PKEW PKEW PKEW Announce New Album ‘OPTIMAL LIFESTYLES’ which will be Released 1st March 2019 via Big Scary Monsters (UK) and Dine Alone Records (US/Canada) also a run of tour dates with hotly tipped LA Punks Spanish Love Songs have been released. Final news is to let fans know what to expect the band have been streaming lead single ‘I Don’t Matter At All’ (streamed below)
‘I Don’t Matter At All’. Much like the album itself, is a giant leap forward for Warne’s songwriting, pulling inspiration from The Hold Steady, of course, but leaning deeper into the retro-rock feel of bands like The Strokes and Japandroids, too.
“Is this good or is this bad?” ponders Warne of the lifestyle Pkew sings about. “It’s fun to live like an idiot, but it’s probably bad, also. We’re all constantly wondering if we’ve ruined our lives forever or not, being in a band.”
Song-by-song, Optimal Lifestyles lays out a journal of the sort of living Warne speaks of, but this isn’t a jokey, bro-ish shrug-off of his circumstances, and neither is Pkew’s purely self-indulgent self-destruction. It’s an acceptance of the circular futility of life in Toronto, increasingly marked by hellishly-accelerated rent increases and unfeeling gentrification.
More than anything, this record is about trying to cope with a city, an industry, and a world that increasingly doesn’t seem to give a shit about people—only money. So Pkew Pkew Pkew cope by calling out the bullshit.
Pkew Pkew Pkew’s central thesis is that things might get fucked up from time to time, but there’s still value in trying. Warne testifies that though it’s a Sisyphean, almost masochistic, struggle to be in a band in 2018, it’s better than the alternative, like joining the vulgar charade that is the fraudulently-earnest, vapid hugging-crowd at beige adult parties, where no one is really happy, but everyone pretends to be.
Warne and the rest of Pkew are honest about where they’re at in life, and over time, one comes to realize that their sardonic wit cloaks a quiet optimism.
“There’s always something better, and it makes sense to try for it,” Warne says. “That’s the shitty and good part: you still do it, cause otherwise, you’ve given up.”
May 2019 UK Tour Dates w/ Spanish Love Songs:
07.05.19 – Brighton – The Hope & Ruin
08.05.19 – Manchester – Soup Kitchen
09.05.19 – Birmingham – The Flapper
10.05.19 – Bristol – The Exchange
11.05.19 – London – New Cross Inn
Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres release their eponymously titled debut album on Friday 26th April though Strap Originals/Cargo Records. A single, mixed by Cenzo Townshend, ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’, is available now when you preorder the album from: Here
‘Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres’ will be available on Vinyl in a gatefold sleeve (SOLP1), CD (SOCD1), Cassette (SOCASS1), Deluxe CD (SOCD1X) & Deluxe Vinyl (SOLP1X) (including live album and film)and digital download.
The full track-listing is:
All At Sea
Who’s Been Having You Over
Paradise Is Under Your Nose
Narcissistic Teen Makes First XI
Someone Else To Be
The Steam
Travelling Tinker
Lamentable Ballad of Gascony Avenue
A Fool There Was
Shoreleave
Punk Buck Bonafide
‘Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres’ was recorded live to beautifully capture the essence and spirit of the Puta Madres at a family home overlooking a fishing village in Étretat Normandy, over 4 days last summer and mixed at Urchin Studios (East London). The album is engineered by Dan Cox (Laura Marling, Thurston Moore, Florence & The Machine)and produced by Jai Stanley (longtime friend and manager).
‘Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres’ is a devastatingly intimate portrait of love, loss, being lost, happiness, tragedy, addiction and the power of the human soul to transcend its darker levels. All the songs from the album were road-tested over the last 18 months across Europe at Festivals and headline shows.
Songs include the reflective ‘All At Sea,’ the raw ‘Punk Buck Bonafide,’ the upbeat and playful ‘Shoreleave,’ the joyous hymn of liberation ‘Paradise Is Under Your Nose’ and ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’ with dialogue from the 1948 film adaption of Graham Greene’s ‘Brighton Rock’ and the cheeky poke at his own notoriety…or is it? “You so rock ’n’roll.”
As previously announced Peter is currently on a sold-out solo tour of the UK, followed by six shows, the ‘Who’s Been Having You Over Tour,’ with The Puta Madres in February:
Well as far as new bands go the UK has always thrown out fantastic underground bands and many burn out rather than fade away whilst there are a few who manage to stick around not through sheer bloody-mindedness but because they’re good at this Rock n Roll business and actually make great records. So after The Main Grains sort of called it a day when Danny rejoined The Wildhearts a couple of Main Grains went over there and started to write some songs. Low and behold they were paying attention! We now find out they’re bloody good at it (as their debut album will testify) RPM has a duty to bring you the best bands currently making music so it was the right thing to do and speak to The Spangles so here is our interview with not one, not two but three Spangles…
Firstly tell us a little history of the band? Who contacted who? Whos who? and how did it come about? Polly– I’ll let Ben and Ginna tell ya, it was all their idea. I’m just the bass player – I just stand around looking louche and pretending I’m hard.
Ben– It’s me and Ginna from The Main Grains and Polly from The Idol Dead. After Danny re-joined The Wildhearts and they started filling the calendar, me and Ginna wanted to do something separate to keep ourselves busy. Polly and Ginna used to play together in Phluid and he’d helped out on a couple of Main Grains tours so we all knew we got on well together – it was a no brainer really.
Ginna– yeah basically what Ben said and we all get on so well it gave the band a really happy vibe which I’d been missing for some time.
You’ve recently done a pledge campaign where you hit your target, what made you choose the pledge platform to release your debut album? Polly – Well, I’m the singer in The Idol Dead and we’ve had so much success with PledgeMusic that I’d been bothering these two to get The main Grains to do one for years! PledgeMusic has, historically, been amazing fro underground bands. It’s a great way to get followers involved, increase your fan base and foster a brilliant sense of community.
Unfortunately, I think PledgeMusic has made a few questionable business decisions and they have really fucked stuff up for a lot of bands, including us! We are still waiting for money from them and I think they’ve killed the goodwill they have spent 10 years creating.
Ben– Polly made us do it. I was sceptical, Ginna and I have never released anything on Pledge before, but I think we did pretty good. They’ve made some questionable decisions but they’re working on it. I’ve still got faith. I’ve spoken to a few people about it. We’re still waiting for money too, but they handle their finances differently to how they did a year or two ago. If they iron out all the creases I think they’ll be back to how they used to be. Honesty is the best policy, if they’d have let everyone know beforehand, people would be more understanding, but they didn’t. Time will tell.
Ginna– Polly had previously smashed pledges with the idol dead and we needed help raising the funds to do it so it was a no brainer…. shame they seem to have dropped the ball with payments etc.
About the album. Tell us a bit about the songwriting? who wrote what and how did the songs grow – what’s the process?
Polly– I wrote one!! Hahahahaha …. BEN!!!
Ben– For like the first week, it was just me and Ginna. Someone had to write some songs!! I’d never written a song before, but I think they came out pretty good! The bulk of the album was written in about 48 hours when me and my ex fell out. I’m really getting into my songwriting now, I’m really looking forward to the next one.
Ginna– Ben is the main songwriter but everyone chips in, Polly with his own songs and I write some lyrics. The good thing is no one is precious about anything so everyone gets a say and to throw ideas in the mix.
When it came to recording was pledge a driving factor in how much time and energy you could throw at the recording process?
Polly– Not at all. The time had been booked and we were gonna record anyway – I think it was more – the recording dictated the Pledge.
What about live shows – you have a launch show coming up and the support slot in the black heart with an amazing line up of Rags there’s also more kicks and the speedways on the same bill. That’s four really exciting new bands right there and people say rock n roll is dead?
Ben– Didn’t Gene Simmons say it once? Who gives a fuck what he thinks.
Polly– Bloody love The Speedways! Yeah, rock n roll is a long way from dead, it’s just people are dead inside and can’t find it. Rock n Roll lives and breathes in the people who make and consume it – it’s everywhere and we’re drowning in it. The minute Ginna smashes that first 1,2,3,4 on the high-hat we are transported to that magic place full of promise, so, good drugs and loud guitars – fuck what anyone else thinks.
Ginna– yeah it’s a wicked line up! Rock n Roll ain’t dead its just been taking a nap ready to explode again. Haha!
You’ve had some great feedback for the album what next after these shows? Is it the record helps play shows or shows help push the record and keep you guys making music?
Ben – More shows. Another album. Maybe a handful of limited run EPs. Who knows? I just wanna keep releasing music. I’ve got an ever-growing list of tunes that need finishing and I wanna release them all in some form.
Polly– a bit of both – gigs are better when people know the tunes but no one buys the album if you’re shite live! We just wanna keep playing and building up a following – we’re only 6 gigs in so far so we’re still well up for hitting the road and spreading that Spangle sweetness all over the country.
Ginna– More of the same… Gig this album to bits and get back in and do another album when we’re ready. Which the way we’re knocking the songs out won’t be too long.
Seeing as its January What immediate plans do you have for 2019?
Ben– Get another album out and play a bunch of shows. Aside from The Spangles, I’ve got a busy year with the Warner E Hodges Band and a few other things I can’t talk about yet. Trying to get myself as busy as possible. Anyone need a guitar player?
Polly– Play bass in The Spangles, make an album with The Idol Dead, make an album with The Spangles, stop Ginna breaking his ankles and watch Ben become the most sort after guitarist in the UK.
Ginna– To have Great fun with amazing people.
So there you have it, folks, The Spangles. If you’ve never heard them – go take a listen of the debut album and then make your way out to a venue they’re playing at preferably on a night when they are playing obviously and let em know RPM sent you.
Love em or loathe them Backyard Babies are in the house and ‘Good Morning Midnight’ is the lead track off the brand new long player set for release March 1st, 2019. Order now: Here
More than three years have passed since their last studio album “Four By Four”, but 2019 sees Nicke, Dregen, Johan and Peder return to celebrate their 30th anniversary in style with a brand new record entitled “Sliver & Gold” which is due to be released on March 1st, 2019 via Century Media Records. In celebration of the bands anniversary, Century Media is releasing both limited formats as special editions that will come wrapped in gold foil and include five newly recorded acoustic bonus songs!
It might not be rainy today where you are and the suns always shining here at RPM HQ that’s why we want to banish the cold and let a ray of sunshine into your life so here’s one from USA rockers Babylon Shakes and some good time dirty rock n roll sleazy style and label mates to RPM favourites Prophets Of Addiction. with a new album about to drop heres Babylon Shakes with ‘Velveteen Libertine’.
Another firm favourite would be those pop tarts More Kicks with one of the best singles of 2018
Seeing as last week was a big week in Bowie world is it ever a bad time to play a Bowie tune? Of course not and this one will get anybody’s week off to the best start so here he is doing ‘Jean Genie’.
South Yorkshire band Hands Off Gretel deal in 90’s Grunge swagger, deliver riotous live shows and have enough bubblegum hooks to scale the top of the charts baby! It’s no surprise to find their Pledge Campaign for sophomore long player ‘I Want The World’ currently sits at a staggering 230%. Not bad for a relatively unknown and completely independent band.
We caught up with lead riot grrl Lauren Tate to get the lowdown on all things pink and girly and find out exactly what she’s been up to, locked up in her bedroom all these years.
Your pledge campaign reached 100% in under 24 hours. Were you expecting such a quick response? Ah, dude! It was crazy, we were all sat hitting refresh every second, it was so exciting! I’ve teased the album for a while; people were ready and willing to pre-order it. I was blown away that we hit it so fast though, it really gives me so much hope for the future of independent music.
Your new album is entitled ‘I Want The World’ …so what’s the message there then? ‘I Want The World’ is about how I’ve felt since I was a little girl. I’ve always felt shushed and muted, with everyone always telling me to shut up or stop being unrealistic, leaving me constantly thinking of ways to give everyone who doubted me or ridiculed me the middle finger.
‘I Want The World’ feels like my rebellion. I’m chewing gum, I’m not smiling because someone told me to, I’m not just being a nice pretty girl, I’m fucking angry sometimes and I deserve more, be it friendships or respect from others without being patronized. ‘I Want The World’ to me, means ‘I deserve more than this world is gonna give me and I’m gonna kick and scream until I get what I want’!
You’ve always been an independent DIY band, handling all the artwork, design and even producing the videos. Why choose now to go down the PledgeMusic route? The Pledge route to me is the best way for independent artists to self-release their music. It shows there is demand for your music, that your fans believe in you without needing a label to put it out for you. With Pledge too, you’re giving fans exclusive content. You can get personal with them, which would never be an option signed under a label. I’m not saying getting signed is a bad thing, I think if you’re wanting to be world famous it’s easier to be signed than it is to get there independently. But until the right deal comes along on my terms, I have no interest in searching for a record label.
Recent singles ‘Kiss Me Girl’ and ‘S.A.S.S.’ suggest a more commercial direction and a definite sense of stepping things up a level. Was this the intention when setting out to write the album? The first album I ever wrote was our first album. Before then I’d written a few acoustic songs here and there, but I’d never done an album before. Since that point in 2017 I’ve learnt so much about myself playing live and working with song formulas, that this time around I was just naturally better at composing songs. I knew more about what kind of artist I was too, without worrying about what anyone else wanted me to be. Songs like ‘Kiss Me Girl’ and ‘S.A.S.S’ came to me almost instantly, it was a very natural progression for me mixing more of a melodic pop sound with distorted heavy fuzz guitars, creating the newer sound we have now.
You’ve gone through a few line-up changes in the past, which is not unusual for an upcoming band finding their feet. Going by recent performances, you are certainly at your strongest live right now. With the addition of Becky on bass, does it feel like the band are now a cohesive unit? Yeah, I mean it’s bound to happen within bands. I’ve always been honest, I wear my heart on my sleeve and if anything feels wrong I gotta speak up about it. I think people who judge bands for having lots of line-up changes should try spending tour after tour with the same people without going nuts. You find out very fast if you can spend that much time with another human and with us, whenever anyone has left the band, it’s always made the line-up stronger because you can’t force something that just isn’t meant to be.
You recently toured with The Virginmarys, how did you go down with their fan base and were their fans even aware of Hands Off Gretel before seeing you live? Weirdly, we had a load of cross-over fans I didn’t even know about. I was announcing us each night imagining nobody knew us, but the majority of the crowd knew the songs. We picked up loads of new fans from those shows, it was a blast. The Virginmarys boys and their tour crew were lovely; we were saying we would defo do some shows with them again.
What’s your favourite venue to play? I’d say one of my favourite is my hometown venue The Old School House in Barnsley. The stage is a great size, same with the room and the sound rocks! We’ve played plenty of shows there which always sell out.
Lauren, you have become a bit of a role model for alternative girls, tackling issues in your lyrics that the mainstream avoids and advocating women being authentic, strong and true to themselves. Still, in this day and age, there is a lack of truly great female fronted rock ‘n’ roll bands out there. Why do you think this is and do Hands Off Gretel have the power to help change this? Sure, yeah. It’s always great to motivate and inspire young women. Growing up, I looked up to my biggest role model P!nk and I held onto her every word. She changed my life and she’ll never know that. It’s small changes that change the world, one individual at a time. I believe yes, 100%, I alone can contribute to a better future for girls and boys.
All my life I’ve been talked down to by ‘authority figures’ and teachers and made to feel like I couldn’t achieve even a quarter of what I have up to now. I’ve played with lots of women in bands, they are everywhere in the underground scene, just ready and waiting to break out to the mainstream rock stations and festival line-ups that still are mostly all-male bands. I think everyone realises now, with social media being a wonderful platform, that there is inequality still to challenge in society, and as long as people continue to speak out about this and create platforms for these passionate, angry women to have a voice, the world will have no choice but to listen.
You’ve had abuse from girls in the past online, but do you ever get heckled at gigs, and if so what’s the weirdest experience? I’ve had abuse from everyone online! It just hurts like hell when it’s a girl because I believe so passionately that women should bring each other up. People love to believe I’m a bitch, I think they really want me trip up and fall flat on my face because things are going well for me. I’ve had it all my life with teachers and kids at school, I’ve done this independently for so long without any mentoring or help. I know all eyes are on me when it comes to trolls and haters online and I’m determined to prove them wrong. Haha YES!!
One time this man wanted to buy pictures of my feet for $500, but he wanted me to give him a free sample, then he intensely stalked me and created multiple profiles attacking me with insults and threats online because I said I didn’t want to suck my own toes for money, that was weird haha! Gigs are alright though; I think the biggest stalkers and dick pic charmers prefer to stay behind the keyboard!
What was the best year for music in your lifetime? I pretty much missed all the ones my dad talks about seeing, as I wasn’t born until ‘97. It gives me hope though, I feel sorry for kids growing up having to listen to their parents banging on about the good old days. Sure the music back then was raw and brilliant and most of my favourite bands never made it past 1999, but I’m focused entirely on the current time and this generation of music because this is my generation. I’m so excited when I hear amazing bands that nobody knows about, being in a crowd of 10 watching something spectacular before everyone else knows about it.
At what point after you were born did you discover who you were? Probably around 14 years old, when I chopped off all my hair and started listening to The Distillers. Before that point I was totally lost, trying to be popular, trying to fit in listening to N-DUBZ, I was so chavvy it’s unreal. I cut off my hair and became hated at school, it was the most freeing thing I’ve ever done.
When you hear the word ‘successful’, what comes to mind? I think of being in a position where I don’t have to suck anyone’s wrinkled balls to get what I want. I mean, I’d never do that hahaha but I think of success meaning ‘I am now a boss bitch’, I think of finally being respected by those that have ignored me in the past and continuing to be authentic, making a living off my own self-built empire.
If you could have a drink with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and what would you drink? I’d sit in my music room with Freddie Mercury and ask him what his last thoughts were as he died. Did he feel quenched by his life, did he reach his goal? I obsess over death, it’s my biggest driving force because I’m so afraid of my time being up and not being finished with my creations. We’d drink a little vodka and cry together.
Welcome, welcome, welcome step inside the 45’s club and see what delightful singles and videos get pushed through our virtual and physical letterbox. a right mixed bag arrive for this update and there is only one place we could possibly start and that’s with HeWhoCannotBeNamed and his brilliant video for ‘Good Fuck’ taken from his new album ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Brutal’. Spin the black circles and keep it 45…
Jake Starr & The the Delicious fullness ‘All The Mess I’m In’ (Beluga Records) This Singles comes in four delicious coloured sleeves and fours different coloured records, Blue, Red, White, Black.
After fronting Washington DC garage rockers Adam West for nearly 17 years, soft-spoken, introverted, and mild-mannered Jake Starr took a few years off to recharge his batteries. Now he’s back with a band of brothers (and sister) alongside him to deliver the best in high-octane, garage rock-n-roll. With Sean Crowley (Hall Monitors) on guitar and backing vox, Louie Newmyer (tons of bands) on bass, and Nathaniel Osgood (ex-Phobes) on drums, this swinging combo is the perfect mix of the Small Faces, Chocolate Watchband, Easybeats, Music Machine, and everything nice in 1966. The A-side is a rock solid retro rocker but the gem here is ‘Biff Bang Pow’ a cover of the Creation number and with its fuzzed up lead guitar its a real hoot and sure to fly off the shelves – our advice if you want the colours you better get a move on and shake your shit over to Beluga.
Lags – ‘Knives And Wounds’ (Casu Marzu Records/To Lose La Track/Fuzzy Cluster Records) Next up is the new single from Lags.a post-hardcore band out of Rome, Italy, They’re gearing up to release their second album, SOON, on March 29th, and they’ve teamed up with Heavy Consequence to premiere the video for the new song “Knives and Wounds”. The song is an anthemic track with a sound reminiscent of bands like Hot Water Music, BoySetsFire, and Sparta, as singer Antonio Canestri delivers the lyrics with a powerful rasp.
As mentioned, the album SOON will arrive on March 29th. Pre-orders for the disc are available here and here.
Powersolo“Transfixing Motherfucker” EP (Slovenly) If it’s on Slovenly then we want to know about it. Wear it like a badge of honour because Slovenly don’t put out rubbish and when we got this pottymouthed single we virtual high fived Powersolo for having the cheek to knock out a garage dripping rock n rolling old school it’s like Bo Diddley and the Cramps going shot for shot and having some instruments thrown in for good measure. These Danish rock n rollers kick out the jams for sure and even manage a tune in their native tongue which is always cool with RPM.
The Cavemen “Lowlife” EP (Slovenly) Always happy to review a Caveman record that for sure and Lowlife doesn’t disappoint. The Lead track sounds like The New York Dolls in full peacock swagger and that guitar solo fuckin’ rules! ‘Baby I’d Do It For You’ is like a rocket, all speed and fuck you fury straight out of the traps and it doesn’t relent until it crashes and burns. To close off this monster is a dark brooding Cavemen progbustin four-minute classic. Like they’ve been down to the crossroads and old Nick has thought fuck this do your worst I’m off. the Cavemen rip it up like hooch when you’ve run out of moonshine. Single of the month? I can’t see anything else even coming close. Get these dirty rock n rollers on tour with Brother Jim Jones and his righteous mind that would be perfect. Facebook
Priors “Call For You” EP (Slovenly Recordings) Hailing from Montreal this five-piece wall of garage rock n roll fills me with joy due to their understanding that garage punk rock comes in many forms and they hit you right in the kisser with their guitar driven rock n roll and the lead track ‘Call For You’ is a force of nature, a wall of guitars, unrelenting and unforgiving yet the tune has melody and makes me feel warm and fuzzy. ‘Destroyer’ is more of the same to be fair maybe a little more uncompromising but equally enjoyable. Which just leaves ‘Swelter’ to shake its shit with its awkward rhythm to pulverise you with. A most excellent record and available through their bandcamp in very limited quantities so don’t sleep on this one. Bandcamp
Crows – Chain Of Being (Balley Records) London post punk noisemakers sign to Joe Talbot of Idles Balley Records and ‘Chain Of Being’ is the first song released off their debut album “Silver Tongues” released on March 22nd Pre-order Here. They head out on tour with Idles in March to coincide with the album check em out Facebook
The Anomalys “Trooper” EP:(slovenly Recordings) Straight out of the Garage in Amsterdamned these rock n rollers kick up a veritable shit storm with their fairly traditional reverb dripping rock n fucking roll. ‘Fire In The Hole’ is the second song in and flys by in less that one and a half minutes of rowdy rock n roll just as we like it. To be fair that’s pretty much a done deal for the band as its only the fourth track that the tempo drops below boiling, ‘Anomolyphant’ is an instrumental but doesn’t really go anywhere but three out of four isn’t bad at all. Keep an eye on these noisemakers. Facebook
Erica Drive – All We Are – Emo alternative rockers Erica Drive are about to drop their second album and have released ‘All We Are’ to pave the way. South coast five-piece worked with Mike White (wolf Culture) and had the tracks mastered by My Chemical Romance engineer John Naclerio With heavy riffs and crisp production I’m sure the band will pick up more than the last albums 10,000 Spotify plays. Full-length album to come in early April.TwitterFacebook
The Empty Page – ‘When The Cloud Explodes’ (Punk Fox Records) the Empty Page has grown up as a band in public and that journey has landed them here at this junction with a new single on offer this coming Feb the 22nd to be precise. Its a confident slab of alt-rock shaped using the inspiration of their idols it’s got a great hook and feel to it as lyrically it celebrates their roots and obsession with the wet northern weather with a huge wall of sound. Stirring stuff indeed and if this is the strength of the new material it won’t be long before bands are citing the Empty Page as an influence alongside your Sonic Youths and Pixies. Great stuff!
Vain vipers – Kissy Doll (Volcano Records) I couldn’t resist throwing this bad boy up here just because I could. Can you believe outside the parody shite that is Steel Panther there are still heavy on the ride fretboard tappers out there strutting their shit like its cock rock o’clock and people really want to hear this. Like anyone dances on their bed wearing some Vain Viper grits who hasn’t been paid to. I also love that the axeman (that’s what cock rockers call their six stringers right?) has got a replica Slash tattoo on his right gun. Absolute comedy gold can’t wait for the follow up its like 1987 never ever happened.
Forty years into his career as the number one 4-string plank spanker on the UK punk rock scene you can perhaps forgive Alvin Gibbs the “self indulgence” (his words, not mine) of a solo record. I mean he’s worked with some of the biggest names on the scene during that time, plus he’s also penned some absolutely amazing songs along the way too… and the musician’s modesty aside, I for one was straight out the blocks to order my copy when the pre-order for ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ went live on the T&M Records website just after Xmas. So, why all the rush of anticipation I hear you ask?
Well, the best place to start is with the guest list of musicians that Alvin has assembled to help him make this record. It reads like a veritable who’s who drawn from his expansive career and boasts the likes of Brian James, Mick Rossi, Timo Kaltio and James Stevenson amongst the names eager to offer up their services as Disobedient Servants. It was only the name of Iggy Pop that for me was the real glaring omission, but then when I first got to hear ‘Ghost Train’ the lead single from the album, I had to double-take. Could my jug-likes be deceiving me? That is surely Iggy crooning his way through this belting ‘Instinct’ like rocker, but no…it’s actually Alvin Gibbs, and what a great voice he has too. ‘Clumsy Fingers’ the flipside of that mega limited and long since sold out 7” also proved to be a fun time piece of Iggy influenced garage punk, and these two tracks alone were enough to convince me that this was certainly no vanity project and Alvin Gibbs was possibly about to do a Keef and release a solo album fans of his day job band would be clambering to hear too.
With Alvin having also released one of the best books about being in a rock ‘n’ roll band, the awesome ‘Neighbourhood Threat’ (recently re-released as ‘Some Weird Sin’) written about his time spent playing bass for Iggy Pop. It kinda feels eu natural for ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ to kick off with ‘Arterial Pressure’ a (just shy of 2 minutes long) barnstormer of a track written about how Alvin got to know Joey Ramone through Mr Osterberg.
Next up is the aforementioned ‘Ghost Train’ which here perfectly segues into the equally Iggy -like strut of ‘Dumb’, and right here we have as near a perfect opening 1-2-3 to any album I’ve heard in many a long year. Seriously folks if these tracks were on a new Iggy record the mainstream music media would be spunking their chinos over them.
‘Camden Gigolo’ takes things down an anthemic gear or two before ‘Clumsy Fingers’ speeds off in a frenzy of glam tinged punk rock guitar complete with few week’s road dirt under those nails.
Not unlike Glen Matlock’s excellent ‘Good To Go’ album from the tail end of 2018, where ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ really excels is when it throws you a curveball and in side one closer ‘Heaven And The Angels’ Alvin delivers a menacing slice of southern fried psycho-drama that challenges the listener with each new listen twisting and turning itself into your very soul.
Flipping the record over and side two kicks off with perhaps the most UK Subs like track on ‘Your Disobedient Servant’, the riotous ‘Back To Mayhem’ a track that simply fizzes with raw energy, that’s before the more subtle slide driven ‘Polemic’ takes you on a fascinating trip through what influenced Alvin to get into the music business in the first place.
It’s here that for me the LP flips from the overarching influences of Iggy and garage punk to that of one drawn from the likes of Mott and Bowie with ‘No!’ hinting at latter day Hunter and ‘Desperate Dave Is Dead’ doffing its baker boy cap to one of the young dudes passed all to soon. ‘I’m Not Crying Now’ too has more than just a little bit of cracked acting going on within its grooves, whilst album closer ‘Deep As Our Skin’ hints at just how great Cheap And Nasty might have been if Alvin had been given more a role in front of the microphone.
Having been lucky enough to get a good few preview listens of ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ the immediate thing that leapt out at me was just how much this sounds like a band, not a solo record. So kudos indeed to the real heartbeat of The Disobedient Servants; guitarist Steve Crittall, drummer Jamie Oliver and of course Alvin himself for making this one hell of a riotous rock ‘n’ roll record….and one I just can’t wait to get my finished vinyl copy of.
As I mentioned in the intro to this review ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ is available to pre-order right now via T&M Records on LP/CD and via Bandcamp for the download (the links are below). If you are after the LP/CD combo you best make sure you snap one up sharpish as when those red and white splatter babies are gone they really will be gone. So, trust me when I say, ‘Your Disobedient Servant’ is one record you really do not want to be without.
Running With The Boss Sound – Today is January 26th and for me, one of my favourite and most cherished albums was released into the world way back in 1979. I still play it regularly as it had a big influence on an impressionable young lad. From the attractive lady on the cover to the pills never mind four gangly lads with leather trousers and scruffy died hair. It was everything I wanted it to be and I can still remember twisting my mothers arm to let me go home from Woolworths with my very own copy tucked under my arm and when I got home it might as well have been welded to the house stereo because it only left the turntable to get turned over for what must have been weeks or months even.
‘Valley Of The Dolls by Generation X might not be as revered as ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ or ‘The Clash’ it doesn’t get talked about as much as The first Joy Division album or the first few classic Buzzcocks records but to me it might only be outclassed from the 70’s releases by ‘Damned Damned Damned’, ‘LAMF’ and ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’. It was the Dogs danglies as far as I’m concerned and still is and much like the previously mentioned favourites it still gets played quite frequently by myself.
‘January that year was the first glimpse of these four pirates as ‘King Rocker’ is released as a single and one of those seminal moments in time as Idol sneered his way through their performance on TOTP. Reaching a very respectable number 11 in the UK charts at the time was quite an achievement although their label wasn’t so happy. It came out with a picture of each band member on specific colour pressings something that bands have copied since to increase sales – me I only ever got the tony James cover but it was on red vinyl (still got it)
The album came out on this very day forty years ago and took a right panning in the written press , with reviewers slateing it as “overblown and artistically hollow” and only managing to reach number 51 in the UK album charts the next single being the albums title track only managing number 23 in the singles charts things weren’t looking good for the band amidst trouble at their live shows the summer saw the third and final single being released off the record and ‘Fridays Angels only managing number 62 which must have been a killer for the band and their management not even hitting the top 40. the band began to fragment with Andrews leaving before the year was out and Laff following suit soon after via a harsh sacking from James and Idol due to the classic musical differences.
I was also gutted to find out many years later about the internal squabbling involved in the making of this album and when the band got Ian Hunter in to produce he wasn’t impressed with LAff and his drumming and got Clive Bunker from Jethro Tull in to play the drums as hunter didn’t feel Laff was up to the job in the studio. Now had I been in the band and as much as I love Ian Hunter I think I’d have told him to fark off over there and then fark off a little bit further as being in a band was all about a gang you know four lads who shook the world riding in to the valley of the dolls and all that comrade but it seems not every band is like that and Bunker was indeed drafted in.
There was an interview with Andrews in 2013 where he stated “The style changed in as much as we had a famous ‘rock-star’ producer in Ian Hunter, a bigger budget, more time and a wider gap between the two older guys and me and Laff. It was actually heartbreaking for Mark Laff to be told by Ian, Billy and Tony that he was not going to play on this album and for him to choose a replacement drummer. He chose Clive Bunker from Jethro Tull and whilst teaching him the parts with two kits set up it was decided it sounded great with two drummers. If I took too long tuning up for an overdub I could see Tony James through the studio glass calling Chris Spedding! It wasn’t the same camaraderie as the first album”
that’s a real shame because in my eyes VOTD has stood the test of time and in 2019 it deserves to be championed as a bit of a classic and for all the rock star buzzkill that was happening at the time they did manage to write and record some fantastic songs. I think its more in line with the style and sound of Hanoi Rocks than they get credit for and maybe this record was a little bit ahead of the game and would have gone down much better had it been released maybe five years later who knows?
PKEW PKEW PKEW Announce New Album ‘OPTIMAL LIFESTYLES’ which will be Released 1st March 2019 via Big Scary Monsters (UK) and Dine Alone Records (US/Canada) also a run of tour dates with hotly tipped LA Punks Spanish Love Songs have been released. Final news is to let fans know what to expect the band have been streaming lead single ‘I Don’t Matter At All’ (streamed below)
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