Twelve days of Christmas – A look back at 2018 with RPM – January

Twelve days of Christmas – A look back at 2018 with RPM – January

With 2018 in its last throws RPM thought it would be a good idea to have a quick glance over its collective shoulder at a blur that was 2018.  It was choc full of albums – singles – concerts and the odd loss and break up. We spent the end of November telling each other no that was never this year or wasn’t that out in 2017  or in some cases the wrong decade 😉

 

We’ve only been in existence a short number of months and already we’ve racked up a heap of albums reviewed and there are plenty from earlier this year that we’d covered elsewhere on the web so cast your minds back eleven months and January as we look at the early movers and shakers in a notoriously slow month as the year finds its feet.

January 2018.

One of the first engagements I had in 2018 was a date at the 100 club for the Resolution Festival appearance of the mighty Boys who would be supported that memorable night by four should know better upstarts from North of the border  Heavy Drapes with their enigmatic frontman Garry. To say I was blown away that night would be something of an understatement as the band knocked out a whole set of memorable tunes and The Vulz. 

 

Elsewhere RPM scribes caught their first sighting of The Hip Priests as a five-piece when they visited Le Pub in Newport but that wasn’t before they caught former Misfit Michael Graves doing his thang in Cardiff on the live front.

As far as a slow-burning month goes it would appear that that is a load of old bollocks as this January looks like its kicking off with a few right bangers as Amyl & The Sniffers released their EP’s on one glorious longish player in the shape of ‘Big Attraction/Giddy UP’ who despite being bigged up by the media were determined to warrant the tag and deliver the goods on record.  This Australian mullet sporting punk rock group certainly set the pace.

Other recommendations from the opening month were Doll Hazard with their Transatlantic Meltdown. Which Ben recommended after hearing the Dirtbag Republic and Suicide Bomber players join forces to pen a sleazy bag of Rock and Roll tunes

 

Also in January, we had some dirty filthy treats from a couple of garage punk rock n roll bands that like nothing more than making a rather splendid racket first up the awesome The Good The Bad And The Zugly with their Misanthropic House album that got Fraser all hot and bothered and rightly so. We love TGTBATZ around here and they are to feature later in the year with their fantastic video to their new single but more of that laters. Don’t think its all about Scandinavianian punk either as London town delivers the goods with the new kids on the block (who said new kids?) Flash House who’ve been kicking around for a while actually settled down to release their mighty fine album full of noise in the shape of ‘Brown Sauce’  as it came barking out of the traps rattling speakers cones all over the shop. I’m not sure about Brown Sauce but played loud enough I think it might be what scientists call Brown Noise such is the bass rumble involved in this bad boy. Even though it came out at the final knockings of 2017  I didn’t get my mitts on it until January.

Sadly January saw the passing of a real enigma in British Rock N Roll as Mark E Smith lost his battle with lung cancer and the alternative scene lost one of its most prolific writers and performers. Releasing 32 studio albums and many singles during his time on earth. As leader of the Fall he probably went through twice as many bandmates as records released with him being the only constant in what was a turbulent and often antagonistic life Smith was certainly unique.  But January passed and it took the third and final member of Motorhead on January 10th. Edward Allan Clarke – or as we all know and love him “Fast” Eddie Clarke – passed away peacefully after contracting Pneumonia. Clarke left Motorhead in ’82 but he will forever be associated with the band and the classic riff that was ‘Ace Of Spades’  RIP both and take it easy.

 

 

 

 

January album of the month would probably have to go to The Good The Bad And The Zugly which is a pretty decent way to kick off any year I’m sure you’ll agree.  Roll on Foulmouthed February…

Vocal Remover Requested – And The Beetle Trumpets…(Action Records)

Vocal Remover Requested – And The Beetle Trumpets…(Action Records)
“And The Beetle Trumpets…”. Recorded at Rock On Studios in Annecy, France in May this year. The Band is called Vocal Remover Requested. Not a band name that rolls off the tongue I’ll admit but when you see the personnel involved.  Those of you of a Rock and Roll persuasion will be all over this record like a rash and so you should be.
With the songwriting duties shared between mr Honest John Plain
and Sergeant No Voice with arrangments from Lester Greenowski and hitting the drums a certain Stéphane Renaud who many will know from the Punk Rock Menopause album released by the Boys.  now you know a bit about the people involved take a second to wonder what this might just sound like.  Ready? … There that wasn’t rocket science, was it?  Its a rock and fucking roll record of course and boy does it rock and roll.
Vocal Remover Requested has got everything bar the kitchen sink thrown in (it might even have that) laid out over fourteen songs.  As soon as you get that crisp slap of the snare they’re off.  The sludgy distorted Rock and Roll is happening and honest John Plain is right on form. ‘Personal Rain’ is a fine opener on this plain and simple rockin’ record.  There are no airs and graces here just a good time, No make that a great time played by people who really mean it man, not some Johnny come latelys jumping on a bandwagon but lifers with rock and roll coursing through their veins, playing rock n roll music that’s best left to the professionals and shouldn’t be tried at home unsupervised unless you’re sufficiently proficient like say Honest John Plain.
I love the melodies and the deadpan delivery of ‘Handle With Care’ as the music motors on and crashes into the next one ‘Self Sorryness’ is a traditional romp with Honest John shouting the counter chorus back at Sergeant and then ripping into the solo.  Classic and always a joy to hear. You just know that these songs would make for one hell of a great night out imagine happening upon some sleazy smokey bar and this is blasting out from the stage – me I’d be ecstatic and you just know that the louder you get your speakers the better this is going to sound.  the songs are about everyday life birds, booze with a cheeky wink and a smile.  the songs never go too fast nor do they  venture into genres or territories they don’t know this is a close relative to Plains day job with The Boys and not a million miles from The Amigos or the Crybabys and to end it all they take a seat and grab those acoustic guitars for a more gentle exit and I doubt they give a flying whatsit what any of us think but for what its worth I love it and highly recommend you grab yourself a copy before they’re all gone and then you’ll give a flying whatsit.
Author:Dom Daley.

Rainy Days And Mondays

Rainy Days And Mondays

These weeks Monday morning video selections are all culled from some of this weeks revies starting with today’s album review the fantastic Nikki Hill performing a Chuck Classic. view away those Monday mornings. blues.

Next up, Later this week we review the brand new album from Californian punk legends the US Bombs. until then we’ll leave you with this classic.

Finally this week we bring you the brand new album that features Honest John Plain so its only fair that we round up this week three videos with a classic released on the same label as this weeks review.  Take it away John…