Hey! today is a good day.  why? because today I get to review a new record from Pat Todd & The Rank Outsiders that’s why and those who know just know and those who don’t know…well, nows your chance to get involved and get excited. Patt Todd & the Rankoutsiders, the underground rock ‘n’ rollers from Los Angeles, California are back in top form with a new album. “…There’s Pretty Things In Palookaville…” Hell I never heard of Palookaville but if Todds saying so then I’m a believer, folks. This is one pandemic blues busting album that’s full of high energy that plays on the embryo of all that’s good and great with American rock ‘n’ roll, adding a twist and a turn with every fast and gritty chord.

As per usual from Patt Todd There are no studio sound tricks or autotune, it’s just the sound of a real Rock and Roll band working its ass off in some sweaty studio and knowing they’re capturing and bottling a little bit of that magic we call Rock and Roll.

“…There’s pretty things in Palookaville” shows no sign of writer’s block for Todd with its sixteen songs.

The album sparkles into life with the opening salvo of  ‘All The Years #1’ with plenty of punch and a rasping guitar sound its drawing a line in the sand and is like a ray of sunshine through the dark storm clouds. Today is another day and this is how it starts with some positive Rockin attitude. It might be a song that was left off the last album but it’s great that it wasn’t disguarded and makes for the perfect battle cry on this one.

 

Time honoured boogie-woogie is the order of the day as some ‘Cheap Nostalgia’ just rocks. Nick Alexander and Kevin Keller both tear it up on guitars, with Steven Vigh on bass and Walter Phelan on drums keeping the engine room hot and rock solid showing great empathy for what they’re playing. Todd does the whole cowpunk thang so well and ‘The World Don’t Care & Neither Does She’ is a great example of that.  With ‘Read Em And Weep’ the band kicks back and knocks out an acoustic countrified part ballad and with a wheeze on the old gob iron adding something else to the mix its a welcome change of pace and a terrific song.  Simple yet so effective and most welcome.  Sit on the porch with friends telling stories and sharing a beer – perfect.

 

Sixteen tracks is a lot to get through but with it being a Pat Todd album the ebb and flow is always a given and you get the ballsy rockers and the cowpunk but you also get the out and out hootenanny as ‘To Get The Monkey Off My Back’ is one slap of the thigh in that direction.  What Todd does really well is when he does the power pop Stonesy vibe of ‘Turn Back The Hands OF Time’ with some lovely chord picking and a sixties shuffle it’s a real highlight.

 

You also get a delve deeper into the classic American songbook with some 50’s Rock and bop with ‘Little Jael’ followed by possibly my favourite on the album ‘True Romance’ with its sped up-tempo this one just soars with a great melody.  Just a great song with loud guitars and great lyrics.  ‘Theda #2′ is a little Keith and Mick from the mid-70s’ simple as that.  Why fuck around when you happen across a cool riff and a backbeat then sprinkle some cool lyrics over the top its wise to just get it down on tape and tip the hat and move on.  Pat Todd gets that and does it so well.

 

Yehaw! ‘Nothing But Excusses’ is another brush with that good ole cowpunk with more emphasis on the cow than the punk. The record finishes on an impressive and loud one-two with ‘Way Deep Down In Your Heart’ brimming with energy and riding a great hook before closing off the record with ‘They’re Wrong/ Dead Wrong’ a real steamroller of a song packing plenty of punch to close off what is a perfectly rounded record full to bursting with variety, charm and most of all bloody good songs.  What more could you want from your records?

 

Pick it up without delay from Hound Gawd! Records Here 

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Author: Dom Daley

 

 

Well, this piqued my curiosity. An “all-star” tribute to Badfinger, one of the best UK bands ever, from a songwriting perspective. I will spare you their tragic story, if you’re unaware. Let’s just say they deserved so much more, both professionally and personally. And, with a few exceptions, they deserved better than what is on offer here. A few gems, but a missed opportunity to celebrate their talents with a melody.

 

Never mind. You can’t really mess up songs like ‘No Matter What’, though the lead vocal of Vanilla Fudge’s Mark Stein is somewhat perfunctory. The song shines through, even a favourite of the departed Wogan. He knew a good tune. ‘Come And Get It’, unmistakably McCartney, features Rick Wakeman tinkling the ivories here, and sounds almost exactly like the original.

 

I wasn’t aware of Carl Giammarese, but he does a creditable job of ‘I Don’t Mind’. However, the stand-out track is ‘Day After Day’ with the legendary Terry Reid on vocals and Ian Anderson on flute. Something in my eye, as they say. Quite beautiful.

 

Rick Springfield is a suitable singer for ‘Love Is Gonna Come At Last’, as it sounds much like his tunes, and is as professionally performed as you’d expect, while Matthew Sweet nails a lovely version of ‘Baby Blue’, another favourite of mine.

 

‘Midnight Caller’ wasn’t their strongest song, but the Legendary Pink Dots do it justice, and Sonny Landreth gets bluesy on ‘Suitcase’.

 

Another ‘lump in the throat’ moment comes courtesy of Albert Lee’s take on ‘Sweet Tuesday Morning’; a feather-light touch, he really pays tribute to the song. And even Todd Rundgren holds back to give a tasteful version of ‘Without You’ that I imagine would get a thumbs up from the band themselves.

 

Not a disaster, but it could have been so much more satisfying with perhaps some unexpected guests. The highlights are, however, a real treat.

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Author: Martin Chamarette

Recorded at Brockfield Hall near York, UK, with a firm eye on the old school way using Marshall cabs, Marshall amps, real drums and produced by Biff Byford with Jacky Lehmann recording and mixing, Saxon approach the likes of Motörhead’s ‘Bomber’ (with added whistle!), Toto’s ‘Hold The Line’, Black Sabbath’s ‘Evil Woman’ and a raucous Deep Purple’s ‘Speed King’ with refreshingly warm, unfiltered, “vintage” sounding renditions.

Continues Byford: “We wanted to do an album based on our influences, the songs and bands that inspired us to write what we did and still do.”

Byford does, indeed, take on some new vocal challenges, which he duly smashes on the likes of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Rocker’. The net result is that whether cranking up a heavyweight take on Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Immigrant Song’ or throwing down AC/DC’s ‘Problem Child’, Saxon does a supreme job of entertaining both themselves and their audience throughout Inspirations.

 

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Back around a decade or so ago those trusted and true Sons Of The North, otherwise known as Black Spiders, really could do wrong. Seamlessly blending low slung Desert Rock riffs with effortlessly cool hooks all wrapped up in live shows packed full of punk rock energy, they were the band the website I wrote for at the time (Uber Rock) had been waiting for, and to top it all off they then went and released an absolute stonker of a debut album in 2011’s ‘Sons Of The North’. This folks really was a band that ate thunder and shit lightning.

 

Somewhere down the line though, after recording their Pledge funded second album ‘This Savage Land’ and taking that record out on the road, by the time I caught up with them again at Hellfest in France in the summer of 2013, something just didn’t feel right, and whilst the band still turned in an amazing live show if you’d asked me if they looked like they had enjoyed it…I’d probably have had to say “no!”

 

Black Spiders carried on for a further four years after that (releasing just the ‘Rat Mansion’ EP via digital platforms after the ‘Savage’ campaign ended) before they eventually called it a day in 2017 via a couple of emotionally and sonically charged farewell shows.

 

With frontman/guitarist Pete ‘Spider’ Spiby then going on to record and release his eclectic and expansive solo outing ‘Failed Magician’ (a double album no less) in 2018 and then undertake a well-received tour with MC50 to support it’s release, if you’d have told me then that Black Spiders would soon be back together and releasing album number three in the midst of a global pandemic, I’d probably have asked you for some of what you’d been smoking.

 

But that’s exactly what I’ve got here folks, thirteen brand new tracks from four of the original Spiders (Spiby being joined once again by guitarists Andrew ‘Ozzy’ Lister and Mark ‘Dark Shark’ Thomas plus bassist Adam ‘The Fox’ Irwin) complete with new drummer Wyatt Wendel (yup he of Planet Rock radio fame) making this (alongside the awesome debut album from The Limit) perhaps one of the most welcome surprises 2021 has yet to deliver.

 

With new boy Wendel immediately taking front of stage via his colossal drum sound on the intro to lead single ‘Fly In The Soup’ the thing that immediately knocks me off my feet is that Black Spiders have never sounded more like the Black Spiders of those early days, and any fears of the band writing disparately might make it something of a miss match of styles and ideas can immediately be thrown out the window.

 

Case in point is up next, with ‘Stabbed In The Back’, a proper three-minute banger if ever there was one and a tune that wouldn’t have been out of place on an early QOTSA album if the truth be told.

 

Likewise, ‘Give Em What They Want’ pays a similar kind of Hommage with Spiby delivering some of his finest and perhaps most understated vocals to date and is truly fabulous stuff, whilst for those of you who might like the idea of your Black Spiders being cut through with just a touch of Australian rock please do make sure to check out the band’s retelling of the Easybeats’ ‘Good Times’, which has much more in common with the INXS/Jimmy Barnes’ version included on the Lost Boys soundtrack than the ‘60s original. Yup it’s basically a cover of a cover but it actually fits in well with the overall tone of the album, no worries.

 

For those of you longing for some of the more straight-ahead Black Spiders doom-laden riffage, there’s plenty for you to get stuck into too with the likes of ‘Death Comes Creepin’, ‘Down To The River’ and ‘Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard’ all three delivering total low-end satisfaction whilst also allowing the band themselves breathing space to take in their total awesomeness.

 

For me though its when ‘Black Spiders’ throw me a slight curveball that I get really excited about them being back again, like on the slow-burning ‘Rock N Roll’ where Spiby once again shines, delivering a vocal that has me thinking I might not have been the only one listening to Vinnie Dombroski and Sponge back in the nineties. Meanwhile in album closer ‘Crooked Black Wings’ there’s enough old school metal on offer to have every available drinking horn raised worldwide once we can all get back to some sort of normality and go see live music once again.

 

So, if the prospect of listening to an album designed to make you smile from ear to ear sounds appealing, why not click on the link below and pre-order your copy of ‘Black Spiders’. You most certainly will not regret it!

 

Oh, and let’s not forget – FUBS!!!!

 

Buy ‘Black Spiders’ Here

Author: Johnny Hayward

 

 

Ah, the mighty Saxon. The band that turned me into a metal head back in 1986. Up until that point it was all about the top 40 and whatever was on Top of the Pops for me! A friend from school did me a mix tape and lent me his vinyl copy of the compilation ‘Strong Arm Metal’ and I was hooked. It was all about heavy metal for me from that pivotal moment. There was something about early Saxon that I connected with and I’ve (mostly) been a fan ever since. They have been through their ups and downs over the years and a few line up changes, but Saxon have had a resurgence over the last 10 years or so and have released some fantastic albums. 2013’s ‘Sacrifice’ and 2015’s ‘Battering Ram’ is up there with their best work, as is 2018’s ‘Thunderbolt’. Enlisting Andy Sneap (Sabbat/Judas Priest) as producer gave their sound a thunderous edge and pushed Saxon back into the big leagues of metal.

The band had been busier than ever in the live arena until the dreaded virus put paid to any dates that were scheduled. What do you do when you have lots of free time on your hands? Put out an album of covers from the bands and artists that have influenced you of course! That’s exactly what Saxon have done here with some fantastic results. It’s a celebration of the music that makes Saxon the band they are. They have gone down the old school route to record the album at Brockfield House near York, using real drums, and lots of Marshall amps! Frontman Biff Byford along with Jacky Lehmann have produced the album and it benefits from a great mix.

The band have dabbled with covers in the past with a great version of The Sweet’s ‘Set Me Free’ on 1984s ‘Crusader’ album and this foray into the bands influences throws up some tracks I would never have dreamed of a band like Saxon covering. The albums kicks off with a crunchy version of The Rolling Stones ‘Paint it Black’, this was the first release from Inspirations and there’s a cool behind the scenes video to accompany it. Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’ is up next and Biff shows his vocal prowess here (yes, he handles the high notes in his own inimitable style), the bands groove is relentless behind him, this is a great version. The next track is one of the songs that shouldn’t work but it does somehow! The Beatles ‘Paperback Writer’ sounds great with heavier guitars and the vocal harmonies really work well.

We get back on more familiar ground with Black Sabbath’s ‘Evil Woman’, a real showcase for Tim ‘Nibbs’ Carter who is undoubtedly one of metals most underrated bass players. Next up we have a version of Jimi Hendrix’s classic anthem ‘Stone Free’, the band sound like they are having a blast with this one, you can feel the energy. I don’t think Saxon fans would be very happy if there wasn’t a Motorhead cover on here, of course they deliver with a brilliant version of ‘Bomber’ with drummer Nigel Glockler in full double bass monster mode. A great tribute to their old friends.

A frenetic take on Deep Purple’s ‘Speed King’ again highlights the vocal range of Biff Byford, he screams like a man possessed here and guitarists Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt play an absolute blinder with some serious shredding. A lesser know Thin Lizzy track gets the Saxon treatment, ‘The Rocker’ is a welcome addition instead of the usual Lizzy covers. Byford surprises again here with his range and really carries the song. A true to the original version of ‘Hold the Line’ by Toto grooves along nicely with Glockler showing he can handle the famous ‘Porcaro Shuffle’ with ease. (Google it kids). AC/DC’s ‘Problem Child’ doesn’t have the raw energy of the original, but it’s a solid effort all the same with Biff doing his best Bon impression. To close the album, we have a version of The Kinks ‘See My Friends’ which is probably the only track that doesn’t transition very well over to the metal titans even though it does chunk up towards the end.

Saxon have done a great job here and the main thing is to remember that it’s a bit of fun to try and lighten up these darkest of days that we have all been experiencing over the last year. Don’t take it too seriously, Saxon certainly haven’t. Crank it up with a beer in hand and sing along, you know the words!

 

Buy Inspirations Here

Author: Kenny Kendrick

 

From The Home of Razzle this four-piece play bullshit-free punk rock n roll and infuse into that remit the soul of The Cramps and a bunch of Psychobilly mixed with the grunt of a lifetime devoted to loud guitars and punk rock.  It’s not rocket science and they’re not reinventing the wheel here but they do understand that it’s important to have a good time being creative and I do enjoy some Dr. Feelgood harmonica honking as well and Mad Daddy throw in a fair bit of that here. ‘Just You Wait And See’ is a lovely slice of boogie-woogie pub rock just like Wilcos old muckas used to throw down.

 

Ten tracks are what’s on offer and there’s plenty of energy to boot ‘Ride With Me’ has got guts and a heap of wheel spins going on.  The guitars are honkin’ like a hog on heat and the harp is quality.  In a tight club with writhing sweaty bodies, these tunes would be an absolute blast.  Take the twelve-bar romp of ‘Pretty Lady’ and the nice tone of ‘I’m Bored’.

 

The bass gets in on some grunt work as ‘Hey Elvis’ descents into a brawl of volume between the rhythm section and that lead guitar. Elvis!, Elvis! I think I’ve got tinnitus and these cats ain’t slowing down as ‘Real Bad Day’ is on the march whilst ‘Let’s Get Messed Up’ is something of a Wildhearts meets The Ramones vs the Cramps and Feelgood dust-up and that’s an impressive fight to the death.

 

With no time for a slowie or token ballad, the nearest you are going to get is the mid-paced Garage thump of ‘Outta The Way’.  As far as new bands go this is a very decent introduction. There are some great ideas and songs going on here tied in with some great harmonica playing that compliments some crunching guitar work.  Mad Daddies have given this debut album some right proper wellie and its good to hear.  Check em out!

Buy Mad Daddy Here

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Author: Dom Daley

OK, so restrictions are easing off on plague Island UK so let’s celebrate with some Rockin tunes.  First up is the new one from Danko Jones ahead of the new album ‘I Want Out’ will do for starters.  turn it up, kids!

DANKO JONES ONLINE:
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If that wasn’t loud enough try The Kids for size.  ‘Go Back To Canberra’ has all the melody of a shark alarm. It’s a dogged no nonsense song, an attack ode to the bleak and oppressive landscape of Canberra. A city that undeservedly is the epicentre of Australian democracy, home of weak-willed politicians, bank rolling a nation into mediocrity.
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Finally Acid Blood bring ‘Wartime’ album.  You can also watch the band play a 9-song live-set at the Algoderock Festival Internacional Here

 

 

So it’s time for TRAMPOLENE to release their first proper band single in what must be nearly three years.

This song is called ‘Oh Lover’ & it started as a one-way message from a boy to a girl about their long-distance love affair, but as the Pandemic became the new reality, it morphed into a song about being apart indefinitely, but now in a world that was unrecognisable, where nothing made sense, and everything had changed.

It was produced by Mike Moore, who has been so much more than a producer for them, he is one of their best friends, and along with you all, feels like the fourth member of the band.

Their dream is to take this band from Scala to Brixton Academy.

Listen Here

Video filmed and directed by Roger Sargent.
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This Is Trampolene

Formed back in 1985 by Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner, Californian rock hags L7 would release their debut album on Epitaph records in 1988. The band, now completed by bassist Jennifer Finch and drummer Dee Plakas would release the follow up album ‘Smell The Magic’ on the Sub Pop label and toured supporting Nirvana, sealing their Grunge status. But the band only gained widespread attention when their 3rd album ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ was released in 1992 on Slash Records.

 

Blasting on to our tv screens with the breakthrough single ‘Pretend We’re Dead’, L7 were the girl band we always wanted. Not only did they resemble 4 miscreants returning from a week at Glastonbury, live they were a ferocious, fully-charged rock n’ roll machine to be reckoned with. And they had the songs to back it up.

Produced by the legendary Butch Vig, ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ is choc-a-bloc with grunge anthems full of teenage angst and more hooks than you could pilfer from a salmon fisher’s bag. The aforementioned single was preceded by the anthemic ‘Everglade’ and the killer ‘Monster’ followed.

It’s an album you can truly call all killer, no filler. From album opener ‘Wargasm’ to closer ‘This Ain’t Pleasure’, L7 fire grunge-tinged, anthemic power punk on all cylinders. You can’t deny the pure rock power of a song like ‘Shitlist’ and it joins ‘Shove’ as possibly their finest and most memorable recordings.

Their spontaneous live performances gained as much press as the album (who can forget Donita pulling her pants down and exposing herself on The Word and throwing a used tampon into the audience at the Reading festival?) and these antics sealed the band’s legendary status. Included with this first disc are the b sides ‘Lopsided Head, ‘Freak Magnet’ and their gloriously ramshackle take on Guns n’ Roses ‘Used To Love Her’ (Re-titled here as ‘Used To Love Him’).

1994 follow-up album ‘Hungry For Stink’ saw the band riding a wave of commercial success, and while the album sold well, it didn’t really live up to expectations. But what it lacks in consistency it makes up for in sheer, punk rock rage.

Recorded in LA by Gggarth Richardson, ‘Hungry For Stink’ is a darker album lyrically and it lacks the tongue in cheek humour of its predecessor. Bask in the glory of lead track/single ‘Andre’, and ‘The Bomb’ is classic L7 for sure, but there’s nothing as immediate as ‘Shitlist’ or as powerful as ‘Shove’ going on here.

‘Baggage’ is all second-hand grunge riffs and shouting, with no discernable melody or actual chorus to write home about. But ‘Hungry For Stink’ has its moments for sure. ‘Stuck Here Again’ with its underwatery guitar riff and floaty, indified verse is a highlight that hints at the direction the next album would take and elsewhere ‘She Has Eyes’ sounds like Hole on a good day.

There was a lot of great albums released in 1994. Alternative music was edgy and dark. But ‘Hungry For Stink’ wasn’t quite the dangerous beast I wanted it to be.

Included with this 2nd disc we have a live version of ‘Baggage’, a great b side in ‘Punk Broke My Heart’ and an entertaining, if not weird 15 minute radio interview, which I can’t quite decide is real or a spoof. Either way, lets face it, you will only listen to it once.

 

1997 saw the band at a crossroads in their career. Bassist Jennifer Finch left the band during the recording of their 5th album ‘The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum’, so the album was recorded predominantly as a 3 piece and with 2 producers in Rob Cavallo and Joe Baressi. Friend and bassist Greta Brinkman was roped in to add bass parts in the studio and then Belly’s Gail Greenwood also joined them as a full time touring member.

The crisp, clean production and change in tone works well and the band sound fresh here. The grunge is toned down and the songwriting is amped up. There’s a new found confidence and a fresh approach.

First song proper ‘Drama’ is classic L7 with grungy riffs and sneering vocals. With a stripped back sound and cool gang vocals, ‘Off The Wagon’ is the obvious single. Indie vibes are prevalent throughout the album with the band coming on like contemporaries such as Belly and Veruca Salt on the likes of ‘Non-Existent Patricia’ and ‘Moonshine’ with its stripped back bass and drums verse, occasional surf guitar and a sweet chorus refrain.

While the band experimented and developed their sound, Donita had lost none of her knack for a screaming diatribe or two. Frustration and angst are continuing themes on the likes of ‘The Masses Are Asses’. Included on this 3rd disc are the b sides ‘Guera’ and ‘Worn Out’.

 

L7 would go on to release one more album before disbanding in 2001. Reuniting with bassist Jennifer Finch the band reformed in 2014 and following extensive touring released their 7th album ‘Scatter The Rats’ to critical acclaim.

This 3-album collection is lovingly presented with bonus tracks and extensive liner notes by Malcolm Dome and the band. It shows a band at the height of their career and remains a testament to what a tour de force L7 really were in the mid 90’s.

Buy ‘Wargazm’ Here

Author: Ben Hughes

New Single,
“Caught Up In A Moment”

the latest from Ryan Hamilton and the third track in his ‘one new song a month’ 1221 project

 

Texan singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton release the third single of his 1221 project, in which he brings us twelve new songs, one every month across the year of 2021.
This month’s song is a brand new original, ‘Caught Up In A Moment’ – its haunting melody mirrored by some evocatively ghostly cover art.
“I think the fear of being alone drives SO MANY people to stay in relationships”, explains Hamilton.  “Not just romantic relationships. Friendships, professional relationships etc… We get stuck. If you had the ability to go back, and make a different decision, would you? What if it meant being even more alone? Do you still take that chance? This song is about wondering what you might do if you got the chance to go back and do it again. Would you get caught up in the moment?”
A song that oozes hope, a key refrain in the lyric promises “you’ll never stop your dreaming”. Underpinned by a joyous chorus of ‘na na na’s’, the track features a virtual choir of familiar names. Along with Harlequin Ghosts band-mates Carol Hodge and Ben Marsden, just some of those also featuring include Chris Catalyst, Nick Parker, Givvi Flynn, Danny Gruff – and Dave (Davros) Archbold from Eureka Machines.  Hamilton reasons, “a major theme to this 1221 project is ‘collaboration’. Whilst the global situation is finally starting to feel more hopeful, to be able to connect to and create with fellow artists during a time when we haven’t been able to travel has been an essential part of my mental well-being”.
Known for his highly creative and unique videos, the images accompanying Hamilton’s ‘Caught Up In A Moment’ are certainly no exception.
“I’ve always tried to stay creative, and put out really decent DIY videos, with next-to-zero budget. Inspired by the song, an artist/friend D Prabhat did an amazing job painting a watercolor of the cover photo. Revealed in time-lapse, I think it fits the song perfectly.”
On the commitment of completing a new song every month, Hamilton confesses, “recording a song a month, on my own, with the help of my producer, Dave Draper continues to be a challenge. We’re doing all the instrumentation on our own. Me from my home studio here in Texas, and Dave from his studio in Pershore, UK. While it may be a challenge, it’s a fun one that is also keeping me sane. I’d be so lost right now if I didn’t have this ‘1221’ project. Thankful.”