Various Artists – ‘What’s It Like To Be 50?’ (Pirate’s Press)

Various Artists – ‘What’s It Like To Be 50?’ (Pirate’s Press)

This eight-track gold vinyl compilation (it’s also out there on all the usual streaming platforms) snook out over the festive period as a surprise gift to the Godfathers of streetpunk Cock Sparrer, by way of a “Thank You” from their US record label Pirates Press.

Bringing together eight of the label’s finest bands, who all in turn got to choose their own Sparrer tune to cover, what it actually turns out to be is perhaps the almost near perfect way to bring down the curtain on Sparrer’s fiftieth anniversary year celebrations.

Kicking things off in true style are Seattle punks The Drowns who give us a right rollicking (and dare I say it, perhaps a little poppier sounding) version of ‘Riot Squad’. Having already reinvented one of my all-time favourite Slade tunes, ‘Know Who You Are’, for a previously released 7” single, I was a little surprised that they chose to play this one straight, but as the old adage says “if it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it”.

Up next is former member of Civet and frontwoman for Turbulent Hearts, Suzi Moon, who having wowed the RPM office during 2022 with her ‘Dumb And In Luv’ album dusts off the early Sparrer classic deep cut ‘Platinum Blonde’ and gives it a glam slamming workout. Something that actually has me wondering what might have been if Joan Jett had chosen to cover a Decca days Sparrer track back in the early 80s when she what looking for her next top 20 US smash.

That’s the thing with Cock Sparrer though isn’t it, they have written so many great songs that should have been huge hits over the years when picking just one to cover it must be almost impossible. So, its German punks Plizzken who make perhaps the most obvious choice (given this album’s title) in the shape of ‘What’s It Like To Be Old’. Which is once again a faithful retelling of the original, albeit here it comes complete with a little bit of metallic chug thrown into the guitars. 

There’s no doubting that Grade 2 are one of the very best punk bands in the UK right now and just to hammer that point home yet again the IOW based trio go and make ‘Roads To Freedom’ from Sparrer’s ‘Guilty As Charged’ album actually sound like one of their own songs. I really can’t wait to hear what this band does next, and if their soon to be released ‘Self Titled ‘album is as great as expected then 2023 really could to be their year. 

After this, the straight bat rendition of ‘Where Are They Now?’ by New York punks The Ratchets actually strikes me as being a little subdued, that is until they mix things up a little during the second verse and this curveball proves to be the perfect introduction for what is about to follow.

Everyone’s favourite band of 2022 The Interrupters then treat us to a faithful rendition of ‘We’re Coming Back’ which for me sadly misses that subtle twist that The Ratchets were bold enough to drop into their cover. I simply expected more, I guess.

It’s American reggae punks The Aggrolites reworking of ‘Take ‘Em All’ that really stands out from the pack here though, as they have totally deconstructed the ‘Shock Troops’ classic and turned it into a dirty reggae anthem. I can see a few people going “what the fuck?” when they get to hear this cut for the first time, but this is what makes the difference when covering a song and having the minerals to stamp your own identity all over it. Can you do the rest of the album now please guys? 

This is something Brighton punks The Bar Stool Preachers also do with the minimum of fuss via their skanked-up version of ‘Suicide Girls’, and given that their singer TJ is the son of Sparrer’s singer Colin McFaull I can almost image Tom did this just to prove to his dad that his musical legacy is safe in his hands as the Preachers prepare for the release of album number three (‘Above the Static’) via a major label deal with Pure Noise Records and hopefully taking them to all new levels of greatness.

Sitting here writing this I do have to wonder how much this record was inspired by Sparrer’s two sell out 50th Anniversary London shows, as during those gigs between sets we were treated to some truly off the wall Sparrer covers by way of an appetiser for the band’s greatest hits set that was due to follow.

Enough of my hypothesizing though as back in the here in the real world there are but 1,500 of these highly treasured gold vinyl records available worldwide (direct from Pirates Press, see the link below) so you best not hang around too long as these are no doubt going to fly out to members of the Cock Sparrer family all over the globe.

http://www.cocksparrer.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/cocksparreruk/

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Author: Johnny Hayward

DADDY LONG LEGS Announces New Album ‘Street Sermons’

DADDY LONG LEGS Announces New Album ‘Street Sermons’

Out March 17th Via Yep Roc Records

DADDY LONG LEGS, New York City’s most diabolical Rhythm & Blues street gang, have announced their eagerly anticipated new album Street Sermons, to be released on March 17th via Yep Roc Records. The group has also shared the title track “Street Sermon,” which sees the group beseeching their troubled congregation to “Work with one another/Not against each other” as the Brooklyn band evolve into a chain gang that sounds like they’re emanating through the cracks of a hot and sticky subway station. Street Sermons is currently available for pre-order here.

Vocalist / harmonicist Brian Hurd writes about the track, “We were upset about a lot of things when we wrote this song and one thing that struck me was that there was a real lack of meaningful protest songs being written at the time so we decided to take matters into our own hands.”

The band’s fourth studio album represents a wellspring of bottled-up feelings and emotions that need to be taken to the streets. Produced by Oakley Munson of the Black Lips at Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY the band expands upon a sound that’s all their own and features guest appearances from Punk Rock legend Wreckless Eric providing backing vocals on “Nightmare” and “Silver Satin” and The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian on “Ding-Ding Man,” In dark times DADDY LONG LEGS continue to shine their light everywhere they go, leaving a piece of themselves on stage every night because it’s in them and it’s got to come out.

DADDY LONG LEGS’ previous album, Lowdown Ways (Yep Roc, 2019), reached #4 on the Billboard Blues Chart. The band has received high praise from Rolling Stone and No Depression who declared that “from the first note, this is clearly a record made by people who live and die for rock and roll.”

Over the last decade these gentlemen have burned down houses the world over with their explosive fire ceremony and have amassed a cult-like following all their own with a tough to beat reputation for being one of the finest live acts on the road today. Written and recorded against a backdrop of political tension, riots in the streets and a deeply uncertain future, Street Sermons is a testament to triumph over adversity.

The Dwarves Trivia day 13

The Dwarves Trivia day 13

THE DWARVES have an average penis size of nine inches, but most of that is Nick Oliveri.

THE DWARVES’ singer Blag co-hosted an advice show with Bay Area radio DJ NoName called We Got Issues. His former podcast Radio Like You Want spread the gospel of bad music and intrusive interviews with accomplice Mike Routhier. Now he croons lounge country style as Ralph Champagne…

The Bar Stool Preachers ‘All Turned Blue’ video & album pre sales.

The Bar Stool Preachers ‘All Turned Blue’ video & album pre sales.

Check out the video for the newest single “All Turned Blue” from the upcoming album: ‘Above The Static’. The new album drops everywhere on March 31st. Bag yourself a super rare vinyl configuration Here

The new album features 12 new tracks as the band releases their first album on the Pure Noise record label before embarking on a UK Tour.

Music & Merch: https://lnk.to/BarStoolPreachers

iTunes: https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/BSP/appl…

Spotify: https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/BSP/spotify

Follow The Bar Stool Preachers

Website: https://www.thebarstoolpreachers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebarstool…

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/barpreachers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarstoolp…

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@barstoolpreac…

RICH RAGANY & THE DIGRESSIONS RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM ‘WHAT WE DO (TO NOT LET GO)’ RELEASED MARCH 3RD

RICH RAGANY & THE DIGRESSIONS RETURN WITH NEW ALBUM ‘WHAT WE DO (TO NOT LET GO)’ RELEASED MARCH 3RD

PRE-ORDER HERE:

Fronted by former Role Models leader Rich Ragany, the last few years has seen the Calgary, Canada born and now UK based songsmith build up quite a reputation with his band of rock n ’roll trailblazers, The Digressions. With musicians that include Andy Brook (celebrated producer, SHUSH), Gaff (Glitterati, Dedwardians, Desperate Measures,) Ricky McGuire (UK SUBS, The Men They Couldn’t Hang), Simon Maxwell (Role Models, Yo Yos) and Kit Swing (Mallory Knox, Seven Days And Doesn’t Die), the band won over the hearts of many in 2021 with their critically-acclaimed ‘Beyond Nostalgia & Heartache’ album, gaining considerable airplay on BBC Introducing, and rave reviews and features from the likes of Classic Rock, Vive Le Rock, Louder Than War and Powerplay etc.

Sharing stages with the likes of The Lemonheads, Warrior Soul, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Whitfield Crane, Ginger Wildheart, The Professionals, Steve Conte (New York Dolls) as well as packing out London venues in their own right, all this deserved attention has led to the band signing a deal with Barrel And Squidger (who have released music by CJ Wildheart, Massive Wagons, members of Status Quo and Sex Pistols) and are set to return March 3rd with a brand new album titled ‘What We Do (To Not Let Go)’.

Today, the band have launched the pre-order for the album and are giving people the first sweet taste of its charms in ‘One Last Thing To Prove’ – a song that lulls the listener into a false sense of security with a beautiful piano and simple chord refrain before out of nowhere the Digressions kick in with a Stooges worthy rock n’ roll riff, complete with ‘Raw Power’ one-note piano stabs. But the vocal harmonies that the band are renowned for lift the song far beyond any low rent garage vibes, and the song soars.

“One night out in Camden I ran into an old friend Pete,” explains Rich, remembering the origins of the song. “We go way back to Canada He’s a sound tech for some pretty amazing acts. Anyways, I see him, and his arm is in a sling. I ask him what he’s doing after. He says he can’t be out late as he leaves in the morning to hit the road. “With a broken arm man??” He replied “We all got one last thing to prove…”

It’s a taster of an album that is crammed full of soaring melodies and the kind of rock n’ roll that can take on many different moods, sounds and styles. For ‘What We Do (To Not Let Go)’ that band went for a different approach to its predecessor…

“As ‘Nostalgia….’ had that wide-screen depth and cinematic feel,” explains Rich. “I decided to lay down a new approach. Gone were layering guitars and keys, in with punchy one takes… everyone getting one shot… everybody gets one job (Gaff is lead guitar, Kit rhythm for example no layers… just the parts), solos are solid takes and not pieced together. This to me would ensure that everyone’s personality would shine right through while making the songs far more immediate and vital. If it’s one thing I’ve learned while being incredibly lucky to work with the Digressions, it’s that they have a ton of personality.

“After writing, recording our ‘Beyond Nostalgia And Heartache’ album through the pandemic I felt we were on an incredible creative roll. So just before the release of Nostalgia I booked time again with Andy at The Brook Studios in Wallington Rock City. I had the songs and the band had grown into something very special. We had to keep going, which felt natural. What you get is a muscular yet melodic, anthemic rock n roll album. A new way of telling our story. One I can say I am so proud to be part of.”

‘What We Do (To Not Let Go)’ is out March 3rd via Barrel and Squidger Records and is available to pre-order HERE.

Album release parties are confirmed for March 3rd at The Parish in Huddersfield and March 4th at The Camden Assembly in London. 

Also, the band have just secured the main support slot on The Southall Lawless Stage of The Call Of The Wild Festival on May 27th. More dates across the country are being added.

Rich Ragany And The Digressions are:

Rich Ragany – vocals/guitar/drums
Gaff – lead guitar
Kit Swing – guitar/vocals
Andy Brook – keyboards/vocals/guitar
Ricky McGuire – bass
Simon Maxwell – drums/percussion

Rich Ragany And The Digressions online at:

BANDCAMP

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

The Dwarves come again

The Dwarves come again

THE DWARVES have been active for over 40 years and Blag has published three novels of transgressive fiction, Armed to the Teeth With Lipstick, Nina, and Highland Falls.

THE DWARVES performed onstage with Turbonegro at the Leeds Festival, UK and have toured Europe 12 times, performing at Reading, Pukkelpop, Goteborg Gallopp, Download Donnington, Groezrock and Rebellion Fest to name just a few. Please don’t ruin a perfectly good gram of hash with tobacco.

THE DWARVES website was hacked by Islamic jihadists (http://tcat.tc/1bWYQPX). Peace be upon you!

Dinosaur Jr – ‘Puke & Cry-(The Sire Years 1990-1997)’ (Cherry Red Records)

Dinosaur Jr – ‘Puke & Cry-(The Sire Years 1990-1997)’ (Cherry Red Records)

Undisputed kings of the clamshell box set Cherry Red have put together the ultimate CD clam shell box of Dinosaur Jr from 1990-97 or the hits years when they were signed to Sire. On the four CDs, you get all four albums plus a plethora of B-sides and more. Albums, Singles, and rarities are pretty much the Jewson lot.

The booklet has a heap of awesome artwork to accompany the releases as well as extensive sleevenotes from Mojo Magazines Keith Cameron based on his interviews with J Mascis.

Born in the mid-80s post-punk and pre-Grungers Dinosaur Jr was the brainchild of Mascis and his unique guitar style. To be fair the run of sire records are an amazing body of work and a commercial success to boot. ‘Green Mind’ with its cool cover was intriguing at the time (pre-internet) but as soon as the needle dropped it was a sonic scalping. Songs like ‘The Wagon’ and ‘Whatevers Cool With Me’ were and still are fantastic songs.

To follow it up a year later with ‘Where You Been’ with its lead track ‘Start Choppin’ was nothing short of brilliant and deserved its commercial success proving that ‘Green Mind’ wasn’t a one-off or flash in the pan. The beauty here is pulling in all the bonus material onto one disc with its corresponding album with ‘Missing Link’ ending disc two which was the pick of the soundtrack ‘Judgement Night’ which pulled together some amazing collaborations.

Continuing the upward trajectory ‘Without A Sound’ and ‘Hand It Over’ wrapped up a real golden period for the band. They might not have reached the dizzy heights of the first two in the set but I’ve always loved ‘Feel The Pain’ and it still sounds amazing all these years later but again its the bonus tracks that are the main draw here Instrumentals, Acoustic live tracks all filling out this set.

With almost 80 tracks this is a superb box set that’s a fantastic in for new fans or people too young first time around and a great accompaniment for the vinyl reissues that broke the band when they came out a few years ago.

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Author: Dom Daley

Dwarves and more Dwarves Day 11

Dwarves and more Dwarves Day 11

THE DWARVES music has been featured in films like Ghostworld, Hostel, Observe and Report and Me, Myself and Irene, where Jim Carrey crooned ‘Motherfucker’ while having a nervous breakdown in a car. In the hardcore porno ‘Rocksuckers,’ genitals collide to a ballsy Dwarves soundtrack. Lloyd Nickell’s video for ‘Stop Me’ contains content deemed harmful by the FBI, FCC and Mothers Against Intercourse.

THE DWARVES are mostly a cat band, but enjoy a good doggy now and again.

THE DWARVES singer Blag the Ripper sang the novelty hit ‘Do the Sponge’ on the cartoon series Spongebob Squarepants. Dwarf Sgt. Saltpeter has written and performed over 20 musical pieces featured since the show began. That’s Balls, Folks!

Bloodclot – ‘Souls’ (Upstate Records)

Bloodclot – ‘Souls’ (Upstate Records)

Righto punk rockers after a debut album that was heralded as a hardcore classic right from the off Bloodclot were far more than the sum of their parts even if those parts were fuckin’ awesome. After the sad loss of Todd Youth the thought of a new Bloodclot album didn’t crop up on anyone’s radar I wouldn’t imagine. Then Boom! the power of the internet revealed late in 2022 that there was now music seeping out of the wounds of Bloodclot and whilst there was a huge Youth sized hole in the band they could continue if the material was anywhere near as strong as what was on the debut.

Mainstay vocalist and part-time Cro Mag John Joseph howls the battlecry of Bloodclot and as far as modern hardcore goes these are as good as you can hope to get and stand on top of the pile. Apparently, Bloodclot has been a going concern since the mid-80s kicking out the jams on the live front but it wasn’t until ‘that debut ‘Up In Arms’ were they laid down for eternity on some epic wax. Almost a decade later they follow up that debut with the stingy ‘Souls’ stingy in as much as there are only seven songs represented here but boy is it in your face hardcore. With Slayer gone and living it large in some retirement home someone needed to pick up those riffs and smash them down onto wax so why not Bloodclot.

There might not be many songs on this seven-track album but there’s a hell of a lot going on and it’s Hardcore as fuck with no second passing that isn’t going to devastate your eardrums or give you the slightest second to catch your breath. It’s Punk as fuck, Metal as fuck, Hardcore as fuck – Thrash as fuck it’s the whole freakin lot. My only complaint is the cost of getting this into the UK with the cost going through the roof currently thanks to Brexshit and the UK government dragging us closer to hell with their economics and cost of living but then again what better soundtrack is there?

When you find out that Joseph has recruited Tom Capone formally of the influential post-hardcore band Quicksand, bassist Craig Setari of Sick Of It All, and Darren Morgenthaler formally of Madball on Drums you might begin to understand why these guys deliver such a bone-crushing heaviness.

If it was possible this is heavier than ‘Up In Arms’ in a Slayer thrash sort of way its crossover at its finest and uncompromising. If I were to offer up a criticism then it would be the fact that there are only six original songs here with the album closing off with a rip through Bad Brains ‘How Low Can A Punk Get’.

‘Unhinged’ will pummel you ‘War Castles’ out Slayers early Slayer with a twist. Save the Robot’ is a little slower in tempo but not much, even leaning on early Metallica especially when you hear dim the light’s lyrics but why not. ‘Infectious’ is a slower more grinding heaviness and possibly the least enjoyable track on offer. But hang on in there ‘Relentless’ picks up the pace again with its tip of the hat to Lemmy and his Ace Of Spades (nice touch).

I’ll always be interested in a new Bloodclot album regardless of how many songs and how long it lasts because even if it’s not hit the dizzy heights of ‘Up In Arms’ it’s not too far behind and that’s still a rip-snorting place to be.

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Author: Dom Daley

Day 10 of Dwarves trivia

Day 10 of Dwarves trivia

THE DWARVES could be saluted by groups as disparate as the National Organization for Women, the Vatican and the Daughters of the American Revolution for promoting greater gender understanding.

THE DWARVES are snotty bastards who live in California. Their notorious ‘Blood Guts & Pussy’ album cover, depicting a dwarf clad only in dead rabbit and blood-spattered Amazons, led to widespread banning and protests at gigs for years to come.

Immortalised in plastic Blag And HeWho have their own bobbleheads (not life size)

THE DWARVES guitarist HeWhoCanNotBeNamed died in 1993 as reported in SPIN (100 sleaziest moments in Rock #79), Alternative Press, SF Weekly and Harper’s, among others. Being denied entrance to Hell, he returned to mortal form, commenting later, “that which kills me makes me stronger.”