The Sideshows – ‘The Sideshows’ (Boom Bird Records/European Phonographic/Yeah Right! Records)

The Sideshows – ‘The Sideshows’ (Boom Bird Records/European Phonographic/Yeah Right! Records)

The Digressions may well be on hiatus, The Role Models done and dusted, and The Loyalties a distant memory, but our favourite Canadian-born singer/songwriter who resides on this side of the pond is far from done with rock n’ roll.

Yes, Rich Ragany (Rags to those in the know) has roped in his friend and former Hanoi Rocks/current Michael Monroe bassist Sami Yaffa for a new project. Bringing along longtime drummer Simon Maxwell for the ride, they retreated to Sami’s studio in Spain to bash out a few tunes Rags had on the back burner. Something clicked, the stars aligned, and before you know it, they had an album in the bag, and The Sideshows were born.

Fast forward to 2026, and the power pop trio unleash their debut, self-titled album on an unsuspecting world.

If you are at all familiar with Rich’s past work, then you’ll be pleased to know The Sideshows don’t stray too far from that musical path. Opener and first single ‘Brand New’ feels like a statement of intent from the off. A low-slung, high-energy rocker full of Stiv Bators attitude and 70’s garage rock power. With hooks aplenty, killer vocals and pumping bass driving a song that delivers on all levels, it’s a fine start.

The sound of Rich’s influences is all over this album. The Replacements, Tom Petty and Johnny Thunders all come to mind, and that ain’t a bad place to be in my book. In fact, I’m sure Paul Westerberg would be proud to have written ‘Not Sorry’. Tribal beats and sloppy guitars build to an almost apprehensive verse onto a chorus with a hook you just don’t expect. It’s a great song.

The punkier ‘Our Love In The Shadows’ follows a familiar path, with a feel-good chorus that creates euphoria on first listen and demands the repeat button. A strong song for sure. ‘Rock n Roll Owes Me An Apology’ rounds off Side One nicely, rocking the fuck out with nice ringing guitars and no apologies.

Dropping the virtual needle on Side Two, we have ‘Say Goodbye On A Night Like This’. That may sound like a Bryan Adams song title, but it’s actually a power pop gem of a song. Urgent beats and a killer chorus are the order of the day, and The Sideshows keep the interest high, delivering heartfelt, anthemic and melodic in equal measures. I feel a theme going on with this band. Are you on board yet?

The flipside of the debut single is the more reflective and introspective ‘The Start’, a song that hits in the feels and is up there with the best of Rich’s discography. As with the following ‘This Could Be Everything’, the band create an early Hanoi vibe, emotive and haunting yet with added Billy Idol sneer thrown in for good measure.

The production, handled by Messrs Ragany & Yaffa, gives a very raw, live in the studio feel which lends itself well, especially to the rockers, like album closer ‘We’re Such A Shame’, an in yer face delivery which is surely gonna be a blast to witness live.

Whether it’s with one of his many past bands or as a solo artist, Rich Ragany has always impressed with his ability to deliver heartfelt songs that are uplifting, introspective and will simply brighten your day. ‘The Sideshows’ is another of those albums that delivers, and with the added attraction of the legendary Sami Yaffa on bass duties, it may open this troubadour’s songwriting talents to a whole new audience of fans that love real music played by real musicians who still have a story to tell and a song to share.

Here’s hoping this is the start of a band with an illustrious career, as this self-titled debut is a bit of a banger.

Digital Link Here

European Phonographic

Yeah Right! Records

Author: Ben Hughes

‘Poison’: Punk Lifer Justin Maurer Launches J MAU & THE KISS OFF

‘Poison’: Punk Lifer Justin Maurer Launches J MAU & THE KISS OFF

Los Angeles, California’s J MAU & THE KISS OFF emerge from what they lovingly call their “beloved hellhole” with their debut single “Poison,” out March 25. Founded in 2025 by Justin “J Mau” Maurer, longtime punk lifer and founder of Clorox Girls, Suspect Parts, L.A. Drugz, and Maniac, the project finds Maurer turning toward something darker and dustier without losing the bite that’s always defined him. “Poison” is a cinematic honky tonk murder ballad filtered through decades of West Coast punk history. It’s the first glimpse of a songwriter who’s always followed the feeling, even when it led somewhere uncomfortable.

Maurer’s story isn’t mythology. It’s messy and real. A CODA raised between Los Angeles and Bainbridge Island by a single Deaf mother, American Sign Language was his first language. Punk became his second. After surviving a turbulent childhood and helping put his abusive father in jail as a teenager, Maurer found autonomy in the underground. By fifteen he was booking shows and touring. By twenty he was releasing records and circling the globe with Clorox Girls. Along the way he built a parallel career as one of the country’s most respected ASL interpreters, working alongside prominent political figures like Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden, stage interpreting for punk legends like Alice Bag and The Avengers, interpreting Deaf actor Troy Kotsur’s historic 2022 Academy Award acceptance speech, and appearing with Kotsur on Curb Your Enthusiasm. His life has always moved between worlds.

After stints living in Madrid, London, and Baja California, and in the wake of a divorce that leveled him, Maurer found himself flat on his back in an East Hollywood apartment, cowboy boots still on, old country records spinning. Hank Williams. Buck Owens. Merle Haggard. Gram Parsons. Kris Kristofferson. Townes Van Zandt. He finally understood it. “Real country music is poetry,” Maurer says. “It’s about failure, heartbreak, and the tragic human condition. Music to laugh and cry and live and die by.” That rock-bottom clarity led him to write “Poison.”

Recorded at Savannah Studios in Boyle Heights with Ignacio “Iggy” Gonzalez and backed by Patrick “Butterworth” Vasquez and Kevin “Quake” Milner, the track moves like a slow-burning reckoning. Acoustic strum, restrained rhythm, and a haunted vocal that feels equal parts confession and warning. From his window in Pico Union, Maurer could hear children playing at the elementary school across the street. Listening to old country compilations full of doomed protagonists, he imagined himself as a man on the run whose days were numbered, watching that schoolyard and knowing he might never see it again. That’s where the line came from: “When will you see the children play / You never will again.” The refrain doesn’t comfort you. It circles back like a hard truth you can’t shake: “It’s got a way / That poison’s got a way / It’s got a say / It’s got the final say.”

The single arrives with an 8mm-shot video co-directed by Maurer’s former MANIAC bandmate Zache Davis and Marta Ribate Gracia-Davis. Grainy, sun-bleached, and edited with a careful hand, it plays like a spaghetti western fever dream, a corrido where the protagonist must confront how he’ll be remembered before the end comes calling. The artwork, designed by longtime collaborator Matthew “Snake” Davis, leans into vintage flash tattoo skulls and silent-film menace.

J MAU & THE KISS OFF Online

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Inflatable Idols – ‘Get Stiff!’ (Rum Bar Records)

Inflatable Idols – ‘Get Stiff!’ (Rum Bar Records)

You want Rock n Roll played with swagger and a dash of panash and with the amps turned up loud oh, and a brass section for added pizazz, Well Rum Bar has it and its called The Inflatable Idols and this is their debut album drawing from several corners of the SoCal underground punk rock scene and RPM favs like TSOL, JJ & The Real Jerks, The Adolescents and Ultrabomb. What else do you need to know to validate this record and make it a must-own for your collection?

Jim Perrault – lead vocals, bass / Frank Agnew – guitar, backup vocals / Joe Jennings – guitar, backup vocals,  / Brian Coakley – guitar, backup vocals / Greg Kuehn – piano, organ / Derek O’Brien – drums, percussion, backup vocals / Geoff Yeaton – baritone, alto, tenor sax / Tavis Werts – trumpet / Belle Johnson – backup vocals / Mika Lett – backup vocals make up this motley crew.

‘GET STIFF!’ kicks off, quite literally with ‘Oxygene Thief’ straight up punk rock old school as Jim snarls out the lyrics whilst the ensemble of Idols harmonise their response whilst those guitar riff and throw out the shapes to keep this crazy train on the rails, just.

The album motors on with a wonderful energy and manages to mould the combined forces into a cohesive punk rock record with Garage rock and even some sweet soul for added flavour. The tempo is set to rage as ‘Drunk On Nostalgia’ rages into ‘Get Up And Get Out’ with its sleazy late night vibes and some of that sweet saxophone honkin out the place with some great call and respond BVs. The swagger of ‘Hero To Zero’ is right up there with som much going on its a real aural assault on the senses but you can bet your bottom dollar its good shit and you want to turn it up and hit repeat.

‘Make Some Noise’ is easily achieved and the overriding feature of this collection of songs is that the band sounds like they’re all on the same page and having a real blast. The arrangments are spot on and varied and the songs might all be in step they are never boring. Its timeless melodies and songs with plenty of punch but delivered with a smile and a swagger that the Infamous Idols know exactly what they’ve got on their hands. If Alice Cooper wrote ‘Imaginary Monster’ for his new LP the Rock n Roll world would lose their shit over how good it was so I’m here to tell you to Crank it up & shake your ass to the Super Superfluous sounds of the Infamous Inflatable Idols and get your sweaty mitts on a copy of this bad boy, you wont regret it and you can thank me later maybe at the Rum Bar over a cold one. Buy It!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Dead Pioneers – No Kings

Dead Pioneers – No Kings

DEAD PIONEERS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘WAGON BURNER’ TO BE RELEASED JUNE 26TH VIA HASSLE RECORDS

PRE-ORDER HERE

NOW CONFIRMED TO PLAY THEIR FIRST UK FESTIVAL APPEARANCE AT 2000 TREES IN JULY

“No kings, No masters / Kick against fascist bastards”

Following their packed-out first EU and UK headline tour last month, Dead Pioneers, the Indigenous fronted band from Denver, are now preparing to unleash their third album ‘Wagon Burner’, set for release June 26th via Hassle Records.

Succeeding the album’s first statement with the initial single ‘Nazi Teeth’, a powerful attack on the upsurge of the far right and white supremacists, Dead Pioneers are back with a second single ‘No Kings’, which delivers an equally powerful punch to right-wing politics.

“Last summer, there were protests all over the United States called ‘No Kings’, in opposition of the current administration, the policies they’ve been implementing, and the rights they’ve been taking away from citizens,” explains frontman Gregg Deal. “While the issues are obvious, it’s important that we all say it out loud. It’s important that we show up and make our opinions known, that we won’t allow our inherent rights to be trampled upon for the benefit of the Epstein Class.

“Not unlike ‘Nazi Teeth’, ‘No Kings’ is meant to bring the points home,” he continues. “ICE, rights being taken away, mass shootings, greed over life, demonising immigrants, black, brown and queer people, widened economic gaps by the Epstein class, and the sincere frustration Americans feel over this. While this is happening, we realise that the right-wing politics coming out of the United States is emboldening conservative right-wing politics all over the world. We are against dictators, authoritarian regimes, Nazis, fascism or any other power structure, political, social or otherwise that seeks to take away the rights, freedoms or lives of human beings trying to live their lives. To that, we keep it simple: NO KINGS.”

Dead Pioneers is rooted in a 2020 piece called The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy, a deeply personal work that dealt with Deal’s upbringing. Following an embryonic performance of the piece, Deal secured a grant to expand it to include music created especially for the work. “The idea was to mix spoken word with punk music,” explains Deal, who hooked up with drummer Shane Zweygardt and guitarist Joshua Rivers during lockdown and began kicking the concept around.

A miraculous, natural chemistry made this supposed one-off project an actual band almost as soon as they cut what became their 2023 eponymous debut album (“We approached it like I approach my visual art: execute quickly, first thought is best thought,” Deal says), but they didn’t necessarily take it seriously until, unexpectedly, the outside world did. “I was like, we’ve made this record – what should I do with it? Put it online?” Deal remembers. The response was vigorously positive, and soon came demands to commit this noise to vinyl. A first thousand-copy pressing sold out in minutes. “So, then we pressed another thousand,” he adds, still marvelling at it all. “And then they were gone, too.”

What followed was “a series of strange accidents” that led to the group signing to Hassle, befriending Jello Biafra and touring with kindred spirits like Pennywise, Propaghandi, and even Pearl Jam. “Punk-rock had made everything seem so accessible when I was a kid,” says Deal. “Like, simply having the balls to get up on stage and stage dive and then be carried off by people that become your best friends once they get your feet back on the ground.” Now, punk-rock was reaching out its hands to Dead Pioneers and pulling them onto larger and larger stages. The group returned that favour by simply getting better and better: their second album, 2025’s PO$T AMERICAN, was sharper, angrier, funnier than the debut, a riot riveted with punch-a-Nazi thrills.

And now, Wagon Burner, their fearsome third album. Described by Deal as “more collaborative”, it’s a heavier, harder but also more accessible set, vicious hooks scattered among the punk-rock melee and guest appearances by kindred spirits Cheap Perfume (on the righteous ‘Nazi Teeth’), The Interrupters (on the shout-a-long anthem ‘Never Alone’) and, bringing it back to the group’s beginnings, Sleaford Mods (on the searing slow-burn of ‘The Worst Among Us’). The world might be darkening by the day, but Dead Pioneers are rising to that miserable occasion, casting their empowering light into the gloom.

Pre-order ‘Wagon Burner’ HERE

Co-produced by Dead Pioneers and Chris Beeble.

Recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Dead Pioneers are:

Gregg Deal – vocals

Josh Rivera – guitar

Abe Brennan – guitar

Lee Tesche – bass

Shane Zweygardt – drums

See Dead Pioneers at the following dates in the UK and EU.

July

8 – IE Róisín Dubh, Galway

9 – IE The Workman’s Club, Dublin

11 – UK 2000 Trees Festival

16 – DE Back To The Future Festival

17 – DE Adieu Tristesse Festival

18 – DE Seepogo Festival 

Find Dead Pioneers online HERE:

Chez Kane – ‘Reckless’ (Frontiers Records)

Chez Kane – ‘Reckless’ (Frontiers Records)

Now, Chez Kane is a singer on somewhat of an upward trajectory in her dazzling career, and with the release of her third album, ‘Reckless’, the stars are finally aligning. It’s hard to believe that 4 years have passed since the release of 2022’s ‘Powerzone’, which itself came out a year after her self-titled debut album. All three releases have seen Chez team up with Crazy Lixx’s Danny Rexon in a Rock N’ Roll dream team, with Danny writing and producing her songs.

Kicking straight off with the Radio Wales playlisted title track ‘Reckless’, the Welsh warbler wastes no time in setting the scene for the rest of the album. A clear-cut kickass rocker that builds upon what Kane has released before and will no doubt rock even more in the live set.

‘Personal Rock N’ Roll’ is up next, and sees Chez in full-on rock mode. This track is all about living your best life. We also have another single from the album in the brilliant form of ‘Night of Passion’, which, out of the singles for the album, was my favourite. This song has everything, from killer keys to sultry sax and so much more. 

‘Strip Me Down’ is another rocker that hits the bullseye from the get-go. One thing I love about the Danny & Chez team is that they complement each other perfectly. The progression, clearly heard on this new slab of melodic rock perfection, is amazing.

Another single release in the form of ‘Tongue of Love’, which is a moody mid-paced rocker that struts its way into your subconscious practically from the first listen. ‘Love Tornado’ is yet another pre-release single that has already wormed its way into my head and is also a cracking balls to the wall rocker.

That’s the only negative thing I have to say about this album: too many tracks were released in the run-up to the album’s actual release. If you count the bonus track you got when you pre-ordered the album, you have heard over half of the album, a month before the full release. Obviously, that has nothing to do with the music but more with the business side of things.

Anyway, back to the music, we have the sublime ‘Bad Girl’, which continues the anthemic, living your life to the full vibe that has become Chez’s mission to rock our world, in her and Danny’s unique way.

One of the best tracks on the album is ‘Street Survivor’, which slows things down, only a touch, but is clearly a brilliant song and rewards the listener with a bit of a breather. ‘Too Dangerous’ is another mid-paced rocker that delivers on all fronts.

‘Bodyrock’, the bonus track given to fans who pre-ordered the album, is a sultry way to end a fantastic 3rd album. Which, to be honest, when I think of the whole album, is a perfect soundtrack for a full-on, roof-down, road trip in the sun. I can happily say that Chez & Danny have possibly released one of the best melodic rock albums of 2026 so far and will clearly be living on my wimp deck for quite some time.

Frontiers Records are really pushing the boat with this release as Chez will be hitting the road for One-Week Only: Intimate Acoustic Shows + Meet & Greet, which starts in her hometown local record store – Derricks in Swansea on the day of release – Friday, March 27th. More info here https://ffm.bio/chezkane_instoreshowdates

Chez will also be hitting the road with the full band in support of ‘Reckless’ in April, which will no doubt be one of the hottest melodic rock tickets around.

Buy Here

Author: Dave Prince

Split Dogs are the Rock N Roll Business

Split Dogs are the Rock N Roll Business

Split Dogs snap back with new single ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Business’ out now via Venn Records

New album ‘Nice N’ Rough’ set for release September 25th Via Venn Records

Pre-order HERE:

EU tour with Canadian rockers Danko Jones confirmed for October

“The sound of trouble.” Iggy Pop BBC 6MUSIC

“As a listener you are left with an unshakable feeling that this is the type of record British music has needed for some time.” CLASH

“Irrepressible, irresistible – their essential manual for street level rock thrills.” Kerrang!

Bristol punk rock ‘n rollers Split Dogs are back with the first taste of their new album ‘Nice ‘N’ Rough’, due for release September 25th via Venn Records.

Titled ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Business’, the new single sees Split Dogs hardly pausing for breath as they roar through two-minutes-forty seconds of prime heads down, no nonsense high voltage strut. Their heroic approach to touring and relentless gigging in the EU and UK over the last two years (including a massive tour with Gogol Bordello in 2025 and gigs with Bad Nerves and Teen Mortgage, among many others) has seen the band turn heads and win hearts wherever they go, and there’s no stopping them now.

2026 already sees the band heading out on their own headline tour this month, before multiple festival appearances, a headline German tour in July, a string of instore performances in September (ticket link HERE) and an EU tour with Canadian rockers Danko Jones in October, and that’s just for starters. Split Dogs do things on their own terms only and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Business’ perfectly demonstrates that.

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Business imagines the music industry as a classic British gangster film,” states singer Harry Martinez. “Dirty deeds, big egos and people you wouldn’t trust with your last ciggie. It’s tongue-in-cheek but it’s also our big middle finger to the whole thing cus it’s mostly true. Half the time it’s run like a shady deal in a British gangster film, so that’s exactly how we made the video.

“The day before the shoot we realised we needed a proper classic motor,” continues Harry. “A mate of ours who gets tattooed by Mil linked us up with Pip and his amazing black Chevrolet Chevelle.

We asked him if he wanted to be in the video, told him the vibe and he just said, “I’m your man, you want me in black leather? The garage we used is another mate of ours. He let us use his garage in exchange for a tattoo.”

Recorded at The Station House, a recording studio based in a repurposed Victorian police station in Leeds, Split Dogs quickly discovered the studio also boasts one of the country’s finest VHS collections. Fuelled with classics like ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, and a Tina Turner live tape, the Bristol based four-piece went to work capturing their sophomore album, ‘Nice N’ Rough’, with producer Jonah Falco (High Vis, Rifle, and drummer of Canadian punks Fucked Up) and engineer James Atkinson (formerly of seminal hardcore band Voorhees). 

The result is thirteen thumping tracks featuring lightning-fast guitar licks, raspy hooks and cues from greats like Plasmatics, New York Dolls, Motörhead and The Stooges. Front-person Harry Martinez delivers a larger-than-life, undeniable rock ‘n’ roll performance, injecting the band’s reputable live energy straight into the vocal booth. 

Despite the glam rock glimmer, the music possesses depth and soul that can easily be missed. Album opener ‘Be Somebody’ reminds the listener to shine in whatever they do, ‘Speed Demon’ highlights the importance of tuning out the noise that can plague mental health, while the Danzig-esque ‘Suffer’ tackles the lasting shadow of parental abuse. Overall, the message is clear: go out there and live your life how you want to. ‘Nice N’ Rough’ is playful yet pure, steeped in honesty and the soundtrack to all your future best days.

Catch Split Dogs live at the following dates in 2026:

HEADINE TOUR

26-Mar-2026 UK Glasgow Hug & Pint
27-Mar-2026 UK Leeds Hyde Park Book Club
01-Apr-2026 UK Nottingham The Bodega
02-Apr-2026 UK Brighton Green Door Store
03-Apr-2026 UK London Underworld

17-Apr-2026 UK Bristol St Nicholas Market

FESTIVAL TOUR
05-Apr-2026 UK Manchester Punk Festival
25-Apr-2026 UK Edinburgh Scotland Calling
21-May-2026 UK Burton Upon Trent Bearded Theory Festival

18-Jun-2026 SP Bilbao Azkena Rock
26-Jun-2026 PL Zelebsko Ultra Chaos Pinik
08-Jul-2026 UK Cheltenham 2000 Trees
10-Jul-2026 B Gierle Sjock Fest
17-Jul-2026 NL Lichetnworde Zwarte Cross

GERMAN HEADLINE
18-Jul-2026 GER Selters Seepgo
19-Jul-2026 GER Augsburg Ballonfabrik
20-Jul-2026 GER Tubingen Blauer Salon
22-Jul-2026 GER Coolgne Sonic Ballroom
24-Jul-2026 GER Hnxe Ruhrpott Rodeo
 25-Jul-2026 GER Trebur Trebur Open Air
26-Jul-2026 GER Munich X bar
27-Jul-2026 GER Bamberg Live Club
28-Jul-2026 GER Dresden Ostpol
29-Jul-2026 GER Erfurt MuseumsKeller
30-Jul-2026 GER Hamburg Welt TurboJugend
31-Jul-2026 GER Goldenstadt Afreiht un Buten

FESTIVALS

07-Aug-2026 UK Blackpool Rebellion Fest
13-Aug-2026 Slov Tolmin Punk Rock Holiday
16-Aug-2026 UK Winchester Boomtown Festival
21-Aug-2026 DK Vordingborg Gutter Island
22-Aug-2026 UK Devon Beautiful Days

INSTORE PERFORMANCES
25-Sep-2026 UK Leeds Crash Records
26-Sep-2026 UK Glasgow Blitzkrieg
27-Sep-2026 UK Liverpool Rough Trade
28-Sep-2026 UK Coventry Just Dropped in
29-Sep-2026 UK Bristol Rough Trade
30-Sep-2026 UK Nottingham Rough Trade
01-Oct-2026 UK  Rough Trade East

TOUR W/ DANKO JONES

12-Oct-2026 GER Potsdam Waschhaus
13-Oct-2026 GER Nurnberg Löwensaal
14-Oct-2026 AT Wien Flex
15-Oct-2026 HU Budapest A38
16-Oct-2026 ROM Bucharest Quantic
17-Oct-2026 Bulg Sofia   Pirotska 5 Event Center
19-Oct-2026 ROM Cluj Form Space
21-Oct-2026 Cro Zagreb Vintage Industrial Bar
22-Oct-2026 Slov Ljubljana Kino Siska
23-Oct-2026 AT Salzburg Rockhouse
24-Oct-2026 CH Rubingen Muhle Hunzinken
25-Oct-2026 CH Zurich Dynamo
27-Oct-2026 GER Oberhausen Turbinenhalle 2
28-Oct-2026 B Ghent Handelsbeurs
29-Oct-2026 GER Frankfurt Batschkapp
30-Oct-2026 NL Haarlem Patronaat
31-Oct-2026 NL Tilburg Next Stage
01-Nov-2026 NL Leuwaarden Neusoorn

Find Split Dogs online HERE:

Jim Jones All Stars – ‘Cat Fight’ (Silver Arrow Records)

Jim Jones All Stars – ‘Cat Fight’ (Silver Arrow Records)

Just occasionally, it’s difficult to review an album because all you really need to say is “buy this NOW!”

On these occasions, it’s due to the reputation and quality of said artist’s back catalogue. Such is the case with Jim Jones, in all his many incarnations, from Thee Hypnotics (and even The Swamps), to Black Moses, to the mighty Revue, to The Righteous Mind, and now The All Stars. He does not mess around. He understands the groove in the hips of rock n roll.

And, so does Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes. He’s back in the producer’s chair, and it’s clear that they understand each other, going back to ‘The Very Crystal Speed Machine’. While there is variety here, this is very much a ‘groove’ spread across an album. It begs to be heard live, and you WILL dance, brothers and sisters. From ‘Make It Rain’, and its plea of “wash my sins like you mean it” onwards, the rhythm section and horns are upfront. The guitars are also predominantly rhythm, but it all fits together to support the overall sound. Primal, but seductive. 

Recent single ‘Exiled’ is more Sly Stone than the Stones. My kind of dance music. ‘Born To Ride’ brings a perfectly placed sax solo, and ‘I’m On Fire’ will have you joining the “do, do, do” refrain as you shuffle across your lounge. You should already be familiar with ‘Goin’ Higher’, released last year, perhaps the most reminiscent of the Revue. ‘Bekolah’ briefly slows the tempo, probably the biggest surprise on the album, while the 2 minute title track is essentially an instrumental with the style of a 60s film soundtrack. I’m picturing James Coburn at his peak. It’s hard to avoid the word ‘righteous’, so there you go.

“Unlock the door, free your mind…” says ‘Drink Me’ to an intro that reminds me of The Sweeney, before setting off on a different trip, Alice. There are other groovers, but the best is perhaps left till last; ‘Let You Go’ is a potential single to these ears, and a fine way to end the album. 

I could go on. Or, you could order this NOW! 

Buy Here

Author: Martin Chamarette

Plastic Tears – ‘Bad Ballerina’ video

Plastic Tears – ‘Bad Ballerina’ video

Plastic Tears brand new video for their single ‘Bad Ballerina’ is out.

The song Bad Ballerina, originally released in late 2024, now receives a visual continuation. The new music video expands the story and adds a fresh dimension to the track.

Plastic Tears comment:

“We wanted to continue our music video tradition that has been part of the band throughout its entire existence. Over the years we’ve built a strong visual expression alongside the music, and the videos are very important to us in that sense.”

“She’s no angel, she’s tough,” the recurring mantra of the chorus, captures the essence of the song.

The video lifts Bad Ballerina to a new level and offers the audience a chance to experience the song’s story in a more immersive way.

Alongside the band, the video features Stella in the role of a prison guard and Mandy Mars, known from the band Daze Dolls. The video is directed by Eco Inkinen.

Plastic Tears | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

Ultrabomb – New Video ahead of New Album

Ultrabomb – New Video ahead of New Album

New LP The Bridges That We Burn Arrives May 1, 2026 via DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group

Band Consists of Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü), Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Adolescents) and Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum)

Ultrabomb have unveiled the music video for their latest single “no cap,” a melodic, driving anthem that balances urgency with hook-heavy punch. The track is the latest preview from their forthcoming full-length album The Bridges That We Burn, due May 1, 2026 via DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group.

Built on soaring guitar lines, driving rhythms, and a chorus that hits with clarity and conviction, “no cap” showcases Ultrabomb’s ability to fuse melody with muscle. The song channels frustration with the modern noise cycle into something focused and forward-looking — less about shouting over the chaos and more about cutting through it.

“There is a lot of noise to keep us distracted. Everyone has an opinion, informed, and not informed. I’m at capacity with all the bs, let’s start real conversations.” — Greg Norton

Ultrabomb brings together underground legends and alternative stalwarts:

  • Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) — bass, backing vocals
  • Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Adolescents) — drums, backing vocals
  • Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum) — lead vocals, guitar

Together, the trio channel decades of punk and alternative rock history into music that feels immediate and relevant rather than retrospective. Melody and momentum move in lockstep — sharp, anthemic, and emotionally direct.

As Magnet observed, Ultrabomb delivers “a swift blow to the sternum that harnesses both the speedy energy of Norton’s early Minneapolis days and the ragged hard-rock sensibility of Twin Tone-era Soul Asylum.”

The Bridges That We Burn was recorded at Creation Audio in Minneapolis and produced, engineered, and mixed by John Fields, with mastering by Justin Perkins (Mystery Room Mastering). The album broadens the band’s dynamic range while maintaining the tight, high-impact songwriting that defines Ultrabomb.

With “no cap,” Ultrabomb prove that conviction doesn’t require chaos — just clarity, melody, and the willingness to say what matters.

Follow ULTRABOMB
https://linktr.ee/ultrabomb

Label
DC-Jam Records / Virgin Music Group
www.dcjamrecords.com

A Place To Bury Strangers new Single ahead of rarities album

A Place To Bury Strangers new Single ahead of rarities album

New rarities album, ‘Rare And Deadly’, out April 3rd via Dedstrange

New York based band A Place To Bury Strangers release “Where Are We Now,” the third single/video from their new rarities album, Rare And Deadly, out April 3rd via Dedstrange. Following the “full-on sonic attack” (Consequence) of “Acid Rain,” on which “frontman Oliver Ackermann delivers deadpan, near-chanted lyrics about systemic cruelty,” (Consequence)  “Where Are We Now” finds A Place To Bury Strangers reflecting on the past: “Where are we now // Is it too late // Should I reach out // Where we are now // caught in our lives //did our dreams fade.” Ackermann says the song is about “looking back at friends you lost touch with. Wondering where they ended up. Remembering when everything felt possible.” The accompanying video was put together by Ackermann with footage from the Library of Congress National Archives. Ackermann says he made the video because “I think we need to look at people more and see the value and wonder of life so we can be compassionate towards others.”

Rare and Deadly cracks open a decade-long vault of raw nerve and sonic chaos from A Place To Bury Strangers. Spanning 2015–2025, this collection of demos, B-sides, abandoned experiments, and forgotten fragments reveals the band at their most unfiltered—caught between breakthrough ideas and beautiful mistakes. Pulled from Ackermann’s personal archive of late-night recordings, blown-out tapes, and half-finished sessions, here the interference is closer, the electricity more dangerous, the edges left jagged on purpose.

What makes Rare and Deadly truly unprecedented is that every format tells a different story. The CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital editions each feature their own unique tracklisting, a fractured release strategy that is almost unheard of. No single version contains the “complete” album. Instead, each format becomes its own window into the archive, revealing alternate paths, missing links, and parallel versions of the band’s inner life. It’s a deliberately unstable document: the album shifts depending on how you choose to hear it, mirroring the chaos of its creation.

Across these recordings, you can hear the evolution of Ackermann’s restless mind. Some pieces feel like prototypes for future chaos, seeds that later bloomed on studio albums. Others are dead ends—ideas too volatile, too strange, or too personal to ever fit the frame of a proper release. But together they form a secret history of the band, a parallel world of possibilities that existed just outside the spotlight. The tracks contain riffs mutated by malfunctioning pedals, songs born from gear pushed past its limits, or delicate melodies overwhelmed by walls of feedback until only their ghosts remain.

Rare and Deadly is less a compilation and more a documentary—an aural snapshot of how sound takes shape before it hardens into something finished. You hear the room, the accidents, the restless experimentation, the immediacy of a moment being captured before it disappears. It’s a reminder that A Place To Bury Strangers has always thrived in this in-between space: the tension between control and collapse, melody and noise, beauty and distortion.

Pre-order Rare And Deadly

A Place To Bury Strangers Tour Dates:
Tue. April 7 – Hamburg, DE @ MS Stubnitz
Wed. April 8 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
Thu. April 9 – Praha, CZ @ Futurum Music Bar
Fri. April 10 – Brno-město, CZ @ Kabinet múz
Sat. April 11 – Bratislava, SK @ PINK WHALE BAR
Sun. April 12 – Budapest, HU @ A38
Mon. April 13 – Belgrade, RS @ Karmakoma
Tue. April 14 – Sofia, BG @ Mixtape 5
Wed. April 15 – București, RO @ Control Club
Fri. April 17 – Thessaloniki, GR @ Eightball Club
Sat. April 18 – Athina, GR @ Gazarte
Mon. April 20 – Rome, IT @ Monk Club
Tue. April 21 – Florence, IT @ Ex Fila
Wed. April 22 – Bologna, IT @ Social Center TPO
Thu. April 23 – Milan, IT @ Santeria
Fri. April 24 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Sun. April 26 – Brussels, BE @ Magasin 4
Mon. April 27 – Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
Wed. April 29 – Utrecht, NL @ De Helling
Thu. April 30 – Deventer, NL @ Burgerweeshuis
Fri. May 1 – Eindhoven, NL @ Fuzz Club Festival 2026

A Place To Bury Strangers Online:
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