Klammer/The White Ribbons split single. 7″ BLACK vinyl.
Due to popular demand, this is being repressed as a black vinyl single.
Two classic Pete Shelley songs – ‘I Don’t Know What It Is’ and ‘You Say You Don’t Love Me‘. The first release from the Yesterday’s Not Here tribute to Pete Shelley project, a limited runhand-numbered black vinyl singles comes complete with a numbered colour portrait of Pete by Buzzcocks’ photographer Steve White. This is a different image to the ones to be issued with the clear vinyl.
‘Danny Sucks at Video Games’ is a song for our times. We’re all Danny. We’re all locked in futile combat with our screen avatar, failing again and again to get into the ‘Hall of Fame’. It’s garage, it’s punk, it’s electro, it’s 8bit graphics and it’s the best song of this hideous year.
This is a crazy world and we all need a gut-busting adrenaline rush to induce some socially distanced moshing in order to shake out what remains of our frazzled brains.
With a stupidly infectious second album on the way, skate kids and gamers will be gliding round to these lyrics for the foreseeable:
“Danny sucks at video games, he’ll never make it to the Hall of Fame. All his combos are the same. Cos Danny sucks at video games”
There’s a suitably retro gaming video on YouTube for the single along with a call to action which will celebrate everyone’s most epic ‘gaming fails’ a la Danny. This song really does capture the spirit of 2020 which, let’s face it, completely ‘sucks at video games’.
WA Wa Punx are Dylan Rippon and Cory Jarnagin. The duo met when Dylan was touring the States with his band Bears From Labrador. Cory lives in Seattle and Dylan lives in London and Amsterdam. Dylan explains their first meeting in Bremerton, a nowhere town in the Pacific Northwest,
“I had a bad feeling about the venue. Thrash metal. Too much leather, too many tattoos, too many beards and piercings. We were drinking a few beers when this fresh-faced kid with a huge smile and a Texan drawl introduced himself as the support act. He proceeded to pull out his iPod and explain how he was going to just plug it in and freestyle. I looked at him, full of hope and enthusiasm, then at the sweaty crowd of metal heads. Could get ugly. Half an hour later Cory took to the stage. The room was silent. He fumbled about. Then he started rapping. It was good. It was so good and funny as hell. It was like an Andy Kaufman sketch where you think it’s all going wrong and the guy’s a total amateur but the whole thing was planned out. The next twenty minutes were a joy, Doing a project with Cory was a no-brainer.”
You may not yet have heard of WA Wa Punx, but you’ve almost certainly heard them. Their music has featured on numerous TV shows like ‘Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown’, ‘Made In Chelsea’, ‘Big Brother’ and ‘NASCAR Raceday’. Bradley Cooper is currently encouraging folks to vote in Pennsylvania backed to the sounds of WA Wa Punx classic ‘Hooty Hoo’.
This one’s for all the geeks, freaks and video sheikhs.
‘Danny Sucks At Video Games’ is released on November 2nd on Hero Rhymes With Zero.
Is Lockdown getting you down? Join us and rock-like fuck as we welcome a new week with some new videos that should shake the blues away. First u is this banger from the forthcoming Viagra Boys album.
Next up is one of the albums of the year from the sarf of England its only Chubby & The Gang with the epic ‘Speed Kills’
Then to wrap it up check out the incredible Kurt Baker – with a track off his new album ‘Outta Sight’. Now that little lot should have you feelign like you can tackle anything. Stick with us and we’ll banish your blues with Rock and Roll
The Fuzztones Celebrate Their 40 Year Anniversary With A Heartfelt Love Letter To Their Home City of yup, you guessed it Noo Yawk City.
When I checked the track list I did a double take as I thumbed down the tracks wondering how these purveyors of wee small hors garage rockers were going to take on the tunes or had I just imagined that Rudi had finally lost his shit and gone for songs I’ve never heard but on the first play, I was on my feet shaking my head grooving like a good un because God damn it Them Fuzztones had only gone and knocked this one out of the park and just when you thought they’d bitten off more than they could chew they would only go and raise the bar a little higher. I mean c’mon, sure going for The Fugs is something I could see, or even the fine rendition of ‘Dancing Barefoot’ closing off the record is done with the utmost respect and perfectly in keeping with the idea that The Fuzztones were going to own this record take these songs and lovingly recreate them into their own unique fuzzed up slice of the big apple.
Opening with a Sinatra classic and making it jive and groove will raise an eyebrow and get people talking but hitting Wayne County ‘Flip Your Wig’ was perhaps more predictable and with the familiar Fuzztones organ honking away towards the chorus its a decent stab but its quite safe. Again The fuzztones tackling the Cramps is a no-brainer and ‘New Kind Of Kick’ is respectfully carved up.
Hold onto your hats kids because their reconstruction of The Ramones ’53rd & 3rd’ is spectacular and I love it. they’ve nailed the chorus and the vocal delivery from Protrudi is brilliant. ‘Psilocybe’ is spooktacular and then the band let their collective hair down and crack open the harmonica on ‘Skin Flowers’.
I guess the songs I gravitated to the most were The Dead Boys and Dolls tracks so when I heard ‘High Tension Wire’ begin I sat back and appreciated that Rudi and the gang had really excelled on this one with a particularly good vocal. Sure ‘Babylon’ had the organs turned up to eleven and a suitably trashy take on a classic is duly delivered.
Its fair to say I was a bit surprised to see a Blue Oyster Cult track nestled in between some classics and its dwarfed by the version of Mink De Villes ‘Let Me Dream’ which I think pips the original for the groovy guitar work and the harmonica is excellent and whisper it but Rudi Petrudi is having a ball with the vocals.
‘Microdot’ is a take on ‘Chinese Rocks’ and given a royal garage psychedelic wipe down. but the one track I wanted to be done well more than any on offer here was the Dead Boys ‘ Not Anymore’ and its twisted a little by being sped up but the haunting feel is still intact and the lyrics still sound amazing. Could The Fuzztones all take a bow here because they’ve really stepped up here and the reconstructing of some seriously classic songs has really worked well. Leaving only the Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers rare track ‘You Gotta Lose’ being worked over out the back yard with only a switchblade knife between the original and this take and then ‘Dancing Barefoot’ wafts in on a cloud of mysterious substances like some ’60s black and white B movie.
Protrudi & Co have sealed this l-u-v letter with a kiss and swanned off having taken their curtain call and been called back for an encore that they throughly deserve. To be fair they’ve owned each and every song here and have goven every one the Fuzztones make over and come up trumps because to cover a song and do it justice is a tricky thing but to do it for a whole album is really taking a risk and for and The Fuzztones deserve to own these classics – #Never forget your roots kids and never forget to tip your hat to those who paved the way and gave you the lifeblood coursing through your veins. The Fuzztones – ‘NYC’ was never in doubt, was it. Rudi, the Big Apple loves ya man it’s at the core of what you do and you’ve paid your respect in the best most fuzzed-up way. – Buy It!
I’d heard recently that a certain Mr. Scabies was providing the drums for ex-Ant/Wolfmen bassist and singer Chris Constantinou’s new project. Having played The Wolfmen’s albums to death previously, this was bound to be interesting.
It is a side-step in retro sounds, to these ears. Most musicians ape the 60s, but this is firmly in the “90s take on psychedelia” territory. Hang on! That’s not as bad as it sounds. While Chris didn’t play on Adam Ant’s ‘Wonderful’ album from 1995, tracks like ‘Beautiful Losers’ and ‘Definition’ wouldn’t sound out of place there. He’s learnt something from the backing vocals, for sure. ‘Rain’ is woozy, psyche-pop, with the effortless basslines we’d expect.
‘Kings X Guru’ has Rat providing the groovy, Beatles rhythms. ‘Andy’s Wonder World’, musically at least, reminds me of The Dowling Poole’s more laid back moments. ‘Kill Me If You Love Me’ is more chorus friendly, while ‘2% Out’ could see you frugging round the sofa with your maracas, man.
It certainly has a character, as an album, and Chris obviously knows what he wants. I’d have liked a few more uptempo songs, but that isn’t really what this is about. ‘I Like Sex In The Suburbs’ is what Liam G should be singing, and ‘Gerry’s Ashes’ is reminiscent of ‘Floodland’ era Sisters. So, an interesting set of songs, if you’re in a mellower mood.
How about starting your album sounding like Alison Gordys Blonde & Blue jamming the Ramones oh hang on that’s exactly what this sounds like from the wailing saxophone to the Thunders lite sloppy guitar playing to the 50s /60s girl group vocals. Unashamed and fabulous. What’s not to like? It’s down n dirty Garageland rock and roll. Sure this record is totally Influenced by NYC’s original punks (Blondie, Ramones, Heartbreakers), 60s girl groups (The Ronettes, The Shangri-Las), with a drop of Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground’s for the cools – The Carvels NYC have got it going on.
The Carvels used producer Freddie Katz, and had it mixed/mastered by Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) so they stacked their cards up pretty good before hitting the studio but at least along with all the vital ingredients they remembered the Sax and stuck it front and center. What’s on offer here is a whole bunch of sloppy Punk n roll old school playing without a care in the world, it’s pop songs with a tonne of melody and parking lot harmonies through the medium of punk rock 77 NYC style and songs like ‘My Little Troll’ is two minutes of fun with some sexy sax wailing in for a solo. It’s also a bit racey and in a rush like on ‘Lonely Fantasy’ you keep wanting to shout ‘Trash’ because it’s that sleazy Dolls like trashy. It reminds me a bit of bands like the X-Ray Spex as well because they also saw the value of the saxophone is in the mix as a Rock and Roll essential.
They even manage to throw some shade on covid deniers and no maskers with the fantastic ‘Stay The Fuck Home’. There should be a van rolling around every town in every country blasting this out from a hailer on the roof. Nail head hit!
I’d put this in the same ballpark as the misfits project 1950 for style as they race through ‘Darling Where Are You’ in all its trashy sleazy splendor – It’s loud – its Rockin’ and it’s fun what else can you ask for in these strange times? There is time to slow things down and ‘Candy Says’ has a certain downtown about itas the band kick back and chill just for a moment.
They remember to throw in some handclaps but not one single bead of a cowbell which is disappointing. Hey, you can’t have everything so I’ll take this just as it is. Big, loud, trashy, and sweet-sounding punk rock n roll NYC style. Job done.
2020 has been a year that we all would rather forget due to the pandemic live shows have been sorely missed so any new music we must grab with two hands so that brings me to the latest EP release by The Damned titled ‘The Rockfield Files’.
The Damned has recorded some of their classic material at Rockfield and the welsh studio was where the band decided to record their last album Evil Spirits.
‘Keep em’ alive’ is the first track on Rockfield files and it doesn’t disappoint with a chanting intro the track then bursts into life with guitars and drums crashing in and with Dave Vanian’s glorious vocals over the top the tune is a sure-fire winner.
‘Manipulator’ is next up and is a melodic punk ripper with sneering vocals from Dave and some great slashing chords on the guitar courtesy of the Captain. This track also contains some powerhouse drumming from Pinch who sadly said goodbye to the band and with the Palladium and now this EP as his swansong he is leaving on an extreme high.
The spider & the fly’ is an interesting track as the beginning sounds like something off ‘Phantasmagoria’ but quickly morphs into the psychedelia of “The Black Album” and shows what a diverse band The Damned are.
The last track ‘Black is the Night’ is a song most Damned fans will know as it was the bonus track on the anthology of the same name released last year albeit this is an extended version and a welcome edition here for any fan who has not picked it up.
Overall this EP is top quality with some more great songs from such a great band.
Do yourself a favour and go and buy it and cheer yourself up cause after the last couple of months we all need some happiness in our lives and what better way to do that than with music.
I hate concept albums as the 16 year Punk Rock Kid inside of me still thinks of some Prog Bloke in a Wizard’s Hat and Cloak stabbing his keyboards, which takes up the space of a fitted wardrobe, with a large Kitchen knife whilst the drummer enters the 20thminute of his half hour drum solo. Right, now that’s out of the way; my favourite Bass Player ever is Paul Gray who found fame with Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Damned, UFO and erm Andrew Ridgley. One of my three all time favourite Drummers is Rat Scabies who fortunately played on the ground breaking Damned albums “The Black Album” and “Strawberries” with the aforementioned Paul Gray. So when the news broke earlier this year that once more Scabies and Gray would be joining up with Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four) for the follow up to the Professor and the Madman’s “Disintegrate Me” album I reached for the Box of Kleenex. However, my hand hovered as the words “Concept album” was banded about. Of course the middle-aged me knows that any Genre can tackle the idea of a Concept record, Jazz, Blues, Classical and even Punk, but having quality musicians play on analbum doesn’t automatically mean you’ll pull it off, see “Son of Albert” by Andrew Ridgley. “Séance”,is the story relating to a group of mates who hold a séance to say one final farewell to friends who have obviously died,” does manage to pull it off and rather well at that, in the manner of “Sgt Pepper” and “Yellow Submarine.” It does feel as it should be a West End or Broadway Musical, the soundtrack produced by George Martin cue a séance.
“All the lonely Soul” is the brooding intro before the title track introduces us the main characters longing to reconnect with their past and lost loved ones through a séance. “So Long” starts off with a Monkees style intro before we’re taken though a journey of what seems like regret or reflection. Something that does come across throughout the album is the great vocal Harmonies. Alfie and Sean take it in turns in the lead vocal department but it’s the chorus’ that would make Brian Wilson proud. After “So Long” the character in “Real Me” contemplates the Devil on his shoulder. It’s probably the best song the Kinks never wrote. “Child’s Eyes” looks back at how things throughadolescent eyes are so much simpler whilst in adulthood it “Seems like the jokes on each of us”. There are two types of people who play bass; Bass Players and Bass Guitarists. John Entwistle, Lemmy and Paul Gray are Bass Guitarists; they play their instrument as if it was a lead guitar and Paul’s style so fit’s in on “Séance” you couldn’t imagine anyone else doing a better job. “Time Machine”/Man With Nothing To Lose” introduces us to another couple of characters; the Scientist who has had enough of reality and wants to build a time machine to go back to his perceived better era. Now “Time Machine” really screams ‘Musical!!’ I can see in my mind a row of men in blazers and straw boaters jazz handing across the stage, all that is missing is trumpets! A homeless man overhears the Scientist in the more downbeat fairground sounding “Man With Nothing To Lose” and imagines what could be achieved if time travel was possible “We could go back and fix all our mistakes. Build ourselves mansions with the money we’d make.” And “Hit 1980 and go see The Damned” If only, if only! “Two Tickets To The Afterlife” returns to the original character who now finds himself in a Game Show set in Hell with some choice prizes “We’ve Got Thrills, we’ve got pills, we’ve got million dollar bills. We’ve got weed, we’ve got speed, we’ve got everything you need” but they all come with a price. “…Afterlife” is probably the heaviest track on the album. Once off the Game Show our main man now finds himself in front of “The Council of Purgatory” who confuses him with their gentle overtones, almost a Barber Shop quartet? Again I can really see this on the West End Stage.“All The Lonely Souls” is reprised as an instrumental that finishes of the main, first act.
“Greetings From The Other Side” starts the final act with the reawakening of mankind after 2000 years frozen in stasis, with questions and concerns of the album’s protagonist answered by the ‘Forces’ “We did not die, we were never here.” The album ends with “New World” with the ‘Forces’ leading mankind to Utopia, the Garden of Eden, you decide but warning, pleading with us to “take care of your new World, not like the old world and teach the children not to hate, because if you don’t…Maybe we’ll see you again.”
Did I ever tell you I love a good old concept album?
“Séance” by the Professor and the Madman is out on the 13th November on either yellow vinyl, CD or digital Download via Fullertone Records that you can pre-order at www.professorandthemadman.com
“Spaghetty Town Records Circus”, five bands from three countries in the live music streaming event of October!
Even Spaghetty Town Records artists are itching to play live. So Teddy Spaghetty and Criminal Kids put together a roster of live music like no other. Fast Eddy, Killer Hearts, Pale Lips (Canada), Motosierra (Uruguay) and Criminal Kids will be live streaming on October 22, 2020 at 9pm ET / 6PM PT. Almost all new performances. An event of this scale can only be hosted by the Sleazegrinder of Classic Rock Magazine / Heavy Leather Topless Dance Party fame.
When asked about the event Teddy Spaghetty said “I can’t believe this is actually going to happen, many of our bands normally don’t have it together, but somehow pulled this off”. Over the last few months, each artist has been practicing up to bring you all the best live performances they can. The Spaghetty Town Records Circus will be streaming on Facebook and Youtube.
This is the third single taken from the forthcoming album ‘Looking For Love, Ready For War’, which is set for release in 2021. Same Old You was produced by the legendary Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and co-written with Atlanta-based writer/producer Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Pink, Taylor Swift), it is a fun and upbeat rock and roll number with infectious melodies and artful musicianship, with lyrics about a relationship gone wrong
The song was co-written with Butch Walker. Tuk says of the experience, “It was really cool to write with Butch Walker, something I’ve always wanted to do. In Atlanta, he is a hometown hero and a really big inspiration to me so to be able to write with him was really special. I’m super stoked the song turned out so good. You never know what’s gonna happen, we had really good chemistry and it was a lot of fun”.
Tuk’s musical roots run deep. Growing up as an outsider in rural Georgia, he found solace in hardcore/punk acts like Black Flag and The Exploited. From there, Smith branched out into exploring seventies New York bands like The Dead Boys and New York Dolls, which lead him across the sea where he embraced first-wave British acts like The Buzzcocks and the Clash. Smith wasn’t just a casual fan of these acts, he was obsessed with them and traced their lineage with fervent dedication. “I was always into the Clash growing up and Mick Jones’ favorite band was Mott The Hoople, so through the years I ended up developing a love of the first wave of british glam, power pop and things like that,” he explains. Soon Smith was forming his own acts, toured relentlessly and building a DIY following with his high-energy live shows.
Looking for Love, Ready for War is an album that has been a long time in the making and due to be released in 2021. It is the culmination of Smith’s already impressive career in music and showcases the versatility of his songwriting. His love of rock, punk, and glam come together into a unique amalgam that is at once fresh and new and also harkens back to music that is missing from today’s musical landscape. In many ways, it’s a musical homecoming for Smith that shows that though he’s covered with battle scars from perfecting his craft, he’s come out on the other side with an amazing collection of songs.
‘I Don’t Know What It Is’ and ‘You Say You Don’t Love Me‘. The first release from the Yesterday’s Not Here tribute to Pete Shelley project, a limited runhand-numbered black vinyl singles comes complete with a numbered colour portrait of Pete by Buzzcocks’ photographer Steve White. This is a different image to the ones to be issued with the clear vinyl.
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