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The Hip Priests / Bitch Queens / Deathtraps – Bristol Exchange Sat 15/09/18

The Hip Priests / Bitch Queens / Deathtraps – Bristol Exchange Sat 15/09/18

Oh, the joy of pegging it up the M4 on a Saturday evening to catch three bands who are playing on a five-band bill kicking off at 7 pm sharp. South Wales Deathtraps are first up on this autumnal evening and with a healthy audience in they get on with the task of shaking off any cobwebs and rattling a few bones with their take on all things garage punk. I believe bass player Fraser is trying his damnedest to lure punters into buying their brand new launched the day before second album ‘Gotta Get Some’ and as they preview choice cuts from the mentioned CD they sound tight and pretty bloody good if truth be told.  Playing to an audience who generally aren’t aware of their music up until this point they engage in some banter during the breaks and give it some welly when the instruments are hit. When songs like ‘Automatic Thrill’ and the laid back ‘Get Loose’ are aired the audience move and applaud in appreciation for what’s pounding out of the PA These boys know how to write this garage punk and clearly love it.  Benefitting from playing a few gigs the future looks rosy for this three-piece who have more than a decent tune or two in their arsenal and they’ll definitely get better and we need that in the UK right now.

Heading over to the UK for another round with their dysfunctional extended family The Hip Priests Basle based Bitch Queens (try saying that after a few dry ciders) haven’t got time to mess about and just get down to business and as previous encounters testified they really have the chops to pull off this garage hard rock dueling guitars gig to an absolute tee.  Starting with the lead track off their last studio album ‘L.O.V.E’, ‘Anti Social’ is the perfect floor filler as bodies right from the off get flung around the venue. With a set mainly populated with tunes  from their last long player it’s a joy to see and hear a band come to shit island and have their finger right on the pulse as  ‘Anti Social’ is a perfect song for early doors and as the band sound fantastic and right up for the challenge tonight as they prepare to duke it out with tonight’s headliners and show that there are bands out there who get this Rock and Roll lark and duel with the biggest and best No matter what venue or how many people are in attendance and this deadbeat generation has something to offer.

With time at a premium they proceed to smash out a really energetic set that is really well appreciated from ‘R-Rated’  through ‘Naked Or Denim’ singer Mel is crowd surfing with his guitar in tow and without dropping a note makes it back on the stage in time to close with the magnificent ‘Techno Is Dead’ that has the band purring like a finely tuned muscle car and if ever a band had a song that put a huge flag in the sand that said follow that fuckers then that was it.  A really excellent set to hand the baton over to tonight’s headliner.

Amazingly this was to be the first time I’m witnessing the Hip Priests as a five-piece after having witnessed them with several drummers also present when they performed as a three piece and after hearing firsthand accounts of how good this new line up is sounding I was getting excited.

With a new album in the bag and off the back of their finest 12” single and most ambitious release to date these were good time for the Hip Priests and having such an impressive undercard it was time for the band to come out swinging and that they duly obliged with a pulverising ‘Instant Delinquent’ followed by ‘Motherfucker superior’ and not even a broken lead instantly followed by a broken string can derail this juggernaut when its rolling and with the addition of Silent Mike this freight train was kept on the rails as ‘Zero Fuck’ were most defiantly given.  It only seemed to fuel Austin who played harder and flew the middle finger in the face of adversity.

The tunes kept coming in devastating frequency as ‘Jesus Died’ was the prelude to a filthy barking version of ‘Loose’ that I’m sure the brother Ashton would certainly have approved of. Always adhering to the old adage of always leave the punters wanting more and never outstay your welcome so ‘Cheers To Me’ made way to the classic that is ‘Sonic Reproducer’ which only left time for ‘Wired Amped Skulled’ and that ladies and gents was it. Adios Amigos and into the balmy night we trouped having witnessed yet another fantastic evening in the company of some awesome bands who are doing it their way and slowly but surely building quite the formidable repertoire and with the likes of Deathtraps and Bitch Queens offering their own takes on this garage punk business the future looks bright or it should do if there was any justice.Hip Priests Facebook 

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Social Experiment – ‘Rumours of Our Demise Are Not Greatly Exaggerated’ (Self Released)

Social Experiment – ‘Rumours of Our Demise Are Not Greatly Exaggerated’ (Self Released)

Johnny Hayward.

 

The only positive thing to come out of the demise of south Wales punk rock legends This System Kills is the fact that we now have three bands where we once we had just the one. Social Experiment are the first of these new bands to show their hand, and boy oh boy have they come up trumps with this debut eight tracker.

Self released on both gatefold digipak CD and 12” vinyl formats (both of which also contain a download code) the band really have delivered a premium looking package on what must have been a DIY budget, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that all their available readies might have gone into the artwork and the music might be little more than rehearsal tapes dressed up as a debut album.  Think again though brothers and sisters because once you drop this baby onto the turntable or into your CD player the aural onslaught that awaits you really is quite astonishing.

Expertly produced by ex-Dub War and current Bad Sam guitarist Jeff Rose the sound of Social Experiment is nothing less an all-out assault on your senses, and from the almost gothic throb of opener ‘Unlock The Cage’ to the metallic pounding thrash of ‘Tilikum’ that closes the record the 23 minutes you spend in the company of  Puddle (vocals), Newt (bass), Nicky (drums) and  Paul (guitar and backing vocals) are some of the most exhilarating you’ll spend with any UK hardcore band right now.

Given the ferocity of the band coupled with the bang on point social politics of the record, this is not exactly what you would call “a sit-down and relax after work type of record.” In fact, it’s more of a record for those who like to feel like you’ve just done eight rounds down at your local Fight Club but this time around it’s something you really must talk about, and not unlike those early records by the likes of Subhumans, Discharge and Extreme Noise Terror.

It’s when Social Experiment break ranks ever so slightly that they truly shine through, like on their second video release ‘Clones’ a track which has an almost RATM meets Motorhead thing going on, whilst in ‘It Makes No Sense to Me’ the ghost of Poison Idea looms larger than life in the hardcore rear-view mirror.

Eight tracks, eight short sharp shocks to the system and a virtual bloody nose for your troubles ‘Rumours of Our Demise Are Not Greatly Exaggerated’ is one of the most brutal records I’ve heard this year.

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The Flying Spider Revival – Gravel Sand & Bone (Self Release)

The Flying Spider Revival – Gravel Sand & Bone (Self Release)

 

Fraser Munro.

This album takes me to the limits of my musical reference points. I guess you could say it is Americana in the most literal sense; taking inspiration not only from country but also roots-rock, folk, gospel, and bluegrass, with a big dollop of dirty blues.

 

When I slipped the CD into the slot and “The End” wrapped itself around my unsuspecting brain, I immediately thought of Dr. John but then the second tune “Ain’t No Love” kind of spun me around with a slightly Roger Waters vibe to it. Their distinctive roots-oriented sound lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw but packages it in a way that even glunk philistines like me can latch on to.

 

Upbeat stompers “Mountain Song” and “Feast of Snakes” nestle perfectly with the slower southern slide guitar led of “Louisiana”, while Rob barks like a Saint Bernard on the heart string pulling “Shipwrecked” making Tom Waits sound like a sweet choir boy in the process.

 

At a stretch, for simple folk like me, the penultimate track “In The City”, makes me think of Tyla at his most down and dirty, draining the last drop from a bottle of acid-tainted whiskey.

 

I’ll leave you with a word to the wise, this is simply the album that Whiskeytown should have made to follow “Strangers Almanac” and one of the best albums I’ve heard so far this year.

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Paradise Alley launch Indiegogo campaign

Paradise Alley launch Indiegogo campaign

UK Rock n Rollers Paradise alley launch a campaign for their Debut albums 25th Anniversary and want you to join them for the ride.  Singer Steve Vincent contacted RPM after we said we wanted to hear about what was happening and true to his word he stopped watching Dr. Who long enough to press send which leads us to here.  Watch the video and press the campaign button to sign up and let’s help the band reach their goal then we can all party like its 1993! Holy Shit! Really. 25 years?

 

The band was formed by lead vocalist Steve Vincent in early Summer 1992 when he met drummer Richie Hale. Vincent already had the band name, they just needed to find some more like-minded souls to carry on in the tradition of Hanoi Rocks, Dogs D’amour and the New York Dolls. Throughout ’92 various prospective members came and went, sadly with them went Richie who relocated for a while to L.A.

As ’93 started a line-up solidified round Vincent and guitarist Johnny Idle and demos were recorded and gigging started in earnest. By Sept ’93 with a line-up consisting of Vincent, Idle on guitar, Damian “Spider” Cullen on Drums and Richie Emborg on bass, the band returned to the studio to record what would become Psychotic Playground. By its release at Christmas, Emborg was gone, replaced by Kari and the touring started again. The band managed seven crazy months of touring and partying before imploding at a headline show at the Marquee on Charing X Road. 

The end of the story? Of course not, a new line-up, more touring (including when Steve brought his friends The 69 Eyes over for their first ever UK Tour), another album, fall outs, making ups, too much drink and drugs, not enough drink and drugs, American tours, CBGBs, The Whiskey, signing autographs as Aerosmith, splitting up again, changing the band name, giving up…the band have done it all. 

With the sad passing of Richie Hale at the end of 2011, the band slowly came round to the idea of reforming, finally hitting the stage again in 2013. But despite the support of the fans and the likes of Vive Le Rock magazine, everything seemed to grind to a halt two years later. A few chance conversations late last year saw Steve and Taj decide to jump-start Paradise Alley with a new line up and quickly recruited Ben Alexander on bass. The search continues for the two remaining members with the core of the band busy writing songs for a new album planned for 2019. Given that it’s 25 years since that first album came out and with so many people keeping asking about copies, the band decided that the best way to celebrate was to do a limited edition release, which brings us to here and now!

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Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

So its that time of week again when your getting ready to head out the door but don’t worry RPM are here to put a spring into your step and a smile on your face but most importantly a tune in your head.  this week Ben Hughes offers up three tunes he thinks would cheer up any day of the week and especially a Monday so here goes.

Butch Walker – ‘Closest Thing To You I’m Gonna Find’

Butch Walker has fast become my favourite singer/ songwriter over the years and this song, taken from the 2011 album ‘The Spade’, is one of his most heartfelt and uplifting country-tinged tunes. This performance, taken from a Fender Studio Session is probably my most watched video on YouTube and encapsulates everything I love about this guy from Georgia. The tone of that signature telecaster is unreal, the passion and emotion in every note is unsurpassed. The sentiment of the lyrics and the notes he hits on the final chorus, it sends goosebumps through my very soul. Utter musical perfection.

 

PJ Harvey – ‘Good Fortune’

A go-to song to cheer me up any day of the week. Polly Harvey can do no wrong in my eyes, I love the jangly, carefree feel of this tune. The way it builds in the chorus, the vocals are perfection. So upbeat, rapturous and sultry all at once. Love the video too, PJ on a night on the town, is she drunk? She looks it! Possibly the only woman to make swinging a handbag look cool.

Hands Off Gretel – ‘Kiss Me Girl’

Gamechanger of a song from the Yorkshire band. Here, Lauren Tate has upped the ante. While the previous material has been good, this ode to lesbian desires takes their post Grunge/alt 90’s sound to another level with a killer hook that adds a commercial element to Lauren’s inner Brody Dalle. She’s a Riot Grrl who knows what she wants and I think she’s gonna get it! She even produced the video. Watch out for big things when they release their as yet untitled second album.

Ben Hughes.

Last Great Dreamers – brand new video and tour dates

Last Great Dreamers – brand new video and tour dates

‘Primitive Man’ is the third single to be taken from the band’s widely acclaimed fourth album 13th Floor Renegades which was released this Spring through Ray Records.

The album is available Here

It’s been a busy year for the band, kicking off with their first ever Spanish tour, followed by numerous gigs and festivals throughout the Spring and Summer.

More recently they’ve come to the attention of legendary West Coast powerpop and rock maven Rodney Bingenheimer, enabling them to secure a US booking agent. The band is now planning their first ever US dates for 2019.

In the meantime, the band plays Planet Rock Stock on 2 December, followed by dates around the country, including a London date at the Black Heart, where they’ll be joined by special guest, former Cherry Bombz frontwoman Anita Chellamah. Full dates are…

Sun 2nd December      PLANET ROCK STOCK Festival (Trecco Bay, S.Wales) – SOLD OUT

Fri 7th December         BIRMINGHAM Asylum 2 – TICKETS

Sat 8th December        GLASGOW Nice ‘n’ Sleazy – TICKETS

Sun 9th December       SHEFFIELD Corporation – TICKETS

Sat 15th December      LONDON Camden Black Heart – TICKETS

Sun 16th December     SOUTHAMPTON Heartbreakers – TICKETS

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Dc Spectres – Vibrations (Bootiki Records)

Dc Spectres – Vibrations (Bootiki Records)

Dom Daley

Eleven tracks of prime garage rock and referencing Sonny Vincent is never going to be a bad move (not round these parts anyway).  With a B Movie introduction, we’re in! Its lo-fi hi-fi and the drums thump the floor tom and the wall of garage fuzz is a welcome sound before the vocals kick in. ‘Bitter Path’ is full steam ahead and a great way to start any record as the guitars wail the rhythm section hold things steady and stop this hot rod veering off the track but it’s in the fucked up Fuzztones path and that’s somewhere not a lot of bands are heading these days (mores the pity) but RPM is always going to sit up and take notice as ‘Mirror Mirror’ has more than a nod to the Lords OF The New Church about it and I like that a lot.

The title track is more of the same as the band’s modus operandi is simple.  Rock out – turn up the fuzz pedal – slam the floor tom and snare with passion and energy and get the heart and soul of the song captured on tape (or digital file or whatever gadgetry they use these days).

With a nod of respect to the bands forefathers waaay back in the 60’s who first got a little psychedelic and fucked up and then more than a nod to the likes of the Stooges and Mc5.  One of the most intriguing songs is the snotty ‘Sonny Vincent Knows’ and a visceral axe-wielding is hacking at the chords as the sirens wail and feedback is just about contained it’s a fantastic rush of blood.

 

That snotty edge is maintained on ‘Oedipus Hex’ as it hacks and slashes to its conclusion. The punk rock comes to the fore on the next few tracks as ‘Wait And See’ is like a 60’s mop top track that’s been captured tortured and fed illegal amounts of caffeine.  I can imagine DC Spectres need to be seen live to get the full value of these songs and take in their full potential.  There’s even time to dance with the devil on ‘Diablo 66’ before getting the fuck out of dodge which only leaves ‘Island Girl’ to close off a really impressive album with talk of Voodoo and a more measured groove taking this bad boy home ‘Vibrations’ is an excellent introduction to a band and one I’d certainly recommend.

 

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Brian James to play one off Christmas Show

Brian James to play one off Christmas Show

Punk legend BRIAN JAMES has announced a special one-off London show in December, to be recorded for a prospective live album.

James made his name as the founder and principal songwriter in The Damned, going on to find further success with The Lords Of The New Church during the 80s, later teaming up with Wayne Kramer, Duff McKagan and Clem Burke for the Mad For The Racket project.

In the year that The Damned returned with a new album and a newfound appetite for touring, James’ long out-of-print self-titled debut solo album was reissued in deluxe vinyl form by Easy Action Records.

Brian and his band will play a special seasonal show on Friday 7 December at Nell’s Jazz & Blues in West Kensington.

Says Brian, “Well, I figure it’s about time to host an Xmas party and where better to make a whole lotta noise than Nell’s Jazz and Blues Club in West Kensington. It’s looking like the Brian James Gang are going to record the gig on 7 December for a future live album, so be prepared to scream your bleeding heads off.”

Tickets for the gig are on sale from https://nellsjazzandblues.com/gig/brian-james/

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That was the week that was…..

That was the week that was…..

What is it they say about a week in politics? Well a week in Rock and Roll can fly by or if you listen to prog it could seem like an eternity.  Here at RPM we’ve barely been alive a week and already we’ve managed to carry a couple of really good interviews with bands you really should check out in the shape of The Hip Priests and from Italy The Idol Lips and their Noo Yawk style punk n roll.  The Hip Priests gave us the exclusive title of their soon to be released album ‘Stand For Nothing’.

Keep an eye out as we also carry a review from one of their recent UK shows with The Bitch queens and Deathtraps over the next week Easily one of the best bands currently making a noise anywhere God bless The Hip Priests. Interview here.

As for those punk n rollers from Italy they just want to rock like their idols they might be outta scene but they just keep going and when you hear them you’ll understand why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for live reviews, we got off to a great start unlike our Nev who went to Bristol to catch The The but we ended up saying There There due to some poor organisation from the promoters that took the shine off a great performance One to forget as far as venues go catch up here or better still pick up some The The here here

In other live action Ben had far better luck with his venues and bands by the sounds of it as he caught up with The Urban Voodoo Machine they performed two sets to celebrate fifteen years in the murky business of show business he also took in the wonderful sounds of Eureka Machines when they did a show to celebrate ten years of mucking about writing some songs playing them then hanging around and even releasing some records and playing killer shows like this one!

As for reviews, the RPM team turned in some stellar pieces as we covered bands such as Leigh’s excellent opinion on the Quireboys Reissue of ‘Homewreckers and Heartbreakers’ or if you fancied something a bit louder then Fraser took in some Nashville Pussy and even managed to ‘Suck It’ with Eddie Spaghetti and the boys from Supersuckers.

 

Taking the proud position of being the first album to see the light of day and exclusively reviewed on RPM was the debut solo album from Rich Ragany & The Digressions one that I’m sure will reap the rewards it thoroughly deserves.

From the US we brought you Shanda And The Howlers and Paul Collins who both have new records that will be must own for lovers of great songwriting. With two very distinctive styles they both deserve to hit a wider audience.

Whilst the rain lashes down outside has there ever been a better time to sit back chill out and read about your new favourite band or a new record that will steal 2018’s title for the album of the year.  Stick with RPM and we’ll see you alright because this week we have some Voi Vod and Bitch Queens live as well as records by Tommie and the commies, The Peewees, Hell Nation Army and the Healthy Junkies covered and news as quickly as we get it.  As Lux used to say Stay Sick kids – www.rpmonline.co.uk  Spread The Word!

 

The Morlocks, ‘Bring On The Mesmeric Condition’  (Hound Gawd Records)

The Morlocks, ‘Bring On The Mesmeric Condition’  (Hound Gawd Records)

 

 Martin Chamarette.

 

It’s been twelve years since the last album of original tunes from second-generation psychemeisters The Morlocks. Now based in Düsseldorf, how much do Leighton Koizumi and his wild bunch still have left in the tank? Let’s bring it on…

 

Expectations are high, especially with ex-Fuzztones in their ranks. Garage rock fans are, rightly, notoriously fussy. So many bands end up diluting their legacy. ‘Bothering Me’, to this end, is a good opener. Hips will shake, and there’s a distinct whiff of Stiv to Leighton’s vocals. Handclaps and a corking solo? But, of course.

 

‘We Can Get Together’ wouldn’t be out of place in The Sonics’ set. The sound is perfect, just the right side of sleazy, tight but loose. They sound like they are loving it. The melody line is reminiscent of James Williamson. Mmm. There have to be slower tracks, and ‘Heart Of Darkness’ fits well, with its organ and backing vocals. It sways, man.

 

‘No One Rides For Free’ gets back on that Stooges, staccato riff. You really can’t sit still to this groove. ‘Down Underground’ and ‘Time To Move’ come on like garage classics. Seriously, this is a master class in how to write tunes. The thing most bands forget. This is actually the first Morlocks album of all-original material. It may have taken a while, but they’ve nailed it. They’re touring Europe soon; support bands, you’ve got your work cut out.

 

‘One Foot In The Grave’ is almost too close to ‘Raw Power’, but it’s so fine, I can let them off. ‘High Tide Killer’ is fuzz-fuelled, with a touch of baritone from Leighton, ‘Easy Action’ starts with drums and a wail of feedback before it pounds you into the dance floor. Relentless. They end with ‘You Don’t Know’; a touch of ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone?’, before it gets far out. The phased guitars sound great on headphones.

 

Hats off to the mixing skills of Jim Diamond of Dirtbombs. Between them, they’ve created the sound that The Morlocks’ songs deserve. I doubt I’ll hear a better garage rock album this year. Let’s hope they get to our shores after their current dates in Germany/France. Bring it on! https://www.facebook.com/MORLOCKS777/

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