Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

Written and recorded in-between lockdowns in 2020, New Zealand born but London based punks Desperate Measures managed to escape the COVID-19 madness for some cathartic writing and recording sessions and the first taste of those gatherings arrives today with ‘The Rich-Tual’,  a bullet of classic punk reloaded for the pandemic generation that rips from the speakers screaming ‘fuck the system, before the system fucks you!’ Recorded at The Brook Studios in South London by Andy Brook, ‘The Rich-Tual’ is taken from a forthcoming mini-album that will be released this summer by British rock n’ roll label Easy Action (home to and in good company with Iggy and the Stooges, The Damned’s Brian James, Marc Bolan and T-Rex and Lords Of The New Church). The video, assembled by Craig Temple, perfectly captures the intensity of ‘The Rich-Tual’.

 

The “Queen Of Rock N’ Roll”’s new single and video for the song ‘The Devil In Me’.  Pioneering American rock vocalist and musician Suzi Quatro has confirmed the release her superlative new studio album, ‘The Devil In Me’, on Steamhammer / SPV on March 26th as a Digi Pak CD (+ poster), double gatefold 140 gram black vinyl LP (with printed inner sleeves), download and stream.

 

DEAD DIRTY DINOSAURS release new video for single ‘Holding Back‘, announce new EP.

Dry retch – ‘Cultural Backslidin’’ (Self Release)

Dry retch – ‘Cultural Backslidin’’ (Self Release)

The Merseyside Garage punks are getting out the starting gates early for 2021 with yet another solid mini-album release, fleshing out the previous single ‘12,000 miles from new’ with five new tracks. 2020’s ‘12,000….’ is a grinding ordeal with an L7-esque bassline that will seep into your subconscious, a welcomed guest that will never leave.

Like previous releases the lads have cranked out the Big Muff in spades, delivering their sonic assault of Proto-Punk. The second track ‘I never washed it’, sounding as dirty as it’s proclaiming all while channeling a masterful Lux Interior.

Stand out track here undoubtedly ‘condition 19’, painting a picture all too familiar for everyone in the past year. Whether you’re hitting the bottle or trying to appease yourself by learning Spanish, cabin fever is setting for all of us. The Covid theme continues with the fantastic Mudhoney tongue in cheek number ‘(Don’t) touch me, you’re sick!’.

Thrown into the mix, as if a cherry was even needed on the cake, a stripped-down cover of New York Doll’s ‘Vietnamese baby’. A much starker version delivered here with a little cheeky riff from other Dolls classic ‘Jet Boy’ tacked on at the end, a great tribute to the recently departed Dolls guitarist Sylvan Sylvan. Go get yourself a copy.

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Author: Dan Kasm

Introducing… The Dangereens

Introducing… The Dangereens

Its been a while since RPM first made contact with Montreals The Dangereens who describe themselves as,

“The most elegant-decadent rock n’ roll unit of the 21st century”. which is quite some boast, However, when we heard their long player ‘Tough Luck’, it was obvious they actually have the tunes to back this up. When everything settles down maybe the world at large will finally have the chance to see for themselves if this just a case of idle promises or The Dangereens are indeed the real deal.  What the world needs right now is some glamorous, decadent Rock and Roll so we reached out to lead singer Hugo to find out who the hell are The Dangereens and why should we check em out and for Hugo to introduce us to the world of The Dangereens.  So, Read on and get excited for The Dangereens…
Firstly, ‘Tough Luck’ (the album) was recommended by one of the writers here at RPM Online, and when he said the magic words “there is a hint of Hanoi Rocks in here” I knew I had to order the record.  I did and he was right. So with that in mind where would you say you sit musically on ‘Tough Luck’?
Quite frankly I don’t believe that Tough Luck should be examined as a whole (in terms of musical genres), but rather as a collection of songs that draw from various influences. There are touches of 70s glam rock, punk, power pop and southern rock, 60s garage rock, 50s R&B and rock’n’roll, 40s boogie-woogie… So, you know… I guess I’d describe it as a “glitter rhythm and punk” effort… Then again, I’m not too good with labeling my own shit. I’m sure you’d do a much better job at it 😉
How long have you been together as the Dangereens?
About 4 years
What about influences and what you wanted to achieve with the ‘Tough Luck’ long-player?
Our influences are as numerous as they are scattered… Some of the guys like 80s hard rock, heavy metal and other types of mustache music that I know nothing about. Personally, I like 3 chords, light-hearted love songs, tear-jerking outcries and obscure rock’n’roll moronities… Anything that moves and grooves, you know? One thing we all agree upon is that it’s gotta be soulful, it’s gotta have that swing, and it’s gotta sound like us. I guess my role as the leader of the gang is to take that harder edge from the other guys and make it snap, crackle and pop so that at the end of the day, every song’s a groover. I really focus on a song as a song, and not as a part of a concept or anything like that. How our album ended up sounding like an album (with a common thread and a continuation in the themes) really beats me! I still don’t know how we pulled it off…
What was the process for writing the record?  Is there one main writer and how does it roll as far as jamming the songs in a rehearsal room or is there a set method?
There is a main writer: me. Now is probably a good time to introduce myself. I’m Hugo and I’m the singer. I also play rhythm guitar on the album. That being said, I’m not alone in this band, and I cannot overstate the importance of the role that the other guys have played in the writing process of this album. I like the idea of working really hard in the beginning of a project on elaborating an aesthetic and a sound that gathers (or at least tries to) a common side of every member’s personality. Once you’ve built that core, then you can start slacking and drinking, and still the songs will come pouring like it’s the monsoon.
About the writing process now… So I come up with the words, the chords and the vocal melody and I show it to the guys, and I guide them roughly towards a certain way of approaching the song. Once I see that everyone understands how the song should be approached, it’s really not mine anymore… As long as we all respect the song, I’m happy. Sometimes one of the guys will come up with something brilliant I haven’t even thought of. This is proof to me that the song lives and that it can speak, and that is always a good start. Oh, and this all has to happen in this crappy (but cheap) room we use as a jam space, and as quickly as possible. If too much effort or talking is required to get there you probably oughta let this one slide until the time is right.
As far as the process for recording the songs is concerned, we really focused on how that “core” should sound by jamming 3 times a week and by trying to build it with raw-live-off-the-floor energy. Even there, we still got to the studio unprepared and had to deal with a bunch of last minute freak-outs, but we pulled through gracefully (in my own opinion). How we managed to do that is beyond me as well. I believe in my heart that rock’n’roll is about sensibility, and that’s not something you can prepare or train. I guess that what I really mean is that rock’n’roll is about laziness (haha).
How have you dealt with the release with touring being off the agenda?
We had absolutely no idea things were gonna freeze like that… We figured we’d release the album a bit later than expected (May instead of April), but still in time for the summer. We thought we’d be out of this shitshow by then… we were wrong. I guess that’s why we’re musicians and not global medical analysists… analysisticians?… analysts? (haha)
Is there any music written for a follow-up?
Oh hell ya! If there’s anything good about this pandemic, it’s that it pushed me to write new material. We’ve got about 10 new songs now that we can’t wait to share with y’all!
You preceded the album with a pair of tracks ‘Lucky In Love and Holy Water,  why were they left off the album?  They are two totally different numbers and show a real maturity in the writing and I love a saxophone in my Rock and Roll and Jay plays a major part in the sound?
The label we’re affiliated with for distribution (ALIENSNATCH! Records) suggested to take them out. They were initially supposed to be on the album. I agree with you that they add a certain depth to the band’s repertoire as they are slower songs. We might reissue the album including the 2 singles one day…
 
Blue Jay is a wonderful guy. We love working with him. He comes from a jazz background and everything he added on the album came out naturally. We hope to work with him on future recordings.
The album has a classic feel to it but also sounds fresh and versatile.  Do you have a particular track that you love?  If I was to tell someone about this new band I’m playing called Dangereens what would you suggest I play them and how would you describe it?
Thank you! We love working with old-school material like tape machines and 60s transistor soundboards because they force you to commit to decisions. The entire album was recorded on analog devices and I guess it gives it this naturally compressed and warm sound which we now consider “classic”. I don’t want to get into the details of analog recording because it bores the daylights out of me, but I can say it also made the recording and mixing process a whole lot faster because we’d rarely go back to fix mistakes (mistakes are a crucial part of the Dangereens’ sound) and because we didn’t need to colour the sound with a bunch of VST’s or anything like that. During the mix, it was mostly a matter of making certain things shine a bit more and leave other things in the background and Ryan Battistuzzi made a phenomenal job at that.
 
About my preferred numbers, usually, my favorite song is the last one I wrote. Having let some time pass now, I’d say my favorite ones are Microwave Boogie for the story-telling type of lyrics and the general delivery of the band, Love Jive for the pedal steel arrangements and guitar works, and Hearse Driving Blonde for the simple, uplifting vibe. Tomorrow I might say something else though.
The band is quite different from the one that released that first EP back in 2018 even if those songs are excellent again showing the versatility within the band both being able to just Rock and Roll on ‘Reign Of your mind’ and then the acoustic side as on ‘Libertine’ and the two tacks you released on Bandcamp that covered show you delved deep into the back catalogue of rock and roll.  Why those two tracks in particular?
Yes, the EP marks a different era. As a matter of fact, we were another band back then, literally. We were 4, Yan, who plays piano on the record, was our drummer, and we had another bass player, Miles. After Yan and Miles left, they were replaced with Olivier (actual drummer) and Jordan (actual bass player). As I was saying before I like to write/compose for the band I have. These new cats have different artistic orientations and tastes, and I feel it is my duty to represent that in the songs, you know?
 
About the cover songs, it’s very simple… We initially booked 2 days of studio to record the 14 rhythm tracks (the 12 Tough Luck songs + Lucky In Love and Holy Water). Thing is, we were so hot on the 1st day, we ended up canning 12 of them, leaving only 2 for the second day. I then decided we’d use the remaining time to record live-off-the-floor performances, 50s style. Break Up was already part of our live set and High Blood Pressure is just a song I love so I showed it to the guys on the day of the recording and off we went! 
As for live shows, how long has it been since you last played and what are the plans?  Is Europe a possibility when it’s safe to do so?
When the pandemic hit us, we had just come back from a 3 days mini-tour in the US. We played Brooklyn, Manhattan and Boston. All three shows went incredibly well and we made awesome friends (shouts to Muck and The Mires who rocked our socks off)! Man, were we riding high…  Also, we were planning a Europe end of summer tour so you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll come around as soon as borders open!
What about promo videos any more planned?
We made the one for Streets of Doom (it’s on our Youtube channel, Dangereens Official) and another one that should be out anytime soon! I can’t tell you for which song though 😉

 

Going back to the album.  I love songs like ‘Thieves’ and ‘Worried Mind’ and would love to hear them played live.  When I’ve been playing the record I hear bits of inspiration from bands like thin Lizzy and some traditional boogie-woogie mixed with the likes of Hanoi or a bit of Bolan boogie the whole thing just rocks, and a whole bunch of others that jump out to me, in a sound or maybe a chorus or melody.  the way you mix up the influences on ‘1003’ with the sax and some fine piano playing whilst keeping it fresh is something not a whole bunch of bands are doing right now it would be great if success on a big scale was around the corner.  They do say it comes in waves and we’re just about ready for Rock and Roll to dominate the charts again. How was the album recorded?  songs like ‘Little Uptown Girl’ sound like they were one live take would that be a fair assumption?
Aww, now you’re gonna make me blush (haha)! I don’t know about rock’n’roll dominating the charts, but it doesn’t really matter to us anyway… The way I see it, this band is all about good times, and good times never go out of style (although we all may feel that way these days). All those bands you’ve mentioned are definitely up there in our spiritual altar, but we also listen to more recent stuff. To me, a good song is a good song. It doesn’t matter if it’s rock’n’roll or new age, you know? When I write a song, I think of the melody and rhythm first, then I lay words on it. The fact that they end up sounding the way they do is because of the way we naturally approach music as a band. Rockin’ and rollin’ is part of our daily routine.
 
About the recording process, we start by recording the rhythm (drums, bass and guitars) tracks altogether, then we do overdubs for vocals and other instruments (saxophone, trumpet, piano, organ, strings, etc.). In my opinion, the more elements you record simultaneously, the better it sounds. Giving that we were working with a 16 tracks tape machine and in a small basement room, it would’ve been impossible to achieve recording everything all at once, but at least we got to work off of our live rhythm tracks, without using a click. Saying that our songs sound like they’re live takes is possibly the best compliment you could’ve given me!  A song is like a picture, you know? It’s about capturing that unique moment in time. You can always take a snap of some willow tree by a lake, then photoshop Kate Moss kissing you on the cheek underneath it later, but eventually someone will figure out that shit’s not sitting right…
Ok enough of me waffling,  what plans have Dangereens for the future?  the next record?  Singles?, Tours?  and where is the best place people reading this can get the album in physical format from obviously digital copies its Bandcamp right?
It sucks because I can’t tell you much about the future since we are in the midst of negotiations and I don’t want to jinx it, but we’ve got BIG plans… All I can say is you’re gonna see a lot more of us in 2021 going forward!

To get a physical copy of our album, you can go through ALIENSNATCH! Records‘ Bandcamp page. They’re also available through Green Noise Records for North America. Otherwise, if you’re in Montreal, hit us on Facebook and we’ll come and deliver it to you. We have black and clear red vinyl. They look and sound amazing! As for digital, you can find us on all platforms (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc.) or buy a digital copy via Bandcamp.
So there you have it, The Dangereens ladies and Gentlemen now hit up some of the links and check out the music.  Thanks to Hugo for being so generous with his time.

Pop Culture Schlock at RPM – Why Have Cotton When You Can Have Silk… Scarves The world of music memorabilia collecting can be a colourful one

Pop Culture Schlock at RPM – Why Have Cotton When You Can Have Silk… Scarves The world of music memorabilia collecting can be a colourful one

Whether your shelves are adorned with polystyrene cups that bewigged demons have slurped fake blood from; guitar-string-worn plectrums flung into the crowd by a legendary axe-meister, the spotlights bouncing off the gold facsimile signature making the auditorium look like the contents of the Pulp Fiction briefcase; or a pair of stage-worn spandex trousers impregnated with frontman DNA and brown stains from the M&M’s on the rider (you hope), your collection can excite with all the colours of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow.

 

My collection? From the red Amen armbands that have become decidedly dodgy in a relatively short space of time, to the burnt orange of the sequined scarf that Michael Monroe threw off a stage many moons ago, the rock ‘n’ roll section of the Pop Culture Schlock archive positively pops with colour. Nothing, though, not even the brightly-coloured pieces of A4 paper that were stapled together to make The Wild Family’s short-lived fanzine (so colourful of word that even absolutely-not-narcissistic [heavens, no] headline bands were forced to remove them from stages of their quite full club shows), can compete with the cornucopia of colour that emanates from my dozen-strong collection of silk scarves.

 

The opportunity to lose one’s self in the bright, kaleidoscopic world of otherness that is the band-related silk scarf menagerie o’ mayhem is one that I’m assuming all readers of this site indulge in very frequently, but I can’t help but think that this tasselled-corner of the music memorabilia vaults is oft-forgotten. I’ve tried to keep the silk scarves a-flying on my Pop Culture Schlock (now in its fourth year) accounts across social media (available via every good Internet service provider, and some bad ones) but, to be perfectly honest, they are really friggin’ difficult to photograph. Do you just have the scarf unfurled, long and thin like a blue whale’s penis, or wrap it around your manly shoulders for a proper scarf-wearing selfie? I’ve never really found the best way to snap these scarves individually, so have neglected to give them the nostalgic moments that they so obviously deserve. But that, my friends, ends today.

 

“What exactly are these silk scarves of which you write so eloquently?” I hear a lone voice ask. Well, the band-related silk scarf was a screen-printed piece of merchandise that went the way of the Dodo and the guitar-shaped pin badge. Often considered tat (how very dare they?!) of a kind found in a novelty-item-riddled precinct store or seaside shop (like that Hyper Value at Barry Island selling all the unofficial Gavin and Stacey gear), the silk scarf was once a staple of the merchandise stand/table at concerts. Chris Phillips, weasel-like fourth member of the Uber Rock Radio Show (remember that? Another once-great offshoot of a music-related thing now considered tat), provided me, when I was desperate for further confirmation of a silk scarf/merch stand sighting, with a timely reminder (via his Mods and Rockers show on BGfm) of a silk scarf purchase when he attended his first ever gig – Gillan at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre in November 1982. So impressed was Chris with his shiny, tasselled piece of iconic Gillan memorabilia that he got the support band, Liverpudlian boogie rockers, Spider, to autograph his brand new purchase.

 

In Biro. Though it could take the Biro’ed scribble of a Spider man with ease, the silk scarf was eventually robbed of all drawing pins and replaced on the merch boards with those silk-screened woollen scarves that were always an uneasy pairing for me. Yes, the material made them a much more sensible scarf to wear than their silken brethren, but the unnatural folds courtesy of the printing made for many an uncomfortable conversation with a main squeeze: “Yes, it does look like a love bite, but it was the left horn of the Abominog on my Heep scarf rubbing my neck… honest!” No, the silk scarf was where it was at, as proved by the accompanying photographs; taken, it has to be noted, with great difficulty and sacrifice.

 

Yes, the Nik Kershaw scarf pictured does look like it suffered the same affliction as the aforementioned spandex trousers, but imagine it glowing like the Golden Fleece in the draughty corridor of an arts centre. Sure, the hyper contrasted visages of the members of Duran Duran were basic, but yellow tassels on a pink scarf with purple stitching? Pop perfection. Yes, John Taylor looked more like Paul Young; yes, the bleed-through on the Culture Club scarf made Boy George look like a part-masked wrestler; but taking a piece of your rock and pop idols home with you, whether from the concert hall or the in-shops? Priceless. An Ozzy scarf in Prince of Darkness black with silver tassels? A Twisted Sister scarf with not just red, but also black tassels? A Reading Festival 1986 scarf complete with not just the Lords of the New Church logo, but also that of Rough Cutt? Manna from music merchandise Heaven.

 

Imagine, if you will, a Rewind Festival or a show by a reunited Eighties pop-rock act, where the paying punters don’t dress in de rigueur hair rocker wig (complete with inflatable guitar) or Day-Glo legwarmers and crop top adorned with the legend “80’s” always spelt with the apostrophe in the wrong fucking place, but dress in their normal clothes, yet with a vintage silk scarf around their person; the faces of Kajagoogoo wincing at the price of a pint. That, I’m sure you will agree, would make the world a better place. And I know I’m not alone in my love of the silk scarf for, I am told, the editor of this very site owns a still-in-package Hanoi Rocks silk scarf, given to him by a former member of The Cult/The Four Horsemen/Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction… but I’m not one to drop names.

 

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Bob Mould’s career-covering Distortion boxset gets 3rd installment

Bob Mould’s career-covering Distortion boxset gets 3rd installment

The third vinyl installment of Bob Mould’s career-covering Distortion boxset series – this time covering 2008-2019 – alongside a series of Best Of compilations, all of which land Apr 16th on Demon.

 

The main vinyl box being announced includes: 2008’s District Line, 2009’s Life and Times, 2012’s Silver Age, 2014’s Beauty & Ruin, 2016’s Patch the Sky and 2019’s Sunshine Rock covering a particularly fruitful and resurgent period for Bob in which he penned some of his most beloved records. Alongside them is a bonus LP which features Bob’s collaborations with Foo Fighters and Butch Walker and his 2019 Buzzcocks cover single ‘I Don’t Mind’, as well as a 28-page booklet featuring liner notes by journalist Keith Cameron, contributions from J Mascis and Shirley Manson, lyrics and memorabilia.

 

DISTORTION: THE BEST OF 1989-2019 2LP, 2CD, 4CD + DIGITAL ALSO OUT APR 16th ON DEMON

 

On April 16th, 2021, Demon Music Group will continue their year-long Bob Mould reissue campaign with Distortion: 2008-2019, the third of four vinyl boxsets chronicling the solo career of the legendary American musician. It follows hot on the heels of October’s 8LP Distortion: 1989-1995 boxset, which took in Mould’s early solo outings as well as his records with the much-beloved Sugar, January’s 9LP  Distortion: 1996-2007 boxset continuing through the next steps in Mould’s solo career and his outings as LoudBomb and Blowoff, and the 24CD Distortion: 1989-2019 box, which covers the entirety of his post-Hüsker Dü output.

Distortion: 2008-2019 follows Mould through a number of standout records that include some of his most celebrated work – collected here are District Line (2008), Life and Times (2009), Silver Age (2012), Beauty & Ruin (2014), Patch the Sky (2016) and Sunshine Rock (2019), as well as a bonus disc Distortion Plus: 2008-2019, which features Mould’s collaborations with Foo Fighters and Butch Walker plus the 2019 single ‘I Don’t Mind‘. It comes pressed on clear vinyl with an etched B-side.

Meanwhile, also seeing release on April 16th via Demon are 2LP, 2CD and 4CD Distortion: The Best of 1989-2019 compilations – the first career-spanning compilations of Mould’s solo recordings, all of which were compiled by the man himself. Gathering 24 tracks (2LP), 32 tracks (2CD) and 73 tracks (4CD) respectively, the sets collect the cream of the main Distortion boxes and offer a fascinating glimpse of a musician at the vanguard of his field for over four decades. The 2CD edition also includes a 16-page booklet with a new essay by Cameron and artwork by Marchner, while the 4CD version comes with a 32-page companion that includes all of the above alongside a foreword by Fred Armisen and contributions from Richard Thompson, Bethany Cosentino and Shirley Manson. Both compilations will also be available digitally via all DSPs and iTunes. The audio on the Best Ofs has been mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston.

“It’s called Distortion because it describes the music and it fits the world we live in,” says Mould of the boxsets. “In this new age, everybody shares their life in real time. But I’m not done yet. If I didn’t have a constantly active career, this anthology might feel like the proverbial dirt landing on top of my coffin — though somehow I seem to be able to crawl my way out of the dirt every time!”

As Cameron offers:

“In 1989, Bob Mould was already a renowned figure, thanks to his trailblazing work with Hüsker Dü: the Minneapolis trio which refracted ’60s pop melody through the discord of hardcore punk, creating a new language that Pixies and Nirvana would subsequently teach the world to sing. With his debut solo album Workbook, however, Bob Mould amazed his audience with its pastoral beauty and contemplative tone.

“It would be the first in an ongoing series of artistic transformations, each profoundly shaped by Mould’s sensitivity to his environment. In 1992, he formed Sugar, a band whose debut album Copper Blue earned both critical plaudits and a long overdue popular dividend. Just three years later, with Sugar at its commercial peak, Mould ended the band and made a self-titled solo record mapping the most nakedly personal path down a road already hallmarked by unsparing self-expression. He shocked then confounded fans by announcing his retirement from rock music in 1998 and re-emerging in the new century as an experimental electronica artist and successful DJ, whose club night Blowoff became a phenomenon across the US. By the end of the ’00s, Mould had found a harmonious accommodation between his musical selves, and in 2012 released the catalytic Silver Age, made with his latest power trio configuration, and heralding a resurgent decade. A succession of albums up to 2019’s Sunshine Rock followed, each one a real time/real life distillation of fearless artistic vision and a master craftsman’s skill.”

Discover more about the boxsets including full tracklistings and FAQs:
Here

The 7LP Distortion: 2008-2019 boxset and Distortion: The Best of 1989-2019 2LP, 2CD and 4CD compilations are all released Apr 16th, 2021, via Demon Music Group. The 24CD Distortion: 1989-2019, 8LP Distortion: 1989-1995 and 9LP Distortion: 1996-2007 boxsets are all available now. 

Dangereens – ‘Tough Luck’ (Alien Snatch Records)

Dangereens – ‘Tough Luck’ (Alien Snatch Records)

Montreal-based good time rock ‘n’ rollers Dangereens came to my attention late last year by chance, on an Amazon playlist. I don’t even remember the song that made my ears prick up, I just remember looking at my phone, clocking the band name and praying I remembered it by the time I got home. I did, I listened to everything they had released that night and purchased their debut album ‘Tough Luck’ without a second thought.

Two singles and an EP released digitally, plus this 12-track album are all we have so far, but that will do me for now. But hell, I still don’t get how these boys slipped under our radar!

 

Led by singer/songwriter Hugo Chartrand, this 5-piece combo take us back to a time when hair was long, trousers were flared and doctors smoked as much as rock stars! It’s a cool mash-up of foot stompin’, 70’s glam, honky-tonk boogies, and garage rock n’ roll. If I were to throw band names in your direction, then I’d have to say this is prime Hanoi Rocks meets The Georgia Satellites, Jammin’ in a smoky bar with The Rolling Stones. Yes, it’s that good bruthas and sistas!

They got the look too. Skinny frames wrapped in skinny jeans; microphone stands draped in scarves and guitars slung from the knees. I mean, just look at the cover art…. that’s rock n’ roll debauchery right there, and I’m glad to say Dangereens sound as good as they look.

Opener and first single ‘Streets Of Doom’ is a frantic, fuzzy blast of energy. Full of sonically seductive licks, cool as you like Keef styled riffs and Hugo Chartrand’s laid-back drawl. It’s all held together by a pumping rhythm section. This band plays it like they mean it for sure.

‘Thieves’ melds the cool of New York punk with the edginess of UK punk and adds the danger of prime Guns n’ Roses. An ace mid-section takes the song to a different place for a moment before going off on a solo section to finish.

In every song, there are little snatches of stuff you know you’ve heard before, but can’t quite place. It’s like Dangereens are teasing you their influences one bar at a time and goading you into guessing. And if you do guess, they’ll just play it harder and faster and deliver you another winner.

The chorus in ‘Twelve Below Zero’ is familiar and that riff in ‘Love Jive’ is pilfered for sure. I can literally hear the singer snigger as he teases another line.

The boogie-woogie blues cuts are mighty and memorable. In ‘Hearse Driving Blonde’ they have captured the Englishness of mid 70’s Radio 1, I absolutely love this! The honky-tonk vibes of ‘Microwave Boogie’ sits well, channeling The Faces to perfection. And ‘Catpurse Blues’ is Joe Jackson jamming with The Stones, glorious power-pop with more doo-wops that you can shake a tambourine at.

Yet, Dangereens save their ace in the hole to sign things off. ‘(Bye Bye) Little Uptown Girl’ is a killer album closer. It’s got sax appeal and a tinkling of the ivories. It’s got killer backing vocals and a face-melting solo to boot. And the first time you hear it, it will sound like it’s been in your brain forever…and maybe it has.

 

It’s weird, but these songs sound like they’ve always been in my collection, and that my friends is the sign of a future classic album. Not since Scandinavian legends, Diamond Dogs has any band channeled this style of rock n’ roll so well, and for that, I commend Dangereens in all that they do.

In an ideal world, this band would be destined for greatness. Who knows what the future holds for rock n’ roll, but one thing’s for sure, ‘Tough Luck’ is the finest debut album I’ve heard in a very long time. Don’t let Canada’s finest new export slip under your radar!

 

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Author: Ben Hughes

Ryan Hamilton drops brand new video for ‘Déjà Vu’

Ryan Hamilton drops brand new video for ‘Déjà Vu’
On the story behind ‘Déjà Vu, Hamilton explains: “being in love, and in a relationship is a lot like a dance… and you need a good dance partner to be successful. When you’re with the right person, whether things are good or bad, having a sense of ‘I’ve been here before, and I know what this person wants/needs’ is an important thing to have. That’s what this song is about. It’s about that ‘dance’, and being able to weather the proverbial storm in a relationship.”
Boasting more hooks than a pirate convention, evoking the feel of classic Weezer thrown into a blender with the Killers, Déjà Vu instantly has the feeling of a song that will prove a live favourite, once in-person shows become a thing again.
Accompanying the new song, Hamilton sports a dizzying array of looks in his new video, some oddly unsettling, some downright hilarious. “Firstly, I’ve never had more fun making a video,” he says. “I wanted to portray different people from different walks of life, and love… But I don’t think I was quite ready for the level of ridiculousness. Haha. But, sometimes you just gotta embrace the fun. I think this is my favorite video I’ve ever made.”
Using present-day recording techniques over the internet, 1221 sees Hamilton continue to collaborate with UK-based producer Dave Draper. The pair recorded Hamilton’s solo EP of Country covers, ‘Communique’, during the very first lockdown of 2020, in isolation on two separate continents. Communique proved to be a winning formula, scoring Hamilton his first iTunes No. 1, a feat repeated with his subsequent release with the Harlequin Ghosts, ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’, an album that also scored high on multiple Official UK Charts.
Hinting at what future 1221 releases have in store, Hamilton teases, “I am LOVING the diversity, and freedom of this ‘1221’ project. I’ve been in touch with some of my favorite music friends, and I’m excited to let folks know about upcoming collaborations. But, I better not say anything just yet.”
Until then, let’s experience a little Déjà Vu.
Each monthly ‘1221’ track will be released digitally across all regular platforms for download and streaming via Stevie Van Zandt’s ‘Wicked Cool Label.
LINK TO TRACK HERE: https://orcd.co/1221february

The Almighty – ‘Powertrippin’ (Cherry Red Records)

The Almighty – ‘Powertrippin’ (Cherry Red Records)

With high profile tours and two well-received albums under their studded leather belts, Scottish rockers The Almighty found themselves at the pinnacle of the UK rock scene in the early ’90s. Not a week would go by without singer Ricky Warwick’s face peering moodily from the pages of Kerrang! or Metal Hammer. Leather jackets would be emblazoned with their skull & death wings logo at gigs, and hell, they even opened proceedings at Donington Monsters Of Rock ‘92. Their brand of dirty, biker rock n’ roll crossed rock genres and their shows would attract as many Poison t-shirts as it would Motorhead and Metallica.

But times they were a changin’ by the early ’90s, and the sound coming from Seattle was making waves across the world. An extensive tour with the up-and-coming Alice In Chains would inspire the band and take them in a heavier direction. Replacing original guitarist Tantrum with former Alice Cooper guitarist Pete Friesen would also mark a big change to the band’s sound and direction for album number 3.

 

With the onset of Grunge and having now found a new writing partner in Pete Friesen, Ricky Warwick and the boys relocated to a remote farm in Wales to write. Pete’s use of drop d tuning would inspire new ideas and a heavier sound that would take the band away from their punk roots.

 

‘The Almighty’s 3rd album ‘Powertrippin’ was released in April 1993 to rave reviews and would be their most successful release, reaching number 5 in the UK album charts. The first single ‘Addiction’ is the perfect example of where the band was heading. The one thing I remember from first hearing it is how heavy they sounded and how different the production values were compared to previous albums. Listening back now, to me those first two albums sound dated and ‘of their time’ (as many 80’s rock albums now do due to that drum sound). Whereas ‘Powertrippin’ sounds…. massive! This is due in part to producer Mark Dodson who obviously pushed the band hard in the studio and got the most out of them.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love those first two albums, they had some great songs on there for sure, but to me, The Almighty had now come of age and morphed into the band I wanted them to be. ‘Powertrippin’ has a heavier, edgier sound that is more in tune with the times, yet still retains killer melodies and catchy anthemic choruses.

 

The following two singles continued the theme. ‘Over The Edge’ with its instantly familiar picked riff and gargantuan, anthemic chorus is pure The Almighty, a full-force, rock machine. Whereas ‘Out Of Season’ is a more subdued, moody affair that nods its head to what was coming out of Seattle, in particular Alice In Chains. ‘Sick and Wired’ could’ve been a single and the emotive ‘Jesus Loves You, But I Don’t’ surely should’ve been one. The title track is full of tribal beats and killer riffs, and that cool, effortless riff in ‘Instinct’ still gets me every time. Elsewhere, ‘Eye To Eye’ is a punchy closer, up there with the best. I can safely say there isn’t a bad track on ‘Powertrippin’ and it still sounds as fresh and vibrant today as it did in 1993.

Now of course, as this is a Cherry Red release, it’s been given the deluxe treatment. A bonus disc choc-a-bloc with rarities and curiosities from the era, makes this a worthwhile purchase for diehards and occasional fans alike. CD2 is a 16-track affair consisting of b sides, live tracks and demos. Most fans will probably have these tracks already, but it’s still great to have them collected in one pretty package.

 

Live tracks and covers versions from the ‘Liveblood’ EP are present and correct, including Neil Young’s ‘Fuckin Up’, The Sex Pistols ‘Bodies’ and their excellent version of ‘In A Rut’. Single b sides ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Blind’ are welcome additions and an acoustic version of ‘Hell To Pay’ sounds fantastic.

 

The demos are interesting as well, in that they show the progression of the songs from writing to finished product. ‘Out Of Season’ sounds like a completely different song in demo form, and is a great example of what a good producer can do for a band.

 

Also worth noting is the inclusion of ‘Soul Destruction’, the title track of the band’s second album, that was never actually recorded, so the inclusion of the previously unavailable demo is a nice throwback.

 

With extensive liner notes from the band and Malcome Dome, this 2-disc edition is a must have for fans of The Almighty and the perfect companion to the forthcoming ‘Welcome To Defiance (1994-2001)’ box set also available on Cherry Red records.

 

For me, ‘Powertrippin’ is the highlight of the band’s career, an album that came at a time when rock music was going through changes. Brit Rock was on the horizon, and with the likes of Terrorvision and The Wildhearts in the charts, the UK rock scene was very healthy and exciting. While The Almighty continued with a run of strong albums, I feel ‘Powertrippin’ remains a testament to how great and how powerful they were at the height of their career.

 

Buy Powertrippin’ Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

Zeahorses – ‘Let’s Not (And Say We Did)’ (Copper Feast Records)

Zeahorses – ‘Let’s Not (And Say We Did)’ (Copper Feast Records)

I have been fortunate enough here to be gifted with the task of reviewing the third album by Sydney noise-rockers Zeahorse. I feel like a broken record, but every alt-rock/punk tinged Australian act coming through of late has been a winner. In scope of exports, I hope the government nail down these sorts of trade deals to ensure it doesn’t dry up.

Leading track ‘Designer Smiles’ kicks in like a Steve Albini wet dream, an excellent distorted marriage of bass and guitar leaning towards Mclusky with some crossover appeal for rock radio while still maintaining the band’s dirgey ferocity.
As the album rolls out, the scope of the band’s sound develops greatly sounding fuzzier and with some great psych moments like the Butthole Surfers without the self-indulgent tendencies that plague their back catalogue.
Midway through the album, track ‘Cut The Slack’ reveals yet further dimensions, the whole track is melody led but with a seedy underbelly thanks in part to the killer bass line. The vocals on display here like a sleazy crooning Black Francis which is absolutely fantastic, ’90s tinged plaid shirt technicolour.
The album is very short and sweet, so quick-paced it takes you by surprise when it comes crashing down on the last track ‘Don’t Laugh’. Sounding like one of the more guitar-led numbers from Primal Scream’s ‘XTRMNTR’ with the added appeal of the jangling lead guitar lines akin to Lee Renaldo.
Zeahorse showcases a loyal depiction of a ’90s alternative rock sound but does so while also making ground on developing their own signature attributes. By all means, give these guys a listen to relive your glory days of the “Seattle Sound” etc. But you will be more than pleasantly surprised when you discover the original ways that our new friends are delivering this familiar formula.
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Author: Dan Kasm

Edweena Banger – ‘Diamonds On Tenth Avenue’ (Mr Whippy Banana Split Productions))

Edweena Banger – ‘Diamonds On Tenth Avenue’ (Mr Whippy Banana Split Productions))

Ed of Ed Banger & The Nosebleeds fame is something of a Manchester legend and with a history that embraced the first wave of punk via the Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall.  grew up listening to the likes of Bowie, Bolan, and all the glamour and glitz of the ’70s glam rock titans the UK had to offer along with the likes of Mott The Hoople and Suzi Quatro it would seem.

 

This album is indeed a homage to all things glittering and glamourous and if you’re looking for a feel-good album or just a little tickle of a feather boa of an album that might just tickle your fancy, If your answer is Hell Yeah! then this is very much what you’ve been looking for.  Get you’re groove on and head on down to devil gate drive kids because the spiders might not be here but Edweena Banger is.   From the first few chords of the excellent glam stomper that is ‘Getting High’ with a melody that reminds me of a bit of ‘Breaking The Law’ if Halford had embraced his glam side the melodies are certainly similar as they lead into the chorus.  (That might just be me who knows?) it a great opener with energy and laying our your marker straight off.

Anyway,  as the album unfolds it gets its jig on from the twelve-bar romp of ‘Wam Bam Thank You Mam’ and the lighter ‘Long Live The Queen’.  Taking on all band roles Edweena does indeed embrace the trashy DIY punk feel especially on songs like ‘LLTQ’ with its drum machine timings but the energy of the more rockin’ numbers glosses over any of the rough edges.  ‘Be Who You Wanna Be’ sends out a great message as does the Bowierific ‘Do You Know What I Mean’.

I just love the reminiscing of ‘Beautiful People’.  It’s got the spirit of Mott The Hoople and Bolan – Hell, It’s got that true spirit of the British ’70s rock and roll with glamour and dirt coursing through the veins of this song and written and performed by a true believer.  Whichever way you look at it it’s a glorious tune. So from track one through to twelve, this is a real feel-good factor of a recording.  It’s glamtastic god damn it,  with some really joyful tunes and some great playing as well ‘Diamonds On Tenth Avenue’ is guaranteed to put a big fat smile across your boat race, and to be fair to Edweena spending a pandemic lockdown pulling all this together is a fantastic achievement and one you should be proud of its a great piece of work from start to finish now excuse me whilst I go dust myself down and pull up my sequinned strides I’m gonna dance like its 1975 again.  Check this out you might just fall in Love L-U-V!

 

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Author: Dom Daley