The single is taken from the forthcoming album of the same name, another stunning collection of songs that will further develop the band’s burgeoning reputation as one of the most essential contemporary rock acts. Recorded at Sphere Studios in Burbank, California in February 2019, “Another State Of Grace” was produced & mixed by Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Anthrax, Uriah Heep).

The album is available on CD, vinyl and vinyl picture disc, limited edition boxset and limited edition light green vinyl. Album pre-order is available HERE

After a long period off the road, Black Star Riders are back with a 15 date UK & Ireland Tour with special guests Stone Broken and Wayward Sons. Dates for Black Star Riders 2019 UK & Ireland Tour are:

Thursday 10thOctober                                   O2 Academy, Bristol
Friday 11thOctober                                         Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Saturday 12thOctober                                    O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Sunday 13thOctober                                       William Aston Hall, Wrexham
Wednesday 16thOctober                              Academy, Dublin *
Thursday 17thOctober                                   Limelight, Belfast *
Friday 18thOctober                                         Braehead Arena, Glasgow §
Saturday 19thOctober                                    O2 Academy, Newcastle
Sunday 20thOctober                                       Rock City, Nottingham
Tuesday 22ndOctober                                    De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill
Wednesday 23rdOctober                              O2 Academy, Bournemouth
Thursday 24thOctober                                   University Great Hall, Cardiff
Friday 25thOctober                                         Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
Saturday 26thOctober                                    O2 Academy, Leeds
Sunday 27thOctober                                       O2 Ritz, Manchester

* BSR and Stone Broken Only    § BSR Only as Guests to Saxon
Tickets are on sale now.
For Ticket Info please visit www.blackstarriders.com

The band has been around since 2012. Tell us who you are and how you came together.
Sol: Hi, my name’s Sol. We’re a London band, and I joined the group in 2012 –
Minky: You started the band, you nut.
Sol: Nah, you had a name for the band before I joined. You called it Bandwagon. I joined that
band.
Minky: Different band. Shit name.
Sol: Well anyway, I’ve been the bass player ever since. Through all of its ups and downs.
Minky: You’re fifty percent of the DNA of this band.
Jamie: Well anyway, I’m Jamie and I joined Brain Ape on drums in 2018 and then we played our
first show together in Paris.
Minky: And I’m Minky. I’m responsible for this mess, and I’ve been in the band for far too long.

 

You’ve released a couple of albums. How has the sound changed if at all and what are the
plans for album number three?
Sol: Album number three might or might not be coming. We don’t know yet.
Minky: Album three cannot be confirmed.
Sol: Or denied.
Minky: Or confirmed.
Jamie: I hope we have a third album.
Sol: Same, but it cannot be confirmed nor denied at this point in time. But as for our previous
albums, our sound has grown with us as we’ve grown up and become more confident and better
in our abilities.
Minky: We did one album, loved the sound, then played it for so many years, got bored. Did
another album, loved the sound, have played it for so many years, now bored. So we’ll see.
Sol: If we do a third album, we’ll take it into a new and unique direction. Our sound evolves with
us, and incorporates all of the different influences that we take with us.
Minky: But we’ll never forget the ‘Mudhoney sound’. They’ll always be legends.
Sol: Personally, I like Nirvana.
Minky: I hate you.
Sol: Can’t deny it.
Minky: I prefer the Melvins. You know we’ve had a lot of people recently compare us to the
Melvins? I am A-OK with that comparison. If I could grow a ‘fro like King Buzzo –
Sol: Except the Melvins didn’t really go anywhere –
Minky: Ouch, yes they did man.
Sol: Whereas their baby brother, Nirvana, went far farther.
Minky: You’re a cynic. And that’s coming from me.

You recently released a DVD which is a bold idea. What’s the idea behind the DVD so early
on?
Sol: We had the opportunity and we took it.
Minky: It showed itself, we smacked it in the face and took it hostage, and now we’re selling it for
a minimal price at our merchandise stands.
Sol: It was for the fans who can’t see us live, mainly. We wanted to show off how far we’ve come
and show people what we could do, even if they’re not in the same room as us. It’s a chance for
them so see us play our tunes.
Minky: Do you know how many messages I’ve had on social media of people telling me how glad
they are that we released a DVD, because finally they got to see what we do and they weren’t
disappointed?
Sol: That’s why we do what we do.
Minky: It’s been very humbling, somehow. And that’s the best feedback you can get. They had
expectations, and they weren’t disappointed? What could top that?
Sol: Exactly.
Minky: ’You changed my life’?
Sol: Why not?
Minky: With a DVD? Can a DVD really change your life?
Sol: Yep.
Jamie: Yeah, it can do.
Minky: Well was it the Decisive Video of a Decade?

 

What bands and songwriters have influenced Brain Ape?
Sol: Bowie, Queens of the Stone Age, Pixies –
Minky: It gets really boring naming the same people over and over again, but there’s no denying
who they are. Although, I disagree with the Pixies. I’d lean more towards Flipper.
Sol: Yeah, Flipper’s a good one.
Minky: Scratch Acid?
Sol: We took a lot from them in the early days, but one of our most influential artists has actually
been a band called Coffee. I live by Coffee. Every day. Eight times a day, even.
Minky: Eight times? Mate, you’re going to fucking kill yourself.
Sol: I need my daily Coffee.
Minky: Veruca Salt?
Sol: Veruca Salt are awesome. Love their harmonies.
Minky: And their tone is great, especially on that EP they did with Steven Albini.
Sol: Mantra?
Minky: Fu Manchu.
Jamie: They’re playing Download, actually.
Sol: Really?
Minky: I know, I saw them on the poster and instantly considered buying a ticket to the festival.
Sol: Alice in Chains? Avenged Sevenfold?
Minky: I think we’ve said Alice in Chains in previous interviews.
Sol: Blood Red Shoes?
Minky: I don’t know them.
Jamie: Blood Red Shoes are good.
Sol: Royal Blood?
Minky: Nah, fuck them.
Sol: I love Royal Blood.
Minky: Yeah, I know you do. I don’t.
Sol: I saw them back in the day, in a room with about twenty other people before they got
famous.
Minky: You love that story.
Sol: Yeah, I do.
Jamie: I saw them the first time they played Reading. I walked past the tent and just had to check
them out.
Sol: Soundgarden are good.
Jamie: I like them.
Sol: Pearl Jam.
Minky: Nice guy.
Sol: The big four are just solid.
Minky: AnnenMayKantereit? They’ve influenced the band a lot.

You appeared on our radar with the booking for Camden Rocks. Are there plans to play
other UK wide shows? Why should people come see you at the festival? It’s a great festival
and a cool concept with it being such a unique place to be able to do such a festival. Are there
any bands playing you’ll like to catch?
Sol: False Heads. Go see them.
Minky: To be fair, I’ll probably be at their show. But that’s no surprise to anyone, I don’t think.
Sol: We are actually playing a festival called Alice’s Wicked Tea Party the day before Camden
Rocks.
Minky: Correct. We’re going to have a wild time. We’ll still probably be hungover the next day.
And for Camden Rocks we’re playing at the Fiddler’s Elbow at 1:30 in the afternoon, so we’re
kicking things off nice and sweaty for the rest of the festival. But we’ll be hanging around for the
rest of the event. Why not? It’s a good excuse to drink beer and see some good bands.
Sol: This year’s Camden Rocks will be a bit special for us anyway, because it’s the first year that
we’re on the bill.
Minky: I’ve just come back from The Alternative Escape down in Brighton –
Jamie: I’d like to play that festival.
Minky: – and there are a lot of events like that popping up in towns and cities at the moment. The
Hanwell Hootie has just happened too, and I would have liked to have gone to that but obviously
I was in Brighton.
Jamie: The Hootie’s a good one.
Minky: There are plenty of day-festivals now, and I think it’s pretty good for punters. It’s quite a
cheap experience for a whole day or two.
Jamie: Camden Rocks is good because it’s a local London festival.
Minky: Camden’s a special place on earth, really.
Sol: And as a band, we’re really looking forward to it. We’ve played other festivals in our history,
but Camden Rocks will be a very nice addition to our trophy case.
Minky: We actually keep a trophy cabinet.
Sol: We reflect upon it every now and again.
Minky: We keep all of our platinum records in there, and we’ve also managed to keep a couple of
bits and pieces of memorabilia that we’ve collected over the years.
Sol: We keep loads of posters in there, too. Anything with our name on it, really.

 

Finally, What next for Brain Ape?
Minky: Sell out, make loads of money, move to L.A., forget about London, forget all of the people
we’ve met here, all of the people who’ve helped out. We can just completely leave them behind.
Use as many people as possible.
Sol: We have a new single coming out with its own music video, and it’s going to be the last
‘hurrah’ of Auslander. That record has been a really good album for us, and this single will
bookend this chapter nicely.
Jamie: A good old firework display for the end.
Sol: And from there, where do we go? We’ve had an undercurrent of people asking, nay,
demanding a new album –
Minky: But we’re not ready for a new album. I’m sorry. It’s going to come out in the next four
years.
Sol: Four years? I can neither confirm nor deny that the number given by Minky is true.
Minky: Actually, you know what? It’s coming out in four days’ time.
Sol: While Minky throws alternative facts at the wind, come down to Alice’s Wicked Tea Party and
Camden Rocks and watch us do our thing. We’ll have plenty of merch there, too. People keep
asking for more of that.
Jamie: Just send us a message, and I’m sure we can work something out.
Sol: And if you want us to play anywhere in the world, just get in touch.
Minky: If you’re in the EU, you’d better hurry up and ask us to come play before Theresa May
fucks everything up for everybody.

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photo courtesy of – Nuri Moseinco Photography & Jack Young

Title Pic – Nuri Moseinco Photography

Riskee & The Ridicule play a highly politicised style of punk and hardcore, that mixes in elements of grime and hop hop for a refreshing sound. Kaboom!

Frontman Scott had this to say about ‘Kaboom!’ –

“Our song is about the blatant scare tactics used by the right-wing media to give the illusion of danger. This illusion creates the fear of being attacked, which naturally creates hostility. ‘We attack each other to the sound of their applause because their assets are safe if we’re coming for yours’.

We chose the word ‘Kaboom’ because of its use in comic books ‘to indicate a large explosion’.

Comic books can print what they like, and people know its fiction. Newspapers do the same and people take it as the truth.” Check it out here and look out for the new album coming next month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDGGdhYIkZc&feature=youtu.be

Given the current state of the world, anybody would be forgiven for being in a perpetual state of loss. There’s a tangible feeling of confusion, dismay and fracture on any street that leads to a preference for isolation or staring at our own private screens over physical interactions. However, what this often breeds is communities ready to ignite people with an energy to fight the malaise bred by injustice. Enter: Riskee and The Ridicule. A tour-de-force band of politics, protest and punk that practices what they preach and are spearheading such a charge. Growing up in Kent, the group had always been a staple of the UK DIY scene, but their fervent attitude and unique “Grime-Punk” rallied troops of dedicated fans across the world. This die-hard community, the seamless relationship between “artist” and “crowd”, is ever-expanding and the reason Riskee and The Ridicule have toured ruthlessly nationwide, across Europe, the USA and are now readying their third studio album, Body Bag Your Scene.

Musically, the band meld their genre-spanning influences with their intent to challenge preconceptions. On the surface they may appear easy to read, when in fact Scott Picking (Vocals), Jimbo Aglony (Guitars, Vocals), Jordan Mann (Guitars, Vocals) and Matt Verrell (Drums, Vocals) are a gang of progressive punks who form a powerhouse of change. Full of fierce energy, the Kent quartet have motives resting among The Clash with relentless streams of wit, literacy and observational accuracy akin to The Smiths and a background in the UK Grime scene.

 

Following their DIY releases Dawn Of The Dog and 2017’s Blame Culture, the band have now signed with Bomber Music to release their third studio album, Body Bag Your Scene on June 28th. It’s a record that acknowledges their position as a band and showcases both a personal and musical evolution, building upon the style of their previous two albums but with more detailed and textured approaches to songwriting. Structures are more complex and themes broach darker subjects such as drug addiction, consent and the tabloid media with denser, heavier music to match.

 

“There was no outside pressure for us to do the album, so we wrote and recorded whatever we wanted. It turns out that because of that freedom, Body Bag Your Scene is Riskee and The Ridicule at our peak and most brutal yet. There’s definitely a darker side of this album, but there’s just as much tongue-in-cheek wordplay too.”

 

Body Bag Your Scene was written and recorded at breakneck speed, a reflection of its reactionary nature to the daily uncertainty projected upon us. Taking aim at the powers that be (“Our Time”), sexual exploitation (“Sex”) and the barrage of contradictory news (“Black, White & Grey”) it’s a record that holds a mirror to the world with simultaneously acerbic and humourous analysis.

 

Their ever-growing community of fans are also as important as day one and they’re truly a DIY band for the people, by the people. The album was made with fans submitting to Riskee and The Ridicule’s own pledge campaign and saw them having a direct input and a piece of the release via credits, memorabilia and even private home shows. “As long as we are constantly evolving, progressing and learning then we are doing something right. We’re experimenting and releasing something people won’t have heard before. We put so much into this band and bettering ourselves because others, our fans, give their all to support us. Our fans really are our family and we want to give back to them as much as we can, in any way that we can.”

 

Establishing themselves as an unstoppable live band who are not to be missed, Riskee and The Ridicule are about to set fire to the touch paper and ignite a necessary attack on the current state of unease. Body Bag Your Scene is available on June 28th via Bomber Music.

As the pledge Music debacle rages on Tyla has issued a message as he and his band try to salvage some positives from this whole sorry mess. Releasing a statement about his new release – The wonderfully titled ‘The Fuck Pledge Tapes’ fans are offered details of a project he and his band are putting together   

 

Here at RPM we’ve been involved and told of many campaigns that have caused sleepless nights, fans were let down and a company who has said very little publicly if anything at all.  Hopefully, something can and will be done and the musicians union can gather names and projects and maybe band together to salvage something for the carnage left in the companies wake. Both bands and fans who are out of pocket and without their agreed items and payment should have some sort of closure. 

F**K PL**GE

Dear Friends and Pledgers,

Hope all’s well in your world.

We just wanted to give you a quick update on the shenanigans over at PledgeMusic.

As many of you may have heard they’re in dire financial straits. They owe independent artists between $1million and $3 million collectively and – unable to pay – are now in the process of declaring bankruptcy. Yes, you read that right! They owe struggling artists up to 3 million dollars and are reneging on their payment responsibilities by putting the company into liquidation!!

It would appear they’ve f**ked both fans and artists by stealing everyone’s money! And, worst of all, they lied about it for months during which they continued to collect money from fans without paying it through to the artists for whom it was pledged.

As such, many artists have been left with debts, unfinished projects and unfulfilled dreams whilst numerous pledgers have been left without Vinyl,
CDs, T-shirts and various other merch items for which they have paid.

Understandably, social media is aflame with anger and outrage. Many believe this is more than mismanagement of funds or a simple betrayal of trust. They believe the theft is a calculated and deliberate fraud for which the perpetrators
should be prosecuted. In fact, the UK government have been urged by Music Industry bodies to investigate the Company for illegal activities.

On a personal level, Pledge still owes us $20,000!! All of which was earmarked to pay-off our album recording costs and Vinyl, CD and T-shirt manufacturing costs. (In their defense we did receive an initial part-payment of some of the
monies we were owed – which went towards our recording costs).

In some ways though, we consider ourselves lucky. When we saw early signs that Pledge was in trouble we made the decision to cover all our outstanding debts ourselves. We wanted to ensure that anyone who participated in our Tyla’s Dogs D’Amour ‘In Vino Veritas’ album campaign would receive everything they pledged for. And they did! Thankfully! No-one who pledged as part of our campaign has been left without their items! It took us a while admittedly. And we were grateful for everyone’s patience, but we managed it.

And, against all the odds, the album even charted! #3 in the UK Album Breakers Chart and #23 in The Independent Album Chart. Result!

Of course, we secretly hoped that a buyer would purchase Pledge and we’d receive the money we were owed! But now we know for certain there’s no
chance of us being paid we’d like to try and recoup some of our losses by offering you the opportunity to buy an exclusive, limited-edition, 10-song F**K PL**GE CD.

With original artwork by Tyla the CD won’t be available in any shops. It’ll be strictly limited to the number of orders we receive here. It’ll contain a selection of songs from our trilogy of ‘In Vino Veritas’ albums – ‘In Vino Veritas’, ‘In Vino
Veritas Acoustica’, ‘In Musica Veritas’ and a couple from the forthcoming, newly recorded ‘Graveyard of Empty Bottles MMXIX’ anniversary edition. And a few others! Some you’ll have heard, some you’ll already own, some you’ll know and some will surprise you.

We know you’re all suffering from Pledge fatigue but shall we have one final
dance as the sun sets?

As an added bonus, everyone who orders the CD will be entered into a prize draw to win the original hand-painted cover art, plus 10 lucky runner-ups will receive A3 signed prints!

That’s gotta be worth the price of admission right? Go on. You’re worth it.

Thanks again for all your support.
See you on the other side,

Tyla, Gaz, Matty, Simon

 

F**K PL**GE – A 10-song, limited-edition CD containing a collection of
songs to treasure forever. £15 plus p&p.

Tracklist:

1. Fuck Off Devil – from ‘In Vino Veritas Acoustica’
2. When the Dream Has Gone – from ‘Graveyard… MMXIX’
3. Everything to Me – from ‘In Vino Veritas’
4. My Best Friends Girl – from ‘In Musica Veritas’
5. 111 – from ‘In Vino Veritas’
6. Movie Star – from ‘In Vino Veritas Acoustica’
7. Died & ‘Fore She Got Young – from ‘Graveyard… MMXIX’
8. Summertime Blues – from ‘In Musica Veritas’
9. Love Comes True – from ‘Black Confetti’ EP
10. Another Girl, Another Planet – ‘Homesick Angel’ EP

Pre-order now only from tylasarttavern.com

 

To say I have been looking forward to this album would be a massive understatement, their early singles over the past two years should have been blasting on every rock radio station in the world, and these guys should already be huge from the likes of ‘Love to Leave’ and ‘Slather.’ To be clear, my anticipation for the album would have made it easy to be disappointed in it, but my faith has been rewarded with an album that could very easily be my album of the year and is sure to be one that will remain in constant rotation for years to come. The Sweet Things have distilled the essence of rock n roll’s primal ingredients and then added their own secret spices to make it all their own. Comparison points definitely include the Rolling Stones and Guns N’ Roses, but those are not the only ones, for example, as I would say the spirit of Chuck Berry is essential to the band as well.

Lead video ‘Liquor Lightning’ kicks off the album in fine style as we hear the sound of bottles clinking together before a riff that encompasses the shambolic spirit of something like the Black Crowes ‘Thick n Thin’ gives way to Dave Tierney frantically spilling the words from the first verse over the riff in a race to the finish line. Everything then falls perfectly in time as the band is in fine form with the addition of some excellent piano work included behind them to give the song even more flavor. The reprieve in the pre-chorus provides even more urgency to the chorus as the horns explode in the background. The guitar solo is razor sharp and captures the Chuck Berry spirit before the band slam the chorus at us again. If someone asks for a song in the spirit of rock n roll, this can be it. Follow up ‘Dead or Worse’ slows the beat a bit and features some excellent harmonica work. Sam Hariss (also bass) provides the first verse on this one with his rasp being a perfect fit, similar to Izzy’s vocals in GN’R. The production gives the music plenty of space with Tierney taking over for the second verse before they combine vocals at the end. I hate to think how many times I have heard the live version of this on YouTube. The excitement and the vibe have translated over to the vinyl in remarkable fashion.

The title track takes us on a mid tempo journey with a timeless classic rock epic that immediately grabbed me with the band again receiving support from piano, horns, and some harmonica. Simply put, I do not understand how fans of early Black Crowes, Dogs D’amour, Quireboys, Faces, Rolling Stones could not be drawn in with this song. I have this urge to lift a glass in the air and singalong with this one every time it plays.  Another of the early release songs follows with ‘Almost Faded’ being another perfect rock n roll song with some horn work that would do 80’s era Hanoi Rocks proud. It is not a stretch to think Tierney (also guitar), Hariss, Lorne Behrman (guitar/ vocals), and Darren Fried (drums) had a cryptic meeting with someone down at the crossroads to come up with this album. The time that has gone into creating these songs and this album has paid dividends. If you are not singing along with ‘Almost Faded,’ I really do not know what to tell you other than your rock n roll spirit is apparently dead. Hyperbole? Give it a listen and find out for yourself. Wrapping up the first half of the album is ‘Dr. Crazy Girl’ whose guitar riff slowly builds before the song starts moving and conjuring the spirit of the New York Dolls. While perhaps not as monumental as the first four songs, this one keeps the momentum going nicely.

Flipping the record over introduces the classic rock infused ‘Drained.’ Again the band has really thrown in all the bells and whistles…. Okay, maybe it is all the horns and piano to create something really special that will still kick butt in the live setting without them. The chorus begs for a singalong from all of us listening. ‘Coke’n’ has been one they have played live which was originally done by Izzy Stradlin back on his 2002 ‘On Down the Road’ album and fits the Sweet Things like it was written with them in mind.  The groove is timeless and shows in terms of the songwriting the heart and soul that Izzy provided GN’R. This is another one just made for blasting out the windows wherever you are as everyone around you should be listening to it too. ‘Through the Cracks of the City’ is another I am familiar with as the band originally released it a couple years ago and have played it live. The hook simply sticks to you and does not shake loose, and the guitar riffs throughout the song are awesome.

‘Fix to Kick’ brings us to the final stretch of the album with the band making another timeless riff look effortless. The Sweet Things simply rawk in all the right ways with this being another classic chorus that they smartly do not use to overwhelm the music. It falls right in line with the music in the mix, giving it a great live feel. This has future single written all over it. Finale ‘Feed My Dog’ slows things down a touch with another slow burner that does not waste one second of its five minutes. The guitar licks are perfectly done and the extended musical section in the song gives me chills before the vocals come back to wrap up the album.

I wrote in another piece here on the site how several huge albums have come out in May between the Wildhearts, the Darts, Glam Skanks, and the Sweet Things. I only have the Glam Skanks yet to hear, but every album in that group has simply killed. This stands tall as an Album of the Year contender and beyond that really as the album is simply a timeless piece of art and a testament to the band. World dominance should be next for them as long as you give this a listen, buy it, and then let your friends, acquaintances, and even your enemies know about it as everyone needs this rock n roll in their lives.

 

Buy ‘In Borrowed Shoes On Borrowed Time’ Here

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

 

 

 

“Do you believe in Jesus? Well, you’re gonna need him…”

Swedish death ‘n’ roll mofos Jesus Chrüsler Supercar blew me away with their debut long player, 2013’s ‘Among The Ruins And Desolate Lands’, and if that vicious slab of noise was a spree killing then its follow-up, 2016’s must-have ’35 Supersonic’, was a premeditated exercise in cold-blooded rock bludgeoning. How could the nefarious band members – Robban Bergeskans (vocals/bass), Nicke Forsberg (drums), Pär Jaktholm (guitar) and Tobbe Engdahl (guitar) – ever hope to top that? Well, they’ve gone for broke with their third album by being in league with Satan himself.

 

Named after the ultimate anti-establishment figure, ‘Lücifer’ is an eleven-track horned beast of a record that grabs the band’s grubby take on the legendary Stockholm Sound and rubs its nose ever-blacker in the filthiest, most glorious sonic hell this side of the Seven Gates.

 

That Stockholm Sound? It comes, as it did on the previous two albums, via the Scandinavian supremacy of über producer, Tomas Skogsberg (The Hellacopters, Entombed, I could go on for days). Drummer Nicke’s brother, Fred Forsberg, mixed the record and, in the search for a thuggish American tone to throw into the muscle car melting pot, Brad Boatright (Converge, Corrosion Of Conformity) undertook the mastering. The results are MASSIVE.

 

This record is housed within four gargantuan walls of guitar. From the opening seconds of the album’s opening (and title) track, no listener will dare keep his or her head still lest they be judged by El Diablo himself. Wood splinters, foundations shake, and auditory canals take an unholy amount of abuse as shit-kicking, brain cell-killing tracks like ‘Flesh ‘n’ Bones’, ‘High Times For Low Crimes’, ‘Never Sleep Again’, and ‘Boogeyman’ grab the speakers by the throat with zero intention of letting go.

 

Side One of the record – entitled ‘First Testament’ – motors along like Dennis Hopper has wired up a bomb to it, but Side Two – ‘Second Commandments’ – does offer the briefest moments of respite: the speeding strut smudged into a sludgier swagger on tracks like ‘Straight To Hell’. A major tour with heavyweights Clutch can do that to a band, I guess. Album closer ‘Black Blood’ is a revelation too: a murder ballad of grandiose proportions that I imagine few would have thought possible from this eight-legged, turbo-charged behemoth of a band. The impressively-titled ‘You Can’t Spell Diesel Without Die’ restores the balance on this fearsome flip-side, however.

 

For fans of Motörhead, Entombed, and Chrome Division, and just about anyone who likes their music as badass as Beelzebub, and their many guitars chugged like their many beers. It’s Death Race 2019 and this is the soundtrack. Buy it and play it like you stole it.

Buy Lücifer Here

Author: Gaz Tidey

Hooray, another day another new album from the Last Ramone in through the door to shout 1-2-3-4.  Solo album number four I believe and once again Fat Wreck Chords have got CJ Ramones back.

What does it sound like?  What do you think it’s going to sound like doofus! C’mon its like a guy who joined one of the best gangs ever, made some records with them, toured the world and lived the dream.  Sure when that all stopped it must have been weird – so take a break recharge the batteries and come back doing exactly what you do you’ve earned it (who wouldn’t) To be fair since being back in the saddle he has made consistently good records under the name CJ Ramone.

He never fell out of love with punk rock and I’m delighted to say that this one is more of the same.  I don’t want my Ramones to break new ground; do industrial, rap, murder ballads or grime.  Hell, I want a steady beat (‘This Town’) I want catchy sing-a-long Chorus and loud guitars.  The occasional hand clap and maybe a dozen songs that put a smile on my face and that’s exactly what CJ does.  Thank God for that.

There are covers like the awesome ‘Crawling From The Wreckage’ to be fair you have to go some to mess that one up and this is a particularly good take.  I mean Dave Edmunds is a legend around these parts so why not tip the hat and give it a good run through besides CJ know it a top tune.  There are highs such as ‘Waiting On The Sun’ wait what’s this an acoustic guitar and some brushes on a snare? Sure is, ‘Hands Of Mine’ is a curveball but man what a great song. CJ’s vocals are warm and the songs flows like a late night red.  A lovely tune and another string to the bow methinks.

Worry not punks ‘There Stands The Glass’ is fast and furious and back in the groove and a great cover it is too. Some Cowpunk al a Supersuckers on ‘Moving On’ and in the home straight CJ pumps a fist in the air on ‘Stand Up’ something he’s always done so well. ‘Blue Skies’ is timeless with a great hook and melody.

Closing this record with ‘Rock On’ is a beauty and a tribute to Steve Soto who passed away last year just before his band the Adolescents played Rebellion which was a moving performance and fitting tribute to their brother and bandmate and this is a heartfelt tribute and one I’m sure Steve would have been proud to hear and I’ve no doubt there will be a ray of sunshine shine down on CJ whenever he plays this live.

Another day another great record fro CJ Ramone and long may it continue. the Holy Spirit is with us all God Bless you CJ Ramone!

 

Buy The Holy Spell Here

Author: Dom Daley

Every now and again you pick up on something a bit left field, a bit different from the norm, not what you’d normally watch, but some-things sparked your interest now you might look at the line up and think Who? But when you look beneath the covers or under the skin of the bands playing you can find some connections that you might not necessarily been aware of, take opener Caoilfhionn (pronounced Keelin) Rose a singer, songwriter and producer from Manchester. Coming from a very diverse musical melting pot, she’s doing her best to draw elements of the past and link it to a rapidly changing music scene. Perhaps when you think she’s worked with among others Vini Reilly of Durutti Column:  She Collaborated on four songs on The Durutti Column – Chronicle LX:XL album.

 

Looking at the headliner would you think that it’s a side project of Richard Oakes from Suede, providing a foil to Sean McGhee, producer, vocalist and long term Alison Moyet collaborator. As well as spending time with Alannis Morrisette

 

The other link for yours truly? Over 10 years ago in 2008 I reviewed their first LP together under the Artmagic banner “Become the one you love”. One of my first ever music reviews!!!!

 

Richard who runs The Wild Hare club, whose banner this gig falls under certainly knows his musical underground, and its well worth giving The Wild Hare club alike and giving one of his gigs a shot, taking a chance on music you might not necessarily have been aware of, there’s a great scene building in Hereford around the events run by Wild Hare, with people who truly love music and appreciate new music regardless of the style.

 

But on to the gig, Keelin Rose is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar/piano and providing the vocal runs, there’s a really haunting fragility to the vocals, full of emotion, almost world-weary at times. Maybe you’d call it ethereal, but it’s much darker maybe dark pop would be a better description? Linking to the past there’s elements of this Mortal Coil, hints of The Cocteau Twins and a nod to Vini Reilly, going back even earlier to me there are hints of the 60’s production the wrapped itself around Marianne Faithful and even hints at Astrid Gilberto. Each track builds, with the music washing over you, the vocals weaving a spell, but don’t underestimate the guitar work, while you would probably say this could be classed as an acoustic performance, the layers within the music were pretty outstanding. Coming forward song by song you also started to get hints of another style, someone utilizing the past but presenting the music very differently, drawing you in leaving you scrambling to pick up the influence, Stand out tracks for me a blinding version of “Being Human” and the LP opener “Awaken”.

 

The great thing for me? I’ve gotten really pissed off lately with people talking through gigs, confronting a few over the last year, I mean why watch a gig, especially an acoustic performance and spend the whole time talking to your mate? Stay at home and watch the Fckin television”, inane dross doesn’t need your attention!! Anyway back to my point you could have heard a pin drop, which allows you to really pick up the nuances in the music and fully immerse yourself in the live experience. Definitely an artist I’ll be catching again when she returns with the Wild Hare experience with a full band.

 

On to the headliners, looking back to my review I would say there’s a very definite Beatles influence buried deep within the songwriting but you also begin to hear hints of more modern fare, Talk Talk and Field Music leap out at you. Where I found “Become the one you love” quite a dark multi-layered almost introverted LP, a band/person coming forward, comfortable within a new identity, this new LP The Songs of Other England has become more an observational dialogue of things happening around them looking outwards, not inwards.

 

Live, Richard Oakes I would always class as a feeling musician, the guitar tone very much his own, almost eastern at times, at others pulling parts of his own legacy through, both pop and Indie. While Sean McGhee has one of the most outstanding vocal range I’ve heard lately, weaving the stories/vignettes around the guitar while also at times leading with both Piano and Electronica. Again you could hear a pin drop in this most intimate of venues. There were many highlights tonight but what produced the spine-tingling moment was when they asked for the P.A. to be turned off and they performed the set closer “Love” truly acoustically.

 

Chatting to them both after what was apparent was a love of what they are creating, but also a love of this most intimate of environments as Richard said: “ you get to hear all your mistakes, it’s a bit different to my normal day job!”

 

This was the first night of the tour, and definitely one I’d out and out recommend.

Author: Nev Brooks

 

 

Setzer, Rocker and Phantom back together in the same room recording kick-ass rock and roll after forty years together.  who’d have thought that?

Whilst they might be plying their tried and tested trade they’ve never been about reinventing the wheel they just want to preserve 1950’s Rock and Roll as best they can and look cool as doing it.  Whilst techniques have changed and equipment has changed dramatically – Hell, how we listen to our music has also changed significantly over the last decade never mind forty years!

I guess it doesn’t matter what decade or timeline you’re preaching from if it ain’t got no soul it can’t Rock and Roll and the one things The Stray Cats can still do all the decades later is Rock and Roll and they’ve never forgotten how to write a tune or two either.

The album was recorded as a live band in a room in a couple of takes, pretty much as you’d hear them live I guess which in today’s money is a nuts way to do things and would puzzle a new bunch of kids.  Most people don’t even spend time in the studio together they post in their parts and record ’em at home for the most part. To go back to the old school is a brave move even for these cats but the rewards are a rich sound that full of vitality and vibrancy.

Twelve cuts of prime lean Stray Cats is expected and to be fair the trio duly delivers the goods  No special guests, no studio trickery – No autotune no sirs. It’s not so much the standard Rockabilly tunes that do it for me either, it’s the curveballs that I’m gonna champion.

Sure they kick off in super safe territory with the familiar shuffle of ‘Cat Fight’, ‘Rock It Off’ and ‘Got Love If You Want It’.  All fairly safe even if they’re done to perfection this is the stuff these three can do in their sleep.  It’s the rougher ‘Cry Danger’ that sets this record alight for me with its rolling guitar lick from Setzer and the cool backbeat that makes it a fine fine tune. Some impressive guitar playing from one of the greats but very understated.  A top tune.

To follow that with the excellent ‘I Attract Trouble’ which is the coolest song they’ve come up with for many a year.  again a great riff and throwing in a ‘pipeline’ riff as the swamp tone is smokin’.  You can settle down then for some classic rock and roll fifties style with ‘When Nothing Going Right’ being an uptempo song that’s cool as but I’m not sure there was any need to throw in a mid-tempo instrumental in the middle with ‘Desperado’ but hey nobody said it was perfect.

If you’re looking for that smoldering ballad to close this bad boy then have a word with yourself because ‘I’ll Be Looking Out For You’ is a mean uptempo scorcher and one of the best tunes on offer and its a joy to hear Setzer let rip on that old Gretsch of his but they leave no room for a soft song for tough guys instead ‘Devils Train’ is swashbuckling and a really good ending to a well above average record.  I was hoping it was going to be good but I think to be fair its exceeded my expectations, by including a few really good songs that aren’t so formulaic and honoring that traditional 50s structure is great to hear even after all these years that The Stray Cats can challenge themselves whilst keeping the quality of the songs so high.  So ’40’ is a big Yes from me and if you like a bit of old school teaching you new tricks in these fast-moving times then you won’t go far wrong with this new Stray Cats record.

Buy ’40’ Here

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Author: Dom Daley

The Making Of ’40’

Watch behind the scenes of the making of '40'

Posted by Stray Cats on Monday, 11 March 2019

I know what you’re thinking,” just who the fuck are Dboy?”

I thought exactly the same when just a few days before this gig I was instructed by the one and only Simon Phillips (yes he of Cheap Sweaty Fun fame) that I had to go to this show at all costs, “this band are the new Turbonegro” he boldly claimed, ”yeah Turbonegro or The Dead Boys”.

High praise indeed I’m sure you will agree…. but most importantly he had me intrigued.

A couple of Bandcamp listens later (I’ll never truly understand the anti-streaming brigade like multi-millionaire Steve Lukather I really won’t) and I’ve secured a ticket for tonight’s show, the last on the band’s debut UK visit. £6 is all it cost me and I feel like Charlie Bucket as I bowl up to Clwb Ifor sixth sensing I’m about to witness something very special indeed.

Also on the bill tonight are two local supports; Nigel, who plough a late 80s early 90s alt rock furrow seemingly intent of making me dig out my Chuck Mosely era Faith No More LPs when I get back home, by splicing the agit punk undertones of that band with some of the more “out there moments” from Pearl Jam into one glorious cacophony of sound. Plus there’s The Vega Bodegas who take the influence gene pool of their predecessors and add a twist of the pop suss of Grunge complete with the dry sense of humour that only growing up in the south Wales valleys can gift you. ‘Complete History of Witchcraft’ which comes complete with frontman/guitarist Jimmy telling a seemingly true story of sitting next to a witch on an Easyjet flight is for me the highlight of the band’s uber tight set. Before a frenzied ‘Monkey Ate The Monkey’ also sees Nigel re-join the band on stage for one last foray into the mosh pit. I can’t help but wonder what chaos these two might be able to conjure up if they were ever to head off on a tour of the UK’s fast diminishing smaller live venues.

The delights of which tonight’s headliners have been experiencing for themselves this past week or so, but then again when you have escaped the Gulags of Russia just to be able to deliver your debut record, I’m sure stomaching a few motorway breakfasts will seem like a dawdle by comparison.

Granted the Soviet refugees decamped to Canada back story that Dboy trade on might be bending the truth just a little bit, but the trio’s mission statement regarding “ending sonic austerity” is one we should all buy into. I mean just yards away there is a venue promoting tribute bands like they are the live music scene’s one and only salvation, and that brothers and sisters I can assure you they are fucking not, bands like Dboy are the salvation and their debut album   ‘Prove Your Love – Live in Belem’ is one I demand you all go out and buy! It’s brilliant in its ability to stun the listener.

Hitting the stage (okay make that floor) with their sublime ‘Dboy for President’ single, I’m immediately mindful of that original comparison Mr Phillips made regarding the mighty Turbonegro. Yes they sound like them (well early days Turbo anyway), yes they have an instantly recognisable image and yes they also have a horde of insane fans (all wearing balaclavas) who seemingly worship the band.  There’s no messing around either as the band take us on a rip ride of 13 songs in what must have been 20 minutes maximum, and as the masked bass player launches himself into his devoted Scouts (that’s what the band’s fans like to be known as) I can’t help adding the muthafucking Dwarves to the list of influences Dboy display.

Special mention must go to the band’s masked drummer who not only hammers his kit like he’s on a hand forging episode of Forged in Fire but also somehow manages to out mince the king of mincing the legendary Pål Pot Pamparius in the process.

Finishing with the double whammy of ‘Born With A Hard On’ and the awesome ‘Three Piece Band’ before then trashing their backline and this ensuring no encore, tonight once again reinforced the fact that great live bands playing original music are still out there, you just need to do the digging, or have your mates do it for you.

Simon Phillips, I owe you one.

Author: Johnny Hayward

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