Three New 7″ Vinyl Singles From THE BOYS

Three New 7″ Vinyl Singles From THE BOYS
photo credit: Martin Pollard

Following on from the success of last year’s “I’m A Believer” CD single, which reached the Top 10 of the UK Heritage Chart, Finnish label Woimasointu will release a new double “A” side 7 inch vinyl single from The Boys on Friday 8 July 2022. 

The single will come in three different versions including two Special Limited Editions.


Version One: “SHE’S THE REASON” c/w “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer” & “I’m A Believer”. Green vinyl with free Boys sew on patch and new picture sleeve, individually numbered 1-100.


Version Two: “I’M A BELIEVER” c/w “She’s The Reason” & “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer”.Blue vinyl individually numbered 1-100.

Version Three: “I’M A BELIEVER” c/w “She’s The Reason” & “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer”.Regular black vinyl issue.

Copies of all three versions of the single are currently available to order in advance from Woimasointu Records by emailing Hannu at info@woimasointu.com

*To promote “She’s The Reason” a new promo video of the single has been recorded, featuring The Boys legendary rhythm guitarist/vocalist Honest John Plain.  The video is due to be released on 18 July.*

*The Boys will be performing electric & acoustic sets at Rebellion 2022 – They will also be interviewed on the Literary Stage at 7.50pm on Thursday 4 August*

Celebrate Def Leppard’s 45TH Anniversary With Their Two New Premium Gin Products!

Celebrate Def Leppard’s 45TH Anniversary With Their Two New Premium Gin Products!

Rock legends Def Leppard celebrate their massive impact on rock history with their 45th anniversary in 2022! To commemorate this brilliant occasion, the award-winning Swedish liquor producer – Brands For Fans – is releasing not one, but two premium gin products.

With this Def Leppard gin portfolio, Brands for Fans aims to embody one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most legendary and influential bands, adding to their legacy. These gins are named after two songs on Def Leppard’s iconic album Hysteria: “Animal” and “Rocket.” Both superior quality products, expertly created by globally recognised in-house master blender Daniel Henriksson, these gins will certainly deliver a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle into the homes of both life-long fans and spirits, connoisseurs!

Brands for Fans worked with Epic Rights, a licensing agency of Def Leppard, to develop these products.

Def Leppard ‘Animal’ is a classic London Dry Gin with a high intensity of flavours. The grain-based distillate is heavy with juniper, lemon, and botanicals. It is spicy, big, and bold and has all the classic gin characters you should expect in a London Dry Gin. This gin’s label design is inspired by the hit single “Animal” from the album Hysteria.

Def Leppard ‘Rocket’ is a premium distilled gin with a high intensity of flavors. Also, with this gin, the grain-based distillate is bold with juniper and herbaceous tones. Taking inspiration from the lavender labyrinths in Sheffield (Manor Lodge), and to get an even more developed experience of botanical character, additional flavors of lavender and lemon are macerated and blended with the distillate. There are no added sweeteners, ensuring the purest quality of liquid. The label design is based off the hit single “Rocket” from the album Hysteria.

They are available to order here: https://brandsforfans.com/

Make sure to get “Rocked” with these two Premium Gins! Tasting profile Def Leppard – ‘Animal’ London Dry Gin:

Color – water clear

Nose – intense aromas with clear character of juniper, herbs and citrus

Palate – spicy, big, lots of flavor with clear tones of juniper, lemon peel and herbal character Finish – complex, full bodied and long lasting. Elegant, well balanced and dry finish

Tasting profile Def Leppard – ‘Rocket’ Premium Distilled Gin:

Color – water clear

Nose – spicy, clear tones of juniper and lavender. Bright floral, vegetative with balanced aromas of lemon

Palate – rich and clear character of juniper, lavender, herbs and citrus

Finish – full bodied, rich and long-lasting character of juniper with distinct taste of lavender that lingers for a long time

Website

Two for Tuesday

Two for Tuesday

The legendary King’s X, comprised of dUg Pinnick, Ty Tabor & Jerry Gaskill, are pleased to announce the release of their 13th studio album ‘Three Sides of One’ on the 2nd September 2022. This is their first new music in 14 years Hit the link to ‘Let It Rain’.

KING’S X online:

https://www.kingsxrocks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KingsXofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/kingsxofficial/

“Better Than Saturday Night”, from the new album ‘Wrong Side of Paradise’, out 20th January, 2023. Pre-order now on signed CD, limited edition coloured vinyl, special collector’s sets and more Here

The Album, featuring 11 tracks, was recorded in the Autumn of 2021 at Studio 606 in Northridge California and Toochtoon Sound in Redmond Oregon with producer and longtime BSR associate, Jay Ruston.
 
With Ricky Warwick on Lead Vocals / Guitar, Robert Crane on Bass, Christian Martucci on Guitar and drummer Zak St, John, the band will release their first single and video entitled “Better Than Saturday Night” (with backing vocals from Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott) TODAY June 6th 2022.  
 
The video features a lightning-hot performance from the four-time UK Top 25 band, and teases the watcher into suspecting a standard rock video cliché before flipping it on its head with the entrance of the rough’n’tough Roller Derby Dolls.
 
Ricky Warwick: ““Better Than Saturday Night” is a feel-good, uplifting tune about staying strong in the face of adversity, being true to yourself, and the power of positivity. I wrote it for my kids, but subliminally I think I also wrote it for myself and everyone for those days when we need to find a little bit of extra strength.”
 
He continues: “We wanted to reflect the positivity, power, attitude and strength to endure sentiment in the lyrics of the song. And no better way to do that than Black Star Riders rockin’ out with the Los Angeles Roller Derby Dolls.”
 
About the album Ricky adds “I am very proud of this record, Black Star Riders fifth release and the first with our new and exciting relationship with Earache Records. As with all BSR albums, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’ is an anthemic statement of intent,  driven by ferocious guitars and thundering drums. I can only write about my own personal experiences, my families, my friends and how I see a world that is unraveling and changing faster than we can comprehend. That being said, I’m a firm believer in the power of positivity, something that echoes throughout this album”

Tour dates to support the album release are as follows –

Monday 13th February          Nottingham, Rock City
Wednesday 15th February    Norwich, UEA
Thursday 16th February         Ipswich, Corn Exchange
Friday 17th February              Manchester, O2 Ritz 
Saturday 18th February         Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
Sunday 19th February            Leeds, O2 Academy
Tuesday 21st February           Cardiff, Tramshed
Wednesday 22nd February    Bristol, O2 Academy
Thursday 23rd February         Glasgow, SWG3
Friday 24th February              Newcastle, O2 City Hall 
Sunday 26th February            London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

Sator – ‘Return Of The Barbie-Q-Killers’ (Wild Kingdom)

Sator – ‘Return Of The Barbie-Q-Killers’ (Wild Kingdom)

“Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers” is the long-awaited sequel of the 1994 “Barbie-Q-Killers”, which means more obscure punk track covered by Sator. “Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers” is the band’s tribute to bands like Redd, Kross, Devo, Blitzkrieg Bop, 999, The Waves, Pointed Sticks, The Undertones, The Boys, Zero boys, The Last, Unnatural Ax, White Flag, Screamers, The Go-Go’s, The Young Lords, Darby Crash Band, The Normals and many more! * Comes on a 24 track CD and 29 tracks double vinyl ! * Super dedicated and supportive worldwide fan base * Mix and mastering by Henryk Lipp @ Music-A-Matic (Millencolin, Sator, Union Carbide Prod, Thåström, The Nomads, Kent, Randy, D.A.D, Soundtrack of our Lives, The Knife and more) * Produced by Sator & Chips Kiesby (The Hellacopters, Sahara Hotnights, Thåström, Mimikry, Bonafide and more).

Not long after announcing some cracking reissues, one of Sweden’s finest rock bands have now released their second covers album. In 1994 Sator released the much-loved ‘Barbie-Q-Killers’, and now, all these years later, have finally followed it up with the aptly-named ‘Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers’, delivering another deep dive into a variety of “obscure punk songs”.

‘Return of The Barbie-Q-Killers’ is the band’s tribute to bands such as Redd Kross, 999, The Undertones, The Boys, White Flag, The Go-Go’s, The Normals and many, many more – and far more obscure! In fact, there are an incredible 24 tracks on this CD (with 29 apparently on the vinyl record version!).

While it would take too long to going through all the songs here (many of which are indeed very alternative), you can rest assured that the album is everything that Sator fans would want, especially those who have been waiting a long time for this covers sequel. Particular highlights are the two first singles – ‘Get Out of My Way’, originally by Blitzkrieg Bop, and a superb cover of The Katrina & The Waves’ ‘Brown-Eyed Son’, which has prompted me to review my own opinion of that band.

There is of course a cover The Boys in here, and ‘Backstage Pass’ sounds as glorious as one might expect. This record does a good job of giving some air time to a lot of forgotten or generally unknown songs, and it’s an album the fans have been waiting a long time for. Now they’ve finally got it –  and I know they’re loving it.

Buy Here

Author: Craggy Collyde

UK Subs – ‘Reverse Engineering’ (Cleopatra Records)

UK Subs – ‘Reverse Engineering’ (Cleopatra Records)

“And now the end is near and so we face the final curtain”… or something like that. After completing the A-Z and then having a bazillion compilation albums come out, Two A-Z complete CD box sets, singles comps, live comps, covers Albums, 10” reissues. It’s certainly been a fantastic time to be a UK Subs fan (Even if it’s been heavy on the bank balance) we’ve arrived at the point where I believe the band has said time is being called on their recording career. Live shows are coming thick and fast and showing no sign of relenting.

If this is indeed to be the final record under the UK Subs monicker for Charlie and the boys then it’s fair to say they are going out in style and leaving us with a piece of work that stands tall next to their very best album and I sincerely mean that because ‘Reverse Engineering’ is an absolute fucking belter.

Charlie sounds better than he has for 20 years (the covid downtime must have helped his voice recover from all those hundreds of shows he didn’t have to sing at and if Alvin was paid by the note he’d be a millionaire. The songwriting is shared out and Straughan steps up and delivers one of my favourite Subs songs for many a year in ‘C60 Audio’ but more of that laters. The middle section of this album is some of the best Subs writing for years with the thumping ‘Hoist The Sail’ with its raw guitar intro and gang vocals as Admiral Harper rallies the shipmates for a battering ram of a verse that hacks and slashes towards the solo. Great stuff. It’s only the starter for the upbeat ‘Kill Me’ I know you wouldn’t think it by the title or the lyrics but the tempo and playing are excellent. It’s one of those happy-go-lucky Subs tracks. ‘Political Amo’ is an Oliver penned track that rushes out the blocks. As you’d imagine it’s a sprightly number with a modern feel to it with a strong melody.

There are a pair of Alvin-sung songs next with a smoldering ‘Slavery’ hitting you like a HGV. If you’re not familiar with Alvin’s style of songwriting now then let’s just say this one is uncompromising and full of big groove as the rhythm is rock solid and Alvin’s vocal is similar to his former employer Mr Pop and if this was to appear as a new Iggy single people would go nuts about it, the reality is, it’s laid to rest at the thick end of a UK Subs album that’s how good this record is.

The UK Subs aren’t signing out quietly with a whimper as ‘Statement’ testifies. They’re out of the trench and taking it to the enemy leading the charge, galloping along with this as the soundtrack again with some mighty fine musicianship with the guitar right up in the mix hacking and slashing away like a maniac – exciting stuff!

It’s not all galloping charging about mind. The intro for ‘The Night Holds The Key’ is low-key and restrained but it’s short-lived. The vocals leading to the chorus are superb and another classic Subs song unfolds. The record signs off with a real thumper written by Charlie. ‘Waiting For Godot’ with a cool verse-chorus set up where the band joins on the title repeat. its a more measured tempo that’s a fantastic way to wrap this album up. Go out with a track every bit as strong as the opener ‘Bad Acid’ that shows the UK Subs are still one of the very best the UK has to offer on studio recordings. They came out swinging over 40 years ago and sign off an incredible catalogue of records with ‘Reverse Engineering’ every bit as vital as at any period of their illustrious career. Trust me when I say ‘Reverse Engineering’ is an essential purchase. Get your mitts on a copy by any means necessary. Superb stuff just Buy it!

Buy Here or for those in the UK Time and Matter have limited copies Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Libertines – UP THE BRACKET 20th ANNIVERSARY 2LP, 2CD, DIGITAL & BOX SET

The Libertines – UP THE BRACKET 20th ANNIVERSARY 2LP, 2CD, DIGITAL & BOX SET

UP THE BRACKET 20th ANNIVERSARY 2LP, 2CD, DIGITAL & BOX SET(featuring 65 previously unreleased recordings)RELEASED OCTOBER 21ST 2022LIVE SHOWSManchester / London / Bristol / Cardiff / Edinburgh+ 4 UK Festivals


To celebrate the release of their astonishing debut album, Up The Bracket, The Libertines are releasing a 20th Anniversary Edition on multiple formats, through Rough Trade, on October 21st 2022. 


In addition to a remaster of the original Up The Bracket album, produced by Mick Jones (The Clash), the Super Deluxe Edition also includes a remarkable 65 previously unreleased recordings including many original demos, radio sessions and live recordings all helping to chart the making of Up The Bracket, plus a live recording from the 100 club in 2002. It also contains a 60 page book with a foreword by Matt Wilkinson, new interviews with the band by Anthony Thornton and many unseen photos and memorabilia.


To coincide with the release the Libertines will be performing the album in its entirety along with a selection of choice nuggets from their peerless back catalogue. For the Wembley show, for one night only, the band have chosen two of their favourite bands from the class of 2002 to support them – The Cribs and The Paddingtons. Also on the bill will be rising star, and darling of the Arsenal terraces, Louis Dunford, along with recording artist and DJ, Amazonica, on the decks. The full dates are:


JULY

1st Manchester Castlefield Bowl  

23rd London Wembley Arena

30th Bristol  O2 Academy  SOLD OUT

AUGUST

5th Cardiff University Great Hall  

8th Edinburgh O2 Academy 


The Libertines also appear at four UK Festivals this summer: JUNE 24th Pilton, Somerset Glastonbury Festival SOLD OUTAUGUST6th Bingley Bingley Weekender28th Portsmouth  Victorious Festival SEPTEMBER 2nd Coventry Godiva Festival
Tickets for all shows are available Here


Up The Bracket 20th Anniversary Edition is available to pre-order Here 

  • Super Deluxe Box set – strictly numbered limited edition of 4,000: 

Vinyl ‘Up The Bracket’ (Remastered),’Live at the 100 Club’, 7” blue vinyl ‘Up The Bracket’ and 7” red Vinyl ‘Time For Heroes’ (in their original sleeves), 2 CD’s of Out-takes, Demos, Radio sessions and live recordings, cassette of 20 early demos, DVD including HD versions of ‘Up The Bracket,’ Time For Heroes,’I get Along’ & exclusive bonus footage and a 60 page Book.

  • Deluxe Double Vinyl, ‘Up The Bracket’ (Remastered) and ‘Live at the 100 Club’ on black and Indie store exclusive on red vinyl.
  • Deluxe Double CD, ‘Up The Bracket’ (Remastered) and ‘Live at the 100 Club’.
  • Digital download, ‘Up The Bracket’ (Remastered)and ‘Live at the 100 Club’

Gunfire Dance – “Witness to The Crime” LP is coming

Gunfire Dance – “Witness to The Crime” LP is coming

Due sometime in August or September the long wait is finally over for the Gunfire Dance album on vinyl for the first time. Easily one of the finest bands of their generation Gunfire Dance had it all except for the breaks. ‘Witness To The Crime’ will see some of the band’s finest songs on vinyl LP for the first time through Easy Action Records. It features twelve tracks from the incredible ‘Blue’ through ‘Burning Ambition’ and ‘Suit And Tie’. If there is one album you should pre-order then this is it. Snooze you loose, this is a limited pressing

Buy Here

Marc Valentine – ‘Future Obscure’ (Arcane Wires Records)

Marc Valentine – ‘Future Obscure’ (Arcane Wires Records)

When a band goes on hiatus, however brief, it’s usually a reliance on the back catalogue to get the fans through the downtime; not so Last Great Dreamers, the once-antiquated dandies of the UK rock scene dusted off and rebooted in the last decade. No, the merry band of loyal supporters of this regenerated outfit revolving around the core of mainstays Marc Valentine and Slyder Smith has not one, but two new spin-off albums to get excited about while the Dreamers catch up on some much-needed beauty sleep.

Slyder Smith & the Oblivion Kids (Dreamers’ rhythm section, bassist Tim Emery and drummer, Rik Pratt) have a debut long player, ‘Charm Offensive’, released on 19th August through Ray Records, but first out of the last great gate is Marc Valentine and his ‘Future Obscure’ album, coming to a stereo near you on 8th July.

In the short space of time that news of this new, ten-track (twelve-track if you get the bonus-track-riddled compact disc) album has been with us Marc has wasted little time by releasing four (count ‘em!) tracks as digital singles: album opener, ‘Last Train Tonight’; ‘Mornington Avenue’, featuring Matt Dangerfield from The Boys; and double A-side, ‘Death Is Overrated/Break My Heart Anyway’, the latter featuring a guest appearance from Wreckless Eric. So, I have to approach this review from a slightly different angle: listeners already know what to expect from the album, I simply have to reassure them that the best tracks haven’t already been lifted from the tracklisting leaving nothing but filler. Spoiler alert: everything is going to be okay…

A Summer release is perfect for ‘Future Obscure’; the tracks blurring between that expected lilting power pop that is trademark Valentine and a hazy, lazy sentimentality, both conspiring to make a perfect soundtrack to long, hot days and cooler nights of reminiscence.

With synths set to stun, some of the power pop tunes that litter the tracklisting – the glorious ‘Swiss Launderette’, the great ‘Ghosts of Amsterdam’ – have every chance of filling a Fountains Of Wayne-shaped hole in the New Releases section of your record collection, while the more emotional-button-pushers – the terrific throwback that is ‘Arcades’, the fine ‘Fade Out In Blue’ for example – will have you questioning if that funny feeling that you have in your head as the sun sets is from the Summertime cider or the inevitable clawing back of memories. There’s even a tip of the bowler hat to the LGD day job via the lowslung rock ‘n’ roll of the fantastic ‘Zodiac Hotel’.

Mixed and produced by Dave Draper, that ‘Future Obscure’ sounds great should come as no surprise. That goes for the musicians that Valentine has surrounded himself with too: Richard Davies on guitar, and a return for former Last Great Dreamers rhythm section, bassist Steve Fielding and drummer Denley Slade, the latter so consistent in his work that he sounds almost robotic. Catch these guys backing Marc on a UK tour that starts on album release day.

We need great nights out at rock shows with friends and bright and breezy rock ‘n’ roll records like ‘Future Obscure’ at times like these. That three minute songs and small rooms full of sweaty people can help save us from the stresses of modern life is testament to the true power of music. Forget what that man from Sheffield with a creaking voice once (almost) told us; you CAN stop the hurt inside, when love and hiatus collide…

Buy Here

Author: Gaz Tidey

The Richmond Sluts – ‘Psychoactive Sounds’ (Rock Box Records)

The Richmond Sluts – ‘Psychoactive Sounds’ (Rock Box Records)

Alright, all you groovy cats out there on this spinning rock just waiting for some cool tunes to float by. Well, the wait is over because Frisco’s coolest cats The Richmond Sluts have only gone and turned in a long-player jam-packed full of bangers with howling Organs, string bending trickery and gang vocals for you to bark at the moon along with.

Twelve tracks of wicked twists and turns and cosmic whig-outs right from the super cool off. ‘Top Of The Night’ will ease you gently before the overdriven six-string trickery clashes with that Organ wheeze to great effect. they might be on a hyperdrive mission and if this is in the 8-track cartridge then I want to be on board for the journey.

The vocals are dripping in reverb with enough dirt and whisky soaked into every breath the delivery is perfect from the cool drawl of ‘Satisfaction (I want you)’ through the cheeky handclaps of ‘Chasing Tail’ to the smokey dream-like state of ‘The Third Eye’ its oozing quality.

There’s some Stooges gimme danger captured in the heart and soul of ‘Used’ it reminds me of The mighty Chesterfield Kings and when the band joins in it reaches a giddy high and is a mighty fine tune with all its swirling drama whats not to love?

I love it when the band just rock out like on ‘What You Gonna Do Now’ No frills just kicking back and doing what they do best. They go straight into the choppy ‘Who Knew’. They throw their own spin on the classic ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’ and sign off a really impressive record with the road worn groove of ‘Lights Go Out’ that builds like the best groove rock Primal Scream mustered which is a cool place to nestle down in and just play from the heart and soul and leave nothing behind with its cool rhythm and building wah soloing its a top tune to end with.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Richmond Sluts are back in the groove, and that’s good news for us all. Get on it – Tune in – turn up and whig out!

Buy Here

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Author: Dom Daley

SMALLTOWN TIGERS RETURN TO LONDON

SMALLTOWN TIGERS RETURN TO LONDON

Fast-rising Italian punks SMALLTOWN TIGERS return to the UK next month for the first time since their debut shows of October 2019. The girls from Rimini turned a lot of heads on that tour and plans were quickly made for a return. Covid put paid to that, however, and the dates had to be abandoned.

They refused to delay the release of their debut mini-album Five Things, though and were rewarded with fantastic reviews across the board. The icing on the cake was an invitation from The Damned to open for them on their original line-up reunion tour. Postponed twice, those dates are finally set to go ahead in October and November.

In the meantime, the girls are booked to play the Pump It Up Powerpop Weekender at London’s Lexington on Sunday 3 July. The two-day event will also feature sets by NYC’s Baby Shakes, Norway’s Yum Yums, Duncan Reid and the Big Heads, The Speedways and more.

Speaking about the show, singer/bassist Valli says…

“It’s a wonderful time of the year over here at the Smalltown Tigers camp. First, Summer is here so we can surf. Second, after an almost three years hiatus, we’re about to come back to London. And, more important, to play at one of the most significant events we ever played in our career, the Pump It Up Powerpop Weekender at the Lexington.

“It will be great to share the stage with so many great bands, some of them for the first time and some others like The Speedways and The Baby Shakes we already shared the stage with. Moreover, the fabulous NYC girls (and boy!) The Baby Shakes were the band we opened for in Italy on our first tour ever… ah, sweet memories. Can’t wait to be in London again. It’s gonna be a blast! Be sure to buy your ticket in advance, it’s gonna be a busy Saturday and Sunday night on the 2nd/3rd of July!

“Other than that, we can’t wait to play some songs from the brand new album we’re currently preparing and which will be out next year. We think it’s the best material we ever wrote and we can’t wait to hear what you think of it. See you at the Powerpop Weekender people! Stop by and say hi!”

Tickets Here

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