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More Kicks – More Kicks (Wanda Records, Adrenalin Fix, Dirt Cult, Snap Records,Beluga Records)

More Kicks – More Kicks (Wanda Records, Adrenalin Fix, Dirt Cult, Snap Records,Beluga Records)

I love a band who love Rock and Roll.  More Kicks clearly are in love with Rock and Roll so its a no brainer when they knock out tunes full of melody and crafted guitar licks that jolt and shake and are like wrapping a silk scarf around the listeners neck to pull them closer to the speaker to catch the hooks that are just falling nonchalantly out of the speakers.  It can’t be this easy to pen an album full to bursting with great songs, can it? Maybe it can pop pickers or maybe More Kicks have the gift.

More melodies than you can shake a tambourine at – groovy rhythms at ever middle eight and chorus. With members known to the London scene who also ply their trade in other most excellent bands (it makes you sick I know)  its garage power pop with a huge fuckin’ smile – I don’t know if they’re smiling because they know how good they are or because they don’t give two hoots what you or I think because they’re doing what they want to do on nobodies terms except their own.  It really is a beautiful thing.  Sulli, Kris and Paolo sound like they’ve been playing together forever

It is a melting pot of the finest 60s garage – pop – mixed with some 50s melodies and some 70s attitude it’s gritty and sharp.  These cats have a strut like they just invented Rock and Roll and they want everyone to know it.

Twelve songs (including the first which is entitled ‘Intro’) we’re off and running with ‘What A Mess You Make’ and a rip-roaring opener it is too. The songs are short storiesand this one after a bit of doing the boxer beat on the drums we’re off and its never looking back from there on in.  The melodies wash over you as Sulli makes that guitar sing like a tree full of larks. Was that really only two minutes?  I could have hit repeat and just played that all damn day but wait ‘You Left A Stain On Me’ slinks in with some great BV’s.

The songs pile in one after the other and you get the feeling you might have heard it before somewhere.  ‘Shes A Reaction’ feels like the LAs mixing it up with some classic Bluetones but with added psychedelic edge with those keys in the background. The two singles follow ‘I’m On The Brink’ and ‘It’s A Drag’ but there are eleven singles on here, they could and probably should all be hits in a just society.

The tunes are short and oh so sweet and on ‘Rock And Roll Again’ you even get a tutorial on how to get dressed.  the way the tune builds is a joy. Lots of records get front-ended with the best songs but More Kicks don’t need to do that because this record is like a diamond throughout however you look at it from the 50’s breakdown of ‘Aint That Just The Way’ with another immaculate chorus. Topping all that has gone before it is the standout track on a standout album for me has to be ‘Blame It On the Satellite’ with its punchy rhythm before the guitar picks away on the fringe of the second verse and it just builds from there. Bloody brilliant! The lyrics pretty much epitomise where More Kicks is, they’ve taken the best bits of their record collections and thrown them into their own more kicks melting pot and poured out the result into the grooves of this here album. It’s fresh – it’s exciting and first and foremost it’s a bloody triumph.  Whilst the worlds is hellbound in a handcart More Kicks are kicking against the norm with a record that makes me want to smile and just fall in love with Rock and Roll all over again. There’s even a wicked guitar solo on ‘What You thinking Of’ and the amps do go up to eleven on ‘Young Enough’ and the albums closer ‘Your Vibration’.

Listen, You don’t have to take my advice but give this record a listen and turn the bugger up loud and have a party on your stereo.  One of the finest Garage – power pop albums I’ve heard in a long long time. It makes me happy to play More Kicks and in these dark times thats no easy task. Buy It!

 

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Acetate Records unleashes Junkyard’s previously unreleased 1992 album “Old Habits Die Hard” on November 22!

Acetate Records unleashes Junkyard’s previously unreleased 1992 album “Old Habits Die Hard” on November 22!
Junkyard opens the vault and blows the dust off a killer collection of recordings slated as the follow up to 1991’s “Sixes, Sevens and Nines.” Guitarist Brian Baker’s (Bad Religion, Minor Threat) opening riff serves up the concoction of raucous, bittersweet, bloozy rock that follows. Loose and tight in good measure, with stomping beats and dual guitars zigzagging around David Roach’s raspy howl… make no bones about it – this band could play.
The strut and swagger of “Pushed You Too Far” and the soulful “Tried & True” are balanced by the slow, dirge of “Blue Sin” and the melancholic duet “Hangin’ Around With My Dreams.” “Old Habits” recalls everything from Sticky Fingers-era Stones and ZZ Top to the Ramones and Lynyrd Skynyrd (who they toured with in ’91). More than anything else, though, it sounds like Junkyard.
Back in 1992, Junkyard was a well-oiled machine, their previous two releases performed well, they had multiple videos in rotation on MTV, and successful club and arena tours under their belt. Looking to infuse more of their musical sensibilities into their third effort, they began writing and recording and in a short few months, they had compiled over 20 songs. The new material reflected more of their alt/punk roots, which wasn’t much of a directional change considering their strong punk pedigree.
But the major label’s rush to jump on the next “popular music trend” quickly led to Junkyards demise. “At this point, Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album had been out a few months and we all kinda knew which way the wind was blowing,” singer David Roach recalls, “we didn’t really ‘officially’ break up as a band, it was as simple as the party’s over.” So, with zero fanfare, the band members signed their release paperwork from Geffen (a whopping 2 page fax), gathered their gear and parted ways… the tapes were left to gather dust in the vaults.
Twenty years later, Geffen re-released the first two Junkyard albums and once again, the band was in demand. Tours of Japan and Europe followed, including a headlining slot at Serie Z Festival in Spain, and the band started writing again. In early 2017, Junkyard released “High Water”, their first full-length album in 26 years on LA indie, Acetate Records. The album peaked at 24 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Charts and Junkyard once again played to packed houses across America and Europe. With the band back in form, it seemed like the right time to dust of the tapes.
“Old Habits Die Hard” pretty well summarizes where the band was at the time,” Roach continues, “The addition of Tim Mosher (yes, way back then) brought another element to what Chris Gates and I had been doing. So it was the hard rock, blues, southern thing plus some more melodic and punk which was also a natural course considering where we came from.”
“During the months we recorded these songs we were in various stages of dealing with Geffen. Trying to write a single, but also trying to not care and write for ourselves. The songs indicate the direction we were ultimately not able to take until all these years later.”
“Old Habit’s Die Hard” will be released via streaming, CD and ‘Beer’ colored vinyl on November 22, 2019. A limited number of signed LPs will also be available via acetate.com.
Pre-sale link CD: Here
Pre-sale link LP: Here

PEACEVILLE RECORDS ANNOUNCE THE SIGNING OF HELLRIPPER

PEACEVILLE RECORDS ANNOUNCE THE SIGNING OF HELLRIPPER

Peaceville Records are extremely excited to announce the signing of Hellripper to the label; one of the most electrifying young, up & coming metal acts in the scene today. 

Hellripper, aka James McBain, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, is fast gaining a reputation for whipping up an infectious storm of blackened speed metal greatness in the spirit of old. 

With the new studio album from Hellripper scheduled for release on Peaceville for early 2020, James comments on the signing and updates on how the new album recording is progressing “I am honoured to be part of such a legendary label alongside Darkthrone, Autopsy and Bloodbath to name just a few. It means a lot to me personally as some of the first metal CDs that I bought as a kid were released on Peaceville. 

It’s ridiculous how far Hellripper has come in such a short time and to be recognised by a label of this calibre is amazing. I believe that Peaceville are the right people to be working with as they understand and respect Hellripper’s sound and the ethos behind it. The creative and recording process has remained the same as it has always been for this album and hopefully you will all enjoy listening to it as much as I have enjoyed making it.” 

Inspired by the likes of the old-school legends including Venom, Kreator, Sabbat [JPN] and Metallica, McBain formed Hellripper in 2014 and with the release of the debut EP The Manifestation of Evil shortly after, the band were already making a very clear mission statement… Total fucking mayhem! 

Building on the momentum of the debut EP, Hellripper release a series of split EPs, assemble a live and touring line up and their debut album Coagulating Darkness is released in 2017 to media acclaim with the UK’s Metal Hammer hailing Hellripper as “Scotland’s King of the arcane mosh”. The band supported the release with live shows and festivals to an ever-increasing audience.  2019 has been a hectic year for the band with the release of a new EP – Black Arts & Alchemy on Reaper Metal Productions and the band embarked on their first European tour in April which included an appearance at the acclaimed Roadburn Festival pre-show.

Hellripper still have some shows lined up in 2019 including as special guests to Orange Goblin in London in December and are preparing a live campaign to promote their forthcoming new studio album.

Nov 29 – Glasgow – 13th Note

Nov 30 – Newcastle – Byker Grave Festival (https://www.facebook.com/BykerGrave/)

Dec 20 – London – Electric Ballroom – support to Orange Goblin

May 21-23 – NL – Pitfest, Resort Zuiddrenthe, Erica

Follow Hellripper

https://twitter.com/hellrippermetal
https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/

https://www.hellripper.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkwGbnmrT4JtNp9pkBEP3g

https://www.instagram.com/hellrippermetal/

https://www.facebook.com/hellripper1

https://peaceville.com/bands/hellripper

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE DOUBLE SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE LEXINGTON

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE DOUBLE SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE LEXINGTON

 

Having just scored their first Top 10 vinyl hit with the standalone single, ‘Get Down Get With It’, Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind have announced two special hometown shows on the same day to give the New Year that jolt that it’ll be sorely needing.

The rabble-rousing band will play matinee and evening shows at The Lexington in London on Sunday, 12 January. The all-ages matinee show kicks off at 2pm, while doors open for the 18+ evening show at 7pm. Support comes from avant-garde blues outlaw Bone Zero (matinee) and London-based psych mavericks Daemonik Fonce (evening).

“Think of it as a double Sunday Service,” says frontman Jim Jones. “The earlier show will help baptize kids into the righteous ways of rock’n’roll, while the later show will be more of a confirmation. Either way, you can’t beat the Devil’s music on the Lord’s day.”

Organisers of the show have promised earplugs for sensitive young ears, but parents are welcome to bring their own ear defenders.

Tickets for the shows are priced £14 + booking fee each, while a ticket for both shows is priced at the discounted rate of £25 + booking fee and are available here: https://bit.ly/2pe8XN0

Praise for Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind

“Jim Jones’ groove is fully maintained in gale force determination, resolution and incision.”
Mojo

‘CollectiV’’s variety never slows the album’s constant state of attack. If anything it increases the impact of the singer’s jowl-shaking, balls-out commitment.”
Classic Rock

“Thank f*ck for Jim Jones: 9/10 for an album of perfect rock’n’roll from foot-to-the-pedal raw rushes to dark introspective ballads distilled to perfection.”
Louder Than War

“This album is a must.”
Vive Le Rock

“A dense, dark and dangerous album.”
Shindig!

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Black Star Riders – Cardiff university 24/10/91

Black Star Riders – Cardiff university 24/10/91

What needs to be said about Ricky Warwick, over the years whatever he has turned his songwriting craft to it’s always been of the highest quality.

So with a new Black Star Riders album recently released a tour announced this reviewer could not wait to get his live rock’n’roll fix.

Much to my surprise and delight the band were doing some HMV acoustic in-store shows so when this Cardiff date rolled around I made my way to Cardiff HMV and was treated to a fantastic three-song set  of the highest quality with all band members on great form and it was plain to see that they were clearly enjoying each others company and the interaction with the fans.

So as this crisp October night rolled in I made my journey to Cardiff university for the main event.

At 9:20pm the band arrived on stage and bang we were into the leading track off the new album ‘Another state of grace’ with it’s anthemic chorus and Celtic musical vibes it was a joy to the ears and both band and crowd were right up for it and with the duelling guitars of new boy Christian Martucci and that of six-string legend Scott Gorham going together in harmony like they had been playing together for years it was a joy to behold.

‘The killer instinct’ was up next and with Robbie Crane on bass and another new addition to the band drummer Chad Szeliga locked in pure thunderous rhythm driving force what a joyous occasion this Cardiff night was turning into.

‘All hell breaks loose’ was next up and I can honestly say after seeing Ricky Warwick numerous times over the years his gruff yet melodic vocals just get better and better with each passing year and his range is truly astonishing.

‘Testify or say goodbye’ is another gem and the energy of the band is truly amazing.

‘Tonight the moonlight let me down’ is my personal favourite off the new album and on record it has a lead saxophone break courtesy of a certain Michael Monroe but of course, he is not here tonight so Scott Gorham improvises with a truly stunning guitar solo in its place.

In fairness, Black Star Riders could play any song off their four albums and they would not sound out of place due to the quality of their back catalogue and they duly played some classics in the shape off ‘Ticket to rise’ and ‘Hey Judas’.

‘In the shadow of the war machine’ is another blinder off their most recent album and the energy of the band is stunning as they launch into ‘Soldierstown’.

‘Why do you love your guns’ is a great song about some serious issues in America and as Ricky explains to the crowd the nature behind the songs lyrics the tracks uplifting melody is still a pure joy to the ears.

‘Blindsided’ and ‘bloodshot’ keep this Cardiff crowd entertained which leads us into another new track off the bands latest masterpiece ‘Ain’t the end of the world’ which goes down a storm.

The songs just keep on coming with ‘When the night comes in’ ‘Underneath the afterglow’ ‘dancing with the wrong girl’ and ‘finest hour’ going by with each song being an absolute belter with great musicianship of a band at their best.

‘Kingdom of the lost’ and ‘bound for glory’ bring the night to a close and with that the band say their farewells and take a bow and the last hour and forty minutes have gone by in a blink of an eye and this Cardiff crowd have been entertained to a truly class performance that I can safely say we would all like the night to go on and on.

Black Star riders are one of the best live bands around and are truly at the top of their game so if you like loud rock’n’roll buy yourself a ticket and get along to a show you will not be disappointed and in these trying times we all need the power of music to shine a light.

Author: Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper

Posted by Black Star Riders on Wednesday, 16 October 2019

 

Buck & Evans – Write a Better Day (Departure Records)

Buck & Evans – Write a Better Day (Departure Records)

It’s been a long time coming, but Write a Better Day is finally here. Buck and Evans have had a great year but the initial batch of the albums that were put out via Pledge Music were doomed because of some behind the scenes issues with Pledge not fulfilling payments. Buck and Evans grabbed that bull by the horns and self-funded the pressing of the initial run of albums for everyone that pledged on its making.
Surely, it wouldn’t be long until the real thing hit the shelves. November 15th is the official release date for the album, almost 8 months from the initial batch going out from Pledge. This is by no means any fault of the band, but merely a tragic outlook on the way that bands are treated in the modern industry. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the album first time around and I can assure everyone, the wait is worth it!
Slow Train kicks off things with a bang. I’ve seen Chris play a bunch of times both with the band and on his own at guitar clinics and it never falls short of spot on. This track was always destined for big things. I always thought that the thing Buck & Evans would probably struggle with the most when it comes to the recording is capturing the band’s vibe. The vibe is very important when you’re watching a band in the room and these guys have a chemistry on stage. Just one track into the album and that concern was quickly washed away. They sound just as good in the studio as they do on stage!
Change is a more tender piano led track as Sally shows her fantastic power and range. In many ways, some of the vocal phrasing reminds me of Kotzen era Mr Big. After Slow Train really kicks the album off it’s quite a gear change to drop to a piano only song. A bold move by a bold band.
Current single Sunrise is a moody, gripping journey through some incredibly tasty guitar tones and some powerful transitions. Buck and Evans have that whole light and shade mixture down. They can take it from a whisper to a thunderstorm at the blink of an eye. It’s hard not to sound thunderous with Bob Richards on the drums. His video stint with AC/DC and his work with other bands such as Son of Man, Asia and Graham Bonnett show how versatile he is. This song has a lot of space and Bob fills that space perfectly with some tastefully executed fills under Chris’s slowly building lead break in the middle.
Sinking sounds like it should have come straight off an Etta James album. It almost sounds as if Etta herself is being channelled through Sally Ann. When the band kick in this song has modern Americana feel. To my ears, if John Mayer joined the Eagles then we’re in the right ballpark.
Common Ground picks up the pace a little. It’s got bags of soul and some stunning melodies. It tows a line between a 60s Soul classic and the modern pop sensibilities of James Bay. That’s a good match by my reckoning. Then there’s the guitar solo. Taste, tone, harmonies… there are a million more notes that Chris Buck could’ve squeezed into this short lead break, but his restraint speaks volumes. Playing to the song is a lost art.
Back to Yesterday is a very haunting track. The almost discordant guitar with the swish of the ride cymbal creates an eerie tension for the listener which is resolved when the huge chorus kicks in. This is a fantastic song writing trick which really gives the chorus impact.
Sally Ann’s voice really shines in Fix You. While this song is a slower track, it has enough to hook the listener in based on the vocal performance alone. The song builds to an epic soundscape of guitars underneath the powerful vocal line.
Trail of Tears wouldn’t sound out of place on an early John Mayer album. It’s got a winding guitar line that dips through Sally Ann’s silky vocals. Whether by design or complete accident, Chris Buck’s guitar and Sally Ann Evans voice are a match made for each other.
Ain’t No Moonlight and Going Home are old fan favourites. I loved these tracks when I heard their earlier incarnations a few years ago and for me, they were always standout moments as the band dig a little deeper and get a bit rockier. I took inspiration from the Going Home solo when recording the lead parts in my own band Forever Vendetta’s song Just Can’t Quit You and channelled a little bit of Chris Buck in my own playing. Going Home was stuck in my head from the first time I heard the original live in the studio version.
The album wraps up with One Four. This song has bags of space, most of the verses are only underpinned with a simple drum beat and a thundering bassline from Dominic Hill. The simplicity of this song’s arrangement makes it such an interesting listen. As a guitar player, I’m drawn to the use of space to create an atmosphere in songwriting.
The songwriting that’s gone into this album certainly sounds distinctly like Buck & Evans. There are elements of other artists and genres that you can see the influence from, but when these 4 come together and work, they create something very special. A very strong debut album from a band I think we’ll be hearing a lot about in years to come.

Author: Leigh Fuge

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Mike Peters (the Alarm) Hurricane of  Change –Clarence Hall Crickhowell 19/10/19

Mike Peters (the Alarm) Hurricane of  Change –Clarence Hall Crickhowell 19/10/19

It’s not unusual for me to spend a Saturday evening travelling to a gig, but a gig less than 20 minutes away, what a bonus! Pity my Brains main man Jamie Richards is developing quite a schizophrenic personality (gig wise at least) with the Pity my Brain alter ego Woodfired summit (check em out on facebook ) putting on this little shindig led by the Alarm’s main man Mike Peters. Now I have to admit never having heard of the venue itself and with Crickhowell being such a tiny place I initially spent a bit of time wondering where the Hell have they put a concert venue? Directions sorted and a real pleasant surprise that it could, in fact, hold about 300. That’s for a seated gig, which this started out as.

 

Settling in front and centre you had the feeling that this had the potential to be a bit special, and finding out that there were going to be two hour-long sets tonight the first Act being called Downstream (Eye of the hurricane) and the second act Upstream (Change) with the additional encore made up of crowd faves and requests. What I couldn’t imagine at the beginning was that the songs from both seminal albums weren’t going to be just stripped back acoustica, but totally reworked and re-interpreted, adding in the fact that the albums had been torn apart, reset mixed up to supply a narrative, a story if you like that runs throughout, then add in some addition work again placed in order but all the while building the story.

 

Looking around the rapidly filling venue seeing the Alarm flags draped over the upstairs balcony, picking up the hint of anticipation from the crowd, it was time to strap in and at 7.30 exactly we began, one man, kick bass drum, harmonica and electric acoustic.

Opening with a spoken word intro picked up by Mike and we’re into “A New South Wales” sounding nothing like I’ve ever heard it presented before, the sparse backdrop, minimal lighting bringing the focus onto Mike Peters, the voice as strong as ever.

 

This is no simple rerun of the aforementioned albums, and in Act 1 the songs that really stood out were “Ghost’s of Rebecca”, “The Ballad of Randolph Turpin” and “Irish sea”, fitting so well, they could/should have taken their place on Eye of the Hurricane?.

 

I think at this point there are a couple of strands of the story starting to come together, a story steeped in Welsh Tradition and History, moving into the industrial revolution, before becoming about one mans life, and what keeps him moving forward, never losing touch with his heartland, the place of his birth. The man’s legacy as imagined becoming ever entwined with his own cultural identity.

 

As we moved through Act 1 standouts also included “Rain in the Summertime” “Only love can set me free” and “One step closer to home”

 

Moving into Act 2 opening with “Where a town once stood” there’s a very different feel, heavier more raw almost bluesy and for me the nite really took off with stunning versions of “Sold me down the river”, “Prison without bars”, “Scarlet” and “Devolution working mans blues”, within the narrative I think a point of realization for the narrator, a sense of where they are and struggles defeated and struggles to come.  Fair play this is Mike Peters putting himself out there, raw emotional and in your face.

 

But to my one gripe of the evening, when an artist is pouring out their soul, SHUT THE FUCK UP OR LEAVE THE VENUE!!!! I never get why people pay to get pissed and talk all through an acoustic performance, go home and settle in with your Strongbow watch the X factor where your knowledge of music can be espoused without annoying other people who likewise have paid to see said artist. Perhaps we could give promoters a licence to cull the idiots.  Rant over !!!!

 

Coming back for the encore we get “Strength”, “Spirit of 76”, “Blaze of Glory” and two requests “The Majority” and “Bells of Rhymney”, by this time very few in the venue are still seated!!!!

 

It’s back to the alter ego with Pity my Brains 5th party coming up at Clwb Ifor Bach, on the 9th of November. Here’s to many more years of musical diversity and perhaps promoters being given the power to do something about the idiots more interested in getting pissed and talking rather than listening to music.

Author: Nev Brooks

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Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

As far as cover versions go I think its fair to say I didn’t see this one coming did you? Prima Dona unleash their inner teeny-bop with their take on ‘Cruel Summer’

Just incase that’s left you feeling slightly queazy why not cleanse your pallet with something by the Damned seeing as all roads today lead to the London Palladium for the night of a 1000 Horrors where the Damned will be playing one of their most audacious sets yet at the famous theatre. a fan-made video this time for one of the bands finest tunes never to make an album – please enjoy ‘Limit Club’

Finally seeing as this past week has been mostly about the live shows we’ve been to and with The Cult turning in one of their best live performances to date enjoy this slice of slick Rock that was taken from the film soundtrack ‘Gone In 60 Seconds’

 

Hard Wax – ‘This Is The Sound’ (Rebellion Records)

Hard Wax – ‘This Is The Sound’ (Rebellion Records)

There’s something gloriously familiar about this second long-player from UK bovver rockers Hard Wax, something that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s something that right from the very first spin has me beaming from ear to ear, so it must be something good right?

They say the make of any band is the strength of their tunes…and here on ‘This Is The Sound’ Wax main man Tom Boutwood (ably assisted by Paul Bond on drums, Tom Murphy on lead guitar and Matt Colton on bass) has penned some of the finest Oi! infused terrace anthems you’ll hear anywhere this year. Just like the recently released Michael Monroe album it’s not exactly groundbreaking or genre-bending stuff but sometimes I just need my punk rock music to be just that, straight ahead and no-frills, and right here on ‘This Is The Sound’ what you get for your entry money are ten premium cuts of bovver boy rock ‘n’ roll.

Kicking off with ‘Welcome To Bovver Rock City’ this just shy of two-minute long intro bears all the hallmarks of Hard Wax’s upcoming UK tour partners Giuda, albeit a Giuda fronted by someone who sounds a hell of a lot like Ginge Knievel.  And that right there is the familiar thing I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the top, because at times during ‘This Is The Sound’ it’s just like Mr Knievel has returned from his self-imposed exile and is finally fronting the band he’s always wanted to front. The similarity really is uncanny, but trust me, there’s a whole lot more to this record that the singer sounding a hell of a lot like the ex-Sick Livers/Nicotine Pretty frontman.

Things really kick off in style on ‘Living The Dream’, a proper piece of punk rock argy bargy designed to get your oxblood a-stomping. Elsewhere ‘This is The Sound’, ‘Days Of Glory’ (ooh hello Sailor) and ‘Razor Part Rebels’ (complete with an otherworldly Ace Frehley guitar riff) all steam out the blocks full of cock-sure 70s glam rock swagger and just a few spins later you’ll be singing along like you’ve had this album in your life since your childhood.
When the world outside your window is slowly turning to shit ‘This Is The Sound’ is the perfect pick me up record with tracks like ‘Have A Good Time’ and ‘Not Just a Pin-Up Girl’ guaranteed to make you smile once again, and in ‘Boys Of A Saturday Night’ and ‘Stomp All Over The World’ you have the near perfect soundtrack for a right proper tear up…on the dancefloor of course.

Which just leaves ‘In For a Penny’, a track I went straight to when I first got my copy of ‘This Is The Sound’ simply because I initially thought “wow a Slade cover that’s gonna take some balls”. Well, it’s actually not a cover, although the guitar riff is equal parts Hill and Holder and it’s the kind of glorious call to arms tune that would have seen Hard Wax on Top Of The Pops had it been released back in the 70s.
With a whole raft of great new punk rock records released by UK bands in 2019 (if you think otherwise then you really do need to read RPM more) I’m delighted to say that ‘This Is The Sound’ is right up there with the very best of them.

Now go get your boots on and get down your record shop and get yourself a copy.

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Author: Johnny Hayward

Gone but Not Forgotten – Todd youth / Lou Reed

Gone but Not Forgotten – Todd youth / Lou Reed

Was it really twelve months ago today we got the really sad news that friend of the website todd youth had sadly passed away.  A year flys by and there have been plenty of times several of us have talked about his sad passing and the legacy he left behind whether it be introducing some of the magnificent bands he was a member of or telling stories of the brief moments we shared with the guy.  We’ve had a whole year to think about his effect on our little scene and some of our favourite bands have to be the line up he was in alongside Johnny Martin (Now an LA Gun) as part of Jesse Malins St Marks Band.  It has been said that this was the finest line up Jesse has been in since D Generation no doubt about it.

Another band he spent a brief time in was the magnificent hardcore racket that was Bloodclot alongside legend vocalist John Joseph (Cro-Mags), Nick Oliveri (Dwarves) and Joey Castillo (Danzig).  But it all began when Youth was still Todd Schofield a New Jersey boy who ventured over to the LES when it was a tough neighbourhood and not the sanitized high street it is today. He started out in Warzone before graduating to Murphys Law where he stayed until 95. Todd then went on to replace Richard Bacchus in D Generation in ’96 and recorded ‘Through The Darkness’  after D Gen split he formed Chrome Locust with fellow D Gen Michael Wildwood. 

It was after the Chrome Locust album that he then moved onto Danzig and worked with Joey for the first time after turning down the chance to join Foo Fighters and the Hellacopters. Whilst playing with Danzig he got to record the one studio album with Glen that featured his fellow Bloodclot mate on drums former D Gen legend Howie Pyro on bass and of course Danzig on the ‘ I Luciferi’ album as well as the live Danzig album. later in 2007 he left Danzig and became the guitar player for none other than Glen Campbell.

Sometime later when we got to meet him he had formed the awesome Chelsea Smiles with Karl Rosqvist, Johnny Martin,  and  Skye Vaughan-Jayne and also reformed Son Of Sam.  He also almost made it into Gunfire 76 with Wednesday 13 and the inaugural line up of Michael Monroe’s band but Youth split at the 11th hour to play the guitar with one of his heroes Ace Frehley.  youth lasted four years playing with Ace and we spoke once when he played Bristol with the St Marks Social that he had been stranded in the UK as Ace pulled his shows leaving members of his band in the UK without a show. Anyway, it was 2017 when youth hooked up with Bloodclot  (I hope you’re keeping up here folks?) to record the epic ‘Up In Arms’. To be fair to Youth he turned in some epic performances in his time on this planet and along with Chelsea Smiles and Chrome Locust or Bloodclot and Fireburn he certainly left his mark with some amazing records.

Todd was 47 when he passed away and that’s way too young.  We miss you man see you in the next life.

 

Todd Youth R.I.P

 

Another East coast Legend who sadly passed away on this same day was the one and only Lou Reed. Lewis Allen Reed was born in Brooklyn March 2nd 1942. He’s somebody who doesn’t need any introduction and was forever pushing the envelope of Rock and Roll from way back when he was part of the whole Warhol scene and originally moved to NYC to be an inhouse writer for Pickwick Records before forming a partnership with Welshman john Cale whom he lived with in the LES and went on to form the Velvet underground.  It was through Warhol that his association with Nico (A German Model) that Reed wrote some songs after initially rejecting the idea of working with her.

In the 70s Reed signed with RCA who also had some notable other significant Glam Rock pioneers on their roster and he went on to form lasting friendships with bowie and Iggy Pop.  It was 72s ‘Transformer’ album that broke through for Reed which happened to be produced by Bowie and his fellow Spider from Mars Mick Ronson.  The single “Walk on the Wild Side” got him noticed as his anthem for the misfits of the world and the so-called weirdos and gender benders of the time but it was Reeds biggest hit managing to evade scrutiny for its playful lyrics of New York nightlife. Ahead of his time?  For sure he was.  He had a rather tempestuous friendship with Bowie and wasn’t afraid to disagree with his friend with his fists.

Reed had some success with ‘Berlin’ but decided to follow it up with an album primarily made up of metallic feedback and almost unlistenable music that was ‘Metal Machine Music’ no doubt an inspiration to many noisemakers further down the line such as ginger Wildheart for his Mutations records and Endless Nameless albums (possibly).

Drugs and booze might have had something to do with Reed’s creative mindset at the time but it wasn’t long before he would indeed clean up his act (as Bowie had previously requested) He got married at the turn of the 1980s and went on to produce some of his finest work in that decade. ‘New York’ ended the decade for Reed and gave him only his second Gold Record.

the 90s saw him work with former VU compadre Cale on the album ‘Songs For Drella’.  He also played Glastonbury was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his fellow VU bandmates.  He also went on to record a bizarre record with Metallica after playing with the band at MSG in NYC ‘Lulu’ had only sold 13,000 copies in its first week of sales and ever the philosophical musician Reed joked that he’d finally pissed off all his fans and didn’t have any left.

It was in 2013 after suffering for years with hepatitis and diabetes Reed was diagnosed with Liver Cancer and after undergoing a transplant in the May of that year it was in the October Reed said he was bigger and he eventually passed away from liver disease at the age of 71. He was posthumously inducted into the #Hall Of Fame as a solo artist a year after his passing and Reed will forever be associated with the city he loved Lou Reed and New York go hand in hand and many of his songs are about the city and its only right that we remember such a legend on this day. Rest In Peace Mr Lou Reed. #Legend