One of the brightest bands making a noise at the moment RMBLR are on it along with label mates Fast Eddy and Ravagers who all have new music coming out soon on the awesome Spaghetty Town Records label but before quarantine, the reprobates that are RMBLR shot this video.
(Atlanta, GA, USA) Shot right before lock down, RMBLR (pronounced Rambler) shot and recorded their latest single “Machine Gun” about a week before US shelter in place order. Shot and edited by Jarrett Barnes, with graphics by Alex Hagen (Ravagers/RMBLR), gives us a taste of their raucous live show
RMBLR features members of the Heart Attacks, Ravagers, The Barreracudas, Dinos Boys and Biters. Dare I say it, an Atlanta super group. They currently have two singles out , planning to release a 6 song EP sometime this year and hopefully tour. In the meantime enjoy “Machine Gun” , available on Bandcamp right now, and all other digital outlets May 8, 2020
Much like the British government didn’t see a global pandemic coming none of us saw Ryan Hamilton sneaking out this cheeky four track EP.
Ryan had this to say,
SURPRISE! Super excited to announce the immediate release of “Incommunicado”! Out NOW and available everywhere! This is a collection of 4 songs, recorded from isolation, here in Texas, in the U.K, and in France.
All initial proceeds will be donated to the Music Venue Trust’s ‘Save Our Venues’ cause in the U.K, to help save independent venues, many of which I have played, that are being seriously affected by the pandemic.
This 4 song EP is just a few dollars, or pounds. Literally less than the cost of a fast food meal… or a large drink at Starbucks.
I would ask that you go buy it on iTunes. I know many of you will stream it on Spotify etc… but, please, spend the few bucks for a good cause.
Not only are you supporting an artist that you (seemingly, hopefully) love… you’re generating money to help save music venues.
On a personal note: This pandemic situation has been seriously difficult. I have been very open, and honest about my mental health struggles. I was on the verge of heading to a very dark emotional place. Instead of letting myself go to that dark place, I decided to call our Producer, Dave Draper, and ask if he’d be down to work on this music with me. I needed it. I REALLY needed it.
Working on these songs saved me. Music, once again, saves the day. I am so incredibly thankful to get to work with talented, supportive friends. Like Dave Draper, Emily Ewing, Maurice Hipkiss and the folks who made this new E.P. happen.
YO SHREDDERS!! We hope everybody is still safe and healthy and taking care of one another!! We know these are weird and hard times, and we KNOW how much it sucks that we’re not seeing so many of you out there on the road right now – so we figured we’d try and create another way for you guys to hang with us and feel connected right now. SO, without further ado, we’re dropping the first episode of our brand new podcast “The Cosmic Barbecue” TODAY!! Episode 1 is streamable NOW on Spotify, Pocket Casts, Anchor and Apple, so go check it!! Link’s below!!
The ‘CBBQ’ will be full of stuff like DPU tour stories, us discussing our journey as a band, general DPU related memories, Matt discussing why being a medieval knight would have been cool, that time Mike died for the second time, why sandwiches are great, how we met Jim and why he’s a powerful wizard etc etc. You know, cool stuff. We’re kind of just rolling with it and seeing where it takes us, and right now due to quarantine we’re recording it all separately as best we can – so forgive us for the sub $10,000 production value lol.
To be honest it sounds pretty cool in my opinion. (It’s Matt by the way… hola amigos). ANYWAY. Whilst we’re all separated from each other we’re gonna keep on trying to find ways to stay connected, but we think this podcast is a great way to start. We’re super stoked on it, and we’ll be trying to drop an episode roughly once a week – so make sure you tune in and tell your buds about it.
Our friend from Mainland Europe Craggy Collyde have finally taken shipment of their new record and have made details available of the release date. There will also be a bundle 7″ and 10″ package available for UK customers details to follow. Check out ‘Dead Refrain’ taken from the record below.
The original Boomtown Rats had their time and place and that ground to a halt in the early/mid-Eighties, amid Geldof’s involvement in Band Aid/Live Aid. They seemed to be a band who never seemed to know if they were a pop band with a bit of a maverick edge, a rock band with a pop edge, or just another New wave band with some big hit potential.
Always known for their gobby frontman who organised Live Aid Geldof like him or loath him he cuts a formidable figure and for all his faults did some incredible things with whatever talent he had be it one of pop music’s most sought after address books or just a flighty temper people were afraid to say no to but there can be no doubt his band the Boomtown Rats took a back seat for a long long time. Cue 2020 and after some questionable live shows be it good or not so good the Rats were back on the scene. then 2020 and ‘Citizens of Boomtown’.
With a couple of exceptions, this return to vinyl is pretty damn good. The band have penned ten songs that mostly turn up the guitar amps and rock like a pretty convincing take on garage rock via some Bowie and Iggy if I’m being honest. the opening stomp of ‘Trash Glam, Baby’, to the Transformer era Lou Reed -meets-The Beatles ‘Passing Through’. ‘Sweet Thing’, really does sound like Iggy Pop from the ’80s.
The exceptions have to be flagged so ‘K.I.S.S.’ sounds more like a Bwitched song and sits uncomfortably here which is a shame and breaks the flow of what has so far been a really impressive record. Then the other blemish on the record is ‘Rock N Roll Ye Ye’ which makes little sense to me so I’m choosing to gloss over these couple of glitches.
The album does end with ‘Get A Grip’ which whilst a little pompous had me drawing comparisons from some of Alice Cooper’s work with the keyboards and guitar lick joining the terrace chanting of the backing vocals and Geldof runs out of breath on the repeated verses before getting back into that chorus strangely alluring and enjoyable, who’d have thought it eh?
Maybe Sir Bob is letting his hair down and having some fun with his pals and cutting some tunes to fuck with the listener and take things somewhere you wouldn’t expect but I’ve heard the final cut live and used it as an excuse to get out before the masses hit the exits like a pound shop, Jagger, at his finest trying to create a soundtrack anthem about your band fails but I guess with an amount off porter in me maybe I’d hit the dance floor and get down and get with it but not a tune I want to hear over and over but don’t let that put you off generally this is a decent effort. Winner winner chicken dinner the Boomtown Rats are back in the room and the citizens of any town once the lockdown is over go and pick this up and find out for yourself. Give Bob yer fuckin’ Money! it’s been 36 years since he released the last one and the bills still need paying.
Those Dirtbag republic rockers have unleashed a brand new slice of Rock and Rolla for your listening pleasure Check out ‘Pandemic Blues’. It was all recorded remotely and mixed professionally by Ear Art Music Studios. We hope you like it as much as we do.
The Undertones were from Derry, Northern Ireland an exotic faraway land for this kid from South Wales (might as well be the moon) and they looked like they could have been from the next street with their parkas and doc martins but they stood out because they had tunes and lots of em.
Famously championed by John Peel, who’s favourite all-time track was ‘Teenage Kicks’ played at his funeral I beleive. But they were much more than that one song, they released thirteen singles and four studio albums between 1978 – 1983, and then in time honoured fashion the singer (Fergal Sharkey) announced his intention to leave. The band was toast but re-formed in 1999 with new singer Paul McLoone.
Subsequently the new Undertones recorded two new albums and have been touring regularly ever since. They even played Glastonbury Festival in June 2005,and marked their 40th anniversary, (40th gulp!) and completed a 46 date world tour only last year.
That’s the history of The Undertones pretty much in a nutshell and less than a 300-page biography but it doesn’t tell the full story, because, when you lift the bonnet and look under the hood their body of work is nothing short of stunning, and for singles, early singles, they were right up there with Buzzcocks as prolific and one of the best punk / post punk / new wave call em what you like bands. The quality was nothing short of magnificent. So it’s about time they got the definitive best-of treatment and ‘West Bank Songs’ pretty much captures the spirit and style of those kids from Derry perfectly.
30 tracks compiled by the band themselves it features 7 top 40 hits (including 4 top 20s): ‘Teenage Kicks’, ‘My Perfect Cousin’, ‘Here Comes The Summer’, ‘Jimmy Jimmy’, ‘You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It!)’, ‘Wednesday Week’, ‘It’s Going To Happen’ plus the Kevin Shields remix of ‘Get Over You’ ah now you remember, not just a ‘one-hit-wonder’ with that song they always play at weddings and school discos. It’s not just a greatest hits though as they do dig into their four studio albums the self-titled classic debut, ‘The Undertones’ (1979), ‘Hypnotised’ (1980), ‘Positive Touch’ (1981) and ‘The Sin Of Pride’ (1983) so they might have tailed off through the years and they never managed to better the debut (in my humble opinion) but isn’t that often the case? They’ve obviously taken time and pride in this best of with a take on the Stones ‘Aftermath’ cover this one comes in white and purple vinyl and has a twelve-page booklet with sleeve notes by Undertones bassist Michael Bradley and Mick Houghton, it also includes previously unseen band photos.
As far as walking down memory lane records go this is pretty much as good as it gets. I’ve not played an Undertones record in a long time and this made me re-evaluate my childhood and boy was I glad I got them first time around and all these years later they’ve not lost an ounce of their energy, melody, catchiness and colour. the Undertones easily fill a double album of absolute belters and if you love your music then you should pick this up and revel in some of the best-written songs from the UK in the last fifty years. An absolutely essential purchase. I can now retire the original albums and play this crackle and pop free best of.
Faz Waltz released a cover of T.Rex “Mambo Sun”, while under strict quarantine in Italy.
(Atlanta, GA, USA) While still under strict Italian Covid-19 quarantine Faz Waltz got together (sort of) and recorded a cover of T.Rex’s “Mambo Sun”. They’ve been sheltering in place for nearly two months and had that itch to record a track together.
They aren’t able to play live shows, but they’re still able to rock!
And don’t forget to check out “Rebel Kicks” , now available online on all major digital sites and also available on limited edition vinyl on Spaghetty Town Records (USA) , Surfin’ Ki Records (Italy) and Contra Records (Germany) Also available from Faz Waltz direct. reviewed here by Martin
Larger than life. Totally outta control forever and ever. Once again here to shake your ass, the true master of raucous rock and sexual shock. The infamous Norwegian who partied not to have fun, but in order to create destruction and havoc.
Two years ago, the legendary and former frontman of the denim demons Turbonegro was back for real with his solo debut Egomania, a record that immediately satisfied the needs of his rabid fanbase who had waited eight long and lonesome years for this punk icon to return from the world of films, musicals, cookbooks and the rest.
And, guess what, now the reinvented Hank von Hell has an ever stronger follow-up and it’s stocked with all the action, danger, debauchery, hooks and riffs you’d craved for, a large and swaggering sound designed to penetrate us all.
The title is ‘Dead’, and as the title indicates the album represents an even darker side of Hank von Hell than the one that we have learned to love. “I actually wrote this album and the concept of it, probably ten or fifteen years ago”, he says. “My life hasn’t really been the “sunny side up” all the time, so this is my way of expressing that. The idea of the album came about when I was a in a really creative and hectic mood last year, and I basically turned every single dark period of my life into music”.
To celebrate this newfound inspiration and lust, Hank brings a party of favorites and friends onboard. Tom Dalgety, whose CV includes “Prequelle” by Ghost, “Rammstein” by Rammstein, “Sorceress” by Opeth, and many more, produced and co-wrote three tracks (“Blackened Eyes”, “Forever Animal”, “Disco”). “An absolutely amazing experience. Tom knew exactly what I wanted, and he even pushed my limits to way beyond what I’m used to.”
Among the guests we also find his good friends Cone McCaslin and Dave. Baksh. These two Sum 41 members not only co-wrote “Radio Shadow”, they also perform on the track. “It turned out fantastic,” says Hank. Last but not least, the powerful singer is very proud of another contribution. Actor Frankie Loyal, from HBO crime drama “Mayans M.C”, is narrating the whole album. “I’ve always wanted to have a narrator on previous albums I’ve made, but it never really fitted until now. It really makes the entire album into one big epic saga.”
And, of course, heard all over “Dead” are invaluable band members Jean Genus, Jones Kelly II, Mr.O as well as trusted co-writer A.W. Nine.
Hank Von Hell has done an extensive touring following his comeback in 2018, each night showcasing his charismatic stage presence, explicit banter and eagerness to make out with pretty much everyone.
An often forgotten incarnation of Scottish punk legends, The Rezillos. A name change developed to get out of record contract obligations. Although only a slight change of a consonant, a definite stylistic shift saw the group becoming more of an Irn Bru tinged B-52’s. This new New Wave output was prime for the American market and achieved a very much converted spot on a John Hughes teen movie soundtrack. Although the band maintained a massive following in Japan, they struggled to make a lasting impact in the UK & the US.
This box-set special lovingly compiled (as ever) by Cherry Red records, includes the band’s two studio albums Rev Up (1980) & Attack! (1982). Further items included in the set, an array of live recordings, BBC sessions, demos and non-album singles.
Disc 1 is primarily the debut album with added extras tacked onto the end. This album, the bands better-known work is a splendid mix of 60s girl group cool with rockabilly revival riffs and retro organ sounds. Additional material here includes the excellent stand-alone singles ‘Scuba Scuba’ and ‘Where’s The Boy For Me’ and two separate Peel sessions from 1980 & 1981 respectively.
The second disc featuring the lesser-known follow-up album ‘Attack!’, but the 2002 re-release version. Legend has it when the LP was released the wrong mix was used, causing copies to be eventually recalled. For completist purposes both mixes of this album have their own discs. Bonus tracks here include: a further BBC session and a Christmas cover of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’.
The remainder of this package is 3 discs of live material. The previously released Japanese live album, a UK reunion gig from 1996 and a rough live recording from 1981. The production quality on the Japan recordings is fantastic, the 96 reunion recordings are definitely worth an investigation but the 81 archive recording are definitely for completists only. Also added onto these final discs are further stand alone singles “Bitten By A Love Bug” & “Midnight”. These ended up being the last re-releases of the groups original run. I must admit I had never heard either before, but both are particularly strong material wise with very great production and it’s disappointing they called it a day not long after.
Overall this set is a well priced addition for Revillos/Rezillos fans looking to thicken out their collection, but as someone who has had a past interest and looking to hear further material this collection has a lot of much the same. When material is at it’s best the band shine their brightest, but unfortunately Cherry Red have included a lot of filler in this set.
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