Wyldlife – ‘Year Of The Snake’ (Wicked Cool Records)

Wyldlife – ‘Year Of The Snake’ (Wicked Cool Records)

‘The Time Has Come To Rock & Roll’, so proclaimed New York punk ‘n’ rollers Wyldlife back in 2013. Now in 2020, they find themselves still rock ‘n’ rolling with their fourth long player. Following hot on the tails of 2016’s ‘Out On Your Block’, ‘Year Of The Snake’ is the band’s second album on the ever cool Wicked Cool Records label. Owned by the legend that is Steven Van Zandt, Wicked Cool Records  has brought us quality albums from the likes of Ryan Hamilton, Jesse Malin and Kurt Baker over the past few years.

 

Recorded at Little Steven’s very own Renegade Studios in NYC, the album title is taken from the Chinese year of the snake; 1989, the year that band mates Dave Feldman (vocals), Sam Allen (guitar), and Spencer Alexander (drums)were born. ‘Year Of The Snake’ is everything you want from a Wyldlife record and more. The spirit of NY punk flows through these boys veins. From the early years, when Ramones and The Dolls were treading the boards of CBGB’S, to the late 90’s when D Generation ruled the underground, they have it all. But its more than just cool shoes and leather jackets, you have to have the rock ‘n’ roll minerals to stand out from the crowd, and Wyldlife prove they have it in spades.

Opener ‘Deathbed’ comes on with the anthemic bravado usually reserved for the likes of Green Day in their prime. Featuring a melody you will swear down you’ve heard before. It grabs you from the off, a musical crockpot of low slung riffage and high energy melodies guaranteed to give goosebumps and raise hopes in equal measures.

Quick as a flash, before you have even had time to pick your jaw up off the floor it’s over, and we’re into first single ‘Neon Nightmare’. This… this is the rock ‘n’ roll sound I need in my life right now. High energy, upbeat and catchy as fuck. Also, it’s the perfect escape from the nightmare that is reality right now.

Two tracks in and its pretty safe to say vocalist Dave Feldman and guitarist Sam Allen have my full attention with their songwriting antics. You could say their themes of paranoia, anxiety and bad relationships are par for the course in 2020, well now Wyldlife add the soundtrack. With the spirit of Hanoi Rocks and the power pop suss of The Replacements, Wyldlife run though 11 tracks of highly essential rock ‘n’ roll.

 

Highlights are plentiful. ‘Kiss and Tell’ rides on tribal beats and Ramones chords as it builds to yet another catchy chorus that’ll surely incite air guitar and hairbrush vocal action in bedrooms and living rooms the world over. The radio friendly ‘Automatic’ is the albums curve ball, a song that hits right in the feels. Inspired by The Jesus and Mary Chain, it’s a song written by the frontman about a girl he knows who works in a florist shop. With lush, indie pop melodies, female backing vocals and lyrics full of sentiment, its pure power pop goodness coming on like Squeeze meets Fountains Of Wayne and that’s a good place to be.

The fast and furious ‘Sacre Bleu’ is as punk as fuck. Spiky, high energy bursts of noise, think Hives meets Randy and you’ll get close. Sam’s chord bashing matches the frantic drums as Dave spits vocals with the venomous antics of a snake. This and the aforementioned ‘Automatic’ couldn’t be further apart in sound but they are fired from the same Wyldlife gun and both definitely hit the spot.

An overly familiar riff takes the title track into orbit as it builds to a relentless, killer refrain that pummels the senses. Gang vocals and guitars are the order of the day as the likes of ‘Tulsa Superstar’ and ‘Keeping Up With CT’ marry the power pop goodness of The Replacements and The Exploding Hearts with urgent beats, swathes of Hammond and Johnny Thunders licks, very nice indeed.

 

As I write these words New York is the hardest hit city in the world as far as the Coronavirus goes. No one could’ve predicted this turn of events and no one knows what the future holds for live music or our favourite bands. All we can do is be grateful that albums this good are still coming our way and do our best to help by buying albums, merch to help support the bands we love and the music they create.

2020 will be remembered as the year of the virus, but I also hope it will be remembered by the cool cats as the year Wyldlife gave us ‘The Year Of The Snake’. Essential listening, buy or die punks!

Buy ‘Year Of The Snake’ Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

The Psychedelic Furs – ‘Made Of Rain’ (Cooking Vinyl)

The Psychedelic Furs – ‘Made Of Rain’ (Cooking Vinyl)
Their first album in almost 30 years, since releasing 1991’s World Outside and splitting up soon after. Reuniting early on in the Millenium, existing as a touring entity only, I was genuinely surprised to hear that the band had signed an album deal as I always assumed there was no appetite to record new material. With the bands last commercial peak being 1987s Midnight to Midnight they were seemingly destined to remain a nostalgia act spending a majority of their time on the road in the U.S.
 
A strong opener in “The Boy Who Invented Rock & Roll”, a great layer of brooding synth showing growth in their song output and even having a bit of a Dark Wave element. “Don’t Believe” is the established first single released back in January. It really sits in the foundations of classic non-pop Furs, which makes recent single “You’ll Be Mine” even more of a disappointment. It’s a limp number at best.
“Wrong Train” kicks off like a New Order football jingle though quickly detours into a bitter-sweet, epic confessional. Speaking of pills, car crashes and turmoil amid filthy guitar and sax duels. An absolute stand out track. The only low here being when it finally ends, though “This’ll Never Be Like Love” drags you into a somewhat beautiful pit of despair. The track really does hark back to the sound of their last two (criminally overlooked) albums.
“Ash Wednesday” has the same level of brood, but at over 5 minutes it never really goes anywhere and it’s a bit much to take. It’s the same case for “Come All Ye Faithful”, trying to be direct and edgy but coming across very much like filler material. “No-One” thankfully grabs us by the scruff of the neck and puts us back on course, giving us Richards Butler’s dark cacophony of lamenting croons.
“Tiny Hands” is very American rock radio commerciality straight out of the gates. It’s not terribly unpleasant, just very questionable production. The production here is provided by former member Richard Fortus (G’N’R fame). Not slighting Fortus’s role here, though I am disappointed the band didn’t go with someone who potentially could of put them to work. Someone with a similar background such as Flood or Alan Moulder?
“Hide The Medicine”, a very dreamy number that builds and builds but ends very abruptly almost as if it had never even begun? “Turn Your Back On Me” has really grown on me after several listens, revealing itself as a subtle but epic number. Album finisher “Stars” rolls in. Another dreamy composition, building in parts, taking us to a collage of sounds, distorted guitars and synths melding together only to disappear bluntly. A surprising track to place at the end, not really giving much as a send off.
Overall the album is a bit of a mixed bag. Not a classic but certainly not disappointing. My lingering thoughts only that I hope they try their hand at another release sooner rather than later. Definitely seek out this new album but be prepared to take the rough with the smooth.
Buy ‘Made Of Rain’ Here
Author: Dan Kasm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncz9b2dIHkU&feature=emb_logo

Naked Six – ‘Lost Art Of Conversation’ (Silver Lining Music)

Naked Six – ‘Lost Art Of Conversation’ (Silver Lining Music)

Seb Byford (guitar/vocals) and Tom Witts (drums) formed Naked Six while still at school to a backdrop of fog and mist on the North Yorkshire moors. The self-proclaimed grunge/schizoid blues band have been on our rock ‘n’ roll radar for a number of years following gigs with the likes of The Virginmarys and The Temperance Movement. Originally a York based band they recently relocated to Manchester, following the release of their debut EP ‘No Compromise’. They then roped in Tom’s cousin Callum to play bass, and now the three piece band are ready to take on the world with their debut album ‘Lost Art Of Conversation’.

They may be a long way from Seattle and a generation after the Grunge movement, but that same feeling of isolation, working class struggle and small town angst is omnipresent in their sound and high energy live performance.

 

Naked Six specialise in 2 chord/2 minute blasts of high energy angst, delivered with the passion of newbies who have something to prove and yet the confidence of seasoned pros. A top notch production job courtesy of Thomas Mitchener (Gallows/Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes ) only helps to capture their live energy. Urgent beats, buzzsaw guitars and vocals are spat with the aggro nonchalance of young punks who have something to say. And yeah, Naked Six do have something to say, lyrically they touch on highly topical subjects; our reliance on social media and mental health for starters.

The likes of ‘Song Of The City’, ‘Split’ and ‘Sticky Gum’ are their bread and butter. Coming on like The Vines meets The Virginmarys, this is the sound of a Naked Six gig captured on wax for all to experience. Elsewhere, if you had told me ‘Poison Apple’ was a lost Nirvana outtake, I would’ve tipped my hat in agreement. From the erratic spiky guitars to the spooky Cobain/Grohl style vocal harmonies, its quality stuff.

They take things down for a more 90s art rock, tripped-out vibe with ‘The Change’. Offbeat drums and effect-ridden guitars bring to mind the sonic sound of Perry Farrell’s side project Porno For Pyros, as the band take the listener on a trip to another plane.

Bouncy, distorted bass and jagged guitars introduce first single ‘Gimme Something’, a song that confirms the Foo Fighters meets Royal Blood comparisons I have used in the past. A confident and cocksure sound, and one that’s tried and tested.

 

While Naked Six promote a grungy, garage rock sound, there are hints that this band has the potential to be so much more when they think outside the box (or garage in this case!). The album is bookended by a couple of surprise tracks that confirm this for me. Album opener ‘21st Century Brawl’ is an atmospheric art piece, coming on like Jane’s Addiction in their prime, as Seb reels off descriptive lyrics, almost spoken word, over an alt rock backdrop of groovy bass and guitar harmonics. In complete contrast the introspective album closer ‘Outside Looking In’ showcases what this band is truly capable of. As they have proven in the past with ‘Broken Fairytale’, Seb Byford has a knack for penning heartfelt balladry as much as he does angst driven rock. The sentiment is real, as he delivers his most fragile, yet strongest vocal of the album over understated piano chords and atmospheric saxophone breaks. A winning combination that only helps accentuate the overall emotion of the song.

 

With lyrics that deal in social commentary, questioning our attachment to our screens, our actions and motives, and music that harks back to a time when the alternative was mainstream, edgy and downright essential, Naked Six seem to be on to a winner. ‘Lost Art Of Conversation’ is a modern rock record that is exciting, authentic and comes at the perfect time.

Times they are a changing, and while this album was of course written pre-lockdown, I can’t help but think the lost art of conversation is something a great deal of us are re-learning right now due to isolation and social media being our only form of communication.

“This is the dawn of a new age…” announces the singer in the title track. I wonder, did Seb Byford know how true those words would ring just a few months later?

Buy ‘Lost Art Of Conversation’ Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berlins PABST share video for ‘Skyline’ ahead of new album

Berlins PABST share video for ‘Skyline’ ahead of new album

Berlin power-trio PABST share video for new single Skyline and announce new album ‘Deuce Ex Machina’

Berlin power-trio Pabst are today sharing the video for brand-new single Skyline, a track that was born from their frustrations with living in a city that is being rapidly gentrified. In what they describe as a “post-grunge hymn” on which their rage is manifested in a muddy, fuzzed-out wall of distortion, they bemoan being priced out of their own town, and condemn homelessness, greed and profit. Pabst, being three of a dying breed of non-riches in their city, are watching the development of theirs and other cities in disbelief, with Skyline erupting into its hook, “This city is no place for losers like us.” The band explains further.

“Although more than half of the world’s population lives in cities (and the trend is rising), they seem to be becoming more and more hostile places as they increasingly develop into “locations”. Especially in Berlin, where we come from, we have noticed vast changes in this direction in recent years. High fluctuation determines the cityscape and the housing market, with more and more furnished apartments being built. If you want to live somewhere, you often have to compete with hundreds. Houses classified as dilapidated will be demolished or fully renovated (’cause otherwise the price will not rise).

Nobody who owns the apartments really lives in them: students live there who stay in the city for a comparatively short time, tourists stay there for whom the apartments are converted into holiday homes, and above all; for people who can afford it. Everyone else has to move out of the city to where it’s boring and cheap. You know that, it’s nothing new. And, of course, this affects not only living space, but also the rest of the infrastructure. Many clubs and other cultural venues have to close because their rental contracts are passed on to the highest bidder, or because of a few residents who seemingly realized too late that the city apartment is not a country house by the lake.”

After releasing the critically acclaimed debut album ‘Chlorine’, playing too many gigs to count, supporting the likes of Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and Kadavar on tour – as well as making over 30 festival appearances in 2019 alone – Pabst return in 2020 with the announcement of their new album Deuce Ex Machina for release June 19. Lead single Ibuprofen was accompanied by visuals reminiscent of classic ’90s MTV music videos with pastel-grunge scenes, directed by Constantin Timm. Watch Ibuprofen HERE.

Pre-save / Pre-order the album HERE.

Bullets And Octane – ‘Riot Riot Rock n Roll’ (Bad MoFo Records/Cargo Records UK)

Bullets And Octane – ‘Riot Riot Rock n Roll’ (Bad MoFo Records/Cargo Records UK)

LA rock ‘n’ rollers Bullets And Octane follow up 2018’s ‘Waking Up Dead’ comeback album with a new 10 track affair entitled ‘Riot Riot Rock n Roll’. Long time frontman Gene Louis has behind him a stable and formidable line-up that has been destroying the pits and dives of the world for a couple of years now. With Felipe Rodrigo (guitar), Zachary Kibbee (bass) and Jonny Udell pounding the skins, it feels like the second coming for this band.

In the past Bullets And Octane have toured with Avenged Sevenfold and hit the festival circuits with the best of them. They have had albums produced by the likes of Gilby Clarke and Page Hamilton. But the music industry is a different beast to what it was 20 years ago and the crowds are also dwindling for everyone. It may seem like the glory days of live rock music are behind us, but Gene Louis has had to adapt to the times and Bullets And Octane have always been a band who thrive on being the underdog, and oh how we love an underdog here at RPM.

 

The roaring, meaty engine introduction leads into a title track full of trademark angst and rebellion with a catchy, anthemic chorus to shout from the rooftops. With a wall of distortion and a heavy, rhythmic beat, it carries a statement of intent that rings true through the entire album. Gang vocals have been a Bullets and Octane trademark for pretty much 20 years now, and ‘Riot Riot Rock n Roll’ shows no signs of the band changing that.

Gene spits and growls the vocals with the sleazy delivery of Lemmy meets Zodiac Mindwarp. Filipe peels off killer riffs and Slash inspired solos like his life depends on it, while the rhythm section pounds like a well-oiled beast keeping it all together.

The first single ‘Ain’t Gonna Be Your Dog’ was co-written by ex Buckcherry guitar player Keith Nelson and would not sound out of place on a Buckcherry record to be fair. A mid-paced radio-friendly rocker, the subdued vocals invite you in and then rage for the chorus. It comes on with guitars slung low and a middle finger raised in salute.

Bullets and Octane have always dealt in heavy, gritty rock ‘n’ roll and this album does not stray from that path. It’s the kinda music that has dirt under the fingernails and grease in the hair. Songs for the outcasts that reek of engine oil and have last night’s whiskey on the breath, but still retain melody and an anthemic quality.

With dark and foreboding melodies that skulk like Marilyn Manson is his prime and then morph into high octane choruses, the likes of ‘Addicted To Outrage’ and ‘Heaven Can Wait’ will always have me salivating. A shout out to Filipe’s inspired and inventive guitar riffs that just gives the likes of ‘The Devil’ an extra cool factor and makes ‘Give Me A Reason’ sound like a punk rock ‘Panama’ to these ears.

Then there’s the signature stand out anthems for troubled times and disenchanted minds. ‘Chaos’ is a timely anthem and one of the strongest tracks on offer. Riding on an overly familiar, yet killer guitar refrain, the verse pumps from the speakers. “What’s that? Let’s turn it up!” suggests the frontman, before the band blasts into yet another memorable chorus. Then closer ‘Lost Crazy Psycho’ has our illustrious singer almost rapping a diatribe before exploding into a glorious and volatile refrain that stays with you long after the (virtual) disc has stopped spinning.

 

Its 2020 and everything we know and take for granted in this world is fucked right now. If you are reading this, then music is your escape, and maybe a new Bullets And Octane album is just what you need. ‘Riot Riot Rock n Roll’ is 10 tracks of angst-ridden rock, choc-a-bloc with attitude and themes of escapism, rebellion and generally not giving two flying fucks!

It’s fair to say Gene Louis has not mellowed with age and Bullets And Octane are here to inject rock ‘n’ roll venom straight into the jugular.

Buy ‘Riot Riot Rock and Roll’ Here

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Author: Ben Hughes

 

 

The Damned – ‘Fiendish Shadows’ (Cleapatra Records)

The Damned – ‘Fiendish Shadows’ (Cleapatra Records)

This fully restored and expanded set from Woolwich Coronet This 2020 version has been newly remastered and includes several tracks that were left off the original release! Includes all-new artwork with full liner notes and a personal message from drummer Rat Scabies !

Available on both digipak CD and a 2LP vinyl set in your choice of either RED or BLUE vinyl! I had this when it first came out many moons ago and loved it.  It captured the band at the time perfectly.  whilst they might have been at a commercial career-high the studio albums were a bit beige around the time of MCA but live they still had it and that tour was a blaze of fun.

Expanded to nineteen tracks this is well worth tracking down and getting hold of from the opening keyboards of ‘Curtain Call’ they were on fire. The quality of the recording is good as well not overdubbed nor flat this is a picture of a band living it large and doing it well. As you would expect there is a decent smattering of tracks from ‘Phantasmagoria’ and ‘Shadow Of Love’ particularly sound great. As does the much-maligned ‘Grimly Fiendish’ that I quite enjoy hearing live these days and back in the day or the mid-’80s to be precise it was quite a departure. It seems odd to hear tracks like ‘There’ll Come A Day’ played so fast and full of energy. that tour with The Fuzztones was exceptional and I have such fond memories of Cardiff New Ocean Club.

‘Gun Fury’ makes me smile as does the version of ‘Lust For Life’ 1985 seems like yesterday but its also so long ago.  when the Damned could have been and should have been we are left nuggets of pure Gold like this recording to remind us that it doesn’t matter what happened commercially because they were always the best and still are capable of amazing shows and the odd record that ignites a fire inside my heart and it seems odd to hear them end the set with a one two of ‘Disco Man’ Val Doonigan style followed by a rip-roaring slash of ‘Born To Kill’  If only all bands were this good.  Don’t think twice just buy it and revel in it. Fiendishly good!

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Author: Dom Daley

Bar Stool Preachers – Rough Trade Bristol 06 March 2020

Bar Stool Preachers – Rough Trade Bristol 06 March 2020

Rough Trade one of the finest independent record stores in the Western World situated in the fine city of Bristol – home to many a good venue and champion of the arts be it paintings or music Bristol has always had a good grounding and been the stop of many a great band.  Tonight it played host to Brightons finest those cheeky chaps who make up Bar Stool Preachers.  The venue is a clean purpose-built a big storeroom.  Sure it has air conditioning (not switched on obviously) no windows, Painted black, no bar for people to congregate around and chatter its just four walls with a stage at one end with a pretty decent PA and tonight upon its boards treads the 12 legged groovers who are on a mission and six-man mission to spread the word of unity and Rock and Roll and whilst they go about their work they do it with a ten-mile wide smile and a helping hand.  You see the Bar Stool Preachers aren’t just a ska-punk band who dabble in several genres of punk rock but are busy making friends across the globe as they make sure there is a pretty impressive BSP carbon footprint left for all to see. If they’re not stateside or in Europe, they are zig-zagging across the UK playing to larger and larger venues packed with jumping bodies who are believing and getting on board this runaway train of a band.

They are about to release album number three as they finalise details and tracklist for it whilst making sure the songs are also road-tested as they seamlessly weave the new songs in with the old favourites.  Tonight got sweaty very very quickly as the enthusiastic audience didn’t need any coercing from Tom to get with the programme they were up for it from the start.

A bold move from the band starting with the awesome ‘One Fool Down’ that’s a statement of intent right there. The old old songs from that first record get things up to speed as ‘Trickle Down’ and ‘Looking Lost’ reintroduce everyone with what a good night out sounds like. Next up we get introduced to some of the new material and what an impressive couple of tunes they are with ‘Late Night Transmission’ and ‘Don’t Die Today’ showing that the band are on the right path with even better material and just watching them look like they are having the time of their lives all the time just like a great band should.  It’s not playing to a packed main stage at Rebellion or Punk Rock Bowling nor is it 20 thousand diggin the tunes in some aircraft hanger in Germany but you do get the same level of performance and once you lock into Gibbs metronomic tic from side to side you’re involved, oh don’t try running on the spot like Bungle he’s a professional.

Tonights set was perfect and went by in a flash as old mixed with the new and everything in-between as ‘8.6 Days’ ‘Raced Through Berlin’ kissed ‘Start New’ and ‘Ballad Of The M1’ off the first album and then they were gone, wow that was glorious stuff an exhilarating performance for an exceptional band who are right on the money at the moment and as they re-emerge soaking with perspiration there is time for a couple more and its a tight as two Rizzlas romp through ‘Choose My Friends’ before the inevitable knees-up of ‘Bar Stool Preachers’ and they were done.

These boys deserve every adventure they are being presented with because they have the X-Factor and more importantly they have some exceptional tunes no change that not some they have many exceptional songs – they are grounded and they are hungry and appreciative.  Get behind one of the brightest hopes we have on Shit Island now when can we do this all over again?

Dystophian Future  Movies-‘Inviolate’ (Lasairfhíona Records)

Dystophian Future  Movies-‘Inviolate’ (Lasairfhíona Records)

Just over two years ago, snowed in and listening to new sounds I had a link bounced over to me by Pity my Brain’s main man Jamie Richards, that stopped me in my tracks, the LP was called Time the band was called Dystopian Future Movies. Looking into the background after duly ordering said LP I found that the band’s mainstays were Bill Fisher & Caroline Cawley from the rather tasty Church of the Cosmic Skull (If you haven’t discovered them yet I suggest you get a shift on!!).

For this album Bill and Caroline are joined in the band, by Guitarist, Rafe Dunn and Bassist Oisin O’Doherty. The rather stunning artwork comes from an image of an abandoned Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Caroline’s native Ireland.

Dark indeed and that’s where I want to start this review, opener “Countenance”, eases it’s way out of the speakers, at times Intense, at times sparse, leading with a dark brooding sense of decay, Caroline’s vocals adding an almost otherworldly ethereal feels. Being honest if you try and pitch a particular style of genre, you’d be wrong! Taking a stab I’d say post-Industrial at times? Highlighting a time in the future, where dark paths have been taken. There’s an underlying dread, but maybe a sense of hope?

Moving on next up “wreckage” draws you in, the discordant acoustic lead demanding attention before the vocals lift it up a gear you start to get the feel of a story being played out musically, the counterpoint vocals giving it a depth before we’re drawn into an industrial-style framework, with Bills drumming starting to become incessant, demanding almost. Before we get lost in the wreckage we’re moved forward into “Rules” almost a taking stock of what’s happening, vocally this is a powerful performance, the voice setting the tone for the at times sparse orchestration that eventually pulls you upwards and into the story unfolding. “All the Light” is a coming to terms song what’s come before and a movement away from where we’ve been. Again the vocals lead over a discordant, sparse musical background drawing you indefinitely less is more giving this track both an intensity and fragility. This fragility comes to the fore within next track “Kathleen”, a real stand out.

Moving or easing forward into “Black cloaked” and we’re drawn back into a haunted past, unable to break free from what we’ve experienced, this is a seriously good track and really pins you back, probably the most intense on the album, distorted, discordant and driving in equal measures. Before we’ve come to terms with what we’ve heard we come to a conclusion with “Ten years” we’re now the observer overseeing the whole, removed no longer part of the story.

This is a seriously good LP, bursting with ideas, and me for one will look forward to seeing it translated into the live arena.

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Author: Nev Brooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manic Street Preachers reissue ‘Gold Against The Soul’ Finally

Manic Street Preachers reissue ‘Gold Against The Soul’ Finally

After many hints and teases Manic Street Preachers have confirmed the reissue of a deluxe edition of their 1993 second album ‘Gold Against The Soul’. Available as a 120 page  A4 book featuring unseen images from the bands’  longtime photographic collaborator Mitch Ikeda, many personally annotated by Nicky Wire and original typed and handwritten lyrics from the bands own archive. Pre-order now in CD Book, on Vinyl and in a bundle.

Pre Order Here