For those wanting a distraction from the news and the world in general, Bandcamp Friday is a welcome addition to lockdown life. For those not familiar, these monthly events are a great opportunity for music fans to spend whilst being safe in the knowledge that 100% of the cash goes straight to the artists. This is achieved thanks to Bandcamp forgoing their cut for 24 hours and allowing acts to maximise their income. At present Spotify, Amazon, Apple etc do not offer anything similar to this scheme…….
This month I’m putting forward 10 new releases, all of which are absolute bangers! This is how I plan on spending my cash this Friday, check out these releases and all your favourite artists Bandcamp pages and support them in these trying times.
The Dry Retch – 12,000 miles from new
The new single from Scouse/Antipodean garage punk rockers the Dry Retch. A crunchy slab of psyched out proto punk channelling all the best parts of Mudhoney, with vocals reminiscent of SY Thurston Moore. This for me is rounding out to be their best track so far. All of this for the more than reasonable sum of £1. The guys have a selection of stellar albums available also.
A special Halloween release here from Tulsa’s own Graveyard Party. A tranquil yet scuzzy single with a wonderfully slow and drawn out bass intro sounding like a dark post punk tinged Pavement. The single is available for download for the very agreeable price of $1 as well as a range of other solid material to purchase.
For those of you looking for something on the sweeter side, check out power pop swedes Mom. This album release will take you back instantly to your carefree youth, a much needed endless summer as winter sets in. This record is a must for bubblegum fans of Cheap Trick, Warm Soda etc. The full album is at a recession proof price of $6.
This stripped back EP is the latest work by the Berlin post punkers. Hypnotically simple with an approach sounding like a Siouxie led Fall. Made available generously at name your price, this EP is well worth parting with your money.
The new EP from Americana tinged punks LB & the Glory Fires is headed off by Tom Robinson Band classic Motorway but the rest of the release is a much softer and more poignant affair. Although all acoustic numbers on the 3 remaining tracks, the songs certainly don’t lose their lyrical bite. All yours for $3.99.
Debut EP from Warrington’s own garage punk rockers the Lotts, released back in July but definitely worth a mention on this list. With a sound leaning towards the cleverer side of the early 00s garage revival, the Lotts have great lofi swagger reminding me of D4 and the Black Lips. This EP has a lush sounding production and is certainly worth £4 for the privilege.
This is the latest track and taster for the debut album from the London post rockers. Please be warned that this is definitely not to everyone’s taste, and to be honest not always to mine but the sheer frenetic verousity of the vocals and the melding of the horns and distorted guitars hit a jazz like crescendo that you really have to admire. This quasi single is out now and available for $1.30.
This track dropped last month from the LA based quartet and further showcases their hard yet accessible alternative rock sound. Lowlives have been bubbling under for a while now thanks to some solid releases and a few well placed support slots. Gravity is a straightforward ballsy 3 minute rock song that will definitely be enjoyed by 3 Colours Red fans but the B-side Hate, Greed, Liars, Thieves expands their sound further with very epic post grunge meets Deftones feel. This release is $1.99. Buy it, these guys are going to be massive.
Brand new release from the West Virginian post punks. With an almost Birthday Party tribilistic sound with bleak dystopian synths thrown in for good measure. This first outing is a strong collection of songs and at $6 this mini album is a steal.
And finally we have Spanish alternative rockers SUA blending a poppier side of post punk with riot grrl swagger, reminiscent of mid to late 90s British indie girl groups Fluffy, Kenickie and Elastica. Great lyrics and great price of 1 Euro this track is definitely worth checking out.
It’s been five years since frontman Rob Carlyle and his Compulsions cohorts released their widely and wildly acclaimed sophomore album, ‘Dirty Fun’. Man doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself.
With a sound that was equal parts Aerosmith, Faces, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The New York Dolls and The Rolling Stones it was a no brainer that this was going to impress most of us here at RPM Online and when we saw Rob had drafted in some of our favourite players it was always gonna work. Fast forward half a decade and can that magic be recreated? Can Rob come up with another fistful of tunes that would nestle in our heads and soundtrack our downtime during this pandemic? Fuck yeah! of course, you non-believers’ Ferocious’ i every bit the Rock and Roll record we were expecting and craving.
Another day another line up another record but could Carlisle recreate the magic he did with guitarist, Richard Fortus, bassist, Sami Yaffa and drummer, Frank Ferrer.
So what do you want? old-school roots rock? Hell yeah! Sleaze-punk? But what about a bit of funk-metal?.
You want to know who replaced the likes of Sami Yaffa (like that’s possible I know but hey) Carlyle has enlisted the world-renowned guitarist, Earl Slick and how about Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, best known for his work with Guns N’ Roses, also throw into the mix former Raging Slab bassist, Alec Morton, and former Dolls drummer, Brian Delaney. With those players in mind maybe you can see how the variety of style might be possible.
What these guys have created is the rootsy rockers “Born on a Landfill” a wonderful little ditty right out of the Izzy Stradlin meets a bit of the Georgia satellites with some awesome organ wheezing for good measure. As openers go this ones so laid back it’s positively horizontal. The second track “Band Of Thieves” is a bit more psychedelic with a big punch about it. As for the more hard-rocking how about “Addicted”? With its slide and big groove its a killer track and the louder the better. If you’re wondering what the Funk I’m on about well that curveball comes courtesy of “Funk #666” with its huge groove. This one should be a sweaty dance floor classic. The rhythm section is thunderous. Carlyle also throws a couple of covers into the mix one being the standard and a rather safe cover of the Stones classic “Dead Flowers” whilst the other is a bit left of field and sees Carlyle tackle the Guns N Roses rock and roll of “Dust N’ Bones.”
Carlyle explains the choice of covers on Ferocious: “Ever since I started The Compulsions, the idea was to create a sound that lives somewhere between The Stones and GN’R. Like if you put Sticky Fingers and Appetite for Destruction in a blender. So, this time around, I thought let’s just spell it out for people by actually covering those two bands. I’ve always loved ‘Dead Flowers’ and ‘Dust N’ Bones,’ anyway, and I had a pretty good idea of how to put our own spin on those songs.” So that fleshes out why these two are here and worthy inclusions they are too with ‘Dust And Bones’ particularly causing a stir. It’ll turn a few heads with something of a departure on the original. It works and that’s all that matters right? Right!
“Killer in the Woodshed” is a retro rockin slice of 70s Rock. The title track is a booty-shakin’ slice of Noo Yawk honky-tonk with a superb and warm solo that leads into the laid back ‘Man With No Name’ which is the perfect way to honk this bad boy home with its splendid sleazy late-night smokey horns Carlyle and His Compulsions do it again. when you’ve got it – Damn, You’ve just got it and Rob Carlyle has another really impressive Rock and Roll record sails out of the east coast just in time for Christmas – Buy it!
‘Ferocious’ will finally be available via Amazon, Spotify and other outlets on Friday, November 13, 2020 – but eager rock fans can grab advance tracks “Dead Flowers” and “Dust N’ Bones” today by pre-ordering Ferocious right now from iTunes.
“Fuck Genres” proclaims Swedish multi-instrumentalist Henrik Palm in the press blurb that accompanies his second solo album ‘Poverty Metal’. Reflecting on this statement whilst also chuckling at the fact that the album title was derived from a term he’d heard being used to describe the type of cheesy bargain bin 80s metal that labels like Mausoleum used to release was enough to get me to give this eight tracker a cautionary listen, and by Hades am I glad I did.
I have to admit I had no idea that Henrik had once been a member of (the rather splendid) In Solitude or that he was once a Nameless Ghoul in Ghost but one listen to ‘Bully’ the opening track on ‘Poverty Metal’ (and without knowing Palm’s past) you’d perhaps be forgiven for thinking he was lifting influences from both of these bands with the post-punk/gothic background of In Solitude’s superb ‘Sister’ album very much present and the track also topped off with the dramatic melodic pomp and ceremony of Ghost. In many ways it has the same immediate appeal to me as Zeal & Ardor’ ‘Stranger Fruit’ did a couple of years back and that’s probably why I’ve played little else other than ‘Poverty Metal’ since I first discovered it just a day or so ago.
‘Sugar’ is up next and it’s a tune that initially brings to mind noughties UK progressive alt rockers Minuteman before it dissolves into the larger-than-life rock sound that characterised the early major label days of Ghost. ‘Concrete Antichrist’ continues the underlying theme of the opening trio of tunes, twisting and turning into your psyche, heavy on melody whilst never being what you might call an “easy listen.” At 3 minutes and 36 seconds its actually ready made to be a single but given the fragmentated state of conventional rock radio right now it’ll sadly never be aired on anything other than specialist stations.
A track that very much could breakthrough into the mainstream though is ‘Given Demon’, released as a video in the run up to the release of ‘Poverty Metal’ many existing fans of Palm’s work were quick to point out this track has more than a hint of QOTSA about it, but then again didn’t QOTSA have more than a hint of Masters Of Reality about them, and Masters Of Reality just a hint of The Doors? I hope you catch my drift? Whatever the influences ‘Given Demon’ is a wonderful slab of psych-pop especially the dreamy end sequence which actually sounds like it could have been written by Andy Partridge during XTC’s studio only days.
Being something of a huge fanboy of Twisted ‘fucking’ Sister, Palm’s cover of ‘Destroyer’ (originally from the ‘Under The Blade’ album) which crops up just after the record’s halfway mark is not only something of a surprise but also a huge revelation, slowed down to sludge like speed but with a vocal that actually seems to float over the menacing bass throb this is exactly how a cover version should be done as it leaves me shocked and sniggering at the audacity of it all. I hope Dee and the boys like it too.
It’s then, just when think I have the measure of Henrik Palm’s ‘Poverty Metal’ sound that up pops ‘Nihil’, a short and gentle stand out that segues perfectly into ‘Nihilist’ a tune which harks back to the gothic majesty of In Solitude and gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. and sat alongside Division Of Laura Lee’s recent ‘Apartment’ album it reinforces the fact that Sweden is once again producing some of the most refreshingly essential music out there in 2020.
Closing things down we have ‘Last Christmas’ (no not that ‘Last Christmas’) a largely instrumental track that initially draws heavily on the influence of Black Sabbath before spiralling off into another rock galaxy altogether.
At just 37 minutes long ‘Poverty Metal’ is a record that leaves me wanting more, (so much so I immediately went out and also bought Palm’s 2017 debut ‘Many Days’) and in an age when the mainstream rock media seems to think that regurgitating the term “Classic Rock” is some sort of quality mark, ‘Poverty Metal’ sticks a huge middle finger up at that assumption.
Fuck genres, this is poverty metal and I fucking love it.
We are living in strange times and with the pandemic still in full effect and live band action sorely missing when The Distillers announced that they were doing an online Halloween special acoustic gig with a question and answer section boom this reviewer was in.
So come 7 pm UK time the online gig started with The Distillers classic “Drain The Blood” and wow what an incredible powerful version this is with Brody on acoustic and throat-ripping vocals, Tony Bevilacqua on electric guitar and Ryan Sinn on bass this was a stunning start.
Up next we had “Coral Fang” and what’s great about this almost acoustic setting is that we are treated to a slightly more slowed-down version than the original but the song doesn’t lose its power and is still gorgeous.
What Halloween special would it be without a “Misfits cover” and what we get is a stunning version of “She” which suits Brody’s passionate vocal delivery.
The band wastes no time into going full tilt into “Dismantle Me” and this is another awesome performance.
We were promised a new song and we were not disappointed “Sunsets” sees Brody performing this beautiful track on her own just her voice and guitar and it is a remarkable song and I was already excited for new material but having heard “Sunsets” this reviewer can’t wait for the new album.
The live acoustic performance comes to an end and we are treated to a question and answer section with the band which is great viewing and sees Brody and the gang answering all kinds of fan-requested questions. What is special about this segment is that a fan asked would the band be releasing an acoustic and b-sides album to which Brody replied it’s supposed to be a secret but there will be a B-side and a compilation of classic Distillers tunes done differently released in the future which was a great thing to hear.
All in all this online gig was great fun with a passionate compelling performance by Brody, Tony, and Ryan.
As we move slowly through time 2020’s been a bastard, with a lack of live music having a definite effect on mental health and wellbeing, not just on us the listeners or viewers, but on the musicians who’ve kept us sane with their craft for generations.
In this fucked up Tory government’s view, who all probably play Phil Collins on auto repeat, music sits sadly at the back of their agenda, alongside theatre and the arts in general. Lets see the next social media campaign with BoJo the performing chimp or our Dom Cummings retraining as human beings some time soon! They just don’t know it yet.
Without live music we find ourselves (or at least I do searching for new stuff to listen to,) or at the very least pushing our own musical boundaries, which needn’t include prog rock or Coldplay or Phil Collins unless you’re a Tory of course, none of these belong in any sane persons collection.
Where am I going with this? About a week ago this beauty landed in my inbox from Daley towers and it really made me sit up and listen!!! Proto Idiot in fairness are all over the place!!! But in a good way.
As I’m trying to put thoughts together as I listen to the opening tracks my own thoughts are bouncing all over the place as to how I would describe them, they’re tagged as garage rock, but in fairness that’s a huge category of music that ran through the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s 80’s, 90’s, 00’s up to present times.
And I suppose that’s my conundrum with this baby as I move through the opening tracks I can’t quite place it, but influences do come forward, for example “I like the Way” could almost be the Beatles, whereas “Replace” has more of any allegiance to Wire’s post punk sound however brief it is!!! “Mountain” has so much going on, you could almost call it industrial Prog? (have I just invented a new genre?) the repetitive vocals over the jangling guitar taking it into places I’ve never heard before.
“ Head straight” takes a more standard garage rock dive into the music and stands out as one of my faves on the LP.
“Well” has elements of Wonk Unit, elements of early Barrett led Pink Floyd but ultimately it’s a bridge into “It’s no good” an early garage rock review of the 60’s sound that came out of California, all tied together with a post punk thread.
When “Enjoy yourself” kicks back in with that Post Punk vibe, you can’t help but smile and your back in the day. LP closer “Try to be good” takes you back into that 60’s Barrett era Floyd sound, again one of the LP’s standouts for yours truly.
There are so great ideas in this LP when you dig underneath the sound, it’ll definitely take you out of your comfort zone, but that’s a good thing.
Mysterious art/punk rockers The Imbeciles have a new 6-track EP ‘Dissolution Sessions’ out today and to mark this occasion they’ve released a video for ‘Yes I Am’ from the EP taken from their recent gig in Brooklyn, New York this month where they played a gig in frontman Butch Dante’s garage to about 30 live music starved fans. The perfect setting for the bands raw, primal sound!
Following their eponymously named debut album in 2019, art punks The Imbeciles return today with a new self-released six-track EP titled ‘Dissolution Sessions’, that features a new band line up – and a different sound. “We’ve slimmed down from a meandering, vegan, six-member prog rock combo, to a tight-knit, guitar-led, steak-eating 5-piece,” says lead Imbecile, Butch Dante. “The guitar sound is fuzzy punk beast-master AF, and we like it.”
The band had originally gone into the studio earlier this year to record a radio session for BBC R6. That ended up being cancelled because of the pandemic crisis. “We were there anyway so we started riffing on some new songs and everything came together real fast,” says Butch.
In early 2021 the band are set to begin recording a new album with hugely respected producer and Killing Joke founder, Youth.
“Having Youth involved as producer and co-writer is the most dope thing that has ever happened to the band,” says lead singer and bass player Kip Larson. “Everyone is in a super positive, hyper creative place right now and we can’t wait to see what we come up with.”
Hailing from West London, Charlie Manning and his group of wandering minstrels – Chubby and the Gang – might be right up there with Dirt Box Disco in the “don’t be fooled by the shit name” awards but could be real contenders to nick the latter’s Rebellion crown.
Kicking off with a fast and frantic two-minute declaration on intent – Do “Chubby and the Gang Rule Okay”? Fuck yeah!
I guess you could start with a Sham or Cockney Rejects comparison. It’s certainly very London street punk but there’s definitely some Damned in there too along with a ton of other bands in your record collection. But that’s a good thing, right? Believe me, you’re gonna love it…….
Second up is “Pariah Radio” and it’s a banger, proving that speed and melody aren’t mutually exclusive
I’ve heard a few people say that this could be the album of the year and three songs in, “All Along The Uxbridge Road” may have sealed the deal for me. If you don’t believe me, feast your eyes on this…
“Speed Kills” is the first song so far that breaks the two-minute barrier and with a sprinkling of Generation X it doesn’t disappoint. While “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” might be a bit more of the same, “Trouble” slows things down a gear with a bit of a love song. A wonderful tuneless tune with a hint of Madness.
After a momentary pause in the frantic riffery, we’re off again…..“The Rise And Fall Of The Gang” and “Hold Your Breath” gets the fists pumping in oi-tastic fashion and when bands can play live again, “Moscow” is gonna rip your local club apart.
“Bruce Grove Bullies” kicks into a Kinks-tastic riff and with a healthy undercurrent of Hammond Organ, while the yanks will go mental over the bark and bite of “Blue Ain’t My Colour”.
There’s no way you can avoid the comparison of “Grenfell Forever” to early Billy Bragg but fuck it, I for one think it’s a real stand-out tune.
“Union Dues” rounds things on in a Quo-tastic way. And what a way to say goodbye.
So there you go, thirteen songs that’ll fit on one side of a C60.
Speed Kills is available to pre-order now on the band’s Bandcamp page on yellow vinyl (with cartoon sticker sheet), black vinyl (with colour-in sleeve and crayons), hipster-friendly cassette, and ye olde traditional CD.
If songwriters really do think of their songs as being like their children Spunk Volcano must have to keep a beady one eyed watch over every song he writes for the Eruptions, simply because they are the type of tunes that would hang around the shops looking to nick your XR3 whilst flicking you the vees out the back window as they speed off into the night looking for a little road rage.
Hot on heels of 2019’s expansive and belligerent ‘Double Bastard’ set, the wonderfully monikered ‘Barry Milner Is Thick’ is a collection of fourteen of Spunk’s new children that not only continue with his wry life observations but also in places sees the masked menace move the Eruptions sound into (dare I say it?) what some might call a more commercial direction.
From the opening “woah ohs” of the hook-laden ‘Broken Hearts Make Better Songs You See’ through the thunderous bass driven lead single ‘Football In The Sun (Ossie Ardiles)’ to the chugging ‘Soldier On’, the opening 1-2-3 are perhaps the most melodic tracks Spunk has ever penned for the Eruptions, and in doing so I think he’s going to perhaps draw more than just the odd comparison with his other band – Dirt Box Disco. I really do not mean that as any form of criticism, especially as that band’s last album (‘TV Sex Show’) is easily one of their strongest in years, but when you have the same singer in both bands these things are perhaps going to be inevitable.
‘Hard As Nails’ quickly brings things very much back onto more familiar Eruptions turf though and as a song it does exactly what it says on the tin, leaving me feeling like I just received a sonic boot in the bollocks from the masked man and his Eruptions. Likewise, ‘Swiss Army Dick Head’ continues the sideways look at local bellends whilst ‘Little Red Buggy’ perfectly criss-crosses the metal/punk tightrope the band have always chosen to traverse.
‘Magic Manakin’ and ‘I Should Have Seen It Coming’ once again move proceedings into singalong territory with the former containing one of the most infectious opening riffs the band have ever written. ‘Council Pop’ miraculously turns water into a 1 minute 43 second thrasher and in current single ‘Only Got Eyes For You’ Spunk and the boys might have written their greatest song yet. However, when you also add into the mix the anthemic ‘Looking For Something’ (which reminds me of Argy Bargy jamming with Misfits!) and the brutal ‘It’s Fucking Shit’ (a song I would love to think has been influenced in some way by The Hip Priests’ Austin Rocket’s infamous online music reviews) it feels kind of wrong to pick out single tracks for a special mention.
A new Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions album wouldn’t be complete without a couple of musical curveballs and here it’s the album’s second single ‘Tomorrows Promises’ that has a pounding later day Living End kind of vibe to it plus the emotionally charged album closer ‘Caving In’ which really do push the Eruptions sound into a whole new dimension.
Written and recorded by the ‘Double Bastard’ line up of Spunk on vocals, Maff on drums, Joey on bass, and Tom and Scott on guitars a long time before the current Covid-19 pandemic, whilst ‘Barry Milner Is Thick’ once again dabbles in the darker sides of life it’s still guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face and for me it once again reaffirms the fact that if degrees were awarded for songwriting social commentary, Spunk Volcano would have a masters in it.
Released on vinyl and CD on 4th December 2020 via Avenue Recordz, you can pre-order your copy of ‘Barry Milner Is Thick’ now by clicking the link below.
New tunes and videos? Here goes a bumper rainy day buster. First up is the awesome new video from Ravagers
If thats not cool enough for you then how about this banger from Smalltown Tigers. Their impressive ‘Five Things’ is available digitally and physically on Area Pirata Records through Bandcamp, as well as Spotify and all the usual platforms. Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Then finally this new video from Baby Shakes taken from their brand new single that we reviewed yesterday.
The Bloodshots – ‘No Way Out’ (Golden Robot Records). What time is it? It’s cock Rock O’Clock kids. Big chorus’s big guitars Big drums and big attitude. Who said cock rock was dead? Well, it ain’t, The Bloodshots are proving that. Gang Vocals big enough for Two Dokken albums and guitar soloing like there’s no tomorrow. Check it out, kids. I’m only disappointed they haven’t all got cowboy boots on and big hair I feel somewhat let down. Never mind turn it up and lets rock. Sharing the stage with the likes of Danko Jones can only be a good thing as the band evolves.
The Cavemen – ‘Euthanise Me’ (Slovenly Recordings) Oh baby it’s always a good day when an email drops from Slovenly and it contains the words The Cavemen and you can see it contains new music. Damn, I love this band of reprobates. They play perfect trash and bash rock and Roll and ‘Euthanise Me’ is a four-track EP that just nails it. From the sonic explosion of the title track and all its trashy sing along beauty. If that wasn’t trashy enough then get a load of the raw delights that is ‘Eat Your Heart & Wear Your Face’. As close as you can get to ‘Raw Power’ without melting in the heat generated. They’ve also got time to give you a ‘Nightmare’ as they OD on the 50s Rock and Roll. Hang on a minute, ‘Over You’ is a slower groove and an absolute peach of a track with a banging melody. and those guitars are like you’ve just wiped your ears with an angle grinder. Brilliant! Single of the week? Fuckin’ right it is. Facebook
Bitch Queens / Delilahs ’77 – Split (Lux Noise Records) Boom! Bitch Queens have been a band I’ve loved since I very first heard them and over those years they’ve managed to get better and better with each new record and live they are one of the best hard rockin bands out there. This split is yet more proof that they just kick ass and take no prisoners. A classic attack and takedown of a classic tune. Bitch Queens absolutely own it – brilliant!
For all you collectors out there its available in several highly collectable colours. As for Delilahs, it’s a Misfits mashup and to be quite honest the ‘fits haven’t sounded this good for – oh God I don’t know how long – fantastic version. The classic ‘Some Kinda Hate’ is totally owned. These two have form for sharing splits and this is a worthy addition to anyone’s punk rock 7′ collection. Of course I’m saying Buy It! Here
The Hangmen – ‘Thunderhead / She Walks’ (Acetate Records) It’s not every day you get a treat like this. The Hangmen covering Gun Club – wow! What a storming take on the Jefferey Lee Pierce Gun Club number. Blood and thunder with the slippy slide guitar and crash bang wallop its a really good take on a great song. Small talks about his love of Gun Club and pours his heart out in this cover.
As for she walks its got swagger and some awesome ivory tinkling going on, Hell it’s The Hangmen just go get it!
IT might only be a digital release through Acetate and Bandcamp but I’d love to hear more make it happen Brian. Get it Here
Jesse Malin – ‘Ameri’Ka’ (Wicked Cool Records) Laid back Malin knocks out the best single he’s penned in a while. Troubadour or bard of NYC its got great lyrics and in the darkness there seems a hope and a look to the future going on. Tough times call for tough songs and this is a beauty. But then I’m always going to say that sure I’d love to hear the guy rock out but I also love the guys more roots American vibe and this is the latter – and very good it is too.
Vacuum – ‘Fixated’ (Wanda Records) Some usual suspects from the London Punk Scene drop a two-track slice of toxic punk rock with a heap of melody and a chorus you can jump around to and sing along at the same time. Uh, Ha Fixated alright.
The B side is like the sound of some punk keying your car door then kicking your speaker cone in. It’s snotty it’s brash its an open wound you just want to scratch and I love the breakdown and solo.
The Dirts – ‘#2’ (Self Release) Five songs in under ten minutes, what’s not to like? No-fi, Tick. The spirit of The Stooges and the Damned coursing through this is just about perfect. Where do I pay my money? opener ‘Zero Boys’ is trashy as fuck but ‘Inside My Head’ takes it to the next level. The vocals are barely audible but the guitar is throwing out the licks life his life depends on it.
Recorded at home (if your home is a cell with no windows then cool! and Helvete which is just about right. Satans doorbell would be the ideal place to hang this one. This EP absolutely rips and only gets better. ‘Nowhere To Go’ is bursting with energy but ‘Homicide Eyes’ is plain Evil. Get some at the link pop pickers its a Garage punk fire fest and I love it.
Drive-By Truckers – ‘The New OK’ ( ATO Records) Patterson Hood pens the hard-hitting title track from the new Truckers album and shoots a video during the recent Portland unrest. Hood is residing in the Portland area and asks the question is the New OK OK? and hits the spot. Always astute lyrics but these strike a chord with so many right-minded people around the world and we stand side by side. Everyone should have the right to peacefully protest and everyone should respect that and Hood shoots a hard-hitting video to accompany the track. Top tune from a top band check it out.
The False Positives – ‘Favourite Things’ (self Release) When the sleeve has albums strewn over a floor and I spy such classics as The Damneds debut, Motorhead, DMZ, Nick Lowe and The Flamin Groovies I just knew this was going to be a winner and low and behold it is. A vibrant Rockin’ slab of Power poppin goodness. Two and a half minutes of Swirling Garage organs and tasty distorted licks with a solid chorus and do wap harmonies to complete the job and a lead vocal that reminds me of the late great Nikki Sudden. Very nice work indeed.
Continental Lovers – ‘Out Of My Head’ (Self Release) Glam bang Thank you, man. Trashy Rock ‘n’ Roll with a delightful smudge of glitter and attitude.
The shuffle on the verse leading to the chorus is great and the arrangement is quality. It’s a rapid burst of energy and quite possibly the best thing Joe has penned to date be it as a Breakdown or any other project he’s been involved in. It’s a top tune and if this is just a taste of what’s to come then bring it on as Continental Lovers have a bright future. Buy ‘Out Of My Head’ Here
Baby Shakes – ‘Singles’ (Dimple Discs) Glam stomping Rock ‘n’ Retro Roll. Two Undertones-related records get the Noo Yawk makeover and to be fair they turn in a pretty faultless pair of beauties. ‘Sweet N Sour’ is a stomper that was originally released by Damian O’Neill on his solo record a few years back but my pick of the pair is ‘Really Really’ a song written by drummer Billy Doherty that could be found on the B side of the 1979 hit ‘Get Over You’ which they absolutely nail.
Bipolar – ‘Bipolar EP’ (Slovenly Recordings) Thinking about how to describe Bipolar whilst the EP is playing then gancing down at the press release and seeing them described as SCREAMERS finger-banging THE DICKIES while THE SPITS egg them on I knew I couldn’t beat that so I’m using it. Bipolar is the twisted creation of Pouya and Obash, two Iranians living in Brooklyn.
Think SCREAMERS finger-banging THE DICKIES while THE SPITS egg them on – Pouya has already done time on keys with The Spits.
Of course its crude, Lo-Fi noisy and hell of a lot of fun. ‘Virus’ sounds like a twisted punk rock Motorhead on the wrong meds. As for ‘Fist Fight’ it sounds like what went on before during and after they pressed record. Its uncomplicated, dark punk rock blasts from people who truly get it. Go find em if you dare. Top EP.
Jakob Mind – ‘Watch The City Burn’ (Lövely Records) Rotten Mind singer/vocalist Jakob Arvidsson’s newly established solo project unveils the first track and its the sprightly ‘Watch The City Burn’ and bloody good it is too. It’s the first glimpse of what will be a new album early 2021 and Jakob promises songs from straight-up punk rock to a more Roky Erickson vibe so what’s not to like there? ‘Watch The City Burn’ sounds like he plays everything and a bit DIY but in the best possible way. Great song, great vibe and one to look out for. Pencil it in your diaries folks April 2021. Facebook / Instagram
I See Vultures – ‘Neversafe’ (Self Release) Something of a Gallows tip or post-punk hardcore – a little less in your face maybe but coming from the same place are these Brit hooligans I see Vultures. drawing from the At The Drive-In, Rage Against The Machine pool. Its Big vocals full of harmony that’s quite proggy sounding against the rough lead vocal but swirling guitars is the name of the game before they build up into that Rage groove. It’s glossy and rough in equal measures. Check them out for yourself in the youtube video below.
Atomic Eater – ‘Broken Earth’ (Self Release) Another off the Lo-Fi conveyor belt. Swedens Atomic Eater goes for the electronic garage punk with a Bontempi keyboard to lead you into the dense verse /chorus thump. Imagine if the early Buzzcocks used synths and riffed on Tubeway Army vibes then you’d be in the right ballpark. ‘Nightshift’ is another uptempo punch to the throat and one you’ll be toe-tapping along to but pick it up quickly because it’s over with in the blink of an eye. Crazy scandi punks.
Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – 30,000 Megabucks (Self Release) Riff it up boyos Its like a prime time slab of boogie-woogie on the intro like Angus was born in Brecon. It’s a double denim stomp off. When times are tough and you’re looking for a little ray of sunshine in strut four lads with electric guitars and a pocket full of top tunes. Get on it now my 70s inspired rock and rollas turn the amps up and play your rock and roll. This tune is majestic like the band riding over the rainbow throwing out fistfuls of magic stardust that cheer up the people via the medium of rock, I didn’t know it was possible to smile like a Cheshire cat for three and a half minutes but I do now – Buy It!
The Dry Retch – 12,000 miles from new
Graveyard Party – Lady Lazarus
Mom – Pleasure Island
Taffee – Have taste in your own bad faith
Lee Bains & the Glory Fires – 2-4-6-8 Motorway EP
The Lotts – we are the Lotts
Black Country New Road – Science Fair
Lowlives – Gravity
Static Fur – Sorry Future
SUA – You Don’t Care
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