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PETER HOOK INDUCTED INTO ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

PETER HOOK INDUCTED INTO ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

PETER HOOK INDUCTED INTO ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME AS JOY DIVISION & NEW ORDER FOUNDER MEMBER AND BASSIST

UK FESTIVAL DATES

AUSTRALIA & NORTH AMERICA TOURS

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation have announced Joy Division and New Order as one of the acts to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for 2026. Peter Hook was a founding member and bass player for both bands, playing a critical role in what defined their respective unique sound.

On the announcement of the news, Peter Hook shared: “I am so happy to be accepted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you would not believe it! It’s such a compliment to all the fans of Joy Division and New Order and it’s now been confirmed. My thanks to Ian Curtis, Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson – your hard work and inspiration has meant everything to me. I will be delighted to be inducted and I’m looking forward to the night so much! See you there. Peter Hook.”

Meanwhile, Peter Hook & The Light will this year play major tours of Australia and New Zealand in July and the USA and Canada in September and October, interspersed with select UK dates and festivals throughout the year. Full UK dates as follows:

MAY

Sat 09 BRISTOL Gigantic All-Dayer

Fri 22 DERBYSHIRE Bearded Theory

JUNE

Thu 04 MANCHESTER Academy (with Buzzcocks)

Wed 10 GLASGOW Kelvingrove Bandstand

Thu 11 LINCOLN Summer Sessions (with OMD)

Fri 19 SOUTHAMPTON Summer Sessions (with OMD)

JULY

Fri 03 ALTRINCHAM Britfest

Sun 26 SUFFOLK Latitude

AUGUST

Fri 07 ROCHDALE Town Hall (with OMD)

Sat 15 SCARBOROUGH Interzone

TICKETS: https://peterhookandthelight.live

The 2026 dates follow a mammoth run of live shows last year, taking in tours of Europe and North America and a full UK tour at the end of the year – which saw the band play the Get Ready album by New Order in full – and a full EU tour earlier this year that took them to the Netherlands, Germany,

Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Belgium.

Peter Hook first revisited the seminal Joy Division album Unknown Pleasures back in May 2010 for a commemorative charity concert and has followed it each year by performing subsequent albums from the repertoire of his bands, Joy Division and New Order. His dedication to his back catalogue has now seen him move through Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Still, Movement, Power Corruption & Lies, Low Life, Brotherhood, Technique, Republic and Substance to arrive at the Get Ready album. Having toured the albums extensively, the band have now amassed approaching 1000 concerts.

Among the many highlights since he reintroduced his early repertoire to a legion of audiences across the world, both old and new, have been appearances at Benicassim, Primavera Sound, Kendal Calling, Bestival, Victorious and Rebellion, alongside extensive touring in Europe, North and South America, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand to great acclaim from both fans and critics alike.

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Cult Figures – Reports Of People'(Precious Recordings Of London’)

Cult Figures – Reports Of People'(Precious Recordings Of London’)

Cult Figures’ fourth album, ‘Reports of People’, is a collection of eleven tracks that span a variety of post-punk genres, but the one thing that is front and centre is the album’s authenticity and what a wonderful-sounding record it is.  I wasn’t sure what to expect at all but once the air was full of the well rounded production it was full on and before I know it this album had grabbed my attention as it pivotted from all out thuggish post punk to lush wonderful melodies, urgent, visceral, and abrasive, with a mix of punk, post-punk, and other influences it sounds familiar yet fresh. One thing it does is show that since the band’s inception in the late 70s, they have picked up like magpies a thing or two that has helped them grow in their confident sound and produce a most excellent listen flowing from gentler tempos like ‘Scum’ that closes out the record as something of a recovery tune to its predesessor ‘Lunatic Friend’ that is full of fire and menace just like the title might suggest. The band’s creativity around a scene is excellent, and every play delivers a new favourite song and something that grabs you that previously had washed over you.

With clever working-class lyrics and tales of everyday people we can all associate with, it helps draw you in
‘Death Of A Thousand Cuts’ and the previously mentioned ‘Scum’ are two great examples you’ll smile and ponder when listening, but the overwhelming thought will be this sounds fuckin excellent, no question about it.

Having said all that, my favourite track from the first play to the last has to be the ‘Lunatic Friend’ with its boundless energy and cheeky lyrics we’ve all drank in those pubs and have that one mate, what a killer thrasher it is, like a flying headbutt audio style. Buy this record!

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LENNY KAYE’S NUGGETS LIVE AT THE BBC – RECORD STORE DAY 10” RELEASE WITH EXCLUSIVE LONDON LISTENING PARTY

LENNY KAYE’S NUGGETS LIVE AT THE BBC – RECORD STORE DAY 10” RELEASE WITH EXCLUSIVE LONDON LISTENING PARTY

To coincide with two sold-out shows at London’s iconic 100 Club, Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group, original Nuggets compiler), alongside Joe De Lorenzo (former The Damned tour manager), who co-promoted the London shows, assembled an all-star Nuggets Band and headed to BBC Maida Vale Studios to record a session for Marc Riley & Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music. That electrifying session is now set for release as Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live At The BBC, arriving exclusively for Record Store Day as a limited edition 10” vinyl.

Released via Johnny Depp’s In.2 records label, this four-track EP captures the spirit and legacy of the original Nuggets era, brought to life by a powerhouse line-up: Nick Detroit (Rat Scabies/The Damned), Dave Treganna (Sham 69, Lords of the New Church), Marty Love (Johnny Moped, Wingmen), Doctor Clive Jackson (Dr & The Medics), Greg Rice (Whiskey Town) and Jim Jones (Jim Jones All Stars, Thee Hypnotics).

Recorded live on 4th April 2024 and broadcast shortly after on BBC 6 Music, the EP features: I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night / My Little Red Book / Little Bit O’ Soul / Gloria.

The release comes full circle with I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night, famously the opening track on the groundbreaking 1972 compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, curated by Kaye. That seminal collection, featuring artists such as the 13th Floor Elevators, The Electric Prunes, and The Seeds, is widely regarded as one of the most influential compilations of all time and helped define the term “punk rock” in its earliest usage.

Pressed as a strictly limited run of 1,000 copies (500 black vinyl, 500 blue vinyl), Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live At The BBC is a must-have artefact for collectors and fans alike, celebrating the enduring impact of garage rock, psychedelia, and the spirit of Nuggets. 

To mark the release, an exclusive listening party will take place at The Spice of Life in Soho from 2pm on Record Store Day (18 April), with limited access for fans and Industry. The event will include – 

  • a preview of Riot on Oxford Street: Nuggets Live at the 100 Club
  • a screening of Alan Blizzard’s short film The Nuggets Movie
  • an on-stage Q&A
  • an exclusive playback of Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live at the BBC EP

Tongue Action – ‘Rock n Roll Zero’ (Self Release)

Tongue Action – ‘Rock n Roll Zero’ (Self Release)

Strap yourselves in and get ready for some Tongue Action. Tongue Action delivers high-energy rock ’n’ roll from ’70s punk thru, ’80s sleaze rock like a hard rock sponge, they’ve absorbed the lot and tried to mould it into something that makes sense in 2026.

Of course, they’re gonna say they like it loud and live is where it’s at, but on this four-track EP, do they walk the walk as well as they talk the talk? Well, trying to be original or even relevant in this day and age is a feat in itself because some smart arse in the press is going to tell you they’ve seen it all before yada yada yada. But let’s give some dues to any band coming out in 2026 and giving it big guns and totally believing in what it is they’re singing about.

The songs on offer here are certainly loud, fast, and, to be fair, pretty decent. OK, so the opening track is ‘Wild Women’, apart from the obvious cliches, it’s got a good tempo, and the chorus is easy to throw your arms aloft and join in on. The guitars are gritty, and the vocal delivery is in the post-NWOBHM style, which is not to be sniffed at. It’s infectious (just like the wild women), and then it’s gone, it went as quickly as it started. Retro but in a good way. Snotty Hard Rock would be my description of this EP. I like how raw it is, and it adds to the attitude and the second track ‘RMFR’ is definitely on an upwards trajectory, channelling the attitude of the Dead Boys and mixing it with some Scandi Rock (how aware they are of what has come out of Scandinavia in the last two decades, I have no clue), but this is decent.

‘Seduce And Destroy’ injects its DNA from the classic Undertones big hitter, but that’s where the resemblance ends. I like it, there are earworms at work here on a Razorbats from Norway level, and the song is really good. The EP closes out with ‘Emily Baby!’. I hope she’s pleased with the song penned about her, and so she should be with plenty of attitude. This is a grower for sure. I love hearing new music from far-flung places and hearing there are people dedicated enough to release music and make it loud and snotty, so on that basis alone, I ask you to get on your feet, turn it up and give a big round of applause to Tongue Action from the USA. They rock! And to see they have an LP in the mix on the most excellent Heavy Medication Records only cements the future because it’s not only me that recognises top tunes soon there will be wax and that’s always a good thing.

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Author: Dom Daley

The London Cowboys – ‘Animal Pleasure’ / ‘Tall In The Saddle’ (Jungle Records)

The London Cowboys – ‘Animal Pleasure’ / ‘Tall In The Saddle’ (Jungle Records)

Anytime is the right time for a good rock n roll record so RSD is a good enough reason for a reissue of a fantastic platter of tunes and this 1982 album, plus the 1984 mini-LP with three previously unreleased tracks is reason enough to venture out on RSD 2026. 

The first time this album has been available on vinyl since the 80’s, It’s on a limited-edition coloured vinyl double-LP with notes from the main protagonists Steve Dior and Barry Jones.  Born from the embryonic London punk scene and played alongside both four of the Sex Pistols and four of the New York Dolls!  Guitarist Barry Jones was a co-promoter at the famous Roxy Club; whilst Dior was a young punk scenester. 

Reaching back in time, Firstly, the Idols formed in New York in 1978 with Steve Dior, Barry Jones and Jerry Nolan after he left the Heartbreakers, releasing a single on the US label Ork Records (there is a fine ORK box set out there if you can track it down maybe RSD 27).  The Idols (with Arthur Kane) then became Sid Vicious’s backing band for his final Max’s Kansas City shows.  When Jerry had UK work permit issues, The Idols morphed into the London Cowboys with Barry staying in the USA, joining the legendary Max’s Kansas City club.  The London Cowboys attracted many names from the punk scene, including Glen Matlock, Tony James, Terry Chimes and others a veritable whos who of the punk scene; Barry later returned to the UK to join the Cowboys.  They gigged around the UK and Europe and after recording sessions for major labels in 1982 signed with the French Underdog label, issuing ‘Animal Pleasure’ in ’82 and Tall in the Saddle in ’84.  Barry later joined Johnny Thunders band alongside Glen Matlock & Jerry Nolan (& the Dolls’ Arthur Kane in the USA).  Steve Dior formed Filthy Lucre with Phil Lewis.  In 2025, Dior & Jones announced that a new London Cowboys album was being recorded in London.

Jungle always was th ehome to cool artists and have always been at the forefront of championing the mighty Johnny Thunders over they years so it seems about right that they would release this most excellent double album from the horn honking sleazy rock n rollin of ‘Hook Line And Sinker’, ‘Going Thru The Motions’ and ‘Wow Wow Oui Oui’ it wasn’t all sleazy punk n roll they also dish up the late night ‘Reggae Cop’ which is right in the more rowdy Lords Of The New Church pocket. ‘Rockin’ On A Bad Beat’ is like Eddie Cockran riffin on a Stray Cat and with the favours called in they had some hefty guests lending a hand to create a wonderful record that has stood the test of time and looking back maybe I can appreciate it more now making this a must have RSD purchase. If you are an avid collector of fine audio records or a lover of the hype train that is RSD this is a must own record. IT’s great that the archives were raided and the three bonus track have been added to the release pulling in the EP ‘Tall In The Saddle’ is great and with Monroes horn honkin on ‘Blue Murder’ I’ve said it many many times the saxophone is a much underused instrument especially in sleazy rock n roll it adds flavour and can shape a tune in a totally different direction and its put to great effect here.

‘Centrefold’ is a sneering Dior and who doesn’t love the choppy breakdown with the backing girls. They go a little Stonesy on the mellow ‘Courtesan’ before the time capsule drum intro of ‘It Takes Time’ harks back to simpler times and if a song carried a scent this one would be late nights in Soho or the Lower East Side when they were darker more mysterious places. Side four or the second side of ‘Tall In The Saddle’ will be the one with the intrigue after the choppy ‘False Emotion’ we get the funky ‘Little Misfire’ is like a polaroid of Studio 54 before ‘Candy’ is a stright down rock n rolla before the final offering of ‘Die For Your Love’ is maybe more of the filthy lucre direction and a fitting way to sign off this most excellent record drawing in a wonderful forgotten band of the late 70s early 80s who should have been a staple in alternative post punk kids collections. All these years later is the perfect chance to pick up a gem on RSD and get some London Cowboys in your collection – no brainer just buy it!

Author: Dom Daley

Cyanide Pills to release Double Album

Cyanide Pills to release Double Album

On gatefold sleeve, double colour vinyl or one shiny CD!

Thirty-three tracks! Rounding up all the band’s 7” single releases to date! That’s all their A- and B-sides!

Includes two soon-to-be-released singles, one which will appear as a free 7” with the next issue of SAFETY PIN MAGAZINE, and the other as a very limited-edition lathe cut 7”.

To excite/annoy completists, there will be a third (standard) 7” released at the same time, featuring an A and B-side that don’t appear here.

Cyanide Pills released their first 7” single, Break It Up’, in 2009, following it up with a further 14 fab 45s, the most recent being a split single with Switzerland’s Nasty Rumours early last year. Most of these releases featured exclusive non-album B-sides, which we’ve rounded up for Singled Out. Good to have them in one place, innit! All tracks were recorded at the Billiard Room in Leeds with producer Carl “Razorblade” Rosamond.

“Influences? Hmm, well, we don’t just listen to punk rock, neither did the early bands because there wasn’t any,” said lead singer Phil speaking with Vive le Rock magazine in 2023. “We like the usual suspects, obviously, our favourites are the Belgian band The Kids, X-Ray Spex and Buzzcocks. We like Satan’s Rats, The Tours, Knots, The Fingers, Panic, Kleenex, Crime, The Terrorways, Victims, Wipers, The Briefs, The Spits, The Plugz, Bad Nerves, Nasty Rumours, stuff like that, loads of stuff, Syd Barrett, The Kinks, MC5, Stooges, Bowie, Ruben and the Jets, Kim Fowley, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf. The list goes on and on and on.”

We asked Phil a few questions to tie-in with the release of Singled Out…

All these tracks were recorded with Carl Rosamond as producer. What do you like about working with him?

 Mr Razorblade is a local legend around these parts. When we first went into his place we wanted to capture what we sounded like in the rehearsal room or live. He did more than that, he made us sound like a proper band. I don’t know what knobs he’s twiddling but it sure works! We are great friends and we wouldn’t work with anyone else.

What are your favourite A- and B-side tracks from this compilation and why?

For me, favourite B-sides are ‘Stick ‘em Up’ because it has the late great Jock on lead guitar, it’s our nod to glam rock. Also ‘Lock-up’. It was tradition back in the day for snotty punk bands to show their appreciation for reggae and dub by having a go themselves however crap it may be, this was our attempt.

A-sides, I like them all, maybe ‘Suicide Bomber’ because it’s becoming hard to find, I’ve heard that copies can change hands for over £8 these days! The new singles are pretty good too. 

Over the years, you’ve toured the world. What’s been your strangest gig? And what is your favourite venue to play?

Yes, we were lucky enough to meet Paul, who took us out on the road and with the help of Sandra, our booking agent, we have played in some amazing places. Highlight would be Heligoland, a small island in the North Sea, (look it up) two long boat rides away, the last boat was full of drunken punks, Conor turned green with sea sickness, bless him.

Also, a place we played just off Hollywood Boulevard called Madame Siam, I think it was once a nineteenth-century opium den. Our favourite haunts are Wild at Heart in Berlin and Freakshow in Essen, both incredible punk rock clubs. All the places we have played have been great, our tours have been eventful, and it’s been an adventure. 

How would you describe the other members of Cyanide Pills?

 Adorable! Ha, I’m not falling for that.

We asked the band members to nominate their favourite single…

Sy – ‘Waiting (For You To Call Me)’ because I’m a sucker for power-pop songs with a catchy chorus.

Chris – ‘Break it Up’ is my favourite single because it was the first one, and getting a 7” out on Damaged Goods was a big step up from playing at Batley Frontier Club. I think we put two songs on the B-side because we thought it might be our only release.

TOUR DATES 2026

1st May – Prince Albert, Brighton (with Quick Romance + Indignation Meeting)

2nd May – Punks Against Cancer @ Hairy Dog, Derby (with Skids + loads more!)

3rd May – Wharf Chambers, Leeds

20th May – Sonic Ballroom, Köln, GERMANY

21st May – Hafenklang, Hamburg, GERMANY

22nd May – Wild At Heart, Berlin, GERMANY

23rd May – Freakshow, Essen, GERMANY

7th November – Louisiana, Bristol (w/ The Briefs + Quick Romance)

8th November – Cons Club, Lewes, (w/ The Briefs + Quick Romance)

13th November – Ivory Blacks, Glasgow (w/ The Briefs)

14th November – Styx, Glenrothes (w/ The Briefs)

15th November – Morecambe Punk Festival

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Interrobang? – ‘Rethink Everything’ (FOAD Musick)

Interrobang? – ‘Rethink Everything’ (FOAD Musick)

Dunsten Bruces Interrorbang? are like marmite, some people love ’em, and some simply don’t, there can be no in between, or can there? Album number two is unleashed upon the world in 2026, and this messed-up-on-fire planet probably deserves a head fuck of a record right now to properly reflect what the hell is going on.

Featuring Dunstan Bruce, formerly of Chumbawamba, and Griff, formerly of the band Regular Fries, Interrobang haven’t just made a new record, they’ve basically rewired the engine and fundamentally rethought how urgency sounds.

This record marks a decisive move away from their previous guitar-led confrontational sound. It’s a reinvention of sorts toward something more rhythmic and propulsive. At the heart of that shift is Griff, whose full embrace of synths, samplers, loops and electronic production has reshaped Interrobang into something groovier, more unmistakably dance-driven. A fine example is the single ‘Manosphere’ and the headfuckin begins.

Dive in and get head fucked by punk rock, but not as we know it, right? right! Off you, jolly well, fuck Dunstan says. Ten years in the making, it sounds complex and all over the place, dipping in here, there and everywhere and spending an hour in the head of Dunsten and Griff its like Carter on steroids but not such a leap from the previous album just different I’m not even sure how this would work live but in the safety of my house on loud it is impressive agit synth pop with chopping guitars weighing in in spaces.

Songs like ‘My Name Is’ sounds retro and very dance club retro, whilst ‘Unorthodox’ has a danceable twitch with a Bowie-like guitar lick. ‘Defiance’ sounds like it could have been paired with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphopricy.

I’m not gonna lie and say I love it because there are songs that just pass me by, but there are moments I sit up and take notice, like the acoustic string-laden ‘Broken Heart’. I’d say if you’re looking for guitar adjit punk rock, then you might want to expand your mind and prepare for a palate cleanser, but maybe over time you will grow to love this direction and the soundscapes on offer.

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Author: Dom Daley

Balaam And The Angel – Love Death Wealth Water & tour dates

Balaam And The Angel – Love Death Wealth Water & tour dates

Enduring alt-rockers Balaam And The Angel unleash a new 4-track EP – “Love Death Wealth Water” – alongside a series of single release shows and 40th Anniversary Tour

Pre-order the limited coloured 12” vinyl HERE:

The band continue their widely acknowledged return to form with another striking collection of powerfully dark and atmospheric tracks and embraces their musical legacy with an autumn tour to celebrate 40 years since the release of the classic “The Greatest Story Ever Told” album.   

On Friday, 1st May, Balaam And The Angel will release the ‘Love Death Wealth Water’ EP, a collection of 4 songs recorded as a follow-up to the enthusiastically received 2024 ‘Forces Of Evil’EP, which was the band’s first release of new material in over 30 years.

On that day, the new EP will be available to stream and download on all regular digital platforms.

In addition, a very limited-edition vinyl 4-track 12-inch single will be available on the band’s recently created Darklands Recordings label (Darklands being one of the tracks that appeared on their very first 1984 EP). Copies of the vinyl can be pre-ordered HERE:

Production of the record saw the band return to Oxygene studios in Manchester to record with Christoph Bride (who has recently worked on albums by The Chameleons and Kirk Brandon/Theatre Of Hate/ Spear Of Destiny). Reviews of the previous collaboration (“Forces Of Evil” EP – Oct 2024) were universally positive, making the return to Oxygene an obvious option for the band.   

The sound of the new record is a deliberate attempt to blend the ambience of the band’s darker past with the punchier edge of their later albums alongside some of the most interesting and exciting new approaches to songwriting and recording.

The four tracks on the EP cover a range of lyrical content from some of the band’s more common themes about how we navigate our daily lives and friendships alongside some more provocative themes such as the perception of poverty and the threat of online hacking, scamming and extortion to our daily lives and basic necessities.

“We were very pleased with the response to the “Forces Of Evil” EP and the clear appetite of the alternative rock audience in the UK to embrace our new songs. As a result, we went into the studio this time with a renewed sense of confidence that we were creating the type of energised and atmospheric rock that could resonate with current music fans. The desire to improve upon the previous EP did present us with a challenge, which we were keen to embrace through an elevated attention to detail in the recording process as well as a curiosity to embrace some more contemporary sounds and techniques,” says guitarist Jim Morris.

The band are keen to encourage audiences to search for and listen to the new material on streaming platforms or digital downloads, so will not be preceding the release with a video at this time.

They will, however, support the release of the EP and passionate audience response to their previous live work (sold out Kindred Spirits Day Fest show in London, support dates with Fields Of The Nephilim, a very positively received performance at Tomorrows Ghosts Festival) with a further series of dates across the UK.

Balaam And The Angel are one of the very few bands of their era who can still claim to have maintained their original line-up and, as a result, guarantee their audiences an authentic 80’s alternative live music experience. 

“Love Death Wealth Water” EP track listing:

  1. Wealth
  2. Fear Of Poison Water
  3. You Are Dead To Me
  4. Love Me Too

Pre-order the 12” vinyl HERE

Catch Balaam And The Angel playing tracks from “Love Death Wealth Water” EP live at the following dates:

Sat 9th May: Woking, Fiery Bird

Sun 10th May: Brighton, Concorde 2 – Kindred Spirits Day Fest

Fri 9th July: York, The Fulford Arms

Sat 10th July: Edinburgh, La Belle Angele – Deadinburgh Festival.

Ticket links for all shows can be found via the band’s website: www.balaamandtheangel.co.uk

“The Greatest Story Ever Told” 40th Anniversary Tour:

In August 1986, “The Greatest Story Ever Told” was released on Virgin Records. The album achieved a chart position of 67 in the UK and went on to be released worldwide throughout 1987. “She Knows”, one of three singles taken from the album, charted in the top 75 (peaking at 70), and the period saw Balaam And The Angel headlining shows at UK concert venues like The Town And Country Club, London (now The Forum Kentish Town) and embark upon tours of the USA, Japan and various European countries.

Tracks from the album have become firm live favourites, prompting the band to feel that it would be fitting to mark the album’s anniversary with a carefully curated UK tour during which they will play the album in its entirety.

“Through the years, we have come to appreciate the fact that “The Greatest Story Ever Told” album was a record that represented a very important part of the alternative rock scene in the mid-80s and was a body of work that connected with audiences across the world in a very deep and significant way. For many, it was the soundtrack behind the rights of passage that formed their individual views of life and, from the feedback we get, is still an album that they return to alongside other classics from that period. We are keen to be seen to be moving forward with new material, but think there is a clear responsibility on us to mark the anniversary of this release with some live performances,” said singer Mark Morris

Hear “The Greatest Story Ever Told” on the following dates:

November:

Friday 20th – Leeds, Warehouse

Friday 27th – London, Bush Hall

Saturday 28th – Birmingham, 02 Institute2

More dates to be announced over the coming weeks….

Balaam And The Angel are:

Mark Morris – bass/vocals

Jim Morris – guitar/keyboards

Des Morris – drums

Uni Boys – ‘Uni Boys’ (Curation Records)

Uni Boys – ‘Uni Boys’ (Curation Records)

The eponymous new album from Californian power pop four-piece Uni Boys is their third for Curation Records and a step up sonically for the band. Formed in high school by chief songwriters Noah Nash and Reza Matin, the band self-released a couple of albums before signing to Curation for their third long player, ‘Do It All Next Week’ and the following ‘Buy This Now!’, which gained attention with the production work of The Lemon Twigs duo Brian & Michael D’Addario.

This time, roping in Lemon Twigs knob twiddler Paul D. Millar, The Uni Boys recorded live to tape in analogue like the old cats did it, and the product of those 2-week sessions is this wonderful 12-track album.

If jangly guitars, multi-layered vocals and sugary sweet melodies are your thing, then Uni Boys have something for you. Lead single ‘I Don’t Wanna Dream Anymore’ is a great starting point for the uninitiated. Killer ’70s-inspired power pop perfection, with a great hook you’ll swear you’ve heard before. Millar’s vocal drawl and the instrumental dynamics bring to mind The Knack, not for the first time and surely not the last.

Album opener ‘Victim Of Myself’ with its infectious bubblegum melodies is Redd Kross on helium, ditto ‘Want You Back’. Elsewhere, the fantastic ‘You’ll Curse His Name Again’ is the epitome of ‘Beatlesque’. Do you catch the theme going on here? It’s all pretty upbeat, it’s all pretty catchy, and every song is a potential single.

The D’Addario brothers’ influence comes through on the likes of the quirky ‘Maybe I’m Wrong’ with its bouncy bassline and sugary sweet chorus, it’s a definite stand out track, and latest single ‘Your So (Phisticated)’ could be the greatest power pop song of recent times, and if not, it’s certainly got the best title! Those layered harmonies are so lush, you’ll be singing that chorus the second time round, and believe me, it won’t leave your brain anytime soon. Silver Sun, anyone? If you know, you know.

Everything about this album reeks of retro 70’s from the album art, the band’s fashion sense, and on to the simple girl meets boy lyrics to the crisp and simple production. I love everything about this record.

They take things down momentarily on a couple of occasions. The emotive ‘Abra’ is sorta dreamy shoegaze pop meets Cheap Trick. The layered backing vocal shines through, and the sublime key change takes it to another place entirely.  The quirky jangle of ‘Genevieve’ sounds like the Lemon Twigs had their way with it, and closer ‘Without A Broken Heart’ inches into Elvis Costello territory to nicely round things off in style.

Uni Boys make uncomplicated, upbeat and catchy power pop music like the last 40 years never existed, and make no apologies for being stuck in a bygone era when things seemed so much….better. This self-titled album is full of memorable hooks, retro throwback vibes and enough goodness for everybody. A step up from previous releases, in this genre, not many bands come close.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

Grail Guard – ‘Still No Future’ (TNS Records)

Grail Guard – ‘Still No Future’ (TNS Records)

Coventry has delivered some of the UK music scene titans in the past, such as The Specials and the whole 2 Tone movement, championing multiculturalism and the best of what we have to offer in the 70s. but there’s been a great gap and whilst its hard to whip up anything groundbreaking these days I never get let down with how damn good some albums are and how passionate some bands are about what they do and how they deliver it, Grail Guards ‘Still No Future’ a response to Rottens blank expression some fifty years ago this gives me goosebumps just how good an album this is, and how passionate they come across in the delivery of a tried and tested theme.

It’s hardcore played fast, loud and without any fuckin’ about or trying to be clever. Right from the off, ‘People Just Like You’ sets the tone. It’s like Argy Bargy with a fuckin’ migraine and a microphone, and they are about to speak their mind with direct delivery, and good on ’em. Right, strap yerselves in, this might get spikey.

‘Our Streets’ takes the Chisel meets Bob Vylan down a very dark alley and roughs them up into a riff-tastic home truth. Stay away from politics, I get told don’t mix politics and music, they say, but sometimes you have to make a stand and let it be known what side of the fence you are on, and I’m right on the side Grail Guard are on and hoisting them up. The lyrics might not be suitable for TOTP or BBC radio, but on my stereo, they are loud and proud. It’s awful that in 2026 there are still dinosaurs living in the dark ages and can’t get with the programme, we’re all equal, we are born, live a life and die. Prejudice and fascism shouldn’t be tolerated here, or anywhere and bands like Grail Guard feel compelled to sing songs like this is a great shame, but boy do they hit the nail on the head, fuckin awesome.

It doesn’t stop there, mind, and I can try and write witty quips, but I can’t sleep either when this is on my headphones at night. This is challenging music, it’s in your face and snarling like a rabid dog, and they absolutely hit the nail on the head with the style and delivery. This is a beast by any standard.

Over the ten tracks, the album ebbs and flows through various stages of anger and fury, and everything in between. The playing is spot on ‘Still Fucked Up’ is not a ballad, nor is it a gentle prod in the temple. It’s a boot to the temple and a piledriver to the throat. Inhale sharply because the thumping kick drum of ‘Anxieties’ is up next. The breakdown is immense, and the gang sing-along was unexpected but wholeheartedly endorsed.

With 2026 marking 50 years of UK punk, ‘Still No Future’ draws a stark and deliberate line between the 1970s and today. The Sex Pistols shouted “No Future” in 1977, and with this album, Grail Guard scream there is ‘STILL NO FUTURE’ (heartbreaking, isn’t it?) as many are facing the same traumatic experiences as those of the last fifty years. Holding a mirror up to society, Grail Guard deliver the goods and a message we fully endorse get angry, be angry, don’t normalise the bad guys and never make excuses for racism, prejudice, and hate. Stand up and endorse Grail Guard, they mean it, man. Buy this album!

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Author: Dom Daley