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The Fuzztones – ‘ NYC’ (Cleopatra Records)

The Fuzztones – ‘ NYC’ (Cleopatra Records)

The Fuzztones Celebrate Their 40 Year Anniversary With A Heartfelt Love Letter To Their Home City of yup, you guessed it Noo Yawk City.

When I checked the track list I did a double take as I thumbed down the tracks wondering how these purveyors of wee small hors garage rockers were going to take on the tunes or had I just imagined that Rudi had finally lost his shit and gone for songs I’ve never heard but on the first play, I was on my feet shaking my head grooving like a good un because God damn it Them Fuzztones had only gone and knocked this one out of the park and just when you thought they’d bitten off more than they could chew they would only go and raise the bar a little higher. I mean c’mon, sure going for The Fugs is something I could see, or even the fine rendition of ‘Dancing Barefoot’ closing off the record is done with the utmost respect and perfectly in keeping with the idea that The Fuzztones were going to own this record take these songs and lovingly recreate them into their own unique fuzzed up slice of the big apple.

Opening with a Sinatra classic and making it jive and groove will raise an eyebrow and get people talking but hitting Wayne County ‘Flip Your Wig’ was perhaps more predictable and with the familiar Fuzztones organ honking away towards the chorus its a decent stab but its quite safe. Again The fuzztones tackling the Cramps is a no-brainer and ‘New Kind Of Kick’ is respectfully carved up.

Hold onto your hats kids because their reconstruction of The Ramones ’53rd & 3rd’ is spectacular and I love it.  they’ve nailed the chorus and the vocal delivery from Protrudi is brilliant. ‘Psilocybe’ is spooktacular and then the band let their collective hair down and crack open the harmonica on ‘Skin Flowers’.

I guess the songs I gravitated to the most were The Dead Boys and Dolls tracks so when I heard ‘High Tension Wire’ begin I sat back and appreciated that Rudi and the gang had really excelled on this one with a particularly good vocal. Sure ‘Babylon’ had the organs turned up to eleven and a suitably trashy take on a classic is duly delivered.

Its fair to say I was a bit surprised to see a Blue Oyster Cult track nestled in between some classics and its dwarfed by the version of Mink De Villes ‘Let Me Dream’ which I think pips the original for the groovy guitar work and the harmonica is excellent and whisper it but Rudi Petrudi is having a ball with the vocals.

‘Microdot’ is a take on ‘Chinese Rocks’ and given a royal garage psychedelic wipe down. but the one track I wanted to be done well more than any on offer here was the Dead Boys ‘ Not Anymore’ and its twisted a little by being sped up but the haunting feel is still intact and the lyrics still sound amazing. Could The Fuzztones all take a bow here because they’ve really stepped up here and the reconstructing of some seriously classic songs has really worked well. Leaving only the Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers rare track ‘You Gotta Lose’ being worked over out the back yard with only a switchblade knife between the original and this take and then ‘Dancing Barefoot’ wafts in on a cloud of mysterious substances like some ’60s black and white B movie.

Protrudi & Co have sealed this l-u-v letter with a kiss and swanned off having taken their curtain call and been called back for an encore that they throughly deserve.  To be fair they’ve owned each and every song here and have goven every one the Fuzztones make over and come up trumps because to cover a song and do it justice is a tricky thing but to do it for a whole album is really taking a risk and for and The Fuzztones deserve to own these classics – #Never forget your roots kids and never forget to tip your hat to those who paved the way and gave you the lifeblood coursing through your veins.  The Fuzztones – ‘NYC’ was never in doubt, was it.  Rudi, the Big Apple loves ya man it’s at the core of what you do and you’ve paid your respect in the best most fuzzed-up way. – Buy It!

Buy ‘NYC’ Here

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Author: Dom Daley

One Thousand Motels – ‘2% Out Of Sync’ (Cleopatra Records)

One Thousand Motels – ‘2% Out Of Sync’ (Cleopatra Records)

I’d heard recently that a certain Mr. Scabies was providing the drums for ex-Ant/Wolfmen bassist and singer Chris Constantinou’s new project. Having played The Wolfmen’s albums to death previously, this was bound to be interesting.

 

It is a side-step in retro sounds, to these ears. Most musicians ape the 60s, but this is firmly in the “90s take on psychedelia” territory. Hang on! That’s not as bad as it sounds. While Chris didn’t play on Adam Ant’s ‘Wonderful’ album from 1995, tracks like ‘Beautiful Losers’ and ‘Definition’ wouldn’t sound out of place there. He’s learnt something from the backing vocals, for sure. ‘Rain’ is woozy, psyche-pop, with the effortless basslines we’d expect.

 

‘Kings X Guru’ has Rat providing the groovy, Beatles rhythms. ‘Andy’s Wonder World’, musically at least, reminds me of The Dowling Poole’s more laid back moments. ‘Kill Me If You Love Me’ is more chorus friendly, while ‘2% Out’ could see you frugging round the sofa with your maracas, man.

 

It certainly has a character, as an album, and Chris obviously knows what he wants. I’d have liked a few more uptempo songs, but that isn’t really what this is about. ‘I Like Sex In The Suburbs’ is what Liam G should be singing, and ‘Gerry’s Ashes’ is reminiscent of ‘Floodland’ era Sisters. So, an interesting set of songs, if you’re in a mellower mood.

Buy 2% Out Of Sync’ Here

Author: Martin Chamarette

The Carvels NYC – ‘Live at the Cutting Room’ (Die Laughing Records!)

The Carvels NYC – ‘Live at the Cutting Room’ (Die Laughing Records!)

How about starting your album sounding like Alison Gordys Blonde & Blue jamming the Ramones oh hang on that’s exactly what this sounds like from the wailing saxophone to the Thunders lite sloppy guitar playing to the 50s /60s girl group vocals.  Unashamed and fabulous.  What’s not to like?  It’s down n dirty Garageland rock and roll. Sure this record is totally Influenced by NYC’s original punks (Blondie, Ramones, Heartbreakers), 60s girl groups (The Ronettes, The Shangri-Las), with a drop of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground’s for the cools – The Carvels NYC have got it going on.

 

The Carvels used producer Freddie Katz, and had it mixed/mastered by Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) so they stacked their cards up pretty good before hitting the studio but at least along with all the vital ingredients they remembered the Sax and stuck it front and center.  What’s on offer here is a whole bunch of sloppy Punk n roll old school playing without a care in the world, it’s pop songs with a tonne of melody and parking lot harmonies through the medium of punk rock 77 NYC style and songs like ‘My Little Troll’ is two minutes of fun with some sexy sax wailing in for a solo.  It’s also a bit racey and in a rush like on ‘Lonely Fantasy’ you keep wanting to shout ‘Trash’ because it’s that sleazy Dolls like trashy. It reminds me a bit of bands like the X-Ray Spex as well because they also saw the value of the saxophone is in the mix as a Rock and Roll essential.

They even manage to throw some shade on covid deniers and no maskers with the fantastic ‘Stay The Fuck Home’.  There should be a van rolling around every town in every country blasting this out from a hailer on the roof.  Nail head hit!

I’d put this in the same ballpark as the misfits project 1950 for style as they race through ‘Darling Where Are You’ in all its trashy sleazy splendor – It’s loud – its Rockin’ and it’s fun what else can you ask for in these strange times? There is time to slow things down and ‘Candy Says’ has a certain downtown about itas the band kick back and chill just for a moment.

They remember to throw in some handclaps but not one single bead of a cowbell which is disappointing. Hey, you can’t have everything so I’ll take this just as it is.  Big, loud, trashy, and sweet-sounding punk rock n roll NYC style. Job done.

Stream/buy Live at The Cutting Room HERE

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Author: Dom Daley

The Damned – ‘The Rockfield Files’ (Spinefarm Records / Search And Destroy Records)

The Damned – ‘The Rockfield Files’ (Spinefarm Records / Search And Destroy Records)

2020 has been a year that we all would rather forget due to the pandemic live shows have been sorely missed so any new music we must grab with two hands so that brings me to the latest EP release by The Damned titled ‘The Rockfield Files’.

The Damned has recorded some of their classic material at Rockfield and the welsh studio was where the band decided to record their last album Evil Spirits.

‘Keep em’ alive’ is the first track on Rockfield files and it doesn’t disappoint with a chanting intro the track then bursts into life with guitars and drums crashing in and with Dave Vanian’s glorious vocals over the top the tune is a sure-fire winner.

‘Manipulator’ is next up and is a melodic punk ripper with sneering vocals from Dave and some great slashing chords on the guitar courtesy of the Captain.  This track also contains some powerhouse drumming from Pinch who sadly said goodbye to the band and with the Palladium and now this EP as his swansong he is leaving on an extreme high.

The spider & the fly’ is an interesting track as the beginning sounds like something off ‘Phantasmagoria’ but quickly morphs into the psychedelia of “The Black Album” and shows what a diverse band The Damned are.

The last track ‘Black is the Night’ is a song most Damned fans will know as it was the bonus track on the anthology of the same name released last year albeit this is an extended version and a welcome edition here for any fan who has not picked it up.

Overall this EP is top quality with some more great songs from such a great band.

Do yourself a favour and go and buy it and cheer yourself up cause after the last couple of months we all need some happiness in our lives and what better way to do that than with music.

Buy ‘The Rockfield Files’ Here

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Author: Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper

Professor and the Madman – ‘Séance’ (Fullertone Records)

Professor and the Madman – ‘Séance’ (Fullertone Records)

I hate concept albums as the 16 year Punk Rock Kid inside of me still thinks of some Prog Bloke in a Wizard’s Hat and Cloak stabbing his keyboards, which takes up the space of a fitted wardrobe, with a large Kitchen knife whilst the drummer enters the 20th minute of his half hour drum solo.  Right, now that’s out of the way; my favourite Bass Player ever is Paul Gray who found fame with Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Damned, UFO and erm Andrew Ridgley. One of my three all time favourite Drummers is Rat Scabies who fortunately played on the ground breaking Damned albums “The Black Album” and “Strawberries” with the aforementioned Paul Gray. So when the news broke earlier this year that once more Scabies and Gray would be joining up with Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four) for the follow up to the Professor and the Madman’s “Disintegrate Me” album I reached for the Box of Kleenex. However, my hand hovered as the words “Concept album” was banded about. Of course the middle-aged me knows that any Genre can tackle the idea of a Concept record, Jazz, Blues, Classical and even Punk, but having quality musicians play on an album doesn’t automatically mean you’ll pull it off, see “Son of Albert” by Andrew Ridgley. “Séance”, is the story relating to a group of mates who hold a séance to say one final farewell to friends who have obviously died,” does manage to pull it off and rather well at that, in the manner of “Sgt Pepper” and “Yellow Submarine.” It does feel as it should be a West End or Broadway Musical, the soundtrack produced by George Martin cue a séance. 

 

“All the lonely Soul” is the brooding intro before the title track introduces us the main characters longing to reconnect with their past and lost loved ones through a séance. “So Long” starts off with a Monkees style intro before we’re taken though a journey of what seems like regret or reflection. Something that does come across throughout the album is the great vocal Harmonies. Alfie and Sean take it in turns in the lead vocal department but it’s the chorus’ that would make Brian Wilson proud. After “So Long” the character in “Real Me” contemplates the Devil on his shoulder. It’s probably the best song the Kinks never wrote. “Child’s Eyes” looks back at how things through adolescent eyes are so much simpler whilst in adulthood it “Seems like the jokes on each of us”. There are two types of people who play bass; Bass Players and Bass Guitarists. John Entwistle, Lemmy and Paul Gray are Bass Guitarists; they play their instrument as if it was a lead guitar and Paul’s style so fit’s in on “Séance” you couldn’t imagine anyone else doing a better job. “Time Machine”/Man With Nothing To Lose” introduces us to another couple of characters; the Scientist who has had enough of reality and wants to build a time machine to go back to his perceived better era. Now “Time Machine” really screams ‘Musical!!’ I can see in my mind a row of men in blazers and straw boaters jazz handing across the stage, all that is missing is trumpets! A homeless man overhears the Scientist in the more downbeat fairground sounding “Man With Nothing To Lose” and imagines what could be achieved if time travel was possible “We could go back and fix all our mistakes. Build ourselves mansions with the money we’d make.” And “Hit 1980 and go see The Damned” If only, if only! “Two Tickets To The Afterlife” returns to the original character who now finds himself in a Game Show set in Hell with some choice prizes “We’ve Got Thrills, we’ve got pills, we’ve got million dollar bills. We’ve got weed, we’ve got speed, we’ve got everything you need” but they all come with a price. “…Afterlife” is probably the heaviest track on the album. Once off the Game Show our main man now finds himself in front of “The Council of Purgatory” who confuses him with their gentle overtones, almost a Barber Shop quartet? Again I can really see this on the West End Stage. “All The Lonely Souls” is reprised as an instrumental that finishes of the main, first act. 

 

“Greetings From The Other Side” starts the final act with the reawakening of mankind after 2000 years frozen in stasis, with questions and concerns of the album’s protagonist answered by the ‘Forces’ “We did not die, we were never here.” The album ends with “New World” with the ‘Forces’ leading mankind to Utopia, the Garden of Eden, you decide but warning, pleading with us to “take care of your new World, not like the old world and teach the children not to hate, because if you don’t…Maybe we’ll see you again.” 

 

Did I ever tell you I love a good old concept album?   

 

“Séance” by the Professor and the Madman is out on the 13th November on either yellow vinyl, CD or digital Download via Fullertone Records that you can pre-order at www.professorandthemadman.com   

Author: Armitage Smith

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Roll Up Roll Up – “Spaghetty Town Records Circus” is Fast approaching

Roll Up Roll Up – “Spaghetty Town Records Circus” is Fast approaching

“Spaghetty Town Records Circus”, five bands from three countries in the live music streaming event of October!

 

Even Spaghetty Town Records artists are itching to play live.  So Teddy Spaghetty and Criminal Kids put together a roster of live music like no other.  Fast Eddy, Killer Hearts, Pale Lips (Canada), Motosierra (Uruguay) and Criminal Kids will be live streaming on October 22, 2020 at 9pm ET / 6PM PT.  Almost all new performances.  An event of this scale can only be hosted by the Sleazegrinder of Classic Rock Magazine / Heavy Leather Topless Dance Party fame.

When asked about the event Teddy Spaghetty said “I can’t believe this is actually going to happen, many of our bands normally don’t have it together, but somehow pulled this off”.  Over the last few months, each artist has been practicing up to bring you all the best live performances they can.  The Spaghetty Town Records Circus will be streaming on Facebook and Youtube.

Details will be on the event page. Here

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts release Video for ‘Same Old You’

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts release Video for ‘Same Old You’

This is the third single taken from the forthcoming album ‘Looking For Love, Ready For War’, which is set for release in 2021. Same Old You was produced by the legendary Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and co-written with Atlanta-based writer/producer Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Pink, Taylor Swift), it is a fun and upbeat rock and roll number with infectious melodies and artful musicianship, with lyrics about a relationship gone wrong

The song was co-written with Butch Walker. Tuk says of the experience, “It was really cool to write with Butch Walker, something I’ve always wanted to do. In Atlanta, he is a hometown hero and a really big inspiration to me so to be able to write with him was really special. I’m super stoked the song turned out so good. You never know what’s gonna happen, we had really good chemistry and it was a lot of fun”.

 Tuk’s musical roots run deep. Growing up as an outsider in rural Georgia, he found solace in hardcore/punk acts like Black Flag and The Exploited. From there, Smith branched out into exploring seventies New York bands like The Dead Boys and New York Dolls, which lead him across the sea where he embraced first-wave British acts like The Buzzcocks and the Clash. Smith wasn’t just a casual fan of these acts, he was obsessed with them and traced their lineage with fervent dedication. “I was always into the Clash growing up and Mick Jones’ favorite band was Mott The Hoople, so through the years I ended up developing a love of the first wave of british glam, power pop and things like that,” he explains. Soon Smith was forming his own acts, toured relentlessly and building a DIY following with his high-energy live shows.

Looking for Love, Ready for War is an album that has been a long time in the making and due to be released in 2021. It is the culmination of Smith’s already impressive career in music and showcases the versatility of his songwriting. His love of rock, punk, and glam come together into a unique amalgam that is at once fresh and new and also harkens back to music that is missing from today’s musical landscape. In many ways, it’s a musical homecoming for Smith that shows that though he’s covered with battle scars from perfecting his craft, he’s come out on the other side with an amazing collection of songs.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS – CHANGE OF CARDIFF NHS DATES TO 2021

MANIC STREET PREACHERS – CHANGE OF CARDIFF NHS DATES TO 2021

 CARDIFF SHOWS PAYING TRIBUTE TO NHS STAFF NOW MOVED TO JULY 2021

Manic Street Preachers have moved their previously announced shows in December at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena to Friday 16th and Saturday 17th July 2021. This is due to the ongoing Covid 19 restrictions for the live music industry.

The first night is a free show for NHS staff, the second had tickets available to the public with all profits going to NHS Wales charities.

All tickets remain valid for the rescheduled dates but anybody who is unable to make the free show for NHS staff should contact Ticketmaster so they can be offered to another member of NHS staff.

The band who have championed the incredible NHS for many years explained: “We wanted to do something to show our appreciation, love and respect for the NHS and its amazing brave workers. One free show and one fundraising show seemed the best way for us to express our deep gratitude for all their heroic work. We tried our hardest to make these shows happen in December but due to the current situation have had to move them to 2021.”

New Dates: Friday 16th / Saturday 17th July 2021 – CARDIFF, Motorpoint Arena

Low Cut Connie – ‘Private Lives’ (Contender Records / Haldern Pop Recordings / Rough Trade)

Low Cut Connie – ‘Private Lives’ (Contender Records / Haldern Pop Recordings / Rough Trade)

Low Cut Connie main man Adam Weiner stands at his piano in his dressing gown, his mop of corkscrew hair dangling in his baby blue eyes like some crazed, Jewish Jerry Lee Lewis. Those same eyes stare directly at the screen as he sings his heart out for yet another of his weekly livestream events beamed from his living room. These weekly ‘Tough Cookies’ episodes are the new normal for a musician who had 150 plus gigs booked this year to promote the release of his band’s new album ‘Private Lives’. It’s a chance for the musician to connect with his audience, play songs and interview fellow creatives.

Covid times have derailed the lives of all musicians and entertainers for the near future and many are adapting and turning recent events around to do what they can to survive and continue to bring their art to their fanbase while live music is a no-no. You can’t keep a good band down and albums are still being made. ‘Private Lives’ is Low Cut Connie’s 6th long player. An ambitious 17 track double album that continues the Philidelphian resident’s obsession with the inner workings, the ‘private lives’ of everyday people.

The title track kicks the whole thing off in fine form. The upbeat rocker is the sort of tune a T Bird would’ve used to woo a gal like Sandy. An overly familiar drum rhythm thumps like a heartbeat alongside finger clicks, before a killer vocal refrain imbeds itself in your skull. Low Cut Connie have a knack of doing this sorta shit to ya on a regular basis!

Adam then takes his pals to church on the anthemic ‘Help Me’. A euphoric release of emotion. A cry for help. A plea for salvation. Call it what you will, I call it cool rock ‘n’ roll, baby! A great piano riff, a killer guitar lick and cool cat drums lead us into an emotive vocal performance. 2 tracks in and I must say this is one of the most live sounding records that isn’t actually a live record. If the band were intending to capture even a snapshot of their live show, then I say job well done here.

Clever use of space, interesting arrangements that thrill with every new listen, and melodies that stay with you long after the (virtual) needle has left the groove. These are the things that make ‘Private Lives’ an album you will want to return to again and again. Add to that a keen knack of character observation and storytelling that matches the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

The songwriter manages to put you in the shoes of characters, where you can feel their pain, their despondency and their frustration of daily life. All the time emulating his heroes to great effect. Nods to The Boss are ever-present in the likes of ‘Run To Me Darlin’, but none so more than ‘Look What They Did’, Adam Weiner’s self-proclaimed follow-up to Springsteen’s ‘Atlantic City’. Armed with just a lone piano and a background of mournful strings he tells a tale of hopes and dreams being destroyed by profiteers who abandoned the city to ruin.

 

Stories of underdogs litter ‘Private Lives’ and its these tales that draw the listener in and make them feel akin to the stories and part of the album. Take a rowdy, rock n’ roll road trip with the likes of ‘Take A Little Ride Downtown’ or ‘Tea Time’. Witness Adam channel Elton John to perfection in the likes of ‘Charyse’ and the ballistic ball breaker that is ‘Nobody Else Will Believe You’. A song that makes me yearn for a live music fix live never before. Damn you Adam Weiner, damn you!

The highlights are plentiful. The fun time blast that is ‘The Fuckin You Get (For The Fuckin You Got)’ is like a profanity-filled Huey Lewis And The News cut. Nifty guitar licks and sleazy sax mix with Weiner’s piano runs. For me, it’s an album highlight. The live feel continues in the glorious and ramshackle ‘If I Die’. A jammed out, sloppy guitar lick introduces the song, the singer drawls “ok-ok” before slamming the keys and leading his band into a dirty, sweat-soaked blues workout.  Like Exile-era Stones, this is late night, whisky soaked juke joint music, capturing the live energy and essence of a Low Cut Connie show to the max.

 

While Adam Wiener’s challenge of exploring internal lives has been realized with an ambitious and emotive double album containing great storytelling and quality songwriting, ‘Private Lives’ feels like a fly on the wall exclusive invite to a Low Cut Connie recording session. I like the way some songs feel unfinished and shortened, how some segue into others unexpectedly. This, along with the production give a ‘live in the studio’ feel that is perfect for a band that thrives on their live performances. Gospel-tinged sing-alongs rub shoulders with piano led barroom boogies, as Weiner sweats his heart and soul out with his tales of the underdogs that we can all relate to.

Buy Private Lives Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L.A. Guns* – ‘Renegades’ (Golden Robot Records)

L.A. Guns* – ‘Renegades’ (Golden Robot Records)

I thought long and hard how to start this review as this really is an unfortunate situation for those of us who have liked L.A. Guns throughout the years. I added the * to the name here as I really don’t consider this L.A. Guns. The legal system can work out who owns the name, and I understand the line-up changes throughout the years as I remained a fan throughout them. When L.A. Guns released their debut self-titled album many years ago, I became a fan and loved the record more than Appetite by that “other” Guns band at the time. The band never shied away from trying new things over the years, and things really did not go sideways until after the release of ‘Vicious Circle.’ Records like ‘American Hardcore’ and ‘Shrinking Violet’ really served as a band trying to find their way through a musical world that had completely changed and took recording budgets and major labels with them. I cannot tell you the last time I listened to either album outside of a song or two. ‘Man in the Moon’ started to right the ship and found Phil Lewis singing again. The band then released the very good ‘Waking the Dead’ which I continue to play quite a bit. Of course, this is L.A. Guns so all kinds of line-up shuffles took place over the years with there not being one constant member throughout everything. Lewis and Tracii Guns though are who I think of when I think of L.A. Guns. When I found out that Steve Riley and Kelly Nickels were going to perform under this band name, all I could do was shake my head and wish they would have named it something different. With Guns and Lewis already recording and touring together again as L.A. Guns, this just seemed pointless, especially since those new L.A. Guns records have been very good. Alas, I am here with ‘Renegades’ and dealing with the dilemma of treating this like a brand new band or in the shadow of L.A. Guns. Does it matter at the end of the day? Perhaps, it doesn’t because every album should be judged on its own merits, but the past is always there too. I will also add that I really had no intention of ever listening to this record because it is “not” L. A. Guns. I wanted to at least acknowledge that bias on my part because, as it turns out, I would have missed out on a record I enjoy.

 

I hate starting out with something that works against the band and album, but one of the items that hinders them is starting with a song that has more of a L.A. Guns feel without that extra spark to make it a special song. By now, many people have heard the song in question- ‘Crawl.’ I don’t mind Kurt Frohlich’s vocal here, but my gut tells me I should be hearing Lewis whose voice is L.A. Guns in my book. Nickels though has written a song that really taps into the L.A. Guns spirit. It has grown on me with multiple listens but goes back to trying to treat this album in a vacuum. The album kind of stays in the traditional hard rock mode with ‘Why Ask Why.’ It faired better on my first listens because it felt more like its own thing, and I really like the guitar work by Scott Griffin and Frohlich here. It helps change the tone of the album with ‘Well Oiled Machine’ feeling more like a L.A. Guns rocker. This song has been another grower for me. Frohlich does not have a wide vocal range, but his vocals work with the music which is what is ultimately important. I have no doubt that Riley and Nickels are enjoying themselves as the rhythm section is a great team with plenty of experience working together.

 

Next though is when the band really starts to find its stride with ‘Lost Boys’ mixing things up as a mellower rocker in the verses before kicking it up a gear for the pre-chorus and a cool singalong chorus. The guys have crafted a great song here with Frohlich delivering an excellent vocal. Griffin delivers a solid solo as well. This is also the longest song on the album but seems to go by in a blur. ‘You Can’t Walk Away’ then comes in as a soft rocker with the band going for some big backing vocals more in line with the likes of music from 60 years ago. This was where the band tightened their grip on me during my first listens. In the past, lighters would be swaying in the air during this one throughout the chorus… Back when we had live music… It closes the first half of the record in style.

 

Starting the back half, the guys maintain their momentum with the hard rocking ‘Witchcraft’ being another highlight from the album. This currently stands as my favorite from the album with the band combining perfectly on every level. The chorus is addictive and completely different from what they have done elsewhere with great work by Frohlich. Riley and Nickels push the rhythm in some excellent ways with Griffin adding some brilliant guitar. This would have been my first single from the album. ‘All That You Are’ continues the hard rocking and keeps the body moving to the music. The beat by Riley and Nickels gets props again with Frohlich delivering another really good performance and using some different techniques throughout the song. The band then go acoustic with ‘Would’ which gives the album a different texture. This feels more like a 70’s hard rock ballad. It is definitely not my favorite from the album, but it is also not one that I am going to skip when the record is playing. I think Frohlich is better served with the other songs here though as this one kind of swallows him in my opinion.

As we reach the end of the record, we are greeted with the title track which gets us back to a hard rock tempo with some guitar accents dancing around the beat. The chorus here doesn’t hit the mark for me, and I think the band could have delivered some backing vocals around Frohlich to help him. Wrapping up the album is ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ where the band strut to a hard rocking blues beat that ends the album on a good note. Vocals here fit like a glove as they feel down and dirty. Griffin lets loose with some classic rock n roll guitar notes. In some ways, the comparison that comes to mind here would be Tora Tora. It ends the record each time with a favorable impression.

As I said at the beginning, the context of this album presents some challenges, and I never intended to give it a listen. That would have clearly been a mistake, and I think fans of the genre will find an album they enjoy. They have some definite bumps in the road, but I do enjoy the album overall. Production wise, it is pretty raw which helps at times but also serves to the detriment of the title track where I think some finesse and added elements would have really helped. I am not changing the * beside the name as I really don’t see them as L.A. Guns. I see them as a band of experienced musicians though who are having fun, and we get a good record in the process.

‘Renegades’ is out November 13th.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury