The Dollyrots – ‘Daydream Explosion’ (Wicked Cool Records)

The Dollyrots – ‘Daydream Explosion’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Is life getting you down? Are you sick to death of politics, with the tangerine presidents and bumbling buffoons bullshitting their way to power. Are you exasperated by the fact that Miley Cyrus was the most rock ‘n’ roll thing at Glastonbury, or maybe you’re just disappointed that the dragon show didn’t end the way you wanted it to?

Whatever the reason, whatever the dilemma, you probably just need a dose of power pop to lift your spirits, and LA ‘s finest exponents The Dollyrots are just what the doctor ordered.

Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas have been delivering high energy, bubblegum punk pop, choc-a-bloc with buzzsaw guitars and catchy choruses, for nigh on 20 years now. After a stint on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records roster, the duo has continued to release their material independently, funding through the likes of Kickstarter and the now defunct PledgeMusic platform. ‘Daydream Explosion’ is their 7th long player, recorded and released with the help of Little Steven’s ever cool Wicked Cool Records label.

 

There’s something instantly satisfying about a Dollyrots record. Whether it’s the way their sound takes you back to a time when things were a lot simpler or the fact that every song sounds like it could soundtrack any turn of the century teen movie, from ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ to the highly entertaining Josie & The Pussycats movie. (Yeah, I’ll admit to liking both of those movies).

From high energy opener ‘Animal’ to the closing ode to their daughter ‘Daisy’s Song’, the husband and wife team (and whoever plays drums this time) deliver sickly sweet pop ditties with guitars slung low, turned up to 11 and always with a smile on their face.

‘Everything’ is a high energy burst of noise that could’ve fitted in nicely on Ginger Wildheart’s ill-fated Hey! Hello! project. It will urge you to shout “awesome” and suck a lollipop ( I’m on the way to the shop to grab a pack of Chupa Chups as you read this!). A great build up and a fantastic chorus makes this song a perfect single, job done. Elsewhere, shouty cheerleader anthem ‘In Your Face’ is part Transvision Vamp and part Tony Basil, and I’ll take that sound any day of the week. And ‘Naked’ with its helium-induced chorus and cleverly placed handclaps is as kitsch as you can get. Aly & AJ’s ‘Potential Breakup Song’, anyone? A guilty pleasure indeed.

Mixing up the sounds of The Runaways and Ramones with Green Day and kids Saturday morning TV, The Dollyrots have the knack of making you forget about your daily woes and escape to a world where you party hard to punk-pop anthems all day, while scoffing pick-a-mix and chugging on cherry coke.

Ever present we have Kelly’s helium-induced vocals, Luis’s fuzzy riffs, a handful of melodic hooks and killer bubblegum choruses to die for. Highlights for me are ‘Flippy In My Red Dress’, a song that takes things down, coming on like The Creepshow and veering into rockabilly territory. And ‘I Know How To Party’, an instant earworm I just can’t shake. A proper party anthem if ever there was one. I dare you to press play and not have an overwhelming desire to strip to your pants and dance like no one is watching. Or maybe that’s just me!

 

Let’s get one thing straight. ‘Daydream Explosion’ is not going to change your life, but the Dollyrots are not claiming it will. What they do promise is escapism from this crazy world we live in with their euphoric, catchy tunes. Maybe you can lose yourself for 40 minutes and return time and time again when you need a pick me up. And in that respect, Kelly and Luis have succeeded in spades.

Yeah, a Dollyrots album is the best legal high you could spend your hard earned on right now. And as ever, it comes on rather lush marbled vinyl that looks good enough to eat, what’s not to like here?

Buy Daydream Explosion Here 

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

The Drippers – Action Rock (The Sign Records)

The Drippers – Action Rock (The Sign Records)

The Drippers are a super sexy bunch. Of course they’re Scandinavian, ‘cos most great high energy Rock ‘N Roll bands are these days. They’ve got one foot in the original Action Rock gene pool of The Stooges, MC5, Motorhead and KISS and the other foot firmly planted in the nineties Scando rebirth of bands like Gluecifer, The Hellacopters and Turbonegro. The Drippers stand proudly amongst the young contenders like The Hip Priests, Flash house, Deathtraps and of course Scumbag Millionaire, shoving dirty Rock ‘N Roll into the ear holes of those who wanna Rock & Roll All night (and party every day)!

The album is a full-on, shit-kicking raw power freight train. With great tunes, a ton of energy and the legendary Tomas Skogsberg and the controls, what could go wrong…

Opener ‘(Ain’t No) Shangri-La’ grabs you right by the balls straight off the bat. One minute and twenty-five seconds of brain pounding ecstasy. Niclas Kristoferson is a drum god, FACT!

Max Ljungberg of Scumbag directed a video, for lead track ‘Gimme The Shakes’ and you are gonna love it. It’s one hell of a cool tune with more than a nod to Max’s Millionaires.

‘Feldman’s Exit’ is another pounder with Victor’s bass thump and William’s scorching glunktastic guitar creating another Scando-scorcher.

I realise I’m gushing like a fanboy about this chunk of plastic but I’ve been blasting it out for the last couple of weeks and it’s up there with the latest releases by The Hip Priests and Jonny Manak & The Depressives as a contender for my album of the year (so far) !!!!

 

‘Långgatan’ is full on Turbonegro with a nod to Cheap Trick, while ‘White Light’ shakes its ass in a  Motorhead meets Scumbag kind of way. The double lead vocals throughout the album really add some bollocks to songs at set them apart from other bands.

‘Backbeat’ is a seriously groovy tune that in a sane world would take it to the top of the charts. This is a tune that’ll bend ears and turn heads.

‘ Bottled Blues’ starts like rolling thunder. If you like Motorhead of in fact any of the bands mentioned above you are gonna love this shit. It’s quite simply a Scando Rock ‘Ace of Spades’.

The closing third of the album kicks off with ‘Sweet Action’. Fast, full on and furious stuff. Another cracking chorus and some serious Fast Eddie riffory. If Motorhead works for you, then songs like ‘Sweet Action’ and ‘Finskt Blod’ will certainly give you a neck ache.

 

‘Ready To Fall’ takes you back into Scumbag land with a hook that any pirate would be proud of, while ‘Day Turns To Night’ closes the show in a full bore, no shit saved blast. You can taste the sweat dripping from your speakers.

 

The Drippers use a ton of distortion but this is DS1 heaven and not hell. While the guitars and vocals are seriously overdriven, they haven’t fallen into the trap of other full-on rockers and drenched the drums in fuzz too, meaning that the power and bollocks are retained. It’s the Sunlight Studio magic!

 

Action Rock’ is released on 2nd of August through The Sign Records. Buy it and thank me for turning you onto The Drippers later !!!

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Buy it Here

Author: Fraser Munro

Checkout the video for the track “Solitary Speaking”. While not appearing on ‘Action Rock’, it was included in the “A Fistful More of Rock and Roll” compilation released by Sal Canzonieri of Electric Frankenstein.

Along with debut single ‘Full Tilt Boogie’ also missing from ‘Action Rock’.

Greg Graffin of Bad Religion Limited Edition Throbblehead

Greg Graffin of Bad Religion Limited Edition Throbblehead
Greg Graffin of Bad Religion Limited Edition Throbblehead
PRE-ORDER NOW – SHIPPING FALL 2019
Limited to 1000 hand-numbered figures

Greg Graffin the beloved frontman of Bad Religion is now a Throbblehead.

This figure is limited to just 1000 hand-numbered units, stands at 7″ tall, and is made of a high-quality polyresin.

Greg is in full on live form, holding a mic in one hand and pointing to his head with his other.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!
 
SHIPPING FALL 2019
NOTE: For customers outside of the US, your order will take an average of 4-5 weeks to reach you via economy shipping, which does not have tracking. If tracking is needed, you can upgrade to priority shipping at an additional cost but must email us for details.

The Coolies – Uh Oh! It’s…The Coolies (Wicked Cool Records)

The Coolies – Uh Oh! It’s…The Coolies (Wicked Cool Records)

The Coolies. are Kim Shattuck, Melanie Vammen, & Palmyra Delran! This is their debut six-track EP coming out on Wicked Cool Records Today.  All proceeds go to The ALS Association Golden West Chapter to find a cure for ALS! It feels great to donate, and it feels great to shake that COOLIE!  you can pre-order it now from Here . Some advice is Don’t snooze, don’t lose! Get it now!

You’ll notice it comes with a cool 3D cover complete with 3D glasses but its limited. Kim Of the Muffs takes the bulk of the songwriting and its fair to say the band sounds like you’d imagine from the Scooby-doo artwork and the teardrop guitars its power-pop with a psychedelic garage edge. opening with a real toe-tapper in ‘Uh oh!’ they’ve really nailed that early Blondie rock n roll with some sweet harmonies. That’s pretty much the drill for what follows ‘Ignoramus’ more of the same whilst ‘Pathetica’ kicks back with some cool Harmonica think Dylan laid back kinda vibe.

‘Blueberry Crumble’ will have you hungry for some whacked out Garage with that Scooby-Doo Theremin courtesy of Stevie Van Zandt. Probably my favourite on offer here. They veer off into some countrified honk for ‘Glad I Met You’ before closing the whole shebang with the perfect pop of ‘Yeah I Don’t Know’.  It’s brief it’s sharp it’s perfectly delivered and its god a whole bunch of cool cred points for the tunes.  But be quick to pick one up if not buy a download it’s worth it.

Author: Dom Daley

Buy Here

Bottlekids – ‘Bottlekids EP’ (Shitrat Records)

Bottlekids – ‘Bottlekids EP’ (Shitrat Records)

Here’s a question for you, what do singers do when their band is between albums? Well if you are the singer of punkabilly trio the Graveyard Johnnys and go by the name of Joe Grogan then you’ll be found writing shit hot pop-punk anthems with your other band the Bottlekids.

Having existed for a little over 3 years now this the band’s debut four-track EP which is available now on vinyl and download via the Bandcamp link below and it’s one white-hot collectible if you know anything about Joe’s other band and how fast their records sell and with this 12” single limited to only 300 copies it’s bound to sell out in double-quick time.

Kicking off the EP with the anthemic ’25 Days’ a song the band also previewed as their debut video back in May, the immediate thing that hits me is that aside from Joe’s unmistakable vocals this band are nothing like his other band. Okay maybe there’s a little bit of the rockier side of The Living End that connects both bands, but apart from that this is more like the kind of music that had bands like Green Day topping the charts worldwide just a decade or so ago.

Oddly enough it’s actually one of Billie Joe Armstrong’s side projects, the awesome Foxboro Hot Tubs that Bottlekids remind me of most, especially on the amazing ‘Dark Times’ which kickstarts side 2 of this EP with some of the best powerpop you’ll hear anywhere in 2019. Part Joe Jackson part Head Automatica with even a hint of The Wildhearts in the instrumentation ‘Dark Times’ literally explodes in your head and stays there for days after.

With ‘Smokes Lets Go’ and ‘The Wayside’ completing the four tracks on offer here there’s certainly no room for any excess musical baggage and this is in part thanks to the expert production from Romesh Dodangoda something that leaves me with that immediate sense of “wanting more” once each side of the EP finishes.

So, let’s have some more of the same please Bottlekids via a full-length album packed with songs as fantastic as the four on this tip top slice of punk rock. In the meantime the though the Bottlekids EP is available via the Bandcamp link below…be lucky now!

 

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

The Soapgirls Elephant In The Room video and album news

The Soapgirls Elephant In The Room video and album news

Punk Rock sisters THE SOAPGIRLS have just released their third album ‘Elephant In The Room‘, as a double album and it contains 19 tracks of punk rock with great melodies and catchy choruses.

All songs written, arranged, composed, performed, produced by Camille Debray and Noemie Debray. Redd Valentino Debray feat. on ‘My Development‘. Guitars – Noemie Debray, Bass – Millie Debray, Drums – Daniel Ryan.

Armed with unforgettable melodies and catchy choruses, THE SOAPGIRLS energy, rawness and authenticity live, has earned a formidable reputation.

Performing internationally and continuously since 2015, these fearless French born sisters Millie and Mie, have slayed critics and earned a global dedicated group of followers known as the ‘The SoapSuds’, some of who follow the band across the UK and Europe.

The SOAPGIRLS are society’s rejects and their punk credentials were rubber-stamped by scintillating performances at many festivals including the legendary Rebellion Festival and Camden Rocks festival last year and such was the their success that they have inevitably been asked to perform again 2019 whilst on their current tour Sniff My Strap promoting their much anticipated latest album Elephant in the Room.

THE SOAPGIRLS write outsider anthems that are androgynous, audacious and straight from the heart. Following the release of their album Societys Rejects, the band has appeared in Classic Rock Magazine, The Mirror, and Vive Le Rock, while their last two singles were played on BBC Radio and playlisted by Planet Rock Radio as well as various other stations.

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Jordan Jones – S/T (Beluga Records/ Spaghetty Town Records)

Jordan Jones – S/T (Beluga Records/ Spaghetty Town Records)

Wow,  Every now and then a record comes and absolutely knocks you off your feet from the first listen to the last refrain of the guitar on the last track of the album. Well, Jordan Jones did that to me from the first minute I dropped the needle and the acoustic guitar sounded the battle call for ‘I Wrote You A Song For Me’.

An absolutely blistering ray of sunshine of an album that just screams summertime and plonks a big fat smile across my chops as I drift away lost in the music.

 

Sure,  its nothing more than ten songs with varying tempos played with traditional instruments in a power-pop Rock and Roll style.  Its got swirling organs – acoustic guitars,  overdriven clanging electric guitars and a sweet vocal not a million miles from the late great Marc Bolans tone.  When you sprinkle in some magic dust and glamtastic harmonies – for me, you’re onto a sure-fire winner and this self-titled ray of Californian sunshine is quite simply fucking Brilliant!

‘My Somebody’ plugs straight into a slab of power pop Posies style but with a heart and soul belonging to Ronnie Lane and some of his Faces style of writing tunes that subtle yet awesome melody.  From the swirling organ to the instrumental breaks that lie behind the slightly distorted riffs – Damn this is good.

Without jumping ahead let’s not ignore the opener that grabbed my attention before the first bar had finished. ‘I Wrote You A Song For Me’ is some street fighting riffs on the old acoustic guitar. A melody so sharp you can hang your hat on it – followed by an almighty arrangement. You might think I’m getting a tad carried away here but this album really is twelve inches of sunshine and great songs.

‘Understood’ is carefree trash ‘n’ roll as it just throws its arms in the air and rocks out as a good power pop song should. Well, one that’s got a dash of The Boys-style punk rock pumping round its heart. ‘No Makeup’ deffo has a hint of The Faces about it as we tread down the familiar pattern of Girls – love – loss – heartache – breakups –  you know the kind of stuff Rock and Roll has always been about – nothing too heavy here.

I couldn’t pick a favourite that would be unkind to the other track but ‘Rumour Girl’ comes pretty close to the top.  Plenty of energy great harmonies and arrangement.  ‘Waiting’ is a slower more peaceful meander like a Teenage Fanclub song with a real 70s edge to the melody. If you don’t like ‘Be My Baby’ then I’d seriously check your pulse it’s like The Exploding Hearts never went away and a fantastic rocker with jangly guitars mixed in for good measure.

Just to back up my gushing praise of this record it seems to get stronger and stronger and unlike many album front-ending the best tunes this one is easing you in gently so your heart doesn’t skip a beat by the time you reach the simple yet so effective acoustic twelve-string pickings of ‘Do You Want To Hang Out’ with its super harmonica break – it’s as simple as that –  storytelling in the same vein as say a Kevin Jr or a Nikki Sudden its just plain and simple and comes across as effortless and hits the spot so so well. The album ends with the gentle ‘Oh My Heavenz’ yup a song with a glam rock Z on the end.  Jordan Jones has released one of the finest debut solo albums of the year.  This guy should be a superstar it comes across as effortless to Jordan but I’m sure it isn’t.  Don’t think about it just buy this record!

Buy Jordan Jones Here (USA)

Europe Buy Here

Press Club album details and European Tour Schedule

Press Club album details and European Tour Schedule

When Melbourne punks Press Club released their debut album Late Teens, it was received as a cacophonous battle-cry, resonating with fans far beyond their native Australia. Marked out as a band to keep an eye out for very early on, their music was singled out for its honesty and integrity, and the band praised for their social awareness, calls for self-improvement and powerhouse live performances. Today, the band announce their anticipated follow-up album, Wasted Energy, along with new single Thinking About You.

 

Pre-order Wasted Energy HERE

Press Club’s sonic calling cards are all present on Wasted Energy; the fuzz-addled, kicked-in speaker bass of Iain MacRae, the thick guitar tones of Greg Rietwyk, the merciless drumming of Frank Lees, and the emotionally charged vocal deliverance of Natalie Foster. On new single Thinking About You, amongst the climactic clatter of the band giving it everything, is Foster recounting her experience with a stalker. Never one to shy away from what is uncomfortable, the song embodies a freak’s tongue, cooing unbridled down the phone line; abrupt, uninvited, and out of the blue.

In contrast to Late Teens, lyrically, Wasted Energy approaches the microphone through a lens of extrospection. It examines the negative behaviours in the world around us and how we’re all learning to exist in today’s ever-evolving socio-moral landscape. Wasted Energy is broadly about change, and life’s watershed moments that change its course. These shifts are laterally represented lyrically and sonically in many of its songs. Sweeping about-faces and musical departures are an expansion of the musical fibre that make up the Press Club repertoire.

Don’t miss the band in August as they embark on their biggest UK headline tour to date, including performances at Reading & Leeds Festivals. The full list of upcoming shows is as follows.

Full tour dates are below

Thu Aug 22 – The Parish, Huddersfield UK
Fri Aug 23 – Reading Festival, Reading UK
Sat Aug 24 – Leeds Festival, Leeds UK
Sun Aug 25 – Greenbelt Festival, Northamptonshire UK
Tue Aug 27 – Redrum, Stafford UK
Wed Aug 28 – Bodega, Nottingham UK
Thu Aug 29 – Surf Cafe, Newcastle UK
Frid Aug 30 – Broadcast, Glasgow UK
Sat Aug 31 – Night People, Manchester UK
Tue Sep 3 – Annie’s, Worcester UK
Wed Sep 4 – Bermuda Bob’s Hi-Fi, Norwich UK
Thu Sep 5 – New Cross Inn, London UK – VENUE CHANGE FROM THE BORDERLINE
Fri Sep 6 – Prince Albert, Brighton UK
Sun Sep 8 – Cinetol, Amsterdam NL
Tue Sep 10 – Haldern Pop Bar, Haldern DE
Wed Sep 11 – Sonic Ballroom, Cologne DE
Thu Sep 12 – Alte Hackerei, Karlsruhe DE
Fri Sep 13 – Dynamo, Zurich CH
Sat Sep 14 – Strom, Munich DE
Sun Sep 15 – Cross Club, Prague CZ
Wed Sep 18 – Stengade – Copenhagen DK
Thu Sep 19 & Friday Sep 20 – Reeperbahn, Hamburg DE
Sat Sep 21 – Vera, Groningen NL

Tickets are available now HERE

Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin ghosts Tour Announcement

Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin ghosts Tour Announcement

Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts are thrilled to announce that they will be supporting The Tearaways (featuring Clem Burke of Blondie) across the UK Aug 17 – Sep 2.

They will also be doing a handful of Acoustic – Songs & Stories Shows.
These are always very special nights. They’ve found some really great (REALLY SMALL) venues for these shows.

These shows WILL SELL OUT. Make sure you get tix while ya can (once they’re on sale)!

Tickets ON SALE FRIDAY!

AUGUST

17th – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
w/ The Tearaways

18th – Waterloo, Blackpool
w/ The Tearaways

21st – Esquires, Bedford
w/ The Tearaways

22nd – Thunderbolt, Bristol
w/ The Tearaways

23rd – The Prince Albert, Brighton
w/ The Tearaways

24th – *Songs & Stories Acoustic Show* The Tap, Derby

25th – *Songs & Stories Acoustic Show* TBA, Leeds

28th – The 100 Club, London
w/ The Tearaways

29th – Night and Day, Manchester
w/ The Tearaways

31st – Irvine Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
w/ The Tearaways

SEPTEMBER

1st – Beat Generator, Dundee
w/ The Tearaways

2nd – King Tuts, Glasgow
w/ The Tearaways

… and LOOK, there’s more!
A BRAND NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR
“GET DOWN”, THIS FRIDAY!
It’s their ode to the classic film,
‘Risky Business’.

Sum 41 return with 45 (Matter Of Time)

Sum 41 return with 45 (Matter Of Time)

After over 15 million records sold worldwide, a Grammy Award nomination, 2 Juno Awards (7 nominations), a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards, Sum 41 is quite simply a rock band – uncompromising and honest with no intention of slowing down.

Sum 41 consists of five members including Deryck Whibley, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dave Brownsound, co-lead guitarist/backing vocalist Tom Thacker, bassist/backing vocalist Cone McCaslin and drummer Frank Zummo.