Grade 2 – ‘Grade 2’ (Hellcat Records)

Grade 2 – ‘Grade 2’ (Hellcat Records)

There was one album in particular that got me through the first Covid lockdown here in the UK, and that was ‘Graveyard Island’ the superb third album from Isle of Wight punk rocking skinheads Grade 2. Released at the tail end of 2019, it was a record that had initially passed me by, but once I discovered it (via a good friend who also resides on Graveyard Island) it was like a true beacon of punk rock hope shining through those darkest of days.

Fast forward to Rebellion 2022 and playing to a packed Pavilion audience Grade 2 then went and delivered one of the performances of the weekend, giving us an immediate sneak peak of the new album they already had up their sleeves (more of which in a second) to help kickstart a blistering set of older tunes that instantly had the audience in singalong punk rock heaven. They then turn up on the “hush hush” Pirates Press released Cock Sparrer tribute album, that snook out around Christmas time, and here the lads managed to take a Sparrer deep cut and truly make it sound like one of their own, which is no mean feat I’m sure you’ll agree. Reviewing that album for RPM (something you can read here)  I declared that 2023 really could be Grade 2’s year, so with their fourth album now cued up on my system and ready to play, what would the next 35 minutes have in store for me, and would the album actually live up to my high expectations?

Just like during their aforementioned Rebellion slot ‘Judgement Day’ gets things off and running in fast and furious style, the bass of Sid Ryan rattling the speakers with its punchy bottom end and drummer Jacob Hull attacks his kit like the IOW’s very own Joey Castillo whilst it’s the almost Dick Dale like guitar work of Jack Chatfield that truly propels this 1 minute 32 second ball of sonic fury, and before you know it we’re into one of the album’s (many) highlights, the cowbell (yup punk rockers use cowbells too) tonking beauty that is ‘Fast Pace’. It’s on tunes like this where Grade 2 really stand out from the punk rock pack, ditching the speed for a more intense melody packed approach, in many ways they remind me of Newport’s very own 60 Foot Dolls. This is music meant to be danced to, and there’s even a Hammond organ solo that crops up mid song to seal the deal. Fantastic stuff!

Up next, ‘Under The Streetlight’ takes us back to ‘Murder Town’ complete with a doff of a cap to the band’s label masters Rancid, whilst ‘Doesn’t Matter Much Now’ is another bootboy terrace anthem in the making, very much like latter day Argy Bargy. Then there’s the early days Jam anger of ‘Midnight Ferry’ which switches the perils of missing the last tube home for the last boat home, and oh the delights of living on an island eh!  I must give a special mention here to the band’s ear for a melody, as this tune could very easily have been a contender back in the days when singles sold, instead of TikTok views, actually lead to artists becoming household names.

Having been one of the lead videos from the album ‘Brassic’ is the song that initially got me truly excited about this record, its jagged riff and instantly memorable chorus (complete with female backing vocals) knocking the tune well and truly out the park.

As the album reaches its midway point the tracks that fall either side, the Matt Freeman like 58 second blast of ‘Gaslight’ and the anthemic ‘Don’t Stand Alone’ complete with its (once again) glorious backing vocals, really are the perfect example of the two sides of the Grade 2 songwriting coin, and it’s at this almost perfect point I’m going to dip out and let you discover the rest of the album for yourselves, because you really do have to hear it.

I said it at the top of the review that I thought 2023 could very well be Grade 2’s year, and with a proper multi-date UK tour kicking off in just a few weeks’ time, along with dates with Rancid and The Bronx (now that is a one hell of line up) later in the year, it very well could be, it just needs you to get off your arses, buy those gig tickets and most importantly snap up copies of this 15-track Grade-A punk rock record. It’ll never be off your turntable, or out your CD player (you might even be constantly streaming this) come its February 17th release date.

What the hell are you waiting for?

Hit the links below to make it all happen!!!!

Buy Here

https://www.facebook.com/grade2iow

https://grade2official.co.uk/

Author: Johnny Hayward

Slade reissue two more limited editions

Slade reissue two more limited editions

official limited edition splatter vinyl and deluxe  CD reissues ‘Nobody’s Fools’ & ‘The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome’ released 3rd March.

Pre Order Here

BMG Records continue their new series of limited edition vinyl reissues and deluxe CDs from Slade, with the release ofNobody’s Fools,and The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome on 3rd March. 

These beautifully presented reissues will see Nobody’s Foolsreleased on limited edition transparent clear & red vinyl and The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome released on limited edition orange and yellow splatter vinyl. While both CDs are housed in deluxe mediabooks with bonus tracks and each includes an original extended essay.

Prior to the original release of Nobody’s Fools, Slade relocated to New York in 1975 and toured there constantly with the likes of Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and ZZ Top before writing the album. 

Nobody’s Fools,  which when released in March 1976 reached No.14 in the UK, and features the singles; In For A Penny, Let’s Call It Quits and Nobody’s Fool.

The new expanded CD version now includes 16 songs, including 5 additional bonus tracks.

The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome Slade’s eleventh studio album includes two UK Top 10 singles; My Oh My, which reached No.2 and Run Runaway which made No.7. First released on 3rd  December 1983 The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome led Kerrrang! to write  “Slade have lost none of their old wicked touch.”, while Sounds commented “Slade are still capable of rocking harder and catchier than most bands half their age.”

This new CD features 8 bonus songs,  including two tracks never before available on CD; Run Runaway (7” Version ) and Slam The Hammer Down (Hot Mix).

Slade are without doubt one of the most exciting bands to come out of Great Britain. With their unique blend of perfect pop-rock’n’roll, outrageous flamboyance and pure fun, and no less than 23 Top-20 singles of which 6 were No.1 smash hits…plus multiple hit albums. 

With a chart career that has spanned 3 decades Slade have become a firm favourite in the hearts of pop fans all over the world.

To pre-order  Nobody’s Fools  and The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome  Hit this link

To order other releases in this series of limited edition vinyl reissues and deluxe CDs, including ‘Sladest’, ‘Slayed?’, ‘Old New Borrowed And Blue’‘Slade In Flame’ and‘Slade Alive!’ , head Here

Also, available the ‘All The World Is A Stage’ 5 live CD box: https://slade.lnk.to/alltheworldPR

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

Neverland Ranch Davidians – ‘Self Titled’ (Heavy Medication Records)

Neverland Ranch Davidians – ‘Self Titled’ (Heavy Medication Records)

There’s a whole lotta shaking going on down on Neverland Ranch as this three-piece explosion of the blues, Rock n Roll, Experimental Rock, Post Punk and whatever else they decide to throw into the pot.

Guitarist/singer Tex Mosley: one-time alumnus of Philly’s legendary Afro-punks Pure Hell is driving the bus at NRD There’s a healthy dose of minimalist R & B happening on ‘Fat Back’ that reminds me of Vintage Trouble when they weren’t performing ballads mixed with a shade of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. ‘Aqua Velveteen’ carries on this journey with the sparseness growing and getting more trippy. Pat Todd cited Suicide as an influence when describing the band’s sound and I hear that here its certainly not frantic like Jon Spenser but the use of feedback and the blues is all here. It’s like the morning after the night before – you can’t remember much but you sure as hell know you had a good time.

The band can also rock it up, ‘Liquor Store’ has some street-wise attitude that sounds like they’re riding the local bucking bronco with a beer in one hand and the other hitting a snare drum without a care in the world. It’s a simple time-honored formula this Rock and Roll when done right. Knocking out a rhythm and putting some words down before breaking it up with a whacked-out solo that’s trying to tame that fuzz n feedback before it’s too late.

The guys in the band are just rolling with it and kicking out the jams on ‘Solid Monkey Blues’ playing it straight no bullshit I’m sure Iggy would approve.

The band operates without a bass player and figured The Cramps didn’t need one (most of the time) and neither did the Gories so NRD gave it a miss as well.

Side two kicks off with an instrumental jig before ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ brings in layered gang vocals over some big melody and some cool lyrics to reflect the laid-back tempo that is almost horizontal. ‘Hen House’ gets a little funky and loose and has the same vibe early Lenny Kravitz once possessed when he was letting love rule. These cats have got the chops to pull this off you know, the album grows when you let it breathe and drip into your brain.

‘Stigmata’ has the feel that you’ve heard this before laying down some ’80s Keith Richard chops on that riff if he floated down a different path. ‘Knee On My Neck’ is heavy and is one of the highlights of the album that to be fair has plenty of highs. The record signs off with ‘I Believe To My Soul’ which is a brooding number with some excellent vocals and harmonising on top of a really strong arrangement that again doesn’t overcook the instruments and keeps it to a minimum or just enough to deliver the goods something Neverland Ranch Davidians do over and over again on this excellent album. If you’re looking for a pointer then I’d suggest you look no further than the Buy Here button below you won’t regret it.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Stripp – ‘Aint No Crime To Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (Lux Noise Records)

The Stripp – ‘Aint No Crime To Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (Lux Noise Records)

Australia, Australia, Australia! It seems that anything top-notch is coming from afar these days and powering through 2022 “Down under” has delivered time after time and it seems flipping off the year was the MO of Melbourne Rockers The Stripp.

From the great cartoon artwork, it’s obvious these rockers are all about having a good time and rockin’ out. Ten tunes between two and three minutes long keeping it short and sweet. They kick things off in style with a rollicking title track that puts the foot down and goes for it. You don’t need to concentrate to hard just know the title and shout out ‘Aint No Crime To Rock N Roll’ with your thumbs in your bullet belt and your head nodding back and forth. It’s part Scandi rock part old-school hard rock and a heap of Aussie attitude and a little bit of Bosh!

‘The Bitter End’ has a stinking attitude as the riff just cuts through the solid rhythm. Hold on a gawd damn minute it’s the backbeat of Joan Jett meets the bass grunt of Quatro that’s shoved down your ears on Ghost Town. I’m hearing comparisons of Sally Cato and her Smashed Gladys going on here. The songs come thick and fast and sound like they were born out of playing shitty venues left right and center and grinding out a style and sound born out of who they are and all they know.

The fact that Lux Noise are handling the record in Europe makes perfect sense and they should get over here pronto and hit the road with Bitch Queens and slay some audiences around the globe. ‘Witch Hunt’ has got some swing Whilst ‘Back In Action’ tunes into some fine Action Rock.

There’s no reinventing the wheel here and that’s not what The Stripp are about – They’re about picking up the blazing baton and carrying it forward – making a noise and doing it well and hopefully turning some young pups onto some good old loud hard rocking music. There’s no time for a power ballad its just foot-on wedge rockin’ out from the top to the bottom finally signing off with the shuffle of ‘Don’t Feed Me Your Lies’ with its hard n heavy tip of the hat to those who’ve gone before them and blazing a path to oblivion. Rock hard brothers and sisters and turn it fuckin’ up! The Stripp are in da house drink up.

Buy Here (Down Under) Buy Here (Europe)

Author: Dom Daley

The Stripp Facebook

Girlschool – ‘The School Report’ (HNE Records)

Girlschool – ‘The School Report’ (HNE Records)
  • In-depth box set, delving right back to the band’s pub rock roots right up until the present.
  • A celebration of Girlschool’s 40 plus years of rocking the globe, kicking off with their independently released 45 ‘Take It All Away’ b/w ‘It Could Be Better’.

Formed at school in the mid-70s,  Kim McAuliffe and bassist Enid Williams joined forces as Painted Lady. It wasn’t until 78 that Girlschool formed. Guitarist Kelly Johnson and drummer Denise Dufort in April of ’78.

With their Debut album ‘Demolition’ breaking into the UK Top 30 a couple of years later, it was their follow-up ‘Hit And Run’ (1981) where I got interested. As a teenager, I couldn’t get enough of their EP ‘Valentines Day Massacre’ recorded with label mates Motörhead as HeadGirl. 1982’s ‘Wildlife’ EP would be Enid’s last outing with Girlschool for a while, as she was replaced on bass by Gil Weston for ‘Screaming Blue Murder’ (1982). Listening back to the two albums and EP many years later they were really onto something with their punky attitude mixed with the hard-rocking delivery they were playing by their own rules in a very difficult market with only The Runaways on the other side of the pond offering all-female line ups a fighting chance and they certainly had the chops to stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers.

There is a lot of music to get through and with a steady swirl of players through the ever-revolving door saw a dip in the quality of the music with the real high points being those first two albums by what has to be the classic lineup. There is however a whole load of interest in Disc 4 in this set featuring many rare B-Sides and non-album songs, as well as demos dating way back in 1978 right up to 2002, as well as Disc 5, being a really rare live outing from pre-Girlschool Painted Lady that is a must own for any fans of the band and hearing what they sounded like pre ‘Demolition’. To round off this excellent deep dive you also get sleeve notes from NWOBHM expert John Tucker, as well as plenty of rare photos from the band’s archive.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

The Erotics – ‘Rot In The Shade’ (Self Release)

The Erotics – ‘Rot In The Shade’ (Self Release)

I think it was Lemmy who once said If Motorhead moved in next door your grass would die and if a nuclear war was to happen the only things to survive would be cockroaches and them, well, he was wrong. The Erotics would crawl out of some downtown bar on their hands and knees barely alive but hungover and ready to Rock. Ladies and Gentlemen the Motherfuckin Erotics are back in the room and they’re taking a swing at everyone and everything. they’re plugged in, loud and rockin’ out.

‘Knocking On Deaths Door’ is loud obnoxious and soloing with the best of them. It’s like a time machine has taken me back to the late 80s and I’m on the strip with a headache and a thirst for more loud Rock and Roll and then in the distance, I hear Micky Trash and the boys hauling ass and everything is on ten and there are fireworks exploding all over my speakers.

Sleazy aint the word and that Stooges saxophone on ‘Helltown Boogie’ is dirty, low down and dirty as fuck. The guitars are loud and distorted and there is added harmonica and sax here and there and Micky sings in Spanish just for shits and giggles. It’s like classic Cooper meets some dirty Noo Yawk attitude some sleazy hard rock and punk swirling round a tumbler full of cheap whisky it’s not good for you but you can’t get enough of it. It’s broadway but late at night – it’s razzmatazz but out of step.

‘Diamonds’ is laid back mixing up some Guns n rose when they were fresh and up for it. you might have stumbled upon this late night in the St Moritz club way back in the day and most of those glamourous punks have gone away but thankfully some are still here and some are called The Erotics.

‘Too Hot To Stop’ has got a classic sleazy riff and it’s twirling its mic stand like a punk rock Diamond Dave. For sure The Erotics aren’t gonna change the world or sell a million records but they are honest and clearly love what they do and the world is a better place with them in it and that’s good enough for me as they play their hearts out living the dream lying in the gutter looking at the stars and feeling like a million bucks and if you ain’t wearing a smile when that riff kicks in on ‘Bless Your Heart’ then you might wanna go to the Emergency room to check for a pulse. Power to the Erotics and all who set sail with them it’ll be the best of times I’m sure of that.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

DC Spectres – Vol 4 (Bootikirecords)

DC Spectres – Vol 4 (Bootikirecords)

As the bell tolls an eerie deathly silence is about to be shattered with some diabolical grunting bass and a shimmering blast of Garage Rock and Roll as it spews forth from the speakers with a creepy crawly menace as ‘Ms. Understanding’ hits the speakers. What a fantastic sounding opener that got an air of controlled chaos about it with the thumping Bass piercing through the guitars to grab the listener as it lurches with menace.

With eleven tracks packed onto this album, you better strap yourself in for a rocket ride of power and controlled aggression but with an overwhelming whiff of Garage rock n roll. ‘Bad Connection’ kicks ass right out of the blocks and I like this a lot already. The thrust and adrenalin continue at pace as ‘Shake You Down’ thunders in. ‘Inbred Respect’ has the beating heart of the Damned era ‘Machine Gun Ettiquete’ on its harder more punchy tunes like ‘Love Song’.

With a spoken intro ‘Action Volume’ turns up a bastardised ‘Iron Man’ on a fuzzed-out distorted electric guitar. The song sounds like a hell of a night out with its rolling rhythm before smashing out on the chorus. ‘Born To Die In 73’ is straight out 77 punk rock. Its the snotty distant cousin of early Damned, UK Subs and SLF and a real fist-pumping thumper. Guitars being rinsed, snare getting a thrashing and full-bodied rhythm – nice!

‘The Revolution Is Dead’ tells the story of Lennon’s assassination and why the future is/was bleak, but pop culture is alive and kicking and The Revolution might well be around the next corner who knows? Signing off with the super fuzz of ‘Lone Astronaut’ this has been a treat on the ears and brain food for the Garage Rock connoisseur.

There has always been great music and this DC Spectres album is a fantastic offering tipping the hat to what’s gone before and picking up that torch and running into the future with it hopefully inspiring others to play Rock n Roll – loud, hard, fast and with this much passion and a love of the fine art of the Garage band and what it means. Play on my friends Vol 4 is a mighty fine album that is worthy of being classed as All Killer no Filler! Buy it!

Buy Here

Facebook

Two for Tuesday +1

Two for Tuesday +1

First up Nancy Boy performs a cover of the lost classic “Rosies are coming to town” by the band ROSIE. Check em out on Facebook / Instagram they rock!

Next up we have the new single from The Empty Page. ‘Dry Ice’ is the first single from their upcoming second album. It’s a disco goth banger. Dry Ice was inspired by the alluring stench that pours out the back door of a club, beckoning you in as you walk past. The chorus celebrates ‘the crush of the warm crowd’ – the joy of moving as one to loud music in a roomful of people. It’s about writing together unselfconsciously. Get an earful on the bands Bandcamp page Here

The +1 is our South Wales friends Deathtraps with a video for the ‘Still Fucked Up’ tune lifted from their latest long player ‘Appetite For Prescription’ Which you can purchase Here – Its potty-mouthed punk n roll and its bloody good. Check it out

Fake Names – Delete Myself

Fake Names – Delete Myself

FAKE NAMES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

‘EXPENDABLES’ OUT ON MARCH 3rd

 VIA EPITAPH RECORDS

Today, post-hardcore dream team – Fake Names – announce their second studio album, ‘Expendables’for release on March 3rd, 2023 via Epitaph Records.

The band is comprised of members Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN, The [International] Noise Conspiracy), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside) and newest addition Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring). It’s the latest exchange in a musical conversation that spans four decades, but instead of rehashing the past, ‘Expendables’ is a reinvention that sees the band dialing back the distortion and leaning into the melodies.

Today they share lead single “Delete Myself,” a high energy craft cocktail comprised of Punk and Garage, finished with unforgettable riffs.

LISTEN TO “DELETE MYSELF” NOW

Forming in 2016, Brian Baker describes Fake Names as a “mutual admiration society,” saying that once the five members got in the same room together, it felt as if they had already been in the band together for years. “There’s this intangible energy, a clairvoyance that comes from our shared experience,” he explains. On ‘Expendables,’ the result pairs their unparalleled pedigree with a pop sensibility that’s slightly unexpected and wholly satisfying.

Melding 70’s U.K. punk with power-pop and classic rock, the Fake Names’ self-titled debut album (2020) was actually a demo that Epitaph founder and Baker’s Bad Religion bandmate, Brett Gurewitz, wanted to release as is. After releasing a three-track EP in 2021, the band enlisted producer Adam “Atom” Greenspan (IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) who helmed a surprisingly cleaner sound for Expendables. Baker says, “The pop influences are a little more out front on this one and the production really helps it shine. It sounds more direct, more urgent.”

There’s also an economy to these songs that’s rooted in the fact that they were recorded in the span of a week, eliminating the option to add excess instrumentation or arrangements. What ensues is an album that retains the members’ purity of vision in a strikingly refreshing way.

Speaking to lyrical themes, Baker discloses, “In general, Dennis writes about revolution, and Michael and I write pop songs. I’m amazed at how it works, but somehow it strikes the right balance of salty and sweet.” This imagery is paralleled in the album artwork which Baker describes as “70’s dystopian” and features an eerie army of mannequins set against a cold urban backdrop. That dichotomy of lively music and bleak imagery is an important thematic element of Expendables because the album is more than just a collection of catchy songs: it’s an artistic statement about our own impermanence.

For more information on Fake Names, visit:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

Fake Names – Press Photo by Danny Clinch