The Entrepreneurs – Noise And Romance (Tambourhinoceros)

The Entrepreneurs – Noise And Romance (Tambourhinoceros)

Copenhagen trio like to make Noise Rock and they hit the spot with an angular post-punk explosion that often head fucks your ears but with pop music Not chart music but dark pop. ‘Session 1’ is firing from the Sonic Youth territory with plenty of surface noise which is good because as they say life has surface noise.

Its a theme carried on through the record as Mathias Bertelsen (lead vox + guitar), Anders Hvass (backing vox + baritone guitar) and Jonas Wetterslev (drums) can make a noise and not having a bass guitar and replacing it with the baritone Guitar is an original and interesting move maybe not something conventional rock music is totally ready for but on several plays this has legs.  ‘Joaquin’ has shades of Janes Addiction but the rhythm is in the Cure camp perhaps and that’s a good thing right?

 

‘Sail Away’ is more guitar-based pop and quite European in style I love Belgium off the wall alt-rockers Deus and Sail Away sounds inspired and qwerky.   Whilst most of the tunes are short and sharp towards the middle of the record a couple of tunes go into extended overplay with a Buzzcocks like a repetitive rolling riff on ‘Be Mine’ that is a relative of ‘Why Can’t I Touch It’ but they do and it really works and is followed by the dark brooding tones of ‘Heroine’ in its six-minute epic. It twists and turns like Sonic Youth meets a more conventional Smashing Pumpkins or Dinosaur Jnr all making as much noise as possible.  Frank Black would like this.

The songs fall back into line toward the end with the shorter tunes and the lovely ‘Morning Son’ with its simple strum and melody. ‘Noise & Romance’ is both and after many plays was an excellent joy on my ears as not everything has to beat you over the head sometimes it’s nice to be greeted with a twisted grunge-like crooked smile and we can all then go about our day.

Facebook 

Bandcamp

Author: Seb Boyd

Gone But Not Forgotten and other news

Gone But Not Forgotten and other news

Born January 1969 Cranford would or should have just turned 50 but sadly never made it this far. Cranford left behind a wife and two children when he checked out in 2002 from drug releated issues.

Cranford headed up his band The Malakas as well as playing solo sadly he didn’t make it long enough to record a lot of the songs he was working on which are available on his website. Cranford struggled with addiction during his brief life but he was able to write some great tunes like the one we’re playing here he pretty much wrote straight from the head and the heart singing about what he saw and how he was living.  I thought he was a massive talent and its such a shame that he never got to show off those songs to a wider audience.  R.I.P Cranford Gone but not forgotten.

Also on this day in 2013 Iron Maiden Drummer Clive Burr lost his battle with multiple sclerosis. Burr was Maidens drummer between 79 and 82. R.I.P. Clive had previously plied his trade with Samson before moving onto Maiden and played on their three finest records before being replaced after falling foul of Harris. Strangely enough, Burr went on to replace his replacement Nicko McBrain in Trust.  funny old world eh? Oh and for all you metal fans The guy who fired Burr celebrates his Birthday today Born in 1956 Happy Birthday Steve Harris.

But we can’t have all this sadness without a ripple of light coming through on this day so Happy Birthday Graham Coxon guitarist with Blur who was born on this day in Germany to English parents and finally Peter Doherty was also born on this day in 1979.

 

Pale Lips – After Dark (Waterslide Records)

Pale Lips – After Dark (Waterslide Records)

After Dark is a 30 minute chunk of sugar sweet indie pop that transports you right back to the much missed C86 era of The Darling Buds, Primitives, Flatmates and The Shop Assistants. A glorious time of striped t-shirts, skin light denim, Cuban heals and bowl cuts.

 

Some Sort of Rock n’ roll kicks things off like the Banana Splits finally unleashing The Sour Grapes Bunch on an unsuspecting end-of-the-sixties world. I’m a Witch kicks in all drums and screams, with no chord wasted and no harmony missed. Lovely!

 

Hanky Panky Franky is walking bass-line-tastic with some sweet and sexy hand claps and next up cracker, You’re a Doll is a song that would get Biters fans tapping their too-cool-for-school toes to ….. complete with theramin / keyboard magic.

 

That Old Ghost Don’t Lie slows things down a touch with it’s echo-to-the-max guitar riff, while All My Baby Brought Back Was the Blues brings a bit of harmonica to the (KKK Took My Baby) mix. This is great stuff and while it won’t change your life but it’ll sure brighten up your dull day.

 

The Kids and Johnny are pure buzzsaw Ramones, with the later adding a bit of deep sax to the musical palate…. ooohhh saucy!

 

Hiding from the Moon, Show Me Another Way to Your Heart and Doo-Wop Showaddywaddy all sound like mega pop hits and should find a nice place in your life where you can groove each night away on a star-spangled dance floor where nobody gives a fuck about tomorrow.

 

Sadly every party has to end but those nice Pale Lips girls see us off down the road with a little Cosmic Love in our hearts and it’s a banger.

 

So there you go, just under 31 minutes of pure pop fun. Coincidently the Banana Splits ran for 31 episodes….. it’s a sign I tells ya!

 

Think shoving your Redd Kross lp on 45, think Ronettes playing Ramones tunes and if you really need some more Hanna Barbera rock & roll in your life, click the BUY button on the website of your favourite purveyor of quality music.

 

Buy After Dark: Here

 

Author : Fraser Munro

Bohannons – Bloodroot (Cornelius Chapel Records)

Bohannons – Bloodroot (Cornelius Chapel Records)

As I scratch my head wondering where to pitch my thoughts I hear a little country honk on ‘Refills’ that veers from a little ragged Teenage Fanclub to a coating of Neil young without really sounding like either if that makes any sense? Anyway ‘My Dark Roots’ is more of the same with s great driving beat there is an undercurrent of Neil Young Rockin out to proceedings.  Maybe this is more Pavement kinda indie doing 70’s rock n roll but I  guess it’s fair to say there is an element of all the above in here.

‘Howler’ is like a long lost Alice Cooper Band track its got a slightly dreamy coating as it awkwardly glides through the airwaves. The great thing about this album is I’m not sure where the next one is heading and so the journey begins and meanders down the river of rock n roll Sometimes through babbling calmer water and sometimes heading downstream at pace with a bit of fire. ‘Twister Sister’ being a good case in point as it flows with a slight galic undertow its almost as if it’s been here before as it plays with your head.  The underlying point is you won’t switch off and you’re in it for the long haul as you settle down for the rest of the journey.

‘Cold Case’ sounds like it could have been played by the Waterboys once upon a time and again on the albums closing number ‘Nice And Slow’ the devil is in the detail as the sparse arrangement of a cotton picking guitar takes the lead with the laid back drum beat ushering in a fiddle that has a real calming effect on me as another really interesting track unfolds up until the Roger Whitaker whistling enters the room and I’m stopped in my tracks as the song heads down a Crosby, Stills and Nash melody which I wasn’t expecting and didn’t enjoy which is a shame but I can always head back to the top and get my rock on with ‘Sleep Rock’.

 

Eight out of nine isn’t bad going at all and the opening half of this record is really good and at times they sail pretty close to Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth especially on ‘Girl In Chicago’ from the arrangement to the melody even the sound is similar and that’s always going to grab my attention.  A thoroughly enjoyable record with lyrics I wanted to hear and stories I felt obliged to give my full attention to now that’s not something you hear all the time and with enough of a curio edge to make it really interesting. Great rock n roll doesn’t always have to be conventional it can come in all shapes and sizes and to be fair I’m now going to investigate further to find out what Bohannons are all about.

 

Facebook 

Author: Dom Daley

Rainy Days & Mondays

Rainy Days & Mondays

This will let a little sunshine into your Monday morning blues.

Second up we have got this blast from the past.  Firstly to wish Bernie a speedy full recovery from his recent hospitalization and also because Mr. Philip Lewis released a brand new album last Friday with LA Guns on their 30th year as a band but we delve further back when he was singing about being a star!

Finally to finish off this fanciful three here’s one from Black Bombers whos new EP is reviewed later this week. happy Monday folks!

 

The Alarm – Strength Video / next reissues

The Alarm – Strength Video / next reissues

Climb in the Delorian and set your clock to the ’80s because The Alarm has been busy overseeing their back catalogue this past twelve months and this coming week sees the band reissue a remastered ‘Strength’ album.  they’ve also remastered the video for the lead and title track ‘Strength’

The video was shot at Jacob Street Studios (a former dog biscuit factory in the East End of London), during the month of September 1985.

Directed by Nick Morris and produced by Fiona O’Mahoney, the video perfectly reflects the lyrical content in that it’s predominantly dark theme is interspersed with bursts of hopeful colour.

“The Strength video marked the first time that we worked with a stylist”, says Mike Peters. “Nick Morris the director wanted us to dress in a way that would fit with the monochromatic film look he was after, and so wanted us all to adopt a certain dress code. Working with the stylist (that he brought in), wasn’t something we were particularly comfortable with, but the girl in charge soon put us at our ease and found some great pieces to add to the black and white high contrast look Nick wanted to achieve. I absolutely loved the jacket she found, which was loaned from a high-end bespoke clothing designer in the fashion district behind Oxford Circus. I’d been allowed to keep it for the live television appearance on Saturday Superstore on the weekend after the video shoot and desperately wanted to keep it for the tour, but the designer wouldn’t sell as they wanted it for their fashion show in Paris. Dave is wearing a shirt from Johnsons, a then super hip rock and roll clothing store at the World’s End area of the Kings Road in Chelsea. His ubiquitous leather jeans which he wore all through the Strength tour and beyond, were from the (I kid you not), hard to find London Leatherman underground fetish clothing store on Queenstown Road, Battersea. Nigel is wearing a pretty dandy high collared shirt and cravat which made him look very distinguished and Eddie is sporting a black satin jacket that he had worn on his wedding day a few weeks earlier”.

Strength 1985 -1986 – An Oral History Updated begins serialisation from this Monday

In other Alarm news tickets for the winter tour are here – and onsale now

03.10.19 ABERDAREColiseum Tickets
04.10.19 FLEETThe Harlington Tickets
05.10.19 COLCHESTERArts Centre Tickets
11.10.19 HOLMFIRTHPicturedrome Tickets
12.10.19 SELBYTown Hall Tickets
19.10.19 CRICKHOWELLClarence Hall Tickets
23.10.19 BROMSGROVE Artrix Tickets
24.10.19 SWINDON Arts Centre Tickets
25.10.19 KINGSKERSWELL Church Tickets
26.10.19 NEWBURY Arlington Arts Tickets
31.10.19 TRINGThe Court Theatre Tickets
01.11.19 NEWBRIDGEMemo Tickets
02.11.19 PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms Tickets
03.11.19 SHREWSBURYTheatre Severn Tickets
08.11.19 DERBYThe Venue Tickets
09.11.19 DARWENLibrary Theatre Tickets
14.11.19 BURYThe Met Tickets
15.11.19 GATESHEADThe Sage Theatre Tickets
19.11.19 LIVERPOOL Epstein Theatre Tickets
20.11.19 LEEDS Brudenell Tickets
21.11.19 EDINBURGHThe Caves Tickets
22.11.19 ABERDEENThe Lemon Tree Tickets
23.11.19 PERTHJoan Knight Studio Tickets
29.11.19 STOWMARKETJohn Peel Centre Tickets

Royal Republic release brand new video

Royal Republic release brand new video

Royal Republic proudly presents ”Fireman & Dancer”, the newest and arguably sexiest member in our armada of relentless moodboosters! Packed with guitar-riffs the size of Mount Everest, pow-pow-pounding rhythms and lyrics that make Dr. Feelgood himself sweat bullets – it is your solution to, well, everything!

Fireman & Dancer is the first song out of the gate from the forthcoming full-length album ”Club Majesty” – scheduled for release on May 31st 2019.

Pre-Order of ”Club Majesty” – PRE ORDER Royal Republic are also happy to announce our joining forces with the amazingly talented people at Arising Empire / Nuclear Blast!

Facebook 

 

I Am Lono – Hunt Us Down Like The Dogs We Are (Louder City Records)

I Am Lono – Hunt Us Down Like The Dogs We Are (Louder City Records)

Already picking up admirers such as BBC Radio 6  and BBC introducing I Am Lono sound like the real deal with a cold as steel exterior yet it just covers a boiling hot center borrowing from masters of the dark post-punk synth rockers like The Cure and The Mission there is also a healthy amount of pop via the likes of Japan and Bauhaus.

You have the heaving thump of the bass guitar on the sparse ‘Lovers’ with its mechanical drum thud and bass throb it has the echoey vocals and synth layering the song until after the chorus when it soars as the guitar takes over.  Huge sounding record and to be fair a really impressive track too.

Let’s not jump the gun here and rewind to the opener ‘America’. There is a real familiarity to this one – sounds like a dark Visage (if I might be so bold).  I love the bands I’ve mentioned in my introduction and there are shades of all of them in this for sure and ‘America’ reminds me of the post 90’s period Bowie.  Call it art rock or post-punk synth pop I couldn’t care less its captured superbly and the moody ‘Abigail’ sounds huge and should rightfully turn heads as people will sit up and take notice. The production and songwriting is excellent with the songs being really well arranged and none of them outstay their welcome with just the right amount of Guitars and Synth and great vocals throughout. In fact, Mr. Hussey could do a lot worse than check these out and maybe take them on tour with him, his audience would love this.

Available on 10″ vinyl maybe its time to embrace your dark side and get a headful of I Am Lono you might be very pleasantly surprised.

Bandcamp

Website 

Backstreet Girls new single out today

Backstreet Girls new single out today

It might just be the new way in which old Rockers like to do things as Backstreet Girls knock out a brand new track via digital platforms. ‘Angel Face’ is released today from the Oslo Rockers and is the first new music from the band since ‘Don’t Mess With My Rock And Roll’ came out in 2017.

 

Spotify

Deezer

 

Facebook