The Good The Bad And The Zugly – ‘November Boys’ (Indie Recordings)

The Good The Bad And The Zugly – ‘November Boys’ (Indie Recordings)

Holy fuck, I have to start by saying that my first spin was on ear-bleeding volumes, and as the title track burst through the ether, I felt quite emotional. The melody is exquisite and those gang vocals haven’t been heard since Turbonegro hit their zenith. Throughout the album trilogy ’Misanthropical House’, ’Algorithm and Blues’, and ’Research and Destroy’, were well above average, in fact, over ti.m,e I’d go so far as to say at times exceptional but his ‘November Boys’ is shaping up to be something else that blasts off into the red hot sun. The Good The Bad and The Zugly have limped their way through midlife crises and pubescent antics to release one mother fucker of a record from the opening pop sensible melodic bastards that ore the first two to ‘Norweigans Abroad’ which is a thrashing mother fucker of a track that is tight and raging and turning into everythinng you want it to sound like – turn it up please.

They might well be mediocre underachievers on the unglamorous Scandirock path to valhalla but fair play this eclipses everything they’ve done until here and maybe now people will take these slackers seriously and they will be championed for saving gumbo punk rock n roll single-handedly.

‘Dig A Ditch’ sounds like a heavy diet of UFO records and bad drugs for the length of the intro alone but man this record is making bad life choices seem like good ideas that have brought us to this point in life otherwise we’d have passed these nut jobs by and given them a wide birth, thankfully I’m not that sensible.

The bands press release is like it was lifted from a twin peaks script after some bad acid and too much vodka but the tunes will always be their saving grace when they’re this good. ‘Dig A Ditch’ could and should be a crossover radio hit anywhere and everywhere.

A snippet from the press kit reads as follows: “The fact remains: we have always been left behind ever since kindergarten (for those of us lucky enough to experience such a well-regulated institution). In sports, we were always picked last. Our finest effort was put into keeping the bench warm for all the tough and slick January boys whenever they got tired of scoring goals—and chicks. Our academic performances measured at impressively low standards. Lacking any ability to concentrate, our educational path was a fast track to the headmaster’s office and, eventually, special ed classes. Today, they would have stuffed us full of pills in no time.” Confused? Don’t be, join us and rejoice that we’ve got the best tunes just take the melody on ‘A Blazer In The Northern Sky’ and dance like nobody is watching and sing like nobody can hear you. It’s blissful, trust me.

‘Scandinavian CRISPR Brat’ is like their irresponsible hate anthem, but with a sweet melody and a riff to die for GBZ are on FIRE! The fact that there are only ten songs here fills me with sadness. I wish it were a double album with twenty tracks, such is the quality on offer, but he,y ten is fine and dandy. ‘FOMO’ is bone-crushing riff-a-rama as we’re almost at the finish line, it’s a burst on as we dash for the finish through a thrashingly good ‘Hadeland Hardcore’. The Stooges one-finger piano tonk on ‘All My Friends Are Dead Inside’ rings around my head before we sign off with the wonderful ‘New Kids on the Blockchain’ and we’re done. I’m going back in for more and might just play it on my headphones and see if I can just run as fast as I can for as long as I can to see if this album makes me go mental. What a fuckin monster of a record. Congrats GBZ, you have achieved a goal of writing and recording one hell of a record that is as good from the opening track to the closing track, and everything in between is pure fuckin fire (as the kids would say). Melodies to die for, riffs that are on point and life-affirming. The November Boys are here, and the summer isn’t even done yet. Buy this album; it might just be the best thing you hear all year.

Buy Here / Plastic Head in the UK: Here

Author: Dom Daley

Club Brat – ‘Four Songs’ EP (Venn Records)

Club Brat – ‘Four Songs’ EP (Venn Records)

The latest band hitting our collective ear drums on the Venn roster are Club Brat and what a punch to the ear drum they are. Joining the impressive Aerial Salad, High Viz, Split Dogs and Bob Vylan to name a few Club Brat have a pop sensibility about them but they wrap it in a velvet glove inside a boxing glove holding a sledge hammer.

’25 Cameras’ opens up this rapid four-track EP, and it’s everything you want to hear. Cool lyrics wrapped inside a hard-hitting, sharp guitar-driven song, is it indie post punk? Who knows who cares, it’s full of energy and packs a punch, that’s all you need to know, and once it’s in your ear, it’ll take something special to dislodge it.

A rich bass-heavy thump and volatile rhythmic urgency is the MO here. ‘Goodbye Pop Culture’ has the warm, rich Bass thump and those angular guitars chopping away through a twitching, crowded backdrop, excellent stuff and very accessible. Originally from Peterborough and now split between Bristol and London, the five-piece formed in 2023 and quickly earned a reputation for unpredictable live shows and a relentless DIY ethos, while still working with some of underground music’s most respected engineers. Club Brat has a statement EP, no question about it, now to follow it up with more live shows and then the album. On this evidence, they have nothing to worry about. ‘In It For The Money’ might not be what they’re about, but it’s like if Jane’s Addiction were from inner city UK and not Hollywood, California. It has the energy and drive, and most importantly, it has the tunes. The final cut is the rapid barking dog of a track, ‘Watch’ it’s heavy, fast but you can dance to it. Go pick up a copy and find out for yourself.

Fantastic EP buy it!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Tour Dates – September

18 September — Leeds, Headingley Social Club

19 September — Stamford, Mama Liz’s Voodoo Lounge

20 September — Bristol, The Golden Lion

25 September — London, Hope & Anchor

26 September — Nottingham, JT Soar

October

2 October — Sheffield, The Washington

9 October — Birmingham, The Rainbow

10 October — Brighton, The Pipeline

No Tears – ‘Heart Shaped Eyes’ (Beluga Records)

No Tears – ‘Heart Shaped Eyes’ (Beluga Records)

We all have styles and bands that keep returning to our turntables, tablets, digital streaming or however we consume these days, and you can add to that labels that just get it and churn out reliably above-average music and new finds to add to our playlists and favourite new albums of the year list. One such label is the Scandi power poppin’ legends at Beluga who’ve done it again. If you are ever in doubt about your choices of music and bands to play, then I suggest you jump on board because the latest record off the quality-assured conveyor belt is the quirky named No Tears.

Now stay with me, it might have been originally released back in 2023 on  Luftslott Records. No Tears peddle pure Costello-infused Power Pop with added snot guitar pop. The whole shooting match is performed by the clever so-and-so called Christoffer Karlsson. The astute and top power poppers will know his day job is performing with the horror punkin power poppers The Dahmers as their lead vocalist, so the guy has pedigree.

Now you can check them another day because today it’s all about reengaging with No Tears and passing on the love and hopefully expanding the ownership of this fantastic record. The album kicks off with the rampant horn honkin’ blast that is ‘Dreamin’, and that’s it I’m all in. Energy, excellent playing and those honkin’ saxophone breaks laid over a wicked riff and thumping beat, it’s a freakin winner every day of the week. From the drum fills, the bass solo and then the rasping guitar break, this is kitchen sink rock n roll and some. Oh and handclaps

Once upon a time, this record would have been huge and hits galore all over the globe. There is a familiarity with the melodies in some of the songs, and the riffs are all borrowed from the good and great of history. Had Chris Stein penned some of the licks and arrangements around the time of ‘Eat To The Beat’, like ‘Get Away’. The sugar-sweet melodies are wrapped in raw guitars but smoothed over with some well-placed keys.

‘Same Old Story’ is banging and giving The Hives a good run for their money, and they’re playing arenas. The variety is excellent, pitching ‘Broken Mirror’ with its backbeat and dreamy breakdown alongside a good boogie ‘On 45’, then a curveball in the spaced out dreamy of the ‘Silence Is Speaking’ before signing off with the acoustic slide marching beat of ‘Without Your Love’ that features vocals from Beatrice Rosdahl adding some ye haw! to proceedings. What a fantastic breath of fresh air this record is, featuring eleven diverse songs making up a complete album that you should be checking out.

Get over to Beluga and tell em RPM sent you or else…

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

Redd Kross – The Crescent, York – 21st August 2025

Redd Kross – The Crescent, York – 21st August 2025

Coming on like The Monkees for the 90’s, Californian Power Pop legends Redd Kross brought colour, quirkiness and most of all, FUN to a Grunge-filled music world. There was a period when all I listened to was ‘Third Eye’, ‘Phaseshifter’ and the two Jellyfish albums.

Their performance of ‘Visionary’ on The Word could be the best live performance of any band in a TV studio, and it was then I realised I had to see them live…yet it never happened. For one reason or another, the stars never aligned for me and Redd Kross…until now.

Following the release of last year’s excellent self-titled double album, the band are over here with The Melvins and they have a few shows of their own. One happens to be a 25-minute walk from my house; there is no way I am missing this!

Dressed in matching paint-splattered white outfits, like a walking & talking (well, singing) art piece on their way to an Indian wedding, Redd Kross walk on and fire straight into ‘Huge Wonder’. I never realised how tall Jeff McDonald is; the singer towers over guitarist Jason Shapiro. To his left, bassist and brother Steven gyrates his body like he’s being electrocuted. The man with the straightest hair in rock knows how to work a crowd, and his between-song Paul Stanley-esque raps are comedy gold that keeps the crowd up for a rock n’ roll party.

‘Stay Away From Downtown’ is up next, a killer garage rock riff from Jeff’s guitar and a sublime hook makes it an early highlight, damn I forgot how good that tune is. ‘Stunt Queen’ is the first of 5 tracks from the latest album. What a tune live, it has the attitude and the punk energy of classic Redd Kross, and I love it.

Just watching the brothers trade vocals, constantly smiling and moving, giving their all in the moment, it’s just magical to me. ‘Lady In The Front Row’ is the first sublime moment that gets the crowd singing every word. How could you not? It’s ridiculously catchy. A red album double dose follows: the singles ‘Candy Coloured Catastrophe’ and the Steven-led ‘I’ll Take Your Word For It’ fit the bill nicely. There’s only one track from the ‘Third Eye’ album on this tour, which might seem criminal to a die hard, but if you play one song from arguably your best album, then it must be ‘Annie’s Gone’, right? I’m mesmerised as the frontman ditches his guitar, covers his face with a scarf and sings through it for the entire song. An ethereal, bizarre and truly emotive 3 and a half minutes of Power Pop perfection.

Elsewhere, we get a high-energy one-two of ‘Switchblade Sister’ and Jimmy’s Fantasy’, with catchy riffs and hooks aplenty, plus a killer cover of The Beatles ‘It Won’t Be Long’ with Jeff shakin’ that tambourine like it’s the last thing he’s ever going to do. A song they truly make their own.

They return to jam out some oldies before bringing the whole room to a rock n’ roll party climax with a killer ‘Deuce’, complete with Paul & Gene classic 70’s stage moves thrown in for good measure.

Ok, so it’s been a long time coming, and I may be biased here, but Redd Kross truly blew me away tonight. I’ve seen a lot of great gigs already this year but tonight was truly special. Redd Kross are a band who are at the top of their game both live and creatively.

Someone was shouting for then to play ‘Zira (Call Out My Name)’ tonight, and after a few bars that ended in Jeff laughing and saying he doesn’t remember it, Steven says they’ll come back next year and play the whole gaddamn album! Now that would be truly something.

Author: Ben Hughes

Joe And The Shitboys – ‘Greatest Shits’ (Alcopop Records)

Joe And The Shitboys – ‘Greatest Shits’ (Alcopop Records)

From the windswept, sheep-dotted cliffs of the Faroe Islands comes a band that are anything but pastoral. Joe & The Shitboys, self-described “queer vegan shitpunks”, have been raising hell, ruffling feathers, and flipping the script since their chaotic inception, and now they’re ready to unleash their debut LP, Greatest Shits, via Alcopop! Records.

A compilation of the band’s first three releases—each originally pressed on 7” vinyl due to their rapid-fire 10-minute lengths— ‘Greatest Shits’ also features a bunch of brand new tracks recorded straight to analogue tape. It’s a vital, venomous, and vibrantly unfiltered collection from one of punk’s most exhilarating and unique new voices, giving anything from down under a run for their bad hair cut money and (probably shit fashion sense).

Once you get balls deep into this a mix of ragged punk mixed with the more artsy side like PAvement or DKs mixed in with early Lemonheads and a vibrant wreckless abandonment like ‘Wonderwall’ which sounds like the instruments tied to the back of a tractor and dragged around a field would sound like before the excellent tribute to wrestling legend ‘Macho Man Randy Savage’ kicks in.

So there might be thirty seven tracks here but you don’t need to dig deep to hear the three second blast of ‘Fuck’ or the eleven seconds of ‘Eat Ass You Fucking Coward’ you know the drill it might be nothing new but its a lot of fun and highly addictive.

With Joe taking the mic and a rotating cast of Shitboys behind him (currently Ziggy Shit, Johnny Shit, and Ollie Shit), the band became a lightning rod for resistance against the backwards, macho values that persist in their homeland’s music scene. Their goal? Skewer toxic culture with speed, wit, and the occasional ass joke. Job done and an album to be proud of, no matter what.

The band might not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but Iggy had them on board for Alley Pally recently, so the right people are getting involved, and on this evidence, it’s not hard to see why. Potty-mouthed and kicking out the jams, Beastie Boys meet a whole goofball bag full of original punks. Joe has the world at his feet, and songs like Mr Nobody sound effortless as well as timeless. Then to follow it up with a groovy ‘Fuck Everybody’ is a band dancing to their own beat, and that only like it or lump it I doubt they give a single shiney shit.

Who knows what Jooe and the gang will do next, but I’m all ears, but let’s live with this bad boy for a while yet.

Joe & The Shitboys are just getting started, they declare, so jump in and join us. Joe and the shitboys are de bomb as the cool kids say.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

MINI SKIRT Announce New Album with video

MINI SKIRT Announce New Album with video

AUSTRALIAN PUB-PUNKERS MINI SKIRT ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘ALL THAT WE KNOW’ TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 14TH VIA BAD VIBRATIONS

PRE-ORDER HERE: NEW SINGLE ‘POTTSVILLE RIVER’ OUT NOW

Five long years since their debut album ‘Casino’ snuck into the ears of punk enthusiasts around the world, Mini Skirt’s second full length album, ‘All That We Know’, is now ready to hurl at the world. The Australian pub-punkers continue to deliver their brand of jagged, raw political Aussie grit, delving deeper and leaning harder into their signature blend of Australian punk, ‘All That We Know’ solidifies Mini Skirt’s position at the forefront of a socially inspired noisescape.

Back with a brand-new single, ‘Pottsville River’ is a taste of what’s to come from the album, due November 14th via Bad Vibrations. Leaning hard into the teeth-kicking brand of pub-punk they have become known for, with belting drums, balls to the wall guitar riffs, and witty lyrics, ‘Pottsville River’ holds you under water for the whole three minutes-something and only lets you up for a breath when the song’s done. 

All grit and no glamour, Mini Skirt’s noisy new body of work is underpinned by lyricist and visual artist Jacob Boylan, painting a picture of the modern social climate, every verse and chorus a well-crafted and concise assessment that has the listener replaying each line to be sure they don’t miss a word. This is, as always, laid on top of the dirty, driving guitar/bass tones and skin splitting drums that have helped Mini Skirt to develop their own sound in a heavily saturated and competitive corner of rock’n’roll. Paying homage to Australian pioneers such as X and Radio Birdman, Mini Skirt’s sound remains raw and honest. 

Hailing from Byron Bay in the Far North Coast of New South Wales, the four boys in Mini Skirt produce a timeless sound that’s rough as guts and truly ensconced in the essence of pub rock that captures the climate of current-day Australia. Things aren’t always picturesque and idyllic; the vocals are urgent and frustrated while the music has a rawness and melody, sonically painting a picture of the hope through the struggle.

‘All That We Know’ lands mixed and mastered by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Total Control) and is due to be self-released in Australia and via London-based label and gig promoters Bad Vibrations in the rest of the world.

Pre-order ‘All That We Know’ HERE:

Ash – INSTORES & OUTSTORES

Ash – INSTORES & OUTSTORES

New LP AD ASTRA LP // 3 OCTOBER [featuring Graham Coxon]

UK & IRELAND TOUR DATES // ON SALE NOW

To coincide with the release of their forthcoming ninth studio album Ad Astra via Fierce Panda Records on 3 October, ASH have unveiled details of seven intimate Instore and Outstore shows. Tickets available here: https://ash-official.com/pages/shows

Containing eleven brand new tracks, including their raucous take on surprise single and Beetlejuice staple Jump In The Line and the most recent single Give Me Back My World, the Ad Astra album sees Graham Coxon appear on two particularly sassy songs and catches the perennial power pop kings in typically rocket-fueled form.

INSTORES & OUTSTORES // OCTOBER

Fri 03 BRIGHTON Resident Records (Instore)

Sat 04 LONDON Rough Trade East Records (Instore)

Sun 05 LEICESTER 2 Funky Café (Truck Records Outstore)

Tue 07 NOTTINGHAM Rough Trade Records (Instore)

Wed 08 KINGSTON Circuit (Banquet Records Outstore)

Thu 09 LIVERPOOL Baltic Jacaranda Records (Instore)

Fri 10 EDINBURGH Liquid Rooms (Assai Records Outstore)

Ad Astra follows hot on the heels of Race The Night – the band’s highest charting album for 20 years – and is being released two years and one month later, which is no coincidence. Always a band that lives for live music, Ash vowed that the fierce pandemic-induced five-year chasm between 2018’s Islands and 2023’s Race The Night would never happen again.

Pre-order Ad Astra HERE

By focusing on the endless horizon of galaxies far, far away and staring into an endless black hole Ash have somehow ended up creating a cohesive whole. There is classic Ash power-pop rocking action with the blistering purity of Hallion, the crunchy chuggings of Keep Dreaming and the furious sonic lunges of Dehumanised. But equally you can’t fail to succumb to the glorious swooping jangles on Which One Do You Want? – a whirl from Marr’s canon for sure; My Favourite Ghost and its acoustic elegance, floating on strings of desire; and Fun People (feat Graham Coxon) is quite simply one of the maddest, punchiest songs they have ever recorded.

As if creating this lovingly optimistic opus wasn’t enough to be getting on with, they’ve kept themselves busy elsewhere. Since Race The Night came out, they’ve run riot at SXSW in Austin, played Belfast for Steve Lamacq during Independent Venue Week, headlined the 100 Club in London for BRITS week and toured Australia. Already this year, they’ve amassed the masses at Glastonbury for the eighth time – equaling the multi performance record of Van Morrison – and toured the UK with The Darkness.

In short, three decades into a career peppered with timeless indie-punk nuggets and wildly inventive gigging and releasing concepts, the trio shows no sign of slowing down. To infinity and beyond indeed. Or as Rick McMurray gently muses …

“The title Ad Astra, the worst kept secret of the last month, points to ideas that became a big identifier back in 1995, but they’re updated with 30 years life experience. I’ll leave you to compare the differences, and with the thought that while the optimistic innocence of 1995 might have been tempered by those 30 years, if you look to the stars, you might still feel a glimmer. Of hope.”

And for those of you wondering, Ad Astra is Latin for “to the stars”, the words that came out of a teenaged Tim Wheeler’s mouth in the summer of 1995, setting up the classic chorus to the band’s first Top 20 hit Girl From Mars.

To celebrate the album release of Ad Astra, Ash embark on a huge touring schedule from this autumn into the early part of next year as follows:

SEPTEMBER

Tue 09 LONDON Scala

Wed 10 LONDON Scala

Fri 26 VALENCIA, SPAIN Visor Festival

OCTOBER

Tue 14 FUKUOKA, JAPAN Zepp

Thu 16 OSAKA, JAPAN Zepp

Fri 17 NAGOYA, JAPAN Zepp

Mon 20 SENDAI, JAPAN Gigs

Tue 21 YOKOHAMA. JAPAN KT Zepp

NOVEMBER

Fri 14 MINEHEAD Shiiine On Weekender Festival

Sun 16 SWANSEA Sin City

Tue 18 NEWCASTLE Boiler Shop

Wed 19 MANCHESTER New Century Hall

Thu 20 GLASGOW SWG3 Galvanizers

Sat 22 BLACKPOOL Bootleg Social

Sun 23 SHEFFIELD The Foundry

Tue 25 OXFORD O2 Academy

DECEMBER

Fri 05 LISTOWELL Mike The Pies

Sat 06 DUNDALK Spirit Store

Sun 07 GALWAY Roisin Dubh

Tue 09 CORK Cyprus Avenue

Wed 10 LIMERICK Dolans Warehouse

Thu 11 DUBLIN The Academy

Sat 13 BELFAST Ulster Hall

FEBRUARY

Fri 06 TUNBRIDGE WELLS Forum

Sat 07 CAMBRIDGE Junction

Sun 08 MILTON KEYNES Craufurd Arms

Tue 10 EXETER Phoenix

Wed 11 BRISTOL The Trinity Centre

Fri 13 LIVERPOOL Grand Central Dome

Sat 14 STOKE ON TRENT Sugarmill

Sun 15 HULL The Welly

Tue 17 NORWICH Epic Studios

Thu 19 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy

Tickets: https://ash-official.com/pages/shows

WEBSITE:               https://ash-official.com

FACEBOOK:           https://www.facebook.com/ash

INSTAGRAM:        https://www.instagram.com/ash_1977/    

TIKTOK:                  https://www.tiktok.com/@AshOfficial1977

X:                            https://x.com/ashofficial

YOU TUBE:            https://www.youtube.com/@AshOfficial

The Unknowns – ‘Looking From The Outside’ (Bargain Bin Records / Drunken Sailor Records)

The Unknowns – ‘Looking From The Outside’ (Bargain Bin Records / Drunken Sailor Records)

Prior to ‘Looking From The Outside’ Australian punk rockers The Unknowns have released two stonking albums but with this their third they’ve surpassed all expectations and made an absolutely stunning platter of punk rock n roll tunes that harks back to the good old days of The Saints and prime Cosmic Psychos a fair dose of Birdman and of course Da Bruvers from NYC are infused as well but Hey Ho lets go. entwined in this music’s DNA it should be on the radar of every self respecting punk rock aficionado. Oh and the small matter the band consists of Some other Australian band people might have heard of called The Chats who made this record whilst on Smoko.


Garage rock from the early 70s is a big influence on these songs as we’d expect and from the power pop opening of ‘All Grown Up’ its hooligan rock n roll with melodies borrowed from The Boys its an album bursting with a joy of music and togetherness.

There’s an honesty about the music that is both endearing and alluring and its so addictive. ‘None To Me’, ‘Lost Me’ are great riffs with a heap of melody and the latter has some grunt on that Bass that sets the tone like a long lost Birdman song.

‘Hold My Shadow’ is so good big riffs and sounds like it fell off the coolest radio show from the 70s you could wish to hear. ‘I Know You Know’ is mixing it up with the Misfits before Aemon Sandwich leads the vocals on ‘Psychotic’. Trying ot pick a highlight is pretty tough when every song is as good as the last and that was your favourite. ‘Ain’t What You Want’ is pure Boys but if Stiff Little Fingers had written it. much like the title track and album closer Honest John Plain would be proud of this record.


The first single ‘Thunder In My Head’ should be heard everywhere. It’s the summer of The Unknowns for sure. Hell Chuck Berry would be proud of the chugg of ‘Crazy Eyes’ as would the dynamic due that was Lure and Thunders. What a wonderful record that you shouldn’t pass by this summer if you only make one purchase to soundtrack the summer then make it this bad boy you won’t regret it for a second. Go buy The Unknowns before everyone knows. Buy IT!

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley

City Kidds – ‘South Glam Roxx’ (Steelheart Records)

City Kidds – ‘South Glam Roxx’ (Steelheart Records)

For some of the old-time glammies out there, especially those from the boulevard of broken eyeliner pencils and lipsticks – the arrival of this CD is a welcome time machine to when Bogiez ruled the rock scene of Cardiff and in general South Wales. 

Lovingly put together by the Kidds’ bass player extraordinaire Stevie C. Bright – ‘South Glam Roxx’ is the long-awaited official release of the various recordings, as part of ‘The Lost UK Jewels’ collectors series. The songs here feature a plethora of South Wales’ finest rockers! These include Jamie Kall, Josie St John, Kane, Kelly Valentine, Kerry Wild, Stevie ‘C’ Bright, Steve Marie, Johnny Evermore, Mick Vallace, TigerTailz drummer Matt Blakout and Ian Danter. As you can see there was something of a revolving door on the band’s line-up over the years.

Whilst the band are forever etched as the quintessential – should have been bigger or even came out at the wrong time – band. What this release finally achieves is that the potential of the City Kidds outweighs any doubt that this band actually had the songs to back up the outrageous image.

Many of the recordings here have been available on various unofficial bootlegs – it is great to finally have them all in one place and given the aural updating that truly highlights the magic of those original recordings, which were made in the late ‘80s and early ‘90. So to have them sound this great after over 30 years is truly remarkable and a testament to the music and songwriting.

Anyway, let’s get down to the music, as that is the reason we’re all here for. Starting the CD is the two tracks that made up their only other official CD release, and that’s the bubblegum pop whammy of ‘Generation Love’ and ‘Tonight’. I remember actually buying this CD single back in 1992 from Eccentrix in Cardiff, where it used to be advertised by the door alongside the shop’s usual merchandise of PVC and leather chaps. Also, I am a sucker for an over-the-top glam cover and this delivered on all accounts. So hearing this again after all these years was a pure nostalgia trip down the glam memory lane. Of the two songs, Generation Love has fared better, but they both are fantastic in their own right. 

After that kick-ass start, we go back to the band’s 1989 ‘Dressed To Kill’ demo and the demo’s title track and ‘Street Tease’. Which, back in the day, was hailed by the late Kelv Hellrazer as something really special. Kelv is also singled out guitarist Kelly Valentine – a possible new glam guitar god. Much praise from the glam pioneer.

Following on from there is the three songs that made up the Atomic demo from 1990. These songs – ‘Out For The Count’, Hit ‘N’ Run’ and ‘Atomic’, continue where the previous demo left off. Featuring new singer Josh Kane the demo took the promise of the first one and raised the bar again. 

The next batch of songs were recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in 1992 and again show a new maturity in the songwriting amongst ‘Broken Glass Stare’, Nowhere’ and ‘Perfect 10’. It’s these songs that show how much promise the band were in control of and also highlight just how unfair the music business really is. For if these songs were released only a couple of years earlier, who knows where the Kidds or as they later became, Sons of God would be right now.

The last three bonus tracks are for me the hidden gems – with the band winning a Red Dragon FM Battle of the Bands contest back in 1988, the songs that were played are now released for the very first time – namely ‘Edge of the Night’ and ‘Lost Without your Love’. Both are clearly of their time and show a band in their infancy, but the potential was always there to be heard.

So basically, if you love the late ‘80s glam scene and the likes of Poison, TigerTailz, Tuff etc you need this in your collection. Be quick, though as there are only 500 copies being made. Not only that, in buying the CD you will be helping to raise money for Cancer Research UK and comes complete with liner notes by Rob Evans and Stevie ‘C’ Bright as well.

Buy Here

Author: Dave Prince

Earth Eighteen – ‘Butterfly’ (Warner Bros.)

Earth Eighteen – ‘Butterfly’ (Warner Bros.)

Traveling back 30 years ago to 1995 when music had spun out into all kinds of genres, Earth Eighteen released their full-length debut which became a slow burner in my CD collection. Earth Eighteen really didn’t have a box to fit in at the time with the rock radio airwaves focused on the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, and No Doubt. Bands like Rocket from the Crypt, the Wildhearts, and Rancid released some of my all-time favourite albums that year. ‘Butterfly’ always seemed to be just on the periphery of what I had in heavy rotation. It seemed strange to my 21-year-old self that a band with a definite glam influence would appear with members from D.C. hardcore bands. My most listened to album from D.C. at the time was ‘Cruise Yourself’ by GvsB from 1994. Why am I writing about ‘Butterfly’ all these years later? It has grown in stature with me every year since it was released. I feel like it always gets more listens than the previous year, and it would be a shame if it fell completely off the radar of potential listeners.

They preceded this album with a five track EP with some album tracks and released a single from this album with exclusive B-sides which are also both your time and attention. ‘Butterfly’ starts slowly with the ‘La La Song’ feeling a bit like the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly at the very beginning. There is a definite Bowie and Bolan influence from the beginning. Piano helps move the song forward with its very slow beat. There is a fuzzy dreamlike audio quality to the song. It makes the explosive start to ‘Dolores Haze’ more impactful as it rages out of the speakers. The riffs stand out immediately, and the vocal hook in the song injects itself into the listener’s brain as something of a slow drip that doesn’t leave once it takes hold. The guitars really get to dominate the song and leave the listener wondering what could be coming next on first listen. The glam romp of ‘Mechanimal’ feels like Bolan with the instrumentation feeling similar to what Marilyn Manson would later do on ‘Mechanical Animals.’ The beats snap out of the speakers and the marching guitar riffs saw away at your brain. The jam session in the song makes me wish I would have seen them live. Even 30 years ago, I think part of what kept this album from crossing into mainstream success was they employed a lot of subtle choruses that become addictive over time but are not immediate earworms, like ‘On a Rope’ or I Wanna Go Where the People Go.’

‘The Fall Divine’ is a slow song with a hypnotic groove that takes its time getting to its first verse. The guitar weaves in and out during the middle. This has been one of my favorite songs by them over the years with the guitar solo at the end providing some angst and struggle to break out of the slower tempo in the song. They close out the first half of the album with the rocking ‘Goin Steady’ which recalls 70’s glam with some additional power surging through the instruments with the breakdown at the end of the song bringing Mott the Hoople to mind.

The second half of the album kicks off with ‘Dahlia’ which has a catchy riff and a chorus that features a lot of harmonies. I love the use of piano through the song as well. Side effects transition us from the end of ‘Dahlia’ into ‘Maximum Teenage Overdrive’ which again reminds me of the direction Marilyn Manson would later pursue, maybe Tim Skold was a fan of this album . The beat is big through the verses, and the almost robotic backing vocals through the chorus provide an extra hook without making the song poppy. The band again introduces a breakdown at the end of the song that makes a huge impact. This song would have fit seamlessly on the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack.

‘Girl of the Downward Spiral’ starts with a simmer and then blows out the speaker. This was the single from the album and definitely makes sense in that regard. It is loud and bombastic with a great hook in the chorus. Earth Eighteen really had their own sound which was probably a blessing and a curse. This did not sound like other songs on the radio, which probably worked against it. If it had received airplay, I have no doubt the band would have picked up a cross section of rock fans that would have purchased the album. The acoustic soft rocking ‘Long Gone’ immediately changes direction and showcases the variety across their sound. The contrast between it and the previous song work to the album’s advantage. ‘Blood Revival 99’ closes the album with a hypnotic riff that feels like it is channeled from outer space. The use of the keyboards in the chorus only adds to the out of this world feed. The band then going off on an extended jam which is the only way this album should have ended. As the guitar wails, it feels like there are spaceships flying all around you on some galactic highway. After the fadeout, we get a little acoustic passage that honestly feels like the alarm clock just went off and woke you up from an intense dream.

Can a record still have a life after 30 years if it was ignored by the public when it was released? It definitely can for those of us that purchased it back in the day. As I mentioned at the beginning, this album has been a lifelong grower over the past three decades with it gaining in stature for me with every passing year. There are quite a few copies of the CD currently available on Discogs for those that want to experience an excellent glam CD from the middle of the 90’s when ‘Lump’ was playing on the radio. There were tremendous albums released in the 90’s and now you have an opportunity to track down one of them that slipped away unnoticed at the time.

If anyone knows what happened to the members of the band and can connect me to them, please let us know as I would love to do a Q and A with them.

Author: Gerald Stansbury