The Boatsmen Interview Exclusive

The Boatsmen Interview Exclusive

Whilst the world is still in the grip of this Pandemic it’s always great to have a distraction from the daily grind of life currently under restrictions and social distancing and not being able to get out there and spend time with like-minded music lovers.  However, one thing this damn virus hasn’t stopped is the release of great rock and roll records and one of 2021’s most impressive releases so far is without a doubt the awesome new album from Swedens The Boatsmen so with our masks on we made contact with the self-confessed kings of Party Rock and Roll and fist-bumped before we engaged in the chatter that matters.  Welcome to your new favourite band kids please be upstanding for The Boatsmen…

 

Give us a bit of background to the band?  You formed in or around 2008 when the first demo came out but didn’t get around to releasing the debut album in 2013 right?

That’s right, we started out wanting to be a contrast to a lot of the other bands around at the time. The Boatsmen is about letting loose and doing exactly what you feel like, just for the fun and the thrills with no boundaries. Stop taking yourself so seriously, stop overthinking and psychedelick my ass. During our first years, the focus was more on partying than recording. After a while, though we had mastered the art of partying to its full extent and got to work with our first album.

 

 

Where is the band from in Sweden? What’s it like for music there?

Yes, the band is from Örebro in the middle of Sweden and we grew up with a great music scene with bands like The Accidents, The Peepshows, The Strollers and The Pricks. When we started the band however the scene had been losing some action and we felt the responsibility to show the kids how it’s done.

 

 

I’m curious as to where the name comes from?

The band is named after the dog “Båtsman” (“Boatsman”) in the Swedish 70s kids show Saltkråkan. We thought a logo with a big anchor as the T in the middle would look cool.

 

Who were your influences?

We have a big mix of influences but we have a steady ground in the old 60s garage music with band such as The Sonics and Music Machine but with the rock action from MC5 and The Stooges, some boogie from The Hurriganes and Eddie Meduza, and a whole lot of punk approach from bands like GG Allin, The Damned and Ramones. But the main influence is good songs in general. Of course, we listen to and love the Scandinavian rock scene with bands such as Turbonegro, The Hives, and The Hellacopters. Reigning Sound and Henry Fiats Open Sore are two other favorite bands.

 

 

Let’s get up to date with the new album just released on Ghost Highway and Spaghetty Town.  How did that arrangement come about did you tout the new record around or specifically target these guys?

We have worked with Ghost Highway before and we really like the stuff they put out and the way we work together. They also got American Spaghetty Town on this boat and we like many other bands dream of the US so we are really happy about that.

 

 

 

Where was the new record recorded?

We recorded ourselves in our rehearsal room/studio, Super Studios, that we have together with our friends in V8 Interceptor.

 

How has it been since Covid hit the globe?  Sweden didn’t strictly enter a lockdown is that right?  We there live shows then?

The main difference in Sweden compared to most other countries is probably that the lockdown is more about  “recommendations” than laws. No public gatherings with more than 8 people allowed so no shows.

 

Who writes the songs in the band and how do you come to the finished record?  Is everything done before you enter the studio?  Did any of the writing get changed much when you started recording?

The last record we rehearsed a lot before we went into the studio and recorded everything live, all songs in one weekend. This time we pretty much recorded every song as soon as it was made, less rehearsing. We jam the music up together and all the lyrics/poetry are written by lead singer Håkan.

 

 

What about how long it took to get it finished from the start of the process?

Martin the drummer moved to another city so we just met during weekends and partied and recorded. It took almost two years because we really like to party.  Also, we were waiting and hoping for the pandemic to be over before putting the record out, but eventually, we had teased ourselves too much and had to release it.

 

 

Live shows.  Are there any plans to come to Plague island the UK and bring the noise?

We would love to bring our rock’n’roll circus to the UK as soon as we can!

 

 

 

 

The Boatsmen profess to have a good time all the time.  What constitutes a good night out with The Boatsmen and where do we sign up?

Just write to us on Facebook, Instagram or theboatsmen@mail.com and we´ll start out with pizza and beer and end with beer and pizza.

 

I can’t get a copy of ‘City Sailor’ on vinyl any chance of a repress?  I’m sure when people hear the new album the back catalogue will be in demand.

There´s a discussion about a repress and we hope we can get it done soon.

 

 

What has the band done differently from album to album?  The new one is so good you seem to have hit a rich vein of form did it feel good when the songs were finished?  Having had some distance from finishing recording and releasing is there anything you’d have done differently?  What’s the process for The Boatmen.

For every record, we have had a different approach just to keep it fresh and not to do the same thing over again expecting a different result.  This record we did everything ourselves, even the cover design, so maybe next record we’ll do nothing ourselves.

 

Talk us through the songs on the new album.  Obviously, there are some reoccurring themes but are there any hidden depths we need to know about?

First off is the track “Action Delivery” and it’s about the anxiety and excitement of playing in a rock band that believe they´re the best. Next up is “Friday Night Forever” and that song is summed up in one of the lines of the lyrics: “Close your eyes and close your ears, be shitfaced don’t face your fears”. “Blame It On Me” was the first single from the album and it’s about the fact that everyone already thinks we are fucked up drunks, so if you do anything bad you might as well blame it on us. “Thirst Song” is a love song about a drunken relationship. “Saved By Rock” is about the fact that rock’n’roll saved us from boredom, sobriety, and virginity. “Even The Good Times Were Bad” is about how the times you thought then were good times can look like from behind. “I Don’t Wanna Lose This Time” is about not wanting the weekend to end. “When I’m Drunk” is about the superpowers you get when you’re drunk. Everything good that I have achieved in life I have done while being drunk. “Big Waves” is about remembering that you are the captain of your own ship. “Clap Canon” is a Swedish expression that describes when someone is really drunk. We have with our magic linguistic capabilities turned it into a story about making the audience clap their hands to keep the band on fire. “Gimme Your Money” is about the fact that alcohol is very expensive in Sweden. “Better Man” is what I keep telling my wife every day that I’m going to be. After Party In Hell is about the fact that if you end up in hell for doing the things you like I’d rather go there already.

 

 

What next for the band?

We would like to tour the world, but since the world is closed down right now we’ll release a bunch of music videos and do stuff online to keep the people’s thirst and hunger up until we can bring our exploding rock’n’roll chaos to your town! Cheers and thanks for the interview man, keep up the good work!

 

Verses The Boatsmen review Here

Buy the record from Ghost Highway Records or in the US at Spaghetty Town Records

You can pick up your merch from the bands Bandcamp  or visit their website Here

 

 

New York Junk – ‘Dreaming’ (Tarbeach Music)

New York Junk – ‘Dreaming’ (Tarbeach Music)

Nailing that quintessential NooYawk rock and roll sound but doing it in the Czech Republic is some feat but New York Junk nailed it.  It’s fair to say these cats are vets of the scene and been in the thick of the Bowery scene since its inception back in the ’70s and survived to tell the tail.  Getting Tarbeach Records to release the record of seven tunes recorded in the Czech Republic at the tail end of 2019 and mixed pre-pandemic these seven tunes are coming out on red vinyl.

It’s a simple formula.  Guitar, Bass and Drums and play from the heart, make it Rock and Roll – sing about what you see and believe in yourself then everything else is gravy.  You either have “it” or you don’t.  We know whos fakin’ it and who isn’t and on this evidence, you can take the people out of Noo Yawk but you can’t take the Noo Yawk outta the people.

New York Junk have released three previous records starting with ‘Passion of the 10th St Blues’ (2008), ‘Doing Time in New York City’ (2014), and ‘7 Train’ (2018). Their sound is somewhere between Thunders and The Stones with a bit of Lou Reed creeping in on some of the melodies but there are some real gems in here. I love side two from the more aggressive ‘Scared’ with a cool thump on the floor toms and strained vocals it’s fragile yet looking for trouble great opening tune to side two. The albums best track ‘Passion’ with its rather splendid Thunders dripping guitar solo the songs got a tonne of passion and it shines through.  They’re not reinventing the wheel here they’re just writing great tunes and relying on what’s pouring out of their hearts and spilling into the grooves of the record. Let’s stay with side two and the title track which is a repetitive riff that’s moving slowly and gently, for the most part, meandering through the cracks of the recording towards the solo sure it’s like a VU moment in time but that’s always going to be cool.

Anyway, Let’s continue as we flip flop back to side one and the opening blast of the ‘Gutter Angels’.  Like a poem to the Lower East Side leaning on the Voidoids or something Lou Reed might have penned. ‘She Don’t Care’ could have been borrowed from Walter Lure whilst ‘Walk My Dog’ is some Thunders homage and fairly standard. Closing off side one is ‘Don’t Cry For Me’ which sounds like we’ve just been dropped off in the early ’70s after finding out this time capsule is captained by Sylvain Sylvain and the cabin crew consists of Johansen and Killer Kane. Pure nostalgia done with care and a big smile – whats not to like?

All in all a really enjoyable seven tracks from New York Junk and for anyone who hankers for a slice of that time when giants walked the earth and strutted their stuff. Check it out if you’re smart enough and start ‘Dreamin’.

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Doojiman & The Exploders – Watch Out! Look Out! (Heavy Medication Records)

Doojiman & The Exploders – Watch Out! Look Out! (Heavy Medication Records)

Feels a bit weird yet fitting that I’m reviewing the Doojimans debut record (of sorts) second after reviewing their second release first.  Cofused? You will be but I doubt Doojiman and the gang would want it any other way.

Doojiman and his side kick Woogie Wombach grabbed a few space cadets and space cakes before heading into outter space to see if they could pull together something from the influences they had here on earth like The Ramones, MC5 and The Stooges but they weren’t just going to ape their idols they were going to throw their own shapes into the bowl and mix a fucked up salad all by themselves

With a bunch of EP’s, singles and two full-length albums under their belts (including ‘Electric Boogaloo’, released in January of this year by Beluga Records), Heavy Medication is bringing Stockholm’s D&TE’s debut digital-only e.p. from 2014 to vinyl for the first time and rockin up at Heavy Medications Door seems just about right and par for the course, to be honest.

From its opening chords, the “Watch Out! Look Out!” EP is everything as good as the ‘Electric Bugaloo’ album make no mistake about that. Its not just the debut EP though to be fair it also has the added bonus of four extra tracks (including a Nobunny cover) to make this another album they will certainly have orbiting around the end of the year best albums list. From the fuzzed-up organ heaving of opener ‘Woogie Wombach’ this record just motors. ‘(I Wanna Go) Take Me Away’ is a throbbing mass of Ramones angst being whipped by a Quo like twelve-bar chug.

They fly the Hives flag on ‘Doojiwoman’ and that filthy bass on ‘I Love It When You Hate Me’ would have been terrifying in the swinging ’60s where it was surely born.  It’s like the Kinks on bad Acid but they’ve still got their mojo baby.

It’s not all crash bang wallop though kids, of course, it’s not as the band tackle the Nobunny tune ‘Apple Tree’ with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and some tasteful percussion and shimmering electric to puncture the chorus. but before things are brought to a close they venture off through late seventies NYC where they tune their antenna to something Blondie used to ply through the airwaves.  Basically another top tune amongst an album full of top tunes but I expected nothing less.  Sign me up scotty for the next one I can’t get enough of these crazy cats.  Signing off starlog 2020 scribe Daley signing out!  Buy it.

Buy ‘Watch Out Look Out’ Here or from Beluga Records outta Sweden Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Dealing with Damage – ‘Ask the Questions’ (Little Rocket Records)

Dealing with Damage – ‘Ask the Questions’ (Little Rocket Records)

Dropping this baby onto the virtual deck and what leaps out in opener “Stop everything” is a sound grounded in the underground, hinting at punk, fuzzed-up rock “ala” the MC5. Does it move towards the new genre that I seem to hearing about everywhere “Action Rock”, I don’t think so, even though this will appeal to anyone with more than an affiliation to the underground. No, it draws on a much richer musical tapestry, but ultimately pinning your ears back and screaming “LISTEN TO ME!!!!!”

 

Next up “No Money, No Peace”, moves up the intensity, there’s a hint of the much-missed Stiv Bator’s sneer, but blink and you’ll miss it, this ain’t prog in any way shape or form.  Moving into “How much will this affect us” and things get a darker heavier feel, that bass run holds you, before the guitar demands your attention, I really like this track it’s a real burner. “Worlds within a world” hits the raw fuzzed up psychedelia of the fuzztones, while at the same time kicking it up the arse, with that incessant punk underpinning.  “Language Lesson” comes tearing out of the speakers, that iggy and the stooges madness taking centre stage, this is a blinder, but for once I’d have liked it a bit longer!!, “Slow Shadow”, moves to a very different beat, more commercial? Dare I say? Yup, it would make a cracking single, this just drips fuzzed-out psychedelia, dropping into 13th-floor elevators territory, complete with the space rock exit!

“The Process” kicks in with a tasty Tribal drummed intro, before it takes off and moves you on a very different path, this is rapidly becoming a fave for yours truly. “Strange Melody” again revisits the psychedelic sounds of the sixties, but with an added pop sensibility reminiscent of The Only Ones.

 

It’s at this point you begin to realize how good an LP this is, crammed full of ideas, honing a musical heritage, taking hints of the past, reimaging them for a current listening audience. I’m starting to drift here but I’m as always thinking about how this will play out live and smiling to myself. Maybe these years Camden Rocks?

 

“Shark Bait” again grabs you from the start, holding that crossover vibe, hinting at a more commercial line, there’s an almost gothic Guitar underpinning and extra to this track.  “Some Colours”, “No Barriers” and “The People I see” maintain the power and intensity, “No Barriers” in particular mixing up the vocal style and again rapidly becoming a favourite, while “The People I see” moving into territories held up by The Ruts.

 

Finishing up with “For Barbara Dane” an acoustic gem with an underlying message, think The Kinks meet the Subways!!! Before the lp plays out with “The American Empire”, I love this Hardcore blast and what a way to finish up a powerful LP from a band that I’ll look forward to picking up on the live scene, and definitely an LP I’ll be investing in.

 

Find Dealing With Damage at WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / YOUTUBE

Author: Nev Brooks

 

ASTEROID B-612 “Forced into a corner (Bang Records)

ASTEROID B-612 “Forced into a corner (Bang Records)

At last! ASTEROID B-612 ‘Forced into a corner’ is released for its very first time on vinyl!

This is the second album of legendary Australian band ASTEROID B-612, and it is the killer predecessor to their album “Not meant for this world!”.

Australia has plenty of awesome bands we know this It might be a long way from The UK and America but man they were right at the front and often when it comes to Rock and Roll.  Originally recorded and released in Melbourne, Australia way back in 1994, this album was produced by Dave Thomas from BORED!. If you took our advice after reviewing ‘Not Meant For This World’and checked them out then you will have an inkling of what to expect. Bored! and Asteroid B-612 influenced by The Stooges, MC5, Birdman, etc.  C’mon what’s not to like?

Having been previously only available on CD and only in Australia, I guess pre Internet this was a bit of a secret and only the lucky ones knew and we all want to be one of the ones in the know right? Right.

A total must for all fans worldwide of MC5, Stooges, Radio Birdman, Bored!, Hellacopters, etc. You know the drill and where these guys are coming from. As the opener blasts off out of the speakers with that sweet sweet distorted guitar riff ‘Edge A Little Closer’ doesn’t so much as rock out but comes Stomping through the ether it’s measured and barely under control with a cool hook on the chorus but the solo is sounding so sweet.  Asteroid B-612 (still an odd name for a band) know how to rock it up and sound like the distant cousin of a broken Rock and Roll home with Lovesores and these ones were banished to the other side of the earth to keep them apart but the time has come and thanks to the likes of Bang Records we can all get in on the secret.  Damn, records like this shouldn’t be a bloody secret every self-respecting lover of Garage Rock and Roll should investigate here.

‘I’ve Had You’ turns up the energy and leans on fellow tunesmiths like Los Pepes as far as writing catchy uptempo rock and roll goes.  In contrast ‘The 32st To The 2nd’ is a laid back groove more in keeping with The Stooges vibe.  It’s a super consistent record and the quality is excellent throughout.  Sure some tracks stand out like side two’s opener the sleazy ‘Plastic’ with its gang vocals sounding like a boozy night in some dive bar where the jukebox is way too loud but who cares when it sounds this good. It’s not all bluster and beer drinking as the epic slow-burner of ‘I’m Not For Sale’ will testify.  With its sparse bluesy dark and brooding verse leading into the inevitable crescendo before dropping back into the shadows.

The energy is pumped back into the record on ‘Can I Touch It’ from its bass thump intro it’s like a frantic spinning top bumping off each instrument waiting to slow down or crash and burn.  Before we finish we get into some choppy Chuck Berry territory as ‘Dannys Sister’ jives and boogies on down. There’s still time for a bluesy seven-plus minutes before we get the hell out of here. Asteroid B-612 doesn’t do bad records and this is another must-have slab of epic vinyl. If you don’t believe me then check it out for yourself – Buy it!

Buy ‘Forced Into A Corner’ Here

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Author: Dom Daley

 

 

Gone But Not Forgotten – Rob Tyner

Gone But Not Forgotten – Rob Tyner

Born Robert W. Derminer on December 12, 1944, we know him as Rob Tyner the voice of Motor City powerhouse The MC5 where he originally played bass before putting his talent to use as vocalist.

With moves like James Brown and a wardrobe like Marc Bolan he will forever be remembered for his rally cry of ‘Kick Out The Jams Motherfucker’ The band released three albums from ’69 and the classic ‘Kick out the Jams’ through the ’70s ‘Back In The USA’ to the bands final album ‘High Time’ a year later. The band fell apart due to infighting and drug problems but before it turned sour they really blazed a trail and managed to bug the powers that be – Big time!

Their impact cannot be denied and Tyner was a big part of that from his unique afro and his distinctive voice to their political stance in quite volatile times not just in the USA but around the world.  The MC5 featured on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine even before they had a record out. The band had strong left-wing political ties and were happy to air their Anti-establishment views through their lyrics.  Along with Iggy And The Stooges they were punk way before punk was even a thing. They were loud, energetic and had style but most of all they had songs! Their back-to-basics rock and roll included now classics like ‘Ramblin’ Rose’ ‘Kick Out The Jams’ which must be one of the most covered songs in history. ‘Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)’ and ‘Looking At You’ (Another that’s been covered by bands such as The Damned and The Mission). They were certainly unique and at the time caused quite a stir to the mainstream who didn’t know what to do with a bunch of young men who were clued up and armed with a voice their spat with Hudsons Department Store being a good example.

Tyner (going by his real name) was first approached by Wayne Kramer via the underground left-wing hipster scene in Detroit and his talent wasn’t on the bass but out front and center via the microphone. It was also Tyner who named the band MC5 which if you didn’t know it’s short for Motor City Five and the legend was born.

They were well known locally as the band to see with their incendiary live shows that were full of energy and it’s well documented that they were already hypnotising audiences in excess of a thousand people with a blistering energy and loud garage rock. It was Danny Fields who signed the band to Elektra at the same time he signed The Stooges but it was the MC5 who was the first hard Rock band signed to the label.

In ’68 the band performed at an anti-Vietnam war rally and allegedly played for eight hours straight!  Hold onto that and it might explain how the band were closely tied with LSD and Marijuana usage. They also use to have firearms as part of their stage show brandishing rifles on stage and then a sniper would shoot Tyner as part of their act to end the set.

Controversy was never far from the band’s door as they were embroiled in an ad campaign when a store (Hudsons) refused to stock their album so they took out an ad that claimed the store should go fuck themselves. in response, the store pulled all Elektra artists which led to the band being fired and subsequent signing to Atlantic for their second album so when McLaren thought he was unique engineering the Pistols labels fiascos it had already been done years earlier by the MC5.  Imagine being in an audience not having a clue who the band was and hearing Tyner announce Kick Out The Jams and then witnessing the kind of performance seen in the video?  It must have been life-changing.

After MC5 split he kept himself busy with a number of acts such as fireworks and then the Rob Tyner Band who played shows with the likes of Cheap Trick and AC/DC but by the end of ’78 the band fizzled out having not released an album.  Tyner then chanced his arm in the UK where he worked briefly with Eddie & the Hot Rods before he headed back to the states to work on Detroit legend Scott Morgan’s benefit project. the Guitar Army, which helped to organise and promote the music of Vietnam veterans. There was a solo record released in 1990 entitled ‘Blood Brothers’, but sadly, the singer died from a heart attack a year later, on this very day in 1991.

Several years after his passing, a live release surfaced courtesy of the Motor City Music label/website, ‘Rock and Roll People’, which documented a pair of Rob Tyner Band concerts from 1977 (at the Kramer Theatre and the Embassy Hotel). His legacy might be limited with regards to his recording output compared to many of his peers but never underestimate the influence of the MC5 – Gone but not forgotten Rob was only 46 at the time he passed away Rest In Peace Rob Tyner.

Asteroid B-612 – ‘Not Meant For This Earth’ (Bang Records)

Asteroid B-612 – ‘Not Meant For This Earth’ (Bang Records)

Australia has always had the chops and churned out the most excellent quality bands dishing out quality records.  Many didn’t always get the respect they deserved or Maybe not respect but certainly the attention they deserved. Asteroid B-612 (I know not the most memorable name but hey give it a chance) and their garage classic ‘Not Meant For This World’ is deffo one of those that has gone under the radar on a wider stage.  Fuelled by the genes of the Stooges and other garage rock legends their DNA spilled onto the grooves of this record and the fuzzed-out classic like opener ‘Destination Blue’ with its unhinged saxophone howling and wailing out of control is a beautiful thing and is like the distant overseas cousin of ‘Funhouse’.  But the Stooged up homage doesn’t end there (obviously).

Recorded back in ’96 in Sydney Johnny Casino (going by the name John A. Spittles its Detroit baby but from the baking hot sun of the Southern Hemisphere.  Sonically its spot on and the playing is a wonderful thing. The title track is like music from a parallel Hip Priest world and that’s a huge compliment. They were clearly cut from the same cloth.

First time out it was available far and wide on Cd but this is another press on vinyl but again it’s limited to 500 copies. So plenty of opportunities to pick up on this one second time around.

‘True Romance’ has a more pop melody and edge and draws on influences like The Who. But it’s back in the saddle for a romp across ‘Emotional Tattoo’ which preceded the likes of The Hellacopters who had to be influenced by this super shitty sounding blast.  ‘Thanks For Nothin’ is like Motorhead grooving on the Dead Boys ‘Ain’t It Fun’ or the Dead Boys Chillin’ on ‘Capricorn’ either way it’s a great tune.

I guess the real beauty of this release its the fact that someone has taken the time to remaster it and bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st Century ready or not and it doesn’t sound dated or out of step, christ, it could have been recorded last week. weather the band are holding back and relaxing or kicking out as on ‘Farewell To The Cosmic Commander’ the songwriting is exceptional and they’ve really captured the vibe.  It’s energetic, the songs are tight but loose if you know what I mean (if you love ‘Funhouse’ Or The Stooges and ‘Super-shitty To The Max’ then you’ll know.

To finish this bad boy off they get their boogie on and turn in ‘Where Has All The Fun Gone’ which is a daft question really with all due respect because listening to this is answering their own question all the fun is right here right now just pick up a copy before these are all gone as well. Excellent!

Author: Dom Daley

Other related references on BANG! Records:

  • ASTEROID B-612 “Always Got Something To Lose” b/w “Murder City Revolution”, 7” single.
  • LOS DINGOS “13 crook road” E.P. 7” single (featuring Johnny Casino alongside Kent Steedman from The Celibate Rifles and Gorka Munster from La Secta)

Info and orders: Here 

Or buy it on vinyl  Here

 

 

Dark Carnival – the Last Great Ride (Bang Records)

Dark Carnival – the Last Great Ride (Bang Records)

Detroit High Energy rock at its purest essence!!!! Niagara (DESTROY ALL MONSTERS) & Ron Asheton (THE STOOGES) among other great Detroit musicians recorded this killer album back in 1996.
And now it is finally reissued on vinyl with 2 added tracks to the original vinyl release, remastered in order to get its purest sound, and new artwork courtesy of Mrs. Niagara Detroit and Mr. Colonel Galaxy.
And guess what…. This is an extension of Destroy All Monsters with absolutely killer guitars in line with The Stooges´ “Funhouse” with the unique stamp and signature of Mr. Ron Asheton.


10 classic shots which need to be in your record collection right by The Stooges, Destroy All Monsters, MC5, Sonic´s Rendezvous Band, Radio Birdman, The New Christs, Bored!

I can’t vouch for how improved the sonic assault is compared to the original because I never owned the original slab of wax and digital is a whole different ball game especially if your listening on a PC but I can vouch that it’s not muddy in fact it’s positively bright in the mix department  Niagras voice is as seductive and sinister as ever and has a dark quality that sounds dangerous and then you throw Ashetons guitar soloing into the mix and you have a potent force to be reckoned with. Just listen to ‘Heaven Can Wait’ in the dark and loud and you’ll get the point. I love Ron’s guitar work on ‘Bang’ he’s really Rockin it out and the absence of any low end makes for interesting listening.

I love the boredom and fuck you attitude of ‘Good Morning, Headache’ and ‘The Last Great Ride’ is epic and the perfect way to end this collaboration and the guitar work gives me goosebumps with the solos absolutely killing it.  with only 500 copies of this pressed it won’t be long before this becomes rare as hen’s teeth so time is of the essence and you can’t say you haven’t been warned.  Get it!

Buy Dark Carnival Here

 

Scott Morgans Powertrane – Beyond The Sound (Easy Action)

Scott Morgans Powertrane – Beyond The Sound (Easy Action)

Easy Action has always had a love of good old Rock n Roll and always seem to go that extra mile when reissuing a record on vinyl. Even if your not familiar with a release but have a vague knowledge it’s always worth checking out because odds are you’re going to dig it big time.  Sure I know who Scott Morgan is but I’d never bothered or got around to investigating Powertrane before now and with this issue on wax with a bonus 7″ single was offered up for review how could I possibly turn it down?  You’re right I couldn’t.

Kicking off with the title track this is power garage rock bordering on what has affectionately been named Action Rock and the groove the band hit from the off is spectacular.  It sounds like a freakin’ juggernaut and by the time ‘Chilly Willy Is Missing has rolled on past I’m bought hook line and sinker.

 

I’m not quite sure why this wasn’t already in my collection because I love the ‘Three Chords And A Cloud Of Dust’ compilations but there was only a couple of Powertrain tracks on that set but having this album rattling my speakers is a treat. man the groove this band hits on tracks like ‘Ain’t No Time’ is spectacular but the Detroit soul n roll of ‘Pearl’ is worth picking this up on its own.

Morgan and the who’s who that have graced his records is stunning and easy to see why people would want to be associated with his songs from The Stooges to Nicke Royale and Deniz Tek to name a few.  But this record was made for vinyl and to be played at volume no doubt about it.

When you flip it over side two is more of the same high-grade rock n roll as the band simply glides and rocks like fuck and to close it off ‘Talk Is Cheap’ is one hell of a vocal to boot but we’re not finished yet because the final two tracks on the album are live from WDET radio broadcast and the first is an Al Green track where Morgan certainly channels them soulful blues and the bonus 7″ single is a further two tracks sourced from these sessions that features two more Morgan penned tracks that sound like they were recorded as loud as possible.  Raw live soulful rhythm and blues a marvelous way to end this power-train.  Get your groove on folks it’ll satisfy the garage rockers and blues guitarists looking for a fix of the loud stuff no doubt about it.  Scott Morgan sonic grooving genius.

Buy Album Here 

Author: Dom Daley

That was the week that was

That was the week that was

Another week rolls by and we head towards Christmas but there are no mince pies or sherry being overindulged round here when there are records to review and Shows to see and last week was no exception as RPM brought you a diverse bunch on the live front as well as on the death decks.

 

Sadly the last seven days saw another rock n roller pass on to the next life and we said goodbye to Peter Blast.  I had the pleasure of reviewing several of his albums and spoke to him in the last twelve months.  On behalf of everyone here at RPM I’d like to offer our condolences to his family and friends and raise a glass to his memory.

 

We also brought you an interview with Phil Privilege from the  awesome kings of power punk n pop Cyanide Pills with an amazing trail of singles and albums as part of their repertoire Phil told us they were on the way to deliver the next long player as well as answer a few of our questions about the band, Catch up with it here

 

We also had some pretty diverse live reviews from the likes of hard rockin’ Junkyard , Cowboy Junkies and a doubleheader from He Who Cannot Be Named and the Awesome Hip Priests. But our bread and butter has to be our album reviews and with Black Friday RSD releases in thin supply some of our favourite labels did manage to put out some quality must have records in the shape of MC5. UK Subs ‘Sub Mission’ got its first pressing on record  and we again scoured the four corners of the globe to bring you the likes of Civic from Australia, X Darlings from Switzerland, Paris’ Youth Avoiders and Californias Smash Fashion to name a few.

As for the coming week, we continue with Bens California Dreaming road trip where he visits some pretty amazing places as he skips across the USA. we also caught a few amazing live shows and bring you some fantastic records by some well-known people as well as some of the finest new performers current kicking up a storm on record players and concert halls around the planet. Remember to stick with RPM for all your alternative news and reviews. As Lux used to say “Stay Sick” www.rpmonline.co.uk its a rock n roll revolution!