, ‘Optimus’ is like a tank ploughing through buildings on the prowl. With tweeks and scratches, walking you through the side step. The hypnotic chorus is a real earworm.

I’d say ‘Old World’ is a slice of classic-sounding Senser with a brutal riff weaving around the dual vocals as Haytham raps and Kirsten sings her lush melody to the chorus. In a weird way, I always find Senser records dark and end-of-days-like like but they always leave me hopeful and uplifted and remind me that I’m on the right side of history as well. With tracks like the beligerant ‘Full Bodied Rebellion’ followed by the smooth adjit trip hop of ‘End Of Days’, then ‘Already Dead’, it’s no wonder I’m contradicting myself with my thoughts on the record. But it’s a journey and one I’m more than happy to take.

By the time you’re deep into the album, there is no escape, and ‘Bleak Division’ might just be the best so far. The lyrics are spot on, and the riff is like cycling into a brick wall face-first, but getting back on and keeping going. The band are on fire and married with the scratching and Public Enemy tweaks its fantastic stuff.

The album really takes hold, and instead of resting on their laurels or going into autopilot, ‘Air Loom’ is Haigh’s time to shine, and boy, does she deliver. The penultimate offering is an old school thrash banger; ‘Harbinger’ could be Exodus at their finest. If that doesn’t satisfy your needs, there’s still time to exhale as ‘Carrier Wave’ is the multi-sensory room come down to take this album home, and at the hands of Andy Brook at the desk, the sound is a complete sonic assault. The music landscape is a better place with new music from Senser now, don’t leave it so long next time, please, guys. Buy It! They head out on tour later this month as well

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Author: Dom Daley

Silver Dollar Room – ‘It Can’t Rain All the Time’ (Self Release)

Silver Dollar Room – ‘It Can’t Rain All the Time’ (Self Release)

Silver Dollar Room arrived on my radar near the end of last year with their debut full-length, which I meant to review until life got in the way. I have been familiar with their lead guitarist, Jamie Turnbul,l for several years through his production work for Tyla. The “difficult” second album is not a problem here, as the band has exceeded their debut across the board for my tastes. Their sound falls into the broad alt-rock genre, but their influences are quite diverse within that spectrum. My warning going into this album is that the first listen or two are subtle, with several moments that are cool and bring you back to it. Before I knew it, though, the album was on repeat with the songs burrowing deeply into me.

The first song on the album ‘Normal People’ takes some pensive grunge tendencies and uses them to let us know that we do not know where the album will initially go. This isn’t an album of upbeat songs. These songs reside in the darkness within us and society, with flashes of hope at times. The guitar solo by Turnbull provides that light in the first song. I also want to call out the drum work by Douglas McDonald, whose work is showcased across the whole album. On the opening song it helps take the song to another level. ‘Come Morning’ increases the tempo a little bit with a sound that recalls the 90’s grunge era mixed with a kaleidoscope of other influences to create one of those subtle choruses that just digs itself deeper and deeper into the listener. John Keenan’s vocals are full of heart and emotion. One constant across this album is that is should be played very loudly.

One of those initial glimpses of the excellence here happens next with ‘Breathe.’ There is almost a poppy style vocal over the first verse at the beginning, and then it gets more and more intense. We circle back to the poppier style for the second verse before crashing back into the intensity. There are so many awesome moments for me in this song that I cannot possibly highlight them all. I will focus on one of them, where McDonald’s drums and Ryan Shearer provide a breakdown that leads into a short but epic burst of a guitar solo that transitions into the end of the song. “Purple” begins with some uplifting guitar before transitioning into a darker-feeling song that is another album highlight. There are some grungy elements here as well as some Manics influence too. There are great dynamics between the breakdown and the guitar solo. Closing out the first half of the album is ‘Eyes.’ You may have picked up the song titles are very brief, and this is true throughout the album. While this rocker doesn’t hit the same highs for me as the previous two, it is a solid song with some excellent guitar work.

‘Crazy Eyes’ kicks off the second half of the album with a slow, moody approach that reminds me a bit of early Pearl Jam. Keenan’s vocals shine again here as the intensity builds. I would love to hear this song live as the guitar solo eases up some of the intensity momentarily before the surge at the end, without the song ever increasing the tempo. The catchy refrains and approach of ‘Can’t Rain’ remind me of a less mainstream Tonic. Musically, each member is hitting on all cylinders here to create an awesome song, especially the jam that I imagine can be stretched out in the live setting. Increasing the beat and intensity, ‘Smile’ feels like it was channelled from the 90s with a musical feel that reminds me of early Kerbdog and Seven Storey Mountain.

‘Monsters’ details some horrific subject matter and why everyone should listen to women. Musically, it is a hook filled song with some excellent intensity and a highlight among highlights here. Keenan uses his voice in some different ways across the song and just delivers a master class in singing. The band close out the album with the longest song ‘Broken’ on the album. This is a slow burning track that serves as an excellent closer with the easy going start giving way to a hard rocking epic feel. This song drips emotion.

Over the course of ten songs, Silver Dollar Room have created a second album that shines and demands a lot of listens. If you enjoy grungy alt-rock from the 90’s or current excellent acts like James and the Cold Gun, this is an album for you. I don’t know where it will be on my albums of the year list, but it will be on there somewhere. This is also one of those albums that I can see myself listening to in 15-20 or more years.

‘It Can’t Rain All the Time’ is available now.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

Supersuckers – ‘Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing’ (Hard Charger Records)

Supersuckers – ‘Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing’ (Hard Charger Records)

When the title dropped, it was game over. Of course, this was going to be a killer album packed with cowpunk goodness, wicked solos, awesome licks and tricks and lyrics that would make me smile, smirk and howl. Twelfth studio album deep in almost four decades, I swear, as soon as the needle drops and ‘Maybe I’m just messing with you’ kicks me square in the temple, I’m hooked. Great tempo, familiar lick and gritty spaghetti vocals that hit the bullseye right from the get-go.

What next for these supersuckers? Well, how about a melodic mid-tempo rocker? Again, it’s a great hook for number two, and this one hits you between the eyes. Is it legal for a band to be this far into their rocky rockin’ career and still make records that sound this fuckin’ monsterously good? Already I’m punching the air and firing off my guns all at once, can I get a hell yeah! And a yee haw! Those supersuckers are killing it. If you ain’t digging this, then listen to Eddie when he says Go fuck yourself. Me I’m all in and loving life and loving the new long player from Supersuckers so all that’s gone to shit in the world, there are pockets of sunlight filtering through the cracks, and music can be one. Always with a great turn of phrase and married it to some memorable earworm guitar playing, it’s a comfort and the lifeblood to hear records this badass.

Let’s ease back a little and not get overexcited; it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so let’s get a shuffle on as ‘Unsolved Problems’ eases into my head and I can’t shift it. Gentle earworms are dangerous, like audio crack, be careful kids. On another point, whilst I remember, Eddie sounds magnificent on this record after his health issues, he sounds stronger than ever and sings like a seasoned pro, bloody marvellous.

Don’t become complacent or feel lulled into a false sense of security because Eddy and the boys turn it up and remind us it’s time to put it down.

The record ebbs and flows as we relax a little and Eddie whispers sweet nothings in our ear, and he explains how he tried to write a song. And boy did he write a song, in fact, he’s written a whole bunch of em right here right now. The playing on a Supersuckers record has never been this focused has it? At times it’s blistering, and I love the tone of those acoustic guitars on ‘Meaningful Song’, proving that these boys can turn their hand to whatever they like and pull it off.

If you’re umming and ahring, then stop right now. Buy this record because the Supersuckers are on fire and on this evidence are as good, if not better than ever. They don’t need to write another ‘Born With A Tail’ or ‘Pretty Fucked Up’, been there done that.  What you get for your hard-earned is eleven tunes of varying degrees of awesome, be it cowpunk shuffle, acoustic porch torches, or rock out with your cock out. Supersuckers do it better than most and leave a bloody awesome-looking trail of destruction behind them, and we can revisit this particular crime scene anytime we want. Now put that there song ‘Volunteer’ back on, grab a beer (and one for yourself) and turn it up. Hell, there’s even a stonkin take on Lee Harvey Oswald’s ‘Rocket 69’ (that reminds me to play that most excellent ‘Blastranaut’ album just because I can, and it fits right in amongst all this awesomeness.

Edward Carlyle Daly III, “Metal” Marty Chandler (guitar), and Christopher “Chango” von Streicher (drums) take a bow, you motherfuckers are trippin good, and I urge anyone who loves rock n roll to buy this motherfuckin’ record.

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Former Fast Eddy frontman, Micah Morris,  serves up his first solo offering

Former Fast Eddy frontman, Micah Morris,  serves up his first solo offering

Mile high rocker Micah Morris has had his hands in the international punk rock n’ roll circuit for a long time. From his family roots in the Austin, Texas music scene, to his humble beginnings playing in a punk band in the mountains of Colorado, to busking on the 16th Street Mall, to his first Denver band Six Shooter, and on to the prolific band Fast Eddy, Morris continues to push forward into new territory with his music.

The songs Morris has authored have already been acclaimed internationally, such as Fast Eddy’s 2022 release “Take a Look”, which earned the title of “Coolest Song in the World” on Sirius XM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage.

As the latest generation of his family’s musical legacy, Morris is the cousin of The Monkees own Michael Nesmith. His father Gene Morris is an accomplished musician of the Austin, Texas scene who played with the likes of yacht rock legend Christopher Cross, critically acclaimed guitarist Eric Johnson, and various members of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Double Trouble. His mother Anne Norman was a production assistant to Carole King in her later 70’s era of recording.

“Tortilla Soup” is the first single from his upcoming solo record performed under the moniker of MICAH AND THE MIRRORS.  This new release was recorded and produced by Dan Dixon (credits with Doobie Brothers, Zac Brown, Ravagers, Queers)  and produced by Randy Michael (The Booze, Solid State Radio) in Atlanta, Georgia. All songs were written by Morris himself.

The future is looking bright for MICAH AND THE MIRRORS as his new music will challenge the boundaries of his former works as a reflection of Morris’ musical journey thus far and also his illuminated path forward as a solo artist!

A message from Micah

There’s a lot to say about this, but first of all I’ll say that it’s been a long time coming. A lot has changed for me lately, and ultimately it has all led me to this. I’m finally putting out a solo album. The ability to explore my own mind, soul, and emotions in relation to my music unencumbered is something that I have needed to do since I first picked up an instrument. I feel like the time has finally come to chase that dream.

This may seem like a departure for some, but for me, it’s an arrival. I promise to deliver the most raw and real version of what I have to offer. I’ll do what I can to keep rock n’ roll alive, if for no one else, then at least for myself.

Live fast and prosper 

First release from Micah Morris’ solo project Micah and the Mirrors. Full length record coming in April 2026 on Spaghetty Town Records.