Something for the Week sir? how about the brand new cartoon video from The Cutthroat Brothers? Of course here goes.
Next how about some Dizzy Reed and his Hookers & Blow jazz up the Stones classic ‘Rocks Off’
Finally this week we bring you the brand new video from Bullets & Octanes “Riot Riot N Roll” the band have released a new single and video for “Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog”:
One of the best things about doing this website is hearing new music you possibly would never have come across if you’re not being sent emails, speaking to people who suggest a band they’ve come across or a band they’ve heard live somewhere around this beautiful globe. Besides during this lockdown whilst everything seems to have hit pause or slowed right down it has given us time to sniff out some great new bands and records getting released and one of those bands and records has to be this lot from Toulouse.
whilst that name didn’t exactly strike me as a grat name as soon as the sounds hit the ether I sat back and listened and inevitably turned it up, then turned it up a bit more. sure they use Rickenbackers and wear rollnecks and Winkel pickers because these cats play Garage Fuzzed up Rock and Roll and do it exceedingly well and it came as no surprise to find out they shared the stage with the likes of RPM favs The Lords Of Altamont and toured the States a few years ago with the likes of The Real Kids and were due to play with The Sonics. So they demand to be taken seriously.
The album was recorded and produced by Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Bellrays, The Sonics, The Fleshtones…) and they have that slightly reverbed production that’s raw and savage and has all that fuzzed up charm you want to hear from a Garage Rock record.
To see they shared a stage with the likes of The Lords Of Altamont will come as a good yardstick for people who’ve never come across the guys before because I’m reminded of them on songs like ‘No No No’ with its energy and sound. Another band I’m reminded of would be some of the earlier recordings from The Hip Priests they may not be as fast and certainly not as potty-mouthed but that attack is there on tracks like ‘Breaking Down’ and ‘Run Run Run’. They really get on a groove for a lot of the songs and tub thumpers like ‘Don’t Need You’ are more traditional garage maybe steering clear of that classic Hammond or Farfisa organ whirling would be too much for these punks whist with one Cuban heel in the garage the other is in snotty fuck you loud Rock and Roll the likes of MC5 peddled and that’s always going to go down well around here. You can lob in a grenade of Motorhead to proceedings but only when they were a three-piece with Philthy and Fast Eddy as ‘Don’t You Try’ will testify its a formidable racket when you turn up those amps and just go for it.
From top til the bottom, this is a pretty relentless record where you’ve not got a slowie just to break it up its full-tilt zero bullshit and the sleazy ‘Fall For You’ is a great groove to set up the finale on and that finale is the cliched ballad, Oh no it’s not. Of Course it isn’t ‘Gonna Get You’ is a fine sign off of energy being expelled before the smoke finally gets wafted from the speaker that will smoke long after this has finished. Take a break, lie down in a darkened room then get back on it. Turn it up and kick out those jams motherfuckers!
Buy ‘On The Run’ Here
Author: Dom Daley
I just visited your website and there are Kiss levels of merch on there. When can we see the cutthroat bobbleheads? and what merch would you love to see for the Cutthroat Brothers?
Jason: bobbleheads would be fantastic! Just looking for somebody that will make a two-headed monster version. We’ve talked about Cutthroat Brothers barber products, you know, pomades, shampoo…maybe it should all be blood-red liquid but not stick to the skin. Or maybe it should?
Donny: potato chips, you just can’t eat one.
Some footage from the European tour is on youtube it looks insane, how good was the tour?
Donny: The most fun on tour ever, one night I tried to hug everyone in the place.
Jason: The tour was fantastic! Really great crowds and venues. The welcome for our first time was overwhelming. People screaming and dancing and not letting us stop playing until we played every song we knew. Tours really are about connecting with people on a personal level and that happened a lot. I’d never been to any of the places we went so everything was really fresh and exciting. We were supposed to be on tour right now. Life is cancelled due to Covid, so we wait patiently to return to work and the road.
COVID-19 has derailed everyone are there plans for a return to Europe? What about UK shows?
Jason: Absolutely, We will be coming back as soon as the dust settles. We can’t wait to play the UK! Punk is still alive more across the pond, so wherever people want us that’s where we will be.
The live album sounds amazing will it see a vinyl release?
Donny: I’m hoping Houndgawd will do the vinyl once life is somewhat back to normal.
Jason: Definitely we will get it out on vinyl. We will hopefully everything on vinyl as soon as the pressing plants start up again. A run of white vinyl for ‘Live in Europe’ would be fun.
How do you approach songwriting as a pair or alone?
Jason: Generally I will sketch out the song to a point then we will arrange it and finish them when we see each other. The demos sound a lot different than the final version because i just sketch them on my iphone. We are hoping to release a collection of demos sometime soon for our hardcore fans. I always enjoy listening to ones from my favorite artists.
Donny: There’s a major component to our writing that I think, makes this work, no negativity, we are friends, we do this to have fun.
What were the decisions you had about doing this whole thing as a pair and not heading for a more traditional band set up with bass or piano or two guitars? Is it something you might look into in the future?
Donny: funny you should ask, we have a collaboration awaiting the record presses with the legend Mike Watt. He had offered to play on our next record (‘Taste for Evil’) in our very first interview for our Debut album on his radio show. We took him up on it and sent him the tracks, somehow emails were in the spam folder and we missed having him on the record or so we thought. That said after ‘Taste for Evil’ was set to come out we found the Watt tracks, we have 4 collaborations from ‘Taste for Evil’ that we’ll release as soon as Houndgawd is back up and running full speed.
Jason: It was an accident. We didn’t intend it to be just two people, but it felt right and we didn’t see the need for more. We make creative decisions really quickly this way and with Jack Endino to steer us we can get a lot done fast. We don’t want to risk the squeaky wheel too. You know, the other person who is always arguing or being late, wearing shorts to gigs, you know THAT one.
Have you recorded using a full set up or are you open to ideas?
Jason: We are open to whatever for sure! It just hasn’t happened yet and probably won’t soon as long as it feels good to us.
Tell us a bit about your background in music?
Donny: Mudhoney, ELO, EODM, AC/DC, ZZ Top. My grandma was a classical pianist and the she taught piano and organ played at funerals and weddings. My dad was a keyboardist as well he had a band pretty much my whole life and then went into playing for church. My parents said I started playing at 2, I don’t remember but I also don’t remember not playing.
Jason: My father is a preacher, so I started playing in our family country western gospel band touring around doing Carter Family songs and such around age 13 I think. Early country and rockabilly were my first loves, then my folks bought me a Louie Louie compilation that started with Kingsmen and ended with Black Flag. My parents accidentally introduced me to punk rock and it was downhill from there.
what plays on the stereo in the barbershop? maybe a short back and sides or sponsored ‘something for the weekend’ could be on the merch desk at future shows?
Donny: Punk, Metal, Garage, Rockabilly, rap, hip hop.
You teamed up with German label Hound Gawd Records (which you mentioned) they’ve released some great records how did that pairing come about?
Jason: Oliver from Hound Gawd! Got a copy of ‘Taste for Evil’ when we just finished it. It was mentioned to him by our shared publicist, Ilka. He dug it and the rest is history. We love Hound Gawd! All the bands are great.
Donny: I can’t say enough about if you’re putting out your art do it with someone who loves what you do or even more than you, this is why we are with Houndgawd.
What plans have you got in the future? Recording? touring? I heard you were ready to record album three in March. Did that happen? is Jack Endino involved again? What can we expect on the next record? Is Mike Watt playing on it at all? If you could get a bunch of guest musicians to join on the next record who would you love to ask?
Jason: Jack is definitely involved with everything we do. He really is the third Cutthroat Brother. Mr. Watt has offered to play on stuff again, yes, but we don’t know any specifics. We have another album planned out. We had to push it to a safer time because of Covid but we will be at it ASAP. I’ve asked Jesse Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal, he said he would be on it but we will see. I would love to get him and Jennie Vee on the next one. Cross your fingers.
RPM Live In Europe Review Here
Barren Womb hail from Norway and Finland. ‘Lizard Lounge’ is their fourth studio effort and is arguably their best however I’ll admit here this is my first foray into the world of Barren Womb so I can’t comment on whether it’s their best. They’ve actually been around for almost a decade so the duo of Timo Silvola and Tony Gonzahl certainly aren’t wet around the ears and have plenty of time served to create their chosen craft.
Without any preconceptions, I turn the speakers up to “Neighbour Bothering” Levels and ‘Cemetery Slopestyle’ greets me with a feral rapid kick in the shins and a swift audio headbutt. A steady beat and feral guitar riff with dog snarling vocals but it never appears to be untethered this beast is being ridden to the end. I like it!
There’s a hint of ‘Bleach’ Nirvana about ‘Karma As A Tour Manager’ sparse yet claustrophobic if you know what I mean? It’s an impressive mixture of HArdcore attitude mixed with an air of doing it on the hoof and a shade of commerciality or catchy parts that might be fleeting but prevalent enough that you notice them. ‘Hairy Palms’ breaks down into some doomy heavy shit but like I say its fleeting before we’re back off on that big commercial riff.
‘Smoke Lets Go’ is one of my favourite tracks its a steady pounder with a dirty loose riff as the vocals bark their words but there’s handclaps which leads me to think these cats are winking at each other and like a long line of Northern European bands playing their punk rock with a cheeky grin and if the chorus was meant to be pop it is but it isn’t. What it definitely is though is quality in a sea of quality songs.
It’s no shock that the duo are influenced by the Melvins because they’re crazy as well but that’s the melting pot the Womb are cooking part Grunge heavyweights part QOTSA chart lust part Hardcore part bat shit crazy. One thing they do is keep it short and sweet with the exception of one track almost hitting the giddy heights of five minutes ‘Nerve Salad’ reminds me in part of Rage Against The Machine. Signing off ‘You Do The Meth’ is a writhing beast and a fine way to sign off a rather good record. I’m off to investigate their back catalogue because if its as good as this then I’m in for a treat. check them out!
Pre-order on limited vinyl: Here
Follow Barren Womb now on:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify
Author: Dom Daley
Disgraceland hooked up together a couple of years ago and play punk n roll. They clearly have a love of all things Motorhead and all that revolves around that orbit. This three-piece from the west country are no strangers to slogging it round their scene for many years previous but decided to hook up and make some noise.
This EP opens up with the trio riffing around a Motorhead sound knocking out ‘Leaving Here’ as ‘Storming An H Cup’ sounds half decent and the guitar solo is straight out of the Captain Sensible solo book and there’s nothing wrong with that.
They said they like a spaghetti western and love of rockabilly and that shines through on ‘Hillbilly Heroine’ but I’d steer clear of knocking up a fix of that bad boy it sounds unpleasant but the tune isn’t too shabby to be fair and a lot less harmful to your health.
‘Harvey’ is an out and out rocka but the subject matter is a little dark to say the least. Nice n tight riffs to be fair. ‘Hard Of Thinking’ made me chuckle as the characters in the song subject seem to have risen like shit in a bath during the pandemic a fairly straight-ahead number sounding more like something Therapy? would kick out and that guitar tone is savage – nice n jagged wasn’t expecting to break down into some prime time Jaya The Cat at the end but it worked and made me smile.
‘Adult Fuckery’ is a sixth former take on adulthood. Noisy and full-blooded but wait the final offering is a three and a half minute instrumental! Oh Shit I hear you call out much the same as my reaction however being entitled ‘Clint’ it does venture off down a western route briefly but not something I gravitate towards generally so no secret that it’s not something I’ll be playing again but don’t let one track put you off.
If you like it loud (often) fast and loose then you can do a lot worse than hit up Disgraceland they play Punk rock n roll and play it loud and with a smile. Get some.
Author: Dom Daley
Reissued on CD by MVD on 10th July and 7th August respectively
Finally, I can get my mitts on a decent quality cd of The Flamin’ Groovies’ ‘Now’ album. While they never recaptured the heights of ‘Shake Some Action’ (though 2017’s ‘Fantastic Plastic’ is a fine attempt), ‘Now’ is still worthy of a place in your collection. In common with Dr Feelgood, they clearly had problems in writing enough songs, so both albums are half-filled with cover versions. Some work better than the originals, some not so much.
Starting with their major influence, The Byrds, ‘Feel A Whole Lot Better’ is the sound of a band playing a song they love. It doesn’t need changing, so they didn’t. ‘Between The Lines’ showed that they could still find their chops. It has that undefinable something. ‘Ups And Downs’ is a cheesy, upbeat tune, but they make it sound fun. Cliff’s ‘Move It’ was always going to be a great choice, and I still love it.
‘Take Me Back’ is one of two classic Groovies songs on here. Wistful and beautiful, with that perfect jangle of guitars. Dave Edmunds’ production got the best out of the songs. ‘Don’t Put Me On’ is the second; almost on a par with ‘Shake..’, it could only be the Groovies. It’s hard to explain to anyone who is unfamiliar with them just why their best songs are so great, iconic even. If you’ve tried writing songs, you’ll know that there is magic here.
‘All I Wanted’ is another good, original song, very Beatley, unsurprisingly. ‘Good Laugh Mun’ and ‘Yeah, My Baby’ were co-written with Edmunds, who understood their sound perfectly. Two Stones songs in a row is a tad ambitious; ‘Blue Turns To Grey’ suits them better than ‘paint It Black’, and the album ends on a perfunctory ‘There’s A Place’.
A year later, and ‘Jumpin’ In The Night’ starts well with the title track. It drives along nicely, and reflects their live sound. ‘Next One Crying’ is a Stones-style original, while ‘First Plane Home’ is back in Byrds territory. ‘In The USA’ is a straight ahead Chuck Berry fest, while James Burton’s ‘Down, Down, Down’ is not the strongest choice of song. ‘Yes I Am’ is a better original, as is ‘Tell Me Again’. ‘Please, Please Me’ is the obligatory Beatles cover, though ‘Werewolves Of London’ is weirdly very good, better than the original. McGuinn’s ‘It Won’t Be Wrong’ and ‘5D’ work well, but I could do without ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie’ and David Crosby’s ‘Lady Friend’. The overall sound is too light, and it runs out of gas halfway through.
The best of each would make a good album, but for me, ‘Now’ has the sound and personality of the Groovies.
Buy Flamin’ Groovies Here
Author: Martin Chamarette
Unfazed by lockdown, West Country rockers Richard Davies & The Dissidents have just unveiled a video for their debut single ‘21st Century Man’, which features each of the band in self-isolation in their own homes.The track is taken from the band’s long-awaited debut album ‘Human Traffic’, recorded over a period of two-and-a-half years and now finally being released by Bucketfull Of Brains Records through Proper.
“’21st Century Man’ is about confronting change,” says Davies about the single. “It’s a song about how the eras in our lives fold into each other and how we relate to the modern world – might as well get blazed!”
A member of 90s Camden indie rockers Tiny Monroe, Davies had a whirlwind ride on support tours with The Pretenders, Radiohead and Suede, and playing Glastonbury, Reading and T in the Park festivals, as well as lending his chops to Peter Perrett and Glen Matlock, before forming alt.country darlings The Snakes in the noughties.
With a sound already described as ‘Johnny Thunders meets Tom Petty’, with nods toward Mott, Malin and Mink DeVille, this supergroup of sorts also features drummer Chris Cannon, of Hampshire DIY legends Mega City Four, bassist Tim Emery from Last Great Dreamers, guitarist Nick Beere and keyboardist Neil Scully.
‘21st Century Man’ is available now from Spotify, Amazon and all the usual digital platforms.
Human Traffic is out on 12 June and is available to pre-order: Here
It’s strange times at the moment, who would have thought at the beginning of 2020 live music would become a thing of the past!!!! We’d be strapped in for the long haul and unable to meet up with friends or our music loving family. But in fairness what a time to be opening our ears and exploring new kinds of sounds, different genres and pushing our normal comfort zones just that little bit further, while trying to support the musicians trying to scrape by.
Riding in on the back of that introduction come Lacertilla, hailing from Cardiff , “Lacertilia are a quintet that forge psychedelia, space rock, stoner metal and proto-punk into a compelling heavy rock sound”, that could have been Pity my Brain’s main man Jamie Richards talking because he’s the guy that first introduced me to this huge sound, harkening back to the primal gloom of early Sabbath, the energy of the Stooges, swirling around a Hawkwind led Psychedelic storm while also feeding off the beast that is Monster Magnet.
Since their inception in 2013, Lacertilia have toured the UK and Europe extensively, sharing the stage with Karma To Burn, Hawklords, Orange Goblin, Elder, Honky and countless others. Their wild and energetic stage shows have established them as firm favourites on the underground rock scene, securing them performances at Hellfest, Bearded Theory and Freak Valley.
Lacertilia have released 2 EPs and 1 LP so far, their heady sound best captured on their debut album ‘We’re Already Inside Your Mind’ which was released in 2016.
This is their second album ‘Calling The Quarters’ which was recorded early 2019 at the legendary Foel Studios home to amongst others Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Napalm Death, and Electric Wizard buried in the depths of Mid Wales.
So what does it sound like? Opener “Cloak and Dagger” emerges from the speakers with the vocals hitting somewhere at a midpoint behind early primetime Ozzy and monster magnets Dave Wyndorf , the bass taking on lead duties after you’ve been battered by heavily distorted guitar, before that guitar steals back in on a sea of psychedelic swirls, I’m really liking this!!!! Heavy distorted Psychedelia rules.
Next up “Labyrinth” almost pushes you back into the chair, heading deep into Alice in Chains territory, before heading back on that heavy psychedelic trip, taking you into all sorts of places both heavy and intense, but you do get the feel the band are just building up momentum.
The picked acoustic sound leading you into “Further” hints at another welsh band, The Dead Shed Jokers, before those thoughts are torn away , and as your face melts with the heaviest track so far, the native Indian chanting loosely connects you to much earlier influences, invoking bith shamanism and the Doors in equal measures.
“Procession of Lost Souls” takes the almost shamanistic vision to a natural conclusion, giving a calm before the storm that is “At the edge of Utopia” which lifts the whole LP and hits a whole new level, this is seriously the way all psychedelic rock should sound and I think for yours truly stands out, really invoking the spirit of the Stooges.
“Inside the circle”, follows on keeping the sound heavy and intense, before we are led by the almost Tribal drums into “Feral” amid chants of Lacertilla, I’m sure this would provide a great intro prior to the band coming on stage, then we’re into another cracker “So Mote it be” again harkening back to the past, invoking the spirit of Sabbath, but the right way to finish off, what is a pretty spectacular LP. Go on Test yourself push your boundaries, but more importantly give these guys a listen, they’re going places.
Buy The Album Here
Author: Nev Brooks
C’mon folks cheer up its only week 752 of Lockdown but worry not here are a few bangers for you to enjoy. First up is the awesome Wyldlife with their brand new video for ‘Kiss And Tell’ taken from the wicked Cool Records Album ‘Year Of The Snake‘ enjoy!
Next is the awesome Duncan Reid & The Big Heads with the lockdown video for ‘To Live Or Live Not’ taken from their most excellent ‘Don’t Blame Yourself‘ Album
Finally bringing up the rear is the awesome Death By Unga Bunga with their first new track ‘Not Like The Others’.
Recent Comments