You want some hard rockin boogie-woogie from London Ontario, from anywhere but particularly Ontario? Hell yeah! I hear the kids shout which is right about where Good As Gone ride into town.
That’s their name baby and I guess why not as they marry some nifty boogie ZZ Top style with some of that sweet Thin Lizzy harmonious guitar twiddling like on ‘Tall In The Saddle’. There’s no stink of bullshit here kids just good time Rock n Roll with duelling guitars and a rock-solid backbeat.
They do kickback on ‘Oh Lenore’ (it might be in tribute to the fabric softener sold here in the UK) it’s a little Black Crowes like but not as in keeping with the previous offerings but that fine because ‘Foolish Pursuit’ is a cocksure struttin number with a shufflin’ backbeat and packs more of a punch.
Some members of the band have been cutting tracks for over two decades together and when they lock in you can hear how well they complement each other. There is a tendency for the band to settle down into a comfortable pace and tempo of songs and when the melody is right and the playing locks in its a great thing to behold like on the record’s highlight ‘Dangler’ (I dunno what it’s about either) but the distorted slide and slow groove is ‘Amorica’ era Crowes and these guys do it well.
‘Other Voices’ being an epic seven plus minutes of brooding building roots rock n roll as it meanders showcasing what the band has to offer and doing it very nicely.
ROSE TATTOO has always been a major player in Australian rock, and has been at the helm of the music scene for decades, reaching a cult status here and overseas. Blood Brothers is a rock ‘n’ roll album that mixes traditional and modern styles and is a tribute to previous band members no longer with us. Originally released in 2007, the album was re-issued with bonus tracks on CD in 2018 via Golden Robot Records.
This Blood Red Double Vinyl LP features 17 tracks, including the original 11 on LP 1 and 6 live tracks on LP 2, and will be released by Golden Robot Records on August 20th.
In the category of ‘cult bands’, Rose Tattoo has been at the top of the pile since 1976. Their raw style of blues rock that the Australians manage to create out of a hot mix of slide guitars, pounding hooks with a sharp and tight rhythm, along with the unmistakable voice of their front man, Angry Anderson, is what gives the fans a welcome feast in what is today a fast pace orientated music business built around TV shows. They have influenced some of the biggest rock bands around including Guns ‘N Roses and L.A. Guns, and are still going strong after 40+ years! Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including ‘Bad Boy for Love’, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw’, ‘Nice Boys’, ‘We Can’t Be Beaten’ and ‘Scarred for Life’. ROSE TATTOO are one of the all time greatest Australian bands.
Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane comments that ROSE TATTOO are “one of the most revered bands of all time. The Tatts played peerless, street-level heavy blues with the emphasis on slide guitar and strident lyric statements”.
UK rockers, STEVIE R. PEARCE AND THE HOOLIGANS, have announced the release date for “MAJOR LEAGUE SON OF A BITCH”, out on August 28th via Heavy Rocka/Cargo Records. The album sees the introduction of Carl Donoghue and Lance Skybaby to the all new 13 tracks.
Having sat on the Hooligans 2nd album for over a year, rescheduling twice. The release date has been announced as August 28th to co-incide with the Bands debut performance at Hard Rock Hell Sleaze in Sheffield. A short Teaser video of the album has also been released showcasing the new material on the Album. It will be released on all the usual digital platforms, CD and Vinyl- which will follow on after the release date due to delays in the Vinyl manufacturing industry.
MAJOR LEAGUE SON OF A BITCH Tour Dates
Aug 27th – Melbourne Rock Club, Mofest
Aug 28th – Hard Rock Hell Sleaze, Sheffield
Aug 29th – Crazy Cowboy Festival 6
Sep 02nd – Trillians, Newcastle
Sep 03rd – Nightrain, Bradford
Sep 04th – Bannermans, Edinburgh
Sep 10th – The Waterloo, Blackpool
Sep 11th – The Facebar, Reading
Sep 17th – The Patriot, Crumlin, Wales
Okt 01st – The Old Salutation Inn, Nottingham
Okt 02nd – Mogstock, Record Junkee, Sheffield
Stevie R. Pearce says of the new album: “I really wanted to go a lot further sonically, vocally and with intent with album 2- as a group. You are only as good as your last album which was ages ago now..- and mine was very well received but I’m not complacent and I’m not worried to throw some curveballs…and I think too many seem to be playing it safe…so I’ve doubled the bite for Major League. It’s not nicey-nicey rock by numbers which I’m seeing a lot of at the moment… it’s eclectic. it’s also all true.. no fictional stories. I have light and dark and I’ve some surprises on it that people probably won’t know what to do with. Dave Draper has also put his heart and soul into this record.. so I’m already winning”.
This album is my first time hearing a full album by the band as I have heard some songs here and there over the years. Stylistically, this falls right into my punk n roll wheelhouse and has grown on me a bit with each listen. It has not done enough to consistently keep me coming back to it. Other albums in this style have generally connected with me more than this one, but there are moments here I do enjoy. I don’t think I will be the only one that is a bit hit and miss with this one.
Opener ‘No No No’ has some cool backing vocals and guitar parts through the chorus but otherwise leaves me a little flat. There is a sense of urgency present, but it doesn’t ever really grab me. The guitar solo is cool, but I catch my attention drifting. ‘Love Exorcist’ has a cool riff and groove but suffers as it needs to be up front in the mix for me. Again, the guitar solo hits the spot, and the chorus has a nice shouty hook.
‘Diane’ is a surprise cover and perhaps should have been placed later on the album as it distracts from their originals and competes in my brain between the original and Therapy?’s haunting cover from the 90’s. While this is an alright version, I much prefer the two previous versions. It does not help that it comes before ‘Supersonic’ which is a burner with a huge hook and a catchy guitar riff for reinforcement. This is a hit single in some other dimension. This also would have been my first song on the album. Glen Clarke’s vocals perfectly fit the song, and Robin Schafer’s guitar riffs leap out of the speakers. ‘Dance Dance Dance’ continues to hit the mark as a slow build to some amped up rock n roll akin to a train thundering down the tracks with no let up in sight. The addition of Ross the Boss on lead guitar will likely bring the band some added listeners.
The band change gears with a slower tempo in ‘Generator.’ I really like that they are mixing things up here, and my feelings on this song have really depended on my mood. I wish there was more to the chorus, or it was used less. Acoustic guitar opens our side one instrumental closer ‘Gismo.’
Side two opens with the Supersuckers sounding ‘Drinkin Out Loud.’ I like the song but also realize I would rather just put on a Supersuckers song which is unfortunate. The little breakdown with the crowd noise in the background is a nice touch though. ‘Get Drunk with Me’ follows which in terms of the song titles I find appropriate. Schafer again lays down a nice riff that serves as a hook in itself. The rest of the song though doesn’t really establish its own identity. If I heard this playing in a bar, I would likely tune it out midway through the first verse and randomly come back to it throughout the song. They highlight that intro riff again at the end which does give the song extra life for my ears.
The band changes things up again with the more power pop feel of ‘One You Love’ and is another of my favorites from the album. Adding vocals by Lisa Kekaula again provides another shot of something different over the course of the album. I wish there was more power in the mix of the album, and I have a feeling this song will move at a slightly faster tempo live. Ross the Boss makes another appearance on ‘Killslayer Bob’ with a guitar intro that is really cool. The Beach Boys style backing vocals in the chorus are awesome here. It is the songs that I like that make this whole thing frustrating at the moment as I am quite sure there is an album by Black Sheriff that I would absolutely love if the stars aligned.
Coming to the end of the album, ‘Happy Camper’ brings in some Johnny Cash at the beginning, but this one just completely loses me. To reference the Supersuckers comparison again, when they go country, it feels very genuine as another side of the band. This just comes across to me as unnecessary filler. ‘Black Angel’ returns to the rocking vibe of the album, and it really suffers because of the previous track. I may isolate this song onto some of my own playlists to let it stand on its own as I like the chorus and the extended part near the end. I just check out after ‘Happy Camper’ when I listen to the whole album.
Black Sheriff have created an uneven 5th album for me which frustrates me as I can see them doing a lot of songs I enjoy. This will likely be one where I eliminate some songs from my listening to see if it holds my attention better that way. Songs like ‘Supersonic’ and ‘Killslayer Bob’ will have to be able to serve as the ones to keep me listening. At the end of the day for me right now, I’m just left feeling meh…
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. Yet, despite the album’s thirteen new kicking jams having been recorded in complete isolation, and with new drummer (Planet Rock DJ Wyatt Wendel) having never been in the same room as the rest of the band, it’s testament to the true majesty of their rock powers that ‘Black Spiders’ still manages to sound like five men in a hot and sweaty rehearsal room, tight and upfront and in each other’s faces, rocking the f**k out.
The only piece missing from the jigsaw, and it was a big piece, was the chance to take these new songs onto the stages they belonged and play them loud and direct to a rock music starved audience and thankfully, that time is finally here. Black Spiders have announced five UK shows to get back to doing what it is they do best, and to celebrate the special Record Store Day vinyl release of the album, due July 17th via Dark Riders Records.
On top of this, Black Spiders will also release a new single ‘Give Em What They Want’, taken from the album and launched into the stratosphere with a stomping, hook-laden infectious groove.
“You’d think that after almost 2 years of what we’ve all been through, there was a chance to start again at a year zero for the human race, but no, same s**t, different year, an aptly titled song for the times,” states singer/guitarist Pete Spiby. “However, we’ve been waiting SO long to do a gig and can’t wait to play the new album live and melt some faces…. thank f**k!”
Catch Black Spiders live at the following dates in July 2021
Wednesday 21st July 2021 – Chester Live Rooms
Thursday 22nd July 2021 – Leeds Key Club
Friday 23rd July 2021 – Southampton Joiners
Saturday 24th July 2021 – Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms
Sunday 25th July 2021 – Steelhouse Festival Ebbw Vale
For his July release, Ryan Hamilton expands the collaborative theme of his 1221 project with a Chuck Prophet original song that has not previously seen the light of day. As promised at the time of releasing last month’s rocking ‘Shots Fired’, Hamilton serves us up more pounding drums, driving guitars and a big BIG chorus with this anthemic, no doubt soon to be live favourite.
Ryan Hamilton releases previously unheard Chuck Prophet song as his July 1221 offering
So, how did you & Chuck Prophet first come to know each other?
Chuck and I have a lot of mutual friends, but the truth is… we became friends on Twitter. How lame is that? Haha. We started tweeting each other, and that led to emailing each other, exchanging phone numbers etc… What a world we live in now.
Are we likely to see you collaborating with Chuck again in the future, or maybe even touring together with live shows definitely back on the cards for 2022?
I would LOVE to collaborate with Chuck more. “Big Man” turned out amazing, and I think it may be the beginning of something more. Who knows. I think a tour together would be wonderful. It’s been discussed a little bit, and I think it should happen. I actually just signed with a new, big, awesome Agency here, AMG (Atomic Music Group) and it appears I will be touring A LOT next year. Gotta do something with Chuck!
With 1221 now in the home stretch, how have you found the public’s reaction to the project and has it surprised you which songs have been received the best?
The reaction and support for this 1221 album/project has been amazing. I’m terrible at guessing which songs people are going to love the most. Haha. So far it’s “Deja Vu I Love You” and “Shots Fired”. If people like those, they’re gonna LOVE the rest
Hamilton has been heralded by Spin magazine as one of the ‘Best Lesser-Known Artists of the Last 35 Years’.
RYAN HAMILTON RELEASES “BIG MAN” 12 JULY 2021, VIA WICKED COOL
All-gay, Muslim punk band who unapologetically use music as a vessel to call out racism, the American political landscape, and white supremacy. The signing news is being launched with a new video/song called “Fuck These Fuckin Fascists”
Epitaph Records is an artist-first indie label founded in Los Angeles by Bad Religion guitarist, Brett Gurewitz. Early releases from a variety of punk heavyweights helped launch the 90s punk explosion. Along the way, Epitaph has grown and evolved creatively while sticking to its mission of helping real artists make great recordings on their own terms. So here are The Muslims – Enjoy
G.G. Sleaze and Johnny King originally came together in Texas to perform cover songs live in 2020, but, during the lockdown, they decided they wanted to start writing some original material. I recently captured an invigorating live show (my first in over a freaking year) by the band where they helped take the crowd’s mind off everything that is going on in the world. I was partially singing along to songs by the end of them and experiencing a great rush of adrenaline in the process. Pulling influences from Hanoi Rocks, Johnny Thunders, 80’s sleaze, and rock n roll, they have unleashed their debut EP or mini LP depending on your preference as it contains five originals and one acoustic cover to close out the proceedings.
‘Singapore Sling City’ gets things started with a cool guitar riff that sets the stage for the album. The Hanoi Rocks influence musically is present, but King’s vocals recall more the likes of early Phil Lewis L.A. Guns sleaziness. The recording is down and dirty which really works to the benefit of the song here. ‘The Road’ opens with a catchy chorus and a mid tempo feel. King really gets to demonstrate some range here, and this song was awesome live. It is one of those songs that can totally lose its feel if it is overproduced and layered with effects. The gutter glam feel of the mix adds to its charm here.
One of my favorites from the live show comes next in ‘The Fringe.’ The guitar work by Sleaze grabs the listener’s attention as the song erupts into a hard rocking treasure. The amalgamation of influences really come into play here as different bands come to mind, but it never really feels like one certain band. There is some GN’R/ Faster Pussycat street 80’s glam at play, but it feels like it is because Shotgun Sally is drinking from the same well as those bands. The band changes gear again with the 70’s style nostalgia rocker ‘Crimson Avenue’ recalling the days of foolish youth where consequences didn’t seem to exist. The chorus is super catchy which is something the band does very well across the board. As I mentioned at the beginning, I was singing along at the live show by the end of these songs, and it is not because they repeat the title ad nauseum. The hooks have teeth and stick with the listener.
‘Hounds of Hell’ rocks hard with Sleaze taking over the lead vocals. When I heard it live, I really liked it despite some technical issues at that time. It has a mix of Thunders, Hanoi Rocks, some snotty 77 punk, and reminds me of something that could have been perfectly at home on American Heartbreak’s first release. The band bring us to a close with an acoustic cover of ‘Life Loves a Tragedy’ by Poison which works very well. If the first five songs serve as the main course, this is more what you might expect after the show when Sleaze and King decide to grab a guitar and knock out some acoustic covers before hitting the road for their next show.
The band added some more songs to the live show which will hopefully find their way onto the next release. In the meantime, they have released a debut that keeps finding its way onto my playlist. I purposely waited a bit after the live show to review this as I didn’t want to be thinking about or influenced by the live versions while writing this. I may or may not have been successful in that regard. These are the kind of releases that throw my year end results all out of whack as I have to decide for myself if I put it in with the EPs or albums. I have not had many releases this year really grab me, but this has been one of them. The music is down and dirty, gritty, and filled with hooks.
Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes’ opening night headline set at Download Pilot unleashed a ferocious release of pent-up energy and pure emotion that will live long in the memory of everyone present. The band proved that they offer something quite unlike anyone else right now: a much needed burst of anarchic spirit as the shackles are removed, but also the articulation and wry wit to rally against injustice; plus a raw, eviscerating live show without the tropes of toxic masculinity. As lockdown eases, who better to soundtrack our new-found freedom?
Seizing on their moment in the spotlight, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes share their new single ‘Sticky’, which has just received its first play courtesy of Daniel P Carter at Radio 1. The single launches their eagerly anticipated new album, also titled ‘Sticky’, which will be released on October 15th. It builds on the momentum generated by their recent single,‘My Town’ featuring Joe Talbot of IDLES, which is the biggest of their career to date and was B-listed at Radio 1.
Punching out of the speakers with a new directness and immediacy, the single ‘Sticky’ provides a flavour of what to expect from the album. It’s a shark-sharp-shock of visceral punk fury, as the snarling soul of Carter’s vehement voice transports us to the sweltering, closing time madness of a city after dark. He paints a scene of growing paranoia, desperately looking to delve into any vice to counteract the existential despair of feeling “midnight blue.” But there’s a sardonic, horrorshow humour at play too as he spits, “I’m no vampire but I want your blood.”
Carter commented, “‘Sticky’ is about that moment where you’re drunk at a bus stop at 3AM. You know there are no more buses, but you sit there anyway because you’re too fucked to figure out your options. Your kebab is on the floor, there’s a Stella in your pocket, and you’re woken up by a dirty little fox eating your shoes.”
It’s the perfect introduction to a record that breaks out of lockdown. Produced by guitarist Dean Richardson for the first time, it solidifies the pair as one of the most exciting partnerships in British punk rock. Carter sounds like an untamed force of nature, embodying the impish menace of Keith Flint one minute and Sid Vicious the next. Alongside Richardson, they’ve crafted a record which wastes no time in hitting hard: not a single song hits the four-minute barrier, and few even hit three.
‘Sticky’ is the sonic eruption of a year-plus of suppressed energy. While it’s an escapist experience, recent reality is never too far away. It’s there in ‘Go Get A Tattoo’, which was inspired by Carter’s experience of having to shut his first London based tattoo parlour, Rose of Mercy, almost immediately after it opened. It’s just as present in ‘My Town’, a suburban vignette of society’s collective mental health quickly unravelling.
Carter and Richardson’s vision is augmented by the mob of underdogs and outsiders who join them. As well as Joe Talbot, queer, underground electro-punk sensation Lynks complements Carter’s attack with a double-dose of surreal savagery on ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘Get A Tattoo’, while Cassyette brings a provocative punch to the sleazy rock ‘n’ roll of ‘Off With His Head’. By the time Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie emerges on the closing ‘Original Sin’, his breathy voice feels like salvation for the transgressions that preceded it.
Carter sums it up succinctly: “Someone described it to me as ‘they felt their youth’ when they were listening to the record. When you make albums, those are the ones you want to make. Nostalgic, but classic. Timeless, and also modern.”
The album is now available to pre-order on a range of exclusive formats here. All pre-orders are rewarded with instant download of the title track and ‘My Town’.
Having closed their 2020 tour ‘The End of Suffering’ with a sold-out 10,000 capacity show at London’s cavernous Alexandra Palace, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes announce details of their first tour in support of ‘Sticky’. They will follow an extensive run of UK dates in November with two O2 Academy Brixton shows in January 2022, and then a European tour which spans thirteen countries.
Tickets: Fans who pre-order the album from the band’s official store will receive early access to tickets from Wednesday 14th July @ 10 am local time. General on-sale is Friday 10 am local time.
TOUR DATES:
SEPTEMBER 2021
9th – Glasgow Green (special guests to Biffy Clyro)
16th – Cardiff Bay (special guests to Biffy Clyro)
OCTOBER 2021
16th – Live At Leeds (HEADLINERS)
NOVEMBER 2021
10th – Dublin, Academy
11th – Nottingham, Rock City
13th – Norwich, UEA
15th – Southampton, Guildhall
16th – Bristol, O2 Academy
17th – Lincoln, Engine Shed
19th – Birmingham, O2 Academy
20th – Newcastle, O2 Academy
22nd – Glasgow, Barrowland
23rd – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange
24th – Liverpool, O2 Academy
25th – Manchester, Academy
JANUARY 2022
21st – London, O2 Academy Brixton
22nd – London, O2 Academy Brixton
25th – Netherlands, Utrecht, Tivoli Vredenburg
26th – Germany, Cologne, Live Music Hall
28th – Sweden, Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan
29th – Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller Music Hall
30th – Denmark, Copenhagen, Store Vega
FEBRUARY 2022
1st – Germany, Berlin, Astra
2nd – Czech Republic, Prague, Meet Factory
3rd – Poland, Warsaw, Niebo
5th – Switzerland, Zurich, Dynamo Saal
6th – Italy, Milan, Magazzini Generali
8th – Spain, Barcelona, Razzmatazz 2
10th – Portugal, Lisbon, Lav – Lisboa Ao Vivo
11th – Spain, Santiago de Compostela, Sala Capitol
You want some hard rockin boogie-woogie from London Ontario, from anywhere but particularly Ontario? Hell yeah! I hear the kids shout which is right about where Good As Gone ride into town.
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