Although The Courettes planned to have a much quieter 2023 while they work on the follow up to 2021’s sensational ‘Back In Mono’ LP, it’s almost impossible for this incendiary garage rock duo to resist the lure of the stage and the band have been working harder than ever. Fresh from kicking up a storm at SXSW, The Courettes are currently touring Europe and are set to arrive in the UK early next month for a string of live shows that will not disappoint!
Buy Tickets Here
We go back to the early days of Lucifer Star Machine, when they were part of the burgeoning London underground, kicking up a shit storm with some uncompromising punk rock n roll that had a fuck you attitude and wouldn’t compromise for anyone. Then frontman Tor moved base to Germany and tweaked a few things here and there and got a lineup that was all on board with the direction of travel LSM was heading in and kaboom! things were on the up. Lucifer Star Machine, the infernal Action Punx still take no prisoners but somewhat softened the rough edges making them more accessible to a wider audience to be fair put more effort into the songs they were playing whilst still uncompromising and still doing it their way the songs sounded much better – stronger and longer lasting. They were no longer burning the ground up behind them they were delivering the goods but taking people with them the scorched earth policy was more engaging and wider reaching and has led the band to ‘Satanic Age’ head and shoulders their best collection of songs to date.
This their fifth full-length album, the band have always been an uncompromising band of brothers cut from the same cloth as your Motorheads or your Hip Priests but what they have done over the years is evolve their sound and Tor has seen the worth of not churning out the same record every few years and introduced more melody for an all-round set of catchier Punk’n’Roll but still with a heap of fuck you attitude.
This bad boy is offering up thirteen tunes spinning on their middle finger digit and boy I think it might just be their finest hour.
As well as the harder edge influences you have the melody of the Misfits and Ramones. It’s down n dirty, reckless and a lot of fun. From the haunting opening spoken words it’s the no nonsense of ‘Satanic Age’ Imagine The Misfits covering Turbonegro using Motorheads gear and you’re in the fun zone right there.
“Satanic Age” was produced by guitarist Mickey Necro and frontman Tor Abyss, who have written the album during the downtime of the pandemic and nailed exactly how this should go down giving every instrument enough room to breathe and ferment. It also has the unmistakable sound of guest vocalist Marc “Sparky” Phillips of Demented Are Go and Kit Swing of London outfit Seven Days And Doesn’t Die.
Sparky guests on a runaway train of a track with a massive rolling riff scuffing along like prime-time Marilyn Manson if he rode a dirt bike and not a limo. The punk is turned up for the ferocious potty-mouthed ‘Cunt Of Destruction’ but hold onto your trousers because the circle pit is getting bigger and faster for ‘Black Axe’ and Tor and the boys aren’t taking prisoners.
I pause for a breath then they pick me up with the boogie of ‘I Wanted Everything’. The lyrics are standard and on tunes like ‘Censorshipped’ you know they aren’t taking any prisoners not that bands like Lucifer Star Machine give a flying fuck you might want to wear headphones around your nan.
Fingers are flying on ‘Purgatory Souls’ as the Machine sets the fretboards on fire and dashes to the finish line with one of their most brutal sprints ever. this album is uncompromising and delivering on everything you want in this messed up crazy world we live in this is the soundtrack as everything around us burns.
As we head into the home straight the devil horns are raised for the hard-rocking ‘Hard Luck Mary’ where Kit Swing adds some light to the shade or is it adds more shade to the darkness. Whichever way it is this is some mighty fine hard rock. I love the filthy bass line on ‘Live Another Day’ as it swirls into action gargling away as the song is ripped open and that circle pit-inducing tempo bleeds out of the speakers.
There is no doubt that this is the finest album thus far from Lucifer Star Machine, they have effortlessly moved through the gears over the years to this point and have carved out their niche and turned in an epic set of tunes that showcases the finest side of this punk n roll action rock or whatever you want to call it these days. If you pass over this record then I can’t help you this is a must-own slab of wax that will burrow into my head as all fine earworms do. If this is the satanic age then Hell yeah I’m all in – Hail Lucifer Star Machine they fuckin’ Rock!
Buy Here
Author: DomDaley
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Limited to 1000 copies and released in May ‘Turbonegro Must Be Destroyed’ is a wholly independent release for one of the finest underground Punk Rock Garage bands ever to grace the earth. Not many other punk rock band, that never was part of the mainstream, left such a footmark like Turbonegro did. Bars in Mexico and Spain are named after the band. The Turbojugend, the fan club of the band, is only comparable with the fan clubs of old rock giants such as Motorhead or Kiss with as many hipsters wanting the levi denim with their name on it as genuine lovers of the band and boy are the Turbojugend a loyal lot.
There have been many tribute records made so why not another one from a bunch of bands many of us are familiar with and some new ones no doubt? In the very best DIY manner, this album is not released by a label and will be distributed by the bands only. The drawings of Hank and Tony on the sleeve have been made by Warren Mancini, a tattoo artist from the USA. The layout has been created by Javier Villalpando. Javier already created the TUR30NEGRO lettering for the band’s 30th anniversary in 2019. So who and what’s on it?
Familiar to regular readers will be the likes of Christmas, The Dwarves, Stacy Crowne & Scumbag Millionaire. Opening up the album is a truly brutal “knocked out of the motherfuckin’ park” take of ‘I Gotta Knife’ from the zero fucks given combo that is Christmas. A band that got what Turbonegro was all about and carried the very same DNA coursing through their veins. That’s how to open a tribute album and make the listener sit up and pay attention. Bosh! job done.
How to follow that up? Ah, I know Scumbag Millionaire. Yup, ‘Just Flesh’ is a clap of thunder that scorches your speakers. Taking the spirit of the song and turbocharging it to the max. This is sounding like a top tribute already and we’re only two songs deep. I reach for the volume this deserves to be turned up louder as a sleazy ‘Du Mongo’ makes my skin crawl for all the right reasons as its creepy crawl through my speakers. Hang on it’s The motherfuckin’ Dwarves putting their sleazy slap on ‘Blow Me (Like The Wind)’ like only the Dwarves know-how. Dripping in sex appeal and slithering through the broken glass floorboards of some damp dark dungeon this is a blast and exactly how a tribute album should roll.
Notable bands I’ve not heard before would be CatEater taking on ‘Hurry Up And Die’
Stacy Crowne gets the tone spot on for their romp through ‘Humiliation Street’ getting the thin line between Street Punk and big glorious Glam Rock. I am quietly glad the bands stayed away from a lot of the big-ticket turbo tunes and went for deeper cuts. I know there are a lot of top trumps with cult bands seeing who can pick the most obscure to cover but I don’t think that’s the case here the songs are treated with the right amount of respect and bands have taken ownership in their styles which is fantastic.
‘Selfdestructo Bust’ from Alarmstufe Rot is a riot whilst Deviltrain walks on the sleazy wild side with ‘Rendezvous With Anus’. Syff takes a buckin’ bronco ride on the frantic smasher that is ‘Prince Of The Rodeo’ delivered with an air of “have some of that” and in keeping with the rest of this album is a top turn. Hell even Christmas main man Max delivers a sleazy ‘Everybody Loves A Chubby Dude’ Feed Me Feed Me, Feed me more of this more like, inject this sleazy punk rock right into my bloodstream.
The Dogs dish up a romping ‘Armed And Fairly Well Equipped’ with parping keys added to the thuggish riff for good measure. Finally signing off this monumental tribute is a Schreng Schreng & La La with a Haunting ‘Sailor Man’ in the style of Johnny Cash and his American recordings style twisting your Mellon in true Turbo style.
Listen, I know there will be detractors of tribute albums but Turbonegro was way out there with the greats of the underground and the original lineup with Hank was a very special band to many many people the flame will be kept burning as long as bands like these keep rolling out records as good as this one. Get it, listen to it, investigate the bands that deliver the goods and then bow down to Turbonegro and all who sailed in her for they were an exceptional band and they spawned many fine bands who followed in their footsteps and continue to do so. Buy It! Then check out the bands who make this such a great record they deserve your support.
Pick it up Here
Author: Dom Daley
After deciding to make the relatively short trip across the bridge into England’s South West to catch Trampolene play an electric set before a meet and greet we were making good time before hitting the citys tragic one way system and road closures and rush hour. It wasn’t looking good that we’d make the half six kick off. Alas our fears subsided when we found out it wasn’t actually kicking off until an hour later. Relax have a drink and join the compact crowd for this tea time soiree.
The band took to the stage and proceeded to grasp the nettle and dish up a delightful hour long set drawn from all corners of the bands repertoire but obviously leaning on the new album (RPM ONLINE review) which was obviously the reason we were all gathered together in the excellent live room of Bristol’s Rough trade store. The sound was fantastic and with the appreciative and dedicated audience it made for an intimate and rewarding performance. The “New” songs peppered the set and there were debut outings for songs like the beautiful ‘Alexander Palace’ that sounded as comfortable as a pair of your favourite slippers it was tight and took one of the new records most impressive songs to another level.
The people in attendance seemed mesmerised at times and really got into the spirit of what was going on as ‘Money’ nestled into the set with its big Fuzz bass alongside old friends like ‘Beautiful Pain’ that sounded superb without any drunken shouts from a pissed up audience who just wanted to throw beers and jump around – which is fine but its these moments that make those moments even more special. I said in my review that the new record sounded like a hit record and I stand by that the overall song writing has been turned up as the months and years roll by these boys are absorbing the journey like a sponge and deserve the accolades they are getting.
Before we even had time to loosen up and dance to ‘Uncle Brian’s Abattoir’ Jack was left onstage to leave us with ‘Poundland’ and then it was done. A thoroughly enjoyable and excellent set from one of the best indie bands currently kicking up a stink anywhere and releasing records that really matter. when they wrap up these instores they head out on a club tour in April and will probably come to a town near you – don’t sit on it, get out there and support an excellent live band who have several albums that really matter and dish up memorable live shows. Get on it!
Author: Dom Daley
Courtney Ranshaw, the man behind Black Adidas, is a rocket scientist during the day, and and fronts up a killer punk rock band in his down time. This is his second foray into album territory. Released on punk indie Dirt Cult Records, lying somewhere between Rancid and Social Distortion Black Adidas is steeped in vintage punk rock from as far back as the Clash.
Produced by Dave Newton at Rollercoaster Recording in Ranshaw’s hometown of Burbank, Black Adidas, unlike the debut, this one features a full real live band consisting of Daniel Alexander on keyboards and Carl Raether on bass, with Kari G. Child playing the drums on three tracks and Rob Wolk handling the rest.
To be fair it has the feel of a rockin’ combo all locked in and kicking ass. from the loud and triumphant opener ‘Be Cool’ with its snotty gang vocals it’s a swaggering and staggering call to arms from the swirling keys to the Who-like power chords.
“In My Head,” is a love letter to his wife, whom he met in the same Burbank bar, where he met his producer Newton, If you’re looking for other inspirations and influences the theres always the Replacements inspired ‘Miscellaneous’ with its countrified acoustic and organ. or the rough riffage that is ‘Home’ with its soothing organ stiching together a great track. ‘Cool Riffs’ has a touch of Dinosaur Jrs J Mascis in the vocals over those big acoustic strumming just to chill out and relax for a while.
‘My Favourite Song’ no not literally (Although it might be) has the swagger of the Pogues at their most rowdy if they were covering a Rancid song. Or whatabout the cover of the Ramones’ “Howling at the Moon (Sha La La)’, so it might not reach the dizzy quality of the original but its not a whole distance behind it’. As we reach the final knockings of this album we have the uplifting ‘These Precious Sins’ before the epic closing ‘Strawberry Kisses’, a pandemic-inspired song that tips the hat to knowing you’ve just written one mighty fine tune.
I am so glad I stumbled across the path of Black Adidas and look forward to playing this record more and more and continuing the journey with such a talented songwriter. Go get it now!
Buy Here
Author: Dom Daley
It’s always a good day when I hear that Jeff Dahl is in the studio recording a new album. You start to get word that its got that raw, aggressive punk rock that we often assosciate with people like Jeff and thats always a reason to get excited.
Album number bazillion and twenty lands on my doormat and as soon as the opening riff hits the ether via my CD player I’m smiling and nodding. The raw slash of that electric guitar kicks in and the steady beat crashes through as the title track is a throbbing, pumping, cutting slab of style and it has the swagger you want from a Jeff Dahl record.
As we exit one of the weirdest times known to man the tough get going and it seems a lot of writers were busing their downtime writing and recording via this wonderful internet. ‘All My Friends Are Crows’ is barking out the speakers and life just got a little calmer inside from the thundering drum rolls to that scratched riff its wearing an invisible coat of awesome like a forcefield, loving it. Essentially what you have here is ten slabs of old-school, no-bullshit punk rock n roll. From the Stooges via the Dolls and the Damned and a whole variety of others, the baton was indeed handed down to Mr Dahl who lit the fucker up and carried that burning torch with passion and a fistful of rock-solid punk rock records. After all these years that flame is still blazing. The likes of the mid-paced ‘Atomic Ant Invasion’ is more a stomping march than a casual stroll. Hold on though don’t get too comfortable because ‘We Must Destroy’ is thumping its way into the world from the gnarly guitars through the snotty lyrics it’s classic Jeff Dahl and if you’re not excited by this I’d get to the medical room and get checked for a pulse.
I love the infectious opening of ‘A Little Bird Said’ from the thumping drums it’s like Dahl is channeling the spirit and attitude of the Dead Boys into 2023 and who better than Jeff Dahl to take care of that spirit and use it great effect. The minamilstic guitar break hits the spot – why over play when all thats required is heart and soul.
With only ten songs on offer, Jeff has knuckled down and streamlined whats on offer and picked the perfect songs to maximise his kill count on this lean, mean rockin’ machine. It is all killer and no filler, there simply isn’t the time or space. Whether you dip in or just let it wash over you the energy is right up there ‘The Spider Sisters’ has plenty of attacks and just enough cowbell. Hell, wherever you dip in it’s the same result – ‘Manahampeetah’ or the sleazy ‘Let It Drool’ it is ‘Bat Shit Crazy’ how damn good this is.
The record is summed up on the penultimate cut of ‘Wild, Beautiful and Free’ ok it might not be free but it is Wild and Beautiful. I might heap the superlatives when I get excited over a record being released but sometimes when you get a record and have expectations that you try and dampen whats the poont? The days of tryign to be cool or not fussed are gone and after first play some records wipe you out. Why the fuck shouldn’t you rave over it? Dahl might have sold his soul to Lucifer for the quality on this record but the brooding slow builder that is the album closer ‘Saint Lucifer’ breaks out and speeds up with a hypnotic riff thats like being thumped repeatidly by a heavyweight before slowing down to a crawl and signing offwith a bye bye. I think both Lucifer and Jeff Dahl got good deals here.
The fact that Dahl does everything except hit the drums is brilliant he and Sam Bradley should be immensely proud of this album because, whilst I’ve loved the last few he’s done from ‘Electric Junk’, through the collaboration with “Demons” and ‘Made In Hawaii’ ‘this latest’All My Friends Are Crows’ top trumps the lot of them – The quality of the songs is noticable and if you can I strongly advise you to pick it up. Stateside you get in contact with Jeff for the CD and those over this side of the pond as soon as Ghost Highway drop the vinyl copies get stuck right in and pick up what will no doubt be one of 2023s best albums and you can take that to the bank as not so much an opinion but a fact! Buy It!
Buy direct from Jeff Here
Author: Dom Daley
Jeff dosn’t want to sell these CDs in Canada, Australia, Japan or Europe. The reason is that all of these places will cost over $15 just for postage (He’s sending from Hawaii) so you’re looking at a $26 CD, which is just too damn expensive and really, don’t order it unless you can’t live without it and you’re rich or something.
Also please note that a deluxe vinyl version will is being made in Spain on Ghost Highway
The Mistakes ‘A Good Hill To Die On” – SUPERB NEW Video and Digital Single Taken from the forthcoming album to be released 2023 on Time & Matter Records –
PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE:
The Hip Priests. Zero fucks n’ less success since 2006. The most prolific band you haven’t heard of. High energy sweaty sermons of misanthropy, disillusion (self) loathing and despair. Get ready to have your ears torn clean off.
After 16 years some bands would be taking it easy but in spite of a global pandemic, there was no let-up in The Hip Priests determination and activity. Their fifth, and by far their best full-length album – ‘Roden House Blues’ – was written, rehearsed, and recorded during this period and will be released May 5th, 2023, via The Sign Records.
Rehearsed, recorded and mixed between the numerous U.K lockdowns in Roden House, one of Nottingham’s former lace factories where the Priests have their own space, and which spawned the album title. This is no Mississippi Blues but perhaps it makes more sense than you think: Howling laments, loss, self-reflection and revelation – alongside some recurring Priests lyrical themes: negativity, nihilism, rage and revolution. After 2019’s ‘Stand for Nothing’ the band were unsure whether they’d do another album – However, global lockdown inadvertently led to a renewed passion and realisation that, like Jagger said, ‘’what can a poor boy do’ – especially when feeling more lost in a world that increasingly resembles a dumpster fire. A few dozen demos were scrutinised of which, through a stricter than ever group consensus, 14 were recorded but then honed down, razor sharp, into the tightest collection of 11 low-fat, lean and mean banging tunes that could fit into 30 minutes.
This week we get to feel another white-hot blast straight from the album’s furnace in new single ‘Just To Get By’, which finds the band in rare reflective form.
“Every day can be a struggle and happiness really is an inside job. None of us are perfect. Every day we’re pitted against each other and ourselves by a world that increasingly looks like a dumpster fire that wants to incinerate us. What can we do to just get by?
Perhaps just trying to improve, rise above and be a better person is an act of revenge nowadays. A number one single in an alternate universe with a guitar riff of such hook and beauty it was surely dropped from the Rock heavens.
We don’t JUST do Nihilism, Negativity, Rage and Revolution you know…”
This month also sees The Hip Priests team up with Northern Ireland’s The Dangerfields for an Irish tour. Having known each other for years and toured together back in 2010, when the bands paths crossed again last year, the idea of finally sorting that long talked about Irish tour was set in stone. And so The Hip Priests first time in Ireland kicks off in Derry on Weds 22nd March followed by four other shows all across the country.
Come along for an evening (or in Dublin’s case, afternoon) of face-ripping, ball-crushing, ass-immolating rock ‘n’ roll played by a bunch of doozies far too old to know any better!
There will be loud guitars and rock poses, bad words and everything!
‘Roden House Blues’ is released May 5th via The Sign Records and available to pre-order HERE:
FIND THE HIP PRIESTS ONLINE AT:
WEBSITE /FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM
CATCH THE HIP PRIESTS LIVE AT THE FOLLOWING DATES:
March
Ireland (With The Dangerfields)
Wednesday 22nd Bennigans, Derry
Thursday 23rd Cellar Bar, Galway
Friday 24th Fred Zeppelin’s, Cork
Saturday 25th Hop House, Bangor
Sunday 26th Wild Duck, Dublin
April
Germany (With Lucifer Star Machine)
Thursday 27th Sonic Ballroom, Cologne
Friday 28th Freakshow, Essen
Saturday 29th Zollkantine, Bremen
Sunday 30th Indra Musikclub, Hamburg
May
UK (With Bitch Queens)
Thursday 25th The Pipeline, Brighton
Friday 26th Hope And Anchor, London
Saturday 27th Nice And Sleazy, Morecambe
Sunday 28th Old Angel, Notts
June
UK (With Zeke)
Tuesday 20th Exchange, Bristol
Wednesday 21st Parish, Huddersfield
Thursday 22nd New Cross Inn, London
September
UK
Thursday 28th Trillians, Newcastle
Friday 29th Bannermans, Edinburgh
Saturday 30th Waterloo, Blackpool
NYC Cult Indie Faves The Van Pelt Announce ‘Artisans & Merchants’
Their First New Studio LP In A Quarter Century – Out March 17
Pre-order HERE:
Stream The New Single + Video ‘Punk House’ HERE
Band Announces UK, EU and NYC Shows
Influential band stands among a select few of the most revered second-wave emo / indie bands of all time including their peers in The Promise Ring, Mineral, Christie Front Drive, Boys Life, Braid, Karate, and Rainer Maria.
“The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.”- Pitchfork
“New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band — cult favourites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.” – Consequence
“…should be mentioned a lot more than they are when you talk about the history of emo.”- Washed Up Emo
After twenty-five years of waiting, New York City cult indie favourites The Van Pelt have announced a March 17th release date for their upcoming fourth studio full-length, titled ‘Artisans & Merchants,’ which will be released jointly by Spartan Records in North America, La Castanya in Europe/World and Gringo in the UK.
The album was recorded and mixed in Summer / Fall 2021 by Jeff Zeigler (The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile) at Uniform Recording in Philadelphia, PA, and features guest appearances by Nate Kinsella and Ted Leo among others.
The first single ‘Punk House’ is out now, along with a brand-new music video.
Frontman Chris Leo says, “When a bunch of old VHS tapes were unearthed, the band had them digitized and they turned out to be from US tours of the mid-90s. The footage is mainly of daily banalities: random purchases at rest stops, packing and unpacking the van, highway views that could be on the outskirts of Any Town USA. Yet there is a nostalgia to it that’s compelling. The song mirrors the mood in both sound and text. Lines like “The floor is filled with resin on the place where you’re to sleep / if you have enough to drink you can pretend that it’s a sheet” bring any musician back to the rougher side of days on the road — yet again, the subtext here is that the spirit of it all is to be longed for.”
The Van Pelt has announced a series of UK, EU and Brooklyn shows in March and April. See dates below. Pre-order ‘Artisans & Merchants’ here – https://thevanpelt.bandcamp.com
Do you know this year so far has been a blinder in terms of new releases we’ve only just left February and tipped into March and there have already been any number of contenders for Album of the year, this baby included, and judging by the number of pre-orders I’ve got pending there are going to be a fair few more.
This LP as I slip it onto the virtual deck instantly washes over you drawing you in to a gorgeous blend of Classic Americana, while holding on to a punk driven perspective, and that jarring of styles, so difficult to get right is what singles this Lp out as something a bit special.
If you’re a Springsteen fan, think back to the classic Darkness on the edge of town, The River, Nebraska period a songwriter redefining, honing in his style, very much as Rich has within the songs on this LP, embracing influences while building on his own style, (think if Bruce Springsteen did punk rock) moving to a beat that’s beginning to fully form, if you think Tom Petty, the Aforementioned Bruce Springsteen, hinting at Steve Earle but also dragging in Jesse Malin and some of the raw blues tinges of Lucinda Williams. This is a real step up from the Role Models a shift in focus embracing the past but moving into a future of real creativity.
Looking at the tracks stand outs for me “Til I’m on my feet again” hits hard with a huge sense of drive , desire and urgency reaching out to the future that’s not coming quick enough. Next up the searing, soul searching “The end of all things”. Not to say the prior tracks are weak tracks truth be told there isn’t a weak track on the LP.
“Forever Ghosts” and “Pretty Breeze” to me perfectly illustrate the light and shade within this baby play them back to back and you’ll see what I mean, So what do we have?
Contender for LP of the year? Definitely
A songwriter strengthening his style, embracing change? Absolutely
The LP that breaks outwards from the scene opening the music up to whole new audiences? Defiantly!!!
Do yourself a favour Buy, download, treat yourself to the t-Shirt, be one of the cool kids and more importantly support the artist.
Buy Here
Author: Nev Brooks
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