Singles Club – The Hunt For Red October

Singles Club – The Hunt For Red October

The Slackers – ‘Windowland’ (Pirates Press Records)  This incredible semi-transparent printed one-sided 12” is limited and absolutely going to fly off the shelves once people start seeing them in person! Grab one fast before it’s too late!! A horn honking slice of prime time Ska from the Slackers.  ‘Windowland’ has got such a cool laid back vibe going on it’s almost horizontal. The B Side is more of the same with a super cool laid back vibe on ‘I Almost Lost You’ but by a hairs breadth, ‘Windowland’ has it.

 

 

 

 

The Dilrods – ‘One Nation Under Rod’ (Self Release)  four track EP kicking off with the snotty ‘Smash You Up’ like a late-night stagger home from a jolly good night out is followed up with the swagger of ‘Raw Meat’ with its tip-top groove sounding like its been given a kickin’ but it’s still got a swagger and an attitude that it doesn’t much give two fucks. ‘Bondo’ is another bruiser like a street fighter it’s coming out swinging.  Another top release from The Dilrods that leaves you wanting more as ‘Out To Sea’ is a right banger to sign off with like a vintage long lost Stooges romp its got quality running right through it and is well worth picking up even if this is only digital for now it’s a must-have quartet of tunes that clock in at under ten minutes.  Get Here

 

 

Smashed Gladys – ‘Bleed For Me’ (Golden Robot Records)   Another of the previously unreleased demos for the third Smashed Gladys record that brings you what might have been.  Sally Kato (RIP) delivers another sleazy rock n roll performance on an otherwise standard rocker from the East Coast rockers.  that doesn’t sound much like a cowbell more like the side of a whisky tumbler.  some nice guitar breaks you can tell it’s still a demo.

Listen/Buy ‘Bleed for Me’ HERE

 

 

 

 

 

The Dirty Denims – ‘Even When I’m Wrong I’m Right’ (Self Release)  Huge sounding slab of high energy rock and roll as the band release this live take via streaming services.  With a filthy bass sound that can bulldoze buildings it’s a ripper of a tune.  You can also catch the band on tour through November in Spain   Tuesday, November 02, 2021 La Ley Seca Zaragoza  Wednesday, November 03, 2021 Dabadaba Donosti  Thursday, November 04, 2021 Mardi Gras A coruna  Friday, November 05, 2021 Lestrato fest Ourense  Saturday, November 06, 2021 Casino Sarria Sunday, November 07, 2021 Niagara Santander,  November 12th: MTC – Cologne (DE)
/w Black Sheriff + Stacy Crowne More info the FB-event,   November 20th: Muziekcafé – Helmond (NL)
/w X Raiders Get your tickets now  More info in the FB-event

November 26th: The Other Side – Peer (BE) Get your tickets now More to be announced

 

Bitch Queens – ‘Con Man Contraband’ (Lux Noise Records) Never made a bad record – Fact! Bitch Queens are back with a high octane thumper that builds and builds and breaks new ground as the band stretch their boundaries and like a punch to the temple it hits the spot as a taster for the new record thats coming.  Absolute banger! how these cats aren’t fucking huge God only knows.    Album (out 5.11.21) still up for preorder here:
Shop: http://bitchqueens.bandcamp.com/merch

 

Ryan Hamilton – ‘Do The Damage’ (Wicked Cool Records)  1221 Album Project. 10 months & 10 songs into this crazy idea… and only 2 more to go. but what a song to sign off October with. A really punchy upbear rocker. Part Tom Robinson part Quo boogie-woogie but with a big fat smile punched all over the track.  Get hold of this record as soon as it’s released it’s a right Bobbie dazzler as they say somewhere or other.  With variety and some top songwriting and this might just be the track that’s the cherry on the icing on the cake get it on kids it’s anthemic and rockin’ with a big chorus with some Van Halen esque keys for good measure.  Here

 

 

Steve Conte – ‘Flyin’ (Wicked Cool Records)  The latest video lifting a track off the new Steve Conte solo record sees Steve knock out an acoustic driven trip back to the Faces heyday with what amounts to his best ever vocal performance that will give you goosebumps.  

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – ‘Sherry Darling’ Lifted from a November issue of the No Nukes DVD this is prime time Springsteen and his band. Not often we review Springsteen but this is knockout stuff. NYC to Jersey in two new releases. East Coast is rocking it on RPM The No Nukes is coming out on CD LP and DVD. Pre-order the film and live album here: brucespringsteen.lnk.to/NoNukes

Bitch Queens – ‘Custom Dystopia’ (Lux Noise Records)

Bitch Queens – ‘Custom Dystopia’ (Lux Noise Records)

Bitch Queens return with their follow up to the excellent ‘City of Class’ and continue to release well crafted albums that maintain high quality. They don’t tend to break out of the hard rock laced with punk attitude and catchiness category ( or is it punk rock with attitude and hard rock elements) that they have mined for several years. If you have liked the past couple of albums, this one is a no-brainer to purchase, and, if you have not heard them, start your journey here and enjoy a trip through their back catalog as well.

 

‘Burn It Down’ surges to life with an urgency that packs every second of its two minutes with vitality. The chorus doesn’t mess around and presents a simple refrain to immediately bring the listener into the album. The short breakdown in the song provides just enough of a break to create an impact when the hook comes back around for good measure. Slowing the tempo for ‘Con Man Contraband’ creates some dynamics as the verse then is given more power with the screaming vocals. A slithery guitar riff weaves its way through the song as the chorus is more subtle than the opener. Within the confines of the band’s sound is where they have expanded what they do as opposed to genre jumping. Sampling a warning announcement, they launch into ‘The Apocalypse’ and continue to ease just a little off the throttle here to create impactful moments. This is another chorus destined to be stuck in your head, and I like that we get the chorus before the first verse. The slow down at the end of the song fits perfectly too.

 

‘Don’t Be That Dude’ feels like a throwback to the mid to late 90’s a la Turbonegro, Supersuckers, Gluecifer, etc. It is catchy with lots of levity and will be one that will likely irritate you as you sing it in your head later. The title track provides an immediate switch with a balls to the wall race to the end of its frantic 40 second runtime. The band then immediately goes back to their super catchy hard rock with ‘The Worst Thing’ to close the first half of the album. It’s not a far reach from the Backyard Babies but contains a bit more exuberance and punkiness than BB have done for a while.

 

Kicking off the back half of the record, ‘Brainwash Radio’ is a solid classic Bitch Queens song with a large hook, excellent production, and made for air guitar riffs. This is the kind of song that should be getting played to death on the radio. The guitar to open ‘FU Emily’ provides more twists in the dynamics of the album. The song serves as a bit of a ballad here but is laced with so much attitude that it feels incredibly sinister and extremely catchy. ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ ups the tempo considerably and will either have your fist in the air or head banging in no time. This again highlights one of the greatest qualities of the band. They create albums that have a flow and take the listener on a journey. When the record ends, you want back on the roller coaster.

 

The final quarter pole of the album kicks off with ‘A Good Day to Forget’ which continues the hard rocking excellence. The chorus provides some moments to start singing immediately, but it is not one that will get boring. The guitar solo after the second chorus serves the song perfectly. ‘This is How We Roll in 2020’ provides another scream along moment as we recall the misery of the 2020 world. I don’t think someone could sit still during the song. Closing out the album, ‘Sugar Balls’ takes a step somewhat out of the ordinary but still sounds just like the Bitch Queens. The intensity builds up during the song to serve as the perfect ride out into the sunset moment for the album.

The Bitch Queens entered my world with the awesome ‘L.O.V.E.’ album back in 2017. I went backwards to catch up with their back catalog and have now been a fan since the start for their two most recent albums. If catchy hard rock laced with punk venom sounds like your thing, grab this new album and then start making your way through their back catalog too. You will not regret it.

Buy Here

 

Author: Gerald Stansbury

SIXX:A.M. – ‘HITS’ (Better Noise Music)

SIXX:A.M. – ‘HITS’ (Better Noise Music)

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue fame released the first Sixx: A.M. record, boy does time fly when you’re having fun or so they say.

Sixx: A.M’s first album was the menacingly titled ‘The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack’ and it was released to accompany the book of the same name.  So what we have now is the latest Sixx: A.M. release titled ‘Hits’ which is the musical accompaniment to Nikki’s latest book “The First 21 How I Became Nikki Sixx”.  The album kicks off with ‘Life Is Beautiful” and ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ and these are hard-hitting yet melodic tracks with deep meaningful lyrics to accompany the music.

The next handful of tracks take in the best songs of the band’s discography so far and particular standouts are ‘Pray For Me’, ‘Stars’ and ‘Belly Of The Beast’.  Now, most Sixx: A.M. fans will have the above tracks on the band’s albums but with the hits collection we also get some new tracks with ‘The first 21’, ‘Penetrate’ and ‘Waiting All My Life’ and these are all quality additions to the Sixx: A.M. canyon with stunning melodies that instantly lodge in the listeners head and are sure to be stunning when performed live.

We also get a couple of fresh takes on two classic Sixx: A.M. tracks “skin” and “life is beautiful” which makes this collection even more special. So this record is a must-have for the casual as well as the die-hard fans of the band.

Stream and Buy Here

Author: Gareth ‘Hotshot’ Hooper

Wine Lips are ‘In The Clear’ with new video

Wine Lips are ‘In The Clear’ with new video

Toronto’s premiere buzz band, Wine Lips, have just released their latest, rock n roll bloodbath of a video for the single In the Clear. It’s their third, ferocious-freakout-single from their upcoming LP Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party due out October 29th on Montreal’s Stomp Records. The video, which was Directed by Ciarán Downes, filmed by Jamie Gagain and edited by Ciarán Downes & Taylor Lucas is a tongue in cheek look at overreactions and self-diagnosis. Singer Cam Hilborn describes the video by saying, “We wanted to play off a person’s reaction to some bad news but in a very over exaggerated way. The video follows a clown who has just been given news that he is an expecting father on a parody of the Maury Show. The result is the clown having a complete meltdown and going on a killing spree”.

Order New Color Vinyl LP “Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party”

https://winelips.bandcamp.com/album/mushroom-death-sex-bummer-party

Pre-Save “Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party” on all Streaming Services

https://bfan.link/mushroom-death-sex-bummer-party

In the Clear highlights the rhythmic symmetry that drummer Aurora Evans and Cam Hilborn have perfected over the course of creating their acclaimed recording catalogue. Press have already been salivating over the new album with rave reviews for their teaser-single “Eyes”. Spotify, Indie 88, Exclaim! Magazine, and Brooklyn Vegan have all promoted the new album with keen anticipation. The new single In the Clear continues to deliver their ferocious brand of new school, inde-tinged garage rock. Commenting on the message behind the new single, Hilborn says, “In the Clear tells a story a few can likely relate to of feeling like a hypochondriac. When self diagnosis becomes alarming after researching symptoms on the world wide web and the results are of course interpreted to imply that death is around the corner. Then you work up enough courage to see the doctor only to have them tell you that you’re fine and that there was nothing to be worried about in the first place.”

BLACK SPIDERS Hit The Road! & New Video

BLACK SPIDERS Hit The Road! & New Video

NOVEMBER TOUR DATES 

 

NEW SINGLE ‘STABBED IN THE BACK’ OUT FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12th

 When Sheffield rock heroes Black Spiders announced their hiatus in 2017, no one in their right minds would have predicted that when the good times, big balls n’ riffs rockers did return, it would be in the middle of a global pandemic. But that is, of course, exactly what happened and in March of this year, Black Spiders unleashed their highly anticipated brand new self-titled album upon an eager, locked down, rock hungry audience.

 

Critically acclaimed and hungrily lapped up by the Black Spiders rock starved fans, the album put the band firmly back on the map of rock, the only piece missing from the jigsaw being the opportunity to take these pulsating new songs out onto the world’s stages where they belonged. With gigs scheduled to happen right after ‘Freedom Day’ in July, the band were scuppered once again and had to cancel the dates having fallen victim to the ‘ping-demic’. Thankfully, the Black Spiders were able to finally crank out their riffs at this year’s Bloodstock Festival for a triumphant set and are now primed to tour the UK in November and will be releasing a new single from the aforementioned album, the defiant ‘Stabbed In The Back’.

 

“Even before Julius Caesar made it popular, people have been getting ripped off, misrepresented, f**ked over and double-crossed, left, right and centre,” states guitarist and vocalist Pete Spiby. “It happens all the time and we are no strangers to this occurrence. You just have to find the strength to carry on and keep some dignity.”

 

“It’s been and continues to be such a strange time, so we’re still getting used to being out and about,” continues Pete. “We set out to tour this album this year and we are determined to honour that. We are already back in the studio, recording towards our next release, so we need to get out there and play these songs while we can!”

 

Find Black Spiders online at:

 

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

PATREON

 

 

James Sullivan – ‘Light Years’ (Stardumb Records)

James Sullivan – ‘Light Years’ (Stardumb Records)

James Sullivan was once a member of the wonderful Role Models and currently the guitarist and singer of the fabulous More Kicks, Suspect Parts and now it seems is also a rather splendidly capable solo artist.  I’m not sure what they put in the water of the bathroom pictured on the artwork for his debut solo outing but, it’s clear to me that James knows how to pen a pop song, and along with the facts we already knew that he has a splendid singing voice and fleet-fingered guitar talent this here solo record is pretty bloody impressive. He says it was intended to be “nothing”, but ended up being most everything is a modest way of putting it but when you let this record breath you will realise that it contains plenty of fantastic tunes and the raw, naked enthusiasm he has for the song rather than the over-produced product of a lot of today’s music, you will appreciate that to chisel away at the unsmooth edges of his songs would be to sanitise and dilute the passion that these songs flourish in.  

 

Quirky and sometimes beautiful turn of phrase or twist of a chord mashed in with a twisted drum pattern is what paints this rich tapestry of Rock and Roll, and some artists just ooze it and James is one of those talented people who write great songs.

 

It seems every record these days is prefaced with “with lockdown hitting” and doing something to stay sane.  James set himself the challenge of writing 10 songs in 10 days and recording them – with no intention of anyone ever hearing them. It was a move away from writing songs for his touring live band. He wanted to make something based entirely on instinct – trying out new styles and not thinking about anything for longer than a few minutes. Write it, record it, move on.

 

From fuzz induced alternative new wave meets power-pop of ‘Totally Bored’, then ‘Up To My Neck Again’ is wonderful from the opening Kinks like out of tune piano it a beautiful thing as is the lo-fi ’60s pop nuggets (‘It Won’t Do You Harm’) this record has an ebb and flow that feels like your living the experiment with him and as it unravels, enjoying more on every play as something else jumps out that makes you smile and helps pass the remembrance of long lockdowns with nothing to do other than try and remember what things used to be like and would they ever return.

 

The lead single ‘Lea Bridge’, a New York meets London retro journey through flickered film and four-track memories it has treated wall of sound saturated guitars and an organ with the spoken word account of a cross-town journey.  A strange opener and most definitely a left-field introduction. Like the ramblings of a journal from a beat poet emptying his brain onto tape.

 

It’s the “On the fly” practices that make this such an endearing journey,  we know his talents from his previous recordings but this is different and something altogether special and a real grower.  Impressive is the fact it’s one take – live to tape from start to finish without overdubs its one hell of an insight.  Stripped bare can be an intimidating place for a musician but the melody on ‘Won’t Do You Harm’ is exactly that,  Acoustic guitar, fantastic turn of phrase with a Bontempi keyboard and a shaker for cover,  it’s as bare as it gets and boy does it work.  It’s like getting into a rollercoaster without it being passed for health and safety but hey let’s take this chance.  There is a swagger on ‘You Kept My Heart Alive’ and I’d like to think of James sweeping his hair to one side on ‘Getaway’ like a post-punk Phil Oakey as the drum machine plods on through some insane levels of instrumentation but always managing to pull it back from that wall of eight-track noise.

 

The acoustic balladeering of ‘Man In Black’ is simple and quite beautiful for wiping it clean and just letting the melody and lyrics breathe.  There is a hint of Jarvis Cocker on ‘Get Our Sense Away’ and I’ve no clue as to what subliminal messaging is on the end of this recording but I’m not bothered because the xylophone solo whilst it might not be Crazy & The Brain standard it’s needed and it’s one hell of a wonderful recording I’ve just had the pleasure of playing over and over again.

 

The lyrics of Jagger spring to mind when he said he wished he stick a pen in his heart and spill it all over the stage well Sully has and his bravery and sense of adventure has paid dividends and I Know It’s Only Rock and Roll but I like It!  Yes, yes I Do!!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

 

Johnny Thunders and the heartbreakers – ‘LAMF’ Found Mix

Johnny Thunders and the heartbreakers – ‘LAMF’ Found Mix

First issued as a much sought-after vinyl LP for RSD in July 2021, now this CD version comes together with a bonus CD – ‘the L.A.M.F. demos, plus’; a 19-track collection of four demo sessions from 1976-77 (previously released in two now-deleted box sets) and three tracks from Track Records singles.  It’s packaged in a hardcover 32-page book, with notes by Simon Wright and a 2012 interview with Walter Lure (the last of the LAMF Heartbreakers who sadly passed away in 2020), together with rarely-seen photos.

 

Order Here

 

  • PRE-ORDER here for release date of NOVEMBER 5 2021
  • Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers’ newly discovered 1977 LP’s master-tape!
  • The faulty 1977 LP was known as ‘muddy’ – the master was lost when Track went bust
  • Previous issues were outtakes, remixes or ‘mud’ – but it’s now heard clearly at last
  • 2CD edition in hard-back 32p book with bonus disc of four demo sessions and more
  • PRE-ORDER now for release date of November 5th 2021

 

 

Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

‘Get Along’ is the latest single to be lifted from ‘Checkered Past’, the forthcoming brand new studio album by revered hard rockers L.A. Guns. It follows the recent ‘Cannonball’ and ‘Knock Me Down’, as well as 2020’s similarly titled ‘Let You Down’.  The album is set for release on 12th November via Frontiers.  pre-order link – Here

Through the summer of 2021 Feeder have been teasing the first music from their upcoming new album Torpedo. The album’s opening previews – title-track “Torpedo” and “Magpie” – both led with heavy, grinding riffs that made way for sky-high choruses. Today, the album’s first official single “Wall Of Silence” is announced.

Finally we head down under for some Swedish Magazines ‘Head On Ice’

Nestor – ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’ (Nestor Music Group)

Nestor – ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’ (Nestor Music Group)

Legend has it that in the pre-internet days a certain RPM writer (who shall remain nameless for the purpose of this review) would trick his long-suffering wife into driving him all across the UK to watch bands she’d never heard of, and would never like, by playing her mixtapes of AOR bands he knew she would love, claiming they were the band he wanted to see. Needless to say, mid-gig said spouse would normally turn to the writer saying something like “these sound nothing like that tape you did me” to which he would quickly reply “I think they must have changed musical direction since the last album.”

 

That my colleague got away with this routine on numerous occasions still makes me chuckle to this very day.

 

So why am I mentioning this here? Well, Swedish soft rockers Nestor are actually like Dom’s (oops) wife’s ultimate revenge band, having embraced quite a few different musical genres along the way, before finally emerging from out of the Covid haze in early 2021 with a trio of gloriously OTT videos soundtracked by some jaw dropping AOR tunes. Songs that immediately had those of us in the know reaching for our air keytars.

 

The brainchild of one Tobias Gustavsson who now goes by the name of Ironlord ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’ contains ten glorious songs (and an intro) that sound like they were purpose built for the soundtrack to a long lost eighties action film, and when I say this I certainly don’t mean it as a put down. Think King Kobra ‘Thrill of A Lifetime’, Stan Bush And Barrage’s self-titled album, or Icon’s ‘Night of The Crime’ and you won’t be a million miles away from what awaits you when you get your copy of ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’.

 

I must admit there was an initial doubt in my mind that this might all be some elaborate joke especially when on top of the tongue in cheek videos I took a quick look into Gustavsson’s past musical ventures, but when an album is this jaw-droppingly brilliant you have to take it for what it is, a collection of truly fabulous songs that actually brought a nostalgic tear to my eye on more than one occasion.

 

Following the album’s brief scene setting intro ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’ gets fully underway with the track that started it all for us here at RPM, ‘On The Run’, a song which just like the album’s title track which follows, both kind of remind me of the energy and spirit of ‘Don’t Come Easy’ era Tyketto. Each track guaranteed to delight those of us who liked to wear our hair long at the back and short on the sides back in the day.

 

‘Stone Cold Eyes’ and ‘These Days’ sees Nestor’s very own Didge Digital Martin Frejinger weaving some keyboard magic into proceedings whilst ‘Perfect 10 (Eyes Like Demi Moore)’also manages to score a perfect 10 on my AOR parp-o-meter.

 

It’s when the album passes the half way mark that the pace drops for the first time (and bassist Marcus Åblad and drummer Mattias Carlsson get to quickly catch their breath) via the epic power ballad ‘Tomorrow’, which features Samantha Fox (yup that Sam Fox) on guest vocals (rumour has it that Lita Ford was originally approached but did not respond – her loss most definitely) and this leads straight into the haunting and ever so slightly progressive tinged ‘We Are Not Alone’.

 

Jonny Wemmenstedt’s chuggin’ Motley-esque guitar intro to Firesign’ gets the pedal well and truly to the metal once again with Gustavsson once again delivering a truly commanding vocal display. This guy is right up there with the Vaughns the Perrys and indeed the Boltons of the AOR world, and in the anthemic ‘1989’ Nestor has a track that could easily fit into the track listing of ‘Escape’. Yup it really is that great.

 

‘It Ain’t Me’ closes the album down with power ballad number three, and here Gustavsson vocally somehow draws on his past Chris Cornell influences whilst also adding an almost rock opera edge to the track. It’s actually my least favourite track on offer here, but that’s not to say it’s still not a fine ending to one of the most exciting AOR albums I’ve heard since I first came into contact with White Sister’s amazing ‘Fashion By Passion’ album all the way back in 1986.

 

Someone get my cotton suit and espadrilles out of storage I can feel the NWOAOR starting right here – ESSENTIAL!!!!!

 

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Author: Johnny Hayward

 

Idles – new video from new album

Idles – new video from new album

“The Beachland Ballroom” from our new album “CRAWLER” out 12 November 2021 on Partisan Records. Pre-order now: Here

IDLES have just announced their return with new album CRAWLER, out November 12 via Partisan, their fourth in as many years and the follow-up to their first No. 1, 20’s Ultra Mono. And today they have shared Pt. 2 of the video for its first single, “The Beachland Ballroom.” The song, named after the iconic Ohio venue, is an honest-to-goodness soul song featuring a gorgeous, gripping vocal performance from frontman Joe Talbot. Directed by IDLES in collaboration with LOOSE.

 

On CRAWLER, the group brings to life vivid stories of trauma, addiction and recovery with its most soul-stirring music to date. The 14-track project was recorded at the famed Real World Studios in Bath during the COVID-19 pandemic and co-produced by Kenny Beats (Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs) and IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen. Pre-order CRAWLER HERE.

The band is currently on a sold out US tour, having just kicked it off in St. Paul’s Palace Theatre Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, two nights at NYC’s Terminal 5, DC’s 9:30 Club and more. Reactions to their live shows have been unanimously enthusiastic, one reviewer saying, “This one hurt, but in all the right ways” (Minneapolis Star Tribune) and “a sold-out show packed full of sweat, unity and hell of a lot of noise,” (Columbus Underground).  Explore Asheville remarked,”here was a band you could pin all your hopes on, ideals you could rally round, a set of songs you could believe in.”