Following on from the success of last year’s “I’m A Believer” CD single, which reached the Top 10 of the UK Heritage Chart, Finnish label Woimasointu will release a new double “A” side 7-inch vinyl single from The Boys. The single will come in three different versions including two Special Limited Editions.
Version One: “SHE’S THE REASON” c/w “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer” & “I’m A Believer”. Green vinyl with free Boys sew-on patch and new picture sleeve individually numbered 1-100.
Version Two: “I’M A BELIEVER” c/w “She’s The Reason” & “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer”.
Blue vinyl individually numbered 1-100.
Version Three: “I’M A BELIEVER” c/w “She’s The Reason” & “(There Ain’t No) Just One Beer”.
Regular black vinyl issue.
Black vinyl copies are available from The Boys. BUY HERE
Please VOTE for “SHE’S THE REASON” at No. 45 in the UK Heritage Chart: VOTE HERE
A single launch show next Friday 15th July Camden Assembly with Healthy Junkies/Kyran Thrax/DJ Pete Fox.
‘No More Good News’ was written after hearing that Tom Petty had died. David Bowie was lost the year before…two of the band’s musical heroes. ‘We lost many before them, and of course, there was to be more after them.’ Tom Petty’s Album & Song‘Wild Flowers’ is referenced in the song.
A single launch show will be held at the Camden Assembly on the 15th of July with special guests Healthy Junkies. The band are currently collaborating with Eater main man Andy Blade, after meeting at a recent Wasted Youth gig. A London show on the 26th October in celebration of Cleopatra records 30th anniversary has just been announced where the band will be Andy’s back up band playing ‘Ant’ in its entirety. Also on the bill Jah Wobble, who will be playing ‘Metal Box’ in dub for the fist time & 999.
New rock outfit UMBILICUS have released their first single, called “Hello Future”, from their debut album “Path of 1000 Suns”. The group is made up of CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer/lyricist Paul Mazurkiewicz, guitarist Taylor Nordberg (DEICIDE, INHUMAN CONDITION), bassist Vernon Blake (ANARCHUS, NAPALM DEATH-live), and vocalist Brian Stephenson (FORE, OLD JAMES). Though the band members are active in the metal community, the quartet put their love of 60’s and 70’s rock into an album of hard rock, drawing influences ranging from GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, AEROSMITH, LUCIFER’S FRIEND, SCORPIONS, LED ZEPPELIN.
Become Like They Are is the latest offering from Horned Wolf. Hailing from the US, they have been described as ‘progressive sludge metal’. I’m not sure what that is, they just sound like ‘metal’ to me…. The band have been around since 2015 and this is their first release with vocalist Sav.
If you like shouty, growly vocals, down tuned guitars, Sabbath and Alice in Chains style riffing, as well as some powerhouse drumming, Horned Wolf will be right up your street. I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of Sav’s vocal style, but I can certainly appreciate the talent it takes to be able to sustain that kind of delivery.
Opening track ‘You’re Boring’ kicks off with a mid-paced chug along, some tasty drumming from David Zey really helps to elevate the track. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested at this stage. ‘Bloodlines’ has a Kyuss kind of sludgy feel to it, nice and doomy. ‘Charnel House’ highlights some clean vocals from Sav, I much prefer this to the Evil Dead-style shouting that goes on for most of the time.
‘Drag the Bayou’ is another mid paced number with some cool riffing and twin lead work from guitarists Don Bailey and Justin Mullin. It is all a little on the generic side though and the tracks do tend to blend into each other. The title track gives us more of the same, by the time I’ve got to this stage of the album, I’m bored and don’t really want to listen to anymore. Not that Horned Wolf aren’t good at what they do, they are. It just doesn’t resonate with me, not enough melody, no real earworms to speak of and it just becomes background noise.
As I previously stated, Horned Wolf are good at what they do, it’s just not my bag. Best of luck to them, I’m sure in their genre they will be appreciated. The album artwork is pretty cool too.
A slick half dozen and some tunes this month but they are some of the finest of their genres and singles that need hearing. From Gospel to Hardcore we love em all. Can I get an Amen! now don’t waste time get on em.
Steve Conte – ‘Wildwood Moon’ (Wicked Cool Records) Another track off the stunning ‘Bronx Cheer’ album Available Here If you are not familiar maybe now is the time. Check out this video and then get on the album in all its glory.
The Chisel – ‘Deconstructive Surgery EP’ (LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS) – Now already on its umteenth press this five-track EP is kicking up a shitstorm and if you’ve never heard of this yob crew of hardcore noise then please explain where you’ve been the past 12 months? ‘Class Oppression’ is like a swift kick in the bollocks before being headbutted through the saloon doors just seconds before the pile on that is ‘Blackpool20’ – unbridled energy like a swift intake of breath before having your head thrust back underwater – its a frantic rush but boy does it sound good?
Of course there isn’t a bad song on here, there isn’t time. They even have an anthem to assault you with ‘Chisel Boys’ will get the job done – of that there is no doubt. What a banger of an EP Buy it Here
Tramp – ‘Jailbait’ (Wanda Records) With lyrics that’ll make your nan blush Tramp aren’t shy coming forward. Viki Venom, Suzi Sleeze and Joey Deuce from New Hampshire in the US of A play Snotty garage punk’n’roll with a raunchy back beat and sleazy lyrics they made up at the bus stop whilst blowing bubbles with their Hubba bubba gum. They don’t want to hang with the cool kids because they are the cool kids.
They might not be the Lunachicks but I’m sure they are looney chicks – in a PC world Tramp are so un PC and proud of it ‘All I Want’ is punk as fuck with a pogo-tastic chorus that sounds like it was recorded in one take because A they nailed it and B they couldn’t be arsed to do another anyways because they had better things to do innit. Pick it up Here
The Amplifier Heads – ‘Space Cadet’ (Rum Bar Records) Always delivering quality bands from their HQ in Boston Rum Bar have another 45 that just rocks out like the best secret party anywhere on this spinning globe. Handclaps, distorted rock n roll riffs, happy smiling people everywhere. The Amplifier Heads kick ass! then ‘Two Headed Girl’ is like a twist on Tom Petty and his heartbreakers just kicking out the jams. Sal Baglio has got the chops kids and this EP is three tracks to tempt you in and shake your shit to. Love the guitar lick on on ‘Earth Girls On The Loose’ it short sharp and right on the money. Go check it out and tell em RPM sent you I’m sure Lou will welcome you in like an old friend and pour you a big one! – Rockin and a rollin here
Soul Glo – ‘Gold Chain Punk’ (Epitaph Records) From the album ‘Diaspora Problems’ The music video satirizes the frustrations of being lumped together with other bands and artists due to the colour of their skin when individually, they hold it down on their own. Vocalist Pierce Jordan, one of AV Club’s ‘20 Best Frontpeople In Modern Rock,’ explains, “If you’re a Black person who is into any kind of hard rock, you’ve probably had a white person try to talk to you about Bad Brains. We are constantly compared to them. Apparently, I even look like HR. Can I fuckin live?” The band hit the uk for a string of dates starting in London on September the 7th and ending on the 16th again in London. hit em up and check out the album now. https://soulglo.ffm.to/diasporaproblems
The Future Shape Of Sound – ‘Paradise City’ (Gypsy Hotel) Now that’s how to do a cover version. Yes, it is indeed the Guns n Roses big hitter that is ‘PAradise City’ but hell yeah! this version is what Guns and Roses could never have birthed. from the jungle beats to the funked-up guitar lick right up to the amazing Gospel chorus vocals this is a revelation brothers and sisters.
Captain Future’s Rock’n’Roll Gospel phenomenon that is The Future Shape Of Sound will be out on Gypsy Hotel on Friday 15th July as download and CD including 4 live bonus tracks. The other cover is a take of the Urban Voodoo Machine classic that is ‘Help Me Jesus’ that the y take ownership of releasing their own twist on this barnstorming tune has this down as the record of the week hands down. performed at last year’s magical Red Rooster Festival, all songs featuring the captivating voice of one of the most exciting soul singers in the U.K. today Miss Divalee Wells! superb release and songs. Facebook
Sator – ‘Shimmy Shake’ (Wild Kingdom) Lifted from their brand new album of covers Sator gives classic Devo a rockin make-over and does it so well. Yeah, the Devo synth drills are there and the melody holds up. It’s in the 30s outside as I type and nothing sounds as good as this bubblegum power-pop stab at some Devo it’s cool and refreshing and totally fresh just what the doctor ordered.
Here Hare Here – ‘Chez Liam’ (Lux Noise) The home of Basle noise makers Bitch Queens and The Brokendolls you can now add Here Hare HEre to that list of top-notch noise makers. check out their brand new video ‘Chez Liam’ and get down to some hot trashy garage rock n roll
TOYAH joins the tour! alongside Television and Headliner Billy Idol. Billy Idol is delighted to announce that Toyah will be joining the UK dates in October of The Roadside Tour 2022, alongside very special guest, Television. Billy will be heading out with some new music and a stack of timeless classics for his first appearances in the UK since 2018 and will play 6 Arena dates. Tickets are available Here
The ever-popular Toyah will bring an extra sense of fun to the tour. Alongside a flourishing acting career, Toyah carved out a successful musical career with three top ten UK hit singles in the 1980s and the Gold-selling album Anthem.
“We’re looking forward to having Toyah join us in the UK,” said Billy. “This is the final piece in what is going to be an epic show!”
“I am thrilled to be opening for Billy Idol on The Roadside Tour,” an excited Toyah commented. “Billy is an icon whose music has thrilled millions worldwide and continues to do so. Billy has created a style of rock that has gone on to inspire generation after generation. ‘Rebel Yell, ‘White Wedding’ and ‘Mony Mony’ are up there with the all-time greats.
“I can’t wait to start the tour and I am excited to be included in the fabulous line up alongside Television who made one of the first albums I ever bought.”
Billy Idol’s very special guests are Television featuring Tom Verlaine. Television will be performing their seminal debut album Marquee Moon in full.
Billy’s touring band features his long-time guitarist and collaborator Steve Stevens along with Stephen McGrath (bass, backing vocals), Billy Morrison (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Trudeau (keyboards, backing vocals) and drummer Erik Eldenius.
Pic by John Patzer
Billy Idol The Roadside Tour 2022dates:
Thursday 13 October Manchester AO Arena
Monday 17 October Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Wednesday 19 October London The SSE Arena, Wembley
Friday 21 October Glasgow The SSE Hydro
Sunday 23 October Birmingham Resorts World Arena
Tuesday 25 October Leeds First Direct Arena
Tickets for The Roadside Tour 2022 can be purchased from www.aegpresents.co.uk/billy-idol. All existing tickets are valid for the revised dates.
A CAREER SPANNING PLAYLIST FEATURING NEW & LOST RECORDINGS
Streaming on Spotify now
Manic Street Preachers have posted the second in a series of career spanning Spotify playlists specially curated by the band.
Sleep Next To Plastic focuses on the cover versions Manic Street Preachers have performed over the years. It includes new/lost recordings, B-sides and album tracks. Fifteen of the covers have previously been unavailable officially through streaming services; the version of Madonna’s Borderline was recorded in the band’s Door To The River especially for this playlist.
Covers have away been central to Manic Street Preachers ethos, whether playing raw versions of Happy Mondays or Clash songs at early gigs or adding inspirational classics written by Guns N’Roses or Echo and the Bunnymen to recent live shows.
Manic Street Preachers on Sleep Next To Plastic: “Cover version have always offered us a chance to pay direct, public tribute to records we grew up obsessing over, be that C86 bands or artists as diverse as Madonna, John Cale and Paul Robeson. Collectively, these covers are a heartfelt musical tribute to our formative influences.”
This years “Bitch Fest” line up! 6 bands, 2 stages, weird and freaky stuff to discover – just one night of pure punk-rock madness. Tickets are up for sale now for a more than fair price of 32CHF (about 30€) here: https://www.seetickets.com/ch/tour/bitch-fest-v
Wanna give some extra love? Then be sure to buy a “Bitch Love”-Ticket. They recommend to party hard through the night with DJ Danny Ramone to save money for drinks. But if you need a good place to stay close by then ibis budget Basel City is probably the easiest and cheapest way to go.
Somewhere between the B52s and Devo lurks The Meat Sweaters. (hailing from Brighton and London, via Stockholm, Sweden) release their debut EP ‘Paranoid and Sweaty’ on July 22nd and have a new track from it available today called ‘Body Yoghurt’.
The Meat Sweaters are a trio (Wahoo Samuels, Pete Fraser and Jon Palmer) of friends who appreciate sounds that are very far removed from what most would consider conventional. Embarking on a thrillingly bizarre synth-punk journey with their debut four-track EP, ‘Paranoid and Sweaty’, released July 22nd via Hype Music (a sub label of Extreme Music), today sees the release of disturbing new single ‘Body Yoghurt’. A manic, twitching, rampant, glorious mess of deranged experimental punk, ‘Body Yoghurt’ never takes its foot off the accelerator pedal.
But what’s it all about?
“What does yoghurt taste like? How do you know the flavours? Which do you like? Which are best to apply to your body? Let us tell you about the best and worst ways to Body Yoghurt,” states Wahoo Samuels.
None the wiser? Good. The Meat Sweaters aim to confuse.
lenceIn direct contrast we also have one from the new Then Comes Silence album ‘Hunger’ it’s like night and day (see what I did there?) kings of the dark Goth are back with a new album ‘Hunger’
Ahhhhh, Towers Of London, the band whose singer once proudly proclaimed they could dick on the Sex Pistols are back. Returning with their first new music in ages, and the first to feature the band’s re-united original ‘classic’ line up.
Yes siree, after those well received support shows with The Wildhearts back in 2019, Donny, Dirk, Rev, Snell, and Tommy are finally back with ’Yet To Be’, an all-new 5 track EP that’s coincidently released in the same month as, (and sixteen years after) their classic ‘Blood Sweat & Towers’ debut first made them the band many seemed to love to hate back in the noughties.
I’ll include myself in that category as I’ve had my own love/hate relationship with them through the years too, initially catching them in Cardiff Barfly around 2005 and absolutely loathing them, Towers then seemed to end up supporting every band I was going to see, before around the time of the release of their debut I finally “got it” and simply couldn’t get enough of them. Then, just as quickly as the band they so famously thought they could dick on, they were out of the spotlight and releasing the way too Indie leaning. ‘Fizzy Pop’ (the band’s second album), and whilst that record does indeed still have some fans out there, without Rev and Snell in their ranks they just weren’t the same incendiary live act, and without that underlying tension that seemed to be the band’s catalyst for musical catastrophe, the band slowly withdrew into the shadows.
Somewhere they then ended up spending quite a bit of their time, working with various other musicians exploring potential new avenues for the band to pursue musically and releasing such singles as ‘Shake It’ and ‘Shot In The Dark’ along the way. Then in 2019 news finally broke that the original line up was getting back together for one last crack at this thing called the music biz. Returning as a much more ‘grounded’ group of people, the thing that perhaps struck me most about those Wildhearts support shows was just how much each member appeared to have grown up during their time apart, and Donny in particular seemed genuinely humbled not only by the enthusiastic reception they received night after night but also by just how powerful the band still sounded after all those years away.
‘Yet To Be’ picks up on the spirit of bonhomie from those reunion shows and actually includes a couple of the tunes from that set too, however it’s the track that’s recently been included in TNT’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ series that gets the EP out the starting blocks and for me it’s perhaps the track I actually like least here. That’s not to say it’s a bad song, it’s just that to my ears the anthemic ‘Jump’ actually sounds like ‘Fizzy Pop’ era Towers colliding headlong with the Rev’s post-Towers band The Howling, and whereas elsewhere within this EP elements of electronica are used to superb effect to ultimately add a new dynamic to the Towers sound, here, whilst the synthy tribal beat is insanely catchy, it doesn’t really make me want to err jump…not like ‘Get Yourself Outta Here’ anyway. Initially premiered on the Wildhearts tour, this is the Towers of London sound I first fell in love with, a ferocious slice of guitar rock, complete with one-finger Stooges piano and a sneering chorus, this track alone should have the band’s diehard fans drinking, fighting and fucking like there teenage-selves all over again.
Likewise, ‘Free Your Love’, the other track that was aired live back in 2019, which has a kind of ‘Towers Waltz’ stop/start feel about it, and possesses a soaring middle 8 that shows just how much the band has also matured in the songwriting department. Something that becomes abundantly clear when ‘Push It The Same Way’ chugs in on a powerpop riff to die for. This is easily my favourite song of the five on offer here, and whilst there are hints of the Towers of old during the chorus, it’s the use of the aforementioned synths during the verses that really do make this song a true work of genius, and if this is the sound of things to come from the band then, just like Noddy, I’m all (big) ears.
‘Amazing’ which ends the EP is another Towers songwriting curveball, as it somehow manages to remind me of Blur, Abba, Ozzy and U2 all at once, yet it’s still immediately recognisable as Towers Of London, and the chorus on this one really is, ahem, amazing in its simplicity, and as well know now, sometimes less can indeed be more.
True to Towers’ form ‘Yet To Be’ surprised me, so much so I initially hated it, and now (after a day of playing it non-stop) I absolutely love it, however, as it’s only available on streaming platforms at the moment, who really knows what’s next? Will we get to finally hear the third album, or get to see the long overdue Towers’ documentary, and with the UK live scene slowly returning to as normal as it can be right now, what about a coast to coast tour to promote it all?
Now I must start this review with a bit of a confession early doors RHCP were one of my favourite bands, I’m talking freaky style, Mothers Milk, even into Blood sugar sex magic, where cracks started to appear, the latter-day LP’s, to be honest, I could take or leave.
Looking back the last time I saw the RHCP was around 20 years ago with James Brown as support, it was in that period when John Frushanti had just re-joined (he’s left and re-joined again since then) truth be told (again) the LP they were touring at that point Stadium Arcadium was probably the worse LP they would record, but live in Hyde park at that gig, when they turned up the heat all the funk, power and intensity was still there.
So again, this time I really did not know how they were going to come across, and what didn’t lighten the mood was this gig was right in the middle of the train strikes (I have no problem with the strikes and stand fully behind what the Union are trying to do). However, the actual infra-structure around the stadium was pretty piss poor as was the cashless systems and the Queues for everything owing to the terminals taking forever and a day to connect.
But hey-Ho, let’s get on to the music I missed Thundercat (stood in a queue) so your guess is as good as mine, and the gig took off for me with Anderson Paak and the free nationals, and what a feast of funk to start things off!! Hinting at Sly Stone but pushing Primetime Prince and the revolution to the max, they were great and apparently the crowd knew a lot more than me about them with the response and sing-a-longs to some tracks, even including a blinding version led by the two female backing singers of Nasty girl (If you’re a funk fan, you’ll know it) a great start to the day. Now my daughter with me today has grown up with the Chilli Peppers she was 5 when we attended the Hyde park gig and has followed the RHCP religiously, the band hold a lot of joint-memories for both of us.
Kicking off with a jammed intro the sound has moved up, as usual, a whole gear, before they kick in with Can’t Stop, then into Dani California and you couldn’t help but smile and get dragged in to the event, the first of the ballads Scar tissue prompted the mass singalong that could be expected, and the track that took my breath away in the early part of the set Snow from that afore-mentioned worse LP (oops), Then for me the highlight of the set, back to the old school RHCP, with Nobody Weird like me from Mothers milk and in fairness from that point the band were bang in the groove hitting hard with Californication, Black summer and from Blood Sugar sex magic Give it away, Then we move straight into the encore to the rarely played nowadays Under the Bridge and By the Way.
Are the Chilli Peppers still the band I fell in love with in their early days? Absolutely not, can they still kick Ass? Absolutely!!! Let’s hope that there’s an anniversary for ‘Mothers Milk’ due and they play the LP in its entirety (I can only dream)
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