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The Singles Club – February (Lovers edition)

The Singles Club – February (Lovers edition)

Considering we’re in the early knockings of a new decade it’s impressive that bands take the time to put out singles at this time of year anyway.  We welcome some fresh meat onto our pages and welcome back some brothers we always have time for on RPM for their sheer excellentness and an amazing repertoire of top tuneage. Oh, and good effort on bands like Smash Fashion who are embracing the format with two new bangers which is everything we love about Rock and Roll.  So here’s an impressive starting eleven me lovers, check these treats out…

The City Kids – ‘Best Of You’ (self-released) Not to be confused with Welsh glam legends City Kidds, this is the new project from former Main Gains axe-slinger JJ Watt. ‘Best Of You’ is the first single from their upcoming debut album ‘Things That Never Were’ and all proceeds from this release go to Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Mikey Lawless from Falling Red.

JJ handles vocals and guitar on this project and he is joined by Dennis Post (Warrior Soul/Flush The Fashion), Berty Burton (Tigertailz) on bass and Falling Red drummer Dave Sanders.

‘Best Of You’ is a low slung, gritty rock ‘n’ roll number that stays true to JJ’s roots. Think Circus Of Power meets The Yo-Yos for reference. Vocals that can’t hide a 40 a day habit and a penchant for a rum or two, mix with greasy biker rock and tons of melody, what more could you desire?

Billy Tee and Alex Holmes from The Suicide Notes add vocals, guitar and a certain swagger to the ramshackle ‘Round And A Round’, which was co-written by JJ and a certain Mr Kory Clarke. This four-track release adds demos of the single and an old Main Grains track that they never recorded called ‘You Get Nothing’ that is worth the asking price alone.

All tracks feature on the album, albeit different versions, making this release more than just a curio for lovers of The Main Grains, The Wildhearts, Warrior Soul or anyone with a love of no-frills rock ‘n’ roll. Bandcamp / Facebook

 

 

 

Smash Fashion – ‘Got Da Hee Bee GeeBee’s’/ ‘Benny And The Jets’ (Yeah Right! Records) Smash Fashion tip the hat to the early punk rockers and they manage to spit their gum out long enough to knock this one right out the park.  exactly what a 7″ single should sound like, “cool as” kids trust me, Snotty and with a bit of street muscle Smash Fashion turn their efforts to the classic 7″ single and do it justice – nice.  Then flip it over for some retro-tinged Hoople hand-clapping, shithouse shaking Rock and Rolla. Damn Smash Fashion just gets better and better.  Check it out right now! Its an order.   Facebook  Pick it up Here

 

 

 

 

The Hip Priests – ‘Drink To My Demons’ (Speedowax Records)  Well as I wipe my brow those Hip Priests are in the house making good on the reason why a singles club is an essential staple of any website.  Yeah, so they’ve done plenty of singles so what? This ones a sexy picture disc! They’ve not done that before so new ground there for those purveyors of awesome Garage Rock. With more power than a front row of F1, this is a tasty twosome.  ‘Drink To My Demons’ is a banger (of course it is bla bla bla) No it really is. Nobody does it better as Von Cruz spits out the lyrics and no doubt fueled by the world they live in, The Hip Priest lead the charge in 2020,  For me, all the intrigue was about the B side and how The Priests were going to tackle the Adam And The Ants B-side from the ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’ single – ‘Press Darlings’. Oh wow! truly spectacular this needs to be heard Adam should hand over ownership pronto The Hip Priests absolutely kill it. magic stuff. Don’t pass this one by folks, just buy it or be left with custard pie(ella) on your face. Spasm Gang members can pick it up with some rather tasty beer mats thrown in as well.  Facebook

 

Rotten Mind – Not One Of You (Lövely Records) Today marks the release of “Not One of You”, Rotten Minds third and last single taken from the band’s fourth album “Rat City Dog Boy”, set for release this week February 7 to be precise on Lövely Records. “Not One of You” is the most darkwave- inspired track of the LP. The reverby guitar sounds, fat and pumping bass à la Joy Division and lyrics about alienation contribute to a gloomy atmosphere.Facebook

Lövely Records Facebook

 

 

 

Hells Ditch – ‘Vacant Hearts’ (Disconnect Disconnect (UK), Rose Coloured Records (UK) & Bypolar Records) 

Featuring ex/current members of Bad Ideas, River Jumpers & Dearist  Hells Ditch release their debut single next month on 7″ but is available now to stream.  With a modern punk rock sound its no surprise to see the band get  Mass Giorgini who has previously worked with the likes of  Rise Against, Anti Flag and Alcaline Trio. Whilst hailing from the UK they have a sprightly American sound which will have wide appeal. Be interesting to hear some more of these guys they could do really well.

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ÅSKVÄDER – ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’ (The Sign Records) Unadulterated pure ’70s Rock that’s where ÅSKVÄDER are coming from with this the first single taken from their upcoming S/T debut album, to be released on The Sign Records this coming March. Yes, they’re from Sweden (where else?) is it Action enough for the Action Rock crowd?  (I’d say it certainly is) with some of that southern Rock boogie and a raw on the prowl guitar sound, this is sharp and whilst its roots are back in the mists of time they are not.  Check it out on streaming sites everywhere.

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The Venomous Pinks – ‘I Want You’ (Die Laughing Records) Tempe, AZ all-female punk rock trio The Venomous Pinks has released a new single and music video, a cover of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “I Want You,” which will appear on the band’s upcoming album of the same name.

The Venomous Pinks hit this particular nail squarely on the head with a ten-pound sledge. No subtlety, no compromise just a damn good interpretation of a Jett classic.  Not a band to be trifled with. Top tune!  Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

 

 

The Monsters – ‘I’m A Stranger To Me’ (Slovenly Records) Wild, reckless, outta control.  Just the way we like it here at RPM.  The lead track rattles along in spectacular fashion. With a guitar that’s like a twitching, buzz saw hacks and cuts through the moon the loon style drumming – its a rocket ride of a tune and that’s good enough for us.  Check em out.  flip it over to see if they are more than a one-trick pony and ‘Carpool Lane’ begins with some white noise before the slow Sabbath with no bottom end enters the fray …oh hang on we’re off on some hypnotic march.  Nuts I tell thee but what’s wrong with that?  Nothing that’s what.  Check out Monsters they rock!

 

 

 

Soraia – ‘Dangerous’ (Wicked Cool Records) Philadelphia rock quartet Soraia will release their new album ‘Dig Your Roots’ on March 13 via Steven Van Zandt’s label Wicked Cool Records. American radio is blowing up over these cats and having been influenced by the likes of Joan Jett and the vines so it’s a no brainer they were going to feature on the pages of RPM. Being part of the Wicked Cool roster isn’t too shabby either. this track released off the album ‘Dig Your Roots’ is punchy and has a decent riff on that chorus as you can see Joan Jett has indeed been an influence and its good to hear that again this month! Facebook

 

 

 

The Ghost Wolves – Lets Go To Mars (Dirty Water Records) Austin Texas has thrown up plenty of noteworthy bands and Ghost Wolves are certainly one of the busiest. Blending rock n’ roll, punk rock, garage and blues with electronic elements, the duo has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the modern rock n’ roll underground, touring internationally for almost 8 years straight, with nearly 1000 shows between them in 23+ countries including most of Western Europe, USA, U.K., and Japan. ‘Let’s Go To Mars’ is their latest offering on wax

Märvel – ‘Märvellous’ (The Sign Records)  The EP contains four tracks of hard hitting Rock n Roll; ‘Amaze-O’, ‘Marvellous’, ‘Public School 75’ and ‘A Taste of Platinum’.  Digital and 7″ vinyl.

Märvels debut EP “Märvellous” claimed to be recorded in 2002 for the American label New York Powerhitters during the bands exchange semester in Colorado. Märvel returned to Sweden before the songs were released, and the EP never got to reach the ears of Märvels dedicated fans. Well, Worry no more Märvel fans because the band has re-recorded the EP and it’s here. What does it sound like? Well, its got a flavour of classic Märvel of course but its got classic rock running through it from the Kiss like riffage on ‘Amaze-O’ and the pick of the four would go to ‘Märvellous’ again, more than a nod to what they learnt in Kisstory lessons at Rock school.  So you know where this  ones going kids its quality Rock! Marvel style.  Now go get one before they’re all gone gone gone.

Order the EP here:Bandcamp – Märvel

Shake! – ‘Grasping the Roots’ ( Family Spree Recordings)

Shake! – ‘Grasping the Roots’ ( Family Spree Recordings)

Certain dangers exist in belonging to different music groups on Facebook with the ability to learn about new bands all the time being one of them as this is another case of spending money on an album after someone said good things about it. Ironically, Shake! came recommended through an Action Rock group which isn’t reflective of this soul infused rhythm and blues rock album that appears to be the second by Shake! so I have some additional catching up to do.

Setting the stage and establishing high expectations from the start is exactly what they do with opener ‘Ready to Love.’ The body moving starts from the moment you hit play, and I love the use of the horns here.  You may initially think that you have turned on a past album by Otis Redding or James Brown and then Martillo Fontana’s voice comes through the speaker with a combination of a smooth and rough voice that fits the sound perfectly.  Pau Rossello’s bass is also front and center in the mix with the drums by Magnel Priego. ‘She’s Dynamite’ continues the brilliance with the horn work by Pol Padros and Jordi Sanjuas front and center at the start, and the guitar work by Cleve Carter is excellent. If the songs don’t have you moving, I would suspect you are tied down somewhere. What the band are doing is not new, but they do it amazingly well. The rhythm becomes a little slower and more deliberate on ‘Getting Stronger’ where you can imagine the venue turning into a dark and smoky dance floor from many decades ago with Fontana turning in an excellent vocal that is enticing and filled with soul. Carter squeezes the notes out of the guitar and lets them linger in the air like a candle on the verge of extinguishing itself.

Turning up the tempo, ‘Shooting Stars’ sounds like a train racing down the track and highlights how great the production and mix are on the album. Every instrument stands out in the mix, and nothing feels lost. Padros and Sanjuas positively rock across this album with this being just one of the highlights as the horns get the song started. ‘I Can’t Wait’ is a larger than life ballad where Fontana gets an opportunity to showcase her amazing vocal. The guitar work is impeccable and really shines in the richness of the mix. Wrapping up the first half of the album is the rocking and grooving instrumental ‘Nightbreed.’ I have a live image in my head of a club in the ’60s with the sweat dripping off the walls, the clouds of smoke hanging just below the ceiling and the band shining through the spotlights. It provides a cool close to the first half of the album.

Kicking off the back half of the album with a cool blues riff, Fontana’s voice is given front and center attention over a rocking beat. While this may not be my favorite on the album, it is highly enjoyable and shows the band working in perfect union with one another. ‘There Was a Time’ has been a favorite since I first heard the album, and that shows no sign of changing. It is a show stopper ballad where Fontana shows a raw emotional vulnerability in her vocal, and her voice in the chorus tears holes in the heart. ‘Stax Rules’ makes it clear that the band has no problem showing where many of their influences originate. Fontana here has me thinking about Sass Jordan where the bluesy sandpaper side of her voice gets more of the focus. The rhythm section leaves you no option but to keep the body shaking and moving.

‘Almighty Fire’ boogies along with more excellent guitar work by Carter, and the horns picking the perfect places to work in-between the rhythm. The chorus is subtle with this song proving to be a sleeping giant that really comes to life the more times you play the album. The melancholy guitar notes of ‘Lie to Me’ give way to the horns and an easy-going beat carry the song along with this being another example of the band taking the timeless soul songs from the ’60s and showcasing how timeless the sound is. Closing with the rowdy ‘Rip It Up’ is the perfect choice as it ends the album with a frenetic closer leaving you hungry to hear the whole record again. If you don’t see the walls of that club I mentioned earlier shaking in your mind, you need to turn it up louder. This serves as another reminder that these six people have an amazing chemistry together.

If you dig the likes of Otis Redding, James Brown, or any of the artists from Stax Records, I cannot recommend an album more deserving of your time. While not as rocking as the likes of the missed Saint Jude, they check off some of the same musical boxes for me while also providing an excellent album to play in the middle of the night. This album will get your hips shaking and could soundtrack some magic nights in your life for years to come.

‘Grasping the Roots’ is available now.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

 

ANVIL release New Video Off their forthcoming album ‘Legal At Last’

ANVIL release New Video Off their forthcoming album ‘Legal At Last’

ANVIL have released their new music video ‘Legal At Last’, the title track from their upcoming album. “Legal At Last is our way of telling the public: ‘It’s okay, Anvil are okay, you’re allowed to like us at last!’ ”states Lips.

‘Legal At Last’ will be released via AFM Records and the album will be available as digipak, digital, black vinyl and some limited colored vinyl.
ANVIL got busted, back then when they were touring in Nebraska & this is what their new pounding and powerful single is about. The reason?

When it comes to virtues such as endurance, unconditional commitment and a thoroughly down-to-earth attitude, Anvil are the measure of all things. Like few other metal acts, the band surrounding founding members Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow (vocals, guitars) and Robb Reiner (drums), plus bassist Chris Robertson have earned their laurels of blood, sweat and tears.

Since their 2009 documentary film The Story Of Anvil which revealed the unvarnished truth about the music industry, the world has been aware that the day-to-day life of most musicians doesn’t consist of MTV Awards, Grammy ceremonies, red carpets, champagne and caviar but mainly of energy-sapping tours with little sleep, junk food and meagre earnings. Yet these difficult conditions have made Anvil what they are today: a band that stands rock solid in the turbulent waters of a musical genre that produces music like no other, by fans for fans.

So Robb Reiner refers with a sense of justified pride to Anvil’s latest release Legal At Last simply as “one more Anvil album”. Because quotes such as this show that the band has
survived despite all adversities, losing none of its musical style or sense of reality. Kudlow, Reiner or Robertson would never use clichés such as “harder, faster, louder” or attempt to present their own accomplishments as superhuman feats. Robb Reiner is right: Legal At Last is simply an impressive new statement by a band that stands for the same values in 2020 as it did when it was first launched in autumn 1978.

This new album is very special to Anvil: “Legal At Last is mainly about two things,” Reiner explains, pointing to the cover artwork with a grin. “We celebrate the legalisation of the Anvil bong because Canada changed its marijuana laws last year, which means we no longer sail close to the wind all the time. That’s why the album title announces that Anvil are legal at last.
Our fans have always known that, but the public at large treated us like criminals for a long time.” Kudlow adds: “Legal At Last is our way of telling the public: ‘It’s okay, Anvil are okay, you’re allowed to like us at last!’”

Kudlow is referring to songs which highlight Anvil’s great creative power. Be it the steam hammer flair of the title track, the unmistakably tongue-in-cheek ‘Nabbed In Nebraska’ with its driving mid-tempo groove which brings to mind the Anvil classic ‘Metal On Metal’, the critical undertones of ‘Plastic In Paradise’, the doomy orientation of ‘Said And Done’ and ‘Gasoline’, or fast and hard numbers such as ‘No Time’, ‘Chemtrails’ and ‘Food For The Vulture’: Anvil always get to the core of their characteristic sound. Which also applies to ‘I´m Alive’ and ‘Bottom Line’ – both rock numbers in the best sense of the term – and the comparatively catchy ‘Glass House’.

Talking of sound: For the first time in a career that spans more than forty years, Anvil have worked with the same producer on three consecutive albums. Like its predecessors, Anvil Is Anvil (2016) and Pounding The Pavement (2018), Legal At Last was produced by Martin ‘Mattes’ Pfeiffer (U.D.O., among others). Jörg Uken was in charge of mix and engineering at his Soundlodge studio in Rhauderfehn, Germany, where Pounding The Pavement was also finalised. Says Kudlow: “As a band, you need to surround yourself with people who share the same passion and commitment. Martin and Jörg have both, that’s why we make a perfect team.” And that’s exactly what every single note on Legal At Last oozes!

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Bad Wolves donate royalties to Dolores O’Riordan Children

Bad Wolves donate royalties to Dolores O’Riordan Children

On Wednesday 29th January at Bad Wolves Islington Academy gig ahead of their Wembley Arena gig today supporting Five Finger Death Punch, Dan Waite (Managing Director Europe) and Claudia Mancino (International Promotion Coordinator) from Better Noise Music were pictured with Bad Wolves with various Platinum, Diamond and Gold presentation discs made up in the name of Dolores O’Riordan, her Mother Eileen O’Riordan’s name and her brother and Cranberries Manager PJ O’Riordan to certify  “Zombie” as  RIAA certified platinum in the US and Sweden, double platinum in Canada, gold in Australia, IMPALA Diamond in Europe.

Bad Wolves have donated their royalties on their blockbuster single ‘Zombie’ to Dolores’ children.

Such a fantastic gesture from the band.  RPM Online applauds such actions so hopefully to get some more views here’s the video for ‘Zombie’.

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AERIAL SALAD Announce New Album, Tour & Video

AERIAL SALAD Announce New Album, Tour & Video

Aerial Salad started as a dream, that turned into a nightmare, that thankfully worked out a dream. Conceived by frontman and guitarist Jamie Munro after he’d attended the legendary punk event The FEST in Gainesville, Florida in 2016, the young Manchester Uni student was so inspired and impressed by what he’d witnessed at the festival, he had to start a band. He HAD to play that festival.

 

“It was a very important time in my young age,” remembers Jamie. “I was like, ‘fuck me, all these people, all these bands are small punk bands, but they’re playing here and they’re all on tour, this is fucking sick this!’ Fuck uni, I hate uni, I’ll start a band. We’ll play The FEST.”

 

And while for many, those dreams would have remained a fantasy as the daily grind of real life tightened its grip, choking out those young teenage dreams, Jamie Munro did form a band with two best friends (Mike Wimbleton – bass/vocals, Matty Mills – drums) and he did play The FEST, but as is so often in life, things did not go as planned.

 

In the run-up to what is now billed in their minds as ‘The Worst Festival Set Of All Time’, the fledgling Aerial Salad recorded a couple of scrappy digital EPs, played a small handful of gigs and through sheer bluster and confidence, somehow blagged themselves onto The FEST. However, bad luck, over-indulgence, technical difficulties and unfamiliar equipment led to a catastrophic performance that made sure the band were never invited back. “The set was so bad that as soon as it finished, I had to run out of the  venue, hide around the corner and cry,” shudders Jamie.

 

Returning home with dreams momentarily shattered, the rag-tag bunch of teenagers may not have found acclaim, but they did find purpose, regrouped and forged ahead. Luck was on their side when they met former Flying Medallions frontman and Wonk Unit leader Alex Johnson who, so taken with the bands spirit and vibe, offered to mentor, manage and help put out Aerial Salad’s debut album – 2017’s ‘Roach’ – on his label Plasterer. He became ‘Daddy Wonk’ to the band and finally finding their stride in ‘Roach’, a sound and boldness started to emerge that  quickly turned heads in the UK punk scene. An album of soaring punk songs, with melody and brash, rough edges that made it fizzle with excitement. The germ of greatness was sown in ‘Roach’. Wonk Unit took them on a three-week tour (“effectively a four year training course on how to actually be a band,”) and Aerial Salad were one step closer to being ready to deliver what the world is about to hear in new album ‘Dirt Mall’.

Armed with a headful of new songs, under the guidance of Daddy Wonk and the production of UK recording legend Paul Tipler (“because he’d recorded ‘Mush’ by Leatherface, which we love,”), Aerial Salad have delivered nine songs of anthemic, driving punk rock that roars with disgust, yet equally joy, at the world around them. Released this coming March 27th  via the bands own Roach Industries, and once again with the help of Plasterer, ‘Dirt Mall’ is the sound of the once rag-tag teenagers finding their sound, feet and minds, frustrated by day jobs, brexshit and the world swirling around them.

 

“It captures everything I’ve seen working as a temp in offices and generally being in my twenties trying to work myself and the world out. With some pop songs thrown in for fun,” admits Jamie, and it is all of that and more. Bristling with energy and passion, each and every song means something. From the charging title track (“people should not have to try and survive life,”), the bass and drum groove and explosive chorus of ‘Such A Pity’ (“about being young and a fucking arsehole,”), the cathartic strut of ‘Stressed’ (“the Tories are basically trying to kill us, that’s the cut and dry,”) and first single ‘Romance?’ (“a song about wanting romance with someone who is otherwise romantically engaged,”), ‘Dirt Mall’ is an album by three best mates, experiencing this life together, and taking it on.

 

Aerial Salad is starting its most exciting chapter.

Soraia ‘Dig Your Roots’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Soraia ‘Dig Your Roots’ (Wicked Cool Records)

There are moments in time where you come across a band, and it is just a magical moment. Rewind back to 2017 when I heard Soraia for the first time, I heard their song ‘Why’ and could not buy the album fast enough. ‘Dead Reckoning’ ended up being my Album of the Year for 2017, and they are on the verge of releasing the long-awaited follow up album ‘Dig Your Roots.’ I came into this album with huge expectations that were never going to be easy to meet, but they have done it. While I cannot say yet that this is going to be my 2020 Album of the Year, they have set the bar incredibly high for everything else I hear this year.

‘Dangerous’ gets the album going and immediately shows that this album is not going to be as glossy as ‘Dead Reckoning’ was in terms of its production. This song hit me immediately and was not as subtle as the first two songs they released from the album. ZouZou Mansour’s vocals are laced with attitude and a confidence that could dominate the world. The backing vocals are perfectly done, and the bridge takes the song to another level.  ‘Wild Woman’ settles into a cool groove after a hooky guitar riff and then later a great solo by Mike Reisman. The mix across the album is faultless with Travis Smith’s bass getting plenty of exposure. Soraia doesn’t just write songs; they craft them in some magical place. Brianna Sig (drums) and Smith are dynamic together across the album with ‘Evergreen’ being just one example. The shouty backing vocals give the song a live feel, and the bridge here slows things down and lets Mansour’s vocals penetrate your soul.

Soraia has many roots in the garage rock of the Nuggets era but has also allowed many other ingredients and spices into their sound. ‘Foxfire’ features some nice guitar work by Reisman and carries much of that Nuggets influence as a semi-ballad that features some tasteful backing vocals. The bass line has also been stuck in my head for three days now. I have already mentioned it and will again, but I really want to stress that Mansour sings her ass off on this album with this song being just one example. ‘Darkness (is my Only Candle)’ turns up the tempo as the song builds and builds into an electrifying chorus, and the song serves as the perfect counter to ‘Foxfire.’ The keyboards here provide some extra texture to the song. The band decides to do a Prince song on this album too after covering ‘Wow’ on ‘Dead Reckoning.’ They have opted to tackle ‘Nothing Compares 2 You.’ I can remember when Sinead O’Connor had a huge hit with this song, and I will say I didn’t appreciate the song then as my musical tastes were almost strictly hard rock and metal at the time. The band incorporates more of a 60’s ballad feel with extra power added to the music. Sig’s drums really pop in the mix. I could definitely see this version of the song finding a new audience if it received some plays on mainstream radio. Mansour’s vocals will stop you in your tracks and don’t be surprised if you suddenly realize the hairs on your arm are standing. The guitar solo fits perfectly with Reisman shining across the entire song.

‘Superman is Gone’ turns up the tempo with some jangly guitar and excellent rhythm work pulling the listener into the song. Another killer chorus is delivered, and I have found myself singing this in my head over the last several days. Keeping the energy going with ‘Way That You Want It,’ Smith’s bass and Reisman guitar both stand out here with the guitar solo jumping out of the speakers. One of the immediate draws to Soraia for me was the lyrics, and this album continues that brilliance. This song takes a pretty standard topic but conjures incredibly cool imagery and really paints a sonic picture. The first song that was released from this album quite some time ago now was ‘Still I Rise’ which has become something of a person anthem for me. The band again incorporates a heavy Nuggets influence here but also keep it feeling fresh and modern.  It serves as another example of the band’s lyrical abilities. I also love how the band once again utilize some keyboards here to give the song extra texture, and the mix allows everything to be heard. Sig’s drumming is amazing across the album with this being an excellent example of her work.

Reaching the closing stretch of the album, ‘Don’t Have You’ initially features Mansour singing over just a piano as the ballad slowly builds. Mansour’s lyrics connect with me on every level; the spoken vocal here is beyond magical and adds so much character to the song. Reisman’s guitar solo is laid down perfectly.  ‘Euphoria’ serves as a hook laced closer about the power heroin can carry with it. Mansour sings with incredible power here as she again paints a canvas with her words. The groove created by the band will have you moving, and, to be fair, I have not stopped rocking and shaking since I first started typing this review. The band speeds things up as they increase the temp on the way out the door.

This album has been pretty much on repeat for three days now for me, and I have found no faults with it. As I said in the beginning, I cannot crown it Album of the Year yet as we still have 11 months to go, but I am having a hard time imagining finding a record that connects with me as much as this one does in that time. Soraia have created another masterpiece with an album that showcases each member of the band while also showing how well they come together as a group. Mark your calendar now and buy this one as soon as you can. Your soul will thank you.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

The Von Bondies 20th Anniversary Tour

The Von Bondies 20th Anniversary Tour
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the birth of The Von Bondies, a key band in the American garage-rock movement that spread its way across the globe in the early 2000s. Formed in Detroit by singer/guitarist Jason Stollsteimer during an aborted stint at university, he rooted the band’s sound in the youthful energy of punk and the emotional rawness of the blues. “If somehow it had been possible for Jason and me to have had a baby instead of a band when we first started out,” says Donny Blum, longtime drummer of the band, “that baby would now legally be able to drink.”

In celebration, the Von Bondies are getting together to play a string of dates in the UK this summer, their first shows in a decade. “We’re doing the UK first because England was the first country that really embraced us,” says Stollsteimer. Indeed, those early UK shows would lead to dozens of festival slots—playing Glastonbury as well as Reading and Leeds Festival two separate years—in addition to appearances on Later with Jools Holland and a couple of Peel Sessions at the BBC. The band’s major-label debut ‘Pawn Shoppe Heart’ spawned the single ‘C’mon C’mon’, a ubiquitous part of the soundtrack to young Britons’ rowdy Saturday nights out.

This summer’s eight-show tour will take the band around the UK from Birmingham to Brighton, including stops in London and Glasgow. “I think it’s a great time to do this,” says Blum. “We’ve always known that at some point we were going to do more shows. Especially with the world on fire the way it is now, we want to do it before it all burns down”.
Full dates here, tickets go on sale on Friday 31st January.
Thu 14 May – The O2 Institute – Birmingham – TICKETS
Fri 15 May – The Wardrobe – Leeds – TICKETS
Sat 16 May – DSCVR Festival – Leicester – TICKETS
Sun 17 May – O2 Academy Islington – TICKETS
Tue 19 May – The Fleece – Bristol – TICKETS
Wed 20 May – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut – Glasgow – TICKETS
Thu 21 May – Gorilla – Manchester – TICKETS
Fri 22 May – Concorde 2 – Brighton – TICKETS
LISTEN TO ‘THE VON BONDIES LIVE FAVOURITES’ PLAYLIST HERE

RPM at the movies – ‘Melody Makers’ & ‘Come On Feel The Noize’

RPM at the movies – ‘Melody Makers’ & ‘Come On Feel The Noize’

 Melody Makers – ‘The Bible Of Rock And Roll’ (MVD Visuals)

Ah, the good old days when you got all your music news from the magazine stand or your local record shop.  There weren’t many to pick from Me I was a Sounds man myself but I did also check Melody Maker and NME before the glossy mags took over like Kerrang.  Digital kids won’t have a clue what I’m on about unless they watch films like this – The award-winning film takes you behind the scenes to explore the myths, honour the legends and reveal the incredible stories and never-before-seen photographs of rock giants like Jagger, Bowie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Zepplin, Hendrix, The Kinks etc etc.

This tell-all documentary reveals anecdotes and unpublished photos from the world’s most influential music publication, Melody Maker magazine, with its intimate access to legendary rock bands of the day and all the goings-on and shenanigans you daydreamed about.  In biographies and autobiographies, stories and folklore were perpetuated or dismissed in the pages of Melody Maker and the writers who lived to tell the tales of what people look back fondly on the Golden Age of music.

At the heart of this film is Melody Maker’s head photographer, Barrie Wentzell, who takes us along on an intimate journey with his colleagues into the world of rock icons. These journalists, with cameras in hand, had free rein and were creatively involved with the artists, something unheard of today and it’s hard to imagine some of the scenes they describe.

The film captures the story behind the magazine’s rise and fall, showing first-hand how the artists, the record companies and journalists came to move a generation. The magazine was the go-to for many for decades during its time, now this movie is a “must-see” for musicians, music fans and it would seem history buffs alike.  Pop culture of a bygone era that can never be recaptured from the people who created the news and became part of the fabric of the music.  Cool film.

 

Buy ‘Melody Makers’ Here

 

‘Come On Feel The Noize’ – ‘The Story Of How Rock Became Metal’ (MVD Visuals) A tale as old as time (or so it would seem) Rock morphing into Metal and bands and players who became iconic immortals of the music biz.  This exclusive, long-lost live material from rock’s most iconic bands &artists, as well as all-new original interviews with the living legends themselves:

This film is your access-all-areas backstage pass to Heavy Metal and Hard Rock history. Delve into the rich history of Heavy Metal: from its scandalous origins in the 1960s to its heyday in the 1980s, from its glam phase in the 1970s to its indestructible present in 2017. A backstage pass into the history of how Rock became Heavy Metal. There might be some excellent journeys available on youtube plotting the history of the scene but this is a decent blanket thrown over the scene for an hour and a half.  Interesting and amusing some have aged like fine wine and others not so much (being polite)

If you lived through the 70s and 80s then it’s hard to imagine how quickly music has changed over the years and how there is still a place for Metal and Heavy Rock as portrayed in this film. The usual acts such as Hendrix, Deep Purple and  Zeppelin are discussed obviously. it does cover The blues, punk, and other scenes.

Come On Feel The Noize: Isn’t just about that journey of the usual suspects such as Twisted Sister, Motley Crue and Poison but the whole scene of music that sprouted up everywhere.  It’s well told, well documented, and the interviews are interesting for the hour and a half. Some of those interviewed are megastars like Ozzy, Dee Snider, Nikki Sixx, Biff Byford and others! It’s not all old school as Ghost get coverage as well.  One for old rockers to enjoy as well as one to give the grandkids to show them what it was like and why you pick up the metal compilation in the supermarket.  Its never too late to feel the Noize and this might well relight the flame for anyone who turned up the Rock.

Buy ‘Come On Feel The Noize’ Here

Gorilla Riot – ‘Peach’ (Off Yer Rocka)

Gorilla Riot – ‘Peach’ (Off Yer Rocka)

Up and coming rockers Gorilla Riot have finally unleashed their full-length debut. They have garnered a significant amount of press over the years for a new band showcasing how solid their songs and marketing have been. I have enjoyed what I heard from the band in the past, but this was the first time I really dug my teeth into their songs. With a fusion of modern hard rock, some grunge, and the songwriting of classic rock, they have clearly found a sound that would be as comfortable on modern radio as it would be on the classic rock stations or stations catering to bands from the ’90s. They also have crafted their own sound and avoid being a watered-down version of something you have already heard.

Kicking things off with instrumental ‘Riders I’ allows the band to slowly bring you into the record with the expanding guitar riff burrowing into your memory. ‘Riders II’ follows with the band combining the likes of Black Sabbath, Brother Cane, and the more classic rock feeling period of Corrosion of Conformity. The beat here gets the headbanging and with the band featuring three guitars, there will never be a shortage of guitar… or air guitar if you are like me.   The vocal delivery of Arjun Bhishma suits the music perfectly as it carries power and a bluesy register. A hard-driving blues riff carries ‘Still Doing Time’ forward with the chorus slowing it down a notch to deliver a killer vocal hook. Cry of Love from the ’90s comes to mind here if they were heavier with James Degnen (bass) and Dave Thomas (drums) laying down the perfect foundation and groove. ‘Mind Your Head’ features some excellent guitar work by Bhishma, Liam Henry, and Charly T. The chorus takes on a more laid back hypnotic approach, but the song doesn’t quite carry the initial momentum of the album for me.

‘Half Cut’ gets the momentum going for me again with the heavy riff and beat getting the headbanging again. This is a stoner anthem in waiting as the groove gets plenty of space in the song to wrap its way around your brain. The guitar solo cuts through the rhythm and builds into the perfect end of the song. The mix on the album allows the lead guitar in ‘Young Guns’ to sit right on top of the rhythm guitar and really provide a lot of texture to these songs. This would sound perfectly at home on modern rock radio but can also pull in the classic rock listeners. The chorus works so well in part because of the musical hook as well as the vocal hook.

Getting the second half of the album started, ‘Help the Guilty’ is one of my early favorites from the album. The band is perfectly willing to take their time and give the awesome riff plenty of space with the middle section of the song turning into a quiet section with some tremendous guitar work before slowly building back into the monster. The band strikes the perfect balance and executes this brilliantly. ‘Reckless Till Death’ continues to showcase the band’s strength as the up-tempo blues gives way to an excellent catchy chorus. Gorilla Riot clearly put a lot of work into their songwriting and take the time to get things just like how they want them. A doomy riff opens ‘Black Heart Woman’ before it transitions into a heavy slower riff that could shake a mountain. The chorus is fairly simpler but delivers because of the musical muscle underneath it.  My favorite moment is when the song’s tempo suddenly increases and the guitar solo gets time to shine before one final chorus ends the song.

Starting the last quarter of the album, ‘Prayer for Suckers’ feels a little more laid back with the vocals reminding me a bit of Alice in Chains. The guitar solo really gets a showcase in the mix with this song being another of my early favorites. ‘Beat Your Bite’ shows the band’s ability to exercise restraint and let a song slowly build. This serves as another highlight from the album and would be another made for radio single other than its near six-minute length, but it would be a crime to edit out one second of the song. Ending the album with ‘Chuggin,’ Gorilla Riot end with a hard-hitting song that makes sure everything has been leveled by the end of this journey.

Gorilla Riot has crafted a full-length debut that connects with me and will receive many plays in the years to come. They have clearly spent a lot of time on crafting their songs, and, while the songs maybe a little longer on average, there is no fat on the bones here. I would not be surprised to see them start crossing over to the mainstream, and it would be a case of the masses getting it right behind these guys. ‘Peach’ might not be the first word that comes to mind for this kind of band, but they have delivered a killer album.

Buy ‘Peach’ Here

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

 

Destination Lonely – Nervous Breakdown (Voodoo Rhythm Records)

Destination Lonely – Nervous Breakdown (Voodoo Rhythm Records)

I don’t ever recollect reviewing a band hailing from Bordeaux then, I kid you not.  Not one but two different labels got in touch on the same day about their respective bands and low and behold they both hail from that very same city. Unspectacular I know but one of those strange coincidences. I never had the South Of France down as a hotbed of cool garage rock and roll but on today’s evidence, I might have to scratch the surface a little harder so please excuse my ignorance but Destination Lonely and I only just acquainted ourselves and now we dance cheek to cheek with their wonderful retro-influenced garage Rock and Roll as a soundtrack.

 

You won’t get diddley squat indication of who or what Destination Lonely sound like or look like at all from the artwork that’s for sure. But, once the needle drops you’ll begin to lose yourself as the reverb kicks in and those sweet electric guitars begin to howl.  They leave a couple of markers as to where they are at and covering The Troggs and The Stooges isn’t so much a suggestion as to where they’re at but dropping a bomb down a mine shaft and announcing your here. right from the off there’s an air of nasty about the groove and the solo on opener ‘Lovin” is exquisite. I’m curious as to why the would choose to make a video for the first cover on the record and not make one for one of their own tunes but I will say their interpretation is excellent.

A lot of the vibe they give off reminds me of Gallon Drunk and the mysterious edge they exude. Their cover of ‘Ann’ sounds more like the Doors than Iggy and co (well the first 30 seconds anyway) I’m sure they’ll take that.  ‘Out Of Your Head’ is a fantastic groovy thang with the full force fuzz guitar right in your grill. If that sounds like something you can get down with then check it out.

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Author: Dom Daley