Singles Club – (Punk)Rocktober

Singles Club – (Punk)Rocktober

Stiff Richards – ‘Got It To Go’ (Legless Records via Bandcamp) New music from Australias Stiff Richards is always going to get our attention.  Got It To Go isn’t the wild unleashed wreckless drunken ride but a more measured confident groove.  It was mentioned it had the same vibe as Bronx and that’s a decent shout both bands are top-notch and when they cut loose their brimming with urgency and when they kick back (as it were) they sound like this.  One song is fantastic but we want more so when you’re ready chaps we’ll have that long-player, thanks. and the good news there is its coming out soonish from legless in Australia and its getting a European release from Drunken Sailor Records.  In the meantime check out the single here

 

 

Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions – ‘Only Got Eyes For You’ (Avenue Recordz) You want anthems for singles? fuckin’ right you do.  In these tough times how about bands release singles ahead of an album and make it a bloody good un or else.  SV & The Eruptions have only gone and done that twice before now with this being the last un before the album hits us in December. This one might just be the biggest sounding of the lot with a confident mid-paced number and judging by the lyrics maybe SV has softened and penned a love song (of sorts) its certainly his best vocal delivery yet with a fantastic melody and one that burrows down into the ear and sets up camp and you find yourself singing hours later.  The sign of a good single?  I think so. It also features ‘Snap Backbone’ from the ‘Ramraid’ EP  & ‘Together Forever As Ghosts’ from ‘Shit Generation’.  SV & The Eruptions are prolific and they seem to be getting better and better at this songwriting lark  – long may it continue. Oh and that artwork is creepy as fuck. Buy it Here    check em out – Facebook / Website 

 

 

Matty James Cassidy – ‘Old Souls’ (Pirate Heart Records)  taken from the album of the same name Matty infuses his folk and rock and roll roots to create a great song mixing electric with acoustic but then takes it to the next level with some welcome and excellent saxophone.  There’s a bit of the Clash in here and some.  Matty has expanded the troubadour tag and turned in a really impressive song to showcase his new album Website

 

 

Gob Patrol – ‘Sin City’ (Riot Records) Of course its punk rock.  With a name like Gob Patrol, it wasn’t ever not going to sound like The Exploited doing Rancid doing GBH.  Nothing wrong with that either.  ‘Sin City’ is easy on the ear and dumb and full of fun.  These Vegas punks kick-off ‘Anarchy’ as if to solidify their punk rock credentials.  It’s pretty decent if the UK82 scene was your thing.  It not original but then why should it be they’re just kicking the can down the road and pogoing for fun with their mates.  Good on ’em I say and get down to sin city and pogo pogo! Pre-order/pre-save Sin City HERE

The Urethras ‘Patronized’ (Pirates Press Records) Pissed off teenagers from California writing punk rock songs in 2020 who’d have thought it?  Raw, unapologetic, and raging against the machine. Throw in a global pandemic, raging fires in their backyards and you’ve got a ticking time bomb of angst and it sounds like it.  Imagine a rough house Rancid,  Some 82 punk and the usual suspects like Dead Kennedys or Germs and a heap of Straight edge bands who used to turn CBGB into a frothing mess The Urethras are kickings it.  ‘Patronized’ is that sound.  Good on you kids and I mean that in a non patronising way.  As for the name stop giggling you nutters.  Facebook

Kids Of Skids – ‘Trapped’  (Riot Records) Sydney-based hardcore punk band KIDS OF SKIDS recently released their debut single and subsequent video Army Store via Riot Records. Now they are set to drop their second single Trapped on October 19th. Trapped is about being Trapped in Iso during fu**ing Corona.   In your face rapid hardcore punk rock oz style.  Brutal shit from down under that will pummel your brain – get on the VB and throw yourself about its like Chesty Malone & The Slice EM Ups have Australian blood brothers.
Pre-order/save Trapped HERE 

Antagonizers ATL – ‘Black Clouds’ (Pirates Press Records)  Oi, Oi Now rounded out as a 6 piece, Antagonizers ATL has this single out as a glimpse of the future as these street punks get ready to release the long-player with a Celtic tinge it’s not as oirish as say a Dropkick Murphys but it’s cut from a similar cloth.

The song features some extra vocals from labelmate Matt Henson (NOi!SE)as if these street punks needed help on those gang vocals.

Antagonizers ATL’s brand of dirty rock n’ roll is on full display, and these Atlanta working class street punks have carved their teeth in the scene with a relentless work ethic and a commanding live show for the better part of a decade.  Fill yer glass and get a jig on street punks are in the room.

Atomic Zeros – ‘Dirty Game’ (Ghost Highway Records) A cool sleazy slab of garage rock with a great hook on the chorus.  A really well-written song with some fine crunchy guitars borrowing a lick or two from the likes of Gluecifer and knocking out a cover of The Lord’s classic ‘Russian Roulette’ on the B side is never going to end badly with us.  Curiously the second cover of the same song in a month. Once again the do the track proud with a killer version.  Super limited numbers available from the best label in Spain Here or from the band Here

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The Slackers – ‘Blue’ (Pirates Press Records) Normally, in the months leading up to arguably the biggest election, you wouldn’t want to go about releasing a new record for your band… Unless of course, that song was a taste of the color and voice you want to lend to the dialogue.

NYC legends trumpet tooting mellow bit of Ska.  Harking back to some classic first wave The Slackers turn in a chilled out ‘Blue’ before the storm of what might follow.  It’s not heading to the top of the charts any day soon but who cares this is great especially the Dub version (like it needed a Dub Version) Facebook

 

 

The Imbeciles – ‘Yes I Am’  Scuzzy mysterious punk rockers release the first video from their EP that’s released later this month containing 6-tracks the EP ‘Dissolution Sessions’ will be out at the end of October. Until then this amusing video deals with the band’s lineup changes as well as showcasing their wonderful talent for penning garage rock and roll the song has a great hook and who doesn’t love a riff like that?

THE SENSIBLE GRAY CELLS RETURN!

THE SENSIBLE GRAY CELLS RETURN!

‘GET BACK INTO THE WORLD’ – BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM FEATURING CAPTAIN SENSIBLE AND PAUL GRAY FROM THE DAMNED, WITH JOHNNY MOPED DRUMMER MARTY LOVE

 

RELEASED NOVEMBER 27TH VIA DAMAGED GOODS RECORDS

 

Album pre-order is Here

Back in 2013, when the world was still pretty weird, but markedly less bizarre than it is now, Captain Sensible and then former Damned bassist Paul Gray reunited for an album called ‘A Postcard From Britain’ under the name The Sensible Gray Cells. This was long before Paul Gray re-joined The Damned for their ‘Evil Spirits’ album in 2018 and allowed the pair to reacquaint their musical partnership and explore their love of the quintessentially British late 60s psych-pop period that has always been their passion.

 

And now, with live music derailed for the foreseeable future and 2020 already proving to be an unforgettable year for all of the wrong reason, Sensible and Gray were inspired to reignite their Sensible Gray Cells persona, together with Johnny Moped drummer Marty Love, for ‘Get Back Into The World’, released via Damaged Goods Records this coming November 27th.

 

“PG and myself being garage psych aficionados feel there should be more of this kind of music and this is our contribution to the cause,” explains the Captain. “If I said that some of these songs were ‘Damned rejects’ that shouldn’t be seen as an indication of inferior song writing, more that they’re not wearing the right shirt.”

 

“I’ve never been a prolific writer being a lazy so and so, I think it’s best to wait for inspiration to call, which explains the 7 year gap ( how many albums could the Beatles have crammed in that period!) but in the meantime Paul re-joined the Damned and we’ve gigged about a bit, which is always fun – CAN WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC BACK AGAIN PLEASE!”

 

‘A Postcard From Britain’ was a snapshot of modern life and similarly, ‘Get Back Into The World’ provides a comparable document.

 

“It’s sad that high streets around the world have been destroyed by online shopping but nobody’s forcing people to do it – what can you do,” he states. “These are very strange times we’re living though – I just count myself lucky to have been around to witness the 2nd half of the 20th century; a fab time for music, culture, ideas and that without even mentioning Benny Hill and On The Buses. The new album coincides with all this virus malarkey, which, unpleasant as it is will undoubtedly be used by the powers that be to tighten the screws on us little people on behalf of their billionaire paymasters. Blah blah, etc. There’s a bit of that hidden away in the album.”

 

Back in June, listeners got their first taste of the new Sensible Gray Cells in the form of the ‘So Long’/’What’s The Point In Andrew?’ seven-inch, now long since sold out. Show-casing what to expect from the album, the strutting rock n’ roll of ‘So Long’ was a stark contrast to the whimsical royal-baiting of ‘What’s The Point Of Andrew?’ (“Known forever as the royal spare”) and shows the variety of moods and styles on offer here.

 

Now comes ‘I Married A Monster’, a stomping 60s garage punk nugget that pays tribute to their love of old horror films.

 

“We love all those old Ealing comedies, ‘Carry On’ films and 1950’s hammy-horror movies like The Blob and I Married A Monster From Outer Space,” explains Paul. “This is our musical tongue-in-cheek spoof homage to them….after all, you never can quite be sure…can you??”

 

 

Get Back Into The World is available for pre-order in the following formats HERE:

The title track will also be released on a 7” single along with an exclusive B-side two weeks prior to the album release.

ALBUM OPTION ONE

An exclusive black and yellow splatter vinyl LP (12 tracks) + a black vinyl 12” single containing two extra tracks + a set of three signed postcards. Limited to 500 copies.

ALBUM OPTION TWO

Standard release grey vinyl LP (12 tracks)

ALBUM OPTION THREE

CD (14 tracks)

ALBUM OPTION FOUR

Cassette (14 tracks). Limited to 100 copies

‘Get Back Into The World’ 7” single featuring exclusive B-side ‘World of Confusion’

Blue vinyl – mail order only – Limited to 400 copies

Grey vinyl – mail order only – Limited to 400 copies

Clear vinyl – shops only – Limited to 400 copies

Find Sensible Gray Cells online at:

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER

Girls In Synthesis – ‘No Here’s An Echo From Your Future’ (Harbinger Sound / Cargo Records)

Girls In Synthesis – ‘No Here’s An Echo From Your Future’ (Harbinger Sound / Cargo Records)

Not everything is Black & White but in these strange times, it helps polarize your brain and when these Londoner’s plugin and turn it up with their sharp angular chords thrashed out with much anger and frustration along with some pissed off rhythms that embrace modern technology these post-punks seem to love hiding in the bleak grey corners of your mind and jump out with loud overdriven, often intense songs that lack any colour and do so with the intension of making everything seem just a little out of focus.

 

I get the impression Girls In Synthesis aren’t for compromising and their views are clear as daylight.  The politically charged and perfectly delivered ‘They’re Not Listening’ fits with the angst and rage of the times when politicians only work inside their own echo chamber and fuck the rest of us, never apologising for mistakes nor recognising when they might be wrong.  The delivery is at times in keeping with the likes of Sleaford Mods but the music is born from real instruments and not an apple mac book being Londoners I guess the concrete jungle has played a part in creating the music they play.  The sounds they create are aggressive, jarring and every void is filled to the brim.

They waste no time as they soundtrack the worst of times like a nuclear bomb going off ‘Arterial Movements’ could be what it sounds like in your head. from the frantic feedback being wrestled like a giant anaconda.  the chorus has gang vocals from a concrete bunker in response to the dry vocal its chaos but never is it too fucked up and it certainly gets the blood pumping.

It’s a pretty unrelenting album as well as uncompromising and it’s not until halfway when the pace eases up but not the tension as ‘Human Frailty’ is a moment for you to catch your breath. the solo is mental and the bleakness of the music is intense.

 

If you might think that side two is going to get any easier then forget it ‘Cause For Concern’ is pounding whilst that industrial concrete bass throb is on the attack on ‘Coming Up For Air’ which is a short sharp foray into carpet-bombing using the medium of audio.  Perhaps a bit out of step with the shorter songs you then get ‘Set Up To Fail’ with its five-plus minutes beginning with a cleaner sound reminding me of PIL meets crass as it gains momentum but never does take off preferring to ease back and hammer on with a more jazz vibe with the brass flittering around the speakers.

To close this one down there’s the buzz of ‘Tirades Of Hate And Fear’ with its flat delivery of the lyrics from a low chat in your ear it gets more and more intense before signing off.  Better to burn out than fade away for sure Girls in Synthesis deliver an album that will keep on giving and is totally in keeping with these strange times.  Post Punk, noisy, aggressive and digging you on the temple to shut up and just listen.  Check it out.

 

Buy Heres An Echo Here

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Riskee and The Ridicule honour New York singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey

Riskee and The Ridicule honour New York singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey

Riskee and The Ridicule honour New York singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey with their own unique take on her hit ‘Young And Beautiful’.

 

Not a band you can second guess, unpredictable Kent punks Riskee and The Ridicule follow-up their first lockdown release in May, the seething anger of the Brexit-baiting single ‘Blue Jacket’, with their own respectful take on New York pop singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey’s award-winning 2013 smash-hit, ‘Young And Beautiful’. This, however, is no guilty pleasure for the band, who are longtime fans of Lana’s work.

 

“Lana Del Rey is one of pop music’s best storytellers,” states frontman Scott Picking. “There’s something about her music that is so intense and descriptive that it’s movie-like and in these times of being locked down, that type of escapism has been a personal paradise. In choosing this song, I knew I could bring something different vocally and musically, we were excited about changing the song dynamically while staying true to the emotiveness of the original.”

Despite being isolated from each other at the time, Riskee and The Ridicule were able to create a video for ‘Young And Beautiful’ by recording their individual parts at home, allowing their former bassist David Thomas to collate them together with footage from one of the bands early hometown gigs.

 

“The video feels like a nod to both our early days as a band, just us and our own motivation, as well as where we are all at in this unique moment, one that we’re not likely to be in again any time soon (hopefully). ‘Young And Beautiful’ is a song I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” confesses Scott.

 

2019 was an amazing year for the band and saw the highly anticipated release of their third album ‘Body Bag Your Scene’ well received by both fans and critics alike, with their sets at Rebellion and Boomtown proving to be real highlights of 2019

Body Bag Your Scene was written and recorded at breakneck speed, a reflection of its reactionary nature to the daily uncertainty projected upon us. Taking aim at the powers that be (“Our Time”), sexual exploitation (“Sex”) and the barrage of contradictory news (“Black, White & Grey”) it’s a record that holds a mirror to the world with simultaneously acerbic and humorous analysis.

 

Growing up in Kent, Riskee and The Ridicule have always been a staple of the UK DIY scene, but their fervent attitude and unique “Grime-Punk” rallied troops of dedicated fans across the world. Musically, the band meld their genre-spanning influences with their intent to challenge preconceptions. On the surface they may appear easy to read, when in fact Scott Picking (Vocals), Jimbo Aglony (Guitars, Vocals), Jordan Mann (Guitars, Vocals) and Matt Verrell (Drums, Vocals) are a gang of progressive punks who form a powerhouse of change. Full of fierce energy, the Kent quartet have motives resting among The Clash with relentless streams of wit, literacy, and observational accuracy akin to The Smiths and a background in the UK Grime scene.

 

There is much more to come. You can be sure that Riskee and The Ridicule will be back onstage as soon as the world allows.

 

Buy ‘Young And Beautiful’ Here

 

Find Riskee and The Ridicule online at: Bomber Music / Band Website / Facebook / Twitter

Pauline Murray (Penetration) – new single ‘Secrets’ and new solo album ‘Elemental’ out September 25th

Pauline Murray (Penetration) – new single ‘Secrets’ and new solo album ‘Elemental’ out September 25th

You can order the album: Here

Pauline Murray, singer, songwriter and performer with iconic first-wave punks Penetration and 80s pop ensemble the Invisible Girls with infamous Mancunian producer Martin Hannett, releases her third solo album ‘Elemental’ on 25th September.

 

Recorded in France during October 2016 and completed at their own Polestar Studios, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in 2019, the album continues her long-term partnership with Robert Blamire. Additional musicians, including Penetration’s Paul Harvey, Steve Wallace and Ken Goodinson are augmented by the keyboards of Steve Hopkins from the Invisible Girls and Roxy Music’s Paul Thompson on drums.

 

The ten songs on ‘Elemental’, all in minor keys were written by Pauline Murray, originated on acoustic guitar and electronically, with full production by Robert Blamire. Their subject matter includes topics such as the power of nature, emotional ties, reflections, depression, missing persons and ancestors.

 

Pauline Murray’s distinctive vocals, lyrics and melodies are matched musically to create an original work of high quality and you can hear the first results today on the new single ‘Secrets’. Originally written and recorded on a 4 track Teac tape machine in the late 1980’s, the only version that existed was a copy on cassette as the original tape was long lost.

 

“It was mixed to a cassette and left in a box for years,” explains Pauline. “When we were recording the new album, we remembered this track, found the cassette but couldn’t find the original master tape. All the parts were there, and it sounded really good, but the recording was unusable. We decided to re-record it and tried to replicate the original arrangements, keyboard parts and sounds whilst maintaining the original atmosphere. It’s amazing that something hidden away for so long can assert itself fully into the here and now. Like a secret being revealed.”

“Lyrically, it’s about the pressure to conform to social perceptions and expectations,” she continues. “having to rely on body language and energy exchange to see what’s really going on.”

 

“The idea for the video ties in with my four paintings featured on the album sleeve. It reflects the lyrics – I’m putting on a face to hide. A single camera was set up in a dark room lit only with a make-up mirror. I mixed the paints beforehand and did the face painting in a single take. The Volvo footage was shot around the same time that the song was written. We only found it recently whilst digitising some old VHS tapes. The performance video was shot earlier this year at Polestar Studios. Rob (Blamire) edited it all together.”

‘Secrets’ perfectly sets the scene for the classic synth-led pop displayed on ‘Elemental’, yet tracks like ‘Dark Clouds’, ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘Unbroken Line’ reflect a much gentler side. A shift away from the guitar driven Penetration sound, this new set of songs is more in tune with Pauline’s Invisible Girls album and working with Steve Hopkins again on keyboards, adds continuity to the project. ‘Elemental’ also features the renowned rhythmic talents of Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson.

“As a 15-year-old, I was a big Roxy Music fan,” enthuses Pauline. “I would never have thought that their drummer Paul Thompson who played on all those fantastic records would be playing on my album all those years later. As a 15-year-old fan, I wouldn’t even have envisaged making music myself! Paul came into our studios with Lindisfarne and we plucked up the courage to ask him to play on some of the tracks. It was really exciting when he agreed and an absolute buzz to hear him playing on the songs.”

‘Elemental’ is released 25th September via Polestar Records.

The Lovely Eggs tour put back to February 2021 & New single news

The Lovely Eggs tour put back to February 2021 & New single news

PSYCH-PUNK DUO THE LOVELY EGGS ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE ‘LONG STEM CARNATIONS’ TO BE RELEASED

  

The Lovely Eggs will release brand new single ‘Long Stem Carnations’ on Friday July 10 on Egg Records. The track, taken from their number one selling album ‘I am Moron’ will be released on limited-edition coloured 7” vinyl. Backed by brand new B side ‘The Voyage’, ‘Long Stem Carnations’ was inspired by the Mars One programme, a global project which aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars.  Applicants are offered a one-way ticket- never to see earth again. This fascinated Lovely Eggs Holly and David who drew parallels between this mission and their own isolation as a band. ‘Long Stem Carnations’ is a funeral march for society’s outcasts and freaks. It’s an existential voyage in cosmic form. “Is there an internal self-destruct button that cannot be destroyed?” said Holly. “We are all the pilots of our own ship. You’ve just got to remember it’s important to try and hang on and see the mission through.”

‘I am Moron’, bears the fruit of The Lovely Eggs second collaboration with Grammy award winning producer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Mogwai, MGMT, Tame Impala) at his studio in upstate New York. It captures the zeitgeist of post Brexit Britain and mysteriously seems to point towards the unimaginable future we’re now living in. Many songs on the album are about isolation and living a new way in a different world. When The Lovely Eggs made ‘I am Moron’ it was like they had a crystal ball.

 

Sonically, the album brings with it a mix of heavy psych, pop and strangeness. Some songs flicker between an earthly realism and the otherworldly loneliness of a one-way space mission.

 

Upon its release ‘I am Moron’ went straight to Number One in the UK Independent Album Charts. It also took the Number One spot in the UK vinyl charts as well as the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.

 

“This is an absolute gutter for us but with little direction from the government, we don’t want to put people’s safety and lives at risk. We imagine that even by autumn even if gigs CAN happen, they’ll be very different to the usual Lovely Eggs experience and we don’t want that! We want the normal Egg-shaped chaos that you’ve come to expect from a Lovely Eggs gig.  So, we’ve taken the decision to postpone our touring until next year. All tickets for the old shows originally scheduled for April and rescheduled for July are now valid for the new shows in February. In the cases where we have seen a venue change/upgrade the tickets for the original show in that city remain valid. Our shows at O2 Ritz in Manchester and Heaven in London have been rescheduled to May. We really hope people hang onto their tickets, not get refunds and join us next year. We live to tour and tour to live. This is our life and our livelihood. Once this shitstorm is over. We want a party like no other!! Looking forward to seeing you all next year!”

 

The Lovely Eggs are willfully independent. With NINE BBC 6 music sessions under their belt, as well as sessions for Radio One and Radio X, they have enjoyed huge support from UK radio. And they continue to sell out gigs across the UK without the help of management, booking agent or record label support.

They have produced six albums. Fifth album “This is Eggland” saw their first encounter with Dave Fridmann as producer/mixer after Holly left a drunken message on his studio answerphone asking him to work with them. Dave got back in touch with them a year later and Eggland was born. It was released in February 2018 to critical acclaim, was added to the 6 music Playlist and announced by HMV as one of their Top 50 Albums of the year.

 

With observational and often surreal lyrics about life The Lovely Eggs have a powerful raw sound that creates the sonic illusion of a band twice their size and have become known for their ferocious yet joyous live performances. They’re undoubtedly the most real band in Britain, operating in a world when true authenticity is hard to find.

 

The Lovely Eggs are one of the most exciting, innovative and genuine bands of the Great British Underground. Welcome to their world. Welcome To Eggland!

 

Catch the band live at the following dates in February 2021:

 

Tickets available HERE:

 

Pre-order the new single “Long Stem Carnations” HERE:

 

Order the new album ‘I Am Moron’ HERE:

 

Find The Lovely Eggs online at: WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

LibraLibra release new video ahead of album

LibraLibra release new video ahead of album

With their neck-snapping rhythm section and adventurous beats; garage punk-infiltrated broken guitars; vocals that veer from searing emotional drama to camp self-parody; and frenetic experimentation entwined with pristine pop hooks – it is impossible to pin a genre on LibraLibra. But it’s not hard to pinpoint the feeling that permeates their music: the feeling that, whatever you’re feeling, it’s ok. It’s enough. You are enough. You are ok.

 

Returning amidst this crazy messed-up world we currently inhabit, LibraLibra’s dayglo explosions of colour and sound have never felt more vital and needed.  On August 14th, the Brighton based band will release a new EP titled ‘Hail Mary’ via their own LibraLibra Records, that features the first results of their recent work with production luminary SPACE. Fresh from birthing two of the most impactful British albums of the last few years with Idles, SPACE was immediately taken with LibraLibra’s vibrant world and invited them into their studio to develop the tracks for the EP.

 

“SPACE really challenged us on who we are and what we want to say”, says singer and lyricist Beth Cannon. “He delved into asking what kind of world or vision we want to create – what kind of message we are trying to send to the world and our audience.”

 

Alongside Cannon, LibraLibra are producer and drummer Joe Caple, guitarist Dan Martell, and bassist and keys player Guy Jones. For these four strong characters with passion, musical chops and creativity to spare, SPACE’s insightful perspective and mentorship helped them to identify and double down on their collective identity – turning an exciting musical proposition into a creative force on overdrive, a machine with a mission.

 

Today we get to hear the first ripe fruits of these sessions in ‘Juicy Lucy’ – a strutting, high-energy blast of righteous indignation that takes aim at perfect life, body beautiful celebrity obsession and the feelings of inadequacy they can generate.

 

“Have you ever been so utterly disgusted with yourself and you begin to obsess over who you could be?” asks Beth. “You latch on to the media crazed celebrity idols bullshit. You’re young, naive, a slave to their every whim, their perfection, their beauty. They ooze sex appeal, they are heavenly, other worldly – you are a mere mortal, stuck in your flabby stretch mark ridden skin. You want nothing more than to know this star, be side by side, touch it, feel it, consume it, be it. It’s your obsession.”   

 

“The ‘Juicy Lucy’ video is the brainchild of our wonderful friend and director Jay Bartlett,” continues Beth. “The whole concept of the song itself is about obsession and escapism – despising being in your own skin and wanting to be someone else so badly you start to fixate, obsess upon another worldly being, you would even resort to attempting to consume them if it meant some of their radiance might rub off on to your own mundane and wretched being. Jay heard the track and immediately could picture a scene where then band have assumed the identity of wealthy middle-class family, but why, how or when is intentionally left for the viewer to piece together.”

WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / YOUTUBE

 

Gaining heavy grassroots support including BBC Introducing, Radio X, Amazing Radio, The 405 and Les InRocks, LibraLibra’s early single releases showcased eclectic influences – from The Knife to Death Grips to Madonna via Tears for Fears and Bowie – alongside a rapacious hunger for new sounds and rhythms. With the release of their first EP in 2020, this attention-grabbing band lift the lid on the musical spoils of their SPACE sessions, freshly galvanised for an exciting new phase.

And the very moment it’s possible, LibraLibra will be right back onstage where they belong, bringing their flamboyant, in-your-face misfit pop to the masses.

 

Hands off Gretel release ‘Quarantine Edition’ fan zine to support anti-bullying charity ‘Ditch the Label’

Hands off Gretel release ‘Quarantine Edition’ fan zine to support anti-bullying charity ‘Ditch the Label’

South Yorkshire band, Hands Off Gretel, have released a 48-page full colour zine, which includes over 70 pieces of individual fan art. The zine will help raise funds for Brighton based anti-bullying charity ‘Ditch the Label’, which was chosen by band front woman Lauren Tate, who recently spoke out about the impact of years of bullying and online harassment.

The fan artwork that features in the zine was invited by the band as part of their ‘Lock down’ activities to keep fans engaged, as tour plans were cancelled due to COVID-19 . The band received over 70 submissions of fan art and prompted Lauren to create the fan zine.

‘We just couldn’t believe the standard of the artwork that came flooding in. I decided that we had to create something really special, so that we could truly celebrate all of the artwork together and I came up with the idea of a Fan Zine, The ‘quarantine Edition’ ‘

While Lauren set about narrating the zine she was subjected to yet another hateful public attack online, something that has been ongoing for 5 years. The perpetrator posting false personal allegations online and messaging other bands, fans, promoters and music journalists, hiding behind fake profiles to try and sabotage Laurens character.

‘On the one hand I was dealing with such amazing positivity from our fans receiving these wonderful art creations, at the same time as battling this hatred online. I had felt so powerless that someone was actively using the Internet to spread hate about me.

Everyone tells you its ‘Normal’, ‘just ignore it’, ‘haters gonna hate’, but unless you have been through it, you have no idea how much it messes with your head.

Receiving the artwork from all around the world really helped me so much during this time and the sheer positivity of this just gave me the confidence and the courage to finally speak out.

Creating the zine to raise awareness of the impact of bullying and supporting the anti-bullying charity ’Ditch the Label’ just seemed like the obvious thing to do, turning this into something really positive and doing my bit to help others going through the same thing.’

The lock down has led to a huge increase in bullying, harassment and online abuse. The bands chosen Charity, ‘Ditch the Label’, has seen a 158% increase in contact with their charity during the lock down. Each week, thousands of people benefit from the charity’s resources and digital one-to-one support. They have a team of digital mentors who are trained to help young people navigate through issues related to bullying, such as improving mental health, body image, coming out and building confidence and self-esteem.

‘Ditch the Label are delighted to be involved in the Hands Off Gretel fanzine, which will not only raise awareness of the prevalence and impacts of bullying and abusive behaviours, but will also raise vital funds. These funds directly help us keep our support services running – thank you so much on behalf of those we support.’ Sue Jones CEO Ditch The Label

 

The 48 page fan zine ‘Quarantine Edition’ which includes all the art submissions and personal accounts from the band around issues of bullying and self confidence is on sale on the bands website and will also be sold at the live gigs (when they resume) £5 from every zine sold will be donated to the charity ‘Ditch The label’.

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Riske & Ridicule release brand new lockdown video ‘Blue Jacket’

Riske & Ridicule release brand new lockdown video ‘Blue Jacket’

‘Blue Jacket’ pokes fun at the ‘Brexit means Brexit at any cost’ ethos. It’s humorous, lyrically dark, yet musically happy. That offset makes for a stark contrast between the disappointment and anger in the words and the optimism in the music.

“We hate Brexit,” states frontman Scott Picking. “Musically It’s most likely going to cripple UK DIY touring bands on the mainland. Not only that, but with the way the world is so affected right now by COVID-19, we need unity more than ever. Nobody had a clue what they were voting for and people are still none the wiser and all divided.”

THE LOVELY EGGS RESCHEDULE APRIL TOUR DATES TO JULY

THE LOVELY EGGS RESCHEDULE APRIL TOUR DATES TO JULY

PSYCH-PUNK DUO THE LOVELY EGGS RESCHEDULE APRIL TOUR DATES TO JULY

 

NEW ALBUM ‘I AM MORON’ RELEASED APRIL 3rd VIA EGG RECORDS

 

It’s a weird time in the world right now. It’s always been a weird time in EGGland. The Lovely Eggs, the acclaimed psych-punk duo, who are set to release their new album ‘I Am Moron’ this coming April 3rd via EGG Records, had been due to tour the UK in April to promote the album’s release and many of the dates were already sold out. Obviously, due to current world events the tour now cannot take place, but The Lovely Eggs are not the giving up type, and the band have successfully already rescheduled all of their dates to now take place in July.

 

“In light of the coronavirus it was just impossible for us to go ahead with our April tour,” explains singer and guitarist Holly Ross. “Fortunately for us, we are used to shit hitting the fan, so we’ve rescheduled all the gigs to now take place in July instead. We hope everyone can still make all the rescheduled gigs and get ready for one hell of an Eggs party this summer. We’d like to thank all of the promoters we work with for helping us reschedule the dates. They’ve been absolute legends and we can’t believe we’ve put the tour back together so quickly. Solidarity going out to all the other bands, promoters and venues who have had to reschedule or cancel their tours. We’re all in it together. This is mad innit. Look after yourselves and see you on the other side Eggheads!”

 

With this news, The Lovely Eggs are also set to brighten our day today with an innovative self-made, gloriously DIY dayglo-psych video for new single ‘Still Second Rate’.

 

“It’s interesting to think about what is really valuable in life and also in music and what is valuable to us is absolutely worthless to a lot of other people,” explains Holly on the single.  “And same goes the other way around. The instrumental mid bit of this song features our version of the hold music from the working tax credit hotline. We must have spent more time on hold on that hotline than any other band on the planet.

 

“For the video we wanted to present a masterclass in how to not spend £20,000 on making a music video so we made it ourselves,” she continues. “So many bands blow so much wedge on making videos it’s a bit obscene, so we thought fuck it, we’ll do it ourselves. It’s our ethos really and is also totally in keeping with the song. We’ve never moaned about not having access to big budgets and not doing stuff is just not an option for us, so we always roll up our sleeves, get on with it and do the best that we can for the budget we have got, which for this was zero! I suppose with the video we wanted people to question what their idea of “second rate” is. “Second Rate” means different things to different people. For some people the idea of a pot noodle sandwich would be unthinkable but to David it’s a delicious after-hours snack. Same with living in Lancaster and not having a label etc. These are things that some people consider “second rate” but we don’t. So, there are a lot of images in there that invite the viewer to question their opinions on what they value. Then there’s a load of psychedelic footage and random images to blast the mundane out into the universe because it’s impossible to cope with the bleakness of day to day life without having some magic in there. So yeah in a way this video is like a microcosm of our world. Enjoy the ride!!

‘Still Second Rate’ will be available, as it should be, on limited edition snot green colored vinyl and backed by the non-album track ‘Jam Wild Jam’.

 

‘I am Moron’ is their second album to be co-produced and mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Tame Impala) and continues their journey through Eggland into the unknown, with artwork by genius artist and video director Casey Raymond, who has the unbridled talent to perfectly visualize The Lovely Eggs sound,  spewing Eggland out in a swirling whirlpool of dayglo colours, melting faces and symbols.

 

With no booking agent, manager, record label or publisher The Lovely Eggs are truly independent. And this isn’t due to economics. This is by design. From day one. And support for them is snowballing. They are selling out bigger and bigger venues and more eggheads are joining them in their crusade against bullshit.

 

Welcome to their world. This Is Eggland!

 

‘I am Moron’ track-listing:

 

  1. Long Stem Carnations
  2. You Can Go Now
  3. This Decision
  4. You’ve Got The Ball
  5. Bear Pit
  6. I Wanna
  7. 24 Eyes
  8. The Mothership
  9. Insect Repellent
  10. The Digital Hair
  11. Still Second Rate
  12. New Dawn

 

Catch the band live at the following dates:

 

Thursday July 16: The Cluny, Newcastle

Friday July 17: Gorilla, Manchester  *SOLD OUT*

Saturday July 18: The Brudenell, Leeds  *SOLD OUT*

Sunday July 19: Castle and Falcon, Birmingham  *SOLD OUT*

Monday July 20: The Portland Arms, Cambridge  *SOLD OUT*

Tuesday July 21: Komedia, Brighton  *SOLD OUT*

Wednesday July 22: The Loft, Southampton

Thursday July 23: The Fleece, Bristol  *SOLD OUT*

Friday July 24: The Garage, London  *SOLD OUT*

Saturday July 25: The Bullingdon, Oxford

Wednesday, July 29: Mash House, Edinburgh

Thursday, July 30: CCA, Glasgow

Saturday, August 8: Network, Sheffield

Friday, October 23: Heaven, London

Friday October 30: The Ritz, Manchester

 

Tickets available HERE:

 

Physical pre-order link HERE:

 

Find The Lovely Eggs online at:

 

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM