Taken from their acclaimed album ‘Beyond The House Of Fires’, available now on all platforms.
Alongside the video release, the band have opened pre-orders for a range of exclusive merch and vinyl bundles. Fans can visit the band’s website for full details.
Frontman Ally Dickaty explains the inspiration behind the track, “This is one of the prettiest sounding songs on the album and lends itself really well to piano and strings. I’ve always been a big fan of Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love, and some of the gentle piano on this reminds me a little of that.
We’ve always been driven by strong melodies, but with this particular song, arrangement, and instrumentation, it feels like the closest the band has ever come to creating something that sounds like a pop hit. I wrote ‘My Nettle’ about one of my favourite writers, Amelia Vandergast. She has both a beautiful and sharp way with words, always holding truth above trends and never suffering fools gladly.”
Beyond The House Of Fires is a bold reimagining of one of the band’s most personal and powerful records. Stripping away much of the weight and distortion that defined TheHouse Beyond The Fires, this alternative interpretation places songwriting, atmosphere and emotion firmly at the forefront. The release has already attracted widespread praise.
ERB Magazine described the album as “Nothing short of a masterpiece for the Macclesfield duo…” Meanwhile, Classic Rock Magazine praised it as, “A forlorn gem, full of heart and soul and brimming with delights.”
Following the release ofBeyond The House Of Fires, The Virginmarys completed a hugely successful and largely sold-out UK stripped back tour, earning widespread praise for its intimate, emotionally charged performances. Inspired by the spirit of the iconic MTV Unplugged era, the tour saw the band perform the reimagined album in its entirety, joined by acclaimed guitarist Gareth Price and special guests IDESTROY. With the stripped back run proving to be one of the band’s most warmly received tours to date.
The Virginmarys now turn their attention to a packed summer schedule, with appearances confirmed at 2000trees Festival, OneFest, Maid of Stone Festival, Rock N Blues Custom Show and Firevolt Festival, all while joining American punk rock legends Lagwagon for a run of European dates and rounding off the summer with a special performance within the historic walls of Chepstow Castle.
LIVE DATES
July 9 July – Cheltenham, UK – 2000trees Festival 10 July – Mansfield, UK – One Fest 18 July – Maidstone, UK – Maid of Stone Festival 25 July – Derbyshire, UK – Rock N Blues Custom Festival 30 July – Düsseldorf, Germany – ZAKK – Supporting Lagwagon August 9 August – Stockport, UK – Firevolt Festival 11 August – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Dynamo – Supporting Lagwagon 12 August – Berlin, Germany – SO36 – Supporting Lagwagon 14 August – Warsaw, Poland – Chmury Festival – Headline show 21 August – Chepstow, UK – Chepstow Castle September 11 September – Stoke-on-Trent, UK – Artisan Tap December 19 December – Morecambe, UK – Winter Gardens
‘Green Hills’ is the sun-warped debut album from Cornish four-piece The Heavenly Bodes, due out July 3rd 2026 on Fuzz Club. Recorded on reel-to-reel in a friend’s living room between trips to the beach, it features a collection of lo-fi garage-psych numbers that vary in feel – sometimes twisting and erratic, sometimes sedated and meandering – but all drenched in tape hiss and left out on the pebbles to dry. These are salad-days dreams of escapism melting under the summer sun, evoking the clammy rooms from which they came.
Following hot off the back of first single ‘Faux Pillars’, The Heavenly Bodes offer us another taste of their debut full-length with new single ‘De Groene Heuvels’. Coming in at just over two and a half minutes, ‘De Groene Heuvels’ is a lo-fi fuzzed out, guitar thrashing gem that is full of bounce and strut.
“Much like the purchasing power of the Munten, ‘De Groene Heuvels’ succumbs to rapid inflation. It follows the account of a whirlwind weekend on a Dutch hillside. Leg twisting & eye twitching – ‘De Groene Heuvels’ feels like the struggle of staying upright on an uneven surface,” state the band.
Emerging from South Cornwall’s grassroots psych scene – through various chance encounters at Kernowbeat (formerly Kernow Psych Society) shows in Falmouth – The Heavenly Bodes channel a shared love of classic 60s acid-garage into something immediate and intimate, and specifically rooted in the here and now of the West Coast cornucopia they call home. Fully self-produced, it captures the band’s loose, unpolished spirit – landing somewhere between scrappy garage-rock abandon and woozy Velvets cool. It’s the sound of jangly surf riffs, hard-hitting bass grooves and hazy organ dissolving into the salty sea air.
On the record, the Heavenly Bodes write: “Green Hills was lovingly recorded during the infamous Swanpool heatwave of July 2025. Live tracked into an 8 (occasionally 7) track whilst clad in straw hats and tanning oils, the album is a testament to the clearly adequate cooling systems of the Fostex R-8. Recorded and mixed by our very own Fin Wilson, resident caretaker of central Penryn. With thanks to Eggland and neighbours, Jack & co. at Fuzz Club and countless others. Please enjoy responsibly.”
Emerging in Summer 2024 (2023 officially, before a slew of limb injuries put things on hold), the Heavenly Bodes cut their teeth with shows supporting the likes of The Chills and Charles Moothart & His Fast Band and have been writing and performing continuously since. ‘Green Hills’ follows a string of demo / single releases (some of which are re-imagined and re-recorded here) and their 2025 debut EP ‘A Shelf You Can Applaud At A Distance’ (supported by BBC 6 Music and Radio X), and lands immediately off the back of a headline UK tour in May 2026.
Manchester’s favourite sons Aerial Salad return with new single ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’
New album ‘Ideal World’ due for release November 6th via Venn Records – pre-order HERE
See the band live at 2000 Trees Festival on July 10th
Following on from 2024’s acclaimed ‘R.O.I.’ album and the subsequent ‘Roi de l’herbe’ EP in 2025, Manchester’s favourite sons Aerial Salad are set to return to the fray with another set of melodically charged anthems with new album ‘Ideal World’, confirmed for release November 6th via Venn Records.
Aerial Salad manage to have a unique but expansive sound. As Noel Gallagher once said, “All the best bands are just playing their record collection.” Well, these three clearly only listen to bangers.
“The Salad” have made a pretty big statement from a songwriting perspective with new single ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’. It’s dangerously catchy, beautiful in its delivery, and sets a high precedent for the next few singles. BBC Introducing have already played the track and said: “A song about the hope we find in love, there’s three universal languages, Love, Music and football. This nails two of the three very well. It’s probably one of the best written songs we’ve been graced with in years, it just flows so well and has so much attitude, as well as an undeniability of brilliance.”
“It’s a fresh yet familiar sound, beautifully arranged and carrying a powerful message. The song is about love and friendship in the darkest of times, centred around the lyric: “Life is one memory. If you don’t believe in yourself, just keep going.” It’s a reminder not only to themselves, but also to their loved ones,” states vocalist and guitarist Jamie Munro.
There have been some pretty crazy Aerial Salad videos over the years, but for this one they headed upstairs at Manchester’s most famous pub, The Castle Hotel, where they cut their teeth playing (and drinking), and invited some local aspiring actors to see if they fancied being Aerial Salad for 15 minutes.
The band have said there’s a lot of pain in the album ‘Ideal World’ — a commentary on the collective fear, misery and hardship that significant parts of society across the globe are facing. Through that pain, however, there is a clear and vital message running through both their music and this album.
Life is scarred by the horrors and atrocities of humanity, but we all have the ability to make it so much better. It can get better, and hopefully, it will.
Watch this space for further transmissions from ‘The Salad’.
Catch Aerial Salad live at the following dates in July:
It’s exactly 4 years to the day since I saw Sierra Ferrell live for the first time at an intimate club show in Newcastle. That night, it was just the diminutive West Virginia-born singer with a larger-than-life voice, backed by just a fiddle/guitar player and an upright bass player. 4 years on the road and she has blossomed into a performer who works the crowd like a seasoned pro, and now has the likes of Beck, Post Malone and Billy Strings queuing up to collaborate with her. A return to these shores has been a long time coming, and I was not going to miss this chance to catch her live again in all her glory.
First up are three brothers from Seattle, who look and sound like they stepped out from another era. With stunning 2 & 3 piece harmonies and a good rapport with a new audience, The Brudi Brothers played their folk-tinged Americana ditties to a packed room. Lead singer Conrad picks a resonator, blows a harmonica and has a voice that sounds like it’s coming through a gramophone post World War 2. “Who wants to hear a cowboy song?” he asks an inquisitive audience before breaking into ‘Me More Cowboy Than You’, an instantly gratifying tune straight outta the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack. If you dig the likes of Old Crow Medicine Show and Waylon Jennings, then these could be your new favourite artists.
This is their first time in the UK. They are very appreciative of the opportunity and very thankful to Sierra and her band. The Bruni Brothers sure made a few hundred new fans tonight.
The stage is adorned with a plethora of flowers. At the back, there’s a big bass drum with the words ‘Heavy Petal Music’ emblazoned on it. It’s hotter than the summer of ’76 outside, and the sweat is already soaking through my t-shirt before the band has even played a note. Sierra, dressed in an off-the-shoulder white gown and flowers in her hair, plucks the intro to ‘Rosemary’ on her acoustic guitar to great cheers. With a 5-piece band consisting of guitar, bass, drums, pedal steel and mandolin, the full big band Sierra Ferrell experience has been realised. The band takes the song to another level. The players, dressed in matching white shirts, neckerchiefs and cowboy hats, are as Nashville as you could get. It’s quite a sight and what a beautiful sound they create.
This is a far cry from a lil ole band that plays clubs, this is a big production designed to take on the world stages, and Sierra is finally getting the recognition she deserves.
The setlist flows like a dream. Big singles mix with cool album gems and choice covers. ‘Dollar Bill Bar’, ‘I Could Drive You Crazy’, and ‘American Dreaming’ are big sing-along singles that guarantee to thrill. ‘Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down’, played early, is full of mournful fiddle, acoustic goodness and cool vibes. ‘Kicking Up Dust’ is a new song that is pretty instant on first listen. It sounds like a Dolly Parton classic. What a vocal performance. I make no excuses to admit the hairs on the back of my neck raise, and not for the last time tonight. Sierra is confident and self-assured, with a voice that sounds like it should be on old, crackly vinyl, and with looks that veer more towards folk punk than Nashville. She is the standout star of modern Country music, and in the live arena, she is an unstoppable force.
The band take things down, and the lights turn deep red for ‘Chittlin Cookin Time In Cheatham County’, an old 30’s tune that sorta sounds like ‘St. James Infirmary’. It’s delivered in a sleazy, rock n’ roll barroom blues way, and just comes across really cool in this setting. An otherworldly scream from the singer precedes a Johnny Thunders-style raucous guitar solo from her guitarist, it’s stunning stuff indeed.
Her cover of John Anderson’s ‘Years’ follows. It has become a firm live favourite, a song Sierra has made her own, that chorus sends chills every time. It’s a song I’ve been looking forward to hearing, and it doesn’t disappoint. One of many highlights tonight, along with a stunning ‘In Dreams’ performed as a duo with guitarist Oliver Bates Craven. Main set closer ‘Foxhunt’ sees a huge bass drum wheeled stage front for Sierra to set the beat before raising the roof with the folky barnstormer of a tune and its frantic fiddle face-off.
Encore time, and we get the surprise no one expected. The guitarist strums a familiar chord progression before Sierra shouts, “Oasis are from here, is that right?” to great cheers as the band launches into ‘Wonderwall’. It’s a moment that lights up the entire academy as Sierra hands out flowers to a gobsmacked crowd during the finale.
From train-hopping busker to viral acoustic videos and onto the world stages, Sierra Ferrell’s journey has been leading to this: an artist who has realised her full potential. A Sierra Ferrell concert is an uplifting, magical and spiritual experience. Whether you are a die-hard, an occasional listener or completely new to country music, you cannot fail but be drawn in and enraptured by her performance and leave feeling like you have witnessed something truly special. Tonight was one of those nights that will stay with me for a long time, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Truly magnificent stuff.
Portland’s Drunk Dial returns with ‘Fakes – Volume Three’, the latest instalment in its compilation series dedicated to fictional bands from movies and television. Released digitally and on cassette, the comp continues the label’s tradition of pairing each volume with a different charitable organisation, with all proceeds from Volume Three benefiting Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an international nonprofit providing legal and psychosocial support for unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children. Across thirteen tracks, punk, garage, and indie bands from across North America lovingly tear through songs made famous by fake bands from pop culture history. The Archies, Robin Sparkles, Sex Bob-omb, Jesse and the Rippers, Spinal Tap. The kind of bands that somehow stop being fictional once they worm their way into your brain long enough.
Drunk Dial itself started as a half-joking idea at a bar table: “What if there was a record label that convinced bands to get super drunk and then make a record?” What followed became less of a gimmick and more of a mission statement. The Portland label built its identity around spontaneity, raw performances, and the stories that happen when musicians are pushed outside their normal process. By challenging artists to write and record under chaotic conditions, Drunk Dial carved out a weird little corner of the underground where imperfections matter more than polish. The Fakes compilations carry that same spirit, channeling the strange emotional connection people have with fictional bands into something messy, funny, nostalgic, and surprisingly heartfelt.
Fakes – Volume Three dives deep into that shared cultural memory. Vancouver punks Night Court rip through Degrassi anthem “Everybody Wants Something” by The Zits with snarling urgency, while Denver weirdos SPELLS barrel through “The Thermos Song” from The Jerk like a basement show threatening to collapse in real time. Keddies Resort tackle Sex Bob-omb’s “Garbage Truck” from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with blown-out fuzz and slacker charm, and TV Cop resurrect Jesse and the Rippers from Full House for a version of “I Belong to You” that feels equal parts sincere and tongue-in-cheek. Elsewhere, The Chugs swing at Adam Sandler’s immortal Wedding Singer meltdown “Somebody Kill Me Please,” while Sex Mex dive headfirst into Spinal Tap’s psychedelic spoof classic “Listen to the Flower People.” Like the best punk compilations, Fakes – Volume Three feels more like a community artifact than a carefully manicured release. It bounces between cartoon bubblegum, fake Canadian teen rebellion, cult-comedy absurdism, and genuine rock-and-roll devotion without ever losing its momentum. There’s reverence for the source material, but there’s also plenty of chaos, inside jokes, and basement-show energy holding the whole thing together.
Previous editions of the Fakes series featured artists including Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary, Andrew Bassett of Mean Jeans, Suzy True, Personality Cult, Heavy Lag, and Ian MacDougall of Riverboat Gamblers. Volume Three expands that universe even further, pulling together lifers, punks, indie weirdos, and garage rock diehards who all seem to understand the same thing: fictional bands matter because they remind people why they fell in love with music in the first place. Drunk Dial has always treated music less like content and more like folklore, the kind passed around between friends at bars, basements, record stores, and late-night movie marathons. Fakes – Volume Three captures that feeling perfectly. It’s a love letter to fake bands, real scenes, and the beautifully blurry line between the two.
Nervous! That’s what I am right now as I’m typing this review, why you ask? Well, I’m a newcomer to this reviewing malarkey, for many, many years I’ve thought about what I’d write if I ever got the chance to say how this band and particular artist make me feel, whether it be through albums, gigs, or on a general day-to-day basis. Of course, I am talking about THE WiLDHEARTS and Ginger Wildheart.
For those who know me, they will tell you my passion and borderline obsession with this band and the great man who has lived and breathed it, for anyone who doesn’t know me, I’ll try and summarise….. I was relatively late to the party being born in 89 I missed out on the madness of the 90’s but in the early 00’s I was introduced to them through my brother Mike and good friend Dom Daley, I think it might have been Vanilla Radio or Zomboid, one song the catchiest thing you’ll ever hear and the other a wall of noise, two songs that couldn’t be more different but that’s Ginger for you and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I first got the chance to see The WiLDHEARTS in 2003 I believe, Cardiff Uni with Amen supporting, at the time believe it or not I’d have probably have said that the support band were the band I preferred, that ended that night….. roll on 23 years later and I can say I have seen Ginger live one way or another around the 40-50 times mark, not bad going yeah? I’ve lost count on the number of T-Shirts, Hoodies, CD’s, Cassettes, VHS and Records (That includes the holy grail of FFML on vinyl) I’ve collected over the years, I am well and truly all in on this band so to have to write a review that’s out there for fellow fans and possibly the band to see, yeah that’s why I’m nervous!!!
I probably should get on with the review now…. Well okay so it’s about 7 months on since I last seen the band in Pontypridd and what a glorious night that was, during that said gig Ginger said on stage that he had been under the weather a few months later in March Ginger then announced the news that he has Mantle Cell Lymphoma, I like many was truly shocked and honestly didn’t have the words but Ginger the man he is has told everyone to be positive and celebrate so that’s what I am going to do and what this gig in Newport was!
Hot on the heels off a Download festival set which by all counts went down a absolute storm (Ginger on his Patreon said it was his greatest moment on a Donnington stage) THE WiLDHEARTS a week later grace the stage in South Wales in the Newport Corn Exchange for a one day festival called Day Of Wreckoning, I’ll be honest I can’t comment on anything on else to do with the festival, I was just here for one thing and one thing only and that was to see the headliners (the classic t-shirt didn’t apply here, if you know you know ha ha).
I make my way straight to the barrier and get chatting to fellow fans, we discuss the just announced Ginger Birthday Bash on December 17th and the glorious line up that has been assembled for which I truly cannot wait for, ticket and hotel already sorted!
The band make their way to the stage and jumps straight into the epic “Failure is the Mother of Success” the closing song to the brilliant “Satanic Rites” album. “You took a lot of knocks to get where you are today” is the first of many goosebumps moments for me in this set, those lyrics hit so heavy!!!
Straight after that, we go back to the very beginning of the Mondo Akimbo E.P., the absolutely glorious “Nothing Ever Changes, But The Shoes” and my bottom lip is going, I sing my heart out as does the rest of the audience and of course, so is Ginger who is on absolute fine form here.
Ginger asks the audience how everyone is doing and the crowd is loving it, he then says he can’t remember what this album the next song is off it’s “Sleepaway” off ‘21st Century Love Songs’ and what a belter it is, one of my personal highlights of the evening is watching the absolutely lovely Carol Hodge on Keyboards marching along with a smile that could light up a room on the hup, 2, 3 section of the song, such a beautiful moment. Speaking of smiles honestly I cannot remember Ginger looking so happy up on that stage, it’s a testament to how damn good this line up is, when Ginger isn’t at the mic he’s going around his band mates one by one, laughing and joking with Mr Random Jon Poole on bass, these two men have been working together for close to 30 years now and what a ride it has been, Jon was also on bass that first time I saw the band back in 03 and what a fantastic musician he is!!!
Next up, we get the big crowd participation moment. Ginger asks the audience to sing along to the chorus, it’s easy, it goes “woah woah” of course it’s the euphoric ‘Mazel Tov Cocktail’, one of the biggest crowd pleasers there is bar none. After that we get a double whammy off ‘Satanic Rites’ “Kunce” which had me smiling from ear to ear “there’s always some kunce in the way” indeed and the brutal “Maintain Radio Silence” with one of the many massive riffs we are going to be treated to this evening, if you wanted proof of how good this line up is then you’d have to look no further than this, Charles is a absolute beast on the drums, he smashes the shit out of his kit and doesn’t miss a beat!!!
Ginger then tells the story of how the next song was championed by Chris Moyles on the radio and with every passing play the song went further down the charts which made the audience chuckle it is of course the classic “Cheers” a song that never fails to bring joy to everyone, another mass singalong ensues, Ben, Carol and Jon with some stunning backing vocals and massive smiles, beautiful stuff.
If anyone doesn’t know there’s a new Wildhearts record on the way, it’s been done for about a year now and it’s just awaiting the green light from the record company for the release, Ginger says it should be here by the end of the year, the album is titled ‘Northern Spirit’ and tonight we are treated to hear one of said album called “Spider Beach” which I’m sure is going to be fan favourite once the album drops.
I mentioned riffs earlier, well, ladies and gents, for the next 20-odd minutes or so you will not hear as many monster riffs by anyone anywhere, in what is probably the best moment of the current setlist. First up we go old school and honestly if the band were to only play one song off Earth VS the wildhearts again for the rest of time it would be this masterpiece for me, in a career of hundreds and I do mean hundreds of life changing/affirming song this has to be right at the very top I’m talking about non other than ‘Everlone’ I absolutely adore this song and from Gingers reaction I’m pretty sure he does too!
Then the riffs just keep coming, the band is as tight as they have ever been and the riff medley section is outstanding, as much as I love a singalong you just have to be in awe and the musicianship on display here, they do not miss a beat,
snippets of classics like ‘Do The Channel Bop’ and ‘Shame on Me’ thrown in, this is brilliant. Riff after motherfucking riff indeed!
As the medley comes to an end, we go straight into another epic off the much underrated self-titled (white) album ‘Slaughtered Authors’, the Assault on Precinct 13 opening riff never fails to get me. This song has everything: monster riffs, time changes galore, epic chorus, breakdowns, and yet another pinnacle of an unbelievable songwriting career Ginger has had.
I’m repeating myself here, but again, the next song is one of the greatest Ginger has ever written, ‘Diagnosis’ off the excellent ‘Renaissance Men’ album, which anyone who’s suffered with mental health can relate to, yet another moment in this set where I’m fighting holding back tears because of how much this song means to me. “I’m not an animal, I am A HUMAN BEING”
We’re approaching the end of this incredible set just before the band go off for a few minutes respite we have another epic to close the main set the title track of the ‘Chutzpah!’ album another song with twists and turns, pure aggression one second, euphoria the next, I haven’t highlighted Ben Marsden yet but oh boy it was worth the wait, the guitar solo outro to this song was mesmerising, absolutely stunning!
The band take the well earned break before the crowd breaks into a rendition of ‘Don’t Worry About Me’ as always, the band then return and give the audience a couple more classics to send everyone home with smiles on their faces a frantic one two off ‘Earth Vs.’ the moshpit favourite ‘Suckerpunch’ and ‘My Baby Is A Headfuck’ which never fail to get me headbanging, screaming and shouting along, if I could do this every day I’d never get bored. The band finishes and before they leave the stage give thanks to the crowd to mass cheers and applause, Ginger is the last one on stage and is serenaded with chants of his name, you could see how much it meant to him and looked very emotional as was the audience, I’ve said a couple of times that I could feel my bottom lip going and eyes welling up none more so than this moment, what a roller coaster ride that was indeed!
Back in 2006, Motörhead were still a force to be reckoned with. While record sales were nowhere near their heyday, they could still sell out mid-sized venues all over Europe, and the quality of their material was arguably even better than the classic “Three Amigos” lineup.
For me, the Lemmy/Campbell & Dee line-up is the best. The albums came thick and fast, but never compromised on quality. I believe that Cameron Webb was the only producer who truly nailed the true Motörhead sound in the studio. As Lemmy would always argue, the band were so much more than Ace of Spades.
Kiss of Death is one of my favourite Motörhead albums. Alongside Motorizer (2008), The World is Yours (2010), Aftershock (2013) and their final album Bad Magic (2015), Motörhead left us with some superb records that are still on heavy rotation at Kendrick towers. We get a fantastic 20th anniversary reissue here with a bonus live set from 2007’s Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands. Also included is the band’s Grammy-winning version of Metallica’s Whiplash.
Tracks like Sucker, Devil I Know, Trigger and the crunch-filled classic Be My Baby are slick, well-written and superbly performed. Lemmy’s growl had been perfected by this time, and his rasping, breathy delivery is superb. The recent, sudden passing of guitar wizard Phil Campbell reminds us just how much he contributed to Motorhead. There are some superb riffs on display all over Kiss of Death. RIP Phil. Drummer Mikkey Dee plays his arse off as ever, the thunderous double bass barrages propelled Motorhead into another league when Lemmy finally persuaded him to join in 1992. We also get their frantic tribute to Johnny, Joey, Deedee and Tommy – R.A.M.O.N.E.S. The track was always a live highlight.
The live set captures the dirty, greasy power of Motörhead . We get a great variation of the different eras of Motörhead . Snaggletooth, Stay Clean, Ace of Spades, Metropolis, Killed By Death, Over the Top and I Got Mine all sit perfectly with newer material like Be My Baby and In the Name of Tragedy.
BMG have done a fantastic job with the expanded versions on both CD and LP. The liner notes from Dave Ling are an interesting read, and I can’t wait to get my physical copy. Go and blast some of the band’s later albums. You can thank me later.
‘Wagon Burner’ is the band’s 3rd LP, and is a fiercely political and full-on attack on the rise of fascism and the far right at a much-needed time. It also makes indigenous American issues front and centre. With a sound that draws from the origins of US punk like The Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks and Black Flag, they mix it with elements of more contemporary post-rock, punk and alternative rock sounds. They’ve also reached out to like-minded alternative artists on Wagon Burner, like Jason from Sleaford Mods and Aimee from The Interrupters, who have contributed to this record.
Frontman Greg Deal is a renowned artist and poet, whose words and art elevate the band’s music far above the standard punk fare. Taking on many subjects that put the band in the crosshairs of the far right, but the band fiercely defends their rights. The album kicks off properly with a raging ‘Nazi Teeth’ that also features Cheap Perfume with a thumping beat. The song rages as Greg lends his calming voice to proceedings over a really harsh, dirty riff as the song sets the tempo and is no doubt to become a thunderous live staple. The next “song” proper is ‘No Kings’ with its brooding, menacing backbeat grows into a heaving chorus that’s chest beating whilst you’re holding onto every word that’s spat out of Greg’s mouth.
The album ebbs and flows, and anyone new to the band should now reach back into their catalogue to see where they’ve grown from to fully appreciate their motivation and positive messages. Dead Pioneers have the potential to be huge on the alternative scene. Take the collaborations they’ve engaged with on this record, Sleeford Mods, who are also outspoken, especially on UK politics and punk throughbreds, the interrupers who join the band on ‘Never Alone’ with its melodic uptempo rager.
The band has branched out, adding variety and tempo to their album, and with the guest appearances, it should pull in a diverse audience who might not otherwise be enticed by Dead Pioneers. The production is big, and every space is filled with a big, bold peacock punk rock. The Sleaford Mods track is some slick new wave with the thumping rhythm before the collab chorus.
The second half of the album sees no change in the quality of songs offered. ‘Seeing Red’ begins with spoken words but builds into a heaving beast of a track, justifying seeing red, but Greg channels that anger into an awesome energy. What a tune. Then to follow it up with the pure rage of ‘Circle Jerk The Wagons’ is brutal, sounding more like Keith Morris than Keith Morris – superb stuff. But wait, they’re not done with the bass and drums intro of ‘Zealots’ takes that rage into another direction, thumping stuff.
Before we’re done, ‘Nobody’ lays it all out there, it had me thinking they should tour with Grail Guard, that would put a rocket under the backside of punk rock. Don’t mix politics with music, people say, but I say punk rock has always been political, and so it should be, but make sure you’re on the right side of history, and albums like ‘Wagon Burner’ are life-affirming slabs of punk rock that should be championed far and wide, so get in line, kids and get an earful of Dead Pioneers before they blow up. Another contender for album of the year, and this one speaks truths at every turn, lifting each other up and is a real positive record in some tough times. Buy this record, you won’t regret it.
Everyone loves a sausage, don’t they? And, when it comes to a spicy and catchy compilation album, the King and his faithful Cumberlands deserve your attention. This is the perfect time, celebrating 20 years of bringing you the best bangers that get you up and dancing like a drunk uncle/auntie. And, the summer is the ideal moment to reacquaint yourself with their energetic brand of good-time rock n roll.
Frankly, all their albums are great. And, while they might not take themselves seriously (‘Kiss My Ring’, ooer, missus), this is no comedy band. They know how to pen an original banger, whilst supplying some quality cover versions as well. ‘Goin’ Back To Wurstville’ should get you moving like Wilko across your shagpile, and it doesn’t let up from there. Whether it’s ‘The Pulpo Dance’, ‘Shake It Wild’, or the classic ‘Pineapple Mama’, this is the perfect compilation; all killer, baby!
If you don’t own any of their albums, this is the ideal introduction. The soundtrack to your summer, it makes you smile in the winter, and you’ll burn off some calories in the process. What are you waiting for? Crank it up, and catch them on tour…
It’s the autumn of 2019, First Boy On The Moon set out on a journey to create catchy songs and perform live shows and slowly but surely carve out a future. Fronted by singer-songwriter David Pedroza, the quartet is inspired by 80s alternative music with cerebral lyrics, kick-in-the-guts guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. Think the punch of The Stranglers meets The Cure and you’re on your way. The tunes are catchy and often bright. Take the album’s opener ‘Single Mother’, it has that JJ Burnel thump and tone whilst the guitars and keys are not too dissimilar to early Cure, with one eye on creating a pop hit and the other some alternative new wave earworm.
It’s taken 15 months to get to ‘Demons’ from the last album, sure it’s retro, but in a great way, the songs are well crafted and with one eye on being cool and the other on striving to create a sing-along pop tune. ‘That Ship Has Sailed’ has a great tempo and weaves on a synth and guitar lick borrowed from the alt scene who hung out with the punks in CBGB’s back in the day. It’s uncluttered and unfussy, and the songs breathe with traditional instruments, think Icicle Works and Echo and the Bunnymen if you like. The songs could be epic and tell a story. ‘Reach For The Sky’ is a slice of energetic power pop with the emphasis on pop. I’m hearing different things on each play, and parts are pushing to the fore, which is always a good thing. I love the Bass sound and the walks it takes the listener on on tracks like ‘Too Cold In Your House’ and its prominent place in the mix on ‘That-a-Boy’.
The album finishes strongly with ‘Port OF Fire’, in another life would work really well live and on Top Of The Pops or The Tube (remember those shows, kids?) A really cool album with ten well-constructed songs that arch over several genres and decades of Rock n Roll, what I’m trying to say is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, just keep writing those tunes, and we’ll keep listening to them, and the flame burns bright on this one. Go check out some independent rock n roll music free of all the bullshit and just loving the music.
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