OK, so April is well underway and we pay a visit to the singles club as we’ve ad a few belters that need to be spun.  Its like London busses, when you wait for ages a whole bunch turn up at once  well.  The Singles Club is like that.

Chubby & The Gang – ‘Lightning Don’t Strike Twice’ (Partisan Records) London punks Chubby & The Gang are back with a no-holds-barred thunder in a bottle of pub Rockin blues based punk rock. Picture a bit of slide for a prelude before a quick drum roll that’s like a fumble around the back of the disco before the two litres of bow kicks in and its onto the dance floor with your mates because the DJ is playing Sham 69. Chubbys not fucking about with his gang as they knock out an infectious couple of minutes of noise that just burrows down inside your ear and stays put.  Can’t wait for the new album?  This will have to do…for now. Chubby ain’t going to lose on this evidence he’s a winner and I don’t think he should ever have doubted it.    We’ll run the news with the video later in the week along with links for where you can get your grubby mitts on this bad boy!

The Lancasters – ‘Scallywag’  (Fuzzy Cracklins Presents (CA))  Italian rock and rollers release a new video for the single ‘Scallywag’.  ‘Scallywag’ talks about the lies that people accept as words of truth, superstitions and other inaccuracies perpetuated by the media, the internet, and other scallywags.  From the video, you can hear the band have an ear for the likes of The Kinks and a bit of Dave Edmunds and even some McCartney going on here.  With a decent tune the band aren’t to be confused with the Oi! band of the same name.  This is a good time slice of rock and roll – enjoy it!  Grab it here

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Dinosaur Jr. ‘Garden’ (Jagjaruwar)  A second taster of the wizardly trio’s new album, ‘Sweep It Into Space’ (co-produced by the band and the inimitable Kurt Vile), ahead of it landing in a few weeks’ time.  This time out it’s ‘Garden’ getting an airing, which ranks among the finest Lou contributions to a Dinosaur Jr. record, a soaring, breezy ballad with soft guitar filigree that builds into a wholesome song that never gets out of hand and remains a heartfelt charming song and another great reason to preorder the album.  Lou sings on two of the songs off the new album with ‘Garden’ being one of his strongest offerings to date. check out the video here. Excited much?

Ravagers – ‘Down The Road’ (Spaghetty Town Records)  Another new track from the much anticipated long player (due September) from Baltimore’s finest.   Ravagers wisely used their downtime to decamp to record in Atlanta with Tuk Smith and Dan Dixon where they used their collective skills to hone the Ravagers into the lean fighting machine that we hear today on this single.

The song has a polished edge that wasn’t present on previous offerings and maybe that’s what they needed making them more assessable to the masses.  This has a great hook on the chorus and is short but oh so sweet more aggressive than ‘Nasty Night’ but its the second slice of Rock and Roll and a sidestep from the previous release which makes a mouth-watering proposition for the new album. Its littered with rock and roll diamonds glistening with every lick and pounding drum beat.  Get an earful of this and get September in yer diary as Ravagers new album month.

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Atomic Eater / Kool & The Gang Bangers – ‘Split’ (Helvetes Kitchen/No Front Teeth)  It was a no brainer that this slice of Scandi Punk would come out on NFT its the perfect fit, to be fair it’s lo-fi not no-fi with some added drum machine action to accompany the swirling synths.  They have a sound that’s a perfect fit for NFT Records and behind that scratching guitar that’s driving this hypnotic tune from start to finish is a really good song.  As for Kool & The Gang Bangers, it’s again a lo-fi extravaganza of abrasive guitars and crash band wallop then they were gone.  You know where to go for this split if not then head over to Bandcamp.  It’s short but oh so sweet!

DeeCRACKS – ‘Lost In The Middle’ (Pirates Press)  A most excellent song from Europes finest.  Its not as rapid as I was expecting and slowing down the attack has ‘Lost In The Middle’ coming across as more Rocket From the Crypt rather than The Ramones and its a really good tune for it. Pick up the album here

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Venomous Pinks – ‘Based On A True Story’ (Self Released)   Tracks taken from the bands Bridge City Sessions. Arizona punk rockin trio sound fantastic like the Ramones meets L7 with a whole bunch of attitude that seems like it’s well suited to the live session arena and seeing as they have a liking for TSOL in their press kit it was a no brainer for me.

Head over to iTunes Here or Spotify Here and save this cracker.  The lead track is indeed a take on the Joan Jett track but they amp it right up and give the original a damn good run for its money.

The Automatics – ‘Shine Everlasting’ It’s an uplifting track taken from the album’ A Grand Swandive Into The Void’  The band host an impressive back catalogue of old school punk n roll with catchy powerpop hooks and ‘Shine Everlasting’ is a great example of what they can deliver.  check out the video and their impressive back-catalogue over on www.theautomatics.co.uk.  they’ve been around for several decades and some and were regulars back in the day at venues like The Marquee Club when it was on Wardour street

HUMAN FAILURE – ‘Barbed Wire State’ (Riot Records)  Of course they’re punk as fuck – with a name like human Failure and singing about barbed wire states it’s like 82 never happened.  But from the bass rumble and caustic riff its howling feedback and raw vocals is always a winner. 

The bands upcoming ‘Urchin EP’ begins with a flat-out hardcore that’s done in the blink of an eye or 30 seconds, starting the EP with a bang and giving a taste of what’s to come. It then opens up to more melodic and metal flavours and ends with driving hardcore punk.  Check out these Australian noise bringers Here

Pre-order/pre-save ‘Barbed Wire State’ HERE

Jesse Malin – ‘The Way We Used To Roll’  (Wicked Cool Records)  Saving the best till last here’s the new one from the inimitable Jesse Malin  Available now on Wicked Cool Records Here

A laid back mid-period Stones like number sees Malin not waiting on a friend but forging ahead on his own.  Some great interplay going on here with a fantastic arrangement bring on a new album we need it!  ‘Time Runner’ is another with that Jesse Malin swagger going on upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable over and over again.