Seeing as today we cover the Box set of the debut classic from The Black Crowes we thought let’s do this and showcase when they were a vibrant new Rock and Roll band
Welcome one and all as we crack open the March batch of 7″ singles and as you’ll see we have a variety of bands and some superb singles for your delectation. We welcome some old favourites and of course a format we always welcome the good old split with this months split coming from a pair of bands we love Bitch Queens and The Drippers. We also welcome plenty of debutants to our exclusive club and hope you find something you can enjoy and support… hit it…
Johnny Thunders – ‘Chinese Rocks’ (Golden Robot Records/Die Laughing Records) All Johnny ever wanted to do was make the kids dance and he sure as hell did that. Now a lot of his live shows were during the classic age of the bootleg and this bad boy is no exception the sound quality is not the best as you can imagine but it does capture the energy of his shows. Taken from the upcoming live album; ‘Cosa Nostra: Live At The Mudd Club 1983 Gothenburg’. which will be available as limited edition vinyl and on all streaming platforms. We can argue over the merits of another release of a bootleg but hell, I miss this guy like no other performer I ever bought a record of, so, as one of those sad completist types I’ll be clicking the link. They just don’t make em like Johnny anymore untouchable! Pre-Order/Save HERE
Bitch Queens / The Drippers – Split (Lux Noise Records) Kicking off this month’s Singles Club is a right pair of bangers. Our favourite Basel boys are back with fellow European rockers the Drippers. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ they say but if you ignore this then you’re ignoring the opportunity to get involved with the latest release from 7″ from one of the best loud Rock and Roll bands who just love to knock out singles as often as possible.
This is another riot ride of adrenalin with a solid melody and some lovely wah! and duelling guitars Get on it here kids you won’t regret it! If that wasn’t enough to convince you then flip it over and get an earful of The Drippers who are the ‘Beach Kings’ and channelling their best Motorhead they hurtle off on a rapid drumbeat and more Wah! than you deserve. Its a corker of a tune to be fair and a worthy companion for the mighty Bitch Queens split repertoire.
Rich Ragany & The Digressions – ‘Marionette’ (Self Release) Like a rush of adrenaline the first song from the brand new Rich Ragany album is birthed into the ether and ‘Marionette’ is uplifting and boundless with heartfelt energy as the band head into the difficult second album but on this evidence, it’s not difficult at all. Subtle melodies clash with some fantastic duelling guitars throughout. The sound is big and makes you wanna get up and move as you search for the tennis racket and hairbrush when you’re alone in the house to join the Digressions for the solo and chorus. Get on it kids its a grower. Bandcamp
Marc Ribler – ‘Shattered’ (Wicked Cool Records) Like a lazy Sunday morning bit of Rock and Roll with a gentle chorus and melody, some nice slide guitar playing. ITs got that swirling organ laying down underneath the beat as the song jogs on like a shot of Tom Petty. The B side is even more laid back with eastern flavours from the New Jersey man as he kicks back. Bandcamp
Wheelz – ‘Twenty Twenty’ (No Front Teeth) “No Coast” punk rock outta the Midwest. Four new sloppy ’n’ snotty anthems in the vein of UK ’77 meets American Punk like a blend of The Briefs, Spent Idols, Toy Dolls and Partisans. Sure take a look at the picture, drink it in because they sound exactly like you want them to sound. Its a perfect snotty sound capsule from the late 70s’ with modern production. ‘Politicians’ is a mash-up of ‘The Last Time’ (Stiv would approve) and mid-period Rancid. Buy UK Here / Facebook US: Boulevardtrashpunk.com Hipsters can get it on Cassette: EU: Tapeordie.bigcartel.com
Dead Meat – (No Front Teeth) The second single from London’s snotty KBD punks Dead Meat. Another four killer cuts Featuring members of Kool and the Gangbangers, The Cavemen and the Speedways. The regular edition is spray paint on genuine leather… yes it smells like a new sofa, genuine dead meat… loads of different colours of leather chosen at random with each order (mine was a lovely pink). Anyway, don’t let the waffle distract you Dead Meat are four noisy fuckers who could wake the dead (Meat) with their raw punk rock. Buy Here from the excellent NFT label direct or the bands Bandcamp page Here. ‘Through The Heart’ starts off like the bastard son of Motorhead but descends into a sloppy tasty slab of punk rock. It’s like the partisans never happened but with added gob and glitter. Hold onto your knickers boys because ‘Hanging On The Weekend’ is a belter. Snotty rapid punk rock with the sloppiest solo ever before falling into a gluey mess with ‘Son Of Sam’ about the NYC killer from the 70s. ‘Don’t blink or you’ll miss em as this four-track EP is brought to a stunning halt with ‘Nuffin New (For Trash Like You)’ – Punk as fuck and you should be on top of this before they’re all gone!
Black River Delta – ‘Burning And Burning’ (Sofaburn Records) FacebookHailing from Sweden Black River Delta delivers a gritty bluesy rock and roll sound but avoid many of the cliches and pitfalls and deliver a pretty fresh take. ‘Burning And Burning’ is an impressive introduction if you don’t believe us check out the video.
Local Drags – ‘Think Straight’ (Self Release) Sure we’ve raved about previous offerings from Local Drags why wouldn’t we the guy writes great songs. This new track from Springfield’s favourite rocker does what he does best and that’s writing feel-good rocked up power pop and boy does he does it well. ‘Think Straight’ is an indication of what we can expect from the new album. as we look forward to the full-length LP ‘Keep Me Glued’ this will do. Bandcamp
The Stools – ‘Feelin Fine’ (Drunken Sailor) Crash bang wallop! we’re off lo-fi garage punk rock that would get a pit going in a morgue as ‘Can’t Feel Good’ is an attack on your senses and as rapid and fucked up as possible. What a fantastic way to introduce yourselves. Hang on ‘Half-Track Mind’ has the brown noise inducing bass rumble before soaring into the stratosphere. You’ll be fist-pumping and chanting along before you know it “Half Track Mind” indeed.
If you’re waiting for the love ballad then you’re listening to the wrong record but if you want raw in your face blues-infused punk rock then welcome. ‘Rockpile’ is a slower more groove-based song with some cool maracas for mixing it up I’m sure. Taking this sucker home ‘Eyeball Crush’ is like a punk rock fuck up garage blues hand jive – about as subtle as a flying mallet but all together thoroughly enjoyable. pick it up here
Continental Lovers – ‘Doesn’t Matter At All’ (Self Release) Another new song from the mind of former Breakdowns main man sees the catchy punch of ‘Doesn’t Matter At All’ as Joe unleashes a subtle melody that burrows into your ear and works its way into your head and as all good pop songs do start scratching its name into your memory. Joe mixes up his love of bands like Cheap Trick and T Rex and uses the influences to great effect and ‘DMAA’ even after a few plays sounds like a song you’ve heard a thousand times but still remains fresh as the first time you heard it. Backed by a nice acoustic run through ‘Sister Saint Joan’ is a nice one-two from Continental Lovers. Hopefully, when this pandemic pisses off we can get a full album recorded in a studio with a full band and we can all hold in our hands another great slab of Rock and Roll – power pop. Bandcamp
Johnny Casino – ‘Twenty Twenty’ (Golden Robot Records) What a barnstormer from Casino. Letting out all his lockdown frustrations in a three-minute record which kicks serious backside. Then flip it over and you have a more dreamy acoustic cover of the Bored track ‘People Say’. Best of both worlds and a worthwhile investment. With an impressive history in Australian Rock and Roll Casino doesn’t do bad records and this is a fierce shot in the arm that I’m sure we can all get down with. Instagram / Bandcamp / Facebook
Harker – ‘The Beast Must Die’ (Wiretap Records) Get a load of this Brighton based band taken from their soon to be released album that drops at the end of April. With its fuzzed up guitar its a fine introduction to the band and an indication of what we can expect from the album. check out the video below.
The Mercury Riots – ‘Save Me A Drink’ ( ) Hailing from the USA ‘Save Me A Drink’ is the first single from the band and is a combination of loud, fast, jet-fuel powered rock n roll its classic rock kids but with a modern twist. A classic power trio but keen followers of Bullets and Octane and The Brave Ones will recognise the band. With a swaggering riff and big groove, its got it going on and will have the classic rock writers salivating at a new band on the scene to breath new life into it.
The Blips – ‘Throw Me Around’ ( Cornelius Chapel Records) what an earworm this was. From the first play, it started to burrow in my ear and I began to crave it more and more. Birmingham, Alabama’s The Blips are set to release their debut long-player and this is just a sample of what they have to offer and on this evidence alone it’s got the potential to be a corker if this bright and breezy number is anything to go by. Pick it up Here or visit their Bandcamp page Here
The Lurkers – The Boys in the Corner (Damaged Goods Records) The original Lurkers none the less turn up with a pair of bangers that steal the crown of the singles club with a classic slice of pub rock punk rock Lurkers style. This, the second single from last years impressive album ‘Sex Crazy’ (still makes me giggle when I look at the cover) anyway one exclusive track ‘We Close The Door’ is a wonderful slice of Lurkers noise that’ll have you singing along before you’ve finished the first playthrough. with a wonderful guitar break that perfectly compliments a really vibrant song. Pick one up whilst they’re still available from Damaged Goods Here
NEW MODEL ARMY FOUNDER SINGER/SONGWRITER
ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF BRAND-NEW SOLO ALBUM
‘SURROUNDED’
OUT MAY 28th
PRE-ORDER HERE
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UNRELEASED JOE STRUMMER RECORDING “JUNCO PARTNER” AVAILABLE NOW
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Taken from Joe’s upcoming album, ASSEMBLY, this previously unheard recording is also available to stream worldwide here: https://joe-strummer.lnk.to/
Discovered deep in the legendary artist’s vaults on a hand-labeled cassette tape, “Junco Partner” was a constant throughout Joe’s career. He first discovered the song on a scratchy R&B compilation in the 1970s and it became a staple on the set list of Joe’s first band, the 101ers, before recording it with The Clash for the seminal Sandinista! album in 1980 and it being a mainstay of live shows until the very end of Joe’s career with the Mescaleros. This previously unreleased home recording of “Junco Partner” offers an intimate insight into Joe’s unique vocal delivery and distinctive driving rhythmic guitar playing, with the accompanying animated mixed media video being created by Spencer Ramsey.
Released on Friday, March 26th, ASSEMBLY showcases carefully curated remastered tracks from Joe Strummer’s solo catalog, including “Coma Girl,” “Johnny Appleseed,” and “Yalla Yalla” (with The Mescaleros) to his iconic rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and soundtrack contributions like “Love Kills” (from the 1986 film, Sid and Nancy). Remastered by three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks (The Beatles / John Lennon / The Rolling Stones / David Bowie), the 16-track compilation features three previously unreleased versions of classic The Clash tracks, including “Junco Partner” and the previously unreleased electrifying live performances of “Rudie Can’t Fail” and “I Fought The Law” recorded by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros at London’s Brixton Academy on November 24, 2001.
Preorder ASSEMBLY on Limited Edition 2xLP Red vinyl, gatefold 2xLP 180g black vinyl and CD HERE https://joe-strummer.lnk.to/
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‘We were looking and looking for someone who had that, the added X ingredient, and there it was, right in front of us…. The blonde bomber turned up’. Phil Mogg (UFO Vocalist)
There aren’t many guitar players that have the pedigree of the German maestro Michael Schenker. From Scorpions to UFO to MSG, the axeman has paved the way for every guitarist that set ears on his hugely influential body of work. The likes of Kirk Hammett, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag Darrell and George Lynch have all cited him as an inspiration for picking up a six string. The image of Schenker and his trusty flying V is truly embedded in hard rock and heavy metal history.
His latest offering Immortal is the 11th released under the @ moniker and it certainly won’t disappoint his legions of loyal fans. Schenker has assembled an all-star cast with vocal duties shared by Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen) and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) as well as Barry Sparks (Dokken) on bass, Steve Mann on keyboards, and drum stool duties are shared by drumming royalty: Simon Phillips (Toto, Judas Priest, The Who), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, The Dead Daisies) and Bodo Schopf (The Sweet). Michael Voss has returned as producer and delivered a punchy and bottom-heavy sound that certainly delivers the goods in the most part.
Opening track ‘Drilled to Kill’ kicks the album off with style, a crunchy riff, thunderous double bass drums and a fist-pumping chorus along with some Jon Lord style keyboard flurries certainly grabs your attention. The melodic lead guitar work adds layers to the song and the dueling keyboards and guitar at the climax are very impressive.
‘Knight of the Dead’ is another highlight with Ronnie Romero showing why he is very much in demand with a fantastic performance on vocals. Another powerful track with the whole band firing on all cylinders. There’s plenty here for classic rock and metal fans to get their teeth into with more fantastic musicianship on show.
We have an obligatory power ballad with ‘After the Rain’, producer Voss takes over vocal duties on this one. There’s a nod to the eighties with this track, it certainly wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of those ‘Soft Metal’ compilations from the time. There are some decent vocal melodies and of course, the guitar work is great but there’s nothing particularly memorable about it.
There is some filler material as well, unfortunately, with the likes of ‘Devil’s Daughter’ with its dated and inappropriate lyrical content – ‘super-high stilettos’ and ‘lady of the underworld in a red hot dress’ Oh dear….
‘Sail the Darkness’ brings the quality back with a Maiden-style gallop and a catchy punch along chorus. ‘The Queen of Thorns and Roses’ has a great nod along riff with more fantastic guitar work from Schenker. He really knows how to elevate a song with his inimitable style.
Another stand-out moment is ‘Come on Over’ with Romero doing his best Coverdale impersonation with more standout riffs and some superb drumming. It’s hard to believe that Schenker is 66 years of age. His playing is outstanding. MSG have some UK dates penciled in towards the end of the year, let’s hope they go ahead. This album deserves a live airing.
Final track ‘In Search of the Peace of Mind’ is a reworking of a track from the Scorpions debut album ‘Lonesome Crow’ that Schenker wrote when he was 15 years of age. It’s a decent version in all fairness and it brings everything full circle for an artist that has survived 50 years in the music business and is still releasing some strong material. That is a testament to a fascinating character and a legendary career.
Immortal indeed.
Buy ‘Immortal’ Here
Author: Kenny Kendrick
Hot on the heels of ‘We Are The Noise’ and ‘The Trump Chronicles’ EP, The Dowling Poole release new single ‘Slow Genocide’ today on Bandcamp Friday (when, I’m sure you know, Bandcamp waive their fees). Featuring shared vocals with Tony Wright of Terrorvision and Darby Todd on drums.
“The extraordinary circumstances of lockdown that we have all faced, with its various inconsistencies and appalling governmental incompetence and obfuscation, made us think that a voice of authenticity was needed for this song”, says Willie Dowling. “At that time I saw a couple of tweets by Tony Wright that reminded me he had the perfect voice and similar sensibilities to us – I was imagining him doing it as it was being written – so we were thrilled when he agreed to guest with us. And of course, the ability to effortlessly mix drumming styles made Darby the ideal drummer for this track, and we’re hoping we might work together a great deal more in the future.”
“Recording in different locations has its challenges, and is much more time consuming since we’re continually sending WAV’s backward and forwards just to keep on top of it all”, says Jon Poole. “Whereas face to face in the studio, Willie and I already have an unwritten shorthand as part of our process, so it’s an infinitely quicker way of working. That said, we cannot sit around forever and the end result is a track that we’re every bit as proud of as any of our other work, so I’d call it a success!”
As ever, Jon and Willie blend a serious issue with a lush chorus. And a Friday purchase at Bandcamp ensures you support independent musicians.
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram
Author: Martin Chamarette
Every year I like to draw up a list of who I’d like to interview and who I’d like to see live and obviously who I want to release a new album. A band that ticked all of those boxes was The Cavemen. They make great records and they’d be awesome live and I think they’d have some quality tales to tell and have well lived in faces that make for interesting people. So with this pandemic still kicking the backside of the globe, I thought I’d hit them up and see what’s happening before we all get the green light and they are chomping at the bit to get back out there and play some live shows and when they do I’ll be front and centre that’s a promise. So here is what I and Jack the guitar player chatted about. Enjoy…
Firstly let’s go back to the beginning you were formed in 2012 right? You relocated to the UK in 2015 was that all of you or just one or two of you?
Yeah, we’ve been destroying eardrums and brain cells together since we met in high school way back in maybe 2009? Memories are hazy. It’s actually the 10 year anniversary of our first ever show in April this year. We’re approaching dinosaur rock status! The move we did all together, much to the dismay of various London landlords over the past few years…
You took three years to release the first album but since then you’ve been full-on with four albums and a heap of excellent singles. The artwork is a thing of beauty, Do you have a favourite?
Yeah, Paul Caveman does all our artwork himself by hand, so it fits the warped worldview of our music. The first single and album covers are certainly up there, maybe because we hand-printed them so they’re forever seared into our brains or maybe it’s just because you always remember your first time… Special mention also has to go to the back cover of our Nuke Earth LP, which so offended the company that handles Slovenly Records album covers that they refused to print it!What about song titles. Do they come before the music describe your process of writing and recording?
The lyrics and titles all come from our deeply warped personalities and dark senses of humour and the music from our troglodytic musical skills. Sometimes the riff comes first and the words later, sometimes a concept just hits us and we’ll work music around it. ‘Why Won’t You Take Drugs With Me?’ was one of those, I wrote it on a bus. Sometimes it just comes outta nowhere … like ‘Rides With The Reich’ I woke up from a nightmare with that one fully formed.
Why London and the UK? weather-wise, climate-wise and generally what with the UK being Shit Island couldn’t you guys get into Australia or The US?We were never afraid of a bit of rain and cold, but the move came mostly because we heard that the rock ‘n’ roll scene in Europe was really wild, especially countries like Spain, where we’d already had some interest in booking us. Funtastic Dracula Carnival, Cosmic Trip, Hipsville … we wanted to be close to those kinda parties. It also helped that most of us have British or European passports…
Straight from the off you guys meant business with song titles like…well, take your pick the titles were what drew me in many moons ago. ‘Mentally I’ll’ for a start ‘Fucked In The Head’, ‘Fuck For Hate’ to name a few you laid your cards on the table. What made you guys so angry?
I guess growing up in a tiny country at the bottom of the world. Most people in NZ channel their boredom and frustration into drug abuse and problem drinking … which we also took to with glee but we craved some wild rock ‘n’ roll too. Very few bands that made the kinda racket we dug ever made it down our way, either cause they were dead or it was too far to travel, and with a few notable exceptions the local scene was limp indie or godawful BBQ reggae so we just decided we better do it ourselves.
Who were your influences then and did it drive the music?
All the usual suspects: Ramones, Cramps, Stooges, Dead Moon, Little Richard, Elvis well as a healthy dose of early New Zealand punk bands like The Scavengers, Proud Scum, Toy Love, The Spelling Mistakes and Suburban Reptiles. One lightbulb moment for us was when we snuck into a Guitar Wolf show as teenagers, it was in a tiny packed out concrete venue and we were deafened for three days. That certainly gave us some ideas.
When you picked up the instruments how did you guys meet?
We formed in high school, where we immediately recognised in each other (un)common tastes for wild rock ‘n’ roll, substance abuse and a depraved sense of humour. Not long after, while skating and blasting Blue Cheer, Paul Cavemen met our bass player Nick on the street. He was dressed like a drug casualty from the 60s. He joined not long after.
Describe a caveman show for our readers?Loud, fast, sweaty, booze-fuelled mayhem. Jake will usually be passed out on the kit by the end.
How hard did you work on getting that sound its a real throwback in the best possible way to The Stooges and other garage rockers?
Not all that hard really, it was just the sound we dug and wanted to make. We started out by plugging our shitty guitars into our broken amps and attempting covers of things like Strychnine, Loose and Mysterex and went from there. That’s not to say we were immediately any good… there’s probably a demo CD in a basement in Auckland somewhere of our outta tune-outta time teenage years…
Was it easy picking up a deal because you seem to have found your spiritual home with the excellent Slovenly records that’s the perfect fit.
We ran into Pete Slovenly at our first show in Amsterdam supporting the Dirty Fences back in 2016, I think he was DJing… and then crossed paths a few more times at other rock ‘n’ roll festivals around Europe. I guess we made an impression cause he’s been putting out our filth ever since. Pete also shares our weakness for playing shows in strange countries around the world, having put us on at his We’re Loud Fest several times in places like Istanbul and Ho Chi Minh City. He even joined us for a large part of our monster 4 month world tour in 2019 which ended with Nick having his passport stolen in Cuba. He must surely be sick of us now…
You recently released a new single on pig bag this time how come?
We like releasing limited-run singles on different, smaller labels just for a bit of variety. This one came about because our buddy (and original bass player) Takumi played a US tour with The Schizophonics who are signed to Pig Baby. He introduced us to Jeff who runs the label and the rest is history…
Can we expect a new album any day soon? You guys don’t seem to suffer from writer’s block at all. four steady albums since 2015 is the recent single an indication that album number 5 is imminent?Since the plague scattered us to the four corners of the Earth last year we’ve been unable to lay down any new material. We record everything live so any kind of technical wizardry, ZOOM chat bullshit is out of the question. Same goes for these abhorrent ‘live stream shows.’ We Luddites as well as troglodytes! But you can bet as soon as we all have our microchips and can travel we’ll be tearing up stages and tape machines once again!
I think it’s awesome bands like yourselves and The Hip Priests still see single releases as important and always release such great songs on 7″ has this always been the plan?
We’ve always thought of 7″ singles as the perfect punk medium. Short and to the point with no room for self-indulgence. That’s why we also try to keep our albums under 30 minutes. Albums seem to sell better but the 7″ is still king in our book.
What can you tell me about the Sin City project how did that come about? I could think of worse places to get stuck than Spain. Are the sin city sessions going to get get a vinyl press?So Nick and I had been talking about doing a kind of country/soul side-project for a while and then we ended up stuck together in a flat in Alicante, Spain for the 2020 lockdowns. There happened to be a piano and acoustic guitar there and with nothing to do but drink cheap Spanish beer and play music we just decided to start writing and recording songs. We’re actually about to do some sessions in a proper studio down here in New Zealand with a full band, hopefully, we’ll have that released physically soon enough…
If I was going to impress a friend with my Caveman collection what would you suggest I play them first?
If you want to impress anyone I would strongly advise against playing any of our music! But if you want to scare your granny or piss off ya neighbours you can’t really go wrong, it’s all trash!
When this lockdown ends and live shows are a thing what are the chances people around Shit Island can see the band live?
We’ll definitely be hitting the northern hemisphere for some shows when possible, fingers crossed the post-plague parties are completely out of control! Till then it seems that for the first time in history New Zealand is the most lively and happening place on Earth… so once we can get Paul Caveman away from the mantis men of Warwick and down here for some shows that’ll probably be our first destination for live shows.
I watched cooking with The Cavemen. Who would you have round for dinner if it was possible to bus anyone in? and what would you cook them?
We often discuss these types of scenarios during long drives on tour and this ones always been a divisive one in the band, I always say Elvis, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ghandi and we’d be eating burgers. Paul goes for the 1972 Uruguayan Rugby team over for a reunion and some ‘Traditional kiwi BBQ.’ Nick (who’s the chef of the band) inevitably picks Owen Wilson, Chris Holmes and Scarlett Johansen and serves em some of his famous fried chicken, and by the time we get around to these types of conversations Jakes always asleep.
Where is the best place people in the UK can pick up Cavemen merch from without having to pay the crazy shipping fees?
We have a small stock of the new 7″ in the UK, you can get that direct from our Bandcamp. Otherwise, the cats at Dirty Water have our first two albums and a handful of other items available. They also have a new distro company called 14th Floor that handles the slovenly releases, you can get that stuff through their discogs page…
Cavemen Bandcamp Here
Sin City available Here
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“The fans always want that little bit extra. They want to go behind the curtain, to see what really goes on, to be in the inner sanctum.”
Francis Rossi, 2021
Produced to the highest specifications, this lavish, large-format art book gives fans precisely that access. Individually signed by Francis Rossi and each with its own unique number, AAA takes fans into Francis’ home studio, on the road, into his soundcheck, backstage at gigs, and into his dressing room. Featuring new interviews, a series of new photoshoots, and more, it provides a unique perspective on showtime and beyond, presenting Francis as he really is.
This coffee table collectible is stunning. Limited to 2,000 copies that are individually numbered and personally signed, AAA comes as a boxed collectors’ edition with both a bookplate individually signed by Francis and a certificate of authenticity.
Featuring candid photographs and new interviews, AAA is a Quo fan’s dream.
Enjoy your exclusive access.
Pre Order Here
Chez Kane will likely be a new name to many, but she has been singing with her sisters in the excellent Kane’d for many years. With her solo album, she has an opportunity to shine on her own and definitely makes the most of the opportunity. Kane clearly loves the music of the 80’s as evidenced by her work here and with Kane’d. If you have watched any of her YouTube videos where she covers old songs, you already know that she has a killer voice. If you are not a fan of 80’s hard rock and have no interest in it, this is probably not the album for you. For the rest of us, this is sonic gold.
Kane kicks off the album with the excellent ‘Better Than Love’ which introduces itself with a bunch of keyboards that remind me a bit of Shy in their ‘Excess All Areas’ phase. The music in the verses takes a back seat for Kane’s vocals which are excellent and just hit me in the right ways with the inflections she uses and how she hits every note. The horns in this song are a surprise at first, but they complement the song nicely. ‘All of It’ follows and the beginning actually brings to mind Meat Loaf’s ‘Life is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back’ with the way the opening vocal and music are done. This one has a bit more grit than the opener, but it is still firmly in AOR territory. At this point, this is the song that has grabbed me the least. I don’t consider it a bad song, but it is probably my runt amongst these ten songs.
‘Rocket on the Radio’ would have been in constant rotation on Dial MTV back in the day and is one of my favorites from the record. Kane delivers a killer vocal, and the hook is huge while not being placed too high above the music in the mix. In some ways, it is almost a combination of Lita Ford, Slippery era Bon Jovi, and 80’s Heart, but Kane always has her own individuality in the music too. The guitar solo will have the listener breaking out the air guitar too. ‘Get it On’ begins with a huge chorus of melodic voices and gives way to a clever guitar riff that is supported by some funky bass and keyboards. When the next chorus comes in after the first verse, it leaps right out of the speakers. Kane hits some higher notes here that really showcase her range. Wrapping up the first half of the album is ‘Too Late for Love’ where I am reminded of Honeymoon Suite. There are hints and moments of others here as well with the keyboards providing a debt to the 80’s. In terms of current bands, I would reference the likes of Midnite City and The Defiants.
Kicking off the second half of the album, ‘Defender of the Heart’ carries a power to it with its midtempo beat giving it the feel of an epic. Kane’s vocals here are awesome and given it a chance to shine without her trying to artificially create those moments. There is a purity to it in that she has a great set of songs here, and her voice has a magical quality to my ears. ‘Ball N’ Chain’ might be the first time where I really hear the influence of Crazy Lixx whose Danny Rexon brought Kane to the attention of Frontiers and who I believe wrote the songs here. This is another song that I was singing part of the chorus before my first listen was done. Hard rocker ‘Midnight Rendezvous’ follows with Kane channeling some attitude with this up tempo rocker leaping out of the speakers. This song would have likely been “too heavy” back in the day to be a single but still feels very AOR today. The subtle ‘here comes trouble’ refrain in the chorus adds a cool touch as well with the echo of the vocal on the end seeming to be a nod to Def Leppard.
Keyboards also usher in the beginning of ‘Die in the Name of Love,’ and I would really enjoy seeing this song be a video or single from the album. The backing vocals are big here and serve as an excellent counterpoint to Kane’s lines. If you told me this song was featured on an 80’s soundtrack, I would not be surprised as it just seems like it should have a visual attachment in my brain. Closer ‘Dead End Street’ is the longest song on the album and reminds me of a relatively recent album by LaValle as the song carries some extra weight even with the keyboards. The chorus is much more subdued than the other songs on the album with the keyboard run after the first chorus establishing itself as a hook. The guitar solo is exquisite here as nothing feels rushed at all in the song.
Chez Kane has released an album that stands apart from her work with Kane’d. While there are some common influences, this album definitely feels glossier in terms of the production and the keyboards. There is a fine line where that can go very wrong, but it works to the positive here. Kane has released a solo album that really feels like a true reflection of her based on the covers she will put on YouTube. If you want a gritty rock album, this one is not going to be for you. If you have ever liked any 80’s hard rock songs, I highly recommend this album. I am a huge fan of Kane’s vocals and really like the collection of songs here that come together as an actual album and not just a collection of random songs.
‘Chez Kane’ is released March 12th
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Author: Gerald Stansbury
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