Sister Morphine – ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ (Big Egg Records)

Sister Morphine – ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ (Big Egg Records)

Back in the mists of time, sometime around 1994, I was gifted a second-hand t shirt (sleeves cut off, obviously). On the front was a cartoon dog and a cat with a baseball bat, in neon pink writing the band logo of some obscure, local glam band who had long since split up. That band were called Sister Morphine and on the back of that very same t shirt was the immortal phrase ‘SUCK MY JUBE!’. To this day I still have no idea what that means, and until recently what Sister Morphine actually sounded like, but I loved that t shirt and wore it to death. Turns out the singer of that very same band would be my boss/editor/sender of cool music during my time as a reviewer for the legendary Uber Rock website.

South Wales based Sister Morphine were regulars on the club circuit back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, supporting the likes of Last Of The Teenage Idols and Gunfire Dance. But sadly, the stars didn’t align and the band went their separate ways. Who would’ve guessed that Gaz Tidey, guitarists Jamesy & Jonesy, bassist Mike DeSouza and drummer Denley Slade would get the band back together during lockdown and record the debut album that they threatened to make back in those halcyon days of hairspray, fags and thunderbird wine.

So, while you and I were baking banana bread, drinking beer at 10am and watching Tiger King on Netflix, Sister Morphine were scouring their lofts for lost rehearsal tapes, to find the best versions of their beloved songs from a lifetime ago, to see if they really could resurrect Sister Morphine from the graveyard of empty bottles and claim their rightful place as the kings of Glunk Rock 2023!

But why should you care about lost songs recorded by a bunch of 50-somethings, written a lifetime ago? Well, it turns out Sister Morphine can knock out a few tunes, and bloody good ones at that! I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the first single and title track ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’. Who knew Mr. Tidey had such a sleazy vocal delivery that would stand up after all these years. With a voice that sits somewhere between Ricky Warwick and Zodiac Mindwarp, he takes the catchy melody by the scruff of the neck, over a tune that could be an AI generated mash up of The Dogs D’amour and The Quireboys. It’s a 70’s glam rock boogie of a tune and the perfect introduction to the party going on down at Heartbreak City!

Recorded at RedRock studios in Blackwood and produced by Lyndon Price of Welsh metal legends Wild Pussy, ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ is a 15-song blast of high-octane rock n’ roll that features regulars from their live sets, lost tracks from the archives and four brand new songs for you to devour.

Opener ‘Holy City Zoo’ has already been likened to Motorhead by those in the know, and references Bowie, Duran and Roxy Music. It’s a 2 minute & 22 second statement of intent, job done.

You want punky, low slung rock n’ roll with more attitude than Rocky on steroids? Then look no further than second track ‘Do You Wanna Get Wasted?’. Now that’s a song title any angst-filled youth of today can get on board with, right?  Good job it sounds like Zodiac Mindwarp jamming with Backyard Babies and Johnny Thunders then, innit!

The Scandinavian punk rock vibes continue on the likes of second single ‘Nothing Dirty In The Truth’ where the rousing verses and killer chorus showcase a band who really mean it. Elsewhere, ‘Black Hearts & Bruised Egos’ channels Circus Of Power and early Alice Cooper garage rock vibes to great effect.

What’s not to like here? I’m loving this album. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, or maybe I’m biased, but I’ll tell you one thing for certain, Sister Morphine have some killer tunes going on.

Lifting a page out of Tyla’s songbook, ‘Cry The Rain’ is a big tune about love gone bad, set to a Faces-lite rock n’ roll boogie, with some rousing backing vocals. Sava a place in your heart for this one. The hook-laden ‘8 Tracks & Zodiacs’ is another of the new songs, and a potential single for sure. A song about a girl, it has catchy 90’s brit rock vibes that sit well and is a serious earworm.

The strengths of this album lie in the songwriting, the diversity and the production. It’s all pretty high-octane stuff, but they do throw in a curve ball towards the end with the countrified blues of ‘Living With Snakes’. Acoustics, slide guitar and harmonica go a long way to show Sister Morphine ain’t one trick ponies. 

While ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ has one foot planted firmly in the past, it brings a classic sound smack up to date for 2023 with a great production. Full of rock n’ roll nostalgia and clever tongue-in-cheek lyricism, we get sleazy punk rock, 70’s boogie rock and countrified goodness all wrapped up in one cool little package.

If Sister Morphine’s only ambition was to realize their dream of releasing a debut album that could stand tall with the artists of their era, then they have easily succeeded. But I feel they have surpassed those ambitions by taking the music to places their teenage selves could never imagine. ‘Ghosts Of Heartbreak City’ is a pretty unique album, in that it has been recorded by a bunch of 50 somethings, yet it has the energy and sonics of a band half their age. And you know what? I’ll be happy to file that shiny new CD in the rack, somewhere between Shotgun Messiah and Skid Row, where it should have sat for the last 30 years.

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Ben Hughes

The Stranglers release 40th Anniverary ‘Feline’

The Stranglers release 40th Anniverary ‘Feline’

FELINE

40th ANNIVERSARY EDITON

 REMASTERED LIMITED EDITION GATEFOLD DOUBLE VINYL & DELUXE CD EACH FORMAT FEATURES NINE BONUS TRACKS – Released on BMG – Pre Order Here

On 3rd MarchBMG release The STRANGLERS’ 40th Anniversary Edition of FELINE.

FELINE will be available as a limited double album on remastered 180g Heavyweight transparent pink and red vinyl, housed in a newly created inner bags. The 2CD digipackfeatures exclusive booklet artwork and a new appreciation by the band’s biographer and journalist, Chris Twomey.

Originally released in January 1983, FELINE is The STRANGLERS’ seventh studio LP and was their first for then-new label, Epic.

1982 had proved to be a very good year for the band. The last three singles released for former label EMI had been more gentle and of a mellower-nature than anything their audience had been previously accustomed to. So when FELINE landed, it perhaps shouldn’t have been such a surprise to both fans and critics alike that there was such a perceived musical shift. Hugh & JJ’s acquisition of acoustic guitars from a now world-renowned guitar maker in Bristol helped shape FELINE into becoming possibly the nearest thing to an “unplugged” studio album the band have yet made. Gone were the powerful, sinister, throbbing melodies of their New Wave sound and in came an extraordinary and, at that time, hitherto-unheard mix of acoustic and electronic delights. Having said that, from the black panther on the sleeve to the underlying melodies of the record, underpinned by that unmistakable growling bass, the band still managed to convey their dark, menacing, moody, slightly unsettling and quietly threatening no-nonsense persona.

Much of FELINE was written at Jet’s house – a disused railway station in Gloucestershire – and as soon as the band were free from the shackles of EMI, Epic arranged for them to decamp to ICP Studios in Brussels for all of September, 1982 to record it. It was produced there by the band with Steve Churchyard (Big Country, INXS, Taylor Swift) and mixed by Tony Visconti (Bowie, T-Rex).

The album was preceded by the gloriously-beautiful and breathy JJ-sung EUROPEAN FEMALE, which immediately fired the band back into the UK’s Top 10 Singles Chart.  As the single peaked, the album crashed into the UK charts at number 4 and neither they nor the suits at Epic could have imagined a much better start to life at their new label. In fact it got better, as this new mellow sound struck a chord with European audiences, particularly in France, where FELINE effectively broke them to a much bigger audience; one they still enjoy to this day.

Two further singles were released from FELINE. The mighty album opener, MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM, a melody of JJ’s with intoned dead-pan lyrics from Hugh, following a grand symphonic opening from Dave, was released in late February 1983. Both the 7” Edit and the magnificent 10½ minute Special 12” Mix feature amongst the tracks on the bonus LP/CD that comes with this 40th Anniversary release. At the end of July ‘83, PARADISE was released. Again sung by JJ, he wrote it after an uncomfortable holiday he’d hated in the Seychelles because of his discomfort with the poverty that surrounded the luxury in which he was staying. Fact fans: it is the only STRANGLERS’ single that features voices from beyond the band, as backing vocals were provided by JJ’s then-girlfriend Anna von Stern and France L’Hermitte (of Belgian band Polyphonic Size). The 7” Edit that appears on Side 3 is surprisingly scarce and has only once previously appeared on vinyl. It has only otherwise been commercially available on The Hit Men 2CD compilation from 1996.

Both the bonus LP and bonus CD on this 40th Anniversary release feature the same tracks; a mix of B-sides and rarities.

The bonus tracks start by gathering the three 7” single edits and a couple of B-sides from the period. The EUROPEAN FEMALE Radio Edit was a surprising find, in as much as it was only re-discovered in 2018. Other than providing the 7” radio promo serviced from late 1982, the tape had lain gathering dust in Sony’s vaults, overlooked by all previous compilers, until then. PÃWSHĒR and PERMISSION were, respectively, the B-side and the 12” bonus track for the PARADISE single. They are the two tracks within this collection that were recorded outside of the main sessions. The former, a mysterious single-word-repeated song, was recorded in New York in April, 1983; the latter, in London, two months later.  Typically Strangler-esque, it sounds bright and summery, yet in fact chronicles the dark antics of the notorious French CRS riot police…

On Side 4 of the LP and continuing on the bonus CD is SAVAGE BREAST. Originally intended as an album track, it was left off at the last minute only to re-surface before the album’s release as the B-side of EUROPEAN FEMALE. Hugh’s career-long love of film and theatre combined with his twisting of well-established names and phrases ran overboard on FELINE, with SAVAGE BREAST, MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM and LET’S TANGO IN PARIS completing his trio of word-play titles for 1983. In fact, so many of the song titles on FELINE are familiar phrases – IT’S A SMALL WORLD; SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT; ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME; NEVER SAY GOODBYE – that there was clearly an unconscious pattern developing during the song writing.  Rounding off this collection are a couple of tongue-in-cheek curios that well support the band’s sense of fun. VLADIMIR & OLGA is akin to a modern-day Russian folk song based on a fictional couple in (then) Soviet-era Ukraine. It is the first in what became a quirky and much-loved series of adventures that were to recur over the next decade. The initial pressings of the original LP of FELINE included a free bonus one-sided 7” called AURAL SCULPTURE. It also featured on initial copies of the original FELINE cassette. It was a sarcastic rant against the death of music in general and song-writing in particular. If you got it, it was both barbed and hilarious. Subsequently, the theme was carried on, with the title becoming that of the band’s next album, so the track was from there-on re-titled AURAL SCULPTURE MANIFESTO.

Whilst The STRANGLERS have suffered the recent dreadful losses of both the uniquely-talented Dave GREENFIELD (May 2020) and their founder and driving force, Jet BLACK (December, 2022), they continue to tour. From 3rd to 18th March 2023, they are playing three dates in SPAIN, followed by nine in FRANCE, including PARIS L’Olympia on 11th. Then in April they head Down Under between the 13th and 23rd for three dates in NEW ZEALAND and five in AUSTRALIA.

The line-up is JJ BURNEL (bass and vocals); Baz WARNE (guitar and vocals); Jim MACAULAY (drums, percussion and backing vocals) and Toby HOUNSHAM (keyboards and backing vocals).

To pre-order the 40th Anniversary Edition of FELINE on BMG go to:  https://the-stranglers.lnk.to/feline

LIMITED EDITION GATEFOLD DOUBLE ALBUM on REMASTERED 180g HEAVYWEIGHT  

TRANSPARENT PINK and RED VINYL

ORIGINAL LP

SIDE 1: 1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM  2. IT’S A SMALL WORLD 3. SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT

4. THE EUROPEAN FEMALE (IN CELEBRATION OF)

SIDE 2: 1. LET’S TANGO IN PARIS  2. PARADISE  3. ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME  4. BLUE SISTER  5. NEVER SAY GOODBYE

BONUS VINYL LP:

SIDE 3: 1. EUROPEAN FEMALE (RADIO EDIT)  2. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL SINGLE MIX)  3. PARADISE (RADIO EDIT)  4. PÃWSHĒR  5. PERMISSION

SIDE 4: 1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL 12” MIX)  2. SAVAGE BREAST  3. VLADIMIR & OLGA  4. AURAL SCULPTURE

LIMITED EDITION 2CD DIGIPACK

ORIGINAL ALBUM 

CD 1:1. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM  2. IT’S A SMALL WORLD 3. SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT 4. THE EUROPEAN FEMALE (IN CELEBRATION OF)  5. LET’S TANGO IN PARIS  6. PARADISE  7. ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME  8. BLUE SISTER  9. NEVER SAY GOODBYE

BONUS 

CD 2: 1. EUROPEAN FEMALE (RADIO EDIT)  2. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL SINGLE MIX)  3. PARADISE (RADIO EDIT) 4. PÃWSHĒR  5. PERMISSION6. MIDNIGHT SUMMER DREAM (SPECIAL 12” MIX)  7. SAVAGE BREAST  8. VLADIMIR & OLGA  9. AURAL SCULPTURE

EACH FORMAT FEATURES NINE BONUS TRACKS

Gary Moore – A Different Beat’ (BMG/Sanctuary Records)

Gary Moore – A Different Beat’ (BMG/Sanctuary Records)

A first time pressing on vinyl for this the twelfth Album released by the former Thin Lizzy guitarist. Gary Moore played with a style and passion for his craft that was heralded around the world for his style and songwriting ability. His virtuoso guitar playing and soulful voice being loved far and wide and his premature passing has been sadly missed by fans and musicians around the globe and from all styles.

Having played in numerous legendary bands including Thin Lizzy and Skid Row, alongside his own solo career, Moore is regarded as one of the most influential Irish musicians of all time. Having been honoured by both Gibson and Fender with signature guitars, the Northern Irish star is still regarded as one of the best guitar players of all time. Its funny when long after their passing people still crave the back catalogue of revered artists like Moore so it’s no surprise that ‘A Different Beat’ gets the vinyl treatment (finally) spread over two records it also includes a remix of ‘Can’t Help Myself’ (E-Z Rollers remix)’.

‘A Different Beat’ sees Moore exploring a new direction, in this case combining his love of the blues and his guitar work with contemporary dance beats. Fusing blues and dance music ‘A Different Beat’ stands as the boldest thing Moore ever did. A move too far for some and one giant step for others. From the off the distorted guitar work makes way for a beat more akin to the Happy Mondays guitar based dance music rather than trad Blues. I know Moore loved some Hendrix and there are moments throughout this record that have you imagining that this is something Jimi might have tried had he not left this earth as well it’s not like he hid his admiration for Hendrix because he funks up ‘Fire’. Moore also had a better singing voice than he possibly got credit for and had a fair set of pipes that are well worked on songs like ‘Lost In Your Love’. and his take on ‘Fire’.

Moore loved to turn it up but he also had a softer gentler touch. ‘Worry No More’ is more laid back but whilst pushing boundaries like the pure funk of ‘Fatboy’ with all its tricks and grooves. like on the I’m sure he’d have chuckled to himself when making this Marmite record but having it pressed on Vinyl might be the opportunity for fans to look back and show some love for a real guitar legend who really did mess with the Blues.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

SISTER MORPHINE – ‘GHOSTS OF HEARTBREAK CITY’ Released on 14th February, 2023 via BIG EGG RECORDS

SISTER MORPHINE – ‘GHOSTS OF HEARTBREAK CITY’ Released on 14th February, 2023 via BIG EGG RECORDS

With a fevered local following, a slew of memorable shows with cult bands including Last of the Teenage Idols, Gunfire Dance, and Red Dogs, in much-missed U.K. venues like Cardiff Bogiez, Doncaster Jug, and Birmingham’s Edwards No. 8, and a deal agreed with South Bank Studio (who released the debut Manic Street Preachers single, ‘Suicide Alley’) for a four-track 12-inch single, South Wales lowslung rock ‘n’ rollers, SISTER MORPHINE, appeared to be about to climb onto the next rung on the ladder to success. As a song once told us, however, it’s a long way to the top (if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll) and, after operating from 1989 to 1991, the planets failed to align and the band members went their separate ways… until now!

Things got weird for everyone during the pandemic, so much so that the rediscovery of a bunch of three-decade-old audio cassettes didn’t seem that much of a big deal; but for the former members of Sister Morphine this find provided the catalyst for a most unlikely of reunions. The tapes contained long-lost songs – some only existing in rough rehearsal form – that the band members (guitarists, Jamesy and Jonesy – later of experimental collective, The Friday Night Sound System; drummer, Denley Slade – who has shared stages with everyone from Blondie’s Clem Burke to Cherie Currie of The Runaways, via Jetboy, The Quireboys, and Dan Baird, as a member of Sal and Last Great Dreamers; vocalist, Gaz Tidey – a founder of the Uber Rock website and co-author of ‘Til the Death of Rock and Roll’, the tie-in novel for The Loyalties album of the same name; and bassist, Mike DeSouza – now working in the film industry with credits including The Mummy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Men In Black: International on his IMDB profile) barely remembered.

An agreement was quickly put into place that the band would reunite to record the best ever versions of these songs, and that the recording would take place at RedRock Studios and be produced by Lyndon Price, a former member of Welsh metal legends, Wild Pussy; the first band that Sister Morphine ever supported! The planning, however, had to be done over a messaging app as the country was awash with regional lockdowns. The frustration felt at having to rein in the excitement resulted in not one, but three brand new songs being written over the same messaging app, ready to be fleshed out once the band members could hit the rehearsal room. Then, those three new songs quickly became four and a fifteen-track album tracklisting was fashioned, consisting of those four new songs alongside five never-before-heard songs from the tape archive, and six “classics” from the band’s vintage live setlist.

Those new songs (the high octane garage rock of album opener, ‘Holy City Zoo’, and ‘Nothing Dirty in the Truth’; the melodious melancholy of ‘90s hit that never was, ‘8-Tracks & Zodiacs’; the ‘70s glam stomp of title track, ‘Ghosts of Heartbreak City’) blend perfectly with the vintage tunes (including the punk ‘n’ roll banger that is ‘Red-Eye Juice’ and the horns-heavy ‘Seven Long Years’) with those previously unheard songs (including the irony-smeared ‘Do You Wanna Get Wasted?’ and the outlaw country tearjerker with a twist, ‘Get Back Home’) no doubt having you ask yourself why they were hidden away for so long.

Those fifteen gutter-dirty, lowslung rock ‘n’ roll songs now exist as the band’s long-threatened debut album, ‘Ghosts of Heartbreak City’; set to be released on digital platforms and digipak CD on 14th February, 2023 via Big Egg Records. Yes, there is going to be another St. Valentine’s Day Massacre!

‘Ghosts of Heartbreak City’ tracklisting:

1.) ‘Holy City Zoo’

2.) ‘Do You Wanna Get Wasted?’

3.) ‘Ghosts of Heartbreak City’

4.) ‘Cry the Rain’

5.) ‘Nothing Dirty in the Truth’

6.) ‘Waiting on Salvation’

7.) ‘8-Tracks & Zodiacs’

8.) ‘Red-Eye Juice’

9.) ‘Ain’t No Love Song’

10.) ‘Living With Snakes’

11.) ‘Sea of Love’

12.) ‘Black Hearts & Bruised Egos’

13.) ‘Days of Wine & Roses’

14.) ‘Get Back Home’

15.) ‘Seven Long Years’

For Fans Of: Dead Boys; New York Dolls; D Generation; Heartbreakers; Faces; The Dogs D’Amour; Radio Birdman; Hanoi Rocks; The Clash; The Damned; Gluecifer; Alice Cooper Group

Starcrawler – ‘She Said’ (Big Machine Records)

Starcrawler – ‘She Said’ (Big Machine Records)

Album number 3 for LA garage rock darlings Starcrawler sees the band broaden their musical horizons and aim to break away from the feral punk rock that they are best known for. ‘She Said’ is Starcrawler’s lockdown album and sees the band going through some major changes. The addition of Bill Cash on guitar/pedal steel now makes the band a five-piece, a major label deal with Big Machine and a big-name producer in Tyler Bates is as much a statement of intent as the opening track and first single ‘Roadkill’.

With 10 songs delivered in just over 30 minutes, ‘She Said’ does not seem that much of a departure really, but sonically and songwriting-wise it definitely is. Then there are the videos. Produced by Gilbert Trejo and featuring cameos from Steve O and Danny Trejo, it seems Starcrawler have pulled out all the stops. Hey, I’m sold, not only do they sound good but they look good too! With the pink/black imagery they have going on and a singer with the best hair since Michael Monroe in his Hanoi Rocks days,  Starcrawler are the poster band for the younger generation.

Live, it’s definitely Singer Arrow De Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash who steal the show but let’s not forget that in the songwriting department bassist Tim Franco is credited with the duo in every song.

So, to the music. With urgent beats and a wall of guitars ‘Roadkill’ explodes from the speakers. If there was ever a song designed to deliver a statement of intent, then this was it! A chorus that wraps around your brain like a viper waiting to strike, it will not leave your head intact. Arrow’s lazy, dreamy vocals, Henri’s backing vocals, and the relentless stabbing feel of the tune pummeling with every beat. 2 minutes and 22 seconds of punk rock energy.

The radio-friendly title track follows. It has that grunge quiet/loud/quiet format and sounds more like Hole than Courtney Love has in 20 years. It helps that the songwriting is first class and they have the coolest middle eight I’ve heard this year. De Wilde’s nonchalant vocal delivery and Cash’s wailing licks are a match made in heaven. One of the standout tracks of the album for sure.

A killer one-two is always a great way to start an album, but there is the risk of shooting your musical load prematurely. ‘Stranded’ is ok with a so-so chorus that does grow with repeated listens, and ‘Thursday’ continues with spikey, new wave vibes, but ultimately falls short.

Then we get to the point where Starcrawler have really excelled themselves and broken the mold. ‘Broken Angels’ is a cinematic affair, with strings, killer beats, and a melody to die for. It exudes romanticism and LA cool chic, in the same way, ‘Hollywood Ending’ did, but here they do it better.

With its effect-ridden guitars and 80’s alternative stylings, ‘Jetblack’ comes on like The Pretenders meets Duran Duran, sideswiped with early Hanoi Rocks, a sound I can’t really fault. Again, in the likes of ‘Midnight’ Arrow’s delivery has this dreamy, new wave quality to it that sits well.

The pop-punk of ‘Runaway’ is fantastic, and the sort of thing Starcrawler excel at. High energy, catchy, and pumping. De Wilde’s dreamy, yet powerful vocal rules the show and it has definite Ramones/Runaways vibes. I must note there is an acoustic version of this on YouTube of the band performing on a canal boat which is just as good but creates a completely different vibe.

Which leads us to the countrified album closer ‘Better Place’. It sees De Wilde and Cash share lead vocals over acoustics and pedal steel guitars. The juxtaposition of the male/female vocals works well, and the dreamy, emotive vibes created bode well. If this is the direction Starcrawler finds themselves heading in the future, then I’d be happy with that.

With a fistful of potential hit singles and the coolest album cover of the year, Starcrawler are definitely making a statement with ‘She Said’. While it’s certainly their best, most cohesive album to date, it still feels like a band who have more to give and are still finding their true direction. The fact that it has 3 of my favourite songs of the year and their recent live show was one of my highlights makes Starcrawler one of the most exciting bands of the year for me.

Buy Here

Author: Ben Hughes

Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin – ‘Now With More Rockets’ (Self Release)

Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin – ‘Now With More Rockets’ (Self Release)

Rob has once again drafted in a whole bunch of musicians to enhance his latest album and like London busses, Rob lays low for decades then boom! two albums in quick succession. This time Rob takes the songs down a darker route with a more Gothic punk rock sound that bares a passing resemblance to the likes of Andrew Eldrich and his Sisters Of Mercy or perhaps a little Iggy DNA circa Bla Bla Bla for good measure.

There are eleven tunes and as the title suggests a few with Rocket in the title which bookends the record and to be fair two of the album’s finest moments with the finale being my personal pick of the pops with its excellent Stooges like saxophone honking up the sound and giving an added dimension to what Rob does.

Some of the playing is fantastic and Rob giving over the solos to different players is an excellent idea because having someone else’s vision and interpretation on the music add to the tapestry in nothing but a positive way with opener ‘Rocket Ship To You’ being a great example.

‘Red Beans And Gasoline’ fucks with ‘Johnny B Goode’ & ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, ‘Richard Jewel’ has a great dark swirling rhythm with yet more great guitar playing, Abaad Behram take a bow.

As we reach the meat of the record ‘Rock N Roll Ralphs and the Joie de vivre rock n rolla that is ‘Rip Van Winkle ’85’ turn up the dial to eleven and if you’re getting album fatigue these will no doubt chase it away. There is no time nor room on this record for a ballad but the tempo has dropped a tad for ‘Ink Blue Smoke’ where images of Iggy are possible through the haze with some rather splendid slide chops cutting through and adding another texture.

All in all Rob has again delivered an excellent album that turns up sonic treats in different places on each play. Go check it out and have a blast (off) grooving through the ether to some tasty tunes. Keep em coming Mr Moss its been a blast!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Continental Lovers – ‘Dale Arden Vs The World’ (Bandcamp)

Continental Lovers – ‘Dale Arden Vs The World’ (Bandcamp)

Released via Bandcamp to be getting on with, I’m assured it’s also getting a vinyl press on snap! Records (or at least some of them are) On this evidence it richly deserves that vinyl pressing and a whole lot more besides.

Continental Lovers is the workings of former Breakdown band leader Joe Maddox who was busy writing tunes prior to the pandemic and decided to recruit some likeminded band members who had a passion for good time Rock and Roll with a penchant for big choruses like Cheap Trick and a few other notable seventies rock n rollas. A dash of punk Rock snot and a whole heap of attitude and when it’s put together by people who clearly love the music and respect where it’s come from it deserves to rise straight to the top of the pile. Joe has put together a bunch of Trash Rock monsters that are glittering examples of just how to do trashy punk and on this evidence, it won’t be too long before the support slots are the thing of the past and its headline shows in packed venues for The Continental Lovers.

Some of the songs were tested out on the public as demos over the last year or so but the punch of songs like ‘St Joan’ are excellent. short songs with big hooks and no messing about are exactly what’s on offer here. Punching like a heavyweight but these haymakers aren’t random swinging but more lazer-guided jabs to the temple.

Six tracks just about make for side one of an album, but we’ll investigate them one by one, hopefully, we can give them the respect they deserve. None of these tunes overstay their welcome and most nestle around the two-minute mark kicking off with ‘Tape Deck’ which is a sprightly, snotty dust-up where Joe gets on with the job of kicking out the jams with no fucking about. Cool, calm, and right up for it. ‘Really Doesn’t Matter’ has the feel of his old band The Breakdowns with an excellent melody and I love the tone of the guitar break which nails it and pulls the whole tune together. A cool backbeat and some sunshine Rock n Roll blasting through the speakers.

‘Tattered Star’ is Trashy Rock n Roll in all its finery. There’s a familiarity about it like slipping into a well-worn pair of creepers that have some wickedly comfortable insoles for you to bop til you drop. Continental Lovers clearly know where their music comes from and have big enough hearts to use that history and write new songs for the 21st century whilst doffing that gatsby to the past.

‘St Joan’ pays tribute to the Queen of noise – Ms. Jett and they nail the riff to the lyrics and pen a killer song that is fitting someone so cool. I hope she gets to hear it and who knows take these guys out on tour and duet this one cheek to cheek. ‘Can’t Get Her Out Of My Head’ is sub two minutes of 1-2-3-4 hey ho let’s go. It’s got attitude and a cheeky pogo, covered in sweat and just enough snot to satisfy the punks and the glam kids.

Bringing this EP to a swift end is ‘Dale Arden’ which is a thumping way to go out – swinging and bopping and leaving the listener wanting more, more, more. A massively impressive debut offering of six of the best. Continental Lovers can go straight to the top of the class with this EP. It’s everything you could hope to hear. Now get to work on an album and we very much look forward to the record when it hits the shelves later this Summer. Continental Lovers your new favourite Glam Slamming trash Rock n Rollas #Fact! If you get the chance go see em live and when the pre-orders drop for the vinyl record we’ll let you know

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Dom Daley

Win A Pair of tickets for JD & the FDCs Show on Saturday 02.07.22 At Nottingham Rescue Rooms.

Win A Pair of tickets for JD & the FDCs Show on Saturday 02.07.22 At Nottingham Rescue Rooms.

It’s Been a long time coming but JD & the FDCs are playing a live show after several years in mothballs. The place is Nottingham Rescue Rooms and it’s this coming Saturday. RPM Online has a pair of tickets to give one lucky person in our RPM Online / JD & the FDCs competition.

Head honcho JD has done a little video trailer with the question. If you know the answer and want to be in with a chance to win the tickets then email us at RPMHQ rpmonlinetcb@yahoo.com – no later than 22.00 pm Thursday 30th June when the competition will be closed. We will then contact the lucky winner with a pair of Digital Tickets for the show Just give us the answer and we will email asap. It’s a flash competition with 24 hours to enter – simple as that. Be in it to win it – Get on it kids.

‘Recognise’ is available on vinyl Here

Facebook

Just to remind you how damn good this band is here’s a video from the ‘Recognise’ album featuring Dez Cadena & Amy “Lita” Dumas

SMALLTOWN TIGERS RETURN TO LONDON

SMALLTOWN TIGERS RETURN TO LONDON

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

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

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

Speaking about the show, singer/bassist Valli says…

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

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

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

Tickets Here

Facebook  / Twitter /Instagram

Dion Lunadon – ‘Beyond Everything’ (In The Red Records)

Dion Lunadon – ‘Beyond Everything’ (In The Red Records)

With a CV that name-checks both the legendary Auckland garage rockers the D4 and professional noise hitmen A Place to Bury Strangers, it is no surprise that Dion Lunadon’s solo offerings are so impressive and sonically abrasive.


Much like the debut, Dion’s follow-up Beyond Everything contains a vast genre appraisal of his career to date. Treating the listener to reams of heavy psych, post-punk, the dirtiest garage guitars, and even some Hammond organ, all delivered in a fresh captivating production that is a frenzy for the senses.


The record, although high quality and engaging are very sporadic in its delivery. In recent interviews, Dion has stated that the record has been written on and off since 2017. The overall package is a formidable one. Going from ‘one punch punk killers’ like By My Side and It’s The Truth to ‘Suicide style’ synth and distorted fury such as Elastic Diagnostic and Glass Doll, this album feels more like a series of EPs and 45s. Not to diminish any of the actual content. As with the first record, the compositions are provoking and make the hair stand on the back of your neck, it’s just not as uniform as album one. But in my book, this is a good thing, the experiments being thrown on the wall are rewarding for the listener, always exciting and balls to the wall, it’s also giving Dion a great reputation as a solo artist that can throw his hand at anything. 


With too many to mention, stand-out tracks would have to be garage standard Living and Dying With You, smooth Stooges Esque mover and groover Screw Driver. But if you want something a bit special that will energise you and weird you out all at the same time, Nothing But My Skull is one to have on repeat this summer. With the tempo of Flipper and dirgey guitar and howls of Thurston Moore all wrapped up sounding like some bastardised alternative rock Wings number. 


The album is certainly a journey, but one of tremendous highs and pleasing curveballs. Currently, on tour in the US, Mr. Lunadon is hitting the UK in November. Sadly only doing the all too familiar London-only gig. In the meantime let’s make some noise with this record and give him a reason to expand that date and turn it into a tour.

Buy Here

Author: Dan Kasm