Andy McCoy – ‘21st Century Rocks’ (Ainoa Productions)

Andy McCoy – ‘21st Century Rocks’ (Ainoa Productions)

It’s been a while since we heard anything from the Sherriff McCoy. In fact, its 10 years since Hanoi Rocks performed their last hurrah and put the band to bed with a final show at the Tavastia in Helsinki. So what has Michael Monroe’s former partner in crime been up to? Well, if you believe the comments on YouTube, it appears he has been a lighthouse keeper for 10 years! While I would love that to be true, apart from the short-lived Grease Helmet and a few guest appearances, it seems he has done little musically to speak of and has spent more time on his artwork, clothes design and even a stint on Finland’s Celebrity Big Brother.

But the guitar legend is back with a 12 song slab of ‘21st Century Rocks’, his first solo album since ‘Building On Tradition’ that came out way back in 1995. And what a welcome surprise it is.

 

Lead single ‘Seven Seas’ came out of nowhere a month back and actually upstaged Monroe’s first offering from the highly anticipated ‘One Man Band’. Andy always had an ear for melody and ‘Seven Seas’ confirms he still has a trick or two up his sleeve. A definite classic Hanoi feel comes across, as it builds to a fantastic uplifting chorus that fills the ears and soul with a feeling of euphoria no drug can give. Can Andy McCoy possibly be the king of all comebacks? We will have to see if the rest of the album holds up to the same quality.

That familiar guitar tone blasts from the speakers as the title track sets the scene for the album. The even more familiar vocal drawl follows. Andy McCoy’s vocals are certainly an acquired taste, but let’s not forget Hanoi Rocks’ back catalogue would not be the same without those quirky ‘out of tune’ backing vocals of his. And that guitar solo… no one plays guitar quite like Andy McCoy! Killer stuff indeed.

 

The ghost of his bastard past is never far away. ‘Undertow’ comes on like ‘A Day Late, A Dollar Short’, there’s even a sax solo to boot. I wonder if it originated from those sessions. Whether it did or not, it’s a cool tune for sure. Then ‘Batteram’ takes things way back in time. That melody comes on like Hanoi’s ‘Desperado’ to these ears. And the way he sings “round” and “ground” in the chorus with an unmistakeable accent is cool as fuck.

Andy’s songwriting and guitar playing has always been more experimental, taking in eastern and reggae influences, and he certainly creates a few more mental beats to make a diverse album. While Monroe has stuck to his rock ‘n’ roll roots for his whole solo career, (and we wouldn’t want it any other way, right?) McCoy explores the obscure and recaptures the quirky influences that peppered Hanoi’s earlier albums.

‘Maria Maria’ is pure class. Mariachi vibes all over as trumpets and strummed acoustics take us into spaghetti western territory. The Urban Voodoo Machine comes to mind as Andy transports us to the Mexican border to smoke a doobie or two, down tequila and jam out in the scorching sun with a chiquita or two. That is what I imagine Andy has been doing in the wilderness years! While I don’t think Andy is even allowed anywhere near any US boarders anytime soon due to his past antics, the idea is spot on.

‘Soul Satisfaction’ is another track that is out there, even in Andy McCoy terms. A tripped-out pre chorus leads into a 70’s New York groove as the main man slurs his words like Keith Richards on his second bottle of Jack.

‘Bible and a Gun’ could sit nicely anywhere in his discography. A bluesy, Stonesy little number with honky tonk piano and a cool barroom boogie groove. Elsewhere, Andy makes his guitar gently weep on the opening riff of ‘The Hunger’. The laid back, jangly backing, harmonised guitars and the ‘Village Girl’ style breakdown to fade makes this a rapturous and satisfying ride.

As we reach the final stretch it comes to mind that Andy McCoy actually comes on like vintage Alice Cooper, which is something that I never realised.  Take away the smoky sax on ‘Gimme Time’ and listen intently to closer ‘This is Rock ‘n’ Roll’ with its gang backing vocals and Detroit garage rock delivery and maybe you’ll catch my drift.

 

Obviously, ‘21st Century Rocks’ will be measured up against ‘One Man Gang’ as they literally come out within weeks of each other. Michael Monroe has an established career as a solo artist and has one of the best live bands in the business, and Andy is…well he’s just Andy McCoy, the guitar-slinging outlaw! Let’s not take anything away from either camp. Both are living legends that together produced some of the greatest albums in my record collection and influenced a whole generation of bands.

While they made magic together, they continue to do the same on their own terms. ‘21st Century Rocks’ is a testament to that, a surprise hit on many levels. Who’s for a UK tour then?

Buy 21st Century Rocks Here  (Finland)

Buy 21st Century Rocks Here (Amazon)

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

The Professor and the Madman – Live at the 100 Club (Self Release)

The Professor and the Madman – Live at the 100 Club (Self Release)

The Professor and the Madman aren’t household names in the Punk Rock, Power Pop fraternity, although they should be. Not just because former Damned drummer Rat Scabies has played on all three of the band’s studio albums or for the latest “Disintegrate Me”.  Rat’s bass playing former colleague Paul Gray lends his considerable talent to it, but because the mainstays of Alfie Agnew and Sean Elliot have just as much Punk cred, having been in the likes of D.I. and The Adolescents and exuded more DIY ethos than both Wickes and B&Q combined.

The birth of this live album deserves a whole section dedicated it itself; publishing approval, Art(?) Work(??) copyright issues, Pressing problems and almost the final nail in the coffin PledgeMusic that had the band putting their hands in their own pockets to fulfill the orders, but enough of the back story let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of The Professor and the Mad Man live at the 100 Club album.

The album was recorded just over a year ago at, obviously, the legendary 100 Club in Oxford Street where Messers Gray and Scabies would be playing together live, something that they hadn’t done since July 1992 when the Damned were either departing or reforming. The twelve tracks that make up this 50 minute album span the bands 3 album career to date with “Peace Bombs” from the “Elixir II – Election” album leading straight into a cover of US Power Pop band 20/20’s “Nuclear Boy” and then “Nightmare” that had me thinking that the band have arranged the setlist as some sort of post-apocalyptic concept. It’s almost as if this live album should’ve been a studio one, no doubt to thanks to various Streaming Services it can be. Even the cover of Eddie and the Hot Rods “Quit This Town”, that features a guest appearance from former Hot Rods guitarist Graeme Douglas, lends weight to this. Either that or this is The Professor and the Mad Man’s stab at their own version of The Monkees “Head” soundtrack done live; brilliantly off the rails but bang on the money. The production is super well balanced; you can hear everybody and everything, no one is too loud or understated. The only thing missing is the crowd appreciation and reaction between songs, until “Quit This Town”, where it springs into life, before mysteriously receding into the background; I was at the gig and remember the crowd to have been on the lively, boisterous side with a lot more stories and antidotes between songs (Adam Ant) and I’m sure “Electroconvulsive Therapy” was the penultimate track and not, as on the CD, the last. Maybe that’s why it fades out?

Overall, it’s a great snapshot of something special that at the time was billed as “For One Night Only”. However, with Alfie, Sean, Paul and Rat working on new material I hope to see “A Welcome Return” sometime next year.

Author: Armitage Smith

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Jesse Malin – ‘Sunset Kids’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Jesse Malin – ‘Sunset Kids’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Jesse Malin’s transition from snotty frontman for NY punks D Generation to acoustic troubadour has been a natural progression over the last 15 years. The long and winding road has seen him release 7 solo albums, collaborating with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Ryan Adams and Brian Fallon along the way.

Critically praised, yet commercially ignored (hey, aren’t all the best songwriters? Ginger,Tyla and Butch Walker, here’s looking at you!). His live shows, whether solo or with a band, can be an immersive experience full of storytelling, comedy and crowd interaction. Jesse Malin continues to tell tales of dreamers, schemers, hustlers and dealers. These are his songs about the characters from his native New York and stories about those he meets on the road.

Jesse’s latest album ‘Sunset Kids’ is a collaboration with country legend Lucinda Williams, who Malin met by chance in a club. They discussed making an album together after she invited him to Tom Petty’s final concert.  During the writing and recording Jesse lost his father, his good friend Todd Youth and even the engineer of the album Davis Bianco.

 

Opener ‘Meet Me At The End Of The World Again’ is a re-recording of the lead track from 2017’s ‘Meet Me At The End Of The World’ EP. This version benefits from Lucinda’s lush production and masterful guidance. The verse, sung in Jesse’s lower register with the addition of warm bass and a tinkling of the ivories, comes on like prime Lou Reed. It lends itself well as a great build to the infectious chorus full of lush, gang vocals. It’s a laid back, lazy sounding slice of retro rock ‘n’ roll, the kind that only a New York resident could produce. This is Jesse walking on the wildside and that’s about as rock ‘n’ roll as you can get.

Next up, the countrified ‘Room 13’ is a reflective ode to spending time in hotel rooms (Jesse has been known to book himself into hotels to write songs in isolation, with no distractions). This is prime Malin songwriting, featuring Lucinda’s lush vocal harmonies and twangy countrified guitars, the sparse instrumentation creates space and atmosphere that only adds to the laid back, signature melodies Jesse creates.

 

There’s a nice ebb and flow to the album, from the upbeat to the downbeat. Reflective, acoustic laments like ‘When You’re Young’ and ‘Revelations’ rub (leather) shoulders with funky 70’s groovers such as ‘Do You Really Wanna Know’ and the overly cool ‘Dead On’, 2 tunes that deserve to be jammed out by cool cats in smoky bars, while whores hustle and hustlers whore around them.

The upbeat ‘Chemical Heart’ has the same feel as his version of The Hold Steady’s ‘You Can Make Them Like You’ from the excellent ‘On Your Sleeve’ covers album. Nice stabs of Hammond give this song a quirky burst of energy. It’s one of the coolest on offer, along with ‘Strangers and Thieves’, co-written by Billy Joe Armstrong as part of their Rodeo Queens side project. A euphoric, countrified rock ‘n’ roll blast if ever there was one. Lucinda’s lush backing vocals add depth, great percussion and twangy guitars give a Stonesy ‘All Down The Line’ feel. A much needed dose of urgency.

Jesse’s tales of working class guys, lost love and dreaming of breaking out of the rat race have been popular themes with the guy since D Generation burst onto MTV with ‘No Way Out’, and although the production may have changed, the message is still the same. As he suggests in ‘Shining On’, you gotta keep on, keeping on. “Call me a cab for the last plane to tomorrow” he asks on ‘Promises’ and ‘Grey Skies Look So Blue’ floats along on a summer breeze as Jesse dreams about packing his bags and getting away.

 

 

When an artist goes through tumultuous times, when a songwriter experiences heartache or pain, and truly has something to write about, THAT is when they are at their best. Like much of Jesse’s solo work, ‘Sunset Kids’ is a reflective body of work, full of heartfelt tenderness and cool rock ‘n’ roll, but for whatever reason it resonates so much more than his past albums. And with the help of Lucinda Williams, he may well have made the album of his career.

Author: Ben Hughes

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Press Club – Wasted Energy (Hassle Records)

Press Club – Wasted Energy (Hassle Records)

Hailing from Melbourne Australia Press Club is really working the hard yards and slogging it out on the world tour circuit working hard crafting their place in the scene. With Natalie Foster leaving the stage on empty night after night ably supported by Greg Rietwyk, Frank Lees and Rufio MacRae; Press Club are giving it their best shot with ‘Wasted Energy’ and those hours spent in the van and on stages everywhere are spilled into every groove and track on the album.  It seems like only a couple of months ago they were out supporting their debut album and already they’re onto album number two.  Good work ethic guys tour, write, record.  Its the evolution circle of rock and roll as it used to be.

 

There’s no easing in gently here its bang – on with the show. ‘Separate Houses’ is up and running.  It’s setting the tempo for what’s to come there’s no time like now and no time for fucking about waiting. ‘Dead Or Dying’ is sharp and rattles along with a cool bass line that punches through the melody on the verses as the sprightly tempo raises like Foster’s voice.

‘Thinking About You’ is a more melodic tune. you still have the tightness but the guitar is more chiming and its no surprise to see it as the lead single off the record as its easily accessible to a wider audience. In direct contrast ‘Chosen Ones’ is the other end of the spectrum and is a far more uptempo number.  To be fair it’s pretty much the band’s default sound and style but that’s not to say they lack variety because they don’t at times I’m reminded of bands like Joy Division with some of the cold sharp angular guitar attack and then on songs like ‘Get Better’ they just get their heads down and rock out and the album really soars when they hit that groove.

They can also just kick out the jams like on ‘New Year’s Eve’  where the rhythm section gets the job done with aplomb. As the album wears on the penultimate track is the thoughtful ‘Same Mistakes’ which starts off gently and builds towards the chorus (of Sorts) and is one of the standout tracks on a pretty impressive album.  Press Club are working hard on their chosen craft and it’s paying dividends in the studio because ‘Wasted Energy’ is a strong outing and one that will see the band reap the rewards.

 

 

Buy Wasted Energy Here

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Author: Dom Daley

THE DEAD DAISIES set to release covers album

THE DEAD DAISIES set to release covers album

THE DEAD DAISIES ARE LOCKED, LOADED AND READY TO FIRE!! on  AUGUST 23RD.

 

The Dead Daisies pride themselves on being an ass-kicking Rock band very much of today who love to celebrate the history of amazing music. In short, the band are fans of Rock and always will be.

Every one of the bands albums to date has had at least one cover song on it drawn from great songs from all eras, from the early blues greats to the classic rockers and heavy-hitters of later times. So many terrific players, so many immortal words, so many larger-than-life riffs.

 

“This is a ‘tip of the hat’ to our heroes, bands that influenced us when we use to buy their records as teenagers. Now we’ve put them all on one album and it seriously rocks!! You may think of us as ‘Rock Stars’ but at the end of the day we’re just huge music fans!” – John Corabi

This collection of covers comes together from a long list of some of our favourite tunes, some bonafide classics – or simply songs that made us all smile, sweat and scream, band and audience alike.

These are done Daisies style, with big guitars, big vocals and always a bit of dirt under our collective fingernails, just the way we like it which is why we always love to mix up the setlist and throw them into our live shows.

“Playing these songs live is a total adrenaline rush for all of us. Our audiences go nuts with our Daisified versions of these songs that come from an incredible time in music. It’s our way of paying homage to the ‘greats’ of rock.” – Doug Aldrich

 

So crank them up as they work better with generous amounts of volume and a huge smile on your face. After all, a great song is a great song. Rock is Indeed alive and well.

Released on August 23rd, 2019, it comes in a suite of formats including DigiPak CD, Coloured Vinyl with CD in paper sleeve, digital download and streaming.

All tracks are remastered for this project with ‘Rockin’ In The Free World (Live)’ and ‘Highway Star (Live)’ being released for the first time ever.

 The players:

 

A lot of great musicians have been part of The Dead Daisies over the years. The following musicians can be heard on this album: Doug Aldrich, Jackie Barnes, Deen Castronovo, John Corabi, Richard Fortus, David Lowy, Marco Mendoza, Dizzy Reed, Jon Stevens and Brian Tichy.

 

Rock Is Indeed Alive And Well!!!

The Bar Stool Preachers – ‘High Horse’ Video

The Bar Stool Preachers – ‘High Horse’ Video

With the new video in the can and doing the rounds, The Bar Stool Preachers are continuing their never-ending tour schedule for the brilliant ‘Grazie Governo’ and RPM highly recommends you catch them at one or more of these dates.

 

 

 

August 2019

1st BLACKPOOL, UK – Rebellion Festival, Winter Gardens
1st BLACKPOOL, UK – Rebellion Festival, Winter Gardens
4th COMPTON MARTIN, UK – Outcider Festival, Fernhill Farm

Bouncing Souls + The Bronx + THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS

August 2019

9th MONTREAL, QC, Canada – Foufounes Electriques
10th TORONTO, ON, Canada – Phoenix Concert Theatre
11th PITTSBURGH PA, USA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
13th CLEVELAND, OH, USA – Grog Shop
14th DETROIT, MI, USA – Saint Andrews Hall
17th CHICAGO, IL, USA – Metro
18th MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA – Varsity Theater
19th MILWAUKEE, WI – X-Ray Arcade

THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS + The Raging Nathans

20th DAYTON, OH – Blind Bob‘s
21st LANCASTER, PA – American Bar & Grill
22nd ASBURY PARK, NJ – Asbury Park Brewery
23rd ALLSTON, MA – O‘Brien‘s
24th DOVER, NH – Brickhouse

THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS

September 2019

13th KINGSTON, UK – Fighting Cocks
14th DERBY, UK – Hairy Dog
15th MANCHESTER, UK – Star ’N Garter
16th LEEDS, UK – Brudenell Club
17th NEWCASTLE, UK – Trillians
18th GLASGOW, UK – Stereo Cafe
19th CARLISLE, UK – Brickyard
20th BLACKPOOL, UK – Waterloo Bar
21st CARDIFF, UK – Club Ifor Bach
22nd ILSON, UK – Latch Lifter (ALL AGES)

Ticket details for all shows are Here

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JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE, PLUS UK TOUR DATES & SPECIAL LONDON SHOW

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE, PLUS UK TOUR DATES & SPECIAL LONDON SHOW

With the debris barely settled following the release of their critically acclaimed explosive second album,‘CollectiV’, and near sold-out spring UK and European tour, testifying rockers Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind have announced details of brand new, limited edition 7” coloured vinyl single, ‘Get Down Get With It’. It will be supported by 11 UK gigs in September and October.

 

Made famous by Little Richard and Slade, ‘Get Down Get With It’, will be limited to just 1000 copies. Released by Ma§onic Records via Cargo on 20 September on pink vinyl and backed with a reading of Link Wray’s ‘Ace Of Spades’, it will be on sale only at tour venues and selected independent record stores.

 

Pushing the VU meters well into the red, ‘Get Down Get With It’ is arguably the noisiest and rawest record that Jim Jones has recorded over an illustrious career that has seen him front the legendary bands Thee Hypnotics, Black Moses and The Jim Jones Revue. What is beyond debate is that it’s a glorious call to arms guaranteed to get your ass off your seat and your feet on the floor.

 

Speaking of the new single, Jim Jones says: “’Get Down Get With It’ became the rallying cry for the ‘CollectiV’ tour, so it made sense to go back into the studio, turn everything up to 11 and totally rip it up.”

 

He continues: “Liars and charlatans have got the world tearing itself apart right now when really, we should be coming together. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, this absolutely does that and lives up to its name.”

 

Jim Jones & the Righteous Mind will also embark on a UK tour that calls in at Manchester, London, and Brighton among others. Billed as ‘An invitation to get down get with it’, the London date takes place on 21 September at The Garage in Highbury. Promising a Saturday night extravaganza with a full supporting cast of special guests and performers, the event is topped off with a 2.30am late night license for extended reveling.

 

“We had to turn people away when we last played London so we wanted to go to a bigger venue and put on a really special event for our hometown,” explains Jim Jones. “In addition to support from Ye Nuns, Chrome Mountain and Suzie Stapleton, we’ve got rock’n’roll DJs Helene de Joie and Las Titis to keep the party going into the early hours, as well as dancing from Rebel Skin and more.

 

“You can also expect some very special guests who we’ll reveal on the night.”

 

He adds: “With tubes and buses running all night and all of Sunday to recover, it’s the perfect night out.”

 

Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind will tour the UK in the autumn. They play:

 Tickets are on sale now here: http://www.righteousmind.co.uk/

SEPTEMBER

 

19 – York, Fulford Arms

20 – Manchester, Night & Day Café

21 – London, The Garage

22 – Bristol, The Exchange

26 – Norwich, Waterfront

27 – Brighton, Green Door

28 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach

29 – Southampton, Joiners

 

OCTOBER

 

03 – Southend, The Railway Hotel

04 – Hastings, The Piper

05 – Bedford, Esquires

 

Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind are:

 

Jim Jones – vocals and guitar

Gavin Jay – bass/contrabass/backing vocals

Mal Troon – guitar/pedal steel/backing vocals

Matt Millership – piano/organ/backing vocals

Andy Marvell – drums

 

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE STAND ALONE NEW SINGLE, ‘GET DOWN GET WITH IT’, AND UK AUTUMN TOUR

JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND ANNOUNCE STAND ALONE NEW SINGLE, ‘GET DOWN GET WITH IT’, AND UK AUTUMN TOUR – TEASER AND TICKETS HERE!With the debris barely settled following the release of our critically acclaimed explosive second album,‘CollectiV’, and near sold-out spring UK and European tour, we’re thrilled to announce the release of our new, limited edition 7” coloured vinyl single, ‘Get Down Get With It’, and autumn UK tour.Made famous by Little Richard and Slade, ‘Get Down Get With It’, will be limited to just 1000 copies. Released by Ma§onic Records via Cargo on 20 September on pink vinyl and backed with a reading of Link Wray’s ‘Ace Of Spades’, it will be on sale only at tour venues and selected independent record stores. Pushing the VU meters well into the red, ‘Get Down Get With It’ is arguably the noisiest and rawest record that Jim Jones has ever recorded. Jim Jones says: “’Get Down Get With It’ became the rallying cry for the ‘CollectiV’ tour, so it made sense to go back into the studio, turn everything up to 11 and totally rip it up.”He continues: “Liars and charlatans have got the world tearing itself apart right now, when really, we should be coming together. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, this absolutely does that and lives up to its name.” Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind play:SEPTEMBER19 – York, The Fulford Arms20 – Manchester, Night & Day Cafe 21 – London, The Garage22 – Bristol, Exchange26 – Norwich, The Waterfront Norwich27 – Brighton, The Green Door Store [SOLD OUT]28 – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach29 – Southampton, The JoinersOCTOBER03 – Southend, The Railway Hotel. Clifftown Road04 – Hastings, The Piper05 – Bedford, Bedford EsquiresTickets are on sale now here: http://www.righteousmind.co.uk/Get Down Get With It!

Posted by Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind on Monday, 22 July 2019

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Cheap Gunslingers ‘Cheap Gunslingers’ (Rum Bar Records)

Cheap Gunslingers ‘Cheap Gunslingers’ (Rum Bar Records)

Cheap Gunslingers introduce themselves as a band quite nicely on their debut album which prefers to ignore the past 40 years and channel a blend of glam, the Ramones, and ’77 punk to great effect. Many, many years ago, Jeff Dahl put out a series of compilations call the ‘Ultra Underground’ that would have served as a perfect place to find the Cheap Gunslingers. I did a quick review of Sal Canzonieri’s new ‘A Fistful More of Rock and Roll’ series as that would be another great place for these Gunslingers to be but did not see them listed on any of the upcoming volumes yet. Their songs are filled with trashy, fuzzy, addictive, familiar hooks that musically do not offer a lot of surprises, but the album is downright fun.

‘Record Store’ gets the party started with a beat and structure that reminds me of Joan Jett’s version of ‘Roadrunner,’ but the production is much more aligned with the early Ramones’ albums. The Chuck Berry infused guitars riffs cut with a nice touch of distortion added for some extra crunch. The chorus is simple and leads to some badly out of tune backup singing by me as I write this. It really serves as an ideal lead track for the album as it immediately pulls the listener in and leaves you wanting to know what they will do next. They maintain the momentum with ‘Good Time’ delivering just what the title says. Some tasteful ‘oohs’ in the background of the chorus provide another reason that this one sticks in the brain. ‘Defective’ serves up some straight ahead rock n roll but doesn’t hit the same heights with me that most of the other songs here do. ‘Three Chords’ comes in with the rhythm section laying down the beat, and the guitar solo serves up some well placed distortion. The hook is not fancy but works well and is designed for crowd participation. The first half of the album comes quickly to a close with ‘Run Girl’ bringing back the ‘oooh’s’ for backing vocals before the chorus gets stuck in your brain like gum on your shoe.  The break in the back half of the song really helps provide some dynamics to the song to take it to the next level.

‘Junky Friends’ was the first song I heard by the Cheap Gunslingers when I was seeing if I wanted to review the album, and it initially left me flat. It was enough to tell that the band were in my musical wheelhouse (or at least one of them), and I was curious enough to want to hear the whole album. With all that said, this song has continued to grow on me, and I really like it within the concept of the album. The opening riff and beat reminding me more of someone like the Heartbreakers with a similar production quality. It packs a little more punch than some of the other songs here. I have no doubt that I would prefer to hear this song live. ‘Please Kill Me’ brings a cool blues groove and one of the best choruses on the album. If the band make another video for the album, this would be my recommendation with the guitar riffs getting plenty of room in the mix here as well.

The band slow the beat down for ‘Water Table Line’ with the ‘Darklands’ era by Jesus and Mary Chain coming to mind musically (‘April Skies’) with perhaps some Velvet Underground type feel in the vocals. The biggest obstacle on this one is the song can feel a little monotonous due to its length at four and a half minutes. The extended guitar solo is very well done, but they could have trimmed this song down a bit elsewhere. ‘Off the Rails’ gets us back up at full speed and hits the sweet spot, bringing to mind Little Richard, Chuck Berry by way of Izzy Stradlin through a transistor radio. This one sits with my other favorites from the album and will be finding its way into my playlists for an extended period of time. Wrapping up the album is ‘Bars of the Song’ where the band incorporate elements of a 50’s rock ballad. This confessional is perfectly placed with the vocals dripping sincerity and bringing the album to a solid close.

Cheap Gunslingers could have easily come from decades ago, and I would not have been surprised if someone had told me this album was a re-release from the end of the 70’s or beginning of the 80’s. This album leaves me wanting to hear more from the band in the future as this clearly sets up expectations for them to deliver in the future. When this album hits the mark, which it does far more than it misses, it is a rocking good time and should be welcomed by a lot of people who love rock n roll.

‘Cheap Gunslingers’ is available now.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury

 

IDLES announce short tour for December

IDLES announce short tour for December

IDLES today announce a short tour for December – including their biggest headlining date yet on Saturday, 7th December at London’s Alexandra Palace.

Tue 3 Dec Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom
Wed 4 Dec Manchester, Academy
Thu 5 Dec Leeds, O2 Academy
Sat 7 Dec London, Alexandra Palace

Tickets will go on sale this Friday 28th June at 9:30 AM BST but fans can gain access to artist pre-sale on Wednesday 26th June 9:30 AM BST by signing up at https://www.idlesband.com

 


Tickets will go on sale this Friday 28th June at 9:30 AM BST but fans can gain access to artist pre-sale on Wednesday 26th June 9:30 AM BST by signing up at https://www.idlesband.com

With their last shows selling out in minutes IDLES wanted to give as many fans as possible an opportunity to acquire tickets to celebrate what has been an incredible year. Tickets will be limited to 4 per person.

The band will also be working with Big Green Coach to provide a return coach service for fans to travel safely to and from the Alexandra Palace show. There will be services ran from Bristol, Bournemouth, Reading, Southampton and Swindon and tickets will be available direct from: https://www.biggreencoach.co.uk/idles

The band’s latest release “Mercedes Marxist” is currently A-listed at 6 Music and will be released physically on August 2nd as a 7″. The single will include another new song on its B-side, entitled “I Dream Guillotine.” Both tracks were written and recorded during the band’s sessions for “Joy as an Act of Resistance.” and pre-orders are available HERE.

 

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Ulysses – On Safari (Black Glove Recordings)

Ulysses – On Safari (Black Glove Recordings)

Bath based power pop loons Ulysses have been delivering quirky, glam-slam slices of noise for many years now. With more facial hair than a cave full of cavemen and a wardrobe half-inched from Huggy Bear, they have produced 3 albums of vintage noise steeped equally in both 70’s nostalgia and Brit Pop goodness. You see, these fun loving chaps owe as much to the likes of Super Furry Animals and Supergrass as they do to heroes like Bowie and Bolan. And it’s a good mix of influences that shine through to make their fourth long player ‘On Safari’ a fantastic ride from start to finish.

 

Check out the cover art by the wonderful Caitlin Mattisson for starters. Lions, giant snakes and a hot medieval babe with 8 arms and a broadsword….fair play, I’m sold on that alone! Let’s hope the music is up to it too.

And of course it is, Ulysses does not disappoint. Opener ‘Looking For A Guru’ sets the scene with a glitter-coated, platform boot stomp. What sounds like a sitar introduces the song that rides on a catchy refrain over big beats, handclaps and Paul Stanley helium vocals. It’s more 70’s than a packet of Spangles and twice as sweet. A glorious album opener.

The following funky, yet spunky ‘Doctors And Nurses’ out-foxes Foxy Shazam. Sirens wail and sweet vocals harmonise the intro. Tongue-in-cheek lyricism and double-entendres are rife. Its disco groove shouts Scissor Sisters, while its wailing guitar outro shouts Kiss, what’s not to like here? A total contrast to the opener, yet still in tune with their retro sound.

These boys have a handful of singles on offer for you too. “For those about to rock…for those about to roll’ drawls the singer over sloppy, cool riffs and cowbell accompaniment on the fantastic ‘Bad Tattoo’. The following ‘Dragons’ is full of instant, quirky melodies and fuzzy guitars, coming on like the perfect mash-up of Weezer and the Super Furries. Whether it’s actually about dragons is debatable, what’s not debatable is that it was the perfect single choice.

 

They veer into classic sounding 60’s pop territory and make it sound so effortless. ‘This Useless Love’ has  Beach Boys/Everly Brothers vibes and ‘She’ is a glorious slab of 60’s pop with urgent beats, killer vocal harmonies and ripping guitar solos, coming on like Kula Shaker at their finest.

The trippy, prog fest that is ‘Situation Man’ is out there maaan! A full on Hammond organ jam out and elsewhere, ‘Fuzzy Lion’ mixes up a ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ drum beat with Silver Sun vocalisin’ in the most sublime of ways.

‘Let’s Move’ prove that Giuda and Biters aren’t the only cool cats to channel Thin Lizzy and Slade all in one double denim-clad 3-minute pop hit or two. Even the reggae-infused mid-section breakdown can’t detract from their ability to create songs that should be on 7 inch and riding high in the hit parade, pop pickers. Killer tuneage!

It’s no surprise that singer Luke Smyth has seemingly morphed into a young Jeff Lynne. Check out the likes of ‘Married Woman’ and the eccentricity of closer ‘Calendar Street’ with its immense ELO layered harmonies climax. I even had to YouTube and Google ‘Why Aren’t These People My Friends’ just to be sure, as I feel like I should already know it… I don’t and it’s ace!

It may be raining outside, but Ulysses bring the sunshine to your stereo with their new long player ‘On Safari’. I didn’t think they made the sort of drugs that could inspire this sort of music anymore, maybe I’m wrong, or maybe it’s just the Bath water (sic). But Ulysses has created a trippy, hippie-fied, love-fest of an album. A soundtrack to the summer we have yet to experience. And certainly one of the most entertaining albums you will hear this year.

Author: Ben Hughes

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