He may be out of the Wildhearts for good, but CJ Wildheart still
carries that monicker for good reason. He was always more than just Ginger’s sideman and has proven over the years that he can hold his own as a songwriter, a singer and a frontman.
From the likes of Honeycrack, The Jellys and his decade of solo albums, CJ has carried a torch for punky, pop music, where the guitars are loud & raw, the vocals abrasive and the melodies are as sweet as a sugar-coated lollipop.
With not an acoustic guitar in sight CJ Wildheart offers us an early look at his brand-new long player ‘Slots’, and with long time drummer Jason Bawld behind the kit and Dave Draper on production duties, I am expecting good things.
Opener ‘Another Big Mistake’ is an anthem that sets the bar at a frantic pace. Pummelling beats and a wall of distortion lead to an earworm of a chorus you’ll be shouting from the rooftops for weeks.
If you’ve any doubts about CJ’s songwriting suss then first single ‘The Baddest Girl In The World’ will put you straight. With crunchy riffs aplenty and a chorus as instant as a Costa cappuccino, it’s an instant (sorry!) winner.
Raw, snotty and unadulterated, yet always melodic, the 70’s punk influence is prevalent throughout ‘Slots’, especially on the likes of ‘Beg’ and ‘Coma’. Side 1 ends with the more commercial feel of ‘The Kids’, with CJ giving more than a hint of a cockernee snarl going on, which is nice.
Drop the virtual needle on side 2 and we are treated to a cover of The Jam classic ‘In The City’. An Iconic riff and an iconic song. This is a raw version brimming with an energy that fits the feel of the album perfectly.
‘Bent’ is an acerbic assault on the senses, as vocals and pummelling drums flail around and vocals are spat with defiance.
‘You Got The Best Outta Me’ is an instant classic on first listen for me. A euphoric burst of energy with a memorable chorus that nods to the likes of Stiff Little Fingers or The Clash at their ferocious best, love it.
The title track could be a Wildhearts B side (and we all know how good they could be). With a hypnotic refrain, a certain juxtaposition of heaviness and melody that only the likes of The Wildhearts can capture, it’s no real surprise it became the album title. A glorious noise indeed.
The album closes on a high with the familiar riff of ‘I Don’t Know What It Is’. A killer chorus refrain brings the party to a close with cheering and shouting to fade.
It’s certainly a short, sharp shock to the system. 10 songs delivered in 30 minutes, job done!
Holding the flag high for independent artists, it’s another killer collection of songs from a man standing out from the shadow of his former band.
Treat yourself to an early Christmas present and hit that link below to pre-order. I know I will.
Way back in the day Garage rockers The Flaming Sideburns made records for fun and they are as hard to find as hens teeth so having them all on one neat compilation album is a no brainer and seeing as the band is on ice for the foreseeable This will do just nicely.
This carefully curated collection, put together by the band and Svart Records, features a total of 13 studio recordings from 1996–1999, three of which are previously unreleased, while the rest appeared on sold-out limited releases around the turn of the millennium.
Back in 1999 and The Flaming Sideburns went to New York for a recording session before returning to Finland. While on tour, they verbally signed a record deal with Bad Afro in Bellingham at the Garageshock festival. As a result, we had that first ‘official’ album the classic ‘It’s Time To Testify…Brothers & Sisters’ the band’s singer Eduardo Martinez, points out that this release is something of a watershed moment for the band which is why it’s finally getting a release in January 2025.
There’s such a cool live vibe on the opening four tracks that were recorded in sessions back in NYC they absolutely nailed the reckless abandonment and garage rock sound perfectly hitting the familiar groove that sounds so cool and fresh even to this day all these years later. ‘Spanish Blood’ hit the ground running with a loose feel but those guitars hit the spot. There might be every garage MC5 cliche known to man happening here along with some (Flamin) Groovie licks and melodies ‘Do The Bama Lama’ is a band having fun.
By the time the band headed back to Helsinki and recorded a magnificent version of ‘Lucille’ they were getting the groove on and the saxophone on this one is super sleazy to accompany Martinez’ awesome screams. The first three songs on side two are previously unreleased with ‘Walking Dynamite’ giving early Hives a real run for their money. To be fair when they covered ‘Suzie Q’ it’s a feedback howling jam of the highest order from Martinez Iggy drawl to the guitars trading licks n fills its a banger as the kids would say.
It’s a no-brainer for Garage Rock fans or Flaming Sideburns fans, sure its not polished and very much Lo-Fi stuff but a fascinating and exciting collection for sure with the band nailing their covers to the mast and showing what’s inside their soul to great effect. I hope the band are chilling whilst being put on ice but don’t leave it too long before they reconvein and kick out the jams once more. I love some Flamin’ Sideburns. Buy It!
French hip-hop producer Ugly Mac Beer, has been in music for over twenty years and on ‘Broken Ill’ he decided to go back to the beginning and his passion for synth punk. Three decades later, he brings to fruition an album he has dreamed of making since the age of 16, adopting a “Rick Rubin style” in its creation and production. “Broken Ill” is all over the place musically but its roots are very much in Gothic post-punk with a throbbing bassline front and centre whilst breakbeats and synths pepper the songs in every direction. post-punk, electro-punk, darkwave, and ew wave, while still maintaining its roots in US hip-hop, with a significant touch of rap rock is how Ugly Mac describes it and who am I to disagree?
Often a headfuck but a compelling and interesting listen it reminds me of Suicide (of Course) as well as a playful Joy Division in parts and darker Marc Almond whilst the throbbing Basslines are ever present like the glue that holds this all together whilst the synths twitch and ding from speaker to speaker messing with your head.
Mac Beer’s influences are heard throughout the album, from the Beastie Boys to The Cure, and including Kraftwerk and Sleaford Mods. In terms of collaborations, Ugly Mac Beer has enlisted a diverse array of rappers from various backgrounds. Among them is the iconic Princess Superstar, a prominent figure in the 90s underground scene, whose hit track “Perfect”, released two decades ago, unexpectedly resurged on TikTok, sparking excitement and eventually securing a place on the 2024 Billboard Charts. It even underwent a remix by David Guetta himself. Additionally, Mac Beer has teamed up with French rapper signed to Kitsuné, Mynameisleonidas, who has contributed to a significant portion of the album. Other collaborators include the singer from the French punk band Frustration and Mac Beer’s longtime collaborator and friend, The Real Fake MC a.k.a OP18. With “Broken Ill”, Ugly Mac Beer, hip-hop beatmaker par excellence, surprises and delivers a solid rap rock album with a pervasive UK influence, inviting listeners into his ever-evolving, creative, and audacious universe.
Stepping well outside ones comfort zone is often a rewarding and terrifying move but on occasions, it will mess with your head and reward your heart – join me and check this one out.
“Swamp rock, death rock, Gothic post-punk…?” As Inca Babies say themselves, they’re not easy to pigeonhole. But, as ever, all that matters with a new album is “is it any good?”. Well, just as 2024 is coming to an end, this is another release that should be in your Top Ten of the year. Thankfully, I’d seen drummer Rob Haynes’ online post, proudly holding a vinyl copy of ‘Ghost Mechanic Nine’.
And the band should be proud. I’ll admit to being more familiar with Rob’s ‘other’ bands; Membranes and Gold Blade. And there’s some shared DNA with Membranes’ dark, brooding tunes here, though the riffs are perhaps more of a rock nature. I dived in, with no expectations, always useful. I was hooked straight away, from the title track onwards. There’s something here for fans of The Gun Club, Kid Congo and the aforementioned Membranes. I’m also reminded of Bone-Box, another link to Gold Blade, and it’s a relief that bands like this still exist.
I’m probably guilty of overusing “hypnotic”, but the tunes here really do get under your skin. ‘Insect Symphony’ being a prime example, with a lyrical nod to The Cramps and a way with a tune that recalls The Righteous Mind. ‘Augustus Tympan’ slinks along, dirty bass line and angular guitar, and ‘I’m Stayin Put’ has another upfront bass melody from Jim Adama. Harry Stafford has a great line-up here, it’s just tight enough while keeping a groove throughout.
‘The Exhaust Of Broken Dreams’ adds organ to the sound, it’s like a dream of Ennio Morricone twinned with The Specials. Special, indeed. ‘Spacewalk’ brings the twang, a darker version of The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, and ‘Mercury Is Down’ is punchier, a dark tale, “time to take a heavy ride…”
‘Deck’ is a shipwreck lament hooked to yet another effective bass line. It’s nice to hear the bass up in the mix, the interplay between bass and guitar across the album is one of its strengths. ‘Opium Dub’ broadens the soundscape, Spaghetti Dub, perhaps?
I don’t know what long term followers of the band will make of it. I have yet to explore their back catalogue. But with this, their ninth album, they have a new fan. Judged on its own merits, it’s a dark gem.
After a handful of well-received shows this winter Michael Monroe and his band of merry men will return to the UK for a proper tour hitting Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Tickets will be out Friday 6th December for what will be an awesome run of shows next Summer. Let’s sell out these dates and show the band that the support is out there for one of the most exciting bands currently treading the boards. Links for tickets below.
The sound of the underground is alive and well in South Wales and spearheading this particular charge are Cardiff Punks Bad Shout who gallop into pole position with this absolutely stonking EP ‘Volatile’.
Based in Cardiff, Formed in April 2022, influenced by the likes of DKs and classic 77 punk to DC hardcore and garage rock bands the list is exhaustive but I’m drawing parallels to Londons Los Pepe who also play Frantic, Frenetic riffs, snapping melodic vocals, hard-hitting Rat Scabies on Speed drums (with a feeling it could all fall apart at any second but its exciting whilst this runaway train steams down the tracks) and a Bass line that is like the glue to the whole thing. there are also comparisons to what has been going on down under with the likes of Grindhouse and The Chats. Its an attitude and a shared love in loud rapid rock n roll.
Frontman/guitarist Callum moved to Cardiff in 2021, with the aim of starting a band in a new city, having played in bands in London for five years. Things really started to click after meeting drummer Nathan. Since then, the band have played all across South Wales and the West of England and this new Repeat released EP should spur them on to bigger and brighter things and get them (more importantly) in people’s ears and on stages further afield.
Melody, Fuzzed Frantic riffs, thrashing manic drums and thumping Basslines is Bad Shouts MO. It sounds like they carry on what they do live into the studio it’s like a kid who’s had way too many Haribo sweets washed down with Energy drinks from Spar before drinking their first bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 then doing it all again because they can. ‘Do It Right’ is punk as fuck setting down a marker for the kids in the pit to build up a sweat. Don’t hang about though because these kids don’t have time to fuck about and hit the groove from the off. It’s like the Australian punk scene of Grindhouse and the souped-up Chats have rubbed off in old South Wales. Rather than do a guitar solo they have a groove on and jam at breakneck speed Bosh! done!
‘Find Out’ is faster again whereas ‘DoubleCross’ is as infectious as Covid with an insane melody. ‘Building ridges’ is the sound of a band in a hurry and if you snooze you will absolutely lose. ‘Keep Diggin’ is ninety seconds of sprinting on the spot whilst banging your head as hard as you can. Then to bring this to a close the title track is a progbustin two minutes plus of energy that sums up this band. If you could bottle the infectious good time that these songs create you’d be worth a fortune. Punk as fuck and producing the receipts to prove it Bad Shout are a good shout now get on board before they leave you behind. Buy It! Time to hop on Bad Shout’s ‘Volatile’ Party Bus next stop oblivion! ding ‘fuckin’ ding!
Keep A Good Heart Son is the opening track on what is a thoroughly impressive album from South Wales Old School Thrashers Lifer. Now I’m no expert on the genre of Thrash but sometimes it’s nice to step out of your comfort zone and dip your toe into some shark-infested waters and I do like Slayer and a few of the other heavier offerings and this is right in the same wheelhouse with some superb galloping riffs and well placed diabolical screams. Lifer are the real deal. If these gentlemen were from Northern California then they would be a sensation however they’re not they hail from various parts of South Wales that have a rich heritage of knocking out some top Heavy Rock. These boys can chop those riffs with the best of em and if they need to slow it down like on ‘Man And Pigs’ they can chug out the Iommi riffs when it suits and in the vocal department they have a contender to the Bush-era Anthrax which isn’t a bad thing either.
From the opener they nail their colours to the mast and head into battle. The production is spot on with every corner carpet-bombed with riff-a-rama and pounding drums Lifer are having it large here. The grunt on ‘Imperious Delirious’ is huge and they effortlessly glide from the thrash to a more measured grunt. ‘Different Kind Of Plan’ is rapid and the intensity intensifies on ‘Born To Lose’ the Thrash reaches its pinnacle on ‘Rise Above’ which gives the listener a proper seeing to. Fuck you all indeed, a stinking attitude and all the better for it. Thrash with all the old school attitude and a breakdown to rival the mighty Hanneman n King for intensity – music to run through brick walls and face the toughest days.
‘Hallowed Be Thy Pain’ opens with some cotton-picking harping n delta blues before having a shot of defribulation for a mid-paced slice of metal where the twin guitars shine. To be honest I don’t want the Metal I just want to Thrash and these boys do it as good as anything Stateside here and when they let their hair down (Cough Cough) they cut loose and make some most excellent noise. ‘No Good Deed Goes Unpunished’ is battered out of the way by the steamrolling ‘Fire In The Hole’ which is truly Metal Thrashing Mad and I love the riff makes me want to invite the neighbours round for a circle pit followed by a wall of death before I chug some beers. I’m not even taking the piss I’m sold right here and Satan can’t have my soul because Lifer have got it.
After all the madness and Pwoper Frash it’s ‘Stone Widow’ that’s left to take this bad boy home in true Metal style from the dusty opening of voice and clean guitar the song winds its way home through stormy seas building with some monster riffs and soaring vocals taking us to the roots of Metal via some Sabbath patented Riffs and the last forty years of the heaviest Rock out there Lifer have delivered a compelling case for Metal album of the year and in time for Christmas as well. When these boys turn up the heat and Thrash like fuck they absolutely nail it. Get involved and get those horns in the air. These gents are so nice they’ve even recorded clean versions of four of the songs so they’re not totally satanic.
“Gonna take a holiday down Trecco Beach. That’s what I’ll do!”
Okay, I might have twisted that lyric slightly, but the charming south Wales seaside town of Porthcawl has been my go-to place for some r’n’r for some time now, only this time around with Michael Monroe in da house I’m here to rock n roll, not rest n relax.
I’m of course not alone as Planet Rock’s excellent Planet Rockstock’s (once again) sold-out festival audience are here too. They are in for the long haul though, with four days of live music and a chance for everyone to let their hair down before Winter (and all that entails) fully descends on the UK. Me I’m just here for the Saturday night headliners, and only just make it in by the skin of my teeth (all thanks to Sir Rich Jones).
After the emotional roller coaster of the ‘Two Steps From The Move’ 40th Anniversary show I’d attended in London just a few days earlier it was going to be interesting to see what the guys would do in a festival headline capacity. Would they dare play the whole of ‘Two Steps From The Move’ record here, or would it be a solo years only show? Well the answer is…a bit of both.
High kicking things off (as only Michael Monroe can) and picking right up where we left proceedings in London, ‘Dead, Jail Or Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is the cocksure opener, immediately followed by ‘I Live Too Fast To Die Young’, ‘Murder The Summer Of Love’ and ‘Last Train To Tokyo’ and everyone in the place is already dripping in sweat.
“Get some oxygen in here, open some doors”, demands the frontman’s frontman as he jumps, jives, and sings his way into everyone’s hearts. There’s no escaping Michael Monroe as he tightrope walks the barrier to clamber on top of the PA before cajoling everyone to go just a little bit crazier because the night is still so young (ouch). He’s not alone in this either as guitarists Rich Jones and Steve Conte effortlessly work their sides of the stage whilst exchanging demon twin lead work and occasionally territories as well, and then there’s the Monroe rhythm section. Right now I honestly don’t think there’s a better bottom-end combo out there in the world of rock ‘n’ roll as drummer Karl Rockfist and bassist Sami Yaffa are rock solid, and that Yaffa bass thump when blended in with Rockfist’s bass drum and snare is a sonic punch to knock you square off your feet.
‘Horns And Halos’ is the first track up not played at the previous Anniversary shows and it slots in perfectly alongside the more recent setlist regulars ‘Young Drunks & Old Alcoholics’, ‘78’ and ‘Ballad of The Lower East Side’. One thing that is obvious tonight whilst up close and personal and not halfway back like in London is just how much fun the guys are having as a band right now. The smiles, the in-jokes, and the chemistry is simply infectious, and whilst Monroe, Yaffa and Conte are all now in their early sixties the energy they generate as a collective could power a small town…like Porthcawl, and they do just that lighting up everyone’s lives for the time they are on stage
Things do finally slow down (albeit briefly) for a run-through of ‘Don’t You Ever Leave Me’, Michael playfully touching up his make-up whilst explaining the back story behind the recent Anniversary shows to the audience, then the pace is back up to double quick time and ‘One Man Gang’ brings to a close the solo years section of the show in deafening fashion.
From here on in its Hanoi and Demolition 23 songs to take us home with ‘Motorvatin’’, ‘Hammersmith Palais’ and the ‘Two Steps’ treats of ‘Underwater World’ and ‘Boiler’ all adding to my rapidly diminishing voice as it’s impossible not to just holler along at the top of my voice (apologies to those around me). ‘Boiler’ proving once again to be a real highlight not just simply because Hanoi never played it live, but also because Rich Jones does such a sterling job filling in for the dearly departed Razzle on the cockerknee chorus sections. I’d joked with him after the London show that he could join Cock Sparrer with an accent like that, and after experiencing a second airing in just a few days, I’m now not even joking when I say it, he really could fit right in.
With the clock fast ticking down to curfew there’s no time for chatter but still plenty of time to clatter us with Demolition 23’s ‘Nothing’s Alright’ and as Dom said in his summation of the London show, what I wouldn’t give to see that band playing live in the UK next year, maybe at Rebellion?
Which just leaves time for what would have been the set closing Hanoi one-two suckerpunch of ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Malibu Beach Nightmare’ to lead us into what would have been the encore (but Rockstock has a strict “no encore” policy) of a confetti cannon driven ‘Up Around The Bend’, and then just like that, the party’s over and we are all left beaming from ear to ear, drenched in sweat with love hearts and stars glued to our flesh, and no doubt still finding them in our clothes and underwear for days to follow.
Michael himself probably summed things up best tonight, “the last time we played here we didn’t headline, tonight we are headlining, so we must be doing something right, yes?” Yes, you are indeed guys, and if the rumours I heard here do turn out to be true then the UK will get another chance to see the Monroes doing all the right things all over again come spring 2025, and I for one can’t wait to RLF all over again.
Forty fucking years! Forty fucking years. I’m a grown up adult now who was devastated when ‘Two Steps’ was originally released seeing as it was the album that was on a major label and going to catapult my favourite band at the time to the top of the fuckin pops and everybody was gonna hear and see what I could and then disaster pointed the ficke hand of fate in our direction and it was all to be snatched away in a matter of months and my favourite band was to implode and leave behind an album that’s like a painful memory that was often visited but still to this day has scars that have been buried deep. Every time I play the record from start to finish I remind myself that, Fuck me it’s got everything. The coolest band, the best musicians, the ultimate rock n roll stars and the most talented musicians who did things on their terms and only danced to their tune but it was all snatched away.
I always think about what could have been, no, what should have been with ‘Two Steps’ but now some forty years later I was getting the chance to exercise some of those demons and finally pay tribute to the greatest band with fans who hopefully feel and felt the same as well as some members of the band who it must also be a bittersweet moment and churn up many many memories. Tonight was all about the celebration in one of London’s original iconic venues, which was a haven of cool back in the early to mid-eighties, and which isn’t a block of flats or a coffee shop/mobile phone shop. Ladies and gentlemen please join me as I fanboy and indulge in celebrating Hanoi Rocks and forty years of ‘Two Steps From The Move’.
I’ve only been in the Electric Ballroom twice in the last two decades but the previous two decades I was a regular, especially on a weekend for record fairs where funnily enough I picked up a pristine test pressing of ‘Two Steps’ back in the day but first CJ Wildheart takes to the stage to warm up the audience on this crisp Novembers evening.
From the off CJ knew what his job was tonight and with some cheeky banter he proceeded to entertain with a tight, crisp set from all corners of his musical CV (ok with the exception of a Tattooed Love Boys tune) we had Honeycrack tunes and some off the new soon-to-be-released album that is exceptional. ‘Butterfingers’ and his new single ‘Baddest Girl In The World’. CJ has struck a rich vein of form recently, making some of his best music so far and tonight he brought more than a tray of cans to the party he brought plenty of cheer and a support set that set the tone and managed to warm us up nicely.
‘Two Steps From The Move’ Ladies and Gentlemen I think I’ve laid out where I am and the bitter-sweet memories I have of the record now it was time for Monroe and Yaffa and the rest of the 2024 crew to dive in and make this an unforgettable evening of music.
As the band kick off with ‘Up Around The Bend’ they aren’t messing about and changing the running order it’s business and these cats are getting on with it. There are beaming smiles from the Cheshire cats on the stage to the drunks at the bar all singing along and having the best time. Man I love ‘High School’ and ‘I Can’t Get It’ and by the time we’ve all warmed up ‘Don’t You Ever Leave Me’ has received a massive ovation and that saxophone has just sent a shiver down my spine the length of the Thames.
Jonesy suggests we flip it over and get right into ‘Million Miles Away’ and the pain of the Helsingin Kulttuuritalo performance is wiped away in slow motion and such a beautiful song takes on new meaning and the tragedy of the past can now be replaced. Sure I’d love to have seen Andy and Nasty but it’s not that evening and this is special. Steve Conte puts his heart and soul into his solo and it works really well as does the interplay between the entire band the overwhelming feeling is one of celebration of what we have and not what could have or should have been. It was the songs we never get to hear that stood out and were shining like diamonds in the cold winter night – ‘Boiler’ was Rich Jones’s moment and it was so cool the way they all sang the harmony before an epic ‘Futurama’ gave way to the realisation that it was only ‘Cutting Corners’ and we were done.
We can all debate to infinity what the best Hanoi album and so on and so forth but there is no escaping tonight’s amazing vibe in The Electric Ballroom and the fact that there can be no complaints that was a stonking album performed with pride, panache, professionalism and a whole heap of love. Long Live Hanoi Rocks and their epic and original legacy. There was truly only one.
Seconds out round two and we are given a few minutes to collect our thoughts get a grip and ready ourselves for the second half and a run through some much-loved songs from the catalogue as Demolition 23s pair ‘Hammersmith Palais’ and ‘Nothings Alright’ show there was plenty of life in the old dog yet. These songs make up a big part of Michael’s solo shows and rightly so alongside newer material from ‘One Man Gang’ and everything besides, ending the night with the standard ‘Dead Jail Or Rock n Roll’. Now we can all moan and groan about why they didn’t play this or that but tonight was special and I’ll take it all no matter what they play, nothing is off limits as far as Monroe is concerned. Michael has such a rich catalogue and tonight this band is untouchable. I’ve seen thousands of bands and pretty much all the greats in a lot of venues around the globe but tonight I felt privileged to have been in the room for this and witnessed such a special show that was Rock n Roll boys and girls and I defy anyone to not have been bowled over by that.
Man, I love Rock n Roll and even in my more mature years, I’m happy to be a fanboy when it’s deserved and this was one of those nights that will live long in the memory and I can say I was there.
Now if I could make a request can we get a Demolition 23 tour and an original lineup show, maybe if you like we can go through the catalogue and play them all in their entirety I’m up for it. Nights like this is why writing about nights like this so special, they don’t come around often but when they do I’m so privileged to have been able to say I was there.
To celebrate Frank Black’s landmark solo album, Teenager Of The Year turning 30, 4AD release a one-time vinyl pressing on 17th January, to accompany a tour of North America plus Paris and London, where Frank Black and the original band will be performing the album in its entirety.
This special vinyl tour edition of Teenager Of The Year, has been remastered for the first time from its original analogue studio tapes. Sounding as essential as the day it was released, the limited 30th Anniversary Tour Edition is cut at 45 rpm for optimum playback and is being pressed on double gold vinyl. The album also comes in a gatefold sleeve with liner notes by both Frank Black and producer Eric Drew Feldman. A 24-bit digital version is being released on the same day.
Frank Black tells all about the making of Teenager Of The Year in a unique podcast with Mark Beaumount.
“Welcome to my 30th anniversary Teenager Of The Year podcast, where you may hear me pontificate on the mysteries and swim among the faded memories of my 2nd solo effort from 1994.”
Originally recorded amid a rich songwriting vein, just as the Pixies had been placed on hold, Frank Black’s ambitious double album Teenager Of The Year came out in May 1994, just one year after his fantastic self-titled solo debut. Recorded with scene legend Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, Pere Ubu, The Residents), Teenager Of The Year, is now widely regarded as the defining statement of his solo career and the best album the Pixies never made.
“Sometime in the early 80s, I’d have to look up the date, I matriculated high school. This school held an awards banquet for some of the departing students at the school. I received an award called the TEENAGER OF THE YEAR award; my brother received the same award the following year. Our award was a 50 dollar credit for textbooks, a TEENAGER OF THE YEAR medallion (my mother still has this), and also the banquet hall dinner, soup to nuts. My brother and I had no complaint about the award (it was given for being all-around-good-guy as best as we could determine). But for such a grand title to be given as TEENAGER OF THE YEAR, I felt the glory had not been amplified enough.
In 1993, I was doing “solo recording” sessions with Eric Drew Feldman in Los Angeles. We had settled on a core band with Nick Vincent and Lyle Workman, occasionally augmented by Joey Santiago and Moris Tepper. Though we had to change studios numerous times for actual forest fires and earthquakes, the whole process was such an addictive musical buffet that Eric and I couldn’t stop. We did some vocals at a studio rumored to be owned by Sergio Mendes; in the control room was a wall of television screens broadcasting the brush fire which crept toward us. We eventually evacuated to someplace else. We never met Sergio but we saw him perform a few weeks later when we vacated to Las Vegas after the Northridge earthquake, which had trapped the TEENAGER OF THE YEAR tapes in a studio vault for some time. Our zeal plus empathy from our financiers, they safely observing our travails from London, was enough to keep the money flowing until Eric and I relented and declared “Consummatum est”.
We tried to make it grand. 22 in 62. I called it TEENAGER OF THE YEAR. It is 30 years old now, and the original band will perform the record at various venues in early 2025. 4AD has remastered the LP for a fresh printing. Enjoy.” Black Francis 2024 Meredith, New Hampshire.
Pitchfork placed Teenager Of The Year in their Top 100 albums of the 90’s saying “beneath its veneer lie the moments brilliant enough to rival any of the Pixies’ 1990’s work, and Black’s greatest lyrical achievement.” The album is also included in the book “ 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”, while The Quietus in 2014 said “Teenager Of The Year feels like a lost Pixies album in the way Ram feels like a lost Beatles album. It’s colossal, it teems with innovation.”
“Initially it was a 14-song album. It was mixed. Eric Idle was staying nearby. He kept telling me to change the songs around. Al (Clay)had to run off and go to his next project. We weren’t completely happy with what we had. The solution: record more songs. Eight more were born. Whole shebang was remixed by David Bianco. The day before we were to start the remix, the 1994 Northridge earthquake occurred. Charles, Jean (Charles’ first wife) and I escaped to Las Vegas, ate many shrimp cocktails, and we saw Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’99 perform. Sergio was especially good. After about five days we returned to the mixing studio and the deed was done.” Eric Drew Feldman.*
The Teenager Of The Year Tour starts on 15th January at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco and includes 11 US and Canadian shows before going over to perform in Paris on Tuesday 4th February and the iconic London Palladium on Thursday 6th February.
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