Singles Club – January (Sick and tired you been hanging on me)

Singles Club – January (Sick and tired you been hanging on me)

OK, so the festive season is in the rearview mirror and the biz crawls back into life and the singles begin to trickle in. It might not be the bumper bag of 7″ delights quite yet but remember kids it’s quality, not quantity and boy have we got a bunch of top-notch tunes for you to delight in.

Sister Morphine – ‘Nothing Dirty In The Truth’ (Big Egg Records) Taken from the album, ‘Ghost Of Heartbreak City’ ‘Nothing Dirty In The Truth’ came to life via a messaging app during the pandemic. Of the new tracks on the album that wasn’t written many moons ago, this is a brand new composition from the band leaning on a rougher, darker, and more menacing track. It bursts into life and races to the chorus where it’s met by bitter-sweet gang vocals before heading off into the underworld. It’s fist pumping and rockin’ and another quality reason to invest in this album that hits the street in mid Feb. It’s an earworm for sure hunkering down and tapping away making sure you hit the repeat button and dive back in for some more of that sweet, sweet Rock n Roll. Pre Order Here

The Hip Priests – ‘Shakin’ Aint Fakin’ (The Sign Records) Off like a speeding bullet Shit Islands favourite sons have released a brand new video and single ahead of their new album in what promises to be a good year for fans of the band. With a laser-like focus on the production and arrangement, this is a Priest’s banger with Von Cruz vocals front and center as he delivers his sermon and through the killer breakdown and rant that winds up the solo, this is indeed yet another banger and reason to get excited as to what’s coming down the track. All hail the mighty Hip Priests the time is coming! Bandcamp

Nancy Boys – Live At The Basement (Self Release) Woh! Nancy Boys are in the house and they’ve brought the glamour and feather boas and a trolly full of retro Rock n Roll n booze. Swinging their hips on ‘Bondage Love’ as they turn the clocks back to the 70s when Aerosmith could walk the walk and the Hollywood Brats were the cool kids. This four-track EP is so addictive with Rock n Roll, laid back and boogieing from their Paris HQ to the world this is superb.

They do a fine line in Dolls meets 70s Rockers with Riffs n cowbells n wooh hoos, its got plenty of swing and they can write banging tunes – which to be fair is all you need. Get on it kids and tell em RPM sent you. If you’re not at least dancing like Jagger as the boys knock out ‘The Nancy Boys Are Coming’ then Rock n Roll might not be for you. We need more bands like Nancy Boys they just get it and ooze grooves. Website

The Drowns / Plizzken – Split (Pirates Press Records) This limited edition oxblood vinyl highlights two exceptional new and unreleased songs from two bands gaining steam out of two different corners of the world, both with a ton of gas/petrol in the tank! Both also featured on the Cock Sparrer tribute album delivering the goods. The Drowns kick out the jams on the magnificent ‘The Lost Boys Of Suburbia’ a song that smarts and rocks like a beast from the opening note to the crashing finale. Excellent Rock and Roll like a long-lost Dictators proto-punk gem – except better!

Meanwhile, Plizzken delivers their own banger. Punching in some strong street punk on ‘One More Time’ it’ll have you clenching your fist and reaching for the air – a great feelgood slice of street punk for the new year – Get on it!

The Dahmers – ‘Black Widow’ (Spaghetty Town Records (USA) and Ghost Highway Recordings (Spain)) With the spooky keyboard run Sweden’s own horror punks the Dahmers rock and roll into 2023 with another infectious slice of Rock n Roll. with a great hook on the chorus let’s hope this second single from their upcoming “Ghouls In The Garage” EP from these spooktacular punks is what spurs on a new long player.

It’s got plenty of bite as it marries the Hellacopter’s echo-laden vocals to some horror keys not a million miles from The Fuzztones and with plenty of Rock n Roll. They always deliver catchy anthems with a twist of ghoul. when this gets released get right on it kids you won’t regret it.

Tramp – ‘Bleed’ (Self Release) Dont blush. These ladies are down in the dirt with Iggy and the Dolls and if you blink you might have missed what they’re dishing up. ‘Bleed’ doesn’t hide it hits you right between the eyes with its twelve-bar Johnny Thunders meets satan for a sleazy rip ride through the trash and I love it. But Hell, hang on a minute if that didn’t kick you square in the balls ‘She’s Fast’ adds a little Debbie Harry sneering to proceedings and whips down your strides before you can touch up your guyliner. Lyrics your nan would love and a backbeat you can throw your body around to just like Sylvain and Johnny used to do back in the day. Now gedoutayer you punk! Get it here or fuck off I guess

Local Drags – ‘Without Anbody Tellin’ Me’ (Bandcamp) One Man band Local Drags have been wowing us here at RPM Online for a while with his alt rock Americana picking at the bones of the likes of the Gin Blossoms and Replacements for starters has knocked out this digital four track EP.

‘Table For Glasses’ is a rag-tag Westerberg romp with an Evan Dando melody that adds some Teenage Fanclub for good measure. now there are four bands thrown into the mix for Local Drags to live up to. It’s four top tunes that are equal part dreamy melodies and ragged guitars for good measure. Take it from me it’s well worth checking out as is the whole back catalogue and any future recordings but this is a great place to start. Available Here

Slumlord Radio – ‘Til The Wheels Fall Off’ (White Elephant Records) These three Michigan Boys recently got in touch to tell us about their single and when we dropped the virtual needle we just had to enter it into our Club. With a taste for Action Rock fast motors and loud music it was a no-brainer. After diggin into their back catalogue and hearing their cover of Iggy and The Stooges, we just knew we’d found another band of brothers to help bring the noise. Sounding like Motorchrist meets Scandinavian punk rock via some motorhead and T Rex records whats not to like? Buy Here

Black Star Riders – ‘Catch Yourself On’ (Earache Records) The latest single from the forthcoming album sees the band with a straight rocker. More a grower and a track that is slowly burning with some great production building to the chorus adding another texture to the forthcoming album out next week. Catch the band headlining tour across the UK with a stellar line up in tow celebrating ten years of the band.

Fucked UP – ‘I Think I Might Be Weird’ (Merge Records) Toronto’s Fucked Up present a new single/video, ‘I Think I Might Be Weird’ from their forthcoming album ‘One Day’, out on January 27th on Merge Records. This single ‘I Think I Might Be Weird’ finds the band blending hardcore with melodious classic rock featuring trilling violins. The surreal accompanying video, an ode to OCD is here for your viewing pleasure. the band head over to the UK in March for a tour – details are at the band’s website Here oh and the answer to the question is yup I think you might be as well but then again aren’t we all?

Pre-order One Day here: https://lnk.to/FUOneDay

Deadwolff – ‘Homeward bound’ (Golden Robot Records) They’re back swinging. Our favourite Ontario Metalheads Deadwolff are back with their amps turned to 11 and smashing out their brand of NWOHM. this is lifted from their debut full-length album that will no doubt be crammed full of Riffs and anthemic Hard Rockin tunes that will have us howling at the moon. This is the second single for the up-and-coming Canadian rockers following the 2022 release of their appropriately titled debut single ‘Heavy Rock n’ Roll.’ 

It’s a song about being bullied and trying to get in with the popular crowd while having to fight to prove your worth; a topic most people can relate to on some level. Play it loud and sing it proud. Deadwolff are here with the new wave of heavy rock n’ roll.

Pre-order/add/save ‘Homeward Bound‘ HERE / Facebook

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/

Buy Here

Author: Johnny Hayward

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…

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 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…

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!

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

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!

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.

Buy Here

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.”