FOR ANYONE FEELING ANXIOUS ABOUT GETTING BACK OUT INTO THE WORLD
SINGLE FEATURED ON UPCOMING SOPHOMORE LP ‘NO RULES’
DUE OUT APRIL 16 VIA NEVADO MUSIC
The world is no stranger to anxiety after the shitstorm 2020 threw at us. And though the light at the end of the tunnel draws nearer in 2021, we’re still in need of some serious de-stressors.
Canadian indie rockers Autogramm found the classic comic strip Garfield perfect to sum up the overwhelming emotions we’ve all felt recently. That little orange cat gives zero fucks and encourages you to laze around. Autogramm’s track “Anxiety” is a melodic indie rock thrasher that makes you want to dance around in a relatable I’ve-been-stressed-out-of-my-mind-and-need-a-release kind of way.
“I like to think that it was more that I felt akin to [Garfield’s] give-no-fucks disdain for the 9-to-5,” Autogramm guitarist/vocalist Jiffy Marx says. “It’s not that I want to focus on the bad and/or complain about my own anxieties, but I honestly believe it could help others with their own manic worries and irrational fears to know that they are not alone—like, for me, all these many years later, it still helps to know Garfield and I are very alike in that we both hate Mondays and we both love the Ramones.”
The video shows the tragic life of a teddy bear as he keeps being hit with bad luck. Though it seems like the end for Teddy, the ripping guitar riffs and pop-punk-esque choruses end this fluffy badass on a note that keeps him going strong.
“While the song is not specifically about the global pandemic, it is about the feelings we collectively share as we navigate our way toward an uncertain future,” bassist CC Voltage adds. “Especially those of us, or those we know, who are connected to the live music industry.”
From their upcoming sophomore LP ‘No Rules’ (out April 16), watch “Anxiety”
‘No Rules’ keeps with the band’s tradition of crafting singalong pop-anthems, while adding angular elements that are reminiscent of Ghost in the Machine-era Police. For the band, the album title refers less to a no-gods-no-masters set of rules as it does to a no boundaries aspiration. Instead of building walls, they want to build bridges.
New album BRONX VI drops worldwide on August 27! Listen to our first single “White Shadow” available now on all streaming services + pre-order the album Here
PLUS – head over to Shop to subscribe to our new 7-inch vinyl singles collection. Each 7-inch is strictly limited to 600 records, but we’re offering the chance to buy all 11 records in advance in a monthly subscription that includes a new single every month AND an exclusive handmade BRONX VI branded box, lyrical decoder mirror and slip mat. The first single White Shadow features a collaboration with artist Jeremy Dean and ships this month. Upcoming artist collaborations include Estevan Oriol, DABS MYLA, Tim Armstrong, Craig Stecyk and more! Shop
Smashed-slang. : drunk, intoxicated. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about smashed.
Gladys -It meansGod’s Princess from the bible, 1 Peter 2:9. An alternative meaning wouldbe the sword used by a gladiator in Roman times.
Born from the embers of the vibrant Toronto punk scene, Smashed Gladys helped to craft a legendary period of New York City rock.
Lead singer Sally Cato started as a singer in the art rock band The Concordes, while guitarist Bart Lewis did a brief stint with Canada’s most dangerous band, The Viletones, before departing for NYC.
Soon after relocating to Gotham, Sally & Bart met songwriter Tommy Boyce, who (along with his partner Mickey Hart) had coined most of The Monkees songs. Under Boyce’s guidance, the group began rehearsing at a well known studio in midtown Manhattan.
SG started playing venues in and around the NYC area, during which time they met Gene Simmons. Simmons offered them a production/ management deal.
The band’s original 4 members: Sally Cato- Vocals , Bart Lewis- guitar , Matt Stellutto- drums and Ken Fox (Toronto’s Raving Mojo’s , Jason and the Scorchers and The Fleshtones)- bass – along with the addition of Hilly Micheals, drummer from the Ian Hunter band – went into the studio and recorded close to an albums worth of material produced by Simmons.
Four of the songs from those sessions are being released now, for the first time ever, on the Golden Robot release, ‘Raw’.
Simmons captured the personality and raw grittiness of the band perfectly and by the end of 1984, SG were in the UK recording their first album, Smashed Gladys, with Mark Dearnley at the producer helm.
Smashed Gladys returned to the states and began touring and doing opening slots with The Dead Boys, Van Zant, Nazareth, Ace Frehley, Cheap Trick, Poison, Rick Derringer, Blue Oyster Cult, Crocus and others.
It was during this feverish period that they established the infamous Wednesday night series at The Cat Club. The night became a launching pad for several bands, and grew to become a showcase venue, late night hang, and playing party stage for artists such as David Bowie, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger and several others.
Selling out venues in Manhattan and the surrounding tri-state area, Smashed Gladys caught the attention of Elektra records A&R rep Micheal Alago. In 1986 they were signed by Elektra VP, Howard Thompson.
The band played a signing gig to a packed house at one of the first venues they played in NYC – CBGB’s. Elektra picked up the rights to the first record and then sent the band into the studio to work on their next record, Social Intercourse, recorded in NYC with Rick Browdie and in L.A with Michael Wagner doing additional tracking and mixing.
While making the record, they met the artist working in the adjacent studio, Ozzy Osbourne, who made a guest background vocal appearance on the song “Cast of Nasties.” Osbourne had warned the band that some of the titles and subject matter on the record might get them in trouble in certain markets and banned altogether from retailers such as Walmart. He was right, and touring in certain Midwestern states became dangerous at times forcing the band to bring along new members … Mr Smith & Wesson.
SG was making demos for their third record when they received offers from producers John Paul Jones and Mick Ronson. They went with Mick Ronson and began pre-production, but Ronson fell ill. The Band was then picked up by Teddy Slatus, Johnny Winter’s manager and label. Tragically, SG’s third bass player, Mark Sliker, then died from a drug overdose. Following the trials and tribulations, Sally left the music business and returned to being a graphic artist.
On May 19, 2020 Sally Cato passed away.
The ‘Raw’ album is a collection of some of the works that were initially the demos for the third record, which have been remixed by the bands first producer, Mark Dearnley, whose credits include a wide range from AC/DC to Paul McCartney. The album rounds out with an additional 4 songs from the Gene Simmons sessions due out in 2021 on Golden Robot Records.
Three years after the critically acclaimed album “II”, Razorbats are back with an über-catchy tribute to life as a rocker, “Mainline Rock‘ N ‘Roll “
The road to hell is full of temptations and as prolific rockers, Razorbats never shy away from temptation. Although temperatures above 37 Celsius on Bloody Beach and perpetual sodomy by Beelzebub in a blazing inferno may not be more tempting than watching “The Masked Singer” with the family on a Saturday night, it is still something profound that drives otherwise sane people to spend large parts of their lives in a foul-smelling van from the early 80’s. It is of course the joy of giving people a break from power-hungry bosses, naggy life partners, overwhelming debt and other crap one may have in life. Because maybe it is worth living life a little before Satan gets his eternal cuddle?
The previous album was followed by a rough touring program that culminated in an existential crisis for the band after a concert with mandatory extracurricular activities. As the sun was coming up things were thrown, some words were said and Razorbats were basically finished. It was quiet in the van the next day. The question everyone asked themselves was “what the hell drives us to sacrifice so much for rock ’n’ roll and is it worth it?” In such a situation, most other bands would probably call it a day, but in the Razorbats camp this question ignited a spark again in the rock ’n’ roll engine. They were going to make the ultimate party album about life as rockers!
Mainline Rock ‘N’ Roll tells stories of big dreams, partying, temptations, break ups and social stigma. Universal themes that are part of the life you choose as a rock soldier. The album is a tribute to the rocker lifestyle and life should be a party! So join us for a ride to the dark side! It can quickly get pretty damn hot here, but it is a lot more fun than “The Masked Singer”!
Released on April 9th Razorbats are back with a bang and their third long-player on Rob Mules Records. Visit Here for full details and release bundles.
Norway’s Razorbats are one of the leading bands in The New Wave of Scandirock. The band got international attention with the release of their debut album Camp Rock in 2015 and critics from all over Europe, Australia and the US praised their unique ability to blend classic rock, powerpop and punk in exiting ways. The lead single ‘Kids of the 70s’ got a lot of airplay on rock radio across Europe and college radio in the US, in addition to national radio back home. Camp Rock was named album of the year by Glitter2Gutter in the US and featured on several best-of list for 2015. The hype continued with the album “II” in 2018 and in 2019 Razorbats released the singles “The City” and “White Trash Radio”, as the first tastings from the band’s upcoming full length album Mainline Rock ‘N’ Roll with release in 2021 through Rob Mules Records. This year the band released the singles ‘Working For The Weekend’ and ‘Little Ms. Crazy’. The latter has so far been picked up by more than 100 radio stations in Europe and the USA.
Razorbats has toured Scandinavia and the UK several times. In addition to countless headline shows, they have shared the stage with artists such as The Offspring, Rise Against, The Wildhearts and Michael Monroe at festivals and clubs home and abroad. Over several years of touring, Razorbats have evolved into a hard hitting live band, entertaining audiences with sing along rock anthems.
Milwaukie glam punk rockers Indonesian Junk are back with their first studio album since 2019’s riotous ‘Spiderbites’. Once again released through the home of all things good, Rum Bar Records, ‘Living in a Nightmare’ follows on from where ‘Spiderbites’ left off, but this time bigger, bolder and fiercer.
Right from the first few notes, the Junk’s penchant for sugary, glam hooks is back on full display with the opener, ‘Type of a Girl’, a The Boys-style number full of power pop melodies. The band certainly know how to write a tune or ten, and they also know how to channel different rock ‘n’ roll vibes. While songs such the aforementioned opener, ‘Knew it All Along’ and ‘One More Try’ (featuring Kurt Baker) delight in their power pop sensibilities, the band also know how to brawl. As with the previous album, the songs ooze confidence, whether it’s the ballsy ‘Living in the USA’, the full-on rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Policeman’, or the swing of ‘I Don’t Mind’, somewhat reminiscent of the The Hellacopters.
The album is wonderfully catchy, demanding a second listen as soon as it ends after the final notes of the extensive sing-a-long ballad ‘Bawling My Eyes Out’. The whole record encapsulates a wide range of dynamic material. While some time can be spent talking about the influences they undeniably wear on their sleeve, Indonesian Junk are their own sharp and exciting entity, and ‘Living in a Nightmare’ is a colourful and enjoyable listening experience from start to finish.
Sea of Snakes are the latest signing to LA based Metal Assault Records and ‘World on Fire’ is their debut EP. The band consist of drummer Jeff Murray (Ex- the Shrine), guitarist Jim McCloskey (Ex – Motorsickle), bassist Mick Coffman and vocalist Tracy Steiger (Ex- Saul of Tarsus). Their aim is to “be loud, be heavy, and do what the fuck we want,”.
They certainly are loud and heavy, with a sound akin to classic Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Down and Alice In Chains they have offered up an impressive debut that left me wanting to hear more. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands then you really should check out Sea of Snakes.
The band recorded the EP at the famous Total Access studio where such luminaries as St Vitus, Dio, Guns N Roses and Black Flag have recorded in the past. Studio owner Wyn Davis produced the EP and it has a great, thick, and sludgy sound. The cover art with skulls with snakes coming out of them is a good indication of what Sea of Snakes sound like. Opening track ‘Let the Fire Burn’ has the swagger and chug of Vol 4 era Black Sabbath, a real head banger. The rhythm section of Murray and Coffman really take the lead here with lots of swooshing crash cymbals and tom fills and thumping bass. McCloskey is no slouch in the guitar department either with plenty of wah pedal action. I really hope he was wearing bell bottoms whilst recording this! The accompanying animated video for the track is fantastic, full of snakes and winged demons. Of course!
‘Ride the Line’ is a more up-tempo affair with lyrics about lights in the sky and guns in hand. White Zombie comes to mind here with Steiger barking out the vocals with the rest of the band pounding away to their hearts content. ‘Son of Man’ is next up with more tasteful use of the wah pedal and vocalist Steiger sounds like Scott Weiland in parts here. That’s certainly no bad thing! The ‘take no bullshit’ lyrics fit the track perfectly and there’s more groove-laden drumming from Murray.
‘Fear Behind the Stare’ starts off innocently enough with some clean, almost pretty guitar work from McCloskey before another pulverising riff kicks in. The final track ‘Drink Your Teeth’ has a ‘Facelift’ era Alice In Chains feel to it with its solid backbeat and dream-like guitar tones. The track flows seamlessly into a thrashy crescendo with Steiger screaming like Cobain on ‘Territorial Pissings’
When the EP was finished, I really wanted to hear more and felt like I’d just got started with my Sea of Snakes journey. This is a solid effort from the band and I eagerly await to see what comes next from these guys.
From the opening guitar roll and just from the tone I knew Mom was a band I wanted to hear and as the song opened up with some nice riff-o-la and a happy-go-lucky hook on the melody things were looking up. It’s summer with the soft top down kinda Rock and Roll. The solo soars and another power pop drop of goodness is released into the ether. Mom nailed it. ‘Pleasure Island is the sound of a band who love their Rock and Roll and appreciates what it takes to pen a rounded slice of ear candy, take ‘Ordinary Girl’ for example. its got duelling guitar solos – handclaps – a chorus that sounds like it fell outta a US sitcom from the early 70s’ it would no doubt get the Fonz turning his collar up and putting another dime in the jukebox baby.
They could be close relatives of bands like The Speedways and what’s not to like about ‘Suzie (Use Me)’ as they tick off another power pop room 101 essential as that cowbell gets tapped in time with the beat as the couplets fall out of the speakers. ‘Don’t Leave With My Heart’ has the wonderfully named Annie Stesia playing the synthesizer and lending her vocals to proceedings adding another texture to the already dreamy power-pop on offer.
‘Waste My Time’ is Exploding Hearts territory whilst ‘Soda Pop’ is something you’d imagine Tuk Smith penning. ‘Pleasure Island’ is in that ballpark and the reference points I’ve made are the kind of bands Mom would go on a never-ending tour with and fans would lap it up. It’s eleven songs of high quality fairly similarly paced except for ‘Talk To Me’ which closes off the album with its acoustic-electric mood. Possibly more laid back but no step back in the quality of the songs on offer. Hell if I found more information about the band I’d help you out but Mom seem to be quite private and let the album do their talking and it doesn’t shut up. Power pop fans need to check these out asap.
Dead Dirty Dinosaurs – ‘Too Many Questions: The Abbey Road Masters’ (Riot Records) ‘Holding Back is a brooding beast of a track with the slow purposeful twelve-bar riff building into a cacophony of noise’. To be fair its bettered by track two which is another brooding number with a menacing verse followed by raising the volume for the chorus before falling back. A nice idea that works on ‘Revenge’.
A love of 90’s alt-rock, punk, post-punk and post-rock serves them well as ‘bad Timing’ rocks like a good un. Signing off this four-track EP with the excellent ‘Monica’ mixing up the likes of Therapy? with the Pixies is a fine way to introduce yourselves for this Brisbane trio. They’ve certainly got the chops on what is an excellent balanced EP.
Stream/buy ‘Too Many Questions: The Abbey Road Masters (Remastered)’HERE
The Dogs featuring Frank Meyer – ‘Under The Coast’ ( Chicanery Chick Records/Die Laughing Records) Underground punk legends THE DOGS have unleashed a new digital single ‘Under The Coast’ that was co-written with and features fellow rock ‘n’ roller Frank Meyer (The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, James Williamson & The Pink Hearts) on guest vocals and guitar. The socially conscious, topical song is available now on all digital formats and deals with the chaos and dissonance of modern times. None more Rock and Roll than Frank when he’s in full fight so it’s great to have him here belting out a really good song.
Now if they were to record a whole album as good as this then the pandemic would have had a good final outcome from a year of lockdowns and turmoil. Please make it happen.
Die Laughing Records will also issue ‘Under The Coast’ on vinyl later this year as the B-side to The Dogs’ previous digi-single ‘Welcome to the Revolution.’
Chuck Norris Experiment – ‘Dirtshot’ (Self Release) The Scandinavian Rockers channel their innermost DC with a huge riff that sees them continue with their pursuit of all things loud. It also confirms them as Swedens premier Action Rock and Rollers a position they’ve had hold of for as long as I can remember.
It’s as good as anything they’ve done for ages and the solo is an absolute blast. In fact I go so far as to say it could become one of their highlights live such is the energy of the song – great effort! Always a pleasure and never a chore to put on some CNE you should join me. Facebook / Bandcamp
Cheap Trick – ‘Boys And Girls And Rock and Roll’ (BMG) With a new album coming in April Cheap Trick release another new tune and what a ball of energy it is. Still Relevant – Still go tit and still going (Thank God) Hall of Famers are still cooking with this new record sounding lean and mean they certainly rock it up with this one. Its anthemic and pure unadulterated Cheap Trick – Awesome! CONNECT WITH CHEAP TRICK: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
The Erratix – ‘You Don’t Care’ (Beluga Records) Another new band releasing excellent music on Beluga Records. this time it’s a slice of power pop ear candy hailing from Minneapolis, USA, and what a stonking introduction it is too. Mixing old school Costello with some Exploding Hearts and a whole lot more besides. It’s only two songs but if this is an indication of what’s to come then bring it on this is a wonderful debut single. Be it the A-side of ‘We Don’t Care’ and its boundless energy or the other side ‘When Will It End’ which is infectious and boundless energy poured onto a side of a 7″ record. It’s outta the same handbook as bands like The Cry but with some added keyboard swirl or The Briefs, yeah you know and on this evidence so do The Erratix. Buy it Here The Erratix Facebook
Slander Tongue – ‘Ride’ (Slovenly Records) what I’d like to pigeonhole as a right toe-tapper. Slander Tongue are riffin’ it up on this one like early AC/DC but with more attitude! Yeah, thats right more attitude than Bon and the boys it’s got a house party of chorus going on here and the solo is on fire. Hell, flip it over and ‘Lockdown’ is platform shoed glam slammin’. IF there is a better single coming out then I’ve not heard it and it hasn’t found its way onto the RPM Jukebox but this bad boy has. Berlin is a lucky place to have these cats call it home and If you have a few coins going spare and want a band to chuck em at then this is all killer and no filler, Buy it! Bandcamp
Cousin Betty – ‘Left’ (Golden Robot Records) “Distorted and psychedelic influenced indie desert rock with some grungy garage infused overtones”. Quite a mouthful to introduce yourself but I think it does them a disservice as ‘Tape Hiss’ cracks open this EP in fine style and once it gets going it’s an infectious slab of loud rock! albeit with an abrupt end. ‘Drone’ is another slab of hard, loud, rawk!
Born out of the pandemic and boredom main architect Damien Stofka whos an old hand at this music business spent his lockdown collaborating with artists he liked from around the world and ‘Left’ Was Born. Instrumental ‘Lazy Bones’ wasn’t for me but the pop undertones of ‘Loan Sharks Of Love’ mashed up with noise and chaos my interest perked up. but they saved the best till last as ‘AWOL’ is a runaway train reminding me of something Josh Homme might put together.
DeeCRACKS – ‘Get out of My Head’ (Pirates Press) Austrian punks DeeCRACKS have released their video for “Get Out Of My Head,” the third single from the band’s new record ‘Serious Issues’. It is available now for purchase from the Pirates Press Records webstore and all you punks looking for a fix of gabba gabba Hey! can fill yer boots here because DeeCRACKS do it so well. It’s catchy and timeless. Now bop til you drop. Find DeeCRACKS online:
Diner Drugs – ‘Need Time’ ( ) A real blast of energy from Diner Drugs as the only band I know outta New Brunswick so must be the best the area has to offer releases ‘Need Time’ as it thunders around my speakers. Walking the path trodden by the likes of Bronx, Cancer Bats, and heart attack kids is always going to get a listen around these parts and it is with great pleasure that they did. Top tune! get on it kids it’s a banger! Bandcamp
Featuring members of Bong Jovi, The Human Comedy and Savage Young, collectively they’ve been playing music in Moncton since 2009 and ready to take on the next trip and my advice is jump on it you won’t be disappointed -noisy bastards! Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Tommy’s RockTrip – ‘Got To Play Some Rock ‘N Roll’ (Frontiers) OH baby it’s like a steam train rolling down the tracks. Retro Rockers Tommy’s Rocket Trip is on Fire! Flying V’s double bass drums its happening kids and Got To Play Some rock and Roll is running on down the track. Formed by drummer Tommy Clufetos and featuring lead vocalist Eric Dover (singer and/or guitarist with Jellyfish, Slash’s Snakepit and Alice Cooper), Eliot Lorengo (bass), Hank Schneekluth (lead guitar) and Nao Nakashima (rhythm guitar) so it’s obvious these cats can play and play they most certainly do they might not be reinventing the wheel but they are setting it ablaze!
Coming outta Helsinki Finland, Plastic Tears have been around for ages knocking out a glam-punk sound on their own terms. They’ve just recorded a brand new album and to be fair it’s taking them to the next level with some excellent songs and they have undoubtedly found their own sound and added some good time Rock and Roll into the mix. We thought it was about time we sent out the call and brought them in for questioning. So it’s with great pleasure frontman and mainstay of the band Miqu who joined us for a chat and talk about all things Plastic Tears…
The band has been through some changes since starting out – how do you look back on the band’s career so far? You claimed that break-ups, lineups changes, record company changes and drama enough for a soap opera. Talk us through some of those soap opera moments?
We’ve been around for long, so we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. The dramas are mostly stuff that happened in the beginning of our career. But we’ve split up on stage, had fights on stage, been filmed completely wasted for national TV and so on. We were wild, young and cocky then, I guess we’re a bit more stable nowadays. We’ve had a lot of lineup changes back in the day, and Eco and I are the only ones that are left from the early days. But I’m not much for nostalgia myself, I prefer to focus on the present.
The lineup is settled now, right? who writes the tunes in the band? and why?
Yeah, we’ve had this lineup since the last album, ‘Angels With Attitude’, and the band has matured a lot I think. I guess that’s what happens when you find the right guys who stay together. If you look through the band catalogue I seem to have written most of the songs. But I guess that’s kind of natural as I’ve been in the band from the start. But everyone in the band is welcome to contribute to the songwriting, and on our new album Juha has also written a couple of tunes. And that’s good because it widens the band’s sound.
The new album ‘Anthems For Misfits’ is about to be released, tell us about who’s releasing it an Italian label I believe? Where it was recorded? Give us some of the background as to how it was recording under lockdown during a pandemic or had it already been tracked?
Wormholedeath Records is releasing it worldwide. We’re really excited to work with them as they seem to be doing good work and still leave us the freedom to do stuff ourselves. That’s important to us, as we’re used to being independent and doing a lot of promotion ourselves. We had a European tour at the end of 2019, and before that we had already recorded the base for the album, the drums and bass.
When we got back we continued recording, but soon after that the pandemic started showing signs of itself. We were still able to continue recording, even though it progressed slower than originally intended. Our original plan was to release this album in the summer of 2020. We had to look for a new keyboard player too, as the one that was lined up didn’t want to expose his family to the virus. That’s understandable, but luckily we found Ville who did a marvelous job in the studio. We recorded at East Sound Studios in Helsinki with Sammy Aaltonen who also did the previous album with us. It’s easy for us to work with him as he comes from similar musical backgrounds and we could well fit on the same bill as his band Private Line.
As somebody who has been lucky enough to hear it, it’s fair to say it’s your strongest album thus far. Is that fair? I think the songs are stronger and the songwriting is really good there have been a few risks taken would that be a fair assessment?
I agree, it’s our strongest album this far. ‘Angels With Attitude’ already got a great response, and people have doubted me when I’ve said the new album is even better. I guess that’s how bands always feel about their new release, but I honestly think this is true. The band, the songs, and the production is better. We gave a lot of thought to the arrangements and wanted it to be a diverse album. I guess there are some risks, but, it’s not like we’ve consciously calculated what risks to take, the songs just came out like this.
We’ve always mixed in a bit of this and that, like ‘Spanish Whispers’ (still one of my favorite songs) reggae vibe on the first album, ‘Beat Me Blue’ on the second and so on. But I guess this time the production makes these things stand out better, and overall the album is diverse in a good way I think.
The first video/single is ‘Riot Zone’ which has a good hook but is only a fraction of what’s on offer why choose this one as the first to go public off the new record?
We had a lot of choices so this was a hard decision to make. The label wanted to make an animated lyrics video to go with the single, so in the end we made the choice based on which song would fit that kind of video the best. It’s also a strong ‘bang your head and raise your fist’ style of song that shows our punkier side and is easy to sing along to. And it has a really funny midsection!
The album opens up with a real shot of energy with ‘Doomsday girls’ which is a real Rocker with some fantastic piano that really lifts the song – whos playing that? and how important is the running order of a record?
‘Doomsday Girls’ is a great opener, and it immediately gets you into a party mood. The piano was played by Ville Tolvanen, aka Doc Tolvanen. He also played all the other piano/organ/keyboard parts on the album. He’s a blues/roots guy, but he did fantastic work on all the different styles of the songs. He himself said he’s never used as many different sounds and styles in a studio session, that kind of sums up the album. A big thank you to Ville, his parts were the icing on the cake! The running order is really important. We’re old school in the way that an album is the crown of your work and want it to be strong and balanced from start to finish. So we spent a lot of time thinking of the running order, and I think it worked out pretty good.
Talk us through some of the highlights of the album in your opinion? I love the opener but in the first three songs, there is a wealth of rock and roll all different but all obviously by the same band. Has this lineup struck on its identity?
‘Doomsday’ is one of my favorites too. I also love the dark gothic feel of ‘Candlelight Hate Affair’, the pop sensibility of ‘Clash in the Night’, the New York Dolls meets Elvis of ‘Crybaby’ and Hallucinations is a really special song that I can’t really categorize. I think we have. We’ve never wanted to be a band that’s easy to define. There’s rock, punk, glam, power pop, hard rock and more blended into our own sound, and I think all the pieces fell together like they were meant now.
What’s the scene like in Helsinki? for fans of Rock and Roll, live music? places to go bands to see? I know you have support over here on plague island are there any plans to play any shows further afield?
Well, there used to be clubs and venues before the pandemic, let’s see what’s left once this is over. The scene is pretty good, there’s good rock bands of all kinds, and of course a lot of metal bands as we’re talking about Finland. What I’m missing here is the kind of small half-sleazy rock bars, like old Loose and Bäkkäri were. But as always, clubs and bars come and go. Still, good venues to go see bands here, like Tavastia, Semifinal, (new) Loose, On The Rocks, etc.
We had a UK tour scheduled for last year with Paradise Alley, but then came the virus. The plan was to reschedule them for this year, and we’re still on the lineup for HRH Sleaze in August, hopefully, it can be carried through. And if, then we’ll hopefully get some other gigs booked there too. We’re also looking forward to getting back to mainland Europe once that’s possible.
What formats will the new album be available on?
Italian label Wormholedeath Records is releasing it on CD and digital. There have been requests for vinyl too, but as our deal doesn’t include vinyl, we’re still trying to find a way to get that done.
With regards to the new record tell us how it comes together? How do you go about putting it together? Do you demo the songs as individuals? What works for Plastic Tears?
Usually, someone makes a rough demo at home which is then played to the other guys. We then start arranging it and everyone puts in their own parts before entering the studio. As we recorded over a quite long time frame with Sammy we still had the chance to make some changes at Sammy’s East Sound Studios. I think this a couple of days of recording every now and then works well for us, as it gives us time to do changes, as opposed to doing it on a tighter schedule.
Tell us a bit about yourself Miqu. Did you always want to front a band? Who were your influences growing up and what other artists still make music you relate to and get inspired by?
Me, I’m just a rock’n’roll singer, who writes a lot of songs of which only a fraction are completed. I guess since I fell in love with rock’n’roll at about the age of ten I knew I someday wanted to work with music in one way or another. Elvis was my first step into the world of rock. Shortly after that, I got hooked on punk and soon widened my musical taste with bands like Lords of the New Church, Cheap Trick, Hanoi Rocks, Slade, and many more. Of older artists that still make music I can relate to and get inspired by, I would say, Alice Cooper, Blondie, Social Distortion, John Fogerty, and Rolling Stones. Of the newer bands, I love The Interrupters, Tiger Army, The Sounds, and The Baboon Show. I’m a music fan so I listen to a lot of old and new music.
Thats always good to hear, someone still in love with music.
Congratulations on the album I think it’s your best to date and a big step up in production and songwriting and the whole package (that’s not to say the previous ones were bad, they weren’t but this is excellent)
Thank you Dom, happy to hear this and I agree completely!
Let me introduce you to ‘Blowers’ from Melbourne, Australia they play down and dirty unproduced punk rock – they won’t apologise for being un PC and sing about drugs and consumption – violence and all things most bands don’t sing about. Hell, Fat Mike would take a step back take ‘Cut Throat’ for example. It’s a grinding noisy mid-paced stomper about doing coke and smack and coming to a sticky mess. I guess that’s the MO here it’s not big or clever but I wouldn’t think Blower give two flying fucks what you or I think anyway.
What they do is make a lot of noise and thrash about playing old-school snotty punk with a mix of throbbing basslines grinding away against a nail down a blackboard guitar sound that’s pumping out the riffs thick and fast. They claim to be too old for this shit but you’re never too old, right? ‘Eat It Up’ is infectious even if the mantra is “You make me fuckin sick” but hey it’s got a hook and you’ll find yourself toe-tapping along with the bass line. From the sick minds of Kit Convict (Kit Convict & Thee Terrible Two/ The Kits/ The Spasms), Andrew Porter (The Bowers/ Cakefight/ Brat Farrar), Shannon Aswell (The Reprobettes/ Juliette Seizure & The Tremor-Dolls) and Pip McMullan (The Exotics/ Wrong Turn) it’s not hard to see where these peeps are coming from and obviously they would gravitate towards each other – birds of a feather and all that.
They do have pedigree though and live they must be doing something right seeing as they’ve snagged supports with the likes of fellow sickos The Cavemen and shared stages with Stiff Richards. Punk has always been anti-social and certain bands do that so well and you can add Blowers to that list It’s loud – obnoxious – fun – catchy and in the moment.
‘Hitman’ is a romp through the swamp and whilst barking out the lyrics it’s weirdly enjoyable and I wouldn’t want it any other way. ‘Chainsaw’ sounds like it was recorded in a shed using a 1980s Tascam 4 track and nothing else other than a steel bath to lay the vocals down (oh shit on research that’s exactly what they did) no studio finery just a band with their instruments and an attitude. Be it fast punk or the slower more calculated ‘No One Cares’ it’s bloody good. ‘Hate That Shit’ no it’s one of the finer tunes on offer it’s like a 60s pop song sped up churned over and spat out.
Don’t take my word for it click the link and pick this shit up you won’t regret it!
The video shows the tragic life of a teddy bear as he keeps being hit with bad luck. Though it seems like the end for Teddy, the ripping guitar riffs and pop-punk-esque choruses end this fluffy badass on a note that keeps him going strong.
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